Blood Eternal (26 page)
“And how many vampires of any description did you meet prior to this last year?” Lazar inquired.
“None,” Elizabeth admitted.
“Then I really don’t think your experience qualifies you to lecture the rest of us on vampire behavior.”
Elizabeth flushed. She lifted her chin. “On the contrary, my experience is fresh and untainted by personal tragedy. Most of you became hunters through some vampire attack, either suffered or witnessed. Your experience dictates that you regard all vampires alike—bestial killers who must be exterminated. I can’t deny—and don’t want to!—that there are many like that. But all?” She swung around to Mihaela, and beyond her István and Konrad. “You’ve met Saloman. Is he like other vampires?”
“No,” said Mihaela, definitely enough, even though it wasn’t necessarily a compliment.
Elizabeth pursued her point. “What about Dmitriu? The first time you mentioned him to me, you said he wasn’t a bad fellow, despite being a vampire.”
“Yes, but you can’t say he didn’t turn out to be treacherous!” said Konrad.
“Yes, I can,” Elizabeth disputed at once. “He displayed loyalty to his friend and creator, whom he never has deserted. Your only issue with him is that he didn’t put loyalty to us first. Why should he? He knew Saloman for five centuries, you for what? Two or three years?”
She found she was talking more to her friends than their superiors, but instead of switching her attention, she just carried on, after a quick glance at the latter to make sure they were listening. “The trouble with hunters is they’re too focused to be impartial, too much on the front line to see things from the so-called enemy’s point of view. Look again at Saloman’s creations, Dmitriu and Maximilian. Look at his closest associates across the world and I think you’ll find more than the mindless killers you expect. As for Saloman himself, he could be humanity’s greatest asset.”
“Oh, too far, Elizabeth,” Konrad said, actually bouncing to his feet in his agitation to glower at her. “You’re
obsessed
—”
obsessed
—”
He broke off abruptly, most probably because Mihaela had aimed a kick at his ankle. Elizabeth bit back her retort, and the words seemed to dissolve in her dry mouth, leaving her witless. Stupidly, this had never entered her head—that the hunters would cover for her. It wasn’t just herself she was embroiling in this conflict of interest; it was her friends too.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck . . .
Lazar said, “What exactly
is
your relationship with Saloman?”
is
your relationship with Saloman?”
I love him.
The words stuck in her throat, because it wasn’t any of Lazar’s business. She refused to allow her relationship to be analyzed and picked over by strangers. Fortunately, it appeared to be a rhetorical question. Or perhaps Lazar too was scared by the possibilities of her answer.
The words stuck in her throat, because it wasn’t any of Lazar’s business. She refused to allow her relationship to be analyzed and picked over by strangers. Fortunately, it appeared to be a rhetorical question. Or perhaps Lazar too was scared by the possibilities of her answer.
“Because it seems to me,” he said sternly, “that it lacks any sort of common sense or discipline. And I think that’s the problem. Circumstances have flung you into the vampire world without proper training or basic defenses. I know you did a little emergency physical training with us last year, but that really isn’t enough to deal with what you’re facing now. Relaxing your guard, relaxing the rules, is dangerous. That’s when people die, and it seems to me this whole team is being contaminated by your laxness.”
Lazar lifted his hand when all three hunters began to talk at once, and shushed them. “I know. I know this has all stemmed from the best of intentions, and a devotion to duty none of us here could deny. But you’re putting yourselves in acute danger now, and that we can’t allow. So,” he said, gazing from face to face, “here’s what I propose.”
Running me out of town? Forbidding me the premises? Denying me any rights to friendship or information?
“Join us,” said Lazar.
Elizabeth blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“Join the network in an official capacity. Train as a hunter. As you go through the process and discover your strengths and weaknesses, we can decide among us where you would best fit in, as a special adviser to various teams or a permanent part of one team. Your undoubted value would then be properly harnessed and protected by our code of conduct; you’d stand a better chance of survival. To say nothing of the survival of your friends, who are also at risk through this laxness. I don’t think you’ll have any quarrel with our pay, conditions, or pensions.”
