Bittersweet Magic

Chapter Twelve

“We’re being followed.” Roz had known it from the moment they’d stepped outside the building. “Don’t stop,” she muttered as Maria ground to a halt. Maria shuffled forward. “And don’t look back,” Roz added as Maria started to glance behind her. “We don’t want them to know we know.”

She’d spotted them straight away. It was difficult not to—they were really hard to miss. Piers should employ some nice ordinary people if he expected to follow someone without being seen. These guys looked like what they were—badass vampires—or maybe she was just starting to recognize the type. Perhaps she should have gotten Asmodai to meet her during daylight hours, though she was sure the Order must have employees other than vampires. Hadn’t Tara mentioned a werewolf?

Did Piers still suspect her of something, or was he just being cautious? Either way, she had to lose the tail and fast. They were in the business district, and the place was quiet at this time of night, so there weren’t even any crowds to mingle with.

She glanced into a large, dark window as they strolled past, trying to catch a glimpse of her followers. Something moved about two blocks back. Good—they were keeping their distance.

Up ahead she could see the entrance to an underground parking garage. She touched Maria lightly on the arm, and the sister jumped. She’d been calming down, but it was obvious that all it required was a little setback—like being followed by scary badasses—to bring her nerves to the forefront. And who could blame her? This was a big turnaround from living in an enclosed convent. “Just be ready to move when I say,” Roz whispered.

She walked past the entrance, risking a quick glance back—her followers were out of sight. Grasping hold of Maria’s wrist, she tugged her backward onto the ramp that headed underground in a continuous circle. Then she ran, taking them down to the lowest level and into the huge parking area.

Down here, the light was dim—just overhead fluorescent strips, and the place was almost empty of cars. Their footsteps sounded loud on the bare concrete floor. Roz kept hold of Maria’s wrist as she ran lightly across the large echoing area. She paused for a second behind a concrete pillar and peered back toward the entrance of the ramp. Nothing moved, and she continued. She found the elevators opposite but ignored them, following the rear wall until she found a doorway, which she knew would lead into the stairwell.

Pushing open the door, she sniffed the musty air then hustled Maria in front of her. The narrow staircase led upward, and she took the stairs two at a time. At the top were two doors, one presumably the entrance into the building, the other a barred double door. She was guessing it would lead into the street, but on the opposite side of the building from where they had come in. She lowered the bar and cautiously pushed the door. It opened into an alley. Up ahead a rectangle of light indicated a brightly lit street, but the alley itself was in darkness, shadowed by the tall buildings all around. A faint scent of decay permeated the air, presumably coming from the trash dumpsters opposite rather than anything more sinister. Roz could sense no living things present. She opened the door wider and slipped outside.

“Come on,” she said to Maria. “I think we’ve lost them.” Though it had been rather easy. Obviously, Piers hadn’t been too serious about keeping tabs on her. Or maybe he hadn’t expected her to make a run for it.

As she headed toward the brightly lit street, her cell phone rang. Although she didn’t recognize the number, she could guess who it would be. For a second, she considered ignoring the call, but then she shrugged and raised it to her ear.

“They were there to protect you.” Piers’ voice sounded soft. And angry.

“Protect me from what? I don’t need protecting. You said I wasn’t a prisoner, but you have me followed like I’m some sort of criminal.” She injected her voice with as much anger as she could manage. She wasn’t angry; she would have done the same in these circumstances. But it would be better if Piers believed she had lost her tail because she was pissed off rather than because she was up to no good. Which she was.

“What are you up to?”

Obviously, she hadn’t been convincing enough. “Nothing. I just needed some fresh air. Again.”

He was silent for a minute. It felt like an hour. Finally, he spoke. “If you have the Key, or know where it is, bring it here.”

Damn. How had he found out? Or was he just guessing? “The Key?”

“Roz, you won’t like the consequences if you become an enemy of the Order.”

