A Call of Vampires (A Shade of Vampire #51)(49)

It looked like an intricate Baroque landscape, and every vampire’s dream. It looked peaceful and quiet, beautiful and cultured.

“This is it,” I muttered, moving back as the orb descended toward the largest of the mountain city’s squares. It lowered itself to that level, then moved forward so as not to disturb the awnings, which made perfect sense. I noticed the dozens of Exiled Maras pouring in to greet us.

Males and females of all ages gathered in the main square, watching quietly as the light sphere landed on the dark brown cobblestone with a mild thud. They all looked good, well-dressed, with an impeccable sense of fashion. The overall sartorial picture made me think of what would happen if Earth’s nineteenth century had lost some of its more complicated and uncomfortable trends, trading them for the simplicity and minimalism of its twenty-first century.

They looked eerily familiar, physically speaking, mainly because of their predominantly dark hair, pale skin, and sharp features. The occasional blond or red hair popped out, but the majority had smooth, dark brown to ink-black hair, combed and braided in a variety of styles. Their eyes were a multitude of jade, crude green, amber, and sky blue gems, sparkling with interest.

The dresses were long, made mainly of silk, chiffon, and cotton, with lace, pearls, and tulle in various colors and combinations. The suits were simple and elegant, three-piece outfits with long trousers, tailcoats, and crisp, white shirts beneath velvet waistcoats. They seemed to pay a lot of attention to details and loved their accessories and jewels, from elegant pocket watches to necklaces, brooches, and earrings that perfectly complemented every ensemble.

It felt like I was standing in the middle of a fashion catalogue.

Only the models were all drinkers of blood and wore red, branded marks on their necks.





Fiona





(Daughter of Benedict & Yelena)





The Exiled Maras couldn’t see through the light sphere, but we had a couple of minutes to take the whole crowd in before the orb dissipated into the fresh mountain air. We were sheltered from the sun and could breathe the cool afternoon breeze.

Judging by the blossoming trees around the citadel, it was spring in Azure Heights. Tiny white and pink petals scattered with every sudden gust of wind. The Exiled Maras’ eyes grew wide as the orb vanished and revealed us, along with Rewa.

Five of them stepped forward, their expressions showing a variety of emotions, from curiosity to relief and even excitement. They looked like the top of the food chain, nobles and aristocrats of the highest order. The two females wore elegant evening dresses made of black and dark blue chiffon, with sloping shoulders and full skirts. The males were dressed in a similar fashion, in black, dark blue, and dark green tailcoats with matching pants, white shirts, and grayish vests.

Rewa stepped forward and gave them a short bow, then turned slightly so she could see us and the five Exiled Maras who were quietly looking us over from head to toe.

“These are the Five Lords of Azure Heights,” Rewa said, motioning at the Maras in a specific order. “Milord Emilian, of House Obara. Milord Darius, of House Xunn, and my honorable father. Milord Caspian, of House Kifo. Milady Farrah, of House Mabaya. And Milady Rowan, of House Roho.”

I made a quick mental note of each of the Five Lords, memorizing as many of their features as possible at a single glance. Emilian seemed older than the others. I could tell not so much by his youthful appearance, but by his blue eyes. They were filled with interest, but also looked somewhat jaded—if he were a human, I would’ve placed him in his fifties, which probably meant he was at least ten thousand, if not more, in Mara years. He wore the black suit, his salt-and-pepper hair kept short and wavy, neatly combed on both sides and matched by a trimmed ducktail beard.

Darius seemed more like a thirty-year-old, with green eyes, his hair a chestnut shade of brown caught in a low ponytail. He had an extended goatee sprinkled with ginger and blond hairs. He wore the dark green suit, and leaned on a mahogany cane with a gold lion’s head handle. Caspian was the youngest of the bunch, reminding me of a twenty-something-year-old with short black hair and a military fade on both sides of his head, piercing jade eyes, and a subtle five o’clock shadow that worked... very well with his tall, broad frame and dark blue suit.

The ladies were also a beautiful sight to behold. Farrah’s hair was a dark blond, combed into an elegant Victorian style with shiny curls, pearl-and-lace pins holding most of it at the back in a loose bun. It provided a diaphanous contrast in combination with her gray eyes and pale skin against the black chiffon dress. Rowan, on the other hand, was a fiery redhead with pale green eyes, her long and curly hair pulled into a thick braid over one shoulder, with white and dark blue silk ribbons woven along its length. The dark blue dress with tight corset and pagoda sleeves worked well with her hourglass figure.

I glanced over at my teammates and noticed they were all doing the same, taking everyone’s measure—not just the Five Lords, but also the Exiled Maras gathered behind them. There was an overall feeling of wariness and concern. I didn’t think it had much to do with us, as strangers from Eritopia, but more to do with the problem that had been pressing them for the past couple of years. The disappearances had clearly taken their toll on some of these creatures, as sadness was impossible to ignore on certain faces.

“My Lords, my Ladies.” Rewa continued the introductions, waving at each of us. “These are members of GASP, creatures from Eritopia who have been gracious and kind enough to come back here with me and assist us with our troubles.”