Blood Wyne (18 page)
I opened my window and reached out to press the intercom button. After a moment, Sassy herself answered, which was unusual. Janet, Sassy’s lifelong maid and assistant, always manned the intercom.
“Yes? Who is it?” She sounded suspicious, but that could just be me projecting my worries on her.
“Menolly. I need to talk to you, Sassy.”
After what seemed like an age, the gate clicked and slowly swung open. I silently drove through, staring at the lights gleaming out of the huge house set back on two acres. As I approached, I thought I saw a figure running from the house, into the woods, but I could have been mistaken. I jumped out of the car and fished around in the trunk for something I’d hoped I’d never have to use. Cautiously, I slid the stake into my boot.
Sassy answered the door—also usually Janet’s duty. But if Janet was bedridden, then perhaps Sassy hadn’t bothered to find someone to step in for her. I slipped inside, glancing around automatically. The foyer was as tidy as ever . . . well, no. Not quite. There were spots on the floor that looked like dried blood—small ones, drips. And the console table was dusty; the plants looked like they were drooping from lack of water.
I gazed at Sassy. She’d dyed her hair jet black, and a little stream of the dye had stained her temple. That wouldn’t come off—dye a vamp’s skin with permanent hair dye and it stayed that way. Her clothing was still designer but was stained with blood and what looked like lipstick. The smell of unwashed silk and linen rose to envelop her. But most telling were her eyes—the intensity was too bright, too glittering. And her fangs were down. She looked hungry, ready to hunt.
I hadn’t seen her for a couple of months, and now was shocked to see just how far she’d slipped. I could see it in her eyes, in her movements, in the way she licked her lips when she looked at me.
“Where’s Janet?” I motioned for Sassy to follow me into the parlor. She did, no longer graceful in her movements.
My question seemed to bring her back to herself, for a couple of minutes at least. “She’s upstairs,” she said, her eyes blurring with bloody tears. “Follow me.”
I didn’t ask, just followed her up the stairs to the second floor, where she led me into a large bedroom. There, in a cushioned bed under a flowered comforter, rested Janet. Her eyes were wandering, but when she saw me she startled and tried to sit up.
Glancing at Sassy, I mouthed,
The tumor?
The tumor?
Sassy nodded, then, pressing her hand to her mouth, left the room. I turned back to Janet. Inoperable, the brain tumor had been diagnosed six months ago. Erin was right. Time had finally caught up with Janet and was rapidly running out.
Gently, I sat on the side of the bed and took one of Janet’s hands. “Hey, Janet . . . so . . .”
She focused on me, though I could tell it was taking her some work to do so. “Miss Menolly. I’m sorry I couldn’t be downstairs to greet you . . .”
“Hush.” I patted her hand. “Don’t worry about that. Erin told me you were sick.” As I sought for something comforting to say, Janet clutched my fingers.
“Promise me something . . .”
“If I can, of course. What is it?”
She held tight to my hand and in a fevered plea, she begged, “Don’t let her turn me. She’s been in here the past few nights, talking about bringing me over. I don’t want that. I’m an old, sick woman and I’ve lived a good life. I don’t want to become . . .” Her voice trailed off and she winced. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be one of you.”
I let out a small laugh. “Oh, Janet—I didn’t want to be a vampire, either. I don’t think many of us
choose
the life. But yes, I promise you—I won’t let her turn you. You say she’s been talking about it?”
choose
the life. But yes, I promise you—I won’t let her turn you. You say she’s been talking about it?”
“Too much. She always promised me she wouldn’t, but Miss Menolly, Miss Sassy’s not herself. I’m afraid of her now. I don’t want to die in fear.” Janet was weeping, and I noticed one eye dilated larger than the other. The tumor really had caught up to her.
“Did you drink any of her blood?”
“No,” Janet said. “She offered, but I refused.”
“Then you will go to your ancestors unharmed. Rest, now. I’m here to make things better. I can’t save you, Janet, but I’ll save you from becoming one of the undead. And I’ll make sure Sassy’s taken care of. I promised her six months ago that I would. And now . . . I’ve come to fulfill that promise.”
