Haven (32 page)

Cece would stay hidden in the loft, out of the way. From there she would project to Dr. Blackwell, to see what he was up to. If she needed to get a message to Aidan, she could do that via projection, too. Sophie’s job was to keep an eye on Cece, to keep her vulnerable body safe while her astral self was away. After it was all said and done, there might be more for Sophie to do—assessing the damage, so to speak.

As to Aidan, he hoped to reason with Julius, to assure him that he was no danger to him and his kind. After all, apparently there were some pretty strict vampire laws, enforced by the Tribunal, and what Julius was doing was completely against those laws. Still, as a Propagator, Julius had always operated just outside the law. All that meant, really, was that he wasn’t afforded the Tribunal’s protection.

If nothing else, I hoped our show of strength would dissuade them. Beyond that, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. If it came to it, I was prepared to do what I was supposedly born to do—with the stake. Mostly, I tried not to think about that. Aidan still insisted that if the plan failed and all was lost, I must put the stake through his heart. He felt certain that Julius would honor the agreement he’d made with Blackwell—my safety in exchange for Aidan’s death.

There was no way in hell I planned on ending the day by destroying Aidan. I had faith in my friends, in our combined abilities. After all, what were three ordinary vampires against five psychic kids, a shape-shifter, a vampire, and a vampire slayer? Yeah, we had the better team, as far as I was concerned, and we had the foreknowledge to boot.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. But what really bothered me was that I hadn’t had any time alone with Aidan all week. Between classes, the SAT prep course, and our group training sessions, I hadn’t had five minutes alone with him.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, a little voice was saying,
What if it doesn’t work out? What if it really is Aidan’s blood spilled all over the grass, just as I saw?

What if we never had another chance to be together?

“Miss McKenna? Do you know the answer or not?”

I looked up from my notebook in confusion, realizing I was
sitting in Dr. Penworth’s history class and that he was asking me a question.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, feeling my cheeks burn.

Removing his spectacles, he shook his head in obvious frustration. “Someone else, then?”

Aidan, of course, was nowhere to be found. He’d skipped class, and I had no idea where he was or what he was doing.

The hours dragged by. I sat with my friends at lunch, but no one ate a bite. How could we? Everyone’s face looked pale, pinched. Worry charged the air. Marissa tried her best to diffuse it, but considering she was pretty freaked-out herself, it was no use. Now and then Cece clutched my hand, whispering, “It’ll be okay,” as if she could make it so just by saying it.

A huge banner was strung across the wall.
WINTERHAVEN WARRIORS ALL THE WAY
, it declared in black and lavender block letters. Something about the boys soccer team; I think they were playing in the state championships. In the back, near the soda machines, some kids had started up a chant, their voices resonating throughout the crowded room.

“We are the Warriors . . . the mighty, mighty Warriors . . .”

Rah-rah,
I thought sourly. I mean, what was a state championship compared to what we were about to try and accomplish? The game was completely inconsequential in the grand
scheme of things, whereas
this
. . .
this
was life-or-death.
We
were the real warriors—my friends and I.

I looked at each of them in turn, hoping they knew how much they meant to me. Cece, her hand still clutched tightly in mine—hers dark, mine pale, both of them trembling. Kate, tucking her hair behind her ears, like she always did when she was nervous. Sophie, chewing on her lower lip. Marissa, picking at the hem of her sleeve.

Across the dining hall, Joshua’s eyes met ours, and he nodded. He, at least, didn’t look scared out of his wits. Jack seemed pretty confident too when he joined us at our table.

Still, the minutes dragged by.

Dusk . . . we had until dusk. Then what?

“Miss McKenna,” Dr. Blackwell called out, just as the bells indicated the end of fifth period. “May I have a word with you and Mr. Gray?”

Here it comes,
I realized. He’s summoning us to his office, just like he said he would.

I glanced over at Aidan, fear making my heart race.

His gaze met mine.
Block your mind, Violet. Keep it locked tight.

I just nodded.

Slowly, reluctantly, I made my way toward Dr. Blackwell’s desk, Aidan keeping pace beside me.

