"Surely you don't think Mik had anything to do with that dreadful incident?" Gaby fluttered her eyes innocently. "He truly was crushed when he heard about dear Miranda. He considered her a good friend; it was a great personal loss to him. They'd known each other for years, you know. He told me once that Miranda had retained the most humane soul he'd ever seen in a vampire."
He stared down at the flute, the taste of the expensive vintage sour in his mouth. "Do you still retain any humanity at all, Gaby?"
She slid to her feet. Her walk was easy, predatory. "What a question. Of course I retain a great deal of my humanity." Her hands moved to the sash of her robe. With a practiced flick of her wrist she opened it, revealing her perfectly sculpted body. Her pale skin shone like marble in the firelight. Large breasts with their erect brownish nipples stood at attention, her torso slimmed into a tiny waist and narrow hips. Her small thatch of neatly trimmed pubic hair was as blonde as the hair on her head.
He cast a bored glance at her overblown charms. "Well that answers one question," he mocked.
Her eyes narrowed then smoothed again, a smile playing on her lips. "I have a lovely idea..."
Her robe slipped off her other shoulder just before she reached him. Leaning close, she pressed her ripe body against his. Linking her arms around his neck, she whispered, "Why don't we just forget about Mik and Jennifer. We can go upstairs and I'll show you delights the likes of which you have never seen before..."
Mac shuddered as the chill of her skin seeped through his shirt. He set his flute down on the corner of the desk. "While that is a tempting offer," he reached for her linked hands and disengaged them from his neck, "I'm afraid I must decline." He stepped back. "I will ask you again. Where are they?"
She sighed. "I really don't know what you are talking about..."
He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a shake, hard enough to make her teeth snap together. "You and I both know Mikhail has taken Jennifer." He released her, resisting the urge to wipe the feeling of her cold skin from his hands. "If you retain even the slightest bit of humanity as you so claim, you will tell me where they are."
"Like I give a damn about your putain," Gaby snarled. "She's done nothing but make Mikhail miserable. Flaunting herself and your great love affair. I hope he kills her slowly, painfully. I hope he makes her pay for everything she has ever done to him."
He watched rage twist the lovely face before him. Gaby and Mikhail were one of a kind, power-hungry, vengeful and quite mad. Continuing the conversation would be fruitless. He would get nothing more from her. He looked her straight in the eye. "I will kill him. And if you get in my way, I will destroy you also."
She laughed. "You might try, Conor. But you won't succeed. Mik is stronger than you will ever dream. You're only a revenant." She picked up her robe and drew it on. "You know, I might be able to spare your life in return for a little something."
He watched her sway over to the desk. She seated herself on the edge, the robe gaping to reveal her long limbs. "And that would be?"
"Maeve. Bring her to me."
He shook his head. "Your price is too steep. I will not trade my life for that of an innocent."
"You'll lose, Conor. Mik will destroy Jennifer, Val, all of you will perish and not in a tidy way. Your only chance is to save yourself and..." Her words ended in a squeak, her expression changing from rage to horror.
"Is that so?" Val walked into the room, stopping beside Mac. "I wouldn't be so rash in planning your victory dance, Gabrielle." His tone was deceptively lazy.
She covered her shock with a sneer. "Val, shouldn't you be at home with your little slut?"
"You're so predictable. You realize I can kill you with one finger," he replied evenly. Mac caught the glint in his eye.
"You wouldn't hurt a lady. You are far too civilized," she fairly spat the word.
"Only if there is a lady present," Val smiled mockingly.
"Oh, but there is." Shai fairly danced into the room. "Only one of us is a lady, though." She gave Val a flirtatious smile and kissed Mac on the cheek. "Hello, darling boy!"
She glanced at Gaby then back to Mac. "I really can't say I appreciate your taste in companions, Mac." She turned toward Gaby. "Now, you and I are going to have a little chat."
Gaby scowled at Shai. "I want all of you out of here."
Shai made a rude sound like that of a game show buzzer. "Wrong answer, Gabs. Now, I believe the current question is, where did Mikhail take Jennifer? You have ten seconds to answer. Please remember to phrase your answer like a question. Failure to do so will result in disqualification."
