by Kate Sweeney
“In the morning, we’ll go back. I’m staying here with Irene tonight. I don’t want the poor woman to wake up alone. Not after what she went through.”
“I will not be here in the daylight.”
“No serum?”
“I…”
“You forgot your serum? I’m not sure I want to be associated with a forgetful vampire.”
Sebastian’s fangs dropped. “Good night, mortal.”
“Good—”
Sebastian had already disappeared.
Chapter 20
“Look after Irene for me, Malone,” Grayson said as she handed him the folded bills.
Malone gently pushed the money back toward Grayson. “Won’t take your money, but I’ll do as you ask. I’ve known Irene for many years. I shouldn’t stay away as long as I have. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Grayson shook his hand. “Thanks. If you ever need anything, anything at all, you know where to find me.”
“I do.” He held her hand tighter. “You’re a good woman. If I can be of any help to you, anytime, you do the same.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Grayson hopped onto the dock and waited as Malone maneuvered his boat and headed back to the Aran Islands.
Once back at the monastery, Grayson wondered what in the world to do next. Gratefully, Corky was already in the office studying over his book. He looked up when Grayson walked in.
“Good morning. Where in the world have you been? I’ve been worried sick.” He sat back and laughed then. “Although I thought you’d gone to Dublin after you went to Innishmore to see Neala and…” He wriggled his eyebrows.
Grayson chuckled and sat by the fire. “No such luck.” She held her hands up to the fire to warm them. “Was, um, Neala worried?”
“I dunno. I haven’t been able to get in touch with her, either, hence my thought of you two being together.”
Grayson nodded but said nothing, though she smiled at the idea of being with Neala on a personal level. It beat this god and goddess crap completely.
“So where were you? You have my full attention.” Corky tossed down his pen and waited.
“Well, in a nutshell, I was right about Sister Gabriel.”
Suddenly, her palm itched. She quickly scratched at it with her other hand and looked around. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“Sure,” Corky said cautiously and grabbed his jacket.
They walked away from the monastery down the dirt path. Grayson formulated all that had happened. “It appears before she was Sister Gabriel, she was Mary Reardon. At the tender age of sixteen, she fell head over heels for some IRA gunrunner and found herself pregnant. It’s after she found out who this charming terrorist was that Mary became Sister Gabriel.”
“Who was he?”
“One guess.”
Grayson nearly laughed at Corky’s incredulous stare. “No.”
“Yes. Apparently, she saw him morph during some ritual and made a beeline to the nearest convent. It was Sister Michael who took her to the Aran Islands and Our Lady of Sorrows Convent. The baby was born, a girl, and was adopted by a family in Dublin. But they don’t know what family. Mary Reardon became Sister Gabriel and lived the last thirty years or so in seclusion.”
Corky shook his head slowly, as if absorbing all Grayson had said. He then scratched his chin. “Then Sister Michael lied to us, and Sister Gabriel lied. That means we have two more for our liar’s moon. It’s disheartening to find this out. Who told you?”
“Another nun. She was in a vision I had the other night. But this was the first time a vision actually talked. She looked right at me and asked who I was, as if she saw me, as well. When I met her—her name is Irene, by the way—she recognized me. So she did see me in her vision.”
“How did she know Sister Gabriel?”
“She was the Mother Abbess of the convent back then. She told me everything.” Grayson looked out at the green sloping hills, reveling in the quiet and solitude she knew would not last.
“How do you know she told you everything? She could be another liar.”
“I know. I suspect everyone now,” Grayson said angrily. She felt Corky watching her and saw the hurt look. “No. I don’t suspect you or Neala.” She laughed and said, “I don’t even suspect that scowling vampire. Though I probably should.”
Corky laughed along. “You two are connected somehow. I truly believe that.”
“The other night, Elinora was in my room. She told me Sebastian was the key to this, and she hinted about Sister Gabriel. This is why I went to Innishmore. Sebastian did show up last night. Out of nowhere. She said she felt something was wrong. Don’t ask me how she knew where I was. I haven’t a clue. Must be some psychic vampire shit she has.”
