Blessed by a Demon’s Mark (7 page)
“We’ll see.”
“No!” he said, slamming his fist onto the table. “Listen to what I say. You will not survive if you stay here. Baset is no longer what she once was.” He said it like I should know who or what she had been, other than a Royal. “The meaning of her name no longer applies. You must not stay.”
“Tell me why she’s after me and I’ll decide whether or not I should run away like everyone keeps telling me to.” There was a bitterness in my voice that surprised even me. This whole thing was really starting to get to me.
Mikael sighed. He leaned back and looked around the room as if checking to make sure no one was listening. I followed his gaze to see that not a single eye had turned our way despite the raised voices.
“It’s simple,” he said. He licked his lips and swallowed, hands shaking on the table in front of him. “You killed her lover.”
7
I absorbed that for a few seconds, not quite sure what to make of it. I’ve killed lots of vampires. It’s hard to say who had been Countess Baset’s lover, though I didn’t recall killing anyone so high up in the vampire ranks. I was pretty sure an ex-Royal wouldn’t be sleeping with anyone too far beneath her in the ranks. It just wouldn’t be proper.
“Who?” I finally asked, stumped. The closest name I could come up with was Count Tremaine, and it was highly unlikely he’d been her lover. I’d seen nothing that would indicate he had any affiliations with anyone outside his own House, especially since his own had been so recently crippled.
Mikael smiled. It wasn’t pleasant. “I’d think you would know,” he said. “Countess Telia created such a problem for you before, it would seem you should remember her.”
“I didn’t kill her.”
“No one knows that but a handful of people, yes?”
He had me there. “But I thought you said it was Countess Baset’s lover I’d killed. Or am I missing something here?”
Mikael laughed. “No, you are not missing a thing.” He sobered quickly. “But your sense if you think you can do anything about this problem.” He folded his hands on the table in front of him. “Telia was Baset’s lover, had been for years until the rumors of her death by your hand started.”
I frowned. I had no problem with Baset’s choice in bed partners, but something else was bothering me. “I thought Telia broke off from another House?”
“She did.”
“Baset’s?”
Mikael nodded.
“If she broke off from Baset, then why would the other vamp care whether or not she was dead?” I couldn’t seem to wrap my head around it. “Were they still together despite the defection?”
“In a way,” Mikael said. “Telia broke off because she wanted power of her own. Baset loved her, so she let her go in the hopes she would rise through the ranks and they could form an alliance. Both would have been able to obtain Royal status, or at least that was Telia’s hope. I don’t know the details of the split or how they planned to accomplish their goals, but they did have a plan.”
I guess it made sense in a way. I’d wondered before why Telia’s old House hadn’t come after her when she split. I guess if the defector was someone you loved, it would be hard to let go.
But I still didn’t like it. While I might have been planning on it, I never killed Countess Telia; my brother did. Only Mikael, Adrian, Ethan, and the Luna Cult knew that for sure. I really should have done more to clear my name.
Then again, why would I? I was Lady Death. I killed vampires and werewolves all the time. I’d never apologized for it before. In fact, Telia’s death had only added to my infamy.
And then there was the fact that a Major House was actively looking for me, scaring the hell out of everyone I knew. There was no way that could be good. Sure, the major players had kept an eye out for me before, but Jonathan had said they liked having me around. I kept the lesser Houses in line so the big ones didn’t have to.
“Thanks for the info,” I said, rising. “I’ll pay you when I have some cash on me.”
Mikael shook his head. “No, this information is free. It might be the last you are alive to receive.”
And on that happy note, I left.
Bart never looked my way as I made my way to the door, but I could tell by how his shoulders relaxed that he was happy I was leaving. A few patrons glanced my way, but as far as I could tell, no one would come chasing after me the moment I was down the road. I’d left The Bloody Stake often enough with someone following me out the door. I didn’t care to repeat the experience.
I was a mess of emotions on the ride back home. I had to take it slow. Snow was starting to drift into the road and the wind was picking up. I really needed to get some sort of cold-weather vehicle for days like this.
