Queen of The Hill (Knight Games)

by Genevieve Jack

  “I won’t let her have my territory, but I need help. She has my friend Logan, and she says she will kill him if I don’t turn over my ward.”

  “And so he must die,” she said coolly. “Tabetha is owed blood. Your friend will fulfill the debt against your caretaker.” A butterfly landed in her palm and she whispered to it in another language as it opened and closed its wings. An uninvited tension gripped me wondering if the snake coiled around her opposite forearm would make a snack of it, but the reptile didn’t move.

  I cleared my throat. “Uh, I can’t let Logan die. Like I said, he’s my friend. A close friend. Well, he was until Tabetha poisoned his mind.”

  Her eyes narrowed in my direction. “He is human, yes? Resurrect him if you must, once his blood has fulfilled the contract.”

  “Resurrect him?” I shook my head. “I’m not going to turn Logan into some sort of zombie. I got him into this. Tabetha knew we cared for each other and is using him to blackmail me. I won’t let her get away with it.”

  Thunder cracked above us, and the sky darkened. Mother was angry. The butterfly in her hand fluttered away to safer ground. “Your human feelings impair your immortal judgment.”

  I bit my lip, thinking fast. How could I put this in a way even a self-absorbed deity might understand? “Logan is a medium who helped me keep The Book of Flesh and Bone out of vampire hands. I need his alliance to protect my territory.” It was true to an extent. I’d left out a few details like he’d actually only channeled his mother and his power didn’t seem to be working anymore.

  Her eyes narrowed. “A medium? A human who communicates with souls who have crossed over? Yes, his talents could be useful. Souls on the other side are beyond even my reach.” She played with the snake between her hands, allowing it to crawl and twist around her wrists and between her fingers. Her jaw hardened. “There is only one alternative.”

  “Yes.”

  “You must challenge her for her territory and kill her before she kills you. I give you permission to kill Tabetha.”

  I widened my eyes in shock. “Um, she’s immortal!” I shook my head. “I’m … not. How do you suggest I do that?”

  “An immortal cannot die, but can be permanently incapacitated. To destroy her, you must turn the source of her power against her. Remember Kronos?”

  No, I didn’t have a clue about Kronos, but I nodded my head anyway. I was still reeling that she’d just given me permission to kill my sibling, her daughter. I had no love for Tabetha, but I was not a murderer. It was one thing to kill a few vampires and nekomata in self-defense, but quite another to hunt down a witch and kill her in cold blood because “mummy said so.” All I wanted was Logan’s safety and Rick’s freedom, without having to give up my world to have it.

  “How do I turn her power against her?” I shook my head.

  Hecate sighed. “Tabetha is not like you. The source of her power is not her own anymore.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Brow furrowed, her black eyes fixated at something over my right shoulder. “You are required by your familiar.” Focusing again on my face, she raised one hand in a silent blessing. “I give you permission.”

  Pressure on my belly button drew me back into my sleeping body. “Wait? How do I protect Logan? How do I destroy Tabetha?”

  Too late. I awoke with a jolt to talons digging into my chest. Poe dropped my ringing phone onto my neck. “What the hell, Poe?”

  “She keeps calling back. I fear it is important,” he said.

  I grabbed the ringing phone from the sheets above my shoulder and answered it.

  “Grateful, you’ve got to come to the hospital right away,” Michelle said into my ear.

  “Michelle? What’s going on? Why?”

  “It’s your father.” A beat of silence passed, long enough for me to pray he was her patient in the ICU and not a resident of the morgue. Her answer came whispered into my ear. “He’s been bitten.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Dad

  Nothing prepares you for seeing your parent in a hospital bed. As a nurse, I’d been on the other side of this coin, but I never really understood. Parents are with you from the day you are born—protecting, teaching, and guiding you. Seeing my father clinging to life in the ICU was knowing that someone I loved unconditionally and who reciprocated that love, a rare guardian angel of a man, could be taken from me in an instant. He was a constant in my life, and I’d failed him.