Corky chuckled as Grayson cleared her throat and glanced at him. “There’s something else.”
He stopped laughing and immediately frowned. “I don’t like the tone in your voice. What else?”
“There was someone or something outside Irene’s cottage last night. Sebastian tangled with it. She said it was a wolf.”
“Phelan?”
“No, I don’t think so. When Phelan morphed into the wolf, it was big and black with dark eyes. The wolf Sebastian encountered was gray, with what she thought were blue-green eyes and smaller. She also got a good bite in.”
Corky ran his fingers through his red hair. “This is interesting.”
“Interesting? That’s putting it mildly, my friend. It scared the crap out of me, and you find it interesting. You amaze me.”
“Do you suppose this wolf was Phelan’s daughter?”
“I knew you were gonna say that. I hate this.”
“I know, but it makes sense. If Phelan can shape-shift, his offspring could, as well. But how did she know where you were? And who is she?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well, look at the bright side,” Corky said with enthusiasm that scared Grayson.
“There is one?”
“At least we know it’s a woman we’re looking for. And last night, I figured out another piece of this letter from Tatiana.”
Grayson felt a ray of hope. “What?”
“Let’s get back to the monastery. I want to show you what I think.”
Corky sat behind the desk with Grayson hovering over him.
Corky put on his glasses. “Let’s start at the beginning. In the first stanza, what do we have figured out?” He opened Grayson’s translation and started. “In the shadow of the crescent, a mark is cloaked unseen. The traitor’s song eclipse the moon, Blackheart betrays the queen.”
“Okay, we know Tatiana knows about me, and we have a traitor or a liar among us. What else?”
“The word blackheart and the phrase ‘in the shadow of the crescent, a mark is cloaked unseen’ were curious to me. So I did some digging in my book. And look what I found.” He reverently turned the pages of his book, then pointed to a certain passage.
Grayson peered over his shoulder and looked at the drawing on the page. “What is that? It looks like a black circle with a line bisecting it. I’m sure it’s more than that.”
“It’s a rune, I believe, but doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the Celts. There is a mythical—”
Grayson hung her head. “God, not again.”
Corky smiled and continued. “I won’t go into it, only to say it’s Germanic in origin but that rune means ‘shadow’ or ‘darkness.’ Now if you read further, look…” He pointed to the passage.
Grayson leaned closer and read. When she finished, she looked at Corky, who sported a superior grin. “I’ll be damned.”
“Yes.” Corky read aloud. “This mark is upon the one with a blackheart who will betray the queen.” He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “So it is my belief that whoever our liar is has this mark on him, well, her. If we believe Phelan had a daughter and she is the liar. I still don’t know who the queen is. It could be you.”
“Me? Well, I guess th
at would make sense since it references the crescent.”
“And the liar will be exposed at the full moon. But right now, ‘the traitor’s song eclipse the moon,’ so we don’t know who he is or what his intentions are. Whoever this is, Gray, is very, very clever and devious and one more thing…”
“What’s that?”
“It’s someone you know.”
Grayson thought for a moment and groaned. “Inspector Gaffney.”
“Why would you think it was her?” Corky took off his glasses.
“For one, she’s a woman and about the right age. And two? She’s from Dublin and adopted.”
“How do you know?”
“We had drinks the day we found Kathleen’s body.” She stopped and chuckled. “That sounded ghoulish. You know what I mean. She asked why I became an officer. I explained about my father, then asked her the same question. That’s when she told me she was adopted by a family in Dublin.”
Corky whistled and walked over to the window. He pushed the long window open and took a deep breath. “Now what?” he asked as he gazed out at the morning.
“Now I have a little conversation with the inspector. But first I’m going to have a chat with Sister Gabriel.”
“Well, you couldn’t pick a better time. She just walked out into the courtyard. Look. She’s talking to Sister Michael.”
