Zamani (20 page)

She’d also seen those same
eyes when she’d passed his sister, Vivienne.
 
She first met her at the same party
where she first encountered Christophe.
 
Vivienne stopped by to tell her brother she was leaving, and Olivia was
so startled at seeing her face that she almost lost all composure. Vivienne was
a ringer for the Mambo she’d seen in 1881.
 
She’d looked into those eyes again, yet this time there was no darkness,
only light.
 

Vivienne was not yet turned
into Marie, but as Olivia suspected when she saw her, she was being
groomed.
 
Christophe had been a
useful source of information from the start on that front, and she’d thanked
luck for taking her to that New Years Eve party where she happened upon him
smoking outside.
 
She’d seen the
family resemblance at once and spent the evening flirting with him, searching
his mind for hints he could be useful to her as something beyond mere
sustenance and amusement.
 
His eyes
revealed the connection to Marie, and his openness and bitterness toward both
Vivienne and his grandmother were detectable and made him the perfect mark for
her.
 
He was her ticket in to the
secret she’d searched for so long.
 
She knew by befriending Christophe she would be able to get close to
Marie without the other woman being aware she was being hunted.

Olivia had been living in
New Orleans again for several months before finding Christophe, yet she
presented herself as newly arrived and only in town for a short visit.
 
She planted information with the hostess
of the party that she was consulting with someone on a book project at UNO and
she was staying at one of the local hotels in the Quarter with a bar
downstairs.
 
She knew after meeting
her at the party Christophe would come looking for her, and she’d not been
disappointed. The following evening, she met him at the bar.
 
She walked in and sat down next to him as
if she was expecting him, which she was.
 
After a few drinks, they’d walked arm-in-arm through the less crowded
streets, avoiding the throng on Bourbon.
 
They’d made their way to Washington Square Park where he leaned in for a
kiss.
 
As she fed from him and he
took from her the same haunting song she’d played on the piano at the party the
night before filled his head.

He’d woken up as the sun was
rising, burning off the fog from the night before.
 
He was alone. She’d turned him and then
left him to himself for a month before returning when he was desperate for help
and yearning for wisdom about his newfound hunger and strength.
 
He was on the hunt when she returned to
him, following the commands of his tainted blood.
 
Lisette found him for her; she’d played
the victim well, and she’d led him to a taxi that took them to the house on
Thalia—the house where Olivia had been all along.
 
She’d opened the door as they walked up
the steps together, Lisette releasing him to Olivia’s care and waiting until
the door closed behind him before she took her leave, lest he realize that she
was the one truly doing the hunting.
 
He was so relieved to see Olivia again that Lisette was forgotten
instantly. In his weakened and desperate state, he’d not been aware that
Lisette was kindred.
 
Her skill at
cloaking her true identity kept him from sensing she was anything other than an
ordinary, yet beautiful, woman.

Olivia struck a bargain with
him that she would mentor him if he first showed his devotion to her by
removing an obstacle for her—Tim Clark.
 
Christophe did her bidding, despite his
discomfort.
 
Years of training in
obedience to his grandmother had made him hesitant to take power. While he had
no quarrel with Tim Clark, he knew he had to do this for Olivia and for himself.

In the end, he’d been richly
rewarded.
 
H once again felt that
sweetness he felt the night in the park when Olivia made him a vampire as he
drained the life out of Tim Clark. He also was rewarded with Olivia welcoming
him into her bed for the first time.
 
Even if he had not been deprived of her presence for months, he would
have been powerless to refuse her anything after she’d wrapped herself around
him and rewarded him for his allegiance.

Now, as they hunted together
and she taught him new lessons he realized she truly needed him almost as much
as he needed her. He was the only one who could get close enough to Marie to
access the secret knowledge Olivia wanted so badly.
 
Once he realized his mother had not been
delusional in thinking her own mother was plotting to steal her life as her
own, he realized the potential that knowledge held for him, as well.
 
If he could break his grandmother’s
power and take it for himself, he could be whoever he wanted to be.

Chapter
Twenty Nine

Christophe proved to be a
good student, and Olivia was glad she’d begun to teach and trust him.
 
When Liz finally returned, Olivia trusted
Christophe keep an eye on her.
 
She
explained her worries that Liz had been in Hattiesburg for so long she might be
desperate to feed. “I don’t want her to feel manipulated, so I should keep my
distance, at least in the beginning. Better to let her adjust to being back in
New Orleans.”
 
Christophe promised watch
her and make sure she had the sustenance she needed without being reckless.

Christophe met Olivia
outside The Ruby the night of Liz’s return. He’d taken his grandmother to
Muriel’s for their
Reveillon
menu.
 
She’d told him the story of the family connection to the building for
the millionth time, and he’d been impatient to get through the meal and get her
home so he could meet Olivia.
 
Finally, here he was. As they stood outside, Christophe mentioned to Olivia
that he’d seen Liz at the restaurant.
 
