You could have heard a pin drop. Alucard raked his fingers through his hair, looking like he had decided to use the Bible as a weapon if it could help him escape. I glanced at Roland, hoping for some insight into whatever the hell Nate was talking about, but he merely looked uncomfortable, back to discreetly studying the vampire out of the corner of his eye.
“That will not be necessary, Master Temple,” the taller Conclave member said, looking like he was chewing tinfoil with a mouth full of cavities. “Of course, you may speak with the Shepherds and get their input on where your… donation will be best utilized.” His heavy eyebrows settled directly on Nate, as if he wasn’t blind at all. Huh. “But you should know you cannot buy your way into Heaven.” Nate blinked at him.
Then he burst out laughing, doubling over as he slapped his knees. He did this for a good ten seconds before taking a deep breath and standing back up, wiping his eyes. “I’m not here to buy a bus ticket, but where I’m from people usually say thank you, and I return that courtesy with you’re welcome.” The tall wizard did not look pleased at this, but Nate waved a hand dismissively, turning back to the Shepherds instead, much to the Conclave’s outrage. He raised his voice over their shouting. “What am I doing talking to them?” he said, smiling politely at the Shepherds, who looked about as uncomfortable – and untrusting – as it was possible to look. “I find that bureaucrats are very good at spending money… in all the wrong places.” He winked.
Nate turned to collect his bag and saw Alucard standing very still. Nate glanced back at the Shepherds, a menacing glint flickering in his eyes. “Oh, and he’s with me. If even one of you so much as thinks about harming him, I’ll murder all of you.” In a blink, the menace was gone and he gave them an easy shrug. “Fair warning,” he said with a friendly laugh.
Then he scooped up his satchel – the one I had given him from Darling and Dear, I noticed with a pleased grin – and strode up to me. The Shepherds around me were as still as statues. Before I could extend my hand for a professional handshake, he wrapped me up in a hug and was detaching himself before I could slap him. He wrapped his arm around Roland’s shoulders like they were old pals, and was guiding him from the room before Roland could argue.
Not knowing what else to do, I shot a look at Alucard who merely sighed in agreement before setting down the Bible. He held out his elbow to lead me from the room.
“We are not finished here!” The taller Conclave member roared.
I glanced over my shoulder, readjusting my pack, to find the seven wizards staring in our direction. Nate and Roland had already left the room. Not knowing what else to do, and doubting they could see me anyway, I shrugged with an innocent smile. “I’m just escorting a generous benefactor and his guest. As I understand it, you didn’t need to talk to me until tomorrow, and since this meeting is apparently over… I’d rather not have one of those Pomeranians find Nate Temple in the hallway.”
Fabrizio burst out laughing. “Pomeranians!” he hooted, and the other Shepherds battled smiles of their own, not in any effort to further infuriate the Conclave, but at my comment.
I shrugged, embarrassed. “Whatever they’re called,” I amended, frowning. “I better follow my mentor. He gets worried if he can’t find me,” I winked at Crispin. He nodded tersely, not finding fault in me, but knowing he was about to get his ass reamed by the Conclave.
I led Alucard from the room. “You better tell me what the hell you two are really doing here, because you walked right into a den of vipers,” I hissed to the vampire under my breath.
He grunted. “You don’t know the half of it…”
Which sent a very real blast of fear down my spine as the doors closed behind us.
Chapter 28
I found Nate talking to Roland outside the building. The two men saw us and waved us over eagerly, which was surprising to me. Roland getting along with Nate?
I squared my shoulders and scowled at the billionaire wizard. “What are you doing here, Nate? We’ve got some serious shit going down right now, and your arrival just made it worse.”
Nate frowned, but he did look suddenly guilty. “I’m not here about you. I just name dropped you to get my foot in the door.” He glanced at Roland. “I really am making a donation, and I really do think it’s better to get input from you and the other Shepherds rather than the Conclave.” His frown grew thoughtful. “Alucard was with me, and I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to rattle them with his Bible trick.” He jerked his chin at Alucard, cooing in a soft tone. “Who’s a good vampire? You are! Yes, you are!”
