The Key to Erebus (The French Vampire Legend. Book 1)

by Emma V. Leech

Chapter 31

  I called Corvus and told him I was going to stay with Amelia. He was disappointed, but understood that she needed me more. I had asked her if she would prefer someone else to stay with her but, surprisingly, she wanted me.

  She had simply cried at first and then sat numbly on the settee in her little living room staring at the wall.

  “I didn’t deserve him, did I?” she asked, her voice barely audible.

  I was shocked by the question and didn’t know how to answer. It was exactly what I had thought myself earlier in the evening, but I wasn’t about to make her feel worse than she already did by agreeing with her.

  She looked up, her big eyes swimming with tears. “It’s alright, Jéhenne, I know what you think of me and … I don’t blame you. I was a fool.” Her features were swollen from crying and all of a sudden she looked very young and fragile, which I knew was far from the truth. “I want to show you something.”

  Amelia got up and pulled out a big cardboard folder from behind the settee. Opening it, she handed me one of a stack of invitations. It showed a picture of Rodney cuddling Amelia and I was immediately struck by the look on her face. She adored him. The invitations were for an engagement party.

  “He was going to ask me to marry him.” She wiped her eyes with a soggy tissue. “I found the ring by accident, but he … I don’t think he could get up the courage to ask me. He probably thought I’d say no,” she said, the words muffled by her sobs., “So I had these made as a surprise for him.”

  My heart plummeted to the floor and I felt sick. “Oh God,” I whispered. “Amelia, this is all my fault … if you knew.”

  “Knew what?”

  I told her everything, exactly what had happened, how brave he had been … how I’d killed him.

  She was quiet for a long time.

  “I’m glad you told me,” she said, her voice thick. She took a deep breath before adding, “But it wasn’t your fault.”

  “What?” I couldn’t believe it. I certainly blamed myself and I found it incredible that Amelia didn’t.

  “Rodney was the bravest person I ever met.” She laughed bitterly. “Gods, he’d have to be to take me on.” She gave me a wry smile. “But he knew what he was doing tonight. He knew there was no other way, he wanted to save you and I’m proud of him.” She paused and wiped her eyes again and I had never felt so guilty in my life, not only for the part I had played in Rodney’s death, but also by how badly I had misjudged her.

  “He loved you very much you know,” she said and I opened my mouth to protest but she stopped me. “I don’t mean like that, I know he only loved me in that way. I mean you were always kind to him … you were always his friend, even when I wasn’t and … I’m grateful.” She put her hand over mine and squeezed. “He thought of you like a little sister you know.”

  I couldn’t hold it together any longer and broke down and this time it was Amelia who comforted me. Later we just sat together on the settee in silence.

  “I just can’t believe he’s gone.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I keep expecting to see him walk in the door.”

  I nodded, knowing just what she meant. It seemed unreal. Impossible. “I know.”

  “He was so strong,” she said, frowning. “It just doesn’t seem possible, like he should have at least left a trace … I can’t explain it, it’s just so… wrong.”

  The thought was so sudden that it took my breath away and I couldn’t speak for a moment, but jumped to my feet and stared at Amelia.

  “What?” she demanded, looking startled.

  “I’m not a vampire, I’m a bleedin ghoul!” I managed to squeak.

  She looked concerned, like I'd finally lost the plot. “What are you talking about? You’re not either!”

  “That’s the last thing he said to me!” I was practically jumping up and down now. “Amelia, he was a ghoul!” I shrieked, willing her to understand me as I was too excited to explain.

  “Well of course he was … what do you mean?”

  “Oh!” I wailed and forced myself to take a deep breath. “Ghouls possess dead bodies, their spirits move when the body deteriorates,” I said, flapping my hands at her.

  She frowned a little harder. “Well, yes, I know that, but Rodney didn’t need to because of your Gran’s potion.”

  “I know, I know!” I shrieked impatiently, willing her to make the connection as I was too overwrought to speak another word.

