"Go home, Sienna," Jason said, his eyes fixed on the roof.
"What are you going to do?" she asked anxiously.
He turned to look at her and paused to run one finger down her soft, pale cheek. "Don't worry about me. Just go."
FIFTEEN
It's not like l can just go ring the doorbell and ask if I can please have my friend back, Jason thought, staring at the Lafrenière house. He pulled out his cell and called Adam. He had the strong, unpleasant feeling that he might need someone to get his back. Soon.
"Talk to me," Adam said.
"I don't have time to explain, but I need you over at Zach's," Jason told him. "I'll be ... I should be on the roof. North side."
"Why would you - ?" Adam began.
Jason hung up and surveyed the roof. Even a few more seconds could be critical to Tyler. But, since he wasn't freakin' Spider-Man, how was he going to get up there to find out what was going on? Could the ivy and honeysuckle growing up the side of the house be strong enough to hold him? Jason trotted over to investigate.
Not a great option, he decided as he gave the thick, intertwined vines an experimental tug. But the only one that seemed to be available. And, hey, Sienna had climbed up a trellis in his dream, so this had to work. "Here goes nothing," Jason muttered, and reached up to grab a handful of the vines.
He slowly scaled the wall of the house, inch by inch. Leaves tore off in his fingers, but the thin vines held. For now. He moved up one story. Then another.
He ignored the sweat forming on his palms and between his toes. He tried to keep his movements even, putting steady pressure on the vines without jerking.
Snap!
The hunk of ivy and honeysuckle in Jason's right hand broke free. His body slipped, his feet sliding off the wall. His full weight now hung on the vines in his left hand. And he could feel them beginning to give....
One of the smaller balconies was just a little way above him and a few feet to the left. Jason swung out just as the vines tore. With one hand, he grabbed the balcony railing. The metal bit into his palm and the muscles in his arm burned, but he slowly hauled himself up and over the railing.
Jason allowed himself to take a couple of deep breaths, then leaned over the railing to survey the damage. There were no longer any vines in reach above him. Unless...
He braced one hand against the wall and got himself balanced on top of the thin wrought-iron railing of the balcony. Then he twisted his body - and jumped. He managed to grab some of the vines high up above him in each hand. His feet scrambled against the stone wall, then found purchase. He scaled the rest of the wall as quickly as possible, trying to keep his weight on each section of vine for as short a time as possible.
And at last his fingers hit roof. Sweet, sweet roof. Jason pulled himself up onto it. One of the huge glass panes was about five feet away. He crawled over, and what he saw took his breath away.
Sienna had called the meeting place the Garden. Jason had been expecting some sort of conservatory: lots of potted plants under glass. What he actually found was astounding.
Almost thirty feet below Jason, inside the house, smooth, green grass lawns stretched across the entire - top floor of the Lafrenière mansion. Trees stretched up toward the windows, their top branches nearly brushing the glass. Birds of paradise, hibiscus, and other exotic-looking flowers Jason didn't know the names of blossomed everywhere. And a waterfall at the far end of the Garden splashed into a stream that meandered through the man-made glen. It looked like some kind of Eden. Extreme.
Through a cluster of trees, Jason spotted flashes of color. People, he thought. Well, vampires. The trees blocked most of his view. He'd have to move to a different window. Cautiously, attempting soundlessness, Jason crept across the roof toward the next of the enormous skylights.
A mosaic of black-and-white stone dominated this side of the Garden. A huge glass table stood on top of it. And, standing around the table was a collection of Beautiful People. Capital B, capital P. Make that a V, Jason told himself. They were all vampires. But they looked like movie stars playing big-business execs. Power suits on the men. Dresses and skyscraper heels on most of the women, in colors that rivaled the flowers. Five-hundred-dollar haircuts all around. Manicures, of course. The undead knew how to take care of themselves.
Zach was the exception. Not that he wasn't a B.V. Jason had heard Dani rave about his intense dark brown eyes and his black hair and his perfect body. But Zach hadn't gone with a suit. Although Jason was pretty sure - thanks to Dani's fashion obsession - that his jeans were Armani.