“I don’t plan to become your enemy—I just wanted some space.”

“Well, you’ve had some. Now get back here.”

She sighed. “I’m on my way.” Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call and shoved the phone back in her pocket. That would give her half an hour or so before he realized she’d been lying.

They’d come out onto a main road now, and the occasional car drove past. A black cab appeared around the corner, and she hurried forward, her arm raised. The cab pulled up beside her and she opened the back door, motioning to Maria to climb in. “London Bridge Hospital,” she told the driver and clambered in beside her.

“Was that Mr. Lamont?” Maria asked.

“Yeah.”

“The vampire?”

Roz glanced at the back of the driver’s head, but she doubted he was listening, and if he was, he’d probably just think they were a couple of nutters.

“Yeah.”

She hoped Maria wasn’t going to lapse into hysterics, but she appeared quite calm. “I think he’s a good man.” She gave a small smile. “Even if he does make me nervous.”

Roz shook her head at the comment, though actually, she believed the same. Well, as good as a vampire could be. There had to be people willing to do bad things in order to keep the world safe. Maybe when this was over, she could be part of that.

One of the good things in her life had been helping Ryan. She’d make a great detective. Perhaps there would be a place for her at the Order, a job. After all, they employed Jonas, the warlock. Why not her?

But of course, she knew why not. After she had given the Key to Asmodai, she was likely to be a little unpopular around the Order. She’d told Piers she didn’t plan on becoming his enemy, but that was exactly what she would be when he found out. The idea upset her more than she cared to think about. Why couldn’t anything go right for her? She’d found a place—people who could help her discover who and what she was—and now she planned to do the one thing guaranteed to alienate them. She’d be on the run again.

And she was tired of running.

She rested her head against the seat and watched the streets of London flash by. For the first time, she considered not giving the Key to Asmodai. If she handed it to Piers, would he protect her from the demon’s wrath? Asmodai was not someone you lightly crossed. But the Order was powerful. Maybe they could keep her safe.

A wave of excitement washed over her. She might be signing her death warrant, but she’d lived a long time, and she was tired of not only running but of being alone. She didn’t want to be Piers’ enemy; she wanted to be his…Her mind hesitated, unsure of anything except the fact that she desired him. Like a hunger deep in her belly, a powerful thirst that needed to be quenched. She closed her eyes and remembered the feel of his strong arms holding her, his kiss, his bite. What would it feel like if he bit her while he was…

“Roz?”

She blinked as Maria spoke her name. They’d pulled up at the hospital, and she could see Ryan outside the main entrance, a cigarette in his hand. He’d given them up years ago; things must be tough.

She paid the driver, got out, and strolled toward him. “Those things will kill you,” she said, nodding at the cigarette.

“Yeah.” He glanced past her, his gaze settling on Maria. He frowned, and she saw the flicker of recognition. “Sister Maria?”

She held out a hand to him and he shook it. “Hello, Detective Ryan.”

“Just Ryan will do. You’re looking a little more…secular this evening,” he said.

“I bought some clothes.”

“Nice. I’ve found someone to take you back to the convent. She drives a cab but is off duty tonight. She’s meeting us at my place after we’ve finished here.”

“Thank you.”

“Finish here?” Roz asked. “What’s there to finish?”

“There’s actually something I’d like your help with.”

She frowned. She really hoped there wasn’t another missing person already. “What’s that?”

“Go see Jessica Thomas.”

“What?” She hadn’t been expecting that. “Why?”

“Because she’s asking for you.”

“She doesn’t know me. Is she okay?”

Ryan sighed. “Physically, she’s fine. It’s her mind that’s the problem. She says she can’t remember, but she’s scared the whole time. Scared rigid, like if she moves, something will get her.” He raised the cigarette to his mouth, then gave it a disgusted glance, tossed it to the ground, and stamped on it with his boot. “I hate this case. I have no fucking clue what is going on—except it’s some weird shit.”

