The Vampire's Betrayal (6 page)

As glad as I was that Jack was back with us, something still nagged at me about the way he’d returned. “I have to ask you something about what happened down there. Why did you scream just before Jack reoccupied his body?”

Melaphia looked at me blankly. “I did? I don’t remember that at all.”

“What about the fireball that rolled through just as the portal opened?”

She looked alarmed and shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I remember holding hands with you and Werm and starting my chant. I must have gone into a trance because I remember coming out of it convinced that I had failed and Jack was still in the underworld. What—what fireball?”

“It’s probably only some by-product of Jack’s crossing. Do you remember anything similar from when I came back from the underworld?”

“No, but it wasn’t really the same thing.”

“It’s probably nothing to worry about.”

During the spiritualist movement that began in the 1800s, humans came close to discovering the shadow world of beings other than themselves. A few charlatans gave the legitimate psychics a bad name and the movement eventually all but died out. The mediums who were successful in manifesting spirits during séances found that a residue—ectoplasm, they called it—was generated by the incident. Such is the nature of physics. Perhaps the fireball was something similar.

“Do you think that anything…bad…came back with Jack?” Melaphia asked.

“Oh, I think we would have known immediately. Demons tend not to play coy.”

She visibly relaxed, but her young face showed her weariness. Her emotions had run the gamut in the last few hours. She’d gone from near madness, bereft at having lost her daughter and perhaps me and then Jack as well, to happiness at having us all returned to her. But what should have been elation was tempered by guilt over her part in losing Connie.

“Is it really over, Father?” Melaphia asked, leaning her head against my chest.

In the rare instances when she’d called me that through the years, it was always when she’d wanted reassurance. If my trip to Europe to rescue Renee had taught me anything, it was that our lives were about to become even more insecure, but now was not the time to tell her that. I put my arms around her and hugged her like I did when she was small.

“Yes, little one,” I said as I used to. “It’s over.”

Jack

When I was holding Connie afterward, there were no words for the happiness I felt. I was half afraid I was dreaming. If so, I hoped I never woke up.

Suddenly Connie became aware of her surroundings. “Where are we?” She glanced around the room. When she saw the coffins, she gave a start and looked back at me in alarm.

“We’re in the basement of William’s house. Everything’s okay. More than okay. It’s—” I kissed her again, hard. She broke off the kiss suddenly, her eyes wide. For a blissful little while, we’d both put the underworld behind us. But I saw awareness coming into Connie’s face. She wanted answers.

“What happened when we were in the underworld?”

“You still don’t remember?” I just stared at her, thinking about all that we’d been through in the last few hours—or was it days? Who knew how underworld time compared to topside time? Where did I begin? What should I tell her? And if she really didn’t remember anything, what should I make up or leave out?

She grabbed me by the upper arms and shook me as hard as she could, which wasn’t very hard since I was nearly a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier than she. “I don’t remember. Now,
what happened
?” she demanded again.

“What’s the last thing you can recall?” I countered. I sat up and helped her on with her white gown. My mind raced as I gathered up my jeans and dressed myself. Hell, how much did I myself recollect about what transpired right there at the end? I was pretty sure the angels hadn’t gotten around to telling her she was the Slayer.

She gave me a veiled look, on the defensive already, I figured. “I—I came over to talk to Melaphia.”

“To talk? Or to get her help changing zip codes and dump me in the process?” The question sounded childish even to my own ears, under the circumstances and considering the mind-blowing sex we’d just had. But gol-dang, I’d just been through hell and back. A man deserved some answers.

“Not everything’s about you, Jack,” Connie said, putting me in my place.

“I told you over and over it wasn’t safe to go to the underworld, and you ignored me.”

A look of realization came over Connie’s face, and she quit playing coy right quick. “What did you do?” she demanded, her eyes blazing.

“I did what I had to. I brought you back.”

She balled her fists and pummeled my chest. I caught her forearms as gently as I could but firmly enough to still them. “You—you—evil bloodsucking bastard! I went there to see my son, and—”

“And you did.” She’d never spoken to me of her son before. In fact, I wasn’t supposed to know who she had wanted to see. It was a relief to have her finally open up, if only a little.

