“He? He, who? Pierre?”
“The one you gave your heart to.”
A man? Not bloody likely. Not in this lifetime, or the last, or the one before that. Tory was consistent, if nothing else, and she consistently went for women. She’d never given her heart to a single man. Except…
“You can’t possibly mean Roland.”
“He is the one.”
Well, this ghost was way off base. Tory stood up and, looking away, said out loud for the first time ever, “You don’t understand. I destroyed him. No, that’s not even right. I didn’t just destroy him. I staked him inside a coffin and, for good measure, made sure he was bricked inside an unmarked crypt so the world would never even know his final resting place. I wiped him from the face of the earth.”
*
“This is going to get ugly fast,” Nathan whispered in Naomi’s ear.
Yeah, well, she’d already figured that out all by herself. Didn’t take a rocket scientist to see trouble brewing at an epic level outside the front doors of the cathedral. Naomi just wasn’t sure how to quell the simmering violence lurking just beneath the surface of the crowd. Naomi stood one step in front of Nathan, with Adriana and Colin right behind him. The four of them presented a small but solid wall of reason. She eyed the growing assembly warily, searching for any sign of trouble about to erupt. What to do?
A hand gently squeezed her shoulder, and when she glanced back, she was surprised to see Karen. She was in uniform and her face mirrored the worry that creased Nathan’s. Naomi didn’t know where she’d come from, but she was awfully glad to see her.
“We gotta do something before this gets out of hand,” Karen said quietly into her ear.
“I know.” She answered just as quietly. “Tell me you’ve got a brilliant idea.”
“Don’t I wish, sister.”
“Not very encouraging, Karen. You pick up anything at all?” Maybe her sensitivity could give them a glimmer of an idea of how to keep this crowd from going out of control.
Karen shook her head. “These guys are way too alive for my skill set to help. The way things are going, though, it won’t be long before somebody ends up in the ground, and then I can help you.”
“I’d like to get this stopped before that happens.”
“Back at ya. I’m not in the mood for bloodshed tonight. Too much paperwork.”
How she loved this woman. Karen wasn’t just a necromancer or a cop; she was a light when darkness fell all around her. If only those standing before her could find themselves touched by the magic Karen possessed. Maybe then the frightening mood could be defused.
This wasn’t the first time she’d encountered displaced anger and fear. It had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. Being different had a way of doing that. She wasn’t a vampire, a werewolf, a witch, or any other being of enhanced ability. No, she was a good old-fashioned human. What set her apart was her sexuality, and that seemed to rile people up as quick as, sometimes even quicker than, the preternaturals.
That she was a lesbian bothered more than a few. Fortunately, none of them were in her family. There had been plenty everywhere else over the years, including when she was a hunter. Colin had been one of the few she’d trusted enough to be honest with. Not that he’d hit on her or anything like that. On the contrary, they’d become good friends during the years she’d carried a sword.
Others had not been as tolerant as Colin or her family. She’d been called names, shut out of organizations, made to feel something less than human. It had taken her a good many years to find balance, and she found it through God and this place. The cathedral and the church family embraced her and never made her feel anything less than what she was.
The church had rescued her when she didn’t feel worthy of being rescued. She’d abandoned what she’d believed was her calling and had lost the woman she’d considered her one true love. The church had saved her and now it was her turn to pay back the favor. It was time to take a stand.
“Please.” She shouted to be heard over the growl of the crowd. These were humans, yet the sounds that rippled through the air reminded her too closely of animals. It shot a shiver of fear up her spine. “Please, listen.”
Someone yelled back from the crowd. “Nobody’s gonna listen to you, preacher. You’re protecting killers!”
“Bring them out!” screamed another, and cheers rose in the night air.
Nathan leaned close and whispered in her ear. “I think we need to wait for the special-forces folks to control this crowd. This could get violent really quick, and there’s too many of them for us to hold back. We don’t stand a chance.”
Naomi shook her head and thought of the Book of Luke. Loudly, in order to be heard over the crowd, she began to quote, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” The rumbling in the crowd lost some of its intensity as she recited the words.
Taking heart with the change even as small as it was, she continued. “This is a place of peace, a place where all are welcome. You are welcome, all of you, but only if you enter in peace. No blood will be shed in God’s house.”
“We just want the killers.” A deep voice rang from the fringe of the crowd. “Bring us the killers and we all go away.”
“There are no killers here.” Not quite the truth. Both she and Colin had taken their fair shares of lives, and the vampires in her crypt? Killers perhaps, but not in the context of tonight’s chaos-embracing crowd. She doubted anyone in front of her would care about that particular distinction. They wanted blood and not of the human variety.
“You’re lying,” someone else screamed.
She sensed when both Colin and Nathan tensed behind her. She stepped back until she stood between them, laying a hand on the arm of each. Then she focused on the crowd once more. A low murmur erupted, though no one moved that she could tell. She sent a prayer of gratitude skyward for that.
“I give my word, you have nothing to fear from anyone in this church tonight. All of us,” she waved her hand behind her to encompass everyone on the steps as well as inside the cathedral, “want to find and stop this monster just as much as you do. But I tell you again, the person, the thing, you seek, is not here.”
