Mercy's Danger: Montgomery's Vampires Trilogy (Book #2) (Montgomery's Vampires Series)

by Sloan Archer

  Jerry came over to our room after he’d settled in to his own. It wasn’t a long trip for him, since Robert and I were in the room next door to his. After we got all the hello kisses and pleasantries out of the way, I shared with Jerry how surprised I’d been when I learned that he’d volunteered to turn me. Robert, after first thanking Jerry profusely (and repeatedly) for coming over to help out, said that he’d been amazed, too. Robert couldn’t imagine any vampire over a hundred wanting to go back to being human. (Jerry was a couple hundred years old.)

  Jerry’s response to our astonishment was heartfelt and precise. He made it clear that he’d put a lot of thought into giving up his immortality, and that it was something he desperately wanted. His words alleviated a lot of the guilt I’d felt for imposing my humanism on him.

  Jerry said, “There are a lot of vampires out there who think humankind is crumbling, but I don’t believe that’s necessarily true. Of course there’s always going to be bad people out in the world who have a lot of power. For every crooked dictator who dies, there’s dozens more lined up willing to commit genocide in his place. The world will never be rid of zealots who wield religion like a weapon to oppress and manipulate their people.

  “But there are a lot of good people out there who rebel—people who do the right thing even to their own detriment. Free thinkers. I began my human life in Africa and ended it as a slave in Mississippi. I know what it’s like to be owned—to be stolen from my home and treated as property by another human being. I also know what it’s like to be free—in body, mind, and soul. If the world were pure evil, I’d still have shackles on my wrists. People wouldn’t believe in the goodness of love, and I wouldn’t be able to marry Tim in March. I wouldn’t even be able to be seen with Tim in public. I—”

  “Wait! You’re getting married?” I squealed. “No way! Congratulations!”

  “Yes, I’m getting married,” Jerry gushed. “Can you believe it? Me! Girl, did you ever think you’d see the day?”

  I hugged him, grinning like an idiot. Finally, some happy news.

  “And of course you’re going to be at the wedding—it’s just a few weeks off. We wanted to do it sooner rather than later.”

  “I will! But who is this Tim?”

  “Tim is fine as hell, that’s who he is,” Jerry said. “He’s even finer than you, Robert! No offense, honey.”

  Robert laughed. “None taken, Jerome.”

  “What’s he like—besides being fine? Who is he? Where did you meet?” I quizzed.

  “You’re giving me whiplash with all these questions!” Jerry kidded. “I met him at the courthouse, actually. He’s a judge, but he’s never handled any of my cases. When he asked me out, he said that he’d find me in contempt of court if I didn’t accept. Isn’t that cute?” He threw a hand over his heart and giggled. He had delight oozing out his pores.

  Robert cast his gaze skyward. “You sound like Mercy and Liz when the two of them get going.”

  I swatted Robert on the butt. “Don’t you listen to Robert, Jer. That is very cute. He sounds sweet. How old is he?”

  “He’s as old as me. My pretend human age, that is. He’s forty.”

  Robert asked, “He’s human?”

  “Yes indeedy.”

  Something occurred to me. “Er, Jer, I probably should have said that I’d come to your wedding if it’s held at night.”

  “Darling, everyone I know is a vampire!” Jerry cackled. “Of course the wedding will be at night!”

  “I guess I need to get used to worrying about daylight times now,” I mused. “I’ve got to start thinking like a vampire.”

  Jerry put an arm around me. “Being a vampire will come more naturally than you think. You’ll get the hang of it in no time.”

  I said, “I’m happy to hear you say that. I’m sorry I interrupted. You were saying?”

  Jerry flicked his wrist. “I’ve already forgotten. Get me flapping my gums and I’ll never stop. Really, you should hear me in court! Honestly, sometimes I think the jury rules in my favor just to shut me up!”

  I laughed. “You say a lot, I’ll give you that. But at least it’s never boring.”

