The Suck Stops Here

by Kristen Painter

  Donna smiled ever so slightly at the Survivor reference. Francine did like her reality TV. “Thank you. But it’s just such a huge undertaking.”

  “And governor wasn’t?”

  “Governor still is. That’s the point. I haven’t begun to master this position. How on earth could I be expected to take over as queen?”

  “Because of what you’ve done already. That’s the point. You shine too brightly to be ignored.”

  “You could say the same thing about Fitzhugh.”

  “Honey, Fitzhugh isn’t impossible to ignore because he shines. He’s impossible to ignore in the same way you can’t help smelling a bag of garbage left in the sun.”

  “Speaking of Fitzhugh…” Donna ripped open the package in her hand and popped a couple pieces of cherry licorice into her mouth. “Will Ferris is giving Pierce his scythe and turning him into a reaper to keep him safe from Fitzhugh, but there’s nothing I can do to keep that loudmouth loser off my back. Nothing.”

  “There has to be a way. You should just confront him at one of the funeral gatherings. Make a scene. Something he can’t ignore. And call him out on his behavior.”

  “As fun as that sounds, I don’t think it would be appropriate to make a scene during the funeral gatherings.”

  Francine sighed. “No, I suppose not. But it would be nice to shame him in front of his peers. Expose him for who he really is.”

  Donna opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again and narrowed her eyes as a new thought came into her head. “You know…you might be on to something there.”

  “What?”

  “I need to think more.” She grabbed a bag of chocolate licorice. “Thanks for the candy. Gotta go.” She leaned in, kissed Francine’s cheek, and smiled. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Anytime, honey.”

  As Donna jogged back to the RV, she saw Will and Pierce securing some of the outside storage compartments. She went directly to them. “Are we just about ready to travel again?”

  Will nodded. “We are ready. Not sure about Hector and his crew, but it shouldn’t be long.”

  She looked at Pierce. “Are you ready for the ritual? Because I think we need to make that happen before we get to the queen’s estate, and with Will behind the wheel…”

  “Right.” Pierce straightened. “I’m ready.” Then he gave her a closer look. “What’s wrong?”

  She sighed. “Francine found out from a reliable source that Fitzhugh might have a fae willing to testify to the council that I was directly responsible for the queen’s death. But I have an idea, if that’s really true, so don’t worry about it for now. What’s important is making sure you’re safe before we meet Fitzhugh again. There’s no telling what else is up his sleeve.”

  Will nodded. “Then let’s do it.”

  “My bedroom. We can have some privacy. If that matters.”

  Will glanced over at Neo and Temo, who were putting away some folding chairs. “Doesn’t matter to me who’s present, but is this going to be a surprise to the rest of your staff? Do you want to tell them?”

  Donna thought about that. “Yes, we should. But it’s up to Pierce.” She looked at him. “How do you feel about that?”

  “Absolutely,” he answered. “Telling them would be a good idea. Do you want to feed one last time?”

  “Not a bad idea.” She looked at Will. “Is it okay if he has vampire blood in his system during the ritual? Or should I hold off on that part of our exchange?”

  Will shook his head. “I don’t think it will matter.”

  “Okay.” She glanced at Pierce. “Right before, then.”

  He nodded and looked past her. “Temo? Neo? Can you come over here?”

  As soon as Donna had taken her fill of Pierce, they all assembled in the RV’s lounge area with Will and Pierce. He was now shirtless and facing Will. Donna, Cammie, and Charlie were on the couch. Neo and Temo were in the recliners across from them. And Harper was at the kitchen table.

  Kace, Bunni, and Francine had been made aware of what was happening, but they were on the bus, waiting for Neo and Temo to rejoin them.

  Will started. “This is a short process. Much like turning a vampire. Except there’s no chance you won’t become a reaper and no downtime for the transition to take effect. Are you ready?”

  Pierce nodded.

  Will unhooked his scythe from his belt and held it out with both hands. “Do you accept the role of reaper of your own free will?”

