The vodka Alessandro and I had shared moments before seemed to be working its magic on me as we descended the stairs to the boisterous common areas of the exquisite palazzo. Though I was still tense to the point of fear about meeting the rest of the family, I felt that certain bravado only alcohol can lend a timorous soul that is until I thought about Azazel. Each time I involuntarily remembered aspects of the grizzly story of Azazel and Genève a chill dragged itself up my spine and back down again as if thoughts of what he had done to her were materialized into a cruel jagged edged zipper designed to rip my mind apart over and over again.
"Azazel! Mon cher, comme bel il est de vous voir! Il C'a été la si longue heure!" Paola's voice rang out over the din of other guests. "Please, please come in, have a drink, sit! We have so much to discuss!" She said making a bee line for the door where the most beautiful man I had ever seen stood pulling off his black leather gloves to hand them to the doorman. As his eyes scanned the room mine studied him alone until we locked gazes for the briefest of moments before I tried to duck behind Alessandro's back from the piercing gazes of the gathering.
"Oh no, Love ... my wife hides from no man ..." Alessandro whispered into my ear as his arm wrapped around my waist pulling me to him before I could make my escape.
"I am not you wife Alessandro!" I seethed on a whisper through clenched teeth as he maneuvered me closer to where Azazel stood.
"Not yet Amore, but soon, and until then, Azazel beckons, and we shall oblige him with a greeting, together." He whispered in response as he tugged at my waist while I tried in vain to dig my heels into the polished marble of the floor.
"No Alessandro! I d-don't want to ..." I protested, but my argument was cut short as Alessandro greeted us with the warmest of smiles.
"Azazel, my friend ... it has been too long." Alessandro purred holding me almost too tight. Azazel made no indication that he had even heard Alessandro speak as he studied me. As his dark eyes traveled from the top of my head down to my glittering chocolate and gold pumps I wriggled beneath Alessandro's snug hold as claustrophobia threatened to overtake me. Azazel stepped closer to us closing the already small gap and I shrank more into Alessandro hoping that he would get the hint and allow me to make my way to the nearest exit.
"And who is this, a new prize Alessandro?" Azazel's eyes never left my face as he questioned Alessandro.
"My wife ..." he replied with fire and ice shimmering and dancing on his very breath.
"No I am not!" I snapped finding some courage where just seconds before I could find none. "I am not now, nor have I ever been married ..." I breathed as my adrenaline levels surged again as I tried to shove Alessandro's arm from around my waist. With no immediate response to my outburst Azazel slipped two fingers beneath my chin raising my head so that our eyes met again.
"My but you are stunning dove. Yes, the most delicate of birds ..." he said with a raise of a perfectly trimmed eyebrow. "A bird that possesses the fire of a dragon..." He chimed. "Alessandro, wherever did you find her?"
"My name is Nicolette!" I seethed snatching my face away from his fingers. "I am not your Dove, and if you must know where he 'found' me, your buddy here took me! Like a thief in the night he kidnapped me right out of my house!" I fumed with a quick blazing glare over my shoulder at Alessandro.
"Enough Nicolette!" Paola bit out staring daggers in my direction.
"I see." Azazel whispered taking a step back. "I dare say, I would have been compelled to steal you away myself. How could any man, immortal or not, resist the temptation of possessing a trophy as spectacular as you sweet, Nicolette?" He asked as if it were a perfectly valid and logical question. "I am Azazel Sartre ..." he said with a slight bow never breaking gazes with me. "Enchanté Mon Amie ..." he said extending his hand with a certain casual grace.
When I did not offer my hand in response he reached down and took it planting a kiss on my palm that threatened to bring me to my knees. It was as if he was taking ownership of a piece of my soul right there. Afraid of Paola's wrath, I took back my trembling hand saying nothing. Though repulsed by Azazel, a part of me was taken aback by him already. He did not look like the monster Alessandro had painted him to be.
His hair, tied with a silver ribbon at the nape of his neck cascaded over his shoulder like coal black silk. He had an easy smile reaching somehow beyond his eyes. And what eyes they were! It was as if painter William Payne had been gazing into Azazel's strange yet mesmerizing eyes when he created Payne's grey. And as his eyes glittered in the soft light of the room I noticed that like Alessandro, Azazel's eyes were streaked with obsidian shards as well. As we gazed at each other I felt as if I were floating. It was as if Azazel were working some sort of magic on me. However, his spell was short lived when Alessandro moved to stand in front of me taking a possessive stance. Understanding his reservation, Azazel tilted his head in acquiescence and dropped back a step or two, but still, his eyes never left mine.
"You are a lucky man Alessandro Rossi; I should only hope to be so fortunate as to captivate a woman as beautiful as your Nicolette, perhaps under better circumstances?" Azazel said with a malevolently facetious air..
"Indeed ..." Alessandro retorted with an obvious chill in his voice. "Shall we assemble in the library? My father and brother are anxious to discuss your plans for our Donata." Alessandro extended his long arm in the direction of the room where the men of the family and Azazel would haggle over the terms of Donata's betrothal. Azazel reluctantly pulled his gaze from mine as he turned to saunter down the dimly lit corridor. "I trust we will meet again before the night is finished, Nicolette?" He said on a breath turning to look at me as my name seemed to float from his lips.
"U-Uhmm ... I don't ..." I stuttered ...
"We will all sit down to dinner together later in the evening, when your business is finished Azazel ..." Paola spoke up with a slight edge to her words. Son, why don't I take Nicolette in to the parlor for an aperitif, she does look a bit peaky after all." She intoned attempting to wrench my hand from Alessandro's protective grip.
"Will you be alright?" he whispered not letting me go. I could not speak. My eyes were rimmed with tears threatening to cascade down my hot cheeks at any second. In a little over a week I had been kidnapped, taken from my home country, raped, spanked, threatened, and bitten. And now at what was to be my engagement party I was faced with a 6ft 7in vampire inquiring if I would be alright if he left me alone in a house full of still more vampires as he sold his sister to the most notorious vampire of all time. My mind was leaving me, I could feel it slipping away as I stood there in the finest gown I had ever set eyes on, in the midst of the most lavish party I had only dreamt of attending during my hum-drum life. And this vampire, a man who would be my husband asked me if I would be alright ...
"N-no I don't think ... I mean, I am so not alright Alessandro." I said raising my eyes to his as the river of tears began to rain down my cheeks.
"Nonsense ..." Paola sang gripping my hand with more force as she successfully broke me from Alessandro's hold. "My dear, we will go have a few drinks, and an appetizer, and you will be just fine." She said wrapping her cold arms around my shoulders as she turned me away from her son. "Go, have your meeting ... she will be fine." Paola said over her shoulder to Alessandro. I could feel his eyes on me as Paola walked me into the other room. The place was alive with the cacophonous din of late evening revelers. Laughter rang from what seemed like every nook and cranny of the house. The music was electric sailing into my head allowing me to transcend my predicament even if just for a moment. And what a short moment is was as Paola's bony hand squeezed my shoulder. She had been speaking. As far as I could tell she was regaling me with tales of who's who at her little soiree.
"You don't have to babysit me ..." I muttered shaking her arm off of my shoulder. I wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand silently thanking Donata for buying me water proofed make up for the party. "There will be tears tonight I think" She had prophesied while making me up.