Grayson quickly stood by Corky. “The two of them. Thick as thieves.”
Corky nodded. “I wonder what they’re talking about. Perhaps they don’t know any more than Irene told you.”
“I doubt it. This is all too coincidental for me. Really, what are the odds of all this?” Grayson turned and walked out. “I’m going to talk to them. Are you coming?”
“Are ya daft?” Corky nearly tripped over the chair to keep up with her.
“Good morning,” Grayson called out as they approached the two nuns. “Are we interrupting your morning meditation?”
“No, not at all,” Sister Gabriel said.
“What do you need, Grayson?” Sister Michael asked.
For a moment, Grayson didn’t know what to say or how to start. She glanced at Corky, who looked like a little kid who lied about going to Mass. This was not going to be easy.
“I need to talk to both of you,” Grayson finally said.
Sister Gabriel watched Grayson. “Perhaps we should go to your office.”
It wasn’t a request. Sister Gabriel walked away with Sister Michael right behind. Grayson and Corky followed without a word.
Sister Gabriel sat in the uncomfortable high-back chair. Corky sat behind the desk, while Sister Michael sat in the chair by the fire. Grayson stood.
“What is it you want, Grayson?” Sister Michael asked.
Grayson heard the trace of sadness in her voice. “I went to Innishmore yesterday. And found Irene McGill.”
Sister Michael quickly looked at Sister Gabriel, who watched Grayson with a mix of concern and sadness. “Did you now?” she asked softly. “And what did you find out?”
“I think you know, Sister,” Grayson said. “But I’d like to hear it from you.”
“Grayson—”
“No, Sister. It’s time.” Sister Gabriel held up a hand to silence Sister Michael. “If you went to Innishmore, then you know how I came to be there and why.”
“Yes. But what I don’t know is why you’re here at this time.” Grayson sat on the edge of the desk. She watched Sister Gabriel, whose face showed little emotion. “We have a bit of a problem, Sister. I hope you can shed some light.”
“When Sister Michael brought me to Our Lady of Sorrows, I thought it would be over. I would repent for my promiscuity and subsequent pregnancy. The child would be cared for and loved in a good family. For this, I prayed and devoted my life to God and God alone. I never heard from him again and assumed my prayers were answered. I lived my life at Our Lady, and I was content and sure I had done the right thing by my child.
“It was not until Sister Daniel came to see me after your mother died that I realized he was still in Ireland. Being cloistered, I did not know what was happening in the outside world. Sister Daniel explained that because of him, your mother died, and it was time I joined the world. She said it was written this way that I would come here, and when the time came, I would assist you. She would not say how or when, only that I would know when it happened. I suppose this is the time.” She stopped and looked at Grayson. “What has happened?”
Grayson didn’t know how to explain Sebastian, so she decided not to try. “Corky and Rose Barry had a dream. My mother came to them and said liar’s moon. We didn’t know what that meant, but now we have a letter that indicates this liar’s moon is at hand. And that someone, someone I know, is lying. They’re marked as I am. But I’m told they are evil, and I should remember that.”
“Who told you this?” Sister Michael asked.
Grayson was aware Sister Gabriel watched her carefully. “Sister Michael, you don’t believe in what Corky, Neala, or I are doing. I respect that…”
“There is too much that has happened. Although I may not believe in it, I cannot deny its existence. While I have not seen firsthand, I trusted Sister Daniel. I pray every day for God’s help. I will listen to what you have to say.”
“This mark you were speaking of. How do you know this? Where did you get this letter?” Sister Gabriel asked.
“It was given to a colleague of mine. Suffice it to say, the letter was written by a very, very old…woman who never met me. What we find curious are references to me and to this.” Grayson held up her left hand, exposing the crescent-shaped scar that bisected her palm. “It also references a liar, or traitor, and the moon. This is what Corky and Rose dreamed of, liar’s moon. We believe now that this letter is more of a prophecy. And now, with Neala’s assistant being killed the same way as my mother and the information from Innishmore, things are getting a little out of control.”
