by P. C. Cast
“Sure thing, Neferet!” Ed climbed the stairs three at a time, handing the expensive bag to Sturdyvin who took it and tossed it into the plane behind him as the boy scampered down the stairs again.
“Captain Sturdyvin, Ed says that you told him I was here. Is that true?” Neferet’s tone was pleasant, but Lynette was watching her eyes carefully and she saw steel and anger in their emerald depths.
“Yeah, I know the kid has a crush on you.”
“And yet you also heard Lynette tell you to keep everyone away from the hangar because I do not wish it to be known that I was ever here.”
The pilot shrugged and grinned. “Didn’t think it would do any harm. It’s just the kid. Plus, I figured you’d be flattered.”
Neferet’s brow lifted. “Flattered. By a boy’s attention.”
She didn’t speak it as a question, but when Sturdyvin opened his mouth to answer, Neferet cut him off.
“No. Not one more word. All you will do is stand there and watch, and know that your disobedience caused this.” Neferet glanced down, as if speaking to someone crouching around her at about waist level. “Ah, yes, you will do nicely. Silence the boy. Permanently. Do it quickly. There is no need for him to suffer unduly for the captain’s mistake. Lynette, join me in the cabin.”
Two things happened simultaneously. First, from around Neferet’s slim waist a thick, snakelike creature suddenly became visible. It slithered down her body and hurled itself at Ed’s open mouth, boring down his throat to explode in a rain of gore from the center of his stomach. The boy made the most awful sounds as he fell to the ground, writhing in his death throes.
At the same time, Captain Sturdyvin began to scream—like a young girl.
Lynette forced herself not to look. She kept her gaze on Neferet and tried to shut her ears, mind, and heart to the sounds of Ed’s gruesome death.
Neferet climbed the stairway to the jet. When she reached the captain, she backhanded him across the face, shutting off his screams like she’d flipped a switch.
“Do not ever be confused about who is in charge here, Captain Sturdyvin.” Neferet almost spat the words at him. “The archaic ideal that says you are superior because of that insignificant appendage that dangles between your legs does not apply here—nor will it ever again. Do you understand me?”
The captain was breathing hard and staring in glassy-eyed shock at the boy’s body. Lynette didn’t look, but she could hear the snakelike creature tearing and eating Ed’s flesh.
“Do. You. Understand. Me?” Neferet repeated slowly.
The captain blinked. He managed to pull his gaze from the teen to Neferet. His face had gone an odd color between white and green. Lynette thought he looked as if he was going to be violently ill, and for a moment she wondered what would happen if he vomited on Neferet.
“Y-you killed him.”
“Well, I didn’t. My child did. But, as I said, you’re responsible for his death. Now, can you do better? Can you swear to obey my orders without fail?”
“I don’t understand.”
Neferet sighed and turned to face Lynette, who was directly behind her. “He seems especially thick, even for a human. Can you explain it to him?”
Lynette made an instant decision. She’d understood Neferet was ruthless but seeing her command Ed’s death had changed things permanently. Lynette knew one thing beyond all else—unlike Captain Sturdyvin she would survive and thrive, and to do so she would ally herself with the person who could kill them all with a single command. “I can, High Priestess, but I don’t think it would do any good. Men like our good captain tend to hear only what their lives have prepared them for—and he is ill prepared to be loyal to you, which he has already proven.”
Neferet cocked her head to the side and studied Lynette. “I believe you and I have more in common than I originally thought. And I agree with your assessment of the captain.” The High Priestess touched Lynette’s shoulder gently. “Go inside. I will only be a moment more.”
Feeling intense relief, Lynette squeezed past Sturdyvin, who had returned to staring at the boy’s body.
“Captain, it seems there is a mess at the bottom of the stairs that needs to be cleared away. Do that. Now,” Neferet commanded.
“But I—”
“Oh, never mind!” Neferet stepped past him to enter the plane, and as she did she pushed him. Hard.