Elizabeth felt as if she were picking her jaw up off the floor. It seemed to take an awful lot of time and effort. After everything that had just been said in the way of criticism, disapproval, and distrust, he really was recruiting her. “Are you serious?” she managed.
“Deadly serious.”
“How did you get here?” Saloman asked in tones of vague amusement as Dmitriu bolted into the house and slammed the door on the sun.
“By means of a taxi and a thick tarpaulin,” Dmitriu replied, throwing the latter carelessly on the floor of Saloman’s uncluttered hall. Saloman stood at the top of the first flight of stairs, wearing only a pair of dark linen trousers that he hadn’t troubled to fasten.
“How very enterprising of you,” he murmured as Dmitriu strode the length of the hall and began to climb the stairs. “Er . . . did you want something?”
“Just news,” Dmitriu replied. Pausing, he sniffed the air. “Is
she
here? The Awakener?”
she
here? The Awakener?”
“Her name is Elizabeth,” Saloman said mildly, “and no, she isn’t. She’s communing with the hunters.”
Dmitriu glanced at him as he passed into the drawing room. “Isn’t that rather an unholy alliance for Saloman’s mistress?”
“That rather depends on what she does with it. News of what?”
Dmitriu felt the steady gaze on the back of his neck as he looked around the drawing room. Saloman’s computer was open on one of the tables, surrounded by a clutter of papers. Dealing in the human world, Dmitriu thought, with a familiar mingling of bafflement, admiration, and distaste.
“Luk,” he said, turning to face Saloman. “Have you found him?”
“No. I doubt I’ll be able to before he breaks cover again. I couldn’t in Istanbul.”
Dmitriu frowned, dropping into the nearest chair, which was almost ridiculously comfortable. “That leaves us no time to prepare for the fight. I don’t like these odds.”
Saloman shrugged. “I might be able to get to him through Dante, but so far Luk has him covered as well.”
Dmitriu studied his face, looking in vain for traces of anxiety. “Are you worried?” he asked at last.
Saloman strolled over to the polished grand piano. “About what?”
“Luk! Can you kill him?”
Saloman sat on the stool and sounded a random note with one finger. “I killed him before.”
“This time he has allies, and he’ll use them. When he strikes, if you’re alone, Saloman—”
“I’m assuming I can call quickly for support.”
“Here, in Budapest, you’ll get it,” Dmitriu acknowledged. “But perhaps not quickly enough. Will the Awakener fight for you?”
Something almost like a smile crossed Saloman’s face and disappeared. “Elizabeth. Yes, she would fight for me. But I’d rather she didn’t. Not against Luk at full strength.”
“Is he?” Dmitriu pounced. “At full strength? Aside from the fact that he hasn’t yet taken the life of his Awakener.”
“No. He ran from us too fast last night. He isn’t ready yet, and he’s sane enough to know it.”
“Then when he
is
ready, he’ll strike quickly, hoping to catch you alone and unprepared. You should consider gathering bodyguards.”
is
ready, he’ll strike quickly, hoping to catch you alone and unprepared. You should consider gathering bodyguards.”
Saloman spread both hands on the piano keys and began to play. “Luk would simply blow them through the wall. Besides, I will not move about the city like a despot frightened of assassination.”
The music was familiar to Dmitriu, and beautifully played. Chopin. He’d almost forgotten this talent of Saloman’s.
Dmitriu stood up. “I will come and live here. Bring in another few vampires—strong ones who are your friends. No one will suspect you of fear if you’re simply with friends.”
“I do not want other vampires here. I’m not afraid of Luk.” He spoke tranquilly; his face was serene as he continued to play. But it was too late. His fingers had stumbled on one of the notes, telling Dmitriu all he needed to know.
Saloman wasn’t afraid of Luk. Not physically. He’d face anything the world threw at him, with joy in the fight. But he did fear all the emotional baggage that came with Luk.
Without a word, Dmitriu got up and left the room.
“Good-bye, Dmitriu.” Saloman’s voice followed him down the staircase.
“I’m not leaving,” Dmitriu said grimly.