  “That’s true.” Jerry winked. “The point I was trying to make is this: I’ve seen the world at its best and at its worst. Love and human decency prevail, in the end. I’m tired, Mercy, but I’m also content. I’ve lived long enough to see the world make right some of its past evils. And now I’ve met a good man—a human man—and I think it’s time.”

  “Time for what, though?” Robert asked.

  “It’s just time,” Jerry said. “I want to grow old with Tim. I want our hair to grey and for us to become the sort of old coots who potter around the garden by day and sit on the porch in rocking chairs drinking lemonade by night. I’ve never had lemonade—couldn’t tell you what it tastes like! I never embraced human life because I spent the majority of it enslaved.”

  “How old were you when they . . .” I cleared my throat, emotional. It made me sick, knowing that others had inflicted harm on this lovely, kind soul. I couldn’t imagine Jerry ever hurting anyone, though he easily could as the towering mass of solid muscle that he was. “When they took you from Africa?” I finished.

  Jerry was lost in his own thoughts. “I was no more than a boy, maybe seven or eight. They took my mother, too, but I never saw my father again. They killed him when he fought to protect us.”

  “Bastards,” Robert murmured.

  “I’ve let go of the anger,” Jerry said, rubbing his eyes. “You have to, you know—let go of the anger. Otherwise it will eat you alive on the inside, like poisonous acid. Anyway, it was so long ago I hardly remember.” That didn’t appear entirely true, but I guess that’s how we cope, by telling ourselves the things need to believe in order to get on with life.

  “You’ve convinced me,” I said, changing the subject. “You seem to really want to be human.”

  Jerry nodded. “I do. You have no reason to feel bad, Mercy. I’m happy to help you out, of course, but this is what I want. I was planning on changing before I even heard of your predicament. I was on the waiting list to receive the serum.”

  “I’m happy for you,” I smiled.

  “But you understand that you won’t become human right away,” Robert reminded Jerry. “It isn’t an exact science. I’m guessing it will take a couple months for you to change.”

  “Okay,” he conceded. “No going outside during the day until I’m certain I’ve changed.”

  “You’ll know when you’ve changed,” Robert said. “You’ll feel an immense difference right away. Your fangs will fall out.”

  “You should be careful at all times,” I advised. “You won’t know the precise moment the change will take place. I’d hate to have your fangs fall out in the courtroom.”

  “Yes. That would be very bad,” Jerry agreed.

  “But it would be worse if it were the other way around,” Robert said. “If you were turning from human to vampire, you’d have to worry about getting caught up in the sun.”

  “Right,” Jerry agreed. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. “Before I forget, I have to fill you two in on what Leopold wanted me to tell you.”

  “Oh no,” Robert said. “VGO stuff?”

  “Yes, the VGO. Damn them! Why do they constantly have to go meddling in everything? I wish they’d mind their own business, live and let live!” Jerry sighed. “You’ve heard about the spontaneous combustions, right? There’s no way you couldn’t have, unless ya’ll been hiding out on Mars. It’s all the news stations are reporting.”

  Thinking of my meltdown on the shoreline, I felt my cheeks color. “Yes. We know.”

  “Then you also must suspect why it’s happening.” Jerry placed his hands on his hips.

  “What did Leopold want you to tell us?” Robert broke in.

  “I’m off-track again!” Jerry chuckled. “Sorry! So, get this—the VGO are responsible for all those people going up in flames.”

  “Su
rprise, surprise,” I commented dryly.

  “Yah, I figured you two would have put that one together. Anyway, shortly after the first spontaneous combustion cases were reported, the VGO contacted Leopold,” Jerry said. “I don’t know what this means, but Leopold assured me that you would. That guy, Edgar? You know who this Edgar is?”

  Robert and I nodded.

  “The reason they wanted him motoring the shipments was so that they could seize them after they went out. They tampered with the serum, but they were sneaky about it. Out of the thousands of vials of serum that went out, they only tampered with about a hundred. Just enough to send a message.”

  “I knew it!” I shouted, making Jerry and Robert start. “Not all the specifics, exactly, but I figured they had tainted the serum somehow.”

  “What did they do to it?” Robert asked. “A reversal?”

