Page 25 (1/2)

Directly opposite the door in the position of greatest ie parasol It was suspended fro froly beautiful, the drapes forh for one person to stand within Alexia couldn’t help feeling that whoever was inside could probably see out and atching her every move

To one side of this shrouded parasol sat four vampires There was no doubt that they were, indeed, valand, they were all showing their fangs to the guests Va without prestated, postintroduction intent To the other side sat one more vaoman were two e the odd crowd of mixed aristocracy and overdressed thespians, all six vampires rose to their feet

"The entirety of the Alexandria Hive," whispered Lord Maccon to his wife

"We are honored," said his wife back

A stunningly lovely drone stepped forward, race across the wide, empty floor until she stood before the enerous, her lips stained dark red by skilled artifice She wore full, wide black trousers that ballooned well out and then ca black tunic, nipped in tight along arms and torso with a wide swath of fabric at the wrists and heentleman’s frock coat The wider parts of the tunic and the blooreat quantity of gold jewelry about fingers, wrists, neck, ankles, and toes

"Welcoesture with her are, dark eyes, lined heavily in black, swept over the crowd of actors before her

"Lord and Lady Maccon?"

Alexia wanted desperately to take her husband’s hand, but she thought he ht need his supernatural abilities at anystrange comfort from the presence of her child, and stepped forward Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Conall also segregate hiroup

The dark-eyed drone came closer She looked to Conall first "Lord Maccon, you are welcome to Alexandria It has been many centuries since a olf visited this hive We hope it will not be so long before the next one graces us with his presence"

Lord Maccon bowed "I suspect," he said, because he had no tact, "that will rather depend on the course of this evening’s events"

The drone inclined her head and turned dark eyes to Alexia "Lady Maccon, soul-sucker You, too, are welcohter by the father’s actions"

"Well, thank you I’m sure Especially as I never knew him"

"No, of course you didn’t And is this the child?"

Prudence was quite riveted by the beautiful lady Perhaps it was all the gold sparkles and jewelry, or the liquid way the drone moved Alexia hoped it wasn’t all the face paint; the last thing she needed was a daughter with a keen interest in fe to Lord Akeldama

"Welcome to the Alexandria Hive, stealer of souls Your kind we have never had the pleasure of entertaining before"

"Rehter without much hope

Prudence proved unexpectedly equal to the challenge "How do you do?" she said, enunciating very clearly and looking quite directly at the lady drone

Alexia and Conall exchanged raised eyebrow looks Very good, thought Alexia, we got ourselves a peppery one

The drone stepped aside and waved one graceful hand, offering the two empty spots on the divan next to Chancellor Neshi "Please, be seated The queen desires the perforin directly"

"Oh," protested Ivy, "but she is not here! She willact!"

Tunstell put an arm about his wife’s waist and hustled her to one corner of the room to prepare

The drone clapped her hands and once more dozens of servants appeared With their assistance, the actorsoff the doorway in the middle They had the servants move all of thethe other, where drones and vampires sat in perfect silence, into eerie darkness

The Death Rains of Swansea was not a perfor Still there was so about Ivy and Tunstell’s antics Mr Tumtrinkle pranced his evil prance, and twirled his dastardly fake mustache, and swirled his massive cloak most voraciously Werewolf hero Tunstell strode back and forth, trousers ever in great danger of ripping over hisa lot Ivy fainted whenever there was cause to faint, and swanned about in hats of such proportions it was a wonder her head didn’t collapse like a griddle cake under the weight The supporting cast was, of course,both vampires and olves as script de no little confusion as to the plot--no matter what their character at the y ears tied about their heads with pink tulle bows

The bu vampires and drones alory asted on them, or if they, like her, had an appreciation for the ridiculous Of course, Alexia had only heard Chancellor Neshi and the beautiful drone speak, so it was also possible none of the others understood a word of English