  “Well so what … Oh!” she screamed and leapt to her feet as she finally understood. “Jéhenne! Do you really think it’s possible?”

  “It’s a long shot, Amelia, we can’t be sure,” I warned her, not wanting to get her hopes up and then dash them again even though it was far too late for that. “But yes, I think it’s possible.”

  The next half an hour was just a blur. I had called Corvus and he was organizing the family into a search party and I found myself a torch as I couldn’t see in the dark like a vampire.

  When we reached the woods, Corvus put us into pairs, with Amelia and I opting to search the area immediately around the area Rodney died as we figured this was the most likely.

  I had explained to everyone what we were looking for and though everyone looked at me like I really had lost the plot, to my relief no one actually complained or told me I was crazy to my face. It occurred to me that everyone was so anxious to have Rodney back they'd try anything, no matter how outrageous.

  Basically, I figured that Rodney’s spirit would have been too weak to travel far. Gran had once told me that a ghoul’s spirit could travel miles in search of a new host, but the violence of Rodney’s death made me believe this wasn’t likely and that he'd know to stay close by so that we could find him. If he had survived at all he would still be here. I figured he would have tried to find refuge somewhere, maybe in a dead animal, though I wasn’t even sure it was possible. However it was all I had and I was clinging to it with grim determination and looking at Amelia, she was in the same place.

  We were searching, in essence, for an animal that was recently deceased but appeared to be alive and was acting … well … oddly.

  We all set out in different directions, carefully scanning both the floor and the trees, searching for any likely places that might hide a disorientated ghoul. I kept hearing an annoying little voice in my head telling me I was out of my mind and that all I was doing was giving everyone false hope, but I steadfastly ignored it and kept looking.

  We had started on the exact spot where Rodney had been burnt up by the vampire, which was clearly marked by a large patch of scorched earth. It was hard to be back here and I had thought Amelia might find it all too much, but although she looked on the verge of tears, she had gritted her teeth and begun the search. I couldn’t help but admire her courage and tried to do the same.

  Gradually we worked outwards from that spot until we were some distance away from each other. Amelia could search the ground much faster than I could but I noticed she was covering every single inch and taking almost as long as I was, despite her superior senses.

  I had just come across a large hole in a rotten tree trunk and was trying to get low enough to shine the torch in at the right angle, when there was a soft thunk behind me. I turned and shone the torch in the direction of the sound and was startled to find a set of tiny eyes glaring back at me. I almost screamed with excitement but instead turned and called Amelia at the top of my voice. She was beside me before I could draw another breath but unfortunately the noise and movement was too much for the poor, dishevelled creature. It tried vainly to clamber up the nearest tree, but only got about two feet up before plummeting back to the floor. It lay on its back with its legs in the air, looking utterly bewildered for less than a second before Amelia scooped it up.

  “Rodney!” she shrieked, nearly smothering the poor thing against her chest.

  “Amelia, be careful …” I warned her. “I’m still not sure … it might not be him. It might just have rabies or something!”

>   “No,” she said, sobbing and shaking her head vigorously. “It’s him, I’m sure.”

  “How can you be certain?” I queried, eyeing the tatty looking red squirrel that was peering fearfully from Amelia’s cleavage with curiosity.

  “Because it’s dead. It’s been dead at least a couple of days!” she exclaimed happily. “I can smell it.”

  “Oh,” I felt a little queasy suddenly. The thought occurred to me that no one in the history of the world had ever been so pleased to find a dead squirrel.

  As I shone the torch on it again, to see if there was anything, well… familiar about the creature, Corvus and Lucas appeared out of nowhere and I let out a yelp of surprise.

  “Oh, I wish you lot would give me a bit of warning before you do that!” I muttered, glaring at Lucas who scowled back.

  “You’ve found something?” Corvus asked in amazement.

  “It’s him, it’s him!” Amelia squealed with excitement. Corvus wrinkled his nose.

