Sundown & Serena

by Tara Fox Hall

  Lash laughed raucously, but someone stifled him, as he stopped abruptly. Again, silence.

  “You’ll drain me, too. I see your men there, and your demon,” Ebediah said, sounding already lost. “Without her, I’ve no desire to go on anyway.”

  “I do have respect for love,” Devlin said in slow measured tones. “You have had centuries with yours, Ebediah, while I have mourned my broken heart. I must do right by my own love. And everything else must give way before it, including yours.”

  “So be it. I give you this gift then, along with my blood.” Ebediah paused. “I curse you, Devlin Dalcon, that whatever you most desired, whatever you really hoped to gain from doing this, you will not attain it. I promise you it will slip through your fingers like grains of sand.”

  “Shut your mouth!” Devlin growled. “Leri, silence him.”

  “May your darkest fears find you on the cusp of your happiest moment with your love.” Ebediah went on in sepulcher tones. “And may all that you most feared come to pass, shredding that happiness like straw in the wind.”

  “Beware, Devlin. What he says is true,” Leri cautioned. “He has the power to make his words reality!”

  “Then silence him with a spell, before he says anymore!” Devlin snarled. “Hold him fast!”

  There was a clang of steel, and the movement of hurrying feet.

  “And may your love share in your suffering!” Ebediah shouted, struggling. “May she suffer the same fate when all she cherishes dies in flame!”

  Ebediah cut off with a scream, the sounds of loud sucking and struggling punctuated with more intermittent screams as he was drained.

  I crept back upstairs to my room, and huddled in a chair, a blanket around my shoulders, turning up my iPod as high as I could, so I didn’t hear the screams.

  Chapter Twelve

  It was a clear spring day. Sarelle or Sar, as she liked me to call her had come to paint some of the recently finished repaired walls of Hayden. She’d done that a lot lately, since she’d begun to be a regular guest here at Hayden.

  Devlin’s plan of draining a powerful vampire to reclaim his seat of power as one of the world’s Vampire Rulers had worked. He’d become the Master of Canada, taking Ebediah’s spot. Sar had accepted him, as he’d hoped. In fact, they were now promised to one another under vampire law called officially the Oath. Sar was already pregnant with his child, a cross between a vampire and a human called a dhamphir. Sar’s husband had left her, then come back again, though the details of that I wasn’t sure of. There seemed to be some odd love/sex triangle with Devlin, his brother Danial, and now Theo, Sar’s wayfaring husband, taking place that had all four of them on edge most of the time. As with other intrigues, I’d planned to keep to myself and avoid her. But Devlin had come to me himself right after New Year’s Eve, when all this had first happened, and asked me to spend time with her when she visited.

  I’d stared at him, incredulous. “But isn’t she here to spend time with you?”

  He’d looked uncomfortable, but didn’t say anything.

  “I cannot help you if you won’t tell me the truth,” I said, using the direct yet calm tone I usually used for his new hires. “What is it you want me to do?”

  “I want you to be her friend,” he admitted finally.

  “Why?” I stammered.

  “Because I think it would be good for both of you,” he cajoled with a sudden winning smile. “You must miss a woman’s company, Serena, after all these months with only men that have for the most part one thing on their mind.”

  I’d grown a little daring in the last month with all that had happened, no longer too shy to speak my mind. “You never worried about my lack of female friends before, Devlin.”

  He scowled at me. “Very well. She has friends at Danial’s home. I want her to have one here, and Valerie is not very nice to any females, no matter what species. I want you to make her feel that she has a friend here to confide in.”

  I folded my hands across my chest. “You want me to spy on her?”

  He shook his head, then shrugged. “Women tell things to other women that they would never tell a man. I want you to tell me if she voices unhappiness to you.”

  All women alive do that, and likely daily. I certainly did it frequently enough with Nick, whose mind never seemed to be on me, where I thought it belonged. “And?”

