Shades of Gray: A Jude Magdalyn Novel (8 page)
Apparently I got a boost of strength with being the Prophecy. Even though I pressed hard, hooking my thumbs to make sure I’d sever the optic nerve, there was absolutely no way humanly possible I could have pushed them hard enough to do the job in under a second. I ignored the wet plop on my skin as his eyes fell out, drove my knee up with all the force I could, and twisted my body to make sure he wouldn’t fall on top of me.
The horribly loud and keening screams he let loose were enough to make every hair on my body stand on end. My breath coming in shallow pants, I twisted, pulled and shoved myself off the mattress, hitting the hardwood floor with a thud I hoped would get someone’s attention, although I had a feeling the man’s screams would do a better job.
Unfortunately, my thud tipped him off to my location. Even without his eyes - my stomach rolled involuntarily at the thought - he was still deadly as hell. I scrambled to my feet a split second before he leaped, growling, and landed right where I had been. The door, when I rattled the knob, was locked with a key I was betting Super-Assassin had in one of his pockets.
Great. Just great.
“You won’t make it out of this room alive, Prophecy. I’ve been paid well to ensure you don’t continue your rise to power, and I’ve yet to not complete an assignment.” We were circling each other, a deadly game of cat and mouse, and I had no doubt which one I was. “I might have let you die with some dignity, with a lack of pain, but now. Now, I’ll enjoy every scream.”
I bumped into the bed, and began crawling backward over it , never taking my eyes from him. Whatever he’d done to my guards, it was pretty obvious they weren’t coming. Which meant I got to play with Super-Assassin all by myself. Oh, goodie.
You can manifest fire. You can end him now. You know how.
Gillian’s voice rang in my head, and with it a light switched on. She was right; I knew how to make one of those crazy fireballs. Like it had been waiting there all along for something to trigger it, suddenly, there it was.
Concentrating, I took a deep centering breath. I felt the heat rise and focused, pushing it down my arm until the length of it burned, and my palm was an angry, fiery red. I began to think my hand was going to turn to ash, when the flames began to push through my skin, little licks of fire, the smell of pure heat filling the room. The faster I breathed, the higher the flames leapt, and my hopes soared.
I was going to live.
With a growl, he darted forward, and I instinctively thrust my hand into his face, gripping it tight. He began to struggle and smoke and the smell of burning flesh filled the room. The flames covered his face, ran down his body; yet, my hand and arm remained untouched, felt cooler. Giving a little push, I released him, watching him shriek and wallow on the floor.
The door blasted open behind me, and I craned my neck to see the doorway filled with people, Gillian and Williams at the forefront. Turning back to watch Super-Dead-Assassin convulsing and ashing away on the floor, I remarked absently, “I think we have a few kinks in the guard program.”
I spat into the toilet
a final time, the taste in my mouth beyond description. I’d been throwing up for the better part of an hour. The heavy mass of my hair shielded my face, sweaty strands sticking to my cheeks and back. If I thought I had a headache before Super-Assassin, I’d been corrected after the two-second-behind arrival of the Cavalry. This was a headache - everything else before? Child’s play.
I flushed the toilet, and shifted to lean against the wall. The small movement amplified the pounding in my head, and when my left hand accidentally brushed my thigh I bit my lip to keep from whimpering. Apparently, even though I could produce fire, I needed to work on my technique a little bit - the burn probably wouldn’t scar, but it would be painful for a little while. Throw in the lashes on my back, which were healing pretty darn fast but not enough to suit me - I looked like a walking accident.
I jumped when something cool touched my arm and moaned at the cascading effect on my headache. A glass was pressed into my right hand and pills into my left. Without opening my eyes, I slugged them back, my stomach rebelling at the water. I’d had enough of the toilet, so I gritted my teeth and fought through the roll of nausea. A cold compress was placed on my left hand while my nursemaid of the moment wiped my face.
“Your mother didn’t do nearly as well the first time she had to use power in a hurry. It took us nearly a week to get her back on her feet.”
Gillian’s voice was low, almost casual, and yet there was a certain amount of pride in her words. “Well, looks like all those years as a street-urchin are finally paying off, eh?”
Gillian chuckled, a husky sound that didn’t seem to quite suit the image I’d been building of her in my head. “You did very well, considering the circumstances. If you had frozen or not pushed as hard, we might not be having this conversation.” The damp towel was replaced with another, and the coolness felt like heaven on my overheated face.
“She was very lucky. Hart will not be pleased the most feared assassin among vampires was brought down by a slip of a woman, with no experience in our world.”
I opened my left eye, staring out of the corner at Williams leaning against the doorjamb. “Hart can kiss my ass. If he messes with my shut-eye one more time, I’ll kick his keister just for practice.”
Williams threw back his head, laughing, and even Gillian couldn’t resist another chuckle. Encouraged by not being scolded, I braced my back against the wall, using my right hand to push up from the floor. Gillian rose, shifting to stand in front of me, and it seemed for a moment I’d be able to stay upright without assistance.