Completely off balance, the captain fell forward down the steep steps, crying out as he tried to catch himself.
“Children, kill him. Quickly. But no need to be gentle. He doesn’t deserve it.” Neferet stepped into the jet as Sturdyvin’s shrieks went on and on and on.
Lynette pulled her gaze from the round window and faced Neferet as the copilot was coming out of the cockpit, looking pale and confused.
“Are we ready to depart, Captain Schmidt?” Neferet greeted him.
His gaze drifted out the open door to widen as he saw the bloody bodies that were currently seething with terrible black creatures. Sturdyvin suddenly stopped screaming, though his body was still twitching convulsively. The first officer went very still. He pulled his eyes from the gruesome scene to look directly at Neferet.
“You are captain now. Can you or can you not pilot this jet overseas?”
“I can.”
“Then do it. And, Captain Schmidt, your pay has doubled. If you are loyal to me, this will be just the beginning of a very lucrative time in your life.” She paused and added, “That is, unless you are the kind of man who believes he has to be in charge.”
“I am not, ma’am,” he assured her quickly.
“Excellent!” Neferet smiled before calling down the stairs, “Children! That’s enough for now. You have had plenty to eat today, greedy things. Come to me.”
Lynette couldn’t help it. She looked. Again. In time to see several creatures leave the destroyed bodies and slither up the stairs to wrap around Neferet like living strands of ebony. “Now, please close this door, Captain. I cannot abide distastefulness.”
Neferet strode into the cabin to lounge in one of the sumptuous leather chairs as Captain Schmidt closed the door and disappeared into the cockpit.
“Now, dear Lynette, pour me a drink—half blood, half red wine—and let’s chat whilst our good captain gets us airborne.”
8
Other Neferet
“It is really rather simple,” Neferet understated purposefully as she sipped her bloody wine. “As the unfortunate boy mentioned, this evening during the Bedlam game, I was usurped by fools and ingrates.”
Neferet watched Lynette’s reaction closely, but the human woman was adept at controlling her expressions—just one thing that Neferet already appreciated about her—and the only sign of shock she exhibited was to gulp the goblet of red wine Neferet had insisted she pour for herself. Lynette dabbed her perfectly rouged lips before responding.
“High Priestess, I assume we are traveling to the Isle of Skye so that you may attain the forces you require to take back your rightful position.”
“How delightfully competent you are! Your intuition and intelligence please me, Lynette.”
“Thank you, High Priestess.”
“There is no need to be so formal. For now, you may call me ‘my lady.’”
“Very good, my lady.”
“And you are correct, though you misunderstand—which is not surprising. You are only human.” Neferet tucked her legs under her and smiled sublimely at Lynette. “Skye is an island of great and ancient magick. There I will become immortal. When I am a living goddess, I will return to this place that scorned and betrayed me, and as surely as I will reward those who have been loyal to me, I shall wreak vengeance upon each and every one of those traitors.”
Lynette stared at her. Neferet watched her usually placid face shift with emotions she could not hide—fear, shock, and finally accepta
nce.
“I will always be loyal to you, my lady.”
“And unless you give me reason to distrust you, I shall believe that.” Neferet paused and tapped her fingernail against the crystal goblet as she considered Lynette. “My dear, if you could have anything, what is it you would desire?”
Lynette blinked in surprise at the question but didn’t hesitate with her answer. “If I could have anything I would want a villa on the Amalfi Coast, preferably in the old town of Sorrento, staffed and furnished to perfection. I want enough money to be philanthropic, as well as an active businesswoman.”
“What business would you wish to be in?” Neferet asked, intrigued that the human had a ready answer and wasn’t afraid to speak it.
“Real estate.” Lynette’s eyes gleamed with shrewdness. “It is something I have been thinking of since the start of the war. I would purchase large amounts of property in the US—in places people, especially humans, think are dead because of the war. But you will be victorious, and when you are I will own prime vampyre real estate in the heart of the land you control.”
