“What’s that?” Vernadetto asked.
Doc walked over to where Remo now stood between two officers, hands cuffed behind him. Doc punched him in the gut, lifting him off the floor. Remo doubled over, gagging in pain.
“That was for trying to frame Fi.” He nodded to the officers. “Get that disgusting animal out of here.”
Chrysabelle kneeled on the bathroom floor, the pouch containing the gold pipette in one hand and the scroll in the other. She glanced up at Damian. “After I open this portal, it must remain untouched. If the circle is broken, the portal will close and Mal and I will be trapped there. Also, some sound may filter through, but unless I call your name, stay on this side.”
He’d gone to retrieve his sacre while she prepared and now wore it sheathed across his body. He nodded, resting his hand on the leather strap that crossed his chest. “No one will touch this circle.”
“All right. I’m going to begin.” As he came around to her side, she closed her eyes and bent her head. Holy mother, give me strength to accomplish this task. Guide Malkolm as well, and help him do and say all the right things. And please, protect this child I’m carrying.
She opened her eyes and removed the thin gold pipette from the pouch with a steady hand that belied her trembling nerves. No matter how many times she’d done this, it was never easy.
Hopefully, this time would be the last. After this, she and Mal would be able to live a peaceful life. With that thought and a deep breath, she lifted the pipette with the small, tapered end facing her. She inhaled and forced the thought of the pain out of her head, and then she wrapped her left hand over her right and plunged the pipette into her chest.
To his credit, Damian didn’t flinch.
The stabbing pain sucked the breath from her body, but she steadied herself with purpose. This was a small price to pay for a life without Tatiana. Index finger over the pipette’s open end, she slid it from her chest. Blood trickled from the wound and trailed down beneath her leathers.
Using the pipette like a fountain pen and her blood for ink, she traced the portal onto the marble. Circle finished, she copied the signum from the edges of the torn page. When she was done, she sat back. Just as before when she’d drawn the portal for the Aurelian, the blood began to spread inward, filling the circle until a perfect, shimmering circle of blood sat before her.
The surface rippled like it had been touched by a breeze. A flash of golden light gleamed across the blood and the heady perfume of flowers rose up from it. Without question, she knew the scent came from the Garden. The portal was open.
She stood, tucked the map through the strap of one of the sacres crossing her chest, and stepped through.
“Lilith, please.”
After Tatiana’s third attempt to bring Lilith to them, Mal retired to the couch. From there, he watched her, his amusement growing in time with Tatiana’s frustration, but he finally decided to put an end to it. “How many more times are you going to call her?”
Hands fisted at her sides, she glared at him. “You have a better idea?”
“Yes.” He stood and freed a little of the beast so that it spilled into his voice. “Lilith.” The sound came out of him like a thousand voices speaking at once. “Now.”
The darkness swelled, shadows leaking into the center of the room from the corners until they coalesced into a familiar shape. She stepped out of the gloom, arms crossed, anger contorting her face. “What?”
Mal approached her. “Your mother’s been calling you.”
She eyed him warily. “So?”
“When she calls, you come.” Part of him couldn’t believe he was speaking to this monster this way and the other part of him couldn’t believe it was working.
Lilith sniffed. “She’s mad at me.”
“No, she’s not. In fact, she’s got something very special planned for you.”
A little of the pout disappeared from her bottom lip. “What?”
“Not until you apologize.” He pointed back at Tatiana. “Now.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
He leaned in, the beast still in his voice. “Like you mean it or that special thing goes away.”
She pulled away from him, shrinking toward Tatiana. “I’m sorry for killing Octavian without asking.”
Surreal didn’t begin to cover this. “That’s better,” Mal said.
Tatiana’s smile was shaky, but otherwise convincing. “Thank you, Lilith.”
Lilith grinned and pressed her hands together in front of her chest. “What’s the special thing?”
