by Jon F. Merz
Within minutes, she’d somehow gotten us out onto the highway heading north.
And there were no signs of any police following us.
“How’d you do that?”
“I’m good,” she said. “Settle back, we’ve got a bit of a drive ahead of us.”
Modesty didn’t seem to be an issue with her, but she was right. Belladonna lived near Bar Harbor, Maine, and that meant a long drive. I leaned back and settled in for the ride.
4
Just over the border in New Hampshire, Monk pulled us into a rest area and ripped the tinting off of the windows, applied a few bumper stickers to the back of the Cherokee, and then yanked a hubcap off and stowed it in the trunk. She then proceeded to remove the rear license plate and attach a different one. When she climbed back into the driver’s seat, we were effectively driving a different vehicle. Even if the cameras had caught enough of a glimpse of us to give to the authorities, they’d never be able to track us now.
“I’m assuming that new plate is legit?”
Monk eased us back onto the highway. “Of course. Belladonna makes certain that her vehicles are clean and able to change when necessary. She takes things very seriously. She says you never know when you might need a clean getaway.”
“She is wise,” I said. My dealings with Belladonna hadn’t been much, but the old woman who must have been nearly five hundred years old by now had impressed me greatly. I only hoped she didn’t harbor too much resentment at my getting Monk killed.
“She doesn’t blame you,” Monk said then.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re wondering if she blames you about her apprentice’s death.” Monk switched lanes to get to the far left and increased her speed on route 95 north. “She doesn’t.”
“How would you know?”
Monk glanced at me. “Because I’m in a position to know. And you’re not in one to question it. She doesn’t blame you. Monk knew what she was getting into when Belladonna sent her with you.”
“I should have detected Shiva before it happened,” I said. “And I didn’t. I can’t fix that and it bothers me.”
“That’s because you’re apparently a good man,” said Monk. “If you weren’t, you wouldn’t care. You’d chalk it up as collateral damage or some other such bullshit. The way men do when they’re trying too hard to be macho.”
I sniffed. “No chance of that.”
Monk laughed. “Now, Lawson, don’t go saying things like that. I can tell just looking at you that you’re no slouch in the masculinity department. But you’ve got a better mind than most. You care about the ones who go into battle with you. You care about the people who have your back. That’s refreshing, frankly.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
The landscape slid past us faster than I would have thought possible. New Hampshire fell behind as we sped north into Maine. I dropped off asleep a few times, but Monk kept her foot on the gas the entire way, grinding down the miles between where we were and where we needed to be. By the time the sun started dipping toward the horizon, we were on the outskirts of Bangor. She caught the road heading south toward Mount Desert Island and we flew onto the island shortly after six o’clock.
“Are you hungry?” asked Monk.
“I could eat.”
She nodded. “Belladonna expected you would be. She’s got food waiting at her house.”
My stomach rumbled unexpectedly and I smiled. “Sounds good.”
Monk steered the car into Southwest Harbor and I smelled the ocean in the air. Down several streets, we drew ever closer to the coast. Belladonna had a house that sat on a cliff overlooking a sheer drop into the ocean. As Monk pulled into the driveway, I saw the first cats meandering around the foundation of the house.
I climbed out and took a deep breath, stretching my arms overhead and feeling relieved that we were finally here. Several of the cats immediately ran for Monk and started meowing loudly, brushing up against her. Some of them greeted me that way as well and it was nice to be remembered.
Monk glanced over and saw the cats welcoming me. “They must remember you from the last time that you were here.”
“Seems like it,” I said.
Monk nodded toward the house. “We should get inside. She’ll want to see you.”
I followed her into the house. It was much the same as I remembered it. Neat and cozy, it was decorated in a nautical vibe with paintings of ships, a lot of white paint, and blue accents. I smelled something cooking in the kitchen and my mouth watered uncontrollably. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until just now, but I was famished. Whatever was cooking smelled exactly like what I needed to eat.
Monk gestured toward the white couch that seemed miraculously free of cat hair. “Have a seat, Lawson. She’ll be right with you.”
I sat and thought about the fact I was up here without anyone knowing. Niles would be wondering why I hadn’t checked in after the airport. He’d want to know what was going on. And if I’d successfully located and questioned Hank.
The problem was, Hank was dead thanks to Monk. That was going to put a crimp in my plans to unmask the traitors who had set me up in Syria. It was bad enough that Shiraz was still out there somewhere. No doubt he was busy plotting another attempt on my life. Sooner or later, he was going to try to settle the score. I had to be ready for him when he did.
“Must be something heavy on your mind?”
I looked up and saw Monk standing there.
“Sorry,” I said. “A bit lost in thought for a second.” I glanced around. “I thought you said Belladonna was going to be right in.”
Monk nodded. “I did.”
And then she changed right in front of my eyes, morphing out of her Monk appearance and into that of Belladonna. It was so smooth, so seamless, it might have looked like the best of Hollywood special effects. But it was just the way lycanthropes were able to transition. I marveled at it. One moment, they could be someone else and the next someone else entirely.
