Triquetra

by Marguerite Labbe

  “You would know her mental state if you’d stayed. Why’d you run off like that?”

  “Alette looks at me like she wants to add me to her harem.” I suppressed a shudder of revulsion. “I figured we’d play to our strengths. You’re good at dealing with Madame Creepy. Besides, I thought she might open up to you more if I wasn’t there. I get the feeling she doesn’t know what to make of me.”

  “Your instincts were probably right. She was rather calm tonight though. Taylor and Celeste were there and their presence tends to make Alette less….” Kristair paused, searching for a polite way of phrasing it.

  “Bat shit insane?”

  Kristair chuckled. “That’s one way of putting it. Did the younglings have anything to offer, other than the obvious, of course?”

  His prim tone made me want to snicker, but somehow I managed to keep it in as we drove over the Liberty Bridge. The lights of the city stretched out before us, revealing the skyline. Pittsburgh was damn beautiful at night. It got a bad rap sometimes, but I really loved the place. It had a whole different vibe from back home, one that suited me.

  “They didn’t drag me off to their lair and have their wicked way with me.” I reached over and linked my hand with Kristair’s. “According to them, the vampires are getting nervous, some of the more itinerant bunch have already moved on to other cities. There’s some grumblings toward Ussier and his gang, though no one’s really dared to say anything out loud against them.”

  I swore as a guy cut me off and swerved around him, hitting the gas. “Jacob… you want me to talk about what scares me,” Kristair said, his voice a little breathless, and when I took my eyes off the road to glance at him, he was gripping the door handle with white knuckles. “Your driving scares me. Will you please stick to one lane?”

  “Ha! You may be two thousand years old, but I know driving. Why don’t you stick to telling me what you found out. So did she have a conspiracy theory about what connected all the victims?”

  “You’re not going to like it,” Kristair warned.

  “And you’re just mentioning this now?” My stomach sank. “Don’t tell me it’s the Syndicate again.”

  “What? Oh no, they’ve been obliterated, at least enough that they won’t be a threat for a long time. No youngling wants to be associated with them anymore, so it’s going to be hard to get new recruits. No, the Syndicate has been laid to rest; you don’t need to worry about them anymore.”

  “Kristair, don’t make me yank answers outta you,” I growled, glaring at him as the Z28 zipped through traffic. I fucking loved my baby. Damn, she responded to my every touch.

  “I’m the connection.”

  Silence descended as I tried to absorb the shock of that statement. The ominous chill his words provoked in me seemed to be a rather fair indication he was probably right, but I wasn’t ready to believe my intuition.

  “What makes you think you’re the connection?”

  “I knew all the victims.” How could he sound so calm and matter-of-fact with an announcement like that?

  “That’s pretty fucking slim evidence if you ask me. Kristair, you’re older than Christ. I’m sure you know most people. I bet you even went to Jesus’s bar mitzvah. Got anything else?”

  “Only two of the victims actually resided in Pittsburgh, the others were lured in and murdered within twenty-four hours of arriving.”

  “I still don’t see….”

  “Let me finish. One of the victims I’m not sure of, because she hadn’t let anyone know she was in Pittsburgh, so they don’t have a name for her. However, every single one of the others helped me research what happened to Ancients when they went mad and disappeared.”

  “Son of a fucking bitch.” My hands tightened on the wheel, and I had to force myself to slow down before I plowed into a jersey wall or another car. “Why?”

  “If we knew that, Jacob, we’d know who the killer was. I need to warn Lisabeth and Artemise. They also provided some insight into my research. It’s odd they haven’t already been targeted, but I won’t quibble over one good thing out of this whole mess. Alette did tell me that one of the victims had come to see them before he was killed.”

  “Kristair, has it occurred to you that we might be walking into a trap? Schenley Park is huge. There’s a ton of places where we could be ambushed during the day and we’re going in there at night?” I didn’t like it, felt like I was being lead around by the damn nose.

