Turning Night by Viola Grace Read Free Book Online Page B

at your side.”
    There were two chairs at the far edge of the garden, and he led her through the smiling crowd until they were standing at the edge of the platform that held the chairs.
    Abby and Xander were the first to come to them. Four of her gnomes surrounded her and a flight of pixies alternately landed and took off from her shoulders and Xander’s head.
    Abby went up on her toes and pressed a kiss to Max’s cheek. “Well done, Max. You managed beautifully.”
    “Thanks, Abby. But, how did you know?”
    The Nexus turned and waved her hand. An orb rose out of the fountain and began replaying Max’s evening from the beginning. “Spectral television.”
    “That is a little bit embarrassing.”
    “Hey, you didn’t pick your nose or scratch your ass. Everything was done well. We even were able to see what you saw when you looked into Robert’s mind.”
    Max winced and looked at Gregori, “You knew about…”
    “He is already gone. Anthony beat the shit out of him and handed him over to the trolls until a transport could be arranged. Keeting was a little limp when he left.” The bloody satisfaction in Gregori’s features was unmistakable.
    Max sighed. “Thank you. Did the vampires watch the video?”
    Abby nodded. “They were peering down from the upper windows, cloaked in shadow.”
    Xander had a pixie dangling from his nose. “The gift, Abby. The line is growing. You two can talk later, after formalities have been observed.”
    Abby blinked and smiled. “Of course. Silly me. Apprentice and Abomination, I offer you blood of the Nexus.”
    A gasp rang through the assembled gathering as Abby lifted her forearm.
    Max felt Gregori’s hand at the base of her back, urging her to take the gift.
    As delicately as she could, she leaned down and took Abby’s arm in her teeth. The blood surged forward and a few drops landed in Max’s mouth, sweet and powerful like honey coated with acid.
    Gregori held her arm and stabilized her.
    She released Abby’s arm and licked the wound closed.
    Abby looked, “Huh, I have had worse paper cuts. Thank you for your care.”
    Max licked her lips. “Thank you for your gift.”
    Xander grabbed one of the pixies from the cloud around them and handed it over. “Here. Take this as well. Please.”
    Abby giggled and grabbed her husband’s hand. “He keeps trying to give them away; they keep coming back.”
    Max nodded. “I understand. Let me try something.”
    She extended her palm upward and used the Nexus’s blood to call a pixie. When she felt tiny feet on her palm, she lowered it and smiled. Dressed in black and covered in starlight, the dark-haired creature winked up at her with red eyes. “Hello, pretty one. Would you like to stay with me?”
    The pixie looked at her with a serious face before flying up and sitting on her shoulder, wrapping tendrils of hair around her and chirping happily.
    Xander was amazed; Abby was amused. “One down, Xander.”
    A guest behind them cleared his throat.
    Max kissed Abby on the cheek, took the small box that Xander promised was a curse-repelling charm and tucked it in her corset.
    Gregori whispered, “We have a table for that.”
    “If it is curse repellent, I want it on me.”
    He laughed, Abby and Xander laughed and the gnomes on guard duty hustled them away.
    The other inhabitants of Oak Point Way came in and offered their gifts, and after that, wave after wave of presents and well-wishers.
    Max was overwhelmed with the variety of species that wished her well. When the midnight elves contingent bowed before her, they offered her a tiara made of glittering moonlight-catching stones.
    “For your efforts on behalf of Hulorn and his offspring.” The midnight elf nodded briskly as if he couldn’t believe he was here at the vampire guild offering a precious gift to the Abomination.
    “Are they here?” Max was almost hoping that they were.
    “The child is deemed too frail for a gathering such as this.”
    Max sighed in