Maria Therese stopped in mid-sentence to give him a brilliant smile. “You are special, Gabriel, and not just because you are my son. I know you are already bonded, had hoped the two of you would find each other. Rose needs you as much as you need her. And now,” she said, rising to her feet and dusting off her jeans, “I must go.”
“What about Gregor? Justin? Kellan, too. What should I tell them?” Gabriel hastily stood, surprised at how small his mother was.
“Tell them what’s in your heart. You have been alone for too long, Gabriel. They have needed you.” Her hand reached up and stroked his cheek. “You have needed them.”
“I love you. I have always loved you.” Gabriel’s vision blurred as tears gathered and fell.
“Dear boy.” Smiling, she rose up on tiptoe, put her hands on his shoulders and kissed each cheek then backed away.
“Wait.” Gabriel swung her up in a desperate hug. He could feel her delighted chuckle. "Don't leave. Please."
Her words whispered in his ear. “I must. Now live the life you were meant to live.” The form in his arms faded into nothingness.
Gabriel sat back down with a thump, the pain a reassurance that yes, he was awake, and he’d really had a conversation with his mother.
His mother. Astonishment filled him. Would anyone believe him if he told them?
* * *
“Hold still.” Maggie scowled at Justin who fidgeted in front of her.
“This is ridiculous. It’s not going to work.” He shifted from foot to foot and wrinkled his nose. “Whatever you’re using smells terrible.”
“That’s asafoetida,” she said absently. “Look, you’ve got to stop breaking my concentration. If I mess this up and you, or anyone else on our team, dies, I am so gonna kill you.”
Justin held himself still and watched as she went through her ritual of mumbling words and sketching designs in the air. A shower of herbal dust filtered down over his head and shoulders and she clapped three times.
He didn’t move, just met her expectant gaze with one eyebrow raised.
“How do you feel?”
“Fine. How should I feel?”
Maggie sighed. “It’ll work. It has to. I just was hoping for some, I don’t know, physical or mental manifestation for the person being protected.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” She turned away and bagged the rest of the smelly powder. “I’ll keep working, see if there’s something better out there.”
Justin looked around her tiny kitchen. All clean lines and cool greens, it made a nice contrast to the floral abundance in the living room. “I like this place.”
“Thanks.” Her voice was stiff.
Justin mentally shrugged. It was past time he took off for awhile. “Hey, if you don’t need me as guinea pig any more, I’m heading out. I’ve got some work to do and I want to get some supplies of my own.”
He caught the anxious glance she shot him. “Don’t worry. I’ll pick you up in time.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Maggie.”
She looked at him, really looked at him for the first time since they’d gotten to her house hours ago. Justin felt that look down to his bones.
“Yeah?”
“Please don’t worry. We’re going to knock those vampires on their ass.” He gave her a grin. “Our might plus your protection? We’ve got it in the bag.”
She sniffed. "What kind of supplies are you getting?"
"I'm dropping by Sol's place, Alexandria Books." Justin shrugged. "I just thought maybe he'd have some words of wisdom for us. Maybe some weapons."
Chagrin crossed Maggie's face. "Damn it. I should have thought of Sol."
"Yeah, well. Being all the way out in Pasadena, it's not like he's within walking distance. So, I'll be back around eleven tonight. Unless you want to have dinner with me?"
Justin watched as her brown eyes frosted over. "Yeah. Didn't think so. Bye." He sauntered out through the floral living room, very much aware that he'd rather spend the next few hours needling her than running out to see Sol, magical bookstore notwithstanding.
Chapter Twenty-One
A construction fence had been put around the burnt-out building to keep the kids and the criminal element out. Gabriel and Rose were the first to arrive. They approached as they had that first time, going around on foot to the alley in the back.
"How long will it take, do you think?" Rose hugged herself as they waited in the dark. Nerves had her stiff with tension, and she was aware of a burning pain on her belly. Surreptitiously she rubbed where Mephisto coiled, waiting.
Gabriel squeezed her hand. "It won't be long before the others are here."
