by E. S. Moore
The graveyard sat on the top of a slight incline that gave me a decent enough view of Baset’s mansion. I decided it was close enough and moved to stand near a tree so that I would hopefully blend in better.
As far as I could tell, no one was moving around outside. There were a few cars parked out front, but no one was sitting in them. Snow covered all the vehicles, so they’d been there for quite a while. The tire tracks leading from the drive were fresh enough that I knew someone might return soon.
The mansion itself was near black. I think it had been white at one time, but the fire had blackened the entire outside. Even the roof was ashen. If the lights hadn’t been on, it might have been invisible against the night sky.
The light was coming from a few upstairs windows and one downstairs. Vampires and werewolves didn’t need light to see by, though their Pureblood servants did.
How the house had stood against the fire, I had no idea. Everything else around it was gone. Up close, there were no trees, nothing at all that had lived past the fire. It stood almost completely alone on the empty landscape.
The only thing left standing outside the house was a twisted swing set in the backyard. The metal legs were warped, but the chains holding the seats hadn’t snapped. The plastic seats had mostly melted away, leaving behind only molten chunks that hung from the chains like rotten fruit.
It was strange to think that children might have played out there once. Because of the fire damage, it was hard to tell how old the swing set was. Had the kids played there while vampires slept nearby? Or was the toy so old the children could play, firm in their belief that the monsters were only tales told to frighten them?
I sighed and chose to focus on scouting. To think of a past I never knew wouldn’t help.
I watched the grounds for a good twenty minutes and I saw no one. Not even a shadow flittered near a window. The snow drifted, the wind caused my coat to flutter out behind me, but around the mansion, nothing moved.
This isn’t right.
Normally, a Major House would have wolves and lesser vamps swarming all over. There’d be someone on the roof, a few patrolling the grounds, and yet there was no one. It was as if I was looking at a setup of a house, not a place where anyone actually lived. I should have seen someone by now. It wasn’t that cold.
I turned and started back to the car, unsettled. I would have stayed longer, but I knew those who had left would probably be returning soon. I didn’t want to get caught spying on the Countess when they finally did return.
Maybe Baset’s Major House standing was only in name. Maybe she knew something that kept her high on the totem pole, but left her with limited resources. No high-ranking vampire I knew would want to live all the way out here where no one could look upon their greatness. They were too conceited for that.
No one drove by as I got in the car and headed back toward the city. I pushed the car as fast as it would go, half-afraid I’d pass someone on the way. I really didn’t want to get into a fight tonight, not until I was sure about what I was facing. Baset didn’t need to know I was watching her.
Thankfully, I turned off the road without seeing anyone. I did wish I’d have gotten a closer look at Baset’s mansion since I hadn’t seen anything move, but I’d been too creeped out by how it seemed so isolated, so silent. I was scared at what I’d find when I actually stormed the place.
Hey, maybe they’d all be dead. Those tire tracks could have been left by someone who’d decided to finish her off. It wouldn’t be the first time I showed up to kill a vamp, only to have arrived too late. It would be poetic in a way, considering the last corpse I’d walked in on had been Baset’s lover, Countess Telia.
As I pulled into my driveway, my headlights illuminated Jeremy shivering just outside the garage. I opened the garage door and pulled inside. He followed me in and yanked open the car door the moment I came to a stop.
All it took was one look at his face to set the alarm bells in my head ringing. I immediately thought of Ethan and a knot of fear coursed through me.
“What happened?” I asked, getting out.
“They have him,” Jeremy said, his face pale. “I have to go.”
“Have who?”
Jeremy looked around wildly for a moment before settling his shell-shocked eyes on mine.
“Jonathan,” he said. “Countess Baset has Jonathan.”
14
All feeling left my body, leaving me numb and cold as I tried to absorb the information. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Countess Baset had Jonathan.
And I’d just been there.
“I’ve got to go,” Jeremy said. He reached for the keys in my hand, but I jerked them back.
“No.”
Jeremy’s eyes flared yellow. “I need to go help the Denmaster.”
I took a deep breath that nearly got stuck in my throat. My mouth had gone so dry I could hardly swallow.
How could I have not known? How could they have taken Jonathan and held him while I was right there?
Of course, I had no proof that he’d been there while I’d been watching the place. There had been fresh tire tracks. They could have captured him while I was hiding in the graveyard. Who knew, if I had waited twenty minutes more, I might have seen them take him inside.
But it still felt like it was my fault, whether I was there or not. Baset went after the Luna Cult Denmaster because she was looking for me; I was sure of it. The thought that I was responsible for his abduction made me so sick I had to lean against Jeremy’s car to keep from sinking to my knees.
“You need to stay here and watch over Ethan,” I said. I took a deep breath. This wasn’t the time to fall apart.
Jeremy stared at me with such intensity, I thought for a moment he might attack me. “I can’t just sit here when my Denmaster is in danger. I have to go help.”
“What do you think you’ll be able to do that I can’t?” I snapped.
His eyes immediately bled back to their human color and he took a step back as if he suddenly realized whom he was dealing with.
