To Curse the Darkness (10 page)

Unable to come up with a single reason, Conrad shrugged. “I just don't see that it's necessary, that's all.”

“Please.” Julie squeezed his arm a little more and Conrad's determination wavered. It had always pleased him to indulge his loved ones. Their happiness and safety was his first concern. And, after all, where was the harm?

Reluctantly, he climbed to his feet. “Very well. Fifteen minutes,” he cautioned as he brushed aside the last of his concerns. “No longer.”

“Thank you.” Julie beamed at him. “That will be perfect.”

“And I'll only be in the next room. I won't go any farther than that.”

“Absolutely. I wouldn't dream of asking you to.”

“Unbelievable,” Georgia muttered frowning at them both. “If I had not seen it with my own eyes…”

Conrad hesitated. The surprised expression on Georgia's face was…troubling. “Perhaps I should stay.”

“No,” Julie replied quickly. “That won't be necessary. Go on now. We'll be fine.”

“Of course you will,” Conrad agreed as he turned to the door. But the need to reassure her, or himself, perhaps, proved too strong. He stopped again with his hand on the knob. “And I'll be right here in the next room. Call me if…if you need anything.”

“I will,” Julie promised, even as Georgia rolled her eyes at the ceiling.

Chapter Six

“I can't imagine what you hope to accomplish with this tête-à-tête,” Georgia said, once she and Julie were alone in her bedchamber. Her gaze, as it raked over Julie, seemed vaguely hostile. “You're something of a miracle, you know. You should be dead several times over. In fact I'm surprised that Conrad didn't… Well. Never mind. I'm sure he had his reasons. But are you
certain
you're not sick? Because, truly, strange as it may sound to you, coming from someone who lately tried to kill you, if you're truly what Conrad says you are, I would hate to think that I was the death of you.”

“I'm not sick,” Julie assured her as she reseated herself by Georgia's bed. “At least…I haven't seen the proof myself, but Conrad says I'm not, and I don't believe that's just wishful thinking on his part. But, then again, what do I know? I don't know very much about anything, really. I know very little about myself, or about this illness…”

“That shouldn't trouble you,” Georgia replied, not unkindly. “Nobody knows very much about your kind. You're hardly alone in that. As for this illness, what would you like to know about it? I, unfortunately, know far more about that subject than anyone ever should. I assume you have questions?”

“Yes. You said you knew my mother?”

Georgia sighed. “That was not what I meant, but very well. Yes, I knew her. But that was many years ago, and I fear there's precious little I can tell you. We didn't like each other much, if you must know. I thought her a very silly young woman. Heaven only knows what she thought of me.”

“Oh. Is that all?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that's…disappointing.”

“I don't doubt it.” Georgia looked her over thoughtfully, then shook her head. “I know I've said it before, but you seem like a sensible girl. I do hope you won't attempt to apologize for not trying to save me. I quite understand why you would not want to do so.”

Julie looked at her in surprise. “Why wouldn't I want to? I don't know what the plan is yet—I guess I'll have to talk to Christian about that—but, whatever it is, he seems to think it will work.”

“Yes, well…Christian is a dear, but one thing you should have realized about him by now is that he's quite, quite desperate to save me. And desperate people…”

“Do desperate things?”

“Exactly.”

“Yeah. I've heard that. The truth is I haven't made up my mind what I'm going to do yet. But you should know that if I
do
choose to save you, it won't be for your sake or for Christian's. I'll be doing it for Conrad, and…and a little bit for myself as well.”

“I don't understand. What, precisely, do you hope to get out of it? Loyalty? Devotion? You should know by now that all my allegiance belongs to Conrad. Even if you saved my life, it would change nothing. I cannot act counter to his wishes.”

“Really?” Julie gazed skeptically at her. “Isn't that exactly what you've been doing for years? Or are you pretending that he wanted you to lie to him all this time?”

“We are not automatons,” Georgia replied stiffly. “If that's what you're suggesting. We are free to make some choices. But if my sire gives me a direct order, I must obey it. So if your goal is to arrange a coup of some sort, I must advise against it.”

“A coup?” Julie felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “Against Conrad? Why would I do that?”

Georgia shrugged. “For the same reasons it's always been done, I imagine. Greed, perhaps? Or the desire for power?”

“No! That's not— You've got it all wrong. All I meant is that I keep hearing things like what you said—about how I'm such a miracle and all that stuff. It's kind of a new idea. I mean, it's never felt like that to me. It was just my life, you know? I didn't realize it was special. But, now that I do…”

“Yes?”

“Well, if my mother really did die just to bring me and my brother into the world, and if Conrad and Damian gave up as much as it seems like they did to raise us and protect us…how could I not do this?”

“I'm not sure I follow you. Do what exactly?”

