Cross Your Heart: A Broken Heart Novel

by Michele Bardsley

  I leaned next to Tez, and whispered, “Eva is from the Family Koschei, which are vampires with incredible glamour skills. She’s particularly good with animals and can even communicate telepathically with shifters.”

  “Good to know,” he murmured.

  “You’re tired, Patsy,” said Eva, so understanding, in a voice as soothing as ocean waves lapping at warm sand. “You need to sleep now.”

  “Sleep,” said the queen. She walked to the bed and flopped onto it. Her eyes closed and her body went limp.

  “How’s Gabriel?” I asked.

  Lorcan knelt beside the fallen man. “He’s alive, but she damned near killed him. He’ll heal, but I’m takin’ him to the hospital.”

  “Might want to put a detail on him,” said Tez. “We don’t know for sure what happened here; maybe the danger includes more than his crazy wife.”

  Lorcan nodded. He picked up Gabriel, holding the big man like an oversized baby.

  “Elizabeth.” Lorcan nodded toward the bedside table. I saw the glittering gold of a chunky necklace. My Family powers allowed me to determine types of metal, along with the knowledge of how to manipulate them. Granted, I’d spent a lot of time learning how to use my power and honing my craft. I had been the assistant to Zela, the Ancient who founded our vampire sect. She split her time between Broken Heart and Africa. In fact, she was there now, tending to some business for the Consortium. She taught me much about my abilities, and had become a friend as well as a mentor.

  “Fairy gold.” I crossed the room and picked up the necklace. “Where did she get this?”

  “It’s some of my grandmother’s jewelry,” said Lorcan, referring to Brigid, a Celtic goddess with incredible metal-working skills of her own. Aside from Dr. Clark, our current human doctor, she was the best healer in town. “She gifted some pieces to Patsy after the birth of the triplets.”

  “Where are the triplets?” I asked.

  “MaryBeth took them on a playdate at the park,” said Eva. “Patsy told me before we headed over to your house.”

  “Shackle her,” said Lorcan.

  Surprised, I stared at him. “You want me to bind her?”

  “We must take her to the holding facility,” said Eva. “We don’t know what she’ll be like when she wakes up.”

  “Furious,” I said. Still, as much as I hated the decision, I saw the value in their caution. Patsy was dangerous to everyone so long as she was mentally unstable. We would have to call Damian and an emergency Council meeting. Someone would have to take over the day-today running of the town until we figured out what was going on, and found some suitable way to fix Patsy.

  “All right. I’ll do it,” I told Lorcan.

  He nodded, grim faced, then sparkled away with the unconscious Gabriel.

  “Why isn’t she affected by Gabriel’s injuries?” I asked. “The minute she hurt him, she hurt herself.”

  “I have a feeling I’m going to ask this question a lot,” said Tez as he walked around, his gaze cataloging everything. I realized he was in cop mode, examining the crime scene. I also saw his nostrils flare. He was scenting, too. His shifter abilities probably helped him be a terrific detective. “But . . . what does that mean?”

  “Mates are connected,” said Eva. She sat on the bed next to Patsy and pushed ratty strands of hair away from her face. “What happens to one, happens to the other. If you get sick, mortally wounded, die . . . then so does your spouse.”

  “That’s one helluva bond,” said Tez.

  “It’s part of the ancient magic that the first seven . . . that is, eight vampires used to create the binding magic. It was supposed to protect the humans from vampires misusing their powers. Taking blood is a very intimate act, rife with temptation,” said Eva. “It gives pleasure to both parties. It’s very easy to see why it would entice both participants to have sexual relations.”

  “Really?” Tez shot me a look, and I shrugged. He quirked an eyebrow; his gaze said, We’ll just see whose neck you suck on next, sweetheart.

  Little did he know that vampires were forbidden to drink the blood of shifters. It had something to do with the power exchange. A pint of human blood was plenty to live on, but a pint of shifter blood would be like having a dozen Red Bulls. Power could be addictive.

  “Well, certainly not with the binding magic,” continued Eva, who’d missed our little exchange. “With a hundred-year-marriage contract looming over you every time you sup, you tend to maintain more self-control.”

