Then again, so would she.
Once they got home, he went straight to the fridge and got himself a glass of red wine.
“Wish you could have one, too,” he said, taking a long drink and swishing it around, as if it were mouthwash.
Her chest tightened, but she forced a laugh. “You still trying to wash her away?”
“Christ, yes!”
Even though she’d been trying not to think about it, she didn’t blame him. He couldn’t have stopped her sister from compelling him. “If she knows what’s good for her, it won’t happen again.”
He tried to smile but looked as if he was fragmented, deep down.
“I think I’ll put my nightgown on. It’s getting close to dawn. Be right back.”
By the time she returned, he had downed half the bottle. “You might actually get a good night’s sleep tonight,” she said, settling next to him on the sofa.
“That’s the plan. I want to wipe that hideous memory away for good.”
“I wonder if a Fallen one can even get a hangover?” she said, in an attempt to lighten his mood.
“Well, we’re about to find out. After I kill this bottle, I’m going to open another one.”
“Too bad I can’t stay up long enough to see what you’re like after two bottles of wine,” she teased. “I’m sure it’d be entertaining.”
He looked into her eyes. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you understand what happened. I love you, Jess. I’d never do anything to hurt you—especially not that way.”
“I know that, Britt. It took me a minute to get over those images, but not because I blamed you. I couldn’t believe my own flesh and blood would do that to us. Still, I have to keep reminding myself that she’s not like me. If we’d met her in New York City, we’d have probably killed her by now,” she said with a sigh.
Britt leaned forward, concern etching his features. “I can’t say I’d be able to kill a vampire who looks like you, no matter how vicious.”
“That probably goes double for Regent. And I’m worried about what she might do to his heart. She just can’t help herself. That’s the hardest part for me. We’ve killed so many vampires, Britt—were they like her? Should they have been given a chance?”
“Don’t go there. I totally understand what you’re saying. Remember that young vampire I killed? It was only afterwards that I realized he’d goaded me into killing him because he couldn’t stand what he’d become. He probably deserved another chance. Maybe if Sampson had worked with him, something could have been done for him.”
“Don’t torture yourself—you did the only thing you could,” she said.
“The thing is, we do what we do for a reason—in New York City vampires kill humans without compunction, don’t they?” He downed another half glass of wine. His cheeks were already getting ruddy and his eyes a little glassy, probably because he rarely drank anymore.
Morana had caused this, and Jess hated her sister for it.
Her watch vibrated, and she kissed him, then left him alone to cope with his thoughts. She had no choice.
DUSK BROUGHT HER to life the next evening. Instantly, she hoped tonight would be better than last night had been.
Britt didn’t look under the weather when she found him pouring a cup of coffee in the kitchen. “No ill effects from the wine?” she asked.
“None. But I did sleep better than I have for a while. That said, I’m not going to start drinking like a fish so I can sleep.”
“What about sleeping pills?”
He shook his head. “I don’t get tired, so I’m not worried about it.”
She’d let that go for now. “Do you realize we’ll be starting our second month in Paris next week?” she said. “It’s hard to believe we’ve been here this long, and I haven’t missed my job.”
“How could you miss your job?” he said. “We’ve been fighting demons and vampires who aren’t supposed to be a problem in Paris. There’ve been so many things happening here, it sometimes makes me homesick for the quiet life we have at home.”
Jess laughed and opened the apartment door. He downed his coffee and followed. They exited the building and started walking toward Regent’s place without verbalizing where they were going.
About three blocks later, she threaded her fingers through his. “Although, I do like the strong, silent type, you’re being quieter than usual. What are you thinking about?”
His arm touched hers while they walked—that was the best he could manage after yesterday. “I’m thinking, let’s go to the Louvre tonight.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because that might be where Regent’s been secretly going. He’s very excited about his stolen book and the link to the raven painting in the art gallery. There’s a very good chance he’s spending his time there.”
“You’re right! Why didn’t I think of that?” she said. “But why wouldn’t he just say so?”
Britt shrugged. “Who knows? It’d be a better option than some of things we’re probably thinking.”
She had to agree with that.
“And, we did say we’d help him look. They’re open until ten tonight,” he said, looking at his watch. “That gives us a good couple of hours to search the place.”
“How is it you know the hours without checking?”
“Since I have lots of spare time on my hands, I sometimes wander through the Louvre. If I’d known about the raven when I first arrived, I might have found it before this.”
“Glad to hear you’re getting some culture while you’re in Paris.”
“Maybe Regent didn’t tell us where he’s going because he wants to figure it out on his own? He does love a good mystery,” Britt said.
“True, and now that you’re my wingman, he might be feeling left out,” she said.
Britt’s eyes sparkled. “Is that what I am? Your wingman?”
“Of course,” she said. They paid to enter the museum.
“Let’s split up. We can cover more ground that way. How about we meet back in the foyer at nine forty-five? I have my cell with me. Call if you find anything before that,” he said.
She nodded and headed off in the opposite direction.
