To Rule In Shadow

"Whew! Is it normal to be this nervous?" Martin asked while loosening the collar of his dress shirt. "I think I might be sweating through my jacket."

Adrian chuckled while sorting through the contents of the limo's minibar. "It depends, but I think its understandable considering your background."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hm, they don't have much of a selection here..." Adrian commented absently before replying, "Its just that you don't have much experience with women, but you talked me into setting you up. With a 'high-class babe' if I remember your terminology. I did what you asked, but don't blame me if you end up biting off more than you can chew."

Martin shook his head with a smug smile, "Adrian, buddy, you give me too little credit. I'm a love expert. Why, back in high school they used to call me Cassanova for all the ta-"

"Oh, there she is now." Adrian broke in, cutting off his rant. "We should go out and meet her."

The other man's courage seemed to fail him, as he hesitated with his hand on the door handle for a few moments. Sighing, Adrian finally pushed past him, opened the door, and stepped out while pulling his friend along.

Martin was initially fl.u.s.tered by the manhandling, but that changed the second he caught sight of Leah. Then, he was just staring with his mouth hanging open.

She was descending the steps leading up to the door of her upscale apartment building. It was clear she'd pulled out all the stops this evening. Her hair had been dyed a c.h.e.s.tnut brown that must be close to her natural hair color, and she must have had extensions put in, since it fell in shimmering waves to her shoulders. Somehow, the vibrant color matched with a set of white-gold jewelry and the form-fitting, black c.o.c.ktail dress, which accentuated her distinctly curvaceous body.

The total effect made her look sleek, almost predatory, in a manner that oozed raw, feminine sensuality. For those not used to Leah's mercurial sense of fashion, it could be a startling transformation.

[I knew she cleaned up well, but...damn. Martin's a lucky guy.]

"Hey Leah. You look great." Adrian commented with a smile while nudging Martin with his elbow.

"Uh...I...uh." Was all his friend could manage.

[Cassanova, huh?]

"You aren't looking too shabby yourself, Adrian." Leah replied, before focusing her attention on her date with an amused smile. "What do you think?" She did a little spin in place, showing off her whole outfit. "Does it look good on me?"

Martin opened his mouth and released something close to a whimper, before finally clearing his throat, "You're amazing..."

"Pft," Adrian couldn't suppress a snort of laughter at his friend's reply.

"Well aren't you charming." Leah said with a hand covering her mouth in dainty, almost demure way. However, it couldn't completely cover her smirk.

"Shall we get going? The ball should be starting soon." Adrian commented while attempting to direct his friends to the limo.

"What about your date? Don't we have to pick her up?" Leah asked, unable to completely hide her dislike.

"She's meeting us there. I figured you'd both like to minimize your exposure to one another." He replied while taking his seat.

She chuckled as she slid in next to Martin, making enough bodily contact to cause a flush to creep onto his face. "You can say that again. I still don't know what you see in the woman. She's about as real as the leather in my shoes, but if you want to date a snake in human form, I can't really stop you."

He laughed as well, before grabbing a bottle of champagne and carefully pouring them all glasses as the limo pulled out into traffic again. "Now, now. I know you don't like her, but Miranda has her redeeming qualities. I think if you took the time to get to know her for real, you'd find her more tolerable."

Leah grimaced while taking her glass. "Ugh, spare me."

They spent the rest of the trip chatting pleasantly, with occasional attempts to get Martin involved in the conversation. While this did result in awkward exchanges for the most part, it helped him gain a little confidence. By the time they arrived at the Henry Montgomery Memorial Convention Center, he was able to speak to Leah without stuttering too much.

Miranda was waiting for them inside the entrance hall, wearing a scandalously low-cut, cherry red dress. If it weren't for her expensive shoes, fashionable jewelry, and designer handbag, she would look a little out of place among the other, more tastefully dressed guests. As it was, the outfit seemed like something from the closet of a high-class escort.

[Knowing Miranda, that's what she wants them to think. Although, I can't tell if its an attempt at shaming me, or merely to stand out.] He thought as he once again mentally prepared himself for what came next. [Either way, this is going to be a pain.]

"Adrian~" She called in a sing-song voice while latching on to his arm and pressing close in a sensual manner. "Its so good to see you."

"Hello Miranda," He replied while resisting the urge to grimace at the overly energetic greeting. "You look as ravishing as always."

"Aw, you're too sweet, honey." She gushed in a convincingly affectionate manner, before turning to the other two. "Leah. Its always such a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to see you, although I'm surprised you decided to attend. I thought you weren't fond of this kind of thing, that it didn't quite fit your...image."

