Chapter 99

I froze at his warning. "That is an interesting idea," I replied slowly. "You 'can drag me down to the depths of Hell'. Well, there are so many different ways that you can drag me down to Hell. For example, this conversation is doing just that, cold hot chocolate is doing that as well, and let's face it, Hell is a place without chocolate peanut butter ice cream." I swirled my now cold hot chocolate as I continued my drive to the mansion.

Hell, even this drive is dragging me down to Hell at this very moment.

"I don't think you are understanding," growled the voice on the phone, but I was about done playing with him.

"I understand perfectly. But whether you are human, demon, angel, or something else, you do not have to ability to drag me down to Hell. So, this is what I suggest; go find a deep dark hole and hide. You have thrown down the gauntlet, but you seem to be confused about a few matters. The most important one is that you are not my problem. Don't become one."

There was silence on the phone for a few minutes. Turning off the highway and beginning my drive down my ridiculously long driveway, I couldn't suppress the smile on my face. "You seem to be silent all of a sudden, cat got your tongue?"

"Dabbling in worlds that you don't understand is a fast way to get yourself killed," came the voice after a pause.

"And you seem extremely concerned with my life and death. I would normally think that was sweet, but you don't seem to mean it in a nice way," I said as I waved past the first sentry. Viktor had really increased the security of the place since the whole demon thing.

"And I am well aware of what happens when people mess with what they shouldn't. Look at Jenny. Messing with dark magic and all that." My tongue made a tsking sound as I passed the second guard post. Seriously, how many men did Viktor have here? I hope he wasn't planning on having me supplement their income.

"So, you know," said the raspy voice.

"Do you know what those that go bump in the night are most scared of?" I asked as I pulled up to the front steps of the House mansion. There was only silence. Apparently, whoever he was preferred it when he was the only one talking.

"Light," I continued since he wasn't answering my question. "The things that go bump in the night are scared of the light. So, may I suggest you stay out of the light? Don't become my problem, you will not like the consequences."

Pulling the earbud out, I hung up the phone before he could respond. I would move when I needed to move, but hopefully, he took my warning to heart and won't push too far.

Too far into my own mind to be paying attention to my surroundings, I practically mowed Stephanie down where she stood at the door.

"I take it you had a good night?" she smirked.

"I attended a wolf funeral, didn't make it home until dawn, and then had a general call me twice… was it twice? It felt more," I grumbled as she turned to the side and let me into the mansion. "Do we still have a tub of chocolate peanut butter ice cream in the freezer? I feel like I would sell my soul for some right now."

She chuckled in response, "With demons around, you might want to be more careful about what you say."

I turned and looked at her, I mean, really looked at her so she could understand. "I said what I said." You could not make light of chocolate peanut butter ice cream around me; it was a hanging offense.

"Now, what did you need to talk to me about?"

"The Gypsy Ball is coming up in three months at the Vernal Equinox, we would have normally started planning it before now, but with Jenny and so many dying, I figured it wasn't a good time," said Stephanie as she started poking at her tablet.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked completely confused. We had a ball? We celebrated the Equinox? Since when? I widened my eyes at looked at the woman in front of me as if she had just grown nine heads and breathed fire.

"The Gypsy Ball," said Stephanie slowly as she looked at me out of the corner of her eye. "It is the same one that we have had every year for the past 150 years." Taking in a deep breath she slowly let it out. "Look, I understand that you are new to this whole gypsy thing, but there are certain traditions that you are not allowed to mess with… this ball being one of them."

I blinked rapidly a few times as her words echoed in my brain. 'New to the whole gypsy thing?' I was the only one standing here with actual gypsy blood running through my veins. I was over 200 years old, and yet I didn't know what I was talking about!? I am older than the fucking Gypsy Ball!

"Listen, I seem to be having a really hard day today," I said with a smile that was more of a grimace than an actual smile, but it was all that she was getting right now. "If this ball is so important to you and the rest in the House, then by all means, you are more than welcome to fund it and plan it yourself."

Entering my office and slamming the door behind me, I refused to speak to her until I could calm down. "Fucking Gypsy Ball," I growled as I turned around and noticed for the first time that I was not alone in the room.

"Bad day?" smiled General Brian Greyson as he sat in one of the guest chairs with three other men standing around the room.

"You could say that," I groaned as I walked around my desk and sat down in my chair. You would have thought that Stephanie would have started with 'You have guests,' and not 'We need to plan a ball'.