  “And I’ll do my best to correct it, so she is happy,” Devlin finished. “There has not been a mistress at Hayden in some time, Serena. I am out of practice at being a husband, so to speak. The hardest years of a relationship are the first ones. I want my relationship with Sar to work very much. I’m asking for your help.” He paused. “I will of course double your salary, for indulging me in this.”

  I gave an inward sigh at his love for her, feeling a sharp pang that likely no one would do such a thing to ensure my happiness. Perhaps a man needs to be four hundred years old to be a full adult. “Agreed. Will you introduce us? Or am I supposed to chance on her some morning on my own?”

  “I will tell her that you are interested in learning some of her skills, like sewing and baking,” Devlin said. “I’m sure that Nick or Vince might enjoy a pie or cookies occasionally. And I know that your own attempts to make bread did not turn out very well.”

  Vince, Dev’s right, you need to learn to keep your mouth shut. “I already know sewing. But yes, I’d like to learn baking, if she’s good at it.”

  “Very good, or so it’s said,” Devlin affirmed. “Good. I will arrange a time with her, and let you know. Thank you, little dove.” He kissed the back of my hand, then left.

  I sat down, thinking on his proposed plan, and realized that the idea of having a female friend was something I wanted very much. I had settled into my role here, and I still enjoyed my work. But there were only so many movies I could watch and so many books I could read. This country was new to me, and I longed to explore more of it, but I didn’t want to go by myself. I wanted someone to go with me, to show me the sights and ensure that it was fun, not scary. It would be fun to have someone to take walks with, and talk to about all the things that I couldn’t talk to Vince or Nick about. And lately, that seemed like most things.

  Vince had been a little distant since his mission for Devlin. It was hard for me to remember his loving words before he left, or imagine him uttering similar endearments to me again. I had chalked up his parting words that night to his worry about dying. Because he’d survived, he likely regretted saying them at all. But he was still friendly to me, and sometimes we would watch a DVD together, or just talk after sex.

  Nick was even more distant, to the point I thought something had happened to our friendship. Now his caresses were purely lust, and as soon as the sex was over, he found some excuse to leave. I minded on one level, but on another, it was a relief. Of the bearmen I’d initially met, only Kev, Vince, Nick, and Jazz were still alive. I worried about that, worried that one of them would die next. I had of course made acquaintances with a new set of guards who had taken the place of those dead. But my relations with those men were very unemotional to me. I thought of them as strangers I was intimate with, not like the group I’d been part of in Rio. Because the truth was, that a majority of them would probably die in a short time, and others would come to replace them. It wasn’t healthy to get attached if I was only going to have to say goodbye right after I said hello.

  I was a lot more cautious now than I had been six months ago. I was even cautious of Sar, not knowing if Devlin had told her my function at Hayden, or how she would take the news, if he hadn’t. I hadn’t expected to like her, knowing her part in my various lovers’ deaths, and how Vince and Kev felt about her. Even though it had been Devlin’s decision to go after Ebediah, they both blamed her for the dead guards, as well as for the deaths of their other friends years ago when Devlin had stormed her house in an effort to capture her. And so had the remaining werebear widows. Most of them were gone now. As was custom, Devlin had given them their wid
ow’s severance “blood money” as it was called in guard slang, the day after the funerals were held, and they had left for their new lives elsewhere.

  But life went on. And I grew to like Sar, and the time we spent together.

  She and I would be baking today, provided she had the time and energy after her painting was done. There had been no attacks on Hayden so far. Even Perseus had only come that once for an official visit, and none of our people had died, which I had to admit was Sar’s work, as it had been her intercession and the announcement of her dhamphir in the making which had driven that vampire asshole away. Even Lash seemed to be mellow lately, spending a good deal of his time reading. Last week it had been the Bible. Just when I think he’s past all redemption...

  There was a knock at the door. Knowing I had no appointments, I opened it quizzically to find Lash. Think of the snake, and he appears. “Yes?”

  “Come downstairs, please,” he hissed, his tone more gentle than I’d ever heard it. “I need to speak to you.”