“So why does she want to see me?” Roz asked.

Ryan shrugged. “She got me here tonight by saying she remembered something, but it was a lie. Once I was here, she asked me if she could see the woman I was with the night we found her—that’s you.”

“But why?”

“She says you brought her back and took the pain away. I think she would like you to take the memories away as well. She’s told us all along that she remembers nothing, but I think she’s been bluffing—just doesn’t want to think about it. Now, she says she’ll try and talk about it but only if you’re there.”

Roz glanced at her watch. It was just after eleven. She had enough problems of her own, but how could she not help? Jessica was innocent in all this.

But she’d never tried to heal a mind. Perhaps she’d do more harm than good.

“You can’t hurt her more than she’s already hurt,” Ryan said, as if reading her thoughts. “She’s damaged goods, and as of this moment no one has a clue how to fix her.”

Roz rubbed her eyes and gave a quick nod. “Lead the way. But this had better be quick or I’m out of here.”

“I know you love to pretend you don’t care, but you can drop the act with me. I’ve seen the real you.”

She scowled. No one had seen the real her. Hell, even she didn’t know who the real her was. “I don’t care.”

“If you didn’t care, Jessica would be dead in that basement.”

There wasn’t really anything she could answer to that. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she stalked into the hospital, Ryan behind her. She halted inside the door as she realized that she had no clue where she was going.

She looked over her shoulder to see Ryan grinning at her. “Don’t laugh at me, Ryan. You should know that right now, I have absolutely no sense of humor.”

He wiped the grin from his face and nodded. “This way.”

Jessica was in a private room with a uniformed officer on the door. Inside was a single bed, a cabinet, and a couple of upright chairs. The girl lay on the bed, her head turned away, her whole body rigid.

“Jessica,” Roz murmured.

She hadn’t thought the body under the sheets could get any tenser, but it was as if she were made of stone. Roz glanced behind her at Ryan and Maria and waved a hand toward the chairs. For a second, Ryan hesitated, but then he went obediently and sat down. Maria followed him.

Roz walked around the bed so she could see Jessica’s face. Her eyes were open, but she was staring, unblinking, at the bare wall opposite.

Roz crouched down so she filled the girl’s field of vision, but there was no reaction. “Jessica, you asked to see me. I’m the one who found you.”

Jessica blinked, some life returning to her gaze—a flicker of hope. She struggled to sit. “You came.”

Roz straightened then perched on the bed beside her. “How can I help? What is it you need?”

“When you touched me, back in that room, it was like you chased away the dark. Now it’s back, and I can’t see through it, and I’m scared all the time.”

Roz bit her lip, wishing she understood more about her powers. She had always worked on instinct, but she’d had nothing else to go on. What if she damaged Jessica’s mind? But studying the girl, she realized Ryan had spoken the truth. Jessica couldn’t be any worse than she was now. Living in constant fear. Roz understood a little of what that could be like, and she wouldn’t wish it on anyone else. “I’ll try,” she said. “But you must tell me if I hurt you. If anything doesn’t feel right.”

Jessica nodded.

Lord, where did she start? What was she supposed to do, and how would she do it? The questions and doubts were whirling through her mind, and she clamped them down. Closing her eyes, she searched for the place inside her where her power dwelt and found it at the very center of her being. A warm excitement filled her. This was a part of her that she had denied for most of her life. She’d believed it something bad, kept it hidden, but she knew in her heart that it wasn’t evil. It could be if used wrongly, but it could also be a power for good.

She rested her fingers lightly on either side of Jessica’s forehead; felt the tension, the fear, the hope. “Relax,” she murmured. As she had all those years ago, she found the door in her mind. There was a key, but she didn’t dare unlock it. Instead, she placed a hand flat against the wood and felt the pulse of power.

Jessica’s eyes widened. Roz could feel the power flowing from her mind into the girl’s, pushing away the darkness, cracking open the walls, healing the pain and fear. Filling her with light.

