19. Taylen

Chapter 19

Taylen

T he wind blows my freshly done hair as I make my way through the heavy ornate doors of Club Descallia. One week since Slobozia ruined any chance in hell of me getting accepted to the warriors. The ladies are already convened at the table by the stage, reserved for Overmaster Descallia and his guests. Lucianna sits in his normal seat, her eyes alight with mischief. "Were your ears burning?" she asks as I slide into the seat between Chara and Natalia.

My eyebrows arch, looking around at the women who are quickly becoming fast and solid friends, and many I have not met. "Should I be worried?" I ask, taking a glass of water from the wait staff with a smile.

Lucianna laughs. "No, quite the opposite. We're glad you made it. We just weren't sure if you'd find some excuse not to come. Let me make introductions. I honestly don't know who you've had a chance to meet or not, yet." She starts at her right. "This is Delilah, Tuscano's mate, Angel, Trentino's mate, Raven is Master Romano's mate, Alessia is Master Catteneo's mate, Tansia is Master Calabrea's mate and Embry's cousin. You know Willow and her mate Campania, Madria and Master Sardinia, but may not know Catina or her mate Botosoni, and you're friends with Chara and Natalia so obviously know their mates, Oradea and Bistrita."

I give them all a smile. "Thanks for the introduction. It's nice to meet everyone. I appreciate the group letting me come along on the hunt for Lucas. It was great to see him taken down for what he's done to the vampires. I do feel bad for Embry, though."

Lucianna looks around and sighs heavily. "I was really hoping Embry would make it tonight, but she's taking everything with Lucas pretty hard."

Tansia takes a sip of her drink. "Harder than I've ever seen her take anything. She blames the entire battle on herself, as though she should have known what the slimeball was up to. I tried to tell her that it's not her fault, but she's just not ready to hear that yet. It may be a while."

Chara spins the glass of wine in front of her. "I thought we might have to go get both Embry and Taylen tonight. Maybe we should do an intervention, go get Embry and not take no for an answer. That's what I had planned for Taylen if she didn't show up."

She doesn't need to tell them why. It's clear from the pitiful faces that they've already been told. I let out a sigh, tired of the elephant in the room, and walking around on eggshells around everyone Slobozia knows.

Lucianna pours a glass of Descallia Red and passes it down as though knowing I might need it to calm my nerves. I take it from Natalia as it reaches her. "Because I might run into Master Slobozia? If it happens, it happens. I'm bound to run into the guy from time to time. We're both adults, we'll handle it. I've finally decided that I'm not going to lose the friendships I've made, or the ones that I can make here, just because he and I aren't a thing anymore."

Lucianna's eyes go wide and begin to glow, but Chara and Natalia give me the look. The one that says bullshit without saying a word. They know me far better than I know myself most of the time. Am I that transparent and moony-eyed over the vampire who managed to make me fall for him hard after only a short time? I blame destiny for having her hand in it and dooming me to love the masterful beast. The little matchmaker should mind her own business and get her nosy little hands out of mine because she clearly got it wrong this time.

A gentle hand at my shoulder startles me. I turn to see the person who has attracted all the ladies' attention standing behind me. Embry's purple eyes connect with mine as though she knows exactly how I feel. "I hardly think you're going to get rid of Master Slobozia that easily," she says. "I saw the way he looked at you. He was standing right there, inches from that blade, making sure that if Lucas pulled it away, that it didn't get you. I felt the connection between the two of you. Whatever happened between you, it's far from over yet."

Embry takes a seat to the right of Lucianna who sits at the head of the table, and pours herself a glass of Descallia Red, letting the blood-colored drink almost reach the rim before she stops. She looks up, feeling our eyes watching her, and gives us a rueful smile. "Hardly strong enough to take the pain away, but enough to dull it for a little bit." She takes a long sip and inhales deeply. "Okay, please tell me you've got the next transition ceremony completely planned and don't really need my help at all?"

Lucianna gives her a grin. "You're hardly getting out of it, no matter the excuse. Her eyes light with excitement, and she gets ready to say something but a member of the waitstaff stops by. She turns to them. "Do you think you could bring a few more bottles, and leave them for us, please? We're planning a party, and strategizing, and it will take many many drinks," she says to the server who grins at the ladies around the table. "Sure thing, I'll pop those right out," she says before making her way to the bar. Lucianna turns to us, barely able to contain her excitement now that we're alone. "I have an idea for the transition ceremony this year, and I want you to keep open mind."

Embry narrows her eyes at her friend. "Enough with the dramatics. Spill."

The ladies laugh, but all eyes are on Lucianna, waiting for the big reveal. "This time we have Raven, Tansia, Willow, Madria, Catina, Natalia, and Chara all going through the transition ceremony. Since Raven, Willow, Madria are witches, and we have others with psychic powers and witches in their family tree, and family members to the syndicate, I suggest that in a gesture of putting bygones to bygones, we invite the witches and syndicate members in our community to the ceremony. Roman, Angel's brother, came to see her when she went through, and I think it's only fair.

