“Must there be a fight? They think I drowned in the river. They might leave now.” I resisted when Jeremiah started to help me into the carriage. His face was a mixture of anger and frustration. He hated to admit MacDonald had given him sound advice. “Can we not just let them go?”
Jeremiah refused to listen, his mind made up. “Gloriana, you will go to a safe place while we take care of this.” He turned to Robert MacDonald. “Your man Bran can escort her if that suits you, MacDonald.” They agreed with a look and a nod.
“You will not lock me away in some tiny room while you defend my so-called honor.” I thumped Jeremiah on the back with my fist. “I need to be there. If for no other reason than as bait. My blood is what Marin wants. She will come for me if she thinks she can get me.” I pushed my wet hair out of my eyes. “I won’t be safe anywhere but at your side. I would be vulnerable without you.”
“Gloriana is right about that.” MacDonald had his hand on his own sword hilt. “My dear, please get into the carriage. You look done in.” He nodded toward the open door. “Campbell, the shifters can find out where we are going while you take the lady home and let her rest and restore. I’m sure you are right that the vile pair will not slink away without one more try for the woman.”
“My shifter can see her home.” Jeremiah lifted me into the carriage and put a fur rug over my knees, then slammed the carriage door. “I doubt Marin will leave now if only to make a point that she has the power to do as she pleases. She will not admit defeat to anyone. If she does find out Gloriana yet lives, she will certainly make one more try. But, for now, she is probably mourning her loss. We can attack as soon as we find out where she is staying.” He turned to MacDonald. “I need to let the king know why I left so abruptly. We can make up a story about a group of Catholics and a rumor that we had to confirm. He will readily believe we are only concerned for his welfare.”
“Yes, we cannot have his majesty upset with either of our clans.” MacDonald walked over to the carriage. “Gloriana, please let our shifters watch over you. We will make sure you are never at such risk again from that Egyptian witch.” He took my hand through the open window and bowed over it.
“That’s enough, MacDonald. You think I don’t know you want her for yourself? You’ve made no secret of it.” Jeremiah waved the driver on. “Fergus, don’t leave her side. Let Bran find her the hip bath. I will be home soon.”
I sat back in the coach, exhausted. Surely they didn’t think to attack Marin and Jean-Claude tonight. It already felt as if it had been dark forever. Perhaps vampires had an endless supply of energy as long as the sun was down, but mortals did not. I felt as if I could sleep a week. As the coach rumbled through quiet London streets, I sagged in my seat. But sleep wasn’t coming, despite a desperate weariness.
I couldn’t forget that water closing over my head and the pressure in my lungs as I couldn’t breathe. No air. I never wanted to be in water that deep again. Or in a boat. Or even near a river. Land, that was where I belonged.
I vowed to avoid water in the future. It was not for me. My past was obviously full of secrets. I might never know what they were but being able to swim was one skill I would just as soon forget again.
Chapter Thirteen
I finally felt warm enough. It had taken a bath and a change of clothes, then time in front of a roaring fire before I could stop shivering. Gods, I never wanted to see that foul and freezing river again. Fergus had waited outside until I called him that I was dressed and ready to go.
Ready? Of course I wasn’t eager to face Jean-Claude and Marin. But I knew we must end this obsession the woman had with me. How? I was terrified that it would be a bloody battle and no guarantee that it would go the way I prayed it would. My knees were weak as I sat before the fire and waited for Jeremiah and Robert MacDonald to return from court.
A noise from outside made us both turn toward the door. Fergus aimed his gun and seemed ready to shift into something huge if the weapon wasn’t enough.
“Who’s there?” he demanded.
“’Tis I, cousin. Unlock the door and let me in.” Bran’s voice, if I wasn’t mistaken.
Fergus laid his pistol on the table and turned the key in the lock. He didn’t fling the door open until he sniffed the air and asked if his cousin was alone. Then he said something in that language of the Highlands. The answer must have satisfied him because he finally opened the heavy door.
“Well met. What news do you have for us?” Fergus stepped into the passageway. “Are you sure you weren’t followed?”
