before being announced. The majordomo’s counterpart stood at the entry to the main room, announcing each couple or singleton who passed under his watchful eye.
It was like something out of a novel. Megan had never seen the like before, and she marveled at the way these vamps revived the traditions of a century ago and made them seem perfectly normal. For many of them, she realized, this was once the way they had really lived. It boggled the mind.
Dante kept a tight hold of her hand, secure in the crook of his arm as they moved closer to the herald who would announce them to the larger room. Megan could hear the sound of many voices, the clink of glasses and the low murmur of stringed instruments being tuned to concert pitch at the far end of the massive structure.
“What is this place?” she dared whisper to Dante as they waited to be announced.
“Well, as I’m sure you can see, it used to be a church, but even houses of worship fall on hard times once in a while. The Mistress bought it and renovated it, removing most of the pews and polishing the marble. She apparently got the idea from a nightclub in the Village. The owners of the nightclub gutted the old church they bought and put in separate floors for different kinds of music. This place is pretty much the way it was, except for making room for dancing and removing the altar, replacing it with a much larger stage area. That’s where the orchestra for tonight will be seated I believe.”
They neared the door, and she got her first look inside. Vaulted ceilings capped off a truly magnificent structure that still held all the trappings of a house of worship. The Stations of the Cross graced the walls, and the stained glass windows depicted various scenes in the lives of famous saints. The pews were mostly gone. The only wooden benches left were along the sides and back of the room and had been polished until they shone with a high luster. At the front, there were luxurious tables set up with cushy chairs. In front of that, on the raised area where the altar would have been, there was a full orchestra seating arrangement with a few musicians already seated, tuning their instruments.
Behind the tables was a large open area with polished marble floors that gleamed in the gently flickering light of chandeliers that had candles in them, floating overhead at intervals. Servants in livery stood here and there around the walls, ready to assist with whatever the revelers might want. Wine flowed in fountains on several tables, but only a token display of finger food graced one table near the back.
“It’s magnificent,” she breathed as they stood in the center of the great arched doorway. The herald announced them and many heads turned. Megan felt conspicuous and very, very mortal all of a sudden.
“Be brave little wolf,” Dante murmured just within her range of her hearing. “I’m a newcomer.
It’s only natural they’re curious. Especially when I bring such a lovely mortal companion into their midst. Trust me, you’ll come to no harm tonight. Not if I have anything to say about it. On that you have my word of honor.”
He squeezed her arm reassuringly and she felt better, though she would have been loathe to admit it. Dante was a job to her. That’s all he should be, but things were getting very complicated very fast, and he was too appealing for her peace of mind.
They walked into the room and Dante snagged two glasses of wine, giving one to Megan. She took a bracing sip, noting there were no other refreshments being offered. Why would there be?
The majority of guests didn’t eat or drink anything except wine and blood. Megan would pass on the latter, though her inner wolf had never turned up her nose at the blood she shed while hunting.
Megan looked around the room, impressed by the opulence they’d managed to reproduce in what had once been a more utilitarian building. The arched ceilings lent their imposing height to the grandeur of the
It was like something out of a novel. Megan had never seen the like before, and she marveled at the way these vamps revived the traditions of a century ago and made them seem perfectly normal. For many of them, she realized, this was once the way they had really lived. It boggled the mind.
Dante kept a tight hold of her hand, secure in the crook of his arm as they moved closer to the herald who would announce them to the larger room. Megan could hear the sound of many voices, the clink of glasses and the low murmur of stringed instruments being tuned to concert pitch at the far end of the massive structure.
“What is this place?” she dared whisper to Dante as they waited to be announced.
“Well, as I’m sure you can see, it used to be a church, but even houses of worship fall on hard times once in a while. The Mistress bought it and renovated it, removing most of the pews and polishing the marble. She apparently got the idea from a nightclub in the Village. The owners of the nightclub gutted the old church they bought and put in separate floors for different kinds of music. This place is pretty much the way it was, except for making room for dancing and removing the altar, replacing it with a much larger stage area. That’s where the orchestra for tonight will be seated I believe.”
They neared the door, and she got her first look inside. Vaulted ceilings capped off a truly magnificent structure that still held all the trappings of a house of worship. The Stations of the Cross graced the walls, and the stained glass windows depicted various scenes in the lives of famous saints. The pews were mostly gone. The only wooden benches left were along the sides and back of the room and had been polished until they shone with a high luster. At the front, there were luxurious tables set up with cushy chairs. In front of that, on the raised area where the altar would have been, there was a full orchestra seating arrangement with a few musicians already seated, tuning their instruments.
Behind the tables was a large open area with polished marble floors that gleamed in the gently flickering light of chandeliers that had candles in them, floating overhead at intervals. Servants in livery stood here and there around the walls, ready to assist with whatever the revelers might want. Wine flowed in fountains on several tables, but only a token display of finger food graced one table near the back.
“It’s magnificent,” she breathed as they stood in the center of the great arched doorway. The herald announced them and many heads turned. Megan felt conspicuous and very, very mortal all of a sudden.
“Be brave little wolf,” Dante murmured just within her range of her hearing. “I’m a newcomer.
It’s only natural they’re curious. Especially when I bring such a lovely mortal companion into their midst. Trust me, you’ll come to no harm tonight. Not if I have anything to say about it. On that you have my word of honor.”
He squeezed her arm reassuringly and she felt better, though she would have been loathe to admit it. Dante was a job to her. That’s all he should be, but things were getting very complicated very fast, and he was too appealing for her peace of mind.
They walked into the room and Dante snagged two glasses of wine, giving one to Megan. She took a bracing sip, noting there were no other refreshments being offered. Why would there be?
The majority of guests didn’t eat or drink anything except wine and blood. Megan would pass on the latter, though her inner wolf had never turned up her nose at the blood she shed while hunting.
Megan looked around the room, impressed by the opulence they’d managed to reproduce in what had once been a more utilitarian building. The arched ceilings lent their imposing height to the grandeur of the
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