  Uneasy, I followed him downstairs. We both sat at the dining room table. Lash looked at me and away, then spoke in that same gentle tone. “Vince and Kev tried to hurt Sar. I stopped them in time, Serena.”

  “What?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “There must be some mistake. They’re guards, her guards.”

  “Serena, don’t play the fool,” Lash hissed, his tone harder. “You know how Kev was with you, what he asked for. You know who he was fantasizing about. I thought what you were doing for him was good, alleviating his rage. Now I’m wondering if it wasn’t just making it worse.”

  I flushed, dropping my eyes. “I believe he could do it. But not Vince.”

  “Vince is a surprise to me too,” Lash hissed tiredly. “I know he was...well, he felt something for you. It’s your name on his blood money.”

  I couldn’t think straight, ugly horror seeping into my mind. This can’t be happening. Another inner voice of my animal side said it not only was happening, I should have seen it. Yes, his rough style of intimacy has been the same. But he hasn’t smiled in a long time, or laughed either. He’s been distracted, withdrawn. “What’s going to happen to him?”

  “It was Sar he attacked,” Lash said with finality. “Devlin’s got to make an example.”

  “Are you sure it was him,” I repeated again, my fear rising. “This had to be Kev’s idea. Maybe there was a misunderstanding of some kind?”

  “There’s no misunderstanding,” Lash interrupted. “They meant to rape her. I’m sure Vince was talked into it, that Kev’s been working on him since our attack on Ebediah’s estate.”

  I stood and faced him down, my own anger turning my arms furry and my eyes yellow. “So? I’m not advocating rape’s a good thing, Lash. But didn’t Devlin take Sar against her will himself? How is it that he metes out death for a crime he committed himself?”

  “You’re colder than I thought,” Lash hissed softly, studying me. “I thought you were her friend.”

  “I care about Vince,” I said just as coldly. “I can’t forgive what he’s done. Sar is a victim, and she deserves justice. But it’s not the Christian thing to do, punishing Vince with death when you know it wasn’t his fault.” My anger ratcheted up a notch. “And where was all this judgment when I was being bear for Nick and Vince, and Kev took advantage of me? You did nothing to him for that, Lash! Devlin did nothing, either, except thank me for my fucking understanding!”

  “I didn’t know you swore, either,” Lash said sarcastically. “It’s a surprise we don’t get along better, Serena.” He paused. “The truth is, if it were up to Devlin, he would likely let both of them off with a beating and a castration, both of which they’d heal from in good time, but not before they changed their attitude. But it’s not up to him, Serena. Sar and Devlin are not alone in their Oath: Theo and Danial are equal parties. And they are both calling for the death of the two werebears. And his favorites or not, if Dev doesn’t serve up Kev and Vince, he will likely lose Sar and his unborn child for good.”

  This is all Sar’s fault. Hers and Devlin’s. But that didn’t matter now, did it? Devlin was master here. “Is he dead?”

  “No, but he will be in a few hours,” Lash said gently. “Do you want me to take you to see him, to say goodbye? He’s out cold, but—”

  “No,” I said, wiping at my filling eyes. “I don’t want to see him, knowing he did this. I want to remember him how he was, how we were together. There’s nothing to say.” I grabbed a tissue, and wiped off my face, then crumpled it in my hand. “Even though it’s unfair he’s going to die, Vince had to know what would happen. And he did it anyway, knowing it was wrong.”

  “Sar wants to see you,” Lash said abruptly, standing. “Take her condolences, then excuse yourself.”

  He left. A moment later, Sar came into the kitchen. She hugged me, and told me she was sorry. And I told her it was okay, even though it wasn’t. Then she left, and I made my way upstairs, closing my bedroom door. As I went to lock my door for a good cry, Lash’s voice again came through my door. “I asked you to wait for me,” he hissed, his tone still gentle. “Open this door.”

  I’d seen him break doors down before when he wasn’t let in, so I opened it. He sauntered in, closing it behind him. I felt suddenly unnerved having him alone in my bedroom. He took my hand, and led me to my couch, where we both sat down.

  “Do you want the money?” he hissed gently. “Devlin asked me to take care of that, while he speaks to Sar.”

