“How?” she asked, unable to get more than a single word to pass her lips even though a thousand questions roared through her mind.
His laugh was bitter and his eyes grew even darker. “You, my pet,” he ran a finger down her cheek, “are a lousy judge of anatomy.” He patted his chest. “You missed my heart, sweetness. Oh, you pinned me to that miserable casket all right and I was stuck there for all eternity—not dead, not alive, and sure as hell not able to move. You sentenced me to limbo and then walked away as if I meant nothing to you.”
“I missed your heart?” She thought of that awful night and of how she’d taken the stake, placed it on his chest, and, with everything she had, driven it into his body. Then as she replayed it in her mind, she recalled how she’d turned away in sorrow and in shame. But before she did, she’d witnessed his eyes open, the change just beginning to give him immortality. The look of malice she’d seen had chilled her and hardened her resolve to set him free. She’d done her best to protect his soul and to send him to the heaven he deserved, but she hadn’t stayed around to see the results of her labors.
How could it all have gone so terribly wrong?
“Definitely missed the heart.” He spread his arms and bowed. “As you can see, I’m alive or, rather, undead, and well. It’s taken me some time to track you down, angel, but you know me. Once I set my mind to something, there’s no stopping me.”
It was true. She did know him—or the man he’d been before. He’d always been determined, and once he started a task, he carried it through to the end. Back then, he’d done wonderful things and helped so many people. She shuddered to think what that meant now.
“What do you want from me, Roland?”
He smiled, and his face wasn’t warm or friendly, as she remembered. The change frightened her. “I sent you a gift, a little calling card, you might say.”
“A gift?”
“Come now, Victoria, you were always a bright woman. Don’t dumb down on me now.”
The lightbulb finally hit a hundred watts. Her breath caught in her throat and it took her a second before she could finally say, “The New Testament.”
His smile grew, the demonic expression it created even more alarming. “A stroke of brilliance, if I do say so? But you always did say I was a brilliant man, and I always liked it when you praised me. I deserved it but it was still nice to hear.”
“But how…” The cemetery where his crypt was located was still intact. Even if she hadn’t killed him, he’d been unable to free himself from the crypt with the stake piercing his body and embedded in the casket. By all rights, he should still be inside those stone walls, not standing in front of her like a visitor from hell.
“Did you not pay attention to anything, my sweet? Vandals. Blessed vandals did what the waters of Katrina could not. They took advantage of the chaos and came looking for treasures. Certainly got a surprise when they stepped inside my little home. They managed to set me free before providing me a long-overdue and lovely meal. Those young men set me on the path to the greatness you tried to deny me.”
“The protection spells I put in place. You shouldn’t have been able to cross them. I was very careful.”
He shrugged. “The boys did a good job of breaking those too. By the time I drank them dry, the path out the crypt door was clear. Walked right on out.”
“Why are you here?” Nothing about this Roland felt right. He never would have talked this way. Not a single narcissistic bone in his body. This man—thing—that stood in front of her now was evil. She didn’t see a single hint of the man she’d loved in his face. Her Roland was gone.
He shrugged. “I thought it would be fairly evident. You have to pay, of course. What you did certainly can’t go unpunished. What kind of example would that be? It’s the old eye-for-an-eye thing. You remember, Old Testament stuff.”
“You want to make me pay because I tried to save you?”
His face darkened, his eyes mean. “Save me? You didn’t do a damn thing to save me. You tried to kill me. You took my choices away from me before I even knew what it meant to be immortal. In all our time together, you never told me how incredible this is or how everything becomes yours for the taking. The world is mine, and everyone in it is just waiting to please me. You didn’t share any of that with me and then tried to take it all away before I had the chance to enjoy it.”
Her heart ached for the man he once was. “It’s not a gift, Roland. It’s a curse.”
He shook his head. “Perspective, my dear Victoria, it’s all in one’s perspective. You’re looking at it all wrong. See it through my eyes. It’s glorious. If I’d have truly known, I’d have made you turn me much sooner.”
“You’re wrong. What you are, what I am, is wrong and always has been. Pierre only turned you because he knew it would destroy me. He knew I would never allow someone I loved to be turned to darkness. I tried to save you from this sentence.”
“NO. You tried to rob me of what was mine. You. Had. No. Right.”
In that dark and musky crypt, she had driven a stake through Roland’s chest, but this wasn’t the same man. All she’d wanted to do that horrible night was save his soul and she’d done the only thing she could. She understood now with a sinking certainty that she’d lost. She was looking hell straight in the eyes.
“You’re not the Roland I loved.” Tears gathered in her eyes though she kept her back straight and proud. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much she hurt.
“That’s where you’re right, precious. I’m so much better than that pious old coot, and I plan to show you exactly how much better.”
He grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly against his chest. His head lowered and he kissed her hard, his tongue darting between her lips. After her initial shock at his bold touch, she felt only a great sadness.
He pulled back, his hands still like vises on her arms. She couldn’t move. His eyes bored into hers and the nothingness she saw there chilled her to the bone.
