A Fall of Silver (The Redemption Series)

by Amy Corwin

  “Sounds useful.” Joe leaned forward, matching her posture and body language while exuding curiosity and openness, inviting her to talk.

  Kethan had watched him a thousand times before but he was always impressed with Joe’s frank ingenuousness. He honestly liked people and trusted them and for some reason, even the most hardened criminals responded in kind to him.

  As far as Kethan was concerned, Joe performed miracles every time he opened his mouth.

  However, despite his efforts, Quicksilver sat back, her eyes hardening. Then she deliberately turned toward the darkened window and fidgeted in her seat.

  Her impatience was palpable. He instinctively knew she would resent further efforts to dissuade her from hunting. Somewhere in the night, vampires waited, and she wanted to destroy them.

  So instead of making progress, they’d returned to the edge of the precipice.

  He nodded to Joe, hoping he could salvage things. Kethan instinctively knew if he opened his mouth now, it would only make matters worse.

  The priest continued, although the quaver in his voice revealed his discomfort at her growing hostility, “Do you have a lot of students?”

  “Enough to pay the bills.” Her lower lip thrust out. She blew a puff of air upwards, fluttering the hair off her smooth forehead. Her gaze strayed toward the ceiling. “Look, I need to get out of here. I want to check on Kathy.”

  “In a minute,” Kethan replied. “Right now, we should discuss what happened.”

  “Enough talking.” Her knee nudged his.

  He ignored the hint to get up and let her out.

  Joe twisted his napkin into a corkscrew. When he couldn’t smooth it out again, he reached across the table to pull out another one from the metal napkin holder beneath the window. Unfortunately, his sleeve caught the salt and pepper shakers and sent them spinning across the table.

  Mumbling apologies, he fumbled over the thick glass shakers with nervous fingers. The shakers spun further across the table, spilling their contents in spirals. His thin cheeks flushed. After several agonizing seconds, he finally managed to collect the salt and pepper containers and tuck them back into the tiny metal shelf opposite the napkin holder.

  Eyeing him, Quicksilver eased out another fresh napkin and handed it to him.

  “No, we’re not finished,” Kethan said when the clatter subsided.

  “Yes, we are. Let me out.” She leaned as far back as she could, legs straight, to dig a small wad of money from her tight jeans. Peeling off a twenty, she shoved the rest back into her pocket. Then she swung around and braced her back against the window sill.

  Beyond her shoulder, something moved on the other side of the dark glass. A pale face, too bloodless to be human, stared at the back of Quicksilver’s head. Kethan froze.

  Her knee dug into his hip, grinding into his bone. A sharp pain flared in his side.

  The face in the window melted back into the shadows.

  He pushed his fear away and smiled as he settled back. “You interrupted critical negotiations—”

  “So? I don’t get it. Why would a priest negotiate with the damned? With vampires? Isn’t the church supposed to fight them?”

  “Vampires are living beings—” Joe said.

  “Vampires are people, too? Get off it. They’re killers. Not to mention, dead. Or undead. They’re demons.”

  Joe clicked his tongue softly in admonition. “And they deserve a chance at salvation.”

  “A chance?” Her laughter ripped the air with bitter claws. “And who’s going to give their victims a chance? Your vampires won’t, believe me.”

  “Everyone deserves a second chance,” Kethan repeated Joe’s remark in a calm, low voice.

  “So instead of saving humans, the church is bargaining with the damned? For what? And when did they start acknowledging that vampires even exist?”

  “Officially, they don’t. But that’s not the point. We’re bargaining with them to save souls and stop the killing of innocents like your friend, Kathy,” Kethan said.

  “Oh, yeah. And we all saw how well that worked, didn’t we? Two kids have gone missing this month. And you were in the middle of your freakin’ negotiations when a couple of Sutton’s boys decided to take a bite out of Kathy. You can’t trust them and you’re a fool if you do.” Bracing her back against the wall, she shoved her knee harder into his thigh, pushing him inch-by-inch toward the edge of the bench.

  “We’ll see.” Kethan braced himself to avoid falling to the floor.

