I studied the trunk, noting that it was completely smooth. Trying to climb it would be like trying to shimmy up glass. Damn.
We all walked up the hill. When we came within two feet of the tree, I kept going, but everyone else acted like they had walked facefirst into a wall. A round of cursing and rubbing of noses occurred.
“Keep going, kitten,” encouraged Path. He’d known to stop about two steps before the others. Perverse son of a bitch.
“I really have to climb this thing?” I walked around the base of the tree, and studied it some more. No footholds, no knots that I could grab onto.
“I think it would be very entertaining if you tried,” said Path. “But you could just ask the tree for it.”
“Ask . . . the tree.” I looked at Path, and he nodded.
What the hell, right? I stood under the branch, my gaze on that fruit. It was Dove’s life hanging up there. “Hi,” I said. “I’m Moira. May I please have my ambrosia?”
For a moment, nothing happened, and I began to wonder if Path had been fucking with me just to see if I would ask a magic tree for its magic fruit.
Then the limb with the ambrosia on it slowly lowered until the branch was at my eye level. “Thank you,” I said. And I grabbed the fruit and pulled it off the tree.
“Okay, kids, let’s skedaddle.” Path looked at me, offering me another skeezy smile, and before I could tell him to knock it off—
Blink. Blink. Boom!
We stood at the location where we’d entered the Underworld. The party continued, and I wondered if it ever stopped. Probably not.
“I wish I could say it had been fun, kids,” said Path. “But I really can’t. Good luck with . . . well, whatever.” Path wiggled his fingers at us, and then turned, slipping into the crowd.
“Moira.”
I turned at the sound of Drake’s voice, and saw that the portal had opened. Drake went first, then me, Larsa, and Ax.
On the other side, in the same field that we had left, Amahté and Shamhat waited for us, along with Gabriel, Braddock, and Darrius.
“You have the ambrosia?” asked Gabriel. He sounded anxious.
“Yes, and before you get any ideas, I’m the only one who can touch or use it.” I showed him the fruit. “And I’m using it to save Dove.”
Gabriel lifted a moon white eyebrow. “You mistake my intentions. Patsy made a promise. And her promise is mine as well.”
“Good,” I said. “Shall we go kick some vampire ass?”
• • •
“What a bastard. Holing up in my house!”
We were crouched in the back garden. Ten feet away were the French doors that led to an informal entertaining area.
“You call this a house?” asked Larsa. “This place has its own zip code.”
Team One of the Save Dove and Patsy effort consisted of me, Drake, Larsa, and Gabriel. Other teams lead by Braddock, Patrick, and Darrius were surrounding the house at various locations. I knew only what our goal was: Get to Dove and Patsy. I believed the goal of everyone else was to kill as many bad guys as possible before dawn.
“Do you know if my staff is okay?” I asked.
“I’m sorry,” said Gabriel. “We have to assume there have been human casualties.”
Meaning, the vampires had probably snacked on the people who’d been in my employ for years. Guilt scraped me like rusty razors. I had never thought to protect them. It had never occurred to me that Karn would make an assault on my house! Damn, damn, damn.
We waited.
Then we saw the first flash bomb.
We all had guns, and they were loaded with special bullets designed to maim vampires. We stood up from our hiding place, crouched low, and ran down the concrete path to the doors. One swift, brutal kick from Drake busted them wide open.
And the three bullets from his gun took down the vampire coming for us. Larsa decapitated him with her sword.
We moved on.
The consensus was that Karn had holed up in the basement with his prisoners simply because it was the safest place to be, and because he knew he held the trump card so long as he had Dove and Patsy (mostly Patsy from the paranormal perspective).
While the Broken Heart teams fought with Karn’s minions, we made our way to the kitchen—to the door that led to my basement.
The door was open, and the invitation—or rather the demand—was clear.
Karn expected us. And he no doubt thought he had his bases covered. I really wanted to punch him in the throat.
What? We’ve established my unicorn anger issues.
“Shit,” said Larsa. She gestured for us to split up and take either side of the doorway. Drake and I took one side. Larsa and Gabriel took the other. Then Drake and Larsa craned their necks to peer down the lighted stairwell.
