Chapter 35
Thirty-Five
Bound
The vampires mist Jing and Tony back to Mémère’s salon.
The night has transformed the floor-to-ceiling windows into mirrors.
Jing’s hair is dishevelled, her dress smeared with dark stains.
Tony is nowhere near as grisly, but the expression on his face is enough to keep people away.
He holds himself stiffly, no doubt uncomfortable.
Marianne remembers the change; the first few days is like having a stomach ache that won’t go away.
Max sits in an armchair, flanked by two cavaliers.
Other than looking a little tired, he’s as pristine as ever.
White shirt, unknotted bow tie hanging loose around his collar, hands shoved into pockets; he doesn’t give an impression of remorse but rather an impatience to be somewhere else.
His sullen expression darkens when he sees Jing.
Jing’s reaction is more extreme. When she sees him, it sets her entire body shaking.
She hurls herself at him but the cavaliers mist Max to the other side of the room, out of reach.
Jing opens her mouth and a scream unlike anything Marianne has ever heard before reverberates around the salon – a piercing keening that hurts her ears and makes the mirrors and windows hum at a dangerously high-pitched frequency. Even Max looks unnerved.
Marianne hurries to Jing’s side, puts an arm around her shoulders. She can sense how close Jing is to losing control. She murmurs, ‘Tony’s safe now, no one can hurt him again. Max will answer for his actions. It’ll be alright.’ She repeats reassurances until Jing’s racing heart calms.
Marianne guides her to the armchair beside Mémère, and slips into the one on the other side, so that she and her grandmother flank Jing.
A servant hands everyone a glass of fresh blood to steady their nerves.
Tony contemplates the proffered glass with a grim expression before closing his fingers around it.
‘Explain yourself, Maximilien,’ Mémère demands.
When Max doesn’t respond, she bangs the floor with her cane.
Max cringes. ‘At first it was only a game. But when I realised you were going to take everything away, I got angry. I wanted to punish Jing, punish you for taking away my inheritance.’
Mémère sighs, a heavy exhale. ‘I must also share the blame. All these years, I indulged you, believing my tenderness a reward. Instead, you learned that accountability was for other people. I put you on the wrong path.’ She shakes her head.
‘You have forgotten our most sacred duty. First and foremost, the head of House Durand must protect our people. Mortal and vampire. What you did, playing with Tony Lee’s life, is the most blasphemous of acts you could commit. ’
Max looks stricken, his confidence shaken for the first time.
Marianne translates, adding, ‘Max has been stripped of his privileges: he may no longer feed directly from pursuivants, he may only drink blood from a glass. He can no longer mist—’
‘How?’ Tony’s voice is flat but his eyes betray his curiosity.
‘That is something we cannot disclose right now. Such knowledge in the wrong hands would be our undoing. Perhaps in due course, once you’ve proven your loyalty to the house. Binding his abilities is a grave punishment. Max will not earn the right to mist until we are able to trust him again.’
Tony swirls his glass. ‘Another question then. Since Jing turned me, does that make me a Durand?’
Marianne glances at Mémère, uncertain how to answer. Tony turns to Mémère and asks the same thing in French.
‘Yes,’ Mémère says. ‘Normally you would be under Jing’s tutelage. But under the circumstances, I will teach you both.’
‘I see.’
Marianne translates for Jing, who nods.
‘As for Max,’ Mémère continues, ‘the greatest punishment a vampire can receive is to be cast out of House Durand. It is a fate worse than death for a vampire to lose their family. As the heir of House Durand, Jing, and Tony, as the victim of his attacks, you each have a say.’
Once translated, Jing asks, ‘What about La Grande Morte?’
‘That’s not a punishment. For vampires with very long lives, La Grande Morte is a very sacred gift.’
Jing frowns, but says no more.
Marianne says, ‘Then, what are your thoughts? Should Max be cast out?’
‘Yes,’ Jing says, at the same time Tony says, ‘No.’
‘What do you mean, No?’ Jing asks, incredulous.
Tony gazes into his glass as he says, ‘What’s done is done.’
‘Noted,’ Marianne says with a little frown. ‘Jing, what about you?’
Jing doesn’t hear Marianne’s question; her attention is on Tony. ‘That’s it? You’re just going to let him go?’
He sardonically raises his half-empty glass.
‘We’re family now. I don’t want to be burdened by responsibility for someone I couldn’t care less about.
But even if we were strangers, to pursue such a punishment, one that is a “fate worse than death”, is neither commensurate nor ethical.
Satiating a personal grudge is a pleasure that never lasts; in time I would regret my selfishness. ’
Jing looks like she’s swallowed a hornets’ nest. She looks like she wants nothing more than to rip Max de Durand into shreds. But in the end, she says, ‘I agree with Tony.’
Marianne relays their answers. Max is surprised; his gaze darts between Tony and Jing, before settling on the floor.
‘I know this is a lot right now,’ Marianne says, ‘but we also need to make arrangements for our journey to yin Shanghai.’ From the way both of them stiffen, Marianne guesses they’d forgotten amid all the chaos.
‘Firstly, as we’re meeting your grandmother, Jing, and need her cooperation, what kind of gifts would she appreciate?’ Marianne asks.
Jing frowns. ‘She is very vain. Loves pretty things, or more specifically, pretty things that make her even prettier.’