“If I can do things to help people, because of who I am—or what I am, I suppose—then it feels wrong not to do it. I can't just…just hide and pretend anymore. I'm
Infragilis
. I don't really know what that means. And, like you said, it doesn't sound like
anyone
knows what that means. So maybe it's up to me to decide for myself what it means, and to make it count in some fashion.”

“My, my, how very altruistic you've turned out to be. You're just one surprise after another, aren't you?”

Julie shrugged. “Don't get me wrong. I don't plan on throwing my life away either—that's why I haven't made up my mind yet. There may be a risk, and I have to think about that. It also sounds like it could be painful, and I don't like pain. But I've talked to Conrad about you. I know why
he
needs this, why it's so important to
him
that you live. That's the real reason I'm considering it. But now I want to hear it from you. Tell me why I should want to save you.”

Georgia raised her eyebrows and stared at her. “You
shouldn't
save me. I already told you that, and I'm sure Conrad told you as well. I've been living on borrowed time for centuries.”

“I know. I get it. Tell me anyway.”

“You realize, I hope, that if our roles were reversed, I would
not
be doing the same for you?”

Julie nodded. “Yeah, I get that too. Stop stalling.”

“You dare speak to me like that? Do you even know who I am?”

“Yes, actually, I do. Like I said, I talked to Conrad last night. He told me…a lot of stuff.”

“Well, if you know anything about me at all, you should know that I am not in the habit of begging, or of taking orders from anyone other than my sire. What makes you think I'll even tell you the truth?”

“Doesn't matter. I'll know if you're lying.”

“Are you sure about that? I was considered quite a good actress at one time.”

“I'm sure you were. But, like I said, it doesn't matter.”

“Really? And why, pray tell, is that?”

Julie sighed. “Okay, here's the thing. I know I said I don't know a whole lot about all these supposed abilities I have…or that I might have, at some point. But there are
some
things I have managed to figure out on my own. This is one of them.” She laid a hand on Georgia's arm and allowed her senses to expand, feathering their way into Georgia's mind.

Georgia's eyes grew wide. She struggled to pull her arm away, but Julie tightened her hold. “Uh-uh. Not happening. I gave you the chance to do this the easy way, but you didn't take it. Neither of us is going anywhere until you've told me everything I want to know.”

* * * * *

“Well? What did she say?” Christian asked, hurrying into Georgia's room shortly after Julie left. “Do you think she'll do it? Is she going to help save us?”

“I don't know,” Georgia replied. “It's a possibility, I suppose. She's thinking about it. But she made me no promises as of yet.”

“Well, whatever were you two talking about then? And…darling, are you quite all right? You're looking terribly pale.”

“I don't know,” Georgia repeated. She was still shaken by her encounter. “I don't know how I am or…or what to think, at this point. I just can't help but wonder if Conrad has any idea at all what he's unleashed on the world.”

Chapter Seven

Elise sucked in a quick breath as Marc stalked toward the bed. Instinctively, she tried to pull away, but the handcuff made that impossible. “Wh-what are you doing?” she asked, silently cursing herself for the quaver in her voice. Appearing weak was generally a mistake. If past experience had taught her anything at all, it was that nothing brought out the ugly in a man faster than a show of fear. Just because Marc hadn't shown his ugly side yet didn't mean it wasn't there, waiting to come out.

“I'm giving you what you want,” Marc said, smiling faintly as he came to sit beside her.

Elise felt her stomach turn over. On the other hand, maybe the wait was over and Mr. Ugly had finally emerged. “What is it you think I want?”

Marc's eyebrows rose. He gestured at the bedpost—and for the first time Elise's eyes registered the small key in his hand. “Well, for starters, I assumed you'd want out of that cuff.”

Almost faint with relief, Elise took a deep breath and smiled. “Thank you. That would be lovely.”

He eyed her curiously. “What did you think I meant?”

Elise shrugged. “It doesn't matter, does it? Obviously, I had no idea. If I knew what you'd meant, I wouldn't have needed to ask.”

Marc stared at her for a moment longer, as though hoping she'd say more. When she didn't, he said, “Can I ask for a favor? Will you please not try and run as soon as I set you free? I promise I don't want to hurt you. All I want is to keep you safe.”

He looked sincere, but that meant nothing at all. Elise had known enough actors and sociopaths over the years not to trust in appearances. “Would I get very far if I did run?”

Once again, a hint of a smile curled Marc's lip. “Not very far, no. At least not until you've heard me out.”

“Then no, I wouldn't bother trying.”

“Thank you,” Marc said as he reached over to unlock the cuff.

Once she was free, Elise rubbed at her wrist, doing her best to ignore the small voice in her head that was urging her to forget her promise to Marc and run anyway. But where was the sense in that? It was worse than futile in that she'd surely end up back in chains again. And winning his trust a second time would not be easy. “I'll hear you out, Marc, but it's not going to change anything. I don't need you to keep me safe. I was doing just fine on my own.”

