by Lisa Olsen
“Alright,” I breathed, taking a step backwards. “Well, you know where I’ll be once you sort things out in your mind.”
“I can’t promise that I ever will.”
“Forever is a long time, and I will always love you.” I knew that as surely as I knew my own name. Things might be irreparably broken between us, but I would always have a place for him in my heart, whether he wanted it or not. “Goodbye, Bishop.” The words were harder to say than I’d thought they would be.
It looked like they hurt him too, and when he didn’t say them back, I turned to go. I only got a half step away when Bishop pulled me into his arms, his mouth claiming mine in a punishing kiss. I didn’t know what to think, but I didn’t need to. My body reacted to his, showing him all the love I had to give when words were not enough. His kiss softened, and I felt a flare of hope in the passion that resonated between us. Hope kindled into desire as his hands traveled over me possessively, and I dared to think he might have changed his mind until he caught at my wrists, pulling me roughly away.
“Stop it,” he breathed raggedly, his eyes squeezing tightly shut. “I can feel you getting to me.”
“That isn’t me, Bishop. What you’re feeling, that’s all you,” I insisted, but I could see he couldn’t allow himself to believe it. And then I knew what I had to do. The only way he’d ever be free to find his way back to me if that’s what he wanted. Despite my promises, I caught hold of his will, making sure I had him completely before I spoke.
“I release you from any compulsion I’ve made, inadvertently or deliberately. Not only will you regain your own free will, you won’t let me compel you ever again. Do you understand?” I had no idea if such a thing would work, but it was the only thing I could think of to try.
Bishop nodded faintly, blinking when I let go of him. “What did you just do?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“I set you free. If you feel the need to out me to the Order or whatever, so be it, but I released you from keeping any of my secrets. I did my best to rescind any hold I had over you. Whatever you feel now, it’s all on you.”
Bishop stared at me with a mixture of longing and suspicion. Or maybe he just had a stomachache. Whatever romantic gesture I’d been hoping for crumbled into dust when he turned on his heel and walked away.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Have you ever watched that sci-fi TV show from the nineties, Sliders? The basic premise is, there are a bajillion other dimensions in which our doubles exist on other Earths. The main characters had a device to slide between dimensions, always searching for the one unique Earth they’d left behind. Apart from having a huge crush on Quinn (I’m not ashamed to admit to writing Mrs. Anja O’Connell in a few notebooks back in the day), I loved the endless possibilities each world brought. Sometimes it was as silly as all the women having facial hair or the men wearing skirts, but it was always fun to watch them learn the similarities and often horrific differences between realities.
As we touched down in Los Angeles, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d slid into an alternate dimension. One where Anja Evans never existed. Everyone around me behaved as though I was now this powerful vampire Anja Gudrun through and through, entourage and everything. A limousine waited to take us from the bigger jet to the smaller aircraft bound for San Francisco. Felix Hannover, Warden of the West, bowed over my hand with the utmost respect, asking me to give him a call soon. Maggie and Ellie (who thankfully had gotten along fine during the long flights) waited patiently, as if awaiting my next command before they moved. Even Rob acted more like a professional bodyguard than my friend, more concerned with seeing to our plane than standing by my side.
Speaking of friends, Bridget stayed behind with Felix, giving me a quick hug and the key to her apartment, letting me know I could crash there until she came back. If she came back. From the sparks I saw flying between them, I started to think my bestie might never return to the land of fog and our three story walk up.
The biggest shift from the reality I’d known was Bishop’s absence, and it felt like a piece of my soul was missing. Bishop was well and truly gone, and I had no expectation that he’d show up in a Hallmark movie moment. It wasn’t like before, when he was just being stubborn or Jakob had come between us. There was nothing I could say to make things right.
I wouldn’t be running into him at the local vampire bar. With us on different continents it was really over unless he had a change of heart. From the way he’d last looked at me, I had no faith of that happening anytime this century.
