living covenant 03 - eternal covenant (27 page)

“Yeah, you’d better gird yourself for that,” I said. “I’m definitely going to be dramatic.”

27

Twenty-Seven

^“
It feels like we’re in a western and we’re about to have a gunfight on Main Street at noon,” Paris enthused as we hopped out of Aric’s truck in the Ramada parking lot an hour later. “It’s so exciting.”

“You need to get out more,” Rafael said, patting Paris’ shoulder. “Why did we bring her again?”

“Hey!” Paris was incensed. “This is all about me.”

I groaned. “It’s not technically only about you,” I said. “Although … is anyone else ridiculously confused about how this could not be about me?”

“Everything is about you, baby,” Aric said, grinning as he kissed my cheek. “We need to get this over with, though. The rain is a bit much, and your hair is taking on an unfortunate curl.”

I ran my hand over my hair. It did feel bedraggled. “Yeah, let’s end this. Which room is it again?”

“It’s the main floor,” Rafael answered, pointing toward the back of the hotel. “The room has an external entrance. We should be prepared for the wolves to be there.”

“Do you think she’ll be angry we don’t have Marian?” Paris asked.

“I don’t really give a rat’s ass,” I answered. “I want to beat the crap out of her. I’m definitely going to cut her hair. I put the scissors in my pocket just so I could.”

“Take it down a notch,” Aric said. “We’re close to the end here. Our wedding is tomorrow. I would like to get through this … showdown … without anyone dying.”

“Especially you,” I added.

Aric squeezed my hand. “Especially both of us.”

“I guess that means it would be okay if Rafael and I died, huh?” Paris asked.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” I shot back. “I don’t want you to die.”

“Thank you.”

“It would be better if you died than me, though,” I added. I hopped out of the way as Paris swiped at me. “Too slow!”

“The maturity level keeps decreasing the longer I know you people,” Rafael lamented. “I think it says something about my choice in friends.”

“Just wait until I force you into the hot tub later,” I said. “Then you’ll see some immaturity.”

“I will not be getting in the hot tub,” Rafael replied primly.

“We’ll see,” I said. “Before we can do that, though, we have to do this. I’m so not looking forward to it.”

Aric and Rafael split wide as we circled toward the back of the hotel, both of them lifting their noses so they could scent the air. They were searching for the wolves. Paris and I stayed on course for the room, and I gave Aric and Rafael a chance to catch up before knocking.

Billy Ray opened the door, fixing us with a sneer. “I see the abomination has come to pay her due.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Did someone write that down and make you memorize it?”

Billy Ray’s face fell. “What? I said it right.”

“Get out of the way, Sparky,” I said, imperiously waving my hand to get him to scoot out of the way. “Don’t make me kill you.”

“You can’t kill me,” Billy Ray shot back. “This place is protected by good wards.”

“Oh, yeah?” I arched an eyebrow and pushed my magic out, throwing Billy Ray away from the door and opening the door wide. Leslie of the Snotgrass sat at a table toward the back of the room, her face full of gloating glee as she watched me stride through into the room. Her smile slipped when I stood near the edge of the bed and planted my hands on my hips, all the while envisioning myself as Wonder Woman. Okay, maybe I do watch too much television. “Honey, I’m home!”

“But … .” Leslie pushed herself up from the table and studied the spot at the end of the bed. The walkway between the bed and the dresser was small, and whatever she was trying to see was there. “How did you do that?”

“Do what?” I asked, confused.

“I think she put wards down,” Paris said, eyeing the area with curious detachment. “I see a few lines here. I think it was a devil’s trap, if I’m not mistaken. I can’t be sure, though.”

“Does that mean it traps the Devil?”

“Pretty much,” Paris answered.

“How did you do that?” Leslie asked. “That was supposed to trap you in purgatory until I released you – which was never going to happen.”

“I guess I’m just special that way,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not the Devil. I’m not even evil. You can’t trap me in some stupid wards. What’s wrong with you?”

“And where are the other two wolves?” Rafael asked, glancing around the room as he and Aric entered. “I can smell them. They’re close.”

“They’re probably in the adjoining room,” I said, pointing toward the closed door that led to the next room. Leslie’s door was open, but the other was closed, which would allow the wolves to enter at the right time. “I’ll bet they have their ears pressed against the door and they’re listening so they can make their move when the devil’s trap sucks my power and leaves Leslie of the Snotgrass victorious.”

