by L. M. Pruitt
“The Rising is our most powerful weapon, the only one to hold a piece of every magic we contain within us. Indeed, it’s the Covenant’s only real weapon, aside from our magic. In the past some had their own weaponry made, and passed from generation to generation.” Gillian sighed again, rubbing her throat, and her age suddenly dawned on me. She might be able to go toe to toe with me, gangs of vampires and the annoying twins without messing her hair up, but she qualified for Social Security.
I wondered if all the magical bull crap she’d spent her life dealing with had exhausted her or if she’d grown used to it.
“The only way the Rising can really be described is as a sword, because that is the form the weapon most often takes, at least when first called.” Gillian paused, and I got impatient – as usual – and opened my mouth without thinking.
“First called? Is this like another circle type thing, another ritual?” I would have asked more questions, but Theo reached over and squeezed my knee, silently telling me to stop talking. Gillian raised her eyes to the heavens like she asked for help. I decided being quiet might be a good idea.
“After the Rising was forged the weapon was bewitched into the astral plane. Only the leader of the Covenant can call the weapon forth, and only in times of true need.” She shook her head, lost in her thoughts. “The Rising has been called often, but not by every leader of the Covenant. None now living can remember its last use, not even Theo’s great-grandmother.”
“So if no one remembers the last time this thing was called, how am I supposed to learn to call it?” I wanted an instruction manual, a big, fat one, with diagrams and step-by-step directions.
“You don’t.” This came from Rian, who’d thankfully stopped his finger drumming and reclined in the chair, looking for the world like a big, contented cat. You’d have thought he’d just eaten the canary and the bottle of milk. “Not everything can be learned, Jude. But now that you know the Rising is an option, the next time you find yourself in a dangerous situation—.”
“Which shouldn’t take too long,” I muttered under my breath, turning to glare at Theo when he squeezed my knee again. He smiled. Rian continued as if I’d never spoken – guess he’d been taking lessons from Gillian.
“Concentrate your thoughts on the Rising. Visualize what you need, in that moment, for that moment only.” Rian rolled his head to look at me, a very slight smile crossing his face. “When the hilt forms in your hand, everything you need to know to use the Rising will be given to you.”
“Exactly. You cannot have the Rising to use in training, but I think you would agree you should be instructed in some basic hand-to-hand combat.” Gillian smiled for the first time since we’d entered the parlor. “I’d think you’d enjoy some punishing physical activity, especially if you happen to injure somebody.”
“You know me too well,” I replied dryly. Gillian was right. It would be a good idea to learn how to use some weapons. Especially since Hart and his cronies possessed the strength to tear my arm off and beat me to death with the limb. Having a knife or two would make the possibility of such an event more difficult.
A thought struck me, and I opened my mouth to speak. Then shut it again, giving my head a little shake. Theo poked my knee, annoying but not as much as being squeezed whenever I got mouthy. If I didn’t like him so much, I’d have given some serious thought to smacking him.
“I know you’re thinking something, Jude. You have that little wrinkle in your forehead you get when you’re thinking too hard.”
I shot Theo another glare. “Williams used a crossbow the night this started in front of St. Louis. Arrow through the heart and forehead and down goes the vampire. Is it safe to say a bow and arrow, the old fashioned kind, would do the same trick?”
“Well, an arrow is still an arrow, Jude.” Gillian’s eyes widened at the implication of what I’d asked. “You’ll learn to use knives faster than you would the art of archery.”
“I already know how to use a bow and arrow,” I shot back, annoyed enough to brush Theo’s hand off my knee when he started to squeeze. “I had six years of archery with the nuns, thank you very much. I’m a little out of practice, but it’s like riding a bicycle. Once you learn, you’re set.”
“The idea has possibilities, Gillian. Especially if she can channel fire while she’s shooting.” Rian rolled his head back in Gillian’s direction, the movement creeping me out a little. It looked like he had no bones in his neck, just really, really loose muscles. “Fire tipped arrows have proven effective in a number of historical battles.”
