How could Sebastian think to live years, decades… perhaps longer… without giving in to those base instincts?
Their eyes met, and he allowed only a flare of glow to color his, as if to remind her of what they’d shared… and what they could still share, if she were willing. One last bit of that devilish side of him.
Victoria made a decision at that moment. “I’ll send someone with you, Sebastian. Someone to stay with you, at least… at least for a while.”
He gave a wry smile. “My own Tutela member?”
She understood his attempt at humor and let it pass. “A Venator protector. You’re still a Venator, Sebastian. You wear the vis .”
“I do. And will. Though I don’t know if it will be enough.” Sadness graced his eyes, and Victoria felt her heart pang.
Let him be strong.
“And the ring,” Wayren said. “The ring you wear is there to give you strength, as well.”
Michalas returned at that moment, and Sebastian looked over at him as though drawn by a string. His nostrils flared as though to scent blood on the air, and even Victoria could smell the faint rust. “Come with me,” said Michalas.
Sebastian nodded, murmuring something about preferring venison blood to that of beef, and Victoria was glad that he wouldn’t have to feed on whatever animal Michalas had found in front of the rest of them.
Then a thought struck her, and she looked at Michalas, then glanced meaningfully at Wayren. The angel nodded. Yes, he would be a good person to send with Sebastian, as odd as that might seem for a Venatorial task.
Sebastian left the room, and a silence fell over the chamber. Victoria felt the sharp sting of a tear and, annoyed with herself, dashed it away. She looked up to find Brim easing out of the room, and Wayren following him in a smooth glide.
When she glanced at Max, she saw why.
His face was thunderous.
“Are we going to fight now?” she asked impudently.
“Tell me… just tell me that you didn’t know.”
“Max,” she said patiently, “I am not going to sit back for nine-rather, eight… perhaps seven-months and do nothing.”
She heard the grinding of his teeth from where she stood, several feet away. She narrowed her eyes in delight. Max speechless?
“This is going to be an ongoing argument, isn’t it?” he said at last.
“Max, really. I’m not like other women.”
He snorted. “Is that so?” Then he was across the room, pulling her into his arms. “I am delighted. But there’s one thing you’ll need to understand.”
She looked up at him. “I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
“The child will have Gardella blood. But it will also have my name. Do you understand?”
For once, she was in complete agreement.
Epilogue
Wherein We Are Assured That Though Nothing Will Change, All Will Be Well
Lady Winnie and Lady Nilly gushed over Victoria, smoothing her hair-which had grown nearly to her shoulders-and fussing with her skirts.
“You couldn’t look lovelier, my dear,” Lady Winnie said, backing away to look fondly at Victoria. There might have been the gleam of a tear in her eye, or it may simply have been the fact that she spied the new tray of biscuits that Verbena had carried in. Chocolate iced pumpkin. One of her favorites.
“Indeed,” sniffled Nilly, under no pretense whatsoever. Her handkerchief was damp, and her narrow shoulders shuddered a bit as she tried to hold back the tears from pink-rimmed eyes. “I just adore weddings.” She burst into renewed tears as Winnie patted her back while continuing to eye the biscuits. “And babies.”
Victoria, for her part, felt like an ungainly sort of cow. The size of her belly, fortunately hidden beneath the yards and yards of sea green fabric, couldn’t possibly grow any larger… but she had been assured that she had several more months to expand. The very thought was inconceivable.
It was a very good thing that the vampires seemed to have remained out of London since Lilith’s death. Victoria couldn’t imagine trying to wield a stake, or kick, or even run in this sort of condition. In fact, the last time she’d tried to train with Kritanu in the kalari , Max had walked in, taken one look at her front-heavy figure and uncomfortable pose with a kadhara blade, and immediately backed out.
She thought she might have heard the rare sound of his laughter, but decided it was in both of their best interests to decline to investigate. After all, she still did wear two vis bullae , and she might hurt him.
“And here is the bride!” squealed Nilly, her tears momentarily forgotten.
Victoria looked up as the door to her mother’s dressing room opened and Lady Melly stepped into the small adjoining parlor.
She beamed and glowed like any bride would-particularly one who’d managed to snare one of the most eligible bachelors in all of London. For a moment, Victoria felt a bit envious of her mother’s slender figure… but not the least bit put out by the fact that Lady Melly would be taking over the title of Marchioness of Rockley, and her daughter would merely remain the dowager.
This was an odd happenstance that had been remarked on over and over in the on dit section of the papers, but other than feeling a bit sorry for the poor rejected Lord Jellington, Victoria felt nothing but happiness about her mother’s new match.
She might have felt a pang of remorse for the delight in knowing that Lady Melly’s maternal attentions would now be divided among three daughters-two of whom had come with the widowed Rockley when he returned to claim his title-but that was to be forgiven.
“Why, Mama,” Victoria said, eyeing her parent’s intricate hairstyle as she bent to hug Winnie. “Your coiffure… it is most unusual.”
“Do you not like it?” Melly said, her face shining with joy. “I particularly asked your maid-Violet, is it? No, Verbena-if she would do it. I have always loved the way she arranged those little sticks in your hair.”
That was another thing about Melly’s newfound love match. Her memory of certain instances seemed to have softened or even completely altered. And Victoria was so delighted for her mother that she wasn’t about to remind her of her previous criticisms of the feathered or decorated stakes that Verbena had secreted in her own curls on more than one occasion.
Instead, she merely admired the pearly white ones that gleamed amid Melly’s similar dark curls, complete with flimsy feathers and diamonds.
“It looks lovely,” she said, catching Verbena’s eye as the maid came in to admire her handiwork.