To Dance with the Devil

30

Minnie got us up at seven. I wasn’t thrilled, but there was no denying her. I answered nature’s call, then started the coffee brewing while Bruno took a shower. I went back to bed, curling up under the sheets, trying to relax. At seven thirty, I called my gran. It was really too early, what with the time difference, but I called anyway. She answered on the first ring, sounding wide awake. It wasn’t a surprise, really, she’s always been a morning person. But it broke my heart that her usual cheer had been replaced with something very close to despair.

At times like this, I would cheerfully throttle my mother.

“Baker said that it was more a cry for help than a real attempt.”

“Yes,” Gran admitted. “The doctor said that, and I think he’s probably right. But it just breaks my heart. I know she’s done wrong by you and made mistakes. But she’s my Lana. I can’t bear knowing she’s in so much pain, that she feels so alone. I don’t expect you to understand.”

“It’s okay, Gran, I get it. You love her. Hell, I do, too. And I know it had to be a real blow that Ivy left for good without even saying good-bye to her.”

“Ivy was her baby,” Gran agreed. “And while parents shouldn’t have favorites—” They shouldn’t, but they often do. Mom did, and I wasn’t the one. “I wonder sometimes if it’s because you’ve always been so strong and self-sufficient. Lana needs to be needed. Just like I do.” She sounded wistful.

Wow, that explained a lot. Not about Mom; I wasn’t buying that for a second. We’d needed the heck out of her when we were little and she’d chosen drugs and booze over us. But for Gran, it made perfect sense. It explained why Gran had to rescue Mom every time she did something stupid. She honestly couldn’t help herself.

“Look, I tell you what,” I began, thinking furiously as I spoke. Tonight was the full moon. Tomorrow everything would be over, for good or ill. “Why don’t I see if I can catch a flight out to Serenity midweek? I’ll have my doctor check with Mom’s, and if they okay it, the two of us will go to the prison for an in-person visit.”

“You’d do that? After everything?” I heard the edge of hope in her voice and felt my heart lift.

For Gran, I would walk through fire. “Yes.”

“Oh, honey, that means so much to me! I love you so much.” Now she sounded more like herself and I was glad.

“I love you, too.”

When we hung up, she was in a better frame of mind, and Bruno was standing in front of me wearing nothing but a bath towel.

“Was that your gran you were talking to?”

“Yup. About my mom, of course.”

He stepped closer and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “I’m so sorry you have to go through this. I wish I could help. I know I can’t, but I wish I could.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.” I did, too.

“Look, why don’t you go take your bath while I fix breakfast. Sound good?”

“I have a better idea.” I gave him a slow smile. “Why don’t the two of us take a shower.”

His eyes widened and his body immediately began to react. “What a wonderful idea.”

It was a long shower. I’ve seldom felt so clean or so satisfied. We didn’t get out until the hot water gave out and we were both completely sated and famished for breakfast.

Bruno dried off quickly and headed for the kitchen while I put on some makeup. One thing about the new hair, it was definitely easier to manage. No muss, no fuss, ready to go. A girl like me could get used to that.

I was feeling pretty good by the time I was ready to get dressed. Back in my bedroom and wrapped in my fluffiest robe, I found a shopping bag on my bed. It hadn’t been there before.

“Bruno?” I called.

As he so often did, he knew what I was asking from just a single word. He called back, “I was at the hospital with Isaac yesterday when Dom Rizzoli stopped by. He gave me your things. I meant to bring them in before; I just got sidetracked.”

Yay, the rest of my best gear! Before I had a chance to put it on, Bruno yelled that breakfast was ready.

I raced down the stairs. Bruno had not only made food, he’d straightened up—a lot of the flowers, which had begun to die, were gone. I assumed he’d taken them out to the trash when he’d gone to get my gear from his car.

A huge chunk of sapphire sat in the middle of my kitchen table as we ate.

“What’s that?” I asked. I thought I knew, from some reading I’d done back in college, but I wasn’t sure.

“It’s a vosta, a focus stone. You can use a good-quality crystal in a pinch, but unflawed gemstones are better. Diamonds are best but damned hard to come by and very expensive. This was the best I could come up with on short notice. And I wouldn’t have been able to get my hands on this if Isaac hadn’t made some calls for me.”