She stopped struggling and gazed up at me, blinking. “I did?”

I said gently, “It was awesome.”

“Tell me,” she said.

“There was your…son,” I began. I didn’t want to reveal that I knew how her son died. Seth had warned me that the pity Connie had seen in his eyes after the murder-suicide had spelled the end of their relationship. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake. Connie was a proud goddess, and she had told me what she wanted to accomplish in the underworld only in the most general terms. Those were the terms I’d keep things on.

I walked her over to the chaise next to the bar and sat her down. Then I told her everything I’d seen when she’d been with her son. My description of the events didn’t do them justice, but I tried my best. Tears ran down Connie’s face as she listened, and I did my best to answer her questions. She had lots of them.

When she was out of questions, she took a deep breath and wiped away her last tear with the back of her hand like a little girl. “What about my other reason for going?” After all this time, she couldn’t put into words what her ex-husband had done to her.

“You kicked a guy’s ass real good,” I lied. Thank goodness she didn’t ask me for details like she did about her son. I could have made some up, but she might have realized I was lying. A good cop almost always knows when someone is lying even if the liar is as good as me. “The way you cleaned his clock, I hope he had it coming.”

“He had it coming, believe me,” she said with conviction. “I wonder why I can’t remember and you can?”

“Beats me.” I wasn’t going to admit it, but I knew someone who might know. Talking to him was my next stop after I checked on Renee. I was confident she was back in Savannah, probably asleep upstairs, or William wouldn’t have returned to American soil. He’d given Melaphia his solemn vow to return her daughter. That was money in the bank. With Connie and Renee back, all was right with my world. Well, almost all.

As if on cue, Connie asked, “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

“Why do you say that?”

“I can tell.”

For a split second I pictured myself saying
Well, sugar, that’s when the heavenly host deputized you to murder me with a sharp stick.
But I decided against it.

The best way to commit a lie of omission is to tell some relevant truth instead. “There
was
some unpleasantness down there. With some demons. I’ll tell you about it sometime, but not right now. The important thing is that you accomplished what you set out to do and we’re both back here safe.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry I got testy earlier.”

I shrugged. “We’ve both been through a lot today.”

“That’s what I mean. I know that whatever happened in the underworld, you risked your whole existence on getting me back here, put yourself literally through hell, and I’m grateful. I’m sorry if you interpreted what I did as…running out on you.”

She’d been right earlier. Not everything was about me and I shouldn’t have taken what she did personally. I just couldn’t help it. I shrugged again, not trusting myself to say anything else. I hoped for all I was worth that there would be plenty of time for us to work out all the kinks in our unique relationship.

I’d add my neediness to the list of things I just didn’t want to think about right now.

Right after that Slayer thing.

Five

William

Melaphia was about to go upstairs to Renee when Jack entered the kitchen leading a very much alive Connie Jones by the hand. Our shock must have shown on our faces.

“Connie!” Melaphia moved woodenly to Connie’s side and gave her a hug. “It’s a miracle.”

While Melaphia put on a show of welcoming Connie back from the underworld, Jack asked, “How’s Renee?”

“Safe and sound.”

“Thank God.”

By that time, Melaphia had released her hold on Officer Jones.

“Indeed it is a miracle,” I said. “We were convinced you were lost to us. Jack, how did you do it?”

“I don’t know. It just happened.” Jack beamed, unable to take his gaze from his lady love.

Melaphia and I exchanged the most subtle of concerned glances. Our world had just become more complicated by tenfold.

“Are you sure you’re quite all right, Officer Jones?”

“Yes, and please, call me Connie.”

“This incredible turn of events calls for a celebration.” I tried to sound as happy as I could. “Melaphia, we should have some champagne.”

“That’s very kind of you, William,” Connie said, “but I’m really exhausted after…everything that’s happened. I think I should be getting home.”

