by Gayla Twist
“I’m not supposed to talk about the specifics of who did the hiring. The Bishops are worried that a vendetta between families will develop. All I’m allowed to say is that they know who is responsible, and it will be addressed.”
Addressed wasn’t good enough for me. Addressed would be for ruining my ship hat, not trying to fling me off of a parking garage. “So that’s it?” I asked. “They’ll get a slap on the wrists or something?”
“Not necessarily,” Gloria said, finishing her coffee and then glancing longingly in the direction of the pot. I took her cup and refilled it. Maybe my kindness loosened her jaw a little because then she said, “A lot depends on the tribunal. If they rule against you, the family will not be charged. If they rule in your favor, then charges will be brought against them, and they will be punished accordingly.”
“So that’s why the windows are closed?” I asked. “You’re worried someone will try to kill me before the tribunal?”
“Exactly,” she said. Then she gave me a second look. “You’re very astute for an American.”
“Gee, thanks,” I said, rolling my eyes. I loved backhanded compliments. “So, is there anything specific I should be doing today or...? I don’t know. I guess I’m asking you what am I supposed to do.”
“If you wouldn’t mind, it would be easiest to keep you safe if you stayed in your rooms.”
My first time in Budapest, my first time anywhere, really, and I got to spend the day locked in a few rooms so I wouldn’t be rubbed out by the Mob who had been hired by a bunch of uptight vampires.
It wasn’t fair, but I didn’t really have a choice. “Okay,” I said. “If that’s the safest thing.”
“Thank you for being reasonable,” she said, getting up and returning her cup and saucer to the tray. “And thank you for the coffee.” She obviously hadn’t been expecting either one.
After Gloria left, I lingered over my breakfast then filled another half hour exploring the room. There were plenty of books, cards, and even a few board games, but no television and no radio. I put my Pools of Light pendant back on and then lounged on the couch thinking of Jessie. He was just so delicious. Still, I couldn’t believe I had flung myself at him the previous night. The memory made me feel aroused and embarrassed all over again. I squirmed around on the sofa just thinking about his hands on my flesh. I knew some girls at my school didn’t want the reputation of being virgins, but I never felt that way. I had been waiting for a real relationship where I was sure the guy cared about me. Maybe that was why I was so ready to be with Jessie.
Thinking about him after the previous night made me miss Jessie more intensely than the general dull ache I always felt in my heart when he wasn’t around. I grabbed my bag and hopped back on the couch prepared to sigh over his photograph. Even if the photograph was a little fuzzy, I would still be able to see his image.
Pulling the snapshot out of the envelope where I kept it caused my heart to sink. I was still there, plain as day, but Jessie’s image had faded significantly. His eyes were still visible, gray, and fathomless, his lips were still smiling at me, but the rest of his features had burnt away into a white nothingness.
Staring at the photograph made my stomach clench. Why had it faded so quickly? When had it faded? Did it mean something? Was there any significance behind it? Or was it just cheap film? If I had to guess, it was because I had been so willing to be intimate with Jessie. He’d said no, after all. I was quite sure Colette probably never would have made him that kind of offer. Did he really think worse of me somehow? I found it maddening that I could feel so sure of Jessie when I was in his arms but so insecure when I was away from him. With him, I felt beautiful and loved; away from him, I felt like a silly, stupid teenager with a crush on a vampire.
Chapter 28
By the time it was five o’clock, I had worked myself up into a state of insecurity and a bit of panic. I was insecure because Jessie had, after all, rejected me when I’d offered myself to him. But on the other hand, he was from a time when sex was something that usually didn’t happen until after marriage. Jessie was a gentleman, after all, and I had not been acting like a lady.
I was panicky because I was on the verge of facing my tribunal of vampires. When I thought about it, all of my instincts told me to jump out the window and flee into the countryside. The only problem was I had no idea how I would survive. I tried to think it through. During the night, I could sleep in a stake-enforced box or something, kind of turning myself into a reverse vampire, but I was sure whoever had hired the Mob to snuff me out would keep paying the humans to hunt me down during daylight hours. I had to face the vampires. My only hope of not completely melting down before the tribunal was having Jessie at my side. If they separated us, I was sure I wouldn’t be able to handle it.