  Pierce looked almost eager. “Yes.”

  “And do you willingly offer your soul in exchange for this blade and this power?”

  “Yes.”

  Will took a step forward. “Then as my last act, I reap your soul.”

  Pierce lifted his chin slightly, his face stoic.

  Will hefted the scythe by its handle, the blade glinting in the overhead lights, and cut an X over Pierce’s heart.

  Donna cringed, but Pierce showed no pain. His eyes closed, and his lips parted, but no sound came out.

  Blood trickled from the wound, but she was too engrossed in what was happening to have any visceral reaction to that.

  The lights seemed to dim for a moment. Then they darkened further, and all the shadows in the room crept toward Pierce, like he was calling them. They surrounded him like a cloak, making him impossible to see.

  He became shrouded in darkness, a void in the middle of the space. The shadows swirled and convulsed over him.

  Panic swept through Donna. What was going on? Was he dying? Was this his soul leaving him? Or the reaper powers entering him? She grabbed Cammie’s hand.

  Then the shadows dissipated, and Pierce was visible again. He opened his eyes. They were black, corner to corner. She’d seen Will’s eyes like that once before.

  The wound on his chest healed before their eyes, and as it did, leathery wings sprang from Pierce’s back, filling the small expanse of the lounge. His physique even seemed to transform.

  Will exhaled audibly, not so much a sound of relief as one of release. He shook his head like he was clearing it, then held the blade out to Pierce again. “The change is complete. My scythe is now yours. May it serve you well.”

  Pierce took the scythe. His wings retracted, and his eyes returned to their normal appearance, but the rest of him didn’t. He had definitely been changed. Becoming a reaper had amplified his physical form, much like being turned into a vampire would have done. He looked broader, more muscular, but everything about him also seemed…harder. More edgy and angular and somehow impenetrable.

  From the line of his jaw to the light in his eyes to his warrior stance, it was obvious he was different. He nodded at Will. “Thank you.”

  “How do you feel?” Will asked.

  Pierce hesitated. “Like a new weight rests on my shoulders. It’s not uncomfortable, but I will have to get used to that feeling.”

  Will nodded in understanding. “That’s the mantle of the reaper. The power of life and death is yours to command. The weight is there to remind you of the power you wield. It’s not something you ever want to forget.”

  “No.” Pierce put his hand to his stomach. “I’m suddenly hungry too.”

  “From what I understand, you will be for some time,” Will said. “Your soul is gone. Your body wants to fill that space. Fortunately, your new metabolism can handle it.”

  Pierce smiled. “Good to know.” He glanced at Donna, his smile widening. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  Truthfully, it had been terrifying to watch. She let go of Cammie’s hand, surprised her sister hadn’t said anything about how hard she’d been squeezing it. “I’m glad it’s over and that you’re safe.”

  “Safe?” His brows lifted. “I’m immortal.”

  She grinned. “And I’m very glad about that.”

  Will clapped his hands. “Five minutes, and we pull out.”

  Neo and Temo came up to congratulate Pierce. Donna gave them a moment, then touched Temo lightly on the arm
. “A word?”

  “Sure, boss. What’s up?”

  “Francine told me that Fitzhugh has a fae witness willing to testify against me in the queen’s death. See if you can get Ishalan to give you details. Or even confirm it. Maybe it’s not true.”

  Anger filled Temo’s eyes. “I’m on it. Do you want to talk to him?”

  “I’d be happy to, but I think he’ll be more forthcoming with you. You’ve known him longer and have had a working relationship with him for some time.”

  Temo nodded. “True. You might try to reach out to Rixaline too.”

  “I could, but I hate to involve her. Or worry her. She’s been checking in with Charlie or me pretty regularly, and things seem to be going pretty well for her.”

  “That’s good to hear. I’ll text him as soon as I’m back on the bus. Which will be in about two minutes.”

  “Thank you. One more thing, I have an idea about something we might try with Fitzhugh, regardless of whether this witness is real or not. Once you’ve texted Ishalan, let me know, and I’ll video-chat you guys into the meeting we’re about to have.”