As if they'd been given a signal, all the vampires sat down. And Jason felt a rush of adrenaline.
Tyler sat in one of the chajrs. No, "sat" was the wrong word. He was slumped in one of the chairs, his head hanging so that his chin rested against his chest. Motionless.
For a horrible moment, Jason wondered if he was too late. Was Tyler already dead?
SIXTEEN
Jason stared at his friend. From so far away, he couldn't see if Tyler's chest was rising and falling. But after a moment, he saw Tyler's hand twitch. Tyler was alive - apparently unconscious, but alive.
I never should have brought him to Zach's party, Jason thought. I shouldn't have let him get within a hundred yards of any of the vampires.
But Jason knew that that was not what he should be obsessing about now. He needed a plan to get Tyler away from the vampires. And he realized that first he'd have to find out what the vampires were planning. Jason leaned closer to the glass in an effort to overhear their discussion below. He could hear nothing, but he felt something hard pressing into his chest.
Jason twisted around and slid sideways to see what it was, and found that he was lying on a latch. The massive skylight could be opened.
Could he risk it? The ceiling of the Garden stretched high - high enough to allow for full - size trees. Jason decided he could probably ease the window open without attracting the vampires' attention. He flipped the latch and gradually inched the window up. Thankfully, the skylight glided open smoothly and soundlessly. The scent of eucalyptus, bay, and grass filled the air.
Jason scanned the vampires at the table below him. Not one of them glanced up. He could see a guy in a charcoal suit talking. But he still couldn't hear what he was saying. Shit. He'd have to get closer.
Jason chose the thickest branch on the closest eucalyptus tree, which stood about thirty feet from the Council table. Without giving himself time to think, he slithered forward on his stomach and leaned down until he could reach the branch, then he grabbed hold and swung himself into the air. Another branch, another branch. I need another branch, Jason thought, feeling around frantically with his feet. Luckily, he was now screened by the sharp - smelling eucalyptus leaves, but he could only cling to his branch for so long....
One of his toes hit something hard. Okay. Jason carefully got both feet positioned on the branch below, then inched toward the trunk. Now he could hear the man's voice, but not his actual words. He had to get closer still.
His heart pounded as he began to climb - agonizingly slowly - down the tree. He chose each step and handhold carefully, attempting complete silence.
Jason finally paused on a branch about fifteen feet above the ground. At first all he could hear was his pulse thumping in his ears. But the sound faded as his heart returned to its normal rhythm, and he found he could make out what the man was saying. He wriggled around until he could see the speaker through the leaves and branches. All eyes were on him as he spoke. No one glanced in Jason's direction.
"... pawnbroker sold it," the man continued. "The boy doesn't have anything to tell us. He's useless."
So let him go, Jason urged silently.
"So let's dump him before he regains consciousness," Zach said, echoing Jason's thought. "He doesn't know anything. He can't connect us to anything that's happened to him."
Jason suspected Zach was more interested in making the score even between himself and Jason than in Tyler's
well-being. Good enough for now. Glad he hates to owe anyone, Jason thought.
"That's only part of the issue," a woman with a blond bun responded. "He stole from all of us."
"So turn him over to the cops along with the security tape. Stealing from the Lafrenières will be treated seriously by our loyal men in blue," Zach said with a grin, sticking one foot up on the glass table.
The blonde stared at his top-of-the-line hiking boot in disgust, but she didn't comment.
"How many tickets did we buy to the Policemen's Ball, Dad?" he asked the man sitting across the table from him. Jason noted that Zach's father had the same black hair as Zach, but his eyes were lighter, a silvery gray.
"A more than adequate number," Mr. Lafrenière answered. He stared pointedly at Zach's foot on the table. Zach didn't move it. "I'm sure they would be happy to make things very unpleasant for the young man," he added, indicating Tyler with a nod of his head.
