Blood, Smoke and Mirrors

Chapter Nineteen

The king vampire showed up at my door promptly at noon. His pretty green eyes were hidden behind an expensive pair of sunglasses, just as they had been when we met that day at the airport. I felt underdressed standing next to him. Zach wore another expensive dark suit, and I’d picked out a plain black blouse and slacks. I’d wound my hair up into a bun, and with the lack of color in my outfit it gave me a very rigid, severe look, like a Star Trek villainess. For a moment I’d worried that too much time in Vampire Central had been a bad influence, forcing me into an all-black outfit, but I hadn’t found anything else in the closet I didn’t instantly hate.

“Where are we going?” I asked as I followed Zach down the hallway.

“To meet some people. Be advised, we’ll be leaving the building. I have a feeling your faerie family may make an appearance once we’re outside the wards, and I’d appreciate it if you would calmly explain to them that you’re here as my guest.”

“Well I can’t guarantee I can call off Portia before she stabs you in the chest. She’s more than a little upset over losing her only brother.” I folded my arms across my chest, and he nodded.

“Of course. As I’ve said, I had nothing to do with that, and I’m sorry for your loss.”

“It’s going to take a lot more than ‘sorry’ to call off my clan.”

“I know.”

We took the elevator down to the parking garage, where a black stretch limo was waiting for us. I climbed in, relieved that there was no Lovely Laura waiting for me in this one, and Harrison followed after me. The sun was shining brightly as we drove out into the street, though it was barely visible through the tinted windows.

“Doesn’t this bother you?”

“What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The sunlight? It’s noon. Shouldn’t all good little vampires be a-snooze in their beds?”

Zach smiled, shaking his head. “I suppose that’s your proof that I’m not a good vampire. But to answer your question, yes, it does bother me, but I can withstand it. There are a few powerful individuals who can endure direct sunlight for long periods of time.”

“And you’re one of them?” I asked, and he nodded. “But you’re practically a baby, how does that work?”

“Good genetics,” he replied, smiling his perfect smile at me. Before I could question him further, our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Faust as the faerie popped into the seat on the other side of Harrison. “I thought I asked you not to do that.”

Brushing at his gray suit jacket, as though his entrance had caused him to be coated in a cloud of pixie dust, Faust smiled. “There seemed little point to it, considering she already knows what I am, and it’s faster this way. Besides, I thought it best I arrive here before-”

A flurry of things happened all at once, almost too fast for me to follow. Portia appeared in the seat across from us-a compact and ancient-looking crossbow clutched in her hands-and she fired a bolt at Harrison. In a blur of motion the vampire pulled me into his lap like a naughty secretary and surrounded us with his shields, so the bolt bounced off the barrier and buried itself in a nearby seat cushion. With a wave of his hand, Faust knocked the weapon out of Portia’s grasp, and she glared at him. The two faeries hissed at each other in their language, looking as though they were two seconds from tearing each other’s throats out.

“Hey! Cut it out!” I shouted, trying to interrupt them.

“You!” She pointed at Harrison. “Unhand her this instant!”

“She’s fine right where she is,” he replied calmly.

“Portia. What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Rescuing you from that vampire.”

Said vampire was still holding me in his lap, using me as a human shield to supplement his magical one. Curious, I reached up and poked the edge of the barrier. The energy swirled like smoke in dark gray whorls around the tip of my finger, which seemed like an odd reaction-but then again I wasn’t familiar with vampire shields, they all might work that way. I wasn’t sure how he’d managed to surround me instead of pushing me away. Vamp shields were probably designed to protect both the vampire and whoever is being snacked on at the moment.

“You don’t need to rescue me, I volunteered to stay with him until the full moon.”

“I know, but you won’t have to stay with him at all after I kill him,” Portia replied, the soul of sensibility.

“You can’t kill him.”

“Why not?”

Yeah, why not? I frowned, trying to think of a reason. Nothing really came to mind. Turning to him, I waited for him to supply a good excuse as to why we should let him continue his existence.

“Because it’s in everyone’s best interests that I not be harmed,” Zach answered.

“Right, what he said. Now put me down.”

“I rather like you where you are.” The vampire smiled. Faust made a coughing sound, like he was swallowing a laugh, and I shot him an unfriendly look. “Besides, I think it’s best that you stay where you are while your cousin is here, in case she loses her temper again.”

