In the end, the day that they dropped the kids off with his mother, she told him, “It was a long shot anyway. I’d rather stay a vampire than see you get hurt for me.”
“I promised I’d help you,” he reminded her, reaching for her hand. “And I swear to you, I will still find a way to cure you.”
Maggie gave him a small smile that looked so defeated that it made his heart break. “Maybe the cure was the adventure we had along the way. After all, this tubing thing does seem to help. It might be just as good as drinking straight from the vein.”
He could see the lie in her eyes but didn’t say that. Not when she looked so tired.
“I think I’m going to visit Camille while the kids are at your mom’s,” she told him as she wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t think that it’s going to go anywhere from here. I can live with being a vampire. So. You go ahead and get your finals done. I think I’m just tired.”
Jonathon nodded. He knew if he told her his plans, she’d try to stop him. So that was why he didn’t tell her. But that night, instead of studying like he said he was going to do, he took a little flight. He went high enough so as not to be seen on this moonless night but low enough to keep off radar. A dragon’s flight wasn’t quite as fast as a plane’s, but he still made it back to DC before midnight.
From there it was actually pretty easy to crash through the rooftop of the Smithsonian, crawl around in his dragon form and collect that spiky brass ball. He’d made sure to roll in a sooty paste that turned his bright scales dull and it was difficult to recognize a dragon in their lizard’s form after all.
With alarms blaring in his ears and adrenaline pumping through his veins, Jonathon flew out to sea. He clutched the ball tight in his large, clawed hand and plunged into the water. After swimming for some distance, cleaning off his scales, he took flight again and went down the coast until he came to a nice, densely wooded area.
From there, it was easy to lose himself, in case they were tracking him by satellite or some such nonsense and spent a couple of days camping before he found the nearest city and took a bus to where Maggie’s sister lived with her two mates, the artifact now tucked into a backpack that he carried with him.
When he waltzed into the Carter-Jonston-Roxton home, Maggie’s jaw dropped. “You said you had a test to take today.”
“Told the professor that my kids were all sick and got an extension,” he said, grinning at her and then nodded in greeting to Camille. “I know that you were disappointed by how close we got when we couldn’t get any closer, so I decided to do something about that.”
Camille let out a soft groan and headed for the door. “I don’t think I should be around for this. That grin of yours is the same as the one you had when you broke into the high school in order to change Maggie’s grades on her math test.”
Jonathon laughed brightly. “I only did that because the teacher was a sexist pig who marked her unfairly!”
He grinned at Maggie, who was looking at him with an expression that was both excited and wary. Like she already knew what he had done but knew she needed to chastise him for it on principle. She sat on the couch in a lovely sky-blue sweater, with a lovely pink flush to her cheeks. She almost looked the way she used to. Before the crushing horror of becoming a vampire.
“What did you do?” she asked him.
“Have you been watching the news?”
She shook her head.
“Well, that’s good. Because otherwise you’d have already seen and I wanted to be able to do this dramatically.” He set the backpack on the table and reached inside of it. His grin widened as he drew out the spiky brass ball.
Maggie’s eyes widened, and she pressed both her hands to her mouth. For a long moment, it looked like she might pass out, but she dropped her hands and glared at him soon enough. “What the fuck is that doing here?”
Jonathon had to laugh. “Well, we weren’t going to get a close look at it before, were we? So, I decided if they don’t want to give it to us—”
“You broke into the Smithsonian and stole this?” Maggie collapsed back on the couch and covered her face with her hands. “You complete and utter coat hanger! They’re going to find out it was you and then you know what’s going to happen? You’re going to be thrown into jail for life and I’m going to raise your kids as a single mother, and I’m going to have to explain to them why you’re in jail. How am I supposed to tell them it’s my fault?”
“Hey.” He sat beside her and pulled her back into a sitting position. “That isn’t going to happen. You know it, I know it. Everybody knows it. There is no danger that I’m going to jail. I was careful.”
Maggie snorted. “You stole this from a museum, and knowing you, you weren’t subtle about it. If it’s on the news, I bet pictures of you are circulating everywhere. They’re going to find out!”
Jonathon shook his head. “I was careful. They’ll only have pictures of me in my dragon’s form, and I was nicely off the grid. Didn’t even have a cellphone on me. Paid for everything to get back with cash. I’m not going to be caught. And now we have this thing. After we’re done with it, I’ll take it back. Easy peasy.” He stared at the spiky ball and pressed his fingertips together. “Now all we have to do is figure out what it says and how to get at the information. I think it’s hollow, but there’s no way to open it unless we just cut it open.”
Even as he was speaking, Samuel and Wayne entered the room. They looked annoyed, impressed and exasperated. Samuel glanced at the brass ball and shook his head. “I never should have told you about that. You two better take off. Wayne and I are going to try to run interference the best we can, but I just got a call from the Elders.”
Jonathon sat straighter. “You mean the head honcho vampires?”
“Yeah.” Wayne folded his arms. “They told us to tell you that you’d better return that by the end of the day or they’re pressing charges. So, obviously, you weren’t as careful as you thought.”
