Eternal

by Kristi Cook

  “Apparently. It’s pretty nice though, right?” I glanced around, admiring the copper pots and pans hanging from the ceiling. “Awfully swanky for student housing.”

  “And big,” Matthew added. “I think I counted three bedrooms besides the master suite, plus a formal living room and that little nook he called a parlor. There was a library on the second floor too. It’s got to be two or three thousand square feet, at least. What does he do with it all?”

  “I suppose you’re going to ask us to rent you a room,” I joked, then immediately wished I could take it back when I saw the stricken look on his face.

  I didn’t have time to question him, because Aidan came back in then, carrying a sword.

  “What are you doing with that?” I asked, watching as he took it over to the counter and laid it down with a clang.

  “I think I have some silver polish somewhere,” he said, digging around the cabinet beneath the sink.

  “You’re going to polish a sword? Now?” I finished my last fry, crumpling the container and tossing it in the bag. “Anyway, where’d you get that thing?”

  “It’s been in the family for years,” he answered, still searching through the cabinet. “It’s quite old, really, but it’ll do.”

  “For what?” Matthew asked.

  “If I’m to be the point man, out front, I need a weapon,” Aidan explained. “It won’t kill a vampire, obviously, but it’ll stop one long enough for the two of you to flank in and do your thing. Anyway, we’ll need one for later. To separate—”

  “—the head from the body,” I finished for him. “Yeah, I remember. Is it sharp?”

  He nodded, running a hand down the length of the blade. A ribbon of red appeared on his palm, dripping grotesquely down his wrist as he reached for a towel. “Perfectly so. It just needs to be shined up a bit.” Wincing, he wiped away the blood. “That hurt.”

  “I’m sure it did,” I said, watching in amazement as the deep gash healed itself in a matter of seconds, right before my eyes.

  Matthew nodded appreciatively. “That’s a nice trick.”

  “Isn’t it?” Aidan examined his hand, looking pleased.

  I exhaled quickly. “Okay, what now? I mean, after you’re done polishing your sword?”

  Aidan shrugged. “We wait. This might take me a while, though.”

  “Great,” I said, feeling as if I might jump out of my skin. I had to do something, occupy myself somehow. Otherwise I was going to lose it, just sitting around twiddling my thumbs. “I think I’m going to go sit on the balcony upstairs and read my e-mail, then. Or . . . maybe I’ll check out the library first, if that’s okay.”

  “Hey, mon appartement est votre appartement. This is your home, come fall.”

  He sounded way too cheerful, I decided. As if he were putting on a front, playacting for my benefit—trying to pretend like everything was okay, when it wasn’t. How could it be?

  “You mind if I come with you to the library?” Matthew asked, tossing the rest of his lunch in the trash.

  “Course not.” I stood and headed for the door, taking my drink with me. “Come find us when you’re done polishing your sword, okay, Aidan?”

  He nodded. “I won’t be long.”

  But I knew he would be. He wanted to be alone; I could sense it. Whatever his reasons were, I’d have to respect them, even if I didn’t like it.

  And I didn’t, not one bit.

  “C’mon,” I said to Matthew. “Let’s go see if he’s got anything good to read.”

  29 ~ Visitors of the Unexpected Kind

  Ow!” I cried out. “My wrist.” I glanced down at my bracelet, horrified to see the blackish red bloodstone glowing hotly against my skin. “No. Oh no. Aidan!”

  He was beside me in an instant. “Look,” I said, holding up my wrist.

  He glanced toward the window, where the moon had risen high in the sky.

  There was no way of knowing if this was a single assassin, or a larger threat. But there was a threat—there was no doubting that.

  Megvéd, I called out telepathically, establishing the connection with Matthew. Without even trying, I relayed the information to him in a split second.

  I wasn’t sure what room he’d been in—if he’d been in the library reading, or if he’d gone to bed. It didn’t matter, though. He had no trouble finding me.

  We were ready, the three of us. Aidan with his ancient sword, me with my stake, and Matthew with his baselard. The three of us stood in the center of the master bedroom, an immobile unit as we waited, listening. Aidan’s senses were better than ours, and it didn’t take him long to figure it out. “The balcony,” he said. “Two of them—maybe three.”

