The Bonding Ritual (Girls Wearing Black: Book Four) (9 page)

Nicky crawled out of bed and went to the window. Was Frankie’s ride here?

Staying to one side of the window, Nicky pulled back the blinds and looked outside. If she wasn’t allowed to say goodbye to Frankie, she’d at least watch him go.

The headlights turned off and someone came out of the car. It took a second for Nicky’s eyes to adjust, but once they did, she saw that this wasn’t Eve Kendrick here to take Frankie away.

It was Jill.

Nicky ran to the living room and greeted Jill at the front door.

“Nicky, hi, how are--”

Nicky threw her arms around Jill and squeezed her tight. “I’m so glad to see you,” she said.

“Me too,” said Jill, hugging her back. “Is everything okay? I thought you’d be asleep.”

Nicky stepped back and allowed Jill to come inside.

“I haven’t really wanted to sleep tonight,” Nicky said.

“I can understand that,” Jill said. Something about Jill’s voice, the cool confidence in the way she spoke—in that moment, Nicky sensed just how much things had changed while she was in Italy. When the mission began, Nicky was the confident one, the experienced agent who could lead this mission, and Jill was just an eager kid from Potomac who wanted to fight the vampires as a way to rebel against her parents.

What a difference a few months had made. Looking in Jill’s eyes, Nicky felt like this was a completely different person than the one she left behind. This Jill solved impossible Ransom clues, hacked into a vampire’s phone, and gave the order to a crowd of volunteers to burn Renata’s mansion to the ground.

“How is everyone?” Jill asked.

“They’re fine. Asleep. Everyone’s…what are you doing right now?”

Jill smiled. “I was hoping to take a shower and go to bed. Why?”

“I need you to take me somewhere.”

“Oh, okay. Right now?”

“It’s just, we’re leaving tomorrow and I’m having a hard time believing the job is actually done.”

“Believe me, Nicky. It’s done. It may not have gone exactly as planned, but I think anyone would tell you this has been one of the most successful missions in the history of the Network.”

“That’s what Helena said. Phillip too. And I’m sure it’s all true. But I don’t feel like it’s done, and I think maybe it’s because I’ve been away and have only heard about all the things that happened. I want to see it.”

“See what?”

“Renata’s mansion. I left with Frankie before you took the place apart.”

“Nicky, there’s no mansion left to see.”

“I know. That’s why I want to go. I thought—it’s hard to explain. I thought Ryan and I were going to die there. And Frankie. That’s where he was being held.  I don’t know how this all started for you, but for me, everything began with Frankie. Gia and I went all over the country to spy on the clan and look for Frankie, and…God, Jill, it just doesn’t feel like it’s over. I’m hoping that if I see what you did to Renata’s mansion, I can let it go.”

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea. We left the mansion more than twelve hours ago. There’s bound to be people there--”

“I know all the places to spy on the mansion without being seen. I’ve done it dozens of times. I’ve staked out the place from every side. Please take me there.”

“If I say no, you’re just going to get in the car and go by yourself, aren’t you?”

“I’d rather I was with you. I want you to tell me what you did while I look at it. I want you to convince me this is really over and it’s okay to leave.”

“You really need this, don’t you?”

Nicky nodded.

“Okay. We’ll circle behind and take a look from Trinity Hills. But we’ll be quick about it. And if it seems like anyone’s following us all bets are off.”

“I know, Jill. Thank you.”

They left the safe house through the back door, got in Jill’s car, and drove away. As they left the neighborhood, Nicky asked, “Where have you been tonight?”

Jill breathed deeply and took her time answering the question.

“Let’s just say I totally get where you’re coming from, Nicky. Like you, I had something I needed to do before I felt like I could leave.”

Sergio landed in DC
shortly after dusk on a frigid December night. He had a limo drive him from the airport to Renata’s mansion.

Or rather, what was left of
it.

It was a strange, almost surreal vision to behold, and Sergio’s first response was to wonder if he had come to the wrong place. Surely this pile of smoldering rubble wasn’t Renata’s house, was it?

He stepped into the mess, kicking aside beams of charred wood and tangles of electrical wire. Not a single room of the main home was left standing. Even the natural break points in the house, like the western wing, which had three walls made of brick, were charred and crushed.

This fire was no accident. There were entirely too many safeguards in Renata’s home for an electrical mishap or bit of unattended cooking to bring the whole place down. Fire extinguishers built into the wall, a sprinkler system that hung over the ballroom, a team of slaves who were trained to sacrifice their own lives before letting something like this happen to their master’s
house.

No, something quite deliberate happened here. The broken pipes in what had once been the kitchen should have been spraying water everywhere, but there wasn’t even a dribble, like someone had shut off the main water valve to the home, ensuring the sprinkler system couldn’t activate. The steel fire doors should have closed automatically to seal off the house, but they lay on their backs with the rest of the debris, like someone pulled them out before the house burned. As he neared the utility room, Sergio found a fire hose on the ground, still curled up in its box. He found fire extinguishers in the remains of the kitchen, the pins still in their handles.

He smelled gasoline.

Someone had set this house ablaze and watched it burn. As he kicked around in the rubble, thinking about who could have done this, Sergio became certain that there was one, and only one culprit for this mess.

Renata had decided to flee. To make certain there was no evidence left behind of her crimes against the clan, she disposed of her slaves and burned down her house.

Yes, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. It was just like Renata to do this.
A dramatic exit, thumbing her nose at the clan as she left.

