Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang do-7

by Кейти Макалистер

  His frown grew darker. “We are Dark Ones! We do not wring our hands!”

  “You know what I mean! You guys have your panties in a bunch over nothing.”

  Christian made a quick, angry gesture. “Allegra, your irreverence is out of place here.”

  Behind him, the two vampires nodded.

  “Bah!” She snorted, glaring back at her husband. “I’m not going to let you railroad someone just because it assuages your conscience.”

  Christian took a deep breath. I backed up, not wanting to be near him if he exploded. “Your arguments have already been heard, and your presence is therefore not required at this hearing. You may take Josef to the park if the sun has set.”

  “Oh, don’t even think of trying to get rid of me, Fang Boy,” she snapped back, handing over the boy to a middle-aged woman who bustled into the room. “Edith, I think he’s hungry. Can you find something for him?”

  “Fang Boy!” Christian said, outraged. Rowan snickered. Sebastian gave Christian a sympathetic look. Christian glared at his wife, his hands on his hips. “I have told you before that you are not to refer to me by such names. It is an especially appalling breach when conducted in front of outsiders!”

  “Hungry,” Josef said, burying his face against the woman’s chest in the manner of a child suddenly turned shy.

  “She’s not an outsider,” Allie said, waving toward me. “She’s a Beloved!”

  “She’s also a Zorya!”

  “I’ll go see if we have any fresh meat,” the woman named Edith murmured, taking the little boy away. He looked like he was about two or three, grinning and waving at me over his nanny’s shoulder.

  “Now look what you’ve done,” Christian said, gesturing toward the door as it closed behind the pair. “He’s waving at her! I will not have my son endangered-”

  “Oh, blow it out your piehole.” Allie snorted, stomping over to a long table. Four chairs had been set along one side of it, a single chair on the opposite side. She grabbed one of the four and hauled it over to the other side, sitting down with sublime indifference to the fact that her husband looked as if he were going to blow his top.

  “Allie, my dear, a lady never refers to a gentleman’s hole, pie or otherwise, not even if that gentleman is her husband,” a disembodied voice said.

  I spun around in a circle, trying to pinpoint it. A small glimmer of light at the far end of the room grew brighter, cohering into the unmistakable image of a short, dumpy female ghost. She beamed at me as Allie answered, “You have to admit that sometimes he has it coming.”

  “No matter how trying a gentleman may be,” the ghost answered, switching her smile to Christian, who was now wearing an odd, martyred sort of expression, “and heaven knows dear Christian could never be considered trying, references such as that are inappropriate. How do you do. I’m Esme. Have you seen Mr. Wuggums?”

  “I don’t think so,” I said hesitantly.

  “Mr. Wuggums is Esme’s cat,” Allie said from her chair. “Esme, as you can see, is a ghost. I had several others, but she’s the only one who’s remained. Other than Antonio, that is, but Christian and he have an ongoing war, so Antonio only comes out when the coast is clear. And you can stop swearing at me under your breath, Christian. Just because I don’t understand Czech doesn’t mean I don’t know what you’re saying.”

  Christian sputtered but, with immense control, managed to get a grip on his emotions.

  “Allie, my dear,” Esme started to say, but Allie stopped her by holding up a prohibitive hand.

  “Another time, please. Right now I’m more concerned with keeping Pia from being bullied than maintaining proper decorum.”

  Esme pursed her lips but said nothing.

  “No one is bullying anyone,” Sebastian said, moving over to stand next to Christian. “We simply wish to get the facts of the situation.”

  “If you will take a seat, we can begin the hearing,” Christian said, gesturing me to the chair next to Allie. He shot his wife a look that she met with raised chin and crossed arms.

  “Yes, I will, but . . . um . . . this might be out of line, but are you by any chance looking for Ostri?” I asked Esme, who was humming softly to herself.

  “Ostri?” she asked, looking surprised for a moment. “I’m afraid I don’t know him. Is he a friend of yours? I do love it when we have visitors.”

