The woods and hills northeast of Seattle along the shores of Lake Washington could conceal much. Most of them, in fact, were completely benign. It was simply the lay of the land. Urban development competed increasingly with natural scenery over the years as the city and its neighbors expanded. But with enough money and enough connections in real estate, one could take advantage of the sorts of obstructing hillsides and rises that most locals already took for granted.
Not long after joining Ms. Black and Talon in their dark SUV, Molly and Onyx had the feeling that they were out in the middle of nowhere. That couldn't actually be the case, and they both knew it. But everything around them was dark, the road was lined on both sides by tall, seemingly thick woods, and there was no opposing traffic.
They finally turned off to a side road, where a pair of pale men in black trench coats and dark-toned casual clothes tended a tall wrought-iron gate. Talon, behind the wheel, leaned out and said something to them in Russian. One of them walked a full circle around the vehicle, clearly holding a weapon of some sort under his coat. The other waited until the circling guard gave a nod. Then he walked to the gate and opened it by hand.
Up ahead, not entirely obstructed by trees and a rising landscape from the gate, was a huge, tall home reminiscent of a southern plantation manor. There were numerous cars parked in a small lot off to one side. The grounds were spacious, with the trees cleared away from the house for a good hundred yards in any direction.
As the SUV rolled up to the manor, Ms. Black leaned over from the front seat to look at Molly and Onyx. "This is a truly unusual assemblage here," she said. "We don't normally associate so openly with the, erm, nightlife. Tonight's a special occasion, though. The Brotherhood has been invited here to establish peaceful ties with their society."
"Anyone else invited?" Molly asked. "We gonna get to meet our first werewolves?"
Talon hissed. "Don't even joke about that."
Molly blinked. "Wait, for real? I thought that was just a cheap movie gimmick. You guys really don't get along?"
"Few supernaturals get along with other types, as a general rule. But I wouldn't worry about them," Talon said. He seemed to be glancing up at them through the mirror, but he didn't cast a reflection in it himself. "They have incentives to stay away from this. But just the same, do yourselves a favor and don't bring it up. It's the only advice I will give you. That, and... should you in any way violate the hospitality of the Lady or our host, Lord Blackthorne, you will discover the sorts of torments one learns to inflict over the course of a few hundred years of practice."
Molly frowned. It was difficult to hold back from telling Talon how frightening he wasn't, but they were trying to be nice. It was vital to their cover story. She and Onyx could only afford to show the bare minimum of contempt for vampires that would still be expected within the Practicing community.
"Is there some special occasion going on?" Onyx asked. "Seems like a pretty random Monday night to have such a party."
Talon pulled the SUV up to the front steps of the manor. There were several men in suits there to open doors and take coats and the like. "It was short notice for all of us, but the Lady's invitations are not to be ignored," Talon said. "Much of the Puget Sound is here tonight – all who could possibly make it. The Lady promises to explain all before the hour grows late." With that, he got out of the vehicle.
Ms. Black glanced at his back as he left, then rolled her eyes for the benefit of her new associates. "Pretentious douchebags, all of them," she muttered, "but they do have numbers, and numbers tell. Lord Stefan informs the Brotherhood that the precious Lady Anastacia has made some... otherworldly allies. Watch yourselves in there. The vampires don't want to piss us off, and so they shouldn't be throwing their weight around, but some of them are letting their freak flags fly. Naturally, some of the Brotherhood don't feel like being cowed. You're bound to see some wild sights tonight. If anything appalls you, come talk to one of us before you do anything rash. This is a party, but it's a diplomatically sensitive one. Live and let live is the rule here." With that, she exited.
"I'm almost ready to cut her loose right now," Molly murmured.
"This doesn't prove anything about her story," Onyx countered, shaking her head gently. They glanced at one another, silently agreeing not to speak of Rachel again. Instead, they both took a deep breath and got out of the SUV.