  Dad’s eyes were closed, and he was on a vent. His chest rose and fell rhythmically with the machine. Propofol dripped creamy white into his IV, a sedative meant to keep him from fighting the vent while his body healed. A bandage covered most of one side of his neck.

  “Dr. Hastings was able to fix his larynx and close the wound. He’s going to have a scar though. The flesh was torn from his neck. They gave him ten units of blood.” Michelle stared at her tangled fingers.

  “Ten. My God, he’s lucky to be alive.”

  “Understatement. If he hadn’t been brought in as quickly as he was, I’m not sure they could’ve saved him.” Michelle cleared her throat. “Grateful, I’ve got to ask … Is he going to turn?” She inflected her voice on the word “turn.”

  “You want to know if he’ll become a vampire?”

  She nodded.

  The idea hadn’t occurred to me. I thought about it for a minute and shook my head. “In order to turn a human, the vampire must drain the person to the point of death and then bring them back by feeding them their own blood. Dad was drained, but if he’d been changed, he’d be fully healed. He wasn’t fed vampire blood. He’s still human.”

  Michelle placed a hand on her chest. “Thank the lord.”

  “Do you know who found him?”

  Michelle frowned. “I asked. I knew you’d want to know. The man didn’t leave a name, but Berta said your dad was carried in, Grateful. Carried.” She met my eyes.

  “You think it was a vampire who dropped him off?” I whispered.

  “Your dad is a big man, and once he was on the stretcher, the guy who carried him disappeared.”

  “Did anyone get a good look at him?”

  “No. Do you think it was the same vampire who bit him?”

  “I don’t know. With this type of damage, it looks like the vamp lost control. It’s hard to believe it then regained enough control to carry him to the hospital. Something doesn’t add up.” I stared at my father, his image blurring through my tears.

  Michelle ducked her head into the hall, looking both ways, then returned to my side, squatting down until her dark head was level with my own. “Do you think the vampire knew who your dad was?”

  I blinked at her, my overwhelmed brain feeling like it was crowded with cobwebs.

  “Maybe the vampire wanted your dad to live. Maybe this was a warning or message of some kind.”

  The tears in my eyes dried in the mounting heat of my anger. I glanced between Michelle and my father and knew, without a doubt, she was right. This wasn’t a random feeding. This was a warning.

  “Gary knows,” I said. “We dated. He knew my father. I don’t think it was him, but maybe he told someone.”

  “But why? Why would they do this to your dad?”

  A chill coursed through the room, and I hugged myself. “When is the full moon?” I’d been so busy, I’d lost track of the date.

  Michelle’s eyebrows did a nosedive. She pulled her phone from her pocket and tapped an app on her screen. “Tomorrow night. Can I ask why that matters?”

  I stood and tossed my coat over my shoulders. “I’ve got to go. Text me if there’s any change.”

  Before I made it to the door, Michelle’s hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. “Are we safe here?” she asked me.

  My eyebrows inched toward my hairline. How could I be so stupid? She needed protection, and lucky for me, I’d performed this spell before. “I’ll place a ward on this room. It’s strong. It’s the same one I used on my house and at Logan’s to protect The B
ook of Light. But Michelle, it won’t protect you outside of here. If you sense danger, come into this room.”

  She nodded.

  I began pacing the periphery, muttering the enchantment I’d repeated so many times before. A silver mist formed near my feet and spooled out in every direction—up the walls, over our heads—until the entire room sparkled with my magic. The silver shifted when the spell was complete, maturing into a purple haze.

  “It’s done,” I said. “Nothing preternatural can cross the threshold.”

  “Thanks, Grateful.”

  Guiltily, I nodded and said my goodbyes. She shouldn’t be thanking me. I was the reason she was in this mess and my father was in a hospital bed. I needed to make this right, and I knew just where to start … Gary.

  * * * * *

  On the way to the Thames Theater, I checked my messages. Rick had been trying to reach me all morning, but I’d been distracted with Dad. His voicemail sounded urgent. I felt his anxiety through our connection, a general buzz under my skin like an alarm you are trying to sleep through. I’m sure he could feel mine too. I tapped the call back button.