I was so grateful when Margaret finally returned with some dinner on a tray. “I assumed you didn’t want lunch,” she told me as she set out the food. “Seeing that you’d breakfasted so late.”
“Margaret,” I called after her as she turned to leave the room, “would you sit with me for a while. I’m making myself nuts alone in here.”
“Oh, you poor thing; you must be frightened sick,” she said, sounding very sympathetic.
I probably should have been solely worried about my own safety rather than spending half the day mooning over a fading photograph. But being found guilty by the Bishops felt so abstract. I couldn’t quite keep it in my brain. Potentially being rejected by a guy was something I was used to. I knew how those emotions functioned. But a vampire tribunal deciding my fate? No, it just felt too alien to me to think about for long. Still, I didn’t want Margaret to think I was a foolish little idiot. “Yes, it’s... stressful,” I told her. “Has there been any news today?”
“Not that I’ve heard.” She started loading food on a plate. “The family has added extra security, but besides that, everything has been quiet.” Looking up from what she was doing, she asked, “Do you like black pepper?”
“You’re not making that for me, are you?” I asked, springing to my feet. “I thought you were joining me for a snack.”
“Don’t be silly, Colette,” she said, setting the plate down on the table. “If I was to eat your meal and the Csorbos found out, I would be discharged immediately. And being fired by a vampire family is much worse than being fired by anyone else.”
“Can you at least sit with me for a little bit?” I asked in a small voice, sounding like a little girl. I hadn’t meant to potentially get her in trouble.
“Why don’t you start eating, and I’ll get your clothes ready for the tribunal. I’ll join you when I’m finished.”
“But I have my own clothes,” I insisted. I had packed my most respectable outfit for the occasion.
“That’s okay,” she told me. “Mr. Vanderlind has selected some clothes for you.”
More clothes? I had to wonder. In a way it felt good that Jessie was so willing to take care of me, but in a way it felt condescending, like he didn’t trust me to make any decisions on my own. Still, he probably knew better than I did what to wear to a vampire tribunal.
I wasn’t sure what I’d expected in terms of the outfit Jessie had selected. A business suit, perhaps? But it turned out to be a blue dress with sprigs of red and yellow flowers all over it, very Laura Ashley. The long sleeves were puffed at the shoulders, and there was a bit of lace at the collar. Margaret insisted on helping me get into it, and I was too afraid to say no for fear the Csorbos would fire her if I didn’t agree, and then God knows what would happen to her.
With the dress on, I felt very prim and not at all like myself. Plus the style was all wrong for the season. November in Budapest was cold. I guessed Jessie was hoping to make me look as much like Colette as he could.
I hated it. I hated everything about it. I hated it so much, it made my skin itch. I looked over at Margaret. “If I keep this thing on, I’m going to break out in hives,” I told her.
“Oh. No. It’s...” sh
e floundered for some gentle words. “It’s very nice.”
“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “I’m not wearing this.”
“But Mr. Vanderlind,” she tried to protest.
“I don’t care what Jessie said. I’m not going to face a pack of judgmental vampires looking like an extra from Little House on the Prairie. I’m wearing my own clothes.”
I mean, it wasn’t like I was putting on a pair of torn jeans and a tank top. I had packed pretty much the same outfit that I’d worn to meet Jessie’s mother, but I’d substituted out the skirt for a pair of gray wool pants. Budapest was just a little too chilly in November for me to deal with a skirt.
While I was changing, Margaret fussed around me, fretting. “Don’t worry,” I assured her. “I’ll tell Jessie that you tried very hard to get me to wear the dress, but that I flat out refused and insisted on my own clothes.”
A flash of relief passed over her face. “Thank you. That would really be helpful.”
