by Kristi Cook
I shook my head. “No, it’s just a gift. You know, like a . . . umm . . .”
Help me out here, I pleaded telepathically.
“I think they call it a promise ring,” Aidan supplied.
Thank you.
“It’s pretty,” Patsy said, lifting my hand to examine it more closely. “It looks like an antique—a really precious piece, actually.”
I gave Aidan a desperate look.
He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Yeah, I found it at one of those antique stores. You know, the junky kind. I thought it suited her.”
“Well, you have a good eye. I bet some poor soul had to pawn it for cash and the store didn’t quite realize what they had. I think that happens a lot these days.”
“Yeah, probably,” I murmured. “Oh, look, here comes Paul with the drinks.” Thank God.
Just as he slid back into his seat, Mrs. Girard appeared at our table. “Mr. Gray, if you don’t mind, I need a quick word with you.”
Just like that, his eyes seemed to shift from blue to a stormy gray, his mouth set in a hard line. “Of course. If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
I watched him go, my mouth suddenly dry. I reached for the iced tea Paul had set in front of me, nearly draining the glass in a single gulp.
“Wasn’t that the headmistress?” Patsy asked.
I just nodded, a knot of fear forming in the pit of my stomach.
“You don’t think he’s in trouble or anything, do you?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I said, forcing myself to smile brightly. “Go on, eat. You don’t have to wait.”
As Patsy bit into a pastry, I watched Aidan follow Mrs. Girard to the edge of the lawn, right to the spot where I’d slain Julius, I realized with a shudder. Luc joined them, his dark hair gleaming under the bright moonlight.
I couldn’t make out what they were saying—they were much too far away for that. They gave away nothing with their body language either. All three stood stock still while they talked, their bodies rigid. My anxiety soared with each passing minute, and I found myself looking around for Matthew.
He was nowhere to be seen.
Luckily, Patsy and Paul had lapsed back into conversation while they ate, oblivious to my growing discomfort. I decided to give it another minute or two, and then I was going to have to go find Matthew. I wasn’t quite sure why, but something about this felt off, and I didn’t even have my stake with me.
“So, are y’all staying in Tarrytown tonight?” I asked Patsy, mostly to distract myself.
She shook her head. “No. I wish we could, but we’ve just got so much to do to get ready for the move, right, Paul?”
He just nodded.
“Actually”—she glanced down at her watch, the one my father had given her so many years ago—“as soon as we’re done eating, we should probably head back. I hope you don’t mind.”
A wave of relief washed over me. “No. It’s fine. I’ve still got a lot of packing and people to say good-bye to.”
“Do you want me to send a car for you on Sunday?”
“No. I’m pretty sure Aidan’s already ordered a car,” I said, drumming my fingers on the table. Truthfully, I had no idea if he had or not. But now I would make sure that he did. Or maybe Matthew could give us a ride. It didn’t matter—we’d figure it out later.
“Hey,” came Aidan’s voice behind me, nearly making me jump out of my skin. He moved to stand behind me, both hands resting on my shoulders as he leaned down toward my ear. “Can I talk to you for a second? It’s nothing,” he directed at Patsy and Paul. “I’ll bring her right back. I promise.”
They nodded in unison, looking a little woozy. Clearly, Aidan had used one of his mind manipulation tricks on them.
Without another word, I rose and followed him back inside the empty chapel.
“What’s going on?” I asked as soon as we stepped out of the vestibule. I didn’t like the look on his face—his eyes had taken on that empty look, his jaw clenched tightly.
“We’ve got to go,” he said without preamble.
My heart began to race, my palms dampening. “What do you mean, go? Go where?”
“Paris. Pretty much right away. They’re gathering for a fight, and they need their Dauphin.”
“Who’s gathering for a fight?” I asked, confused.
“The Propagators. They’re all headed to the Tribunal headquarters, prepared to seize power. To put one of their own in the Eldest’s seat.”
I clenched my hands into fists of frustration. “I don’t understand. Why now?”
