by Lisa Olsen
“You needed me, Carys?” he prompted, changing the subject.
“Yes, I want to take a turn in the gardens.”
“Allow me to escort you then,” he said with perfect courtesy. Did part of him enjoy the formality between them? “I’ll talk to you later, Anja,” he added as an afterthought as they started down the hallway.
“Yep, catch you later.”
Carys turned and shot me a look over her shoulder that said – wanna bet?
Chapter Twelve
I waved Gunnar in, not bothering to shush him about Rob still sleeping on the couch. From experience, I knew we could detonate an atom bomb in there and Rob would keep sleeping the sleep of the undead for another hour at least.
“I can come back later, boss,” he offered, but I waved his concerns away.
“No, it’s fine. I’d rather hear what you’ve picked up from snooping around the house. You do have something to report, don’t you?”
“Yes, I find something strange when I ask around,” he admitted, his eyes alight with excitement.
“Don’t keep me in suspense, spill!”
“There are not so many vampires here as when we last visit.”
I waited for him to go on, but he just sat there with a big smile on his face. “And…?”
“And, that is the news. There are less vampires here.”
“That’s not so strange, is it? The people staying at the Vetis House at any given time must fluctuate, right?”
He shook his head with a pained look, clearly I wasn’t getting it. “Yes, but this is not what I mean. Vampires leave like rats from the sinking ship since we are last here. Not in the House so much as the vampires in town.”
London vampires were getting out of town? “Where are they all going?”
“No one knows, boss. Well, someone probably does, but not the ones around here. If I can go into the city and ask around, put out the feelers, then maybe…”
“Sure, that sounds like a good plan, but be careful. Whatever this is, I don’t want anyone to know we’re looking into it yet.”
He looked affronted by my warning. “I know how to be discreet.”
I bit back a smile. The six foot plus, burly man with chiseled features and a distinct accent definitely stood out in a crowd, but I trusted him to do his job. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I guess try to find out if they’re actually leaving and going somewhere, or if someone’s making them disappear.”
“I’m on it,” he beamed, shuffling to the door. His head tilted to one side, pausing before he opened it. “Someone is out there,” he mouthed, barely making a sound.
“Then open the door and let’s see who it is,” I replied in my normal speaking voice. It was probably someone going from one place to another, it was one of the main corridors, after all. Or maybe it was Carys looking for Bishop again – or sneaking out for an early evening walk of shame?
Suddenly I wasn’t so eager to have him open the door, but it was too late. Only instead of Carys in an evening gown and smeared mascara, Jakob stood out in the hall dressed with casual elegance in a crisply tailored suit of charcoal gray. His blue shirt was open at the throat, as he tended to wear them, letting a hint of his deeply tanned chest peek through.
“Good evening,” he said formally, bowing his head in a polite nod. “May I come in?”
How could I say no after such a display of manners? “Of course,” I nodded, gesturing him into the sitting room. “Would you care to have a seat?” I asked just as politely while Gunnar slipped out. Of course Rob took up the entire couch, but there was still a smaller loveseat and the wingback chair.
“First I have something for you,” he smiled, thrusting a small blue box into my hands, the kind that came from expensive jewelry stores.
“What’s this?”
“Open it and see,” he prompted, far more excited about it than I was. “I feel badly that I missed your birthday.”
“Jakob, my birthday was months ago, in March.”
“No, the anniversary of your rebirth,” he clarified and suddenly I understood. So this was a – sorry I missed the celebration of when I killed you – sort of gift?
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” I started to say, but he waved me on, so I opened the box. Inside sat a glittering watch, so encrusted with diamonds, I could barely distinguish the hands from the face. It must’ve cost a small fortune, but how exactly were you supposed to use it to tell the time? “This is um… it’s very pretty, Jakob, but…”
“I spared no expense, your happiness is everything to me,” he beamed, pulling it out of the box to strap it to my wrist.