  “What is going on?” Rick said by way of answer.

  “Dad’s been bitten. I’m going to the Thames to interrogate Gary.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “No. Don’t come. It will be better if it’s just me. He’ll be more open.”

  “Mi cielo?”

  “I’m serious, Rick. I’ll call you later.” I ended the call as I pulled into the parking lot.

  The Thames was as dead on the outside as on the inside. At high noon, most of the vamps within would be sleeping, which made the place the equivalent of a giant mausoleum. I knocked loudly on the front doors and wasn’t surprised when no one answered. Drawing Nightshade, I placed the tip of the blade over the lock and said, “Otevrano.” There was a click and with a shove of my shoulder, the heavy wood gave way.

  Darkness enveloped me as I allowed the door to shut. There was no natural light in the foyer. Where there should have been windows, red velvet drapes hung thick and heavy. Since the outside of the theater was solid brick, the drapes were likely for show. Vampires wouldn’t risk the glass.

  By the light of Nightshade’s faint glow, I moved toward the staircase that descended to Gary’s room. On the landing a floor down, I almost tripped over a pair of legs.

  “Watch it,” the vampire hissed. Her fangs dropped, and she lurched for me, but once she saw Nightshade, she eased back against the wall. I gave her a warning look.

  As I passed Julius’s room, I noticed the door was propped open. The place looked like a museum, pristine and soulless. The Scotch was gone, as was the large mahogany desk. Clearly, the vamps had moved on. I wondered how long until they redecorated.

  Down the hall, I didn’t bother knocking on Gary’s door. As far as I was concerned, my father in a hospital bed was all the invitation I needed. I opened the door and stepped into his room, coming face to face with Virginia Woolf. The poster gleamed in Nightshade’s glow. I patted the wall and flipped the light switch.

  A gasp broke through my lips. Gary lay sleeping on his bed, covered in blood. He’d washed his face and his hands, but his shirt and pants were soaked. Even the blanket under his body bore the stains of his night’s activities. Shaking with anger, I lowered the tip of my blade to his throat.

  “Give me one reason I shouldn’t kill you,” I growled.

  Gary stirred, eyelids lifting slowly. I watched him startle under my blade, his emerging consciousness turning to horror. “Grateful?” he asked tentatively.

  “Did you drink from my father?” I asked, pressing the blade until a drop of blood boiled up under the tip.

  “No!” he said quickly, holding up both hands. “No, I found him!”

  I narrowed my eyes. My witchy sense told me he was telling the truth, but I’d been wrong before. Still, I lowered Nightshade and stared at him expectantly. “Start talking.”

  He sighed and pushed himself up on his elbows. For a vampire, he looked remarkably human, even exhausted. “I think it was Kace.”

  “Bathory’s vamp?”

  “Yeah, the challenge is tomorrow night. He knows, Grateful.” Gary’s voice was barely a whisper and his eyes were wide and fearful. “I didn’t tell anyone that you asked me to be a challenger, but Kace got in my face and said, ‘Don’t be a traitor to your race.’”

  “He said that?”

  “Yeah. And then I find your dad unconscious in the alley behind the Thames. He knows, Grateful, and I didn’t tell him. But I swear, when I dropped your father off at St. John’s, he was still breathing.” Gary’s face looked tortured.

  “He still is. He’s alive, just unconscious.”

  Gary scrubbed his face with his hands. “Thank the goddess.”

  “So do you think Kace wanted to send us a message to back down?”

  “I think he wants to scare us off. And honestly, I think he’s succeeded. I can’t do it. Find someone else.”

  “Shut up.” I pushed him hard in the chest. “You can’t give up. The challenge is tomorrow night. I’ll never find someone else to work with before then.”

  “He’ll kill me.” Gary shook his head. “He’ll kill everyone you love. You do not know this guy. He’s working for Bathory. What kind of evil bastard maintains a relationship with a sadist like her?”

  I had to give him that much. The fact that Kace admitted he was still a proud, flag-flying member of the Bathory fan club said something about his character and his sanity. “I’ll keep you safe. I’ll load you up with enough enchantments that he will bounce off you like a rubber ball.”