Belladonna stood before me and smiled. “Welcome back to my home, Lawson.”
5
I stood and embraced her. She smelled of everything good I remembered about my grandmother: pasta and homemade sauce, vodka cake, and fabric softener. Her embrace was warm and loving and for a moment, I forgot she was a lycanthrope. When I pulled away from her, I found myself more nostalgic than I expected. I hadn’t thought about my grandmother in a very long time. That’s how life dulls you: you get so fixated on the things directly in front of you that you forget all the memories you have of special people in your life.
“It’s been a long time, Lawson,” she said sitting down next to me on the couch.
I nodded. “What you said in the truck on the way up…”
She held up her hand. “I meant every word. I don’t hold you responsible, Lawson. It’s the world we live in. Shiva was bad news. I was surprised you survived that outcome. To be honest, a big part of me suspected I might well be sending Monk to her death when I dispatched her to go with you.”
“Does it keep you up at night? That realization?”
Belladonna smiled and squeezed my hand. “Unfortunately, I’ve been around so long that I’ve seen these things happen before. I’ve lost other apprentices. And, unfortunately, I may still lose another in the future.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
Belladonna didn’t let go of my hand. “After Monk’s death, I took a long time to come around again. I’m old, Lawson. That little trip down to Boston to get you took a lot out of me. I’m tired. Weary. I can’t do what I once did.”
I smiled. “You seemed like you were in fine form earlier on the roof of that garage.”
She laughed lightly. “Oh, I can still handle myself if I need to. The real question isn’t if I can, it’s if I want to.” She let go of my hand and walked to the window overlooking the ocean. “Truth be told, I’m tired. A big part of me - a bigger part than I’ve ever felt before - just wants to give it all up an
d retire. I’d be happy sitting here watching the waves with my cats for the rest of however long I have left to live.”
She turned back toward me. “But in order to do that, I need someone I can pass all of my knowledge down to.”
I leaned back. “I hope you’re not thinking about asking me?”
She laughed again. “You’re not lycanthrope, Lawson. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. And I doubt you’d be happy with that role anyway. You’re far more valuable to your own people than you ever would be to mine.”
“Go on.”
“I took on a new apprentice. Her name is Maxine. She’s the best apprentice I’ve ever had. Skilled beyond belief with translating the old Geralach texts and digitizing them for the modern age. She’s adept, skilled, and wise. She is an heir apparent that is worthy of assuming the mantle when I take it off.”
I nodded. “Excellent. That’s great news, isn’t it?”
Belladonna frowned. “Hence we come to the reason for my dragging you up here, Lawson. I need your help. Maxine was kidnapped two days ago. I have no idea who took her or why.”
“Are you sure she was kidnapped?”
Belladonna nodded. “I received a phone call last night, telling me she’d been taken and to await further instructions.”
“All right,” I sighed. “So why not go to your own people? Why come to me? I mean, I’m a vampire. Isn’t this something the lycanthrope community should handle internally?”
Belladonna pursed her lips. “I don’t know. On the surface, you’d certainly be correct thinking that…” Her voice trailed off.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. I have no proof, but there’s something deep in my gut telling me that this is an inside job.”
“Like within the lycan community?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “I’m old. But I’ve seen everything twice, if not more. And this strikes me as odd.”
“But why? Why would someone kidnap your apprentice? It makes no sense. You’re not threatening anyone within the community, are you?”
Belladonna smiled. “You don’t get to be as old as I am without making enemies. Show me a man without enemies and I’ll show you someone who has never stood up for anything in their life.”
“Agreed, but again, why kidnap Maxine?”
“Because there are those within the lycan community who think that Elders are relics from the past. That we should forget all of that mumbo-jumbo nonsense and focus on bringing our people into the 21st century without being dragged down by the past. They feel that the lessons of yore are there for a reason, that we are powerful enough to not need those lessons.”
“Only fools pay no attention to history,” I said. “You don’t throw away hard-won wisdom just because it’s no longer fashionable.”
Belladonna smiled around the few tears in her eyes. “I’ve spent my life trying to preserve all of our traditions so that future generations would be able to learn from them. We have much to teach every successive generation of lycanthropes. To throw away all that knowledge is sheer lunacy.”
“And so you think they kidnapped Maxine to get you to do what-destroy everything you’ve worked so hard to preserve?”
Belladonna sighed again and I could see the weariness in her face now. “I don’t know. I truly don’t. But they have instructed me to await further instructions. I don’t know what to do or who to turn to. I thought of you late last night after the phone call. I know I don’t have any right to ask you to do this for me, Lawson-“
“Stop right there,” I said. “You have every right. And I will do whatever I can to recover your apprentice. I owe it to you for what you did to help me with Shiva.”
“I can’t tell you what to expect,” said Belladonna. “And it could well be extremely dangerous.”
I smiled. “Well, then I suppose it’s going to be like any other day in my life.” I smiled at her. “Any chance of tucking into whatever it is you’ve got cooking in the kitchen? It smells delicious and if I’m going to be any use to you, I’m going to need my strength.”
