Night Unbound

by Dianne Duvall

  With one exception: Bastien. So many immortals had been transformed that year, so many voices had called out to him, that Seth had somehow missed Bastien’s.

  Or had it just been the one exception?

  “I don’t know,” Seth responded at last.

  A heavy silence descended upon them.

  “I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others,” Étienne murmured.

  David nodded. “We appreciate your discretion and will look into it.”

  Étienne just seemed glad to end the conversation.

  “Thank you,” Seth added. He teleported Étienne back to David’s study, then returned. “Could I have missed another one?” he asked David, dismayed by the thought. If he had missed two gifted ones’ transformations, how many others might there be? How many other immortals had lived their lives believing themselves vampires destined to descend into madness?

  “No,” David answered, utter conviction in his voice. “Could Zach have returned?”

  Seth shook his head. “Even the merest hint that Zach might defect as I did and meddle in mortal affairs would have made the Others shit their shorts. After his little deviation a few months ago, they will have taken him well in hand and won’t let him loose again. You can consider him under house arrest for the rest of eternity.”

  “He couldn’t escape?”

  “With so many eyes constantly monitoring him? I don’t see how.”

  “Perhaps all eyes aren’t monitoring him.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “All of the Others are telepathic. Tampering with vampires’ memories would be child’s play for them. Perhaps one of them is guilty of raising this army.”

  “To what end? You know how fanatical they are. The Others believe any interaction at all with humans is dangerous. It’s why they live in total isolation. They observe. They don’t act. They never act. They fear even the slightest contact with humans would interfere with the natural course of mankind and bring about not only their own destruction, but that of the world.”

  “The irony, of course, is that if you had not strayed and dabbled in mortal affairs, vampires would have roamed unchecked and would have long since slain every human on the planet.”

  “And brought about the end of the world. Or at least, would have ended humanity’s role in it. But the Others don’t see it that way and never will. They believe humans must make their own destiny. And have good reason to think thusly.”

  “I admit they do.”

  Seth shook his head. “When I abandoned the path we all chose, they spent years trying to capture me and force me back into the fold. And, when that didn’t happen, they spent years trying to kill me. And I was helping humans. The rest of them stayed true to their beliefs. Thousands of years have come and gone, and I was the only one who deviated.”

  “Until Zach.”

  “Until Zach.” Seth looked out over the darkened ocean. “If there is such a thing as lockdown mode where the Others reside, they will have instituted it for the long haul. I do not doubt that, even as we speak, Zach is being tortured for his defection. And all he did was unbury the memories of two men. He played no role in the rest of their game.”

  “Well, whoever we are facing now isn’t just tampering with vampires’ memories. He’s raising and training the army himself. Choosing them himself. Infecting them himself.”

  “The Others would never allow so great a defection to take place again. I am their cautionary tale. They still believe I will bring about Armageddon with my meddling. Do you really think they would allow another to leave the path?”

  “No. You’re right. It can’t be one of the Others. I just . . . don’t like the alternatives.”

  Seth paced toward the soft waves that stroked the sand a few yards distant. “I must have missed another gifted one’s transformation.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “What other explanation can there be?” he asked. “As Étienne said, the vampires’ memories had to have been buried by a telepath.” And if Seth, David, Zach, and Étienne hadn’t done it, that only left . . .

  David met his stare, face somber.

  “No,” Seth said, “I refuse to believe it.”

  David nodded. “The thought sickens me as well.”

  “Lisette wasn’t the one who betrayed us by restoring Donald’s and Nelson’s memories. She has no reason to betray us now.”

  “I agree.” A moment passed. “So why has she been avoiding us?”

  “You didn’t buy the Tracy explanation either?”

  “No. If Tracy’s dreams were bothering her, Lisette would have simply continued to spend the day at my place while Tracy slept at home. Not the reverse. Which would also have allowed Lisette to continue to keep an eye on Ami, as we both know she has been doing almost obsessively until recently.”

  Lisette’s odd behavior disturbed Seth as well. “Why didn’t she want Richart to take her home after the battle?”

  “I don’t know, but it had nothing to do with her motorcycle.”

  “Perhaps she’s taken a lover?”

  David frowned. “Wouldn’t Ethan be behaving oddly if she had taken a lover?”

  “I would think so.” Ethan was crazy about her. “Why didn’t she want them to summon you or I or Roland to heal her?”

  “I understand the Roland bit—”

  “I’m really going to have to have another talk with him about that.”

  “—but I don’t know why she would forgo our aid.”

  “Perhaps it was as Krysta said? She simply didn’t like them offering her special treatment because she’s a woman.” Seth thought it a weak premise. She had never refused their aid in the past.

  “Why do you think she didn’t mention the blank spots?”

  “She must have missed them.” Seth sighed. “And I must have missed another gifted one’s transformation.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “I wouldn’t have believed I had missed even one before Bastien raised his army and waged war with us. Who’s to say I didn’t miss more?”

  “I say it,” David insisted.

