Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
Fear has power over us when we cannot foresee a solution – I understood this now.
Standing in the rain, pondering options, I knew that to enter that room could be my last mistake. But until I had my son in my arms, I had no other choice. Even if Delacroix didn’t have Jacob, he’d become too much of a threat. And he now had Marcus and Rachel.
Sunaria’s words resonated. I wondered if there might be any truth in them, if drinking from Delacroix might irrevocably change me. Another warped myth, perhaps, though I had to admit, I’d occasionally experienced an invisible essence radiating from my victims, though nothing definable.
Sunaria stayed in the courtyard, and I flew up and onto the windowsill, entering the room.
Delacroix sat in the corner. Marcus was hugging Rachel, and I could see the similarity between them – their red hair, their English features, and the kindness in their faces.
The room was unbearably small, the décor bare – a single bed, a chair, and a side table upon which lay a time-worn book with dog-eared pages.
Instead of reading to Lilly, I murdered her.
I swapped a glance with Marcus.
Delacroix smiled.
“Where’s my son?” I asked.
He shrugged.
I wondered if I had the strength to tear his throat out. He read my mind and returned a stare that blazed with hatred, and then he stood and strolled past me. He gazed out of the window and his lips slid into a grin.
Despite everything he’d done, I had to suppress my anger and let nothing distract my focus. “What do you want with them?”
Delacroix shook his head in dismissal.
“So why are you here?” I moved closer to him.
He smiled again, and I was hit with a realization.
“Because you knew I’d come.”
Delacroix’s attention fell on Rachel.
“Let them go.” My tone remained calm as I glanced at Marcus and then back at Delacroix. “Tell me what you want.”
A gust of wind caught the curtain, and it billowed.
Delacroix peered out of the window again.
“What have you done?” I felt a chill up my spine. “Get out of my way.”
He put his hand up, blocking me.
“I take it you want your head back,” I said.
He glared at me.
“St. Paul’s, tomorrow night,” I said. “The witching hour.”
“Sunaria’s as good as dead,” he rasped.
“I’ll burn the thing,” I yelled.
Delacroix’s dark stare served as a fierce warning. Then he was gone.
Marcus joined me by the window and stared down at the hooded figures surrounding Sunaria.
“Who are they?” he whispered, and then stepped back, fearing he’d been seen.
A voice reached me in the chaos.
My feet left the window ledge, and I landed in the courtyard.
Sunaria’s expression reflected her usual calmness, pride even.
The Creda had tied her hands behind her back. The six shady looking vampires were huddled around her, all dressed in the garb of monks, their complexions ghostly white, their irises glistening in the moonlight. There was something vaguely familiar about one of them.
“Orpheus is what she calls you,” the man said, “but that’s not your real name.”
“And you are?” I asked.
“Elijah.”
“Do I know you?”
“No.” He looked young, around twenty – or at least he had been when he was turned.
His smile didn’t reach his eyes. He’d never pass for normal. In fact, none of them would. That would explain why they dressed as friars, wearing long, brown robes, their hoods pulled all the way forward to disguise their unnatural pallor.
“Go,” Sunaria said to me. “Get far away from here.”
“Laws have been broken,” Elijah said softly. A lock of stark, white hair peeked out from under his hood. It contradicted his youth. His eyes moved under heavy lids, and he didn’t blink – the mark of an ancient.
“Sunaria, his memory of you can be a good one,” he said. “Come quietly.”
She avoided my gaze.
“I’ll get you back,” I whispered.
She gave a subtle shake of her head. “I’ll find you.”
“Will someone please tell me why she’s being taken?” I demanded.
Sunaria looked up at Elijah. “They’re punishing me because I’ve turned too many humans into vampires.”
I thought of Marcus and his sister. “What’s the limit?”
Elijah gave me a wary look. “It’s not necessarily how many.”
“Then who?” I asked.
“They hid my daughter from me,” Sunaria blurted out quickly.
Elijah moved closer to her. “And why did we do that, Sunaria?”
My mind reeled. “You have a daughter?”
“I did,” she said.
“Why have you never told me?” I’d never seen her this distressed before. I stared at Elijah. “Why did you take her daughter?”
His gaze shifted slowly to me. “Sunaria murdered her master.”
I took a deep breath. “He tortured her.”
“She broke our rules.” Elijah gestured to the others that he was ready to go.