“But you have no intention of living on any of that real estate?” Neferet asked, honestly curious.
“My only intention is to serve you, my lady,” she said quickly.
“Yes, yes, of course. I am simply curious. If I gave you leave to live anywhere you would not choose to return to Tulsa? To perhaps build your Italian villa here?”
“If you gave me leave to live anywhere I would never return to Tulsa,” Lynette said firmly.
“Have you no husband? No lover?”
“I have learned that men require a lot of time. I prefer to spend that time on myself, my businesses, things that bring me pleasure—and taking care of the male ego does not bring me pleasure.”
Midsip, Neferet almost choked on her laughter. Lynette rushed to her with a fine linen napkin and the mixed bottle of bloody wine to freshen her drink.
“Forgive me, my lady. I did not mean to—”
“Do not apologize for speaking your mind. As long as you have something interesting to say, I wish to hear it. Tell me, my dear, what man hurt you?”
Lynette held the vampyre’s gaze. “What man didn’t?”
Neferet lifted her newly filled glass in a salute to the human. “I like you.”
Lynette stood very still. Neferet could see that she was making a decision, and she allowed the woman to take her time—to think through the complexities of how the day had suddenly unfolded. Finally she nodded, as if agreeing with herself, and then she dropped to her knees before Neferet, but instead of bowing her head she kept her face lifted, meeting the High Priestess’s emerald gaze.
“My lady, I ask that I be the first person to swear into your divine service. If you accept me, I give you my promise that I will always be loyal to you. I will always obey you. And I will always, always worship you. Do you accept me, my lady, my goddess?”
Neferet felt shock at the thrill Lynette’s oath brought to her. She stood and bent so that she cupped the human’s face between her hands.
“I have wealth beyond measure. Soon I will be immortal, a living goddess walking the earth. I will literally be able to have anything I desire—except for one thing. True fealty. I cannot buy that. I cannot command that. It must be granted freely, as you have just granted it to me.
“I accept your oath of service, and in return your goddess will protect you, keep you, and eventually grant you your heart’s desire.” Neferet kissed Lynette gently on the lips. “Rise, Lynette. You are no longer concierge or assistant. You are handmaid to the goddess—my first and my most trusted confidant.”
Lynette stood, but only to drop into a deep curtsy. “Thank you, my lady, my goddess.”
“For now, ‘my lady’ will do. The day you call me your goddess will be a glorious one.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Now, please be quite sure that all who are in my service in Scotland understand, if I am betrayed—if any of them breathes one word about me—my children will be loosed on them. Tell them, my dear, so that we might avoid unpleasantness such as what just happened at the airport. Describe to them what it is you witnessed back in Tulsa. In detail.
“But also tell them if they keep their word and are loyal to me, I will pay them handsomely and remember their good service. Whether it is through greed or fear, I will be obeyed.”
“I’ll be sure every one of them knows.” Lynette paused and cleared her throat. “My lady, may I ask a question?”
“My dear, you may ask as many questions as you’d like.”
“Thank you. The beings that appear and disappear that you call children. I do not understand what they are.”
“Of course you don’t. How could you? Vampyres do not even understand what they are; it takes divinity to comprehend something so magickal, but I shall simplify for my beloved handmaid.” Neferet lifted one shapely arm and extended her hand, palm cupped. “My darling, make yourself visible.”
Instantly, Neferet’s hand was filled with the thick, eyeless head of a black creature that twined around her wrist and up her arm to drape around her shoulder.
“They are my familiars—my loyal children. They have been with me since before I was Marked. They will be with me for eternity.” Neferet caressed the creature’s slick head.
“I thought vampyres had cats,” said Lynette.
Neferet laughed. “Are you not afraid of them?”
“I am, but not because they’re snakelike. I’ve never been afraid of snakes. I fear them because of what they did back there—at the airfield.”
Neferet leaned across the aisle and gently draped the tendril around Lynette’s arm. “Show our dear handmaid Lynette she has no need to fear my children.”
