“But someone in the Church is already aware of your abilities. We know that for a fact, otherwise Cardinal Vasilli wouldn’t have brought Uriel to you. Whose name was on the letter you received with orders that you were being sent to Paris?”
He shook his head. “No name, just the Pope’s seal. That means it came from the Pope himself.”
“But a seal can be faked.” Had they all trusted that the Church had brought Regent here and been wrong? “What about the priest who took your place? Did he tell you anything?”
“He didn’t know much, probably less than I do. Talk about odd, though. He was pretty green about the running of a church, plus he had way too much interest in my office. I kept it locked while he was snooping around, and whatever I couldn’t bring with me, I shipped to a storage locker. He won’t find anything related to vampires, even if he gets into the basement—which I doubt, because I covered the door over with a brick wall.”
“You laid the brick wall yourself?” Jess gaped at him.
“Of course, I used to be a bricklayer in my youth, before I took vows.”
Jess laughed. “I’d forgotten about that.”
“Anyway, he can’t get down there,” Regent said with a grin. “At least, not easily.”
She had no idea her brother had felt this way about the incumbent priest. Fine hairs stood on the back of her neck. She’d bet no one from the Church had sent him to France. In fact, now more than ever, she’d bet the Church didn’t even know Regent wasn’t there.
Her ultra-keen hearing picked up on someone approaching Regent’s door. If whoever had left his door ajar was returning, she’d be ready.
She jumped to her feet and silently moved closer to the door. Regent waited nervously.
When a key turned in the lock, she rolled her eyes and relaxed. Britt and Sampson stepped inside.
Seeing Jess’s proximity to the door, Britt said, “Expecting someone else?”
“Regent’s door was open when I got here an hour ago,” she said. “Did one of you leave it open by mistake?”
“No way,” Sampson said. “I always lock it on my way out.” He instantly scanned the room for his friend.
Regent waved a calming hand at him. “I’m fine. There was no one here. I probably opened it. Did you find Calmet?”
“No, but we found something else,” Britt said seriously. “Vampires killing vampires and burning them up in steel drums. They didn’t like being caught, either. Sampson and I had to make a quick getaway.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Jess said.
“Yeah,” Britt said. “This place seems like a tinderbox ready to go up.” He recounted their experience in the slums where Calmet supposedly lived.
“Next time you go, I’m coming with you,” she said. “I had a strange encounter of my own tonight. Diesel tracked me down to Pont Neuf. He’s not exactly the low-key vampire we thought,” she said, telling them the rest. “Apparently this is a group that Morana wants into badly, but so far, they won’t accept her.”
“She wouldn’t like you being recruited first, then,” Sampson said.
“She’s already angry enough that we’re here. What would it do to her if she heard about this?”
“Aside from the fact that it’s most likely the Order that wants you on the inside, and that scares the bejesus out of me, why would Diesel do this to Morana?” Britt said. “He obviously lusts for her.”
“Maybe he doesn’t have a choice. If he’s part of the secret group, and they think he’s someone I might listen to . . .” She shrugged. “Oh wait! I forgot to tell you one other thing—he had a raven tattooed on his arm.”
“The raven?” Sampson stretched the word out.
“Yes, exactly as it is in Regent’s text and in Calmet’s artwork. Well, without all the tiny little words.”
“That certainly makes the connection between the raven and the Order a lot more plausible,” Regent said. “Ironclad, in fact. But, isn’t it strange that I found the text, and now they’re recruiting you?”
“Yeah, strange,” Britt said, gritting his teeth. “Anyone else get the feeling we’re being manipulated here?”
Jess nodded. “And I don’t like being anyone’s pawn. I might just have to sign up to see what it’s all about.”
“Oh, hon,” Regent said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Won’t you be playing right into their hands?”
“I’m a big girl. I can look after myself. Not to mention, I’m the only one who can accept this offer if we want to get more intel.”
“What about Veronique? Will you tell her they’ve tried to recruit you?” Regent asked.
“Probably not. It’ll be need to know from now on. She does need to be informed about the vampires burning each other in steel drums, though, since her unit is keeping people safe on the streets,” she said.
Regent looked off into the distance. “I’m suddenly wondering if we’ll ever make it home again,” he said wistfully.
“We’re going home next month, and you can take that to the bank,” Jess said.
“Of course. You’re right, dear.”
Jess hated to see her brother so dejected. She chewed on her lip. “If you lose faith, what hope is there for any of us? For me?”
That snapped him out of his melancholy. He’d never failed Jess, not once. He straightened his spine, inhaled, and switched his expression to determination. “I’m going to pray for this situation. I’m not sure why I haven’t been thinking positively. But that’s about to change.”
“Good,” Jess said. “Stay positive, brother. You’re my rock. I’ll be back tomorrow night.”
It already appeared as if his spirits had lifted.
Britt’s hand was still on the door handle. “After what Sampson and I saw tonight, I think it’s best that we all take extra safety precautions from now on. Not only do the vampires know we’re here, but they’re aware that we’re a threat to their plans. They might decide to stick one of us into a steel drum next.”
