Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Our hurried steps soon returned us to the villa but much had changed. A whole army of carriages were now parked on the driveway and stretched down the road. There were big and little, square and squat, and many of them featured crests and fine pairs of horses. The drivers congregated around a beer keg provided for the occasion and drank to the cheer of their employers.

We slipped past them and into the house where maids and men scurried between the kitchen and the open doors of the terrace. The stone platform was now thick with people drinking champagne and showing off their wealth. The crowd spilled out onto the sandy beach but stopped a few yards shy of the trial area which was cordoned off with thick ropes. A booth with a roof had been set up at the edge of the terrace overlooking the sand and I glimpsed about a half dozen comfortable seats under its awning.

The wood bleachers now sported thickly stuffed velvet cushions for the delicate derrières of the spectators. Half the seats were filled already and a steady flow of people moved in to capture the most plush of cushions.

The man of the hour Mr. Lusio himself stood in the center of the controlled chaos with a big smile on his face and his chest puffed out. People flocked about him inflating his ego and stroking his pride. They laughed at his lame jokes and complimented his overpriced attire.

I leaned toward Tegan and lowered my voice to a loud whisper so he could hear me over the chatter. "How are we supposed to protect him from this many people?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea. Just keep your eyes open for anything suspicious."

A woman walked by with a huge hat that reminded me of a train wreck. "Should I make the list in alphabetical or chronological order?"

"Spreading apart might help," he suggested as he caught my eye with a look of warning. "Just don't do anything without me."

I grinned. "I'll scream if I need anything."

"Loudly," he emphasized before he slipped away.

I took a look at the size of our task and sighed. The area was filled with well over a hundred people and anybody could be the assassin. I shrugged and meandered into the hoity-toity of the strange world in which I found myself. The vampire spectators were easy enough to pick out, what with their umbrellas and identical skin color. I guessed there were werewolves among the crowd but they didn't let their tale out for this event.

After browsing the selection of suspects for a few minutes, a noise from the front of the house caught my attention. A servant hurried inside and slipped through the crowd to his employer. I followed close behind and overheard the whispered conversation.

"Sir, the workers are out front demanding to see you," the servant whispered.

Lusio scowled at him. "Tell them I will see them after the trials."

The servant shook his head. "They won't wait that long, sir. They're demanding an audience with you right now."

A look of fury passed over his brow. "Then get rid of them! Burn their umbrellas if you have to but I want them gone!"

The servant nodded and scurried away. The tone of the conversation, however, had dampened the lively spirit of the audience around him.

Lusio held up his hands and smiled at the crowd. "It's nothing to worry about, just some labor disputes."

I slipped past him and over to the front door. Many of the carriages had been parked elsewhere and most of the guests were at the back of the house so I had a clear view of the end of the driveway. A crowd of some two dozen vampires stood a few yards into the property. They all held umbrellas and faced a line of mortal servants. The messenger hurried over to them and spoke with the irate vampires.

One of the immortals stepped forward and shook his head. "We've waited long enough!" A murmur of agreement rose from the crowd at his back.

"We will take your umbrellas if you cause any trouble," the servant warned them. The determination in their faces quickly fled, replaced by fear as they clutched the handles of their shades. The servant stabbed a finger at the road. "Now leave!"

The vampires wore sullen faces as they grudgingly turned and left.

Someone came up beside me and I looked up to find Tegan. He, too, was watching the crowd disperse. "Things are worse between them than I thought," he mused.

"Did you find anything?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Not a thing. I assume you had the same results."

"I did learn something." He lifted an eyebrow. "Women in high society wear too much perfume."

A smile slipped onto his lips. "We suffer for this job, don't we?"

I stoically nodded. "All the time."

Lusio separated himself from his flattering entourage and stepped onto a box provided by Miles. He raised his hands and the crowd hushed. "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to welcome you to the annual Lusio Trials. This is its thirtieth year and I have three wonderful tasks lined up for our special contestants. If you would all please take a seat we may start the first one."