Roz held nothing back. Always before, she had feared using her power, had believed it would be a beacon that would draw her enemies to her. Show her for the evil creature she was. Now, for the first time in her life, she felt whole, complete, at one with herself.

It was good.

Finally, she pulled the power back into herself and drew back from the door. From now on, she wouldn’t be ashamed of what she was; she would embrace it. She looked down at the girl and saw that Jessica was smiling. She smiled back.

“Thanks,” Jessica said.

“My pleasure. Do you feel better? Can you remember?”

A shudder ran through the girl’s body. In the photograph, she had appeared slightly plump, but that was gone. She was thin to the bone now. But her expression was serene.

“I feel better. Better than I’ve ever felt. I’m still afraid, but it’s not so dark anymore.”

“There are bad things out there,” Roz said. “But there are also things that stand in front of them, fight them off, keep the world a safe place. Most of the time. Can you talk to Detective Ryan now?”

Jessica nodded and glanced past Roz’s shoulder. Roz twisted her head and saw that Maria and Ryan were standing right behind her. An expression of wonder filled Maria’s face. “You’re an angel,” she murmured.

Roz scowled. “Piss off.”

Ryan laughed and it broke the tension. “That’s the Roz we all love.”

His words warmed her, but she kept the scowl on her face as she stood up. “Make it quick, Ryan. I’m on a schedule here.”

She sat in one of the chairs as Ryan questioned Jessica, letting the words flow over her without taking too much notice. She knew what Jessica would be saying—she had seen what the girl had gone through.

It occurred to her that maybe it would be better for the Order if Jessica didn’t say any of this stuff. That they must work hard to keep under the radar, maintain the lie that their kind was nothing but a myth. But it was too late now. And anyway, she doubted that anyone would believe Jessica. They would probably conclude that Jack was some sort of vampire wannabe freak rather than the real thing.

Eventually Jessica went silent. “That’s all,” she said.

Ryan sat back. “Nobody is going to believe this.”

Which was exactly Roz’s opinion, and just as well.

He sighed. “Oh well, it’s not often I get to write up a report about vampires.”

“Just don’t mention me in it.” He opened his mouth, but she continued before he could speak. “A deal’s a deal.”

“You know I won’t.” He rose to his feet and stretched. “Okay, that’s it for the night. I might think of some more questions tomorrow. But for now, I’m beat.” He looked down at the girl. “You think you can sleep now?”

“Actually, I’m hungry. Is there any food?”

“I’m sure they can find you some. I’ll send someone in.”

Jessica called to them as she opened the door. “Roz, will you visit me again?”

“Of course,” she lied.

After all, who knew where she would be tomorrow.

Ryan appeared deep in thought as they left the hospital, and from the expression on his face, his thoughts weren’t happy ones. She couldn’t help him there. A twinge of guilt jabbed her in the gut. She had gone to Ryan that first time, had brought him into her world, where he had no right to be. Now he was getting in deeper, and that could only be bad news for him. Tara had said that one of the functions of the Order was to keep their kinds’ existence a secret. So what did they do with people like Ryan who just got too close? Maybe nothing worse than a bit of that mind control. She could only hope.

The parking lot was almost deserted. She and Maria followed Ryan toward where his SUV was parked.

He was putting the key in the lock when something slammed into her from behind, and she crashed to the floor. The air left her lungs with a whoosh and all she saw were flashes of blackness. A small scream came from beside her—Maria. Roz tried to drag herself up, but a weight pushed her down into the ground, crushing her face so her teeth were rammed against the inside of her mouth and she tasted the sweet metallic tang of her own blood.

She stopped struggling, held herself very still, and the pressure eased slightly. A few seconds later, she was dragged to her feet, wincing as pain shot through her. She’d maybe cracked a rib in the fall, but it wasn’t too bad. She could still function.

