Marisa and Lord Phipps sat together on a luxurious, plush leather loveseat, surrounded by suited men in similar arm chairs. He introduced her to each, though they all looked and sounded remarkably like replicas of the same person to her: not particularly attractive, bright, or interesting. Nevertheless, she shook the hand of each one, batting her thick lashes and flashing her devilish smile, though her daemon was blatantly unimpressed with the advances of the others' companions.
"And this, Marisa, is Edward Coulter."
Her icy blue eyes met the man's piercing dark ones and immediately she liked him. The desire to claim her as his own was clear in his hungry gaze.
"Lovely to meet you", she said politely, in a low, sensual tone.
He bowed his head. "The pleasure is mine."
"Edward here," Lord Phipps gestured vaguely in the man's direction, keeping his eyes on Marisa, "is an ambitious, budding politician, a friend of the King himself as a matter of fact."
Finally the golden monkey perked up, glancing over at the chocolate mink at the man's feet. It was rather mediocre, he thought. They could do better, but he got the distinct feeling that Marisa had quite a different opinion. He knew better than to disagree with her, so with a look of mild disdain, he sat himself down several steps closer to the little creature.
Marisa took no notice of her daemon. "Well now, that is quite impressive. I assume you have been to the North before then. May I be so bold as to ask what brings you along on this occasion?"
An impeccable smile crossed his face. "The armored bears, my dear. What else?"
"And what do you seek to accomplish with them?"
"Only to discover what they wish to accomplish. I hope to speak to the bear king, and send regards from our own king."
"How diplomatic."
"I wouldn't be a very good politician if I weren't diplomatic."
He was the target she had been aiming for. Surely he could deliver her to the top. A friend of the King, a politician, wealthy, and an obvious affinity for her; what more could she ask for in a man? "I suppose that is true."
"I'd love to hear about your initiatives for the expedition, Marisa. Would you care to join me for a drink on the balcony?"
"Of course." She rose and turned, addressing the group, "thank you for your courteous introductions, Lord Phipps. Please excuse me gentleman. I look forward to seeing you all upon our departure next week."
She delicately placed a hand on the arm Edward offered her, her daemon grudgingly giving the mink a little stroke, and followed him to the open glass doors. Snatching two glasses of golden Tokay from a passing servant, he passed her one before leading them out into the night air. She walked straight to the edge, resting her arms on the railing while taking a long sip from her glass, keeping her back to Edward. He came up behind her slowly, not touching her, but so close she could feel his breath on her neck.
"Tell me, Marisa, what is a young woman like yourself doing in a room full of old scholars."
"Well it's not just old scholars," she replied coyly, "you're here after all."
"But you didn't know I'd be here."
She spun around, their faces only an inch apart. "And you didn't know I'd be here, yet here we are."
"Who else is here, Marisa? Your husband?"
Holding up her hand, she smiled innocently. "I'm not married."
"I might like to change that."
"Just try."
He moved to kiss her, but she quickly turned to give him her cheek. Pulling back, he looked at her quizzically.
"Good things come to those who wait, Edward."
"Something tells me you're trouble", he said with a smile on his face.
"And you can't wait to find out."
With a turn of her heel, she was headed back inside, leaving him alone with his daemon and desires.
Sweeping through the crowd, Marisa searched for Carlo. She intended to make a quick exit before her new project came looking for more. Lord Boreal, however, was no where to be seen. Shifting from cluster to cluster she questioned his whereabouts, but no one had seen him since shortly after her departure. Surely he wouldn't have left without her; he knew what such an action would cost him. Running out of resources, she eventually stopped a passing servant, inquiring about a man of Boreal's description. The young man's voice seemed to disappear in her presence, but she was able to surmise from his stuttered fragments that she was heading in the right direction. Nearly back at the balcony where she started, frustration was beginning to set in. She was about to give up and go wait in the carriage in a huff when she spotted a solemn figure on an ornate bench near the doors. Had he been there all along? She could have walked right by him when leaving Edward. Without a word, she sat down to his side, not even giving him a glance.
A moment passed before he spoke. "You're leaving me again, aren't you Marisa?"
"Soon, I expect."
"He is rising up the ladder Marisa, but do not mistake the reason. His connections are everything. You will grow tired of him; he is not of the intelligence you require for prolonged interest."
"Perhaps so."
"And then you intend to come back again?"
She looked at him now, placing a hand on his arm whilst the golden monkey rubbed his golden fur against the snake. "You know I'll always come back to you Carlo. You ask repeatedly, but you always know that."
"But will I let you?"
"You will. You won't want to, but you will."
"Why are you so certain?"
"Why are you not?"
He did not respond, merely breaking eye contact to gaze blankly across the room.
"Carlo, why do you dwell on the time I am gone when you still have me here? It won't be the first time, and it won't be the last, but for the time being, I'm still yours." Standing, she extended a hand to him. "Come, take me home. There's no reason tonight can't be ours."
He would have liked to hesitate, or even to refuse altogether, but she drained all the willpower from his being. Her words, her scent, everything about her was intoxicating, silencing the voice of his best interest. And so he took her hand, and allowed her to lead him back into her seductive labyrinth.