Even with her back to Christophe, he could feel the physical pull toward
her, the same pull and attraction he’d felt to the Others on Halloween, a affinity
as strong as he’d felt toward Olivia the first time they’d met.
 
Before Liz raised her glass in toast,
she turned toward the door of The Ruby.
 
As she did, he caught a flash of her green eyes. His breath caught in
his throat.

“I see that she’s developed
her powers considerably since she’s been gone.
 
I can see you can feel her presence much
more sharply than before.” Olivia was pleased.

He nodded and slipped into
the bar as she left him to his task of shadowing Liz and keeping her safe.

Christophe was glad that
Olivia wanted him to watch over Liz by himself.
 
Ever since realizing he was not the only
one that Olivia had turned, he’d wanted to be around Others and now he was able
to not only able to watch another vampire, but Liz was kindred in a way that
Others were not.
 
Olivia had
cautioned him the attraction to Liz would be especially strong since Liz was
now fully turned and because they shared Olivia in common.
 
As he watched her celebrating her return
and her new spot as co-owner of The Ruby he understood what Olivia meant.
 
He’d noticed it in the restaurant
earlier, a physical need to be close to her.
 
He’d been close to walking over to her at
that moment and introducing himself.
 
His grandmother tugging on his sleeve and grumbling that she needed to
get home had diverted him, though.
 
He realized now that had she not stopped him he would have made the mistake
of introducing himself to the very person he was supposed to be secretly
watching.

Over the next few days, he
tracked her from a distance; he still had to keep his grandmother happy, and he
was afraid of getting too close to Liz in case she sensed something different
about him now she was fully turned.
 
He also worried he might lose control and blurt out who he was, who she
was, and suggest they run away together.
 

A few days after Liz
returned, Christophe was surprised to see his sister Vivienne and a few of her
associates enter The Ruby in full ritual garb and with drums.
 
He was glad his sister hadn’t asked him
to drum for her that day.
 
He sat
outside at a nearby coffee shop, drinking coffee, listening to the drumming
from inside the bar, wishing he could see what was going on and see what Liz
was doing. When the drumming stopped, he’d retreated back into the coffee shop,
worried his sister would see him.

Later that night, he and
Olivia called to Liz, drawing her to Washington Square Park.
 
She’d come to Olivia willingly and slid
her arms around her neck, whispering to her before she pressed her lips to
Olivia’s, nipping at her lower lip, drawing blood.
 
She’d fed from Olivia while Christophe
stood watch. When Olivia left them, Liz slowly awoke from her dreamlike trance
and saw him for the first time.
 
He
was sitting on a bench in a suit with a bottle of wine.
 
He laughed softly as she pulled herself
together and started to walk home.
 
He watched her walk out of the park, and then he followed behind at a
distance until she made it safely inside the little house she shared with Kirby
and Alex.

As he made his way home that
night, Christophe wondered how he could best help her.
 
He couldn’t explain his affinity for her
in any way other than they were kindred.
 
He also knew if he tried to take her from Olivia she would destroy
him.
 
He wasn’t sure Liz would even
be interested in him; at the park she’d taken little notice of him while Olivia
was there; it was clear she had a strong hold on Liz. His best choice for now
was to simply follow Olivia’s orders.
 

Chapter
Thirty

He watched Liz at a distance
for several days before deciding he couldn’t stand it any longer. He had to
introduce himself.
 
After all, she
was kindred, and other than Olivia, she was the only other vampire he
knew.
 
He also was tired of being so
covert about following her. And Olivia never said he couldn’t interact with
her.

Ai, a graduate student who
had done some work for Olivia, was offering tours of locations connected to
Alex’s murder.
 
Christophe neared
The Ruby, determined to go in and have a drink like a normal person. He saw Ai
coming toward the bar.
 
She was
leading one of her tour groups, and he was interested to see how Liz responded
to her bringing them into the bar.
 
He stood outside while Liz waited on them, not wanting to be really
obvious.
 
She was very direct with
the tour guide and Christophe smiled to himself as Liz warned Ai that the
moment she stepped off the sidewalk onto the property where she lived or did
anything Liz could report that she’d take her chance.
 

He entered the doorway as
Liz turned toward it.
 
As he walked
to the bar, their eyes met. He thought he saw an instant recognition
there.
 
What he wanted to do was
sweep her up and kiss those parted lips, but he restrained himself and took a
seat at the bar instead.
 
She
eyeballed him for a second and asked to see his ID.
 
He knew he looked young, but he smiled
as he showed her his driver’s license.
 
He hoped this was a sign she wanted to know his name, not just that she
really thought he was underage.

She handed the license back
to him.
 
“What can I get for you?”

“If you’ve got ginger ale,
I’ll take a ginger and rye.
 
I see
that bottle of Bullit Rye there.”

She nodded and went about
making his drink, keeping one eye on him as she did so.
 
As she turned her attention and thoughts
back to the bar, Christophe reached out to her mind, hoping to find her open to
him.
 