She disappeared in a puff of smoke
, he thought, remembering the shrill little redhead Renata had been as a human. President of the drama club, captain of the debate team, a young spitfire determined to make her mark on Washington—from the very beginning, Renata Sullivan was headed for a fiery end.

Now she’s fled into the night, destroying anything and everything that might
help us find her.

He pulled a phone from his jacket pocket and called Daciana.

“What did you find?” Daciana asked.

“She’s gone,” said Sergio. “Renata has fled.”

“Interesting. I suppose I should expect her to arrive at Falkon’s mansion soon. I will be sure to give her a proper greeting when I see her.”

“It may be more complicated than we originally thought,” Sergio said. “Before she left, Renata took steps to make sure no evidence of her misdeeds could be recovered.”

“What do you mean?”

“She burned down her mansion. I am standing in front of it now. There is nothing left.”

Silence on the other end. Sergio could sense Daciana seething.

“The betrayal,” she whispered, finally. “I gave her that house! Her betrayal was so complete!”

Sergio pushed aside another beam, kicking up a cloud of dust. It looked to him like there had been no response from the fire department. This house had burned down to ash, and nothing was even remotely wet. There were no sirens or flashing lights anywhere. No people within miles of the scene. Renata’s mansion was removed from town, sitting alone among acres of forest, but it was close enough to Potomac that people would have seen the smoke.

The humans just let it burn.

Sergio rubbed his fingers together, spreading black ash between them.
Such is the life of an immortal
, he thought.
We humor ourselves, thinking we are part of society, but we are not. The humans do what we tell them to do. No one was ordered to put out the fire at an immortal’s mansion, so no one did.

“We will learn the truth in time,” Daciana continued. “Oh
, I do hope I will see her soon!”

“What if she doesn’t come?” Sergio said. “Something drove her to flee. What if she knows you’re alive? How long will you wait? The others in the clan are certain to have questions.”

“We will tell the others I am alive,” Daciana said.

“Are you sure? For all we know, Renata might still have ears in the clan.”

“Then let them listen! Let them know that I am coming for Renata and anyone else who was a part of this. Let them know they have my attention and I will show no mercy!”

“You wish for me to speak with the others? You want me to tell them you are okay?”

“I know you don’t have relationships with many of our brothers and sisters in the clan, Sergio, but yes, I will need you to be my voice until I return.”

“What should I say? To whom should I say it?”

“Start with Laura Heidegger.”

“Oh, okay.”

The name caught him off-guard. Laura Heidegger was the newest member of the clan, having just won Coronation the year before.

“Other than you, I’m not certain who I can trust right now,” said Daciana, “but I know that Laura is innocent. Renata’s betrayal began long before Laura was even in the clan. Start with her. Tell her everything, and ask her to help you spread the word that I am alive and well, and will be coming back soon. Tell her…tell her I want to have a party at my house.”

“A party?”

“I’ve been away for a long time. It would be appropriate for me to make some sort of grand return, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I suppose that’s how these things are done.”

“I want to see everyone at once,” Daciana said. “I want to look all our brothers and sisters in the
eye and judge their loyalty to me.”

Sergio heard something in the surrounding woods. Footsteps.

“I must say goodbye. I fear I am no longer alone.”

He ended the call with Daciana, then stood in place for a second, listening. He heard breathing, and a heartbeat.

“Show yourself,” he said quietly.

Light footsteps
sounded in the surrounding woods, far too quick to be a human.

“Sergio, it’s me,” came a male voice. He had heard this voice before—another member of the clan—someone Sergio had spoken with not that long ago.
The vampire, whoever he was, leapt over a pile of fallen timber and landed ten feet from Sergio, stirring up a pile of soot with his landing.

Now, seeing his face, Sergio remembered. This vampire, who was slight of stature and looked fearful at the moment, was named Mark. He was bonded to Bernadette Paiz.

“What are you doing here?” Sergio said.

Mark had a crazed look in his eyes. Sergio knew that look well. He had seen it on Daciana six times over the centuries. It was the look of a vampire whose bond had broken.

“I…I came to see…Renata and I have unfinished…where is…what is all this?”

Sergio sighed and shook his head. Mark’s arrival was a new wrinkle in an already complicated situation.

“Renata has betrayed the clan,” Sergio said. “It would appear she has fled.”

Mark stood in place, staring into the distance. He was making Sergio nervous.

“Yes, that’s right…betrayed the clan,” Mark said. “That’s why I’m here. Renata is a traitor.”

“You knew of Renata’s betrayal?” Sergio asked.

Mark turned to him with a look of panic in his eyes.

“It wasn’t us, Sergio! We were innocent. She was trying to help.”

“Who? What are you talking about?”

“Bernadette,” Mark moaned. “Oh my God, Bernadette! My sweet, sweet Bernadette!” He fell to his knees, kicking up a cloud of ash. “She was only trying to help, Sergio. All this time, Bernadette swore that Renata was up to no good. And she was right!”

“What are you saying to me? What’s happened to Bernadette?”

“They killed her, Sergio,” Mark whimpered. His voice was shaking. He was going to cry. “I came here tonight for answers. But we’re too late, aren’t we? Renata’s gotten away, hasn’t she?”

“Slow down,” Sergio said. “Who killed Bernadette?”

“Renata!” Mark shrieked. “It has to be Renata! The humans couldn’t have done it on their own, could they?”

“What humans?” Sergio asked.

Ignoring him, Mark swept a nearby beam aside with his arm, causing a cascade of falling debris all around.

“I will kill them!” he shrieked. “I will find them and kill them all!”

“Who? Who are you talking about?”