  “He certainly smells dead,” he admitted, glancing at me. “But I’m not sure that’s conclusive proof.”

  Lucas made a face. “Gods, he smells worse than ever, if it is him.” He frowned and put his hand under the squirrel's head to get a better look.

  “Ow!” he yelled as the tatty creature sunk his teeth into his hand.

  “Rodney!” I shrieked and Amelia giggled happily.

  Corvus grinned and gave us both a big hug and even Lucas seemed pleased despite the bite.

  “Jéhenne, I’m so glad we’ve found him, but now what?” asked Corvus, looking at the squirrel with uncertainty. “He’s not going to want to stay in there.”

  “We need to find him a body.” I knew as I said it, this was going to be a big problem. How exactly did we get hold of a dead body, and not just any body? It needed to be male, in good order and well … available.

  “Well I guess we need to think about that one.” Corvus frowned. “Come on let’s take him home.”

  Once back at the Château, Amelia flew into action. She found a beautiful old bird cage which she lined with an exquisite looking velvet scarf that must have cost a small fortune, and then set about arranging various little delicacies that might tempt a ghoulish squirrel.

  Corvus decided she’d be happier if we left her to it, so we retreated to the peace of his apartment. He closed the door with a sigh and pulled me against him, resting his chin gently on the top of my head.

  “You saved him, Jéhenne.”

  I shook my head and leaned into him, breathing in the fresh night scent that seemed so distinctly his.

  “I killed him, I’m still trying to atone.”

  “I don’t think Rodney would see it like that and neither do I,” he said, his voice soft and full of gratitude. “You saved him. I’m so proud of you and so glad. I would have missed him a great deal.”

  I smiled and felt the tension in my shoulders relax just a little. “Well, just make sure you tell him that when you can, OK? He loves you and I don’t think he really knows how much he matters to you, to any of the family.”

  Corvus raised my chin so I was looking up at him. “I promise,” he said and smiled. “But the question is, do you know how much I love you?”

  I shrugged, not looking at him. My heart ached as much as ever, the subject never seemed to get any easier, and it certainly never changed.. “I know how much you think you love me,” I said, the longing in my voice only too obvious. “But I'm not her,” I added, knowing I sounded defiant.

  He sighed and narrowed his eyes at me. “Well, we must beg to differ I suppose,” he said, his voice sharp with frustration. “For now we have other things to talk about.”

  “Oh?”

  “The key to Erebus?”

  “Oh.” I grimaced and pulled away from him. I had a bad feeling this conversation wasn't going to go the way I hoped. Conversations with Corvus rarely did.

  “Did you think I would just ignore it and it would go away?” he demanded and I felt a prickle of anger against my skin.

  I walked over to the sofa and sat down with a thud. I was emotionally and physically drained and wanted nothing more than a soak in the bath and a comfortable bed. Looking at his face, however, Corvus wasn’t about to let me go.

  “Why you, Jéhenne? The key has been lost for centuries, so why you and why now?”

  “You think I know? You’re the bloody guardian!” I yelled at him, folding my arms. “Not that you bothered telling me that,” I muttered, glaring at him.

  Corvus frowned and sat down beside me. “You already have a hard enough time accepting me for what I am, do you really think I wanted to make things more difficult?” he demanded.

  “You lied.” I stared at him with fury, daring him to contradict me.

  He huffed at me. “A lie of omission,” he said, clearly losing patience.

  “Is still a lie!” I snapped. I was tired and fed up, my fingers were throbbing and Corvus was about to pay for my bad temper. “You want me to trust you, yet you leave me in the dark about so many things,” I yelled, turning to face him. “I know you want to protect me, but I’m not helpless and I can deal with this stuff if I have to, but only if I understand. You have to trust me too, Corvus, and stop acting like a bloody caveman.”

  I saw his jaw tighten and swallowed. My skin burned as his anger flared and I wondered if I'd pushed him too far this time. Me and my big mouth.

