by Kelly Hall
She would worry about it when the time came, but until then, she had to give him a shot at life, any life.
She hurried up the stairs and walked swiftly into the dining room where the others had gathered.
As Rebekah took the head seat at the table, Lulu rolled in the squeaking beverage cart. “I figured if we’re all going to give our opinions, we may as well do it with a moist palate.”
Rebekah waited until the woman had filled and passed every glass, looking around the table at her hunters and family.
Delilah sat next to Jarreth with a tightly wound expression as if she were itching for a chance to not only plead her case, but have everyone see it her way.
Katie seemed reposed, sitting quietly with Canter, but Rebekah had a feeling that inside, she could still see the melee that had played out in the next room.
Mace stared ahead at the glass that was put before her. She too looked ready to give her opinions. The girl had impressed Rebekah a lot since coming to be with them. Not only had she taken out a vampire all on her own, but she’d created the weapon Delilah used, and without it, things would be much different; the meeting less crowded.
“Thank you, Lulu,” said Rebekah as the old woman finally took a seat. “Let’s get started.”
“Did you see him?” asked Delilah.
“I did. He’s in a lot of pain from the transformation.”
“Can’t we give him something for that?” asked Canter. “Something to ease things and help him get through it?”
“I’m afraid it wouldn’t be effective, and if I give him anything, it might compromise an already difficult process.”
“Our academy texts were a little short on the subject of vampirism,” said Canter. “None of us have an idea what he’s going through or how to help him.”
“What is going to happen?” asked Jarreth. “He’s just going to lay there suffering and die when this transformation doesn’t take hold?”
Rebekah shifted in her seat. “That’s one option. The other is that he lives, his mind not quite stable enough to cope with the lust for blood. Then there’s the slighter chance that he’ll be a normal vampire.”
“Normal vampire,” Delilah said with a huff. “What an oxymoron. Those creatures are not normal. They are abominations, and our Liam, our friend, he’s going to be one of them. Someone that we hunt down and kill.” She looked up at Canter who sat across the table from her. “Could you do it? Could you kill Liam? Would you not be affected by that?”
Jarreth gripped Delilah’s hand to soothe her. “Yeah, it’s quite a leap. Friend one minute, enemy the next. But being a hunter isn’t easy. And we all knew we’d have to make tough decisions in the field.”
“I didn’t expect to deal with anything like this,” said Katie. “Have you ever, Rebekah?” Surely in all the Huntress’s centuries, she had dealt with the change of a friend.
“I spent most of my life in hunters’ camps, and since we’re immune to the virus—”
“Why are we immune?” Delilah interrupted. “I can still get a cold, can’t I? A cold is a virus, is it not?”
“You’re less susceptible, but yes.” Rebekah wished Ignis could come up to give a better explanation of how her transformation aided in the building of their immune system. The only explanation she could give was one that praised Ignis’s intelligence. “Ignis could explain it better than me.” It was a hell of a lot easier when her hunters didn’t question her.
“Where is he?” asked Canter. “Shouldn’t he be here?”
“Liam had to have supervision, and I wanted to include Mace in the decision we make for Liam.” She needed to get back on point. “Look, I know this is all hard because we don’t understand it, but there is someone who does. Someone who can help Liam.”
“So, get them here. Bring them and make them help Liam.” Katie’s desperate tone prompted Canter to pull her closer.
Delilah’s eyes narrowed. “She means Kayne. Don’t you?”
“We have a few choices. We end Liam’s suffering now, and we make his death as quick and painless as possible. Or we let the change happen. We watch Liam go mad and keep him chained like an animal where he’ll remain our dirty secret down in the basement, needing constant supervision. I’m not prepared to accommodate that. None of us want that. Liam wouldn’t want it. And I simply can’t. With Grady and the stigmata coming, we don’t need the distraction.”
Mace spoke up with a harsh tone. “Liam didn’t want any of this. If you would have given the kid his mark when he wanted it, he wouldn’t be lying down there suffering right now.”
