“How convenient. This way, you can walk away without my blood on your hands and tell yourself you’re better than the men and women who will judge me.”
Elena pulled away from Fin and grasped the bars, looking in on her niece. “How could you do this to your mother?” she admonished, fighting another wave of tears. “How could you break her heart this way?”
Lia’s gaze met Elena’s and for the briefest moment, Fin thought he saw a glimmer of remorse in the girl.
Lia turned away and walked over to the narrow bunk built out of the wall. She laid down and closed her eyes.
Elena stood at the bars for a moment, looking in on her niece, dabbing at her eyes with a Kleenex. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her, his chest tight with emotion. He was intensely relieved that the killer had been caught and aching for Elena at the same time. Of course, had it been one of the sept members, as he had suspected, would he have been any less heartbroken? He loved every man and woman in this town, just as Elena loved her family.
There was a tap at the door and then it opened. It was Kaleigh. She looked pale. “Gair needs to speak to you,” she said, not yet looking at Lia. “Both of you.”
Fin glanced at the cell. “One of us must remain with the prisoner at all times.”
“I’ll stay,” Kaleigh murmured. “You talk to Gair.”
As Elena and Fin walked past her, the two women met each other’s gazes.
“I’m sorry,” Kaleigh whispered. “I’m so sorry, Elena. We all are.”
“Thank you.” Elena squeezed Kaleigh’s hand. “That means a lot to me.”
Kaleigh waited until the heavy door swung shut behind Fin and Elena and then walked over and got a chair from a small desk in the corner of the antechamber. She carried it over to the bars and sat down in it. For a minute she just sat there. If Lia knew she was there, she gave no indication.
Kaleigh had spoken with Peigi and Gair and they told her what was going on. Kaleigh was shocked that the girl could have done such a thing, but relieved that the sept would be safe again. No more tourists would die in their quiet little town.
Kaleigh had been summoned by Peigi and Gair because they needed her to agree they were right to hold the accused prisoner, a practice that was always followed. Peigi reminded Kaleigh of the procedure in cases such as these. Kaleigh did not have to participate in the hearing that would follow to determine Lia’s fate. Peigi said it wasn’t even necessary for Kaleigh to see the doomed teenager, only give her approval for the incarceration and hearing. But Kaleigh had to see Lia. She knew they weren’t friends or anything; they had just talked that night on the porch at Tomboy’s. Still, she needed to see her.
“Why are you here?” Lia asked after a minute or two of complete silence. Below ground and well fortified, the room was like a tomb. “It’s not like I can escape.”
“I came to see if there was anything I could do for you,” Kaleigh said gently.
Kaleigh expected more sarcasm, more flippant words out of Lia. The tiny sob took her completely by surprise.
“What have I done?” Lia whispered. “How could I have killed those boys?” Still lying on the bunk, she raised her hands, staring at them. “How could I have ever thought I had the right to take a life? How could it have made sense to me?”
Kaleigh wiped at her own tears. She couldn’t help thinking that Katy might have been on the other side of these bars. Or any one of the other teens in Clare Point. Even herself, maybe. It was so hard being young. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be this age forever, like Lia. It was only by the grace of God and the love of their families that Kaleigh and her friends did not act on impulse and do something so irreparable as what Lia had done.
Lia sat up, wiping at her eyes. She glanced at Kaleigh. “Your uncle said you were the wisewoman of your family. That’s pretty amazing the way it works with you guys. You get to be young and old.”
Kaleigh didn’t know what to say; she just listened.
“I think it would be cool to be the wisewoman.”
“It is sometimes,” Kaleigh agreed. “But it’s hard, too. Especially now when I’m still young. I’m so conflicted so much of the time. Sort of an adult, a real adult. Sort of just a kid still.”
Lia walked over to the bars. “Tell me about it,” she joked.
“I wish there was something I could do to help you.” Kaleigh stood up and gripped one of the bars.