Attendants hovered nearby, but apart from bowing deeply, they made no approach. The pair of witches kept close together, walking up the steps after Ms. Black. As they ascended, they shared another of their near-telepathic looks. They had both felt the ward when they crossed it.
It was powerful and large, put in place to shield the entire building from clairvoyant sight and any number of other effects. Within the ward, the casters and those allied to them would hold a significant advantage of power in any sorcerous conflict. The enchantments Molly and Onyx already bore would hold, but anything new would be significantly weaker unless the pair was allowed to attune themselves to the ward. It was also unlikely that they could leave without being so entrusted.
That certainly wasn't going to happen. They were an unknown party in a sensitive setting. The raw numbers here were more than enough of a deterrent to any trouble, but the ward redoubled the awareness that subterfuge and guile were their only feasible tools here. If the ward were broken, both Molly and Onyx would be able to employ significantly more power... but breaking it would require significant physical damage to a casting circle they couldn't even see, or to the building itself. Even then, there were still an awful lot of vampires and potentially hostile Practitioners present.
As if they needed the reminder, they found Talon on the porch at the top of the steps, speaking with another pair of said vampires. "I'm certainly available to help, Lucien," Talon was saying to a thuggish vampire in an all-black suit. With him was a pale blonde woman in black slacks, a black bustier and a leather jacket.
The other vampire gave a subtle, dismissive wave. "It's likely just college kids looking for a place to go party off in the woods. Natalia and I can handle it. We'll just add them to the party favors. The Lady is very happy that you have relocated here from the Old World. Stay and enjoy yourself." He laid a hand on Talon's shoulder, nodded, and then descended the steps with the blonde in tow.
Onyx and Molly shared yet another pensive, curious glance, along with the same resultant frown. They had both heard, yet there was nothing they could really do but press forward. Ms. Black came back to the pair, bringing along a waiter with a tray of champagne glasses. She wasn't surprised when they turned down the drinks. "Can I show you around, then?" she offered. "Introduce you to a few people?"
Inside, the lighting was dimmer than either of them would have liked. The house was every bit as opulent as one would have expected, with vaulted ceilings, handcrafted staircases, immaculate carpets and statues and other artwork everywhere. Hushed conversations were had in this corner and that one. There were pale figures in all manner of costume, the majority of it darkly-toned if not black altogether. Weapons were evident from a number of eras: daggers, swords, even a few black-powder pistols.
"Mr. Woods," Ms. Black called, beckoning to a dashing man in his mid-thirties. "Do you have a moment to spare?" He graciously excused himself from his conversation with a markedly pale couple in Victorian dress to join the three women. "I want you to meet a pair of prospective new members. This is Onyx and Molly."
"Ah," Mr. Woods smiled, offering his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you both, particularly in a more sociable environment than our previous overtures have apparently seen. We're all terribly sorry about the issue with Kenneth."
Onyx took his hand, but only warily. "News travels that fast?"
"Yes, but I had to see to his release from both the emergency room and police custody. He gave me a complete description of the two of you. He was more than a little irate. And of course, Kenneth has to take care of the rest of the men he was with when he accosted you himself. Concealed weapons charges are an annoying little thing. Can't say I have any sympathy for him, though. He knows he should be polite whenever he's recruiting."
Molly also shook hands with Mr. Woods. "Might want to get a different recruiter," she suggested with a grin.
"Oh, certainly," Mr. Woods smiled, nodding. "Ultimately Kenneth was well out of his place in doing much of anything he did. Regardless, you showed both skill and discretion in dealing with him. We'd rather chalk it up to an impressive audition and an awkward misunderstanding than anything truly hostile. So, by way of saying bygones on behalf of the Brotherhood, welcome to the party."
"Some party," Onyx noted. Her eyes glanced around their surroundings meaningfully.