“What did you just call me?” Leslie asked, her expression positively murderous. “My name is Mistress Cecily of the … .”

I cut her off. “Yes, you’re Leslie of the Snotgrass. We’ve heard all about it from Maid Marian of the planet whine. I don’t have time to listen to you babble.” I pointed toward the door and inclined my chin in Aric’s direction. “Do it.”

Aric raised his eyebrows. “Do what?”

“Do I have to do everything? Get them. They’re bitten werewolves. They’re no match for you. I already took Billy Ray and his mullet out.”

As if on cue, Billy Ray stirred on the floor, causing Rafael to slam his foot into his face and knock him out again.

“Now I handled Billy Ray,” Rafael said dryly. “I’m sure something is achy and breaky, although I doubt it’s his heart.”

I snickered. “You have a weird sense of humor.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment coming from you,” Rafael said, moving toward the door. “This is locked.”

“Can’t you … I don’t know … pick it?”

“What do you even think you’re doing?” Leslie seethed.

“I’ll be with you in a second, Snotgrass,” I said.

“It’s Snodgrass!”

“Not in my world,” I said. “Pick the lock and grab the wolves. James’ containment unit is probably already in the parking lot. I want to start unloading these guys.”

“There’s no one in there,” Leslie said.

“You’re a terrible liar, Snotgrass,” I said. “Just give us a second to grab your friends. Then we’ll deal with you.”

“You’ll deal with me?” Leslie had the manners of a teenager, which meant she was shrill and demanding. I couldn’t help but dislike her, and that was on top of the part where she tried to kill me and almost killed Aric.

“Yes, I’m going to deal with you,” I confirmed. “It’s not going to be pretty either. I brought scissors.”

“How do you expect us to open this door?” Aric asked, running his hands over it. “It’s locked from the other side.”

“Oh, jeez. Do have to do everything?” I narrowed my eyes and concentrated, probably putting a little too much oomph into the magical push if the shredding metal was any indication. Aric and Rafael briefly covered their faces and then stormed into the room. I couldn’t see what was happening, although there was some snapping and growling, and I was sure someone was trying to shift. I wasn’t particularly worried, though. Aric and Rafael could handle two bitten wolves without breaking a sweat. Hey, do vampires sweat? What was I doing again?

“You may think you’ve won, but I’ll come back stronger than ever,” Leslie announced, reaching into her pocket.

I shook my head and extended a warning finger. “If you try to poof again I’m going to make you poof another way. There won’t be smoke, but there will be ash.”

Leslie faltered, unsure. “I am Cecily of the … .”

“That did it,” I snapped, lashing out with a green wisp of energy and letting it smack her across the face. She dropped the vial she held on the floor and grabbed her cheek, dumbfounded. “I’ve had enough of you. This isn’t fun and games.”

“I know what you are,” Leslie hissed. “If you kill me, others will take my place.”

“They always do,” I said. “The thing is, you’re an idiot. I’m not the Candyman. If you say my name three times in a mirror I don’t show up and kill people. That’s an urban legend. For all I know, that’s an urban legend you started. I don’t like it.”

“She really doesn’t,” Paris said. “She also doesn’t like that you guys came here for me. Why did you do that?”

“I’m sure Esmeralda has told you everything,” Leslie said. “You probably tortured it out of her.”

“I threatened to cut her hair,” I said. “I didn’t, though. She’s still alive, although she has been taken into custody. I did let Kelsey throw a bucket of icy water on her. It was kind of funny. We’re also moving on the other one … what’s her name? I keep forgetting.”

“Ravenna or something,” Paris answered.

“No, her real name?”

“Oh, I can’t remember,” Paris said. “It must not be very good if I can’t remember.”

“I know why you wanted the resurrection stone,” I said, shifting my eyes back to Leslie. “You’ve had someone die, and you’re young enough that it’s molded you in a bad way. You’re a teenager, so you want instant gratification. You don’t want to go through loss, so you’re trying to find an easy way out.

“What you did, though, was attack my family,” I continued. “You almost killed my … heart. You played a game and discarded the real stakes associated with it, and I can’t abide that.”

“We weren’t playing a game,” Leslie said, straightening her shoulders. “We were trying to rid the world of you.”