  “You would be happier believing Lisette guilty of such treachery?”

  “No.” More silence. “You might have missed Bastien’s transformation, but you didn’t miss his birth.”

  Seth turned to him. “So?”

  “We’ve kept meticulous records of every gifted one’s birth. I’ll pass the names and dates on to Chris and have him look into it. If there are any other anomalies like Bastien, he’ll find them. Then we’ll know who the culprit is and can use Chris’s connections to help us track down the unknown immortal.”

  “What if he doesn’t find any anomalies?”

  Only the lapping waves answered.

  Chapter Nine

  Lisette sat atop Davis Library, a faint smile pulling at her lips as she recalled Zach’s manner in bed earlier that day. There had been no need to “show him the ropes” sexually. He had taken the ropes firmly in hand and had enjoyed testing them since that first explosive foray in the shower several nights ago. Sometimes he was slow and tender. Sometimes he was demanding and aggressive, driving her to unbelievable heights as he took her in ways that both shocked and thrilled her. And sometimes, like today, he was playful and affectionate.

  Lisette thought she liked the last the most, simply because he seemed happier in such moments. And she thought happiness foreign to him.

  Around her, UNC Chapel Hill’s campus slumbered peacefully. No parties raged at the frat and sorority houses. No students blearily stumbled along the sidewalk after cramming long hours for exams or working the late shift. Even the animals all seemed to have sought their beds, no strays or pets out seeking mischief.

  She had slain two vampires shortly after midnight. Both had been the usual vampire fare. Raving lunatics. So drunk with power they didn’t realize they couldn’t match hers.

  It had been an easy victory. No new vampires in the mix.

  Zach was off
checking on the Others, who still seemed intent on hunting him down and capturing him, and he would likely be gone until daybreak, so she lingered at UNC to see if any more vampires might show their faces.

  “Lisette,” a voice spoke behind her.

  Gasping, she leapt up, spun around, and drew her weapons all in one motion.

  Seth stood behind her, his face impassive.

  “Seth! You startled me.” Why hadn’t he called ahead the way he often did?

  She frowned. How had he even known where to find her?

  Reaching out, he touched her shoulder.

  The pretty college campus vanished, replaced by a moonlit meadow.

  No structures or landmarks gave her any hint of their new location.

  Releasing her, Seth turned and walked away several steps. Tension radiated from him.

  Lisette tightened her hands on the grips of her shoto swords, then asked herself what the hell she was doing.

  “You may put away your weapons,” he said, his back to her.

  Anxiety rose within her.

  Her hands began to shake as she slipped the swords into the sheaths on her back. “What’s going on?” she asked, unable to sound as casual as she would’ve liked.

  He stopped and stared at the ground. “I might ask you the same thing,” he said finally and swiveled to face her.

  Ice filled her veins.

  He knew. He must.

  His eyes acquired a faint golden glow as he stared at her, unblinking.

  Lisette didn’t think she had ever been so afraid in her life.

  “You fear me now,” he said evenly.

  Hell yes, she feared him.

  “Why?”

  She watched him helplessly. “Seth . . .”

  This man had been nothing but kind to her. He had given her a life when she had thought hers had ended. He had given her a purpose and a confidence in herself that she had lacked as a mortal. He had given her warmth and affection and a huge extended family.

  Clouds gathered overhead, blocking out the moon.

  He had given her everything except that which she had found with Zach.

  And she had repaid Seth with betrayal.

  She shook her head, not knowing what to say.

  Thunder rumbled, vibrating through her chest. The trees began to bend and sway as wind found its way through them, building in strength.

  Seth’s eyes glowed brighter.

  Lisette took a step toward him. “Seth—”

  He held up a hand. “Stay back,” he warned. A muscle in his jaw jumped as he clenched his teeth and visibly struggled for control.

  Heart pounding in her chest, she inched backward. One step. Two. Fighting the urge to turn and flee. Her breath quickened.

  “Tell me you didn’t do it,” he gritted.

  She couldn’t find her voice.

  He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, something like agony rippling across his features.

  Her vision blurred with tears. It killed her to know she had disappointed him. That she had hurt him this way. He had asked so little of her during her lifetime. And had given her so much.

  He opened his eyes and speared her with his gaze. “Then tell me you did and break my heart.”

  Her breath hiccupped in a sob.

  Lightning streaked across the sky and struck a tree atop a distant hill. A drop of cold rainwater fell to her shoulder. Another followed. Then more. Large drops dappled the ground around her, making swishing sounds as they multiplied and struck the trees and grasses.

  Seth blurred, reappearing inches away from her. He raised a large hand and gripped her chin, his touch firm, but not painful.

  Lisette almost broke down entirely when she saw tears shimmering in his luminescent eyes.

  “Then I’ll find the answer myself,” he declared hoarsely as the rain wet their hair and saturated their clothing.

  He did nothing to conceal his entrance into her mind, but his presence there caused her no discomfort. Even as furious as he was, he didn’t harm her.

  Yet.