“It’s okay. I understand. You can’t have vampires running all over the earth, killing the humans. If people like me killed all the humans, how would vampires like you redeem yourselves?”
“You knew about us?”
“Every vampire in the world knows about the famous Kahills.” Lia smiled sadly. “I always wanted to be in your family. Imagined what it would be like, flying all over the earth, saving people.”
“That sounds more exciting than it is. Most of the time it’s just scary.”
“I guess.” Lia lifted a slender shoulder and let it fall. “So how long do I have?”
“A few days. The General Council will meet and make the recommendation that your case be submitted to the High Council. One of our elders will represent you. The High Council will hear your case and then vote.”
“And carry out the sentence,” Lia added, her voice sounding far away now.
Kaleigh stared at the pretty girl on the other side of the titanium bars. “And carry out the sentence.”
“How soon after the verdict?”
Kaleigh didn’t want to answer, but she felt like she owed it to Lia to be completely honest. “Immediately.”
“And my family?”
“They’ll be permitted to leave as long as it’s determined they didn’t play a part in what happened.”
“They had nothing to do with it!” Lia grasped the bars, her hands touching Kaleigh’s. “They knew nothing about it. You have to let them go back to Italy.”
“I’ll do what I can to make sure that’s clear.”
The door opened behind Kaleigh and she saw Fin.
Kaleigh looked back at Lia. “I have to go, but I’ll come back tomorrow.” She started to move away and Lia laid her hand on Kaleigh’s.
“Please come back.” Lia’s voice trembled. “Promise me?”
“I promise.”
Kaleigh left her chair where it was. As she went through the door, she grabbed Fin’s sleeve. She looked into his eyes. Kind, sad eyes. Isn’t there anything we can do? She’s just a kid. I really don’t think she realized what she was doing, she telepathed.
She killed three innocent young men and put our sept in danger. We have rules. She won’t be treated any differently than one of our own.
But she isn’t like us, she countered. She never had the benefit of having an adult mind, adult emotions.
I’m sorry, Kaleigh. There’s nothing that can be done.
Kaleigh glanced back at Lia, who still stood at the bars. “You’ll make sure she’s not mistreated?” Kaleigh asked aloud.
“I promise.” He offered a grim smile and kissed her on her forehead. “Go home, get some sleep.” He winked. “And be careful getting back in that window.”
“You wanna play air hockey?” Rob asked. He and Kaleigh were standing under the arcade’s awning, next to the photo booth.
“Nah,” she said glumly.
“I’ll let you win.”
She cut her eyes at her boyfriend. “You don’t have to let me win. I can beat you on my own. I just don’t want to.”
“Skee ball?”
She gazed out at the boardwalk, watching people walk by. Nothing had changed since last night, as far as the human tourists knew. But every vampire in town knew that the killer had been apprehended and the humans were now safe. Peigi had contacted all the Council members early that morning and the good news had spread. The sobering good news. Everyone was relieved the killer had been caught, but no one was looking forward to the hearing or the inevitable finale.
Kaleigh watched a mo
ther with a baby in a stroller go by. “I don’t feel like playing any games.”
“You didn’t want to go down on the beach. You didn’t want to watch a movie.” Rob exhaled. “I’m outta ideas, Kaleigh. I’m sorry you’re upset about your friend, but—”
“She wasn’t my friend.”
He stepped in front of her and looked into her eyes. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset, K. This wasn’t your fault.” He touched her cheek.
She closed her eyes. “I know. But I still feel bad for her. It’s not like she’s an awful person. She just…she got lost somewhere along the way.”
“There have to be rules. There have to be consequences.”
“I know that.” Kaleigh opened her eyes and rested her foot against the photo booth. “But all I can think about is, what if she was one of us? Wouldn’t we try to help her? What if it was me? What if I’d been held accountable for the deaths of Bobby, Mahon, and Shannon?”
“Entirely different circumstances. You didn’t kill them.”