  He got to his feet. “Come on then.” There was a clear challenge in his eyes and his words and I felt my heart thud a little harder in my chest.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, hearing the tremor in my voice.

  He glowered at me and held out his hand. “You’ll see.”

  It wasn't reassuring. With great reluctance I put my hand in his and was dragged from the sofa and towed behind him down the stairs and into the massive dining room. In the flickering torch light it looked like Hercules really was fighting along the stone front of the great fireplace. I suddenly realised why it had given me such nasty burn, the ward protecting it had sensed I could open the gateway … the gateway it was protecting.

  “What are we doing here, Corvus?” I asked, wrapping my arms around my body and shivering. The room was warm but I could feel something cold and dead close at hand and I wanted to leave.

  “You want to know the truth,” he said, his voice smooth and dangerous. “You want to know what you are dealing with,” he added, a wicked glint of satisfaction in his eyes that didn't bode well. “So ... I will show you.”

  I looked at him in horror and was about to open my mouth to say I’d changed my mind, when it occurred to me that this was exactly what he wanted. He wanted me to admit that I needed protecting, from the truth, from what I could unleash either if I chose to or if anything happened to me and the key fell into the wrong hands. Well he might be right, and I wasn’t stupid enough to believe I could deal with this alone, but I wasn’t going to back down either. One thing I had realised over the past few months, I was stronger than I had thought, certainly stronger than he believed me to be. I had to be brave and I had to face the truth, no matter how scary it was. I took a deep breath and raised my head, looking back at him with defiance.

  “OK.” I did my best to feign a calm exterior and walked nonchalantly towards the fireplace. Corvus scowled at me. He had clearly expected me to cave in and run away screaming. I smothered a smile of satisfaction despite my terror.

  “Are you sure you want to do this, Jéhenne?” he demanded, his voice harsh, the threat only to clear.

  I nodded, not trusting my voice to speak.

  “Very well,” he snarled and those blue eyes glittered with fury in the half light as he placed his hands flat against the fireplace. The ward sparked gently around his fingers but didn’t react. He spoke words which I recognised now to be Latin and stepped back as the ward fell in a shower of green and yellow sparks. A deep rumbling noise began to tremble beneath our feet and I watched in astonishment as the massive fireplace began to
rise up into the roof.

  Corvus took a flaming torch off the wall and strode back to what was now a gaping black hole. He gestured for me to take his hand once again and as I got closer the torch illuminated a stone staircase disappearing into shadows.

  “Have you been down here before?” I asked, looking down into the inky darkness with trepidation.

  He smirked at me, enjoying my discomfort. “Of course. Many times,” he said, adding, “There is nothing to be afraid of on this side of the gate, Jéhenne.”

  I looked back at him, unblinking. “And on the other side?”

  He glanced down the stairs and then back at me, the challenge back in his eyes, the smile curving over his mouth just a little cruel and making him look like the devil himself in the flicker of the torch flame. “What do you think?” he asked.

  I took a deep breath and a step closer to the entrance. “I read that the Underworld is divided up into different territories, places of peace for the deserving and places of torment for the wicked.”

  He nodded. “Yes, that’s basically true. There is great goodness there, but also the greatest evils that have ever existed.”

  I felt a shiver of pure fear prickle the hair on my scalp.

  He reached out and took my hand, drawing me closer to him. “If you are truly the key, they would come to you and do your bidding, whether they wished to or not. You would have the power of a goddess.” He seemed to be watching me, perhaps wondering if the power was something that I lusted for as others before me had.

  I looked into his eyes.”I don’t want it,” I whispered.

  He smiled, and this time I saw the reassurance I had needed. “I know.”

  I followed him down the staircase and every step I took made me more afraid. There was a feeling crawling over me that increased with every step, not of magic but of something far more tangible - death. The odour of dust and centuries of age hung in the air and a couple of times I had to bite my lip to stop me crying out in alarm as cobwebs brushed past my face. I sensed, rather than saw, Corvus turn around to speak to me.