“Do I even want to know how much that cost?”

He looked at me soberly. “More than my house.”

Oh, hell.

“It’ll be worth it,” he promised. “Using the vosta we can combine our magics better, turning them into a single, flawless whole.”

I didn’t doubt he was right. But more than his house? Damn.

I steeled myself, looking from the rock to Bruno and back again. “Seriously, how hard is this going to be for you?”

“It’s probably the hardest thing any of us will ever do,” he said quietly. “Combining magic is never easy, even when there’s a strong connection between the mages; controlling a node is so dangerous nobody sane does it if there’s any other choice.”

“But you’re still going to do it.”

“We have to. We can’t let Connor Finn have access to the power of a node and we’ve got to get the prison sealed up again. I know I could die and that scares me shitless, but this is something worth dying for. I have to do it.”

I’d risen from my seat without thinking about it. I moved around behind him and wrapped my arms around him as I kissed the top of his head.

“I know you’re right. But I hate it.”

“I hate it, too.”

It was nine o’clock by the time Bruno left. But having him around had helped—I almost felt like my usual self.

I spread sunscreen over my skin then stood in front of the closet trying to decide what to wear. Ultimately, I went with my most comfortable black jeans, a sapphire blue blouse, and my beloved black blazer. I also wore a Colt in a shoulder holster, a Glock in the back of my waistband, and anything and everything else I thought I might possibly need tucked into the pockets, loops, and compartments of my jacket. I was a walking armory, and damn, I looked good.

I finished off with my black Nikes, the ones with the white swoosh and the blue layer in the sole. You never know when you’re going to have to make a run for it, and I wanted to be prepared. That was my motto for the day. Me and the Scouts.

When I put on my ring, I could feel the power of it augmenting my meager natural siren abilities. Good. I’d need the advantage of telepathy. Which reminded me … I went back into the bedroom, opened the safe, and took out some other very special jewelry. Then I grabbed the sniper rifle I’d liberated from Jack Finn during the previous day’s confrontation and went outside.

My timing was excellent—Dawna had just reached the gate. I was surprised that she wasn’t driving das Humvee. As I climbed into the car I started to ask whether everyone was in place and everything ready … then I got a good look at her.

She looked grim. Her makeup was minimal, her hair pulled back severely and tucked into a simple bun. She was wearing all black—black jeans and a black silk shell under a black suit jacket not unlike my own. Her jewelry was tasteful, just earrings and a matching bracelet. She wasn’t wearing a ring.

Oh, crap. She wasn’t wearing her engagement ring.

“Dawna?” I turned to her, not sure what to say or how to say it.

Driving, she spoke without looking at me.

“Chris and I have broken up. I don’t know if it’s forever. I’m not sure, but I won’t live with him or any man ordering me around. I’m an adult and his equal. If we’re ever going to make it work, he has to treat me like one.”

“Dawna, I’m so sorry.” Funny, I didn’t feel at all responsible for my mother’s failed suicide attempt, but I blamed myself horribly for Dawna’s breakup.

“It’s not your fault.” She stopped at a red light and turned to look me straight in the eyes. “He keeps trying to make it about you, but it really isn’t. It’s about me, and what I want, and what risks I consider worth taking. And the fact that he refuses to recognize that, and respect it, is one of our biggest issues.” Her voice was tight with both anger and pain, and I could see the tears that filled her eyes, tears that she refused to let fall.

“I’m so sorry.” I knew I was repeating myself, but I just couldn’t think what else to say.

“I’m okay … I’ll be okay. I will. I know it’s better that we found out now, before we actually got married.” Her words cut off as her throat tightened too much for her to speak. She took a ragged breath, trying to steady herself. The light changed and she drove on. We said nothing further, but I tried to project I will support you in whatever you decide at her.

She drove to the airstrip, dropping me off at the curb, not even willing to pull into the parking lot for fear that she’d run into Chris.

“Be careful, Celia,” Dawna said as I climbed out of her car. “I need you to come back from this okay so that you, Emma, and I can have that trip to the spa.”

“Don’t worry. We will, I promise. Later.”

“Later,” she agreed.

I watched her drive away, then hurried across the lot.