By this time, police presence had arrived in numbers sufficient to surround the crowd, and Karen moved away to join them. Black-clad officers with dangerous-looking weapons watched the crowd with rapt attention. Naomi prayed silently the weapons trained on the people wouldn’t be used. More than anything, she didn’t want blood spilled, either human or preternatural, on the church grounds.
After standing motionless with her hands clasped in front of her for what seemed like hours, to her great relief, the crowd at last began to slowly and methodically disperse. It started with one or two people losing steam and gradually increased until the mob fell apart.
Mutters of unhappiness could be heard as groups of people broke apart and moved in all four directions. Fortunately, nothing more was said or done that might incite a violent reaction from either the crowd or the waiting police. A single misstep by any one of them could trigger an outpouring of violence. One werewolf had already lost his life for no good reason, and she would do anything to make sure it didn’t happen to another. Darin was one casualty too many.
For nearly an hour, people slowly wandered away and the four of them stayed on the steps in front of the doors until SWAT loaded up and cleared out as well. When everyone, including Karen, was at last gone, Naomi let out a breath and turned around.
“That was close, but praise Jesus, no one was hurt.”
“That was pretty fucking amazing,” Nathan said, shaking his head. “
I don’t know how you did it. If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I wouldn’t have fucking believed it.” He touched her cheek. “Always said you were more than a pretty face.”
“Come to church sometime and maybe you’ll get it.” She squeezed his hand. “Miracles happen all the time, brother. And you bet I’m more than a pretty face.”
He snorted. “Yeah, well, that’s not gonna happen, sister. This shit might work for you but I’m still a bona fide skeptic. Me and church? Not in this lifetime. Now, why don’t you gather your vamps and get the hell out of here before something else blows up. You’re on borrowed time as it is.”
Even if she wanted to pinch his head off, Nathan was right. They were tempting fate by staying here. She needed to get these people to safety and then they could figure out who—or what—was behind the murders. Sooner rather than later. Patience and calm heads won out this time. She’d be a fool to think the same thing would happen next time.
“Come on,” she said to Colin and Adriana. “Let’s go get the others.”
Chapter Thirteen
“No, no, no.”
The crowd had pulsed with anger, poised for an incredible outburst of violence. So close to storming the Bastille. Exactly what he’d been aiming for. He’d been licking his lips, ready to embrace the charge. Then that bitch came out on the steps and talked them all down. The whole fucking crowd! Fury turned his vision red, and he had to force himself not to burst through the doors, sink his fangs into her neck, and drain her dry. Would serve the bitch right.
He would find out who she was, and when he did…she’d be done. He wasn’t about to give her a second chance to thwart his finely laid plans. Too much time and effort had gone into the planning, and even after this setback, he was far from done. This was going down, one way or the other.
Unfortunately, at the moment his hands were tied. The damage was done or, rather, undone. Until the crowd dispersed there’d been real potential in its collective anger and discontent. Blood should have been pouring down the broad concrete steps, turning them from gray to crimson. At first, he’d really believed the spreading anger was strong enough to keep the crowd intact. His belief was misplaced. The city wasn’t quite ready. The mood wasn’t quite to the point of explosion, and that’s what he needed to flush her out into the open.
Or, more precisely, to flush her out into the open…alone. She’d gone into the Library of Congress with the man who’d also come to the steps of the cathedral with the woman preacher. A hunter. And what was even worse? The woman preacher was one too. He wasn’t fooled; he could smell them a mile away. There wasn’t a vampire on the planet that didn’t spend far too much time eluding the bastards. They were an itch he could never quite rid himself of. Every time he turned around, one was there waiting and anxious to put a stake in his chest and separate his head from his neck. Different cities, different faces, same goal: to destroy him and the few left in the world like him.
Now, here was not just one of the assholes tagging along with his one and only, but two. It wasn’t just wrong, it was obscene. Vampires and hunters did not, under any circumstances, coexist. With relish, he’d done his best to obliterate as many of them as he could.
The one disturbing discovery he’d made not long after being freed from his unholy confinement was that very few vampires were left, at least that he could find. When he’d been entombed, many of his kind had roamed the earth, or so he believed. They ruled the darkness and had been free to take as they pleased.
He wasn’t sure what had happened in the intervening years. He did know, though, that the number of vampires seemed to have dwindled until he could count them on one hand. There had to be more, had to be. He just needed time to seek them out.
His game now was as much to terrorize Victoria as it was to shake up the vampire world. He wanted them to come out. He wanted them to help him. It was past time for the vampires to stand tall and take what was rightfully theirs. After all, most of them had been around long before the humans who screamed in terror at their mere presence. It was their time to rule, and hunters like the dark-haired man on the church steps or the pious preacher beside him could just go straight to hell. He’d be the first in line to send them there.
As things unfolded, he’d wanted to scream at all of them. But after he took the time to really assess the situation, he had to admit that this was a minor setback. All in all, things were going along well enough. The humans were in an uproar despite tonight’s retreat. They’d already taken the life of one. A little nudge here, a little push there, and things would head in the right direction. Before anyone realized what was happening, chaos would reign. It would all work out to his advantage.
