“Exactly. I’ll act as if I’m fighting his control, which I will be of course. I’d really rather not become another weapon in his arsenal. That will give you time to throw everything you have at him.”
“Yes. It would be nice if I had the killing gift, but it’s not one of my abilities,” Antoine replied.
Reynaud took a sip of his wine before replying. “I have it, in terms of inflicting minor wounds on a vampire who isn’t too much older than me. Technically, that should be all I can do, given my age, but for damned sure I’m going to find out when we face him. He’ll be expecting you to try that, Antoine, if he isn’t aware you can’t.”
“Which he might be. If we’re correct and he wants to take over my territory, he would have done his homework on me, I’d think. I would have, if I were him.”
Burke cocked his head in question. “If you can, why not do it the second you see him, Rey?”
“Rey?” Antoine smiled briefly, before answering Burke’s question for Reynaud. “If he tries to use the gift to kill him, and fails to do more than wound him, Silvan will know he’s more powerful than he seems. We’d rather keep that a secret until the time is right.”
“Okay, that makes sense to me.”
“By the way, Burke. If Reynaud hasn’t already told you this, and he’d better have, once you locate Silvan and let us know where he is, you are to leave. If he got his hands on you—”
“I know, I know. Rey’s made that very clear,” Burke replied, feeling like a toddler from the way they were trying to protect him. It’s not like I haven’t dealt with my fair share of evil vampires over the last few years.
Something in his expression must have let Reynaud know how he was feeling because he said, “We’re not babying you, or trying to put you down. You should know that. I’ve already told you what could happen if he captured you.”
Burke nodded. “You’re right, of course. It’s…I hate not being there when you’re dealing with him. I’ll be on pins and needles until I know you’ve succeeded.”
“At least you think we’re going to,” Antoine said sardonically.
“Of course I do. I’m more worried about what shape you’ll be in when it’s over.”
“We’re vampires. We heal quickly,” Reynaud replied.
“Unless he uses silver.”
“Which he can’t.”
“Bull. You have heard of wooden handles on knives, right?”
Reynaud nodded. “All right. I’ll give you that since it’s a trick I’ve used, although rarely. Things can go wrong, ending up with my getting cut instead of my enemy.”
Burke chuckled. “So you’re saying you’re a klutz?”
“Not even!” Reynaud replied defensively.
“Gentlemen, shall we get back on track?” Antoine said. “Burke, you should be out on the streets looking for Silvan.”
“All right. It would help if I knew what he looked like. Who knows how many big bads are out cruising tonight? I wouldn’t want to point you guys at the wrong one.”
“Believe me, when you sense him you’ll know it’s him,” Antoine replied at the same time that Reynaud took the sketch of Silvan from his pocket to give Burke.
“He looks like he thinks he owns the world,” Burke commented. “Okay, I’m out of here. I’ll text you, Rey, when I spot him.”
“Be careful,” Reynaud said, gripping his hand.
“Me? You’re the one who has to be careful.” Burke squeezed his hand, resisting the urge to hug him instead. “Both of you.”
As he left the room, he heard Antoine say, “You and he are getting to be more than friends, I take it.”
He didn’t wait to hear Reynaud’s response. If he says no…I don’t think he would, but if he did. You better come out of this alive and in one piece, Rey, so I can find out one way or the other.
Chapter 7
Burke had concluded late Saturday night that he’d have to take the following week off from work so that he could spend every night looking for Silvan.
“The boss wasn’t happy, but I told him it was a family emergency,” he’d said to Reynaud when he called him Monday evening. “Thankfully, he didn’t ask what family, since he knows my folks are dead.”
It was now Wednesday, and Reynaud was beyond frustrated. “Where are you, bastard?” he growled, slamming his hand against a dumpster before continuing on his way from Bourbon to Royal Street.
He had known it was a crapshoot that Burke would be the right place at the right time to sense Silvan’s presence. They all had. It was the reason he was out prowling the streets, too.
