“Come back for a second helping, did you?” Jack grinned nastily at me.
“You weren’t very successful in getting your first helping, Jack.”
This annoyed him. He lunged at me, but his anger caused him to misjudge, and I side-stepped his move and assumed a fighting stance. I stole a look at Dureau. Still stuck. This wasn’t good. The other three might wake up at any second. I didn’t think my chances would be good against the four of them.
I had to be quick. Before Jack had a chance to make his next move, I reached for the boomerang I always wore concealed in the back of my yoga pants. But would it have traveled with me in my dream?
Yes! Gripping it, I hurled it forward. Jack didn’t even see it coming. It struck him on the temple, and he immediately crumpled into a heap on the floor. Dureau’s hands were instantly released. A second later, one of the other Daywalkers sat up in his bed.
“Let’s get out of here!” I said.
“Right behind you.”
We ran as fast as we could out of the dormitory and into the forest as the fog continued to snake around us, completely submerging our surroundings until everything was bathed in white.
“Don’t let go of my hand,” Dureau said.
“I won’t.”
Our progress was slow in the soup-like, dream-like conditions. We heard shouts behind us at first, but after a time, it was clear that we were no longer being pursued. We slowed to a walk, still holding hands so we wouldn’t lose each other in the mist. Then, through the silence, came a sound that was eerily familiar. It was a laugh, growing louder and increasingly mocking.
I looked at Dureau, startled. “Is that …?”
He nodded and looked grim. “It’s Monsieur D.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Bryn
When I came to, I felt a profound sense of grogginess, not to mention enormous relief. I was vaguely aware of someone shaking me by the shoulder.
“Bryn? Wake up!”
Opening my eyes, I found Sinjin staring down at me. There was an intense look on his face—concern combined with relief combined with something else I couldn’t put my finger on. Fear, maybe?
“I worried you were not coming back,” he said.
“Why would you think that?”
“You began flailing around like mad and I could not rouse you. What happened?”
I held out my hand as I attempted to sit up, and Sinjin helped me into a sitting position. Dureau was already sitting up, and Audrey was fawning all over him. We looked at one another.
“That was close,” he said.
“What was close?” Sinjin demanded as he took me by the chin and rotated my face so I was looking at him. “Bryn, tell me. What was close?”
I’d never seen Sinjin look so alarmed. I might have described him as hysterical.
“The fog was still there, and we were facing the dormitory where Luce’s soldiers slept,” I started, my voice sounding haunted. “We went inside and…”
“Yes?” Sinjin prodded.
“We saw Daywalkers,” I finished.
“You mean those bastards who abused you?” Sinjin filled in.
I nodded mutely.
Sinjin let out a roar that took everyone by surprise. It even woke Damek. “You are not going back there again,” he said as he shook his head, then ran his fingers through his hair as he began pacing back and forth. “It is too dangerous.”
“But ...” I started.
“But nothing!” he shouted, and then, to everyone’s amazement, he threw his hands into the air and slammed out of the room, like a child having a tantrum.
Dureau, Audrey and I exchanged surprised glances.
“Mon Dieu !” said Audrey. “I have changed my mind! You are welcome to him!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Dureau smirked beside me as I wondered why Sinjin had decided to leave the room. I’d never seen him so flustered before.
“Anyway. Come on! Tell me what happened,” said Audrey insistently.
We told her everything in as much detail as we possibly could. She listened intently, especially to the part about Monsieur D. When we’d finished telling our tale, she sat back in her chair, adopting a far-away expression.
“What do you think?” Dureau asked her after a while.
“I think Monsieur D wants us to ask for his help.”
“Why would he want that?” I asked.
She shook her head and laughed sardonically. “You don’t know him like I do. Monsieur D likes to have a finger in every pie. He wants to be involved in everything. He feels it gives him power.”
“Maybe he can be of assistance to us,” said Dureau.
“Maybe,” Audrey replied dubiously. “ Je ne comprends pas . I do not trust him.”
“Well. Maybe we don’t need to trust him,” I started with a shrug. “Maybe it’s enough to use his help, but stay wary of him all the while,” I continued. “The stakes are so high here. It might be worth the risk.”
“I agree with Bryn,” Dureau said with a quick nod. “This dream infiltration isn’t working.”
“But why not?” Audrey sounded frustrated as she shook her head. “We are so much closer to the sleepers now, and Mercedes made the potion even more powerful!”
“It must be a numbers thing,” Dureau said as he inhaled deeply, the expression of confusion still on his face. “There are simply too many of them.”
“But would that explain why Jack woke up?” I asked.
Dureau shrugged. “That took me completely by surprise. I don’t know how he knew we were there.”
“Unless Monsieur D had something to do with it?” I asked.
Dureau cocked his head to the side. “I don’t know why he would do that.”
“To prove we need his help?” I asked.
He nodded. “Maybe. I mean, I suppose it’s possible.”
“I think there’s a reason Monsieur D showed up in the dream world, and I think there’s a reason I thought I saw him earlier, in the alley. He wants to make contact with us,” I continued with a firm nod. “And I think we should let him.”