“Well, clearly you weren't,” Marc said as he slipped an arm around her shoulders.

The casual gesture startled Elise because, as she quickly realized, it wasn't that Marc had moved closer. Rather it was she who'd moved. She'd somehow managed to plaster herself against him without even noticing. “Why do you say that?”

“I found you, didn't I? And if I can do it, so can someone else. Who knows what might have happened to you if I hadn't gotten to you first.”

“Are you trying to scare me?”

“No, I'm trying to get you to see sense.”

“Here's some sense for you,” Elise replied angrily, feeling more annoyed with herself than with him. “Probably nothing would have happened.” So much for running! She couldn't even make herself move away from him—not even when his arrogance was pissing her off. It was almost shocking how much she enjoyed Marc's proximity. At this rate, if she wasn't careful, she'd soon be curled shamelessly around him, purring like a cat. “Who else do you think is going to come looking for me? Audrey's in the wind by now, and I'm just not that important to anyone else.”

“You're important to
me
.”

“Yes, but you're the only one. No one else would go to the trouble of tracking me down. No one else would insist on finding me even when I clearly did not wish to be found.”

“Trust me, it wasn't that much trouble.” Marc sighed. “But I guess I was right all along. It was
me
you were running from.”

“I wouldn't put it like that. I was simply extricating myself from a bad situation.”

“And I was part of that ‘bad situation'?”

“Yes, Marc. In a way, you were. You're dangerously ignorant at times. You put yourself in jeopardy—needlessly, for the most part. And you do the same to those around you. If you really believe someone else is after me, why shine a spotlight on me by coming here? If you really want me safe, the best thing you could do is stay away.”

Elise stopped, struck suddenly by how little she wanted that. She'd missed him these past few months. She hadn't even realized how much she'd missed him, and now…the thought of being without him again was almost painful.

Painful or not, however, he needed to leave. She was a realist—she'd had to be to survive. She knew she'd be better off without him. His leaving was the simplest, safest solution for both of them. But she hated it just the same.

She felt so secure in Marc's embrace that she was tempted to turn her back on the fact. To stay where she was, or to beg him not to go. Or maybe even to beg him to take her with him. As if that weren't as bad an idea as any she'd ever had!

“You're wrong,” Marc said, sounding solid and sure.

Elise eyed him curiously. “About what?”

“About me. I've learned a lot in the last few months. I'm not that ignorant anymore. I'm not that careless. And I take care of my own. Like it or not, that includes you. That's why I'm here. It's why I want to take you home with me. I can offer you much better security than anything you'll be able to manage on your own, especially with your limited funds. I have a…a virtual army of people, all of whom will consider it an honor to help ensure your safety.”

“Home?” She glared angrily at him. “Now I
know
you haven't listened to a word I've said. How many times must I repeat it, Marc? I am not welcome in your home. Your sire has banned those of my House from ever stepping foot again in his demesne. It matters not how vast your supposed army is, nor how secure your home. Unless Quintano has revoked his previous orders, you might as well kill me now rather than attempt to take me back there. I'll be dead the moment you drag me across the threshold.”

“What?” Marc stared at her in alarm. “No. You've got it all wrong. I'm not talking about Conrad's house; I rarely go there myself anymore. I have my own place now, and my own family. And you're very much welcome there.”

“Your own family? What does that even mean? Your family is Quintano's family, isn't it? That means they'll obey his orders over yours any day. For that matter, were he to order
you
to kill me, you'd likely obey as well. I'm under no illusions in that respect. I've seen it happen before.”

Marc ground his teeth. “Well, it's not gonna happen this time around. You need to stop talking nonsense. Conrad is not going to order
anyone
to kill you. I don't know how things were handled at your House, but that's not how Conrad does things, got it?”

“Oh, sugar. I know you want to believe that, but—”

“But nothing,” Marc snapped, pulling away to scowl at her. “Listen to me, damn it. I know Conrad a lot better than you do. He would never hurt you, no matter what he might have said in the past, because he knows how much you mean to me. The second thing you need to get through your head is this: when I said ‘my own family', I meant just that. My family. Not Conrad's, mine. Yes, it was Conrad who bought the warehouse where Audrey's lab was located, and yes, I'm living there with his blessings, but it's my own place. He's turned everything over to me because, frankly, I don't think he wants anything more to do with it. I've created a home there for myself and the ferals. I promise you'll be safe with us.”

“You moved out of a mansion and into a…into a warehouse to live with feral vampires? Why?”

“Because they—one of them—helped save my life. When he asked for my help, I couldn't say no. I asked Conrad to take them on as part of his family. That was what Audrey had promised them to get them to work for her. Apparently it was the one thing they really wanted, and I figured it was the least we could do to help them out. But Conrad said no. He said it wasn't possible. I suppose you agree with him?”