Between Friday and Tuesday evening three vampires had vanished—that they knew of.
“And perhaps more,” Antoine said when they’d figured out what was happening. “He’s undoubtedly discovered your team members have gone to ground, and knows why. Now he’s trying to draw me out by killing my subjects.”
“I’m going out there,” Reynaud had replied. “Sitting here, waiting for Burke to tell us he’s found him isn’t working. Silvan needs a real target and short of you, I’m it.”
Although it had been obvious Antoine was against the idea—“You won’t be able to sense him until he attacks, at which point it could be too late for you to let me know he has.”—he had reluctantly agree.
When he turned onto Royal, Reynaud smiled briefly. Burke was a block ahead of him, looking into a shop window. He debated approaching him but thought better of it. If Silvan is anywhere nearby and sees me talking to Burke, who knows what he might do.
Apparently Burke knew Reynaud was there because he turned to look then started toward him. Reynaud gave a sharp shake of his head before heading in the opposite direction. He knew Burke was smart enough to figure out why and not try to catch up.
An hour later, Reynaud had taken to the roofs which gave him a better perspective of the Quarter. He was invisible, not wanting anyone to see him and wonder why he was up there—and maybe call the police.
It was almost three A.M. and he was on the corner of Barracks and Dauphine, about to move over to Burgundy, when his cell vibrated. When he checked, he saw the message they’d all been hoping for. Found him. Followed him to st. louis 1. I’m outside
Stay where you are, Reynaud texted back, hoping Burke would listen. Then he let Antoine know before taking off, landing on one of the tombs in the cemetery seconds later. He had barely begun looking for Silvan when Antoine joined him, also invisible to human eyes—but not to Reynaud, and undoubtedly not to Silvan, either.
::There!:: Antoine pointed and in the pale moonlight Reynaud saw a brief flicker of movement between two of the tombs.
They dropped down, walking toward the spot. When they got to it, a dark figure stepped forward.
“I presume you’re looking for me,” Silvan said with a savage grin. He was wearing heavy gauntlets, and in one hand he held a thick chain made up of large silver links. With a flick of his wrist, he wrapped it around Reynaud’s boot. When Silvan yanked on it, Reynaud stumbled, falling to his knees. “Next time, it will hit your skin,” Silvan proclaimed.
Reynaud climbed to his feet, hands fisting while he kicked free of the chain. “I don’t think so,” he growled as he closed in on Silvan. One punch landed on the vampire’s chest, knocking him backward. The second one hit his shoulder, the third missed because Silvan wasn’t there.
“That was a puny effort,” Silvan crowed from the top of one of the tombs. Then he disappeared again.
Reynaud shouted in pain when the silver chain struck his arm as Silvan reappeared.
“Leave him be,” Antoine exclaimed. “It’s me you want.”
Silvan chortled. “I want both of you, and I’ll have you kneeling at my feet before I’m finished. Perhaps I’ll make you watch while I turn that human who was following me.” He laughed when Reynaud looked at him in horror. “How do I know about him? I was a cat sitting in the doorway when I saw the two of you earlier this evening on Royal. It was obvious you knew each other and then when
I saw him again, following me…”
::Being a cat would explain why Burke didn’t sense him,:: Antoine whispered in Reynaud’s mind.
::True,:: Reynaud agreed then aloud he said to Silvan, “Why would you care? He’s merely a human. He can’t harm you.”
“He’s important to you, and you’re important to Antoine.” He strode forward, gripping Reynaud’s chin in his hand. “Look at me, minion.”
“I’m not Antoine’s minion,” Reynaud hissed, closing his mind to Silvan’s intrusion.
“No? Perhaps not, but you’ll soon be mine,” Silvan proclaimed, trying to force his way through the block Reynaud had thrown up. “Perhaps…” He hit Reynaud with the chain again. It left a deep burn in its wake, as well as the aroma of seared flesh, and Reynaud screamed, almost passing out from the pain.
