Grand Reopening [Baccarrat Mansion]

[Helena]

She was still preoccupied looking through the information he had provided, but his explanation of the Atharim’s purpose was interesting. Although Helena had approached him as though she knew precisely what Baccarat was hiding, it had only been a calculated risk. The context provided was enlightening. The Di Inferi only held whispers, fairy tales really, of such a shadow group, and most would dismiss them as nonsense. Yet it seemed they searched for the same immortality and power the Atharim were instead sworn to prevent. Helena did not believe the same as her brethren, of course. From the time she had been unable to save her beloved borzoi Diablo as a child, she had understood that death was an integral part of life. It was for that reason she had not called upon her gift to save Cillian while he lay bleeding out in their home. But she noted that the balance here would need to be careful.

He answered her query factually and without embarrassment, which she appreciated. Sex was not something Helena gave great mind to, and the prospect of a child was leverage not desire. It made no great difference to her whether he had had complaints of his ability or not, so long as the mechanics of it were functional. If she was going to contractualise this alliance in a marriage, she preferred the path remained open to her. Which was why she included it in the negotiation

“Matters of emotion are really not my area of expertise,” she said honestly, when he asked about the way they would reveal themselves. He was grinning like the arrangement pleased him. Maybe it did. “I will defer to your judgement on what is appropriate.”