  “We certainly wouldn’t be able to talk to either of them during the day.”

  I narrowed my eyes, Kristair’s continuing calm irking me. “That’s not the point. What if they’re the bad guys?”

  “You cannot be serious. Lisabeth and Artemise may be many things, and both can be quite ruthless, but staking vampires in the sun is not their style. If they wanted to take somebody out, they wouldn’t hide. They wouldn’t play games. Their target would just disappear. Jacob, they’re powerful enough they wouldn’t need to go about in that manner. Besides, whoever did this had to be able to walk in the sun, and despite their knowledge, that is a whole new kind of trick.”

  “It is possible though,” I argued. “Think about it. You’ve said yourself that vampires are capable of learning anything, it’s just a matter of mental conditioning and will, right? They strike me as having quite a bit of both.”

  “That is valid reasoning,” Kristair said, and I preened under Kristair’s praise even though I knew the “but” was coming. “However, just say that they did learn how to walk in the sun. That’s not some simple trick, realizing that it is possible would have been quite profound. Jacob, it would almost certainly have to trigger the Ascended.”

  “Dammit, I hate it when you’re right. You’re always right.”

  “Hardly.” Kristair pointed to the sign as we entered the park on the Boulevard of the Allies. “Head to the conservatory.”

  “It’s closed now.”

  “Do you argue with everything out of some innate need to be bullheaded?”

  I started laughing at the testy sound of his voice. At least something could break through his façade. “Probably, though in this case I think I’m arguing because I prefer the simple solution to the alternative.” Lights along the road began to turn off as we drove, and I frowned. The park closed at eleven, but for some reason, I had thought they kept them on all night.

  Despite the late hour, the conservatory was aglow with a golden light, and I dismissed the phenomenon. I guess it didn’t make much sense to waste electricity on streetlamps after hours. Besides, the conservatory provided more than enough light. The curved panes of glass made the whole structure seem like a delicate fairyland. I parked the Z28 as close to the entrance as possible and turned toward Kristair.

  “I don’t like you being the connection. I’d rather have it be anybody but you. That makes this shit personal and I don’t know if I can fucking handle that.”

  “I must admit, I don’t like it either. There isn’t much we can do about it though. We certainly cannot ignore the situation.” I sighed, and Kristair smiled as he took my hand. “If they wanted my attention, they certainly have it. Come on, mo chroí, the quicker we’re done here, the quicker we can go home.”

  Grumbling, I got out of the car. I hated to admit Kristair was right. I didn’t have to like it, but even if Ussier hadn’t come to us, it looked like we were going to end up involved in this mess one way or another. We must have been giant magnets for supernatural shit or something.

  Kristair laughed, and there was a funny, thoughtful expression on his face.

  “What do you find so damn funny?”

  “I was just thinking about how hard I tried to keep you out of this. I was so determined when the Syndicate first showed up to shield you from this part of my life. To keep them from ever learning you existed. I thought it could keep you safe.” His expression sobered. “Keep you innocent.”

  “Jesus, Kristair, I haven’t been innocent since Lauren and I stole my Ma’s truck and went par
king.”

  Kristair rolled his eyes. I loved making him do that. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know what you meant. You’ve said it before. I’m not a violent man, at least not normally, and those I’ve killed, well, they needed killing. I don’t think my soul’s tarnished for defending myself or those I love. So you can stop fussing about it. My conscience lets me sleep at night.”

  “I’ll try to stop fussing. I make no promises though.”

  “It’s funny, about that night in your office when Dominic and Claudia showed up. I was so damn frustrated because I wanted to be by your side, helping you. I thought I’d just get in the way, that I was useless.” I grinned. “Now I am involved and everyone knows how much I mean to you and it looks like we were both wrong. You don’t need to try to shelter me from the big bad world, and I do have something to offer this partnership of ours.”

