by R. E. Carr
“Look, either he’s hiding in Argentina, or . . .” Kyle trailed off, furrowing his brow. Paige gnawed on her lip.
“Let’s just stop at ‘or’. Damn, I need a stiff drink tonight. Hey, it has been a whole year, and you have been here for me when Lorcan just vanished. Hell, Morgan has been totally brainwashed and is apparently Arthur’s best friend now, so maybe I need to grow up and just—”
“Accept your third-string bedroom quarterback?” Kyle asked dryly. “And I need to stop ogling the new guy in HR at TriStar, right? At some point, we just . . . give up? No, Little Bit, we know who we are and who we are to each other.”
“It’s not giving up, it’s called moving on. The world is moving on and growing up without me. As long as Arthur is out there, Lincoln isn’t safe, but I can’t get strong enough and dedicated enough to do what I have to do, if I keep wiffle-waffling and wishing for someone to save me. That’s not who I am. I just got a little lost, you know?”
“You are pretty amazing, you know that?” Kyle swept in and kissed her on the cheek. “Well, let’s not worry about the world’s problems and our train-wreck of a ‘it’s complicated’ relationship while sober. Go out, have a few, and see what the universe has in store after there is tequila in you. But make sure to be back by eleven . . . ‘cause curfew.”
“Yes, Red,” she said ever so sweetly before returning the kiss on the cheek. Twenty minutes later, she found herself in a relatively quiet bar on the edge of downtown. Paige snarled as she saw an ad for the latest issue of Time magazine with Arthur Pendragon smiling on the cover, showing off his fangs for the world to admire. A nearby pack of girls in short skirts and cowboy boots surrounded a girl wearing a bright purple ribbon around her neck. “Guess who is gonna get sucked tonight, ladies?” she cried as the girls all cheered.
“There’s a vampire in town,” Paige growled. “Looks like I’m going to be out past curfew after all. Still, no way I’m hunting sober.”
Paige eyed the comforting wall of mirrors behind the bar and the visible exits. Nadia lounged in a tactically-sound corner booth with walls and clear sightlines to the front door. A couple of pool cues rested surreptitiously on the back of the seats. The now-platinum blonde bombshell was currently doing her best to sip her vodka while every creature with a Y-chromosome in the immediate vicinity was intently ogling her impressive assets.
“Traffic or work?” Nadia asked with a sly smile.
“Kyle, actually. Don’t give me that look, we were just talking,” Paige said as she slipped into the other side of the booth. Nadia only had to wave her hand and a willing slave of a waiter came running. Once the next round had been ordered and a new complimentary tray of snacks deposited on the table, Nadia leaned in for the dirt.
“Just talking?” Nadia sniffed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, just talking, indeed. Did you see that they are testing the berserker virus in Russia and China already? It’s only a matter of time before we make a comeback here in the States.”
“And then what? They blame us for a coup like they did in Bolivia and Syria? I swear, you can’t go twenty-four hours before we are blamed for something; and then strangely, when they go to find the werewolves—”
“Mysteriously the perpetrators have either escaped, or the bodies are incinerated,” Nadia finished with a sigh. “Werewolves—the future of terrorism.”
“To the future,” Paige said, clinking her water glass against Nadia’s aperitif. “Any word on werewolves being captured since that rumored raid in Vegas?”
Nadia shook her head. “They still just keep picking up idiots on PCP. I mean, if I didn’t know any better, I would swear the vampires are either suddenly complete morons, or we have an ally on the inside.”
Nadia pulled up an article on her phone and slid it across the table. Paige picked it up and read aloud, “‘Arthur Promises More Resources to Fight Berserker Menace’.” She raised a brow as she saw the names dispatched to the new task force to be led by Claudia von Jaeger. “‘Kane Sugar, Yu Na Isang, and Edwin Harker?’”
“Not the names you were expecting to see, no?” Nadia asked.
“The crazy bitch who stabbed me in the back is leading the sheriff’s old crew and Mina’s son after us. Mr. Sugar knows what I look like and so do Edwin and Claudia. It’s not going to be easy anymore.”