  When he rested a hand on her knee, she lowered her leg and straightened. Her pale face flushed. “Fine. Go back to your negotiations. I’m just warning you, if I see another vampire hanging around the Convent of the Weeping Madonna, I’m going to kill him, negotiations or not.”

  “The Convent? Oh, the children’s home.” Joe leaned back, his eyes focusing on faraway memories. “Is Miss Blackstone still in charge? I haven’t seen her in years, not since she left the Order and founded the orphanage.”

  “Yes, she’s there and still killing vampires, too, when she has the chance. You won’t get any support for this lunacy from her, either.”

  Kethan laughed. “Have you asked her?”

  “No, but I know.” Despite her words, a flash of uncertainty lit the sea-blue depths of her eyes.

  “Ask her what she really thinks,” Kethan suggested.

  “Whatever. So you’re going to negotiate, open the candy store to the wild kids. Fine. You know what? I really don’t care. Now can I leave?”

  “I’d like you to, but unfortunately, you can’t,” Kethan said.

  “I can’t?” She made an elaborate show of glancing around the House of Waffles. “So…what? I’m moving into the diner? Camping out in this booth?”

  “No, but you have to appreciate the position you’re in. We had a truce. You put Sutton in a precarious position when you killed Tyler and threatened Jason in front of him. He was accompanied by others who are looking for a way to wrest control from him. He’s lost face. Now he has to prove he can maintain control.”

  “Then he should’ve done it,” she retorted. “He should have stopped Tyler and Jason.”

  “Exactly. He should have.” Kethan caught her wrist, focusing her attention on him and away from the window. “But now, you’ve weakened his position in public. The dynastic struggle will escalate. Their previous master and a good number of his people were killed a few months ago. Their deaths left a vacuum.”

  She leaned toward him, her eyes flashing silver. “Perfect. We can wipe them out for good. Where’s their nest?”

  “You’re not going to wipe them out. Not now, not ever. There will always be another master, another clan. It’s when the situation is destabilized that humans have the most to fear. We’re trying to prevent more bloodshed on both sides.”

  “Well, goodie for you.”

  “No, bad for you. You clearly don’t understand. Because you made Martyn Sutton look weak, he has to strike back. At you.”

  “Let him.” Her chin rose. Her eyes glittered with defiance. “I hope he does.”

  “I spoke with Mr. Sutton,” Joe said before Kethan lifted his hand. “Killing anyone on either side will make matters worse.”

  “Tell that to Sutton.” She tapped the side of her fist against the tabletop, her face set in unforgiving lines.

  “I’m telling you. Don’t go hunting. I don’t want any more deaths. Or interruptions,” Kethan said.

  She paused, her eyes focused on the tabletop. He could feel her rapid thoughts shuttling back and forth as she weighed his words. “You hold negotiations at the Orchard Hotel?”

  “Don’t count on it,” he replied in a dry tone.

  “Oh, I just want to make sure I don’t interrupt you. Again.” She flashed her teeth in a gleaming wolf’s grin.

  Kethan caught Joe’s gaze and sighed.

  Flicking his hand at Denise, Kethan paid the check and stood up. He waited for Quicksilver to slide out of the booth before he placed
a gentle hand on her back. To his surprise, she didn’t immediately shake him off. One small victory in a frustrating night.

  He wished controlling her was truly that easy.

  Outside, the night had cooled as midnight flowed toward a new day. Damp air wrapped around Kethan’s neck like a wet rag, but overhead, stars twinkled, clear and cold, defying the glare of city lights.

  “You have nothing to fear.” He threaded her resisting hand through the crook of his arm. “We’ll convince Martyn Sutton that he needn’t worry.”

  She laughed. “Yeah. Right. How are you going to convince him?”

  “I’ll guarantee your cooperation.” His words sounded crazy even to him. How the heck was he going to do that?