“Oh, do come down,” called Karn. “We have so much to talk about.”
“I really hate him,” I said.
“I heard that, Moira,” he singsonged. “It’s not a good way to begin negotiations for your darling Dove’s life.”
Drake swung around and started down the stairs.
Karn yelled, “Drop your weapons down the stairs first. All of them.”
Drake stopped, and shared a look of frustration with me. Everyone grimaced, but we began the toss-down of guns, swords, daggers, and every other piece of dangerous equipment that we had attached to our persons. Eventually the rain of weaponry ended, and we heard the sounds of everything being gathered.
“Impressive,” said Karn. “Come down now.”
Drake moved down the staircase; then I, Larsa, and Gabriel followed. We had no idea what we were in for, but what else could we do? Dove was depending on me. I’d be damned if Karn won.
The basement was well lit. This part was walled off, a storage area used for party supplies. Other parts of the basement had other uses, but I wasn’t sure about the setup. Mr. Keyter handled that. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever really had cause to be in the basement. I made a mental note to have Mr. Keyter vampire-proof everything once we’d dealt with Karn. If the house was still standing and all—and if Mr. Keyter was still alive.
Rescue now, guilt later, I told myself.
Patsy was manacled to the wall, her mouth duct-taped. Her entire body vibrated with fury, and when she saw Gabriel, the look in her eyes was a blend of relief and fear.
Dove lay on a table, looking too pale and shatteringly vulnerable.
A knot clogged my throat.
“She’s alive,” said Karn. “Mostly.”
He sat on a folding chair. Two other vampires were in the room, too. One near Patsy and one near Dove. I couldn’t believe that Karn wouldn’t stack the undead favor in his odds, so I was sure other vampires lurked down here as well, hidden in the shadows and crevices. My suspicions were correct. As we gathered in a semicircle near Karn, several vampires appeared behind us.
Fear slicked my spine and made my stomach spin.
“You are such a clever one, Moira. I knew you were the key to getting to the ambrosia. Ah, but you didn’t kill the Ancients, did you?” He wagged his finger at me. “Somehow I knew you wouldn’t. You’re stubborn. But that is, of course, part of the nature of your kind.” He slipped a hand into his jacket and brought out the white blade that had ended the lives of my parents. “I’ve never seen one before. No one has . . . not in several lifetimes.” He held up the blade by the beaten copper handle. “Unicorn horn.” He shook his head. “Amazing.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said. “Unicorns aren’t real.”
Karn laughed. “Just like vampires and werewolves aren’t real?” He offered me a smarmy grin. “Mr. Keyter knew your secret. I had to steal the memories from his mind because he was, unfortunately, terribly uncooperative. A tragedy, since good help is so hard to find.”
“Bastard.” The word caught in my throat, snagged on the edges of my grief. I might as well have killed Mr. Keyter. He’d been my great and wonderful friend.
&
nbsp; “Unicorn tears are so shimmery. Like little diamonds. But not, I bet, as potent as your blood.” He tucked the blade back into his jacket.
“Give me Dove.”
“I’m afraid that’s as close to her as you’ll get.” He glanced at Gabriel. “We all know the real prize is your wife. She’s precious to us all, isn’t she? If she dies, we all do.” He turned his gaze to me. “The ambrosia, Dr. Jameson.”
“Sure.” I took the golden fruit from the pocket of my cargo pants and tossed it at him.
He caught it . . . for a second. Then it disappeared.
It reappeared in my hand. I looked down at the ambrosia. “Sorry. I guess it doesn’t like you.”
“I am not stupid, Moira. I know you must gift it to me.” He stood up, and seemed to disappear himself. But he’d actually used his preternatural speed to get to Dove. He flashed his fangs at us, then leaned down and pierced her throat.
“No!” I moved toward him, but the vampire behind me grabbed my arm and yanked me backward. “Stop, goddamn you!”
Karn reared up, giving us a bloody smile. “She tastes so sweet.”
“Give her to me,” I said. “And I’ll gift you the ambrosia.”
