Cerulean Sins - Laurell K. Hamilton [157]
He shrugged. It wasn’t so much graceful as almost embarrassed. “Musette was finally forced to give us the complete guest list. She has withheld only three names, because they are part of the gift from Belle.”
“So three mystery guests, what does that have to do with why you dolled Micah up?”
“One of the vampires coming tonight has an eye for a beautiful man. Both Asher and I fell afoul of him, more than once.”
“And,” I said.
“To flaunt such delectable meat in front of his table, yet not allow him a taste or a touch, pleases us.”
“So you’re being petty,” I said.
Jean-Claude was suddenly angry, it showed in his face, filled his eyes with blue fire. “You do not understand, ma petite. Belle has sent Paolo to torment us. He is to remind us what we were, and how helpless we were. We went to anyone that Belle gave us to, anyone. She did not do it casually, but if our bodies in another’s bed would gain her something she wished, then she used us, and let others do the same.”
He stalked in a tight circle, the black coat floating out around him like dark wings. “The thought of sitting at the same table with Paolo again sickens me, and Belle knew that it would. I loathe him in a way that I do not wish to describe. But we cannot harm him, ma petite. Belle has sent him to torment both of us by his mere presence. He will smirk and leer and remind us with every look, every touch of his hands on someone else, what he once was allowed to do to us.”
Jean-Claude came to stand in front of me, his anger beating in the air like invisible flames. “But this we can do, ma petite, we can flaunt the bounty at hand. We can show Paolo what I am able to touch, and Asher is able to touch, but Paolo cannot have. Paolo is one of those men who always wants what others have. It eats at his soul if he cannot have, in every way, whomever he desires.” He touched fingertips down my neck and left a trail of heat on my skin that made me gasp, almost pain, almost pleasure. “I want Paolo to suffer, if only a little, because I do not have it within my power to make him suffer a great deal.”
I looked up into Jean-Claude’s angry, angry face, and sighed. “It’s going to be like this all night, isn’t it? Belle’s only sent people that make you uncomfortable, or that you hate, or hate you.”
“Non, ma petite. We fear Musette, and Valentina. I believe Bartolomé came because he is bored. Paolo is the first name that truly incenses me.”
I touched Jean-Claude’s face, holding that anger against the palm of my hand. His eyes bled back to normal, or as normal as they ever get. I looked past him to Micah. “You okay with fang-teasing some male vampire?”
“As long as I don’t have to come across, I’ll play.”
That made me smile. “If Micah’s okay with it, so am I.” I cradled Jean-Claude’s face between my hands, but was trying for eye contact not a kiss. “But let’s keep our eye on the ball, revenge is not why we’re here tonight.”
He put his hands over mine and held them both against his face. “We are here tonight because Belle Morte is le sourdre de sang of our line, and we cannot refuse her right to send visitors our way. But make no mistake, ma petite, Musette and her company are here to have revenge upon us.”
“Revenge for what?” I asked.
Asher answered from across the room, “Revenge for us leaving her, of course.”
I looked at him. “Why of course?”
They exchanged another look, one that I couldn’t read. It was Jean-Claude who said, “Because Belle Morte believes herself to be the most desirable woman in the world.”
I gave him raised eyebrows. “She’s beautiful, I’ll grant you. But the most beautiful woman in the world, come on! I mean it depends on what you consider beautiful. Some people like brunettes, some people like blonds.”
“I said the most desirable, ma petite, not beautiful.”
“I don’t get the difference.”
He frowned at me. “Men have killed themselves when she exiled them from her bed. Wars have been fought between rulers who were driven mad at the thought of any other man sharing Belle Morte’s favors.”
It was my turn to frown. “Are you saying that once