I had half a mind just to say, “Fuck it,” and drive straight to Delai. If I didn’t need to talk to Ethan’s demon so bad, I might have. I was tired of all the bullshit that went with being me. It seemed like someone was trying to kill me every night, even if I wasn’t trying to kill them. That was something I hadn’t had to worry about at Levi’s house.
I ground my teeth and sped up. Maybe Delai wasn’t such a good thing for me. It was making me soft. I wasn’t someone who sat around, watching the television or reading quietly in my room while people were dying a few miles away. That just wasn’t me.
I killed people. I kept the vampires and werewolves from taking complete control of my little slice of the world. They held a large portion of it, sure, but at least I kept the worst of them at bay. The day still belonged to the Purebloods. I planned on keeping it that way.
I made it all the way home but had to stop and walk the motorcycle up the driveway. I was so intent on watching my step so I didn’t trip over a rock or fallen branch obscured by the snow, I almost bumped into the black car parked at the top of the drive.
“Son of a bitch,” I growled. I pressed the button to raise the garage door, walked my Honda inside, and waited until the door was closed again before heading for the house.
Of all the things I wanted to deal with, Jonathan Alucard wasn’t one of them.
I threw open the side door and stormed inside, knowing he would be waiting for me. I wasn’t disappointed.
“Kat.” He was standing just inside the dining room, facing the kitchen as I came in. His glamour was up, hiding the missing portion of his skull, a chunk I had hacked off back when he was a member of House Valentino. I’d thought I’d killed him, but here he was, years later, standing in my house like we were friends.
Ethan and Jeremy were standing behind him, each looking nervous. I didn’t blame them.
“Not now,” I said. I tried to walk past him, but he moved to stand in my way.
“Please,” he said. “We need to talk.”
I kept from shooting him by taking off my coat. His gaze lingered on the gun in its shoulder holster as I tossed the coat on the table. I put my hands on my hips and gave him such a dark look, he winced.
“Okay, talk,” I said. “But this better be damn good or I’m going to have to start putting holes in people who show up at my house unwelcome and unannounced.”
“Then this is still your house?” Jonathan asked, all innocence.
I glowered at him. “Of course.”
“I was beginning to wonder,” he said. “You haven’t been here for so long, I thought perhaps you’d wised up and took to ground.”
“Don’t you start in on me too.”
He held his hands up. He was holding something in his left hand.
I felt myself soften without meaning to. The coat looked just like the one I’d worn for years. I’d managed to lose both of my old coats while dealing with the mess my brother had caused.
Jonathan saw me looking and a small smile quirked the corners of his mouth. “I thought you might like a new one.” He glanced at the coat on the table. “It appears you have not replaced your other, so it seems the gift is warranted.” His gaze traveled back to me. “I’ve waited a long time to give this to you.”
For some reason, that made me angry. Just seeing Jonathan made memories of my brother flood into my head. I couldn’t stop blaming him for Thomas’s death. He’d been there and hadn’t been able to do anything to stop it.
“Keep it,” I said. “I don’t need it.”
Jonathan looked hurt. He lowered his hands and gave me such a pained look, I almost felt guilty for turning away his gift.
“Look,” I said, trying to keep most of the anger out of my voice. “Tell me why you’re here and then get the fuck out of my house. And take your maimed wolf with you.”
Jeremy flinched, and I could tell I’d hurt him almost as bad as I’d hurt Jonathan, maybe more. Why was I being such a bitch when all they were trying to do was help?
Jonathan’s jaw stiffened as if he was fighting off the urge to say something less than respectful. He managed to compose himself before speaking.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said. “When Jeremy called and said you were back, I didn’t know what to think. I was really starting to believe you might be dead.”
I glanced at the young wolf. He quickly looked away, face flaming. Ethan stepped protectively near him and glared at me.
What the fuck? Ethan used to be scared of the Luna Cult wolves, had even warned me against them more than once. And now he was defending one of them? Things had really changed since I’d been gone.
I hate change.
“You’ve seen I’m okay,” I said, shifting my attention back to Jonathan. “Now go.” I tried to walk past him, but he refused to move out of my way.
