I felt sick.
“I need to finish my work. They trapped me, but I was patient. I waited, and I learned. I planned and planned, because I knew one day, I would return. And then . . . someone opened the door to my prison, and I was free.”
A big thank-you to Patsy and Gabriel, I thought.
“Sit.”
I scrambled to the empty chair. I was terrified. The shadow paced around the room, as if to spread his miasma. The air felt thick and tasted rotten. He oozed pain, and I knew it had been him walking around Broken Heart, in God knows whose form, spreading the disharmony.
It’s time, Elizabeth.
The soft voice echoed in my mind, and I knew it was my great-grandmother. I couldn’t comprehend what she was asking me.
Just let go, my darling. Let go, and I’ll do the rest.
Okay, I offered. I trust you. Then somehow, some way, I was popping free of my own body. It wasn’t painful. I floated up, feeling rather wonderful, and then I noticed balls of blue energy hovering above each of my friends. As I watched in amazement, a white orb would rise out of one friend, and the blue energy would go in; this happened three times. Only Eva remained unaffected—because her ancestor had lived.
Then I was one of four luminescent glows lighting the darkness.
I realized that our ancestors had been waiting, too. Waiting because they’d known that this evil had not yet been vanquished. And now, they needed our bodies to finish their work.
I didn’t know how to contact the consciousnesses of my friends. I assumed that they could see and hear as well as I could.
“You will harm no one else.” The voice issuing from my mouth was not mine. It was softer, and had a little more Okie twang. “It’s time to pay your price.”
The shadow spun around the room, and it was as if he recognized the souls of his victims. The fairy-gold chains slipped off the captors and they all stood up, their gazes on the shadow.
“Jeremiah Silverstone,” intoned my great-grandmother. “Come forth!”
“Noooooo!” The dark figure that had attacked me shimmered into view. It wiggled and wavered until, finally, the form of Jeremiah stood next to the demon. He looked wild-eyed and panicked. “Our work isn’t done! Mine,” he cried, pointed to me. To the other Elizabeth. “All of this, all of you, are mine!”
“I am Elizabeth Silverstone, and I accuse Jeremiah Silverstone of taking my life.”
Phoebe stepped forward. “I am Catherine Allen, and I accuse Jeremiah Silverstone of taking my life.”
Dr. Clark was next, and a breathy female voice issued from his lips. It was Cora Clark, and she accused Jeremiah as well. Then Jessica sashayed forward with her hands on her hips. In a strong Irish brogue she said, “And I, Mary McCree, accuse this no-good bastard of tossin’ me in the creek and drownin’ me.” She spit on him, and he flinched away.
He turned to the shadow demon and screamed, “Do something!”
The creature was writhing, its mouth opened in a soundless scream. Was it being affected by the proceedings? Or had Connor found a way to break its tether to our world? I had no doubt Phoebe’s husband hadn’t stopped working on the spells to send the demon back to its master.
The four of us (er . . . them?) encircled Jeremiah, and in once voice, they shouted, “We judge you guilty, Jeremiah Silverstone. We demand punishment!”
A razor-sharp wind swept through the room. It got so cold, the breath of Dr. Clark, who was the only one not undead, puffed the air.
“We have heard your pleas,” said the plethora of voices, a mixture of old and young, male and female. “We have examined your heart, Jeremiah Silverstone, and find you guilty. We banish you to the darkest pit of hell.”
“Who are you?” cried Jeremiah. “You can’t do this to me!”
“We are the fates,” said the voices. “We have been called upon to judge you, and we have. You are banished.”
Jeremiah screamed. Underneath his feet, a pit opened, and he was sucked down into it. He scrambled at the edge of the hole, his phantom fingers scrambling for purchase, but nothing could save him.
His unearthly screeches echoed as he was devoured by the darkness.
“Return to Mammon,” the voices said to the quaking shadow. “You are not welcome here.”
The shadow demon slithered into the floor, following his former master into the Pit.
“You are free,” said the voices. “Leave this place, and join those who love you so well.”
There was a clap of thunder, and the blue energies burst free of our bodies. In the next instant, I was falling as fast and hot as a star and when I slammed into the floor, I blacked out.
Chapter 20
When I woke up, I was being suffocated (sorta) by a well-muscled male chest.
“You’re squishing me,” I said. Or tried to. My face was so smooshed against him I couldn’t actually talk.
Tez let up a little and looked down at me. “You’re all right!” He kissed me until my toes curled, and then scooped me into his arms. “You scared the shit outta me. Never do that again!”
We were standing—okay, Tez was standing and I was clinging quite happily to his broad shoulders—in the front yard of the Silverstone mansion. Other reunions were going on. Dr. Clark was hugging his daughter; Jessica was smooching on Patrick; Eva and Lorcan were tenderly gazing into each other’s eyes; and I think Connor was trying to perform a tonsillectomy on Phoebe. With his tongue.
“What happened?”
“Thanks to your iPhone, we were listening to everything that was going on and trying to pinpoint your location. Then the phone went dead. We still don’t know where you went or how the hell you ended up back here. Lenette did the cleansing ritual on Jeremiah’s remains. Then, all of sudden, we get a report you’re here. All five of you.” He looked down at me. “What’s with the dress?”