“If that’s true, I’d rather settle for you taking your last gift back,” I replied, waggling my finger at him where the cursed ring sat. Not that it wasn’t beautiful in its own right, but the price was far too heavy to bear.
All at once the delight drained from his face. “I can’t do that.”
“You know I’m not happy about this, right? You can say what’s done is done all you want, but it doesn’t make it any better.”
“I didn’t do it to hurt you, I did it to protect your heart,” he explained. “There is nothing so painful as when your childe turns against you.”
Jeez Louise, did he even hear the words coming out of his mouth? “And you thought killing him off was a better plan?”
“I could end this very easily. Say the word and I’ll restore him.”
My jaw dropped – was he finally coming to his senses? “Isn’t that what I’ve been saying all along? End it! Fix him before it’s too late.”
Jakob held his hands up when I would’ve grabbed his arm to drag him over to the couch. “All you have to do is ask me and I’ll compel you not to love Rob any longer,” he clarified. “He’ll be fine, as Ulrik was.”
Just like that my hopes crashed and burned like a Viper without thrusters. “That’s not what I’d call fine. You don’t think it’ll hurt him for me to stop loving him?”
His head tilted in confusion. “I wonder that you still love Rob at all. I thought you had a falling out with him.”
“It takes more than that to kill real love.” I might not be ready to jump right back to the way things were with Rob, but I knew part of me still loved him, or he wouldn’t be sick. And we both deserved a shot at finding out what would happen without the curse between us.
Jakob’s voice turned wistful. “I wish I knew that to be true.”
I don’t know if it was an honest emotion from him or said to gain my sympathy, but it had the opposite effect on me. “Here’s the proof of it!” I yelled, picking up Rob’s lifeless arm to let it fall heavily to his side. “He’s dying. I can’t decide if I want to kiss him or kill him myself, but he’s dying because I can’t switch it off on a whim, unlike some people.”
“You can if I compel you to.”
It was the simplest way to fix things. Rob showed signs of improvement getting regular meals, but how long would it be before he’d need to feed four times a day or more? Was it an act of cruelty to refuse Jakob’s solution? What if I allowed it just until we found a way to break the curse? Then we could search easier with Rob in top shape.
But could I realistically go back to being just friends with Rob? Thanks to the compulsion I wouldn’t care, but Rob would. He’d feel that lack of love every time I looked at him, unless I compelled him not to mind, as Carys had done with Bishop. In the end, that’s what made my decision for me. I was nothing like Carys.
“I’m not going to make this horrible mistake of a situation any worse. I’m going to find a way to beat this curse, with or without your help.”
It was easy to see that my answer dismayed Jakob, but he nodded stoically, not trying to sway me – for which I was grateful. He could’ve taken it upon himself to compel me at any time and smooth things over, but continued to let me have my free will. Thank goodness for small favors.
He drew himself up, buttoning his suit coat. “If you find a way
to defeat it, please contact me. I would like to help you if I can.”
“Do you really mean that?” I wanted to believe him, but experience had made me wary.
“I’m trying to,” he said with a broken smile. “If you’ll excuse me, I have promised my Nelleke a trip into town to see the arts. Of course, you are more than welcome to join us.”
That sounded like fun, but the last thing I wanted to do was tag along with Jakob. Besides, I had to light a fire under some gypsies. “That sounds shiny, but I already have some other plans for tonight. I’m glad you two are getting a chance to spend some time together though.”
“I am as well. Another reason to be thankful to you for bringing us together. Nelleke is a delight to me. It brings me great pride to welcome her into our fold.”
“Yep, we’re all one big happy family now,” I said, forcing a smile. While I wasn’t thrilled with Jakob, it was hard to begrudge him this happiness, and Nell had been over the moon to be so readily accepted by her father. That didn’t mean I’d forgotten about jamming Mr. Pointy through his ribcage, but I was willing to bide my time. He might still prove useful after all. In the end, he’d probably disappoint Nelleke as well, and if I was lucky, she’d kill him for me. Ugh, when did I get to be so gorram ornery?
