Blood from Stone, chapter 15

Chapter 15

If Liliana were any more nervous, her panicked heartbeat would have been loud enough to be picked up by the microphones of the interviewers that were already crowding the outside of the limo. She was seated between Draven and Maverick, her fists tightly clutching palmfuls of her gorgeous crimson dress. She forced herself to relax her hands, touching slightly farther up her thighs for the barest of seconds. The sensation of solid metal under the pads of her fingers convinced her to inhale a slow, cleansing breath. She’d worn her knives on a scandalously placed sheath on either thigh. They rested high enough beneath her skirt that even when she moved, the high slit up one side wouldn’t reveal them.

Leon and Jax had tried to talk her out of it, but ultimately decided they could come up with a reasonable argument for her having them if anyone was alerted to the presence of the weapons. Aubrey couldn’t stop laughing at the idea of anyone trying to take them away from her.

The twins leaned across the small expanse between the two benches where they all perched inside the limousine. They rested large, square hands atop her white knuckles, perfect mirrors of each other. Oberon’s hair was slightly longer and purposely styled to look like someone had run their fingers through it. If it weren’t for that and the slight differences in their personalities, Liliana never would have been able to differentiate them from each other.

“Ready to go give all these stuffy old bastards something to talk about?” Oberon asked with a wink, his levity easing her stress.

Unable to resist a smile, she nodded. “Sure!”

The Winterbournes climbed from the limousine to a cacophony of hurried questions, the shutters of dozens of cameras, and flashes going off. They emerged in order of their birth, which Liliana knew was significant. The twins stepped out together, moving to either side of the aperture and bending slightly at the waist. They offered their hands to her, palms held up, and she rested her much smaller hand in each of theirs, doing her damnedest not to scurry back into the limo when everyone with a camera or microphone pressed in closer to them as she stepped onto the walkway between the men. Maverick and Draven took their places behind her, their presence at her back a welcome comfort.

The eight of them posed for several photos together in front of a backdrop covered with the names of the sponsors of the event, Liliana always being at the center of the group. The brothers were dressed in suits and ties, each of them having one accessory that had been dyed red to perfectly match the hue of Liliana’s gown. Liliana opted to not answer any questions directed at her by the reporters, merely smiling or shaking her head at their flurried attempts to interview her. They could speculate on whether she was mute all they wanted.

The whole entrance process only took a few minutes, but it felt like a lifetime to Liliana. When they finally walked into the venue and the doors shut behind them, silencing the crushing wave of voices, she audibly breathed a sigh of relief. She knew what to expect of the general order of events for the evening. Once she learned there was a schedule of sorts, she had insisted on rehearsing until even Leon was tired of it.

And despite all that practice, things were already wrong. Out of order. Going against the plan. Liliana went to nibble at the edge of a fingernail but stopped herself at the sight of the nail polish coating them. Instead, she opted for cracking each of her knuckles, one by one, against the palm of her opposite hand.

At the sensation of an arm snaking around her waist, she jumped, startled out of her racing thoughts by the sudden physical contact. Fuck’s sake, Lily, you’re shaking. Aubrey’s voice rang in her head, and he looked down into her eyes from mere inches away. The icy blue hue of his eyes pierced her soul like a pike. She covered his hand with hers, threading her fingers between his and giving his hand a squeeze.

I know you’re doing your best to keep it together, but honey you’ve got to try harder. They’re gonna smell the fear on you the second they step through those doors.

Liliana gripped his hand so hard her own knuckles creaked, and she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and letting it out as slowly as possible. She mentally counted to ten, focusing on slowing her heart rate and her breathing.

When she opened her eyes again, she was visibly more physically relaxed, but her pupils were still wide, the irises dark and stormy. “We were supposed to be the last ones here, so they’d already all be in here. Why are we here first? How many vampires will have to walk by us while we stand respectfully, waiting on their dusty asses to take their seats?” Her words were quick, mumbled, full of barely contained panic.

“Is that what you’re upset about? Oh, doll…” He leaned down, his breath hot and tickling her ear as he whispered gently, “We’re here to protect your little type A ass. Anybody here with fangs will have had a full feed or two before attending, so they’re not going to be a threat. Other bloddukke will be present, too. They’re not going to just jump on you like you’re nothing but cattle.”

He pressed a soft kiss to her ear. And another. The rustle of his clothing as his body moved closer to hers muffled all the other sounds around them, the soft hum of his voice in her ear soothing her in an unusual way. Jaxon’s hand settled on her bare shoulder and every noise that wasn’t coming from Aubrey disappeared beneath a quiet but high-pitched ringing. It felt familiar, but she couldn’t quite place why.

