by Ranae Glass
He reached up and wiped his thumb across my bottom lip. “Seriously, Isabel. It’s okay. I have a few things I need to talk to Xavier about. I doubt very seriously that a vampire of his age is going to kill me over a human, no offence.”
He was right. Silly of me to think I was anything special, at least to Xavier. “Um, don’t mention Sue, okay? I mean, if he doesn’t already know. She seems to think it would be a bad thing, and I tend to agree.”
“I’ll do what I can, but he is probably listening to us very closely now.”
He’s right. There’s nothing we can do now but go find that poor girl’s body.
“I know,” I said sadly.
Shane stared at me.
“Oh.” I waved my hand. “Sue is saying that we need to go.”
Ahnarra appeared in a blur of vampire speed as soon as we were outside the bedroom. “I’ll walk Isabel to her car. You need to go see Xavier. Now.”
Shane bowed from the neck and kissed me quickly on the cheek before vanishing down the hall.
Ahnarraheld out her arm in a sweeping motion that I took to mean,kindly get your ass out of my house. At least she didn’t seem irritated by my slow, human pace. She just walked beside me, her arms behind her back, looking completely nonplussed.
“So, on a scale of one to ten, just how pissed is Xavier?” I asked when I couldn’t stand the silence anymore.
She pulled the front door open and led me out to my car. “Seven,” she answered finally. “Shane has been explicitly forbidden from… having a physical relationship with any human until his bloodlust is more under control. Honestly, I think the biggest issue is Shane’s general disobedience and lack of respect.”
I nodded. For his sake, I hoped she was right.
SHANE
Shane took his time getting to Xavier’s office. There was no rush. By now, Isabel was safely on the way home and this conversation might take a while.
Xavier sat behind his large desk, his hands clasped under his chin, his eyes hard, black pools of rage. Shane didn’t pause; he walked right in without knocking and took a seat across from his Chancellor.
Xavier sat back, tossing the notebook on the desk. “Care to explain this?”
“I was about to ask you the same question.”
“How dare you? You were given an assignment—”
“Which I fulfilled,” Shane interrupted. “I removed the files from Isabel’s office as you ordered.”
Xavier stood quickly, sweeping around the desk so he was standing over Shane, his fangs showing as he yelled. “You broke into my family home. You disobeyed your mandate to keep your hands off Isabel. Give me one good reason not to have you burned alive.”
“It would turn Isabel against you forever.”
That shut him up. He straightened, moving to the window. “You assume too much if you think I will allow the fickle affection of a human to determine your punishment.”
“I know you love her,” Shane said, standing and joining Xavier at the window where they stared out at the dark woods behind the Conclave. “I know that you didn’t want her to find those notebooks, and I know why.”
“You don’t know anything,” Xavier countered.
“I know I love her too. And I know that deep down, she loves me too.”
Xavier raised an eyebrow. “That isn’t really the problem, is it? You can’t give her the life she wants, the life she deserves.”
Shane said nothing. It wasn’t something he’d never thought of. Every time he pulled away from Isabel, it was to keep her safe, to give her a chance at a real life. What could Xavier possibly know about that kind of love? The kind of love that allowed you the strength to let go of the one person you couldn’t live without, the kind of love that let you put their needs above your own?
“You are a selfish, petulant child, Shane Davidson. Isabel deserves better.”
Shane snorted. Not because Xavier was wrong, but because he had no right to lecture. “That’s the pot calling the kettle undead, isn’t it? How are you any better for her than I am?”
Shane looked away. Ahnarra stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest.
“Unlike you, I have lived long enough to see all the people I loved as a human turn to dust and bones. I have known love and loss. You would break her heart rather than win her wrath. I have no such moral compunction.”
“I noticed that from the notebooks and from what I saw in that house.”
Xavier raised a hand, waving toward the door, silently dismissing Ahnarra, who closed the door behind her.