“Aye. No one could have tracked me.” Bran walked to the fireplace and held his hands out toward the flames. “It’s cold out there this night. But I do have news. I found the spot where you said they took Gloriana.” He bowed toward me. “You look much better, mistress.”
“I feel better but won’t relax until this is settled and Marin on her way somewhere else. Did you find where she and Jean-Claude have been staying?” I walked over and poured Bran a mug of ale. “Drink. I’m sure you would like a bite to eat as well.”
“I wouldn’t turn it down.” He smiled. “Thank you.” He took a deep drink.
“You can eat when you’ve told us what you found.” Fergus sat on a stool next to the fire. “Spit it out, man.”
“Impatient, are you not?” Bran sat at the table and plucked an orange from a basket. He quickly peeled it and put a section in his mouth. “You eat well here.”
“Gloriana eats well. Speak!” Fergus snatched the rest of the orange from him, a knife in his hand. “I expect the masters any time now. We need answers for them.”
“I know that.” Bran frowned at the knife. “No need for threats. We are on the same side for once.”
“’Tis rare enough.” Fergus pushed the orange back to him. “Now eat and talk at the same time.”
I sat at the table with them and tore a chunk off a piece of bread. I had a feeling we would all need our strength. “He’s right. Talk.”
“They weren’t far from the docks. Alain was loading a cart. He is certainly showing his age.” Bran frowned then popped another orange segment into his mouth. “That will be us someday, cousin. He should have caught my scent, with me not ten yards from him, sitting atop a building. But, no, he didn’t even sniff the air, so busy was he hefting rugs and such. It was clear to me they are moving for good.”
“I am glad to hear it.” I slathered butter on the bread and took a bite. I prayed they would be gone before Jeremiah could mount an attack. Yes, I knew my lover was strong and skilled with a sword. With his fangs as well. But Marin’s powers were untested. How would Jeremiah fare against such a strong and ancient vampire? I didn’t doubt that she was also a witch after she had frozen me in place. What could witch’s do? I shuddered to think about it.
“You really want them to get away?” Fergus frowned at me. “I do not believe you will be truly safe until Marin is dead, Gloriana. This move of theirs might have been an act, designed to lull a watcher into thinking they were running away.”
“I wondered about that. It could be Alain knew I was there all along.” Bran smacked the table making his mug of ale tremble. “Of course. No shifter worth his hire would ignore another that close by. He probably sensed me and kept loading that cart, showing me that they were giving up on taking the mistress here. Ha! It was but a feint.” He dropped his head into his hands. “I should have stayed to see more.”
“You had to come back and report what you saw. If the masters get back soon, we can catch Marin and her crew at their old place.” Fergus got up. “I think I hear the vampires coming now.” He looked at me. “Gloriana, it would be best if you stayed here. Bran can show them where to go. You and I can wait.”
I had listened to them. Yes, Alain might well have pretended to ignore Bran. And what would he have done next? Followed him here, of course, bringing his masters with him. I said as much. “So you see? It is not safe to leave me behind. With only you to guard me, Fergus? Yes, you would do you
r best. But against two vampires and a shifter? I don’t like those odds, do you?”
“By God, she’s right, cousin. So eager was I to share my news, I may have very well missed a sign and been that careless.” Bran jumped up just as a key turned in the lock.
“You said you were sure you weren’t followed.” Fergus stood beside him.
“Are we ever sure when it comes to our own kind? Alain is old, aye, but that could well mean he has honed his skills and can do what we cannot. Gloriana is right. He works for a witch. What if she gave him a cloaking spell? No one can see through one of those.” Bran frowned as the door opened.
I didn’t have time to ask him to explain that spell before Jeremiah, followed by Robert, strode into the room and walked straight to the fire. Bran hurriedly took MacDonald’s cloak. Both vampires looked to Bran for news, though Jeremiah held out his arms to me. I rushed to his side.
“How are you, Gloriana? Have you recovered from nearly drowning in the river?” Jeremiah brushed back my hair, frowning when he realized it was still damp. “Fergus, bring her brush. She will catch her death if she sits around with wet hair.”