  In the blink of an eye, Luc appeared before us. “Vampires,” he said, his dark eyes narrowed.

  “Yeah, we got that,” I said sharply. “Thanks.”

  “A scouting party, I think,” Luc added, ignoring my jab.

  “There’s not much room to maneuver on the balcony,” Matthew said. “We choose better ground, then draw them to us.”

  “But where?” I glanced around the room, taking in the luxurious furnishings. “Here?”

  Aidan shook his head. “Not here. There’s a park nearby. It’s gated—it’ll be locked. We go there.”

  “You take Violet,” Luc said. “I’ll get him.” He tipped his head toward Matthew.

  Panic made my breath hitch in my chest. “Wait, no! You can’t split us up. Aidan, take us both—like you did in Atlanta.”

  “It’s okay, Luc. I can take them both.”

  “What if they don’t follow us?” Matthew asked.

  Aidan’s eyes hardened. “They will. Grab on, both of you.”

  We did.

  The horrible sensation was brief. A hiss and a pop, and I opened my eyes to find myself standing in a leafy park that was completely shrouded in darkness save for the hazy light of the moon.

  Once again, I reached out psychically to Matthew, establishing the connection between us—horrified that, at some point, I’d let it drop.

  We formed a semicircle, the four of us, waiting.

  It didn’t take long. Two vampires appeared seemingly out of thin air, a male and a female. They were both tall, dark haired, and dark eyed. “We’ve come only to talk,” the female said, her voice heavily accented. “To see who this boy is that Nicole Girard keeps so close to her heart. Her most favored creation, yes? But why? What is so special about this boy, this vampire?”

  “Who sent you?” Luc asked, stepping forward as if he were our leader.

  “Why, we came on our own accord, of course.”

  Breach her mind, Matthew urged. See if she’s lying.

  I have to drop my connection with you to do that, I argued.

  Just for a moment. Search her mind; see what her intentions are, he insisted.

  “You’ve brought friends, I see,” the female said. “Mortals. Do not fear us. We talk, that’s all.”

  I didn’t trust her. More important, my bracelet didn’t trust her. I did what Matthew asked.

  It took me only a split second to see her plan. The male would take out Luc and hold Aidan captive; the female would kill Matthew and me. The “talk” was just a distraction. Of course.

  Megvéd. Just like that, he knew everything I knew. We sprang into action.

  The female first—she was our greatest threat. With her removed, the male would be indecisive, unsure.

  Matthew’s baselard flew through the air, straight into the female’s eye. She shrieked, and Luc moved to protect Aidan while I leapt forward and plunged my stake into her heart.

  The female went down with an inhuman cry that silenced itself as her body hit the ground. Matthew retrieved our weapons as I wheeled toward the male, who had somehow gotten one beefy arm around Aidan’s neck. Luc slammed the pair of them to the ground, struggling to free Aidan and gain his feet before the male came after them again.

  They were moving so fast, I could barely follow the fight. Someone had to
immobilize our enemy long enough for Matthew and me to do our job, but right now he was nothing more than a blur, a constantly moving target.

  And then something—someone, I realized—jumped right on top of Matthew. I heard him grunt, the breath knocked from his body as he slammed against the ground, face-first.

  “Just a lowly mortal,” the vampire growled, moving off Matthew’s body so that he could flip him over, neck exposed. “He’s no match for me.”

  “No, but I am.” Adrenaline surged through my veins as I lifted my stake high in the air and launched myself at him. Just as I expected, the vampire turned toward me, his body angled just enough for me to accurately skewer his heart with my stake in one clean stroke.

  I saw surprise widen his dark eyes at I hit my mark, and then his body went slack, slumping to the ground beside Matthew’s prone form.

  Terror paralyzed me as I just stood there and stared at my Megvéd—my protector—lying so still and quiet. Please be okay. Please, please.

  Luc was beside him in an instant, his fingers on the pulse at his throat. “He’s fine. Just knocked out cold.”

  Thank God. Oh, thank you, thank you.

  “Aidan, get them both back to the apartment. I’ll stay and finish off the corpses—just leave me that sword.”

