Read Online Ancient Blood: A Novel of the Hegemony (The Order Saga Book 1) by Brian McKinley - Free Book Online

had been to my barb about Caroline. She was right about him planning something.
    “Yes,” Caroline answered. “I’ve made the necessary contacts.”
    “I’m so pleased.” As usual, he wore nothing beneath that red silk robe of his but carried some garment. He hung it from the top of the door, saying, “This was finally cleaned and made ready during the day, so I expect to see thee in it tonight.”
    The dress was green but more of an emerald than my vest and tie and looked like something out of The Age of Innocence .
    “I can’t say for sure,” I told him, “but I think that waist is gonna be tight on me.”
    Sebastian glared and pointed a clawed finger at me. “Boy, I’ll not suffer any of that fool’s tongue of thine once the Hegemons arrive! And, as for thou…” he began, turning back to Caroline.
    “I’ll wear the dress.”
    Looking for any sign of resistance and finding none took the wind out of Sebastian’s sails. The anger blew from him in a sigh, leaving behind a bitter determination. “Aye, see that thou do. I’m off to hunt now but I expect ye both in proper station upon my return.”
    As defeated as Caroline looked sitting there, I can’t imagine anybody who could have kept at her. Taking my cue from her, I told Sebastian, “I’ll be down in a minute.”
    He paused in the doorway, his eyes gazing away. “Nay. Tonight it’s the swift, sure-footed old stag I’m set upon.” He walked down the hall.
    “And the prize for the most cryptic comment goes to…” I said, closing the door.
    “There’s a few acres of dense woods at the rear of the island,” Caroline said. “Sebastian had breeding pairs of deer and rabbits brought over shortly after the house was finished. Food and recreation for the staff, in case weather delayed the supply ships. Happier times.”
    “What’s wrong? The dress isn’t that bad.” I tried to laugh but I knew it wasn’t gonna fly.
    She lifted her head and I saw the tears in her eyes before she wiped them away. “It’s so much harder than I remembered…seeing him like this. You have no idea … Avery, he was such a good man: brave, idealistic, gentle. The things he wanted to accomplish, the dreams we had for the future…”
    I held her for a few minutes until she broke away.
    “Thanks,” she said and kissed me. Turning away, she grabbed a sheaf of papers off her desk. “Here, I prepared some brief biographies on each of the visiting Hegemons, along with a list of personality traits and important things to keep in mind. Read them while I get cleaned up and dressed, then you can ask me any specific questions you have.”
    I sighed. “You know, sometimes I think you missed your true calling as a high school English teacher.”
    She smiled and went into the bathroom to get ready. I took the pages over to her bed, propped myself against the headboard, put my feet up and began to read. She’d been writing and compiling this stuff all during her years with Sebastian with the intention of putting out a book on the history and social structure of The Order. To her deep disappointment, Sebastian went cold on the idea after deciding some of her conclusions might be offensive to the traditionalists.
    So I lay on her bed, reading but my mind was still on our relationship and Sebastian’s increasing place in it.
     
    * * * * *
     
    I thought back to the conversation Caroline and I had about a week after I moved into her place in Princeton. Dawn was approaching and we waited for it, lying together in our bed. We had just finished making love and were basking in that afterglow cuddling.
    I was her Dhampir at that time (still fat and still sure she wished I was thinner) and loved the comparative heat of her body and strength of her heartbeat.
    “I love you,” I said.
    She gave my ribs a quick hug and kissed a spot near my Adam’s apple before going back to her snuggling.
    I waited, hoping she’d say it back and felt my heart sink a little when she didn’t.