* * *
With Rob still asleep, Gunnar playing I-Spy, and Maggie, Lee and Tucker off doing whatever it was human people did while vampires gathered around being pretentious, I ventured down to the Great Hall, relishing the chance to be on my own. I probably should’ve picked a better place to spend my me time.
Carys held court from Aubrey’s throne while the Elder of Vetis was absent. Bishop was there to play fetch and carry though, giving her any little thing her heart desired almost before she asked for it. It was such an odd experience for me, watching him dance attendance on her. Where was my tough as nails vampire cop who I’d had to practically chase down to get him to look twice at me?
Was it compulsion or something deeper between them? There were times when he looked at me that I swear he still had feelings for me, but then he’d turn around and give her that smile, the one that was supposed to be only for me, and I felt like I’d been punched in the gut.
His cell phone rang, and Bishop’s entire demeanor changed, his shoulders straightening, jaw squaring. “Excuse me, I have to take this,” he said with a faint bow to Carys.
“Can’t you leave it? I need you,” she pouted, but he was already halfway across the floor, demanding a report in short, clipped words. I almost put my hand up to high five him in passing at seeing him recover his bollocks, but I settled for stepping out of his way at the intense look on his face.
Carys looked mad enough to spit tacks though, and I settled on that to keep me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. “Oh, I have something of yours,” I remembered suddenly, pulling the cuff bracelet Kursik had given to me and offering it to her once she quit staring daggers at Bishop’s disappearing back.
“Where did you get this?” she frowned, turning it over in her hands before slipping it onto her wrist.
“Kursik thought I might want it, but it belongs to you.”
“Aleksandr,” she murmured, her lips curving into a smile. “I wonder how he fares after all these years?”
“Dead as a doornail.”
“Surely not! He was a very powerful man,” she scoffed and I got tired of her attitude.
“He was an incredible bastard and he deserved to die,” I shot back at her. Maybe she was into the whole date rape thing, but I for one was glad he was gone. “I killed him, of course.” An eency weency exaggeration, which I regretted the instant I said it, even though it was popular opinion.
“You?” she gasped.
“Well, I had him killed, which is almost the same thing,” I backpedaled. “Jakob wasn’t at all happy about how Kursik treated me and ripped his black heart right out.”
“Jakob’s judgment has been flawed these past years without me to guide him, I’m sure. No matter though, now that I’m back, I’m certain I can get him to see the light.”
All manner of Chinese phrases (and I only knew the swearing ones for the most part) exploded through my brain as I bit back the urge to show her I wasn’t the right person to mess with. I don’t know if she took my silence for a victory or what, but her smug grin only deepened.
“Oh dear, I’ve gone and left my shawl back in my room. Be a love and fetch it for me,” she said, her voice dripping honey.
“Your legs aren’t broken, go get it yourself,” I grumbled, not about to play maid for her.
“I said go and fetch my shawl,” she frowned, her eyes boring a hole right through me, and then I understood what was going on.
Carys was trying to compel me.
I laughed so hard every pair of eyes in the hall swung to me, and that only made me giggle harder – all the while Carys stared at me as if I’d completely lost my noodle.
“Fetch it,” she insisted, which started my giggles all over again.
“I’m not your servant, get it yourself,” I managed to get out, swiping at my eyes as I enjoyed the shock that rippled through her. You know, laughter really is the best medicine. When I got myself under control, I dropped my voice for her ears only. “You know you can’t compel other draugen, right?”
Chapter Thirteen
“Draugen?” She stared at me blankly. Apparently Lady Carys didn’t know as much as she thought she did.
“Yes, you know… What we are? Directly descended of the Ellri? How old are you again and you never found this stuff out?”
“I did not concern myself with such things,” she huffed.