“I could search,” he said, sounding much more abashed than he had a moment ago. “Nathan called and told me to tell you what happened. I—I can’t stand the thought of sitting around while everyone else is out looking for him. It’s not right.”
I could see in his eyes that he wasn’t telling me everything. “And what else did Nathan say?”
Jeremy looked at his feet. “To stay here and wait for his call.”
I felt bad for the kid. All he’d ever wanted to do was help, and look where it had gotten him. He was missing an arm because of his desire to fight. He would probably lose more than that if he forced the issue tonight. He was no match for Baset. I wasn’t so sure I was either.
“Then you should do as he says.” I gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m assuming Nathan has assumed control of the Cult while Jonathan is missing?”
He nodded.
“I know you want to help, but you should do what the standing Denmaster wants. If something were to happen to Jonathan . . .” I left the rest unsaid, not wanting to hear it myself.
I turned and headed for the side door, keeping a tight grip on Jeremy’s keys.
“Where are you going?” Jeremy sounded almost frantic as he scrambled after me.
“Getting more supplies and telling Ethan where I’m going.”
Jeremy followed after me as I stalked through the kitchen and down the stairs into the basement. Ethan was setting weapons out on the table as if he knew I was going to need them. He probably already knew what was going on.
I hadn’t fired my Glock, so I didn’t exchange it for a new one like I normally would. I still checked the magazine to make sure it was fully loaded before slamming it back home.
“Do you know where to go?” Ethan asked.
“I think so.” I grabbed a few silver packets and stuffed them in my pocket. I do my best not to use them, but with a Major House, it was unlikely I’d be able to ge
t to Baset without spreading some of it around. The dust would burn my eyes, but as long as I was careful, I’d be okay.
As if reading my thoughts, Ethan said, “Be careful.”
“Always am.” I considered adding another sword to my belt but didn’t want to take the time. Besides, it might impede my movement more than I’d like. Maybe when I was done with Baset I’d have Ethan add a few more knife sheaths to my boots so I could have a few more on hand in situations like this.
My movements slowed as I patted myself down to make sure I had everything. Why would I need him to check into it if I was going to retire after this? I’d been putting so many people at risk because of who I was, I wasn’t sure I could continue, even if I wanted to.
I shook off the thought and finished double-checking myself. I’d worry about what to do with myself later. Right then, I had a Denmaster to save.
Jeremy was standing at the foot of the stairs, watching me. I could tell he really wanted to go, but I wasn’t going to risk him getting hurt again because of me. It was going to be dangerous enough having him stay here. Who knew what kind of information Baset was getting out of Jonathan while we dillydallied.
“Don’t let anyone in,” I told him. “I don’t care if Jonathan comes walking up the driveway himself, don’t let him in. I don’t know much about Baset. She might have ways of controlling him, and I don’t want you to risk making a mistake. Do you understand?”
Jeremy nodded.
I turned to Ethan. “Keep him in the house.” I jabbed a finger at Jeremy. “He’s to leave under no circumstances. If he starts for a door, shoot him.”
Ethan’s eyes widened, but he nodded. Jeremy didn’t show any reaction at all. He was looking as numb as I had felt a few minutes ago.
I spun and headed for the stairs. Jeremy stepped aside and let me pass without trying to argue his case. Both he and Ethan followed me up the stairs, watching me as if it were the last time they’d ever see me.
Who knew? It very well might be.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to go about doing this. I could have asked Jeremy to call Nathan or someone else at the Den to tell them where to go. I could meet up with them and we could storm Baset’s mansion together.
But I didn’t. It was my fault Jonathan was taken. Nathan and I had never been friends. If we arrived too late to save the Denmaster, Nathan would be just as likely to kill me as he would Baset.
I got into Jeremy’s car and prayed it would start up right away. After a few tries, it coughed to life and I backed out of the garage. I managed to turn the car around without getting it stuck and then shot down the driveway as fast as I dared. Jeremy and Ethan both stood just inside the garage, watching as I left.
As soon as I was out of sight, I gave in to the emotions that had been tearing at me the moment I’d learned Jonathan had been taken.
Tears spilled down my cheeks and I didn’t know why. I shouldn’t have cared one way or the other what happened to the werewolf. I’d all but told him to get out of my life the other night, so why was it hitting me so hard now?
Blame. I knew that was part of it. I blamed myself for this mess. I might have been angry at Jonathan, but that didn’t mean I hated him or wanted something bad to happen to him. Hell, if I hadn’t blamed him for Thomas’s death, then maybe he wouldn’t have been taken. We might have worked together, might have already dealt with Baset so I could move on with my life.
Rage replaced misery and I slammed my fist against the steering wheel. This was so stupid. Why would Baset go after the Luna Cult to get at me? It didn’t make sense.
Then again, maybe she hadn’t searched for Jonathan. I didn’t know the whole story. Could Jonathan have gone after Baset in some insane attempt to get her to stop hunting me? I wouldn’t put it past him.
The rage ebbed and another emotion took its place. The tears threatened to come again, but I forced them back. I couldn’t give in to my emotions now.
