Frankie, who was still picking up glass, stood up. She was taken aback at how big this guy was. It was like standing next to a brick wall.
“There’s a doorway next to that grandfather clock,” Kim said to him. “What room does that go to?”
“It is a study, ma’am.”
“Excellent,” said Kim. “We need to distract them. Rosalyn. Go talk to Annika.”
“Annika Fleming? I never talk to her.”
“Just do it! Get in her face and find some way to make her stop and talk to you. I only need a minute. And you,” she pointed at Frankie. “You messed up. You dropped my glass and I’m angry about it. Now you owe me. Would you agree?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you see that girl in the green dress? The one headed across the room?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Go show her your tray of appetizers. Make her listen to you talk about each one. Stand right in her way so she can’t see past you until you’re done speaking. And do not tell her I sent you. Go now. Hurry!”
Kim watched as Frankie cut his way through the crowd, holding a tray of appetizers and broken glass above his head. She waited until he was right in front of Jill, then she grabbed Andrea by the arm, saying, “Walk with me. Don’t let anyone stop us until I get there.”
“Where are we going?” Andrea said.
“To do a little eavesdropping.”
*****
Annika was headed towards the clock. Jill was about to follow her when one of Renata’s servants stepped right in her path.
“Excuse me, ma’am, would you like some hors d'oeuvres?” he said, lowering a silver tray of food so Jill could see it. At the back of the tray, piled onto a cloth napkin, were the remains of a broken wine glass.
“I’m fine, thanks,” she said. She stepped to one side, making a move to go around him. He stepped right in her path.
Jill wondered if this slave was malfunctioning. This was very strange behavior for a servant in a vampire’s mansion.
“I have a finger sandwich with prosciutto and aged gouda,” he said, pointing at one section of his tray. “I also have crostini made with black olive tapenade and feta cheese.”
He was an absolute giant, standing head and shoulders above everyone else at the party, with a torso so broad Jill couldn’t see around it.
“I also have a vegetarian dumpling, made with soy and ginger sauce,” he said.
“Okay, fine,” she said. “I’ll take a dumpling.”
He stood still for a moment, as if her request hadn’t processed. She was about to repeat it when his eyebrows jumped and he said, “Yes, a dumpling. Here you are, Miss.”
He pushed the tray an inch closer to Jill and she took a dumpling.
“Thank you very much. That will be all,” she said.
“Yes. Very good. Have a good night.” As suddenly as he arrived, the servant was gone, lifting his tray high over his head and walking through the crowd. In the absence his wide shoulders left behind, Jill could see Annika. She was standing next to the clock.
*****
Kim pushed her back against the wall. She was in a small library built off the front room of the mansion. Immediately to her right was a doorway, and on the other side of that doorway, their backs to her, were Annika and Jill.
“Shannon’s okay,” Annika whispered. “I met up with her and got her a room at the Praia de Sol hotel.”
Shannon? Did Kim hear that right?
Kim only knew one Shannon, and it was a Shannon who was notoriously close to Annika. The two of them were thick as thieves. That is, until Shannon died.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Jill said.
“I gave her enough cash for a few weeks,” Annika said. “When do you think you can have ID’s done?”
“I don’t know,” Jill said.
“Your friends still aren’t talking to you?”
“Actually, I heard from one of them, but I don’t know if he can help me with an ID for Shannon or not.”
An ID for Shannon? Kim felt her mouth watering with possibility at this gossip. Were the two of them hiding a fugitive?
And if so, was it related somehow to Nicky Bloom?
Yes, it had to be! Nicky took Shannon’s spot to get into Thorndike.
This was it! This was the break Kim was waiting for. All she had to do was get this info in front of one of the immortals and Nicky Bloom was toast.
“I wish I could give you a timeframe on an ID,” Jill said. “But I don’t know right now how fast I can make it happen. Worst case, maybe I could give you the name of someone in Rio who could do it for you.”
