Page 2 (1/2)

"Da at Lord Akeldaood" Alexia turned back to her husband and the vampire in the doorway "Do have a care, my lord"

Lord Akeldama nodded "Indeed I e when Professor Lyall first suggested the adoption"

"Yes, it was foolish of all of us to think that Alexia here would produce a biddable child," agreed the sire of said child, i that any flaas Alexia’s fault and that he would have produced nothing but the

"Or even one that a vampire could control"

"Or a vaave them both a look "I hardly feel I can be entirely at fault Are you clai is an aberration in the Maccon line?"

Lord Maccon tilted his head, thinking about his great-great-great-granddaughter, now Alpha olf of the Kingair Pack, a woars "Point taken"

Their conversation was interrupted by a treed to pull, even without supernatural strength, one of the drones partly into the bath with her Several of the others rushed to his aid, cooing in equal distress over his predicament and the state of his cuffs

Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldah without hera precocious child who could take on i, even for two supernatural households Prudence actually see her victiht If Alexia had not interfered, Lord Akeldaed toddler, until sunrise Her mother, or presumably some other preternatural, was the only apparent antidote

Lord Maccon had accustohter only when she was already in contact with her ht He was aBut poor Lord Akeldama found the whole situation distasteful He had officially adopted the chit, and as a result had taken on the lion’s share of her care, but he was never actually able to show her physical affection When she was a sloves and thick swaddling blankets, but even then accidents occurred Now that Prudence was uaranteed activation of her powers, but soot older and hter to soht now everyone in the household was si to survive The toddler couldn’t be less interested in the importance of scientific discoveries, for all hercharacter flaw

With one last glare to ensure Prudence reood her escape, dragging her husband behind her Conall held his ae and on their way toward the West End Then he let out the uffaw

Alexia couldn’t help it--she also started to chuckle "Poor Lord Akelda eyes "Oh, he loves it Hasn’t had this much excitement in a hundred years or e without et?"

"Don’t tempt fate, my love"

"Better worry about our own survival"

"Why, what could you possibly esuspiciously True, it had been several years since someone tried to kill her in a conveyance, but it had happened with startling regularity for a period of ties as a result

"No, no, ed"

"Oh, I like that As if I could drag you anywhere You’re twice ave her the look of a ue

"Ivy has assuredstory and that the troupe is in top form after their continental tour The Death Rains of Swansea, I believe it is called It’s one of Tunstell’s own pieces, very artistic and performed in the new senti me unto certain dooainst the cushioned wall of the cab in a fair imitation of theatricality

"Oh, hush your nonsense It will be perfectly fine"

Her husband’s expression hinted strongly at a preference for, perhaps, death or at least battle, rather than endure the next few hours

The Maccons arrived, displaying the type of elegance expected from meht even have said handsoown Lord Maccon looked like an earl for once, his hair al dress alht that the move to London had resulted in quite an improvement in the appearance andso close to Lord Akelda effect of an urban environht be Lady Maccon’s fault In truth, it was probably all three, but it was the iron fist of Lord Akeldae--or should one say, iron curling tongs? One of Lord Maccon’s pack merely had to enter their purvieith hair askew and handfuls of clucking pinks descended upon him like so many mallard ducks upon a hapless piece of untidy bread

Alexia led her husband fir in fear

The Death Rains of Swansea featured a lovelorn olf enamored of a va to tear thee vas and a messy sort of red paint smeared about their chins The olves sported proper dress except for large shaggy ears tied about their heads with pink tulle bows--Ivy’s influence, no doubt

Ivy Tunstell, Alexia’s dear friend, played the vae and fainting, her own fangs larger than anyone else’s, which made it so difficult for her to articulate thathisses She wore a hat that was part bonnet, part crown, driving hoold Her husband, playing the enamored olf, pranced about in a coot into several splendid stage fights

The oddest moment, Alexia felt, was a dreamlike sequence just prior to the break, wherein Tunstell wore bumblebee-striped draith attached vest and performed a small ballet before his vampire queen The queen was dressed in a voluh Shakespearian collar and an exterior corset of green withfan Her hair was done up on either side of her head in round puffs, looking like bear ears, and her aran to shake uncontrollably

"I believe this is meant to symbolize the absurdity of their improbable affection," explained Alexia to her husband in severe tones "Deeply philosophical The bee represents the circularity of life and the unending buzz of iests at the frivolousness of dancing through existence without love"

Conall continued to vibrate silently, as though tre in pain

"I’m not certain about the fan or the ears" Alexia tapped her cheek thoughtfully with her own fan

The curtain dropped on the first act with the bumblebee-clad hero left prostrate at the feet of his vampire love The audience erupted into wild cheers Lord Conall Maccon began to guffaw in loud ruhout the theater Many people turned to look up at hied to hold it in until the break

Eventually, her husband controlled histo this jaunt It is i"

"Well, do be certain to say nothing of the kind to poor Tunstell You are meant to be profoundly moved, not amused"

A timid knock came at their box