The room went quiet with all eyes on Rebekah. “That’s probably true, Mace. We can sit around all day talking about what ifs, but nothing is going to change where we are right now. Let’s think long and hard about what Liam would want us to do for him. Let’s make a decision based on putting ourselves in his shoes.”
Jarreth spoke up. “I wouldn’t want to be one of those maggots. If these were my options, I’d want to be put down.”
Delilah’s eyes widened with fear. “You’d want us to kill you? Put you down like a dog?”
Katie slammed her fist on the table. “That is not going to happen!”
Jarreth looked at Canter for support. “Come on, man. What would you want?”
“I’d want to live,” said Canter like there was no other option. “I’m too much of a fighter. If I could survive the virus, I’d want to be whatever was in the cards. I’d play the hand I was dealt and be the best fucking vampire I could be. Liam’s a strong kid. He’s going to pull through this. I just know it. If we give him a chance, maybe it’s not so horrible being on the other side of things.”
“Maybe it’s not so bad?” Jarreth’s voice rose with every syllable. “Are you so blind with love and the warm and fuzzies that you’ve forgotten we have a job to do? I’m prepared to do it, tough decisions and all.”
Canter held up his hand to hold them off so he could explain. “I’m only pointing out that we don’t know what it’s like to be a vampire. It could be the most amazing feeling in the world.”
“I don’t care if it’s a continual orgasm,” said Mace. “I wouldn’t want to be one of those assholes either.”
Delilah leaned forward and rested her hands on the table. “What would you have to do to give him over to Kayne?”
“No way!” Mace screamed. “We’ll be sending him to certain death regardless. Kayne doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself. I’ve heard enough about him to know that it’s a bad idea.”
“I’m not sure that’s the best option either,” said Canter, shaking his head. He didn’t want to kill Liam, but he could see both sides.
“Let’s hear her out,” said Delilah. “She’s the one who knows the most about this. She can call up her pal, Kayne, and make sure that Liam gets the best possible care. Let’s face it. No one knows more than Kayne. And if there is a shot at surviving, I’d say the father of those assholes is our best bet.”
“Do you really think that he’s going to care about one of our friends?” asked Jarreth. “He’d probably let him die and piss on his grave. I say we make it painless. Take him out now. It’s going to be a tough decision, but it’s the necessary one.”
“I agree,” said Mace. She turned and looked Aziel. “What do you think, angel?”
“I believe that what will be, will be. God has already written Liam’s fate.”
Jarreth let out a growl of frustration. “So maybe you can fly up there then and ask your old man what’s going down and save us all the heartache. Because we’re actually trying to make a life and death decision here. So, save us your fucking poetic biblical bullshit.”
Aziel had always seen Jarreth as nothing more than a yipping mongrel, and the angel resigned once again to let him continue barking without stooping to his level. “You humans are all so afraid of pain when you are born of it. Pain is what shapes you. Look at Liam. Pain brought him here. Pain is what will change him.”
Del
ilah turned her chair toward Rebekah. “You can talk to Kayne, right? Ask him to help Liam?”
Rebekah nodded. “As one immortal to another, I can do that. The minutes we waste deciding are only going to close our window of opportunity. We need to get him out of here as fast as possible, and Kayne can take him quickly.” He’d taken her fast enough.
“Then do it.” Delilah looked around the table. “Come on, guys. This is Liam. Let’s give him a fighting chance.”
“Okay,” said Canter. “I’ll go along with that.”
Katie let out a loud breath. “Me too.”
“Fuck.” Mace shook her head. She had spent more time with the kid than anyone else, and while he was like a bratty little brother to her, she had grown to love the kid.
Rebekah could understand her grief. “We’re going to lose him either way, Mace. The Liam that we knew is gone.”
Mace shook her head, not wanting to believe that the kid was never going to run down the stairs of the dungeon playing his rap music or wiggle his eyebrows at her. “Okay. Do it. Call Kayne. But you tell that asshole if he harms one hair on that kid’s head, I’m going to personally come after his cold, dead ass and rip out his fangs.” She got up from the table and stormed out.