“No,” hissed Larsa. “The ambrosia will make Karn invincible! It is better to sacrifice one human so that the world does not burn.”
“Fuck that,” I said.
Karn laughed. “Delightful.” He took a handkerchief from his pants pocket and wiped his mouth. “Fine. Come get her.”
I didn’t hesitate. I rushed to the table and gathered Dove into my arms. She was so small, so slight. I picked her up and took her to Larsa. She looked surprised as I handed over my friend, but I mouthed, “Go.”
She understood instantly. And disappeared in a shower of sparkles.
“You think anyone else matters now?” asked Karn. “I’m getting bored. The ambrosia, Moira.”
He couldn’t take it from me, but he could hurt my loved ones until I relinquished it. He knew it, and I knew it. What he didn’t know what that I’d had a private conversation with Gabriel. And I knew, thanks to Theodora’s books, that vampire mates had telepathy. Karn had to know the same thing, but despite his brilliant psychopathic nature, he was too fucking arrogant to believe he wouldn’t win the day. The problem with people who knew they were smart is that they constantly underestimated everyone else.
I plucked the ambrosia from my pocket and held it up on my palm. Karn’s greedy gaze took on a razor-sharp focus.
“I gift the ambrosia to . . . Gabriel Marchand.”
“What! No!” Karn’s cry of outrage echoed in the basement. Karn disappeared in a shower of red sparkles. Coward.
The fruit disappeared from my hand and reappeared in Gabriel’s. He took a huge bite, half the fruit, and swallowed it. Gold light encompassed him, so suddenly and so brightly, I had to look away. The vampires behind us screamed, and exploded into dust.
When the light dissipated, Gabriel had already moved to Patsy and ripped off her manacles. She removed the tape from her mouth. Drake and I hurried forward, going into a protection stance in front of the couple.
“I gift the ambrosia to Patsy Marchand.”
The half-eaten fruit appeared in her hand, and she ate the rest in two bites.
The golden light surrounded her, too, blinding us all for a few seconds.
I had just made two werewolf-vampires unkillable immortals.
And I hoped I hadn’t traded Dove’s life to do it.
When the bright light dissipated again, Karn flickered into being before me. His eyes were crazed with rage. The thin veneer of civilization had been stripped away. “You take from me, you bitch, and I’ll take from you.”
I shoved Drake out of the way, and he was so startled by my sudden move, he actually stumbled out of the path of the blade.
Karn embedded the dagger to the hilt into my side.
Shock waves of pain ricocheted through me, and I fell to my knees, gasping. I felt the blood rise in my throat, and I choked on it.
“Noooo!” Drake’s cry of outrage vibrated within me, filled with pain and grief.
Oh, shit. I was dying.
Karn whirled to meet the werewolf’s attack, but he couldn’t defeat Drake in full fury. Drake knocked the bastard to the ground and wrenched off his head with his bare hands.
Karn turned to dust.
Honestly? Slightly anticlimactic. Except for me getting stabbed. That was an unexpected twist to the story.
“Moira.” Drake dropped to his knees, tears in his eyes.
“I . . . th-think . . .” Pushing the words out of my mouth was such a trial. I felt so cold now, and my mouth felt stiff. My vision was graying, but the pain was receding. I lifted a trembling hand to his cheek. “Love. You.”
Then I died.
Chapter 28
“Mr. Keyter is a vampire,” said the woman. “I am not . . . in case you were wondering. Brigid saved me, and she tried to save you, but . . . well, you’re being stubborn.”
The voice was familiar . . . and yet not. That voice seemed to be missing something.
Sarcasm.
I searched my memory banks for something to attach to that voice. Dove.
She was alive.
Relief flowed through me.
“Anyway. For some reason, Mr. Keyter had sent the staff out for the evening. Isn’t that odd? No one else got hurt, Moira, so you can stop worrying. I thought you would like to know that the household staff is fine—because you’re you, and you feel insanely responsible for anyone who gets inside your orbit.