"Miranda." Came the icy reply accompanied by a smile that didn't quite reach Leah's eyes. "What can I say? I like to mix things up every now and then. Besides, this place can't be that fancy, considering the guest list."

Adrian felt Miranda's hands tighten on his arm momentarily. He knew that she was only attending tonight as his guest. Her family was fairly wealthy by the city's standards, but lacked the connections the others had. Even Martin had a few relatives on some influential committees in the city, ensuring that he had an invitation to the ball despite appearances to the contrary.

"Why don't we go check in?" Adrian asked, trying to defuse the situation. He was starting to feel a little sorry for his anxious male friend, who had been looking between the two women with an increasingly tense expression on his face.

"Lets." Miranda broke in before anyone else had a chance to respond, and began dragging him to the check in table.

"I think we'll hang back for a few minutes. Enjoy the fresh air." Leah spoke up, mouth twisted into a frown. "We'll see you in there, Adrian. Why don't you come find us when you're less occupied."

Sighing, Adrian allowed himself to be pulled up to the receptionists and then into the event. As they began mingling with the crowd, he leaned over and spoke to Miranda in a low murmur, making sure to keep his facial expression calm. "Jealousy ill becomes you."

The woman on his arm replied in a similar manner while nodding to an acquaintance. "It's what's expected of me in that circ.u.mstance. How else am I supposed to act when my boyfriend's close female friend treats me with such hostility?"

"Fair point, but I think that if you acted a bit more honestly, she wouldn't be so hostile in the first place."

She looked over at him like he was an idiot, although she softened the expression with a mild smile. "Even though you are an evil, manipulative asshole, I guess you still suffer from all the usual failings of your gender."

Feeling mildly amused, he asked, "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Just, that you don't understand women anywhere near as well as you seem to believe. Now come on, we need to make the rounds before the dinner starts. Rub shoulders with the rich and powerful as a couple. You owe me that much at least."

"I don't recall owing you much of anything, but I suppose a little face time won't hurt. Just give me a second." He grumbled while pulling off into the shadow of a nearby pillar.

Turning to face the darkest part of the shadow, he whispered. "Pavuk."

"Yes, my lord." Came the quiet reply. The speaker remained unseen.

"Search the building and locate the site of the other gathering. If possible, secure entry for me. Otherwise, inform me of what you learn when you are able to."

"It will be done." The presence in the shadow answered, before fading from Adrian's awareness.

"Planning something?" Miranda asked as she took his arm again, leading him towards a group surrounding a grey haired man he recognized as Gabriel Ximenez, a young state senator that had political ties to his father. Clearly, she had already taken that into account, and was looking for an introduction.

"I will be making a little detour after dinner. It shouldn't take too long, but I may miss some of the ball itself." He answered while girding himself for the round of introductions and small talk that would soon follow.

"Hmm. That shouldn't be an issue, so long as we can get a few dances in. However, if you abandon me completely, people will talk, and those rumors will destroy anything I manage to accomplish tonight."

Something cold slithered in the back of Adrian's head, and he felt his mouth quirk into a sneer. "I wasn't asking for your permission, and should I choose to leave right now, I will do so. You seem to be mistaking my kindness for weakness."

She looked back at him with a mixture of anger and determination. "If you feel that you must act in such a boorish manner, then be my guest. However, I must remind you that I am being cooperative at the moment. You should take care in how you treat me if you don't want that to change."

[Does she really think she's in the position to be making threats?] He thought, before considering the issue a bit.

Miranda had been rather helpful over the last week or so, and he was well aware of how difficult it was to control someone who was obeying you involuntarily. He would need to constantly supervise her to avoid any intentional disruptions. On the other hand, disposing of her would be messy and difficult, likely leading to a number of people digging into his life and activities. Perhaps it would be simply easier to let her have her way in this case?

Although it would mean acquiescing to her demands, and potentially emboldening her in the future, he chose to give her what she wanted, but decided to offer a warning as well.

"Fine. A few dances." He grumbled. "However, you should remember your position."

She turned to look at him as he continued in a threatening voice. "You belong to me, and by extension, the Hall. This something you cannot change. So long as you continue to be useful, then I don't mind letting you have a bit of freedom. However, should you ever become a burden, then I will be forced to find some other way to make use of you."

He fixed her with his stare, and the lights of the room seemed to darken slightly. "I promise you, that will not be pleasant."

Miranda looked away, face still smiling, but in a rigid and unnatural way. "I understand."

"Good. Now, I believe you wanted to talk to Senator-"

A sharp voice from his right interrupted. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my little brother. How wonderful it is to see you finally getting out of that musty apartment of yours. We were starting to suspect that you had died."

[Great. Just what I need.]