There was silence in her wake until Rebekah cleared her throat. “It’s settled. I’ll make the arrangements and see if we can’t get Liam out of here tonight before he needs to be fed.” She hoped it would be that easy. There was nothing saying Kayne would help her with this.
“Fed? He’ll need to be fed blood?” Delilah put her hand over her mouth.
“Yes, Delilah, it’s part of the process. It’s why I wanted to make a quick decision.” Rebekah knew they had to get him out of there.
Delilah didn’t even let it sink in before blurting, “Can I be the one? To give him my blood?”
“No way,” said Jarreth, shaking his head. “That’s not going to fucking happen.”
She turned her eyes up to Jarreth and dropped his hand. “I don’t need your permission. I only need to know if my blood will work.” She looked at Rebekah, but before she could open her mouth to respond, Jarreth pushed back his chair and got to his feet so he could point down at Delilah.
“I know you feel responsible, babe, but this isn’t going to happen. You’re not going to become a blood bag, not even for Liam.”
Delilah stood, pushing her chair back as she rose. “My body, my choice. I can do whatever the hell I want. This is to save Liam’s life.”
“Liam is dead!” Jarreth’s voice boomed so loudly it rattled the walls, and at that moment, Rebekah and Delilah saw just how much like his father he’d become. “It wouldn’t be to save him. It would only be to change him into one of our enemies, Del.”
Delilah gave the rage right back. “An enemy I’m sworn to defeat, I know, and I will honor that. But only when I know he’s one worthy of defeat. You weren’t here!” She kicked his chair and moved forward. “You didn’t see them, fight them, kill them. You were busy playing favorites with the Huntress.”
“So, what?” Jarreth asked, throwing out his arms. “Now this is my fault that the Huntress wanted me to go along and not you?”
“No, but I was here. I caused this, and now I’m going to make it right. I’m going to help Liam. If that means calling up the Huntress’s boyfriend and sharing a little blood, so be it.”
Rebekah knocked on the table to get their attention. “Calm down before you say something you regret.” She’d had enough of the boyfriend jokes to last a lifetime but knew no matter what Delilah said, she’d never see Rebekah’s relationship with Kayne as anything but a romantic one.
Delilah spun around and faced Rebekah. “Can my blood help him?”
“Yes, it could help, but you would have to give too much of it, and again, that’s why I’m going to get him out of here as soon as possible.”
“I’ll help,” said Katie. “You can take some blood from me too.”
“No, do mine instead,” said Canter.
Even though their emotions and tempers were high, Rebekah could feel the love coming from the young hunters. Though they all had different ideas about the way things would be done, they all cared very deeply for the boy. Perhaps they’d all seen themselves in him somehow. “It’s very noble of you all, but if we act fast, it won’t come to that.”
Delilah frowned. “But Kayne will have to give him blood from someone. If we don’t volunteer, then who would that be? Another human? The very ones we’re supposed to protect?”
“I’ll make arrangements and let you all know what is going to happen. Kayne has feeders. I’m sure he’s prepared for something like this more than we are. It’s a noble gesture, but I will not weaken you all and risk you being injured if any of Kayne’s children come back.”
Canter and Katie got to their feet. “We’ll be around if you need us,” he said. He pulled Katie’s arm, and she followed him out.
Delilah stormed out behind them and left Jarreth there with Lulu, who rose to her feet and looked him in the eye. “You’re going to have to learn how to choose your battles with that one, son.”
“I don’t like her blaming herself. I’ve never seen her so upset. I leave, and everything is okay, and then I come back, and it’s all going to hell, and all of my friends want to be vampire bait.”
“You’ve got to let her do what she needs to get through this,” said Rebekah. “Delilah’s going to be fine. I promise. I would never let anything happen to any of you.”
Jarreth shook his head. “Didn’t you promise Liam that too?” He walked away and breezed past Ignis, who walked into the room as Lulu gathered glasses and put them on her cart.