As expected, Ms. Black had understated the oddities of the party. Here and there wandered shapely young men and women in very little clothing, mostly either a pair of black silk shorts for the men or tiny strapless black dresses for the women. None of them looked particularly thin, yet they were not at all out of shape. The women wore their hair up; the men had theirs cut short. None of them spoke, or even seemed to be entirely all there mentally. They wandered around, slowing mainly near the vampires, who would occasionally reach out to draw one of them close for a brief bite. Mostly they bit at the neck or the wrists, but a few of the vampires just had to be kinky about it and bite elsewhere. The seemingly mesmerized young man or woman would wait patiently, even with some degree of pleasure on his or her face, while the vampire took his or her fill. Then the well-groomed snacks moving on about the party.
The Brotherhood was not to be outdone. While their numbers were notably fewer and they tended to keep to their own kind, and while their dress was mostly along the lines of business casual – with one or two robed exceptions – they seemed, to a man or woman, pointedly unfazed by the undead goings-on around them. They indulged in their own sensibilities with regard to showing off: an impossibly glowing trinket here, a bit of telekinesis or illusory companionship there. A couple of them even had small, almost feral red imps riding on their shoulders, who took full advantage of every hors d'ourves tray that wandered close enough for their lashing tails to reach.
"Ah. Yes. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that this is your first social experience among supernaturals in any significant numbers, yes?" Mr. Woods mused.
"You could say that," Onyx nodded.
His friendly smile never left his face. "Then I'm also going to hazard a guess that the both of you come by your youthful beauty legitimately, rather than through magic."
"I'm right here, Woods," Ms. Black scowled playfully, giving his arm a slap. "He's saying I got a cheap magic facelift and boob job."
"I'm saying you got a remarkable magic facelift and boob job, among other things," Mr. Woods bowed with equal joviality. "But back to my point: the nightlife have a certain penchant for reminding themselves how far removed they truly are from their mortal lives. They like to feel they're above conventional morality – can't say I don't sympathize – and so they go to great lengths to reinforce that premise when among their own. Depending on how adventurous you're feeling, you could find any number of much more licentious scenes than what we have out here behind the closed doors of this house. There are doubtlessly a few social types willing to show you around."
Molly frowned a bit. Inside, she suspected that she would be nothing short of appalled, but there was a cover to maintain here. "I think we'll take things a bit slow, thanks. We're still hoping to get to know the rest of our own kind better."
"Of course," Woods shrugged. "I'm just saying, bring together a gathering of people with power and knowledge beyond ordinary mortals, add in the thrills of a secret society, then provide demonstrable proof that they're all above the law, and the result will be..." he gestured grandly with his open hand and with the one holding his champagne glass. "...us." His smile broadened. "I am therefore reluctant to pass judgment on our hosts."
"I find it all a bit gross, to be perfectly honest," Ms. Black confessed in a conspiratorial tone. "There are a couple of men here I've met before from my other social functions. I used to think were much more charming and attractive, but now that I know what I'm looking at? Ugh..."
"And there it is, ladies," Woods nodded, as if drawing a lesson to its conclusion. "The vaunted charm and sexual allure of the undead crumbles once you see past the façade. You either see a dark, sensual, mysterious yet entirely human lady or gentleman, or you see a well-preserved corpse – but still a corpse."
"At that point, they're like any other predator. Recognize it for what it is and you are already less attractive as prey. Their physical prowess isn't to be taken lightly, nor the wealth of experience that many of them have attained, but in the end, they aren't looking for wary meals that might defend themselves. They look for the easy bite. Survival is the top priority, far above pride or the need for a challenge."
He downed the last of his champagne and placed it on a passing waiter's tray. Then Woods reached out to take Molly and Onyx both by the hand with practiced grace. "But enough about them. Let's talk about us."
Molly cocked her head warily. "What was that you said about recognizing a predator for what it is?"
Woods pursed his lips with amusement. "Yet I'm alive and healthy, so my predatory nature shouldn't make me any less charming."
Molly and Onyx shared a smile and a knowing glance. Mr. Woods was indeed charming, and witty, and handsome... and they would both pay good money to see him hit by a bus.