Fergus ducked into the bedchamber and came out with my hairbrush. He didn’t say a word just laid it in Jeremiah’s hand.
“Are we really going to stand around while you brush your mistress’s hair, Campbell?” Robert smirked. “Not that it isn’t lovely.” He gave Bran a searching look. “Oh, get on with it while my shifter reports what he found.”
Jeremiah was ignoring him anyway. He gently steered me into a chair in front of the fire and began running the brush through my hair. He carefully pulled the knots out while I sat, very aware of the eyes on me.
“I can do that, Jeremiah.” I tried to take the brush from him. This tender care was unlike him. Was it part of his claiming me in front of MacDonald? If so, I didn’t mind it. I couldn’t deny his touch was soothing. “Please give me the brush.”
“Nay, I will do it. You must be exhausted.” He patted my shoulder. “Speak, man. Did you find Marin’s lair?” He never quit brushing but his hand on my shoulder tightened.
“Aye.” Bran told them what he’d reported to Fergus and me. “Did you see any signs that I was followed here when you came in?”
Jeremiah and MacDonald exchanged worried looks. He finally handed me the brush. I laid it aside and twisted my hair into a knot, securing it with pins from my pocket.
“We were careful and shifted here from court. Did you see anything unusual, MacDonald?” Jeremiah frowned at him.
“How would I know what to expect here? You live in a blasted hovel, Campbell.” MacDonald nodded at me. “I would never keep so fine a woman in such a dismal place.”
“By God! Gloriana is well cared for.” Jeremiah was reaching for his sword when a green mist suddenly filled the room, slipping in around the door. The men braced themselves, keeping their swords or guns in hand, while they waited for whatever would come next.
I began to cough, the strange fog clogging my throat.
“What is it?” I could hardly catch my breath enough to speak and my eyes watered so I had trouble seeing. The mist thickened. The vampires and shifters stood very still and seemed to have stopped breathing. Could they really do that? Or was I imagining it as the noxious smell almost overpowered me. I covered my face with my shawl though it did little good. I felt unsettled, dizzy, as if I was about to swoon.
“Gloriana, go to my room and lock yourself in. This is Marin’s work. She thinks this trick will give her an advantage in a fight. We might not be able to see her clearly but she has no doubt forgotten that this could be the end of you.” Jeremiah took my elbow and pushed me towards his room just as the main door blew open with a crash.
I stayed behind him as he turned to face Marin, Jean-Claude and Alain. They must have followed Bran or the vampires from court. It didn’t matter how they’d found us, they had arrived and were ready to fight. I wasn’t going to hide. Marin would have to stop the mist if she saw it was killing me. I coughed and staggered, showing her what she was doing to her prized blood source.
“Don’t be a fool, Jeremiah!” Marin screeched. She seemed to swell in size, growing taller and more fierce before my stinging eyes. “Give her over and you can walk away. Is she worth dying for?” She waved her arms then flung fire from her fingertips, searing the lace from Jeremiah’s sleeves.
“You must think so. But you’re going to kill her with your tricks first. Can’t you see that?” Jeremiah slashed at her with his sword. I was sure he had her but she vanished, only to appear in a new spot a moment later.
“I think she can survive until I’ve ended you.” She laughed, a chilling sound, and flung more fire. Only my lover’s quick footwork kept him from being consumed by her flames. I gasped, choking, and sank to my knees.
Marin’s eyes narrowed. She needed me alive and with my blood good for drinking. “What a nuisance. The mortal has to breathe.” Her murky haze disappeared as quickly as it had come. She crooked her finger. “Come, Gloriana. Do you really want your lover to die like this? I see you fear for his life. You can save him. Just let me take you away now and I will leave him unharmed, I swear it.”
“You must think me an idiot. I may not be able to read minds like you do, but I know a lie when I hear one.” I crawled to a chair, finally able to take a deep cleansing breath, then grabbed a cloak. I tossed it to Jeremiah so he could put out the fire on his burning sleeve. “I trust Jeremiah to kill you and send you to hell.” She knew as well as I did that my man would never stand by while she took me away.