“What you witnessed was the folly of my youth.” Xavier exhaled and walked to his desk. Sitting on the corner, he propped himself up on one arm while opening a drawer with the other hand. He reached inside, retrieved a small, silver picture frame, and held it out to Shane.
Shane took it, staring at the black-and-white photograph. A young woman smiled back up at him. Her eyes were bright and playful, her hair curled under a bulbous hat.
“It’s a curse of our nature that we find beauty in such fragile creatures. I was only dead for a few years when I met her. She was light and joyous, like the sunshine itself. After years of darkness, how could I not fall in love with her? I was desperate. To make her one of us would have killed the very spark I loved most about her. But I couldn’t bear to lose her. So I began experimenting.”
Shane handed the picture back, and Xavier returned it to the drawer.
“On those vampires andweres I saw back there?’
“Rogues, all of them. Not that that’s an excuse. I see that now. But I was desperate. I thought I could find some cure for our condition, something to give us a natural life span. It was foolish. And in the end, it was fruitless. Looking back, I understand that the right thing to do would have been to walk away, to allow her to love someone who could give her a life and a family.”
“So why are you still pursuing Isabel? If you know so much better, then why? Unless you don’t really care about her at all.”
“Isabel is a unique creature. She’s strong, dark, and has a fire all of her own. She would make a fierce and beautiful immortal.”
Shane balked. “Are you serious? You’d change her against her will? She’d hate you forever.”
Xavier shrugged. “Perhaps, with the right guide, she would come to see the beauty of this life and decide to ask for the change on her own. But if I had to, yes. I would turn her myself. And she might hate me for a few decades, but she’d come to realize that I acted out of love.”
“That is sick, you realize that?”
Xavier slammed his fist onto the desk, creating a fissure in the polished wood. “The reason I am in charge here is because I have the stomach to make unpopular decisions. This is not a democracy. I rule here and you will follow my rules or you will pay the price. Are we clear?”
Shane nodded.
“If you ever disclose to anyone what we have discussed here, I will personally skin you alive.” Xavier stood and walked over, opening the door.
Shane took that as a dismissal. “So, am I still banned from being with Isabel?”
Xavier patted him on the shoulder and smiled. It wasn’t friendly. “Perhaps you should talk toher about that.”
Xavier pointed to where Mercy stood just beyond the door, her face red with barely contained rage.
I parked a few blocks from Heather’s shop, hoping the walk would clear my head. I noticed that my fingers had unconsciously moved to touch my lips as I walked. It was still hard to believe I had the courage to kiss Shane, especially in Xavier’s house.
It feels good, doesn’t it? Sue asked smugly.
“Yeah. I feel lighter. Like I’ve been carrying this heavy baggage and it’s gone now.”
Buoyant. That was how I felt. Like a balloon only tethered to the ground by my feet on the sidewalk. The door to Heather’s shop was open, but the lights inside were off. I carefully maneuvered my way past the shelves of crystals and statues and around the spinning incense holder to
the back room where I could make out the faint flicker of candles.
I pulled aside the beaded curtain. “Heather?”
“In here,” she called. In a second, the lamp clicked on and Heather was sitting at the small, round table layered with multi-colored cloths. Sweat beaded her forehead in front of the white scarf tied around her hair. Her arms were covered with strange symbols written in makeup pencil. She had a dish of salt, a dish of water, and a softball-sized quartz crystal. The cloud of burning incense made the room feel thick, the smell gagging me.
In one hand, she was holding the crystal, in the other, she was holding the photo I’d taken from Katy Fonte’s bedroom.
“Heather, are you alright?”
She nodded, her face pinched in concentration. “I can almost see her.”
I took the chair across from her. “What do you see?”
She shook her head just a fraction of an inch. “It’s dark. It feels like, movement. There’s a red glow, but it’s very faint. I can smell something, but it’s hard to describe. Wet tar, maybe? I don’t… I can’t see anything else.”
