Page 63 of Vendetta

Her eyes twinkle. “Your body is like hers.” She says and then her eyes fall on my face. “But the rest of you…” She frowns.

“That’s enough Carla.” Constantine mutters and her eyes flit to him.

“He hasn’t been with a woman in over six years.” Carla states. “Beyond simply fucking them that is. Is it not right to compare them? The old queen with the new?”

Constantine makes a noise, it sounds like a growl, deep in his throat.

I narrow my eyes, she’s goading me, in a small way, she’s testing me to see if I match to whoever the hell this ‘old queen’ was.

“Let’s get our guest a drink.” Constantine says leading me away from her prying eyes.

“Not exactly a guest though is she?” She says. “This is still Nico’s home after all.”

Constantine stiffens slightly but doesn’t take the bait and mercifully we reach the drinks table with no more comments. But everyone else is watching me still. I can feel their eyes running over me, over my skin, over my body, but most of all I can feel them trying to get a good look at my face, trying to catch a glimpse before looking away as if I might just turn them to stone.

A few are muttering. The woman is back amongst them and a small group breaks off, walking to take their places. Nico was very specific about where I was to sit and as I watch them from the corner of my eye I see no one has taken my place. Did I expect them too? To challenge me? To challenge Nico, because no doubt he’s told them all where they’re place is too. I guess I’m relieved no one has. That his authority stands even when he’s not present.

Constantine hands me a glass of wine. The colour is so red it looks like blood and as I take a sip I half expect it to taste like blood too. We go to sit and I’m infinitely aware of what I need to do. What my instructions were.

Around me everyone is talking, it sounds like they’re catching up, as if these people haven’t been together, in one space for a long time. No one is talking to me. Constantine is sat too far to engage me in any sort of conversation though he is glancing at me every so often as if he’s checking to make sure I’m okay. I take the opportunity to drink, to finish my glass.

And then I get up, going to refill it.

Again no one is paying me any attention. Apparently the initial excitement of my presence has worn off and now that they’ve all had a good gawp at me they’re happy to pretend I don’t exist. And in all honesty, right now I’m happy to let them.

I walk back to the table, there’s one big carafe of wine. The jug is huge, made of crystal, and I fear I don’t have the strength to lift it but in this instance, it’s my secondary concern. I glance back, just for a moment to make sure no one is watching and as I do my fingers find the bracelet, slowly twisting the tiny vial that’s disguised as jewel.

It comes apart easily enough and I pinch the glass between my thumb and forefinger before tipping the contents into the wine. And then, as practised as any thief I screw the vial back into its place.

My heart is pounding as I do it. And though I’m not trembling I’ve no idea how I’m even holding my nerve right now. I wait a second hoping the liquid has mixed well enough and try to raise the carafe only it’s so heavy I can barely lift it.

“Let me help with that.” An only too familiar voice says and I jump slightly as he stands beside me.

He’s smirking, amused. For a moment I wonder how long he’s been stood, and whether I’ve fucked up, whether he’s seen what I’ve done but surely he would call me out if that was the case?

He picks up the crystal and pours out some wine into my glass before filling a second.

And then he’s back, eyes focused on me.

“Tell me Eleri, where is my brother?” He asks quietly.

“He’s running late.” I reply.

He snorts. Nico never runs late. Nico is the very epitome of time itself.

He takes a sip of his wine, staring at my scar. “I did some research into you.” He says. “After our last encounter.”

“And what did you discover?” I reply. I’ll be damned if I let him bully me, frighten me, show me up and especially as it feels like a lot of the bodies seated around the table are now watching us intently.

“You were a singer. Not a bad one, and then something happened, your face…” He flicks his hand almost flamboyantly to gesture at me. “After that you began working at one of my brother’s establishments.”

I blink but don’t respond. It wasn’t ‘something’ that happened. It was ‘someone’ and besides, it is over now, I’ve had my revenge. Nico gave me that.

He narrows his eyes. “I think you would have been quite lovely before.” He drops them, staring unashamedly at my breasts, at my hips before looking back up. “Just as lovely as Rosa.”

“Who?” I ask. It was a stupid thing to say. He’s dropped the name on purpose and even as the words leave my lips I realise who he meant, who the other woman alluded too.

“His first queen. The one he had killed.” Roman says and my heart for a second stops, completely freezes in my chest.

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