by Renee George
“Nan was the only one who could ever talk any sense into that girl.” Nadine’s mouth formed a small o. “Oh, goddess. My tongue. I’m sorry, Nathan.”
The news of his mother’s death was still fresh for Nathan, but he shook off the pain, pushed it down. More important matters needed to be taken care of first. “It’s okay. Gui told me about my mother as well.”
“Still, I’m sorry.”
“What do we know about the libilis stones? Anyone?”
Tyr spoke first. “One to control the magic, one to prolong life, and the last to harness time.” He sat on the couch, a bit more exhausted than he’d admit to anyone, but Nathan felt it. “I’m pretty sure that passage from the Lilin wars refers to the libilis.”
“So what exactly happened when you guys got back from wherever we’d been sent?”
“It was the ancient past, amante. To the first vampires.” Guillermo stroked Nathan’s arms with his palms, standing very near. Nathan saw that Nadine was similarly touching Tyr, as if both vampires were afraid to lose their loves once again.
“Okay, so when you got back, what then?”
“We returned thirteen weeks from when we left. Nadine and Nan had been caring for the child, but she’d grown weak, pale, shaking with sweat and fever. So near death.” Gui shuddered at the memory. “When you did not reappear with us, we took the two remaining stones and placed them near her in the crib.”
“Then?”
Guillermo shrugged. “Then she became well. Although, quite irritable. She seemed agitated that the third stone had not come back.”
“She wears the two stones. The blue and pale purple on a chain around her neck,” Nadine offered. “Bekah told me once she controlled her wild magic with the blue stone, and the purple, well, I assume it must be the life one, since she survived.”
“So this one.” Nathan pulled the amber stone from his pocket. “This one must be the time rock.”
Nadine began to gnaw at a fingernail. “You can’t let her have the stone, Nathan. She’s already too powerful.”
“I don’t plan on giving it to her, but if we’re right. If this is the time harnessing thingy-majig…”
“You have a way with words, amante.”
“Whatever. If this stone is it, then it may explain why I wasn’t sent back to the present with you guys.”
* * *
“So, according to the texts, the stones make the user insane and insanely powerful with constant use and only a vampire with magical ability can wield the stones.” Nathan rubbed his hands through his hair. “We are so screwed.”
“Maybe not.” Guillermo flipped a few pages and pointed about halfway down at an illustration. “If you look here, there is a diagram on how to destroy the stones.”
“Okay,” Nadine butted in. “Say we can destroy the stones. Then what? We’ll never get close enough to get them, and anyone stupid enough to take them from her neck would be dead before they got two feet from her.”
“That’s why I’m the one who has to do it.”
Guillermo, Tyr, and Nadine all protested.
“She’s my daughter. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened. To any of you.”
Shaking his head, Guillermo grasped Nathan’s arm. “If you die again, I do not wish to live.”
Nadine shuddered. “Me either.”
Tyr grunted his agreement.
“Then we are all in this, or we move to Canada,” Nadine quipped. Nathan smiled, but Gui and Tyr looked at her like she’d just shot their dog. “Switzerland, maybe?”
A rumbling noise started deep within Tyr’s chest until it burst from his lips. Laughter. Guillermo joined in, and soon they were all laughing. It felt good and Nathan wanted to hold onto the moment as long as he could. It might be a long time, or never, before they laughed again.
* * *
Thomas Brown, president and chief of the new order of the Brotherhood, formerly, Tommy Brown of his parent’s basement, paced the floor of his top-secret headquarters, an abandoned warehouse in Liberty, Missouri. “You are certain Nathan Greer is back. The Nathan Greer?”
“Yes, brother.” The man speaking was one of the security men from Guillermo’s club. The Brotherhood had made it a point to get members into key locations, always trying to find a way to get close to Rebekah Greer, the reincarnation of Lilith, the Brotherhood’s greatest enemy. “I saw him myself.”
“Hmmm, very interesting.” The thought of Nathan Greer made Thomas nervous and excited. He knew Perez was no longer blinded, if he’d ever been, to the charms of Rebekah Greer. Maybe with his lover back, he might decide to act.
