by KD Rouse
Just like Maegan and Trinity.
When they were gone, Lisiantha turned to her master. “Enough about me. What’s going on here?”
Mére looked away. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, why is everyone avoiding you? First Maegan and Trinity, now them? I noticed it yesterday too, but I was too distracted to pay attention. Is it whatever Maegan was talking about when she said ‘everything that’s going on’?”
Mére pulled her hands back and absently rubbed her arm. “It’s-it’s nothing.”
“It’s something. Look, if you want Ichirou and me to stay, then we’re going to find out eventually. I’d rather hear it from you.”
Mére sighed. “It’s a misunderstanding. We were hunting and we came across a group of vampires we didn’t know. They wouldn’t say who they were, or what coven, and things escalated…I killed one. He deserved it, but his coven doesn’t think so, and some of them are calling for war. Josh will handle it. That’s where he is right now; meeting with their coven.”
“Mére!” Lisiantha exploded. “That’s not ‘nothing’! War? You know the only thing that will stop that is your blood! The best case scenario is that they’ll turn it over to The Guild instead. If the council finds in their favor, they’ll kill you! Do you understand? You’ll be dead!” She threw up her hands. “I don’t know what you think Josh is going to do…”
“Calm them down. Offer them something else. Look, they shouldn’t have been in our territory. Their den is fifty miles away! And they should have identified themselves and-”
“And The Guild isn’t going to care, and neither is their coven master, especially if the one you killed was one of his favorites. Oh, Mére!”
“It will be fine.” She patted her awkwardly. “But, needless to say, some of the others are a little… concerned.”
“A little concerned? With the threat of a coven war looming? I wonder why!” She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Why didn’t you tell me about this when I called?”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t come, that you wouldn’t want to bring a new fledgling into this mess.” She caught her hands again. “I’m sorry Lisy. I know it was selfish, but just in case things don’t go well, I wanted to see you. I’m sure they will,” she added hastily. “But…”
“But nothing.” Lisiantha wanted to be furious. She wanted to rage and shout, but the emotions that glittered in Mére’s eyes stopped her. “It doesn’t matter. We’re here now, and we’re going to help you.”
“Oh, Lisy, there’s nothing you can do.”
“Maybe, maybe not. We could contact The Guild first?”
Mére shook her head. “For the good that would do. Drake-”
“I heard,” Lisiantha said softly. “But the Executioners can’t all be bad. We could try. Maybe-”
“Maybe they’ll use it as an excuse to kill Josh this time?” Mére suggested lightly. “Don’t you think we’ve already considered this? We had a coven meeting and voted not to involve them. It’s riskier calling them down on us than it is facing a war. In a war at least some of us might survive, but who knows if the Executioners won’t just kill us all to save time.”
Lisiantha hated her master’s logic, but she saw it. She’d heard enough stories of their cold heartedness, even before Drake’s murder.
Mére patted her arm and stood. “We’ll worry about it later. In the meantime, why don’t you go get Ichirou and we’ll make some gingerbread men for the tree. You always liked that.”
Lisiantha followed her to the counter. “Mére, you can’t hide what’s happening behind Christmas comforts. We need a plan.”
“Damn it, Lisy!” Mére smacked the countertop. “Let Josh handle it, all right? That’s the plan!” She swiped at the frustrated tears in her eyes. “Now, call Ichirou down.”
**
Near daybreak, Lisiantha, Ichirou, and Mére were in the living room, hanging the gingerbread men on the tree, when the back door banged. Footsteps followed, and Lisiantha looked up to see a familiar figure framed in the doorway. Snowflakes melted on the broad shoulders of his black coat, and a scarf was thrown over one shoulder, more for show than protection against the elements. His curly chestnut hair tumbled around a pale, perfect face and a jawline peppered with stubble. She met his eyes, dark midnight blue eyes framed with heavy lashes, and the world dropped away, leaving only the intensity of his gaze and the fluttering inside her.