“The demon made us put on the clothes of his victims.” I really wanted to get out of it. And I never wanted to see the Silverstone mansion again. That place was nothing but bad luck and worse memories.
“How are Serri and Dayton?”
“Dayton’s fine, and Serri’s gonna make it. I’m just sorry she lost her husband.”
He hugged me. “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure Trak gets his justice.”
Patsy and Gabriel walked out of the front door and onto the lawn. They surveyed the lovefest going on, and grinned. Our queen was okay, and Gabriel looked very happy to have his wife back.
I held on to Tez, my own true love, and wished that wherever Elizabeth had gone, she was with her true love as well.
Tez scooped me into his arms and walked toward the Honda.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You remember when I went out to get you a present?”
“The night you got kidnapped by a crazy were-cat? Yes, I remember it quite well.”
We got into the car. I turned and looked at Tez. “What is it?”
“Something with which to penetrate you.”
“But you can penetrate me now. As often as you like.”
“Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t explore other options.”
“Hmm,” I said. “Soooo instead of diamonds or shoes, you got me a . . .” I stared at him, and waited for him to reveal the nature of his present.
He grinned. “Buzz, buzz, Ellie Bee.”
One month later . . .
The Silverstone mansion was no more.
In the end, it was Patsy who suggested we “should just blow the whole damned thing to pieces,” and no one disagreed. So, with a little help from vampires from the Family Hua Mu Lan, who could wield fire, the mansion was destroyed. Then the bulldozers came in and cleared off the land. Lenette and her sisters cleansed whatever bad ju-ju might be lingering and added a few magick spells to keep it free of darkness.
I had discussed with Tez the idea of adopting orphaned paranormal children. I should’ve known better than to worry he wouldn’t want kids mucking up our lives. How could I have even thought
such a thing? I was learning a lot about my own insecurities, and I wouldn’t be ruled by them anymore. Tez loved the idea of giving a home to children who’d been like him growing up—paranormal and alone in a world of humans—and needed love and understanding. He admitted to me that his human mother was not his true mother. She really had met his father on an archaeological dig in Mexico, but his biological mother had died; and his father, who was sick,had approached the human woman with his son, Tez, and told her everything she would need to know to raise him. She fell in love with the dark-haired boy, and swore she would never let him forget his heritage.
I wanted to give that kind of guidance and love to other children. We had already put plans into place to expand our home, and we were working with Patsy on ways that we could track down children who needed us.
As for the were-cats, they were incorporating nicely into Broken Heart. Serri had moved into a two-bedroom house with Dayton and had taken a waitressing job at the Old Sass Café. The were-cats were prospering now that they had the ability to make choices for their own lives.
Tawny had been banished from Broken Heart, traded to another pride where, Emma had assured us, Tawny would remain only a concubine. I didn’t think Tawny’s ambitions would be curbed easily, but at least she was another pride’s problem.
Today, a small group of us stood at the edge of the old property. The remains of the five couples who founded Broken Heart had been recovered and reburied in this place, as a memorial to the testament of love everlasting.
We all had different color roses, which we placed on each grave site.
The couples were buried in plots next to each other and all had new tombstones. It had been fenced off, not as a security measure but as an aesthetic element.
Tez lifted my hand to his lips and said, “I love you, Ellie Bee.”
I smiled, my heart full. “I love you, too.”
Just past the graves was a large marble monument, and we walked to it, along with the other descendents of Broken Heart’s original families. Together, we read the inscription: We honor those whose sacrifice and love
created a place where all are welcome.
Paul Tibbett and Elizabeth Silverstone
Sean and Mary McCree
Dennison and Cora Clark
Jonathon and Evangeline LeRoy
Michael and Catherine Allen
“Doubt thou the stars are fire,
Doubt the sun doth move,
Doubt truth to be a liar
but never doubt thy love.”
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet
THE BROKEN HEART TURN-BLOODS
* Jessica Matthews: Widow (first husband, Richard). Mother to Bryan and Jenny and adopted son, Rich, Jr. Stay-at-home mom. Vampire of Family Ruadan. Mated to Patrick O’Halloran.
Charlene Mason: Deceased. Mistress of Richard Matthews. Mother to Rich, Jr. Receptionist for insurance company. Vampire of Family Ruadan.
Linda Beauchamp: Divorced (first husband, Earl). Mother to MaryBeth. Nail technician. Vampire of Family Koschei. Mated to Dr. Stan Michaels.
MaryBeth Beauchamp: Nanny to Marchand triplets. Vampire of Family Ruadan.
* Louise Evangeline “Eva” LeRoy: Mother to Tamara. Teacher at night school and colibrarian of Broken Heart and Consortium archives. Vampire of Family Koschei. Mated to Lorcan O’Halloran.
Patricia “Patsy” Donovan: Divorced (first husband, Sean). Mother to Wilson. Former beautician. Queen of vampires and lycanthropes. Vampire of Family Amahté. Mated to loup de sang Gabriel Marchand. Mother to the Marchand triplets.