The Brotherhood had taken great losses over the years -- Rebekah Greer disposing of them as easily as turning off the lights. The wand Guillermo had developed, while awful, was still better than final death. With Nathan back, would Guillermo rally against Rebekah, or come to her aid? Like she needs help.
“I have to get back to the city, brother. I have a shift tonight.”
“Yes, by all means go.” They had to keep up appearances. Thomas didn’t have the advantage of magic that the original twelve did. Although, the libilis… If he could somehow get the stones, he might be able to spark something. They were four thousand strong, but even then, no match for the girl.
Maybe he could convince the father an unholy alliance could be made, and if all went well, he would be rid of both of them. Fair and just punishment for what they did to his brothers all those years ago.
* * *
“Promise me.” Tyr held Nadine close as they lay in their bed. Even drugged, he’d felt every bit of the pain coursing through his body as he lived -- if someone could call it living -- without the bond.
“Anything, my love,” she cooed, snuggling in closer under his arm. “Anything.”
“If anything happens to Nathan and I survive. I want you to take my life.”
He could see alarm, panic, racing through his lover as she fought for reasoning, for an argument, but finally, she simply closed her eyes. “I will. I promise. Then I will die with you.”
Tyr began to protest, but Nadine held a finger to his lips. “I love you. This immortal life is nothing without you.”
The large vampire nodded. The possibility was real now; they could both be dead before the night ended.
Nadine’s fingers danced along his scalp. “I’m sorry I cut your hair.”
How could she be sorry? If it hadn’t been for Nadine, Tyr would never have survived the last two and a half decades. She had been his only comfort, and she stayed with him every night from the time he woke, until the death of dawn. Even in the foggy haze, he remembered that much. “I’m not Samson.” He smiled, sadness rimming his eyes. “And you are not Delilah.”
Nadine wiggled her eyebrows, “I could be if you wanted.”
“Role playing already, huh?”
A somber knock came at the door. It was Nathan. “It’s time to go, if we’re going.”
Tyr kissed Nadine firmly on the mouth. “I love you,” he whispered.
“Oh, the things I’m going to do to you later,” she grinned.
“If there is a later.”
Chapter Seven
A hover-limo drove them all to the new Crown Plaza West where Rebekah owned the penthouse suite. At the front desk, a man in a black suit, white shirt, and black tie eyed them suspiciously. Until he recognized Guillermo. “Mr. Perez. How are you this evening?”
“Fine, Donnelly. Thank you for asking. Is Ms. Greer available?”
“Uh, she requested not to be disturbed, sir.”
Guillermo gestured to Nathan. “I think she’ll make an exception. This is her father.”
“Her father? I wasn’t aware…”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it. I’m dead.” Nathan pushed his face close the attendant. “Boo.”
If the man wanted to respond to Nathan’s antics, the look on Tyr’s face as he towered over Nathan’s back forced Donnelly to bite his tongue. “I’ll see if she’s available.”
>
Tyr, Nadine, Gui, and Nathan stepped away from the desk as the man made his call. “Okay,” Nathan told them. “Remember, tonight is just about recon.”
Nadine shook her head. “You’ve been watching way too many movies, babe.”
“Whatever.” Nathan waved his hand. “Anyway, it’s just about assessing the environment, finding out how hard or easy it’ll be to get the stones. Besides, I have to see for myself if Rebekah is who you say she is.”
“We understand, amante. She is your flesh and blood.”
“As long as we all know, we’re just here to talk.”
Donnelly cleared his throat. “You can go on up.” He pushed a button at the desk and the elevator doors opened.
Nathan hesitated, but Gui ushered him from behind. “Shall we?”
“Please, let’s hurry to our death, shall we?” Nadine sneered.
Guillermo glared at her.
“What? I’m just saying… I mean, hell, the girl knows how to clear a room.”
Stopping short of elevator, Nathan turned. “Maybe you all should stay down here. Just let me go up and see Bekah.”