Tatiana moved closer to Mal. Was she that afraid of Lilith or trying to present a more unified front? “My darling, Malkolm and I have decided to take you to the most beautiful place on earth. The Garden of Eden. Won’t that be exciting?”
Lilith looked doubtful. “Why? What’s exciting about it?”
Mal wanted to roll his eyes, but didn’t. Tatiana wasn’t selling this very well. He sighed. “Because your mother has missed so much time with you, she wants to make up for that by allowing you to choose a very special present from the Garden. All the animals there are tame, so you can pick anything you like as a pet.”
Tatiana smiled like Mal had just come up with the best idea ever. Which, clearly, he had. “That’s right. Any animal you like. You pick it and we’ll bring it back here to live with us.”
Lilith’s eyes brightened. “You mean after that we’re all going to live here together?”
“Yes,” Tatiana answered. “You’ll stay here with us from then on.”
She squeezed her hands together. “And I can have any animal I like?”
“Any one at all, my darling. I used to have a cobra. I might get another one while we’re there.”
“No,” Lilith shouted. “Only I get a present.”
Tatiana stiffened and she held her hands up as she laughed unconvincingly. “All right, my sweet, only you get a present.”
If he thought he’d have a chance, Mal would have killed them both right there. A more irritating pair he couldn’t imagine. “Go rest now, Lilith. We’ll call you in just a short time to join us, but we have some final preparations to make before we can leave.” They’d already decided that Lilith shouldn’t see the portal being drawn. If anything went wrong, that wasn’t information she needed to possess.
“You promise not long? I hate waiting.”
Tatiana nodded. “We promise. Not long at all.”
“Fine.” She narrowed her red eyes at them. “But you better not be lying.”
“Go now, Lilith,” Mal said. “Or we won’t call you at all.”
“Hmph.” But she crossed her arms and disappeared.
Chapter Thirty-eight
Sand and rocks covered the earth in every direction except the one directly in front of Chrysabelle. Before her stood a set of gold filigree gates unlike any she’d ever seen. They soared over her, the tops of them disappearing into the clouds scuttling across the blue sky. The wall they were attached to was made of trees; trunks and branches and swathes of leaves all woven into an impenetrable barrier.
The sweet aroma that had wafted through to the other side of the portal was nothing compared to the air now. It was like she could taste the sweetness of the fruit and flowers perfuming the breeze. She closed her eyes and inhaled.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
With a jerk, she opened them again. A being with four wings stood in front of her. A drape of the deepest blue covered him and a soft glow surrounded his body. He had a kind but strong face.
“Who are you?”
“I am Eae, the cherubim who guards this gate.” He held his hand out to his side and a flaming sword appeared in it. The blade twisted of its own accord, spinning slowly.
“You’re not going to let me pass, are you?”
He smiled with the ferocity of a lion. “Your blood decides that, not me.” He stepped to the side and the gates began to open. “And yes, you may pass. Just know that you may not remove anything
from the Garden and you bear the consequences of anything you eat.”
She nodded, shocked that he wasn’t trying to stop her. “I understand. Thank you.” She hesitated. “There are others coming. Vampires. Two females and a male.”
His face shifted into something fiercer, almost hawklike. “Nobles?”
“Yes.”
He scowled.
“Will they be able to pass?”
More scowling. “Yes.”
She glanced at the sun shining in the sky. How was Mal going to know when it was night here? “This sun will affect them just like the sun anywhere else, right?”
“Yes,” Eae said. “But they will never see it. The Garden is whatever its inhabitants need it to be. For them, it will be night.”
“And for me?”
“As you may abide either, you will see it as night when they arrive.”
She sighed with relief. She’d know exactly when Mal got here. “So you know, the male is on my side. But the females with him can’t know I’m here. Please don’t say anything to them about me, but if you can somehow let the male know I’ve arrived, that would be okay with me.”
He nodded. “I will do what I can.”
“One more thing?” She prayed she wasn’t overstepping her bounds. “The portal I came through…” She glanced behind her. It shimmered on the ground, a brilliant red circle undeniably out of place. “Is there any way to hide it from those coming?”