‘That’s what Mémère deduced. She suggests what we’ll call French beauty secrets. Lace lingerie, hose, heels, and cosmetics such as lipstick and powders.’
‘She’ll love lingerie and sexy heels. Anything that will make her ta-tas stand out. No hose, though. Too constricting, she won’t like that. And no make-up either – she’ll think you’re implying she needs it.’
Marianne nods. They should have a third gift.
Something special, something daring. She thinks she knows exactly what to bring.
She chews her lip. ‘Secondly: the Immortal Express will be ready to leave tomorrow at noon.’ She knows Max doesn’t deserve their mercy, but at the same time .
. . she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t at least ask.
So she squares her shoulders and says, ‘We are most grateful to the Jade Emperor and Yan Luo Wang for all their assistance. We don’t know if we’ll find Papa; and even if we do, we don’t know what condition he’ll be in, or even if he’s still alive.
It may be our only chance to say goodbye.
I want to ask for your mercy, Jing. Please allow Max to join us. ’
Jing’s expression hardens. Marianne thinks she’ll say no. But then she mutters something about Zijiren, about family, whether we like it or not.
‘What do you think, Tony?’ Jing says, her tone light. ‘I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.’ As soon as the words are out of her mouth, she blanches, knowing she misspoke.
‘Perhaps you should have thought about that before.’ Tony regards her with an icy glare, tips his glass, as if toasting her, then drains it. ‘Let Max come. Right and wrong exists and I won’t let someone I care little about corrupt my world view.’
Jing swallows. ‘He can come, but if he misbehaves, he goes straight back to France.’
Marianne translates for Mémère who nods, gazing sadly at Jing.
Max exhales, and mumbles, ‘Tell her thank you.’
Marianne closes her eyes briefly, as if pained. ‘My brother offers you abundant gratitude for your magnanimity.’ She stands. ‘You both need to wash up. Come with me.’
The porcelain sink doesn’t stay white for long.
Though my wounds have long closed over and are barely visible, dried blood covers my arms so it takes some time for the water to wash them clean.
I change out of the ruined dress into a soft oatmeal woollen top and matching trousers.
Clutching my dirty clothes I step into the hallway and come face to face with Tony.
His gaze slides right off me, as if I don’t exist, and he slips into the vacated bathroom. With his back to me, he says, ‘Marianne is waiting for you in the salon.’ His voice is worse than cold. It’s indifferent.
‘Wait, please, Tony. Can we talk?’
The door shuts in my face.
A sob crawls up my throat and I double over, the pain in my chest making it hard to breathe.
When the door finally opens, I’m calm. Tony wears a matching woollen outfit, though his is navy blue. He stops abruptly, unable to avoid me this time.
‘I want to apologise, Tony,’ I say, holding tight to my mahjong face. ‘I know you’re angry and hurt. You have every right to be. But don’t walk away, please. We can work this out,’ I say with a confidence I don’t feel.
His eyes darken as he leans in, takes my chin between his finger and thumb. This close I can see the fury in every line of his face. I don’t dare move.
‘I wasn’t wrong, in the end, was I?’ he whispers. ‘Vampires are selfish, cruel, and chaotic. Including you. You took away my right to choose, made a decision entirely for your own benefit.’
I stagger at the hatred in his voice, each word a poisoned arrow.
‘Look at me,’ he hisses, yanking my chin upwards. A smile stretches across his handsome face, hard and mocking. ‘You are angry at Max, but you did this, too.’ He tosses my chin away and turns on his heel, abandoning me without a second glance.
It’s as if my qi chooses to follow Tony, abandoning my body, leaving an empty shell. I sink to my knees, mind blank, body numb.
‘Jing? Jing!’ Marianne shakes me, pulls me to my feet and into her arms.
Wiping my tears, she says, ‘Don’t take Tony’s anger to heart.
The transition can be overwhelming for new vampires.
On the one hand, they’re grieving their old lives.
On the other, they’re trying to navigate their new world.
Their senses are heightened, as are their emotions.
They also have a constant stomach ache for the first month or so, which can make them grumpy.
Give him space. I saw how much he cares about you. He’ll come around.’
‘I’m not sure he will. He’s a man of principle. He believes in propriety and decorum, in integrity and decency. All traits I lack.’ I bow my head, as my tears fall splatter on the parquet floor.
Marianne gives me another squeeze. ‘Don’t say that. You are all those things, and more. Let me take you home. I’m sure your friends are worried about you.’
I glance towards the salon. ‘What about Tony?’
‘Mémère feels it will be better for everyone if Tony stays with us tonight. Our chevalier will keep watch over him.’
When I get back to the Manor of Gathering Elegance, Gigi, Ah Lang, and Lord Aengus are in my room, waiting for me. I stumble into Gigi’s arms, bury my face in her shoulder. My whole body shakes with silent sobs.
‘What happened, Lady Jing?’ Ah Lang asks. ‘Where’s Mr Lee?’
Bit by bit, I tell them about sangue poisoning, fighting Mémère and Marianne to save Tony, the decisions we made about Max, and Tony’s reaction to it all. My promise to move to Paris, I keep to myself.
Gigi stays with me after Lord Aengus and Ah Lang leave, stroking my hair and letting me cry until I fall asleep.