“Gloriana, come.” Jeremiah gestured for me to get behind him again.
I clambered to my feet and hurried to do as he bid. I couldn’t be the reason the witch bested him by getting in his way. Robert and Jean-Claude were fighting each other with swords. The noise of their blades striking each other sent chills down my spine. When Jean-Claude’s blade flew out of his hand, Robert laughed and tossed his aside. He was enjoying this! They pulled knives and began to circle each other. Marin smiled at the show but I could see she was working up to something, her hands moving while she mumbled what must be a spell. I looked away from her to see Bran and Fergus suddenly put Alain on the ground and hold him at gunpoint.
“Alain! What are you playing at? Get up! Change and attack them!” Marin was clearly incensed that her shifter had failed to win against the younger men of his kind. “Are you so old that you cannot take those two? Get up, I say!” When Alain ignored her, staring up at Fergus and Bran as if telling them something, she whirled, said something I certainly couldn’t understand, then tossed a lightning bolt at her servant. Alain shuddered and smoke curled from his body. He jerked once and then was still.
“Marin! What have you done?” Jean-Claude paused, gaping at her when it became clear she had killed Alain.
“He was useless, cherí. Now we will kill them all except the woman.” She turned to Jeremiah who had been joined by Fergus. “Did you like my lightning? It’s a shame I wasted it on Alain. Now I will have to gather more power. Believe me, I can in but moments. As you saw, no one, not even an ancient shape-shifter, can survive it. I learned how to use it from a crone in Nefertiti’s court.” She stared at the fire dancing in the fireplace, waving her arms and obviously gathering strength from the flames while she murmured a spell in that language she’d used before.
No one dared approach her as sparks circled her body like a whirlwind of fire. Jeremiah tried and flinched when his sword touched one of them. “She’s mad,” he murmured. “I felt that like a jolt through my whole body or I’d have run her through.”
“I hope you are saying your prayers, Jeremiah, and telling your woman goodbye. My lightning is a lovely thing, so powerful, so deadly. Imagine what I will be able to do once I have Gloriana’s god-like blood inside me.” Marin raised her hands toward the ceiling, as if pulling elements from the sky beyond it.
I couldn’t let her do this. I imagined her making the man I loved smoke and
sizzle right before my eyes. I lunged toward her, but was brought up short by Fergus grabbing one arm and Jeremiah the other.
“Wait.” Jeremiah was watching Jean-Claude, who had taken a stake from his doublet. Robert MacDonald pulled out a pistol and had it trained on the vampire, but he didn’t fire. Because we could all see it wasn’t one of the men Jean-Claude crept close to with that stake. I recognized the scent of that wood, even through the stench of the lingering haze. It had the same strong odor as the arrows in the Tower. Olive wood. Lethal to vampires. Surely Marin would recognize…
But she was in a trance, uttering her incantations and waving her arms. She was gathering power until she was sure it would be strong enough to take out every vampire and shape-shifter in the room, everyone except her beloved Jean-Claude and me. The whirlwind died down until all the energy became a wild light from her fingertips as she chanted. She’d thrown back her cape so we could see the thin black dress molded to her slim body. Her eyes glowed red while her ebony hair lifted high above her head.
I gasped when she lowered her arms, ready to take aim at Jeremiah. I couldn’t believe that Jean-Claude had the nerve to move close to her at that moment. She was a terrifying sight, clearly filled with her murderous intent.
“With the memory of my dear Nefertiti, I use the flames of Tefnut and the power of Ra to send you to the afterlife, Jeremiah. May you burn for eternity.” Before Marin could send a single lightning strike outward, she shrieked, then looked down at where the stake had pierced her chest. “What have you done, Jean-Claude?”
“Good-bye, mon amour. I am sorry I was not enough for you.” Tears ran down his cheeks as Jean-Claude pushed the stake in with such force it went through her body where her heart must have been. Suddenly where Marin had once stood there was a puff of gray soot, then scattered ashes atop a pile of clothes on the stone floor.
Real Vampires: When Glory Met Jerry Page 18