After their conversation last night, would Regent be angry that they’d deliberately searched for him? It didn’t matter. He’d do the same thing for her. That’s what siblings did for each other, whether they liked it or not.
She made her way down the hall, checking each painting as she went. Once she saw a bird, but it wasn’t the right raven.
She stepped into a small alcove with minimal artwork and a few sculptures. It was odd here, but a freeing kind of odd. Something compelled her to take enough time to enjoy this room.
She sat on a padded half-circle leather bench, and with both hands flat beside her, she leaned back and stared at the domed ceiling. It was beautiful and intricately painted to resemble an ancient church—probably a famous one. But since she hadn’t travelled widely, she had no idea which one.
She scanned the gold leaf and the cherubs and the iconography that seemed so rampant in Europe. All kinds of symbols and impressions were up there, but they worked together in perfect harmony. It gave her a sense of well-being—something she rarely felt as a vampire.
It was as if her ethereal being was stretched out here, becoming one with the vastness of the universe. All of her earthly troubles seemed minor compared to the knowledge and fullness of this reality. She liked this kind of imagining. She didn’t do it often enough—or ever. She floated in that warm haze of enjoyment, and all she could see was that ceiling. Each and every image up there meant something, and it was suddenly her job to discover what that was.
Something in this room sang to her vampire heart.
“Jess?”
She heard the voice but fought the pull to see who it was. She continued to stare upward with a smile on her face until hands grabbed her shoulders and physically shook her. She blinked and looked at the person who was sort o
f hazy at first, then finally came into focus. “Regent?”
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked. “You’ve been sitting here staring up at that ceiling for the longest time. I’ve called your name at least a dozen times, but you didn’t hear me until I shook you.”
“Really?” She let her eyes shift skyward, and her head followed. Regent grabbed her shoulders and gave her another little shake. “We need to get you out of here.”
“No, Reej,” she said. “I like it here. It feels so good.”
He grabbed one arm and physically pulled her out of the room.
She shuddered in withdrawal when she got a few feet away. The usual chill of her vampirism flooded back into her body, heart, and soul. “Damn it, Reej. I should go back.”
“No way. That room is trouble for you, and we need to find out why. Stay away from it, do you hear me?”
She nodded, but the room still called to her. If he let go of her hand, she’d return.
“Where’s Britt?” he asked, yanking her thoughts back to him again. “You’re not alone in here tonight, are you?”
“No. We split up to cover more ground,” she said, suddenly feeling more lucid with every step they took away from the room. “What time is it?”
“I’m not wearing a watch,” he said.
She spotted a clock on the wall. “It’s nine thirty! How could I have been in that room for an hour and a half? I barely started looking for the raven—and for you, I might add.”
Regent held up a hand to block her retreat, then grabbed her again and pulled her down the hall. “I don’t think you should go into that room, or anywhere near it again, dear. It’s dangerous for you.”
The second she twisted her head back for another look, she felt the seductive pull again. “How could a room affect me?”
“I have no idea. But whatever is going on in there has too much power over you. Sampson should check it out. And you should stay away until he’s done.”
“Wait, I just started looking around. I don’t want to leave yet,” she said in an almost drunken-sounding voice.
“Why’d you come here?” he asked, still grasping her hand with no sign of letting her go. “It’s almost closing time.”
Even though the pull of the place was fading, tiny bits of it lingered—still tempting her to return. It would be so easy to go back.
They rounded a corner, and the sensation was gone—completely.
She yanked her hand from his and he eyed her clinically to make sure she wasn’t about to bolt.
“I’m okay. The feeling’s gone.”
“That’s just darned scary. How could a room do that to you?”
She shrugged. Even now the experience appealed to her, but not so much that she felt compelled to return. “Have you found anything, Regent? I’m assuming you’ve been here awhile?”
“I’ve been here since the Louvre opened this morning. And, no, I haven’t found anything worthwhile, but my legs are tired. This place is massive. I’m going to have to be more strategic about how I search. I’m sure I must’ve been going in circles. I saw some of the artwork more than once. Where’d you say Britt was?” he asked again.
“I’m supposed to meet him in the foyer at nine forty-five.”
“We’d better start walking that way now, or it’ll be ten thirty before we get there. We’re quite a distance from the entrance,” Regent said.
Jess’s hands fisted. How’d she get so far into the museum without realizing it?
At close to ten o’clock, Britt waved when he saw them. “Regent, I thought you’d be here. Have any luck in your hunt for the raven symbol?”
“I saw a few birds, but none of them were like the version in the book, unfortunately.” Regent looked a little perturbed at being found out, but he didn’t admit it.
“Regent’s been here since the museum opened,” Jess said in a stern voice.
Britt’s eyebrows rose. “You must be exhausted. Have you had dinner?”
“No. And no lunch either.” Regent patted his rumbling stomach.
“Let’s go grab something to eat and get you off your feet,” Britt said. “Besides, I’m hungry, too.”