They were surrounded. One man had a hold of Sister Maria, two held onto Ryan, and at least five others stood around, all dressed in dark jackets, the hoods pulled over their faces. But beneath the hoods, she could see the gleam of crimson.

A man stood in the center of the group. He was dressed in dark pants and a black shirt. She recognized him in an instant.

Jack.

Shit.

He leaned in close and sniffed the air around her. “Who are you?”

“Mind your own goddamn business.”

He studied her speculatively, and she braced herself for pain, but instead a slight smile curled his lips, and he nodded to the man who held Maria. He twisted her arm viciously behind her back, and Maria let out a little shriek of pain before she managed to bite it back. Her gaze held Roz’s, and an expression of acceptance filled her eyes. She fully expected to die here. In that moment, Roz decided that no way was that going to happen. Not if she could help it. She would die first.

She must have tensed because Ryan spoke from beside her, his tone urgent.

“Roz!”

Two men held him, gripped by his upper arms, though she’d felt their inhuman strength and knew they weren’t men. From the crimson glint in their eyes and strong stench of sulfur that hung around them, she’d guess they were demons. Blood beaded on Ryan’s mouth but his eyes were clear. When he saw he had her attention, he shook his head slightly. He was telling her not to do anything. It was good advice—they were way outnumbered. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax. If Jack had wanted them all dead, they would already be dead. He had kept them alive for a reason. She only hoped that reason wasn’t so he could feed on them all later at his leisure.

But she didn’t think so. She actually had a good idea of what he was after. She only hoped she could use that to save her friends. A shock ran through her at the thought. But she realized it was the truth—they were her friends, however much she tried to reject the idea. Ryan had been her friend for a long time. And Maria. She couldn’t deny that she was coming to care about her in a weird sort of way.

She nodded at Ryan, and some of the tension went out of his figure.

“So shall we try again?” Jack said. “Who are you?”

“My name is Rosamund Fairfax,” she replied. “And I’m a Seeker.”

His eyes widened slightly. “Really? Who do you work for?”

“No one. I freelance.”

“And you found my Key. Why were you seeking it?”

“Money. I was offered a great deal of money—”

“By whom?”

“I don’t know. In my line of work sometimes it’s better not to know.”

He pursed his lips. Was he deciding whether to push her? “So how did you find me?”

“I was at the convent the night you attacked.”

Shock flared in his eyes. “Go on.”

“After you left, I decided my only lead to the Key was Piers Lamont, and so I went with the sister to deliver your message. Afterward, I went to the police, said I had seen you with the missing girl, and gave them a picture.”

“So that’s how they found me,” he said, almost to himself. “I knew I hadn’t been careless.”

Well, bully for you. But she kept the words to herself. See, she was learning tact.

“So you have the Key? If you’ve handed it over already, I’m afraid things aren’t going to end well for you and your friends. Though I might keep you alive for a while. My mistress likes novelties.”

“Super. But maybe I’ll pass up on the introduction. I have the Key. Obviously, not on me. But if you let us go, I’ll get it for you.”

“Of course you would. Why do I get the notion that if I let you all go, you’ll vanish without a trace?”

“I have no idea.” She tried a smile. “How about if I promise?”

“Does your word mean anything? Somehow I doubt it.” He considered her for a moment. “You care about them?” He gestured to Ryan and Maria.

She gave what she hoped was a casual shrug of her shoulder. “Of course not. They were a means to an end.”

He smiled. And it wasn’t nice. “Give her to me,” he said to the man holding Maria.

The man shoved her toward him. She stumbled, but Jack caught her in his arms. He turned her so she was held against his chest, her back flush to his body, her face staring straight at Roz. Panic and fear filled her eyes.

Roz tried to take a step forward but couldn’t move.

“I fancied a taste that night at the convent, but I didn’t have the time. If you don’t care about her, it won’t worry you to watch me drain the little nun dry.”

He clasped a hand in Maria’s short hair, tugged her head to the side. Roz saw the flash of fangs before he buried them in the sister’s throat.

