When it became apparent that Amaia was not going to say anything, the girl continued. “We’re from Prussia. We heard stories about you and came to see for ourselves.”
Amaia’s interest was piqued, though she wasn’t willing to relax her stance. “What stories?”
“You’re Christine, no? Or at least that’s the name you go by now. Before that, it was Jeanne in Brussels, Cecilia in Florence, and Maria in Frankfurt.” Meg took a slow step forward with each identity she revealed.
Amaia was too stunned to think. How could this woman know so much?
“I don’t see what all the fuss is about.” Liam eyed her with skepticism.
“Don’t mind Liam. He gets this way. He’s not very sociable.”
Something we have in common, Amaia thought. “What clan do you belong to?”
“None.”
Nomadic vampires. Nothing but trouble. Amaia and Lawrence had already been dispatched by Zenas to deal with nomads who had threatened exposing their species. Apparently, it was common for vampires to take advantage of situations with already high fatalities and increase the numbers when they thought no one noticed. It was reckless, and each vampire she had beheaded deserved it, though there was something unnatural about killing another vampire. “What do you want?”
“Nothing more than to meet you. I was curious about rumors that all these women were the same person—a vampire named Amaia.”
“Rumors from whom?” If humans had caught on, it would cause problems for her and Lawrence.
“Just other nomadic vampires. I first heard of you when you were in Frankfurt. Over time, I realized that all these women had to be the same person.”
“Now you know.” Amaia straightened and continued toward the cottage. Meg and Liam followed.
“I’d like to know how you’ve done it.” Meg continued her chatter.
“Done what?”
“Fooled so many people. Rumors say you can warm your skin without increasing your heart rate.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear.” Even Zenas didn’t know the full extent of her power. She was now able to keep her skin warm anytime a human was nearby to provide the energy, even if she slowed her heartbeat. Lawrence didn’t think it prudent to let Zenas know how far she had come. For now, Zenas thought it a simple parlor trick. Lawrence didn’t want him trying to teach others how to do the same. There was more power for him if he held the monopoly on this little trick.
“We don’t mean you any harm, really. I just wanted to get to know you. Your life sounds terribly interesting.”
Amaia snorted. “That’s a word for it.”
“Are they friends or foes?” They were nearing the house when Lawrence sensed their energies.
“Friends, apparently. Or at least they want to be.”
When she entered the cottage, Meg and Liam followed right behind. Lawrence waited for them.
“This is my sire, Lawrence. Lawrence, meet Meg and Liam.”
Meg curtsied and offered her hand, which Lawrence kissed. Liam merely nodded.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m afraid you’ve come at a bad time. We were just leaving for Vienna.” Lawrence already had all of their things packed and ready for the journey.
Time to move on. “Are we stopping by the house in Paris first?”
“No, we’re leaving everything there for next time.”
“That works out perfectly. It’s on the way back to Prussia. I’ll join you on the journey, if you don’t mind.” Meg spoke as if it was perfectly natural to meet, become acquaintances, friends, and then traveling companions all in the space of less than a half hour.
Amaia focused on Liam. He didn’t seem as keen as Meg. “And what about you?”
“I go where she goes.”
“Of course.” Lawrence nodded to the other man. “They’re mates. Of course he’s not going to leave her.”
Amaia didn’t know much about vampire mates. She had met Zenas’s mate and seen a few others in passing, usually when they came to pay tribute in order to hunt in Zenas’s territories or to assure Lawrence they were just passing through. “He’ll follow her anywhere?”
“Yes. Perhaps it’s time you learned about mating. Traveling together might do you some good.”
“Fine.” Amaia didn’t need any friends, but it was intriguing to have two other vampires to speak to. At least it would make the trip more interesting.
“We’ll run most of the way. Once we get close, we’ll take a coach. Amaia, here’s your bag.” Lawrence handed her a rucksack filled with everything she had brought with her. They would buy what they needed when they arrived in Vienna. She knew the routine.
