La Posada --Chapter 15 --PG-13

[librarian_7]

Disclaimer: I don't own Josef. He thinks he owns freshie Lucky, but I do.

La Posada

Chapter 15

Looking up at the mountains, Lucky realized the peaks were gleaming with a fresh white glow. It must’ve snowed last night, at the higher elevations. Inside the fringed suede jacket she’d chosen to wear over her broomstick-pleated skirt, she shivered a little. The breeze this afternoon was chilly, out here on the exposed front entrance steps of the Posada.

Carmencita, more lightly clad in a dress suited to a Miami club, or a very private party, leaned back against her for support and warmth, but Lucky thought the faint tremors that shook the other young woman were either fear or anticipation, not cold.

They’d been waiting for some time now, for the arrival of the Board members, and of Carmencita’s new vamp, standing out with Marla and a selected few of the Posada’s staff. Carmencita had begged Marla for the aid of a friend, “for my ordeal,” she said. “And Lucky, she is the only friend who would stand with me to meet this man.” Marla had agreed, reluctantly, wishing to herself she had the same option.

“But,” she had cautioned, “as soon as they arrive, Lucky needs to make herself scarce, understand? There will be no untoward incidents. None.”

Carmencita had agreed, and flown off to find Lucky, worrying about what to wear, how to act, what was she to do about the hideous bandages on her wrists? Would he wish to bite her today, in front of the whole world, or what? Don Diego had always been so private about these things, so courtly, but the younger vampires… She had seen things, she had heard things, it was not inconceivable, but how was she to endure the shame of it?

Lucky had no real advice to calm the panic. If she admitted she had some idea who the vampire was, she’d be hip deep in questions she didn’t want to be answering. Not now. She could only nod and make sympathetic noises and give vague reassurances.

A gust of wind, sharper than before, swept across the steps, and Carmencita swayed on her heels. Lucky had advised against the strappy sandals. “Don’t you want to keep your balance?” but Carmencita insisted that they were needed with the short skirt of her dress.

Marla wasn’t noticing the cold, much, as she strained to hear the sound of approaching vehicles. Slade had emailed her to expect six vampires, and to send transportation for them. Appropriate transportation. When she responded that it took 4-wheel drive to make it to the Posada’s mountain park, and that they only had one Hummer and two Range Rovers, aside from the entirely unsuitable open-topped Jeep Wranglers, he’d shrugged aside her concerns in a very brief reply.

“We’ll share. But send the Hummer and both Range Rovers.”

That was the first indication she’d ever had that Slade was on the Board. When she’d sent back a nervous inquiry about catering, his answer did nothing to allay her fears.

“Your attention to detail is late, and misplaced. If you’d needed to worry about that, I’d have told you.”

Now, on this chilly late afternoon, she could only hope her frantic preparations had achieved some measure of adequacy. Her job was probably irretrievably blown already, but she might get out of this alive if she was very lucky. That word annoyed her, and she glanced over at the two waiting freshies, frowning. They certainly looked very vamp-attractive, very vulnerable. She caught a flash from Carmencita’s gold earrings, and the ruby at Lucky’s throat. A thought struck her, and she pivoted to survey the other Posada staff who waited on the steps. They were all, as instructed, in their best, but in at least two cases, that included some of the local, Native-American made turquoise jewelry.

“Darren, Elise, what the hell were you thinking,” she hissed.

Startled, they looked away from the road to their manager, eyes questioning.

“Silver,” Marla said. “Go and—oh, damn, I hear a motor. Run ditch that jewelry in my office and get back here. Hurry!” Sound carried in the thin, clear air, but they had, she estimated, no more than five minutes before the first vehicle arrived.

Darren and Elise had just made it back to stand attentively, if panting a bit, in their assigned places when the first Range Rover drew up. As it rolled to a smooth stop, a young woman and a young man hopped out to hold the car door for the two vampires to emerge.

Marla’s heart stuttered at the sight of the tall, muscled form she had once loved so well. Slade Weston stretched his spine, glanced around him, and stood aside for another man to emerge into the light.

“Well, Philip, what do you think?” Slade asked.

Brushing what had to be imaginary flecks of lint from his immaculate suit, the compact blond replied, “I hardly expected the scenery or the main buildings to have changed their outward appearance much since I was here in ’31, Slade. And I find I was not mistaken.” His crisp British accent made his words even dryer.

Slade frowned at that, and somehow without discernable movement was standing in front of Marla. “Now, how do you greet us, darlin’?”

She fell back a step, to put a modicum of distance between them. “W-welcome to La Posada de la Sangre de la Noche, gentlemen. Enter and be—be at peace, ” she said.