  “Uh, huh.” She clearly didn’t believe him, either. “Is that why you’re afraid to let me out of your sight? I didn’t realize you were doing the whole Border Collie thing, protecting the sheep from the wolf.” Glancing at him coquettishly, she thrust her luscious lower lip out. “And here I thought you just wanted the company of a beautiful woman.”

  His gaze fixated on her mouth. That single feature altered Quicksilver’s prettiness into sizzling beauty. His heart thudded. He looked away and took a deep breath, trying to control the beat pounding in his ears. “I never turn down the company of a beautiful woman.”

  “Especially since you’re no longer a priest?” Her eyes slid down his body and then back to hold his gaze. His blood thundered. “I’ve always figured an ex-priest might be kind of like a convict out on parole. A little fast and maybe a little hard to handle, but really hot for at least, oh, five minutes or so. Maybe even ten if he’s got enough self-control. And stamina.”

  His mind devolved into a quivering mess.

  Joe cleared his throat. “I should be getting back. It’s late.” He caught Kethan’s gaze, his expression crinkled with worry.

  Kethan cleared his throat and tried to concentrate. “Get some rest, Father.”

  “Nice to meet you, Miss Bankes. I hope we’ll see you at Mass.” Joe held out his hand.

  She caught his outstretched hand and gave it a sharp pump. “Stranger things have happened. But be careful, don’t trust them. No matter what they say, never trust a vampire.”

  “I’ll keep your words in mind,” Joe assured her with a warm smile.

  “Father, just a minute?” Kethan touched her shoulder. “Will you excuse me for a minute? I’ll be right back.”

  He joined Joe a few yards away. She watched them curiously, but she made no move to leave or come any closer.

  “Do you think we can we rely on Sutton to keep a low profile?” Kethan asked.

  “If you can control Miss Bankes, perhaps. I’m not entirely sure. It’s a shame to see this end so quickly.”

  “We never even started.”

  “It’s not her fault.” Joe’s brown eyes, filled with compassion, searched Kethan’s face before resting briefly on Quicksilver. “She was protecting her friend. You did the same for me once.”

  “Maybe. But when I hunted vampires, it was for entirely different reasons.”

  Joe studied him with puppy-dog-brown eyes. “Are you sure about leaving us? The Church will sorely miss you.”

  “I think I’ve paid enough penance for my sins, don’t you?”

  “Was it only penance, then, that led you to us? The desire to punish yourself? Atonement?”

  “Not entirely. You know that. The church was a sanctuary when I needed it most, but I never had the calling. I wish I had. I’ve always envied you that.” He pulled out his wallet and fished out his spare car key which he tossed to Joe. Kethan had driven them both to the meeting, and he hated to abandon his friend without transportation. “You can take my car, just leave it in front of my house.”

  When Joe glanced at him, another bubble of doubt rose in Kethan’s mind. Am I doing the right thing giving up the priesthood?

  He’d found a home and friends in the church. They had forgiven him even when he could not forgive himself, couldn’t get over how stupid and naive he had been. Was he being foolhardy in throwing everything away?

  Despite his misgivings, he knew he couldn’t stay in the Church. He lacked Joe’s selfless devotion and because of it, when he knelt and prayed shoulder-to-shoulder with men like Joe, he gained only sore knees and a paralyzing sense of isolation.

  He didn’t belong there. He never had.

  “Then it’s best for you find your own path,” Joe said with a sigh. “I’ll pray it may one day lead you back to us.”

  “Pray I survive. That’s enough.”

  The priest laughed, his eyes resting again on Quicksilver. “Agreed. And perhaps it would help if you think of this as your penance for the sin of envy. I’ll pray to keep you both safe, particularly from each other.”

  Kethan watched Joe walk away. From the back, the priest’s thinning hair looked more gray than brown with small patches of vulnerable pink scalp showing through the strands. When had he grown so old? Kethan had always thought of Joe as the youngest of the priests, a nervous young man who always recognized the best in everyone.

  Kethan angled away sharply and studied the road, forcing himself to think of his job, his mission. Would Sutton accept their assertion that Quicksilver wasn’t a threat? Or would the vampire decide to improve his status by killing the priest before turning on Quicksilver, too?