There was a knock at the door, and Gloria stuck her head in. “The family is up. They’ve finished eating and are ready to go. Mr. Vanderlind wanted me to check that you are ready and have everything you need.”
My stomach did a flip thinking about the vampires feeding, but I ignored it. “I’m fine,” I said, grabbing my bag. “Tell him I’m ready.” Ready to face the vampire inquisition.
As I headed downstairs, I was surprised to see not just Jessie waiting for me, but Vilma, the Duke, and Madame Csorbo, plus a young vampire and a middle-aged vampiress that I didn’t recognize. “What’s going on?” I asked Jessie in a low voice.
“The roads aren’t safe, so we’re going to fly there.” He jerked his head toward the other vampires. “This is our escort.”
“We need an escort?” I gulped. And Vilma was part of it? That sounded like a recipe for getting stabbed in the back. “What do you possibly think is going to happen?”
“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” he replied, his mouth forming a grim line. “We just know that there’s at least one vampire who really doesn’t want you to make it to the inquest, and he has the money to pay for a lot of hired guns.”
“So, mobsters?” I asked.
Jessie nodded, slipping an arm around my waist. At least soaring through the air would make it harder for anyone to stab me with a needle.
“And what about other vampires?” I wanted to know. All I needed was both the Mob and the undead trying to get me.
“It’s unlikely,” he assured me. “Most are waiting to hear the ruling before siding with anyone.”
“Okay.” I nodded, trying to keep my lower lip from trembling. I had been in denial ever since Jessie told me we had to go to Budapest. I had wasted my time worrying about if he wanted me or if I was hurting my mom by lying to her about my dad. But maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it was better that my brain had just decided not to give much thought to the inquest because there was really nothing I could do.
Jessie wrapped his other arm around me and held me tight. Whispering in my ear, he said, “I promise you, I will not let anyone harm you. Even if things don’t go our way, I will keep you safe. I swear this with my life.”
Turning to our escort, Jessie said, “I guess we’d better get going.”
Madame Csorbo came forward and grabbed both my hands, as was her habit. “My dear,” she said. “Please do take the best care of yourself. My prayers are with you.” I guess it made sense that she would not be part of the escort. She was the only one in a dress.
Since we were flying, I was extra glad I had refused to wear the Laura Ingalls dress. I didn’t need to moon half of Budapest on my way to face down a bunch of vampires. Jessie noticed my clothes as well. “Didn’t Margaret tell you I selected a dress for you?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “She did. And I even tried it on because she forced me to, but it was too awful. I felt all itchy and gross. I just couldn’t face the Bishops in that thing. I mean, seriously, what were you thinking?”
Jessie chuckled. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I forgot for a moment that you are a modern girl.”
We all headed outside and down the front steps. Madame Csorbo waved at us from the doorway. “Good luck,” she called, almost cheerfully.
“Ready?” Jessie asked, addressing his compatriots. There were some nods in affirmation. Jessie swept me into his arms and lifted off into the air. The other vampires followed suit, surrounding us, one on each side.
The sun had gone down early because it was fall, but with the partial moon and the lights from the city, it wasn’t pitch black out or anything. “What keeps people from noticing us?” I asked, the wind whipping around us. My pea coat wasn’t doing much in terms of keeping out the cold.
Jessie noticed me shivering and pulled me closer. “People just don’t look up that much when there isn’t a full moon. Especially in the cities. You’d be surprised.”
“If you say so,” I said with a shrug, wondering how often I looked up past the streetlights. Or at least how often I’d done it before I knew vampires existed.
Although I was cold and pretty darn scared, it was wonderful to see Budapest by air. America just doesn’t have the same architectural beauty as the old cities of Europe. I couldn’t help but look around and marvel as we flew.
It was only a few minutes before Jessie said, “Not too long now,” and we dropped lower in the sky. Then he called to the others, “Keep your eyes open.”