“Great.” I rolled my eyes and then turned to Portia. “Look, he says he didn’t have anything to do with the attack on the castle, and I believe him. But if you want to kill Laura, I’m all in favor of that. I can even start making a list of deserving minions for you while I’m stuck in Vampire Central.”

Faust openly snickered this time, and he smiled. “Oh, I like her.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Harrison ordered me. “But since you’re here, Mistress Silverleaf, you may as well hear what I have to say.”

“I’m really not interested in anything you have to say, vampire.”

“You’ll find this more interesting, I think.”

“I doubt that.” She sniffed.

“We believe we’ve found a cure for the extinction,” Faust commented idly, as though remarking on the weather.

“You? A vampire and a shadowspawn? You expect me to believe that? What sort of fool do you take me for?” Portia eyed them, suspicious.

“Only a fool would ignore a chance like this, Silverleaf,” Faust countered. The temperature inside the limo dropped, and a line of frost spread across the window behind Portia’s head.

Clearing his throat, Harrison interrupted before Portia could do anything violent, like encase the other faerie in a block of ice. “That’s enough. Now, the fact of the matter is this: there is much more that faeries and magicians could be doing to help each other, but aren’t. If we worked together, we could all be in a position of power in this world, and if Faerie was dissolved, your lost fertility would be regained. You would no longer face extinction.”

“Faerie is safe. The elves thought they could survive in this world, and they were wiped out because of it,” she argued, unconvinced.

“They also tried to fight humanity on their own. If we all banded together, and I do mean all varieties of magicians and magical races, then there is nothing that could stop us.”

It was a very militant point of view, which didn’t appeal to me but may have sounded appealing to Portia in her current martial mindset. Raising a thin, pale brow, she eyed the vampire.

As though sensing a weakness, Faust leaned forward. “Think of it. The opportunity to freely walk this world again. No rules, no limitations, no hiding. More importantly, to once again have the chance to hold a babe in your arms and not suffer the knowledge that the child will grow old and be gone in a blink of your eye. Doesn’t it pain you to watch the generations of your bloodline bloom and then wither, like flowers cut before their time?”

Frowning, Portia turned her gaze to me. There was such terrible sadness in her eyes, and I wondered if the faerie blood in my veins was Portia’s. I knew there was a Silverleaf somewhere in my mother’s family tree, but I’d never asked who it was. Should I have been calling Portia grandmother all these years, instead of cousin? Or perhaps I was of Tybalt’s line-a frail, tenuous link to the brother she’d lost. I opened my mouth to ask her, but the car pulled to a stop, and I found myself free of the vampire’s lap as he nudged me back into my seat.

“We’re here. Mistress Silverleaf, you’re welcome to join us, if you’ll attempt to behave yourself and change your attire to something more appropriate. This way, Catherine.”

The door opened and he stepped out into the sunlight. I paused for a moment, glancing at Portia, and watched as the faerie’s features and clothing changed, rippling like melting water and then reforming. With pale blonde hair and fair skin, she looked rather like a Nordic ice princess, which creeped me out as it reminded me a bit too much of Lovely Laura. Portia’s icy wings vanished and her punk princess ensemble changed to a light blue sundress, complete with matching flip-flops. Silently hoping that she’d refrain from slaying anyone, I followed Harrison out of the car.

We were in a residential neighborhood-old Irving Park maybe, from the feel of it, but I didn’t get a good enough look around to orient myself. The limo was parked in the middle of the street, and after Portia and Faust piled out of the car behind me the driver pulled away and left us. Harrison headed toward a nearby house. A small, two-story home, it blended into the row of brick bungalows that lined the street. Wilted flowers and a forlorn garden gnome decorated the front lawn, and the grass was overgrown and in desperate need of mowing. The vampire stopped at the top of the front steps and rang the doorbell, and then was ushered inside by a figure I couldn’t see. Hurrying to catch up, the faeries and I trotted up the stairs and into the house before we ended up locked out on the front porch.

“-that you’re here, Mr. Harrison. We’ve been so grateful for all of your help.” An elderly woman stood in the center of a clean but well-worn living room, one gnarled hand restlessly running through her short silver hair. The musky smell of wet dog permeated the place, and I rubbed at my nose. Glancing around, I expected to find evidence of small, yapping dogs, but there wasn’t a dog hair in sight.