  “Your heart is racing,” he observed.

  I rolled my eyes in the darkness. “You do surprise me,” I muttered.

  We seemed to descend for miles, the darkness enclosing us and the temperature dropping steadily. The torch light barely illuminated the staircase and I had to concentrate hard not to miss my footing. I prayed it didn’t go out. Finally the staircase ended and we were in a small chamber with a dirt floor. A large old fashioned oak door dominated the small space.

  I raised my eyebrows at the plain wooden door. “Is that it?” I asked with a frown.

  Corvus snorted with amusement. “Did you expect golden gates?” he said, his tone a little mocking.

  “I don’t know,” I replied with a huff. “I’m not sure what I expected, it just seems a bit of an anti-climax.”

  “Well, get closer to it then,” he said, as though daring me. “And perhaps then it will be more what you had in mind.”

  I looked at him in surprise and then scowled. Fine. I swallowed my fear and took a hesitant step forward. A faint buzzing began to tingle over me and I glanced back at Corvus who was watching intently. The buzzing increased as I got closer, until it became a low rumble, like distant thunder.

  “Don’t touch it, OK?” he instructed, a trace of anxiety in his voice now. I glanced back at him and raised my eyebrows. Did he seriously think I wanted to open it?

  I took another step closer and the volume increased, a constant humming which I realised with horror were the sounds of voices. Another step and I was barely a foot from the door, the noise was almost deafening now, rolling over me and through me like thunder. I closed my eyes and realised I could distinguish voices amongst the cacophony. Some were singing and raised in prayer but others screamed in agony or begged for an end to their torment. It was dreadful and breathtaking, overwhelming. My heart hammered in my chest and I tried to take a step back, to make the voices stop but found I couldn’t move. I tried to turn to ask Corvus for help but I realised with alarm that my hand was reaching towards the door of its own volition.

  He shouted at me to stop, his voice barely audible above the roar of voices in my head, but could do nothing to resist. I was compelled by something far stronger. I felt him grasp hold of me and try to pull me away, but I was surrounded by a golden light as bright as the sun. I looked down and saw the light was burning him but he refused to let go.

  “It’s all right, Corvus, I’ll be alright. Let me go.” As I spoke, I was suffused with a feeling of calm, I knew it was true.

  “No, Jéhenne,” he pleaded, holding on even tighter.

  I stopped fighting the pull of the voices and reached out a hand and touched the ancient looking iron ring that appeared to serve as a handle.

  “Jéhenne! No!”

  And suddenly the voices stopped.

  I stood with my eyes shut. listening to a silence so absolute that it almost hurt my ears after the screams of so many. I could see a soft light filtering through my eyelids, but there was no breeze, no movement of any kind. I opened my eyes cautiously, squinting a little after the darkness of the chamber.

  To my surprise I was standing in a meadow. There were no trees, nothing other than a flat landscape stretching on into the horizon and filled with wild flowers. It was night time, or at least the sky was dark but I could see clearly, though there was no moon.

  I looked around wondering what was wrong with the scene, when it dawned on me, there were no insects, no birds, nothing moving whatsoever. It was completely devoid of life. I turned my head slowly, afraid to move too fast in the stillness.

  I could feel the pulse of the key within me now. Could feel the yearning of those who dwelt here to use them, to instruct them, to bend them to my will. Power. I could feel the immense power within me as the key burned, a golden light behind my eyes - it took my breath away.

  The power to rule the Underworld called to me in the sweetest of voices and my heart thudded and hungered with the need to take it, to grasp it in both hands. Yet underneath the sweet voice of the dead lay another, murmuring quietly. It was my own voice, and yet unfamiliar, and it whispered a warning - remember who you are.

  With a gasp I let go of the power I had been unwittingly drawing into myself and in a flash of light that hurt my eyes it was gone and I was in the dark once more.

  I awoke to find myself lying on the dirt floor, my head being stroked by Corvus, his eyes bright with fear in the dim light of the torch.

