The Vampire’s Priceless Treasure

by Painter, Kristen

  A moment before, Kora had been ready to side with the wolves. Now the idea of destroying the one thing that could grant her a normal life felt like sacrilege. She shook her head. “There has to be a middle ground.”

  “There isn’t,” Vittoria answered. “Where is the stone?”

  “I told you. A safe place.”

  Greyson let out a growl. Kora turned in time to see him pull a bloody hand away from Pavlina’s mouth.

  She glared at Kora. “Give the stone to me, child. Join your true family. We will rule these dogs.”

  “Shut up,” Kora snapped. “Greyson, what would you do?”

  He frowned. “I already possess the privilege of walking in the sun. It wouldn’t be fair of me to give my opinion. But I sure wouldn’t give that stone to Pavlina. Or the Brotherhood. You’re right. There has to be a middle ground.”

  She stared at a spot on the balcony just in front of her feet. His words made her realize that she’d been silly to think there was a future for them. He could daywalk. She couldn’t. That put a world of difference between them. And at some point, that difference would get old.

  But if she possessed the Rasputin’s Stone… She looked at Pavlina again. “How does the stone work? How do you activate it?”

  Pavlina smiled. “It must be reunited with its master.”

  Kora almost rolled her eyes. “In plain language, please.”

  Pavlina huffed. “It must be added to the urn that holds Rasputin’s ashes, which is at an undisclosed location.”

  But Pavlina undoubtedly knew that location. And yet, in that moment, Kora realized how tired of all this cloak-and-dagger stuff she was.

  All she wanted to do was go home and live her life. Although, if that life wasn’t going to have Greyson in it, how much was there to look forward to? Because the astonishing truth was, she loved him.

  Emotion clogged her throat. She found her voice anyway. “Greyson?”

  “Yes?” His quick response held a note of hope, which surprised her. In one word, he told her he was at her service, ready to do whatever she needed, and happy to help.

  What a remarkable man.

  “I can’t daywalk.”

  He nodded, still holding Pavlina back. “I know.”

  “Doesn’t that matter to you? Because you can.”

  “Does it matter to you?”

  She shrugged. “Day and night are very different worlds. You can do things I can’t.”

  “That’s true. But that ability also allows me to protect you better.” He smiled. “And that’s something I’d like to keep doing.”

  Pavlina rolled her eyes. “Spare me the syrupy words, you low-born cretin. My daughter descends from a line of vampires you can only dream of belonging to.”

  Kora pointed at the woman who’d given birth to her. “Stop calling me your daughter. Stop acting like it suddenly matters. And don’t talk to Greyson that way. He’s worth a hundred of you. And what’s more, I love him.”

  Greyson’s mouth fell open, but Kora had more business to take care of before she could respond to him. “Vittoria, because I cannot trust you and your kind, a third party will have to be engaged and a treaty drawn up. The stone should be put into permanent storage, away from vampires and shifters, and sealed in place with unbreakable magic. I imagine the Vampire Council will be a part of this as well. Do you agree to this?”

  The woman frowned, but seemed to realize it was the best she was going to get. “What third party?”

  “I would suggest a very powerful and ancient witch by the name of Alice Bishop. She resides in the United States in a town called Nocturne Falls. A place the Brotherhood could learn a lot from.”

  Vittoria glanced at the wolves around her, perhaps to gauge their thoughts. Then she looked at Kora again. “When will this take place?”

  “One week from today.”

  Vittoria nodded. “I must be allowed to bring several of my people.”

  “You may bring one. There’s no reason for more than that at a treaty signing. You wouldn’t want the Vampire Council represented by half a dozen, would you?”

  “No.” She frowned. “Agreed.”

  Kora gave Greyson a quick wink, then leaped over the balcony and landed softly in the garden below. She walked to the fountain, hand outstretched toward Vittoria. “Thank you.”

  Vittoria shook her hand. “I didn’t expect this outcome. But then, I never thought a vampire would give up the chance to daywalk. You’re a very unusual one.”