“I don’t know. I thought we’d have more time.”
I took a deep, calming breath. “Okay, so we go. We get this over with, whatever it is. Bu-but what about England?” I stammered, my resolve weakening. “We’re supposed to go the week after next.”
A muscle in Aidan’s jaw was working furiously. “You’ll get your trip to England. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Well, what am I supposed to tell Patsy?” I asked, floundering now. “And Matthew. I’ve got to tell Matthew. He’s got to come too. I need him.”
“We’ve got an hour, tops. Nicole has the plane waiting at a private airport nearby. Leave your trunks and just gather whatever you need for a few days, okay, Vi? I’ll find Dr. Byrne and tell him what’s going on. It’s his choice if he wants to come with us or not.”
“Okay,” I said numbly. “I’ll go tell Patsy I’m not feeling well. Or—or that you’re not feeling well, and I’m taking you to the infirmary. And then I’ll just be in my room, changing and getting my stuff ready.”
He nodded, reaching for my shoulders, his fingers digging sharply into my bare skin. “I’ll meet you in your room as soon as I can. I never should have gotten you into this, Violet. I am so very sorry.”
The stark desolation in his gaze was sobering. He thought this was it for us—the end of the road. But it wasn’t; it wouldn’t be. Not if I had anything to do with it. “You can’t protect me from this, Aidan. It’s what I’m meant to do. What you’re meant to do. It’ll work out; it’s all going to work out,” I said calmly, assuredly.
Only, I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince more . . . him or me.
28 ~ Leaving on a Jet Plane
I had never been on a private jet before. I had to admit, a girl could get used to it. Plush leather seats, a flat-screen TV, cashmere blankets—it was definitely posh, even if I was too terrified to actually enjoy any of it.
Because this wasn’t any old private jet—this was the Vampire Tribunal’s jet, and we were on official business. Technically, there was no Tribunal at present; it had been disbanded while the fight for the Eldest raged on. Still, Mrs. Girard retained control of their assets—including the plane—and she was ready to make her move.
My friends had not been happy when I’d told them I was leaving and why. There’d been very little time for good-byes, but I’d assured them that I would be back in time for the trip to England. I only hoped it was the truth.
I glanced up at Matthew, who was sitting directly across from me and Aidan, facing us. He looked remarkably calm, all things considered. He had a book open in his lap, but I couldn’t tell if he was actually reading it, or just pretending to. When we’d boarded, he’d offered to sit somewhere else, to give Aidan and me some privacy. But I wanted him close by, where I could see him.
Even though my bracelet’s moonstones glowed benignly instead of the more ominous bloodstones, I still didn’t trust Mrs. Girard and Luc, not completely, and not with my Megvéd.
Aidan and I had to tell Mrs. Girard about my connection with Matthew when we’d insisted that he join us. She’d seemed genuinely surprised and not at all pleased that we’d kept it from her. I counted that as a personal victory. My secrets were mine to keep until I was ready to share them. Besides, Mrs. Girard didn’t own me—she didn’t own any of us. She wasn’t even Matthew’s boss anymore; he’d turned in his resignation weeks ago, effective today, the last day of the term.
So he could follow me to the ends of the earth, I supposed. Poor Charlie.
“We still have several more hours until we land,” Aidan said, interrupting my thoughts. “You should try to get some sleep. Dr. Byrne too.”
I glanced over at the window, forgetting that the plane came equipped with permanent blackout shades. There was nothing to see, no indication of the hour outside the window, no view of the night sky or the ocean below.
“I don’t think I could sleep if I tried,” I said, nervously twisting the ring on my finger. Not on a plane full of vampires, even if they were the friendly variety. And not with the unknown danger that lay ahead of us.
Mrs. Girard had prepped us once we’d taken off, filling us in on what was going on. It didn’t sound good—Propagators gathering in Paris, along with leaders from a few Eastern sects who sided with them. The message was clear: Come and get us, if you can.