Heather slumped forward, clearly exhausted. I rubbed my back pocket, the one that held the watch I’d taken from Devon’s room, and hesitated. Heather was wiped out. I might need to find Devon the old-fashioned way.
She sighed and held out her hand. “Give it to me.”
“No, it’s fine. I can figure something else out.”
She rolled her eyes and wiggled her fingers. “Give it, Isabel.”
I pulled the watch out and handed it to her. As soon as her fingers touched the metal, it ignited in red-and-orange flames. We both let go and the flaming watch dropped to the table, right into the bowl of water, with a splash.
“What the hell was that?” I jumped out of my seat.
She shook her head. “I’m not sure. Give me a while. I have a few books I need to look at.”
Did you feel that, Isabel? It felt… slimy.
I hadn’t felt anything, but from the look of Heather’s face, she’d felt it.
I grabbed her by the hand. “Heather, my running theory is that Devon might be possessed.”
“It’s very uncommon, Isabel. And besides, that,” she pointed at the still-smoking watch in the dish, “felt like something else. Something darker than a spirit. Give me a few days to do some research and I’ll get back to you, okay? In the meantime, just be very careful.”
I kissed her on the forehead and turned to leave when she reached back and grabbed my arm. “What?”
She was frozen, her expression a million miles away. It was quickly replaced by a confused frown. “I thought… never mind. It’s nothing. I’ll lock the door behind you.”
Heather stood, the skirt of her oversized dress swishing as we walked through the store. Once I was outside, she clicked the bolt lock into place and waved.
The walk back to the car wasn’t long, but the streets were practically empty. I glanced at my phone. It was after ten. I stretched my arms over my head, still holding my phone. Shane was probably still being ripped a new one back at the Conclave, so there was no reason to rush home.
Maybe we should drive over to Colton Harris’ office and try to get a lead on Teddy Long, Sue offered.
I smirked. “Don’t you sound all modern-day gumshoe? It might not be a bad idea, actually, but I doubt he’s still there. Let’s look up his home address.” I slid my phone on and opened my mobile Internet, doing a quick search. “Got it. Maybe I should run home and change, then we can go sit on him. But if Heather is right, he’s probably moving that body right now.”
So what do we do?
I rubbed my face. “Honestly, I have no idea.”
We can’t just let Teddy get away with murder. I bet that Harris knew all about it.
“He won’t talk.” I dialed Shane’s cell and pressed my phone to my ear, still talking to Sue. “Don’t worry. There’s no way I’m going to let Theodore Long get away with killing that girl. I’m going to go to the station and tell Reggie everything.”
The phone was ringing, but Shane didn’t pick up. Finally, I got his voicemail.
I was about to tell him I was heading to the police station when footsteps came rushing up behind me. I turned just in time to see Teddy Long raise a tire iron over his head and bring it down right at my face.
I didn’t even have time to scream.
My eyes fluttered open. Instantly, I was aware of two things. First, I was in a dark, cramped space—a car trunk judging by the hum of tires on asphalt and the gentle motion beneath me. The second thing I realized, as I rolled onto my back and clutched my bloody forehead, was that I wasn’t alone in there. From the smell alone, I knew I’d just found Katy Fonte’s body. I blinked, trying to force my eyes to focus on her face. Pain stabbed me from the top of my head, near my hairline. The lump was huge, softball sized at least. I could feel the edges of the gash and the blood beginning to congeal all over my face. At first, I couldn’t figure out why her face was so blurry, and then I realized she was wrapped in some sort of sheer plastic. Thank God for small favors. As it was, the smell made my stomach feel like curdled milk was sliding down my throat.
I patted my pockets, looking for my phone. Nothing. I must have dropped it when he hit me. Could this day get any better?
Are you alright?
It was Sue. I could see her behind my eyes, perched urgently in the edge of my mind.
“I think so,” I whispered.
Teddy hadn’t bothered to tie me up or gag me, so he probably assumed I was dead or dying. From the amount of blood, who could blame him?