  Kora smiled. “I’m only half vampire. My father is a reaper.”

  “That explains it.”

  “How so?”

  “You are already able to daywalk.”

  Kora snorted. “I wish. No, that ability wasn’t passed on to me.”

  Vittoria’s expression changed suddenly. “So you were born as you are.”

  “Yes.”

  “But that means…you’ve never seen the sun.”

  “Correct.”

  Vittoria stared at her. “And yet, you’re willing to give up the stone?”

  “For peace, yes.” She glanced back at the balcony. “And because the life that’s waiting for me is worth it.”

  “Then you’re even more remarkable than I thought.” Vittoria tipped her head back and let out a short howl.

  A moment later, the scattered members of the Brotherhood formed up around her. Kora stopped counting at forty-three.

  Vittoria then held up her hand. “A temporary treaty has been called between the Brotherhood and the keeper of Rasputin’s Stone, Kora Dupree. She is granted free passage.”

  “And my partner, the vampire Greyson Garrett.”

  The wolves all nodded.

  Vittoria took a few steps backward toward the gate. “I will see you in one week.”

  “One week.”

  She smiled, flashing large canines and glowing eyes. “Do not let this go wrong, or the Brotherhood will do whatever necessary to make things right.”

  “I’d expect nothing less, and I understand.” But Kora also knew Pavlina wasn’t a problem so easily solved.

  When the last wolf slipped through the gates, Greyson released Pavlina. She did exactly what he’d expected her to do. Bolted over the balcony railing and down to the garden to confront Kora.

  He followed behind her, ready to restrain her again if need be.

  Some of the other vampires had wandered out of the house and now stood at the edge of the garden, looking very unsure about who Kora was and what had just happened.

  Pavlina launched into Kora with a tirade. “How dare you assume you have any kind of right to negotiate our freedom away? What you did is paramount to treason. It’s insanity. I cannot—”

  “Hold up,” Kora shot back. “You know that thing you were planning? The whole take-over-the-world thing? Let’s rewind to that, shall we? Because if you want to talk insanity, that’s a good place to start. What did you think the Vampire Council was going to do? Just sit by and let it happen?”

  “You are dead to me, Kora.”

  “So, business as usual, then?” She rolled her eyes. “You’re unbelievable, although I give you points for consistency.” She looked past Pavlina to Greyson. “I’m ready to go. There’s nothing more I can do here.”

  “You’re not going anywhere.” Pavlina was beyond fuming now. “You gave away the ability to walk in the sun. Do you understand that? Can you grasp the loss of such a thing? Or has your reaper side made you incapable of comprehending such a simple idea?”

  Greyson expected Kora to blow up over the dig at her father, but somehow she remained relatively calm. He was impressed.

  Kora shook her head. “I can’t grasp it, I guess, because I’ve never been human. Never known the warmth of the sun, or the feel of it on my skin, never seen the world lit up by its rays except on the rare occasions that there’s been a UV filter to protect me. So maybe I don’t understand it, but then again, maybe it was an even bigger thing for me to give up, considering I’ve never exper
ienced it, while the rest of you have.”

  Greyson was so proud of her he thought he might burst. “You did the right thing, Kora. You saved the world from war.”

  Pavlina snarled at him. “Shut up. You’re too blinded by love to see clearly. And you’re not one of Rasputin’s children, so your opinion is worthless.”

  If she’d been a man, Greyson would have knocked her out. “I think love has made me see more clearly than ever, but how would you know, Pavlina? Have you ever loved anything other than yourself?”

  A slight smile turned up the corners of Kora’s mouth. “She hasn’t. And I don’t think she ever will. Now, let’s go. I’m ready to go home.”

  He nodded. “Me, too.”

  He stepped around Pavlina to join Kora, who was already headed for the gates.

  But of course, Pavlina wasn’t done. “You are not leaving with Rasputin’s Stone.”

  Kora whipped around. “I would sooner go to ash than see that stone in your hands.”