“I should rip your head off,” he said on a growl. “But even as bad as you’ve been, you’re still my Victoria. You’re mine and always have been. You belong to me and so I’ll give you one and only one chance to live through this night.”
She trembled, fearing what would come from his lips next. Nothing he could say to her would change a thing. Roland, her Roland, was dead, and no matter what this man asked of her, she wouldn’t do it.
“Come with me. Be at my side, in my bed, and we will conquer the world together. Say yes and live. Say no and I’ll kill you and your friends. The choice is yours, Victoria. What will it be?”
He hadn’t really given her a choice and she suspected he knew as much. This was just an exercise, a game where the ending had already been written. She was going to die this night, and after all her centuries of life, after everything she’d known and seen, only one thought floated through her mind.
Naomi.
Chapter Twenty-six
Naomi felt Tory’s touch as if she were standing right next to her. The shock of it made her stiffen and gasp. She broke the circle, her hands flying to her face where she’d felt Tory’s fingers brush her cheeks. They all turned and stared at her. Six faces with surprised expressions.
Without explaining she simply said, “She needs us.”
Adriana was nodding. Apparently their combined forces had helped clear her vision and Adriana waved them all in the direction of the lower level. “She’s near that fancy carved casket or whatever the hell it is down in the crypt. Come on,” she waved toward the staircase door, “we don’t have much time. This fucker’s like a firecracker about ready to explode.”
Naomi wanted to take off at a run but reason prevailed. She understood Adriana’s reference to the casket and knew exactly where it was. If they paused long enough to formulate a quick plan, they’d have a better chance for surprise.
“Okay, there are a couple different ways we can handle this.”
Nathan was next to he
r, his gun at this side. In his typical cop style, he began to marshal their meager troops. “Meme, you’re with me. Colin, you take Riah, Adriana, and Ivy.”
“What about Angie?” Riah asked. “We can’t just leave her. What if someone gets in? They’ve already tried to kill her once.”
Riah was right. The pounding on the exterior hadn’t quieted, and the only thing keeping the angry masses out was the sheer strength of the massive doors. Even as strong and thick as they were, they wouldn’t hold forever, and the crowds outside didn’t appear to be giving up.
“I’ll stay with her,” Sunny said. “I’m not a fighter, and I think I’d be more help if I stay here with Angie.”
Naomi agreed. Besides, it made her feel better not to leave Angie all alone while the rest of them searched the church.
Quickly, they all worked together and moved Angie to a storage closet with large doors. Angie wasn’t small but they managed to carefully lay her on the floor. It wasn’t ideal, though it would hopefully keep her safe. Her breathing was even, and for brief moments she’d float into consciousness. She was alert long enough for Naomi to make her understand what they were doing and why. Her eyes were closed when they shut the doors on the cabinet, leaving both Angie and Sunny in the dark.
Loud bangs came again and again from the main doors and Naomi shuddered. If they kept this up, the doors would be destroyed relatively quickly. The thought of the beautiful carved doors being shattered into worthless piles made her sick. The thought of someone hurting Tory made her even sicker.
In fact, it did more than that. She put a hand on Nathan’s arm, feeling the tension that had him wired and on alert. “Give me your backup.”
Nathan stared at her, his eyes full of concern. He didn’t move to unholster the gun. “Meme, are you sure?”
“Give me the fucking gun,” she spit out between clenched teeth. No, she wasn’t sure she could actually use it. No, she didn’t want to hurt anyone. She’d sworn never to take another life but this was different. Tory’s life was at stake here and that changed all the rules.
Nathan leaned down and pulled up a pants leg. Strapped to his ankle was a small holster. He took a Walther out of it and straightened back up, handing her the little gun.
“You know this isn’t going to kill a vampire, right?”
She raised an eyebrow and expertly palmed the weapon. “I haven’t been out of the loop that long.”
He was right, though. They were hunting a vampire and a bullet wouldn’t kill him. In her old life, she’d carried a gun very similar to this one, except hers was always loaded with silver rounds. Though her primary focus had been the extinction of vampires and her weapons of choice fire, wooden stakes, and a sword, the silver bullets came in handy when faced with an out-of-control werewolf. It happened more than one would think and she’d used her gun whenever necessary.
Tonight she needed stopping power more than anything else. Silver rounds were not loaded into this gun and no werewolves posed a threat to anyone here. No, this was all about the bastard who had Tory. A well-placed shot to the chest would temporarily slow down the vampire holding Tory, and that could mean the difference between life and death for her. She would take any and all advantage she could because she wasn’t going to let anything happen to the woman she loved.
The banging outside grew louder. Time was running out; they had to get a move on for more reasons than one. Naomi and Nathan hurried to the stairwell nearest to them while Colin and the women headed to the far side. They were going with the divide-and-conquer strategy. It had to work.
“Be careful.” Then Naomi realized how unnecessary her warning was. Colin had been a hunter long before she ever joined the ranks and was still doing it when she left. On a night like this, there was nobody better to have on the team than him.
His backhanded wave was the only response. She should have known as much. He was in hunter mode. She’d seen it in him before and was incredibly grateful to see it now. The bastard with Tory didn’t stand a chance.