“If you must,” I said. “But there’s something I need to say, first. Your reasons for traveling to the underworld are your own and none of my concern. Whatever the reasons may be, the risks are too great. I have forbidden Melaphia to help you or anyone cross that portal again. Is that clear, Melaphia?”

Melaphia looked down at the floor, genuinely chastened, and nodded silently.

“Don’t blame her, William. I twisted her arm,” Connie admitted. “I promise I won’t do it again.”

“Good. Because there are not only risks to you, but risks to Melaphia as well, not to mention Jack, who’ll always be fool enough to try to go and fetch you back. See that there isn’t a next time.”

“I understand.”

“I must ask for your word.” I half-expected Jack to challenge me just on principle for being too bossy, as he would put it, but he nodded instead. He wasn’t eager for his girlfriend to repeat the escapade.

“I give you my word.”

“Good,” I said with a sigh. “And congratulations on your safe journey.”

Jack accompanied Connie through the foyer to the door, all the while offering to travel through the underground tunnels to ensure she made it safely to her apartment. She demurred, but their voices lowered as they continued their good-byes.

Melaphia grasped my arm. “What are we going to do?”

“You’re going to go upstairs and go to bed, and Jack and I are going to take our rest as well.”

“But—”

“There’s nothing we can do at the moment. I’ll have a serious talk with Jack first thing tomorrow. We’ll both need all of our strength for that.”

I heard Jack close the front door behind Connie. Melaphia nodded and hugged Jack as they passed each other in the doorway between the kitchen and the foyer. I heard her footsteps on the stairs up to the bedrooms.

Jack leaned against the doorjamb and regarded me warily. “Mel told you about Connie.” It was a statement rather than a question.

“Of course. This is a grave situation, Jack.”

“Look, she doesn’t even know she’s this slayer.”

“She will.”

“How? Who’s going to tell her?”

Jack’s defiant attitude was already playing on my nerves. “We’re both weary. Let us discuss this when we’ve had a chance to get our rest.”

“We’ll discuss it now. Who’s to say she’ll ever find out? I mean, whose job is it to tell her, anyway?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Melaphia is going to do additional research.”

“She’s going to have to look it up? How much
do
you know about slayers?”

“To be perfectly frank, not a great deal. However, I did get some information about them while I was in Europe.”

“What information?”

“There seems to be a feeling among the European vampires that a prophesied slayer is or soon could be among us. If she’s not already.”

Jack ran a hand through his hair in a gesture of nervousness I’d seen a thousand times. “A feeling?”

“The old ones can…sense certain events, as you know. Olivia, like Melaphia, is attempting to learn everything she can. Until they know more, you must keep a close eye on Connie.”

Olivia was my second in command in Europe. She had recently uncovered a cache of documents she hoped would shed light on the history of the blood drinkers.

“Why? What am I looking for?”

I could tell that Jack was deep in denial, something he would have to snap out of quickly if he was to survive. “You’re looking for any sign that your girlfriend wants to kill you.”

Jack

“If she comes at me with the pointy end of anything, you’ll be the first to know,” I assured William.

“Don’t be glib. This is serious.”

William gave me one of his stern looks, the kind meant to scare me. And I was scared all right. I went the extra mile to block my thoughts so he wouldn’t know the secret I was keeping from him right then. If he knew that Connie’s learning that she was the Slayer was as simple as her memory coming back, there was no telling what he would do.

“Yeah, I know it’s serious,” I said, and suddenly remembered another serious subject. “Hey! I saw Eleanor in the underworld. She attacked me and said you killed her. What the hell happened?” At the mention of Eleanor’s name William looked so sorrowful I was sorry I’d brought her up.

“I was forced to destroy her. She lied to me about her role in Renee’s kidnapping.”

Big mistake on her part. You did not ever lie to a master vampire, especially the one who made you. The lie of omission I just told—or rather, didn’t tell—was only made possible by the control I’d honed through years and years of blocking out William’s ability to read my mind. As a fledgling, Eleanor wouldn’t have had the power to do that, at least not for very long. “Eleanor was the one who led Diana and Hugo to Renee?”