  Pavlina’s hands clenched, and a muscle beneath her eye twitched. “I should have left you to the sun when you were born, you ungrateful wretch. Would have saved me a lifetime of misery.”

  Greyson put his hand on Kora’s arm. She was seething. “Misery? What misery have you had? I was the one left without a mother. And Lucien without a wife.”

  Pavlina snorted. “I only married him because he agreed to take you on. I never loved him. And I never wanted you.”

  Greyson watched the light in Kora’s eyes darken. “You made that abundantly clear, but what do you mean that he agreed to take me on?”

  Pavlina laughed. “Do you really think Lucien is your father?”

  Kora’s lower lip quivered in what looked like rage, not impending tears. “You’re lying. That’s all you know how to do.”

  Greyson leaned in, his voice as soft as he could make it. “She’s only saying that to get to you. Let’s go.”

  Kora nodded and stumbled back a few steps.

  Pavlina put her hands on her hips, her face a cruel mask. “That’s right. Run back to your daddy. Ask him. See for yourself. Truth is, I don’t really know who your father is.”

  Then she barked out a laugh, threw her hands into the air, and turned for the house. Suddenly, she stopped and spun around. “Don’t ever come back here either.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Greyson said. He wrapped his arm around Kora’s waist and held on to her, guiding her to the gate and back onto the sidewalk.

  Kora looked like she’d disconnected from her body.

  He kept her moving and hailed a cab as soon as one appeared two streets over. She remained quiet all the way to the plane. Then stayed quiet after he got her on board and into a seat.

  He left her side only once. To dig the tracker out of his arm, which seemed to help the pain immensely. After that, he sat across from her and one seat over so he’d be close, but not so close that she felt smothered. This was so out of his area of expertise, but space seemed like a smart move.

  They’d been in the air twenty minutes when she finally spoke. “How’s your arm?”

  “Much better since I got the tracker out.”

  “Good. You should probably still see a doctor.”

  He shrugged. “I’m all right.”

  She frowned and a few more long minutes went by before she spoke again. “Do you think she’s telling the truth?”

  Greyson measured his answer. Lying might make her feel better, but it wouldn’t do any good in the long run. “I don’t know. But I do know that your father will tell you the truth.”

  Kora nodded, her eyes so filled with sadness that Greyson’s heart ached for her. “I don’t know if I want to ask him. I mean…” She stared at her lap. “Then he’d know I know. And I don’t want that between us.”

  “He won’t love you any less. If anything, it kind of makes him an even better dad than he was before.”

  She lifted her head. “I suppose you’re right.”

  She wrapped one arm around her middle, then rested her other elbow on her hand and brought her thumb to her mouth so she could chew on her fingernail. That wasn’t something she’d ever done before. She was always so perfect in the way she looked and acted.

  But now she was staring into space, lost in thoughts that had to be painful.

  He’d never seen her more vulnerable. More hurt. He wanted desperately to fix things for her. To make her happy again.

  To crush Pavlina into dust.

  He swallowed. “I meant what I said. Earlier.”

  She looked at him. “Hmm?”

  “Maybe now isn’t the right time, but then again, maybe it’s the perfect time, but I have to tell you. I love you, Kora. I am in love with you. And I just want to make you happy.”

  Her gaze stayed on him, that same faraway look she’d had a moment ago present again. “You love me?”

  He nodded. “So much that I can think of nothing else.”

  She covered her mouth with her hand, not quite stifling the sob that slipped out. “How can you love me? I’m a mess. My mother is a monster. My father is potentially unknown. I can’t daywalk, while you can. My past is—”

  “None of that matters. Unless you don’t feel the same way about me. Just say the word, and I’ll never mention it again.”

  She laughed. Or sobbed again, he couldn’t tell. “Yes, I love you. But I am no good for you. Don’t you see that?”

  “You’re all kinds of good for me. You might be too good for me.”

  A tear slipped down her cheek. “You know that’s not true.”

  He kissed it away, taking her hands in his. “Kora, I know you’re hurting right now, and I know there’s nothing I can say to make it better, but if there is anything in my power that I can do to help, just say so.”