Audrey sighed as she looked at me. “We will ask Monsieur D for his help. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Noted,” I answered. “Now, how do we find him?”
“Pas de probleme . He wants to be found. He will make it easy for us. He might even come to us himself.”
“That would make things significantly easier,” I said as I stood up. “Now, if you’ll both excuse me, I’d better go and find Sinjin.”
It took me a good fifteen minutes to find him. He was up on the roof again, leaning over the edge, looking as if he was about to take off. I noticed a table of older ladies looking at him in alarm.
I approached him slowly. “They think you’re going to jump.”
He whipped his head around to look at me. There was still some anger in his expression, and something else that I couldn’t define.
“Who thinks I am going to jump?”
“That table of little old ladies over there,” I said as I motioned to them with my chin. “If you’re not careful, you’ll give one of them a heart attack.”
He looked across at the table, then stepped away from the edge of the roof.
I reached out my hand to him, and he took it. I noted the audible sighs of relief coming from the ladies behind us. “Come sit with me,” I said.
I took him by the arm and led him to a cushioned seating area that was far from the other tables, most of which were empty anyway. We had this area to ourselves, and I was glad for that, because Sinjin and I needed to have a conversation. He took a seat on the outdoor sofa and crossed his legs, folded his arms and continued to look tense. This wasn’t the devil-may-care, confident to the point of arrogant vampire I’d come to know so well.
A waiter approached us.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’ll have a sparkling water, please,” I said, suddenly realizing how thirsty I was.
> “And for you, Sir?” The waiter smiled charmingly at Sinjin, and I realized he was gay and probably taken by the incredibly handsome vampire. Sinjin didn’t even look at him.
“No, thank you. There is only one beverage I am interested in.” He stared at me pointedly as the waiter cleared his throat and appeared uncomfortable. Not that I blamed him.
“Um, just the water, please.” I smiled at the waiter and willed him to go away.
Thankfully, he did.
“What’s going on, Sinjin?”
“Do you have any idea what it is like?”
“What what’s like?”
“Watching you disappear into the dream land with no one but that ridiculous fop to protect you! All the while knowing you are putting yourself in harm’s way!”
“Now, hold on for a second. I think I’ve proved more than once that I’m more than capable of protecting myself.”
“You are missing my point, Bryn.”
“What point is that?”
“You have no comprehension of how helpless I feel! I am meant to be your protector! I am meant to ensure you are safe!” He shook his head, and his attention settled on the miles and miles of city lights in the distance. “Watching you writhe around on the bed earlier, knowing you were likely in mortal danger, and not being able to do a single, solitary thing to assist you,” he said, his voice low. “It was nothing short of… hell.”
I stared at him and didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure what to say.
“And now, you carry my unborn child, and every instinct within me is screaming to protect the two of you! And when I cannot follow you on these… dream excursions… it is enough to drive a man insane.”
I placed my hand on his, which was still lukewarm from the last time he’d sampled my blood.
“I’m sorry, Sinjin. I had no idea how hard it was for you.”
He stared at me, his brilliant blue eyes imploring, then lowered his gaze. “Please do not return to Luce’s dream world again, Bryn. I am afraid something horrible is going to happen to you.” He grew quiet for a few moments. “And I could not bear it if such a thing happened.”
I’d never heard Sinjin plead before. Demand, yes, but never plead.
I sighed. “I have to.”
“You do not have to!” he railed at me. “It serves no purpose. This plan of yours is not even working! We are wasting our time here. I say we return to Kinloch Kirk without delay and think of an alternative plan.”
“I know it looks like it isn’t working right now,” I started as I squeezed his hand. “But each time we try, we get a little bit closer and we learn a little bit more.”
“Yet each time still remains a failure.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” I responded, shaking my head. “You didn’t stay long enough to hear everything that happened this time.”
“I heard enough.” His voice was gruff.
“Well, I don’t think you did, so I’m going to tell you now.” I took a deep breath. “Monsieur D made his presence known again. Audrey thinks he wants to get involved, that he wants to help us.”
“Monsieur D!” Sinjin said, throwing his hands into the air as he shook his head. “Why would we allow that … guttersnipe … to be involved?”
I didn’t even know what a guttersnipe was, but I assumed it wasn’t a compliment.
“Because he’s extremely powerful and knowledgeable, and he could well hold the key that allows us to unlock the dreams of Luce’s tribe.” I decided against telling Sinjin that Jack had woken up during our visit. Better to leave some things unsaid.
Sinjin was quiet, apparently considering my words.
“I do not like it,” he said eventually. “Monsieur D is unpredictable and dangerous.”
I sighed. “But Sinjin. Life is unpredictable and dangerous. And we need all the help we can get.”
Another protracted silence. Then it was his turn to sigh. “Very well.”
“You agree to it?”
“To enlisting the help of Monsieur D, yes.” He was quiet for a few seconds. “It does not appear I have much of a choice in the matter.”
“What made you change your mind?”