  “Will do.”

  He and Neo left, headed for their ride. Harper moved up front to sit with her dad while he drove.

  Cammie went to read in her bunk, Charlie opened up her laptop in her usual recliner, and Pierce was building an enormous sandwich from the cold cuts in the fridge.

  He glanced over at her. “You want one?”

  She shook her head. He was fascinating to look at in this new form. He’d always been exceptionally handsome, in a Cary Grant, old-Hollywood kind of way, but becoming a reaper had roughened him up a bit.

  Pretty boy gone bad. And it was rather intoxicating.

  “Thanks anyway,” she said. “I’m still full from dinner. And feeding from you. Not to mention the licorice I ate. Listen, when you’re done with that sandwich, I’d like you and Charlie to come back to my room for a meeting.”

  “No problem.”

  Charlie glanced at her. “I can come now.”

  “That’s perfect, because I want you to set up a link so Neo and Temo can join us by video.”

  Charlie went back to her laptop. “I’ll set that up now. Any hint at what this is in reference to?”

  “What else?” Donna answered. “Fitzhugh.”

  When they were all in her bedroom, and Temo and Neo were on video chat, Donna dove right in. “Temo, anything from Ishalan?”

  “Nothing yet, boss. I texted, and then I called but just got his voice mail. I’m sure he’s a lot busier now that he’s king.”

  She nodded. “I’m sure he is. Maybe I should text him as well. If he sees messages from both of us, he might get the urgency a little more.”

  “Couldn’t hurt.”

  “I’ll do it as soon as we’re done here.” She was pacing a little, so she stopped and leaned against the closet doors. Pierce was standing near the closed bedroom door, and Charlie was sitting on the bed, a notebook balanced on her knees in case she needed to jot anything down. Across from them on the narrow dresser was her laptop, Neo and Temo on the screen. “I have an idea about how to deal with Fitzhugh.”

  Pierce’s eyes narrowed. “Does this mean you changed your mind about me pretending to be the emissary?”

  “No, I still think that’s not our best move and could put you in too much danger. Even if you are indestructible now.” She crossed her arms. She swore she could still see the shadows lingering about him, but if she tried to look at them directly, they vanished. “Since Francine told me that she heard Fitzhugh found a fae willing to testify that I had a role in the queen’s death, inaction is no longer a possibility for me. Granted, we don’t know if this witness really exists or not. It could very well be that Fitzhugh is lying to make himself look good.”

  “Most likely, that’s what it was,” Charlie said. “With your treaty with Ishalan in place, any fae who testifies against you would essentially be going against the new king. I don’t know Ishalan as well as you or Temo do, but I find it hard to believe that he’d turn a blind eye to such a thing.”

  “I agree,” Temo said. “I can pretty much guarantee you that if Ish gets his hands on that particular fae, they won’t be long for this world.”

  She mulled that over. “I guess I hadn’t considered that. But I’m sure Fitzhugh would have. If the witness exists, he undoubtedly promised them whatever protection they want. And a good deal of money.”

  Neo’s hand shot up. “I could dig into that. See if Fitzhugh’s made any big payments lately.”

  Donna snorted. “You really want to break into his computer, don’t you?”

  “So bad.”

  Donna shook her head. “I don’t want to do that. Not yet. That’s a last resort kind of thing. Like Pierce pretending to be the emissary. No, I have a different idea. One that might not be completely aboveboard either, but it feels safer. And easier to accomplish. And like it might ultimately have a bigger reward.”

  They were all looking at her with great curiosity.

  She tugged her sweatshirt down so that the hem was around her hips. “When Fitzhugh arrives in Kansas, I’m going to find time alone with him for the sole purpose of getting him to talk. About anything and everything. My plan is to encourage him to incriminate himself in some way.” She nodded at Neo. “And you’re going to provide me with whatever recording device I need to capture it all.”