Jonathon grimaced, but Maggie was already on her feet. She stuffed the ball back into the pack and swung it onto her back. “That means we have until the end of the day to figure this out. Let’s go, Jonathon.”
The determination that he so loved about her was back full force. Her eyes shone with a steely look and he quickly got to his feet. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her. To tell her just how much he loved her. Hell, maybe even propose on the spot! But Samuel and Wayne’s eyes were heavy on him, so he just took Maggie’s hand and they left together.
The end of the day. That counted as midnight, right?
Chapter Six
Maggie drove Jonathon back to the apartment. They passed Sarah in the hallway. She looked startled and started to say Maggie’s name, but Maggie ignored her as she entered Jonathon’s apartment. Sarah had been with the rest of them when they came to kick her out of her own home. She hadn’t said anything when the men started to beat on her.
As soon as they were in the apartment, Maggie put the backpack with the stolen artifact on the table and made herself something to eat. Jonathon studied the brass ball, turning it over in his hands and shooting glances at her. She ignored him, not at all ready to talk about it just yet.
Part of her really wanted to yell. How could Jonathon do something so reckless? He hadn’t offered her any alternatives to just leaving DC when the curator told them they couldn’t handle the ball. She had thought that because of the threats made, he had decided that it wasn’t worth it. That’s what she had decided. She didn’t want him or the kids in danger because of her.
Just because the vampire who attacked him hadn’t outright threatened the kids didn’t mean they weren’t in danger.
At the same time, though, she knew what he was doing. He was trying very hard to help her. To protect her. To do his best to get her back to being human. She just wished she knew whether that desperation was more to do with her desires or his.
After some time, she sat at the table and stared at the
ball as well. It looked a bit like a sea urchin. It was roughly made, and its purpose was widely debated. She’d been studying it on the internet ever since they had found it. There really wasn’t much about it. Most of the information was on the artifacts that were found around it. It had been found in a natural tunnel that had been exposed by the wildfire and earthquake, but nobody had any clue as to what its purpose was.
“You’re being awfully quiet,” Jonathon said eventually. He glanced up at her as he fidgeted. His expression was so serious that for a moment she was tempted to laugh it off just so he would smile.
As it was, she settled for a pointed barb, “I’m just stopping myself from gushing about how amazing you are for breaking into a government facility and stealing a priceless artifact.”
Jonathon let out a heavy sigh and slumped back in his seat. “Maggie—”
“Don’t Maggie me in that tone.” She folded her arms at him. “That was reckless. It was stupid. Why would you do something like that? We’re not kids anymore, I thought you’d gotten over that sort of impulsive behavior. What if you had been caught? What if you’re caught still? If the vampire Elders know it was you who took it, it probably means they’re the ones who sent that vampire after you in DC. They are powerful. They’re as old as hell and just as mean. If they want to kill us, then how are we supposed to protect ourselves against them?”
“I don’t think it’s them.”
“And why not?”
“Because if it was, then I’m sure they would have killed me rather than giving me a second warning.”
Maggie stared at him blankly. Did he really think that was a valid argument with everything else that was going on here? She threw her hands into the air, annoyed and frustrated. She didn’t want to be pleased that he would risk so much for her—but a tiny part of her was. And that small bit of pleasure for her part made her feel all the guiltier. Why was she worth more than his freedom, his life, his children?
“Look, we have a deadline from the Elders,” Jonathon continued. “I can fly this back to the Smithsonian easily by midnight. That means they want us to have enough time to take a look at it and maybe figure it out. They’re at least willing to let us have that much, right?”
Maggie didn’t think it was that simple. Maybe the Elders were curious if they could figure it out, or maybe they were just giving them a little time to get through the extra security that would no doubt be in place after Jonathon’s escapades.
“I know it was dangerous, but honestly, the risks are worth it.” Jonathon reached across the table, pressing his hand to hers and capturing her gaze. “Because in the end, the most important thing to me is your happiness.”
“The most important thing to you should be your children.”
Jonathon sighed. “They are. You know what I meant.”
Maggie nodded, ducking her head. She did know what he meant and was just trying to distract the conversation with what she said. She fidgeted a moment before she said softly, “You still care. Even though I’m a vampire.”
“Of course.”
“And if there was no way for me to be human again? If I was going to be a vampire forever? Would you still care then?” she pressed, hating that there were tears pressing to her eyes once more. Maggie had never thought of herself as emotionally repressed. She was usually free with her emotions, letting herself feel what she needed to feel and then move on with life. But it seemed like, lately, she couldn’t move on from all these tears.
That’s understandable, she told herself. I’ve been through a lot.
Jonathon took both her hands in his, holding them tightly as he stared intently into her eyes. “Maggie Roxton, I don’t care if you’re a vampire or not. You are my best friend and I love you. You are the same person I’ve always known. You’ve got a big heart, you’re full of love and I can’t imagine what my life would be without you in it.”
“I love you, too,” she choked out, wanting to tell him that maybe the love that she felt for him wasn’t the same as the love he felt for her.
