Flight of the Crow (16 page)

Bryn sighed, took Fenix's wand and tapped the lock while she muttered a spell in Latin. The lock sprang open and Fingle opened the door. The found themselves in the famous dungeon of
La Conciergerie
, a medieval building built by the Romans when they ruled Gaul and then used by King Philip the Good as a palace. Marie Antoinette was held in this dungeon and somewhere close by was the infamous torture chambers. The building with its turrets and towers sat on the Seine and wasn't too far from the Exposition.

They slunk up a narrow circular stairway to the first floor and into the galleries with their incredible brick arches and walls of stained glass. Bryn led them through corridors, dripping water and leaving wet footprints on the tiles, until they reached a side door to the street. Once outside, Bryn stopped them. “I'm going to the Exposition to look for the witch doctor and get that dagger. It will soon be dawn on the day I have to present it to Lazarus. I must find it.”

Fenix nodded. “You want me to go home, don't you?”

Bryn sighed. “Allow me to do this by myself. I promise to include you in everything from now on.”

“Are you flying?” Fingle asked.

“Yes, that will get me there faster than if you accompany me.”

Fenix nodded and closed her eyes. “This once, you may have your way. I shall take Fingle and Tomlinson home safely.”

Bryn hugged her sister. “I will be there as fast as I can.” With that said, she lifted her arms, morphed into a crow and took to the air. High above the city, she winged her way toward the Eifel Tower. When she'd crossed the gates to the Exposition, she circled and dropped toward a clump of trees near the
Galerie des Machines.
She sat in the tree tops, staring at the spot where only hours before, the Negro Village had been located. Now, there was no sign it had ever existed. A sign said the building on the site of the village housed lions and tigers. Horrified and mystified, Bryn took flight again searching for the village. It was as though it had never been. She spent a frustrating hour criss-crossing the grounds hunting for it. She even turned herself back into a human to ask someone. The pleasant-faced young man she questioned about the Negro Village stared at her like she'd lost her mind. The village was gone. The witch doctor had erased everything. Who knew what he was now capable of? His own powers had been augmented by the infinite power of Lazarus's dagger. And he was gone taking the one thing she needed to save her sister with him.

Hopelessness filled her. What could she do now? Lazarus would appear on their door at dusk expecting to be paid one way or another. With this disheartening thought pecking at her brain, Bryn morphed back into a crow and took off for home.

* * * *

Fenix helped Tomlinson into the house and into the care of a concerned Babbette. Quinn met her in the morning room. He sat with his healing hands resting on his lap and a downcast expression on his face. When she entered the room, he looked up. “What happened?”

Fenix threw herself on the small sofa and sighed.

“That bad?”

“Worse. When we arrived at the chamber inside the catacombs, Priest was in the middle of his ritual. We would have prevailed but there was a strange little African man there who stole the dagger and disappeared.”

Quinn sat up and leaned forward. “Did Priest succeed in his transformation?”

“Oh yes, he's young now and vows to have Bryn and me. It seems as though we are highly prized commodities.”

“You're twins,” he said with a rueful grin. “Men, you know, they have these fantasies.”

Fenix raised an eyebrow.

“So, no dagger either?”

“The witch doctor took it. Bryn is searching for him now.”

“What do we do if she doesn't get it?”

Tears filled Fenix's eyes. “I don't know. I'm afraid, Quinn, afraid for Bryn. This will make her crazy.”

He scrubbed his eyes with two fingers. “You're not telling me anything I don't know.”

The door flew open at that moment and Bryn rushed in. “We have to get you out of here,” she said to Fenix. “Time is up. Today is the day. Lazarus will be coming for you at dusk.”

She grabbed Fenix's arm and pulled her to her feet. “Where can I go?” Fenix asked. “I'm so tired, tired of running and hiding and being afraid. I need to sleep.”

“You can sleep later. Pack a few things and we'll drive to Calais and catch a ship to Africa. I know that's where that God-cursed witch doctor went. We must find him and get the dagger.”

“Bryn, listen to yourself. We can't run to Africa. Lazarus is too powerful. He'll find us no matter where we try to hide.” She pulled her arm free. “From your demeanor, I take it the witch doctor wasn't at the Exposition.”