"No, I meant…never mind." How long would it take for a vampire to burn into ash? How long would she have to keep up the flame? Rose's nerves ratcheted up as she went over all the possibilities.
She'd changed her mind on the way to the club about going in as a group. The best thing would be to go in alone. Keep the rest of them out of it for as long as possible. All she'd need would be a brief period when no one was watching her - when no one would notice if she leaped the fence.
"Maggie and Justin are near."
Rose's tension eased slightly as she remembered Maggie's plans for more protection for the others. "Good. That's good." They both looked up at a slight noise. Kellan dropped down beside Gabriel.
"Hey." He dusted his hands off on his jeans.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Show off."
Kellan shrugged. "I like the heights, what can I say?" He gestured up to the high block wall behind Rose. "I was up there."
"Oh." She sent him an uncertain smile. If they would just get involved in discussing strategy, she might have a chance to go in first. Rose took a few steps away from the men, staring at the fencing in front of them. She heard them talking in hushed voices behind her.
"Anything to report?"
"I haven't seen, heard, smelled or felt so much as a twitch from the building, and I've been here nonstop since the cleanup crew left. The smoke has just about killed my nose."
"Damn."
"I don't know how lucky we'll get, finding her here," added Kellan.
"And if we do find her here - could that be a trap?" Gabriel wondered.
"Yeah. That thought had crossed my mind."
Maggie and Justin came around the corner. "We’re here with smelly stuff and sparkly stuff to keep us all safe," Justin said with a grin for Rose, who gave him a wan smile. "Hey now. What's this? Are you doubting us Caines?" He slung an arm around her and walked her back to the other two.
Rose pressed her lips together tightly to keep from groaning. She'd have to start over again to get away from them.
Maggie grunted. "Yeah. Why doubt? You know, they've never actually put away a vampire. Gabriel and Kellan remember each other as children, and Justin prefers to surf rather than train to kill. A bunch of misfits like us? No problem, we'll get the job done. Yeah, right." She snorted.
"Don't listen to Ms. Doom n' Gloom, Rose. Everything is going to work out. Okay?"
Rose looked from him to Maggie with wide eyes. "Maggie?" Panic had her by the throat, her pulse beating in rapid time. All her senses seemed to go on high alert. It was almost time. She needed to get in there. Soon. Soon. She could feel it. The demon on her belly writhed. He knew, too.
Regret flashed across Maggie's face. "I'm sorry. We'll be fine. I shouldn't have brought that to the fight." She moved to Rose's side, gripped her hand. "We'll be fine. Gods, your hands are freezing."
"Not for long." But Rose nodded, licked her lips. "We'll be fine. Of course we will."
"Anger is always good," Kellan murmured, looking at Maggie with speculation.
"Words, words, words," Gabriel said. "Let's get this show on the road." His nervous energy spread through the others and raised tensions.
"We can't just waltz in there without preparation," snapped Maggie. She pulled the small backpack off her back and squatted to get what she needed. "None of us
are going in there unprotected."
"She's worked hard. The shields work for a majority of things. If the building collapses on you, you'll have a bubble of air. That sort of thing. And it sure smells better than the first concoction she made up,” Justin added.
"Direct magics," continued Maggie, "will rip right through these protections. Not that I'm expecting anyone with direct magics in there. But I'm thinking the protection should give you time at least to call up your inner demons. Get them working before anything is thrown at you and you should be fine."
"Someone's coming." Kellan hopped back up onto the wall, looked in both directions. When he hit the ground again, a wide grin split his face. "We've got help."
Justin's face lightened. "Danny?"
"Good show." Kellan exchanged a glance with Justin and Gabriel.
Rose grimaced and sent a quick glance to Maggie. "It'll be okay?"
Maggie shrugged. "I'm not a fan. But if this pack has allied with us, I'm not going to complain. Just let me finish." She stood in front of Rose, her sharp green eyes meeting Rose's summer blue. "Do you agree to this protection I'm about to bestow?"
"Hell yeah."
