As Shadows Fade by Colleen Gleason

Author:Colleen Gleason [Gleason, Colleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: *
ISBN: 9781101017890
Goodreads: 7042713
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2009-03-02T23:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

In Which We Observe Venators in Their Natural Habitat

Sebastian was well into his cups by the time he left Goldsmith Lane. He certainly wasn’t staggering along the street-indeed, he was much too refined to make a fool of himself in such a manner.

But the fine-very fine-brandy Katerina had kept for those “special” customers had put a sort of glaze over the world, over the dull throb of emptiness in his middle and the remnants of dreams that continued to linger and tease. It softened the edge of unpleasantness… and aside of that, it was damn fine brandy.

Perhaps even better than the Armagnac from which he’d relieved Katerina all those years ago. It was a shame she’d never forgiven him for that transgression, but, as he’d said, she rather owed him. It wasn’t his fault her daughter had seduced him.

However, Katerina hadn’t quite seen it that way, and had been furious with him for not “keeping his dillyjohn packed away,” as she had termed it. So Katerina had set a bunch of undead goons on him in retribution and caused a riot that destroyed half of the Lone Horse. Not to mention Sebastian’s arm, leg, and a few ribs.

Yes indeed, she’d owed him for that, and those casks had been a nice little start to his proprietorship of the Silver Chalice.

After Victoria left the Lone Horse, Sebastian had taken it upon himself to hunt around in the hidden storage room to see how much of this brandy was left. Perhaps he’d take the rest back to London, or wherever he thought he might settle after things were done with the Midiverse Portal, and open another establishment.

Having ascertained that there was, in fact, a nice store of various libations hidden away, Sebastian finished his last drink and left the tavern.

Though it was late in the afternoon, once he was outside of the dark place, he had to blink rapidly in the glare of sunshine. The great towers of Tэn Church rose in the distance, high over the city across the river. He looked away. Victoria hadn’t given a reason for leaving the Lone Horse, but he knew where she’d gone.

As he made his way back to their inn with nary a stumble, he wondered when Wayren and Brim and Michalas might arrive in Praha, or whether they would all attempt to meet up on the way to Muntii Fagaras. Sebastian had no desire to visit Lilith’s mountain lair in Romania, but in the last year, he’d become accustomed to doing things he preferred not to do.

Staking vampires, including his grandfather, was one.

Loving a woman who had to be coaxed into a kiss-or more-every time.

Fighting his arse off against paralyzing demons.

Even seeing Katerina poof into a pile of dust had raised melancholy in his mind.

Or perhaps it was the brandy.

No. It was more than the brandy. For all her faults, Katerina had been kind to him once upon a time, and it had been Sebastian’s fault that her husband was no longer living undeadly by her side.

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