Breaking Fate

Chapter 2

Magnetism

I felt the human watching me, regarding me with her violet eyes when she thought I wasn't looking at her. However, as strange as it was, my own eyes were drawn to her like metal to a magnet. Her essence called to me, drew me even when I was doing my best to ignore her, and judging by how I kept catching her staring at me, the human was dealing with the same attraction.

It was only after some prompting from Liza that I begrudgingly waded into the crowd, shaking hands and smiling and pretending to be happy in the presence of all the representatives I didn't trust from orders that weren't my own. Well, my derision wasn't entirely deserved. To be honest, I didn't mind some ‌attendees. In fact, I'd allied myself with a few leaders from the other orders, like-minded individuals who believed a better world could be achieved. But those few good ones were outweighed by the vipers who sought only to control and dominate the world of humans and supernaturals alike.

And there were quite a few vipers in this pit tonight.

That I had to continue to play nice with murders and rapists disgusted me, but the thought that the night would soon be over kept me motivated and enabled me to continue playing the diplomacy game as it needed to be played.

There were times over the course of the night when I'd get close to the human, catch her scent as she strode by with drinks or snacks precariously arranged on a tray she seemed to struggle to carry. Although, throughout most of the evening, she pretended not to notice me, I could smell her arousal, though I tried to disregard that fact. I didn't like that my senses could tell me so much about a person without their knowledge. I had no desire to sense people's wants and hopes, often things the people in question might not be willing to acknowledge about themselves.

At one point in the evening, when her eyes met mine, I tried on some random impulse to use my powers of persuasion on her. I had always been very good at control, not only of myself and my own desires, but also those of others. The popular literature called our vampiric powers of control 'hypnotism,' though I loathed the word because it conjured up images of magicians and charlatans. My powers of control were very real and very strong. I wasn't some kitsch human with a Las Vegas show. The things I could do were real and extremely powerful.

Yet it soon became clear to me that those powers I'd possessed since my mother had turned me into a vampire all those centuries ago weren't working on the small human with dark hair and an even darker scowl.

My abilities had never not worked on a human.

Confused, I redoubled my efforts, focusing more fully on trying to get the woman to do...something. I wouldn't force her to do anything against her will. I never manipulated people like that anymore, but I just needed confirmation that I could persuade her to do something that I wanted her to do.

But, when my efforts to persuade her failed, the woman's eagle-eyed gaze narrowed and the corners of her mouth turned up into a smug grin that I immediately wanted to kiss away. It was almost like she'd known what I'd been trying to do, but as a human, there was no way she could have known that I was trying to use vampire powers of compulsion and control on her. However, the haughty look of victory on her face told me another story. She knew something, and that arrogant expression was enough to make me want to find a different way to show her I was the ultimate winner. I was always the winner, and I always came out on top. Sometimes literally...

"You look like you could use another drink."

Liza's voice drew me from my staring contest with the human, and I shrugged when I realized just how juvenile I was being. I knew nothing about the human and she knew nothing about me, and those were the facts that I'd do well to remember because I couldn't afford any distractions this evening. Affecting a smile, I turned and strode over to Liza, who was holding out a glass of expensive-smelling scotch. I sighed in both contentment and annoyance as I took the glass from her.

I cocked my head as I held the tumbler to my nose and took a better whiff. "Macallan 30-Year?"

"Glenlivet, actually."

"How silly of me. Of course it is. I worry I'm losing my touch, Elizabeth." The ice clinked in the glass as I took the first sip, letting out a contented noise as the burning liquid crossed my lips.

The woman laughed softly, running her hand absently over her immaculate afro before she continued in a whisper. "I made sure the bar would have some of your favorites, sir. Figured you'd want to unwind a little."

"Thank you, Liza. You're always thinking about me."

The woman smiled faintly before her brows rose as she inclined her head in the direction of a group of delegates laughing with one another by the open bar. There was a man from Europe speaking with two others from Africa, two vampires and one shifter, their heads thrown back in unison as they laughed drunkenly about a joke the European vampire had told. What was his name? Edward something?

"Things appear to be going well."

There were layers to Liza's statement, and I turned to regard her thoughtfully. To the novice observer, Liza would simply be stating an observation. To me, I knew she was expressing surprise that this event had gone so well, that being in a room full of those people we didn't trust hadn't turned out dangerous or disastrous.

"Why, Liza, I do believe you're surprised that my plan is working."

She opened and closed her mouth, but I just smirked and I took another sip of the whiskey, letting the warmth spread out over my tongue as I strode to my ridiculous seat at the head of the room. For a moment, Liza stared after me, smirking until she turned and waded into the crowd where she began charming and laughing with the other attendees, jumping right back into the diplomacy game with the grace of an expert. Elizabeth liked it when I teased her like this, although it was rare that I was in such a good mood as I was tonight.

Though, why I was in a good mood while in the room full of vipers, I didn't know. Maybe it was because my duty to the orders would soon be over for the night with the conclusion of the party.

Regardless, from my perch on the silly dais in the cathedral altar, I could observe the crowd. I saw people laughing and cavorting, some kissing and fondling and overindulging in alcohol and other illicit substances, yet the party was quite tame by supernatural standards. I felt myself relaxing as I took another drink of the whiskey, the heat spreading into my limbs and making me feel calmer than I probably should feel. Timothy and other members of the security team were discretely monitoring the events from the shadows. And there was Ryker, a relatively fresh addition to the security team who seemed as if he'd rather be imbibing at the bar than guarding the guests. But Ryker was an adept security team member when he could quell his immaturity. I trusted him, and I trusted Timothy. I trusted our teams, and as I finally found myself turning optimistic that everything would soon be better and all this just a memory, I settled into my seat and finished my drink before placing the empty glass on a small table next to me.

The human was on the move again, stumbling her way through the crowd and narrowly avoiding colliding with revelers while trying to cart snacks from one end of the room to the other. Idly, I wondered if her feet hurt in those heels that she seemed so unsteady on.

I hadn't been attracted to a supernatural, man or woman, in what felt like a very long time. She was human, though, and I honestly couldn't recall the last time I'd wanted a human like I wanted her. As I relaxed and let my security do their job, I found myself wishing that she wanted me, too, because if she did desire me, then I could invite her to my rooms where she could take off her shoes and anything else she wanted to take off for me.

And I was so consumed with imagining what we might get up to that I almost missed the faint screams coming from the forest behind the cathedral.

Someone was in agony.

And the delegation from the Asian Order was now noticeably absent from the festivities.