Alucard suffered this with a sigh, and Nate finally gave up.
He turned back to us, checking to make sure we were alone. “They need to see that the world is changing. Things aren’t always what they seem, and what used to be considered evil might not be as evil as they assume.” He pulled out a coin from his pocket, letting us see the meaning of his words before pocketing it.
Roland grunted, but his eyes danced with silent excitement. He had finally found a reason to like Nate. I considered the coin in silence. It was the Horseman of Hope Mask. Nate had been drafted onto the Apocalypse squad as the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse. His actions kind of made sense, now. He would need the Shepherds at one point, and it was better to piss them off now and let them get used to the idea of working with monsters rather than them hesitating at the idea when we needed to band together later.
I shivered at the thought. I had enough on my plate as it was. If our mission went tits up here, the Apocalypse wouldn’t matter at all to me. We’d be dead.
“What are you two doing here?” He asked as he handed Roland a check.
Roland blinked at the amount, shaking his head. I didn’t even want to ask.
“I left the pay to the order of line blank,” Nate said, shrugging. “Because I don’t know how you guys handle the books.” Roland nodded dumbly, still staring at the check. He finally put it in his pocket, very carefully, as if it were a bomb.
Alucard was studying Roland again. “Might want to step out of the sun,” he said casually.
Nate frowned at Alucard, then rolled his eyes and turned back to me. “Well? What’s up?”
But I was studying Roland, who suddenly looked as tight as a coiled spring. He slowly lifted his arms and stepped into the sunlight, spinning in a slow circle. Then he locked eyes with Alucard. “I find the sun agrees with my complexion in my old age.”
Alucard’s eyes tightened, looking thoughtful as he stared at Roland’s skin with a frown, but he finally let it go, sniffing the air again. I let out a sigh of relief. The amulet Haven had given Roland was working, masking his abilities. If that secret came out, Nate would never leave.
I turned to Roland, silently asking him if it was okay to answer Nate’s question. After a brief hesitation, he shrugged in response.
Then he turned to Nate. “I’m not going to lie, seeing you put the Conclave in their place was surprisingly satisfying. Callie’s a bad influence on me.”
Nate’s jaw dropped as if he had seen Hell freeze over.
I rolled my eyes and took Nate’s arm, forcing the others to follow me as we walked the grounds. I didn’t want to stand too near to the buildings in case they had surveillance. “One of the Shepherds was murdered, and two of our friends were framed for it,” I said softly, ignoring the whiff of black licorice that always surrounded Nate – some odd kind of cologne. Or he had been gargling absinthe. Either was likely.
He didn’t slow, but his face did grow tighter. He didn’t speak as he continued walking. I could hear Alucard and Roland speaking softly to one another behind us, but since I didn’t hear hissing, I assumed the two weren’t about to kill each other. If they decided to fight, every single warrior for a hundred yards would pound them with bullets, seeing two vampires go head to head, or worse yet, the Shepherds seeing one of their own attacked by a vampire.
“What’s up with Roland? He seems different,” Nate murmured, not turning to look at me.
I opened my mouth, truly wanting to tell him because I trusted Nate. Even though he was brash, bold and dangerous, he was unbelievably loyal and would never betray me.
On purpose.
But it wasn’t my secret to share.
“It’s complicated. You can ask him if you want, but I know he’s very concerned about the dead Shepherd. He was Roland’s mentor,” I added meaningfully.
Nate grunted, but I wasn’t sure which comment had elicited the response. “You think it was an inside job. Why? And you must be onto something if Roland agrees,” he added.
I nodded. “He was the first to suspect it.”
Nate arched a brow at me in surprise. “Shit. Do you have any leads? Proof? Evidence?”
I shook my head. “It’s why we’re here.” Then I sighed. “Well, not the only reason. Apparently, they have a hearing scheduled for me tomorrow. About my recent exploits.”