Nadia nodded. “They’ve met your mother and know you have a son as well.” Paige nodded weakly. Nadia curled around and gave her a hug. “But remember, while they know us—”
“We know them,” Paige finished. They had a couple of rounds together until a slight-pink glow filled Paige’s cheeks. She watched the bartender in his tight black shirt rapidly shaking cocktail after cocktail. Finally, she rolled her head back and lamented, “Is it so wrong, occasionally, to dream that a tall, dark, and handsome stranger will buy me a drink? Sure, it’ll probably end badly; but to be frank, I can’t even imagine my world without the insanity anymore.”
“I’ve had three vodkas and three glasses of water. You, my friend, must wait for my answer,” Nadia said as she excused herself and headed for the restroom. Paige slurped the dregs of her whiskey sour and pouted.
A sweet smell rolled into the bar, a mix of donuts and berries. The waiter hustled over to explain that vaping wasn’t allowed. The hipster protested, prompting a modestly entertaining scene of the waitstaff having to escort him out. By the time Paige turned back to her phone and her own seat, a frosty, pale-green beverage with fluffy foam and a single drop of crimson awaited her on a napkin. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked towards the bar to see just who had replaced the regular guy, but no one was there. Paige slumped in her seat. “It can’t be,” she whispered, sniffing the intoxicating mix of pisco and lime.
“Why can’t it be?” a gravelly voice with a soft Southern accent asked. “Everything else is insane nowadays, so why can’t a guy buy a pretty, young girl a drink?”
“You’re late, Lorcan,” she said as she looked up, and sure enough, a pair of bright green eyes were staring back at her.
“I’ve been busy.”
“Doing what?” Paige studied his face. A new scar cut along his chin, and he looked scruffier and world-wearier than she had ever seen him.
“Making sure that those who aren’t big fans of the new regime have someplace safe to go. I just took in a couple of very special people that I think would like to see you.” He slid a piece of paper onto the table. “There is no way in hell I’d show up here unless I knew they were safe, A rún.” She flipped it over and caught her breath as she saw the very same photo she’d shown Kyle on her phone earlier.
“You mean . . .?” she asked softly, pushing out of the booth, so she could stand next to him and size him up. He smiled and stretched out his arms.
“Babe, I’m back.”
Paige slapped him right across the face. “That was for making me wait a whole freakin’ year without any clue as to what happened to you.” She then grabbed him and kissed him, wrapping her legs around his waist and clawing at his hair. She pulled away and said, “And that was for looking after my mom and Lincoln.”
Paige heard a little “ahem” from behind her. She dropped back to the floor and saw Nadia grinning like the cat who had caught the proverbial canary. “Did I give you two long enough, or should I fix my makeup for a little longer, old man?”
“Aww, Volchitsa,” Lorcan said, hugging Nadia as well. “If you had stayed any longer, I’m pretty sure it would be either a code moon or a porno in here.”
“Don’t give yourself too much credit,” Paige growled but smiled and slurped down some of her drink. She handed it to Lorcan. “Take a sip, if you don’t mind, hon. I’d like to have a little drink with you and ask you one thing. Why have we been safe for so long, and why are you here now?”
“That is technically two questions, A rún,” he said with a little smile before taking a drink. “I am here now because for a year I have been hiding bondsmen, commoners, and even a werewolf or two. Now I’ve come
for the werewolves who mean the most to me and the woman that I’ve missed above all else.”
Paige looked up at him. “That is a pretty good answer. Still, I can’t help but be suspicious as to why it’s been so easy for us.”
Lorcan pulled out another picture—this one an artist’s rendering captioned “The New Royal Family”. Arthur stood proudly in the middle of a group of vampires, his arm around none other than Gail Harker, sporting one hell of a diamond on her finger. Minerva and Morgan stood to one side, and the grand dame—Mina—and her crew surrounded him on the other. Even a well-groomed Mr. Lambley stood proudly by his mother and brother, with only an awkward gap between Mina and Arthur making the photo seem both unbalanced and strangely complete. Lorcan put his thumb right on the blank space. “Let’s just say I have a man on the inside who can go anywhere in that oh so tight inner circle.”