“You’re a good man, Lawson,” said Belladonna. “I know not many people understand you, but I’m grateful to have you in my life. And probably a whole lot of other people are too. They’re just too scared to admit it.”
“Sooner or later, those people are going to have to face their fears then,” I said. “Otherwise, I won’t be in their lives anymore.”
6
We ate a fantastic homemade beef stew. I put my spoon down and looked at Belladonna. “How in the world did you make this when you were down in Boston with me?”
Belladonna smiled and held up her iPhone. “Crock pot with a remote timer I can activate from anywhere. There’s an app for that.”
I smiled. “I didn’t think you’d be one to embrace technology that way.”
“Because I’m an Elder?” Belladonna shrugged. “Only a fool stays trapped in the past. The wise take what they can from the past and apply it to the future. That’s the only way to ensure your survival. And I’ve survived longer than most, dear.”
“Indeed you have.” I took another bite of the stew and marveled at how energized I felt. I glanced back up at her. “You add anything special to this?”
Her eyes twinkled. “I might have.”
“Blood.”
“You’re not the only one who needs a bit of it to survive, Lawson. I didn’t think you’d mind if I mixed some in. Especially since you might not have access to everything you need.”
“Speaking of which,” I said. “I’m going to need some special ammunition. My Fixer rounds won’t work on your kind, if that’s truly who has Maxine.”
Belladonna nodded. “I can help you with that. But I’ll give you rounds that will work on both our people.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because experience has taught me not to assume anything,” said Belladonna. “And while it looks like lycanthropes took Maxine, I don’t rule anything out in the realm of possibility.”
“All right.” I finished my bowl and went back for seconds. “Tell me about Maxine. What’s she like?”
“Gifted,” said Belladonna. “I’ve never met someone with such an innate grasp of our history and traditions. She speaks Geralach with such fluency, I would almost imagine she’d been born speaking it as her first language.”
“Maybe she was.”
Belladonna shook her head. “Not likely. Our kind always takes to their home language first. In Maxine’s case, that would be English. It’s only later that lycanthropes learn their true tongue. Usually around the full moon when it’s easier for us to slip back and forth between states. It makes the learning process easier.”
“Is she young?”
“In human years? Perhaps twenty-two. So, I guess you’d say she is.”
“Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Lover of any type?”
Belladonna shook her head. “She’s not a drop-dead gorgeous type, so it’s not like she’s got suitors clamoring for her. As far as I know, she had no one.”
“Well, she doesn’t have to be a knockout to have a lover.”
“True, but I was just trying to make sure you understood that if she does, it might not be out in the open.”
“On the side?”
Belladonna frowned. “Maxine was deeply committed to her work. She knew what the stakes were for her people. She knows that my time is drawing close to an end.”
“You’re dying?”
Belladonna smiled. “Aren’t we all dying from the day of our birth, on?”
“I’ve always found that perspective rather depressing,” I said. “I prefer to think that we’re all born with enormous potential to live.”
“Indeed. But even a perspective like that knows we cannot go on forever. And I have gone on for a very long time.”
“Well, if you truly think that your time is limited, you might want to get in touch with Arthur.”
I saw the smile widen and then turn slightly sad. Belladonna sighe
d. “How is he?”
“I saw him last month after a nasty op in the Middle East. He seemed fine, but I’m sure he’d love to hear from you. The way I understand it, you two had some times together.”
Belladonna laughed lightly. “Oh we did. That’s for sure. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him. I didn’t know whether I wanted to bed him or eat him. Or both.”
I held up a hand. “I don’t think I need so many details.”
“Oh stop being shy, Lawson. You can’t tell me you don’t have stories of your own like that.”
“I do,” I said. “But I kind think of you like my grandmother and I’m having a hard time disassociating you from that image in my mind.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to ruin that,” said Belladonna. “And I’m touched you think of me that way. But Arthur and I were good together.”
“So what happened?”
She shrugged. “Life happened. We were from opposite sides of the tracks, so to speak. Lycanthropes and vampires didn’t mix, but we defied that, at the risk to both of our lives. Eventually, we knew we couldn’t keep it up. And our lives were overtaken by other events. Our jobs, our work. Routine is the killer of all passion. And between us, we fell into routine. Arthur was always abroad and I was always stuck in some ancient book somewhere.”
“But it’s not like you fell out of love.”
“We never fell out of love,” said Belladonna. “We just sort of…faded. And before we knew it, years had flown by. Decades. My god, it’s been so long.” She fell silent for a long moment and I could see the memories flitting over her face like an old film strip of bygone days.
“You okay?”
She sighed again. “I’ll be all right. I’ve got a lot of fond memories that have sustained me over the years.”
“You should have more than fond memories,” I said. “It’s not too late to do something about how you feel for each other.”
Belladonna shook her head. “Time might have passed but things haven’t changed, Lawson. If either one of us was caught being with the other, we’d both be killed. You know that.”