Two minutes later, they were off. Liam and Lawrence spoke off to one side, leaving Meg and Amaia on their own. Amaia was at a loss. She had never been one to have friends. Especially not other women. Women tended to hate her.
“How long have you been a vampire?” Meg’s voice gave no hint of the speed at which they ran. Since they didn’t need the air to breathe, they could use it all for conversation.
“Twenty-one years.”
“Oh, you’re practically still a child. I’m one hundred and nine, and Liam is one hundred thirty-two.”
Amaia didn’t know what Meg expected her to say to that. Meg didn’t let the silence stretch out for long.
“The life of a courtesan always sounded so romantic.”
“It’s about the least romantic thing I can think of. I trade love for money.”
“Yes, but it must be an exotic life.”
“It can be, if you’re good at it. Most aren’t. Being a whore is hardly pleasant. Girls who do it try to convince themselves otherwise.”
“But you’re good at it. You’d have to be for me to hear about you. Did you do this before you were transformed?”
“Yes.”
“And were you good then too?”
“Yes.”
“Do you enjoy it?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever want to do something else?”
The eyes of the one man who had offered her something else flashed before her. “No.”
“Has Lawrence always been your pander?”
“Yes.”
“I suppose he must have really liked you to transform you. Were you his best girl?”
“Yes.”
“What do you think makes you better than the other girls?”
“My conversational skills.”
Meg burst out laughing, and it took a moment for Amaia to realize why. When she did, she couldn’t control the laughter that bubbled out of her. Her laughter made Meg laugh harder. The more she heard Meg laugh, the more she had to laugh, until she was forced to stop running to try to take control of the spasms racking her body. The two of them were rolling on the ground in hysterics when Lawrence and Liam reached them.
“What’s going on?” Lawrence’s voice held a confused curiosity. Liam quirked an eyebrow, as if this wasn’t entirely unexpected but just out of place enough to warrant attention.
“I have excellent conversational skills. Don’t I, Meg?” Amaia gasped. Her ribs squeezed her abdomen, and her facial muscles began to stiffen.
“Yes.” Meg choked on the word as both girls were thrown into another fit of giggles.
“I don’t understand.” Lawrence sounded less than amused.
“I wouldn’t try to if I were you.” Liam slapped the other man on the shoulder, and they walked away.
•••
“When did you and Liam become mates?” The rocking of the carriage as they journeyed caused the light spilling through the windows to dance. Amaia and Meg traveled inside while Liam and Lawrence rode on horseback. Running would be easier, but it looked better if they didn’t appear from nowhere in a new community.
“We’ve been together for seventy-six years.” Meg’s voice changed when she spoke of him, as did her energy. It acquired a certain softness.
“How does that work?” The whole process fascinated Ama
ia. Mainly, she wanted to know how it was similar to or different from how humans fell in love.
“What do you mean? Given your line of work, I’d think you’d know all there is to know.”
“Hardly. I can’t understand committing myself to one person, making myself vulnerable like that. It doesn’t make any sense.” Amaia fingered her ring. At one time, it had made sense. Then again, her fierce independence had been the source of the only arguments she and Michael ever had. In the end, independence won.
“It does when you meet the right person. You’ll know when it happens. It’s instinctual. When I first met Liam, I knew I wouldn’t go anywhere without him ever again. He makes me stronger.”
It seemed Amaia and Meg had different definitions of strength. “But if he dies, you’ll die too. Isn’t that how it works?”
“More or less. If one of us dies, the other one will likely follow. Just thinking about spending an eternity without him is enough to drive me mad.” Meg was silent for a moment, and Amaia felt her melancholy. “No. If he dies, I will seek death as well. I won’t live like that.”
“So you’ll kill yourself? How is that even possible?”
“Staking, fire, they’re both means of death that can be self-inflicted. I’ve seen vampires who simply give in to the madness, forcing another vampire to kill them.”