Chaos erupts, with multiple sidebar conversations starting at the same time, everyone talking over the other so loud that it's impossible to hear. Raven waves her wand, and all of a sudden everyone stops talking, their mouths moving but not one word spoken. She smiles at the group. "Now that is the way we take control of an out-of-hand meeting over at the witches' academy." She grins. "I'll remove the spell, but let's hear Lucianna out. She may be onto something," she finishes before waving her little black wand again.

Angel looks down the table at Natalia. "Natalia and I are both obviously connected to the syndicate through our brothers. My brother Roman slipped into the last one to see me walk, and I'm sure Natalia's brothers want to see her walk, too."

Natalia's eyes grow wide, concerned and contemplating. "Maybe, that's a big maybe. Michael, yes, but the others, I'm not really sure. I would have to feel them out."

Raven looks around the room, her eyes connecting with the other witches and psychics who may have more witch blood than they or we know. "What do you think ladies? I bet Devora would agree if we all felt strongly enough about having her and a few key leaders there to see us walk." She gets immediate nods from Willow and Madria, and the others around the table one by one.

Delilah twirls her glass. "I think it's fitting that since most of the ladies met their mates during our battle with the rogues, and the witches helped put an end to it, and that's how they met, that they should be allowed to come and watch. It may bring us closer together, and if not, what's the harm?"

Lucianna raises her wine glass with a mischievous grin. "Then let's toast to a suggestion that is sure to give the masters something exciting to contemplate tonight. In the meantime, they have enough on their plate to discuss at their meeting." I swallow back more emotion than I should have but it's hard to sit here wondering if they've gotten to the part of the discussion about the warriors, and if the discussion turned to me. If they have disqualified me as a candidate since what happened with Slobozia.

I suddenly need less to drink and more air. I slide my chair back and excuse myself before heading outside, taking in deep gulps of the night air as cars drive slowly down the main street in front of the exit. The bouncer at the front door turns to glance over at me every once in a while, probably wondering what I'm doing out in the cold by myself. It's exactly how I feel, cold, alone, and completely all by myself. Slobozia took that feeling away. With him there was a connection, a bond, and a powerful one at that. But maybe it was all in my head.

I suck in a deep breath and head back inside, but instead of going back to the main lounge area, head downstairs to the lower level where the members of the general public play. No one knows me here. It's my one chance to see what goes on in the lower level in this region's club without raising suspicion or glances from the other employees at work back home.

The entire level is filled with music, a seductive beat that goes with the scent of sexual energy and lust that fills the air. I watch as females and male vampires engage with each other on the floor in various stages of undress, before slipping behind one of the half walls scattered among the floor, intended to create privacy in the otherwise large open space.

My chest tightens at the sound of the blonde beauty's voice who was hanging all over Slobozia and dripping innuendos in his ear right next to me, kissed him on his face and almost threw herself into his arms right in front of me. "Master Slobozia isn't coming tonight. He's too caught up with that skank from Bistrita's region. The female they call the ice queen. She's too good to play with anyone, including the masters or lords. She's not Slobozia's type at all but somehow the bitch has managed to sink her claws into him so deep that he's even cancelled all his sessions for the rest of the year with me and all the others."

The other lady laughs. "Seriously? Three times a week at the club, a different girl every night, and he thinks she's going to satisfy that appetite? He must have it bad for the bitch."

The blonde lady lowers her voice and I strain to hear. "Water under the bridge now. A loss for us all. He actually stopped by the club to talk to me about it. He said she's the one. Told me he would make sure I was taken well care of by some of the lords who frequent the club but that our session plays were a thing of the past. He said she's his other half, the two of them make a whole."

"I saw you with him in the club though?"

The blonde laughs. "Yeah, that kinda backfired. I thought if she saw me with him, she would leave. She did, but he blames me and chewed me out something fierce. Actually fired me from the club. I have another week and then I'm off to another Club Descallia, banished."

"Fuck me," her friend says.

"I know, right. Destiny has done a number on him, that's for damn sure."

My chest tightens and blood begins to race so hard that I may pass out from the force of my regret, the remorse for thinking the worst of him, for lumping him with all the other untrustworthy men of my past. Of all the men, the biggest player of all turns out to be the one I can trust.

My heart pounds with unprecedented speed. I have to find him, tell him that I'm sorry, explain why I'm so messed up in the trust area. I ended it, pushed him away. He'd have every reason not to trust me after this. Every reason in the world.

Maybe it's too late. Maybe he doesn't want to wonder if I'll trust him if something like this happens in the future because I didn't hear a recounting of what happened from someone other than him. No matter, I have to try and find him, but first need to avoid being seen by the two women who I do not want to have a face-to-face with right now.

I look both ways to make sure the coast is clear and head the opposite way of them, around the corner, duck behind another half wall and then head for a stairway that will lead me up to the back exit of the club.

The low guttural growl puts me on guard. A wounded vampire. I draw the dagger at my waist and stealthfully climb the steps, but the damage is already done. Two of our bravest vampires lie unconscious, barely alive, but thankfully not staked. The door opens at the top of the stairs, and cold air fills the small vestibule as I fly up the stairs and out the door, into the night, following the caped attacker through the air.