  “The VGO told Leopold that they developed a kind of death potion that counteracts with the serum. But it doesn’t reverse the effects of Leopold’s serum; it only causes new humans to turn back into vampires long enough to burst into flames. Whatever the VGO have developed is lethal. Once it gets into your system, you’re done. Even if the human-vampires had all been inside when the VGO’s potion kicked in, they still would have died. I’m so glad I waited on taking the serum.”

  I was confused. “If the VGO were angry with the vampires who’d taken the serum, why wouldn’t they simply compile a list of recipients and then kill them off quietly? The VGO must have realized what a media frenzy it would cause, all those people randomly catching fire.”

  “Sure they did,” Jerry said. “That’s what they wanted. They wanted those considering going to Leopold for the serum to have second thoughts. Everyone knows how tenacious Leopold is. He wasn’t going to stop on his own volition, no matter how much they threatened him.”

  “Sounds about right,” Robert commented sourly. “Once Leopold digs his heals in, there’s no stopping him.”

  I’d figured it out. “So the VGO had to turn it around. They had to make vampires stop going to Leopold since he’d never stop going to them.”

  Robert said, “Which is why they only tainted a hundred vials. They wanted to give vampires the impression that the serum doesn’t work on everyone. Or, rather, it could work for a while and then reverse itself.”

  “Thus scaring away all of Leopold’s potential clients,” I added. “Because they’ll have no idea if they’ll be one of the unlucky vampires that the serum reverses itself on.”

  “Bingo. The VGO are sneaky buggers, aren’t they?” Jerry scratched his chin. “And there’s no way Leopold can tell vampires that there’s a massive conspiracy happening that was perpetrated by the VGO. Either they wouldn’t believe him and dismiss him as a quack, or they’d be too scared to take the serum after learning of the VGO’s disapproval.”

  “So what’s Leopold going to do?” Robert asked.

  “Oh, he’s so done. He says this whole serum business is more trouble than it’s worth. Look at the trouble it’s gotten you two into.”

  “Leopold is the one who got us into this mess,” Robert growled. “Don’t blame the serum.”

  Jerry held up his hands. “Hey, boyfriend, don’t shoot the damn messenger.”

  Robert patted Jerry on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t dream of it. But did Leopold say if he’s made progress on my cure?”

  Jerry shook his head. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Leopold claims that he’s getting close, but there’s still no cure. The destruction at the lab has set him back.”

  Robert frowned.

  After a few seconds of silence, I said, “Robert says it will hurt when I change over. How bad will it be?”

  “I’m not going to sugarcoat this,” Jerry told me. “You’re going to be praying for death by the end of it.”

  I let out a quivering exhale. “We should get on with it, then, shouldn’t we? Before I chicken out.”

  “It’s up to you,” Jerry said. “Have you bid farewell to the sun?”

  I nodded. “I spent all day yesterday soaking up some rays, saying goodbye to daylight forever.” I wished I’d had more time, but I wished not to be murdered by the VGO more.

  I’d seen a lot of stunning scenery during my time in Bali, and I was thankful that my final encounters with sunlight had been beautiful. On my last day as a human, I’d risen early with Robert to watch as the ocean’s surface changed: ethereal oranges and pinks at sunrise, green midmorning, and sapphire at noon. We ate a tray of tropical fruit under a palm tree, its emerald crown swaying lazily in the breeze. When the beach emptied, we swam naked in the surf. And as the sun went down, Robert and I made love on the sand. My final, perfect day of humanism.

  “What about a coffin? Did you have one made?” Jerry asked me.

  “I did,” I said, “and it’s actually kind of beautiful.”

  “I imagine it would be,” Jerry said. “The Balinese are known for their exquisite handcrafts. I wish I had more time to stay and shop.”

  I agreed. “Wait until you get a look at it, Jer. It’s made of teak, with petrified wood and mother-of-pearl inlay.” Hey, if I was going to die, no reason not to do it in style. “It’s lined with lavender-grey silk, and the hinges are oxidized gunmetal. It’s so sweet.” I couldn’t believe it, but I was feeling true excitement while describing the casket. I tried to look at it like I was ending one chapter of life and beginning a new one in death. I sure hoped I liked being a vampire.