The entire meeting, something hadn’t sat quite right with Rebekah. “Lulu, could you give us a moment?”
“Suit yourself.” She took the few she’d gathered into the kitchen and made herself scarce.
Rebekah gave Ignis a narrow stare. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you, dear friend.”
Chapter 22
Ignis walked into the room as Rebekah stood and gave him an accusing look. “Something you kept insisting finally sank in, and I want you to explain yourself.”
Ignis had only been coming to attend the meeting now that Mace had stormed down into the cellar to see Liam. He had hoped to be a quiet observer, and now he was worried that Rebekah was onto him. “Well, let’s hear it. It’s not like I remember our entire conversation word per word.” He walked over to the beverage cart and poured himself a drink.
“You were adamant that Kayne knew nothing of what happened. Not the attack, and not about Liam.”
“It’s not his style,” said Ignis. “It’s not something he’d do to you.”
“I don’t buy it. Where were you when the attack happened?” She had a feeling he’d gone to talk to Kayne while there was no way she’d know about it.
He was ready for her, and it was about time she knew the jig was up. “I took my time getting home and went immediately to my library in the south tower.”
“Are you sure? I mean, how can I even trust what you tell me? I already know you don’t tell me everything, and apparently, according to new revelations, you and Kayne have a great big past that neither of you decided to tell me about.”
“I will not apologize for keeping you safe. I have always done all I can to protect you, even though you are the toughest woman I know.”
She wasn’t in the mood for his flattery, especially where her rebirth was concerned. Yes, she’d been made stronger physically, but it hadn’t changed her will or her opinions of how she should be treated. “So you keep saying. But here’s the deal. I’m sick of the same old tune. I want to know where you were. You went to see Kayne, didn’t you? Because you’re scared to death I’ll figure it out.” She turned and faced the wall. She and Ignis never fought like this, and it was taking its toll on her heart. “I thought we were friends.”
“I know we are. Even though you’ve sent a spy in to nose around in my library.”
Rebekah’s back stiffened, but she wouldn’t lie and deny it. “Yes, I did that. I had to find out if there was any evidence of the bargain you made with my enemy.”
“Our enemy.” Ignis gripped the back of one of the tall chairs in front of him. “Tell Canter he’s not the hunter he wishes he were, and the next time you want to go digging into one of my journals, consider that there are some things you do not wish to read.”
“I thought I knew you. But if I did, I wouldn’t need a spy to go digging for answers that you’ve ripped out of your books.”
Ignis stood a little taller. “Ripped out and burned, darling. For no one to know but me. I’ve done a little house keeping.”
“Then you won’t mind if Canter looks into your books for information regarding the stigmata?”
Ignis’s eyes narrowed. “I have already told you, there is nothing in them that could help defeat it. I wrote them, so I think I’d know.”
“You were looking for a way to save Estelle, so maybe you overlooked something. Besides, why journal everything if you don’t intend on someone reading it someday?”
“Those are my grimoires, my collective thoughts. I don’t need anyone prying into my ancient mind.” He had never considered letting another soul read them.
Rebekah knew she needed to take another approach. “You can think of him as an apprentice, if you want. Someone to study your ideas. Canter is a smart young man.”
“And he’s not a mage.” Most of the things in his books that were useful to an apprentice wouldn’t work for Canter.
“Are you saying that only a mage is worthy of your vast knowledge? That’s a bit prejudiced, don’t you think, especially since I’ve let you in on the Fellowship’s business for centuries?”
“I never said that! You of all people should know me better.” He closed the distance and got in Rebekah’s face, so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. “I’ve been good to you your whole long life and asked for very little from you! I’ve given you everything and only requested a little privacy, and now you’ve gone and violated that for your own selfish reasons. I promised your father I’d protect you, Rebekah, and if that means protecting you from the truth, or from yourself, then that’s what I’ll do, but that library is all I have to myself, Bex. Those journals are the only things that are mine alone. If I find him in my library again, he might have to be taught a lesson.”