But how could she say that? Especially now. Even if it weren’t for everything else, the secrets that she held that she was sure would put an extra strain on their friendship, if she told him she loved him now, she knew what he’d think. He’d either dismiss it as being an effect of her being a vampire or else he wouldn’t know what to do. He might even pretend to love her in a romantic way so as not to put more pressure on her… and that would be a terrible position to put him in.
No. She wasn’t going to do it.
“Becoming a vampire didn’t change who you are,” he continued, his voice strengthening with conviction. “It isn’t going to change how I feel about you.”
Unbidden, the feelings she had sworn she’d locked away after the attack in her apartment came back to her. The feeling of those boots ramming into her body, the betrayal of people she had considered to be friends turning so viscously on her… it all suddenly became too much.
“You’re the only one who seems to think that,” she gasped out as tears started to roll down her face.
“I’m not,” Jonathon protested. “Camille doesn’t think you’ve changed.”
“Camille doesn’t understand. She became a vampire on purpose. She doesn’t know what it’s like to feel this way. None of her friends turned against her.” Maggie buried her face in her arms. She hated feeling like this, like something had been robbed from her. She knew that it hadn’t been her choice, but it hadn’t been Samuel’s either… he’d turned her into a vampire because she would have died if he hadn’t. “It’s better than being dead. That’s what I keep telling myself and it’s true. It’s just so hard to deal with.”
“I know,” Jonathon said, his voice thick. Like he was on the verge of tears, too. “And I wish that it didn’t have to happen like this. But I’m glad you’re not dead, too. I’d be a vampire myself if it meant keeping you alive.”
Then why are we risking our lives to make me human again, if being a vampire is better than being dead? She didn’t know how to ask the question, didn’t want to examine what the answers would be.
“I already promised that I was going to see this through.” His hands tightened on hers. “I promise again. I am going to do everything I can to take this away from you. Some people choose to be vampires and while I don’t understand it, that’s their prerogative. They can choose to be vampires or not. But you didn’t choose, so you deserve the choice whether to stay a vampire or not.”
Maggie’s face was still hidden in her arms, but she nodded. She did deserve that. Life didn’t always give you what you deserved, though.
“Mags… I know that I’ve had a terrible attitude toward vampires before. And I know that I keep slipping up now. And I’m sorry for everything that I say that hurts you. I don’t want to. Just know… just know that this has taught me a lot. Maybe it’s stuff I should have already known, but I am learning. And… and… I don’t really know what I’m saying. Do you understand?”
“You want me to know that you are starting to understand that vampires are not a hive-mind of bloodthirsty villains.”
A moment of silence, then, “Yeah. I guess that’s what I’m trying to say.”
Maggie nodded again. “Maybe it would be better if I just accepted being a vampire, though. Maybe it would be better if we forgot about this quest and just… just went back to life as it was. Focus on the kids. I can adjust to being a vampire. It hasn’t been very long. Maybe it won’t be so bad. I mean, it’s already better than it was a few months ago. The real problem isn’t being a vampire, it’s the way people treat me for being a vampire.”
Jonathon looked at her seriously. “Is that what you want?”
New tears flooded. If she had chosen to become a vampire, would they be having this conversation, or would Jonathon have turned away from her? “No. I want to be human again.”
“That’s all I need then.” Jonathon gave her hand an extra squeeze and turned a burning glower on the bass ball,
as though he could intimidate it into releasing its secrets. “I am going to figure out what this thing means and how to get you human again. I’m not giving up on you, Maggie.”
She wiped away her tears, letting them come for a moment before she decided that was enough. It took her longer than she would have liked to get herself back under control, but that was only to be expected when the situation was so utterly fucked up. Instead of trying to figure out something about the artifact, though, her gaze remained on Jonathon.
There was a furrow in his brow as he turned the ball over in his hands, his gaze intense. Everything he did was always intense. Jonathon didn’t half-ass anything. It was one of the things that she loved most about him. Always so determined. So dedicated.
In this case though… She didn’t know if it was worth it. Yes, she wanted to be human again. Yes, she wanted to make the choice that had been denied her. But she didn’t want him to be hurt. And if they continued along this path, it was almost certain that one of them would be hurt.
“I can learn to be okay with being a vampire.”
“I want you to be happy.” He looked up at her, his gaze sharp and no less intense than it had been while he was trying to figure out the artifact. “I don’t want you to settle for this, Maggie. I want you to live a full, rich and happy life. If you can’t imagine yourself being happy as a vampire…”
She didn’t know if she could or not. And they still had time to take this artifact back to the Smithsonian before the deadline. “You know… I am really lucky to have a best friend like you.”
He grinned at her, making her heart skip a beat. “Don’t I know it.”
What would he do if she told him she loved him? And not in the best friend kind of way. The romantic kind of way. She didn’t know. And she didn’t want to ruin this. The pressure was building, and as she gazed at him, she knew that sooner or later she was going to have to tell him.
But not right now. Not when she needed him most—and when she needed to make sure he wasn’t going to do anything reckless again.
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