Vampire Girl (Vampire Girl #1)(25)

"Yes. And the source of most of the entertainment in our kingdom. Dean's is the most useless realm if you ask me."

The air is scented with oils and fragrant flowers, and I inhale deeply. "I don't know about that. There's something to be said for touch, love, laughter, entertainment. At least for humans, these things are important. They nourish us, feed our imagination, soothe our souls. Maybe your people aren't so different."

"These are all distractions, for humans or demons, it matters not."

He falls silent, arms crossed over his chest, but I still have questions. "How are such different climates supported so closely together?"

Fen shrugs. "It's the magic of this place. One could ask the same of your world, where you have snow topped mountains not far from beaches. Ours is just more compact."

I'm beginning to doze off, but the wolf nudges me as we enter a new realm.

Fen is sitting up now, more alert than before.

"Is everything okay?"

He nods. "Just being cautious. We're in Ace's realm now."

His realm is full of marvels. Though it's the middle of the night, there are people up and about tinkering with gadgets that look complicated and impressive. They work in shops under giant lamp posts, and the houses look busy too, with smoke drifting from chimneys and windows glowing with yellow light. It's like the whole realm is one big inventor's workshop. Wood, metal, stone... all of it is used in ways I couldn't have imagined. One device is turning water into steam to power another device that cuts wood. "What's his sin?"

"Sloth."

"Seriously? This looks the opposite of slothful."

"He is a bit of a contradiction. Ace is brilliant. He's also lazy, or so he says. I've never actually witnessed said laziness myself. But he claims if you want to know the easiest, fastest and best way to get something done, give it to a lazy person. Thus, he invents things to make life easier for everyone."

There's a loud explosion in the distance and a pillar of fire and smoke rise to the sky. "What was that?"

"A failed invention," Fen says with affection. "Any closer and we'd hear Ace swearing and cursing about now."

"This isn't what I was expecting hell to be like," I admit, leaning back against my pillows.

"It never is. But don't let the pretty baubles fool you, Princess. We are still demons. This is still a dangerous place. Especially for you right now."

My stomach growls and Baron's head pops up, looking around. "I just realized I'm not sure when I last ate."

Fen sits up and adjusts a lever on the side of the boat, steering it in a different direction. "You'll enjoy Zeb's realm."

"Why's that?"

"You'll see soon enough."

When we round a bend it's like we've gone to Greece. A rocky mountain protrudes from the shore and is dotted with houses and pavilions. At the very top is a castle with an open arena near it. It's a loud city, even at this time of night. People everywhere are drinking, laughing, eating, and indulging in carnal delights. The boat pulls into a small dock. Around us are other people in boats, though they don't seem to be traveling so much as relaxing. One couple smokes something that smells heady and musty. They look quite relaxed. Another couple is making out next to a picnic basket and wine. Seems vampires enjoy the night, even when they have the day.

Fen jumps out of the boat and offers me his hand. It's warm, strong, and I don't want to let go once I'm out. He doesn't seem to want to either, because we hold hands for several moments longer than necessary before someone bumps into us on the docks.

"Sorry about that!" The man laughs with his buddies and drunkenly saunters off in search of something else to entertain him.

"I take it Zeb is the Prince of Gluttony?"

"He is. And he provides the bulk of the food for our kingdom. Come, let's get you fed and get home."

I stay close to him as we walk through the town. It's crowded with finely dressed people who all look ready to party. Fen seems to know where he's going and leads us through winding streets up the mountain until my legs burn and I'm hungrier than ever. Finally we reach a tavern that doesn't look like much, but the smells emanating from it make my stomach rumble again.

When Fen walks in, the noise and chatter of the place dies down and they all turn to stare. It seems the Prince of War is recognizable on sight.

A woman with an apron tied around her waist approaches Fen, her painted lips bright and her eyes dropping to admire all aspects of Fenris. "My Prince, it's so good to see you. How might I serve you this evening?"

The woman doesn't even look at me. I might as well be invisible. She is ogling the prince so blatantly I'm almost embarrassed for her, except he doesn't seem to notice. "A table for two, Dora. And please let my brother know we're here."

She nods, golden ringlets of hair falling into her tan face. "Two?"

Fen puts an arm around my shoulder. The weight of it throws me off balance and I stiffen my back to remain standing straight. Baron stands between our legs, seeming to enjoy our proximity.

Dora frowns. "Of course. Let me find you a table."

"A private table," Fen says.

"A private table, then."

She escorts us to the back of the tavern, and as we disappear into shadows, the laughter and banter starts up again. We end up at a booth removed from the main dining area, tucked into a corner with candlelight and nothing else. I slide into one side and Fen sits opposite me. Baron crawls under the table and lies on top of our feet.