1 State of Grace (13 page)

“What?”

“Your appearance here so soon after our meeting in Urland,” she replied. “You offered to buy me a drink at the Dubonney Club when you had no reason to do so. You must have known that would offend Sagaius. And then you sharked him at Conquest, costing him a very large sum of money. Now you turn up here while he is away, claiming to be the new ambassador from Urland to Alfar. You are playing at something,
Monsieur
Dasher.”

“I am?” Wolf tried to look innocent.

“Come now,
Monsieur
Dasher,” she said, mock scolding him. “I may be a beautiful Gallican woman who’s bedding an Alfari ambassador, but I am not a fool.”

“
Touché
.”

“So what are you playing at?” she asked again.

He was about to reply when they were interrupted by the arrival of the soup. The servants set bowls in front of them. Wolf looked down to see a thick, black liquid – so thick, in fact, it reminded him more of stew than of soup – with a pungent smell.

“Damn Lightwater anyway,” Simone cursed.

“Why,” Wolf asked, looking up from the soup.

“He’s screwing with us.”

“How so?”

“The meal,” she answered. “He’s using the excuse of my ordering a formal dinner to prepare the
Sunluvai
.”

“The what?”

“The traditional Feast of the Revelation,” she said. “Revelation Day is two days away. It’s the most sacred holiday on the Elfin calendar. It celebrates the day Frey revealed to the elves their destiny.

“The
Sunluvai
depicts the joy of that enlightenment through food. The first course is
muktada
, a bean soup with a bitter taste. It symbolizes the bitterness of life before Frey. Most elves only eat it because they have to. It’s awful.”

Wolf looked at the soup again. The foul smell didn’t portend good things. He actually found himself a little afraid to eat it.

Still, he admired Lightwater’s plan. He was determined to avenge himself on Simone for admitting Wolf to the house, and this meal was an excellent means. Well, two could play that game.

“Well,” Wolf said, “since we’re about to have a dining adventure, I suggest wine – a lot of it. It will improve our inclination for adventure and possibly make some of the food taste palatable.” She giggled – a delightful sound.

“And what wine do you suggest will be strong enough to do battle with
muktada
?” she asked.

Wolf looked at the black morass in his bowl doubtfully. He suspected this was going to be difficult.

“We’ll start with cabernet,” he answered. “It’s heavy, so it should match well with the body of the soup, and it’s not sweet, so it won’t make the soup worse.”

Simone laughed uproariously. Then she put her head on her hand and rewarded him with a beaming smile.

“Ah,
Monsieur
Dasher,” she sighed. “You may just make this evening one of my most pleasant in Alfar.”

“Well, don’t judge me too soon,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve plenty of time to make a mistake.”

“I find it difficult to believe you could,” she said sultrily.

He pulled his eyes away from her and addressed one of the servants.

“You there,” he said, mentally triggering the medallion to allow him to speak Elfin. “A bottle of the best cabernet you have on hand.”

The servant’s eyes opened wide, and he hesitated a moment, before murmuring a, “Yes, Ambassador,” and exiting to the kitchen.

“What did you tell him?” Simone asked.

“I instructed him to bring us the best wine in the house,” Wolf answered in Gallican.

Like the servant’s, Simone’s eyes widened. Then she laughed again.

“Sagaius will be furious,” she said.

“Of course,” Wolf said. “But we’ll blame it on Lightwater.”

Simone’s laugh became more joyful still; her smile even brighter. Wolf was becoming deeply attracted to her. He was going to have to be careful.

Presently, the wine arrived. Wolf toasted Simone and then started his
muktada
. It was terrible. The broth was so overpoweringly bitter it obscured the flavor of the beans. The consistency of it was thick, and Wolf found that satisfying – or he would have if it had tasted better. Truthfully, it wasn’t the bitterness that turned him off it; it was the intensity.

Despite that, he was determined to appear foolish, so as to continue to disarm Simone and Silverleaf’s household servants. He wanted no discrepancies between the character he played in Urland, and the one now in Alfar. Thus, he ate it all and made all manner of silly comments about it. He also drank two-and-a-half glasses of wine to wash it down.

The next course was nearly as disappointing as the first. It was a salad, but Wolf didn’t recognize what he presumed was lettuce. It was a jagged, dark green leaf that was hard to chew. There were several sour vegetables included, and it was garnished with nuts that nearly broke his teeth when he ate them. Simone explained it was called
carlana
and represented the difficulty of life in Alfheim before elves understood God’s purpose for them.

They were onto their second bottle of wine when the third course arrived. This dish caught Wolf’s attention immediately. Served in stemmed glasses, it was a cold, creamy substance that was yellow in color.

“This is sorbet,” Simone explained. “It’s a frozen confection served to cleanse the palate. It represents the moment everything changed for elves.”

“Frozen?” Wolf said. “How is that managed?”

“I have no idea,” Simone answered. “It’s pulled from a small box that is always steaming from the cold inside. It must be magic.”

Wolf nodded. They were in Alfar after all.

He tried the sorbet and found it delightful. It had a light, lemony flavor, and the aftertaste of
muktada
,
carlana
, and cabernet vanished from his tongue. It was truly remarkable.

“Don’t eat it too fast,” Simone cautioned him. “It will give you a headache.”

The fourth course was a poached egg. It was served with light, red sauce and a rustic slice of bread.