“What if everyone hadn’t seen it that way? What if I’d been accused? Wouldn’t you have done anything you could to save me?”
“Of course,” Rob agreed. “But I don’t think there is any way to help her. She confessed her guilt.”
“You’re probably right.” She leaned back, her foot still resting on the photo booth. “Why don’t you go play some air hockey? I’m sure you can find someone to play with.”
“I can hang here with you.” He slipped his hands into his pockets. “I don’t mind.”
“Here comes Katy.” She motioned with her chin. “She can commiserate with me. Go on. I’ll be fine.”
“All right, I’ll be back in a few.” Rob gave her a quick kiss and walked away.
Kaleigh watched Katy walk toward her, carrying an enormous tub of fresh boardwalk fries. She could smell the vinegar.
“Hey,” Katy called.
“Hey,” Kaleigh answered without much enthusiasm.
“Want a fry?” Katy held up one of the hand-cut fries.
“Not hungry.”
“Jeez, mopey.” Katy leaned against the photo booth beside her and ate the fry. “I don’t know what you’re so miserable about. I’m the one who ought to be miserable. My BFF in the whole world thought I might be a serial killer.”
“I didn’t think it was you. I knew it wasn’t. I just…” Kaleigh halted, then started again. “You have to admit, you were acting kind of weird, talking about wanting to move. And you were able to open that jar and move that cooler, only you didn’t say anything about the increase in your strength.”
“Sorry I didn’t tell you about that. I just felt uncomfortable about it. You know, like being the only girl in gym class with boobs. It hasn’t happened to most of the guys yet. I didn’t want to be the only one bench-pressing three hundred pounds.”
Kaleigh chuckled. “You worry about the damnedest things.”
“Which is why you love me.” Katy pushed a fry into her mouth.
“Which is why I love you,” Kaleigh agreed.
“So, you going to the Council meeting tonight?”
“I don’t have to.”
“I’d go if I was allowed. Peigi said no one but Council members, though.” Katy frowned. “Said she didn’t want a three-ring circus.”
“I might go.” Because of her position, Kaleigh had a right to sit in on General or High Council meetings, though she did not yet have a vote. “I know Lia’s going to be scared. None of her family is allowed to go. I guess I could go and sit with her.”
Katy studied a fry before popping it in her mouth. “That would be nice of you.”
“What’s Kaleigh doing nice?” Regan came around the photo machine. “Get your feet off, ladies.”
Both girls lowered their feet and stood up.
“Kaleigh might go to the Council meeting and sit with the doomed.”
He looked at Kaleigh. “That would be nice of you.”
“I feel bad for her. What she did was wrong, but if there was some way she could have a second chance, I really think…”
“You think what?” he asked.
“I think she could do great things,” Kaleigh finished with a nod. “It’s just this feeling I have about her.”
“Too bad they’re going to lop off her head.” Katy pushed her container of fries into Kaleigh’s hands. “BRB. Potty break.” She walked away, licking her fingertips.
Regan continued to stand there, looking kind of thoughtful. At least for Regan.
Kaleigh waited.
He took one of Katy’s fries.
“I know this isn’t my place to say, me being the resident drug addict and all.”
“Recovering drug addict,” she corrected.
“Recovering,” he agreed with a nod. “But did anyone consider any alternative to dealing with this kid?”
“Alternative?”
He stroked his scruffy beard. “I keep thinking somewhere in the back of my mind, something like this happened once before.”
“With us? Not any time in the last fifty years. Not since the laws were rewritten and penalties became stiffer.”
“No, it wasn’t us. It was another family. Sixteenth century, maybe.”
“Who?” she demanded.
“I’m trying to remember. Jeez, give me a break. You know I must have killed some brain cells somewhere along the way.”
Kaleigh waited, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, the fry bucket tucked under her arm. “Come on, Regan. I really need you to remember this.”
“I’m thinking it was the Thomases.” He pointed his finger at her. “Lizzy Thomas told me about it.”