She and Nathan were almost to the bottom of the stairs when they heard a sickening crash. For a second, she didn’t put it together. Then it hit her. One of the front doors had just given way. Screams and shouts filled the air, and the sound of feet thundering through the church above was deafening. They were out of time.
“Hurry,” she said to Nathan.
*
Tory thought about her mother and wondered how she’d felt the day they’d led her from her cell in the Tower of London. Did the same thoughts race through her mind that were going through Tory’s right now? Was she scared? Did she say a prayer for the safety of those she loved? She’d like to think so.
Lady Jane Grey had been nothing but a pawn in a sick game for power. Her daughter was now in the same position. From all accounts, her mother had remained proud and dignified through it all, and Tory tried to believe she could do the same. She’d never had the chance to know her mother or her father yet still hoped she could make them proud. No matter what Roland did to her, no matter how hard he tried to humble her, she’d never bow to him. Like her mother, she’d go to her death with dignity.
Roland Lyle had changed in the two hundred years since she’d known him as a man of God. If she looked hard enough, she could still see traces of the familiar in his face, and her heart ached. Nothing else of her Roland remained, which made her heart ache even more. How could such a good man change so drastically? How could everything that was decent and noble be wiped away as if it never existed? It wasn’t right.
The man from her past no longer existed, and the one before her was nothing short of a monster. He had stolen lives and terrorized a city. He had hurt innocents and played them all. For him it was all a sick game of revenge in which he alone knew the rules. Her Roland never would have done something so heinous. He would never have been that cruel.
And then she wondered. Had she really known the man at all? Had she seen only what she’d wanted to see? Had she made a saint out of a man better suited as a sinner? Love could so easily be blind, and she had loved him with all her heart.
As if reading her thoughts, Roland smiled. “You’re getting it now, aren’t you?” His eyes almost seemed to sparkle with merriment.
She did get it and the sickness that washed over her was horrible. “Pierre didn’t attack you.”
He winked. “Good girl. No, not an attack precisely. Let’s just say that from all you’d shared with me during our cozy years together, I suspected he’d come for you sooner or later.”
She closed her eyes and could picture the night, the sounds, the smells. “And you just happened to be in the right spot at the right time. A lamb waiting for the slaughter. You wanted Pierre to turn you.”
“Ding, ding, ding, the lady is a winner.” He clapped his hands in a mocking sort of applause.
Opening her eyes, she stared at him, gazing at a man she’d never seen before. “Sweet Jesus.”
“The Son of God can’t help you tonight, beautiful. It’s just you and me. It’s been a long time coming, and I, for one, am really looking forward to it. Either way you go, it’s going to be a treat for me.”
The bottom dropped out for Tory. All her sins were coming home. God must have a twisted sense of justice. She didn’t doubt she had a debt to pay and she was willing to pay it. Had it been a few days ago, it wouldn’t have hurt so much. Learning the awful truth about the man she’d so loved made her physically ill. If that was the end of it, she could go to her death without looking back.
Except that wasn’t it. For the first time, she had so much more at stake, and she didn’t want to leave this world. She had a great deal to live for. She would lose more than just her life tonight. Having found Naomi, touching her, loving her, she found the loss unbearable.
He’d asked her to make a choice and she knew what it had to be. It broke her heart but it couldn’t be any different. “I won’t go with you, Roland.”
He shrugged. “Your loss, but frankly I’m not su
rprised. You always were a little holier-than-thou. Maybe it’s your heritage, that royal blood and all. Always did think you were better than the rest of us. I mean, what’s worse than a woman of royalty? A vampire of royalty.” He laughed heartily.
“That’s not true and you know it. I never treated you any different.”
He waved a hand in the air. “Of course you didn’t. Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. Doesn’t matter anyway. It’s over now.”
Tears gathered in her eyes and once more her thoughts turned to Naomi. She could almost feel the silky strands of her hair as they flowed through her fingers, smell the light scent of lavender soap on her skin, taste the sweetness of her lips. If she held those memories close, she could take them with her. He could end her life, but he couldn’t erase her memories.
“Ah, now, don’t cry. I’m not going to kill you.”
Tory was confused. What else did he want from her? He was going to kill her, he’d told her as much. Hadn’t he?
In a lightning-fast movement, he had her in a vise-like grip, his lips close to her ear. “Oh, no, pretty Victoria, I have no plans to kill you at all. I told you I was going to destroy you, and that’s what I plan to do.”
He dragged her backward until he reached a small wooden chair. With one arm still around her body, he used the other to pick up the chair, swinging it hard against the wall. The chair broke into half a dozen pieces. He picked up one of the legs, tapered and long with a ragged edge. He straightened back up and turned the piece in his hand.
“Oh, yes, Victoria, this will do nicely. Don’t you think?” The smile on his face was chilling.
She stared first at him, then turned her gaze to the wooden chair leg in his hand. Then realization dawned.
*
A sense of urgency propelled Colin down the stairs as fast as his long legs could take him. The women were right behind him. Of course, Adriana was muttering “hurry, hurry” the whole time, which only served to increase the horrible feeling of dread that had all them caught in its web.
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