“Sand.”
“Sand?” She picked up a handful and sprinkled it on one side of the portal and the edge disappeared. “Okay, sand.” She quickly covered the rest of it.
A quick thank-you and she hurried into the Garden, unsure how much longer the gates would stay open.
Once past them, the world around her was unbelievable. Not a single cloud obscured the sky on this side of the wall and the brilliant sunlight picked out every color of the flowers and trees and wildlife, making her feel like she was walking through a kaleidoscope. Mist drifted through an abundance of lush, tropical trees and plants in every imaginable shade of green. Beneath her feet, a mossy path wound into the distance. She reached down to touch the grass. The tiny springy blades were silky soft.
Here and there, enormous chunky-barked trees arched over the path, shading the way with dinner-plate-sized leaves in deep bluish-green. Where the mist cleared, sunlight filtered through in a dappled pattern and lit up an array of unusual fruits hanging from vines. Electric bright flowers bloomed everywhere and the scent wrapped around Chrysabelle like welcoming arms.
Birdsong, light and more musical than any she’d heard before, floated around her. The subtle buzz of busy insects hummed along in harmony. There was no sense of anything being afraid of her. She passed rabbits sitting near the path, but they just blinked up at her without running away.
A shadowy length of spotted skin rippled behind some of the foliage. A leopard emerged from a clump of tall spiked red flowers and sat, looking at her with a vaguely curious expression. Chrysabelle froze. This was no varcolai.
But it was the Garden of Eden. Wasn’t it supposed to be peaceful here? Everything in accord? “Nice leopard,” she whispered, keeping her hands very still at her sides.
The beast made a snuffling sound, then got up and came toward her. She held her breath. It brushed along her hip, pushing its big head into her hand, then kept going, disappearing back into the thick. She exhaled, relief sweeping through her.
Glancing back the way she’d come, she saw the gates were closed. She took one more long look around, trying to take in the unfettered majesty of the place, and then she pulled out the map that would guide her to the Tree of Life.
Making note of a few landmarks, she started forward again. From where she was, there was no sign of the tree wall that she’d encountered at the entrance, which gave her the sense that the Garden was much bigger than she’d imagined. And every turn of the path brought more beautiful sights. A waterfall threw a rainbow into the air a few yards from the walkway. Some sort of tiny antelope drank from the pond below it. There were blooms the size of basketballs. Dragonflies that could have carried housecats. Trees that sported too many kinds of fruit to count.
She walked for a while, until she came to a crystal-clear pool of water surrounded by a few tall rock formations. Near one edge, water bubbled up, evidence of the spring at its source. The shape of the pool matched the one on the map, so she turned, walking around it. A trio of scarlet and emerald hummingbirds jetted past.
As she came around one of the rock outcroppings, the vegetation cleared in a circular area, almost like a natural arena. Long tendrils of ivy and flowering vines softened the edges of the surrounding rocks and a cloud of yellow butterflies fluttered through the space. At the center stood a grand tree, perfect in every way, from the thickness of its smooth, golden trunk to the deep, brilliant green of its heart-shaped leaves.
Small, apple-like fruit hung at even intervals, their skin so dark red they almost looked black and so shiny they seemed made of glass. She approached cautiously, unsure what to expect, but nothing impeded her progress. She reached out and touched one of the fruit. It was as cool and smooth as the glass it looked like.
The desire to eat one was overwhelming. Perhaps that was the nature of the tree? She took a few steps back. She didn’t have time to question anything. Mal could be here with Tatiana and Lilith at any moment. She needed a place to hide and watch, a place from which she could strike quickly in case either of them didn’t eat the fruit.
This beautiful, peaceful garden would be the final battleground and as much as she hated the thought of marring this perfect landscape, if it meant safety for her child, she would do it gladly.