  “Thank the gods!” I was hauled onto his lap and into a crushing embrace. “Jéhenne, I’m so sorry, I should never have brought you here,” he said, his voice raw with terror. “I didn’t believe it. Not really, I didn’t think it was possible.” He touched his forehead to mine. “I just wanted you to hear the voices, to realise the power you are dealing with and understand why you cannot cope with these things alone, that you need me,” he said in frustration. “I wanted you to trust me.” He tightened his arms around me. “I’m afraid I’ve proved the exact opposite.”

  I leant my head wearily against him. “It’s alright. I’m glad you brought me and you’re right, I didn’t realise what it meant and I do need you.” I was surprised at how calm I was, but there had been something so right, so familiar on the other side of the gate. I also knew that at some point, it was something I was going to have to face alone. I looked up at him. “I am the key,” I said. “I saw for myself … and the power, Corvus … it was unimaginable.”

  “What power?”

  The voice rumbled around the small chamber as the air seemed to ripple and split apart. Corvus grabbed me and we scrambled to our knees as the brilliance of Sariel burst into life.

  Once again I was overwhelmed by the magnificence of the creature in front of me. He folded his wings neatly behind him with a snap that blew the cobwebs from the ceiling in the cramped confines of the chamber. The firelight danced on the gold and bronze highlights of the glorious, d
owny feathers. There was nothing remotely pretty about him though. He was undoubtedly a warrior, with leather straps crossing his bare chest holding two swords in place between his wings. I noticed again the deep scar on his chest and wondered what could possibly hurt a being of such incredible power. His muscular legs were encased in soft black suede trousers and his feet bare on the dirt floor.

  “I felt a disturbance in the Underworld, someone has passed the gate?” he questioned, the deep violet eyes fixing me in place like a pin in a butterfly.

  I hesitated as I realised I didn’t want to tell him.

  No.

  Corvus' voice in my head shocked me as he echoed my thoughts, but those violet eyes blazed with a purity that pierced me and Sariel seemed to glow with the same pure light. The thought came to me then, he’s an angel, why should I be afraid? Why not tell him?

  “I’m the key.” I felt Corvus stiffen beside me.

  Sariel frowned and shook his head. “I would know.” And yet he came closer and laid his hand on my head. The same blinding light that had appeared when I touched the gate crowned me like a halo and he withdrew his hand in astonishment. “I would never have believed it,” he said with surprise and a smile of satisfaction flitted across his face.

  “If Tacitus discovers the truth, no one I love will be safe again,” I blurted out.

  His eyes narrowed and he regarded me with consideration. “Not only Tacitus,” he mused. “I will protect all those who are important to you, Jéhenne, but you will be in my debt.”

  “No!” Corvus snarled and I jumped as his voice echoed around me.

  “This is not your concern, Corvus.” Sariel didn’t take his eyes off me and I felt once again the warm glow of his light fall over me. “Do you agree to this?” he asked me, curiosity in his eyes.

  “Jéhenne, you don’t know what it means to be in debt to him.” As Corvus spoke to me, he took my hands in his and squeezed them gently. “I will protect your friends, your loved ones, my family will take care of it.”

  “I know you would, Corvus, but what about during the day?”

  “I have ways, Jéhenne, trust me. Please.”

  I looked at him, and knew that I could trust him, but if anything happened to anyone I knew because of me - either in his family or mine - I would never forgive myself. This mess may not be my fault, but it was mine and I alone would pay for it. I looked at Sariel, the violet light touching me softly, reassuring me. I didn’t want Corvus, or anyone else in danger because of me. I’d nearly lost Rodney for good, I wasn’t taking that chance ever again.

  “I’m sorry, Corvus. I do trust you but I can’t risk losing anymore of my friends, and certainly not you. Sariel I accept.”

  “No!” Corvus roared in fury. “Jéhenne, you must at least make conditions.”