I pushed off from the wall, swaying for a moment. It took only a second for the outer edges of my vision to cloud and fade to black. I had time to mutter “Shit,” before pitching to the left. Luckily, Williams moved faster than my mere mortal self could and I wasn’t halfway to the floor before he’d scooped me up like I weighed nothing. I didn’t have to look at Gillian to know she was shaking her head. I didn’t care.
Williams turned, carrying me back into my new bedroom. I made a mental note to have my bed moved from my apartment. There were two smaller rooms, probably former servant annexes. One was now a closet Carrie Bradshaw would have envied. The other was to house my new companion. Gillian and Williams had ganged up on me, decreeing that since it was impossible for me to be in one or the other of their presence all day and the male guard couldn’t realistically go with me everywhere, I needed to have a female companion of sorts.
I wanted to wait until I was steadier on my feet, literally and figuratively, before fighting that little battle.
Williams gently deposited me on the bed, averting his gaze when the cotton robe Gillian had wrapped me in before my hour-long purge slipped open to reveal a little too much chest. Since most men actually try to see my chest, and not avoid it, his noble gesture meant a lot. It probably had something to do with being raised in a different era, but I’d take any display of chivalry at the moment. Something about being sick makes you want to be a little helpless and girly.
Gillian laid a cool cloth over my forehead, and then reached down to pull the layers of sheets and blankets over me. They turned to leave, when a question popped in my head. “Wait. How’d Super-Assassin wind up in the guard?”
“Super-Assassin? That’s something he’s never been called before.” Williams smiled slightly, sliding his hands into his pockets. “One of Kazimir’s unique talents, even among vampires, is the ability to take on the form of another. Not for an extended period of time, say, weeks, but such a feat is possible for hours, even days.”
He glided over to perch on the edge of the bed, taking my left hand gently. He began tracing the angry red circle already fading from where the fireball had burst through my skin. I’m not into pain, like real pain, but something about the slide of his fingers over my skin had my nerve endings singing, and not because it hurt. There was a grumble from near the door, but I was getting good at ignoring Gillian when it suited me.
“Gossip spreads fast, more so when the news in question needs to be kept silent. Kazimir had been in the city for at least a week, waiting for a moment to fulfill the contract. When the call for your guard was sent out, he disposed of one of those selected and took his form. From there, he simply needed the right time.”
My eyes met his and I was shaken at how grieved they were. “So one of the men supposed to protect me has already died? And the war hasn’t even really begun yet?”
“Baptiste was a good man. His passing will cause grief among even those who’ve sided with Hart.” Williams continued to trace my wound, his eyes somber. “He was a soldier and would not have looked upon his death as anything other than being killed while performing his duty. One he took seriously.”
I swallowed, nodding my head. Less than seventy-two hours ago, my biggest worry had been how long I was going to have to play at Ms. Talanger’s party. Now, two people were dead because of me. Oh, I knew it wasn’t really my fault. Hart had been the one to cause their deaths; but they were dead because they had been involved in some way with me, one of them before he even knew who I was. My stomach rolled again, but I took a deep breath and waited for the queasiness to pass.
“He didn’t have a family, or a girlfriend, life mate, you know, whatever you want to call it, did he?”
Williams crooked an eyebrow. “Very few vampires can have children, the dhampyr. Baptiste was too much of a warrior for such tender emotions as love.”
I sighed with relief, my tense muscles relaxing. “If he’d had any connections, I’d have wanted to see them provided for, compensated in some way. His death was in the line of duty, so to speak, and deserves to be treated with all due respect.”
The strangled sound Gillian made from her sentry post at the door had me shifting my gaze from Williams, and him turning his head. To my utter shock, she gave a short bow from the waist, before hurrying from the room. I widened my eyes when Williams turned back to stare at me. “Seriously, I don’t even have a clue what I did this time.”
Chuckling, Williams rose to stand beside the bed. “A mark of respect. Few would think to concern themselves with the survivors of a man they’ve never met. You do the Covenant proud, Jude Magdalyn.”
Before I could say anything, he laid his head on my forehead, murmuring, “Rest.”
I was asleep before he finished uttering the word.
“I’m not doing it again.
I’m tired, my whole body aches. There’s paper and crap everywhere that somebody, probably me, is going to have to put back in place.” I threw myself into the closest chair. Huffing out a breath caused my overly long bangs to float briefly on the air. I narrowed my eyes at Gillian. “I’m not doing it, and you can’t make me.”
Gillian stood in the center of the debris-strewn room, arms folded serenely, hands clasped together at her waist. “You are aware you sound like a petulant child.” I crossed my own arms, my annoyance ratcheting up a notch or two. “And I could, if I truly wanted to, make you continue practicing.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “So says you. Even if you could, we both know you wouldn’t, so as far as threats go it’s not a good one.” Her silence confirmed I’d pegged her and quite possibly won our first real argument. I took my reprieve to survey the damage again, wincing as I realized it was worse than I’d originally thought.
