“Deeply.”
I chose to see that as a good sign. “Too bad. You know what I think? I think if you were completely psychopathic right now, thanks to that little spell, you’d already have finished me off. But instead we’re talking at length about how bad you think you are.”
He bent over so we were eye to eye. “I’ve always been bad.”
I forced myself to hold his gaze without flinching. “Have you always lied to yourself, too?”
“Veronique saw my darkness. She ran from my darkness—she always did. Why don’t you do the same?”
“I was running. You caught up to me and snapped the neck of that hunter before he killed me.”
“I needed you alive.”
Okay, enough of this. This had been an issue for us for our entire relationship—this unnatural thirst of his. I was so tired of dealing with it that, actually, I almost wanted to thank Sebastien for bringing it to the forefront so we could deal with it once and for all. I refused to be afraid of the man I loved. And I refused to let him continue to think the worst of himself just because everyone else did.
“I’m getting a little bored with this conversation, Thierry. Go ahead and bite me.” I tucked my hair behind my ear and bared my throat.
His brows drew together. “Thank you for your permission.”
“You’re welcome. Go ahead. I’m waiting.” I shivered, trying to remain completely convinced I wasn’t making a horrible mistake.
He hesitated. “You’re not fighting me or trying to get away.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Any reason why?”
“Because of what you just said about Veronique.”
“I don’t understand.”
I poked him in his chest. “She ran from your darkness, but I don’t. You know why that is? It’s because you’re not as dark as you think you are and I seem to be one of the few people who can see it. You are not your thirst, Thierry. You identify yourself so often by that one failing, but it doesn’t define you. Your choices define you—and you have a choice right at this very moment.”
Confusion slid through his black eyes. “I have no choice. The spell—”
“Isn’t stronger than you are. It can’t change who you are. That we’re still discussing this proves it to me. Can’t you see that? Just like this town, it might look real, but it’s not real down deep where it counts. It’s weak. You’re the one who gives it strength. You haven’t bitten me again. And you won’t.”
He shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re making assumptions.”
“Maybe I am. But maybe I’m right. And if I am right, and this is nothing but a weak spell by some fly-by-night witch poking at your inner monster, then you can cage him up nice and tight again without a problem.”
Now there was pain on his face, although I wasn’t sure if it was emotional or physical. “You think it’s easy to fight this?”
I wasn’t making light of what he was going through. Just the opposite. “What I’m saying is that I know you love me, Thierry. I know it. Getting a fresh copy of Veronique’s memoir earlier tonight triggered a bit of my self-doubt—about how someone as incredible and long-lived as you could ever want to spend his life with somebody like me. But it was only for a moment. You love me, despite every reason why you shouldn’t. And I feel the same for you. I think that’s more than strong enough to break a stupid spell like this.”
“Sarah . . .”
“You won’t bite me again.” I looked into his eyes. “I know you won’t.”
“You’re betting your life on this.”
“I know.”
He let go of me and took a step back. His entire body began to shake. “Run.”
This was a very good sign, but I was going to hold back my victory dance for now. “No way. I’m not running anymore.”
He let out a harsh groan. “You are so incredibly frustrating!”
“I’m not running.” I said it again, firmer. “Look at me, Thierry.”
He was breathing hard, but he raised his gaze to mine. It was still black, but now it didn’t hold the coldness that I’d seen before. There was pain and struggle.
He was fighting the spell.
“This isn’t easy,” he gritted out.
“I didn’t say it would be.”
He fell to his knees and grasped his head in his hands. I took a step closer and he glared up at me. “Stay back.”
I faltered, still clutching the stake. Then I threw it away from me. It clattered and clanged to the ground ten feet away.
Thierry let out another groan. “Why are you doing this? Are you completely out of your mind?”
“Possibly.” But I’d never felt more sure about anything in my life. “You won’t hurt me.”
“I bit you earlier in the library.”
“I’m not counting that one. The spell took you by surprise then.”
He still glared. “You are a fool when it comes to me.”
“Oh, absolutely. No question about it.”
He went silent for a few tense minutes, crouched on the ground, his body shaking from head to foot. Then, finally, he slowly pushed himself up to his feet. When he looked at me, I was relieved to see that his eyes had begun to shift back to their normal pale gray shade.
However, the fierce glare was still there.
“I’m extremely angry with you,” he informed me.
I couldn’t hold back my smile. “I can deal with that.”
“Damn it, Sarah. You shouldn’t have risked your safety like that.”
“You’re feeling . . . ?”
“I believe you were right about the strength of the spell—it was not cast by a strong witch. But believe me, Sarah, you were most certainly in danger. There was a dark hunger inside me that needed to be sated.” His glare intensified. “This is not a statement that should be greeted with a smile that wide.”
It was true, I was definitely smiling. “I can’t help it.”
He hissed out a breath. “Why do you put up with me?”
“Obviously, I’m completely out of my mind.” I closed the distance between us, took his face between my hands, and kissed him. He pulled me closer to him.