“What—?” Aubrey cut off her next question with the warm and insistent pressure of his lips against hers. He broke the gentle kiss without even trying for more.

He leaned his forehead to hers, saying softly aloud: “I’m sorry for asking Jax for backup with his powers. The effects will fade in a few minutes, I promise. The Carvers and Brewsters might mostly have their shit in check, but you need to be calm for us when the rest of the fang gang rolls in.”

She felt fuzzy, but like she was gradually regaining control of her mind. “Fang gang, huh? You’re lucky you didn’t end up wearing my lipstick.” Her voice seemed far away, like it was at the end of a long hallway.

Aubrey glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he stepped slightly out of her personal space, his gaze hungrily raking over her form from head to toe and back again. “You’re under the silly impression that I wouldn’t love to be covered in that lipstick…”

That seemed to break the calming spell and the crippling anxiety that had gripped Liliana. Her cheeks flared as scarlet as her gown and his smug smirk didn’t help matters. She made an inarticulate sound, putting her hand on the center of his chest and resisting the urge to shove. Instead, she curled her fingers into a fist and smacked the heel of her hand against the solid muscles concealed beneath the layers of his jacket, vest, and dress shirt. They both chuckled.

“Nice job with the tag-team distraction—” Orion began.

“—but they’re coming. Brace yourselves, guys.” Oberon finished.

The way they’d finish each other’s sentences like they shared one mind always caught Liliana by surprise. She and Aubrey separated, resuming their prior stances. It felt like standing at parade rest in formation, vigilant and prepared, but giving the illusion of being relaxed.

As the doors opened and a group of what Liliana could only assume were vampires strolled into the venue, the air around her suddenly felt very thin, like she was nearing the peak of a mountain and there just wasn’t enough air to let her lungs feel full. It was the raw, unbridled power that rolled off the concentrated group of them in waves, literally stealing the breath from her lungs.

“That’s the Carver clan,” Aubrey offered quietly, noticing her distress.

She could only manage a nod, counting heads to try to focus on something. “And this is only part of their numbers.”

He nodded. “Including their bloddukke, the Carvers number nearly eighty.”

“Jesus. You weren’t kidding when you guys said you were a baby clan, by comparison.”

“Yeah. Just wait until the Brewsters roll in. There are over one hundred of them. Probably have about thirty in attendance, though.”

One of the Carvers, tallish with naturally ginger hair, turned from his conversation to look at her. “Don’t make—!” But Aubrey’s warning came too late. Liliana could see nothing but the heterochromatic eyes of the vampire from across the ballroom. His pale pink lips curved up at one corner, the smattering of freckles across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose captivating her attention. She took a step in his direction and Draven snatched her wrist, Aubrey stepping in front of her so their eye contact was broken.

The other vampire pouted but moved on with the rest of his group. Liliana had a feeling that wouldn’t be the last she’d be seeing of him for the evening. “Do yourself a favor tonight, Lily Guns… Don’t fucking make eye contact with anyone but us. You don’t know what powers all these old bloodsuckers have, and I honestly don’t either. I know weak and meek are the last adjectives you’d use in a personality survey but save the predator stare-down for another day. Last thing we need is to get in trouble for dismembering someone for fucking with you.”

Draven’s words dripped with a venom she didn’t even know he was capable of. It was terrifying and protective all in the same breath. She merely nodded, quickly becoming more mindful of where she cast her gaze. The plush carpet beneath her heels was suddenly immensely more interesting.

“Fuck’s sake… You can look up from the floor, Liliana.” Jax murmured. “If you look too much like prey, you’re gonna have just as many problems. Just don’t make eye contact with any of these fossils. Other bloddukke are fine, though.”

“How the hell am I supposed to tell them apart without getting bespelled, or whatever?”

The Winterbournes exchanged looks over her head that were obviously meant to exclude her. “You’ll... Uh. You’ll just know, Lily. Trust me.”

She pursed her painted lips in irritation. “You know, you assholes being cryptic and keeping shit from me is exactly how Ginger Spice over there almost just sucked me in.”

Leon growled under his breath, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with an extremely rigid finger as his six brothers snickered. “Ginger Spice, as you so aptly nicknamed him, is Hannibal fucking Carver, Liliana. He’s the third-born son of the Carver clan. Try to be respectful, would you?”

She cleared her throat, folding her fingers together behind her back sheepishly, rocking back and forth lightly on her heels. “Sorry, Papa Leon.”