“I need to speak to you both, tonight,” he said tersely. “I hate to ask you to skip the assembly, but it won’t take long. Please report to my office at seven thirty.”

“Is everything okay?” Aidan asked.

“Everything’s fine,” the headmaster said with a nod. “Just a matter that needs to be discussed. Nothing to be alarmed about.”

“We’ll be there,” Aidan said, and I was amazed at how calm he looked.

As for me, I couldn’t even bring myself to speak. Probably for the best. It was all happening, just as I’d seen. Every last piece was falling neatly into place, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

“They’re here,” Aidan said, and everyone looked up at once.

“They’ve entered the grounds. I feel it.”

If Aidan could sense them, then that meant they could sense him, too. Would they come straight for us? Or follow the plan and wait for us in Blackwell’s office?

“Cece, can you find them?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I’ll take her up to the loft,” I said, my stomach clenching into a knot. “It’s quiet up there.” I rose from the pew, glancing back one last time at the group gathered in the chapel’s first two rows. Everyone looked anxious, even Aidan. Taking a deep
breath, I turned and made my way toward the stairs that led up, Cece following silently behind.

As quickly as possible, I arranged the blankets on the floor, along with a couple of tasseled pillows.

Cece looked around in amazement. “This is where you and Aidan hang out?”

I just nodded.

Her dark eyes widened. “What is it, some kind of love nest? What exactly do you two
do
up here?”

“Not what it looks like,” I muttered, mostly to myself. “C’mon, you better get comfortable. We should get going with this.”

Cece nodded. “Sorry. Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.”

I held my breath, waiting for her to start doing her thing.

“The gatehouse,” she said, not five minutes later. I’d been pacing back and forth the entire time, trying not to look at her. It freaked me out too much, seeing her lie there completely still and lifeless.

“It’s just Julius and the two women,” Cece added breathlessly, scrambling to her feet.

I reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Good job, Cee. Okay, let’s go.”

I missed a rung climbing back down and almost slipped, mercifully catching myself just in time. In a minute or two,
we were back in the main chapel, everyone staring up at us expectantly.

“The gatehouse,” Cece said, out of breath. “Just the three of them.”

Joshua rose. “I’m on it.”

Aidan turned toward him, and I couldn’t help but notice how worried he looked. “Make sure your thoughts aren’t blocked, so I can hear them. My range is
way
better than a normal mind reader’s,” he added sheepishly. “I can relay messages to Violet telepathically. Just keep our channel open, okay, Vi?”

As
if
it were ever closed to him. Still, I nodded.

Joshua took off. No one spoke till the heavy door swung shut behind him.

“I’m not comfortable sending him out alone,” Aidan said, pacing back and forth in front of the altar.

Marissa wrapped her arms around herself, as if she were cold. “He’ll be okay. I . . . I feel pretty sure of it.”

I stood and went to Aidan, taking one cold hand in mine. “Hey, come and sit down. Save your energy, okay?”

But really I just wanted him next to me, holding my hand, making me feel safe. Would any of us ever really be safe again?

An hour passed by, excruciatingly slow. Then another. The tension in the room felt like a living, breathing thing. Some
sat, some got up and walked a circuit around the pews. Jack and Kate sat in the back whispering, their heads bent together. Without Aidan beside me, his grip firm on my hand, I might have gone mad. “Nothing, no movement,” Aidan passed on to the rest of us via Joshua’s thoughts.

Dusk was drawing near; the sun was making its slow descent toward the horizon, turning the sky a familiar purplish hue. The all-school assembly began—a peal of bells had marked it. Dr. Blackwell would be waiting for us now, in his office, but we weren’t coming. No, we’d lure them to us instead.

Beside me, Aidan’s body was taut, tense.
I should not have involved you all,
he said in my mind.
I should have just let them take me.

Yeah, but it’s not happening that way, remember? Julius doesn’t want to take you—he wants me to kill you.

Do you believe in God?
he asked me.

Yeah,
I answered.
Yeah, I do.

Then pray to him, Vi.

So I did. Fervently. We were in a church, after all. Maybe that somehow aided the connection.