“That’s not a complete answer,” Paige growled.
“It’s the best I can give you right now. Look, I’m here to get you and the whole pack back. I can lead the others, but I can’t lead them without you. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we’re better together than apart.”
“Who says that I need you anymore, Lorcan?” Paige asked. “You just appear and disappear, and . . .” she trailed off as he pulled a ring out of his pocket and slid a rough-looking gunmetal-colored band onto her finger.
“It’s a damn Roman custom, but it’s the one that has stuck around,” Lorcan said with a tiny sigh. “And since you’re a twenty-first century girl . . .” He raised his own hand to show off a near-identical band. “What I’m saying is, this time it’s for keeps. If you’ll have me, that is.”
“Lorcan . . . there is something I need to tell you. The pack is everything to me—”
Nadia pointed to the front door. In her moment of passion and confusion, Paige had failed to notice the pack already in the bar, including a sheepish Kyle. She turned to them and mouthed, “this cool?” They each gave her a thumbs-up.
“You know, technically I married your other body,” Paige said, looking away.
“He’s finally at rest. I made a promise to someone that I’d give him peace. I’m afraid I’m the only Lorcan left now, A rún.”
“Well then, I’ll just have to take you,” Paige said, before kissing him once more.
THE END
Obligatory Post Credits Scene
“You do realize it’s a hundred degrees and sunny outside, right?” Gail asked nervously as she stared through the tinted windows at the glorious Californian coast. Arthur lounged in the limo opposite her, sporting newly short hair and a supremely stylish white suit.
“I grew up here . . . well, my host did,” he said, adopting Ren’s accent for a change. “What better place to take a break from the incessant board meetings, and interviews, and photo shoots? You would think they would stop having so many photo shoots with vampires by now. Half the internet is full of ridiculous Claude-shots. It’s getting to the point where we are actually outpacing pornography, and that is just sad, my darling.”
Gail smiled blandly. “Are we heading to Hollywood again, then? I know how much you love the attention and the parties.”
“Like you hated making out with the entire cast of Uptown Chapel,” he said with a smile.
“Like you hated joining in,” Gail countered. They both laughed even as they glared at each other. He waved dismissively at the window.
“You know why I chose you, Gail?”
“Because I saved your life?” she asked with a raised brow. “Isn’t that what you tell me most nights?”
“Because of all the people who despise me in my inner circle, you hide it the least, my pet. Now before we take that next step, there is a place I want you to see. I think only after you’ve seen it, you will understand why I need you so much. So, knowing that, do you think you can put on a little extra sunscreen and suck it up for a day trip, darling? If we travel at night, you know the mob will be looking for us.”
“You know I can’t say no to you,” Gail said, smiling sweetly even as her fangs extended. Arthur winked at her. He began rubbing sunscreen onto her neck and shoulders.
“Come now, it hasn’t been all bad, has it?” he whispered in her ear. Slowly, gently, he draped a shawl over her, then a designer hat, and thousand-dollar shades. As he slid full-length silk gloves over her arms, she reluctantly shuddered.
“I suppose . . . not,” Gail admitted. The limo rolled to a stop on a quaint little thoroughfare full of surf shops and salt-water taffy stands. Arthur pointed her to an alleyway.
“Just head down there, and I’ll catch up, darling.” He showed her the never-ending stream of notifications on his phone. “Need a moment—Lady Claudia has some updates on our little furball problem in Tucson.”
“But of course,” she said, blowing him a kiss. Their driver escorted her into the shade with a parasol. The aromas of street food mixed with the ocean and the heady scent of pulsing, human blood. She passed a poster with Merlin’s face marked with a big red circle and slash and smiled. Her phone buzzed in her purse. Gail ignored it at first until the buzzing simply refused to stop. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw “New Update from Arce Monstrorum”.
“Why now?” Gail asked softly.
“Because there is little time left. The Beast still wanders free,” she read on her screen. “He grows in power when the masses think he is gone.”