Canine shapeshifters. Fun.

“How bad is this one?” Harrison asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

“Bad. Honestly, we’re not sure he’ll make it.” Picking up a tissue from a box atop an end table, she wiped at her eyes. When she finished she finally looked past the vampire and spotted the rest of us clustered near the door. “Oh, hello again, Mr. Faust. Who are your friends?”

“This is the new Titania, Miss Catherine Baker, and her cousin Portia,” Faust explained, nudging me forward into the room.

“Pleased to meet you. Call me Dottie, everyone does. Are you a healer, Miss Baker?”

“I have some skill at it, I’m a witch. Or was a witch,” I corrected. I’m certain I didn’t sound as sure of myself as she would’ve liked, but she seemed encouraged.

“Come with me.” Waving at me to follow her, she led us through a dining room and then down a flight of stairs into the basement. The smell of fur intensified with each step, and my eyes watered. “We only have one at the moment, which normally is a blessing, but this poor boy’s in such awful condition. Well, we’re very grateful for the aid that Mr. Harrison’s given us, and it’s been so helpful in buying medical supplies and the like, but we still can’t find a good healer. There are so few among us, and not many more among his people.”

I nodded in understanding. Not a lot of witches in the necromancer posse, I knew that much was true. Probably not many among the shapeshifters either, considering that once a person is infected with wild magic they tend to lose the ability to control their original magic.

The basement was set up as a sort of medical facility. Empty cots were arranged in rows, like a makeshift barracks. The sharp tang of antiseptic nosed its way through the shapeshifter musk, and it made me sweat. Nervous, I wiped my palms on my slacks as Dottie pushed aside a white sheet that hung from the ceiling and cordoned off a small corner of the room.

A figure lay limp and lifeless on a cot, an I.V. dripping an unknown liquid into his arm. From the body’s broad shoulders and muscular build I guessed it was male, but the face was unrecognizable. Like the shifter I’d judged in the second test, this one was trapped somewhere between canine and human, but it hadn’t gone as far. The nose and upper jaw jutted out from his face, forming the beginnings of a snout, and light gray patches of fur were scattered across his skin. The shifter’s arms lay limply atop the blanket covering him, and his hands were curled into long, wicked claws. An array of bruises covered his skin-black, blue, purple and green-as well as a multitude of cuts and puncture wounds.

“Lord and Lady,” I swore softly. “What happened?”

“The ’yotes raided a facility in Gary. This was the only one they found still alive,” she explained.

“What kind of facility?”

“Government research. Something federal, small but well-funded.”

“They’ve been experimenting on any shapeshifter they can get their hands on,” Harrison commented from behind me.

“Why?”

“Various reasons. We think they’re trying to find a biological source for magic, one they can use for military means. I’m sure you can imagine how they treat an uncooperative test subject.”

“He’s sedated,” Dottie informed me. “Poor thing’s in so much pain. He won’t be able to heal this until he can think clearly, and he won’t be able to think clearly until we can heal some of this damage. Can you help him?”

I glanced at him, uncertain. It was a tall order, but I could probably manage pain relief. Might be enough to let him heal. Of course I didn’t have any of my tools with me, so I turned to Portia. “I need silver and moonstone.”

“Okay. Hold out your hand.” The faerie held her hand above mine, and a large moonstone the size of an egg attached to a braided silver chain appeared in my palm.

I wrapped the chain around my hand, holding the moonstone tight in my fist, and approached the shapeshifter’s bed. Kneeling on the cold concrete floor next to the cot, I held my right hand over the shifter’s chest. After a moment or two I decided on the words, and then I took a deep breath and centered myself. No pressure.

“Soothe the wild, the pain will end,

Calm and mild, your wounds I mend.”

Over and over I murmured the words in a low, rhythmic chant. The magic spread in a fitful, uneven wave as I moved my hand above the injuries, fighting against the wild magic-it’s called “wild” magic for a reason, it’s unpredictable and hard to control. Like an untamed animal it fought my influence, but with persistent patience I waited it out. I wasn’t sure how long I struggled, but it felt like hours. From time to time I heard the whisper of voices behind me, but they wisely didn’t interrupt me. The cuts and bruises faded, and then, surprisingly, the canine features began to recede. I hadn’t expected to fix those, but I wasn’t going to argue. If my magic was able to go the extra mile, then go me.