Nate skidded to a stop, spinning me to face him, his face a thunderhead. “I don’t like that word. Especially not after what you just told me…”
I locked eyes with him. “I’m a big girl, Nate. And I have a Roland.”
He glanced back at the two men, eyes scheming. I pinched his arm and he flinched turning back to me. “We’ve got it, but I appreciate your concern. Now, who was the other party you mentioned? The Palmer-something.”
He blinked at me. “You haven’t heard of the Palmarians?” Seeing my blank look, he shook his head. “How do I know something about religion that you don’t?” he said under his breath. Then he cleared his throat, preparing to lecture.
“I’m pretty sure they’re defunct, now, but they caused quite a stir for a time. I just said it to ruffle their feathers,” he admitted. Of course he had. “They were a schism of the traditional Catholic Church. In the late 1970’s there was a major disagreement and a group of Bishops broke off from the Vatican, declaring the sitting Pope excommunicated. Over time, they elected their own Popes and constantly refuted the legitimacy of the Vatican. That’s their side,” he winked. “People on your side called him the Antipope. The Palmarians were much more… conservative in their beliefs, and weren’t fans of the open-mindedness of the Vatican.” He leaned closer. “Suffice it to say, they weren’t friends. Neither considered the other legitimate, and it was a highly contested argument in certain circles.” He finally let out a breath, waving his hand dismissively. “Basically, they were a big media spotlight that didn’t do anyone any good. A lot of questionable activity surrounded them, too. I don’t know what happened to them, or if they are even still around, but their actions gave rise to numerous other factions. A similar Bishop is here, now, visiting the Vatican. I’ve heard him referred to as the new Antipope. Bishop Anthony Gregory Gutierrez. I only said it to make them see reason in my donation,” he admitted.
I shook my head in amazement. I remembered hearing something about an Anti-Pope years back, but it had sounded like some far-fetched conspiracy theory, so I had never looked into it. “The Palmarians had a real church with priests, buildings, and everything?” I asked, incredulous. Why hadn’t Roland ever told me about that?
Nate shrugged. “Not sure how much power they had or anything, but I know they were a thorn in the Vatican’s side. This new Antipope isn’t a Palmarian, but he may as well be.”
Roland strolled up to us, clearing his throat. “Let’s get out of here and grab some food. We were rudely interrupted earlier.” Nate nodded. Was that a hint that Roland was thirsty? “Oh, and Temple? Don’t use your magic in town. They have some kind of tracking device. A Shepherd paid us a visit less than thirty minutes after we got here.”
Nate frowned. “That sounds… useful,” he said, his eyes growing distant, likely wondering what he had to do to steal it from the Church. Then he shot a curious look at Roland, wondering why the Shepherd had opted to share an inside secret. The two weren’t exactly friends.
I pinched his arm again. “No stealing from the Church, Nate. I mean it.” He looked suddenly guilty, as if the thought had entered his mind. I rolled my eyes. Incorrigible. “Do you have time for lunch before you leave? We have enough on our plate without having to worry about them finding out about your white whips or that coin.”
Nate nodded, not looking concerned, but knowing I was probably right. “We fly out in about two hours. I’ve got a meeting back home I can’t miss,” he said, eyes intently sweeping the grounds out of habit, checking for dangers.
“Good,” I said, hiding my relief. Nate wasn’t sticking around.
He approached one of the Swiss Guards. “Mind pulling my car around?” he asked to the man’s back. He was obviously on break. The guard instantly looked offended at being interrupted, but when he turned and saw who it was his eyes grew hungry, likely realizing he was being offered a few seconds to drive a stupidly expensive car.
“Of course, Master Temple.” He scurried away as if the Pope was on fire.
Nate nudged me in the ribs. “Watch this.”
A few minutes later, the car pulled up – a gleaming silver Bentley of some kind. I couldn’t even afford the magazines that advertised such vehicles. It glistened in the sun like liquid silver, and a small part of me purred – that Angelic power I had been practicing with, which had a silver hue. When used, my vision changed to a world of silver, and let me see a few seconds into the future. It also gave me some kind of Holy armor, which had saved my life when fighting a demon. Oh, and freaking wings, can’t forget the wings.