The sound of feet on the stairs brought Lisiantha back. She shook her head, to clear the lingering effects, as Maegan and some of the others appeared.
“Well?” Maegan asked, lips pursed and eyes alight with worry.
Josh made a soft noise, then turned his attention to his sister. He ran an impatient hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I talked to them. We’ll have to see.”
“What about the war?” Trinity pressed, a sideways glance to Mére. “Do they want a war?”
“I don’t know!” Josh snapped, then relented. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long trip, and I’m tired. We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Right now I just want a shower and bed.” He glanced back to Lisiantha, and she thought she read something in his eyes, though she didn’t know what. “Good to see you,” he mumbled, then pulled away from the crowd and towards the bathroom.
“What in the hell kind of answer is that?” Trinity demanded. “We have a right to know.” Then she stormed after him, the others on her heels.
As their clamor died away, Ichirou crossed his arms. “What war? What are they talking about?”
“It’s nothing,” Lisiantha said quickly, then cringed at her own words. Like master, like fledgling. “Just some coven drama they’re dealing with.”
“It doesn’t concern you two.” Mére hooked the last gingerbread man on the branch and managed a tight smile. “It’s late. We should follow Josh’s example and go to bed.”
“Do we have to sleep in the boxes again?” Ichirou asked.
But Lisiantha wasn’t in the mood for the conversation. “Maybe we’ll go to town this weekend and buy a bed for you, then you can sleep upstairs. All right?”
The promise mollified him, and with a sigh Lisiantha headed upstairs to change into her pajamas.
**
Lisiantha woke the next evening in her box. Like she had the night before, she lay quiet, listening to the sounds around her. Boxes banged open. Voices sounded greetings, only tonight, in the middle of it, was Josh’s deep baritone replying.
Josh. The coven leader.
He was a good choice. Strong, reliable, intelligent. He had a way of calming nerves and smoothing ruffled feathers, or at least he’d always been able to calm her down. Until one day he couldn’t; one day when Trek came into town, looking flashy and sophisticated, with stories of the city and all the wonders. With his quick wit and polished words, everyone wanted him, only she was the one who’d gotten him, the one who’d packed in a hurry and took off with barely a goodbye to anyone.
The one who came crawling back just in time to get stuck in the middle of a coven war.
She couldn’t stay hidden in the box forever, and finally she forced herself up and out. Mére and Ichirou were already outside waiting for her. She nodded a greeting and fell into step. The silence between them felt heavy, but she couldn’t think of anything to break it with.
What’s there to say, anyway?
The melancholy carried through the day, and in the early morning hours Lisiantha wandered out to the pond alone. Soft snowflakes fell from the sky. In the distance she could see the farmhouse, now decorated in lights and garland, the windows bright, with smoke curling from the chimney like a Christmas card.
And all of that could be destroyed in a moment.
“It could, but it won’t.”
Lisiantha stiffened at the voice, and spun to see Josh step from the protection of the trees. His hair fluttered in the breeze in time to her chest, and she looked away quickly. “You surprised me.”
“That surprises me.” Josh moved to
lean on the railing next to her. “You used to be more aware than that.”
“I used to be a lot of things,” she murmured. “This war…”
Josh sighed and straightened. “I’m doing everything that I can. Trust me.”
“I don’t doubt you. I-I just want the details. Mére said she killed one of their coven, that they were in our territory. That has to count in our favor.”
He nodded. “That’s what I’m going on. They were trespassing, and when they were found, they should have identified themselves and apologized. Their coven leader seems reasonable, but I can’t say the same for the rest of them.” His tone turned almost admiring. “She’s strong willed, and intelligent, but she’s under a lot of pressure to capitulate to the coven’s demands.”
She. Something about his admiration made her chest tighten. But that was silly. Josh didn’t belong to her, and even if he did he was talking about the leader of an enemy coven, not a potential mate.
Not that taking her as a mate wouldn’t solve the problems.