He could read her thoughts
with little effort, and he realized that Olivia’s lessons were having an
effect. He was acutely aware that she was attracted to him and then that she
realized she’d seen him before.
 
He
smiled to himself when he knew she recognized him as the man in the park.

He caught the flash of
recognition in the back of her brain.
 
He knew she wanted to ask him where she had seen him before, but that
she wouldn’t.
 
She was drawn to him,
and the attraction confused her.
 
He
recognized that confusion, as he felt it too. The attraction was more of
kinship than it was sexual, and he knew if he were to attempt to act on it that
it would seem incestuous. Not only would Liz reject him, but he would have to
deal with Olivia’s wrath.
 
He
concentrated harder, pushing the attraction to the side, and he found profound
feelings grief and guilt.
 
He wished
there was some way to help her.
 

He watched the group at Ai’s
table the whole time, not really seeing them, but not wanting to be obvious as
he was searched Liz’s mind.
 
He
could easily sense Liz’s irritation; Ai annoyed her.
 

Ai was a donor but she was
not aware of her role.
 
He knew
Olivia had visited her. The tour was yet another way for Olivia to keep tabs on
the house and on Liz. Olivia preferred to hunt even when donors were involved. If
a donor was unaware of their status, she didn’t bother to tell them.
 
She didn’t like feeling beholden to
anyone, and in her mind willing donors were seeking something from her. She
used them often as unaware spies. He followed Ai’s party out of the bar and
watched as they moved down the sidewalk.
 
He’d have some time later to find her.
 
Perhaps after her last tour of the day.

He felt Liz’s presence
behind him before she put her hand on his arm.
 
He turned toward her, as if he was
expecting her.
 
When their eyes made
contact, he felt the pull between them grow stronger and felt the same rush
that he knew she did.
 
He could also
see her confusion over her attraction to him.
 

“I’ve seen you before.”
 
As she said it, he nodded ever so
slightly, and she saw the corners of his pale, full lips curl up slightly, as
if he were amused.

“Yes, you have, and I have
seen you.
 
You really shouldn’t walk
in parks alone at such a late hour. But, then,
 
I guess you weren’t alone. I was there
after all.”
 

She invited him back to the
bar, but he declined, telling her he’d see her soon. He still had work to do,
and he knew that she’d be safe at the bar.
 
His sister’s magical presence there was palpable; even if he hadn’t seen
her going into the bar with her drummers and ritual materials, he’d have known
she’d been there.

He followed the group until
the tour was done. After Ai was on her way out of the Quarter he approached her
at the bar where she ended the tour and bought her a drink.
 
After striking up a conversation and
making small talk, he asked if she would like to have some dinner.

“I know you don’t really
know me, but would you like to have dinner with me? I’m really enjoying talking
to you.”

She’d smiled easily and
quickly agreed to dinner.
 

They finished their drinks
and made their way past The Ruby toward one of the less noisy restaurants in
the Marigny, Love’s Lost Lounge.
 
Since it was still early and a weeknight, the bar was slow and they were
able to get a table.
 

After dinner, they strolled
back toward the Quarter.
 
He stopped
her in the shadows and pulled her close, brushing her lips with his lightly at
first. She pulled his face closer, both hands in his hair. He’d never been with
an unaware donor before, and even though she wasn’t aware consciously of her
status, she was pulling him in. The donors he spent time with at Olivia’s were,
as she had put it, more about pacification.
 
They were intensely loyal to her, and
they were highly trained.
 
Their
minds were closed to him. Being with Ai was intoxicating in a different way
than Olivia’s power over him was; it was like the slow warmth of a shot of
liquor, rather than the harsh burst of a match being struck.
 
They stood there for a few minutes and
he realized he had best take her somewhere before he embarrassed himself on the
street.
 
He started to ask her if
she would like to come with him, but before the words were out of his mouth,
she pulled away from him with a
 
“yes.”

He’d not had anyone in the
carriage house in a long time.
 
Olivia had never been there, as she didn’t want to stir up his
grandmother.
 
“No need to start a
turf war, dear.
 
She’s willing to
let you come and go as you please as long as you are there when she calls. She
doesn’t respect you. You are merely useful to her, not essential.
 
Not like you are to me.
 
If she senses who I am, though, you will
become a danger to her and useless to me.”
 

Christophe knew that his
grandmother was suspicious of the changes in her grandson.
 
She was especially disappointed that he
no longer showed interest in her apprentice, Marguerite.
 
They had brief, hot affair, which gave
Marie some hope Christophe could continue to serve as a helper for Marguerite
when she began her own practice and grew more powerful.
 
She supposed it was natural Christophe
would cool toward Marguerite once he sensed her approval.
 
Christophe could sense her gaze from the
upstairs window as he led Ai into the carriage house. And, as if she whispered
it to him as the door shut behind him, he heard her say to herself that Marguerite’s
chances were lost.