  I turned to find Aidan standing there, looking pretty much unscathed. “You have matches?” he asked Luc.

  Luc nodded. “Yes. Now go. We don’t want to draw unwanted attention.”

  Aidan reached for my hand. “I can’t take you both, not with Dr. Byrne unconscious. He’ll be dead weight. I’ll take you first and come back for him.”

  I pulled away from his grasp. “No. Him first. I can wait.”

  “He’s better off here with Luc for now,” Aidan argued. “Otherwise, I have to leave him alone while I come back for you.”

  I swallowed hard, realizing he was right. Of course. Nodding my assent, I reached for Aidan’s hand. “Let’s go,” I said. “Make it fast.”

  * * *

  An hour later, we all sat around Aidan’s kitchen table, Matthew holding an ice pack to his head. His face was bruised, several shades of purple and blue, but otherwise he seemed okay.

  “We’re sitting ducks here,” Aidan said. “This is crazy. How long until Nicole calls for us?”

  “Soon,” Luc said. “And until dawn, there’s an entire squad of guards surrounding the building. You’ll be safe.”

  “Well, where were the guards before?” I asked sharply. “Maybe they could have prevented that whole fiasco back there.”

  Luc’s obsidian eyes met mine. “The sun had only just set. Besides, we had not expected an ambush. My guess is that they were telling the truth about acting on their own, not following anyone’s orders. Two rogues, thinking that they might be rewarded generously for bringing Aidan to our enemies.”

  I glanced over at the window above the sink and shuddered. “Well, whatever they were, I’m willing to bet there’s more of them out there.”

  “The guards will keep watch throughout the night. The Wampiri haven’t yet arrived, and they’re the only ones of our kind who can hunt during daylight hours. You’ll be safe. I promise you.”

  I turned toward Aidan. “Why are we trusting him?” I asked. “Seriously. This is one of the vampires who locked you up, who helped torture you. And we’re supposed to trust him to keep us safe?”

  Aidan let out a sigh. “I trust him, Violet. I do.”

  Luc offered me a tight smile. “If it’ll make you less uneasy, feel free to breach my mind. I’m certain you’ll be assured by what you find in my thoughts.”

  “No, thank you.” I rose, pushing back my chair. “Fine. If you say we’re safe, I’m going to sleep. I’m exhausted, and I want to be ready for whatever comes next. Matthew, you should . . . I don’t know . . . probably try to stay awake or something, right? I mean, you probably have a nice concussion there. Aidan, can you keep an eye on him?”

  “Of course. You go lie down. Luc will post a guard outside the bedroom window. Get some rest, okay?”

  That was it? He was simply dismissing me, sending me upstairs like a child?

  With a huff, I stormed upstairs toward the master bedroom. Truthfully, I had no idea why I was so mad. I was frustrated, I guessed. Scared. No one had expected a fight before the fight.

  I was so tired, I didn’t bother to change into pajamas. I just collapsed onto the bed and pulled the covers up around me. Before I knew it, I drifted off into oblivion.

  * * *

  There was a loud knocking somewhere. I sat up, disoriented. The sun had risen, the first lavender light of dawn slanting across the bedcovers. Something that sounded like a doorbell chimed, sending shivers up my spine.

  I flung off the covers and leapt out of bed, hurrying downstairs as fast I could. Aidan and Luc were already there, moving toward the door.

  “Who is it?” I asked breathlessly. “Not more of them. Please tell me it isn’t more of them.”

  “I doubt it,” Luc said. “They wouldn’t be out during the day.”

  “Where are the guards?” I asked.

  “Gone until sundown.” Luc tipped his head toward me. “Let her answer it. You can’t expose yourself like that.”

  “I’m fine. The elixir, remember?”

  “Which you should not have taken, not with the threat we’re facing. You need all your capabilities.”

  “My capabilities are good enough. Anyway, they can’t destroy the Dauphin, remember? At least, that’s what you keep telling me.”

  “She gets the door,” Luc growled.

  “I’ll get the door,” I said, slipping between them just as the doorbell chimed once more.

  “Your stake,” Aidan said, handing it to me.

