“Yes, very much so. Let’s go,” I say, picking up my briefcase and placing the tickets inside. I grab my phone and call Cole to let him know I’m okay and we’re on our way home.
I fill Cole in on the vision quest when we get home, again making a point of how I came across it. “So, I think I will learn more after the ceremony on Wednesday,” I finish up, ignoring his forced blank look.
“Are we invited to watch this shindig or is it all secret rituals and stuff?” Devon asks.
“Yes, you are invited. We’ll go straight from The Council to La Scala,” I reply.
“La Scala?” Cole asks.
“Yes, we have tickets to see a performance there on Wednesday night,” I say vaguely.
“Performance of what?” he asks curiously.
I sigh. “The Kirov Ballet is in town for one night. A special performance of Swan Lake.”
Trusting Devon to help out, he points to me and says, “Liv used to dance for the Kirov. Her final performance for the Imperial Russian Ballet was the 1895 production of Swan Lake.” He holds his iPad out to Cole to show him the billing of me that he has dredged up from who the fuck knows where. I tut at him as Cole’s mouth drops open. I feel the familiar tingle up the back of my neck before I hear CK say behind me, “The only ballerina to perform a classical twenty-turn pirouette.”
I turn to him with a smile, “It could be classified as cheating, you know.”
He reaches out to touch my chin. “Vampire or not, never has there been a more skilled, talented, graceful dancer. Your passion was, is, legendary.”
I simper at his words of praise while Cole is still staring at the picture of me (in my natural form) on Devon’s iPad.
“This is really you?” he asks in amazement. I nod briefly.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a real picture of you. I mean a picture from long ago. It’s incredible.”
Smiling at his excitement, I turn back to CK. “I’m thrilled to see you, of course, but why are you here?” I repeat his words back to him and he chuckles. He opens his hand and my charm bracelet drops down. “To return this, my sweet.” He clasps it to my left wrist.
“Thank you,” I say, “but it could have waited until Tuesday.”
“It’s no trouble. I knew you would be missing it,” he says mildly, but I know his game and exactly why he is here. A not-so-subtle way of letting Cole know we were together earlier. Too bad for him though, that Cole already knows we’ve fucked this afternoon.
Casting a sidelong glance at Cole, CK continues in French, “My bed was too empty after you left. I needed a distraction, so I went back to work.”
“Hm,” I say nonchalantly, knowing that he has spoken at length with Eloise due to the nature of this conversation we are now having in her native language.
“Incidentally,” he continues, “Gregor was asking about you.”
“Oh?” That doesn’t sound good.
“He was quite interested to learn more about you.”
Grimacing, I reply, “Well, I hope you didn’t tell him much. The less that creep knows about me the better.”
Looking slightly puzzled, he says, “Really, Aefre, you should be more respectful of your colleagues.”
Devon snorts and says, “Yeah, like respect is high on his list of traits when it comes to Liv. Probably just trying to have another crack at her now that she is all that.”
I step away from CK and hiss, “Devon!” flashing him a shut-the-fuck-up glare.
“What?” he asks before the penny drops. “He doesn’t know, does he?” he asks in disbelief.
I close my eyes and sigh. I jump at CK’s voice that cracks like a whip, “Know what?”
He grabs my arm at my silence. “Know what, Aefre?” He growls at me, his eyes, two steel flints piercing mine.
“It’s nothing.” I wince as his grip tightens.