Page 64 of Better in Black
Anna smiled, her lazy cat’s smile. “Some of them.”
Ari saw Sylvain look over at her in alarm, but Ari was unworried. She knew Anna; she knew that flirting came to her as naturally as breathing. She also knew the difference between Anna’s sincere interest and Anna’s going through the motions. Currently, Anna was going through the motions.
“How charming,” warbled Emerald.
“Emerald,” said Matthew, sitting back in his chair, “while I’m sure Anna is delighted to have met you, we are a group of old friends who have little time to catch up with each other. If you wouldn’t mind…”
It was a very politego away,but Emerald waved a hand in dismissal. “At the moment, I’m here on an errand,” she said. “Anna is wanted by Hypatia in the Whispering Room. She has acquired a number of new imported silks and desperately desires Anna’s opinion on them.”
A flicker of annoyance flashed across Anna’s eyes, but Ari, under the table, squeezed her hand. “You should go,” Ari said, in a low voice. “Hypatia will demand you present yourself to her at some point tonight. And I imagine you do, in fact, want to see the silks.”
“It’s true,” Matthew put in. “You know how Hypatia is. Might as well pay your respects now.”
As Anna followed Emerald, with some reluctance, Ari turned back to Matthew and Sylvain only to find that a very small man in a top hat had appeared at their side. He bowed to Matthew. “We heard your mother had twins,” said the small man. “In Faerie, that is considered especial good luck. Do you think she’s really attached to both of them? If there was one, perhaps, they were willing to trade…”
Matthew’s eyes were glittering. “Begone, faerie, or I will ask Magnus Bane to turn you into a coatrack. He does enjoy that.”
The faerie scurried off. Sylvain laughed so hard he had to hide his face against Matthew’s shoulder.
The other Downworlders who came to greet them were more polite. They chatted with some friendly gray-haired vampires, a warlock with patches of snakeskin, and two of Kellington’s werewolf cousins. As Ari watched Matthew through these interactions, she thought,He’s plainly so much more comfortable here than Anna is.
Ari felt a certain coldness steal over her. Was Anna—unhappy? As Matthew had once been unhappy? Or perhaps Ari was seeing things that weren’t really there because she was worried about Anna.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion from the far side of the room. Ari turned to see Anna, looking furious as she pushed her way through the crowd, heading for her friends. Behind her was Emerald, berating Anna.
“I don’t know why you have to be so difficult,” she called out to Anna’s back. “You don’t have to play hard to get with me. Everyone knows what you’re like, Anna Lightwood. And now you say you are interested only in one woman? One? You expect me to believe that, given your reputation? It’s absurd!”
Anna planted her front toe, pivoted 180 degrees, and shot out her arm. In her hand was the yatagan Matthew had given her only a few minutes before. Its tip was a fraction of an inch from Emerald’s throat. To her credit, Emerald did stop where she was and put her hands up in surrender, looking alarmed. There were gasps, giving way to a sudden silence as the Ruelle’s guests waited to see what would happen. The only exception was the unfortunate gnome on the stage, who apparently was in the middle of the tenor aria from Monteverdi’sOrfeo.He’d been completely drowned out by the crowd before, which had been a good thing, as it was immediately apparent that he was awful. He went on for a few bars before he noticed and awkwardly came to a halt.
Anna slowly retracted her arm, tucking the dagger away in her jacket. “I suggest you leave me alone,” she said coldly to Emerald. “Whether you believe it or not, your romantic attentions are unwelcome.”
Emerald put a hand to her throat, looking outraged. Anna clearly didn’t care. Instead she cut through the crowd and mounted the stage, gently urging the gnome to get out of her way.
“What is she doing?” murmured Matthew. Ari wasn’t sure, but she thought she heard a dash of concern in his voice. She herself couldn’t help but stare at Anna. Under other circumstances, she could easily imagine Anna mounting a stage in order to tell a ribald joke, or to charm the crowd some other way. But Anna’s expression of grim determination said that she was not onstage to enjoy herself.
“Your attention, please!” Anna called. The glowing circle of the limelight swung around to center on her. “My name is Anna Lightwood—”
A cheer went up.
“Yes, yes,” Anna said, looking impatient. “While I am delighted you know me, it seems that many of you do not know much about me. It seems I must make something of an announcement.”
Ari’s hand went to the pendant of her necklace: a tiny model of a Thai phurba cast in platinum, given to her by Anna for her birthday. It looked like a weapon for a doll, but it was sharp and strong, a real Nephilim weapon even at its small scale; its three-sided blade meant that it could sit flat against her breastbone without cutting it. She liked to twirl it by the tiny hilt, for comfort.Oh, Anna,she thought.
Anna went on, her head held high. “From this moment on, understand that I am no longer available for flirtations, dalliances, or seductions. I have retired from the life I led before the events of last year.”
“You see,” said Matthew to Sylvain, “I told you London wouldn’t be boring.”
Sylvain appeared confused. “But she said no dalliances. How can that be more interesting than dalliances?”
“You wait and see,” Matthew said. “This isn’t over.”
Anna went on. “Those seeking assignations, trysts, or blandishments must heretofore look elsewhere. I love only one woman, and that is simply how it is. I suggest you grow used to it.”
There was a mild chorus of boos, mixed with a few encouraging cheers. Ari’s heart soared with a painful pride. Pain, that Anna had felt it necessary to do this; pride, that Anna believed so much in the love between them that shewoulddo it. Blowing a defiant kiss,Anna stepped down from the stage. She looked magnificent, Ari thought, though she knew she wasn’t objective.
The bustle and noise of the Ruelle resumed in a flash, as though it had never gone away. Ari noted that the gnome singer from earlier did not reappear, having taken the opportunity to flee the scene. Emerald, also, seemed to have vanished.
Anna returned to them and sat back down. Ari immediately caught at her hand; Anna smiled wearily at her and reached for her champagne glass, draining it with one quick gesture.