Leon exhaled slowly, looking at her pointedly from his peripheral vision, amber eyes dripping with heat and warning. “Call me ‘Papa’ in public again, and I’ll bend you over my knee and show this entire ballroom full of vampires what happens to naughty little girls who forget what it means to be respectful. Especially after they’ve been graciously warned on more than one occasion.”

The chuckles of his brothers ranged from dark to nervous, blending together in such a way that she couldn’t link a certain sound to any single one of them. “Alright, alright. Rein it in, peanut gallery.” Leon hissed. "The Brewsters are arriving. Maybe try to act like you weren't raised in a barn?"

"Lighten up a little, Leon. We're not all that scary, you know." The vaguely Southern accent, in stark contrast to the Winterbournes and her own Northern accent, startled Liliana.

A vampire, Liliana assumed, stood next to them casually, as if they belonged with the group. The bloddukke was uncertain if they were male or female, so she mentally stuck to gender neutral pronouns unless someone told her otherwise. This individual had thick and tousled ash blond hair, short on top but longer beneath, trailing down past their shoulders in a way that reminded Lily of glam metal bands from the eighties. If they'd managed to make it passably stylish. Their eyes were a softly shining crimson, and heavily lined with kohl.

The way they were dressed, Liliana figured they must have aspired to be simultaneously like Lestat with all his French frills, and like David from The Lost Boys with his leather and grunge. Form fitting black jeans with combat boots, a high collared black jacket with a pair of chains that linked the lapels together, and a neckline that plunged just deeply enough that it made Liliana curious added to the vampire's air of mystery.

Her innocent interest hadn't gone unnoticed, and the vampire tilted their head slightly, eyes cast down towards her. When Liliana was careful not to make direct eye contact, musical laughter like the ringing of bells sliced the air around them. "Aww, sugar. Guess the boys are lookin' out for ya, huh? Good on 'em."

Without the usual vampiric pomposity, they casually stepped closer to her, lifting her hand gently in fingers that practically pulsed with power. They brought her hand to their lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her perpetually bruised knuckles. "Save me a spot on your dance card, sweetie. I know you'll have your hands full with these punks, but I'm sure it'll be an experience you won't soon forget."

Flustered and unsure of how to respond, Liliana smiled and said, "Sure! But I, uh.. didn't catch your name?"

"Fear," they responded softly, their voice like an echoing whisper in her head that sent shivers down her spine. Without waiting for any further conversation or giving a backwards glance, they clapped Aubrey on the back and sauntered off to join the rest of their family and attending bloddukke.

Once all three clans were inside the venue, the doors shut with a finality that made Liliana's heart skip a beat. She swung her head back in the other direction when there was a soft crackling, followed by a second of piercing feedback from a microphone that echoed from the speakers that were built into the venue's walls.

"Sorry about that, everyone." A silken voice apologized with a lilting chuckle. "Welcome to the annual holiday gala. Hope you've all been enjoying this lovely Northeastern weather we're having. I know some of you haven't seen snow in centuries, so make sure you pop outside and enjoy it before you head back to your hell of eternal sunshine and deserts."

Another chortle that caressed her ears like a lover's tongue. Liliana scrubbed her hands vigorously up and down her arms, trying to shake off the goosebumps that climbed her extremities. "Jesus," she muttered under her breath. "I could do without all the creepy, slidey... Everything."

Draven put his arm around her shoulders. "Just wait until they get drinking and dancing, you think it's unnerving now. I've only been to a few of these things, but they get.. Wild."

Liliana picked at the hardened bit of skin next to her fingernails absently, worrying the edge between her teeth. "Not the reassurance I needed, Baby-Bat." She exhaled heavily, her eyes darting about as she tried to find where the MC's voice was originating from.

"Thanks go out this year to our resident younglings, the Winterbournes, for hosting this event. I'd ask them to say a few words, but who understands kids these days, am I right?" The crowd collectively chuckled, and Liliana found herself bristling despite the sensation that it was all good-natured ribbing. "Seriously though, let's get Aubrey Winterbourne up here. Give him a hand, everyone!"

The gathering clapped and cheered emphatically, and Lily's eyebrows nearly became one with her hairline. With a smug smirk, Aubrey tucked his hands into his pockets and walked across the expanse of the ballroom. The menagerie of vampires and bloddukke parted for him like a scattered flock of sheep before a lion. They gave him a more than healthy wide berth, and it made Liliana wonder again at what the men she'd come to care for over the past few months were truly capable of. They were practically human for her. Caring, gentle. She took this as the first visible evidence that they weren't just endearing goobers to everyone.