My legs were numb by the time I sat back on my heels, finished with my task. In fact I was almost entirely numb, physically and magically, and I wobbled as I got to my feet. I felt a cool hand on my shoulder, steadying me, and was glad to see that it was Portia and not Harrison by my side. “You did good, Kitty,” she assured me.

“Thanks.” With a weak smile, I handed the pendant back to her.

“Oh! Amazing! It’s like a miracle,” Dottie exclaimed. “Thank you.” Pushing past me, she leaned over the shapeshifter and examined him. “Truly remarkable. It would’ve taken days to accomplish this without you.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, though it seemed like a lame reply.

“We’ll let him sleep for now, I’d like the ’yotes to be here when he wakes up.”

“Coyotes?” I asked, and she nodded. Most of the shifters who came into the café were coyotes. I took a good look at him. Now that he appeared human the shifter was barely more than a kid, obviously a teenager. Built like a linebacker, but he had a baby face that hinted that he probably couldn’t even grow a beard yet. And someone’d tortured him ’til he was a walking bruise.

“C’mon, I’ll take you home,” Harrison offered. Portia and I perked up at the offer, and then he clarified his statement. “The tower.”

The faeries were quiet on the ride back. I sat with Portia, Faust sat with Harrison, and the silence was heavy and strained. When we neared the ward around the tower, Portia gave me a hug and promised to see me at the ceremony. The two faeries vanished at the same time, leaving me alone with the vampire. Though I half expected him to drag me back into his lap and try to molest me, Harrison behaved himself. In fact, he didn’t even say anything for the rest of the ride, and I nearly fell asleep. Once we were back inside of the tower I thought I’d be escorted back to my room, but instead the elevator opened to his floor.

“After you,” he said.

“Why here? I thought I was going back to my room?”

“Not while you look like you’re going to faint. I want to keep an eye on you until you’ve regained more of your strength.”

“Was tougher than I thought it’d be. The kid’s magic wasn’t playing nice with mine.”

“You did very well today, I was impressed.”

“Thanks. I feel like hell though,” I said, and then yawned. Following him into the TV room, I slipped off my shoes and flopped down into a chair.

“Understandably so. It had to be a very draining experience. Shapeshifters can endure a great deal of damage, which is probably how the boy survived. Most magicians would’ve died long before the coyotes discovered the facility… I’ve never met a witch willing to heal a shapeshifter. They seem to consider it beneath them.”

“Yeah, well, I’m a bad witch. Maureen would’ve done it, though.” Frowning, I looked up at him. Did he have anything to do with Maureen’s death? Did I really want to know the answer to that question?

“What would you like for dinner?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Pizza.”

Chuckling, he shook his head and withdrew his cell phone from within his jacket. I listened as Harrison called whoever it is he calls to feed me. The kitchen? A caterer? His secretary? His villainous sidekick? No idea. When he finished, he took a seat on the couch and turned on the television. After some debate we settled on a movie, but I barely paid attention to it. He kept me talking, making whatever conversation he could, as though I had a concussion and he was attempting to keep me awake. It was a good idea, because my thoughts kept wandering off and my eyelids felt very heavy. When the food arrived he encouraged me to eat more in a way that would’ve made an Italian mother proud. I felt better after I’d gotten some food in me, and I curled up on the couch to watch the remainder of the movie. The vampire sat next to me, his arm around me, and I didn’t argue-it felt bizarrely comforting.

When the movie ended he gave me a speculative look. “Are you feeling better?”

“Much, thanks.”

Zach reached over and touched the side of my face. “You still look pale.”

“I always look pale.” Suspicious, I moved away from him. “No offense, but I don’t trust you not to take advantage of me.”

“I did give you-”

“Your word, I know,” I finished for him. “But you also have a habit of overstepping your bounds, and I do seem to recall being in your lap earlier.”

“Yes, I’m sure it was a most horrifying experience.” The vampire gave me a charming smile, showing off his perfect white teeth.

“Listen, I am actually considering working with you on a limited basis, but strictly business. That’s it,” I informed him matter-of-factly. “No one should have to go through what that poor kid did.”