  Sariel gave him a satisfied look. “Too late, I’m afraid the deal is made.” He looked surprisingly smug. “You and those around you are now under my protection,” he said, adding, “I will have to think about how you can repay me.”

  I felt a tremor of unease as I wondered just how much the repayment might cost me.

  “Wait - I have a request also.” Corvus stepped towards Sariel who raised his eyebrows.

  “Continue.”

  Corvus glanced at me and seemed to come to a decision. “I want her to remember.”

  I felt my heart lurch.

  Sariel raised an eyebrow. “Remember what?”

  “Don’t play games with me, Sariel,” he snarled. “I want her to remember her life with me.”

  Sariel looked at Corvus and his expression softened. “You do not know for sure that there was such a life, Corvus.”

  “I know!” he growled.

  Sariel pursed his lips and then shook his head. “It is forbidden.”

  “That’s never stopped you before,” Corvus retorted with fury.

  Sariel snapped his wings out, and angry movement that made the damp, musty air rush past us. “And after the way that ended you think I would break the rules again?”

  Corvus sneered at him. “Have you found a new guardian yet, Sariel?”

  I watched, bewildered and anxious as the angel scowled and looked uncomfortable at Corvus' enquiry. “No,” he replied, his voice flat.

  “I’m flattered. You have known this day approaches for centuries and yet with a few scant years left you still have no one to take my place?”

  “Now who is playing games?” Sariel replied with anger. “You wish to deal Corvus?”

  “I will stand guardian for another term if you grant my wish.”

  I stared at him in horror as he stood, staring at Sariel with defiance. I knew how desperately Corvus wanted to be free of the ties of guardianship. I couldn’t believe he would willingly put himself forward again.

  I laid my hand on his arm. “Corvus, no … you don’t have to do this.”

  “Yes, I do.” He didn’t look at me but kept his eyes trained on Sariel, who took a step forward.

  “Corvus, you may not believe this but I have always liked you, I feel a certain kinship with you - I’m sure you understand why. For this reason I will give you a warning, I will deal if you wish it, but you must understand that in time she will remember, not just her time with you - if indeed it ever happened, but everything else as well. It is very possible, likely even, that Jéhenne has lived other lives and being what she is there may be another immortal in her past that she would wish to return to.” He moved closer to Corvus, his voice low. “You may lose her.”

  I looked at Sariel with the unpleasant feeling that he knew something he wasn’t saying. Corvus paused and looked from Sariel to me.

  “You don’t have to do this,” I repeated, clinging to his arm. I wasn’t at all sure I liked the idea of remembering other lives in any case, if I’d really had any. Especially if Sariel’s warning was valid, which seemed more than likely. My life was way too complicated enough already. More than anything though, I didn’t want Corvus to commit himself for an unimaginable amount of time for something which even Sariel said, might not be as he hoped.

  Corvus touched a finger to my face reverently, tracing the line of my jaw. “I would rather lose you because you were certain of someone else, than because you were unsure of me.”

  I took his hand in mine. There was no point in trying to reason with him, I knew he wouldn’t change his mind and at least ... if by some miracle he was right ...

  Sariel nodded. “Very well, I will return tomorrow night and it shall be done.”

  With that he took a step back. The air seemed to fold in around him like the viscous surface on water, and he disappeared.

  Corvus turned and looked at me, and my stomach lurched at the expression on his face. He was really mad.

  “Come on,” he said.

  He picked me up without ceremony and carried me back up the stairs. I was relieved as I didn’t think my legs could have made the journey, but once back in the dining room he put me down without a word. I watched in silence, biting my cheek as he returned the fireplace to its normal state and reactivated the ward. He was deeply unhappy.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked, knowing we were on the precipice of a major row.

  “Nothing.”

  He stalked off towards the apartment, leaving me in no doubt that he was seriously pissed off. I followed him and closed the apartment door behind me.

  “OK, out with it,” I demanded. “What?”

  “You know very well, Jéhenne,” he said, his voice cool with anger. I watched as he poured himself a drink.