Maria convulsed in his arms, but he held her too tightly against him. She gave Roz one last pleading glance and clamped her eyes tight shut.

She’d felt Piers’ bite, endured the pleasure it could bring, but it was clear there was nothing pleasurable about this embrace. And she knew he would drain her, suck her blood until the life force left her. Maria’s struggles were weaker already.

“Stop,” Roz said.

Jack didn’t pause, but his gaze lifted to hers, and she was caught in that crimson tinted stare.

“You kill her, and I swear I’ll die before I give you your fucking Key. I mean it.”

His eyes darkened, but she saw him bring himself back under control. He stroked his hands down Maria’s arms then slowly raised his head. His mouth was stained scarlet, like some parody of lipstick, and he licked his lips with obvious relish.

As he released his grip, Maria collapsed to the ground. Roz struggled to free herself. “Let me go,” she snarled.

Jack nodded, and the arms holding her released their grip. She knelt on the concrete beside Maria and felt for a pulse. It was there, but weak and thready. Roz would rather not show her powers in front of Jack, but Maria needed her help. She sent out a little pulse of power, and Maria’s eyes flickered open.

“What did you just do?” Jack asked.

“None of your goddamned business.”

“Oh, I think everything you do is my business until I get my Key. But we’ll leave it for now.”

“So how do we do this?” she asked.

“You tell me where the Key is, and I let your people go.”

“Yeah, right, of course you do. Because you’re such a nice guy.”

Once he had the Key, they were all as good as dead—or wishing they were dead.

“Okay, but your friends stay with me until I have my Key.”

She couldn’t see any way out of that. What she needed was time to devise a plan. Her mind worked furiously. While she hated to leave Ryan and Maria with the vampire and his demon friends, what choice did she have?

“We’ll be all right.” Ryan spoke in a low voice from behind her. She scrambled to her feet and turned to face him. “Go do what you have to do. We’ll be fine.” He gave her a weak smile. “At least now I know I’m not going mad and that vampires do exist.”

“Or maybe you’ve gone mad and this is all in your mind.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice? But I mean it—we can survive this.”

She somehow doubted that. She doubted there was any way they were all coming out of this alive. But there was a way she could survive; she could lie, arrange a handover, and just disappear. But even as the idea flickered through her mind, she knew it wasn’t an option. Mere survival was no longer enough for her. She wanted to live, but not at any price. How ironic that she should develop a conscience just when she really didn’t need one. But there was no going back.

She gave Ryan what she hoped was a comforting smile. “I’ll get you out.” She swung back around to face Jack. “I need twenty-four hours to get the Key, and I have to be alone,” she said. “I’ve left it with someone, but if anyone else goes near, they have instructions to destroy it.” That should give her enough time to work on her limited options. “When and where?”

Jack pursed his lips. “Give me your cell phone number—I’ll be in touch.”

She told him then did her best to give him a cold hard stare. “You hurt them again and the deal is off.”

A slow smile curved his lips. “Maybe I’ll make it pleasurable next time—do you think she’d enjoy that?”

Sister Maria let out a little whimper, and Roz allowed the fury to rise inside her. Always in the past, she’d kept her emotions locked away. The last time she’d really given them free rein, she’d ended up making a deal with a demon. Now, they filled her mind like a rushing of wind. Over her head, lightning flashed. She stared up into the sky as the rumble of thunder sounded close by. Inside her, power stirred uneasily, but it was a power she had no clue what to do with, or how to harness, and she ground her teeth in frustration.

She looked down to find everybody staring at her. Ryan quirked a brow. Sister Maria crossed herself. Jack stared at her with narrowed eyes. “What are you?” he asked.

She wished she knew, really she did. “You drink one more drop of blood from either of my friends and you’ll find out.” She forced herself to take a step closer and poked him in the chest—this was no time to show fear. He felt like solid rock. “Got it?”