I flinched when I realized I was listening to Whispers in my mind, almost understanding them this time. Nate was studying me critically. “Sorry. Nice car,” I complimented, kicking myself as the Whispers faded like smoke.
The Swiss Guard climbed out, shaking his head with a grin that was definitely not standard issue. “I’m sure I felt a ticking in the suspension. We should probably have the mechanic—”
Alucard snorted. “Nice try.”
The guard let out a long sigh. “Worth a shot. Have fun out there, and try not to sin. They frown on that kind of thing here,” he said with a wink.
He had no idea.
Chapter 29
We sat in a casual restaurant with a pleasant view of the streets – much like the one we had visited earlier today when Windsor had found us – and were sipping coffee after our meal as the early afternoon breeze kept the air fresh, but not too cold. Our bags sat beside the table.
Nate’s rental car – or, hell, maybe he had bought it just for his short trip – had been stunning. It wasn’t until I sat inside a Bentley that I really understood the difference between it and my truck. Like entirely different worlds. From the outside, they were easy to dismiss as expensive shells over the same clunker I drove, but once inside? Wow.
The leather had felt soft enough that it may have still covered a living body. The wooden trim had been hand-carved from a single tree in some foreign magical kingdom, and sitting inside gave me the natural feeling that I was wealthier than everyone else in the world. Like the air-conditioner had infected me with arrogance and elitism. That being said, it was pleasant, reminding me of just how different Nate and I were. He had been born into this world where having piles of money was normal. But what I appreciated about these wake-up calls was that he never flaunted it as a weapon. Sure, he showed it off, but always in ways that were more like a gift to his friends. Not showing off the car as his, but happy to share a very fun, unique experience with them. But it was hard to see it that way sometimes. It was easy to let jealousy take control, and remaining objective was hard while surrounded by a million dollars’ worth of car. I somehow managed. First world problems.
After dinner, Roland had taken several sips from his personal thermos – having tucked it into his duffel bag back home – his eyes twinkling at Alucard’s response, which was fun to watch. Alucard’s eyes had practically bugged out of his skull and he looked on the verge of a conniption. I kept Nate distracted, asking him about St. Louis and his recent drama since I had seen him last, as
Roland pulled Alucard aside for a private talk a few tables away. My mentor shot me a look, as if imploring me to trust him, but it wasn’t like I could have stopped him.
If Roland wanted to tell Alucard he was a member of the blood-sucking club, that was really up to him. And to be honest, it was probably better to tell Alucard outright before he started digging into it on his own, asking questions.
Finished catching me up, Nate shot Roland and Alucard a wary look. “What’s up with Roland? And why does Alucard care? Is it the Bible thing?” he asked, scratching his jaw.
I shrugged. “I find it’s better not to ask. Probably a good guess, though,” I said, latching onto his idea. “Maybe he’s trying to convert the vampire to Christianity,” I added, grinning playfully.
Nate studied me. “Except you know he’s not,” he said firmly. For a moment, my heart froze, staring into those green eyes and wondering if he would ask me outright. I didn’t want to lie to Nate. He finally grinned, shrugging unconcernedly. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. Everyone needs their secrets, and I imagine Roland has a wagonload. I would never ask you to betray him. But I do expect you to let me know if it’s something I could help with. There’s a fine line between respecting privacy and the land of Keeping the Secret Gets Him Killed.”
I nodded in agreement, glancing back at Roland. I could tell Nate was dying to know, but that he was sincere about not being upset with me for keeping Roland’s secret.
“You’re heading back to St. Louis?” I asked, changing the subject.
Nate waved a hand as he took a sip of his wine. “Meetings. Boring, but necessary.” He set his glass down and leaned in closer to me. “You sure you don’t need any help here? You made it sound pretty serious.” We hadn’t talked about me, because I knew if I mentioned anything he would find a reason to stick around. I had doggedly kept the discussion focused on him.
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