Bryn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hair hung limply and was still damp. Her clothes were wet and her pale skin tinged with blue from the cold. “The entire village was gone.”

“Now that is something,” Fenix said. “The dagger must have given him a great deal of power. We'll never find him now. Accept it. I'm going up to bed.”

“Fenix, please, go with me. We have to run. There's no other option.”

Fenix shook her head. “I can't. You go. I'm afraid Lazarus will take you as well. Quinn says men have fantasies about twins.”

“I'm not leaving you, not ever.” Bryn grabbed her and hugged her hard. “Don't you understand how much you mean to me? You've been my life for as long as I can remember. I could never abandon you especially not to
him.
”

“Then you must or stay here with me and face him. Maybe deep inside Lazarus's cold heart there is a spark of warmth and he'll change his mind and show some mercy.”

Bryn's crack of laughter held no mirth. “He's an evil demon cursed by God. He lost the capacity for mercy centuries ago.”

“Then he will prevail because I absolutely must sleep.”

Bryn hugged her hard one more time. “Then don't worry. You get your rest and I shall think of something.”

A lump formed in Fenix's throat. She loved her sister, but Bryn worried too much. “You always come up with something dearest of sisters. You've saved me time and time again. I can now remember all of those times and it's such a gift. I shall always be grateful to Lazarus for that gift. I truly know your faithfulness and your love because of him.”

“You remember everything?”

“Yes, it came back to me a little at a time, but I remember back all the way to Egypt and the moment when we were cursed. And I'm not going to worry. I'm immortal, remember? What can Lazarus do to me? Can he make me into a vampire? Somehow, I don't think that's possible.”

Bryn watched her sister leave the room. Tears ran down her face. She'd failed everyone. As she stood staring dispiritedly at the closed door, Quinn pulled her into his embrace. She fell against him and sobbed and he patted her back awkwardly with his healing hands.

“What do I do now?” She sobbed into his broad chest. “Lazarus will take Fenix and I shall surely die as well, if from nothing else from grief.”

“There must be something we can give him to satisfy the bargain.”

Bryn's heart leapt. “Maybe he'll take me.”

“Absolutely not!” Quinn snarled. “I won't allow it.”

Bryn tore herself from his embrace and began pacing. “You have nothing to say about anything. This is my problem.”

“Why do I have to be so weak?” Quinn moaned. He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around so she could gaze into his beautiful gray eyes. “I won't let you sacrifice yourself.”

“I'm very powerful, Quinn,” she said calmly. “I can handle myself. If I can convince Lazarus to take me, he will find he has so much more than he bargained for.”

“And you think he's too stupid to know this?”

“I think he wants one of us for some nefarious scheme he will never disclose. He made the bargain with me. I shall force him to take me. It's our only hope.”

“When is he coming?”

Bryn shrugged. “He just named this as the day. I imagine he will come as soon as the sun sets. He is a member of the undead and as such, I should think would avoid the light of day.”

“You would imagine wrong,” A familiar voice rasped from the doorway.

Bryn's heart plummeted and she feared she'd be sick as she spun around. “Why are you here now? My God! Why have you come?”

Lazarus shrugged. “This is the day, is it not? I have come to collect my dagger.”

Bryn gasped and backed up two steps with her hand on her chest.

His dry chuckle came from deep in his chest. “Oh, from your expression, I'm assuming you do not have it? Did a little bird take it? Or maybe a little witch doctor?”

“You sent him!” Bryn exploded with wrath. “That horrible little man was in your employ.”

Lazarus began sauntering though the room examining the clock on the mantel, the paintings on the walls in their gilt frames and the draperies. “How could you think such a thing of me? Why would I send someone to take it? Didn't I already employ you to retrieve my possession? I wanted that dagger and we, my dear Bryn, we had a bargain.”

Bryn grabbed Lazarus's arm. It felt like a dead stick in her hand. “Take me instead. Fenix is tired and still weak. Do with me whatever you desire. I am willing.”