Gillian threw her hands in the air, and I knew I’d won. “Fine, then. We’ll see what can be done about procuring a bow and a quiver of arrows. If you’re as good as you say you are, you’ll instruct others, so we have the beginnings of a true army.”
“That’s fine, but I’m telling you now, don’t leave me alone with the twins if I have a weapon.” I looked at Theo, my eyes narrowing. “They may be your relatives, and they may be Council, but they have a pair of mouths on them slicker than mine and they push my buttons on purpose. I’d hate to kill them because they didn’t have the sense to shut the hell up.”
“I’ll be sure to pass the news along. They probably won’t listen, but at least if you do kill them, they’ll have brought it on themselves.” I couldn’t tell if Theo’s statement was serious or not, and whether he’d be upset if I did kill them or shrug the entire thing off. I stared at him, trying to figure it out, but gave up after a moment.
“Try and restrain yourself, Jude. At the moment we don’t have time to deal with finding two replacements, not to mention Hart would enjoy knowing you were killing your people off.”
Frustrated, I threw my hands in the air. “Fine, fine. I won’t kill them, but not because I adore their snide remarks and backhanded compliments.”
“Much appreciated, Jude.” Rian stood, stretching and making a number of popping sounds. At my raised eyebrows, he replied, “Cracking my back. Enjoy your youth.”
“Seriously, you’re like, what, six years older than she is, if that?” Theo shook his head, his hand creeping back up to rest on my knee. The constant touching made my vow of celibacy even more unappealing. As the ever-present warmth spread out from his hand, I upgraded the vow to very, very unappealing.
“Ah, but what a difference a few years can make, especially when you throw in alcohol and drug use.” Rian popped his knuckles then his elbows, working his way up to his shoulders. “Really, enjoy your youth. You only get it once. And some of those things you enjoy doing won’t be comfortable when you don’t contort as easily.”
With that, Rian strolled out whistling, hands shoved in his pockets. Gillian refrained from commenting on my open mouth. She merely followed Rian out, leaving Theo and I alone. A long moment of silence stretched between us, interrupted only by the crackling of the fireplace. Finally, Theo spoke, although it wasn’t what I’d expected him to say.
“So, was he talking about your crazy contortion moves, or mine?”
Chapter Twenty
The door opened a crack and I jerked my head up. Sliding the book off my lap, I tiptoed to stand behind the door. After a pause, the person on the other side poked their head in and looked right and left before speaking.
“Jude, if you’re in here—.”
Recognizing Theo’s voice, I reached around the door, grasping his wrist and yanked him into the dim room. I shut the door behind him, careful not to slam it and put my finger over my lips to shush him when he opened his mouth to speak. He shut it, but not before looking at me like I’d lost my mind. Since psychosis would be my eventual state, I didn’t take offense.
I’ve always thought people were stupid to be offended by the truth.
Moving past him I sat back down on the sofa, curling my legs up under me kindergarten fashion. Difficult to achieve in a dress, but I accomplished it. I’d been wearing mostly dresses and skirts since my dip in the river, and I had the sneaking suspicion someone bought me more
clothes and kept sliding them in my closet when I wasn’t looking. I had to be careful not to flash the room when I wasn’t sitting like a lady.
I pulled the book back into my lap and Theo eased down beside me. For a few minutes only the sound of our breathing and the rustle of pages existed between us. Then he whispered, “Why are we being quiet?”
I flipped another page before answering him, my voice hushed. “Whispers carry further than low voices.”
I tucked my tongue in my cheek to keep from laughing when he heaved an exaggerated sigh. Mimicking my tone, he asked, “So why are we being kinda quiet?”
I flipped another page, pausing to study the writing. It might be useful against Hart, then again, maybe not. Dog-earing the page, I answered, “Because I’m hiding.”