Even though I’d arrived a few minutes early, Bubba and Talia were already waiting by the gate, in the shade. Talia was dressed in desert camo. Bubba was wearing khaki cargo pants and a matching polo. They waved in greeting and I hurried over to join them, grateful for a spot out of the burning sun.

I pulled a velvet jewelry box from my bag, then turned to my employees. “Talia, I want you to wear the bracelet and one of the earrings. Bubba, you get the other one.”

Talia looked at the beautiful diamond bracelet I was handing her with a mixture of lust and horror. Lust, because it was just freaking gorgeous. Horror, because, seriously, with camo? The look she gave me as she reached for the ornaments said more plainly than words that she was fairly certain I’d completely lost my mind. I didn’t blame her. It’s not every day that your boss asks you to wear a tasteful diamond earring and a matching bracelet into a possible firefight.

As she and Bubba took the jewels, I explained. “The bracelet is a microphone. It’s got good range, even without the reinforcing magics, so I should be able to hear what’s going on at your end no matter what happens. The earrings are speakers, in case I need to give you orders. I know they’re a little flashy, but they’re what I already had on hand, and I haven’t had time to pick up something more boring.”

“Ah, okay then.” Talia smiled, relieved that the boss wasn’t a complete nut job after all.

“Can’t you just use your telepathy?” Bubba asked. He looked at the delicate earring balanced on his palm the way I’d look at a cockroach.

“I don’t want to count on it. Finn was able to block my telepathy when they dumped me on the beach. I don’t want to risk us being out of contact.”

Bubba sighed and gave me a look that let me know in no uncertain terms that we would be discussing this later. Then he took out the simple onyx stud he usually wore and put the new earring on in its place.

He kept glowering until I passed him the rifle. The sour look vanished immediately, replaced by a toothy grin. I’d known he’d be happy about the rifle. “Would you look at this,” he purred, caressing it lovingly. “Isn’t this the one you—”

“Took from Jack Finn? Yes, it is. Spoils of war. You may not need it. But if you do, feel free.”

“Have you ever used a high-powered rifle, Bubba?” John Creede asked from behind me.

“Yes, I have.”

“Celia?” John was questioning my abilities and decisions. Again. I didn’t like it. Not even a little. But I didn’t want to piss him off. Then he might not let my people in on the operation. So I managed to be mostly polite when I replied.

“Why yes, John, I have used a high-powered rifle. I’ve also used a flame thrower and a grenade launcher.”

Talia’s eyes went wide. Bubba just grinned and said, “Tell him about the tank.”

I scowled at my longtime friend. The tank story was not one I cared to share. It was just too embarrassing. “That was a long time ago and we are not going to talk about it.”

Bubba laughed. John just shook his head in amusement. “Fine, fine. I doubt you’ll need it, but I’ve never regretted having extra weapons.”

He extended his hand to Talia. “I’m afraid I didn’t give Celia a chance to introduce us. I’m John Creede.”

“Talia Han. And I’ve used similar rifles in the service. I’ve got the marksmanship medals to prove it.” I wanted to grin; having Talia continue my theme did wonders for my sense of humor.

But I kept a straight face as I wondered if I’d given the rifle to the wrong employee. Then again, Bubba was no fool. If he thought she was a better shot, he’d give her the weapon.

“Celia, do you have a moment?” John asked. “I’d like to speak to you alone.”

I nodded and said, “Guys, hang out here for a minute. I won’t be long.”

“Sure, boss,” Bubba said while Talia agreed with a nod of her own.

John and I walked a few steps away.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I’m working security for today’s little escapade. I want your opinion on what I’ve got planned and any suggestions you have that could help—anything at all.”

I blinked at him a little stupidly. He was asking my opinion. After the way he’d behaved in Mexico, not to mention ten seconds ago, I wouldn’t have expected that in a million years.

He sighed, his expression growing more than a little exasperated. “I said I was sorry. I was wrong to undermine you with the clients like that. It was stupid of me. I do respect your opinion.”

I forced myself to smile a little ruefully back at him. “Sorry. I guess I’m still a bit touchy about it.” Yes, he’d just questioned my abilities not two minutes ago, but calling him on it would just lead to problems and more tension, neither of which was needed at the outset of a big operation. Better to let it go. “Okay. Fine. Now that we have that out of the way…”

He quickly outlined his plans. He’d organized the entire thing like a military campaign using all of the assets and personnel at his disposal as head of Miller & Creede. I was absolutely amazed that he’d been able to pull it off on short notice but wondered how he’d gotten permission to mount an operation like this so close to the Needle.