She stared up at the tree. The leaves and fruit were so thick that beyond the first few branches, nothing else of the tree was visible. She smiled, nodding. The element of surprise often turned a battle early. With that thought propelling her, she grabbed the nearest branch and began to climb.
“You’re sure?” Tatiana asked. She kneeled on the floor of the sitting room where they’d rolled up the carpet to reveal bare wood. The scroll sat next to her, unfurled.
“Yes,” Mal said. “Turn part of your metal hand into a fountain pen, then use your blood to draw the portal. I’ve seen the comarré do it. I know it’s the way.”
Tatiana sniffed. “I hate that she was such a part of your life. You did kill her, didn’t you?”
“I’m here, aren’t I? Stop wasting time and get on with it.” Every moment with Tatiana was like a year away from Chrysabelle. All he wanted was to be with her again and have this nightmare behind them. Then he wanted to press his hands to her belly and feel his child within her.
“Why are you smiling?”
Damn it. He was. “I was thinking about how nice it will be when this is over with.”
Tatiana smiled back, tipping her head coyly. “Won’t it?” She lifted her metal hand and a fountain pen formed between her fingers, and then she lifted her wrist to her mouth and bit down. With a soft curse, she dipped the nib into the blood spilling from her vein.
“Make a circle large enough to step through,” Mal said.
“I know.” Tension edged her voice.
He let her continue without speaking again. She drew the runes into the center of the circle, stopping twice to reopen the vein in her wrist as it healed.
Finally, she sat back. “I don’t see how this is going to—bloody hell, look at that.”
The blood began to spread, filling in the empty spaces as it expanded. Mal nodded. “You did it.” Amazing, considering how little she liked following directions.
She got to her feet as the pen in her hand became fingers again. “Now what?”
“Wait…” Mal studied the portal. The blood touched the sides of the circle and a flash of gold gleamed across the surface. “There. It’s open.”
Her lids fluttered and her mouth opened. “Do you smell that? Like watermelon and fresh-cut grass and flowers.”
> “And sunlight,” he added. The perfume flowing through the portal dug into his brain and picked out his few remaining memories of summer, a smell so rich and so rare it almost buckled his knees.
Beside him, Tatiana wept a single tear. She swiped at it. “I haven’t smelled that since… I don’t know when.”
He turned away, ignoring the wrenching longing that had come alive in his chest. Chrysabelle is already there, waiting for you, he told himself. “Call Lilith. The sooner this is over, the better.”
She opened her mouth.
“Wait.” A thought struck him. “How do you know it’s going to be night when we go through? It doesn’t smell like night to me.”
“It’s okay,” she answered. “The ancient one reassured me that the Garden becomes whatever you need it to be. I assume when we step through, it will change to night if it’s not already.”
“I hope you’re right.” Because if she was, the shift would alert Chrysabelle that they’d arrived and she’d be able to take cover until the right time. “Go ahead, call the little monster.”
“Mal.” Tatiana glared a warning at him, then put on a mask of happiness. “Lilith, my darling, come to me. We’re ready for our trip.”
Without hesitation, a sliver of shadow invaded the room and turned into Lilith. “I’m here.” Her eyes were round with excitement and Mal wondered how the Castus hadn’t realized that feeding their blood to a child would end up creating such a mad, twisted being. In a way, he felt sorry for Lilith. Her true family, her childhood, and her slim chance at some kind of normal life had been ripped away from her. He knew what that loss felt like from a father’s point of view, but did she? Did she remember anything of her life before she’d become a pawn in this horrific game?
Perhaps death would be a welcome end for her. “Thank you for obeying so quickly,” he told her. “Tatiana, why don’t you go first, then Lilith, then I’ll follow.”
“No,” Lilith barked. “I’m going first. It’s my present.”
Tatiana stepped back in surrender. “You go first, then.”
Mal pointed at the portal. He couldn’t have been more over this whole thing if he tried. At least Lilith going first was a great way to test if the sun was still up. “There. Go.”
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