My first thought was ‘assassin’ until the figure moved, and it wasn’t like the movement of any man, other than Felicia and we had him upstairs. The figure stepped in the room as if it didn’t notice, or care, that four men had weapons ready to strike. We were all shocked to see a beautiful woman underneath. She lifted the wide hood off of her head and asked for the mistress of the house. “Who’s asking, lady,” Derek said, taking a step forward, with Jacob putting a hand on his chest. She had reddish hair, pulled back from her face and done in tight ringlets that spilled over the neck of the dark gray cloak. She was a small woman with delicate features; small round nose, oval shaped pale green eyes, with ruby red puffy lips. Her face looked like she wore some kind of powder, because I could see the faint color of her freckles under it but she was without doubt a beautiful woman, until she opened her mouth a second time.
“I am Inara, Mistress of Castle Montclair, second highest in London.”
“Yeah, well you're nothing here, so the first name is all ya get,” I said, stepping out, pulling the wig off my head, letting my braid fall down the front of my dress.
“You must be the one my Bernard has told me so much about,” she replied, putting far too much emphasis on the last word.
“And your point is?” I raised my right brow and stepped right up to her. “We don’t have all night. Can’t you see we're getting ready for a party?”
“I do, and that is why I am here; that, and to see my Alex with my own eyes. If he is dead and I do not return in one hour…this house will fall.”
I grabbed her around the throat and back walked her right into the door that Sydney had swung closed behind her. “Don’t you ever step in my home and threaten me or my family.” Her eyes were wide with shock, thinking the announcement of her name would have been enough. I yanked her head to the side and sank my fangs in as she started screaming. Jacob grabbed me by the shoulders and I fought him, drinking her blood, letting her know who was running this particular show. I pulled my head back and she grabbed her own neck. “Let ‘em come lady…haven’t you heard? We love a good fight.” I growled as close to her face as Jacob’s hands on my arms would allow. She had said the wrong thing and pissed me off.
“I mean you no disrespect, I merely wanted to protect myself,” she said, looking back at me with a noticeable trembling in her body. “I have wanted my sister out of power for years, we all have.”
“Then go out and tell one of your men to take the message back that you’ll be home before dawn. What we have to discuss may take more than an hour. He can use one of our horses.” I replied, yanking my arms away from Jacob’s bruising grip.
“May I please see my son after?”
I nodded my head toward Jacob and the others, walked back into the study and took a seat behind the desk. A few minutes later, after she had come back inside, Inara looked in at me and lowered her eyes as Cates took her elbow and led her up the stairs. Alex did have marks on him, nothing of substantial damage, and it would show her that we stood on our word; not like herself and those she wished to be rid of. I could hear Alex cry out from where I was sitting. I saw Tammy look up the staircase as she and Tanda walked in to join me. Garvin came in and sat on the edge of the desk with a worried look on his face.
“Something on your mind?”
“I wish to speak to you but I do not wish for you to take it in the wrong meaning.”
“Just say it Garvin, you can tell me anything,” I replied, getting a little worried about what he had to say.
“What you did just now…was the very thing that I had seen Yvette do a hundred times,” he glanced back at me. “I heard her tone in your voice.”
“That wench had it coming,” I swallowed, running my fingers over the desk, “undermining me in my own home.”
“That too sounds like what she would have said,” Tanda added, holding herself at the entrance.
“I’m fine, Tanda. I didn’t mean to scare you. I don’t even know what came over me. I just heard her say that our house would fall and I lost control.”
“You will always have to fight the urges of the ancients, Renee. But, to be honest, I was very proud of your leadership.” Garvin’s words made me feel better about what I had just done.
“Yeah, I bet she thinks twice about giving you an ultimatum,” Sydney added, leaning on the door as Tanda came closer.
“Pretty little thing, wonder how much she looks like her sister?” Tammy said, stepping back into the foyer.
“Well, that’s one more thing to ask dear old Alex after she leaves,” I snickered, hearing the ill tone of my own voice. “Sorry, that just slipped.”
“I can barely imagine what runs through her thoughts at seeing you dressed in that gown, along with the rest of us,” Jacob smiled, walking into the room, “hearing you were a demon and all.”
“She tastes weak. I can’t feel any power in her blood, not like I did when…” I let my words trail off.
“It was Angelica that took the power of London, Renee. Her sister gained status by name alone. And as to your question about their appearance, they are identical.”
“How we gonna tell them apart at this gala thing?” Derek asked.
“Does it matter?” Tammy replied.
“One will be watching for us, the other will be entertaining the crowd,” Jacob explained, sitting down on the other edge of the desk. “I am more than sure that Inara will make sure we know the difference, thinking that she would be mistaken could be disastrous for her campaign.”
“Like I said…does it really matter?” Tammy raised one brow looking back into the room at us, then turned and went into the family room across the hall.
“Her pain shows deeply,” Jacob said in a low voice.
“You should have seen what we saw. I can understand why she hates these breeders so much and knowing women are behind it makes it even worse,” I cringed at the thought of Tammy lying face down in a puddle of her own blood. “I’m glad she’s on our side.”
Cates had Inara’s elbow up at shoulder level, as she gripped the banister as they came back down the stairs; the look on her face was not too happy. He brought her into the study and sat her down in a chair that Jacob had slid in front of my desk. He and the others stepped a few feet behind her. “How dare your servant treat me so poorly! I merely wanted to hug my son.”
“And how rude of you to allow my maker to suffer like an animal. He would have joined us but his feet are bothering him somewhat,” I replied, adding a snap to the ‘somewhat’, and watched her face pale under the powder. “Would you like to see Martin as well, Inara?”
“No, that will not be necessary,” she laced her hands in her lap, looked down, gathered herself, then looked back up at me. “What can I do to help you?”
“First, never take for granted that I will not do exactly what I say. Second, never, and I mean the word never…step in my home and think that you are better than anyone in here. I’m no mistress to those behind you. I am their friend and they have free will, not like those who are beat down at your feet. If you do not swear to change your ways of leadership, Inara, we will cut you down just like we’re going to cut down your sister. Do I make myself clear?” She nodded once. “We will need entrance to your sister’s castle the night of the gala, but we won’t be coming through the tunnels. We'll be coming through the front door.”