And so we would, or die trying. I’d agreed to the plan, the price of Aidan’s freedom, so there was no backing out now.
Just freaking great.
At the time, it hadn’t even occurred to me that I was pledging Matthew to the fight too. If something happened to him, if something happened to Aidan—
“It’s going to be okay, Violet,” Matthew said, his steady gaze meeting mine. “I don’t know how, exactly, but we’re going to succeed, okay?”
I sat up straight in my seat, my heart pounding now. “You’ve had a vision!”
He nodded, looking strangely grim. “I’ve seen enough to know we come out safely on the other side of this.”
I took a deep breath, considering his words—and the ones left unspoken. He’d seen more, something bad. That was the way our visions worked. “What else?”
“It doesn’t matter; let’s deal with this threat first.”
“You can’t just—”
“I need more details,” he interrupted. “A replay when I can actually focus on it. There’s time. Just . . . trust me on this.”
From the tone of his voice, it didn’t seem like I had a choice.
“Anyway, Aidan’s right. We should get some sleep.” He set his book on the table in front of him and then retrieved the blanket from the empty seat beside him, unfolding it and laying it across his lap.
“I’ll keep a close eye on everything,” Aidan assured me, reaching for my hand. “I promise.”
“Maybe if I listen to music,” I said, reaching for my cell phone and earbuds.
Aidan leaned toward me, his lips close to my ear. “Remember that song you played me? The one with the slow, marching beat? Try that; I bet it’ll put you right out.”
I shot him a glare. “I love that song.”
“I know you do,” he said with a grin.
“You’re lucky I adore you,” I shot back, then shoved my earbuds in and pressed play.
Not a day goes by that I don’t give thanks that you do, he answered inside my head, drowning out the song’s opening notes. Now go to sleep, love.
I hadn’t thought it possible, but I must have dozed off. The next thing I knew, the landing gear rumbling beneath my feet jolted me awake. The lights in the cabin were low; I had no idea if it was night or day. Across from me, Matthew was still sleeping, his arms folded, his features slack. He looked peaceful, far younger than his years, a shock of dark hair falling across his forehead.
I sat up stiffly, an uncomfortable crick in my neck where I’d been leaning against Aidan’s shoulder. “We’re landing already?” I asked, yawning.
“I’m afraid so. How’d you sleep?”
“Like a rock,” I said.
Matthew woke, straightening in his seat. “We’re there?” he asked sleepily.
“Just about,” Aidan said. “I talked to Nicole while you two were sleeping. When we land, the three of us are going to my apartment to wait. Nicole and Luc are going straight underground, gathering forces. When they’ve chosen the spot for the confrontation, we’ll join them, drawing the enemy to us.”
I nodded, unable to speak.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked me, just as the plane bumped against the ground.
“How long do you think we’ll have? At your apartment,” I clarified. “Before they send for us.”
“Not long. A matter of hours.”
“That’s it?”
He nodded. “That’s it. We need to get you and Dr. Byrne something to eat right away.”
“What time is it?” Matthew asked.
“Hard to tell with no windows, isn’t it?” I glanced down at my watch. “Just after four in the morning, New York time. So that’s, what? Ten a.m. in Paris? The sun will have risen already—how will they get around?” I asked, assuming that Mrs. Girard and Luc hadn’t taken the elixir that made it possible to withstand the sun.
But crap, Aidan had taken it—which meant he was going into a fight with his abilities compromised. Again.
“Don’t worry,” Aidan assured me. “They have their ways. Paris has an extensive underground footprint, you know. It’s why the city is so popular with vampires. Tribunal Headquarters is really an entire network—safe houses connected via the Metro system and unused tunnels and chambers. It reaches far out into the countryside.”
“Wow, they should include that in the travel brochures,” I said sourly. “ ‘We’ve got vampires, all the way out to the burbs.’ That’ll get the tourists flocking.”
Aidan just shrugged. “It’s true of most cities with a large subway system. London, New York, São Paulo, Prague, Moscow, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong.”