Instead, he walked through the kitchen to the basement staircase and jumped down into the cool, damp darkness of the cellar. Here there were no distractions and he could think.
He tried quite hard to talk himself out of it. He remembered his own anger and Saloman’s pain and suffering in every detail. And yet what lingered with most strength was the vision of a solitary vampire stepping out of the misty darkness that surrounded the ruins of a Scottish church, sword raised in defense of the maker he’d betrayed.
Dmitriu sighed. “Please, no,” he begged of no one in particular. But it was a question of Saloman’s tolerance. Saloman’s survival. It was time.
Maximilian. Maximilian, you bastard, speak to me.
The message went through clearly, and yet there was no immediate response. Unless you counted the stunned astonishment that seemed to bounce back to him.
Dmitriu?
Get over it.
There was another pause. Then:
What do you want?
What do you want?
Shift your despicable arse to Budapest.
I don’t leave Scotland,
Maximilian said distantly, as if that settled the matter.
Maximilian said distantly, as if that settled the matter.
Yes, you fucking do.
Silence greeted him. For a moment, rare rage swamped Dmitriu, before he realized Maximilian hadn’t actually gone. He had nothing to say, but his path was open.
Max, he needs you.
Even when they’d escaped the building and found a table outside their favorite café, it seemed that no one wanted to be the first to speak. Elizabeth glanced up from her coffee and watched the hunters gaze thoughtfully into their own steaming cups.
Konrad, continuously and rhythmically stirring, suddenly dropped his teaspoon. “All right. What do you think, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth sighed. “I don’t know. To be honest, I turned up half expecting him to make this suggestion. I’d nearly decided to refuse, and then when he started bringing up everything I’ve done wrong, I thought I was mistaken and he was going to ban me from the premises instead. You could have knocked me down with a feather when he offered me a place.”
“Then you’ll still refuse?”
Still. Elizabeth smiled faintly. “You asked me before.”
“You turned us down,” Konrad recalled.
“That was before the battle with Saloman. I just wanted it to be over. I wanted nothing more than to be free of all of that.” She waved her cup around the table. “Not you guys, obviously, but everything else. Vampires, killing, emotional turmoil. I wanted it all to go away so that I could crawl back into academia and be safe.”
“But you don’t really want that,” Mihaela said shrewdly. “You grab each crisis with us as if it’s a lifeline.”
Elizabeth’s smile turned lopsided. “Do I? Probably. Things changed after the battle in St. Andrews.”
“Because you realized you were good at it?” Konrad hazarded.
“No . . . not really.” She set down her cup and met his gaze. “I discovered I couldn’t kill Saloman.”
“Not on your own,” Konrad agreed.
“No, I
could
, in theory, kill him on my own. Because I’m the Awakener. My body could do it. The rest of me just wouldn’t.” She’d never told them this before. Yet despite the discomfort that wouldn’t allow her to be still in her seat, she knew it was time. “I held the stake; I could feel the power in me and
knew
I could do it. But I dropped the stake. Deliberately.”
could
, in theory, kill him on my own. Because I’m the Awakener. My body could do it. The rest of me just wouldn’t.” She’d never told them this before. Yet despite the discomfort that wouldn’t allow her to be still in her seat, she knew it was time. “I held the stake; I could feel the power in me and
knew
I could do it. But I dropped the stake. Deliberately.”
She turned to face Mihaela. “It was like a veil falling away from my mind. I knew it didn’t matter what he’d done or what he would do; it didn’t matter how much I hated myself or tried to fight it. I couldn’t run away and I couldn’t change it.”
Mihaela’s dark eyes were wide, almost frightened. “Change what?” she asked huskily.
“That I loved him. I had since the night he kidnapped me from the Angel. Or maybe before. I don’t know, and it doesn’t really matter. Because I still can’t change it. And now I don’t want to.”
It couldn’t have been much of a surprise to any of them, and yet the sudden wave of almost physical pain that emanated from Mihaela nearly knocked her off her chair. She felt it like a blow, yet the pain was undoubtedly the other woman’s.
“Mihaela,” she whispered, seizing her friend’s hand and squeezing it. “I’m not
dead
.”
dead
.”
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