He laughed humorlessly. “I have not changed my mind. I still think it is a terrible idea. But I have learned that trying to prevent you from doing something is not only pointless, it also makes you all the more determined to move forward with whatever that thing was.” He faced me and shook his head. “If you cannot beat them, join them, I suppose.”
Fair enough.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Sinjin
It was Audrey’s foolish idea to go wandering about the streets of New Orleans, hoping for a glimpse of Monsieur D. She insisted that our best hope of finding him was to make ourselves available, as she believed he was just as eager to find us as we were to find him.
I sighed noisily as I went along with her charade, irritated all the while.
The frogette turned and looked at me sharply. “Do you have something to say, Sinjin?”
“I have nothing to declare except my genius,” I replied, quoting Oscar Wilde.
Audrey rolled her eyes in an impressive way and turned back to her brother, whereupon they both recommenced muttering in semi-audible French.
“Can you stop provoking her?” Bryn whispered as she elbowed me in the arm. “And will you stop sighing, or whatever the hell it is that you’re doing?”
“My darling hellion, I am merely breathing,” I replied with a shrug. “Since acquiring my own respiratory system, I am taking enormous delight in using it.”
Bryn rolled her eyes, quite similar to the way Audrey had just done. It must have been the New Orleans air that was having such an effect on the women folk.
Damek walked a couple of paces behind Bryn and me. He was almost restored to his former good health, although he was sporting shades, as the light still hurt his eyes somewhat. He cut quite the dashing figure as he strode along the French Quarter, and I had to admit he had grown into a handsome young man.
Children grow up so fast nowadays, particularly when they are Daywalker-Elemental hybrids. A couple of young girls nudged each other and giggled as they walked by, clearly taken by him.
“My, my,” I said. “Our young Damek is attracting all sorts of admiring glances today. What a pity you are already promised to the lovely Dayna. Otherwise you could be sampling all manner of delights in New Orleans.”
“Sinjin!” Bryn said as she elbowed me for the second time.
Damek blushed profusely.
“Stop stirring up trouble, you,” she said but a smile ghosted her lips.
“I am merely stating the obvious, my little pet.”
All of a sudden, the Chevaliers, who were walking directly in front of us, halted abruptly, almost causing us to collide with their backs.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Shhh,” Audrey said. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Bryn asked.
“Whistling,” the fop responded.
“I didn’t hear any whistling,” Bryn said.
“Nor me,” I added.
“Me neither,” said Damek.
“If you all would stop talking for a second, you might hear it!” Audrey railed at us. None of us said anything then, all of us remaining quiet as I wondered how she could expect to hear anything as discreet as whistling on such a noisy street, especially without the aid of vampire super senses.
“I must have been imagining it,” she said after a while. “Sorry.”
She and her brother resumed walking, and the three of us followed.
The day was quite glorious, as was the atmosphere. It was not the time of Mardi Gras, but New Orleans always had somewhat of a festive feel to it. It might have been the jazz musicians playing on the street or the sounds and scents emanating from the countless restaurants we passed. Perhaps my little hellion, too, was infected with the excitement of it all, for she slipped her hand into mine as we walked along. A smal
l gesture, I know, but I was still quite taken by it. I looked down to find her upturned face smiling up at me. It may have been my imagination, but I believed she was starting to exude that pregnant woman’s glow.
So caught up was I in admiring my hellion’s beauty that I all but collided with Audrey and the fop, who had stopped walking once more.
“There it is again!”
“Goodness, you are going to ensure I walk headlong into your heads!” I muttered.
“I heard it this time, too,” said the dandy, clearly ignoring me.
“So somebody’s whistling. So what?” Damek asked in his inimitable teenage style. But I had to admit he had echoed my sentiments exactly.
“So it was Monsieur D, that’s what,” the frog answered testily.
“How do you know?” Bryn questioned.
“He’s done this before. Several times, in fact, to attract our attention,” Audrey explained.
“And is it possible that only you and your brother are capable of hearing this particular whistle?” I questioned her. “Because I most assuredly have heard nothing, and we all know how superior vampire hearing is.” The lady turned to me, and from the expression in her eyes, I could see that I was still not entirely forgiven.
“Of course, anybody can hear it!” she said. “If you and Bryn would stop mooning over each other for ten seconds, you both would be aware of it.”
Bryn immediately withdrew her hand from mine, and I could feel the embarrassment radiating from her.
“Very well,” I said frostily. “You can instruct us how to proceed.”
“Monsieur D is leading us in a particular direction,” the fop said as he faced each of us in turn. “I believe he wants us to follow him.”
“The last whistle came from over there,” Audrey said as she pointed and started in said direction.
I was dubious, but I felt I had no choice but to bow to the Chevaliers’ superior knowledge of Monsieur D.
And then I heard the whistling myself.
“It is coming from over there,” I said, and pointed to our right.
We all began moving rapidly in the direction of the whistles, as if fearful of losing our trail. After a time, it became clear that Monsieur D was leading us in the direction of Jackson Square.
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