I’d wanted to go home because I missed the familiar, but there was nothing familiar about the way I returned. The old apartment I shared with Bridget seemed foreign to my eyes. In my short absence, she’d stripped my old room and decorated it with a goth-pixie motif, featuring a lot of black and purple with the occasional touches of silver sparkle. I liked it, but it wasn’t particularly my style. Ellie loved it though and promptly called dibs before passing out as the sun climbed higher in the sky.
I let Maggie have Bridget’s room for the time being, figuring I’d take the couch since it wouldn’t matter much to me where I slept once I zonked out. Rob lingered by the door once everyone got settled in for the day.
“Get some rest. I’ll be back to collect you when the sun goes down.”
“You’re coming back?” Somehow I’d thought that would be the last I saw of him for a while.
“I thought you could use an escort to the Hart.”
“Why, is there a party or something?”
“Something like that. It’s bound to be all over town you’re back. You’ll be expected to put in an appearance and you can’t disappoint your public.” Rob cracked a smile when he saw my reaction to having a public. “I figured it would be a good way to bring Maggie and the bitty-vamp onto the scene, make it known they’re under your protection while you still have mine.”
That seemed like a much better reason to go out. “That’s a good idea, thanks. And thanks for flying back with us.”
He shrugged it off. “You did me the favor letting me tag along. I’ll see you tonight then, yeah?”
Relieved I wouldn’t have to say another goodbye just yet, I escorted him to the door, locking up tight behind him. I made sure all the blinds were secure before I flopped down on the couch to get some rest of my own.
*
It was crazy busy at the Bleeding Hart when we got there the next night and I didn’t recognize at least half of the vamps in there. Flanked by Maggie and Ellie with Rob bringing up the rear, I didn’t think we’d find a spot to sit together. Despite the crowd we were shown to a private table, our drink orders taken almost immediately.
After we were settled with our drinks, Rob waved over two vamps to join us. They looked vaguely Slavic in origin, close enough to be brothers with short brown hair, their eyes obscured by sun glasses. But what really made them so similar were the identical black suits and the way they both stood at attention before the table.
“This is Gunnar and Isak.”
I expected them to click their heels and salute, but all they did was nod in turn as he introduced them.
“Nice to meet you,” I nodded back, wondering why he’d waved over such a stiff pair. “Would you care to join us?”
Instead they moved to stand behind the table, flanking me on each side. “They’re your new bodyguards,” Rob explained.
“Oh, isn’t that nice,” I kept my smile bland. “Um, Rob, can I talk to you for a minute?” Without waiting, I rose from the table, turning to stop when I realized that the pair were right behind me. “Alone, okay fellas?”
At a nod from Rob, they returned to the table and I waited until we were nearly to the door (the least populated part of the bar) before I leaned to whisper by his ear. “Are you nuts? I can’t pay these guys.” Had he somehow bought into all the hype?
“It’s been taken care of.”
“Jakob?” I ventured a guess, but he shook his head.
“No, I saw to
it myself.”
“You did?” I blinked. “But why? You shouldn’t have to pay for something like that. I’m not even convinced I need it.”
“It’s my fault, me leaving you in the lurch like this. Whether you think you need it or not, you’ve become a public figure. I can’t go leaving you unprotected.”
“Then don’t go.” For as hard as it was to break things off with Bishop, I was surprised to find how tough it was to think about losing Rob on top of it. Almost instantly I wished I could take the words back though, when I saw the pained twitch of his brow. “I’m sorry, that was selfish of me to ask. I know you have your own life. I just wish I could make you stay.”
“Yeah well, apart from Jakob, I’m the only one you can’t compel, so don’t be getting any ideas,” he chuckled. “Now, you’d best return to your table. The crowd is getting restless.”
Rob was right. Among all the people in the world, he was one of the few I never had to worry about compelling, whether I meant to or not. His comment about getting back to my table distracted me from thinking about it further though. “What do you mean?”
