The music slowed to the tempo of a deep romantic waltz causing the dance floor to become over crowded with eager couples though the young ones were careful to give their Elder and his wife space.
Magdalena breathed a heavy sigh of contentment as she laid her head against LaCroix's chest. Her smile grew warm as her sensitive hearing picked up the faint gentle sound of her husband's purr.
"Happy, mon amour?" Magdalena asked with a smirk.
"Immensely. And you?"
Magdalena nodded as she nuzzled closer and allowed her gaze to idly drift across the crowd.
Her sluggish heart suddenly froze in her chest as her gaze settled on a lone figure. A young woman stood seemingly unnoticed by the crowd. Magdalena didn't understand how the woman couldn't have been seen since everything from the tattered white dress she wore to the golden tresses cascading past her shoulders seemed to glow brightly.
Magdalena began to visibly tremble as the woman raised her head to reveal a near skeletal face with entrancing blue green eyes.
'Oh dear God.'
The insistent and slightly worried voice of LaCroix yanked Magdalena from her terrified stupor.
"Magdalena!"
Magdalena's gaze snapped up to meet her husband's. LaCroix rarely called Magdalena by her given name and when he did he was worried.
"Yes?" Magdalena asked fighting to keep her voice steady.
"Are you all right? You're trembling."
Magdalena's eyes went back to the place where she'd seen the woman mere seconds ago. There was no one there.
A wary feeling of relief washed over her as Magdalena answered, "I'm fine…just tired. That's all."
A little later Magdalena and LaCroix were sitting at a booth chatting with Janette, Nick, and Natalie.
For her costume Janette had donned a blonde wig styled with Victorian curls, a light blue Victorian gown, and white lace gloves. Janette also carried an elaborate fan painted with images of beautiful songbirds, which she fluttered delicately as the group discussed the swiftly approaching birth.
"Will you be going to the hospital for the delivery?" Natalie asked.
"My lack of a steady pulse would garner unwanted attention so we've recruited a midwife who believes in a more traditional and natural approach to birth. She's been staying with us for a few weeks now because someone believes that I don't have enough sense to discern a contraction from a stomach ache." Magdalena said with an annoyed glance in LaCroix's direction.
The unrepentant look on LaCroix's face made it clear that he did not intend to apologize.
"Besides there is no guarantee that any of the medications would even affect Magdalena or the baby." Nick commented.
"Also I'd much rather give birth at home than at a hospital." Magdalena replied not wanting to express that both she and LaCroix felt that their newborn would be much safer surrounded by loyal vampires than knowledgeable mortals.
"Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?"
"With as much kicking as this little one has been doing I'm guessing a boy." Magdalena admitted.
"At least he or she does not have a twin to fight with." Janette pointed out grinning.
"I don't think even LaCroix could handle twins." Nick said with a smirk.
"I beg to differ, mon fils, after eight centuries of raising you I think that twins would be a most refreshing change of venue. Welcome even." LaCroix replied smugly.
Before a rather indignant Nick could reply a young vampire rushed to their booth. Natalie's brow raised as the vampire hastily bowed to LaCroix.
"General, there's a situation at Le Vignoble. Monsieur Garnier insists on speaking directly to you. He sounded extremely worried." the vampire quickly explained.
"Very well. Janette, stay with Magdalena. Nicholas, come with me." LaCroix calmly ordered as he rose from his seat and strode toward his office.
Nick didn't argue only pausing to deposit the plastic lightsaber on the table before following his father.
Natalie was instantly alert when she noticed the concerned glances Janette and Magdalena exchanged.
"What's Le Vignoble? Is it important?"
Magdalena favored Natalie with a rare look of understanding, "Extremely important, Doctor. Le Vignoble or the vineyard is the main facility that collects, mixes, and supplies blood to Toronto and several other major cities throughout this particular region of the world. The days of safe hunting are coming to a rapid close and any vampire wishing to remain hidden is fast becoming dependent on places like the Raven and Le Vignoble for sustenance. If something has happened to Le Vignoble then vampires from here to Alaska will be feeling the effects."
"So much for my thinking that you guys simply took from hospitals and bloodmobiles." Natalie muttered under her breath.
"Indeed." Janette growled.
The young vampire returned minutes later to inform the women that both LaCroix and Nick had left the Raven to tend to the situation at Le Vignoble and was unsure of when they would return.
"Anything else?"
"The General advised that you stay here and not to worry." the young vampire replied.
Janette did not look pleased but didn't voice it and dismissed the vampire.
The three women exchanged annoyed glances and a shared distaste for the condescending chivalry that had just reared its ugly head.
"Well there's nothing we can do but cower in fear until the men return triumphant and glorious." Natalie grumbled.
"If Lucien thinks he's going to be getting a hero's welcome he is seriously mistaken." Magdalena remarked as she heaved herself to her feet.
"Again?" Janette asked incredulously.
Magdalena shrugged as she hurried towards the ladies' room.
LaCroix and Nick landed in an alley outside the back entrance of Le Vignoble after giving the building a careful look from the air. To the relief of both vampires the exterior of the building did not appear to have sustained any damage.
"Maybe Garnier was mistaken." Nick mused as LaCroix extracted a key from his pocket and unlocked the door.
"Garnier knows better than to pester me. Something has happened." LaCroix said firmly.
As they journeyed through the normally bustling facility and encountered only silence Nick had to agree with his father. An inspection of the various storage compartments and other vital machinery turned up nothing. Everything seemed to be working properly and running smoothly save for the fact that the staff required to work them were absent.
"Garnier allowed some of his staff to attend the party tonight but he usually keeps half a dozen here at all times. Where are they?"
Nick merely shrugged and tried to suppress the very human chill that was creeping up his spine.
As they neared Monsieur Garnier's office LaCroix couldn't resist smirking as his son jumped slightly after they heard a faint banging noise coming from the other side of the office door.
"Frighten easily, Detective Knight?" LaCroix asked lightly.
Nick said nothing knowing that even now his often antagonistic sire merely wanted a reaction.
LaCroix swiftly drew his fingers back from the doorknob as if he'd been burned.
"Holy water."
The answer was enough to cause Nick to kick the door open and pray to what ever deity that would hear him that the situation was not as gruesome as he feared it to be.