She saw that there was a table tucked away towards the back where the MC—and now, she noticed a DJ as well—were located. Aubrey stepped up next to none other than Ginger Spice, giving the red-haired vampire a half-hearted smile that she knew didn't reach his eyes. Hannibal Carver passed the microphone to Aubrey, the latter nodding his thanks.

One hand still tucked into his pocket, he cut an impressive figure with his entirely black ensemble. Pants, jacket, shirt, vest, and shoes were all a shade of obsidian so deep that it seemed to suck the light from everything around him. The only pop of color on him was the crimson satin pocket square on the left side of his suit jacket. Monochrome tattoos peeked out of his shirt that climbed his neck and curled around his fingers, standing out in sharp contrast to his pale skin.

"Big bro looks pretty good up there, huh?" Draven murmured to her. "Your cheeks are almost as red as your dress, Lily."

"Shaddap," she squeaked, elbowing him in the ribs.

"So help me, God, I'm going to whack your knuckles with a ruler if you two don't quiet down." Leon half-snarled at them.

"No balls," Draven shot back. "You don't have a ruler with you in that suit."

Leon quirked a brow at his stepbrother, undoing the buttons on his jacket and reaching into the interior pocket. He lifted the edge of a steel ruler just high enough to show over his collar. "Keep pushing, asshole. Behave your damned self. Tonight's important, and you know it."

"Fine, fine." Draven mumbled.

"He's actually got a fucking ruler with him!" Liliana hissed.

Draven bit down on his lower lip to keep from laughing, his eyes going back to the DJ station as Aubrey addressed the assembly. "I'd like to begin by thanking you all for showing up. Like Hannibal here already said, our weather isn't for everyone. Snowball fight will be at eleven-thirty, by the way." A smattering of warm chuckles broke out in the crowd, and he grinned.

"Seriously, though. Not only are we hosting this year, but this is the first time in several decades that we haven't been here totally dry-fanged. I know we don't have the advantage of centuries of time to bolster our dolls, but I think this one is the start of a new beginning for us Winterbournes. A few of you already caught sight of her, but Liliana Gunnstein has become a member of our family in the past few months."

She could sense the threat in his tone, and she couldn't help but smirk at it.  She tried to ignore the sensation of many pairs of eyes turning to her as Aubrey continued speaking. "Be sure to treat her kindly. This is her first time being surrounded by this many fangs, and I think she's a bit overwhelmed already. All that being said, the girl can fend for herself just fine. Fuck around, find out, as we 'kids' say." Guffaws echoed through the crowd as he cast a sideways glance at Hannibal.

"So eat, drink, dance. Have a good time. Just don't burn the damned place down. We don't have half a millennium of wealth stuffed away to pay for it, unlike you fossils. Pitter patter, let's get at 'er." Aubrey handed the microphone back to Hannibal to roaring applause and the music gradually increased in volume, the crush of bodies scattering to various parts of the venue for their chosen activities.

"Did he know he was going to have to speak in front of everyone? That seemed really smooth." Liliana commented.

Leon shook his head, exhaling heavily in relief. "No. That prick was supposed to do the whole intro to start off the festivities. Aubrey did that entire thing off the cuff. " The twins pressed their lips together, trying not to laugh. "What are you two all smirky about?" Leon snapped.

"Ooooh, nothing." Oberon slyly glanced at his older brother.

"Sure didn't sound too respectful to me, though." Orion echoed.

Leon huffed. "Oh, fuck off. My anxiety over trying to keep all of you chuckleheads in line is fucking killing me."

Liliana did her best not to smirk but failed miserably as she put her hand on his shoulder. "Let's go get some food, then. I'm starving, because when am I not? And you obviously need the distraction."

"Fair enough," he conceded. He offered her his arm and she wrapped hers around his, casually settling her hand on his forearm.

As they walked off to get plates, the gathering of younger Winterbournes stood together dumbstruck. "Did he really just get rewarded for being a dick?!" Draven shook his head in disbelief.

Maverick sighed, rough fingertips toying with his crimson necktie. "Sure seems that way, doesn't it?"

The twins shook their heads. "And now Aubrey's getting in on the action, too." They chimed in unison.

"Fossil privileges, I suppose. Age before beauty and all that." Draven snorted.

"Oho. Sounds like somebody's jealous, eh little brother?"

He shrugged, doing his best to look unruffled. "I guess they can have their turn... For now."