Suddenly it was Silvan who screamed as a stream of flame seared through his gauntlet and the chain dropped from his hand. He tore the flaming gauntlet off, turning his attention, to Antoine. “Is that the best you can do?” he asked through gritted teeth.
A small tombstone flew into the air and then fell, shattering Silvan’s shoulder as it knocked him to the ground. “Does levitation impress you?” Antoine asked, kneeling over the fallen vampire. He used his telekinesis again to lift the silver chain, laying it across Silvan’s throat. He shook his head when Silvan shrieked in agony. “Damn, you’re noisy—and not much of a foe when it comes down to it. I was expecting much more from you, but then I’ve been known to be wrong before about enemies who are all bluster with not much to back it up. Well, when they run into someone older and wiser that is. I think it’s time to put a finish to your games.” A slender hawthorn stake appeared in Antoine’s hand, which he plunged into his enemy’s heart. “And so it ends,” he said when Silvan turned to dust.
“Too damned fast, if you ask me,” Reynaud said, his pain obvious on his face and in the way he held his injured arm close to his chest. “I didn’t…” He sucked in a breath. “Didn’t even get to find out if I had the full killing gift.”
“Next time,” Antoine replied with a tight grin. “For now, let’s get you home so you can heal.”
“Don’t forget Burke,” Reynaud said through gritted teeth.
“I won’t.” Antoine carefully wrapped one arm around Reynaud’s waist.
* * * *
Burke was pacing outside the walls of the cemetery, worried sick about what was happening inside. He’d heard shouts and recognized some as Reynaud’s. If he’d been able to, he would have been there with them, despite Reynaud’s order to stay where he was.
“Please, please,” he prayed yet again, “let Rey and Antoine be victorious.”
“Did you doubt that we would be?” Antoine asked sardonically as he suddenly appeared in front of Burke, scaring the hell out of him. What frightened him even more was the fact he was holding Reynaud, who was as pale as a ghost, lines of pain deeply etched on his face.
“What happened to him?” Burke asked fearfully.
“Silver happened,” Reynaud managed to say before Antoine could reply. “The bastard had a thick silver chain as his primary weapon.”
“His only physical one,” Antoine pointed out.
Burke saw the proof of that in the marks of the links seared into Reynaud’s arm. “He needs a doctor, damn it.”
Antoine shook his head. “He needs rest and blood. He’s a vampire; his arm will heal, although it will take time.”
“Is Silvan dead?”
“Of course,” Antoine replied. “I wouldn’t have left him alive. It would have been nice if it had been more painful for him, but the screaming was becoming annoying.”
Burke reached for Reynaud, wanting to touch him, to let him know he cared. The vampire drew back, hissing, “Go home, Burke. I don’t need your pity.”
“Pity my ass,” Burke replied angrily. “Why would I…” He broke off, turning away. “Take him home, Antoine, before I lay out all the reasons why pity is the last thing I feel right now.”
“I believe I can do that for you,” Antoine said. “You admire him. You’re relieved he’s alive and upset because he put himself in the position to be hurt, to protect the rest of us and you humans as well. You care for him. Probably more than you want to admit.” He smiled knowingly. “Have I missed anything?”
“No,” Burke whispered.
“Very good. Now, if you don’t mind, I will take him home. If you care to join us…” With that, Antoine and Reynaud were gone.
Burke sagged against the cemetery wall, shaking as he finally allowed the relief he’d tried to hide from Reynaud wash over him. Relief that he had survived. I knew he would. He had to. But damn it, knowing and believing were two different things. I should have had more faith in him, in them. He’s going to hate me because I didn’t. He pushed off the wall and began walking into the Quarter, planning on doing as Reynaud had asked. Ordered, more like it. Well, the hell with you, Rey. He changed directions hoping that by ‘home’ Antoine meant Reynaud’s house, not the plantation.
Five minutes later he was standing at Reynaud’s front door. He’d barely raised his hand to knock when the door opened and Antoine stepped aside to let him enter.