“The Thomases?”
“You know them. Well, you did. You will. English. Decent Vs for the most part. Most of the women are redheads. Hot. Even the old ones.” He took another fry.
“You’ve always had a thing for redheads. Can you remember anything else?”
He squinted as if digging mentally into the recesses of his mind. “There was this boy from, I can’t remember, Germany, Yugoslavia…or was it Poland? No, I think it was Germany. Somewhere where they make good sausage.”
“Anyway.” Kaleigh pushed the container of fries into his hands.
“Anyway, the kid got caught up in a bad crowd. Was involved with a bunch of zombies from Istanbul and some ugly murders they committed. The Thomases captured him with the zombies, put the zombies to death, but they didn’t have the heart to behead the kid.”
“Then what did they do with him?” Kaleigh grabbed his arm. This was the first time she felt a glimmer of hope for Lia. Everyone had been so sure the girl’s fate was already sealed.
Regan munched on another fry. “I think…I think Liz said they adopted him.”
“Adopted him?”
“There was this crazy ritual they had to go through that involved blood draining and blood donations.” He waved a French fry in the air. “It was pretty intense. They had to, like, kill him and bring him back in this ceremony.”
Kaleigh planted herself in front of him. “How can I find out what actually happened? I mean, if I can find a precedent…”
“He wasn’t a Kahill, Kaleigh.”
“But we’ve followed other families’ precedents before,” she said quickly.
“When?”
She thought for a second and couldn’t for the life of her remember. But she knew they had. “I don’t know,” she groaned. “I’m telling you we have. Can you track her down?”
“Who?”
“The redhead. Lizzy.”
“Don’t you think you should talk to someone about this before you get your hopes up? Peigi? Gair, maybe?”
“No. I don’t want to give them the opportunity to stop me. It might be a waste of time, anyway. I just want to find out more about this adoption thing. Can you find Lizzy Thomas?”
“Now?”
“Sure.”
He grimaced. “No way. I haven’t seen her since, like, the eight
een nineties. It’s not like I have her phone number.”
Kaleigh made her hands into fists. “There has to be a way. Can’t you…I don’t know. Go to England? Find her?”
“I’m grounded, remember?”
She groaned in frustration. “What about the books?”
“Books?”
“Our records. All those books and piles of papers in the library in the museum basement. All that stuff about vampires.” Before leaving Ireland, the Kahills had buried what they couldn’t take with them, planning to return for it at a later date. Thankfully, they had left all their written records. Otherwise, they would have been lost in the shipwreck. Over the years since then, the books and records, along with other artifacts, had been dug up and brought to Clare Point. “Don’t we keep records of what happens in other families?”
“Some, I guess. I’m not exactly a big reader.”
“This is an unusual case. Surely someone wrote the information down.” She gazed at him anxiously. “Victor would know. He’s the current librarian.”
“He might. Problem is, apparently, he and Mary McCathal are AWOL.”
“AWOL?”
“Absent without leave. No one’s seen them in more than a week. No one knows where they went.”
Kaleigh’s eyes got big. “You think they ran away?”
Regan shrugged and ate another fry. “Possible. Victor was pretty pissed that the Council denied his request to marry Mary.” He grinned. “I like the sound of that, marry Mary.”
“He wanted to marry her?” Kaleigh rested one hand on her hip. “Where was I during all this?”
“Apparently, you were partying with a bunch of humans.”
“I was not partying with them.” Suddenly the fries smelled good and she was starving. She hadn’t eaten all day. “Give me one of those.” She nabbed a fry. “Technically, I’m supposed to get permission from the librarian to look through the records.”
“And you have to get the key from him.”
“And the key,” she concurred. “But Victor is AWOK.”
“AWOL,” Regan corrected.
She made a face. “Whatever. Anyway, I need to get into the library. How do I do that if Victor’s not here?”
“You could ask the Council’s permission.”
Immortal Page 24