"Like you can hurt me, Shai," Gaby smirked. "I am years older and much..."
A shriek erupted as Shai's fist shot out and hit Gaby square in the nose. Blood splattered the front of her robe. Shai shook her head mock-sorrowfully. "Hurts doesn't it? It really isn't a bad injury, but man does a broken nose hurt. It is like a bomb exploding in your nose and the pain is just ghastly. That kind of injury makes it so hard to think of anything other than the pain. Not to mention it is so hard to breathe." She glanced at Val, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Do vampires need to breathe, honey?"
"No, not really," Val replied. He crossed his arms over his chest and propped himself against the arm of a chair.
"I didn't think so." Shai looked at Gaby again. "Aren't you lucky?"
Gaby shrieked again and cupped her hands over her nose as blood poured down her face. She staggered toward the fireplace. "You bitch," she sobbed.
"Like I've never heard that before." Shai rolled her eyes and looked at Val. "I don't know, judge, ten more seconds?"
Val nodded imperceptibly.
Shai turned her attention back to the sobbing vampire. "Second chance, Gabs. Please answer the question."
"I am going to slaughter you," Gaby raged.
Val winced and whispered to Mac, "Watch this."
"Wrong answer number two," Shai shook her head. In a blur of movement she caught Gaby in the chest with a backspin kick. Knocking the vampire off balance, Shai caught her behind the knee and knocked her flat on her back. She grinned at Val. "How am I doin', honey?"
"Very good, love. Let me know if you need any help." Val spoke to Mac, "Karate. She loves the stuff. She spends lots of time watching Jackie Chan movies."
Mac watched in disbelief as Shai dropped onto Gaby's body, eliciting a woof from the bloody vampire. Gaby, her arms pinned around her waist, thrashed wildly, teeth bared to bite.
Shai waved her finger at her victim. "Now Gabs, if you bite me I am pulling your teeth out. Then where would you be? A vampire with no teeth is like a sundae without hot fudge. What is the point of that, I ask you?"
Gaby gave another shriek of rage and tried to buck Shai off.
"Whoa horsey..." She winked at Val. "Darling, if this hound from hell does bite me, will I need tetanus or rabies shots?"
Val pretended to consider the situation. "Both possibly. You might want to be careful as I hear the shots are quite painful."
Shai nodded, satisfied with the answer. She turned her attention back to Gaby. "So, where were we? Oh yes," Shai shifted, driving her knee into Gaby's side. "Speak. And I warn you, one more wrong answer and I tear your throat out."
Mac caught the look of rage in Gaby's eyes. "You know," he said to Val, "Shai is a dead woman when Gaby gets up."
Val shook his head. "You underestimate Shai. Gaby won't be getting up anytime soon." He winced at the sound of flesh on flesh. "Are you ok, love?" He called to Shai.
"Just spiffy," Shai shot back.
"Were you ever able to find Renault?" Val asked Mac.
"No, it's as if he has vanished off the face of the earth. No one can find him." Mac watched in horrid fascination as Shai broke one of Gaby's fingers. "She's vicious. Where was she during the Middle Ages?"
Val grinned. "She's mine. Go find your own."
Mac held his hands up. "I couldn't handle her. She is a little too wicked for even my taste."
Shai released Gaby's earlobe. "Finally, a winner." Mac watched as she made a fist and sent it crashing into Gaby's jaw, knocking her out cold. "No bonus round for her."
"You were brilliant, darling," Val clapped as Shai got to her feet.
"Hmm, she really wasn't a very good contestant, though. No stamina." She dusted her hands off. "One has to wonder how she got past the preliminary judges."
Mac snorted with laughter. "Thank you for your help, Shai. I couldn't have done that to a woman, even if it was Gaby."
Shai chuckled. " I always suspected you were a gentleman."
Val shook his head. "I am not touching THAT with a ten foot pole."
Shai nudged Mac in the ribs, "Don't let him lie to you, Mac. He doesn't have a ten- foot pole, or if he does I've never found it and trust me I've looked..."
