Broken Heart 06 Come Hell or High Water (24 page)

"You know about the talisman?" I asked her.

"The hunters explained its purpose, but that they have only half."

"And did they explain about the missing eighth vampire line?"

"We've met Larsa," said Patsy. Her tone held apprehension. "And I've reamed Ruadan a new asshole, but it does us little good. The talisman, Connor?"

Connor remained silent. Frustration etched Patsy's pale face. She turned toward Gabriel, and I knew they were having a telepathic conversation.

"Phoebe." The queen's icy gaze pinned mine. "You are bound to him?"

"Yes."

"Why don't we stop dancing around?" demanded Berith. "You know our purpose. Just give us Connor and be done with it."

"What about Phoebe?" asked Patsy. "Should she spend an eternity in hell because she made a mistake?"

"They tell you they're takin' me to hell?" Connor laughed, and the rich sound rolled right through me. Hearing him laugh or talk was like breathing in chocolate air. Delicious.

Patsy's gaze examined the hunters. "It was my understanding that demons go to hell. You didn't exactly disabuse us of that notion when you asked to go get him."

"
You
sent him to my house?" I looked at Nicor. "They brought Lilith into Broken Heart the minute they used their magic to track Connor." I waved my hand at Connor. "He doesn't live in hell. He's only half demon. And half Ghillie Dhu. And how dare you judge him on his parentage!"

One blond eyebrow rose as Patsy stared at me.

"We must secure the talisman and... dispose of the demon who stole it from us," said Nicor. He sent me an apologetic glance.

"Honey, you're on crack if you think you're taking either him or the talisman outta town," said Patsy.

"Why don't you tell her about Family Durga?" invited Connor. "It's time she knew."

The room went quiet. The tension was so thick, I felt like a wool blanket had been tossed over us. Foreboding trembled in my stomach. I crossed the space and stood next to Connor. Whether or not I decided to use the ring to break our binding, right now we were still mates.

I studied the council, and though they remained stoic, it was apparent that Connor had hit upon a nerve.

"Patsy?" My voice squeaked with tension; I cleared my throat.

The queen sighed. "There's been a resurgence in the Taint. We've actually formulated a viable cure, thanks to Brady giving us some of his ubertechnology. Doesn't much matter for the new cases, though, because they're some kind of mutated strain."

"I know," I said. "I also know the cause of the Taint is demon poison."

Patsy looked surprised. Then she shared a glance with Patrick. "And you know this how?"

"Connor told me. And I believe him." Horror wormed through me. "Are you saying there's been an outbreak in Broken Heart?"

"The Taint hasn't breached our borders," Patsy assured me. "But the new virus affects only vampires from the Family Durga."

Whoa.

"The Family Durga is not particularly numerous," explained Patrick in his soft Irish voice.

"The only sect with smaller numbers is the Family Amahte. Most of the time, only one in ten humans survive a Turning. In the case of Family Durga, the odds are even less. Men have a better chance of making the transition, which is why there are also so few females."

"I didn't know." It was bad enough that I'd been killed and made into a vampire. Now I was being told that the chances of my transition had been almost nil. "How bad is the situation?"

No one spoke, not even Connor. He looked at me with concern. The silence stretched on until Connor ended it.

He turned toward me. His chains rattled. "The first cases started 'bout three months ago. The disease's been aggressive - working faster than any previous cases. Family Durga's bein' decimated. An' what happens to the vampire happens to his mate."

Dread bloomed in my stomach. Even if the mates of the Family Durga vampires didn't get the disease, they'd still experience the slow slide into insanity or inevitable death.

"What does that have to do with you?" I asked Connor.

"It has to do with you," said Patsy. "There are maybe a couple hundred Family Durga vampires left. And of those... well..."

The look in her eyes terrified me. It was the look a doctor gave his patient before announcing a terminal illness, or a vet gave a pet owner when the only option was to put her beloved dog to sleep. For a moment, I didn't want to know. I was bound to a demon through my own stupidity. I had jeopardized my son because I'd acted like a hormonal teen. I soooo didn't want to hear more bad news.

When Patsy kept staring at me, and the council looked away, and not even the hunters could meet my gaze, I found myself looking to Connor.

"The Family Durga is dyin' out," he said softly. "And, lass... you're the only female left."

"Which makes what you did all the more reprehensible," said Patsy. She slapped her palm against the black marble table; given her strength, the fact that it only quivered was testament to its solidness.

"And what pretty adjective do you use to describe your own deceptions?" asked Connor. He laughed bitterly. "I'm a demon, Your Highness. What's your excuse?"

Patsy looked like she wanted to fry him with her laser eyes. She didn't really have laser eyes, but she had seven other powers that couldn't necessarily kill him... Maiming was a different issue.

