Broken Heart 06 Come Hell or High Water (25 page)

"Yes," she said. "Oh, yes."

"I can Turn you."

"A vampire?" She smiled. "Like you?"

"Yes," I said. "Another will Turn you, Astria. But you would still be mine."

"What is this?" asked Anise. "What do you promise her?"

Ruadan stepped into the room, his silvery gaze going from Astria to me. "You wanted me, Phoebe?"

"Please leave," I said to everyone.

Connor stopped to kiss me. Then he whispered, "You're amazin'. Save our girl now."

Everyone else left, all casting glances at us.

"Please Turn her," I said to Ruadan.

"Never Turned a prophet before," he said.

"And she's under the age of consent."

"You're Ruadan the First," I mocked. "Who will dispute your decisions?"

He grinned. "True. All right, then, Phoebe, my love. I'll Turn her."

Ruadan insisted that I leave. He said the process was complicated and messy, and he'd be able to concentrate better without an audience.

Connor waited for me in the hallway. The others were there, too. "He's Turning her," I said.

"So, she dies as she must," said Anise. "But she comes back!"

"Yep."

She leaned forward and kissed both my cheeks. "
Magnifique
, Phoebe!"

The meeting reconvened in the council chambers, but this time without the hunters, nor with Connor enchained.

Connor admitted that he'd hidden the talisman at Jennifer 's, a place no one could randomly find or get to without an invitation. We agreed to retrieve the gold medallion. And since dawn was approaching, the ceremony would not take place until the next evening.

I wish we could've gotten it done right away, because Lilith was certainly skulking around. We'd disbanded her cult, so it was unlikely she'd be able to create a new portal in time to prevent us from doing the binding spell.

Though she could possibly burst through the veil anyway, since its magic had been weakening.

We arrived at Jennifer's. Both she and Scrymgeour were happy to see us. Connor said he'd sent the dog to his sister 's place before we went to the museum. Good thing, too.

I took a shower and crawled into the big, fluffy bed naked. I was bone-deep weary. I happily collapsed next to Connor and fell asleep.

I had just finished my pint (a la Connor) when my cell phone rang.

"You get cell reception here?" I asked, amazed. Caller ID said it was Damian.

"The hunters and I were outside the Invisi-shield," said Damian without preamble, "checking the weak points and reinforcing the new magic."

"Demonproofing it," I said.

"
Ja.
But someone got inside and... You must come see, Phoebe."

"Is someone watching over Jackson and Danny?" I asked.

"
Ja, Liebling.
See you in a few."

"Lilith's pulled another trick," I said.

"Let's go, then." Connor kissed me, and I realized I'd gotten used to his affection and his support. I knew I could count on him, which startled the hell out of me.

"You have the talisman?"

He patted his pocket and smiled.

We decided to assess the damage in town and figure out the message Lilith was trying to send - other than the obvious, I-can-torment-you-anytime-I-choose memo. I wanted to pick up my weapons, which I'd stowed at my house, too. Lilith was erratic and crazy, although that didn't seem to affect her ability to plot and torture. Something bigger was going on here, and I couldn't help but feel we were just a small part of it.

I had been considering other issues, too, mainly the fact that Jennifer, as a full demon, didn't have the advantages of her half-breed brother. No real conscience or soul. And yet she was trying to be good. She loved Connor, too. I wanted to help her.

Before we left for Broken Heart, I made one last phone call.

Only Damian and Nicor met us at the edge of town. Pith and Berith had been inside when whatever happened... happened. They'd already been inside once, assessing the situation.

"Patsy's house," said Damian.

Nicor took hold of the werewolf, and Connor wrapped his arms around me... then,
pop
.

When we appeared in a darkened room, I lurched sideways. Connor steadied me until the dizziness passed. Damian prowled around the area, his gaze trying to penetrate the gloom. It was rather a thick darkness even for us vampires and werewolves.

A light speared the blackness and we turned toward the source. Nicor. He looked at us, his eyebrows winging upward as he wielded a flashlight.

I think I was getting too used to the paranormal world. A flashlight seemed really mundane.

"Wait," said Connor. "What was that?"

"Why is it so damned cold?" I asked. It was like walking into a freezer.

Nicor's light bounced around, hitting walls with their wolf-inspired art, then the marble fire-place, and one of the formal couches. We were definitely in the main living room of the Silverstone mansion.

The beam danced back and then stopped.

Holy. Shit.

"Is that..." I trailed off as I watched Damian stride forward, Nicor's flashlight steadily revealing what couldn't be true.

"It's Patsy, all right." He put his hand against one blue-tinged cheek. "And she's made of ice."

Patsy shone bluish white, as though she'd been carved from a glacier. She stood in the main living room, facing the double doors, arms raised as if she were about to use one of her powers. Whatever she'd been about to do, it either didn't happen or didn't work.

"Everyone else in town is like this?" I asked.

Damian nodded.

Connor walked around frozen Patsy and prodded her back. "How did Lilith manage this?" he muttered. He glanced at me. "Only the person who cast the spell can undo it."

Or a wish could undo it.

"It's a lot of magic. How did she - " His eyes went wide. "The Invisi-shield. Clever bitch."

I followed his line of thinking. "She used the shield to distribute the spell."

He nodded. "In theory."

"Theory is all we've got at this point." I looked at Patsy, and felt bad we couldn't help her. "There's nothing we can do here. Let's go to the compound and make some sort of plan."

"Why didn't she kill them?" asked Damian. "Then it's done."

"It's gotta be because she can't. Not enough power, or maybe Patsy's just too strong to off," I said. "I need to get my weapons. Then we'll meet back at the Consortium headquarters."

"I'll take you, lass."

I closed my eyes and my stomach twisted, and then the world spun.

It seemed like forever. Or maybe it was just a nanosecond.

Connor said, "We're here."

I opened my eyes and clutched his hands until I felt steady enough. At least no miasma of darkness coated my house.

The porch light was on, but the rest of the house was dark. After all I'd been through, you'd think going into my own home wouldn't have given me the willies. Apprehension shivered through me, and I felt Connor's arm draw around my shoulder.

"I'll meet you at the Consortium headquarters."

"I dinnae want to leave you."

"I know." I kissed him. "Please, Connor. Just a few minutes to myself. Then we'll go kick Lilith's ass."

"Twenty minutes," he said. "If you're not at the compound then, I'm comin' back for you."

"Deal."

He kissed me again, and I waited until he'd popped out of sight before I hurried into the house.

"Hey," I said as I flipped on the living room light. "You here?"

"Yeah."

I turned and saw the woman enter from the kitchen. She was dressed in tight black pants and pink boots, which matched her pink jacket. Her inky black hair was cut short, spiked on top, and her light gray eyes were the most unusual I'd ever seen. Diamond gaze - that was what she'd called it once.

"Ash," I said.

The soul shifter.

I changed into more suitable clothes - black jeans, black tank, and my ankle boots. I loaded up my Glock, got extra rounds tucked into my pockets, and hid my knives in my boots and the specially cut jeans.

"It's not a fucking trout," Ash said as she watched me strap on the Glock's holster. "You can't just fillet a soul."