“You mentioned this person being evil and marked. In what way marked?”
Grayson looked at Corky, who put on his glasses and held up Grayson’s translation. “It says the mark is cloaked unseen. It’s hidden from sight.”
Sister Gabriel nodded and looked at Sister Michael, who was about to faint. “Do you have any idea what this mark looks like?” Sister Gabriel asked. “And I pray you do not.”
Corky leafed through his book. “We believe it looks like this.” He presented the page to both nuns.
They leaned forward and peered at the page. Grayson knew which picture Corky had shown them: the black circle with a line bisecting it.
“My God,” Sister Michael whispered.
Grayson said slowly, “My God, what, sisters?” She looked at Sister Gabriel, who looked so despondent; it nearly broke Grayson’s heart. “Sister?”
“On the small of her back, on the left side, she had a tiny birthmark,” Sister Gabriel whispered. “I remember seeing it after she was born. It was fleeting, as they took her away quickly, but I saw it. It was the mark in your book.”
The loud hissing of the fire broke the silence that hung in the air.
“The evil that men do lives after them,” Sister Gabriel whispered.
Grayson saw the tears glistening in her eyes when she looked at Grayson. “He is evil.”
“Yes, ma’am. He is,” Grayson said, her heart aching at the forlorn, helpless look.
“And he has spawned evil. And God forgive me, I helped him.”
The truth in Sister Gabriel’s statement was hard to argue.
“What is he, Grayson?” Sister Michael asked.
Grayson looked at Corky, who sported an incredulous look. “Tell them.”
“All of it?” Corky’s voice came out in a squeak.
“Now’s not the time to be timid, Timothy,” Sister Michael said. “I’ll have a pot of strong tea made.”
We’re gonna need more than tea, Grayson thought.
“Do you know where Neala is?” Corky asked.
Grayson shrugged.
“I assume the museum.”
“I’ll call her. Maybe she can drive over. She really should be here.” Corky pulled out his cell phone.
“Come to think of it, where’s Sebastian?” Grayson asked, mostly to herself. She didn’t like that vampire running around the village of Dungarin.
She tried to ignore the sudden anxious feeling when she thought of Sebastian. Elinora said Sebastian was the key to this. When Grayson thought further, actually Elinora said “the vampire” was the key. Perhaps it was Tatiana. Confusion hit her like a wave; nothing seemed certain now—she could not shake this unsettling feeling.
Chapter 21
Sebastian stood in the shadows of the museum exhibit. She watched as Neala talked to several men, gesturing to the stone encased in glass as if explaining. The men definitely looked relieved; one man mopped his brow with a handkerchief and nearly hugged Neala.
As they seemed satisfied with whatever Neala had told them, they walked out of the exhibit room, leaving Neala standing there alone, staring at the glass case.
“An odd-looking thing,” Sebastian said from behind her.
Neala turned. “It’s an archaeological find. May I ask what you’re doing here?”
Sebastian grinned. “Grayson bored me. So I thought I’d take in Dublin. It’s an old city.”
“And you were around for its conception?”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Very good, but no. I was not present for the ribbon cutting. I do, however, know many who were.”
Neala smiled and nodded. Sebastian searched her face; certainly, she was a very beautiful woman. “You didn’t have the usual reaction when you discovered I was a vampire. Even Grayson, with all she has been through, and who is an immortal of sorts, was unbelieving when we first met.”
“Grayson unfortunately has disbelieved much.”
“And you don’t?”
“As you say, much has happened in the past few months. Our lives have changed, as the rules. Nothing is what it seems.”
“And standing here with a vampire is one of those things.”
“I suppose it is. I certainly wouldn’t believe that Grayson could walk through a stone wall and experience all she did.” She stopped, and as she raised her hand to brush the hair from her face, she winced. “So I suppose you’re not the scary vampire you might want to be.”