“Great,” Regent said.
Sampson paled and grabbed his laptop from his case and started typing, perhaps jumping back into the Deep Web. Searching for information seemed to be his method of calming himself.
Britt looked at his watch. “Jess, you coming?”
She jumped to her feet and kissed her brother on the forehead. “Stay home tonight, Reej. Promise me.”
He nodded.
Outside, Britt paused and waited for Jess. “Let’s go.”
“The Prefecture?” she said.
“Definitely.”
WHEN THEY ARRIVED, they didn’t bother to check in since the front desk officer waved them through without question.
Working with her head down, Veronique didn’t see them right away. Her hair was freshly cut in layers with the ends flipped up—a perfect style for someone who continually ran their hands through their hair.
“Didn’t expect to see you two,” she said with a concerned expression.
“Something happened tonight,” Britt said, his voice conveying the gravity of their discussion. He’d convinced Jess to tell Veronique her news on the way over.
Halfway through telling her about his search in the old quarter, Veronique got up and shut her office door. “I have the feeling I’m not going to like this,” she said, seating herself again, then planting her arms on the desk while she waited for the bad news.
He told her about the vampires and the body being burned in the drum.
Veronique’s head moved back and forth as if she couldn’t truly comprehend his story. As if things could not possibly be that bad. “We honestly thought the Pact was holding—so far.”
“What about Vlad? Will you ask him to help with this?”
“Unlike New York, Paris isn’t ready to have vampires in the police force. I’ve been working at convincing them that we need Vlad, but so far, the olde ones and the government don’t want it to happen. They think we’d be giving too much individual power to one vampire.”
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“What will you do then?” Britt asked her. “Given this new information.”
“I’ll have to report it to the committee overseeing the Pact.”
“What if you had your team eliminate those vampires taking justice into their own hands?” Jess said. Hell, they did it every night in New York. “It might make vampires rethink going outside the law.”
Veronique marked off a finger. “Number one, just doing that goes against the Pact. We’re not supposed to kill each other. There’s supposed to be an understanding between vampires and humans.” She looked at the holes in the ceiling as if she’d like to throw a pencil right now. “And even if we had to go up against those vampires acting as lynch mobs, I’m afraid we don’t have the right kind of expertise, especially if it comes down to a hand-to-hand battle. Even though I’ve been lobbying for more training, I’ve been turned down more times than I care to remember. Our job is to be present and visibly overseeing the Pact without force.”
That meant these cops were like babes in the woods when it came to hunting vampires—they had no experience. Worse, they’d need to be trained by a vampire if they hoped to survive.
“You are in need of serious help,” Jess said. Vlad would probably offer, but since the government wouldn’t sanction his help, he could only work behind the scenes.
“Your people need to be trained right away, like they’ve never been trained before,” Britt said gravely. “What if Vlad helped you without being hired by the department? Assuming he’s a good vampire hunter? Maybe he has no skills?”
“He has skills,” she said, lifting a hand to shove it through her hair with shaky fingers. “Do you realize what it’ll mean if this group wins?” Veronique asked, her voice barely audible. “What will happen to our country if there is no Pact in place? Vampires will be free to kill humans. We could be decimated.”
“It’s not only France that’ll be at risk if that happens,” Jess said. “No place on this planet would be safe from thousands of vampires with no rules. This Pact is a thinly veiled line between harmony and an apocalypse.”
“Even though I’ve been aware of the impending danger, I haven’t quite seen it as clearly as you’ve just put it. I’ve got to meet with the committee right now. Will you excuse me?”
She left them still sitting in her office.
“Should we follow her?” Jess asked, moving to the door and watching Veronique charge down the hall.
“Not this time. She has to be able to trust us, too.” He sighed.
“I sure hope she’s right about Vlad being one of the good guys,” she said. “If he is, he might truly be able to help Veronique get through this mess.”
“And us?”
“We’ll help if we can, of course. I’m just not sure what good we’ll do if we have to tiptoe around. After everything we’ve done for the police so far, you’d think they’d be asking for our help.”
They left the building with a little less hope than when they’d entered. There was a lot pinned on Veronique’s ability to make her committee see what might be happening in her city. Streets were busy with tourists tonight. Jess slowed her pace to watch activities in a lovely park with lots of green space. Paris was a beautiful city. She’d hate to see it decimated.
A heat wave had been building, and there’d been no reprieve for Parisians for a week. Not that she felt the difference in temperature.
The interesting effect was that more people were outside, getting a breath of air. They sat on their balconies, enjoyed the nearby parks and benches. Even small children were out playing later than usual.
She hadn’t seen children in such a long time. She hadn’t even realized she’d missed them until she saw them running and playing on the green space. Laughter seemed to be everywhere.
It was a poignant moment for her—hearing children’s laughter.
BRITT HADN’T considered how many simple little things Jess missed by only being alive at night. He took her hand and squeezed it, waiting silently beside her while she watched the antics in the park.