“I adore you,” he whispered. “Do you know that?”
“I know. But thank you for the confirmation.” Now I couldn’t stop grinning even if I tried. “Now let’s go find your ex-wife and get the hell out of here.”
He had no argument with that. Inwardly celebrating our victory over Thierry’s thirst monster, I took his arm, and we headed back to the tavern. It wasn’t too far, only a couple minutes’ walk, and I could see it in the distance on the right of the cobblestone street.
But I saw something else, too, lying in the middle of the street between us and the tavern.
A body.
My throat tightened. “Crap. Who is that?”
“I don’t know.”
As we got closer to the body, I realized with a sick, sinking feeling that it was someone I recognized.
It seemed that Frederic Dark had found a passageway to Vampireland like the rest of us had. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be making the return trip.
The enchanted dagger he’d won in the auction was sticking straight out of his chest.
Chapter 14
Thierry crouched down next to Frederic’s body and felt his throat. “I can’t find a pulse.”
Fred was dead.
Which didn’t make sense. Vampires older than a century disintegrated when they were killed, and I’d gotten the impression Frederic was at least that old. “Why’s his body still intact?”
“It’s rather unusual.” Thierry continued to inspect the body. There was a bloody wound on his forearm. “This is likely where he attempted to block the dagger.”
A shadow fell on us and the very n
ext moment a man-sized object hurtled through the air, knocking Thierry to the ground.
The man-sized object was Marcellus.
“Stay down!” Marcellus snarled. “I will not let you harm these fair ladies, you beastly man!”
Veronique pulled me to my feet and shielded me with her body. “You will not hurt anyone else tonight. Sarah is hereby under my protection!”
“That’s not necessary,” I told her. “But thank you. I do appreciate it.”
She frowned at me. “Whatever do you mean? He is driven by his dangerous thirst!”
Despite everything, I was actually touched by the fact that she seemed to care enough to intervene. “Actually, he managed to break that spell. He’s fine.”
Thierry nodded from beneath Marcellus’s tight hold on him.
“I would not go as far as to say I’m fine, but I’m certainly better than I was.” He glanced up at Marcellus. “You would be well advised to release me now.”
Marcellus scowled down at him. “How do I know these are not lies?”
“They’re not,” I said. “Spell is broken. He’s back to his regular level of bloodthirstiness, so probably like a three out of ten.”
“Six at the moment,” Thierry said.
“Six out of ten?” I grimaced. “That’s not great.”
“It’s much better than a ten, believe me.”
Marcellus finally, reluctantly, released Thierry and stood up, offering his hand to help Thierry stand.
Thierry stood on his own without help, brushed off his suit, and walked a slow circle around Marcellus. “It’s uncanny, Veronique. He looks just as I remember him.”
Marcellus regarded both of them with confusion. “Of course I do. How else would I look?”
“It doesn’t matter, darling,” Veronique said, but there was a thread of sadness in her voice. “Thierry is cured of his dreadful problem. Quite a miracle, I must say. Most problems such as this are not solved so easily.”
“It wasn’t exactly easy,” I said.
“Actually, Sarah, it was, all things considered.” Thierry appeared to contemplate this for a moment. “But let’s hope that the problem has, in fact, resolved itself. Sebastien tried to ruin me and he very nearly succeeded. If he learns he’s failed, we don’t know what else he might have planned. It would be best if we kept this between us so he doesn’t know I’ve fought against the spell and won.”
Veronique nodded. “I agree. But at least we know all is well.”
“I wouldn’t say all is well.” I glanced down at Frederic.
“Yes, this is a problem.” Veronique looked down at the body. “Who did this?”
Good question. “Well, it wasn’t us,” I said.
Veronique eyed it with surprise. “That is the Amaranthian Dagger he acquired during the auction.”
“Yeah. Sebastien said it could help a mortal lengthen his life if he drank blood using the dagger and it could help a vampire become totally immortal.” I grimaced. “Wild guess, but I think that legend is wrong.”
“Such a weapon kills as surely as any wooden stake,” Marcellus said. “This man is dead.”
Thanks for the confirmation, Marcellus.
Thierry studied Frederic’s body, which was partially lit by a nearby flickering lamp. “His body should no longer be intact. Perhaps that is another side effect this particular dagger has when used to slay a vampire.”
I looked down at Frederic. “He must have found a passageway like we did—maybe even the same one as Veronique and me. He could have been the one who killed Jacob, not Anna.”
Veronique’s expression grew thoughtful. “That could be.”
“So you don’t think it was me anymore?” Thierry said wryly.
“I am sorry, my darling. But what was I to think? You were not yourself.”
“You could have given me the benefit of the doubt.”
She smiled. “Next time I shall do just that. Thank you for the suggestion.”
Marcellus gazed at her with adoration. “Veronique only acted as she could. She is a forgiving woman.” He gestured toward me. “Especially when it comes to forgiving your indiscretions with this fledgling.”