“And you’ve never broken them?” I asked.
“No, I have not.” He glared at Sunaria. “She wiped out our ancestors.”
Although Sunaria had revealed her capability for cruelty, I’d never imagined that the woman I loved could be this dangerous. “What happened to her daughter?”
“We don’t know.” Elijah waved off the question. “And it is not our concern.”
“Let her go,” I said.
“You have no authority over us.” He turned away from me, as though wishing I weren’t there. “And you have no power to control her.”
“I won’t let you take her.”
“Daumia,” he spun round gracefully, “it’s time for you to leave.”
“I have information that could prevent your annihilation,” I said.
Elijah’s stare seemed hollow, otherworldly.
“If you think Sunaria’s out of control,” I said, “you should take a closer look at Delacroix.”
“And why is that?” Elijah asked.
“He likes to collect body parts.”
From Elijah’s thoughts, I picked up images of two men, one was the count, and the other his brother, and I realized that the decapitated head had once been Delacroix’s brother, Roman.
Elijah snapped his attention back to me, aware that I’d been rummaging around in his mind.
“The Delacroix brothers have formed an alliance with Lord Archer,” I told him. “They plan to wipe you out.”
Sunaria glanced up at him.
Elijah tried to access my thoughts but failed. He went on to say, “Roman Delacroix would never betray his own.”
“You’re wrong. Roman’s desire for power matches his brother’s.”
Elijah was staring at me intently. “Why would the count arrange for us to be here?” He grimaced, revealing stark, white teeth and a glint of the sharpest fangs. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s a ruse. He wanted to distract you so they can have another meeting with Archer. They plan to betray you.”
Elijah’s expression showed emotion for a split second, and he swapped looks with the others. “Prove it.”
“I’ll tell you when and where they’ll be tomorrow night,” I said, “and you’ll give up Sunaria.”
“Bring her.” Elijah signaled to the others.
“At this very moment, Roman is spilling your secrets.” I reached into my trouser pocket and withdrew his gold engraved ring. “Here.”
Elijah took it from me and examined it. “How did you come to have this?”
“Roman invited me to join them.”
Elijah turned to his men in silent conversation and then faced me again.
“Where will they meet?” he asked.
“St. Paul’s. Tomorrow at midnight.”
They vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
I untied Sunaria. “Well, that was easy.”
“What were you thinking?” she snapped.
“Did I miss something?”
“You’re out of your mind.” She shook her head, annoyed. “What happens when they realize that all that’s left of Roman is his head?”
“I’ll cross that bridge later,” I said, shrugging. “Who did you transform that’s made them so angry?”
“What does it matter now?”
I rubbed her wrists, soothing her red skin. “It matters to me.”
“Where did you get that ring?”
“You don’t want to know.”
She gave me a look that signaled her temper would soon be lost.
“I removed it from Roman’s hand. Delacroix keeps it in a jar.”
Sunaria squirmed. “They have no intention of letting me go.”
“We’ll see. You didn’t fight them, didn’t try to run away.”
“They threatened to harm you.”
“I can look after myself.” I stared at her. “Why did you never tell me about your daughter?”
Sunaria turned away.
“Are you ever going to open up to me?” I asked her.
“I’ve imbibed from each of their ancestors. A great collection of information rests within me.”
“There’s something else, though, I can feel it.”
She wrapped her arms around me. “Let’s get out of here.”
“After this is over, you’ll tell me everything and I won’t take no for an answer.”
She snuggled against me.
“So the Creda’s ancestors have really been wiped out?” I asked.
She nodded.
“I wouldn’t want to cross you.”
“After that performance, I’m not so sure I’d want to cross you, either,” she said.
I kissed the top of her head. “Fancy a trip to the country?”
“You’ve been reckless enough. Let’s find a hotel.”
“What’s that new place on Bond Street?”
“The Cavendish?” she said.
“Now that’s more for us. Find somewhere for Marcus and Rachel to stay, will you?”
“Where are you going?”
“A quick change of clothes and then I have one final stop to make.”
She read my mind. “That’s suicide.”
“Book us into The Cavendish and I’ll catch up with you there.”
“You’re not going.”
“I won’t be long.”
“You need to listen to me.”
I rubbed my chin. “Right now, Delacroix, the Creda, and the Stone Masters all have an agenda.”
Sunaria sighed. “And we’re right in the middle of it.”