When I told him so, he said, “I didn’t get permission. Whoever we’re up against has to be in a position of power or someone would’ve tumbled to the situation before now. If I went through channels, they’d know exactly what we’re planning.”

Oh, crap. He was taking one hell of a risk, then. Seriously, he could get jail time, major jail time, at the Needle. We all could.

“Celia, there’s a good chance I won’t survive to see tomorrow. I’ll deal with the fallout if and when I have to.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. He expected to die. He was even being matter-of-fact about it. I couldn’t be. I love Bruno, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about John. So I swallowed hard and tried not to think too much about the risks he was taking, focusing instead on the plans he’d laid out. “I can’t see any flaws, John.” I really couldn’t. “It might be a little excessive, but hey, better safe than sorry.”

His answer made me wonder if he was reading my mind or if he just knew me too well. “When I heard you were going to be involved, I took what I had originally thought were adequate defenses, tripled them, and prayed for divine intervention.” He grinned, but I could see that he was only partially joking.

“Ha, ha, ha.” I hated that I was dangerous to my friends and allies, that my death curse tended to increase the odds that someone I knew would be hurt or killed.

“Now, what exactly did you have in mind for your dynamic duo back there?” John asked. “I need to know how to fit them into my plans.”

“I want them as close to the center of the action as we can get them. Their only job is going to be to protect the four of you and keep me advised of what’s happening.”

He opened his mouth, as if to protest, question my choice, but I cut him off.

“They’re good people, John. The best. You want them watching your back.”

He sighed. “Fine. Look, we both need to get going.” He smiled for real then, and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me good-bye. But the moment passed. Instead, he said, “Be careful.”

“You, too.” My throat was tight. I turned away so that he wouldn’t see that my eyes had filled with tears. I squared my shoulders and said to Bubba and Talia, “Go with the nice man. Make sure he and the other three involved in the working stay safe. I’m off to guard the client.”

“Good luck!” Bubba called.

“You, too.” We’d all need it.

My ride was waiting on the opposite end of the tarmac, the cargo door propped open. Same chopper, same pilot. Even similar boxes. Evidently the equipment had all been replaced. Good. But oh, Lord, I was not going to enjoy seeing that bill. Here’s hoping Abby paid up promptly.

Chris stood just inside the open doors. Dawna had looked grim, but Chris was expressionless, a blank slate, wearing desert camo, a sidearm, and an anti-siren charm prominently placed outside his shirt. His manner was one of utter professionalism. Frankly, I was surprised he hadn’t passed the job to someone else, all things considered. Unless the Company didn’t have a lot of medics, which would make it difficult to shift assignments like this one on short notice.

“What are the coordinates for our destination?” Chris asked.

I pulled a slip of paper from my jacket pocket and passed it to him. He took it to Rob, and I took my seat, strapping myself in for the ride without waiting to be told.

Chris came back, closing the cargo door as the chopper’s engines started up. Then he disappeared again into the flight cabin without saying a word.

I was fine with that.

I had to adjust the fit of the little bits of electronic equipment I’d be wearing to keep in touch with Bubba and Talia. Gilda had been the one wearing them last, and she’s a much smaller woman than I am. Still, it took only a couple of seconds to get everything comfortable, and I was able to listen to Creede’s briefing as Rob flew the chopper out to Kevin’s cabin.

“Listen up, people. To work this magic, we need to be where the node comes closest to the surface. So do our enemies. There are limited options and they’re not far apart. It’s very likely we’ll be working very close to the enemy. We’ll keep up a veil as long as we can, but once the node is tapped, the interference is going to take everything down. When that happens, you can expect things to get hairy. Under the cover of the veil, we’ll be building concentric walls of sandbags around the circle where the magic will be worked. Bubba and Talia here, are our last line of defense. Your goal is to make sure they have nothing to do. Once I’m inside the circle, Chuck is in charge.”

“Celia,” Chris said as if he’d already repeated my name a couple of times. Maybe he had. I’d been concentrating hard on Creede. “We’re here. We’ve landed.”