  Robert kissed my cheek. “I’ll be by your side the whole time.”

  “Me too,” Jerry promised.

  “Then we have no excuse to wait,” I said. “Let’s do it.

  18

  I was dying.

  At least, I wished I was dying. Death would be preferable to the pain I was suffering.

  Pain, however, was not a strong enough word to convey my agony. No term in any language on earth would fully depict what I was going through, unless a phrase comprising hit-by-a-train-and-boiled-in-battery-acid-and-eaten-by-a-school-of-ravenous-sharks-and-lit-on-fire existed and I didn’t know about it.

  There was sweating. So much sweating, in fact, that Jerry had to call the front desk twice to ask for new sheets. I soaked both sets within minutes. There was crying and moaning and cursing—lots and lots of cursing. I cursed everyone and everything: the VGO, Leopold, Michael and his stupid predictions, my third grade nemesis who used to steal desserts off my lunch tray, every dog that had ever yapped at me while I was jogging, PMS, mayonnaise (I hate mayonnaise), and parking tickets. Most of it I did into a pillow because I was worried that a passerby in the hall would hear me and think I was being tortured. Though, in a way, I kind of was. There was vomiting, vomiting, and more vomiting. I could have given that possessed little girl in The Exorcist a run for her money.

  So much for going out with dignity, eh? I tried to take solace in knowing that Robert had seen me at my worst and continued to stick around. If a man can still love you after you’ve upchucked down the front of his shirt, ladies, you know he’s a keeper.

  Robert and Jerry had warned me, sure. But no amount of cautioning would have prepared me for the agony of giving myself over to darkness. I also hadn’t been provided any indication of how long the process would take. It was impossible for anyone to know for certain, as the changeover was different for everyone. Jerry’s changeover had taken an hour; Robert’s had occurred over the course of two nights, though he didn’t remember much of it. Some of the luckier vamps Robert and Jerry knew had changed instantly. For those fortunate souls, it had simply been a matter of drinking blood from the vampire who’d bitten them. Then, presto change-o, they were immortal. Like vampire Tang, but instead of water it was just add blood.

  Unfortunately, the universe was not on my side in this situation.

  Jerry and Robert hadn’t left my side since we’d started the whole process. Six hours ago. That’s right, six hours. Around hour three I recognized that I was not going to be a Tang vampire, but after six damn hour
s of mind-numbing torment I did anticipate an end being somewhere in sight. The change couldn’t go on forever . . . right?

  For the umpteenth time, I bawled, “How much longer?”

  I would have felt sorry for Jerry and Robert if I hadn’t been so busy feeling sorry for myself. It mustn’t have been easy for them to tend to a woman who’d been hurling insults (and don’t forget vomit) and writhing around in wet sheets for most of the night.

  Robert continued holding my hand and cheering me on like I was giving birth. Jerry pressed a wet washcloth to my forehead. They ignored my question.

  “You guys, I wasn’t being rhetorical!” I hollered. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

  Robert, looking more nervous than I’d ever seen him, said to Jerry, “If this goes on much longer, we might have to start thinking about getting her coffin ready. In this condition, it may take us some time to move her. I’d hate to see her caught up in sunlight. And once the sun gets close, you’ll have to go to your own coffin.”

  Jerry nodded. “Smart idea. Just in case.”

  “What?” I screeched. “I can’t do this all night! I can’t lay in a dark coffin alone in this condition! I can’t—”

  I was dead. That I was certain.

  But I was awake, with no pulse and no breath. And my mouth was sore.

  That was the first change I noticed, my fangs. They were fully extended and cutting into my lower lip. I ran a tongue over them and their tips cut my tongue. Blood oozed over my taste buds, and it was then I discerned the second change: a ravenous urgency to feed.

  Jerry and Robert both wore masks of fright. Jerry was shaking with such ferocity that the flask he held in his fingers splashed droplets of blood down his wrists and onto the floor.

  I sat up and they flinched. They were afraid of something.