Ralph Genessa: Widowed (first wife, Teresa). Father to twins Michael and Stephen, and to daughter Cassandra. Dragon handler. Vampire of Family Hua Mu Lan. Mated to half-dragon Libby Monroe.
Simone Sweet: Widowed (first husband, Jacob). Mother to Glory. Mechanic. Vampire of Family Velthur. Mated to Braddock Hayes.
1 Phoebe Allen: Divorced (first husband, Jackson Tate). Mother to Daniel. Comanages the Knights Inn in Tulsa. Vampire of Family Durga. Mated to Connor Ballard.
Darlene Clark: Deceased. Divorced (first husband, Jason Clark1). Mother to Marissa. Operated Internet scrapbooking business. Vampire of Family Durga.
1 Elizabeth Bretton née Silverstone: Widowed (first husband, Henry). Stepmother to Venice. Socialite and jewelry maker. Vampire of Family Zela. Mated to were-jaguar Tez Jones.
GLOSSARY
Ancient: Refers to one of the original eight vampires. The very first vampire was Ruadan, who is the biological father of Patrick and Lorcan. Several centuries ago, Ruadan and his sons took on the last name of O’Halloran, which means “stranger from overseas.”
banning (see: World Between Worlds): Anyone can be sent into limbo, but the spell must be cast by an Ancient or a being with powerful magick. No one can be released from banning until they feel true remorse for their evil acts. This happens rarely, which means banning is not done lightly.
binding: When vampires have consummation sex (with any person or creature), they’re bound together for a hundred years. This was the Ancients’ solution to keep vamps from sexual intercourse while blood-taking.There are only two known instances of breaking a binding.
Consortium: More than five hundred years ago, Patrick and Lorcan O’Halloran created the Consortium to figure out ways that parakind could make the world a better place for all beings. Many sudden leaps in human medicine and technology are because of the Consortium’s work.
Convocation: Five neutral, immortal beings given the responsibility of keeping the balance between Light and Dark.
donors: Mortals who serve as sustenance for vampires. The Consortium screens and hires humans to be food sources. Donors are paid well and given living quarters. Not all vampires follow the guidelines created by the Consortium for feeding. A mortal may have been a donor without ever realizing it.
drones: Mortals who do the bidding of their vampire Masters. The most famous was Renfield—drone to Dracula. The Consortium’s code of ethics forbids the use of drones, but plenty of vampires still use them.
ETAC: The Ethics and Technology Assessment Commission is the public face of this covert government agency. In its program, soldier volunteers have undergone surgical procedures to implant nanobyte technology, which enhances strength, intelligence, sensory perception, and healing. Volunteers are trained in use of technological weapons and defense mechanisms so advanced, it’s rumored they come from a certain section of Area 51. Their mission is to remove, by any means necessary, paranormal targets named as domestic threats.
Family: Every vampire can be traced to the one of the eight Ancients. The Ancients are divided into the Eight Sacred Sects, also known as the Families. The Families are: Ruadan, Koschei (aka Romanov), Hua Mu Lan, Durga, Zela, Amahté, Shamhat, and Velthur.
gone to ground: When vampires secure places where they can lie undisturbed for centuries, they go to ground. Usually they let someone know where they are located, but the resting locations of many vampires are unknown. Both the Ancients Amahté and Shamhat have gone to ground for more than three thousand years. Their locations are unknown.
Invisi-shield: Using technology stolen from ETAC, the Consortium created a shield that not only makes the town invisible to outsiders, but also creates a force field. No one can get into the town’s borders without knowing specific access points, all of which are guarded by armed security details.
loup de sang: Translated as “blood wolf.” The first of these vampire-werewolves were triplets born after their lycanthrope mother was drained and killed by a vampire. For nearly two centuries, Gabriel Marchand was the only known loup de sang and also known as “the outcast.” (See: Vedere prophecy.) Now the loup de sang include his brother, Ren, his sister, Anise, his wife, Patsy, and his three children.
lycanthropes: Also called lycans. They can shift from human into wolf at will. Lycans have been around a long time and originate in Germany. Their numbers are small because they don’t have many females, and most children born have a fifty
percent chance of living to the age of one.
Master: Most Master vampires are hundreds of years old and have had many successful Turnings. Masters show Turn-bloods how to survive as a vampire. A Turn-blood has the protection of the Family (see: Family) to which their Master belongs.
PRIS: Paranormal Research and Investigation Services. Cofounded by Theodora and her husband, Elmore Monroe. Its primary mission is to document supernatural phenomena and conduct cryptozoological studies.
Roma: The Roma are cousins to full-blooded lycanthropes. They can change only on the night of a full moon. Just as full-blooded lycanthropes are raised to protect vampires, the Roma are raised to hunt vampires.
soul shifter: A supernatural being with the ability to absorb the souls of any mortal or immortal. The shifter has the ability to assume any of the forms she’s absorbed. Only one is known to exist, the woman known as Ash, who works as a “balance keeper” for the Convocation.
Taint: The Black Plague for vampires, which makes vampires insane as their body deteriorates. The origins of the Taint were traced to demon poison. After many attempts to find a cure, which included transfusions of royal lycanthrope blood, a permanent cure has been found.
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