As she slowly let go of my hand, Janet shuddered. “Thank you. You’re one of the good ones, Miss Menolly. You’re one of the rare ones.” And then she let out a long breath, shuddered, and her head fell to the side. I closed her eyes, gently, and examined her for bite marks to make sure Sassy hadn’t already started the process. I was furious when I found numerous punctures—all fresh—on Janet’s chest and wrists, but if she hadn’t drunk Sassy’s blood, she wouldn’t turn into a vampire.
“Poor woman, you were betrayed in the end by the one you cared for all of your life.
Sassy, how could you . . .”
Whispering, I rearranged Janet’s covers and pulled out a couple coins from my pocket, laying them on her eyes, and then kissed her forehead. “For the boatman. Easy journeys, Janet. Go to your ancestors and be at peace.”
Sassy, how could you . . .”
Whispering, I rearranged Janet’s covers and pulled out a couple coins from my pocket, laying them on her eyes, and then kissed her forehead. “For the boatman. Easy journeys, Janet. Go to your ancestors and be at peace.”
As I left the room, I glanced back at Janet’s body one last time. Another reason why I had to complete my promise. Another sign that Sassy Branson had freed her inner predator and was losing all sense of reason. She’d loved Janet, had promised time and again she’d never sire another vampire, and yet Janet bore the scars of Sassy’s fangs. Yet, she had not given in. In the face of death, she’d chosen to sleep. As I headed down the stairs, I steeled myself for the coming battle.
CHAPTER 10
Sassy was waiting for me in the foyer. She gave me a curious look.
“Janet’s dead. She’s with her ancestors now, at peace.”
“Damn you! You let her die without calling me. You didn’t give me a chance.” Sassy let out a snarl.
Struggling to take in the changes that had happened to my friend, I crossed my arms and faced her down. “Janet went quietly, just as she wanted to. Thank the gods—and I never thank them lightly.” Frustrated, I held out my hands. “How could you bite her, after all these years? How
dare
you bite her? She was helpless and couldn’t fight back. You
know
she didn’t want to be a vampire, but
still
you drank her blood. Janet was your best friend, your staunchest ally all through your life, and you betrayed her at the end. You made her afraid of you!”
dare
you bite her? She was helpless and couldn’t fight back. You
know
she didn’t want to be a vampire, but
still
you drank her blood. Janet was your best friend, your staunchest ally all through your life, and you betrayed her at the end. You made her afraid of you!”
A flash and I saw the old Sassy peering at me through the reddened eyes. “Oh, Menolly. Oh my God, what did I do? No, my sweet, poor Janet. Is she . . . I didn’t . . .”
“No, you didn’t force her to drink. But you drank from her when she was at her most vulnerable. Oh, Sassy, you’re slipping. Erin told me about the girl.
What have you become?
” I didn’t have much truck with the gods—they’d never done much for me—but I prayed. To the Moon Mother, to Bast, asking them for the same strength they gave my sisters.
What have you become?
” I didn’t have much truck with the gods—they’d never done much for me—but I prayed. To the Moon Mother, to Bast, asking them for the same strength they gave my sisters.
“I hurt her . . . didn’t I?” Remorse filled the elderly woman’s face and she covered her eyes with her hands, bloody tears streaking down her cheeks onto the Chanel suit. The old Sassy would never have allowed such an expensive faux pas, but this Sassy didn’t even notice.
“You made me promise you something . . . six months ago, you forced me to promise you that I’d stop you from becoming one of the monsters you hate.” I spoke softly, in an attempt not to spook her.
Sassy lowered her hands, staring at me. “I’m not ready. I’m not ready . . . but . . .” Helplessly, she glanced at the stairs, looking up toward Janet’s room. “I hurt my best friend, my oldest friend . . .”
“You’re slipping into your predator, Sassy. Pretty soon you won’t care that you hurt people. It’s not easy to control, and you don’t seem to have the ability to contain or channel the hunger.” I watched her face as it convulsed from remorse to anger.
She slowly began to circle me, studying my face, her expression slipping into an ugly cunning. “Suppose I’ve changed my mind? You took Erin away from me, didn’t you? You don’t want her with me.”
“Not when you’re like this. She doesn’t love you the way you thought. She saw you with that girl.”