Quinn's growl came from right behind her. She hushed him by laying her hand on his chest.

“I care not whether you are willing,” Lazarus said with an evil smile. “All I care about is collecting my fee for providing your delectable sister with her memories and her life as an adult. It took a lot out of me and I expect my reward.”

“You can't have her!”

Lazarus's chuckled again. “And who is going to stop me? I, my dear Bryn, can take from you whatever I wish.”

“I will fight you with the last breath of my body.”

“You shouldn't say things like that, my dear. I am one of the only creatures in existence who can take that last breath from you and if you try to thwart me in this, I shall do it.”

“I'm ready to go with you.” Fenix's soft voice from the open door shocked Bryn. She rushed forward and grabbed her sister. “Run, Fenix, allow me to deal with this monster.”

Lazarus's cold laugh froze Bryn in place. She tried to move and found herself unable to lift even a finger. Lazarus walked to Fenix, picked up her hand and pressed his lips against the palm. “My flaming dove. I will have you for my wife.”

“No,” Bryn croaked. “You can't take her.” Sobs shook Bryn and tears of anguish gushed down her face.

Fenix smiled into Lazarus's faded eyes. “After all the centuries of being cared for by Bryn, it is now my time, my turn to be the strong one. This is something she can't do for me; only I can do this and I do it for her, for Bryn, for my sister. Oh, how I've longed to be the strong one, the one in control, the one to make the hard sacrifices. I will save you, Bryn. This one time, there is only me and I am so happy to do whatever is required. Lazarus, do with me as you will.”

Lazarus tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. “Come,” he waved his other hand to indicate all of them. “Let us adjourn to that place of power on your roof. Bryn, you lead and we shall follow.”

Bryn's feet moved of their own accord. She had no power to stop them. Fingle appeared in the hallway and followed behind Lazarus as Bryn slowly climbed the staircase; each wooden step agony as she fought to keep from leading the way to the roof.

Quinn brought up the rear of their small parade to the second floor. Tomlinson and Babbette appeared from the bedrooms and followed behind. They all emerged onto the roof, Bryn in the lead. Her heart ached unbearably as she tried every spell she could think of to no avail. She tried to turn Lazarus to ice by freezing him with her breath, but nothing worked. She was about to lose her sister to a monster and there seemed to be no way to stop it from happening.

The sun had yet to rise, but the eastern sky had turned an ominous red. A cold wind whipped Bryn's still-damp hair around her face and tore at all of their clothes. Lazarus led Fenix to a spot on the edge of the balcony overlooking the city and turned her to face them. Fenix's beautiful face held an expression of serenity. She seemed calm and almost happy.

Bryn struggled against the invisible bonds Lazarus had placed on her, but nothing she did loosened them or gave her an inch of freedom. “Don't do this,” she cried. “Lazarus, have pity on Fenix. This is the first time she's been able to remember anything. Allow her to keep her life.”

“Who said I would take it? Oh no, I will not take her life, Bryn. I will, however, take her from you and grant her a better existence. One in which she will soar like an eagle and be the most powerful entity on this miserable world. Imagine, she's already immortal and can change into a phoenix and control fire, imagine what she will become when I have blessed her with my power as well. She will be a goddess and I will worship at her feet. She will spend eternity at my side and we shall rule the world as one. You see, Bryn, only I understand what her life is like; always the second sister, always living in your shadow. I will save her from that misery. She will never have to be reborn again. She will have everything and you, the controlling sister, the one who always bossed her around and ruled her, will have to take a back seat. Oh, I may allow her to visit you if she wishes, but then, after she is so much more than you, why would she wish to?”

When Fenix stared into Lazarus's faded blue eyes, she felt something, a connection such as she'd never known. For a moment, she saw him as he'd been as a young man, tall, strong and incredibly handsome with long wavy dark hair, piercing blue eyes and a square jaw. The vision faded quickly but she was left with a powerful impression and that special feeling of knowing him and who he was on a much deeper level. She followed him willingly up the stairs and onto the balcony. Inside her peace, serenity and a feeling rightness grew until she was positive what she was doing was not only the correct action but one that would lead to a different life where she would find herself.