“
Quinthellur
,” Simone told him. “After the Revelation, elves were able to see more of the world than ever before. These are the eggs of a Dar Dar Bird. It is a rare animal that gives its eggs freely to those who ask. This is an Elfin delicacy, and it’s a very upscale
Sunluvai
that features them. I’m surprised Lightwater allowed them to be served to humans.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Wolf said, suddenly curious.

“Of course.”

“Why do you call the Ambassador by his first name but his servants by their last? Is that an Elfin custom?”

“It is,” Simone said, laughing, “but not for the reason you imply. Elves are known to the world by their last names. That is how all address them. It is the name given them by their parents. Their first names they choose for themselves when coming of age. Addressing elves by their first names is a privilege given only to close friends, lovers, and family. Family are not always accorded the honor, and neither are short-term lovers. If an elf breaks up with a lover, the privilege of using the first name is rescinded. Addressing an elf with his or her first name without being given permission is a profound insult. Any reasonable retribution is not punished in court, and it is difficult to prove the revenge is unreasonable.”

Wolf stroked his chin for a moment. He really was out of his depth as an ambassador. He didn’t know how he was going to pull off that part of his cover.

“And Silverleaf gave you permission?” he said. “That’s quite an honor.”

“Perhaps,” Simone said. “But I am not his first lover, and he is tiring of me. I suspect he will dismiss me soon.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“I am. I knew this would never last forever. Sagaius is not the sort of man who takes a woman permanently. If he did, it would be an elf. I am exotic to him, and he enjoyed playing with a new toy. Now, he’s had me and knows all the secrets of my body and my love. Before long, he’ll desire a new plaything.”

Wolf stared at her. He was surprised both by her frankness and by her acceptance of her role in Silverleaf’s life.”

“Did you know all this at the start?” he asked.

“Of course,” she answered.

“Then why—”

“Why did I become his lover? Because I desired him. He is beautiful, he’s rich, and he’s an excellent lover – at least he was before he started to become bored. He buys me pretty things, and he allows me to live a life of luxury. It is a very nice existence. When he is done with me, I will find a new man to replace him, and I will always have had the experience of being with a powerful elf.”

“And that’s enough for you?”

“Come,
Monsieur
Dasher,” she chided. “Don’t judge me harshly. There is more than one path to power and comfort. I am a beautiful woman. I use the power that gives me to get what I want. One day, I will no longer be able to do that, so I use those gifts now to provide for myself when I am older. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be comfortable.”

Wolf nodded. There were days when he cursed his family for disowning him. He could have lived an easy life. Instead, he lived with death and danger. What he did was more meaningful, and he loved his job. But there would be no quiet retirement for him. His career would end like Sara’s had. One day, someone would be better than he was, and he would be killed. He liked the idea of Simone’s life of ease.

The poached egg didn’t sit well with him, and he washed it down with another glass of wine – this time a pinot grigio. The main course reminded Wolf of lamb, but it had a very gamey flavor that didn’t appeal to him. Simone had been right. Lightwater prepared them a sumptuous meal, but he’d made sure it was something their human palates would find unappetizing.

Dessert was better. It was sponge cake with cream and numerous fruits Wolf didn’t recognize. It was delicious, though – easily the best part of the meal.

By the time they’d eaten everything, they were well into their third bottle of wine. Wolf had taken care to eat every course fully, so as to soak up as much alcohol as possible, but he was still feeling tipsy at the end of the evening. He needed to do something to get his bearings back.

“You know I haven’t been given a proper tour of the grounds,” he said.

“I’m not surprised,” she said. “Lightwater isn’t very good with guests who are
supposed
to be here. It’s a wonder he didn’t give you a lumpy mattress.”

“Well, you are the hostess,” Wolf said.

Simone threw back her head and laughed. Then she fixed him with a broad smile. She was clearly a little drunk.

“I’ll do my best,
Monsieur
Dasher,” she said, “but I don’t know them very well myself.”

“Well, we better not get lost then,” he said with a smile of his own. “And call me Wolf.”

She appraised him again. Her grin was a little more lecherous than the first time.

“Yes,
all right,” she said. “Wolf it is.”

He soon discovered Simone was being truthful about not knowing the grounds very well. For the most part, she knew the rooms she frequented – the conservatory, the library, the dining room, and both Silverleaf’s chamber and most of the guest rooms. She did, however, show him Silverleaf’s office. Wolf made a mental note of it and memorized the way back. He planned to visit later tonight.

Twenty minutes later, they’d exhausted what she knew of the manse and made their way upstairs to retire. She dropped him at his door and smiled sexily at him.

“Well, thank you for a wonderful evening,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”

“Does the evening have to be over?” she asked, moving a step forward.

Wolf tried hard to ignore the stirring in his loins and to focus on his affable fool character.

“What did you have in mind?” he asked.

“I could come in for a nightcap,” she said, advancing another step.

It occurred to him, in her current state of inebriation, he might be able to ply her for more secrets. It could be his best chance to get inside information on Silverleaf.

“
All right,” he said. “A nightcap it is.”

He admitted her to his chamber, made sure no one was watching, and then shut the door behind her.

“Make yourself comfortable,” he said, “and I’ll get us some drinks.”

He crossed the room to the bar and withdrew a bottle of merlot. It would taste fine at room temperature, while not being as powerful as the cabernet. He uncorked it, poured out two glasses, and then turned back to Simone.

He nearly dropped the wine. She was standing before him completely naked.

“You seem to have lost something,” he said, trying to make light of a very dangerous situation.

“Oops,” she replied, and started walking towards him.