  “Too bad,” muttered Tez. He squatted down and examined the spot where Gabriel had lain.

  I tended to the gold necklace. Working with a metallic substance was a little like asking it to perform tricks. With some metals, that was actually more akin to begging—and fairy gold certainly ranked among the more difficult metals to work with. It was almost organic because it held magic, and magic had its own kind of life. Plus, I was trying to coax the thing to imprison its owner. It didn’t help that Brigid’s very strong stamp was on its creation. Why, it seemed to ask, would it bend to the will of a mere vampire when it had once served a Sidhe goddess?

  I was nothing if not patient, especially when it came to my craft. Finally, the metal began to unwind from its intricate design. The precious gems embedded in it dropped to the floor as it slowly morphed from beautiful necklace into thicker, less pretty and far more practical cuffs.

  After I sealed the magic, the metal solidified enough for Eva to slip on the bracelets. A chain looped between them. They clicked shut, and our queen was effectively imprisoned. Since I had created the manacles, I was the only one who could take them off. Well, me or Brigid. But she hadn’t been around lately. She didn’t live in town, though she visited frequently.

  “That was amazing,” said Tez. He looked at me, his gaze full of wonder. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  I stopped short of preening. Instead, I shrugged nonchalantly. “We all have gifts.”

  Eva stood up. “Tez, can you transport our queen?”

  Eva and I were both strong enough to haul Patsy downstairs, but so was Tez. Though I despised gender stereotyping . . . sometimes, it came in handy. The big strong he-man should take the frail, ill woman. I admit to some cowardice here. I didn’t want to be the one holding Patsy if she suddenly shook off Eva’s glamour.

  “You should be careful,” I said, feeling guilty about throwing Tez into potential harm’s way.

  “Don’t worry, princess.” Ever so gently, he picked up Patsy from the bed. “I can handle her.”

  “Downstairs,” said Eva. “Go left. There’s a door that leads to the basement. That’s where the containment facility is.”

  “She means the paranormal-proof prison.”

  Tez strode through the room and I moved to follow. Eva grabbed my arm and stalled me. As soon as we heard Tez’s footsteps fade down the hallway, Eva fiercely whispered, “You have a thing for him.”

  “I like him.” It would be the only sentiment I admitted to; after all, I had no idea how I really felt about Tez. Other than those embarrassingly frequent attacks of lust, I hadn’t known him long enough to get a true sense of his character. Or so I would tell myself until I figured out a better rationalization for my unreasonable reactions to the man.

  “You like like him.”

  “What are we—in eighth grade? He saved my life. Twice, I might add. He’s strong and handsome and . . .” I trailed off, stunned. Good heavens. I did like like him. “We’ve only just met. I certainly can’t form an opinion about a man I know so little about.”

  “Right. We’ll see how that works out for you.” She patted my shoulder. “Just remember that shifter-vampire matches can be difficult.”

  “You’re a shifter,” I said. It was true. Lorcan was one of the few vampires who could also shift into werewolf form, the others being the loup de sang. It was a side effect of being cured of the Taint by royal lycan blood transfusion. Feeding off her mate’s blood had also given Eva the ability.

&nbs
p; “I hardly ever go wolf,” she said. “The transition is rather . . . um, icky. And it hurts.”

  “Do you think that’s another reason why vampires are forbidden to drink shifter blood? Because we might absorb their abilities?”

  “Maybe,” she said.

  “Yo! Ladies!” Tez yelled. “I need some help.”

  We hurried down to the first floor. The door to the basement was locked; I’d forgotten about all the security. Dr. Michaels had long since moved his lab to the compound, and the prison was rarely used. Why had Gabriel and Patsy reengaged the system? The only thing that came to mind was to keep the triplets out. They were only four years old, but very mischievous.

  Eva punched in a code and the metal door snicked open. She led the way down the stairs and flipped on the lights. The area where the laboratory had once been was a big, empty white room.

  Our steps echoed as we approached the prison. Once again, Eva put in a code, to another security door, and flipped on the lights. We entered a narrow hallway.

