Princes of the Undead

Part 45

---/---

"I will admit that dress is most becoming, its only a shame the figure it adorns is quite so disappointing." Baron de Rais did little to keep the mocking tone from his voice, even as he guided Agatha with expert precision around the dancefloor, there was something almost mechanical about his movements.

"Fortunately, Elder I am not trying to impress you." Agatha replied, it was the politest response she had been able to think of, when most of her wanted nothing more than to trip the rude bastard on his arse.

Knowing everything that had befallen them recently was down to this vampire, it was any wonder that Agatha could maintain anything like a polite exterior. First he had tricked Vlad into drinking from the poor drugged up young man, the ensuing rampage forcing Clan Dracula to all but go into voluntary exile to avoid any legal or political ramifications, but then if that wasn't bad enough, Giles conspired with Elder Pazi to have Agatha herself murdered.

"You know I never could work out what Dracula saw in you Cap...no its only Miss Van Helsing now isn't it." Baron de Rais gloated over her fall from grace. "I mean you appear to be quite the flavourless little thing, hardly a beauty or a wit, and yet you had him whipped from the get go."

"I thank you for the compliment Elder." Agatha hissed through gritted teeth, it was taking every ounce of control she possessed not to make a scene, to not give Giles the knowledge he was getting to her.

Laughing at her retort like it was particularly amusing, the Baron leant down to whisper in Agatha ear, appearing to the staring crowds that they were the closest of confidents, and savouring the way Dracula's gaze turned particularly venomous.

"Of course, that was before I learnt about your special talents...then it all began to make sense, I mean only a fool wouldn't secure for himself such a weapon, even better if he can breed the trait into his own offspring."

"I really do not understand..."

"Oh, come now my dear no need to play coy with me. I know it was you who killed that low-level hitman Pazi sent after you. Such a foolish thing to skimp on, but then the poor fellow was always such a miser. I wouldn't have made such a mistake. It was sloppy, and it led you straight back to poor Pazi who you subsequently dispatched." The Baron paused, his blue eyes glinting with glee, as if poking at a barely healing wound and watching it ooze with pus and blood. "If it wasn't such an inconvenience to my own plans, I would almost admire your ruthlessness."

"Elder de Rais...."

"Oh please, let's not play this silly game where you deny it, we both know you did it my dear. If I'd have known what a calculating little thing you were, I might have taken you under my wing years ago. From nobody orphan to the future spouse of a clan Elder was ambitious enough, now to add murderer of your clan enemies, well that takes balls."

Biting her lip Agatha counted the beat of the song the orchestra was playing, surely the song must nearly be over...if she could just get through this without giving anything away, then Baron de Rais might withdraw unsatisfied.

"It will almost be a shame when I sign the warrant for your execution, a talent like that in the right clan...well let's just say you could go far..."

Stumbling Agatha took far too long to right herself, if she didn't know it was impossible it almost sounded like an offer...an offer to join Clan de Rais, something she could only do via marriage, and something Agatha would never ever consent to. Suddenly the touch of the Baron's fingers on her back made her skin crawl, and it took everything she had not to physically recoil from the touch.

"I am perfectly content to remain in Clan Dracula for the rest of eternity." Agatha hissed.

"Yes, I rather thought that might be your response, still I won't cry too many tears over it. In fact, I really should be thanking you both..." Giles trailed off deliberately, knowing he had Agatha hooked when she stopped staring into the middle distance over his shoulder and actually met his gaze.