“I’m OK. This time, I think some antiseptic and bandages will do the trick.”
He smiled and started for the parlor again.
When we appeared in the doorway, François, who was still lying on the sofa, gave a very audible sigh of relief. He immediately got up despite his weakness and ordered Phoenix to place me on the couch instead. Phoenix complied and stood next to me for a moment.
“I am going to get you some clothes. I will be back in a minute.”
Turning my attention to my French friend, I was stunned by the look of remorse on his face.
“It’s not your fault, François. He set a trap for us both.”
“He almost killed you because of my incompetence. I am nothing but a fool.”
I didn’t know what to say to ease his anguish.
“I am an idiotic, weak man who could not even stay conscious long enough to stop him from . . .”
His voice broke, and his distress filled me with compassion. I had to reassure him. Despite my pain, I got up and clasped his hands, forcing him to look at me.
“François, he didn’t rape me.”
A glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes.
“He tried . . . but Phoenix’s mark saved me. I found the strength to escape.”
“And for all our security, it would be better if this business about the mark and its effects on you stayed between us,” Phoenix said. My boss had just rejoined us and was carrying a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, a bowl of water, and a first-aid kit. Judging from the way he was ignoring François, I knew that it would take some time before Phoenix forgave him for failing his assignment. I couldn’t say anything about it. They had to settle that between themselves.
My two friends turned away so I could change my clothes. I was sore all over, and I was happy to sit back down again. As soon as I did, Phoenix carefully took stock of my wounds. I had a huge bump on the back of my head, as well as a cut that had left a hideous crust of dried blood above my right ear. Talking made my jaw hurt even more, and numerous bruises and cuts covered my arms and legs.
Despite my protestations, my boss took charge of treating my wounds. He didn’t lose patience, even when I whined in pain as he poured antiseptic over my wounds.
François must have felt uncomfortable and thought it would be best to leave us alone. My boss acted like he didn’t even exist. A few minutes later, I snatched away the cotton gauze that was torturing me with electric shocks with each swipe.
“That’s enough, stop, I can’t take anymore!”
“After all that you have been through the past few months, I did not think that you would still be so delicate.”
“Humph,” I said, offended.
“I have never known you to be so subdued when it comes to insults.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be inspired soon enough,” I grumbled as he put a bandage on my left thigh.
“That would be perfectly entertaining.”
“Ow!”
I jumped in pain when he pulled the bandage tight to make it hold.
“I think the rest will be fine. It is the psychological scars that worry me.”
I got serious again, and said, “I’ll be OK.”
“When I chose you, I admit I never would have thought that there would be such strength in you. I am impressed.”
“I have a good teacher.”
I put my hand on his and smiled. “Forgive François. He did what he could.”
Phoenix’s face clouded over, but he wasn’t annoyed.
“You just cannot help yourself . . .”
“I’m asking as a favor to me. We have to be united if we’re going to have any chance.”
“Fine, since you wish it. But do not count on me to tell him myself.”
“I knew that deep down you had a great heart.”
Exasperated, he sighed, rolled his eyes, and then got up to put the first-aid kit away.
Unfortunately, a few days later, I had to bow before the inevitable. The Greats were coming.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Great” Changes
It was July 15. Good grief, it was July 15!
The time accorded by the Greats to take care of the blood trafficking had passed, they were due to arrive at sunset. It was an utter catastrophe.
Their arrival signaled the condemning of the master vampires in the region as well as their angel, my best friend and mentor. I neglected to think about how his end also meant my own, a poor, insignificant human woman getting in the way of the safekeeping of the Secret.
I was in a state of stress that bordered on madness. Since Karl’s escape, we found ourselves once again at a standstill, waiting for judgment day. Far from panicking, Phoenix welcomed the date of his execution with a calm that I envied. Having noticed my panic and the bad mood that accompanied it, my boss decided to distract me with interminable and exhausting training sessions.
Under no circumstances would I get angry at him for it, because I well understood that his goal was to take my mind off things. He’d also forbidden me from wasting time on “pointless activities” like doing research during the day, and in fact, he’d ordered me to go relax with my friends.
As if I could. I was bursting with energy. Matthew seemed completely befuddled by my attitude and didn’t know where he stood. I was so on edge that the least provocation could make fly me off the handle. The poor guy was paying the price of wanting to tease me about the fact that a stressed-out nurse could hardly take care of a sick old man effectively. He didn’t mean to be hurtful, but I’d literally exploded with anger because, without intending to, he’d reminded me that I was powerless to save Phoenix. Blowing off steam, I gave him the dressing-down of the century in the middle of Danny’s restaurant, in front of an audience of petrified patrons and Danny—all of whom were silenced in shock. I hadn’t spoken to him since.
Angela knew very well what was happening and shared my anxiety. Even though Phoenix had told her he’d do everything in his power to prevent the Elders from punishing François and me, she was worried.
Moreover, my French friend and Angela were seeing each other every night. After each visit, she couldn’t suppress her need to share with me everything they discussed and the extent to which her feelings for him were growing. I was happy for them, unlike my boss who, clearly, didn’t have a high opinion of the matter. I had other concerns.