  “What the—?” The first cell on the right had several objects sitting on a single bed: an old typewriter, a pair of men’s shoes, a yellowed pair of evening gloves, a box full of lace scraps, and a bouquet of dried flowers. Black smears were on the walls and floor.

  “That looks like the same substance Patsy has on her hair,” I said. “Why would they put a bunch of random items into one of the cells?”

  “You said it’s paranormal proof,” said Tez. “Obviously they suspected something was strange about this stuff and they were trying to nullify it.”

  Eva nodded. “I recognize the gloves and the lace scraps. We cataloged those yesterday.” She frowned. “But why these things? They seem rather benign.”

  So did the ring box, and look what it had unleashed.

  We continued to the end of the hallway and put Patsy in the last cell on the left. Tez carefully placed her on the narrow bed, and Eva covered her with a thin white blanket. We exited and she coded the cell lock.

  “I’ll call Damian,” said Eva, “and make sure he, or one of his brothers, watches over her.”

  “When she wakes, she’s going to be very angry,” I said.

  “We’ll deal with that when the time comes,” said Eva. “Let’s figure out what’s happening first.”

  We paused outside the prison and Eva once again locked in the security codes. Then we headed up the staircase.

  “Let’s start with the secret room,” said Tez.

  “I’m not sure anyone should go up there until we figure out the cause of Patsy’s mania. I would’ve never imagined Patsy would hurt Gabriel. Or vice versa. They love each other too much.” Eva shook her head. “It has to be an outside factor—that dark goo, or poison, or something.”

  She opened the door to the first floor and stepped through; I went next, then Tez.

  I nearly ran into Eva, who’d stopped short. Tez grabbed me as I stumbled, and we both moved around my friend.

  I saw immediately what caused her to still so suddenly.

  “What the hell?” Tez stepped in front of us, once again drawing his gun.

  I put my hand on his arm, but he didn’t stop aiming the weapon.

  A pair of concerned golden eyes met mine, and I nearly swallowed my tongue. The man Lorcan had just spirited away to the hospital, bloodied and near death, stood three feet from us in the foyer.

  Gabriel.

  Chapter 7

  Gabriel wasn’t bloody, unconscious, near death, or even wearing the same clothes. His moon-white hair was drawn back into a ponytail. Behind him was an overnight case and shopping bags.

  His gaze flicked to Tez. “I suggest you put away the gun.”

  “I suggest you start explaining why you’re not in the hospital.” Tez’s arm didn’t move even a centimeter.

  “Quickest recovery ever,” murmured Eva. “Unless he’s not Gabriel.”

  “Who is in the hospital?” he asked. “Is Patsy okay? Our children?” He frowned. “What do you mean if I’m not me? Of course, I’m me!”

  “Everyone’s fine,” offered Eva, skipping over his ire about identity, “relatively speaking. You just got back from a trip, Gabriel?”

  “I’ve been at the hotel,” he said. “Connor asked me to drop by to see the progress on renovations.”

  On the recommendations of Phoebe and Connor Ballard, the Consortium had purchased the decrepit Knights Inn in Tulsa. Worried its use by a cult had weakened the veil between hell and earth, it had been decided to purchase, psychically cleanse, and invest in restoration. The plan was to create a haven for traveling paranormal beings. It was to be open to humans as well, to keep up the illusion of a typical, if not kitschy, hotel. Broken Heart had one bed-and-breakfast, which was used for visiting relatives of the residents. With all the trouble the town had endured over the last five years, the Broken Heart Council was being particularly picky about new residents.

  Phoebe and Connor had been put in charge of the Knights Inn. They live in a penthouse suite on the property. In fact, Phoebe’s ex-husband, Jackson Tate, and their son, Danny, had also moved to the hotel and lived in another suite, just across the hall. Connor’s sister, Jennifer, lived in the hotel as well. It might all seem an odd arrangement, but Phoebe was a unique vampire—the last female of the Family Durga, whose power was to control demonkind. She was also the talisman, given the ability to bind (or unbind) magic. She was the only known person in the world who could break a vampire marriage. Sorta. It seemed that the inherent power of the talisman was to choose who could or could not be bound. So far, in the year since Phoebe had gained the power, only one couple had been released from their accidental nuptials. Other attempts had failed. Her husband was half demon and her sister-in-law, a full demon (one of the few with an actual soul), and most parakind were uncomfortable around Pit dwellers. I wasn’t too surprised when they offered to take on the project. And it did seem as though the entire town issued a sigh of relief once they had gone. Personally, I adored Phoebe and her family, and I planned to visit them soon.