“I guess I just don’t understand what’s so great about it. If love was so wonderful, I suspect Lawrence would have mated.”
“It is odd that he hasn’t.” Meg let her curiosity show on her face.
“Zenas doesn’t allow any of his children to mate with vampires he hasn’t created.”
“It must be strange belonging to such a large clan. I didn’t think Zenas allowed vampires he didn’t create to join. I was a little surprised when I first heard you belonged with him.”
“Normally, he doesn’t. I think Lawrence is one of his favorites, though. It was quite a big to-do when he created me.”
“I can’t imagine being told I could or could not mate with someone.”
“And I can’t imagine life without the clan constantly over my shoulder. You didn’t answer my question. What’s so great about mating?”
“Besides the obvious?”
“Obvious?” Amaia didn’t know what she was talking about.
“The sex. It’s incredible with Liam. Far better than it was as a human.”
“I have plenty of sex, thank you.”
“Not like this you don’t. Mated sex is different. Swapping venom-blood is an incredibly intimate, intense feeling. It’s like getting drunk on the person you love. Just wait. You’ll see.”
“No, I won’t. I don’t plan on ever mating.”
Meg gave her a knowing look. “We’ll see.”
“Well, I think risking your life for a good lay is stupid.” Amaia was surprised at the venom in her words, but Meg didn’t seem to mind.
“It’s more than that. The companionship, knowing there’s someone out there who understands you. That level of devotion and loyalty. Knowing that wherever I go, I’m never alone.”
“Lawrence gives me that.”
“The bond between child and sire is strong, but it doesn’t compare. Not really. You don’t see my or Liam’s maker here, do you? There’s a reason you only swap venom-blood with your mate. There is no deeper connection than giving yourself to another and taking some of them into safe keeping. That’s why a mate’s death is so devastating. They are literally taking a part of the other to the grave.”
Still, if Lawrence saw no reason to mate, then she didn’t know why she would either. That didn’t stop Amaia from being curious. “Is it like falling in love as a human?”
“It’s much stronger, more intense. Why, were you in love as a human?”
“Yes, but I’m having a hard time remembering the emotion. I don’t understand it.”
“You’re still young. It takes time to remember those human emotions, and you’ll honestly never feel them the same way as you did then.”
At that moment, gray eyes entered her mind and bore into her soul with their fire. Amaia gasped and shook her head, willing the image to dissipate.
“What is it? Does Lawrence need something?” She heard concern in Meg’s voice.
“No, it’s nothing.” Not even Lawrence knew of her visions. Amaia didn’t need to tell Meg about them to know that it wasn’t normal for a vampire to be haunted by her first kill.
•••
By the time they arrived in Vienna, Amaia and Meg were the best of friends. Amaia didn’t know how. She didn’t even particularly want a friend, but something about the other woman lured her. Once Meg had it in her head to befriend Amaia, Amaia didn’t think she had much choice in the matter. At any rate, it was nice to have someone to talk to, someone besides Lawrence who could call her by her proper name.
“It’s time for your friends to leave.” Lawrence was in Amaia’s new room in the house Zenas had purchased for them, helping her unpack and settle in.
“What? No.”
“No?” Lawrence’s tone was dangerous, but Amaia didn’t care. She was always doing as she was told and hardly ever asked for anything in return. “What do you mean, no?”
“I want her to stay.” Amaia put down the dress she held to look him in the eye.
“She got to see you and confirm the truth of the rumors. It’s time for her to leave.”
Amaia’s eyes narrowed. “That’s why you said our destination aloud. You wanted her to follow us. You wanted there to be rumors about me.”
“Rumors add to your power and prestige. And I wanted you to learn more about mating.”
That caught her off guard. “Why? It’s a terrible weakness. I don’t understand why anyone would do it.”
Lawrence raised his brow. “Some say it makes one stronger.”
