I put my hand on his wrist to still him. It felt as if something very important was happening, but that didn’t change the fact that we had a job to do. “Do they make you stay with them?” I asked finally.
“They’re not about asking politely,” she replied. “They believe in enslaving people, which is why they’re basically the dregs of the paranormal world. I knew the moment I saw them they would be trouble. Unfortunately, Armand is stronger than I imagined. I thought I could take him down, but he took me down instead.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bitter or anything,” she continued. “I’ve learned invaluable lessons during my time with them.”
“So ... you’re loyal to them?” I asked.
“On the contrary, I suggested we move up here because I knew you were my only way out of this situation. Armand was hiding in the tunnels of Detroit, living like a rat. I filled his mind with delusions of grandeur.
“I told him the hills of Hawthorne Hollow could be great for his kind,” she continued. “He didn’t bite on the bait right away. It took a few months for him to acquiesce. I used my magic to ply him with dreams and he eventually came around to my way of thinking.”
“You played him,” I said, things finally clicking into place. “You were looking for me. You got enslaved for ten years because of it. Somehow you found out where I was and you manipulated him into bringing you up here. I’m still not sure why.”
“I just told you. I knew you would be their downfall. Why do you think I convinced them to grab him?” She jerked her head in Gunner’s direction. “I’ve been watching you — at least on the few occasions when I could slip away without anybody noticing. I wanted to approach you in private, but you were never alone.”
Gunner leaned close so he could whisper. “I think she’s saying we’re codependent.”
I managed to swallow a chuckle, but just barely. “What is it you want, Emma? Why were you looking for me ten years ago? Why did you seek me out now? Other than to free you from the vampires, I mean. Whatever hold they’ve got on you, I’m more than willing to set you free. Step out of the way and I’ll kill them right now.”
“I expect you will, which is exactly why I came to you. As for what I want ... just to talk. But this is not the time. We have things to discuss, but it’s a conversation that will have to wait until this deed is done.”
I wanted to press her. I wanted to dig deep and demand she give me answers about my past. She seemed to know things I didn’t. But I didn’t have the time. It was time to rid the world of a certain scourge ... and it would require fire to do it.
“Do you have to stay here and witness it?”
She shook her head. “I only remained behind long enough to speak to you. I wanted you to be aware of my presence and know that there are things we need to discuss.”
“Well, great.” It was a surreal conversation to be having in the middle of a roomful of drawers of sleeping vampires. “So ... I guess you should be going?”
A small smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Yes. I’ll be going.” She gave me a wide berth as she passed. “I’ll be around once things have settled. Have fun burning down the house.”
“That’s it? Don’t you want to say goodbye to your master?”
“Oh, it took everything I had not to tip my hand and bid him farewell this morning. He was crowing about fooling you. I knew better. I recognized what you were doing. He didn’t.”
“And yet you still suggested that the half-vampires kidnap my boyfriend in the middle of the day.” My voice was like ice. “I think we’ll be talking about that, too.”
“Oh, don’t get your panties in a twist.” Her tone was dismissive. “I made sure no harm came to them.”
I gestured toward Gunner’s bruised face. “He looks harmed to me.”
“He put up a fight. Had he simply surrendered as instructed he would’ve been fine. They all put up a fight. They made things more difficult than they had to be.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what we do.”
Her smile was back. “I really must be going. Freedom awaits. It’s been so long ... and I have so many plans.”
That sounded ominous. Part of me thought I should end her right here. It was likely she was as dangerous — if not more — as the vampires. I couldn’t, though. Not when she could supply answers. “Have a hot fudge sundae for me.”
She looked confused. “Why would I have a hot fudge sundae?”
“To celebrate.”
“Oh, well, I’ll give it a try.”
I heard her footsteps on the stairs as I sucked in a breath to steady myself.
“That was weird, right?” Gunner asked once she was gone.
“That was definitely weird.”
“Do you think we should follow her?”
“I think she’s going to find us when she’s good and ready.” I focused on the door. “We have other things to worry about now. She can wait until later.”
“If you say so.” He flexed his arms and glanced around. “How do you want to do this?”
“I want you to go back to the stairs and wait. I’m tackling the master first. He’s the one we have to get no matter what. Then, when I’m leaving the room, I’ll make sure this space is engulfed. I’ll implode the building once we’re outside to make sure there’s no escape.”
“That sounds ... loud.”
“And messy.”
He flashed a grin and leaned close. “I’m sorry for all of this. I’m mostly sorry for this morning. I should’ve trusted you. The thing is, when we were taken, I knew you would come. I never had a doubt. Still, I feel guilty about what I said to you this morning. It wasn’t fair.”
“We’ve already talked about this. You don’t need to apologize. I was playing a part. I expected a certain reaction.”
“Still, I was cruel ... and disloyal. I hate being disloyal.”
I managed a smile. “We can be loyal together tonight. We’ll take a long bath, order some pizza, and shut out the rest of the world. There won’t even be a minion tied to the chair, so we’ll both be able to sleep.”