“Maybe you should’ve. You can learn a lot if you listen.” I dropped my voice again. “Bishop knows you’ve compelled him, by the way.”
Her blue eyes stretched wider. “He does?”
“Yes, and it didn’t sit too well with him as I’m sure you can understand. Most people don’t like having their free will taken away.”
“Then… do all know that we can…”
“No, mum’s still the word,” I assured her, but she stared at me in confusion, so I rephrased it. “It’s still a secret to all but a few. But a word to the wise, I wouldn’t go throwing it around like that, trying to turn people into your puppets. Someone’s bound to notice.”
Carys thought that over for a while and I started looking around for an excuse to leave and go check on Rob, when she turned to me with a brilliant smile. “Don’t let’s fight, we are sisters. We should be close.” She moved in to embrace me and I braced myself for the knife I was sure she’d slip between my ribs at any time, but Carys released me a few seconds later without an attack. She couldn’t actually be serious, could she? Or was it another one of her manipulations? That seemed easier to swallow than she’d suddenly decided to accept me as her equal.
Luckily, I was spared from answering by the appearance of Nelleke, who stunned in a floor length gown of black crepe. Simple, but elegant, particularly with her fantastic posture and the diamonds that sparkled at her neck and ears – gifts from Jakob, I was sure.
“Don’t you look beautiful,” I smiled, and Nell flushed with pleasure and excitement.
“I am pleased you are thinking so. I wish to make a good impression tonight. Jakob is taking me into the city for a party.”
“A party?” Carys’ brows came up in interest. “What kind of a party?”
Bishop came back in before she could reply, and I tried to figure out the size of his work emergency from the look on his face. “Is everything okay?” I asked, and he gave me a faint smile.
“Nothing critical, but I am going to have to try and carve out more than ten minutes a night to do my job.”
Sadly, that didn’t seem possible as long as Carys got her way. “Ulrik, I wish to go to the city for this party,” she said, stomping into the middle of the conversation.
“I don’t know anything about a party,” he shrugged.
“It is at a museum, I am not knowi
ng which one,” Nell admitted.
Carys turned to Bishop, practically bouncing with excitement. “I want to go!”
Bishop took a long breath, choosing his words carefully. “Carys, I’m sure Jakob doesn’t want us glomming onto his father/daughter night with Nell. We can go to the museum another night.”
“But there won’t be a party another night,” she said with a petulant whine and Bishop closed his eyes. I recognized that look – it was the exact same one he used to give me when I bombarded him with five questions at once. The one that made me think he was counting to ten inside his head, or possibly swearing in Italian.
“Maybe I can find another party for you to go to tonight,” he said after a few moments with a forced smile. “Let me make some calls.”
“But I want to go to this party,” she insisted. “Oh, Jakob…” She abandoned her place by Bishop, her voice throbbing with emotion, as if she’d been dealt a terrible blow.
The Ellri, surprised by the way she flocked to his side, gave her an indulgent smile. “What is it, my treasure?”
“Won’t you take me with you to this party tonight? I feel as though I’ve been shut up in this old house for ages.” Never mind the fact that she’d been the one to insist on going there in the first place and it hadn’t been all that long. “And I’ve barely had any time to spend with you at all,” she added, laying it on extra thick.
“Of course you may, älskling,” he beamed, oblivious to the disappointment that flickered over Nell’s face. “Shall we all go together?”
“Sorry, I’ve got other plans tonight,” I replied. “But thanks for the invitation.”
“There now, it’s all settled,” Carys smiled happily. “Now, I really must find something suitable to wear! Come, Nelleke, assist me,” she commanded, expecting the woman to follow. I waited for Nell to tell her she was no lady’s maid, but instead she meekly followed along. What was that about?
“If you’ll excuse me, I have some arrangements to see to as well,” Jakob said with a quick bow, excusing himself to leave Bishop and I alone, apart from the odd servant cruising through the Hall.