“No,” Tyr snapped.
“Calm down. You all just stay here. If I’m not back in twenty, you have my permission to get as stupid as you want.” He stepped into the elevator and held up his hands. “Besides, I don’t think my own daughter is going to kill me. At least, not tonight.”
“Oh, that’s bullshit.” Nadine shoved her way into the elevator, Tyr and Gui pushing in after her. “You go, we all go.”
Nathan cocked his brow at her. “I can see you’re getting back to your old rhythm again.”
Slipping her hand into Nathan’s, she gave his palm a squeeze. “Shut up.”
“Fair enough.” He squeezed back, then realized they were all touching him. Gui’s shoulder pressed against his own, Tyr sidled up behind him. They were afraid, all of them, his family afraid because of what his absence had done to them. He wished they would just let him handle Bekah. But in retrospect, it had been inequitable for him to ask them to stay behind. In a way, he’d left them behind already, and it had nearly destroyed them.
Together then. The thought made Nathan want to push the ground floor button. To just say, forget it, take Nadine’s suggestion and move to Canada. But if it was true, really true what they said about Rebekah, and Nathan had no reason to believe otherwise, he had a responsibility to fix it. He’d brought her into this world.
She had been such a beautiful child, her cinnamon colored hair, soft reddish-brown like Anna’s had been, and her green, green eyes she’d gotten from Nathan. When he’d first held her in his arms, he’d felt a love that was indefinable. How could his little girl be a monster?
The elevator opened to the sixth floor and there was a large foyer with only one door at the end. “This must be the penthouse.”
“Sí. It is.”
As Nathan approached the door, Tyr stepped in front of him before he could knock. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. If she’s going to kill us all…” Visions of the twelve Brotherhood vampires exploding into light filled Nathan’s mind. “I don’t think it’s going to happen any slower if you’re standing in front of me.”
Tyr stoically stood his ground. “If that happens, I plan to go before you.”
“Fine. Knock already.”
As Tyr raised his fist to knock, the door flew open. “Father!” Rebekah squealed. Honest to God, squealed, as she slipped around Tyr and hugged Nathan hard. The stones around her neck pressed against his chest. “I can’t believe it. It’s really you! How? How did you ever survive? And where have you been?”
“I… I hadn’t gone anywhere. Just sort of showed up.” He untangled himself from her embrace. “Let me take a look at you.”
She looked so much like Anna. Long straight hair, beautiful creamy complexion, but the eyes were still his. She wore a purple evening gown, Nan’s favorite color, low cut, a little sexy for Nathan’s taste, especially for his daughter to be wearing, but she was an adult now. He whistled low and soft. “You’ve really turned out beautiful. I wish I’d been around to watch you grow.”
“Oh, Father.” She smiled and pulled him into the suite, barely acknowledging Gui, Tyr, or Nadine.
The living room was luxury at its gaudiest, sleek white furniture, gold and glass end tables and accents everywhere, a three-inch pile carpet -- like someone trying a little too hard to impress. She got that from her grandmother.
Sitting on the love seat, she patted the cushion next to her. “Sit. Please tell me everything.”
“There’s not a whole lot to tell. The last twenty-five years have been a blink of time for me. I was there in the past, then here. I’m not sure what happened.” She seemed so normal, smiling brilliantly at him, welcoming Nathan, talking like she was… well… normal. Maybe they were wrong about her. Maybe she just needed her dad.
“Hmmm. Did the libilis come with you?”
Ah and there’s the rub. “Uh, yeah, the stone. Well, about that…”
“Did you bring it with you?” she asked a little too quickly.
“No, sorry, I didn’t even think.” He’d hidden the rock back at the mansion in the drain of the pool.
Switching gears again, she giggled. “Of course you didn’t bring it with you. How silly of me to ask. Isn’t it ridiculous, Guillermo?”
Guillermo, who had said nothing, merely stood quietly near Nathan since they’d entered the room, shrugged. “Ridiculous.”