“Agreed. But it’s a shame not to mix pleasure with business. Do you really find me so unattractive?”

“You’re rich, handsome, usually charming, well-dressed. It’d be an appealing package, but I already have one pushy, demanding man in my life, and that’s my limit.”

“Is he?”

“Is he what?”

“In your life?”

“Oh. Well…” I struggled to find the right words to say. I loved Lex, and I knew he loved me. He just loved his job more. Not unlike my father, who’d loved his magic more than his family, and look how well that turned out.

“You don’t sound very sure of yourself. He did turn down the position of Oberon. That’s not very encouraging.”

“He didn’t turn it down. He said he needed more time to think about it.”

“Did he? If I were in that position, I would’ve agreed immediately.”

“Like hell you would’ve. You’d give up being a vampire to be Oberon?” I asked, skeptical.

“Necromancer. Though I don’t mind it, to be honest most of us consider ‘vampire’ a derogatory term. But if being Oberon meant being partnered with my soul mate, then yes, I would. A soul mate is the rarest of gifts. To deny it would be like second-guessing fate. What will you do if he rejects the offer?”

“I’m going to be Titania, with or without Lex as Oberon. It’d just be easier to work with him.” I tried to sound nonchalant about it, but it was hard to pretend it wasn’t like an ice pick digging around in my heart.

“He doesn’t deserve you.”

“Hmph. You sound like a jealous ex,” I joked.

“Perhaps.” Reaching out, he picked up my hand and held it in his. “You’re a lovely woman, Catherine. I think the higher powers were unfair pairing you with someone who obviously doesn’t appreciate that.”

I tensed, expecting him to give me a magical nudge, but none came. Cautious, I raised an eyebrow. “And you would?”

“I wouldn’t have handed you over to the witches’ council, and I certainly wouldn’t have abandoned you when you were most vulnerable.” His voice was warm and soothing, and I found myself believing him. It was true, after all, wasn’t it? Lex betrayed me, and left me alone and outcast. Somewhere in the back of my mind, my better judgment was trying to warn me that normally I wouldn’t trust a damn word Harrison said, but it seemed faint and far away. There was such sincerity in his eyes.

Sliding closer to me, he raised my hand to his lips and brushed a light kiss across my knuckles. “I think you should give me a chance. We could do amazing things together.”

“I think you’re only interested in me because I’m going to be Titania, otherwise I’d never get a second glance,” I countered, tugging my hand away.

Taking that as a challenge, Zach scooped me up into his lap as he had in the limo, except this time he turned me so I was straddling him. He kissed me senseless, leaving no doubt that he found me attractive. One hand rested on my hip, while the other slid up my back, drawing me closer. I should’ve fought him, zotted him with a spell that’d stand his blond hair on end, but instead I leaned into him. He continued to kiss me, hungry and eager, and then he moved to my neck. Lightly his lips brushed against my skin, and I nearly yelped with surprise, but he held me in place.

“Please, Catherine. Just a small bite,” he murmured against my throat. I shivered, frozen and afraid to breathe, struggling to find my voice. Taking my silence as permission, the vampire sank his fangs into my skin. Magic washed over me in a sharp, fast wave that made my back arch and hands clench into fists against his chest. The spell was stronger this time, and it completely overwhelmed me.

He drank greedily, though in my weakened state I probably tasted as appetizing as a flat diet soda left out on the counter all day. The hand at my hip slid up my side and caressed my breast through my blouse. My eyes closed as I let myself enjoy the sensations. I was so deeply enthralled, I didn’t even notice that he’d stopped drinking until I felt his lips brush my collarbone. The buttons of my blouse were undone, and I realized my bra was soon to follow. The thought was sobering enough to finally give me focus.

“Wait. I can’t-I can’t do this,” I stammered breathily.

“Why not?” His eyes had faded to a pale green, and it startled me. I suddenly became aware of the strong scent of smoke, and wondered how I hadn’t sensed it sooner.

“I can’t,” I repeated, shaking my head. What the hell are you doing? Squirming away from him, I retreated to the other end of the couch and hastily buttoned my shirt. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair, and after a long moment he nodded.

“All right. I’ll escort you back to your room, but this conversation isn’t over.”

Yeah, I was afraid of that, but at least the make-out session was over, and that was good enough for now.