Bittersweet Magic to-2

by Nina Croft

  “Thanks,” Jessica said.

  “My pleasure. Do you feel better? Can you remember?”

  A shudder ran through the girl’s body. In the photograph, she had appeared slightly plump, but that was gone. She was thin to the bone now. But her expression was serene.

  “I feel better. Better than I’ve ever felt. I’m still afraid, but it’s not so dark anymore.”

  “There are bad things out there,” Roz said. “But there are also things that stand in front of them, fight them off, keep the world a safe place. Most of the time. Can you talk to Detective Ryan now?”

  Jessica nodded and glanced past Roz’s shoulder. Roz twisted her head and saw that Maria and Ryan were standing right behind her. An expression of wonder filled Maria’s face. “You’re an angel,” she murmured.

  Roz scowled. “Piss off.”

  Ryan laughed and it broke the tension. “That’s the Roz we all love.”

  His words warmed her, but she kept the scowl on her face as she stood up. “Make it quick, Ryan. I’m on a schedule here.”

  She sat in one of the chairs as Ryan questioned Jessica, letting the words flow over her without taking too much notice. She knew what Jessica would be saying—she had seen what the girl had gone through.

  It occurred to her that maybe it would be better for the Order if Jessica didn’t say any of this stuff. That they must work hard to keep under the radar, maintain the lie that their kind was nothing but a myth. But it was too late now. And anyway, she doubted that anyone would believe Jessica. They would probably conclude that Jack was some sort of vampire wannabe freak rather than the real thing.

  Eventually Jessica went silent. “That’s all,” she said.

  Ryan sat back. “Nobody is going to believe this.”

  Which was exactly Roz’s opinion, and just as well.

  He sighed. “Oh well, it’s not often I get to write up a report about vampires.”

  “Just don’t mention me in it.” He opened his mouth, but she continued before he could speak. “A deal’s a deal.”

  “You know I won’t.” He rose to his feet and stretched. “Okay, that’s it for the night. I might think of some more questions tomorrow. But for now, I’m beat.” He looked down at the girl. “You think you can sleep now?”

  “Actually, I’m hungry. Is there any food?”

  “I’m sure they can find you some. I’ll send someone in.”

  Jessica called to them as she opened the door. “Roz, will you visit me again?”

  “Of course,” she lied.

  After all, who knew where she would be tomorrow.

  Ryan appeared deep in thought as they left the hospital, and from the expression on his face, his thoughts weren’t happy ones. She couldn’t help him there. A twinge of guilt jabbed her in the gut. She had gone to Ryan that first time, had brought him into her world, where he had no right to be. Now he was getting in deeper, and that could only be bad news for him. Tara had said that one of the functions of the Order was to keep their kinds’ existence a secret. So what did they do with people like Ryan who just got too close? Maybe nothing worse than a bit of that mind control. She could only hope.

  The parking lot was almost deserted. She and Maria followed Ryan toward where his SUV was parked.

  He was putting the key in the lock when something slammed into her from behind, and she crashed to the floor. The air left her lungs with a whoosh and all she saw were flashes of blackness. A small scream came from beside her—Maria. Roz tried to drag herself up, but a weight pushed her down into the ground, crushing her face so her teeth were rammed against the inside of her mouth and she tasted the sweet metallic tang of her own blood.

  She stopped struggling, held herself very still, and the pressure eased slightly. A few seconds later, she was dragged to her feet, wincing as pain shot through her. She’d maybe cracked a rib in the fall, but it wasn’t too bad. She could still function.

  They were surrounded. One man had a hold of Sister Maria, two held onto Ryan, and at least five others stood around, all dressed in dark jackets, the hoods pulled over their faces. But beneath the hoods, she could see the gleam of crimson.

  A man stood in the center of the group. He was dressed in dark pants and a black shirt. She recognized him in an instant.

  Jack.

  Shit.

  He leaned in close and sniffed the air around her. “Who are you?”

  “Mind your own goddamn business.”