  “Ostri is kind of like heaven,” I said, at a bit of a loss to explain it to a ghost. “I’m a Zorya, you see. It’s my job to take people to wherever it is they’re supposed to go.”

  “Oh! You’re just like Allie! Only I’ve never heard of Ostri.”

  I glanced in surprise at the woman sitting in the chair, currently engaged in glaring at her husband. “You’re a Zorya, too?”

  “Hmm? Oh, no. I’m a Summoner.”

  I stared at her in blank incomprehension.

  “We Summon ghosts. We can also Release them. That’s sending them on their way to the next plane of existence. From what I’ve heard from Christian, it’s very similar to what you do as a Zorya.”

  “You are nothing like a Zorya,” Christian said emphatically. He held out my chair, obviously waiting for me to sit in it.

  I did so, not wanting to irritate him any more than he already was.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” Allie said in a confidential tone.

  “You will do nothing of the kind,” Christian declared, taking up his spot on the other side of the table. Sebastian and Rowan flanked him on either side, the three of them making an intimidating presence.

  “Pfft,” Allie said, leaning toward me. “Don’t let them scare you. They’re really not that bad when you get to know them. Just as soon as we get this business cleared up, you’ll see that underneath all that bluster there are some really nice men. But I expect you’ve found that out with Kristoff.”

  “This business?” I asked. “What business, exactly?”

  Allie gaped at me for a moment before turning her stunned gaze on her husband. “You didn’t bother to tell her?”

  “That is what this hearing is for,” he said with a faint air of discomfiture.

  Allie stared at him for a couple of seconds before saying, “I’m going to have a few things to say to you when this is over, you know.”

  “I know,” Christian said, looking grim.

  Allie snorted to herself, but gave me a supportive pat on the hand. “Don’t worry about anything, Pia. I’m sure it’s all just a big mistake. And I apologize right now for you being brought here without having the slightest idea why.”

  “To be honest, I came because I have my own agenda,” I admitted, meeting Christian’s gaze with what I hoped was composure.

  “I have no doubt of that,” Rowan said, speaking up for the first time since I’d seen him in the car. His voice was carefully neutral, but I sensed hostility from him that I hadn’t felt in Iceland. I wondered if Kristoff had bad-mouthed me to his brother and cousin, but almost immediately dismissed the idea-Kristoff might not want me in the place of his dead girlfriend, but he wasn’t the sort of man who would indulge in a smear campaign.

  “Why did you want to see the council?” Allie asked, obviously curious. Esme perched on the edge of the table until Christian shot her a look. She drifted over to the wall, where a couple of satin-covered armchairs sat in a cozy arrangement.

  “I . . . er . . . I want to talk to Christian about Mattias and Kristjana.”

  She looked surprised. “The two reapers? One of them is here. The woman is still in Iceland, though. Christian said something about it being more trouble to move her than was worth the effort. Did you want to see Mattias? I’m sure he’d be happy to see you. He’s been a bit vocal about wanting someone, anyone to visit him. I think he’s suffering from a touch of cabin fever, if you want to know the truth.”

  “They’re all right, aren’t they?” I asked her, since she seemed to be much more forthcoming with information.

  “Of course they are.” She smiled and
glanced at the frowning Christian for a few seconds. “Honestly, Pia, these guys may look like badasses, but they don’t hurt people without a really good reason.”

  “Our asses are as bad as they come,” Christian insisted. He stopped himself, closed his eyes for a second, then opened them and said, “This conversation is not to the purpose of the meeting at hand. If we might start?”

  “We’d better let him. He gets a wee bit cranky if he doesn’t get to do things properly,” Allie whispered.

  “I heard that, woman!”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sidetrack anyone. I just wanted to make sure that the Brotherhood people are all right.”

  Sebastian’s eyes narrowed on me. “Why is it that I don’t find it surprising that you are concerned with the welfare of the people who tried so hard to kill us?”