“He’s fed and is sleeping,” Antoine told Burke. “We should talk.” He started toward the living room. Burke followed, sitting when Antoine did.
For a long moment they were silent, Burke not lowering his gaze as Antoine studied him. Finally he asked, “Talk about what?”
“You and Reynaud,” Antoine replied. “It won’t work and you know it. Both of you will be hurt in the end, when you realize that.”
“Isn’t it our choice?” Burke asked. “Not that he’ll want me around now. He knows I wasn’t certain he’d survive your confrontation with Silvan, as much as I tried to believe you’d win.”
“My dear boy, even we weren’t sure we would. Silvan was…well, you know already. We talked about it enough. In the end, it turned out he wasn’t a powerful as he wanted everyone to believe. Not when he came up against real foes.”
“Still…”
Antoine held up his hand. “Let me continue. I know Reynaud cares for you as much as you care for him. He won’t hold it against you that at the last moment you didn’t fully believe he would make it out alive. That is not the problem, however. You are human, he’s not.”
“I’ve sort of noticed that,” Burke said scathingly.
“What will happen when you continue to age and he doesn’t, or doesn’t seem to? What will happen when he has to leave because he isn’t aging, and then returns as his son or nephew in a year or two? Will you be able to handle that? Will he?”
“First off, you’re presuming something will come of our attraction. I don’t know if it will. Caring for someone and acting on it are two very different things as I’m sure you know, given how old you are. Secondly, if we do, is it really any of your business? I get that you’re trying to protect him. As the King, that’s your duty. As his friend, you don’t want to see him hurt.”
“Precisely,” Antoine agreed.
“We’re grown men, Antoine, not children.” Burke snickered. “Although from your point of view you probably see us as kids. We’re not. If we reach a time when we want to see what happens, we’ll both go into it knowing the possible consequences. Your interference will only make us more determined to try. Can you understand that?”
Antoine sighed. “I can. I do. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Of course you should have. I think it’s a friend’s duty to point out the obvious.” Burke grinned. “Now you have.” He glanced up at the ceiling. “Can I, may I see him before I leave?”
“Why are you leaving? He has guestrooms. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you used one of them.”
Burke’s eyes widened in surprise, and then he chuckled. “Are you trying to play matchmaker, in spite of what you said?”
“Just accepting the inevitable, I suppose.”
“I think I’
ll take you up on your offer, then. I’m beyond beat.”
“Come,” Antoine said, standing. “I’ll show you to your room and let you look in on Reynaud.”
When they were upstairs, Antoine opened one of the doors along the hallway and turned on the light. Reynaud lay on his back, covered by a quilt, his arm resting on top of it. The wounds, while still very visible, seemed less horrible than they had been when Burke had first seen them. In repose, Reynaud’s face was serene.
“You are going to be all right,” Burke whispered after going to stand by his side. He gently touched Reynaud’s cheek. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Antoine smiled when Burke rejoined him. “You didn’t have to whisper. He’s, you should excuse the expression, dead to the world until this evening.”
Burke winced. “Shouldn’t you be, too, at this point?”
“As old as I am, I can stay awake for several hours after dawn.” Antoine replied as he walked down the hallway to another room. “This will be yours for today. Knowing my friend, I’m certain there are fresh towels in the bathroom if you want to take a shower.”
“Thank you.” Burke yawned deeply, getting a commiserating look from Antoine. “I think, no, I know I’ll sleep first and then shower when I get up.”
“Makes sense to me. I’ll see you again, probably more often than you wish.”
“I doubt that. Despite everything, I like you. I think we could become friends.”
Antoine smiled, replying, “A possibility,” before vanishing.
“That’s very unnerving,” Burke muttered as he stripped then went into the bathroom to wash up—and brush his teeth when he found a toothbrush in its packaging in the cabinet over the sink. Then he returned to the bedroom, collapsed on the bed, and instantly fell asleep.
Chapter 8
Burke and the Vampire Page 7