The creature slithered around Lynette’s arm, gliding up to her shoulders where it draped itself like a living scarf around her neck. Lynette very slowly turned her head so she could meet Neferet’s eyes. What the vampyre saw there pleased her immensely. The woman was obviously wary, but there was no fear in her gaze.
“May I touch her?” Lynette asked.
“Her?”
Lynette’s lips lifted at the corner. “When you described their eternal loyalty, I inferred that they must be female.”
“Precisely. I do love how delightfully competent you are, my dear. Yes, you may touch her.”
Lynette stroked the tendril. “Soft—she’s softer than I imagined. And she’s warm to the touch. I hadn’t thought that either.” When the handmaid turned her gaze to Neferet, her eyes were alight. “She’s really beautiful. More unique than a cat—more suited to a goddess.”
Neferet felt a rush of pleasure. She hadn’t realized how enjoyable it would be to have a companion who understood her—and her children.
“Exactly! Perhaps that is why no cat has ever chosen me. I never thought of that until now.”
“That has to be it, my lady. No cat chose you because they were not worthy familiars for a goddess. A cat could not perform the service you required of your children today.”
Neferet scoffed. “Not even many cats! And felines have their own ideas about things. My children’s ideas only reflect my wishes.”
“Then they are definitely perfect,” said Lynette.
“As is my handmaid,” said Neferet, ending the word on a yawn.
Lynette was on her feet instantly. As if she’d performed the task every day, she unwrapped the clinging tendril from around her shoulders and gently returned her to Neferet. “My lady, I made sure your sleeping area was made ready for you. We are heading into the east, and I knew that would tire you. Would you like me to turn down your linens and put out your nightgown?”
“No, my dear.” Neferet stood and stretched. “I can manage myself. I would that you remain here, setting our stay in order. I have decided to change things slightly. In a few hours i
nform Captain Schmidt that we will truly be flying to London. While he refuels we will deplane. He is going to file a true flight plan with a continuance to Venice. He will say that his guests, vampyres from the High Council, deplaned to shop and returned to depart for Venice and San Clemente Island.”
“But really you and I will be driving to the B&B just off the coast of Skye?”
“Indeed, we shall. It will take us longer to get there than if we fly to Inverness, but I want secrecy. Hire a limo in London—one that is blacked out and has a privacy partition. Insist on paying cash. The driver should never see me.”
“Yes, my lady. I specified to the B&B that we would also be paying cash.” Lynette’s fingers flew across the surface of her iPad. “And the extra travel time will give Mrs. Muir longer to prepare for your arrival. I assume you will want new linens and blackout curtains?”
“Yes, of course. Who is Mrs. Muir?”
“The owner of the B&B. She will be your cook. In addition, she is providing a housekeeper and a maid.”
“Excellent. All sworn to uphold my privacy?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Very well. Keep Mrs. Muir informed on our arrival time. I expect the staff to be awake and there to greet me no matter when that is.”
“Yes, my lady.” Lynette curtsied before her deeply.
Neferet surprised herself by lifting the handmaid to her feet and kissing her softly again. “Your goddess appreciates you.”
Then with her children trailing her, Neferet retired to the rear of the plane where the windows were blackened and there was a richly appointed bed ready for her, with a cashmere robe draped across it.
Neferet changed into the robe as she thought about the surprise that was Lynette. The woman had given her pause—made her think she might need to reevaluate her attitude about humans, or at least some of them.
Since the volatile day she’d been Marked more than one hundred years before, Neferet rarely spent time with humans unless she was feeding or fornicating—and she’d learned early that humans rarely made good lovers. In her lifetime humans had either been cruel or ignorant—cowards or incompetent fools. But Lynette had shown more loyalty than any vampyre had that day—and more intelligence and instinct than even her longtime Sword Master and protector, Artus, who had stupidly gotten himself killed just when she’d needed him most.