Unpleasant was ... unpleasant, of course, but at this point, Jason could easily imagine much worse. He prayed that Zach and his father would convince the rest of the Council not to hurt Tyler.
"'Unpleasant' isn't good enough," the blonde insisted. "There are people out there who know the history of the chalice. If it falls into the wrong hands, our whole community is threatened. He's endangered us all!" Murmurs of agreement came from what Jason estimated to be at least half of the Council.
"So we get it back," Zach said with a shrug. "That's the solution. We get it back, and no one sees it."
Right. No harm, no foul. Jason looked hopefully at the other vampires around the table, to see if they seemed to agree.
"Our newest member of the Council certainly is chatty," put in a woman wearing a diamond ring that could choke a horse, frowning at Zach.
Zach ignored her. "We have the resources to find the buyer." Zach raised one dark eyebrow. "Or am I wrong?" His tone made it clear he was sure that wasn't a possibility.
Everyone else at the table was older than Zach. But he had their full attention. It occurred to Jason that Zach might actually have the cojones to pull this off.
"You're right," the speaker Suit answered. "And, of course, we'll do whatever we have to do to get the chalice back. But that's a separate question. We're talking about what to do with the boy."
"Kill him," a man with collar-length red hair said calmly. Jason bit his lip.
"I agree." The blond woman gave a decisive nod. "We can't tolerate such a lack of respect."
"But it's not as if he knows who we are," a woman with bloodred lipstick told the group. Relief flooded through Jason. "It's not as though he decided to steal from us on purpose."
"Does that matter?" the speaker asked.
"Not to me," the redhead answered. "I don't care about motive. I care about action."
"You care about vengeance," Zach said.
Way to go, Zach! Jason murmured soundlessly.
"That's enough," Mr. Lafrenière barked at Zach. "Being asked to join the Council is an honor. An honor that can be revoked!" He sighed. "We all appreciate the way you dealt with the last... situation, Zach," he added more calmly. There were several nods around the table. "But you were too impulsive. Too wild. You still have a lot to learn.''
Zach dropped his foot back to the ground. "I killed that vampire because he stopped following our rules and started hurting innocent people," Zach said. "We don't murder. Or has that changed?" He looked over at his father. So did everyone else.
The silence that filled the Garden felt as if it had physical weight. Jason found himself holding his breath.
At last, Zach's father responded. "We never feed to the point of death," he said flatly.
"I understand the need to kill a vampire - or a human - who is a threat to us," an older man with a mane of silvery hair said quietly. "But I honestly don't see the danger in letting the boy live. I think we're sliding into the realms of revenge here."
"I agree. I'm not at all comfortable killing him simply because he stole from one of us," the woman in dark lipstick answered.
"All of us," another murmured.
"Murdering a thief is worse than what that vampire did, because we'd be killing calmly and rationally," put in the silver-haired man. "Not in the grip of the bloodlust."
"I don't see the point of more discussion," the speaker interrupted loudly. "It's time for the vote."
Mr. Lafrenière nodded gravely and leaned forward. "I second that."
A vote on whether Tyler lived or died. Jason shook his head in an effort to dispel the horror that was threatening to cloud his brain. He scanned the enormous room, looking for all possible exits. If they voted to kill Tyler, he would have to move fast.
He listened to the voices as each member of the Council handed down a verdict. Six to six. A tie. Now what?
"Shouldn't the decision to kill be unanimous?" someone asked.
"A fine point," Jason whispered.
"We've never required a unanimous vote before," the blonde said.
"Have you ever voted to slaughter a human before?" Zach asked lazily.
Jason saw her stiffen at the word "slaughter." Good.
"Our visitor from the High Council will be here any minute and will cast the deciding vote," Mr. Lafrenière said firmly, before any of the others could respond.
"Of course," the speaker agreed without hesitation, and there was an almost universal murmur of assent from the others around the table.
Okay, now time for a bathroom break, Jason thought. Or everybody downstairs for coffee and doughnuts. Whatever. Just leave long enough for me to get Tyler out of here.