“Oh, yes. You should know two things about Mr. Keyter. One, he is an excellent vampire. Two, he was a closet nudist. He fits in extremely well at the vampire senior citizens community. He visits you, too. I just hope he hasn’t regaled you with that story about him and Mrs. Stoffenblatz in the hot tub. It was so TMI.” The voice paused. “P.S., I have not forgiven you for being brave and saving the werewolf you love. It was entirely selfish. You really need to work on those little personality flaws of yours.” I felt fingertips on my shoulder and the brush of lips over my forehead. Then that voice whispered in my ear, “Those witches make excellent cheesecake. And if you don’t wake up, Moira, I will eat all of it. Every crumb.”
When I opened my eyes, I was sitting at a school desk. I recognized the room well enough. My mother’s classroom in Building A. But I had no fear, no panic.
I knew my truth now, my heritage, and the reason my mother died.
For me.
For our family secret.
“You’re tryin’ much too hard to be dead,” said a pleasant Irish male voice. Ruadan sparkled into being, and looked super-casual in jeans, T-shirt, and black Converses, for an ethereal visit. He leaned against the big square desk. “When my mother can’t fully heal you, there’s a problem. And it’s you. If you’re wondering, Karn didn’t get you with the unicorn blade. I switched out the real blade for a fake one ages ago. The real one is protected and where no being can get at it. I promise.”
“Good. I don’t ever want to see it again.” I sighed and looked around the room. No ghosts here. “I would prefer to not be dead.”
“Are you sure?” He glanced around the room. “You picked an odd spot to hide your soul in.”
“I’m hiding?”
“’Twould seem to be the case.” He eyed me. “Maybe you’re lookin’ for closure.” He gazed toward the classroom’s doorway.
My mother entered. She wore a blue summer dress and strappy sandals. And her red hair was pulled into a ponytail. She looked young, younger than I was now, and she was beautiful. Just as I remembered. Somewhere in my very adult mind was the excited wonderment of my five-year-old self. Mommy was alive! I was out of and around my desk in a flash, flinging myself into her open arms.
“I’m sorry, so sorry, for all that you’ve been through.” She pulled back and placed her hand against my cheek. “I wanted to be with you, to raise you, and to introduce you to our heritage. I wanted t
hings to be different for you. My parents meant well . . . but they let fear drive their choices. I don’t know if learning about being a unicorn would’ve changed things, sweetheart. I don’t think so.” She smiled. “Don’t be afraid anymore, Moira.”
“It’s really you?” I asked. “I’m not just . . . hallucinating?”
“You are not crazy,” she said fiercely. “Stop thinking like that. And throw those pills away. You don’t need them. Besides, you have him, don’t you?”
My heart skipped a beat. “Drake.”
“Oh, yes. Love is so wondrous. So worthwhile.” She let go of me and stepped back. “He’s waiting for you.”
“Mom—”
“I love you, Moira. But you have a life to live. Now, go. Be happy, babe.” She smiled at me, a smile full of love and promises and hope and the world. Then she turned and walked through the doorway. As she passed through it, the dark weight of my fear, my lifelong companion, the awful thing I carried around and treated like a monstrous friend . . . lifted from me . . . and shattered . . . and then it was all cosmic dust.
I was free.
Ruadan put his hand on my shoulder. “Go home, Moira. ’Tis time.”
• • •
My eyes opened to a semi-lighted room. I was tucked into a comfortable single bed, the sheets and thin comforter pulled tight against me. I heard a rhythmic beep beep beep sound that was both alarming and comforting.
It took a few seconds for me to adjust to the fact I was awake and I was in a hospital room. Also something heavy was pinned against my thigh. I looked down and found Drake sitting in a chair as close to my bed as possible, his head and shoulders resting on me.
I lifted my hand, noted the IV attached there, and placed my hand on his head.
He woke.
“Moira.” He sat up, looking exhausted and like he hadn’t shaved in a while. He stared at me, drinking in my features, and his lips lifted into a ghost of a wicked grin. “You said you loved me.”
“I do,” I said.
“I love you, too.”
“Glad that’s settled.”
“Me, too.” He gingerly crawled onto the bed, on the other side, where my arm wasn’t impeded by an IV drip, and gathered me into his arms. “I thought you were lost to me. And without you, I could see no future.”
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