“Let’s go,” she said out of the blue.
“Okay.”
They walked past the park and had reached the outer edge when Jess spotted a child of about four years old, all by itself. “Uh-oh,” she said. “There’s one escaping.”
Worst part, the child was approaching a very busy street. Cars were zooming by way too fast to notice a child in this light. She buzzed past Britt and stopped in front of the little girl before the child stepped into traffic.
“Hello,” she said, blocking her. “Bonjour.”
“Bonjour,” the child repeated and smiled sweetly at her.
When Britt caught up, the little girl looked up at him with wide eyes. “Angel?” she said, putting her arms out and going straight to him.
Jess shrugged. “It might be the only way to get her back to her family.”
He picked her up, and she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and hugged him.
They turned and made their way back to the park along the closest well-lit path. They didn’t see anyone running around frantically looking for a child. The park was fairly large, so they kept looking. They’d nearly reached the other side before they heard a mother hysterically calling out.
“I think that’s whom we’re looking for,” he said, lifting the tot a little higher in his arm and walking in the direction of the shouting.
“Michelle! Michelle!” Anxiety flooded the voice.
“Walk faster, Britt. That poor woman is panicked.”
“Ici,” Jess called. “Ici.” She wished she could speak more French. The woman was wringing her hands and dashing from one bush to the other.
When she saw them with her little girl, her arms went into the air. “Merci a Dieu! Michelle!”
She reached them quickly and held her arms out. Michelle went to her mother. She pointed at Britt and said, “Angel.”
Her mother frowned and looked a bit embarrassed. “Excusez-moi, monsieur.”
“Not a problem,” he said.
“You speak English,” she said. “I have learned the language when I was working in California, before I married and had my little Michelle,” she said. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing her back to me. I’m not sure why she’s calling you an angel. I’m guessing that’s not your name.”
Britt grinned. “My name’s Britt, but she can call me whatever she wants to, right little doll?” he said, putting his index finger under her baby-sized chin for a second and smiling into her eyes.
Michelle’s cherub lips tilted into a smile before she pointed at Jess. Her little hands reached over and cupped Jess’s face. “Guardienne de Paris. Merci.”
“Quoi, Michelle?” Her mother looked quizzically at her daughter. Michelle settled back in her mother’s arms and pressed her face into her shoulder and yawned.
“What did that mean?” Jess asked.
Michelle’s mother looked embarrassed. “I have no idea why she said it. Or why she called you Angel, monsieur. She’s never done anything like this before. Guardienne de Paris means guardian of Paris. Again, I’m at a loss.”
Britt smiled. “Maybe it’s because Jess found her and returned her to you?”
The mother nodded. “Of course, that must be it, although I’m surprised she knew those words. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for returning my baby to me.”
Chapter Sixteen
GUARDIAN OF PARIS? Jess kept hearing those words in her head after stasis the next evening. Why had the lost child said that about her? It was a heavy weight, even if it were true. Had it been a prophecy? She hoped not.
Nearing the entrance to LaCave, Jess felt the vibration of music thrumming through the tunnel walls. She imagined the souls of these bones were seldom at rest.
Morana, Diesel, and two others worked behind the bar. Even though they were busy mixing drinks, Morana spotted her instantly.
Jess took a table and ordered a drink, just for show. Several men tried to pick her
up. One was particularly offensive and wouldn’t move off until she let her eyes go black and her teeth show, just a little. He nearly fell backwards in his staggering attempt to get away. Luckily, his state of inebriation was enough that if he told anyone, they wouldn’t believe him, anyway.
“Need help?” Diesel asked, striding quickly over.
Jess made a face. “Not with that idiot. But I did want to talk to you in private.”
He looked instantly nervous and glanced over his shoulder a couple of times. “Not here.”
“Okay,” she said.
“It’s not good that it looks like you came to see me, Jess. That won’t do.”
“Not a problem, I need to talk to Morana, anyway. I was giving her time to get used to the idea that I’m here.”
He laughed. “Don’t let that stop you.” He leaned in closer. “Meet me behind the Hotel Dupres after the club closes.”
She ignored him, pretending he hadn’t even spoken. He strode off.
She approached the bar a few minutes later. “Morana.”
Morana eyed her thunderously. “What are you doing here again tonight?”
“Britt’s busy, so I thought I’d blow off a little steam.”
Diesel was mixing a drink nearby, and she caught him with his head tilted in their direction, listening.
“I’m busy, too,” Morana said.
“I know. You’re always working. I just thought it’d give us a chance to get to know each other better.”
Morana stopped pouring the drink and stared at Jess as if she’d just gone insane. “No!”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to know you. I don’t even want to be related to you or your brother. I was the one thrown away, remember? So just leave me alone, and go away.”
“What makes you think you were the one who was thrown away?” Jess asked. “Regent and I were adopted, too.”
“Don’t you think they’d keep the twins together first if they had to split up the family? Why give me to an old man with no wife? Ever wonder about that?”
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