“That sounds heavenly.” He planted a kiss against my lips. “Finish it. I’m ready to get out of here.”
That made two of us.
Twenty-Nine
The master vampire didn’t stir when I let myself into the back room. He was in a coffin — I mean, how cliché — his arms crossed over his chest. There were no lights in the room, so he was perfectly safe ... at least for the next few seconds.
I knew Gunner wanted to follow me, stick close and serve as some form of protection should something go wrong, but I needed a few minutes to collect myself. I was about to end thirty lives. Sure, they were vampires and they had it coming, but that didn’t lessen the weight I was carrying.
“This kind of feels wrong,” I admitted to the sleeping vampire. “You don’t have a way to defend yourself. Of course, the part that bothers me most is that you’re not awake for me to gloat.
“I actually believed you last night, at least to a certain extent,” I continued. “I expected the double-cross to come with the darkness. I didn’t think you would move on me during the day. I thought allowing Bixby’s emotions to run free would buy me the room I needed to plan. You’d already ordered the half-vampires to grab my friends, though. Emma might’ve given you the idea, but you carried it out.
“I don’t know why you were looking for magical beings,” I said finally. “I have a few ideas, but none of them are good. I’m sure Emma will be purposely vague when it’s time, because that’s how things roll in my world. Still, despite all you’ve done, it seems as if you deserve a better death.”
I was contemplative for a moment and then shook my head. “This is the smart way to go. After what you pulled last night, you have this coming. I’m not sure where Brandon is — he wasn’t in the storage room when I checked — but if something has happened to him and he’s not simply hanging out with the other half-vampires I’m going to wish I’d bee
n more brutal.
“Either way, it’s time to go.” I drifted back toward the door, not stopping until I was at the threshold. I watched the sleeping vampire for what felt like forever. In real time it was probably only five seconds, but sometimes seconds can feel like hours. “I’m not really sorry about this. I don’t want you to think that. It’s just ... it doesn’t feel honorable.
“I have to protect my friends, though. I have to protect the people of this town. I get that you were manipulated and probably wouldn’t have come up here if not for Emma. I don’t know what her plan is and I’m doubtful she’s up to anything good. Despite all that, I can’t let you live.
“A message has to be sent here today — and I’m the one who needs to send it. You marked me as your equal, so it’s my response that counts.”
I didn’t wait any longer. I filled the room with fire. Gunner was waiting at the stairs and I started burning the second chamber as I moved toward him.
“Ready?” he asked, forcing a smile as I focused an extended blast at the morgue drawers.
“Ready. Let’s get out of here.”
WE WATCHED FROM THE TREES AS THE house burned. Graham showed up not long after the fire started and his fury was evident. He talked in low voices with Rooster for several minutes before sitting back to watch the show. He did not call for backup ... or fire engines.
“How do we know that they’re not just waiting it out in the basement?” Marissa demanded as she gave Gunner dirty looks for rubbing his hand over my back. “I mean ... fire kills them most of the time, but they might survive. Then all they have to do is wait until dark and make their escape. If you ask me, this is a stupid plan.”
“Hey!” Gunner’s eyes flashed. “She saved us. You should show her a little gratitude.”
“What good is any of it if they come looking for us after dark?” she shot back.
“They won’t come looking,” I promised, weariness temporarily taking over. “I’ve already thought that through.”
“Oh, yeah?” Marissa cocked an eyebrow. “How are you going to make sure it doesn’t happen?”
As if on cue, the roof of the house collapsed. The entire building caved in with one fluid motion.
Marissa narrowed her eyes. “There’s still debris over the basement.”
“It won’t last long,” Rooster pointed out. “This fire is meant to burn until there’s absolutely nothing left. It will be fine.”
“Oh, well, if you say so.”
Gunner slid his arm around my shoulders and drew me close. He seemed unusually protective, though that could simply have been my exhaustion talking. “We don’t have to stay,” he noted.
“I know. I just ... .” I flicked my eyes to Graham as he approached. “If you’re going to give me grief for this, can you wait until tomorrow? I’ll be a lot more fun to fight with when I have a bit of pep in my step.”
His lips curved. “I’ll keep that in mind for tomorrow. For now ... .” He looked conflicted. After a few seconds, he collected himself and straightened his shoulders. “So, I thought you should know that a group of people were picked up on the highway. They seemed out of it ... and confused ... and even a little dehydrated. They’re being transported to the hospital for observation.”
I perked up. “Was Brandon with them? He wasn’t in the storage room at The Cauldron and I wasn’t sure if they ... well, if they did something horrible.”
“Brandon was with them.” The smile he shot me was reassuring. “He’s being checked out even as we speak. You don’t have to worry about him. He seems back to normal. A little confused.”
“What about the others? Melody? Cherise? The little minion?”
Graham didn’t crack a smile at my weak joke. “Melody and Cherise are in custody. Cherise is talking, says she wants to go home. Melody is giving us fits. We’ve called her husband. I figure she’ll be his problem soon enough.”