Val spanked her hard on the backside and she squealed. "Behave, young lady. The sun will be rising shortly and we need to get you someplace safe."
Shai scowled. "How long until I can walk around in the daylight?"
Val took her arm and led her out of the room. "How does the year 3000 sound?"
* * *
Chapter 10
The light was waning.
Jennifer cast another worried glance at the lantern hanging on the wall well over her head. The flame was definitely shrinking. That one small flame was the only thing keeping her from being alone in the dark with them.
Jennifer glanced across the narrow, dank chamber at the rows of hollowed out niches lining the wall. Human remains were neatly laid out, one body per niche; dozens of them stacked up like so many books on a shelf. Granted, they were only bones and scraps of cloth at this point, and they'd been down here for hundreds of years, but they were human remains nonetheless. She shuddered.
She hated dead things.
Vampires were dead, but she didn't hate them. One of them maybe, no, one of them definitely. A nervous giggle escaped her. She placed a hand over her wildly fluttering heart. She was in danger of becoming hysterical. Jennifer took a deep breath.
Calm, Calm...I can do this...I can survive this...
The walls of the catacomb were damp, slimy in spots and the bone chilling cold gnawed at her skin. She shivered, drawing her knees closer to her body for warmth. The lamp flickered and she glanced at it nervously. The flame was definitely dying.
She hated the dark.
She'd always hated the dark. Even as a child it was the one thing that could paralyze her with fear and send her running for the nearest lighted room. When her father learned of her near-crippling fear of the dark, he'd used it against her as Mikhail was doing now.
Jennifer moved cautiously. The dirt floor beneath her was cold and damp. She winced as her foot hit something slimy. Drawing her foot closer to her body, she shifted cautiously, the ache in her shoulder overriding the one in her jaw. The scurry of tiny feet sounded in one dim corner. She shuddered.
Rats.
She hated them too.
She took a deep breath of the dank, fetid air. It tasted of death. Her death? She leaned her head back against the stone wall. She wasn't afraid to die. For many years she'd wanted to die rather than go on with Mikhail relentlessly haunting her every step. Now that Mac was back in her life, for one brief shining moment she'd hoped all would work out. She was a fool.
It still could.
Tears burned the backs of her eyes. All she could do was hope, and pray. Jennifer didn't consider herself a particularly religious person, but Mac certainly seemed to believe in his Goddess. Anything would be help at this point.
She clasped her grubby hands together and closed her eyes. "Goddess," her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. "Goddess, you don't know me but my name is Jennifer. I'm a good friend of Conor MacNaughten's. I was hoping you might be able to help me out here." She paused as a rustle sounded, followed by scrabbling toenails. Swallowing, she continued. "I really want you to keep my friends safe. And if you could help me get out of here..."
A faint hissing sound had Jennifer's eyes popping open just in time to see the light fading.
"No," she whispered.
Darkness fell.
She froze, blinking rapidly as if she could bring the light back by doing so. It was still dark. Jennifer wrapped her arms around her knees as a broken whimper escaped her. The crumbling rock of the wall dug into her spine as she pressed into it. For one split second she thought she could make herself small enough that she could simply vanish into the rock itself.
Something brushed her foot and a shriek escaped her lips. The darkness crowded her, stealing her breath and causing her heart to thud wildly. She lurched to her feet and stumbled along the wall. Waving her hands in front of her, a rapid keening was torn from her throat. Cobwebs brushed her cheek with their deadly caress. She lurched away from them and stumbled along the wall. She finally found the sanctuary she was searching for. Crouching down, she wedged herself in the corner, feeling only marginally safer until she heard the approach of scurrying feet.
She dug her nails into her palms in a futile effort to still the screams that clawed at her throat. A rat scampered behind her head on a small ledge; it's long wiry tail struck her cheek as its plump body brushed against her hair.
That was all it took.
Her terror was unleashed, and the catacombs reverberated with her screams.
"They're here."