  I folded my arms, glaring at him. “I had no choice,” I objected.

  He turned on me eyes blazing. “You had every choice!” he raged. “Yet you choose to put your trust in Sariel instead of me.”

  I rubbed my arms, taken aback my the depth of his fury. “Well, he is …”

  “An angel?” Corvus interrupted furiously. “So that means he’s trustworthy? All vampires are evil and angels are good. That’s right i
sn’t it, Jéhenne?” he said, holding a hand out to me, as though daring me to deny it.

  “You know I don’t believe all vampires are evil!” I protested, stung by the unfairness of it.

  “And yet you believe all angels are good and float around on fluffy clouds playing harps?” he sneered, downing his drink in one large swallow. His anger was prickling over my skin like nettle rash now and my temper flared.

  “Don’t be sarcastic!” I shouted back. “Are you saying that Sariel is evil?”

  He threw his hands up. “Oh for the love of the gods! Why is everything always so black and white to you?” he demanded in fury. “Reality is far more complicated than that.” He sat on the sofa with his head in his hands, looking defeated and utterly miserable. I went and sat down beside him.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. I wasn't sorry for trusting Sariel, not yet at least. But I was sorry I'd hurt him.

  “I know,” he said, sounding every bit as weary as I was.

  “So what is Sariel like?” I asked, wondering if he'd tell me.

  He sighed and leaned back, looking at me. “He is one of the most powerful immortals in existence that can still come to this realm. Only an Archangel would be more powerful, but they never concern themselves with mortal affairs.” He ran a hand through his hair and stared at the fire flickering in the hearth with eyes that seemed to see far more than the flames. “With immortality and power comes cruelty, Jéhenne. Not through evil, but through boredom. They have seen everything many millions of times before. I know this as there was a time when I was just as guilty of it myself.” He reached out and took my hand. “Your life is of as much significance to a creature like that as an ant’s would be to you. The lives of humans, and even earth bound immortals, are of little consequence except in as much as we play a role in their greater games. We are little more than pawns ... and you’ve just handed yourself to him on a platter.”

  I felt fear snake its way down my spine and Corvus put his arm around me and pulled me close.

  “I won’t let him harm you, Jéhenne,” he said, but I knew even Corvus could do little against such power.

  “What did he mean, when he said he felt a kinship with you?” I asked, watching his face. Corvus sighed and pulled me onto his lap, his arms wrapped comfortingly around me. He paused and threaded his fingers through mine.

  “Sariel fell in love once.”

  “So?” I asked in surprise. “Are they not allowed?”

  He nodded, raising my hand to his lips and kissing my fingertips. “Yes,” he said softly. “They are allowed, but not with mortals and certainly not with a demon.”

  I raised my eyebrows at him. “He fell in love with a demon?”

  He smiled at my incredulity and nodded. “Well, a half-demon, yes.”

  I leaned into him, the comfort of his broad chest too inviting not to take advantage of it. “What happened?”

  “When Gabriel found out he forced Sariel to kill her, and then he cut out his heart as punishment. He made sure the scar would not heal so it would serve as a reminder to him, and as warning to any other angels who thought to disobey the rules.”

  “The Archangel Gabriel?” I wondered if I’d heard him correctly. I had become accustomed to things not being as I had believed but this was sickening, that not only an angel but an Archangel could be responsible for such barbarity. That love could be punished in such a way ... It was beyond my understanding.

  “They do not live by human rules,” Corvus said, the understanding in his eyes reminding me that he was far more like them than an ordinary man. “They are as old as the earth itself and as incomprehensible.”

  I closed my eyes, feeling overwhelmed. I’d had more than I could take for one night.

  “Come, Jéhenne, dawn approaches.” Corvus lifted me gently and carried me to my room, laying me gently on the bed. “Until dusk, my heart.”

  He smiled and kissed my forehead before retreating to his resting place for the day. I sighed and closed my eyes, too tired to think about what the next night could possibly bring.