  He studied her speculatively, and she braced herself for pain, but instead a slight smile curled his lips, and he nodded to the man who held Maria. He twisted her arm viciously behind her back, and Maria let out a little shriek of pain before she managed to bite it back. Her gaze held Roz’s, and an expression of acceptance filled her eyes. She fully expected to die here. In that moment, Roz decided that no way was that going to happen. Not if she could help it. She would die first.

  She must have tensed because Ryan spoke from beside her, his tone urgent.

  “Roz!”

  Two men held him, gripped by his upper arms, though she’d felt their inhuman strength and knew they weren’t men. From the crimson glint in their eyes and strong stench of sulfur that hung around them, she’d guess they were demons. Blood beaded on Ryan’s mouth but his eyes were clear. When he saw he had her attention, he shook his head slightly. He was telling her not to do anything. It was good advice—they were way outnumbered. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax. If Jack had wanted them all dead, they would already be dead. He had kept them alive for a reason. She only hoped that reason wasn’t so he could feed on them all later at his leisure.

  But she didn’t think so. She actually had a good idea of what he was after. She only hoped she could use that to save her friends. A shock ran through her at the thought. But she realized it was the truth—they were her friends, however much she tried to reject the idea. Ryan had been her friend for a long time. And Maria. She couldn’t deny that she was coming to care about her in a weird sort of way.

  She nodded at Ryan, and some of the tension went out of his figure.

  “So shall we try again?” Jack said. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Rosamund Fairfax,” she replied. “And I’m a Seeker.”

  His eyes widened slightly. “Really? Who do you work for?”

  “No one. I freelance.”

  “And you found my Key. Why were you seeking it?”

  “Money. I was offered a great deal of money—”

  “By whom?”

  “I don’t know. In my line of work sometimes it’s better not to know.”

  He pursed his lips. Was he deciding whether to push her? “So how did you find me?”

  “I was at the convent the night you attacked.”

  Shock flared in his eyes. “Go on.”

  “After you left, I decided my only lead to the Key was Piers Lamont, and so I went with the sister to deliver your message. Afterward, I went to the police, said I had seen you with the missing girl, and gave them a picture.”

  “So that’s how they found me,” he said, almost to himself. “I knew I hadn’t been careless.”

  Well, bully for you. But she kept the words to herself. See, she was learning tact.

  “So you have the Key? If you’ve handed it over already, I’m afraid things aren’t going to end well for you and your friends. Though I might keep you alive for a while. My mistress likes novelties.”

  “Super. But maybe I’ll pass up on the introduction. I have the Key. Obviously, not on me. But if you let us go, I’ll get it for you.”

  “Of course you would. Why do I get the notion that if I let you all go, you’ll vanish without a trace?”

  “I have no idea.” She tried a smile. “How about if I promise?”

  “Does your word mean anything? Somehow I doubt it.” He considered her for a moment. “You care about them?” He gestured to Ryan and Maria.

  She gave what she hoped was a casual shrug of her shoulder. “Of cou
rse not. They were a means to an end.”

  He smiled. And it wasn’t nice. “Give her to me,” he said to the man holding Maria.

  The man shoved her toward him. She stumbled, but Jack caught her in his arms. He turned her so she was held against his chest, her back flush to his body, her face staring straight at Roz. Panic and fear filled her eyes.

  Roz tried to take a step forward but couldn’t move.

  “I fancied a taste that night at the convent, but I didn’t have the time. If you don’t care about her, it won’t worry you to watch me drain the little nun dry.”

  He clasped a hand in Maria’s short hair, tugged her head to the side. Roz saw the flash of fangs before he buried them in the sister’s throat.

  Maria convulsed in his arms, but he held her too tightly against him. She gave Roz one last pleading glance and clamped her eyes tight shut.

  She’d felt Piers’ bite, endured the pleasure it could bring, but it was clear there was nothing pleasurable about this embrace. And she knew he would drain her, suck her blood until the life force left her. Maria’s struggles were weaker already.

  “Stop,” Roz said.