“It’s time for tithing, they’re waiting for you to begin.”
“Tithing?” The only thing I knew about tithing was when you gave a percentage of your income to the church. As far as I knew, vampires didn’t have a religious organization. Cripes, did they? “I didn’t bring any money with me tonight,” I whispered.
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, I took care of your contribution to the magistrate already. And before you get your knickers in a knot, that came straight from Jakob, not my pocket.”
“Oh, that’s okay then,” I breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re not leaving, leaving yet though, are you?”
“I’ll see you home safely, never you fear. I’ll be by the bar if you need me,” he assured me. “Off you go then, the twins look fit to bust.”
There wasn’t any real ceremony involved with collecting the tithes. Jarrod and Leander produced a strongbox at their table. Everyone came up and placed an offering inside the box and Leander wrote their name down on a yellow legal pad. When they were done, they approached my table, strongbox in hand.
“I already gave at the office.” Was I supposed to have a receipt? Where the heck was Rob…?
“She’s a riot, ain’t she?” Jarrod elbowed his brother and he nodded with a silly grin.
“S’truth. We already collected the tithing for the magistrate. This here is for you.”
“For me?” Somehow I managed to say the words in my regular voice instead of a squeak.
“For your protection.”
“My protection…” I repeated blankly, looking for Rob who stood at the bar with a hint of a smile on his lips. I shot him a look that said you could have warned me. “Against what?”
“We were all of us pleased as punch when you defended your territory against Aleksandr Kursik. Everybody knows what his lot was like.”
My territory. Did I have a territory? When had that happened?
“So we decided to take up a collection in appreciation and for your continued protection,” Jarrod proclaimed amidst a round of cheers and more drinks were brought to the table. For the next few minutes I had a surge of admirers approach the table, but not too close, thanks to my new bodyguards’ forbidding appearance. Once it died down a little, I tried to draw Jarrod and Leander back into private conversation before my head exploded from all the unanswered questions.
“Won’t the, um, magistrate protest this?”
“As long as the Elder gets the tithe owed, I don’t see how he could,” Leander shrugged. “Besides, it’s been said you’re in good with the Warden, so he likely won’t object. The fact of the matter is, nobody here cares much for the magistrate and he spends most of his time down in LA anyways. We’d much rather come to you.”
“What will you be coming to me for?”
“Counsel, like you’ve already given so selflessly.”
“And sanctuary,” Jarrod added with a touch to his nose.
“Sanctuary from what?”
Leander gave me a reassuring nod. “It’s alright, there’s no Order in here tonight. You can speak freely.” He was right. I hadn’t noticed it before but Mason, Cage, Corazon… none of them were in the bar. “We’ve heard you speak out against the injustices of the Order and it’s given us courage. There are those here tonight that have escaped the Order’s justice. To hear you speak so openly of defying them…”
“I never said anything about defying them openly.” I stopped him right there, my stomach already burbling with unease when they started bringing the Order into it.
“No, course not. But we’re not without our own resources, you see. With your protection we might offer true sanctuary to them that needs it.”
“Sanctuary… what a lovely idea,” Maggie smiled at Ellie, who gave her an enthusiastic nod, her mouth full of beer.
“Yes, sanctuary is a great concept, but I’m not sure what you expect me to do. If the Order catches any of you breaking the law, I won’t be able to protect you from them.”
Ellie swallowed, starting to object to that. “But you…”
“Shush, Ellie. Not now.” I gave her a quelling stare, prepared to compel her if necessary to keep from airing my dirty laundry in public. I could see we’d have to have a long talk later. “I don’t want to mislead you. I do have friends in the government and I’ll do what I can to help anyone who needs it, but I can’t openly challenge the Order. No one can.”
“It’s all we can ask for,” Jarrod beamed, clapping his brother on the shoulder as he raised his glass. “To Anja Gudrun, Jarl of the Northwest!”