Josh gave a hollow laugh. “I thought of that, myself. She’s pretty enough, and she’s unmated, but…” He turned to Lisiantha, something burning in his gaze that she wasn’t ready to deal with.
She looked away and crossed her arms for something to do with her hands. “You’re reading my mind again. If you don’t stop I’ll have to retaliate.”
His chuckle had warmth this time. “Like you used to? I’m not afraid of you. Go on, paralyze me and leave me in the snow. As soon as you’ve gone ten feet your control will snap and I’ll be up and after you.”
“That’s what you think. I’ve gotten better. Try me and you’ll find out.”
“Is that a threat or an invitation?”
He leaned close, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Her breath caught in her throat and all reasonable thought fled as she lost herself in his gaze, in the memory of his lips. The years disappeared, and time stopped. She was back in the past, back before Trek, and Ichirou, and Mére’s mistake. Back before the radio stories left her feeling discontented, longing for something better, something more exciting…
“Oh! There you are!”
The intrusion was like a slap. Lisiantha looked up long enough to see Maegan smirking, before she muttered an excuse and fled for the house, her humiliation chasing her the whole way.
**
The following day was Saturday, and Ichirou demanded his bed. It was a good excuse to get away before Maegan could corner her with questions about what she’d walked into, so she bundled up and headed out to the car.
“Going somewhere?” Josh asked as he made his way across the yard to them.
“We’re going to buy a bed,” Ichirou said, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Who are you again?”
Lisiantha shot her fledgling a reprimanding look. “This is Josh, the leader of the coven. Josh, this is Ichirou, my fledgling.”
Josh stopped to survey the lanky youth. “Pleasure, I’m sure.” Then he turned to Lisiantha. “You’re going to buy a bed and haul it in that little car?”
She glanced at the backseat, more for show than utility. She hadn’t really thought about what to do with it after they’d bought it. “We…we could tie it to the roof.”
“And ruin the paint? We’ll take my pickup. Let me grab my coat, don’t want to rile the humans by not fitting in.” He shot her a wink and hurried back towards the house.
“Does he have to come?” Ichirou asked. “I don’t like him.”
“Oh he’s all right,” she muttered absently, her attention on his retreating figure.
“Maegan said the two of you used to be lovers.”
The comment jerked her back to the present. “What? When did you talk to her?”
“Yesterday. It’s not like there’s anything else to do. There’s not even a TV here! Anyway, is it true?”
“Sort of. We…we were never anything official. It was just sort of accepted. You know how it is in small covens.”
“Not really.”
She focused on him and realized that he couldn’t. He’d only ever been with her, Trek, and Cash, Trek’s fledgling of sixty years. “Sorry. I guess if we stay here long enough you eventually will.”
“About that-” he broke off as the back door opened and Josh reappeared. “Later.”
She nodded, but she already knew what he was going to say. It was the same thing she’d said a million times when Trek asked if she regretted leaving. “Why would I? That place is like a black hole. Who would want to stay there?”
But sometimes, a black hole was what a person needed.
“Ready?” Josh asked, then led the way to a beat up truck parked next to the barn. He opened the passenger door and motioned them inside. She climbed in clumsily, and Ichirou followed, both taking up residence on the stiff bench seat.
Josh swept the snow from the windshield then swung inside, his motions smooth, like some kind of preternatural predator. God, he could make getting into a truck sexy. She shook the thoughts off. What in the hell was wrong with her? She’d left this, left him, and she wasn’t planning to stay this time. He’d ruled her world once because she hadn’t known better; had never experienced anything else, but now she had. Now she knew about all the options out there, all the possibilities. To settle for what she’d already had… that would take the meaning out of the last fifty years.
She didn’t know if Josh was listening to her thoughts, but if so he didn’t comment, only backed out of the snowy driveway to the road.
He dropped it into gear and grinned. “The store closes at seven and they don’t clean these roads very well, so you’d better hold on if you want to get there in time.”
**
Despite Josh’s driving, they survived their trip to the nearest chain store. Inside, Ichirou took off on his own, and Lisiantha and Josh trailed along after him. She tried not to look at her ex-lover too much, or notice the way his curly hair fell in his eyes.