You might be dead, if I hadn’t been here.
“What do you mean?”
Well, the body didn’t die because it still had a spirit inside of it. I sort of, kept you going, until your spirit made its way back in.
“You mean, I died? My spirit left my body?”
I don’t know if died is the right word. Took a short vacation, maybe?
I ground my teeth. “A vacation is a weekend in Atlantic City, not being hit so hard that your soul decided to take a powder. So what, am I like a vampire now?”
Do you feel like a vampire?
“No. I feel…” I gently touched my head. The pain was so sharp and immediate that I nearly passed out. “Hurt.”
I think you’re going to be fine.
“Good to know.” Rolling onto my other side, I ran my hands along the interior until I found the tire iron lying next to me. I ran my fingers over the metal and lifted it with one hand, continuing to search the short-carpeted trunk.
What are you looking for?
“Newer model cars have an emergency release lever inside the trunk. If I can find it… Ah.” I sighed as my fingers found the small, plastic lever.
Are you just going to jump out of a moving car?
“No. He thinks I’m dead or at least unconscious. I’m going to wait until he stops, and then make a break for it.”
That’s a very good idea. Unless he just lights the car on fire or something—
“Um, can you just be quiet for a few minutes? I’m having a hard enough time keeping my own thoughts straight.”
Of course. Sorry.
After what felt like hours, the sounds changed. I heard gravel crunching beneath the tires. We took a sharp turn that almost rolled Katy’s body onto me, releasing a fresh wave of odor, making me gag.
A car door slammed and footsteps moved toward the trunk. I heard the jingle of keys and hit the lever, sending the trunk door upwards, right into Teddy’s chin. He staggered for a moment, just long enough for me to get in one good swing with the tire iron. Unfortunately, he raised his arm, blocking me from connecting with his face. He grunted. I tried to lunge out of the trunk but caught my shoe on the latch and tripped onto the gravel. Scrambling to get my feet under me, I punched out, my fist connected with his kneecap with a sickening crunch. His leg bent at an impossible angle and he went down hard, crying out as he clutched his leg and rolled from s
ide to side.
Pushing myself to my feet, I battled against the waves of dizziness crashing over me. There was a road, maybe two of them, not a hundred yards away. Maybe I could flag someone down. I broke into a sprint but the harder I tried to run, the more my legs felt like jelly until finally, I stumbled. A black car sped down the road, but I was on the ground. Not even my arms would move. The adrenaline wasn’t enough to get me to my feet again. I exhaled onto the rocks. “Sue? Are you still there?” I whispered.
Yes, I’m here.
“Don’t leave me alone, okay?”
I won’t. I promise.
i
“Isabel? Isabel, wake up. You need to wake up. I need you, Isabel. Wake up.”
I lurched upright, nearly falling off the velvet sofa. It only took me a second to realize I was inside my own head again. I tried to wiggle my fingers. Nothing. Sue was back at the helm.
What’s going on, Sue?
“You fainted, so I took over. I can’t do much, but at least this way, we can fight back a little.”
I nodded internally.Where are we?
“It’s some kind of cabin. There’s an outdoor wood furnace around back. He’s building the fire. I think he means to burn the body.”
And us too.
“Yes, I believe so.”
Are we tied to something?
“A tree.”
What are we tied up with?
“I think he used silver tape.”
Alright, let me take back over. I’ll get us out of this. Quickly, before he gets back.
“Isabel, you should know, we aren’t alone.”
What do you—?
Sue slipped out, and I melted back into my own skin in a rush. I blinked. The sky was bright, pink and yellow. Morning. I could see the sunrise over the trees. And on the ground at my feet, still wrapped in plastic, was Katy Fonte. And kneeling beside her lifeless body was her spirit.
Small, opaque, and grey, Katy stared down at herself, her face confused and sad. She reached down to lay a hand over her cold belly, the disfigured lump that would have been her child.
