Moon's Rite

Heart to Heart

Since my sisters, Logan and Zach had no intention of going home without me, and Peaches wasn't letting Vladimir go anywhere without her, the plane was much more crowded this trip. Zach settled across from me and I told him what had happened during my kidnapping, to the backdrop of Tony pushing Peaches' buttons and Tabitha giggling. He reached over and tugged my collar down, looking for the taser marks when I was done.

"Looks like they healed over without a trace. No jealous husbands to worry about there. Worried though. Possibly mad, in Max's case."

I chuckled, nodding. "Yeah. Noticed that when I called them. It wasn't my intention to put stress on them. I kind of got caught up in the fun of it all."

Zach sighed, shaking his head helplessly and grinning. "I wish I could say I don't understand, but I really do. I loved Maggie, and of course I love Will, but Sable actually understands my need to get into a little trouble every now and then. And I don't have to come up with half-truths to explain where I've been and what I've been doing either. It's...freeing? Which sounds backwards, especially when I get into a situation where I need to escape."

I chuckled. "Damn adrenaline junkies, the lot of us."

Zachary grinned, until a snarl of sharp Russian words from Peaches had us both peeking around the seats towards where Tony was looking immensely satisfied with herself. He shot me an amused look before rolling his eyes. "Better go mediate that."

I caught his wrist before he could move fully away. "Hey, how'd you find me so fast?"

He smiled fondly back at me. "You were calling us pretty insistently Princess. All of us right near the beginning before you sent out the distress call to Tony and Tabs. Then just me, Tony, and Tabs at the end. Logan came along for the hell of it I think."

Nodding, I let him go and he went to calm things down at the other end of the plane. I went thoughtful. I had to have been doing it while I was out, either unconscious or asleep. I didn't typically call my Vampire's unless it was something dire, but maybe I had subconsciously realized the need for a negotiator and a little extra muscle just in case. Maybe it was all a deep desire to have some extra players in this game.

I glanced up, breaking away from my musings when Vladimir took Zach's seat, having been waved out of his as my diplomat started mediating. I smiled at him as he tugged his hat down a little more and tried to become comfortable. There were too many people around him for that to be possible, but he was determined.

Grinning, I tried to distract him a little, asking something that had occurred but been unimportant. "How does an anti-social half demon end up with so much money to throw around?"

Vladimir wrinkled his nose. "It's not actually my wealth. I might be first born, but as far as my parents are concerned, I don't exist. The wealth all belongs to Misha by right, but he lets me use it. I'm given a generous allowance and Misha has never listened when our parents urge him to be rid of me."

I hummed in understanding. "What about the staff? Do they know about you?"

Vladimir shook his head. "Most of them do not. They simply assume I'm a bastard child and that's why Misha has inherited it all. There are only a couple who actually know what I am. Yuri is one. He's been faithful to me, despite what I am."

"You've never gotten fed up with it all and struck out on your own?"

My query was met with a look of horrified disbelief. "Where would I go? There's no place in the world where I would fit in. Not really. Hiding here would be just the same as hiding anywhere else."

I shrugged. "You could find some devil worshipping tribe in a third world country and present yourself as their god. Could be a pampered life with only a little guidance in return." I smiled when Vladimir shrank back in his seat, imagining a tribe of worshippers fawning on him. "Why don't you just find a glamour spell to hide the horns?"