Thierry sighed with weary patience. “Sarah and I are married.”
Marcellus looked shocked. “Sir, you are admitting to bigamy!”
“No. Veronique and I had our marriage dissolved and . . . why am I explaining this? You’re not really Marcellus.”
He stomped his foot. “I most certainly am Marcellus!”
I tried to tune their voices out so I could focus on Frederic for a moment—from the wound on his arm to the dagger sticking out of his chest.
Who had done this to him?
One suspect in particular seemed to keep coming up again and again.
“You know, earlier I heard him and Anna arguing,” I said. “They might seem like a matched set, but I think they were having marital difficulties. They said some pretty nasty things to each other.”
“All marriages have their stresses,” Veronique said dismissively.
Very true. Some more stressful than others. “Yeah, but she used to be a vampire hunter. If she decided she’d made a mistake by marrying Frederic, by living a life as a vampire Purist under his thumb for all these years, maybe she wanted to end things between them by going back to her roots.”
Veronique’s heels clicked against the cobblestones as she drew closer. “You believe she murdered him?”
I’d say it was a good bet, actually. “We already suspected her of Jacob’s murder, right? She mentioned how thirsty she was.”
“This is true.” Veronique crossed her arms and paced back and forth. “Very true. We don’t have any idea what kind of a woman Anna Dark really is, do we? We have only a few tidbits about her that certainly do not paint the most attractive portrait.”
Anna could have killed Jacob, then taken the passageway here with Frederic and offed him, figuring that she’d leave his body in a place that wouldn’t really exist if it wasn’t for the temporarily contained magic from the amulet. Sounded very neat and tidy—and, well, contained.
I considered this for a moment. “Maybe she was surprised that his body didn’t turn to goo.”
“I’m sure she was.”
“Who is this Anna you speak of?” Marcellus asked. “She sounds like a true villainess who must be defeated.”
“Don’t worry about it, Marcellus. We have it under control.” Which was a lie, but I didn’t see how he could help. It wasn’t as if he could return to the mansion with us. I turned toward Thierry. “We should take his body back with us. We can’t leave him here.”
“Agreed,” he said.
“We should probably begin by putting this dagger somewhere safe so it doesn’t end up in someone else.” Veronique leaned over and pulled the dagger from Frederic’s chest.
In seconds, Frederic’s body disintegrated right before our eyes on the cobblestone road.
“Oh dear.” Veronique stepped back quickly before her expensive shoes could get soiled by his remains. “That is rather unfortunate.”
To put it mildly. I would never get used to seeing that. One moment a solid body, the next moment a black puddle.
Still, it made me wonder why Anna hadn’t done exactly what Veronique just did.
“Why would she leave the dagger behind?” I murmured aloud. “She could have sold it for big bucks and gotten rid of his body at the same time.”
“It’s possible she was in a hurry to get away,” Thierry replied. “Perhaps she saw us approaching.”
I suppose that made sense. But maybe Anna simply didn’t care about the dagger for any reason other than using it to kill her husband.
“It’s likely she’s already gone.” Veronique handed the dagger to Thierry with distaste.
Thierry drew a handke
rchief from his inner jacket pocket, wrapped the blade in it, and tucked it into his jacket.
“Be careful with that,” I told him.
“Trust me, I will be very careful.”
“We must apprehend Anna Dark so she will answer for her crimes,” Veronique announced.
“That is my Veronique,” Marcellus said, nodding proudly. “A champion of vampire justice, of right, of glory. So beautiful and so brave. All women should aspire to be like her.”
“Oh, my darling. You always knew me better than anyone else.” She embraced him and kissed him deeply.
I exchanged a look with Thierry, who looked perplexed by their public display of affection.
“This reminds me a great deal of how it was in the past whenever they were together,” he said.
“It’s kind of adorable.”
“Not the word I would use.”
No, there were plenty of other words for it, but “adorable” worked for me. Seeing Veronique so infatuated was a major revelation. “Let her enjoy him while he’s still here.”
Marcellus took a step back from Veronique, frowning at me. “What do you mean, while I’m still here? Where would I be going?”
Veronique slid her arm around his waist. “Pay no attention to Sarah, my darling. She’s not much of a romantic.”
“I will always be by your side,” he told her. “Today and always. I swear this is true.”
Her face shadowed with such raw pain that my heart ached for her.
Although, for the record, I am a romantic.
“I wish you were real,” she whispered. “But this is not to be. You were lost to me a very long time ago, but know that no other man has ever claimed the place in my heart that you held—that you will continue to hold forever.”
I was starting to choke up. She really loved him. I wished he was real, too, so Veronique could get her happy ending after all these years.
“Veronique, what is going on?” Marcellus said.
“It’s too much to explain. You might not understand anyway.”
“No, I mean . . . what is going on with the street?”
I glanced over my shoulder to follow his line of sight and saw that he was right to be concerned.
From Fear to Eternity: An Immortality Bites Mystery Page 15