  Jack didn’t pause, but his gaze lifted to hers, and she was caught in that crimson tinted stare.

  “You kill her, and I swear I’ll die before I give you your fucking Key. I mean it.”

  His eyes darkened, but she saw him bring himself back under control. He stroked his hands down Maria’s arms then slowly raised his head. His mouth was stained scarlet, like some parody of lipstick, and he licked his lips with obvious relish.

  As he released his grip, Maria collapsed to the ground. Roz struggled to free herself. “Let me go,” she snarled.

  Jack nodded, and the arms holding her released their grip. She knelt on the concrete beside Maria and felt for a pulse. It was there, but weak and thready. Roz would rather not show her powers in front of Jack, but Maria needed her help. She sent out a little pulse of power, and Maria’s eyes flickered open.

  “What did you just do?” Jack asked.

  “None of your goddamned business.”

  “Oh, I think everything you do is my business until I get my Key. But we’ll leave it for now.”

  “So how do we do this?” she asked.

  “You tell me where the Key is, and I let your people go.”

  “Yeah, right, of course you do. Because you’re such a nice guy.”

  Once he had the Key, they were all as good as dead—or wishing they were dead.

  “Okay, but your friends stay with me until I have my Key.”

  She couldn’t see any way out of that. What she needed was time to devise a plan. Her mind worked furiously. While she hated to leave Ryan and Maria with the vampire and his demon friends, what choice did she have?

  “We’ll be all right.” Ryan spoke in a low voice from behind her. She scrambled to her feet and turned to face him. “Go do what you have to do. We’ll be fine.” He gave her a weak smile. “At least now I know I’m not going mad and that vampires do exist.”

  “Or maybe you’ve gone mad and this is all in your mind.”

  “Wouldn’t that be nice? But I mean it—we can survive this.”

  She somehow doubted that. She doubted there was any way they were all coming out of this alive. But there was a way she could survive; she could lie, arrange a handover, and just disappear. But even as the idea flickered through her mind, she knew it wasn’t an option. Mere survival was no longer enough for her. She wanted to live, but not at any price. How ironic that she should develop a conscience just when she really didn’t need one. But there was no going back.

  She gave Ryan what she hoped was a comforting smile. “I’ll get you out.” She swung back around to face Jack. “I need twenty-four hours to get the Key, and I have to be alone,” she said. “I’ve left it with someone, but if anyone else goes near, they have instructions to destroy it.” That should give her enough time to work on her limited options. “When and where?”

  Jack pursed his lips. “Give me your cell phone number—I’ll be in touch.”

  She told him then did her best to give him a cold hard stare. “You hurt them again and the deal is off.”

  A slow smile curved his lips. “Maybe I’ll make it pleasurable next time—do you think she’d enjoy that?”

  Sister Maria let out a little whimper, and Roz allowed the fury to rise inside her. Always in the past, she’d kept her emotions locked away. The last time she’d really given them free rein, she’d ended up making a deal with a demon. Now, they filled her mind like a rushing of wind. Over her head, lightning flashed. She stared up into the sky as the rumble of thunder sounded close by. Inside her, power stirred uneasily, but it was a power she had no clue what to do with, or how to harness, and she ground her teeth in frustration.

  She looked down to find everybody staring at her. Ryan quirked a brow. Sister Maria crossed herself. Jack stared at her with narrowed eyes. “What are you?” he asked.

  She wished she knew, really she did. “You drink one more drop of blood from either of my friends and you’ll find out.” She forced herself to take a step closer and poked him in the chest—this was no time to show fear. He felt like solid rock. “Got it?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  After they’d gone—sort of vanished in a puff of sulfur—Roz sank down onto the pavement. The adrenaline was seeping away, leaving her shaky and weak.

  She was a danger to everyone she cared about. That was why she’d always avoided emotional entanglements in the past. How had she allowed them to creep up on her now?

  It was probably because she’d believed that soon she would be free of the demon. She’d thought she’d be human, normal like everyone else. That was obviously not going to be the case.