Abruptly Aidan dropped my hand and stood up. “They’re moving. They realize we’re not coming to Blackwell’s office, and they’re on their way here. Joshua is following them.”

Someone whimpered. It might have been me. Time seemed
to stand still, and I think I might have forgotten how to breathe.

“They’re close now,” Aidan said minutes later, looking toward the door. “Is everyone ready?”

Jack got up and strode off toward the back of the chapel. “I’m going up.” He had fans set up to release the elixir into the air, through the vents.

“Me too,” Cece said, following him. “C’mon, Sophie.”

The rest of us stood, rigid and tense, facing the door. My hand moved to the stake against my hip, my fingers running over its satiny shaft. Marissa had a second stake tucked inside her jacket, and other weapons—freshly sharpened swords, some matches and lighter fluid—were stashed inside the chapel’s lone confessional. Because if any vampires were slain tonight, their heads had to be separated from their bodies, and then burned. Every time I thought about it, I got woozy. If Aidan was still around, he’d take care of it. If not . . . well, then, my friends would have to help me.

Glancing down, I remembered my crucifix necklace— Lupe’s gift—and pulled it out from beneath my shirt. For luck, I kissed it, then let it fall back against my shirt, in plain sight now.
Just breathe,
I told myself, then glanced over at my friends, wondering if they were as terrified as I was.

Considering what we were up against, Marissa and Kate looked remarkably calm and determined—almost fierce.
Aidan stood in front of us, his feet planted wide apart, his hands clenched into fists by his sides. This was it, then. The time had come.

The Winterhaven Warriors were ready for action.

N
ot five minutes later, the double doors burst open and Julius strode into the chapel. He was well over six feet tall, with impossibly broad shoulders. His black hair fell to his shoulders, his dark eyes menacing beneath heavy brows. His nose was long, his lips full above a close-clipped goatee.

He looked exactly as I remembered him from my visions—tall, dark, and terrifying. A vampire in his prime, probably turned in his midthirties. Facing him, Aidan looked like . . . like a boy.

Oh my God, this was insane. What had I been thinking, bringing my friends here to fight him?

“Aidan Gray,” Julius called out, his voice strangely melodic. “A church? What an odd place to find you. Have you come to make a confession?”

His black gaze slid around the room, lingering on me, then Kate, then Marissa. I felt his confusion, and I forced myself to focus, to invade his thoughts.

Hmm, which one is the
Sâbbat?

It occurred to me then that we had a slight advantage—it could be any of us three, and I felt his indecision as he examined us each in turn.

Aidan took several steps toward Julius, his posture casual, nonthreatening. “It’s been, what? Forty years? To what do I owe the pleasure, Julius?”

“We must speak, old friend. Alone. And what a charming place to do so.” He spread his arms wide and turned in a circle, as if he were admiring the view. “An exact replica of the chapel at King’s College, is it not?”

“It is indeed. I’m happy to talk, but they stay,” Aidan said, tipping his head toward where Marissa, Kate, and I stood trembling behind him. All our calm determination had fled now that Julius stood before us, looking far more dangerous than we’d imagined.

Julius laughed. “I beg to differ, Aidan. We speak alone,” he repeated.

As he advanced on Aidan, anger flowed through my veins, making my pulse leap and my skin flush hotly. Oh, man . . . I was going to take this vampire
down
.

Suddenly the two females appeared behind Julius, as if from nowhere. Instinctively, I took two steps backward, blinking hard. I was aware of a strange smell in the air, of the air becoming misty.
The elixir,
I realized.

The females advanced on us—me, Kate, Marissa. Aidan tried to move between us, but Julius cut him off. Suddenly pews lifted from the ground and blocked the females; a beam fell from the ceiling in their path, missing the advancing women by mere inches. They waved away the mist, looking slightly confused by it, and I wondered what effect, if any, the elixir was having on their powers.

Kate continued to move objects into their path as the three of us backed toward the altar in full retreat. I’d lost sight of Aidan and Julius; I had no idea who had the upper hand in that confrontation.

“Your mind tricks are useless against us, mortal,” the taller female called out, her thin face pulled into a smile that looked more like a grimace. They continued toward us—slowly, as if they were enjoying the anticipation.