  Sutton couldn’t be that stupid. If he hurt Joe, the Catholic Church would resume their previous stance against those they perceived as evil. Or worse, they might begin negotiations again with a different clan. There had to be other master vampires who could control the northeast more effectively than Martyn Sutton. The Church might also decide it no longer needed the services of Kethan Hilliard, either.

  Find another job, an evil voice whispered. Good negotiators were always in demand. He could leave it all behind, start fresh without the binding ties of his lifelong friends. Abandon both humans and vampires alike to their chosen paths.

  Except he couldn’t.

  He needed Joe’s friendship as a reminder of what was important and how easy it was to lose everything.

  Whether he liked it or not, he had ties. He had colleagues, as well as friends, in the Church, decent men like Joe.

  His gaze lingered on Quicksilver. A streetlight set her aglow with pearl-white incandescence. An arc of attraction hummed through him. His body tightened.

  Then he took a deep breath and looked away.

  Stay focused.

  He dug his hands into his pockets, jingling the change. Maybe it was time to get a new car, too. He definitely needed fewer visits to the repair shop and fewer glimpses of garage walls decorated with calendars of scantily clad women.

  Women who reminded him far too much of Quicksilver.

  Chapter Six

  Kethan returned to Quicksilver after Joe disappeared around the corner. “I’ll walk you home.”

  She held his gaze, her blue eyes silvery. His chest tightened and as the tension stretched between them, she backed away, shutting off as if flipping a switch.

  “No need,” she said.

  “We’ll use my car.”

  “My motorcycle is on the next street over. I can’t leave it there.”

  “Then let’s get your motorcycle.”

  She sighed with exasperation. “You don’t have to guard me—I’m not going to go crazy and kill anyone tonight.”

  “Let me see your hands.”

  She held them out, staring down at her palms in puzzlement. “Why?” She turned them over.

  He caught one of her hands and held it loosely. Her long, slender fingers looked pale and fragile resting on his palm. “I just wanted to see if you had your fingers crossed.” He smiled. “I can’t believe you’d promise not to kill anyone.”

  “I’d never kill anyone who didn’t need killing.” She bared her teeth in a wolfish smile. “Although I’ve had to give some a little push to make them realize they were already dead and needed to lie down. Permanently.”
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  “Ah, I thought there had to be a catch.” Reluctantly, he released her hand. “Believe it or not, I’m worried about your safety.” The image in the window might have been Sutton. Or Jason, still out of control and defying his clan leader.

  They turned the corner, walking past a row of deserted businesses. The darkened windows reflected the streetlights like obsidian mirrors. Quicksilver’s silhouette stretched from one pane to the next, flitting two steps ahead of him, always out of reach.

  They weren’t alone. In the slanting shadows between the buildings, he heard fluttering whispers, the scrape of a shoe, the rasp of a coat sleeve brushing against a brick wall.

  Vampires wouldn’t make noises like that unless they wanted to be heard, unless they were confident of their prey. The back of his neck tingled.

  Two blocks away, Kethan caught sight of a motorcycle parked under a light.

  “That your bike?”

  “Yes.” Her face softened as if she had glimpsed a long lost lover. “How did you know?”

  “Get serious.” The motorcycle gleamed with long, sleek lines, all chrome and opal-white paint, as pale and sleek as its owner.

  She tilted her head to one side and pretended to frown at him although humor sparkled in her eyes. “Must be getting predictable if you know which bike is mine.”

  “There’s only one.”

  “I didn’t say anything. My bike could’ve been further down the block.”

  “True. But you don’t see a lot of white motorcycles. And you do like the color white.”

  “It’s opal—not white. Anyway, this is it.” She stuck out her hand in a brisk gesture. “Thanks.”

  “Do you have a second helmet?”

  “What for?”

  “For me. I’m making sure you get home safely.”

  “I’ll be fine, and I’m not going straight home.” She gazed down the street, her brows drawn down and hands shoved into her pockets.

  He noticed a second silver and gray helmet strapped to the back and reached for it. “No problem.”