“Except Zoe is a force of good,” Aric said, appearing in the doorway with one of the unconscious wolves in his arms. He staggered into the room and dumped the wolf on the floor before turning back to Leslie. “Zoe fights to protect people. She doesn’t try to hurt people. She’s not a monster.”

“If you say her name again, you’ll be able to see the beast,” Leslie said.

“Zoe. Zoe. Zoe!” Aric bellowed the last one. “She’s not some mythical monster. She’s going to be my wife. She’s a good person … well, other than the having to have her own way thing. Other than that, she’s wonderful. You’re the one who is in the wrong here.”

Leslie’s eyes widened when I didn’t transform into a monster. “This has to be a trick.”

“No, it’s sad is what it is,” I countered. “You built up a mythical world in your head because you didn’t want to deal with the problems of the real world. I’m sorry your mother died. I’m sorry you’re struggling. That doesn’t give you the right to sacrifice innocent people while trying to get a stone that no longer exists.”

Leslie balked. “What do you mean? We did research. Paris Princeton researched the resurrection stone seven years ago. She has it.”

“We destroyed it,” Paris supplied. “It was too dangerous. Bad people at Covenant College wanted to use the stone to build an army of vampires to turn on their enemies. We couldn’t have that, so we destroyed the stone.”

“No,” Leslie said, her face falling. “I need that stone. You’re lying!”

“We’re not lying,” I said. “It’s gone. It’s been gone for a long time. We never even used it. That’s how dangerous it was.”

“But … my mom!”

For the first time I saw the lost girl Leslie really was. It didn’t soften my heart against her deeds. “Your mother is gone. I’m sorry for you. You need to come to grips with that, though. She’s not coming back.”

The room fell into uncomfortable silence.

“What are you going to do with me?” Leslie asked finally. “Are you going to kill me like you did Marian?”

“Marian isn’t dead,” I said. “I already told you that. As for what we’re going to do with you, I’m not entirely sure.”

“We need to kill her,” Rafael said, dragging his own unconscious wolf into the room and unceremoniously dumping it on Aric’s victim. “You need to send a message, Zoe. People can’t come after you. If they do, they can’t survive. You need to think smart here.”

“She’s just a kid,” Paris protested.

“She’s just a kid who tried to kill Zoe and almost took Aric out for good measure,” Rafael argued. “If Zoe lets her live, she’ll be sending a message. Do you think that’s the right message to send?”

I was conflicted, and risked a glance at Aric. “What do you think?”

“I think I want her dead for trying to kill you,” Aric answered. “Ultimately, though, I think it’s up to you.”

Well, great. I get all the hard decisions. I wet my lips as I looked Leslie up and down. She was a teenager with a broken heart, but the world at her fingertips. She reminded me of myself at that age, when Covenant College tried to suck me up and ended up spitting me out instead. She had time, but she needed consequences.

“I am going to send a message,” I said. “I’m handing her over to James. I want her locked up for a few years. I want her to think about what she’s done.”

“That’s the wrong message,” Rafael hissed.

“They already think I’m evil, and attacked accordingly,” I said. “I almost went evil at Quinn’s compound. I could’ve gone evil at the college when we went after Mark, but I backed off instead.”

“He still ended up dead,” Rafael pointed out.

“Not by my hand, though,” I countered. “I don’t want to be a murderer. I want to be Zoe of the Sarcasm.”

“I still like Zoe the Complainer,” Rafael said.

I ignored him. “You need to pay for what you’ve done, Leslie,” I said. “I’m going to give you another chance, though. Don’t screw it up. We’ll be watching you.”

“So, what? You’re not going to kill me?” Leslie asked, dubious.

“No,” I said. “You are going to jail, though. Your new reality isn’t going to be fake castles and chatrooms. It’s going to be more
Orange is the New Black
instead of
Cinderella
.”

“You definitely watch too much television,” Aric said, grabbing my hand. “You’re a good person, though. You’re my good person.”

“And you’re my good person,” I said, giving him a soft kiss before James’ men entered the room and started placing people into custody.

“And we’re back to the schmaltzfest,” Rafael said. “I need a drink.”

“We all need a drink,” Paris said. “Let’s go throw a joint bachelor and bachelorette party … and see just how hot these groomsmen are.”