  “Gee, thanks. Coming,” I called out, hurrying into the foyer with the length of smooth hawthorn clutched tightly in my right hand. My bracelet was fine—no glowing stones, except for the white ones. Harmless. We were safe—I hoped.

  Aidan unlatched the lock, and I reached for the brass door handle and turned it, opening the door just the slightest crack as I peered out. “Who is it?” I asked.

  “Bonjour!” came a familiar voice.

  What the heck? I threw open the door, gaping at the sight before me. Tyler. Oh my freaking God, it was Tyler. Cece. Sophie. Joshua. Marissa.

  “Sorry. Max couldn’t come,” Marissa said. “His parentals were not very accommodating.”

  “Wh-what? How?” I stammered.

  “My aunt works for Air France,” Marissa said with a shrug. “She managed to hook us up with a last-minute standby.”

  “I can’t believe this,” I said, blinking hard. I must be dreaming—still upstairs, tucked cozily in bed. Except . . . I was pretty sure I was awake.

  “Hey, bestie,” Cece said with a smile. “Did you really think we were going to let you guys fight this battle without us?”

  I just shook my head, completely flummoxed.

  “This is a bit unexpected,” Aidan said, stepping up beside me. “But please, do come in.”

  30 ~ The Dauphin

  We’ve been summoned,” Aidan said, glancing up from his cell.

  My heart leapt into my throat, my stomach lurching uncomfortably. We’d been sitting silently side by side on the little velvet divan in the master suite for more than an hour, my body fitted alongside his as we waited for the call.

  And now I would’ve given anything to ignore it, to continue sitting there long into the night, Aidan’s fingers stroking my hair as I listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart. Cece, Joshua, Sophie, and Marissa were all scattered about the room—Sophie in a chair by the window, reading; Cece and Joshua on the floor near our feet, playing a quiet game of Scrabble; Marissa on the bed, texting Max.

  We were prepared. We’d spent the better part of the day formulating our plan, which Luc had communicated to Mrs. Girard. Tyler would actively join in the fight, as would Joshua and Marissa. Their gifts would come in handy. Cece and Sophie woul
d remain at the apartment under the protection of a pair of vampire guards. As much as they hated to be left behind, we just couldn’t find a way to utilize them.

  Besides, Cece could project to the scene of the battle and report back to Sophie. There was a chance that her astral self might somehow distract our enemies. At least, that was her game plan.

  Cece’s body would remain safely here, under Sophie’s watchful eye. And Sophie—well, her talents might be useful after the fight was over. To assess the damage.

  “Someone go tell Tyler and Dr. Byrne,” Aidan said, disentangling himself from me and rising to stand stiffly. “I’ll meet you all downstairs in five minutes.”

  “I’ll tell them,” I said, standing on shaking legs and making my way to the library in a daze.

  “It’s time” was all I said, my voice quavering.

  They both looked up at me, their faces matching masks of fierce determination.

  Tyler rose stiffly and, with a nod in my direction, made his way out to join the others. Matthew reached for his shoulder harness and silently strapped it on. Far more elaborate than the one he usually wore, this one held four blades, two at the ready beneath each arm. He’d spent the better part of the long afternoon practicing pulling them from their sheaths, one after another, in rapid succession. “You’ve got your stakes?” he asked as he guided me out of the room, one hand pressed against the small of my back.

  I nodded. “Downstairs, in the kitchen.” One for the sheath strapped to my leg and two more for my new shoulder harness. I felt like something out of The Matrix when I wore them all at once. All I needed was a black leather duster.

  “Just let me stop in the bathroom first. Tell everyone I’ll be down in two minutes, okay?”

  Matthew nodded and hurried down the spiral staircase as I stepped inside the hall bath and locked the door behind me. It took me several tries to pull my hair back into a neat ponytail and secure it with the hair band I’d been wearing around my wrist.

  Once I’d finally accomplished it, I took a moment to catch my breath, staring at myself in the mirror, shocked by the image looking back at me. There were dark circles under my bright green eyes, eyes that were too big in a much-too-pale face. I looked like a terrified kid, I realized, not like a kick-ass vampire slayer out to save the world.