  “No,” I said, wiping away more tears. “Give it to the church I go to, please. They have an abused women center they support. Send it there.”

  Lash nodded. “I’ll take care of it.” He looked at me, and then quickly away, remaining silent.

  “Just say it,” I said, exhausted. “Please.”

  “I was the one who went to get Devlin’s Oathing ring made. You know the one he wears, that’s similar to the ring Danial gave Sarelle? The one with the many colors?”

  I nodded.

  “Vince had this made for you,” Lash hissed softly, handing me a box. “He ordered it months ago. I picked it up and gave it to him at least a month back. I don’t know why he didn’t give it to you yet. But I noticed you weren’t wearing it, so I checked. It was there in his locker, way in the back.”

  “You already looked through his locker?” I blurted, holding the box unsteadily.

  “Guards get killed often in Devlin’s employ,” Lash said. “Most of them have no one to leave their things to and no will if they aren’t mated. Usually the others divide them up.” He paused. “He wouldn’t have cared if someone took any of his other shit. But he’d have wanted you to have this. And it would have pissed me off to see one of the bearwives wearing it, when I know who it was supposed to go to.”

  Against my better judgment, I opened the box. Inside was a beautiful ring, set with an emerald. It was a very delicate and feminine design, the stone not large. Yet it sparkled very brightly.

  Lash got up, and went to leave. “I will let you know about funeral arrangements.”

  “Why did he get this for me?” I said in confusion, looking up at Lash.

  “You know why,” he hissed gently as he left, shutting the door after him.

  * * * *

  Nick came to me that night. For a long time, we just held one another and cried. He managed to say finally that he didn’t blame Sar, Devlin, or anybody but Kev, that he’d known of Kev’s plan, and had refused to participate. But he cursed himself as he cried for not doing more to stop them. And I cursed him too that night, for not finding a way to save Vince, even from himself.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It would be winter soon, I thought wearily. I’d lived here a year at Hayden now, and seen a hell of a lot in only twelve months. Too much, actually.

  I got up, and went to my window. The sun was shining brightly, though it would be setting shortly. I took out my emerald ring and put it on, enjoying the reassuring sparkle. I often wore it t
o bed, when no one was coming to visit and it was time to actually sleep. That way, Devlin and Sar’s dhamphir daughter V, was the only one who saw it. She wasn’t talking yet, so there were no explanations needed.

  Even though the spring had turned to summer, and now back to winter, not much had changed for me except we’d lost a few more guards. Well, truthfully, more than a few.

  Sar had given birth in late summer. Venus, V for short, lived here with Devlin full time. Even with all his talk, Devlin had been in the end like most men, and his little head had gotten the rest of him in trouble when Sar had found him with an old flame in bed coupling. Devlin and Sar were currently back together unofficially after a few huge fights and separations, but I wasn’t sure how long that would last.

  Another old enemy of Devlin’s had come out of the woodwork, by the name of Ulysses. He’d captured both Sar and Devlin one night, putting the latter through horrific torture to the point I was sure that Ebediah’s curse had come true, as Leri had warned it would. I also worried for Sarelle, who against my reservations was my closest girlfriend now. Ebediah hadn’t only put a curse of suffering on Devlin, he’d cursed her, too. She’d lost her infant son with Theo to crib death, precipitating that couple’s permanent breakup. That “cougar thug,” as I thought of Theo, was already engaged to someone else. And her house had burned, Sar escaping only because of Lash’s apparently lucky visit to check some suspicious activity Sar had reported. I hoped that was enough suffering to satisfy the apparent curse, saying daily prayers that things would get better. Ulysses had attacked several times now, enacting vengeance for his dead sister. While I understood his motivations, my nerves were shot, as were the nerves of most everyone else at Hayden.

  I turned off the light and got in bed. Nick would wake me up, when he got back from his resupply trip into town.

  * * * *

  I woke up, and stretched, glancing at the clock. God, oversleeping shouldn’t be a bad thing, it always feels so good.