Theo let the news digest for a moment, and I flipped another page. Love spells and, based on the handwriting; she’d been in her late teens. How well any of them worked was debatable, especially if she’d invented them herself, but the attempt showed a nice diversity. I wouldn’t be using any of them – my life contained enough complications without throwing in love spells. Part of those complications sat next to me, knee-patting routine in full swing.
“And why, exactly, are we hiding?”
“I’m hiding, not you. And I’m hiding because if I have to explain how to sight the arrow one more time, I’ll scream or punch someone.” The next two pages gave me pause and my heart lurched painfully in my chest. I should have expected something like this, but still a shock.
“Since I’m here with you, that means we’re hiding. And what has you so absorbed?” Theo tugged on the corner of the book, bending his head, and I let him pull the book over a few inches to sit between us. I studied the slight curl of his hair at the nape of his neck, and clenched my fist to keep from running my fingers through the thick mass.
Fighting temptation is way, way difficult.
“Gillian gave you your mother’s Book of Shadows? Whenever the former leader of the Covenant passes on, their Book of Shadows is locked away. I’ve never known of any being brought back out.” Theo glanced up at me for a second, his face lit with humor. “Nice to see you’re going to have a textbook of sorts to study, in addition to practical lessons.”
“Yeah, because bookwork was always on my list of favorite things to do back with the nuns,” I shot back, pulling at the book. “Besides, I haven’t really been able to get anything of use from it, not really. A lot of what she wrote I’ve either already figured out, or Gillian has told me. Or is something Gillian can do eyes closed with one hand tied behind her back.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a top notch teacher in Gillian. Gossip puts her in the top five of Covenant members, power wise.” Theo tugged the book back, flipped a page and made me scowl. “Even if it’s not magically useful, at the very least you get some more memories of your parents.”
“What about yours? Where are they?” Our situation felt strangely intimate, talking in hushed tones in a dark, secret room. Like being a kid again, tucked up in a tree house or in a makeshift fort; or those few moments after sex, before things get complicated again, and all the world has narrowed down to just the bed and the two of you. Not a good idea to think about beds around Theo. Probably a very bad idea.
“They died a few years ago. Drunk driver on the bridge, their car went into Lake Pontchartrain.” Theo slid the book closer so I could take a look at the writing on the page. “The police said it was probable my dad would have survived, but he wouldn’t leave my mother – her seatbelt jammed in the crash. Now and then, I’ll wake up in the morning, thinking my mom is downstairs making breakfast.”
I gave in, running my fingers through the curls at the nape of his neck. “People say if you give it enough time, things like that stop.”
He turned his head, a sad, wistful smile on his lips. “I hope they don’t. It’s nice to have some part of them with me, even though they’re gone.” He turned another page, stopping. His smile changed, became lighter, more like his normal smile. “Nice for you, too, that your mother liked to sketch as much as she liked to do spell work.”
Curious, I pulled the book closer, my fingers still working through his hair. I gasped, and then covered my mouth with my hand at the noise. All my sniping at Theo, and I’d be the one to give us up. Hard not to make some sort of noise when I suddenly had two pages of sketches of my parents fall into my lap.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get over how young they were. They’d just be fifty or so if they’d lived.”
“Rian was even younger. He was about five.” Theo winced, and I apologized, unclenching my fingers and going back to stroking. Involuntary reactions can be a bitch sometimes.
“He got those marks on his back when he was five? Jesus Christ, he’s lucky to have lived.”
“One of the last things your mother did was to focus her energy to heal him.” Theo’s hand rested over mine, squeezing it for a moment. “She wasn’t a very good healer, according to my mom, but she did that one last thing before leaving the city.”
“It’s strange, hearing the stories, seeing all these things that were hers. They make her more real, but still, she’s just…” I trailed off, because I couldn’t think of how to say what I meant. I should have known Theo would understand anyway.
“She’s just the person who gave birth to you. Just like he’s only the man your mother loved.”
“Loved more than me.” I didn’t realize the words were in my head until they were out of my mouth. Hell, I didn’t even know I felt that way until I said it.