  She rubbed the spot between her eyes, trying to ease the tension. She had to decide what to do. There were options; she just didn’t like any of them.

  The easiest would be to follow through with her original plan. Go pick up the Key from Ryan’s place and hand it over to Asmodai. She glanced at her watch—she would be late, but he would wait…probably. And once she’d handed it over, she would be free, and she could just vanish.

  And Ryan and Maria would die.

  And Asmodai would do God knew what with the Key, though that didn’t worry her so much as the Ryan and Maria part. Yes, Asmodai was a demon, but she’d come to know him over the centuries. While his morals were never going to be what normal people would consider, well, moral, she didn’t believe him to be evil. But that was beside the point. How could she run away and try and live a normal life with the blood of her friends on her hands?

  It wasn’t an option. So what next?

  She could go get the Key and hand it over to Piers. The problem was, while she was sure Piers would do what he believed to be right, she also suspected that what he considered right would be right for the Order and not necessarily right for Ryan and Maria. While he wouldn’t go out of his way to harm humans, as Jack would, she doubted that saving them was high up on his priority list. He’d take the Key and keep it safe. But Ryan and Maria would die.

  Piers would probably even explain it away—they were dying to save the world. And Maria and Ryan might even see it that way. After all, they were a nun and a policeman—both, in their ways, were dedicated to saving their fellow men.

  But after being alone for so many years, Roz had come to realize that it was individual people who mattered. Oh, she might have tried to deny it to herself, tried to pretend that she didn’t need anyone, but it was a lie. Without caring for the people who made up the masses, ideals meant nothing, and the whole world might as well go to Hell.

  So it looked like option two was a no-go as well.

  Option three: keep the rendezvous with Jack, hand over the Key, save Maria and Ryan, and disappear before anyone could find her. She’d have to sever all contact with her old life. No doubt, Asmodai would be after her, and with the sigil still in place, he would find her, and there was a
good chance he would kill her for this betrayal. She couldn’t go back to the Order. She couldn’t work with Jonas and find out who or what she was. And she would never see Piers again.

  Why did that hurt so much?

  She’d known he was dangerous from the first moment she had seen him. Drawn to him, she had tried to tell herself that it was purely physical, but it went deeper than that. Now she’d never have a chance to explore just how deep.

  But that was insignificant in the bigger scheme of things. Jack was evil, and she had no doubt that this demon he was working for was also evil. What had happened at the convent proved that. There had really been no need to kill all the sisters. Jack could have gotten in, found the Key, and gotten out without hurting anyone. But he hadn’t. And look at his treatment of Jessica. She’d learned from Piers that vampires didn’t have to terrorize their food. They didn’t have to kill them, either. Jack did it that way because he enjoyed it. God knew what pain and misery he and his mistress—whoever she was—would wreak on earth if they came into power. Or what their ultimate goal could be—but she was guessing nothing good.

  Roz had always liked to think of herself as a total badass. But actually, she was really quite pathetic.

  Shit.

  She was running out of options.

  A car drove past, catching her in its headlights. It slowed but then picked up speed. She was sitting on the ground in a hospital car park late at night. They probably thought she’d had some bad news or something. They’d be right.

  Okay, last option. Very last. She’d keep the rendezvous with Jack, make sure Ryan and Maria were safe, and then she’d find a way to destroy the Key and everything and everyone in the vicinity. Unfortunately, that would include herself, because she couldn’t let the Key out of her sight. She couldn’t risk it getting into the wrong hands.

  So it looked like this was it.

  The end.

  More shit.

  But once the idea sank in, a sense of lightness flowed through her mind, easing the tension and conflict.

  She’d lived a long life, and despite her hatred of being indebted to the demon, most of the time she’d been free to act as she wished. She’d seen and done some fabulous things: traveled to America with the first colonists, climbed the Inca trails, studied with the aborigines in Australia. She’d seen and done more than any human could ever hope for. She sort of regretted that she’d never get into space—a trip to the moon was on her to-do-list—but all the same, she’d lived a full life.