“Sorry. I was listening to John Creede. I left some people with him.”

Chris shook his head, a half smile on his face. For just a second a hint of our old friendship surfaced, but then his expression hardened, his eyes going dark. “You’d better go ahead to the house. I know Kevin’s expecting us, but I’d rather not startle him.”

Smart man. Startling a werewolf on the day of the full moon is not a healthy pastime. So I unfastened my safety harness and climbed out of the chopper.

Kevin’s place was on the edge of the desert, near Death Valley. I’d seen pictures when he’d bought the place just after the Needle had been built. The previous owners hadn’t been thrilled with the notion of having the most dangerous criminals in the world living that close to them—even with miles and miles of inhospitable desert between the cabin and the prison—so Kevin had gotten it for a song.

I remembered that when the house had first been built, it had been featured in Mother Earth News as a perfect example of a building designed using recycled tires. The seller had given a copy of the article to Kevin, who had proudly shown us all the photos. The cabin had a stucco surface, with a wide veranda shielding the windows from the sun on the south side. The north side had been built into an earthen berm. There were solar panels on the roof and a windmill elsewhere on the property. It was austere but beautiful, blending seamlessly into the sere beauty of the desert, like a jewel in a brooch. I suspected the place was completely off the grid.

Emma had told me Kevin had made some renovations in the last few years. I’m not sure what I had expected. New bathroom? New appliances? Not this.

The simple fence that had previously surrounded the property had been replaced by a wall that was at least seven feet tall, two to three feet thick, and covered in tan stucco. Access was through a steel gate as tall as the wall and just wide enough to let a single vehicle through. The gate’s controls looked similar to the ones at my place. A sign was attached to the gate, black with yellow block letters: TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT. SURVIVORS WILL BE SHOT AGAIN.

I stood outside the gate and bellowed, “Yo, Kevin! It’s me!” Not the most elegant of greetings, but effective. I saw the edge of one of the curtains flick aside. A moment later, Emma came out of the cabin and approached the gate. She had my Derringer in a holster on her belt and carried one of those big squirt guns with the extra tanks. I had no doubt that the reservoirs were filled with holy water. I also knew that Chris, Rob, and I were going to get a little wet if we wanted to get past Emma. It was the only way she and Kevin could be sure that the three of us were who we claimed to be.

“Em, what are you doing here?”

She sprayed me. When it was clear that I was, indeed, me, she answered. “Kevin was worried that if something went wrong and he needed to hunt before you guys got here, Michelle would be unprotected. So I left Paulie with Dad and came out here as backup.”

I hadn’t realized her dad was back. I was glad. I knew she and Kevin had both missed him badly, and this might just give me a chance to extend an olive branch, see if we could work out our differences.

Chris and the pilot came over, both carrying boxes of equipment and supplies. Emma sprayed them, and only when they had both passed inspection did she put her palm on the control pad and open the gate.

“Where do you want these?” Rob asked.

“Put them in the living room. We’ve cleared everything out to make room.”

“Right.”

True to her word, the large room was empty save for a single recliner. The curtains had been drawn on all of the windows so that it was dim. Michelle sat on the wide ledge of a stone fireplace. After greeting me, she sat quietly, watching Chris set up the equipment.

I couldn’t blame her for being afraid. A few days ago she’d been living a normal life. Now her mother had been murdered and she was being hunted by a mage who wanted her dead. And it looked like her only option was to put her life in the hands of people she’d only just met and attempt what sure sounded like a harebrained scheme with no guarantee of success.

In the last few days she’d been shot, had surgery, had run for her life twice, and been part of a gun battle. All that would have been hard on me, and I was used to violence. How difficult must it have been for her? I walked over to her. “Hey, Michelle, how you holding up?”

“Truthfully? Not so hot. Kevin’s acting strange. He keeps pacing and looking out the windows. He hardly talks to anyone. Emma’s worried, but she won’t say why, and it doesn’t feel like she’s worried about me.” She took a breath. “And I’m scared. What if the transfusion doesn’t work? I mean, you’re just guessing.”

“It’s the day of the full moon. Kevin is feeling a little restless.” In fact, he’d gone outside the minute we’d come in, preferring to keep a little distance between himself and so many people. “And Michelle, you need to trust me. I am not going to let you die. I’ll do everything in my power, whatever it takes, to see to it that you make it to tomorrow. Do you believe me?”