  “Probably for the same reason I’m not surprised you would ask that,” I heard myself say, somewhat to my horror. “You didn’t like me back in Iceland, and it’s clear you’re still of the opinion that I’m the devil incarnate. Given that you obviously have your mind made up about me, I guess it’s clear that whatever this hearing is about, it will not be unbiased.”

  “Brava, Pia,” Allie said, applauding.

  Sebastian, who had sat down after speaking to me, leaped to his feet again.

  “Outbursts will not be tolerated,” Christian said smoothly, shooting his friend a warning glance.

  With a sharp look at me, Sebastian sat down again.

  “That’s the pot calling the kettle black,” Allie said under her breath to me, a little chuckle following the observation.

  “Nor will interruptions be allowed,” Christian continued with a pointed look at his wife.

  To my surprise, she blew him a kiss and sat back with a smile.

  Christian eyed me for a moment before saying, “You are concerned about the welfare of the prisoners. As my Beloved says, the woman Kristjana is detained in Iceland. Would you like to see the sacristan?”

  “Yes, I would. I don’t believe you would deliberately harm either of them without cause, but at the same time, I can’t help but feel somewhat responsible for their welfare.”

  Christian nodded to Rowan. “Have the prisoner brought in.”

  Rowan slid him a questioning glance, but Christian sat with calm assurance, his gaze flickering from me to his wife.

  No one spoke for the next few minutes. Despite that, I had an odd sense that Christian and Allie were holding a mental conversation, for every now and then a frown would flicker across his face, and once I heard her laugh to herself.

  The door opened at last, and behind it marched a familiar man, tall and blond, with an open, friendly face, and a manner to go with it.

  “Wife!” Mattias said, taking a step toward me as if he were going to rush me.

  Sebastian leaped from his chair, causing Mattias to flinch backward, yelling, “The evil one will torture me!”

  “We haven’t harmed you yet,” Sebastian said with obvious lack of patience as he pushed Mattias into a chair along the wall. Esme drifted over to sit next to him. “Tempting as it is to fulfill your opinion of us, you will notice that we have thus far refrained.”

  “Hello, Mattias,” I said politely. “You look well.”

  “You have come back for me,” Mattias said, nodding. He was as handsome as ever, an obvious throw-back to his Viking ancestors, but he left me feeling as cold as a dead flounder. “It is only right that you do so, wife.”

  I grimaced at the last word, not wishing to be reminded that in the eyes of the Brotherhood, we were legally married.

  “You will tell these vermin to release me,” Mattias continued, his incarceration obviously doing nothing to eliminate some of the hatred he felt for the vampires. “I have endured their company long enough.”

  “Oh, my,” Esme said, her cheerful face suddenly turning dark as she glared at him. “You are a very rude young man to speak of dear Christian and the others in such a manner.”

  Mattias’s expression of surprise as Esme chastised him was comical. “I . . . Who . . . You’re a spirit?”

  “Yes, I am, and I am very fond of Christian and Josef. Very fond of them! If I weren’t a lady, I’d take you out back and give you the thrashing you deserve for referring to the Dark Ones as you have.” Her large grey curls bobbed angrily as she spoke.

  Mattias’s eyes widened at the threat.

  “That’s enough, Esme,” Allie said, pulling out a little yarn bobble, the kind found on the tips of winter hats. “Bobble time.”

  “I have not yet finished giving this young man a piece of my mind,” the ghost answered.

  “Yes, you have.” Allie held her other hand over the bobble and mumbled a few words. To my amazement, Esme dissolved into nothing.

  “How did you do that?” I asked, profoundly curious.

  “I’ll show you later, if you like. It’s the best thing I ever learned.” She smiled at her husband. “Well, almost the best.”

  He looked distracted for a moment before he recalled himself and turned to me. “As you can see, the reaper has not been starved or tortured.”

  “Yes, and I’m very gratef-”

  The door opened again, and Rowan and Andreas appeared with another person slumped between them. They hauled the man in and let him fall to the floor.

  The words dried up on my lips as the crumpled heap of man raised his head.

  “Pia,” a familiar voice croaked.

  I was on my feet and running toward him before the word could even form in my mind . . . Kristoff.

