“Nice to meet you.” He shook her hand. “Is Zoltan around?”
“He’s in the courtyard.” Shanna removed two pizzas from the oven. “Everybody’s there for the party.”
“Please say you’ll join us,” Heather said as she filled a huge ice chest with juice boxes and bottles of beer and Bleer.
Russell shifted his feet. “I don’t really feel like celebrating.”
Heather winced and exchanged a look with Shanna.
“We’re so sorry about your brother and Jia,” Shanna murmured.
Russell shrugged. “I don’t blame you for wanting to party. The villains are all in hell, where they belong. The war is over.”
“True, but it’s not really over till we get Jia back,” Heather said. “All the guys intend to help.”
Russell swallowed hard. As much as he appreciated everyone’s support, he didn’t want any of the men with wives and children to be at risk. “That’s not necessary.”
“It is.” Shanna sliced the pizzas. “We’re all family.”
“And everyone will want to see you,” Heather added. “Tonight’s a big night for me and some of the other wives. Neona has offered us some of her Living Water. Tonight I take my first sip.”
“So you’ll be able to live as long as your husband without becoming a vampire?” Russell asked.
Heather nodded. “I’m starting the process tonight, along with Toni, Lara, and Olivia. Our husbands are relieved they won’t have to transform us.”
Russell could well believe that, since the act would require draining their wives of every last drop of blood.
Shanna sighed. “It was very hard on Roman when he had to change me.”
Heather gave her a curious look. “You could become mortal again if you drink some of the Living Water.”
Shanna frowned as she gathered some bags of chips onto another tray. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. On the one hand, I could have my days back with my children. But on the other hand, I feel like I would be denouncing my life as a vampire, as if it’s not good enough. I can’t do that to Roman.”
Heather nodded. “It’s a tough decision.”
Shanna smiled. “I’ve learned to be happy with my situation. How about we get this food up to the party?” She picked up the two trays of pizza.
Heather motioned to the ice chest stuffed with juice boxes, beer, and Bleer. “Could you carry that for us, Russell?” She picked up the tray of chips and another tray of cookies.
Russell groaned inwardly as he hefted the heavy ice chest up the stairs. When he reached the great hall, he could see the front doors of the castle were open. The chatter of adult voices and squeals of children filtered in from the courtyard.
“We brought food!” Shanna announced as she passed through the door, and she was greeted with cheers.
“And we have a guest!” Heather glanced back at Russell when he hesitated just inside the door. “Come on.”
He gritted his teeth. More smiles and happy faces when all he wanted to do was rescue Jia. More pats on the back with a sympathetic look. If a greeting card company made cards that said, Sorry you had to murder your brother, he would have dozens of them by now.
Deep inside, he knew he shouldn’t be annoyed that these people cared. He just hated the sympathy right now. He hated feeling helpless when Jia was in danger. And most of all, he hated the waiting.
His stomach churned as he followed Shanna and Heather down the steps into the courtyard. White lights had been strung up along the battlements and around the central stone fountain to give the place a festive look. A few floodlights made the place safe enough for the children to run around in. Two long buffet tables were already half covered with trays of food. Shanna and Heather added their trays as a horde of noisy children gathered around.
To the side, there were a dozen round patio tables with chairs, making the courtyard look like an outdoor restaurant. A crowded restaurant. A lot of the Vamps and shifters Russell had met during his first year of working for Angus were here. And they were all smiling and waving at him to come over.
Dammit. He hated that these guys were going to risk themselves. All their wives and children were here. They had too much to lose.
Angus and Emma were at a table, each holding one of the were-dragon babies they had adopted. The twins were only about two months old, but since dragon shifters aged twice as fast, they looked a bit older. Jack and his wife, Lara, were at the same table with their baby. A girl, Russell guessed, by the pink dress.
Roman Draganesti rushed over to the buffet tables to help his wife hand out food to all the kids. He gave her a loving smile. “The family just keeps growing.”
Shanna smiled back. “I know. Isn’t it wonderful?” She waved at Russell, motioning for him to put the ice chest down by the tables of food.
He set it down, and immediately the children swooped in like a horde of locusts and grabbed all the juice boxes. So many kids. He stepped back. Would he be able to have children with Jia someday? He supposed their children would be the first half-vampire, half were-tiger kids in the group. They’d probably be prone to biting. And if they were half as noisy as these kids, they could probably wake the Undead.
Suddenly one of the older kids hugged him.
“Xiao Fang.” Russell noted the dragon shifter was looking much better. The boy grinned at him, then dashed off with another boy. That had to be his friend, Norjee.