“I suppose this seems pretty backwoods to you.”
She blinked at the non sequitur. “What?”
“This.” Josh motioned to the store. “And…everything.”
She shrugged. “It’s…okay. I mean, a TV would help.”
“Yeah, I’ve thought about that. We had one for a while, but then it stopped working, and there’s nothing on at night except static, so what’s the point?”
“Cable channels have programs at night. A lot of infomercials, but some shows.”
He smiled; a flash of pearly white fangs that would have been worrying in New York, but went unseen in the empty aisles. “The new thing, huh? That’s just like you. Always ready to embrace the newest and the biggest.”
His implications irritated her, but she tried to keep her voice down. “It’s not that. I just don’t see why you want to be stuck in 1903 forever.”
“I don’t.” He sighed. “Look, maybe I should have compromised with you, instead of just dismissing everything you said. Like an automobile. I didn’t realize you wanted it that badly.”
That badly. As if she’d left with Trek just to get a car? What did he take her for? All pretense at holding back vanished, and she practically shouted, “It had nothing to do with wanting that, Josh. It had to do with wanting a little something. We only got electricity because they pushed it on us! If you’d had your way, we’d still be sitting in the dark with candles!”
His voice rose with hers. “And we’d have never gotten that damned radio. And you wouldn’t have hung on every word of the programs, dreaming about some life that was more exciting and glamorous, and then maybe you’d have stayed!”
They stared at one another, eyes clashing, chests heaving. Her gaze moved to his lips, and she struggled with the impulse to kiss him.
What in the hell am I thinking?
She turned away, arms crossed. “Like you cared,” she muttered. “I saw you racing after me.”
“And how was I supposed to do that?” The catch in his voice made her look back to him. “I
didn’t know where you’d gone, and unlike Trek, I didn’t have a fancy automobile.”
His logic was more than she wanted to deal with, so she dismissed the conversation. “It doesn’t matter. We’d better find Ichirou.”
And she hurried after her fledgling before Josh could say anything to stop her.
**
The ride back was as exhilarating as the ride in had been, and Lisiantha was grateful to climb out of the truck and head to the house. To her surprise, Ichirou had enjoyed the swerving and sliding, and he hung back, laughing with Josh.
“You shouldn’t worry so much!” Josh called after her. “You’re immortal. Even if we wreck, you’ll heal!”
She stopped at the door to shout back, “I don’t want to get hurt in the first place!” before she flounced inside.
Maegan was in the kitchen, washing out jars. “I’m going to guess you’ve enjoyed Josh’s driving.”
“Enjoyed isn’t the word I’d choose.” She dropped into a chair. “He should never have gotten a vehicle.”
“I’d agree, but it’s been useful. Where’s the bed?”
“They’re bringing it in and are going to set it up. There’s no mattress. I don’t even know where to buy one from around here.”
“A catalog, maybe? We have the Christmas one in the living room if you want to look through it.”
“I’ll have to.” She dropped her hands to her lap, suddenly at a loss for conversation. “What are you doing?”
“Making candle holders. After these are clean and dry I’m going to glue doilies to them so it will look like snowflakes. I saw them last year at the church’s Christmas Eve bazaar and have been crocheting all year to get enough.”
“You went to church?”
Maegan shrugged. “Why not? We’re not stricken dead when we walk through the door. Besides, it’s just the Christmas Eve bazaar. Since it doesn’t start until after sundown, I get to have a table there. I enjoy selling things, and getting ideas from the other ladies.”
“I guess.” When had Maegan gotten crafty?
As if she’d heard the thought – and she probably had – she set the jar down, her back to Lisiantha and her shoulders stiff. “After Gabe left. Didn’t you notice he isn’t here?”
“Honestly? No. Everyone’s so busy avoiding Mére – and me by extension – that I don’t know who’s here and who isn’t.” She hesitated, then asked. “He left?”