Theo didn’t say anything for a moment, and I began to feel nervous. Me and my stupid mouth. When he spoke, I jumped, because it seemed to boom in the quiet of the room. “I’d love to say you were silly, but I can understand why you’d feel that way.”
“You can?”
“Yeah, I can. Your parents are supposed to love you more than anything, to want what’s best for you at all costs. Your mom just gave up, at a time when you really, really needed her, because she didn’t think life worth living without your dad.” Theo turned the page, and we were back to spells. “I’d probably be a little pissed off, too.”
“Are you angry with your parents for dying?” I studied his face, watching for any change in expression.
His eyes went distant a second before he closed them. “Yeah, now and then, when I have a really bad day – or a really good one – I want to tell them about and I can’t. Around Mardi Gras, when I wake up and there’s nobody to start the day with pancakes. I get angry, and wonder why they were on the bridge, or why my dad didn’t at least try to live.” He opened his eyes, and the look in them had tears stinging the corners of mine. “Yeah, I get mad sometimes.”
I slid my hand from his hair to drape my arm around his shoulder, leaning into him. I laid my head down on his shoulder, sighing deeply. “We’re horrible children, aren’t we, Theo?”
He laughed, and I felt the tension ease out of him. He leaned back into the sofa, and I shifted around until I curled up against him, my mother’s book settled comfortably in our laps. “Absolutely. We’d break our mother’s hearts a million times if they’d lived.”
“Me, definitely. You, I don’t know.” I shook my head, and my hair tickled my arm. “I keep waiting for the shoe to drop. For me to say or do something that’s going to make you step back and go ‘Oh, hell no.’”
“I told you once, Jude. Nothing short of death will make me not love you.” I felt the brief press of lips against the top of my head, and I had to concentrate on not crying the tears I’d been so sure were dried up. “Eventually, you’ll get used to the idea. It’s kind of like the weather.”
“Love is kind of like the weather? Theo, the weather’s always changing, especially here. One day it’s hot as hell, the next you need a boat, and the day after that you need a parka.”
“Jude, I’m not talking about the various facets of weather. Yes, they change, but weather itself always is.” Theo bent his head level wi
th mine. “Am I reading what I think I’m reading?”
“Sex spells.”
Theo tilted his head to one side, and I knew even before he opened his mouth he would say something slick. “Do you really think it’s possible to do some of these things?”
“You’re asking me? I’ve always been one of those people who thought oysters being aphrodisiacs was a load of crap.” Now that he’d mentioned the possibility of reality, I couldn’t help but actually read one or two of them. I was glad for the dimness of the room, because even with my skin color he’d have noticed my blushing. If it’s weird to think about your parents having sex, and even weirder to have confirmation – other than you – they have sex, it’s another league of weird to find out about their fantasies.
“Oysters as aphrodisiacs make no sense. Chocolate, I get. But oysters? I’m with you.” Theo’s pointer finger slid down the page, tapping on it for a moment. “I think this one is feasible. And I know we have all the materials needed. Come on, let’s go.”
“Oh, no. No, no, no.” I yanked the book back and slammed it shut, coughing when dust mites flew up into my face. “We are not going to try and work a sex spell out of my dead mother’s Book of Shadows.”
“You’re not curious at all.” Theo’s voice was calm, his face set in his normal placid lines. One look at his eyes told me exactly what went on behind them, and a peek down told me it was a very happy thought indeed.
“Absolutely not.” Liar. “Besides, I’m not having sex with you.”
“Oh, really.” Probably not the best thing to say. Theo shifted around until his back pressed against the side of the sofa, facing me. I slid the book onto the floor, turning to face him squarely. Since the movement also put a little more space between us, I thought it strategic.
It would have been until Theo’s hand flashed out, wrapping around my wrist and pulling me to lie across him. Struggling would have been undignified and raised my dress more than a little, so I sprawled on his lap, trying to think of how to extricate myself from the tangle I’d gotten into.