"Wait." I wanted to sit down, take a breath (figuratively), and process what I'd just been told. The last female vampire in the Family Durga? Holy shit. Instead, I commanded my legs to stop trembling and gave myself the suck-it-up-princess speech. I wouldn't show weakness now, no matter how much I wanted to crumble.

"Is that why you mated with me?" I asked Connor. "Because I was the last female of the Family Durga?"

"One of the reasons," he admitted. "I need you, lass." He gaze flicked around the room. "We all do."

Oh. Well, that cleared things right up.

"The prophecy?" I asked wearily. Always the prophecy.

"We got word that the most recent victims included the last-known Family Durga women," said Patsy. "It's no coincidence Connor made his move on you. He knew what we did."

Connor didn't turn away from my gaze. I could see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, the only sign of emotion he allowed.

"And if I'd said no?" I asked. My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. I couldn't cry, thank God; otherwise, I might not be able to hold back tears.

That would've been the end of it, the end of everything.
The words ghosted through my mind, and I stared at Connor.

More was going on here than anyone was telling me. And it seemed as though the council preferred that I stay as much in the dark as possible. At least Connor had answered my questions.

"You need me to activate the talisman." It had been Durga's medallion. All the vampire magic went into it to seal Lilith in hell, but I was the conduit.

That's right, lass.

I may still be mad at you.

O' course.

If I thought the silence and the tension had been bad before, they were nothing compared to now. It was like someone had suddenly filled the entire room with Jell-O. It felt thick and slimy and unbreathable. (If, you know, I breathed.)

"Your Highness." Impatience tinged Nicor's respectful tone. "It is imperative we take over this situation. You do not understand the danger Lilith represents."

"Nicor, no offense, but we've dealt with a few dangerous situations over the years. Trust me when I say we can handle damn near anything."

"I disagree." He stepped forward and his two companions straightened. I had the distinct impression that the three of them would take Connor, and maybe even me, by force.

Patsy must've thought the same thing. "Why don't you go away and let the grown-ups talk?" She pointed at them and they all three disappeared at once.

Wow. Patsy had learned some new tricks - like how to teleport vampires with a freaking thought and a flick of her finger. I wondered if she sent them to the prison, which was located in the basement of her mansion. There hadn't really been a reason to build a new prison, especially since that one was state-of-the-art and parakind-proof.

"Let's stop messing around," said Patsy.

A door opened at the far end of the chamber. It was the goddess Brigid. She looked pale and haggard; even her swirling tattoos, her healing magic, looked dim. She'd probably zapped herself to the compound.

Patsy shot me a sympathetic look. "We're gonna take a break."

"Astria?" I asked with an ache in my voice.

She nodded.

"Connor is her friend, too." I grabbed his manacles and shook them. "Take these off. He's not gonna flee Broken Heart or take anyone to hell. Damn it, he's my mate."

"Remove them, Faustus," said Patsy. "Then take Phoebe and Connor to the hospital."

When we arrived in the hallway outside of Astria's room, Anise, Ren, and Larsa were already there. I noticed none of them had been put into magical manacles, and I resented it.

"I like your town," said Larsa. "Think I'll stay a while."

I smiled. Then I asked Anise, "How did the family reunion go?"

She was crying, and Ren held her close, his own eyes red rimmed. "It's good," she said. "But this..." She gazed at the shut door. "This is not.
Ma fleur
."

"Stay strong," whispered Ren. "For Astria."

They filed in one by one, and I made sure I was the last. Brigid leaned against the wall, her bright green eyes on mine. "I'm sorry," she said. "But nothing I've done helps. Prolonged her life a little."

"If you tell me the gods mean for her to die, I'll scream," I said.

"It's an unfortunate gift to know when you'll die," she said. "I have no words for you, Phoebe."

I tapped the ring. "I have a wish," I said. "Can I wish her to life? Or give her immortality?"

"Wishes are tricky things," she said. "Maybe she gets another two minutes or another two decades, or maybe she turns into petrified wood - which renders her immortal."

I nodded. "Okay. Can you get me Ruadan?"

"Yes." She straightened from the wall and considered me. "What are you thinking, Phoebe?"

"That Astria has to die," I said. "But that doesn't mean she has to stay dead."

She smiled. "I'll get my son."

When I entered the room, everyone else drew away from the bed. It appeared they had said their good-byes. I was glad to see Anise had held up well, though she still leaned on her brother for support.

I walked to Astria. She looked so pale, as though the blood had given up arterial flow. Maybe it had. I read somewhere once that everyone technically died from heart failure... no matter the initial cause of death, the heart stopping was what killed.

And Astria's heart would stop. Her breathing was slow and her eyes glazed over. Soon, she would fall asleep. Snow White ready for her glass coffin.

"I appreciate that you tried," she whispered.

I reached down and took her hand. "The wish would be a problem. But you knew that."

"You must save it," she said.

"Astria, do you want to live?" I asked.