“She does too love me!” Sassy blinked. “Why didn’t she join me?” A low hiss escaped her throat. “I wanted her there.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet you did. But it’s not going to happen. Erin isn’t like you, Sassy. She’d rather learn to control her instincts. I thought you could help her, but you’ve lost your way. And I don’t think you can find the path back.”
Sassy tilted her head to the side, eyeing me like an owl might eye its prey. Her fangs were down and her eyes were bloodred. On one level, she looked like my old friend, but when I stood back, distance allowed me to see her as she had become: a traitor to friends, betraying even her beloved Janet.
I knew then it was over. She was ready for a fight and she wasn’t going down easy. I glanced around the room. We were in close quarters. We’d trash the place, but I didn’t have time to quibble. Sassy was strong, but I had Dredge’s blood on my side, and my Fae heritage. Sassy, on the other hand, had the strength of being firmly in her predator.
“Bring it on, Fae-girl. Pretty little girl who has no qualms taking down the bad guys. Well, let me tell you this: Most mortals
are
bad guys. Humans have trashed the planet and each other since the dawn of time, and I was no exception. Have you looked on the Internet lately, Red? Have you seen how much little boys and girls are going for—and not to the vamps. No, but to other humans. Predators, all. Do you know you can buy a twelve-year-old to fuck and beat up in Thailand for five bucks, if that?
Humans
do that, Menolly, not the vampires.”
are
bad guys. Humans have trashed the planet and each other since the dawn of time, and I was no exception. Have you looked on the Internet lately, Red? Have you seen how much little boys and girls are going for—and not to the vamps. No, but to other humans. Predators, all. Do you know you can buy a twelve-year-old to fuck and beat up in Thailand for five bucks, if that?
Humans
do that, Menolly, not the vampires.”
“I know the kind of scum that are out there.” I sidestepped to the left, mirroring her movements as we circled one another. “That doesn’t mean it’s okay to unleash our own predators—not without knowing who our targets are. We are far more powerful than most of the breathers. They can’t fight back against us.”
“Do I really care? I spent so many nights repressing my urges, trying to believe in Wade’s cause. But now . . . it’s so simple. All you have to do is let go, Menolly. All you have to do is give in to the voice inside.
This is what we are: Predators. Violent, vicious, predators.
We are top of the food chain. We could own the world if we wanted to.”
This is what we are: Predators. Violent, vicious, predators.
We are top of the food chain. We could own the world if we wanted to.”
And any glimpse of reason in her face was gone.
To win, I’d have to let go of Sassy as a friend. Of Sassy as the cultured, funny woman I remembered. I let the floodgates open, just a little, and welcomed my hunger. Sassy’s snarl spurred me on, and the image of who she was faded as she loomed large—my opponent, my enemy.
I let her make the first move. As she leaped toward me, I danced to the side and she came down hard, shaking the floor with her impact. I whirled to face her and my feet made contact, knocking her forward as I flipped over her head and came down, rebounding off her back. I landed in a crouch and immediately leaped to my feet and turned.
I’d knocked her back against a china cabinet and winced as delicate cups shattered, jarred by the impact.
Sassy snarled and raced headlong for me, head-butting me before I could duck out of the way. I landed against her sofa with an
oomph
, knocking it over. Somersaulting backward to my feet, I grabbed the nearest chair—an eighteenth-century reproduction—and smashed it over her head, immediately following it up with a lamp off the nearby table.
oomph
, knocking it over. Somersaulting backward to my feet, I grabbed the nearest chair—an eighteenth-century reproduction—and smashed it over her head, immediately following it up with a lamp off the nearby table.
She shook off the broken glass and grabbed the coat rack, aiming it like a spear. Crap, that would make the world’s biggest stake! I jumped out of the way as she sent it sailing through the air toward me. It went skidding into the wall, leaving a crack to slowly filter down the wall.
“I’m stick-a-fork-in-me done with this,” I whispered, pulling out the stake from my boot. Racing for her, headlong, I realized I could run faster than she could, thanks to my Fae background. I skimmed over the furniture, lightly leaping from the back of a chair to a tabletop to the floor as she raced out of the room, fear in her face now.
She headed for the front door and I followed. The minute we were outside, she turned to the right and headed off toward the trees surrounding her house, and I sped up. The violent night was alive as the snow fell silently to the ground, burying it in a shroud of white.
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