Her answer was a barely audible whisper. “Yes.”

“I can’t promise that this will work. I think it will; I think it’s our best bet. But if it doesn’t, we’ll do something else.” Right then, I didn’t know what that something else would be, but I knew I wouldn’t give up. I did not want her to die, not just because her death would help Connor Finn, but for her own sake. She seemed like a good kid. She deserved the chance to have a full, happy life.

Chris said, “We’re ready, and we should probably get started right away. The rapid infusion device was destroyed in the fire yesterday and I couldn’t get a replacement. So it’ll take longer than planned to get everything done well before sunset.”

I turned to Michelle, who had gone pale. She began to shake her head no, over and over.

“Michelle, you need to do this.”

She didn’t answer, just kept shaking her head. Chris, Emma, and Rob were all looking at me like: fix this. But I didn’t know what else to say, how to convince her to go through with it. I wondered if Chris had brought sedatives; I wondered how he’d feel about transfusing an unconscious person against her will.

Just then the temperature in the room started to drop. A cold breeze ruffled my hair and my breath misted the air.

“Mama?” Michelle’s voice held awe and wonder. “It’s you, isn’t it?”

The sound of scratching on the frame of the picture above the fireplace mantel drew our attention. There, written in frost, was a single word. Yes.

“I miss you so much. I’m so scared.” Michelle was crying, her words almost childlike in their desperation and simplicity.

You have to do this. You MUST. The words appeared slowly, but they were unmistakable.

Michelle stood. Swallowing hard, she turned to me. “Will you hold my hand?”

It was a bad idea. I’m part vampire, and there was about to be a lot of blood in the immediate area. I should be as far away from the whole process as possible. But she was so scared and desperate that I found myself nodding mute assent. I heard Chris tell Rob to turn up the blood warmer.

Michelle was still strapped to the machine when the attack came, a wave of heat that hit like a wrecking ball, driving me to my knees. Michelle shrieked as her hair burst into flame and burns began crawling up her arms. Reacting almost inhumanly fast, Chris yanked out the needle and tubing that were draining her blood, flinging the apparatus away from him as it burst into blue-white flames, the plastic melting to stinking black liquid before our eyes. He clamped down, holding pressure to the wound even as Michelle’s skin began to blister and blacken beneath his hands.

“Do something!” he screamed at me. “You have to do something or she’s going to die!”

He was right.

We needed to change her biology to make her unrecognizable to the curse, and the blood transfusion wasn’t enough. My thoughts spun: what changed people? Demon possession … vampire attacks … shape-shifter bites …

“Kevin!” I shouted, spinning to discover that he was already in the room, probably because of all the screaming. “You have to bite her. It’s her only chance.”

“Are you insane?” He growled at me; his teeth were already elongating. He was so close to the change, holding it at bay by sheer force of will.

“You have to. She’s going to die if you don’t.”

He looked past me at Michelle. I could see what he saw—blackened, crisping skin, swathes of destruction that grew as the stench of cooking flesh filled the room.

“Everyone get out of here,” Kevin ordered, “now!”

Rob didn’t need to be told twice. He vanished. But Emma had to grab Chris by the arm and drag him away.

“Go,” Kevin said firmly, in a voice that was barely human.

I so wanted to run. But first I had to ask, “Will you be able to control her?”

He threw back his head and howled, his eyes bleeding to red as golden fur poured out of every pore. I heard his bones breaking over the sound of Michelle’s screams. As he dropped to all fours, I drew my knives and began backing out of the room. I was at the door when he bit her and at the gate when her howls joined his.

I made it through barely in time, slamming the heavy bars in a pair of furry faces—one golden, one black as night—as they snarled and snapped, long claws slashing at me through the gaps in the bars.

I backed away, saddened and horrified. Michelle was alive, but at what cost? Would she return to human form, to humanity, when the full moon passed? What had I done?

Behind me, I heard the helicopter engine starting. Combined with the howls of the werewolves, it was almost loud enough to drown out the sound of Bubba’s desperate voice in my ear. “Boss, the veil is down. We can see them. It’s bad. Tell Mona I love her.”