Rebekah giggled again. “Ridiculous.” She rolled her R’s, mimicking Guillermo’s speech pattern. “I love the way it sounds when Guillermo says words like that.” There was a flash behind her eyes, betraying the girlish grin, something that conveyed… anger? Irritation? Whatever it had been, she covered it quickly. “Don’t you agree, Father?”
“So, tell me about you? How’ve you been? Are you taking care of yourself? Eating well?”
Eyeing Guillermo and Nadine suspiciously, she placed her hand on Nathan’s leg. “I’m sure Auntie Nadine and Guillermo have told you wretched tales about me.”
Gui grunted. Nadine started nibbling fiercely at a fingernail as Tyr rubbed her back soothingly. Nathan tried to keep his anxiety level low by ignoring them. “Nothing all that bad.”
Bekah barked a laugh. “Yeah, right. They have been wretched to me, Father. Quite wretched.” She reached over to the end table and pulled a long cigarette from a glass container and placed it to her lips. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did you want one?”
“No, thanks.” Although Nathan wanted one really badly at this point, he didn’t want to encourage his daughter. After all, she had a mortal body. “You know those things are bad for you.”
Snapping her fingers in front of the cigarette, she inhaled deeply as the cherry brightened with fire and life. She blew the smoke out in a long exhale. “It’s so sweet of you to worry,” she said, kissing his cheek. “Don’t you think so, Guillermo?”
“Hmm.”
“Tyrsgard Madds. My Viking warrior. Why have you not come to see me before now?” She batted her green eyes at Tyr. “Oh, that’s right. Shame on me. You’ve been incapacitated.”
Tyr curled his upper lip into a snarl that Nathan’s gaze stopped short.
Slipping his hand across Rebekah’s, he intertwined their fingers. Her hands felt warm, hot almost, very human. “I really want to get to know you, Bekah. The adult you. Will you come for dinner at the house tomorrow night?”
“The house? My. I haven’t been there since…” Sadness, a real emotion, touched her eyes, and Nathan thought there was hope for her. “It was very hard losing Grandma Nan. She was easy to love.”
“Yes, yes, she was.”
Her disposition brightened once more. “Of course, dinner tomorrow night. What time shall I arrive?”
“Eight-ish?”
“It’s a date.” She smiled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Which frankly, unsettled Nathan.
“It’s a date.
Chapter Eight
Tyr, Nadine, and Guillermo remained stone-cold silent.
“Okay. So it was a little awful.” Nathan sighed. “Bright side, she didn’t kill anyone. I think that showed some self-control. Don’t you?” Staring at the mansion, he remembered the Addam’s Family vibe he’d got the first time he’d seen it. Three stories, stone, two large chimneys on either side, decadence at its best. Much to Nathan’s surprise, it became home.
Stepping from the car, Nathan felt old and tired. “Ah, the prodigal son returns.” A vampire stepped out of the shadows wearing a white hooded robe, followed by fifty more vampires just like him. The Brotherhood of Truth.
Tyr, Nadine, and Gui surrounded Nathan. “Oh, stop already.” He stepped between them to face the large group of men. “What in hell is that supposed mean? The prodigal son returns.”
“It means…” The vampire seemed a little lost for words. “I don’t know. Just always wanted to say it.” He pulled back his hood, revealing an acne-scarred face.
“You!” It was the boy who had escaped when the original BOT were killed. “Are you crazy, or what?”
“Thomas Brown, president and chief of the Brotherhood, at your service.” The skinny vamp held out his hand.
Nathan declined. “And what can I do for you, Thomas Brown?”
“Actually, I’m here for what I can do for you.” He sniffled. Unseemly for an undead. “You want to stop your daughter. I want to stop your daughter. We can help each other.”
“Go home, Thomas Brown.” Waving him off, Nathan turned toward the front door. “You’ve got nothing I need.”
“I know how to destroy the libilis.”
That got Nathan’s attention. “We already know how to destroy them.”
“Not if you think the Lilin wars text is correct, you don’t.”
“Make sense, please.”
“I have the original texts passed on by the Brotherhood. The diagram in the text you’ve read is incomplete.”