That probably wasn’t the end she was looking for, but I couldn’t muster much sympathy for her. “I guess that’s the end of that.” Even as I said the words I knew that wasn’t true. Emma was still out there and her motivations remained murky. I worried things would get worse before they got better, but for now at least they appeared settled. “What about Honey? Her body went missing from the morgue and we never saw her again. Do we know what happened to her?”
Graham shook his head. “I’m assuming she’s in one of the vaults Gunner described to Rooster. You didn’t check them?”
I shook my head. “We didn’t. She could’ve been sleeping the day away for all we know.”
“And yet you don’t look like you believe that.” Graham folded his arms over his chest and pinned me with a probing look. “Why can’t you just take the win? You singlehandedly ended all the vampires. Somehow you got across that barrier and you saved your friends. Why can’t that be enough for you?”
“I didn’t say it wasn’t enough.” He was starting to irritate me so I took a step back. “I just ... wish I would’ve thought to check. It’s better to know than wonder.”
“Where else would she be?”
He sounded so reasonable that I opted to check my attitude. “She was probably in the basement,” I agreed, a hint of movement catching my attention over his shoulder. There, Mama Moon stood next to Bixby’s forlorn figure. The minion was on the ground, free of the spell even though I’d forgotten to release him, which made me think Mama Moon handled that particular task. Tears coursed down his cheeks. He looked legitimately broken-hearted. “Excuse me for a second.”
Gunner followed. It was obvious he had no intention of letting me out of his sight. It would take more energy to argue than I had, so I didn’t mention it. Instead, I hunkered down in front of Bixby and waited until he met my gaze.
“You killed them.” His tone was accusatory as he sniffled.
“I did,” I agreed. I wasn’t going to apologize. Still, part of me felt sorry for him. A very, very small part. “You’re free of whatever blood bond you shared with them. You can go and ... start a new life.”
“And what if I don’t want to start a new life? What if I want my old one back?”
“Then you’re doomed to disappointment.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to rip out your intestines and use them as a straw.”
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “That sounds fun.” I patted his shoulder and stood. “I’m not going to kill you — at least not now — but I don’t recommend staying in town. You need to get out of here and find someplace new to hang your hat.”
“I don’t wear hats. They’re undignified.”
For some reason that made me laugh. “Well ... then find a new home where you don’t have to wear a hat and your services will be appreciated. That’s not Hawthorne Hollow.”
He was suspicious as he looked me up and down. “That’s it? You’re just going to let me go?”
I nodded. “There’s no reason for you to stay. But if you return I won’t hesitate to kill you. You need to go ... someplace else.”
“And you need to do it today,” Gunner added. “I need some sleep and that won’t happen with you tied to a chair in the kitchen.”
“That was not my choice,” Bixby sneered, shaking his head. He pushed himself to his feet, taking a moment to glance around as he brushed the leaves and twigs from his coat. “So ... I can just go?”
“On your way.”
“We’ll be watching for your return, though,” Gunner warned. “You might want to think long and hard before you get involved with vampires again.”
“Oh, you needn’t worry.” Bixby’s smile turned smarmy. “You’ll never see me again. I promise you that.”
“Good. Get out of here.” Gunner slung his arm around my shoulders as we watched Bixby scamper into the trees. He stopped at the foliage line long enough to glance over his shoulder, his eyes finding me. There was hatred there, maybe something worse. I thought he was going to say something, but he disappeared into the trees.
“Do you think that was a good idea?” Mama Moon asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t kill him and I’m over keeping him captive. I guess we’ll try it. If he comes back, we’ll handle the problem then.”
She was quiet as she turned back to the fire. “You did good work today. You saved your friends. You saved the half-vampires. It was a good day.”
“Yeah, but speaking of that” — I craned my neck and searched the field — “what happened to Melody and Cherise? Graham said they were in custody, but I want to make sure they’re not out causing problems.”
“They tried to flee when the fire started. They knew what it meant. Cherise thanked me for helping. She seemed legitimately relieved for this to be ending. Melody was furious. She could be back to cause trouble down the road, depending on what happens when she’s reunited with her husband.”
“We’ll handle it when it happens,” Gunner replied, tugging me tighter against him. “For now ... I think we’ve done all we can do here. What do you say to pizza in bed and however many bad movies we can find on Netflix?”
The invitation was warm, friendly, and exactly what I needed. “Can we get ice cream on the way home, too?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then that sounds like the best offer I’ve had all day.”
“It’s a date then.” He pressed his lips to my forehead and then looked around. “I don’t have a way to get out of here unless we ride together on your bike.”
“I think we can make it work.”
“Yeah, but ... I need to drive. I can’t be on the back. That’s the chick seat.”
Oh, well, now this conversation revived me. “It’s my bike,” I noted as I led him toward the trees. “I’m not sitting in the chick seat on my own bike. You have to do it.”
“No. I draw the line there.”
“Then you’re walking home.”
He exhaled heavily. “Maybe we could flip a coin or something.”
“Sure. Tails you lose, heads I win.”
“I already won when you moved to town.”
That was unbelievably sweet, but there was no way I was falling for it. “I’m driving and that’s all there is to it.”
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