  Kristair looked at me over the roof of the Z28, and a smile tugged his lips. “I think I have to say that I’m glad we were both wrong. I’d rather have you at my side than locked up out of sight any day.”

  “Let’s go before I drag you into the back seat and teach you about necking.”

  “Necking? This is the second time you’ve mentioned that. What is this necking?”

  I groaned. “Come on, Kristair, later. Conversation first, necking second. Jesus, I can’t believe I said that.”

  Chapter 8

  “SO HOW is it these two can get in after hours?” Jacob asked as I tried the side entrance Alette had told me about. Sure enough, it opened.

  “Money. Between Alette and Artemise, they’ve spent quite a bit on beautifying the city over the years. She got rich on the steel industry and I think she’s been trying to make a few reparations since then. Regardless, she’s behind many such things in the city, and Artemise, well, he has his own interests.”

  One of them, probably Artemise, had turned on the lights in most of the rooms. The conservatory was serene and beautiful, exotic plants spilling color and scent. “Let’s try the Orchid Room first. I’m told that is considered to be a romantic setting.”

  “You mean they’re here on a date?”

  “I doubt they’d term it that way. In fact, I wouldn’t say it to them if I were you. Artemise might find it amusing. I doubt she will.”

  “That’s just gross, Kristair, she looks twelve.” Jacob sounded utterly appalled.

  “She’s not twelve. I don’t believe she has ever been twelve.” I cut off Jacob’s protest with a squeeze of his hand. “Would it help you to know that she’d already had a child of her own before she was created as a vampire?”

  “Now you’re just fucking with me.” Jacob looked at me, his eyes searching. “No, you’re not. Damn.”

  “Rules were different hundreds of years ago and life expectancy wasn’t that long. Besides, she was a slave. It’s not as if she had any say in the matter. She was expected to breed other slaves.”

  “I can’t imagine anyone with the balls or idiocy enough to try that with her. I bet she was still creepy as a human.”

  “No doubt. I’m sure they lived to regret the decision. I believe the Orchid Room is this way. I haven’t visited in quite awhile.” We wandered around, hand in hand, half looking for Artemise and Lisabeth and half enjoying the sights on our own. The conservatory had a hushed atmosphere, quiet and soft, and the night sky through the multitude of windows was very dark. The air was layered with scents from sweet to spicy, earthy and damp.

  “Oh wow,” Jacob said as we entered the Victoria Room. “I never got to really appreciate this place last time I was here. I was being chased.”

  I frowned, turning toward him. He hadn’t told me about that. “It’s not when the Syndicate was hounding you last fall, was it?”

  “Oh no, nothing like that. I’d come here with Steve and Tony during Halloween for their haunted house. The year before I met you.”

  I paused along the walkway to look around me. The glassed-in room featured a delicate gazebo in the center and a large pool with a fountain. The greenery was lush, as in all the other rooms, and the occasional splash of colors from the flowers made for a dramatic effect. It seemed to me that Jacob and I had not had many quiet moments like this where we could just be. Intimate moments.

  It was a strange thought. It had been a very long time since I’d considered romance. Jacob and I had not had the luxury to pursue such things, and he deserved them. I would have to make it a priority when this investigation was done.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking,” Jacob said casually, messing with the controls of the interactive fountain, changing the lights and the way the water flowed. “That we should get married.”

  I stared at my lover in surprise. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out where this notion had come from. “I seem to recall us already being bonded. The night the….”

  “Don’t you dare, like I’d forget that night.” Jacob turned around to face me, taking my other hand also, his bright blue eyes intent. For some reason, my stomach started doing weird flips. “I know we were bonded, and for me that’s just as permanent, but there are some real reasons for getting married too.”

  My mouth went dry. He looked so serious. How long had he been considering this? I searched for my voice, which he seemed to have stolen. “Please, enlighten me.”

  “Okay, first we’ll go into all the legal ones before I get into the personal ones. For instance….”