“No,” Jonathan said. “You’re not okay.”
“Who gave you the right to decide how I’m doing?”
“No one,” he said. “But I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your words. Something is very wrong with you and I only want to help.”
My hands balled into fists and I stepped closer to the Luna Cult Denmaster, seriously invading his space. “Nothing is wrong
with
me. It’s everyone around me that’s pissing me off. I’m tired of everyone telling me to hide, to run away. I never should have come back if that’s the way you’re all going to act.”
with
me. It’s everyone around me that’s pissing me off. I’m tired of everyone telling me to hide, to run away. I never should have come back if that’s the way you’re all going to act.”
“Then why did you?”
I closed down. I didn’t know how much Ethan had said to the others about his demon. I knew Ethan wasn’t a fan of the Denmaster, or at least never used to be, so I doubted he’d explained things to him. That didn’t mean Jeremy hadn’t, however. The young wolf could have been supplying Jonathan with all the information he wanted about my house and how I lived.
Anger flared and I had to fight really hard to keep from lashing out. I should have listened to Ethan before when he’d warned me against the Cult. Now here I was with them in my house and they’d seemingly swayed him to their side. I was losing control of my own life.
Jonathan glanced over his shoulder, apparently unconcerned by my nearness. “I’d like to talk to her alone,” he said.
Both Jeremy and Ethan turned and headed for the stairs without hesitation. Ethan glanced back once, giving me a pleading look as if asking me to cooperate, before vanishing down the stairs.
“I—”
“Shut up and listen to me for a minute,” Jonathan said, turning back to face me. His eyes flared yellow and I took a step back, snapping my mouth closed. I’d never seen him this angry before without some severe provocation.
“You have no right to talk to any of us like this,” he said. “I’d almost forgotten how stubborn you could be.”
“I . . .” This time I trailed off on my own.
“Ethan is supposed to be your friend and you left him to fend for himself. Jeremy lost his arm in an effort to help your brother. He thinks he is useless now, thinks the world has no place for a ‘maimed wolf,’ as you so eloquently put it. I gave him a reason to live, and I will not let you throw that away because you are too stubborn to see we are all here trying to help.”
Guilt crept in past all my anger and confusion. I felt like a fool for lashing out so quickly. Just because I didn’t like what they were saying didn’t mean I should ignore them. They were only concerned for my well-being.
Then why did it feel like they were trying to control me?
“I came here in the hopes we could discuss this problem of yours, but I see now that it will not be possible, at least not tonight. Bad people are looking for you, and I do wish to help. No matter what you think, I want to keep you alive. I care about you. We all do.”
I closed my eyes, which was something I normally wouldn’t do with a pissed-off werewolf standing a few feet away, but I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t know if I wanted to cry or if I wanted to scream. Jonathan’s words were hitting all the right spots.
“Don’t throw your life away just because you are too bullheaded to ask for help. Just because things didn’t work out before doesn’t mean we can’t fix them now.”
My eyes snapped open and anger took over. “You can’t fix my brother,” I said. “No matter how hard you try, you can’t fix him. He’s dead because we fucked up.”
Jonathan’s eyes bled back to their normal blue. “Be that as it may,” he said, “it doesn’t have to destroy us.” He put special emphasis on the last word.
“There
is
no
us.
” All the anger was back. “There never will be. I just want to live my life without people treating me like I’m some sort of cripple.”
is
no
us.
” All the anger was back. “There never will be. I just want to live my life without people treating me like I’m some sort of cripple.”
Jonathan sighed. He set the coat on top of the table, next to the coat Sienna had given me.
“Keep it,” he said. “It’s a gift and I won’t take it back.” He looked at me and a profound sadness filled his gaze. “You don’t have to see me again,” he said. “But I will ask that you let Jeremy stay here for a little while longer. This is good for him. Don’t take that away just because you are angry.”
I started to protest, but he raised a hand to stop me.
“Think of Ethan,” he said. “The two of them have grown close. You can’t be here to protect him all the time. Jeremy can be here when you are not, can keep Ethan safe against those that would hurt him to get to you.”
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