“Yes, of course,” Elise replied automatically. “The whole idea is ludicrous, Marc. You must know this.”

“What I know is that you're both wrong. I proved it to Conrad, and if you come home with me, I'll prove it to you as well.”

“I still don't understand. Did you say this was Audrey's warehouse?”

“Yeah, the one she was working out of. Didn't you know?”

Elise shook her head, feeling more and more at sea. “Why would she need a warehouse?”

“Beats me. I guess it was just a convenient space. Cheap. Out of the way. No one around to hear you scream if she happened to decide to rip your eyeball out. It's where she held me captive, in case you were wondering. Apparently she was running some kind of lab out of it as well.”

“Was she manufacturing drugs or something?” It made sense, in a weird way. Elise had long wondered how Audrey came by all the money she had.

Marc shrugged. “I suppose it's possible. But mostly she was running experiments. I think she was using the ferals for a lot of them. Conrad believes she was trying to create more
Invitus
.”

“Oh lordy.” Elise sighed. “She was always obsessed with science, but that's just…insane.”

“Yeah. Tell me about it.”

Things were even worse than she'd feared. First Vincent, now Audrey—clearly the abuse they'd been made to suffer over the years had driven them both insane. Which was another warning for her. She did not want to run afoul of any of her more abusive former nest-mates either. Of course, it might already be too late for that—depending upon how subtle Marc had been in his quest for information about her. If any of her people had concluded she'd turned traitor, her life was already forfeit, which meant that, one way or another, she couldn't stay here any longer.

Maybe she should take Marc up on his offer. If she'd already been found guilty in the court of popular opinion, it was probably better to be safe in the enemy's camp. The alternative, trying to proclaim her innocence by staying here and attempting to stand her ground, was likely doomed to failure. “But ferals are insane too, Marc—which Quintano should certainly know. What game is he playing, leaving you at their mercy? He can't possibly believe you can trust them? It must be a trick. Do you think he could be trying to teach you a lesson, letting you get hurt, so you'll see the error of your ways?”

“No,” Marc insisted. “I keep telling you, that's not how he is. And the ferals are
not
insane—not anymore. They're doing so much better now that they have a family again. I think that was all they really needed. I can't wait for you to meet them, to see for yourself that I'm telling the truth.”

Elise dropped her gaze. “That's just… I'm sorry, Marc, but that's just not how it works. Ferals don't get better.” Wouldn't it be nice if they did though? That way, even if her nest never came together again, if she was doomed to become feral herself, maybe she'd still have a hope for the future.

“Yes, it is how it works. The ferals look to me as their sire now. I hope that, someday, you might come to do the same.”

“I don't see how that's possible.”

He lifted her chin on the edge of his hand, waiting until she'd met his gaze before he said, “Don't you? Are you really as indifferent to this thing between us as you want me to believe? Am I truly the only one of us who feels this way?”

Elise frowned in confusion. “What way?”

Instead of answering, Marc lowered his mouth to hers. The minute their lips touched, Elise knew exactly what he'd been talking about. Family. Home. Safety. She was struck by a sense of rightness, a feeling of belonging she never thought she'd know again. She clung to him as he pulled away, not ready for it to end so soon.

Satisfaction gleamed in Marc's eyes. “What I have with the ferals is not that complicated. We're a family, Elise. It's as simple as that. I'd trust any one of them with my life, just like they trust me with theirs. I'd like to have that same kind of relationship with you.”

“Marc…”

“It's okay if you don't believe me yet, or if you don't feel the same way about us, because I know you feel something. And I'm willing to wait for the rest. All I ask right now is that you keep an open mind, that you come and see for yourself what I'm talking about, that you give me a chance to prove myself to you. C'mon, what do you have to lose?”

He had a point, she supposed, although she was still so shaken by that kiss she wasn't certain her own instincts were anything she should be trusting in right now. On the other hand, she was so tired of running. True, it had only been a handful of months, and what was that? It was nothing, that's what. She should be tougher than this. She had been tougher—once upon a time. But even a few months of never having enough money or food, of constantly looking over one's shoulder, was wearing on a person. And he was offering her a reprieve from that. Depending upon what strings were attached to it, maybe it paid to take him up on his offer, if only for a little while.

“There are a couple of things I need you to agree to first,” she insisted.

“I'm listening.”

“I won't betray Audrey to you.” She held up a hand when he looked like he was about to object. “Just listen for a minute. I know you were hoping I'd lead you to her, but I've already told you everything I know about where she is, which is basically nothing. If you ask me questions, I'll answer them. I won't lie to you about what I know. And I think you have reason to trust me on that.”

“How do you figure?”

“I gave you Vincent, didn't I? You asked for information and I told you what I knew. And now, for good or ill, I have to live with the knowledge that I caused his death, that his blood is on my hands.”