The crowd meandered toward the bleachers. "Mr. Tegan, Miss Kate," Miles called out as the butler slipped over to us. "Mr. Lusio would like to request you view the trial in his personal booth at the edge of the terrace."

"We would be delighted," Tegan agreed.

Miles led us over to the sitting booth I'd noticed earlier. Fidel and Beringer were already seated while Cordelia stood back a ways on the terrace. The three representatives from the Key senate were seated as far away from the others as the arrangement would allow.

Tegan and I took our seats and had a great view overlooking the beach. It was a pity our neighbors glared at us underneath their fake smiles, especially Morrigan.

The last spectator took their cushioned seat and Lusio positioned himself at the top of the stairs that led to the sand. "Please give a great round of applause for the first contestant in the thirtieth trial, Miss Cordelia Blost!"

The crowd politely clapped as Cordelia sauntered down from her spot on the terrace. She strode to the center of the trial between the sets of bubble sticks. The voluptuous woman turned to the crowd on the bleachers and bowed low to them. The men admired the view down her revealing dress and the women scowled at the exhibition.

Lusio raised his hands and the appreciative murmurs of male approval and growls from the females died away. Cordelia turned to face him. "The rules are simple. You cannot in any way damage the staves or the bowls. Each contestant must keep the bubbles from touching you. Should one explode on your person, you will lose a point and possibly your life. "

A muffled gasp arose from the crowd. Lusio beamed at his own ingenuity.

Cordelia wasn't amused. "What do you mean?"

"The bubbles are not merely bubbles but are crafted with a magic that could cause an explosion strong enough to destroy stones." Miles came up behind him with a covered platter in one hand. Lusio grabbed the knob of the lid and pulled it off. The crowd strained to see the contents but we in the booth could see the mess of broken rocks that littered the platter.

Lusio waved his hand at Miles who proceeded down the steps and over to the crowd to indulge their curiosity. "This is what happens to a stone struck by the worst of the bubbles. The stone shatters into a million small pieces and this is but a fraction of those pieces." Miles made sure to give Cordelia a good look at the remains before he returned to the terrace. Lusio rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Now then, Miss Blost, are you ready?"

She plastered a smile on her face but her eyes told a story of irritation and threats of death. "Of course."

"Then let the trials begin!"

Lusio snapped his fingers on one raised hand and the bubble bowls began to glow. There were many different colors but the same size of bubbles slowly emerged from the mouth of the bowls. The droplets broke free of the pots and hovered a few inches above the rim before they zipped forward toward Cordelia.

She reached into her dress and pulled out a small worn satchel. The woman was forced to dodge the first barrage of bubbles but a few of them exploded on her arms. Great balls of fire shot up and she winced and stumbled back. The crowd cheered the flaming explosions that left Cordelia's arms singed.

Cordelia wrenched the bag open and drew out a vial of some green liquid. She threw the vial at the sand at her feet and the glass exploded, sending a thick mist up around her. The bubbles struck the mist and it was like watching an overly eager vampire attack its first victim. The moisture was sucked out of the bubbles and they didn't so much pop as shriveled out of existence.

The crowd clapped and cheered as Cordelia stood in the center of her protective fog while the bubblers pounded away at her defenses. They could do nothing, however, and after a minute Lusio snapped his fingers. The bubble pots stopped their rampage though the glow in the bowls didn't subside.

"Bravo, Miss Blost!" Lusio shouted as he clapped his hands. "You have passed the first test!"

The young men in the audience cheered as the fog dissipated. Cordelia appeared waving her hand to clear the mist but the moment the air was mostly free of color she turned to the audience and bowed low, giving the single men and many married ones what they wanted. She then turned to Lusio and sashayed over to him where she joined him at the top of the stairs.

"Are you in need of some medical attention?" Lusio asked her as he accepted her outstretched hand.

She smiled and shook her head. "I was hardly touched."

Lusio smiled. "We shall see, but until then-" He turned his attention to the audience and raised his voice. "We shall have the next contestant!"