"Okay then." Maggie worked quickly. A light sheen of sweat covered her face when she finished. With a fistful of dust, she blew it over Rose. The scent of amethyst, rosemary, and sage lingered in the air.
"Done. Next?" Maggie looked to Gabriel, then Justin, then to the man standing beyond them. "Oh. Sorry."
Justin came to Maggie's side. "Maggie. This is Daniel Roush, of the Santa Monica Preserve wolf pack. Danny, Magdalena de la Cruz." He slid an arm around her waist.
Maggie smiled. "Thanks for being here."
Danny bowed his head slightly. "It is the least we could do. You are a witch?"
Maggie tilted her head to one side. "Yes. It's in my blood. As the wolf is in yours."
Gabriel came up and put a hand on Rose's shoulder. "And you've sort of met Rose."
She'd tensed when Gabriel touched her but gave the newcomer a half-smile. "You were on the perimeter of my vision at that point though. Thanks for coming to my rescue."
"Which you didn't need." Danny smiled.
"Hopefully we won't need you tonight," Maggie said.
Justin gave her a warning look before turning to the others. "Okay. Let's take all sides, partner up. Maggie and I, Gabriel and Rose, Kellan you go in after Rose. Danny, why don't you and your boys hang out just inside the perimeter to mop up anything that gets away?"
"Sounds good. I'll keep in touch." He disappeared around the corner. Rose noticed everyone watched him go. She took the moment to sidle over to Maggie.
"Graceful, isn't he?" she murmured to Maggie. Maggie merely raised her eyebrows.
"Of course. He's a were. Comes with the territory." She shrugged and moved to Justin. Tapped him on the shoulder. "Ready?"
"Do your mojo," he agreed. “Thank God you came up with something better smelling.”
Rose edged away from them again, walked to the fence and peeked through a hole in the black fabric.
A hulking gray mass streaked with black sat where the boxy white building had been. Two big garbage bins stood near by. The closer she got to the place, the more she could smell the fire. The scent called to her. She could feel Mephisto wanting to get in there too, wanting to fight. Rose agreed. She called upon him, grateful even as his warmth filled her from the inside.
She knew fire. She knew its strength. Before thinking about it too hard, she was up and over the fencing without a flame or a sound. She couldn't think about those she left on the other side. She had the best chance of finding Satine and rescuing Gabriel’s soul before a huge fight started. If it were just the two of them, Rose stood a chance of success and survival. The way she figured it, if any other vamp were around, her chances of both dropped to almost zero.
Rose took a step and burst into flame. She didn't know if she held her shape or not as she moved, but she felt alive and aware, energy filling her, fire gorging her veins.
Her eyes saw beyond her humanity as she picked her way through the bones of the building. Surprisingly, she was able to pick up on the different smells. The fire smell she dismissed as easily as she did in her dream. Demon smell made her nose wrinkle, though. Full demons were nowhere near as amiable as the part demons she'd grown so used to. Gabriel smelled delicious, but this scent—it bothered her.
Rose followed it to a stairwell, where she picked up another scent, vampire, with a healthy dash of lilies and Eternity - Satine's perfume. Rose remembered it from the last time she was here. A bloody haze rose in her eyes and she moved down the stairwell as fast as a thought. Walls had partially collapsed in places but she flowed over the debris, no obstacle in her hunt.
Nothing living lurked down here. She felt herself expand, let her fiery fingers touch the walls to learn as she moved downward, deeper into the earth, her mind tuned to one thing. A whisper, a whimper hung on the air and she followed the thread of sound. Breaking away from the stairwell she pushed through a hole in the wall and jumped to the floor below. The corridor shrank into itself at the far end, but she went there anyway.
The scent of Eternity was stronger down here, mingled with fear and disappeared into the rubble in front of her. Opening her mind, Rose let all constraints dissolve and became fire, flickering through tiny, impossible passages, searching.
Movement behind her had her pulling herself back into her body. She whirled around, her eyes wide at the unforgotten scent of malice.