She looked over to the picture of Merlin. “Could it be?” She hustled further down the alleyway, lured by a particularly intoxicating smell of fresh baked goods. Arthur had already beaten her to the entrance, but somehow, he had managed to change into board shorts and a slouchy Hawaiian shirt.
“Arthur?” Gail called out. He stopped cold and dropped the bag he was carrying. Lemons and limes spilled onto the pavement as he stared at Gail. She too froze as she looked up at the quirky, hand-painted sign over his head that read “Frankie Stein’s Hidden Café”.
“Hey Ren, you got those . . .” a voice called from the shadows of the tiny shop. A scarred hand wrapped around the doorway as she trailed off. Gail promptly fainted even as she sizzled in a sunbeam.
“So, I’m guessing that you have a few questions,” Georgia said as she fanned the stunned Gail. Ren hustled from window to window, making certain to close all the blackout curtains before flipping the “Sorry, We’re Closed” sign on the door.
“Georgia?” Gail choked out. “But I saw you . . . I saw your body, and Arthur—”
“Actually, we go by Frankie and Renfield Stein now,” Georgia explained with a little smile. “Why fight it?” She turned from side to side and showed off her scars. Her hair had returned to the same pixie cut Gail remembered from the day they met in Boston.
“Frankie . . . Stein, seriously? Oh my god, I didn’t even think. You . . . you totally faked your own death so that . . . but if you are you, and you are Ren, then—?”
“Sorry I had to lie to you, Pumpkin, but like my old friend said, the world needs Arthur Pendragon,” the Arthur with the white suit said as he slipped out of the shadows of the room. He pulled a Yankees hat from behind his back and stuck it on his head. Georgia glared at him and let out the deepest sigh that she could.
“But you . . . you have a heartbeat. You—”
Steve walked over and pressed Gail’s hand to his chest. “Like I’ve said time and time again, I wouldn’t be here without you. We knew it was a hell of a long shot, but what else did we have to lose? Who knew if you drank enough Undying blood, you can fake being one too? It just took a little spark.”
“But I saw your body!”
“Lorcan’s final gift—both to us and to Lancelot. I can’t trust anyone else, Pumpkin. You must believe me on that. Merlin can do the whammy voice too, and I had to be sure. . . Look, I’m trusting you with my biggest secret, even though I know you can’t forget it. I just wanted you to know the truth. Of course, you’ll have to forgive me if I command you not to say anything, for these guys’ sake.
”
“I’m going to make you pay for that later,” Gail growled.
“I’m counting on it, Pumpkin.”
Georgia leaned against Ren. “They are kinda cute together. Even if it is totally creepy to see Steve walking around with your face.”
Gail’s eyes widened with horror. “But I do know where you are and that you’re alive! What if someone figures that out—?”
“Oh Gail, you’re smart enough to figure this out but most other vampires? Not so much,” Georgia said. “Plus, this is a pop-up anyway. We’ll move on in a day or two and find our next adventure. Also, we have our own protector wandering around. Just take care of yourselves, you guys, and please—”
“Gingersnaps is A-OK,” Steve said.
“He’s actually staying with Klaus in Italy now. Arthur let them both go for good behavior,” Gail added.
“Your brother is in a toxic relationship with my sister, but they seem happy . . .ish. Mostly, he likes auditing vampires and making them pay hundreds of years of back-taxes.”
Georgia tackled Steve in an enormous hug. “Thanks for keeping your promise,” she whispered in his ear, before kissing his cheek. “Now, you two better get going before the press catches up. They are like bloodhounds.”
Steve hugged her right back. “Be happy, please. That’s all I ask. I love you, Georgia DeMarco,” he whispered softly.
“Georgia DeMarco died . . . a couple of times.”
“Well, goodbye, Miss Stein,” Steve said, kissing her on the cheek. Georgia flashed her left hand. “Sorry—goodbye, Mrs. Stein.”
He looked over to Ren. “If you hurt her ever again—”
“I deserve whatever torture I get. Now, you should leave. If the two of us are seen together—”