  “I will not be held hostage in my own home,” said Gabriel. A growl entered his tone. “Tell me what’s going on. Now.”

  The saying “saved by the bell” never held more true than when Eva’s cell phone rang. No one wanted to tell Gabriel his wife was locked in the downstairs prison, much less that someone had been impersonating him. While Eva moved away and had a hushed a conversation, I tried to cross the divide of silence.

  “How long have you been in Tulsa?” I asked.

  “Three days.”

  “Were you with Patsy when she found the room?” asked Tez.

  Gabriel’s expression went from irritated to confused. “I found the room. There was a wall, which hadn’t been in the original blueprints. I realized there was empty space behind it, or so I thought, until I broke through it. Patsy and I agreed not to do anything about the place until I returned from Tulsa. I’m not a psychic, but the vibe in there is . . . dark.”

  I shared a look with Tez.

  Eva finished her call and shut the cell phone. “That was Lorcan. He said he took Gabriel into the emergency ward, then went to confer with Dr. Carter. When they returned so the doctor could examine him, he was gone.”

  “Except that I’m standing here.” His gold gaze burned into us. “Let’s go into the living room. Tell me everything from the beginning.”

  “No offense,” said Eva. “But we can’t be sure you are . . . you.”

  Gabriel’s gaze roved our faces. “You’ll have to take the chance,” he said. “Now, someone better tell me what’s going on, where my family is, and why you’re in my house.”

  “Sounds good to me,” said Tez. He sheathed his gun, and tugged me toward the opened double doors that led to one of the main living areas.

  Eva followed us, and then Gabriel. The air was thick with tension. We couldn’t be sure this was Gabriel. And what had happened to Lorcan? Why hadn’t he returned? Magical transportation took only seconds. Surel
y Eva had conveyed we were still in the house, but with another Gabriel.

  Tez chose to sit me on the red velvet couch, sitting as close as was possible without him actually being on my lap. Eva, even though she was obviously worried about this new situation, took a moment to smirk at me as she took the wingback. I shot her a shut-up glance.

  Gabriel took the couch across from us and focused on Tez.

  “Who are you?” he asked.

  “Tez Jones.”

  Gabriel was obviously dissatisfied with that answer, but Eva launched into the explanation, starting with when Patsy had asked her and Lorcan to come help catalog the mystery room. She left nothing out—though she was clearly uncomfortable with explaining how he’d been fighting with his wife, accused of adultery, and then nearly killed by Patsy’s own hand.

  Nor did Eva seem to relish admitting that we had stashed his wife in the prison underneath the house.

  After she finished, I took over the thread of the story and told him about my experiences, from the time Rand gave me the silver jewelry box to the moment Patsy arrived in my home.

  We all sat in the resulting somewhat uncomfortable silence, trying not to stare at Gabriel as he processed the information.

  “It seems you did what was best,” he finally said. His gaze flicked to Tez. “You’re a shifter.”

  “You, too.”

  “Loup de sang,” offered Gabriel.

  “Jaguar.”

  Gabriel’s eyebrows went up, but, unlike Damian, he didn’t seem to dispute Tez’s claim. Before Gabriel came to Broken Heart and married Patsy, he’d been part of a group of outcasts. He knew, more than any of us, what it was like to be the only one of a species, not to mention ostracized because of it. Last year, Gabriel found out he was one of triplets; now his sister, Anise, and his brother, Ren, lived in town with their charge, Astria Vedere. Astria had been known as the prophet, but after suffering mortal wounds, she’d been Turned. Once she became undead, her powerful visions disappeared. The three of them ran the Old Sass Café now, and seemed to enjoy being part of the community. I idly wondered what Tez planned to do, now that he’d confirmed Broken Heart was a parakind sanctuary. Would he stay . . . or return to Tampa?