Rio? Was Shannon in Rio de Janeiro? What was the name of that hotel Annika had said? Prya Desul? Playa Da Sur? Oh, she should have been recording this!
“I’d really rather get the ID from you,” Annika said. “The fewer people who know about Shannon, the better, you know?”
“Yes, I know.”
That’s right you two, Kim thought. The fewer people who know about Shannon, the better. And one more person knows about her now.
Chapter 22
It was a cool, clear night. The land outside Renata’s mansion was blissfully quiet. So much nicer than the screeching crickets and frogs at the Farm, or the howling winds of Falkon’s mountain villa.
Renata met her brothers and sisters from the clan just outside the gate that separated the house from the forest.
Bernadette and Mark were there, of course, as were Lena and Thomas. Laura Heidegger and Peter Groff were first timers at tonight’s party. Laura was the Coronation winner from the year before; Peter, her new bond.
Renata kissed Laura on the cheek, saying, “How are you, Sweetie?” in a motherly tone of voice.
“We’re so excited to be here,” Laura said. “We brought the biggest, strongest servant from my staff.”
As Laura spoke, Peter grabbed a stocky boy by the wrist and brought him around for Renata to see.
“This is Oscar,” Peter said, slapping the boy on the back. “I’ve been training him all week in the fine art of killing. Hopefully he makes me proud tonight.”
“Good evening, Oscar,” Renata said to the slave.
“Good evening, Miss,” he said back.
Unless there was a surprise behind those eyes, Oscar would be the first one to die this night. He looked fit enough to fight, but his hands were soft and his eyes, meager. It was smart of Laura to bring such a creampuff. No need to show off on your very first scrum. Better to be humble about it and let the older vampires have their fun.
Renata looked past Oscar to the dark-haired immortal standing behind her.
“Steffy, is that you?” she said.
Steffy Esparza put a big smile on her face and came to give Renata a hug.
“It’s been so long,” Renata said. “When is the last time you came to the scrum?”
“Fifteen years at least,” Steffy said. She gestured in the direction of her bond, saying, “You remember Zachias.”
“Of course I do, come give me a squeeze.”
Zachias Brown was a stunning black man with a bald head and razor sharp eyes. Renata had always had a bit of a crush on him, and admired Steffy for landing him. While she was certain that one day she would kill the rest of the vampires here tonight, Steffy and Zachias might get to live. They might be allowed to join her new clan.
“And let me see your pet,” Renata said.
Steffy called over a little blonde girl named Deirdre.
“You brought a woman to the scrum,” Renata said. “Very interesting choice.”
“She’s quite the scrappy one,” Steffy said. “Aren’t you Deirdre?”
“I do my best to please you, Master,” Deirdre said.
Despite the girl’s slight stature, Renata could tell this one was a fighter. Scars on her cheeks, a nose that had been broken once or twice, strong, sinewy hands.
“Have you been training her?” Renata asked Zachias.
“I started in June,” Za
chias said with a smile.
“He’s been obsessed with the training,” Steffy said. “As soon as we heard we could come this year, Zachias got to work on this girl.”
An awkward silence passed among them. Steffy didn’t mean anything by it, but in choosing to say as soon as we heard we could come, she inadvertently reminded everyone of someone who was not present. Someone who created the guest list for this party many months before.
“Let’s not dwell on her tonight,” Renata said. “Maybe Daciana is coming back to us someday, maybe she isn’t. Whatever the case, I know that the Daciana we all knew when she was here, the Daciana we loved, would want us to enjoy ourselves tonight. It’s an honor to get tapped to attend, and my privilege to host you all.”
Some nods of agreement and nervous smiles--what pushovers they all were. They were so eager for somebody, anybody to lead them, that they took Renata’s word as gospel.