  I shook my head. “I understand the legal ones. I’d never thought of it before, but I can see the validity of your concerns. Go on with the personal ones.” That was where I was sure the crux of his argument lay.

  My brain spun, not that I had any personal objections to getting married. To be honest, the thought had never entered my mind, not since I had become human. I just couldn’t understand why Jacob didn’t believe that the bond we’d created was enough. It was intense, personal, and intimate. The thought of parading around in one of the ceremonies I’d seen on TV was… distasteful.

  “Well, for starters, my Ma isn’t going to fall for me telling her we already did the deed in a private ceremony between the two of us months ago. I’d like her to know that you’re the one I’ve chosen to be my mate for the rest of my life. She would want to be there when I get married. I bet Kayla would like to see that too.”

  “Invoking my daughter is very sneaky, Jacob.”

  “I know my man.” Jacob grinned, and then he drew in a breath. “There’s another reason. Something I’ve been thinking about since Rome.”

  I raised my brow. “That’s quite a bit of time to have something on your mind. Is it something we’ve discussed?”

  “No.” Jacob hesitated. “I was never sure how you’d take it and we’ve been a little busy, plus I kinda needed the time to let the idea sink in myself.”

  Now my curiosity raged. I resisted the temptation to peek into his memories of that night to discover what he was talking about. Something this important to him, I’d rather have him tell me in his own words. Besides, he was nervous, a condition he was rarely afflicted with. So I waited him out.

  Finally, Jacob let out an explosive breath, glaring at me. “Okay, so I want kids. I want a family with you and it would be a hell of a lot easier to adopt if we were married.” He paused, a disgruntled expression crossing his face. “You know, that’s a very bad habit you have, looking at me all enigmatic like that so I don’t know what you’re thinking. It’s just wrong.”

  I barely heard him as I sank down onto one of the ledges around a flowerbed, my thoughts whirling even faster, something akin to panic gripping my insides. How could one man get me as flustered as Jacob seemed to do all the time? I looked up at him, latching onto his most absurd idea. “Whatever gave you the idea that I’d be a good father?”

  Genuine surprise flashed across his face. “You’re kidding me, right? Have you already forgotten Kayla?”

  “I didn’t adopt her, she adopted me. It was entirely her idea, and she didn’t gi
ve me much choice in the matter.” I grimaced. “I still think she was out of her mind to choose me.” When she had been under my care, I’d constantly worried whether or not I was hurting her more than I was helping her.

  Jacob’s eyes softened as he looked down at me, and he touched his fingertips to the back of my scalp. “I think you doubt yourself too much when it comes to her, Kristair. In every way that matters, Kayla is your daughter. You may not have been there for her like you wanted to, but she’s alive and strong because of you. And the fact that you felt inadequate and wanted to do more tells me you’d make a kickass father.”

  I shrugged, uncomfortable with Jacob’s praise. Not that the brat seemed to care one way or another. By the dancing in his eyes, I’d have said he’d regained his equilibrium and was taking satisfaction in seeing me so off balance.

  “So what do you say, Kristair? Will you marry me, or are you going to make me get down on my knee and embarrass us both?” He looked too roguish and charming at that moment for my own good, with that wicked smile on his sensuous lips.

  “I should make you, springing this on me the way you did.” My glare had no effect on him because he just grinned even more. “Yes, I’ll marry you, mo chroí.” My stomach flipped over at that, but Jacob’s answering smile blazed through me. “I swear, though, I don’t want anything fancy or a whole lot of people attending. I don’t want that. Nice and simple, promise me.”

  “That’s okay, I was thinking of it just being us, my Ma, and Kayla and Steve.”

  “You have given this some thought,” I said, shaking my head in amazement.

  Jacob took my hands and tugged me up again, wrapping his arms around my waist. “I have. I love you, Kristair.” He kissed me, long and lingering, with a sweetness that made me ache inside. When we broke apart, my heart was racing.