“Remind me to avoid those cities from now on,” Matthew said with a frown.
The plane rolled to a stop, and Mrs. Girard made her way to the front, pausing as she passed us. “You know the plan, Mr. Gray. There’s a car waiting to take you to your apartment.”
He just nodded, reaching for my hand and helping me to my feet.
I wondered where, exactly, we’d landed. A private airport, I imagined, but surely we’d still have to go through customs or something.
Turns out we did, but there wasn’t much to it, just a single agent who barely glanced at our passports before waving us along. We followed Luc and Mrs. Girard down a ramp and through a door that led to a garage, where two long, dark cars were waiting. Somehow, our bags had already made it off the plane and were being loaded into the trunks by liveried drivers.
Silently, we climbed into the rear car. Just like on the plane, Aidan sat beside me, Matthew directly across, facing us. The first thing I noticed was that a panel completely blocked my view of the driver, and the windows on the sides and back of the car were entirely blacked out—which was odd, because it hadn’t looked that way from the outside.
Curious, I tapped on the glass.
“We don’t need this,” Aidan said, hitting a button on a panel above our heads.
There was an electric whir, and the dark panels on either side of the car slid down, revealing normal windows. “They’re reflective from the outside,” Aidan explained. “So, looking in, you can’t tell the windows are blacked out.”
I suppressed a shudder. “That’s so creepy. How far outside Paris are we?”
“About an hour, if the traffic’s light.”
Matthew took out his cell phone, glancing down at the screen with a scowl. “If you guys don’t mind, I need to check my messages,” he said, looping a headset over one ear.
“Go ahead,” I said, scooting closer to Aidan.
Aidan reached for my hand, lacing his fingers through mine as the car slid out of the garage and picked up speed. “Are you scared?” he asked, his voice low.
“A little. I don’t know. I mostly feel resigned. A little relieved too, if that makes any sense. I’ve been dreading this day for so long—knowing that it would come, but refusing to let myself think about it. But if what Matthew said is true—you know, his vision—then I’ll just be glad to have it over and done with.”
He glanced down at our joined hands for a moment and then
raised his gaze to meet mine. “You’re assuming that whatever we do today will fulfill our obligation to Nicole and her cause. I’m afraid I don’t think it’s that simple.”
“Well, why not? If you end this war—”
“How am I to end this war?” he asked, his voice rising. “There’s no proof that this Dauphin legend is true. And even if it is, my role isn’t assured. For all we know, the man who raised me is my biological father, after all. This is madness, Violet.”
“You make them believe it. Listen to me,” I urged, squeezing his hand. “You’ve got Mrs. Girard’s army behind you and me and Matthew beside you. It doesn’t really matter if those other vampires can destroy you or not, because I’m not letting them.” I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “You tell them that you’re the Dauphin, and you make sure they believe it. You can do this. I know you can.”
“You’ve that much faith in me?” he asked, leaning forward till his forehead rested against mine.
“I do,” I answered. “You just need to have faith in me. In Matthew and in his vision.”
“I love you, Vi,” he whispered, his breath coming faster now, mingling with mine.
“I know.” And then I kissed him, completely forgetting Matthew’s presence there in the car with us until I heard him clear his throat loudly.
“Sorry,” I said, drawing away reluctantly. “Everything okay?” I asked Matthew, seeing that his scowl had deepened.
“Oh, you know.” He stuffed his cell phone back into his pocket. “Just a half dozen or so messages from Charlie, wondering where the hell I am.”
“Uh-oh,” I said, hating the unfairness of it all. “What are you going to tell her?”
“I have no idea,” he said sharply. “Can we talk about something else? Maybe . . . I don’t know, combat strategy or something? Since we’ll have to all work together this time.”
That was enough to distract me throughout the rest of the drive into Paris.
* * *
Aidan’s apartment was pretty much exactly what I’d expected—large, exquisitely furnished, and comfortable. It took up the building’s top two floors on the side facing the Eiffel Tower, the second floor reached by a spiral staircase.