He no more than said it when there was a loud bang and we were knocked to the side as if someone had crashed into us with a Buick. “What was that?” I yelped.
“It’s nothing,” Jessie said with a grimace, but I couldn’t help but notice we were quickly losing more altitude.
“Where?” Vilma asked, obviously knowing more than I did about what had just happened.
“The bell tower,” was Jessie’s reply.
“Bell tower,” Vilma repeated to the other vampiress, and the two women zoomed off toward a nearby church. The Duke and the other male vampire pulled in closer, practically flying shoulder to shoulder with Jessie.
Turning his attention back to me, Jessie said, “I need you to hang on tight for a minute.”
I was already clinging to him, but his words made me wrap my legs around his torso. “What’s going on?” I asked.
“Just keep your head down.” Jessie grunted. He’d let go of me and was reaching around my back to massage his right shoulder with his left hand.
“What’s going on?” I repeated, getting desperate to know. I had to trust that if I fell, Jessie would catch me, but still, I was used to his arms holding me firmly when we flew. Jessie let out a loud grunt, and I saw something small and gray fall away from his shoulder. “What was that?” I demanded.
“A bullet,” he said, returning his hands to my waist.
“A what?” I all but shouted.
“There’s no reason to get upset,” he assured me. “I’ve just been shot.”
Chapter 29
“You’ve been what?” I shrieked, squirming around, trying to get a look at Jessie’s shoulder.
“There’s someone in the bell tower with a rifle,” he said. “So I need you to keep your head down.” To emphasize the point, Jessie put his hand on top of my head and tried to tuck me to his chest.
“Someone’s shooting at us?” I was having trouble processing his words. “Why would someone be shooting at a bunch of vampires?” It didn’t make sense. A crossbow, maybe, but bullets were made out of lead.
“They’re not shooting at us,” he explained, exasperation filling his voice. “They’re shooting at you. So I need you to stop talking and get your head down. I can heal almost instantly. You can’t.”
“Oh!” I instantly hunched my head and pulled up my legs, trying to curl into as tiny of a ball as possible.
Another shot rang out from off to the left, the bullet tearing at Jessie’s coat. “Damn it! This is camel hair,” he growled.
&nb
sp; “The high rise?” the Duke asked, nodding toward a building that definitely had that brick, nineteen-fifties squareness to it.
“Yeah,” the other vampire agreed. “He’s on the roof. I’ll take him; you stay with the girl.”
“Just because I’m older, doesn’t mean I don’t want to still have fun,” the Duke complained, but it was too late because the other vampire had already peeled off, zooming toward the building.
I wondered how Jessie would feel if I actually threw up on his camel hair topcoat. “Are we almost there?” I whimpered.
Jessie kissed my temple. “Hold on, my love,” he breathed in my ear. Then he put on a burst of speed, diving low in the sky, sending the buildings whizzing by.
“Give a fellow a little warning,” the Duke called after him, flying hard on his heels.
We dropped out of the sky, and before I could get my bearings, Jessie had set me on the pavement and was jerking open the door to a very modern-looking office building with lots of glass. The building could very well have doubled as a newer bank, but without the ATMs out front. The Duke was behind us, shielding me with his body. “Quick, get inside,” Jessie commanded, shoving me through the door.
I heard a loud pop, pop, pop, and three bullet holes appeared in the glass just as the Duke pulled the door shut. I stumbled over my own feet and sat down hard. “Don’t worry,” Jessie said, scooping me back up. “Bulletproof.”
The next thing I knew, we were in a well-lit lobby. A pretty woman sitting behind a desk looked up. “Yes?” she said, with a hint of a smile for Jessie. “May I help you?” The hail of bullets as we’d entered the building hadn’t rattled her at all.
“We have an eight o’clock appointment on the thirteenth floor,” Jessie replied.
The woman looked down at her computer screen. “Name?”
“Jessie Vanderlind and Colette Gibson.”
“Just sign in and you can go on up,” she told us. “The Bishops are expecting you.”