Slade grinned. “Nice try, sweetheart, but I had something a little more direct in mind.” He snaked out an arm, his hand sliding behind her neck, and pulled her closer, his other hand moving her shoulder-length hair aside. She saw with a shock that his eyes were making a subtle shift from faded blue to silver. Surely he wouldn’t… “It’s been a long time, Marla,” he said. “Have you forgotten how to—submit?”

As his fangs touched her skin, Marla shuddered. She hadn’t forgotten this at all, she thought, even though without preparation, without expectation, the bite was more painful than pleasurable. He took only one long pull at her vein before releasing her with a quick sealing lick at her wounds, and laughed down at her stricken face.

“Still tasty after all these years, darlin’,” he said with a swift lick out of the tip of his tongue across his lips. “And now you know—again—who’s in charge.”

“I never forgot, Slade,” she whispered, her hand rising to cover the fresh marks of the bite.

The vampire reached out again and moved her hand, forcing it back down by her side. “That so, darlin’? Then show off those marks, don’t hide them.” He paused. “Now, where are we meeting?”

Marla never took her eyes off his face. He looked exactly as she remembered, of course, and she felt the burden of her own mortality fall heavy on her then, knowing the years between had touched her while he remained unchanged. She tried to make her voice steady, professional. “We have a conference room prepared—but, Slade, we thought you all might want to freshen up from your journeys. There are rooms set aside for each of you.”

Philip’s voice cut in. “It sounds as though the woman’s done all she can to ensure proper hospitality. Perhaps if you’re through intimidating her, we could get somewhere a little less exposed?”

As he spoke, Marla stepped aside, further from Slade, and gestured to two of her staff. “Of course, Mr.—?”

“Lewis. Philip Lewis.” He inclined his head slightly to her, a fluid, practiced movement.

She smiled and nodded, knowing it was far from natural at this point. “I do recognize the name. From Seattle, am I correct?”

“Actually, I base out of Vancouver now, but close enough.” He smiled in return and took her hand briefly in his chill grasp. “I,” he added pointedly for Slade’s benefit, “have always had good reports of the Posada from my freshies.”

“Thank you. Under the circumstances, that’s very good to hear.”

She thought he was about to say more, but another vehicle, the second Range Rover, pulled up just then, disgorging more guests. Without waiting for them, Slade clapped Philip Lewis on the shoulder and the two vampires, with their assistants (snacks, pets, whatever) in tow, followed Elise inside.

The second greeting went more smoothly. If Marla was a bit pale and shaken, she covered it well, formally welcoming a massive, red-haired Viking who doffed his sunglasses to reveal piercing blue eyes, and a deceptively youthful-looking dark, slender man who moved with the deadly grace of a viper. They disappeared inside without incident.

Carmencita shifted back, leaning harder on Lucky. So far, none of the guests had wasted more than a disinterested glance on them. “I am not sure I can bear this much longer,” Carmencita murmured over her shoulder to Lucky.

The other freshie agreed, but only slid her arms around Carmencita’s waist in a protective hug. She was torn between hoping for at least a glimpse of Josef and fearing he would step forward to take possession of his new exclusive. His hereditary exclusive. She’d seen him focus in on a new girl with laser intensity before, and she really didn’t want to watch it again right now. Especially not if he chose to mark his new freshie immediately.

Lucky bit her lip as the Hummer pulled up, trying in vain to see in the tinted windows. Carmencita stiffened in her arms.

“Please don’t desert me,” the other girl whispered. “And please, God, let him be kind!”

Lucky didn’t recognize the golden-haired human in a neatly tailored suit at first, as he hopped out to hold the door, looking attentively back inside the Hummer. Then it hit her, and the random thought that crossed her mind was, “Sam’s cut his hair.”

When Josef Kostan stepped down from the SUV, graceful as ever, he nodded to Marla, then turned toward the freshies, dismissing her from his attention even as she spoke the ritual words of greeting. His gaze didn’t even seem to register Lucky, as he moved forward to take Carmencita’s hand and raise it to his lips. “I’m Josef Kostan. You must be Carmencita Diaz,” he said.

Lucky broke and ran. She didn’t see Josef turn to the olive-skinned vampire who had emerged unnoticed from the Hummer, squinting behind his sunglasses in the fading afternoon light, and adjusting his unaccustomed suit.

“Carmencita,” Josef said, and his wicked smile was not really meant for her, “I know we’ve just met, but please allow me to introduce you to your new vampire, Guillermo Gasol.”

[skyeeblue]

Yep I missed your writing for sure.. Love it!

[maggatha3]

...and is there a smilie for..relief???