They knew it was strange that Melissa was absent. They knew Renata and Melissa had been jockeying for the top spot in the clan now that Daciana was gone. They could do the math. Every one of these vampires knew, or at least suspected, that Renata killed Melissa and Dominic. A violation of the most sacred law of the clan—she had turned on her own brother and sister--the law of the clan demanded that such a murderer be brought to justice.
But who determined the law with Daciana gone? Who carried out the sentence?
These questions made them uncomfortable, so they were never addressed. Steffy and Lena and Peter and Bernadette and the whole lot of them just wanted to get through the night so they could go back to their splendid mansions and continue their splendid lives. They didn’t want to do anything hard. They didn’t have the stomach for conflict.
And even if they did, none of them had the strength to challenge Renata. With Daciana gone, there was only one vampire in the clan who older than Renata. Only one vampire with the strength and experience to make a legitimate claim for the throne.
Surprisingly, he had decided to come tonight.
Not that he wasn’t invited—Daciana had made clear that he had an open invitation to any event that appealed to him.
But he rarely showed up for anything other than the Masquerade. He had no interest in anything other than his precious girls wearing black.
Renata saw him lurking in the shadows at the back of the group. She approached him.
“I’m surprised to see you here tonight,” she said.
“Yes, I am surprised I came too,” said Sergio. “I’m not entirely sure why I did.”
“Did you bring a servant for the scrum?”
Sergio shook his head. “I am just an observer to tonight’s festivities.”
Renata looked in his eyes, seeking out a clue to his motives. There was none to be found.
“Would you like to see who I brought?” she said. “He’s quite an impressive specimen.”
Sergio smiled. “The big one standing next to the tree, right?”
Renata turned back to look at Frankie, who was standing at attention under a nearby elm.
“Yes, that’s him,” she said.
“That big guy is yours?” said Laura. “Oh my…oh wow. I’ve got to go take a look.”
As the rest of the immortals went to admire Frankie, Renata and Sergio stood together in silence.
I’m going to kill you, Renata thought. I’ve always hated you and I’m growing an army of immortals so I can finally be done with you.
“Enjoy the scrum,” she said, and left to join the others, who were gathered around Frankie.
“I’m surprised you’re entering such a lovely piece of meat in the scrum,” Bernadette said. “He’ll be ripe in another month or two. If it were me, I would save him for a feast.”
“I’m hoping to have my cake and eat it too,” Renata said.
“Ah, so you think he’s going to win,” said Steffy. “We’ll see. Bigger doesn’t mean smarter, and our little Deirdre here is smart as the Dickens.”
“Words of bluster mean nothing,” Renata said with a smile. “Prove your confidence with your wager.”
The others laughed. Taunting and trash talking were part of what made the scrum such a joy. And gambling on the slaves they brought was a tradition as old as Coronation.
“Alright, alright, I think it’s time,” said Bernadette. “You all have seen the entrants tonight. I am the master of ceremonies. I will record your bets.”
One by one, the vampires wagered their money on the slaves who were about to go into the forest and fight to the death. Renata bet two million dollars on Frankie.
“Oh my!” Bernadette said with a laugh. “Someone thinks highly of her servant.”
“Have you ever wagered that much at the scrum?” Mark said.
“Nope,” said Renata. “Fifty years I’ve been putting up piddly amounts of money. Tonight we live a little. What do you say, friends? Put in more money! Let’s have some fun!”
Twenty minutes later, the betting pot at well over ten million, Bernadette began handing out weapons to the servants. A sword to the tall boy with long hair. A sledgehammer to the fat guy with big hands. Oscar got a spear. Deirdre got two knives. Frankie got a hatchet.
“Alright everyone,” Bernadette said. “All the slaves have weapons. As your master of ceremonies tonight, I have a few things to go over with you before we begin. Last slave standing wins the scrum. In the event of a tie or a close call, I make the final decision. You are allowed to watch from the trees, but I ask you to please stay off the field of play. Some of these kids may get jumpy if they see a vampire. The game moves pretty fast, especially at first, and you’ll be leaping all over the place. In previous years, we’ve had items fall out of people’s pockets in the forest as they’ve been jumping around. To prevent any lost items or disruptions to the game, I’d like you to please hand over everything in your pockets.”