  Neo made happy little ohh sounds and rubbed her hands together. “That is perfect. Okay, I’ll get a list together of the equipment I’ll need, but I don’t know where we’re going to get that stuff.”

  “Research it. There has to be a store somewhere between here and the queen’s estate that specializes in security equipment and the like. Kansas isn’t a third-world country.”

  Neo nodded as she pulled her laptop into view. “Right. I’m on it. I’ll figure something out.”

  “What role do you want us to play?” Charlie asked.

  “I don’t think there is one. He won’t talk as freely if we have company. In fact, while I’m not opposed to any of you tagging along for security reasons, so long as you keep your distance, he should probably think that it’s a visit I decided to make on my own. A last-ditch effort sort of thing.”

  “You want him to think you’re desperate,” Pierce said.

  Donna nodded. “Exactly. I want him to think he’s got the upper hand and that I will do anything to get him to drop the charges. It’ll only make him cockier. And more likely to say something really incriminating. The last thing he’s going to expect is for me to come begging.”

  Pierce grimaced. “I don’t like you prostrating yourself before him like that.”

  Donna sighed. “I don’t like it either, but it’s just a means to an end. If there’s one thing I learned while being married to Joe, it’s how to handle powerful men.” She smiled. “And men who only think they’re powerful.”

  Charlie laughed. “Fitzhugh is probably somewhere in the middle. He’s a big fish, but he’s not the shark he thinks he is. That’ll be especially true at this gathering. While a lot of vampires won’t travel, I think we’ll be surprised by who actually turns up for this funeral. It’s going to be an interesting mix of those genuinely showing respect, those trying to make a good impression, and those trying to incur favor with whoever takes the throne next.”

  “Oh?” Donna hadn’t thought about the other attendees. “Any thoughts on who some of those guests might be?”

  Charlie shook her head. “I can’t say for sure, obviously, but Artemis was ancient and had roots in many countries. I would expect to see some of the European crowd. Maybe even some of the South African contingent. The Middle East is a possibility too. Hard to say. I could also be completely wrong. It’s not like they’ve had weeks to plan the trip. Travel, especially from overseas, isn’t always easy for vampires.”

  Temo cleared his throat and held up his phone. “Boss?”

  Donna stopped leaning on the closet to see him b
etter. “Yes?”

  “Ishalan responded. He would like to talk to you directly. He’s asked that you call him.”

  A chill slipped through her. Was him wanting to talk good or bad? “Okay, I’ll do that now. I guess we’re done here anyway. Please think about this meeting I want to have with Fitzhugh, all right? I want to work through every possible scenario so I’m ready for anything he might throw at me.”

  They all nodded in agreement. Charlie scooped up the laptop they’d been using to conference with Neo and Temo, and they all left her alone.

  She got her phone and checked the screen. There was a text from Ishalan.

  Call me at your convenience.

  She took a breath and dialed.

  He answered on the second ring. “Madam Governor.”

  “Your Highness.” The formalities were spoken in lighthearted tones, but there was clearly an underlying seriousness that pervaded the mood. “Temo told you what we’ve heard?”

  “He did. And I am desperately sorry to hear that one of my subjects has become such a traitorous fool. I give you my word that I will deal with them.”

  The chill was back. “Does that mean there really is a fae who’s willing to testify against me?”

  “My apologies. I didn’t mean to imply I know with any certainty that a witness exists. But I promise you I will soon.”

  “Can I ask how?”

  He laughed, a soft, bitter sound. “My dear Governor, Princess Rixaline can find anything or anyone, remember?”

  “I do.” She’d found Joe and his sleazy girlfriend when even the FBI hadn’t known where to look. “But she needs something to get her started. How can she track someone down when she doesn’t know who they are?”

  “Simple. She’s going to search for anyone in the stronghold with the smell of vampire on them. I firmly believe if this agreement was made, it was done in person. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll go down the roster of citizens and investigate any who are missing. I will also be offering a substantial reward to anyone with information about who this turncoat might be. We will find this traitor and deal with them.”