  Gary took a deep breath and blew it out his nose. “Okay, tell me your plan. What types of spells are you thinking?”

  Sheathing Nightshade, I racked my brain for something to say. The truth was, with the whole Tabetha sitch I hadn’t had time to research a plan for protecting Gary. I was sure I could do it. The Book of Light was brimming with protective spells. I just wasn’t sure which ones would help in this situation … yet. “I, uh—”

  “Tell me you have a plan.” He shook his head angrily and scooted away from me. “Tell me you didn’t intend to send me to my death on a wing and a prayer.”

  “I, uh, I have a plan. I just haven’t fully developed the plan.”

  His mouth dropped open, and he stared at me incredulously.

  “Only because I didn’t have you with me. If you come to the house tonight, I will make you powerful enough to take on Kace.”

  His expression shifted, the corners of his mouth curling into a suspicious grin. “Will you invite me inside?”

  Damn. Once a supernatural being was invited past my protective ward, there was no going back. If Gary came inside my home once, he would always have access. Physical barriers like doors and locks weren’t ultimately useful against vampires without magic to back them up. What Gary was asking for was a level of access into my life I wasn’t comfortable giving him.

  “Fine,” he said, looking away. “I’m out. Find someone else.”

  “Wait,” I said. I needed him. With Julius gone, we could not have Kace running the show. As much as I hated the idea of trusting Gary, I had no choice. “Come at sunset. I’ll invite you in.”

  Gary nodded and held out his hand. “Then we have a deal.”

  Hesitantly, I reached out and clasped his icy fingers within my own. We shook on it, even as a weight at the pit of my stomach told me it was a bad, bad deal.

  CHAPTER 17

  The Search

  “You agreed to what?” Rick growled. He’d ignored my request to stay away and was waiting in the parking lot when I finished with Gary. “You cannot allow Gary over your threshold.”

  “What was I supposed to do, Rick? We need Gary. Who is going to face off against Kace if he walks?”

  “Kace. Yes, the presumed progeny of Anna Bathory.” Rick stepped closer to me, eyes narrowing. “Have you ever actually met Kace?”

  I pl
aced a finger on my chin and thought back. “No. I guess I haven’t.”

  “Then how do you know he exists?”

  “Gary.” My face tightened.

  “Gary, who was covered in your father’s blood. Gary, who stands to gain leadership of the most powerful coven in Carlton City. Gary, who has never been known for his honesty.”

  Hands on hips, I became defensive. “It was your idea to enlist Gary as a challenger. You suggested I use magic to strengthen him.”

  “Yes, but these matters must be handled with a degree of caution. If he’s asking to be invited in, we must suspect the worst.”

  “He had no desire to get involved. He told me no repeatedly.”

  “The trick of a savvy salesman. Make the buyer believe the product is not for them, that you are considering pulling it from sale, and psychologically the customer wants it all the more.”

  “But why would he lie? Why not just tell me he planned to engage in the challenge?”

  “Because this way, he has lured you to his cause. If you give him protective enchantments, he is much more likely to win the challenge. Plus, how much more powerful will he be when he has access to Hecate’s home?”

  I stopped for a moment, turning the facts over in my head. It was possible Gary was telling the truth, but even more likely he was lying. I’d like to think I could tell, that my witchy sense was infallible, but I hadn’t been the witch long enough to know for sure.

  “Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.” I stomped my feet and pumped my fists in the air. “What are we going to do? He’s coming tonight. I promised him protection.”

  The corner of Rick’s mouth turned up slightly at the sight of my tirade. He reached out and cupped my elbows in his palms, pulling me near. “You are an amazing and powerful woman, mi cielo. You will think of something.”

  “I’d turn him away, but we can’t know for sure if he’s telling the truth.” I looked up into Rick’s eyes. The weather was icy, but the sun shone behind his head, warming my face. He had such confidence in me. There was no contempt, no I-told-you-so in his expression. Rick believed, to the center of his soul, that I would fix this. If I told him at that moment that my plan would require us to dump hot soup over our heads, he’d do it.