Bernadette took out an antique wooden box and held it open.
“Bring it all over,” Bernadette said. “I’ll keep the key to the box. We’ll open it together after the scrum.”
They all approached Bernadette in turn, dropping their keys, wallets, and cell phones in the box. Bernadette closed the box, locked it, and handed it to a servant.
“Everyone find a spot where you can see,” she said. “Some years it goes pretty quick!”
Renata and the other immortals jumped into the trees to get an overhead view of the contest. Bernadette led the slaves inside the gate and locked the door behind them.
“On your mark, get set, GO!”
*****
Frankie’s nightmare began when he was ten years old. He and Nicky fell asleep on the floor of the camper, and he dreamt about a snake.
At first it was a small snake, slithering about in the dirt in front of him. But then it began to grow. Six feet long, ten, twenty…it became the largest snake in the world. And once it was fully grown, it turned to Frankie, opened its mouth, and snapped.
Its mouth was around his legs. The snake took a big gulp and its mouth was up to his waist. Another gulp. Up to his chest. Frankie’s legs were starting to burn as the snake digested him whole. He beat on the snake with his fists, tried to poke at its eyes, but nothing worked. The snake was too strong.
Gulp.
Frankie was all the way in now. Total darkness. Air running out. His clothes dissolving in digestive acid. The walls squeezing him down. His arms starting to break.
And then he was in the chair, looking at the vampire.
“Hello, Frankie,” she said. “My name is Melissa.”
This part of the nightmare was so much worse than the snake. This part of the nightmare never ended. The vampire named Melissa made him a prisoner in his own body. His mind was no longer his own. Days passed into months. Months passed into years. Frankie was lost inside himself, the commands of Melissa Mayhew dictating what he could and could not do.
It was strange and awful. A part of him knew what was happening. A part of him knew this wasn’t what he wanted. Bu
t that part was weak. It was a tiny voice inside a large machine that did what the vampires wanted him to do.
Labor on the Farm, labor in the mansions, labor for Melissa first, then Renata. Frankie scrubbed the floors, pulled the weeds, mowed the lawns, dusted the furniture, and carried the dead bodies to the furnace.
He was of two minds. The real Frankie, soft and meager, and Frankie the slave, who was in control of his body. Frankie the slave wanted only to please the vampires.
The word GO was like an alarm clock that finally woke Frankie from the nightmare. The instant Bernadette yelled the word, Frankie the slave disappeared. His body was once again his own. His mind belonged to the real Frankie. No one else was in there crowding him for space.
But there was one rule to follow.
I must kill everyone before they kill me.
It wasn’t a frightening thought, or even an ugly one. It was just…true.
He was holding something in his hand. A small ax. The kind he had used many, many times to chop wood and hack at overgrown trees.
A boy came running at him, wielding a club with metal spikes. The boy swung the club at Frankie’s head. Frankie ducked. The spikes from the club pierced the tree behind him. The club was stuck. Uncertain of what to do, the boy tried to shake the club loose.
Frankie chopped into the boy’s neck, a single swing cutting so deep the boy instantly collapsed.
He heard laughter and applause coming from up above. He looked up and saw the vampires. Renata, Lena, Mark, Steffy, and many more. He had been made to memorize their faces and names, taught to do their bidding.
Not anymore.
The realization hit him so hard he almost fell down.
They are not the boss of me. I do not have to do what they say. All I have to do is kill everyone before they kill me.
And get out of here.
There was a house. Not too far from here. He had been to the house the week before. Trapped inside his body, looking through his own eyes, he watched as Frankie the slave lifted four corpses from the floor and loaded them into a van. One of those corpses belonged to Melissa Mayhew.
The Rose Ransom (Girls Wearing Black: Book Three) Page 18