The anticipation of her kneeling before him was almost too much. He’d been waiting for so long. She would be sorry for all she’d done and all she’d tried to do to him. Of course, he’d be gracious and hear out her apology. Then and only then would he even consider letting her back into his good graces. First, there’d be punishment. After all, she’d have to pay for the many years he’d lost and the time it had taken for him to recover once he’d been set free.
Yes, she’d have to pay, just not tonight.
Straightening his shoulders, he turned away from the quiet church grounds and began to walk back to his car. About time to help his pretty Meagan find a tasty snack.
*
Naomi sensed a difference in the air the minute she reached the bottom of the stairs. Granted, the restless crowd outside had made her nervous, but whatever this was, it made her heart race. A cold breeze cut across her face, causing her to shudder. A window open somewhere? Great, that’s all she needed, one more problem.
When she turned the corner into the small chapel, Colin moved quickly to Ivy’s side and wrapped his arms around her. Likewise, Riah came to Adriana and put her hands on her face, staring deeply into her eyes as if making sure she was still okay.
Naomi stood alone in the doorway, shifting from foot to foot. After a moment, she turned away from the two couples and walked slowly through the passageway. The tender way they interacted with each other was too harsh a reminder of what she’d lost. Better to walk away and not dwell on what was done.
She found Tory in another of the tiny basement chapels. Sitting on a carved, wooden bench, she had her head bowed and her hands folded in her lap. Her long hair fell around her shoulders in dark, shiny waves, and her whole body shook slightly. For a second Naomi didn’t understand why. When she did, she didn’t hesitate.
She sank to the bench beside Tory and took her hands. “You’re safe,” she said quietly. For the moment anyway, though, she didn’t voice that thought.
Tory pulled one hand away and swiped tears from her face. “Safety isn’t what I’m worried about.”
Her eyes were bright as she raised them to meet Naomi’s. The look in them made Naomi’s heart flutter. “What is it, then?”
“You tell her,” Tory said, still gazing into Naomi’s eyes.
Naomi wrinkled her brow and looked around. “Who are you talking to?”
Tory swept her gaze over the tiny room. “Where did she go?” she asked in a puzzled tone.
Naomi had no idea what Tory was talking about. They were alone. “Who? Colin? I left him down the hall with the others.”
“No.” Tory’s voice rose. “Not Colin, my mother.”
“Your mother?” What was she smoking down here in the dark?
Tory nodded, her head bobbing. “Yes.”
Naomi looked around the room. No corners to hide in. No bulky furniture to hide behind. No one else in the room except the two of them. Definitely smoking something. “We’re alone here, Tory, not to mention that your mother was beheaded a few hundred years go. No one survives that, human or vampire.”
Tory was shaking her head adamantly. “No, no, she was here just a few minutes ago. I swear to you, Naomi, she was here. I talked to her, touched her, and her head was very attached.”
Okay, this was getting a little
weird and it didn’t make sense. On the surface, Tory seemed like a perfectly rational vampire. Saying that her mother was here in the church wasn’t just irrational. It was impossible.
Only the six of them were here tonight in the lower level, or crypt, as it was called. Stress was evidently beginning to take a toll on Tory. Not that she blamed her. It was starting to fray her nerves as well.
Taking her hand, Naomi spoke softly. “It doesn’t matter, we’re alone now.”
Tory dropped her head on Naomi’s shoulder. “I’m not crazy, Naomi, she was here.”
“Honey, we’re alone. Just you and me.”
Tory sighed and murmured, “Sometimes I’m so tired...”
She didn’t need to finish, Naomi understood. Probably better than most. Tired was one of the reasons she’d walked away from the hunt. One reason. She tried not to think about the other. This wasn’t the time to dwell on her painful memories.
Right now, she intended to focus on the moment, which was a good one, all things considered. The feel of Tory’s body so close to hers, and the weight of her hand on Naomi’s thigh, was incredible. She wanted to wrap Tory in her arms, pull her close, and keep her safe. She was so small, and she trembled all over. She looked like a lost and fragile woman—not the powerful vampire she really was.
Tiny as she might be, appearances could be so very deceptive. Lessons from her former life came back to Naomi even in tranquil moments like this. It never paid to underestimate the power of a vampire. Tory could probably pick up Naomi and toss her across the room if she was so inclined. But this wasn’t about strength or power; this was about the spirit and precisely the reason Naomi had come to the church in the first place.
Even more than spirit, it was about the comfort of another woman. Finding peace within her soul had taken years. God knows, she’d never wanted to be different. On the contrary, she’d wanted to be the pretty, normal little girl her parents had always dreamed of. For years she’d tried to fit in with those around her. She failed on all accounts. She wasn’t pretty, she wasn’t little, and she sure wasn’t like all the other girls. Nope, when it all shook out, she turned out to be handsome rather than pretty, tall instead of little, and a very less-than-normal vampire hunter.
Scarlet Revenge Page 13