Vlad stood in front of her, his blond hair and dark suit impeccable in the dusty corridor, his eyes almost black. He stared at her in curiosity. "Why have you come?"
"To destroy." The voice that came from her sounded more like Mephisto than her own. Rose blinked in confusion.
Vlad lifted an eyebrow. "Your friends have already destroyed this place."
"Not the place. Satine. She's mine." Rose fragmented into fire again.
"Wait."
She pulled herself together. "Why?"
"Why indeed." The vampire circled her. Rose stood absolutely still, her awareness at its peak with his every footstep.
"You left them all outside. That's arrogance."
"No, that's confidence," she retorted as he came around to face her again.
"If you think so." He chuckled, a dark sound that slithered down her spine and chilled her. Mephisto flared brightly again inside her, but the fear remained.
"Why are you even here? Are you so enamored of Satine that you have to protect her?" Rose tipped her head to one side. "Because I don't see it. You're not weak."
Vladimir nodded approvingly. "Satine is not one to inspire loyalty," he agreed. "I imagine as a human she was infuriating."
"So becoming a vampire doesn't change your personality?” She asked, her hand touching the scar on her throat.
"Ah yes. You were bitten." He smiled as her hand dropped from the wound. "Unfortunately, you are very much as you ever were when you become a vampire. Only the individual's capacity for change becomes limited. It is a rare person, indeed, who willingly becomes a vampire."
"Are you going to kill me?"
Vlad laughed, surprised. "I'm not sure."
"We don't have any argument with you, per se," she said. "But I owe Satine, don't you think?"
"You would let me leave?" The vampire leaned against the wall. "How very amusing."
"We both know I can't take you down, so we're not talking overwhelming generosity on my part. Sure, leave. I've got nothing against you personally. But I'm very afraid the others will be coming soon, and if you don't want a fight you should go. I'm sure they could take you apart, working together."
Vlad gave her a look she couldn't interpret. "I can see that you need to do something with all that energy amassing in your body. You are vibrating with it."
Rose knew it. It felt almost impossible to keep her skin on, so to speak. She lifted her chin. "Well, either go or stay. I've got a vampire to kill."
She turned to the rubble in front of her and started to pull chunks of wallboard out of the mass.
Rose heard a sigh behind her. "You could have been my perfect distraction. I am quite sure you would have captivated me for at least a couple of centuries. Alas, the demon has first claim on you." He gave a weary chuckle. "And you are heart-deep there, as well. I would give you one piece of advice," he added, as his voice grew more distant.
"And that would be?" Rose asked, her mind only partly on Vlad. If she became fire, could she find a way between the floors…?
"Take care to not be alone with me again. I won't promise not to take you for myself. You are…most unusual." The advice floated in the air around her, menacing.
Rose whirled about, but the hallway was empty. "Okay. Consider me warned," she said, before turning back to the pile of debris where the vampire scent was the strongest. Without thinking, she dove into the debris, her body splintering into bits of fire as she went.
* * *
Maggie completed her protection of Gabriel and Kellan. "Okay, let's round up and go in."
Justin came running down the alley from his last minute discussion with Danny. He looked around at their group. "Where's Rose?"
Gabriel grew cold with fear. "Damn it, not again." He twisted around to look for her.
Justin turned back to him, frustration etched on his face. "I can't find her. After Maggie did her mojo on me, I turned to look for her but she was gone. So I went to talk to the weres, thinking maybe she'd walked around the corner, but – nothing. She's not there with them. She's not with us. She's just gone."
Gabriel paled. "Gone?"
"I checked with Danny—he hadn't seen anything. They won't go in until we do. He said he'd know when we did." Justin shrugged. "He didn't say anything about Rose."
"How long are we talking?"
"Five minutes? Maybe ten?" Justin shook his head. "I'm not sure."
"She's gone in." Gabriel's despair hung in the air.
Maggie let out a cry. "No!"
"Yes. She had a dream this afternoon—said that she'd gone in alone, and vampires covered her. Killed her." On the last word, Gabriel jumped the fence in front of him, leaving the others cursing behind.
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