But I kept thinking about Jonathan’s hand on my face, the way he looked without his shirt, the smell of his breath. I didn’t want to live without that. The thought that I might never see his wounded face again left an empty void in my chest. It almost hurt to breathe.
I cursed and tried to force the thoughts away. Jonathan was just someone I knew, nothing more. Just because something almost happened once, didn’t mean it would ever happen again. Hell, it didn’t even mean I wanted it to happen again. I was just scared.
And that pissed me off.
I stepped down on the gas harder. The back tires lost their grip with the road and for a few heart-stopping moments, I was swaying back and forth before they caught again.
I should have taken my bike. At least then I could have used my weight and feet to keep from tipping. Inside the metal box, I was trapped, helpless to the perils of the road.
I slowed down as I turned onto the road that led to Baset’s blackened mansion. I wanted to race all the way to her front door, but I couldn’t risk it; not when I was this close.
I parked just off the road in the same place I’d parked earlier in the night. As soon as the car was stopped, I threw open the door, leaving the engine running.
There were more tire tracks in the driveway. I knew others had come through since I’d last been there, but I had no idea how many. Tracking like that was a skill I hadn’t bothered to learn, though Thomas had always told me it would come in handy someday. I guess I should have paid better attention to his lessons.
I ran at a crouch toward the graveyard. I was still worried someone would see me. My black would stand out against the white snow. I just had to hope they were too busy dealing with Jonathan to notice me coming. I at least wanted the dead trees and gravestones as a backdrop in the hopes anyone who might glance my way might mistake me for one of them.
More lights were on in the mansion this time. There were also two more cars parked out front. I couldn’t tell if the mansion supported a garage from my angle, but I was pretty sure it did. It made it hard to gauge how many people might actually be inside.
I drew both my gun and sword, and found a tree to watch the house from. There were a few shadows moving around on the inside, but nothing definitive. They could have been made by one or two people, or ten times that many. I just couldn’t tell.
I scanned the grounds, searching for a guard. Like before, I couldn’t see anyone. Either Countess Baset’s minions were good at concealing themselves, or she was just so cocky that she didn’t think she needed them.
Then again, maybe she didn’t have enough wolves and vamps at her disposal to keep a guard. I could always hope.
There was little I could do but move forward. I started toward the mansion at a brisk pace, moving as quietly as I could. My feet made light crunching sounds in the snow. If a wolf was nearby, they’d surely hear.
A muffled scream came from within the mansion and I picked up the pace. I couldn’t tell if it had been Jonathan screaming or if he’d managed to get hold of someone. I wasn’t sure it mattered.
Snow was falling again. It lazily fell from the sky, drifting on the wind. It wasn’t thick enough to offer concealment, but there was enough that it might cover my tracks if someone was indeed prowling the grounds.
I reached the side of the house without anyone raising the alarm. From there, I just needed to get inside and find Jonathan. I ran through my options, liking none of them.
The front door was an obvious choice, but it was probably watched. Any back and side door would likewise be guarded. I could always try a window and work my way through the mansion that way. I’d done so successfully before.
But somehow, that didn’t seem wise here. This wasn’t a Minor House. The windows were probably trapped, either mechanically or magically. If I tried to get in through one, there was always a chance they would explode. It was an unlikely scenario, but I knew so little about Baset, I couldn’t bring myself to take that chance.
My hand tightened on my gun. I would do this the hard way.
I smiled. I liked the hard way.
Keeping my back to the wall, I slid down to the corner of the mansion. I peeked to make sure no one was there and then started working my way around to the front door. I was going to have to do this right or I would stand no chance.
It wasn’t like I really thought I was going to get out of this alive. Somehow, deep down, I knew this was going to be my last run one way or the other. Either Baset or her goons would kill me, or I’d find a way to rescue Jonathan and then retire. There was no other way this could end.
The curtains were so thick I couldn’t see in as I passed by the windows. I ducked under each one, not wanting to alert anyone I was coming. Just because I couldn’t see inside didn’t mean someone who glanced toward a window wouldn’t see my silhouette as I passed.
No one stood outside the front door, but the light was on, as if Baset was expecting company that couldn’t see in the dark. I checked the driveway once more to make sure no one was sitting in any of the two new cars; once I was sure it was clear, I glanced behind me to make sure I wasn’t being followed.
All seemed in order and I readied myself. I would have to do this fast if I was going to do it at all.
I reached the front stoop and stopped to listen. There were a few muffled sounds coming from inside, but nothing I could discern as talking or screaming or anything. I held my breath, sheathed my sword, and then reached for the doorknob.
Kicking in the door would have been much more dramatic, but opening it would be just as effective, and it wouldn’t warn anyone with ears I was coming.
I grabbed the doorknob, counted quietly to three, and then turned it, hoping it wouldn’t be locked.
It moved easily in my hand.
I turned the knob the rest of the way and held it, waiting to see if someone would notice. No one called out or yanked the door open on me, so I assumed I had gotten this far unnoticed. The door opened outward, so I jerked it open and raised my gun in one fluid motion.
Two heads snapped sharply my way. I didn’t have time to make out faces before I fired two quick shots. The bullets took each of the men in the head. They fell to the ground without uttering a sound.