Jess instantly felt guilty. She hadn’t considered that Britt hadn’t had a meal since they’d left home. Food wasn’t something she ever thought about, at least not the solid type.
On the way to the café, she and Regent told Britt what had happened to her in the tiny room.
Britt stopped walking and grabbed her hand. “I left you alone. I should have stayed with you.”
“It’s an art gallery, Britt. Why would you feel you had to babysit me? Besides, it wasn’t that big a deal. But now I know—if I ever want to feel warm again, that’s the spot,” she said, making light of her experience. “I can still feel the pervasive feeling of well-being and warmth. I couldn’t take my eyes off the ceiling, especially the cherubs up there in the domed structure.”
Regent twisted his head in her direction. “What did you say, dear? Domed structure?”
“Yes, of course. It was beautiful.”
“There was no domed ceiling in that room. It was an ordinary rectangular room,” he said.
“It couldn’t have been—”
“I want to see this room,” Britt said.
“That’s not possible. The place is about to close,” Regent said.
“Anyone know where Sampson is tonight?” Jess asked, feeling uncomfortable about being controlled by something in that room and happy to talk about something else.
“More supplies arrived from New York yesterday, and he’s been holed up there ever since. My chess board is gathering dust,” Regent said glumly. “I think he’s hoping to have a chance to incorporate some of the vampire VNA he’s found here in Europe into his program.”
“I thought he was working on the vampire scrolls, these days,” Jess said. Of course, he’d be working with vampires to try to help them— that was his pet project. He’d never once said it, but she knew he was working to save her from her curse. Sampson would jump on any new opportunity to make that happen.
“Why don’t I see if he’d like to join us for dinner?” Britt punched numbers into his cell phone. They chatted for a minute before Britt hung up.
“Is he coming?” Regent asked.
“He’s on his way,” Britt said. “Apparently, he was also happy to be reminded it was time to eat.”
“Good grief, am I going to have to start reminding you humans to eat?” Jess said, meaning it to be a joke, but neither of the two men seemed to appreciate her sense of humor.
They’d barely been seated when the sound of familiar high heels pounded the pavement next to their table.
“I thought I’d find you here,” Morana said, sitting down without invitation.
She had the nerve to give Britt a very thorough once-over. His lips curled in disdain, and his eyes narrowed. It seemed as if he was about to tell Morana what he thought of her.
Jess touched his ankle under the table with her toe.
He closed his mouth, but his jaw muscles kept working.
She wanted to be the one to have it out with Morana, so she said, “I’m surprised you’d have the nerve to show up here after what you did to Britt.”
Morana looked offended. “Whatever do you mean, dear sister?”
Venom dripped off every word, and Regent drew in a quick breath at her tone. “What are you talking about, Jess?”
“Morana decided to enthrall Britt, make him think she was me, in order to have her way with him.”
Morana simply smiled in that catlike way she had.
“Why would you do that?” Regent asked.
“Why not?” Morana gloated. “I’m a vampire; I take what I want. I don’t live by the rules of puny humans. I’m greater than that,” she said, pushing at her teased hair, tipped with glitter. Her eyelashes were covered with silver glitter as well. She wore a one-piece stretch suit in white tonight with a very wide belt. The front zip was open to reveal more
cleavage than was polite in most situations, like dinner at a café.
“So what are you saying, Jess? Do you want to duke it out?” Morana said. “Fight over this luscious, muscled he-man of yours? I rather liked the taste of him. I might not give up so easily.”
“I have no need to fight with you,” Jess said, managing an amazingly calm exterior. She prayed her cool attitude would show Britt that he needed to hold his anger in check, too, because his face had turned ruddy and his eyes more angry than she’d ever seen them.
It wasn’t a stretch for Jess to think that Morana needed to cause trouble, if for no other reason than to make herself feel better. It was most likely instinctual for her. In that way, they weren’t so different.
“You should prove you have what it takes to be a real vampire,” Morana said. “Not some watered-down version with a weak will and a weaker disposition. From what I’ve seen of you, you’re rather a disappointment to your own kind. Hanging around with a bunch of humans just proves it.” She glared at Regent.
“You’re pushing it,” Jess said. Why deliberately hurt Regent? He already cared about her as the sister he’d always known. Bitch!
Regent shared a look that begged Jess to stay calm.
Somehow, she managed to do so, but it was only for her beloved brother.
“You are our sister, Morana. As long as you pull in your talons and your teeth and maintain a fraction of civility when Britt and Regent are around, I will maintain mine. After all, it shouldn’t be a problem for you to maintain the same fake persona you use at LaCave.”
Morana made a disgusted sound. “You know nothing about me! Nothing.”
Jess held up her hand to stop the oncoming rant when she noticed the other patrons staring at them. “I don’t know a lot about you, but I know what I am. That’s all that matters.”
Regent lowered his head, and he started praying under his breath.
“What are you doing?” Morana asked, brushing at her arms as if she could feel the strength of his prayers on her body. “Stop that. You’re hurting me.”
Silenced by the Grave Page 15