Mac's voice was flat, emotionless as he climbed out of the car. Val looked out the window to the snow-covered countryside around them; trepidation pulled at his limbs. As he exited the car he caught the faint scent of blood on the icy breeze. He stilled. He could feel Mikhail nearby, and others were with him.
Fayne slammed his car door, the noise obscenely loud in the stillness. "What's that?"
Val scanned the weatherworn guardian stones before them when a flutter of white caught his eye. Frowning, he walked over to the center stone. Pinned under a rock was a white silk shirt stained with blood. "What the devil..." he hissed.
Mac's hand reached the silk before Val's did. "It's mine." Mac pulled the shirt from the rock. "Jennifer was wearing it last night." He spread the silk out. Drawn on the back in what was undoubtedly blood, was a ragged circle complete with altar.
Val saw Mac's expression tighten and his lips thin. Power hummed along his skin and Val had to stop himself from stepping away from it. Vampires were inordinately sensitive to the power of others. Some power was narcotic, addictive, leaving the vampire craving more. While other power was dangerous to vampires, even deadly in some circumstances. He wasn't quite sure which kind of energy Mac was emanating and he was somewhat hesitant to find out.
"It's the circle." Mac spoke, fingering the silk.
Val didn't miss the shudder that whipped through Mac's body as his finger touched the blood.
"She'll be okay Mac," Fayne said. "She has to be."
Alexandre stepped forward, his expression shuttered as he gazed up at the circle perched on its hilltop. "They're waiting for us."
Val clapped a hand on Mac's shoulder; a jolt of raw energy ran through his body at the touch. He quickly released his old friend. For the first time in hundreds of years he felt a tinge of fear as they started up the hill.
They were approaching.
Mikhail could barely contain his excitement. So many years of planning and preparation had taken place, all leading to this moment, his moment in the sun. He glanced over at the altar where Jennifer lay unconscious. In her full-length white dress, she looked like an angel, or a bride. He laughed at the imagery. She'd been meticulously bathed and groomed to remove any trace of him. And her visit to the catacombs had left her a bit worse for the wear. The dress would cover a multitude of sins, though. It was a simple white silk sheath, sleeveless and scooped neck. The lace overdress was high necked and long s
leeved, covering her from her neck to her toes. Intricate beading and delicate embroidery at the neck, sleeves and across the bodice relieved the severity of the style and gave it a wedding dress air.
Her long dark hair was curled and lay loose on her shoulders in thick ropes of living silk. A coronet of lavender roses and white silk ribbons adorned her head and the altar was also covered in roses. It was his monument to his love, his Margaret, his Lilith, Jennifer.
His beautiful, fiery Jennifer.
Of course her little excursion into the depths of the catacombs had irrevocably changed her. Not physically of course; physically she was perfection as always. Mentally, she was not the same woman. Hours in the cloying darkness had broken her spirit and shattered her soul. A mere shadow of her former self.
That would teach her for defying him.
He turned away from the fetching sight and looked through the west stone portal. He frowned as he caught sight of Alexandre Saint-Juste and Fayne as they started their climb up the hill. His lip curled at the intrusion of Fayne. No matter, let them all come. He turned and his gaze swept the circle and the people gathered there for him. They were here to share in this day of triumph, his day of retribution.
He looked back at the four men advancing up the hill.
Let them all come, let them all die.
Mac stopped as Alexandre stuck his hand out, halting their progress. Both Alexandre and Val stood still, their vampiric senses scanning the area around them. Even the crows that had been heralding their arrival were silent now. The light breeze made a mournful sound as it tugged at his cape. Something wasn't right here.
"Cassiopeia," Fayne spoke quietly. His head was lifted as if he were scenting the wind itself.
"And Edward." Alexandre added.
"That isn't terribly surprising," Val commented. "Both of them have been challenging your reign from day one."
Mac saw Alexandre's gaze narrow, his mouth attain a grim line. The foursome resumed their climb up the hill. If Cassiopeia and Edward willingly entered the circle with Mikhail, this meant they'd turned against the Council. Their punishment would be death.
Wilder, J. C. - Shadow Dweller 2 Page 14