Nobody moved.
If the High Council member voted the wrong way, what could he do? The closest exit - the only exit Jason could see, other than the windows - was back by the waterfall. He wouldn't be able to get Tyler over there without a fight - and he couldn't possibly fight all of them. Would they kill Tyler as soon as the deciding vote was cast? Jason wondered. Or was there some kind of ceremony that might buy him some time?
Jason saw one half of the large double doors by the waterfall swing open. The branches prevented him from seeing who had entered, but all the vampires fell silent. Now there was only the sound of rushing water and the faint rustle of leaves.
Mr. Lafrenière moved out of Jason's line of sight. A moment later, he returned with a woman. Jason could see the top of her head - dark hair in a ponytail - but that was it. Zach's father stood blocking her.
A woman, Jason thought, surprised, but who? Cautiously, he parted the closest branches, trying to get a better look. Was she someone he knew? The mother of someone he went to school with? Or was she from France? Maybe all the High Council members came from the homeland.
He still couldn't see her face, and he was afraid that if he pressed on the branches any harder, one of them would snap. And then Tyler wouldn't be the only one in need of a rescue mission.
"Madame High Councillor, please take my chair," Mr. Lafrenière said. "We've found ourselves at a stalemate. We need you to cast the final vote."
"Of course," the High Councillor answered, her voice low and gravelly. And somehow familiar.
She sat down, and at last, Jason could see her face. He almost fell out of the eucalyptus tree in shock.
He was looking at his aunt Bianca.
SEVENTEEN
So Bianca was a vampire.
Jason stared at her, for some reason remembering the toy bulldozer she'd given him for his fifth birthday and how she'd sat in the backyard with him for hours, using it to make a road. He remembered her visiting him in the hospital when he was eleven and had his tonsils out. She'd taught him how to play poker that day. He remembered her taking him to the best concert of his life in Madison Square Garden when he was fifteen.
And then he remembered her coming out of the pool house on Thanksgiving, leaving Joe the pool guy in there practically walking into walls and giggling. She bit him, Jason realized grimly. Right there in our pool house.
Jason's mi
nd reeled with shock and confusion. How could Aunt Bianca - the person of whom he had so many good memories - be a vampire? How could his mother's sister be a vampire?
His mother's sister. A trickle of cold sweat ran down Jason's back. Aunt Bianca and his mother had so much in common ... could that mean his mother was a vampire too? Sienna had told him vampirism was hereditary.
But... his mother? That would mean he and Dani would have to be at least half -
Jason realized his aunt had begun to speak. He shoved all his questions aside and tried to focus.
"This isn't something I want to do," she was saying, her voice cool and crisp and oh so businesslike. "But our safety has been compromised by the theft of the chalice. We can't allow that to happen. We have to show anyone who may be watching that we will do whatever is necessary to protect ourselves."
Bianca stared calmly at Tyler. "I vote that the boy should die."
And at that moment, Jason mentally disowned his aunt. She knew Tyler. She'd known him since he was a little kid. She'd had breakfast with him that morning. And now she was calmly commanding his death.
Jason frowned, his mind focused and racing now, determined to find a way to rescue Tyler. But there were thirteen vampires down there - terrible odds.
"I'll dispose of him. Not here, of course," Bianca was saying briskly. "Zach, help me get him down to my car. I think he's about to regain consciousness, and the less he sees of this place - and any of you - the better."
Jason saw a glimmer of hope. His aunt and Zach - he felt more confident about taking on just the two of them. And maybe Zach would still be feeling indebted.
Jason's cell phone rang. His body jerked, and for the second time he almost fell off his branch. He yanked the cell out of his pocket and managed to turn it off two notes into "It's a Small World."
He scanned the faces of the vampires. A few of them were glancing around the table as if they'd heard the sound. But no one looked up. Jason checked the number of the incoming call. Adam. He texted a quick message: "Wait. Quiet."
Alex Duval - [Vampire Beach 02] Page 10