“It makes you weak. Anyone who has the power to cause my death has too much and is not a friend.”
“Good.” Lawrence nodded. “I’m glad you realize that. Now that the lesson has been learned, she needs to go.” Lawrence returned to unpacking.
“But I like her. Please, Lawrence. I need a friend. I enjoy her company. I need to be able to be myself sometimes. I get so lost in all these identities I take on. Please. I won’t let it interfere with my work. I promise.” Amaia grasped his arm, willing him to meet her eyes.
Amaia held Lawrence’s stern gaze. She wouldn’t let him look away. This was too important to her. Finally, his face relaxed. “Fine. But if I judge she’s a bad influence on you, I won’t hesitate to send her packing.”
Amaia grinned and threw her arms around Lawrence’s neck, giving him a peck on the cheek. “Thank you. I promise you won’t regret it.”
His arms wrapped around her. “I hope not. It’s worrisome how easily your charms work on me when I’m the one who taught them to you.”
Amaia stepped back. “Don’t worry. It’s only because I’m your favorite child.”
“You’re my only child.”
“Exactly. Don’t go making any more.” Amaia grinned and skipped from the room, on her way to tell Meg the good news.
Chapter Seven
Vienna, May 1646, 2 years, 3 months later
Amaia and Meg sat in one of the balconies inside St. Michael’s Church, listening to Liam take confession below. This had become one of their favorite games. There was something delicious about feeding from humans in their place of worship, where they felt the safest. Humans knelt to pray, and Liam would whisper in their ears, pretending to be the voice of God, taking sips from their necks as he went. Amaia or Meg would pretend to be the Virgin Mary. It was easy to sneak up behind penitents, and the vampires moved quickly enough that the mortals couldn’t catch them.
It was especially amusing to Amaia, who had attended mass at the church with the royal court. If only her clients knew what she got up to when she left them. A wonderful crypt below the church made it all too convenient to dispose of bodies if merely drinking led to killing. I
t was almost as if the church had been designed for their convenience. They could have hours of fun while the priest slept in his chamber, recovering from blood loss.
In the ornately carved stall, Liam took confession. Amaia found it hilarious to hear what concerned these humans and quaint that they believed in a god who listened, who cared about the way they conducted their everyday lives. The truly devout were the best. Drinking their blood while they sought redemption through the blood of another. Such delicious irony.
An impressive fresco adorned one of the arches. Amaia found it difficult to comprehend that humans were capable of creating such beauty. She wondered if it hadn’t, in fact, been painted by a vampire. She made a mental note to ask Lawrence. Gazing at the figure of one of the apostles, Amaia could make out every brushstroke. The painting seemed illuminated from within. The man’s eyes appeared almost full of life. Amaia sat transfixed until the eyes morphed into the all familiar gray. She shook her head.
“What’s wrong?” Meg cocked her chin to the side.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t tell me that. I see you shaking your head a lot lately.”
The mild inquisitiveness in Meg’s voice was deceiving. Amaia knew from experience that she wouldn’t stop pursuing an answer. “I can’t get my first kill out of my mind.”
“That’s all?” Meg went back to watching the parishioners. “Don’t worry about it. That’s how it is for everyone.”
Meg’s cavalier dismissal of Amaia’s confession put her at ease. Perhaps Amaia wasn’t as disturbed as she feared. “I can’t help it.”
“Trust me. It’s normal. No kill will ever compare to it. Don’t make the mistake of chasing after it.” Meg shot her a wary glance from the corner of her eye.
“That’s what Lawrence says.”
Meg nodded. “He’s smart. I’ve seen vampires go crazy, killing recklessly, trying to recreate that first high. One of the clans always steps in and destroys them. Such a waste.”
“No, I’m smarter than that. I love the kill, but I don’t let it control me.” She wouldn’t accede to her bloodlust, no matter how tempting it was.
Haunting Echoes Page 5