  She shook her head, and a genuine smile appeared. “Just tell me it’s going to be okay.”

  “It is, I promise you.” He kissed her forehead. “There is one thing I need to ask you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Where on earth did you hide the stone?”

  That got him a little laugh. “Nowhere.” She reached into his jacket pocket and pulled it out.

  He couldn’t have been more shocked if she’d produced it out of thin air, but then it was the same thing she’d done with the locket, and he hadn’t picked up on that either. “How did you…but you said—”

  “I said it was in a safe place. And I put it there when we were getting off the plane.” She shrugged. “I figured that way if Pavlina searched me, she’d believe me. And if you didn’t know you had it, you couldn’t accidentally give it away. Not that you would.”

  “Wow. Well played.”

  She pressed her hand to his cheek. “Do you really love me? You weren’t just saying that to make me feel better?”

  “I really do. But you know your father isn’t going to be happy.”

  “I think, in light of everything that’s gone on, he’ll come around very quickly.” She sighed. “I hope so anyway. After all, if I’m happy, shouldn’t he be happy about that?”

  Greyson wasn’t so sure about that. “Well, Hattie likes me, so—”

  “My father likes you. He just doesn’t think I should be involved with anyone right now. Or maybe ever. Who knows?”

  “Do you think it could be because he doesn’t want you to end up like your mother?”

  She shot him a look. “Are you implying that I’m going to go wild, sleep with more guys than I can count, and end up pregnant with a child I don’t want? Because that is not going to happen.”

  “No. I just meant he doesn’t want to see you in a situation where you don’t have a lot of options. Right now, you’re completely independent.”

  She laughed softly. “I don’t know about that. I live in a house he owns, drive a car he paid for, rely on him for my paycheck…I am about as far from independent as you can get.” She sighed. “I guess I see where he’s coming from. I need to stand on my own two feet a little mo
re.”

  “Kora, you’re too hard on yourself.”

  “I’m just being honest.”

  “Then be honest a little more. What do you want?”

  She stared straight ahead for a moment. “Surprisingly, just to live an ordinary life for a while. Drama is exhausting.”

  He nodded. “And maybe that right there is why your father doesn’t want you to get involved with anyone. Relationships are a breeding ground for drama.”

  “But do they have to be?”

  “No. But there’s no guarantee either.” He shouldn’t be telling her such things. But to be anything but truthful would only hurt them both in the end. “I’ve witnessed it firsthand.”

  “I guess you have.” Her gaze went to her hands in her lap. “So maybe we shouldn’t go out. Despite our feelings. Maybe not getting involved is for the best.”

  He wanted to rage against that idea, to tell her things would be different for them, that a happily ever after was all that lay ahead, but he’d thought the same thing about his last relationship, and she was marrying another man. “I will abide by whatever you want.”

  Her subtle nod was his answer. Then, after a moment, a soft, “Okay.”

  He sat there a minute longer, his heart going numb with the loss of what might have been. Then he got up, went to the back of the plane, and took a different seat.

  He drifted off as the sun was coming up, but there was no promise in the start of a new day. No fresh beginning.

  Just heartache that he’d caused himself.

  Kora immersed herself in work as soon as they got back to Nocturne Falls. All kinds of work.

  To start with, she explained everything that had happened in Rome to Elenora Ellingham and Alice Bishop, who lived at Elenora’s estate. That had taken some help from her father, since Kora didn’t know the Ellinghams that well. Thankfully, Alice was more than willing to accommodate Kora’s request, and Elenora seemed pleased to host the treaty. At least she seemed pleased once she made it clear that Sheriff Merrow, who was a werewolf himself, would be on hand to ensure the Brotherhood behaved themselves.

  Although Alice could probably neuter them all with a single word.

  Next, Kora immediately resumed her schedule at Insomnia, where she decided to make up for the time she’d been away by starting a cleaning and inventory project on a scale she was pretty sure had never been done before. In her opinion, the place needed it.