  CHAPTER 4

  “What happened to him?” I cradled Kristoff’s head against my chest protectively as I hastily searched his upper torso for signs of injury.

  Kristoff made a plaintive noise. It resonated within me, bringing to the surface all sorts of emotions that I had no idea lurked beneath. I wanted to protect him, shake him, demand he speak to me, give him comfort, and tear off all his clothes and have my wanton way with him.

  It was an effort, but I managed to tamp down the wave of emotions. “Dear God, what happened to you?”

  Eyes that I knew could shine a brilliant teal were now dulled with pain. Waves of anguish rolled off him, suffering etched in every line of his now horribly gaunt face.

  “Pia, don’t,” he groaned, trying to push back out of my embrace. “I can’t fight it if you touch me.”

  “Fight what? Good Lord, Kristoff, you look like death warmed over. Haven’t you been eating at all?”

  He closed his eyes, his face a mask of pain as he again struggled to get away from me. I wrapped my arms tighter around him.

  “Animal blood.”

  “That obviously isn’t doing you much good. Why didn’t you tell me you needed some blood?” I asked.

  He shook his head and wouldn’t answer.

  “Why did you bring him here?” Mattias demanded of Rowan. He gestured toward where I sat. “That one seduced my wife!”

  “Oh, be quiet, Mattias,” I said, brushing the hair back from Kristoff’s brow.

  “I gave you the benefit of the doubt once,” Christian said, strolling up behind me. “I will not be so foolish as to do so again. You may cease playacting.”

  “Playacting?” I asked, suddenly furious. Couldn’t they see that something was horribly wrong with Kristoff? He looked terrible, his flesh grey and clammy, his body emaciated, racked with waves of pain so strong even I could feel them. “What the hell is going on here? Why aren’t you doing anything to help him?”

  “They deserve no help,” Mattias muttered. “They are evil. You should have destroyed them. You should have wiped them from the earth, as you were supposed to do.”

  “Knock it off,” I snapped at Mattias.

  His expression grew darker, but at a menacing gesture from Andreas, he slumped back in his chair.

  “I do not like to be deceived, Pia. I would have thought you’d recognize that fact.” Christian stopped next to me, his eyes distrustful.
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  Julian, standing in the open doorway, shook his head. “I told you the council would not welcome lies.”

  “What lies?” I yelled, wanting to scream at them.

  Julian said nothing more, just closed the door.

  I twisted my head around to glare up at Kristoff’s brother. “You’re his brother! Why aren’t you doing anything to help him?”

  “His plan has been discovered,” Andreas said in cold tones that sent a little shiver down my back. “His plan . . . and yours.”

  Mattias burst into laughter. I wanted nothing so much as to smack him right at that moment, but reminded myself that Kristoff needed my attention more.

  “You’re all insane,” I said, looking around for help. Kristoff shuddered in my arms, his knees pulling up as he fought an almost overwhelming wave of purest agony.

  “Please.” He gasped. “I can’t stand your being here much longer.”

  “Well, life is full of trials,” I snapped at him, too overwhelmed with anger and pain at his insult to temper my words. “I’m sorry to burden you with my presence, but no one here is making any sense!”

  “Christian,” Allie said, limping slowly over to us.

  “Stay out of this,” her husband said without taking his eyes from us.

  “It is not too late, wife,” Mattias called out. “There are two of us here-we could perform the ceremony for you to end that pathetic one’s life.”

  “So help me God, if you don’t shut up, I’m going to call down the light and smite you with it!” I bellowed at him.

  My threat echoed around the suddenly quiet room.

  Mattias’s eyes grew round. “You are Zorya. I am sacristan. You cannot harm me.”

  “You want to bet?” I growled, my attention returning to Kristoff as another wave hit him.

  “Leave me,” he begged, his body convulsing so tightly I wondered how his muscles could stand the strain.

  “I’ll be happy to, just as soon as I figure out what’s going on. Much as you despise my presence, I’m not leaving you until I know why you’re in so much pain.”