As we found out from taking up my training again, the influence of Phoenix’s mark was strong in my body. I was faster and stronger, and my senses were sharper. For all that, it was very temporary. The first time, believing the effects would be permanent, my boss hadn’t held back. That worked until my strength suddenly dissipated, and the kick that I should have avoided knocked me down and sent me flying, my lungs on fire.
When he pulled me to my feet, I was completely winded and incapable of walking on my own. Thereafter, having learned our lesson, we took up a pace slightly less than that for vampires. It did me good because I absolutely had to alleviate stress.
The evening before the arrival of the Elders, Phoenix wasn’t going easy on me, and I was so bogged down with worry about the next day that I took hit after hit.
“Good grief, Samantha. Where is your head? I could have killed you at least fifty times.”
Shock and the thought of the next day were monopolizing too much of my brainpower to be able to defend myself correctly; his disappointment was the final straw. I burst into tears and turned away.
“Nothing will happen to you,” he said, coming up behind me and putting his hands on my shoulders.
“I’m not worried about me.”
In the ensuing silence, we only heard the ticking of the clock following its rhythm. I took a deep breath, then turned to meet his eyes.
“Is there no way that they’ll spare you?”
“Our laws are very strict but necessary. I accept my fate, for I know that it will force our replacements to be more vigilant and to save human lives more effectively.”
I bit m
y lip before answering. “But I don’t accept it. What will I do without you?”
Looking at me solemnly, he caressed my cheek gently.
“I have confidence in your strength. You will be able to follow your own path . . . and François will look after you.”
Tears ran down my cheeks again. Unable to stand the weight of his stare, a look that was telling me good-bye, I fell into his arms. Holding me, Phoenix said, “Your friendship has helped me make peace with my existence. I will leave happy, knowing that I met you.”
His declaration broke my heart. When I looked up at him again, he was smiling tenderly. Like an out-of-body experience, I felt myself shudder and put my hands on his chest. I saw the distance between us close in slowly . . .
My hair was undone, I was disheveled and sweating; he was perfect. He’d removed his shirt while we were training, so he was bare chested. The contact with my skin during our embrace had once again sparked an electric charge in my whole being, but with an intensity a thousand times more powerful than all the times before. Feeling his muscles flex under my fingers had amplified the charge, and his particular scent pierced through me like never before.
As I was held captive by his metallic, bluish gaze, some invisible and incomprehensible force pushing us toward each other, my senses that normally encouraged me to keep my distance had shut up for once . . .
“What do you want, François?”
It took me a second to realize that Phoenix, who had spoken so closely to me, hadn’t been talking to me.
My boss had already turned to look at François, and red-faced, I followed suit.
Judging by his stance, François had tried to leave before Phoenix realized he was there. His sheepish look was so funny that I couldn’t suppress a nervous laugh.
“I just wanted to tell you that Talanus called me. You seem to have forgotten to turn your phone on . . . ,” he said, looking at me and then staring at my boss’s naked torso.
Probably prompted by an expression of warning on Phoenix’s face that I couldn’t see, François rushed to continue.
“Well, they want to see us now . . . about tomorrow.”
Phoenix nodded before turning back to me.
“You should rest. I shall see you when I wake up.”
As I was about to wish him good luck, François cleared his throat loudly. Exasperated, my boss turned to look at him.
“Sorry . . . ,” François apologized. “But she has to come too. Ysis’s orders.”
In response to our surprised expressions, our French friend found the appropriate reaction . . . He shrugged his shoulders.
Our arrival at Talanus and Ysis’s property was far less theatrical than the first time. In fact, we were led into their private rooms via a route sheltered from curious eyes and watched over by vampires armed to the teeth.
When Phoenix pushed open the doors leading to the rooms exclusively reserved for his masters, I marveled at the opulent decor. We were far from the somber colors of the manor in Scarborough. Here, red and gold gave the space an almost surreal ambiance.
Everywhere shelves were filled with souvenirs . . . souvenirs from two thousand years’ worth of existence.
Dazed by this incredible sight, I slowed my pace to better contemplate all these marvels . . . and then returned to a more appropriate pace when François walked right into me.
Talanus and Ysis welcomed us into a small room equipped with sofas and cigars. We were only missing brandy to complete the picture of being in a first-class parlor on the Titanic.
Just as intimidating as before, the master of the place gave me an irrepressible desire to run away screaming. Hidden behind the tall silhouette of my boss, I managed to regain control over my emotions. Ysis stared at me with an intensity that would have made the most courageous Navy SEAL shiver in fear.
She signaled for us to sit down in front of them, and immediately a vampire appeared to serve us two glasses of blood and a glass of lemonade. A microsecond later, he disappeared.
“Here we are again.” Talanus’s deep voice made me jump. “Phoenix, we had you come tonight to update you on our situation. According to what you have told us, you have not been able to locate Karl.”
“I looked everywhere he might hide . . . without success.”