Sweet zombie Jesus… had I just seceded our town from the nation? Had I elected myself ruler of my own kingdom?
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Read on for a special preview of Lisa Olsen’s novel, Moonsong, available now!
Books by Lisa Olsen:
The Touch
Pretty Witches All in a Row
Moonsong
Nine Steps to Sara
The Fallen Series:
Angel of Mercy
Mercy for the Wicked
Mercy for the Damned
Child of Mercy
Forged Bloodlines Series:
Wake Me When the Sun Goes Down
Meet Me When the Sun Goes Down
Find Me When the Sun Goes Down
Miss Me When the Sun Goes Down (Fall 2013)
For more information, visit the author’s website at http://www.lisaolsen.net
Moonsong
Chapter One
West. “Just keep driving west ‘til you hit water. I’m serious Millie, don’t slow down for more than a pit stop ‘til you get there, or they’ll find you… and they’ll never stop coming…” Amelia could still hear Luc’s voice, low and urgent in the darkness as he practically pulled her from bed in the dead of night. It took everything she had to keep her concentration on the road and away from the inevitable path it took when she thought back to… how long had it been? Somehow it felt so much longer than the night before. Millie shook herself out of the reverie; she’d do her damnedest to follow Luc’s advice, it was the least she could do after his sacrifice. Her jeep pointed resolutely west, eating up the miles as she went as fast as she dared, given her lack of sleep.
Nearly twenty hours she’d been on the road, stopping only to fill up the little red jeep and her stomach with gas station food. Long past was the time for coffee; Amelia had moved on to energy shot drinks, desperate to keep alert long enough to reach the elusive sanctuary with the grandmother she’d never met. Though how a grandmother could keep her safe from those animals…
Routinely checking the rearview mirror for signs of pursuit, Amelia spared a moment to wonder how she’d actually spot a tail, since her experience was strictly limited to old reruns of Charlie’s Angels. Catching sight of her dark eyes in the mirror, they blinked back at h
er, red rimmed and puffy from crying. Well, that was to be expected when she’d spent most of the past twenty-four hours blubbering like a little girl. It wasn’t like she normally cried at the drop of a hat; Millie hated showing any weakness in front of others, but if there ever was a good reason to cry… A little surprised she even had tears left, she looked away quickly as they misted over again, focusing on the road.
After a well meaning convenience store clerk offered to call the cops for her if she needed help, she had to take a few minutes to straighten her appearance as best she could in the dingy bathroom. Amelia pulled fingers through wildly tangled hair that normally hung down her back in long chestnut waves. A quick wash of the face made her pale skin less blotchy from crying, and a fevered bit of scrubbing made the few spatters of blood on her shirt look more like old barbecue sauce, though she was keenly aware they were not. If it was unusual for a girl to be out on the road by herself in the middle of the night without a coat or socks, Millie tried to carry it off with deliberate casualness, thankful for the mild weather.
But her eyes… no amount of cool water or cold compresses could remove the haunted look from eyes that had seen more horrors in the past twenty-four hours than anyone had a right to bear.
West… she had to keep going west and find her grandmother in a place called Cutter’s Folly; that was all she could focus on for the moment. Once she got there, well, then she’d have to worry about how to find the woman she’d never laid eyes on. Then she could fall apart and really grieve.
*
The wide open expanses of the desert gradually gave way to the mountainous, tree covered terrain once she hit California. Though she had to admit it was pretty in a lush sort of way, Amelia found herself a little wary at being so surrounded. Especially knowing there were others out there tracking her, if Luc was to be believed.
The closer she got to Cutter’s Folly, she found herself more and more on edge; the lack of sleep and energy drinks making her jump at shadows both real and imagined. It was only by a stroke of luck she managed to see the exit sign that led to Cutter’s Folly. Whether by neglect or design, an ancient pine tree all but obscured the sign; the exit masked by a cover of undergrowth, almost as though the forest had reclaimed the road for itself.