After I’d woken from my medically, and vampirically, induced sleep and taken a few steps to look slightly less like a week old non-animated corpse, I’d headed down to the first floor in the hopes of finding the kitchen. I’d figured it’d take me half the night, but some smart ass had taped little maps throughout the house. My money was on Williams. The kind with “you are here”, and where everything else is in relation to your position.
I always feel slightly “special” when I have to read those maps, but I’ve never gotten lost using one.
I found the kitchen in less than five minutes. Even better, I found other people who’d already cooked enough food to feed an army. Some of the appliances looked like things I imagined on a space ship and I figured somebody else cooking was best for everyone. With my luck I would have made something blow up.
I grabbed a plate and piled it high with eggs, bacon, and other breakfast type foods. Sliding into a chair between two guards and across from Williams, I joked, “Keep this up and I’ll be ruined for work in less than a week.”
“Your work now is the Covenant. By the end of tomorrow you’ll have a fully staffed house.” Gillian spoke from her place at the head of the table. Like everything else in the Crossroads, it was built for large parties. By large, I meant huge. All of my guard, again at twelve, Gillian, Williams, and myself were seated comfortably, and we probably could squeeze another five or so in with us. Absolutely huge.
“The staff will be a mixture of the Covenant and the vampire faction.” Williams tapped his fingers against the table, seemingly lost in thought. He brought his eyes to mine, crooking a slight smile. “It would seem to be better overprotected than under.”
“And better to be trained than untrained.” Gillian stood, her hair and robe swirling around her for a moment before settling. “Bring your plate. You can eat while I demonstrate the object of your first lesson. Then you may attempt it.”
“Thanks so much,” I muttered, but since my mouth was full of food, Gillian didn’t hear me. Williams did, thanks to his extra human senses, and the guard to my right tried to hide his laugh in a cough.
“Laughing will only encourage her,” Williams remarked in a low voice. I was still chewing French toast as I stood, but I swallowed it before I followed Gillian through the door. I spun around, crossed my eyes, and stuck my tongue out at Williams. I smiled as I turned around and the room behind me erupted in laughter.
Gillian was tapping her foot impatiently where she stood waiting at the break in the hallway, waiting for me catch up before continuing further into the maze. I tried to remember where we turned, but after the second dogleg after the flight of stairs I gave up. I was going to have to see about those maps being placed through the whole of the building. To be honest, I’m sure we weren’t even in the main building anymore.
Finally after a ten minute hike during which I managed to finish clearing my plate, Gillian stopped in front of a big, wooden door. It looked older than the house, the city - hell, it looked older than God although that last was probably gross exaggeration.
“This room has been sealed since word of your mother’s death. Until the leader of the Covenant says it may be opened, it remains shut.”
“So why didn’t you open it, since you’ve been leading the Covenant?”
Gillian stared at me for a moment before closing her eyes and shaking her head. “Only the true leader, no one else, not even an acting leader, can open the door. It was charmed thusly to prevent any imposters or usurpers. If the door doesn’t open, the person is not the true leader.”
I looked at the door, tilting my head to the side to study it for a moment. This was a pretty important door. I reached out to touch it, get a feel for the spell. My fingers were a half-inch from its surface when the door swung gently inward. I glanced over my shoulder at Gillian, whose mouth was slightly open in shock.
“I’m going to guess that’s usually not how the door-opening thing works.”
Gillian swallowed, rubbing her throat with a shaky hand. “Traditionally a verse is spoken, a prayer offered, the spirits acknowledged.” She let out a weak laugh, her hand dropping away. “You seem to be the long awaited prodigal for more than just the people.”
Not sure what to say, I turned back toward the open door and stepped inside. I nearly dropped the plate in my hand in disbelief. This room put all the others I’d seen to absolute shame, at least size-wise. It was three individual areas melded together, almost like a studio. Half of the walls were lined with bookshelves up to the ceiling, at least fourteen feet high. There was a fully-equipped kitchen, minus a table, which made me think you probably weren’t cooking dinner here.
In the center, three circles were etched into the stone floor. The center was perhaps three feet in diameter, the next nine feet, and the last twelve. If the Covenant was even a tenth as large as Gillian hinted at, there was no way everyone could meet down here at one time. This was a big place, but it wasn’t that big.
“How the hell does this place not flood? I mean, we are underground, below sea level, right?”
“Magic.” Well, of course. Why didn’t I guess that?
“Rites are performed twice a month, for three days surrounding the time of the new moon, and three surrounding the time of the full moon.” Gillian moved from behind me to walk the path of the outer circle. “The Council meets here, for worship and for business. When the room is open, that is.”
“The Council? When were you planning on telling me about them?” It never failed, just about the time I’d get used to things, something else would get thrown in the mix. I was going to develop weak nerves in less than a year, I’d bet on it.