“The question is no longer whether we will escape our fate, but rather what arrangements we can make for those will stay behind.”
A silence followed, during which the only sound the vampires could have heard was my heart, fluttering like a butterfly in my chest, as it had been since we’d arrived. Phoenix broke the silence.
“I would like your help convincing the Greats to leave François and my assistant alone.”
Talanus stared hard at me. “For François, that will not be a problem. But it could be difficult as far as your assistant is concerned.”
“She has proven her loyalty.”
“That—”
Ysis interrupted her husband by putting her hand on his knee. “We will take care of it.”
Frowning, Talanus continued, “The Greats are going to ask us who would be likely to succeed us. You must know already.”
“Ichimi and Kaiko,” sighed my boss.
“Despite your differences of opinion, you must admit that Ichimi is the most qualified to take my place. He will figure out how to find these traffickers. I expect you to tell the Greats the same.”
“Even if I dislike Ichimi and Kaiko, they have always been effective in the missions that you have given them. I shall tell the truth.”
Satisfied at that, Talanus settled back into his chair and put an arm around his wife’s shoulders.
“Well, here we are. After an existence like ours, I think I can say that Death does not scare me anymore. It has been a pleasure, Phoenix.”
He raised his glass in Phoenix’s direction. I realized that this was a great mark of respect and recognition when my boss bowed his head and replied, “For me as well.”
This casual conversation about their impending deaths made me nauseous. How could they be so calm and resigned? I couldn’t even drink my lemonade. I glanced quickly at François, who seemed to be contemplating his glass of blood without really seeing it.
“Your friends show you a very rare loyalty.”
When Ysis spoke, everyone stared at her, not knowing if her next remark would make any sense or not. Phoenix clenched his teeth before answering her.
“It seems that one of them makes an exception.” Of course, he was talking about Karl, whose betrayal was still fresh for all of us.
“Loyalty . . . is what will save us all.”
Ysis closed her eyes after making that declaration, so we took the opportunity to glance at each other, trying to see if any of us had understood the meaning behind it. I was wondering if our hostess hadn’t smoked something other than cigars before our arrival.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes and pointed at me.
“You. Stand up.”
Disturbed by the biting tone of her voice, I gave my boss a questioning look; he signaled me to obey. Slowly, I complied.
“Come here.”
Once in front of her, I shifted from one foot to the other out of anxiety. When she leaned forward to inspect my eyes, I couldn’t help taking a step backward . . . and was brought back again by her hand grabbing the front of my shirt. I heard a strange noise behind me, like someone jumping out of a chair.
“Stay seated. She has nothing to fear.”
Phoenix must have risen to protect me, but he had been immediately put in his place by Talanus. Anyway, I had a more urgent problem than what was happening behind me. I didn’t know what Ysis was looking for in my pupils, but whatever it was, I greatly hoped that she would find it and let me flee from her unbearable examination.
“You belong to him,” she said roughly.
Without warning, she imprisoned my head in the vise grip of her hands and focused all her attention on me, ignoring my cries of pain. The sounds of struggle that followed
reached my ears but distantly, because Ysis’s words had propelled me into my memories. I saw myself with Phoenix during our blood exchange, then images from my infiltration of the blood traffickers and my fight with Karl. I felt the pain of the knife in my stomach again from stepping between my attacker and my boss, then saw the wound disappear as I drank from my boss’s wrist. Finally, in a flash, my subconscious remembered what had happened and made me recall my unbelievable behavior, both at that moment with Phoenix and during my fight with Karl at the manor. Then the vision faded . . .
The return to reality was brutal and shocking. I’d fallen to my knees. And I had trouble getting my bearings.
Something strange had happened: Ysis was trying painfully to stand up, trying to recover her breath, something she hadn’t had to do for thousands of years. Behind me, an appalling scene was playing out. François was standing between Talanus and Phoenix to keep them from going at each other. Not a few minutes before, they had shown each other respect, but now they were ready to fight.
“Stop! You’re crazy!” I shouted.
We were on the same side! Well, sure, Ysis had taken me by surprise . . . but that wasn’t reason enough to kill each other. Or almost . . .
“The Night chose her and you . . .” Ysis pointed her finger at my boss, her fangs out. “You marked her!”
Our hostess’s anger was so immense that the walls around us were starting to shake. Ysis grabbed me by the throat and forced me to stand, dragging me unceremoniously to Phoenix.
“How dare you? You were supposed to protect her!”
If such accusations bewildered him, my boss didn’t let it show.
“That is what I did, giving her my blood. That is nothing out of the ordinary. Who could have predicted that the mark would appear? I am not at fault here.”
Ysis’s nostrils flared. “Your human is special. I thought you had understood that, but I underestimated your ignorance. You never should have given her your blood. Now it is impossible to know what effect it will have on her.”
Like a fury, she abandoned me to his arms and started pacing the room, muttering incomprehensibly. My throat hurt, and I’d had enough of her little game. Without my boss being able to stop me, I blocked the Egyptian’s path and met her anger with my own.
Chronicles of an Extraordinary Ordinary Life Page 33