  She waited miserably while he combed through her memories, not knowing how many or which ones he accessed.

  Would he let her see Zach one last time? Before he killed Zach for whatever bad blood was between them? Before he killed her for betraying him?

  Both had known it could come to this. Both had known it likely would come to this.

  But it had been worth the risk. It had been so worth the risk.

  Shock flitted across Seth’s features. His eyes widened. His lips parted.

  Lisette swallowed hard as he released her and staggered back a pace. When she blinked, tears spilled over her lashes and mingled with the cold water on her face. “I’m so sorry,” she finally managed to force past the lump in her throat. “I know I betrayed you. But I never wanted to hurt you.”

  He said nothing, just stared at her with a look of stunned disbelief.

  She shook her head and swiped impatiently at her cheeks. “I love you, Seth. You know I do,” she said over the raging storm. “I owe you everything. But . . . for so many decades it seemed as though I were sleepwalking, just going through the motions. Then Zach came along and . . . woke me up. He made me feel again. And I haven’t felt anything but guilt and weariness for so long.”

  Seth shook his head. “I thought . . .” Turning, he walked away.

  “I don’t know what bad blood is between you,” she went on, desperate to make Seth understand. “He tried to warn me. Zach tried to push me away. He said you didn’t want him anywhere near me. And I know you told me to stay away from him. But . . . I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t walk away. I wanted to feel again. I wanted to have what Richart and Étienne have found. I wanted to experience love again. To find just a few moments of happiness after two hundred years of . . .” She shook her head. “I couldn’t let that fall through my fingertips. Even knowing how angry you would be, how disappointed. Even knowing I’d be punished. And, even if Zach is right and the punishment is death, it will have been worth it.” Thinking of the long day they had shared—making love, laughing and teasing each other—she nodded and again swiped at her cheeks. “It was worth it.”

  When Seth said nothing and stood with his back to her, she broke down and began to sob.

  “I’m so sorry I hurt you, Seth. I never wanted—”

  He returned so fast she didn’t even see him move. One moment he stood several yards away. The next, he wrapped his arms around her and gathered her against him in a tight hug. “Shhhh.” The thunder ceased. The wind abated. The rain slackened, turning to a slow drizzle.

  As Lisette buried her face in his chest, Seth cupped the back of her head in one large hand.

  Would he kill her now? Snap her neck?

  His hold tightened. “I’m not going to kill you, Lisette.”

  She relaxed against him, fisting her hands in his wet coat.

  “This is my fault, not yours,” he said. “I should have killed Zach when I had the chance.”

  She stiffened. “What?” Lisette pushed him away. “No.”

  Seth shook his head. “Zach isn’t what you think he is.”

  “Yes, he is,” she insisted. “He’s like you.”

  “He isn’t like me. Never say that he is. If he were like me, I wouldn’t have told him to stay the fuck away from you.”

  Lisette wiped the tears and rainwater from her eyelashes so she could see Seth better. “Why are you so angry with him?”

  “Because he betrayed us,” he announced with a bitterness she had never heard him express before. “He betrayed us all.”

  “How?” she asked, needing to know the source of their animosity.

  “Chris’s tech team didn’t miss anything when they cleaned up after we defeated Donald and Nelson and their mercenary army the first time.”

  Confusion eradicated the last of her fear. “I thought they missed a backup server.”

  “They didn’t. I lied. I didn’t want to have to explain . . .” He shook his
head. “I read Donald’s and Nelson’s minds before David and I dispatched them. Zach restored the memories we had wiped. Zach helped them remember us and resume their war with us.”

  Her heart stopped. “No,” she denied. “He didn’t. You’re wrong. He wouldn’t do that.”

  “He did.”

  “You actually saw him do it in the mercenaries’ memories?”

  “No,” Seth admitted, “but he didn’t deny it when I confronted him about it.”

  Why would Zach let Seth think he had betrayed them in such a way? Lisette didn’t for a minute believe Zach guilty of the deed. “If for no other reason, Zach wouldn’t have done it because it put Ami in danger.”

  “He put all of you in danger,” Seth corrected.

  “Seth, I’m telling you, he didn’t do it.”

  “There were only five telepaths in North Carolina at the time: you, Étienne, David, Zach, and me. Who—of those five—do you think is responsible?”

  Okay. That was pretty damning. “Could there be a telepath in the area you aren’t aware of?” she asked, grasping at straws.

  “No. I checked.”

  “Perhaps a telepathic gifted one?” She knew it was a stretch even as she suggested it.

  “No mortal gifted one would possess a telepathic gift strong enough to alter memories. At best, he or she would be able to read thoughts.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know what the explanation is, but it couldn’t have been Zach.”

  “It was,” Seth insisted, utterly implacable. “And he has betrayed us again.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Étienne told me he found blank spots in the memories of the vampires the two of you fought last week.”

  “All vampires have blank spots. The brain damage the virus causes—”

  “Étienne said those vamps hadn’t been infected long enough to produce that kind of damage. He said the blank spots indicated that some of their memories had been buried.”