Blood Kin (33 page)

No matter.

I was beyond caring. All I wanted was the man beneath me. He seemed equally eager. His hands tightened again; then he lifted me and slid home as he let me down again. The pleasure of it was enough to make me gasp, my head falling back as the sensation engulfed me.

Guy moved beneath me again and my eyes snapped open, locked on his. Searching the pale blue fire for any hint of what he was thinking. But then he pulled my head down to kiss me and I couldn’t do anything more than let him take me where he led.

* * *

I lay sleepless for a long time after Guy fell asleep. So when the door to our room clicked open, I was awake to hear. I cracked an eye open but didn’t move, hoping that whoever had come to check on me might leave me if they thought I was actually asleep.

I didn’t recognize the head that poked through the door, but the woman wore a healer tunic. It didn’t take her long to satisfy herself about whatever she had come to do and the door closed again.

I closed my eyes, trying to find a comfortable position. Sleep still eluded me. The hospital was quiet. Too quiet. Beside me, Guy’s slow, even breathing sounded very loud. I didn’t know how he could sleep soundly.

My own thoughts were whirling so fast, I wished Simon had given me something to help me sleep.

Simon
.

I could feel the charms in my evening bag, buried somewhere halfway across the room under my discarded dress, from where I lay. So much rested on the charm I’d retrieved from Simon and what it might have overheard.

I’d told Guy that I didn’t know how to get to Cormen. I hadn’t told him that I hoped I could make Cormen come to me. I didn’t even know if I could tell him that. Regardless, my plan rested on the charm. What secrets did it hold? Enough to free me? Enough to save Mama and Reggie? Enough to damn Simon? Or make him a target again?

I didn’t want to do that, but that was the choice in front of me. Save my family or save Guy’s. I couldn’t throw my sense to the wind because my heart was foolish enough to want to throw itself under the feet of a Templar to trample. I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. If Mama and Reggie died, it wouldn’t matter what happened with Guy and I. I could never forgive myself.

To save them, I had to know what was on that charm.

Now seemed as good a time as any.

Indeed, it might be the only chance I got. Cormen would, no doubt, hear of my excursion to Halcyon sooner or later. I needed to get to him fast. And I needed my bargaining chip.

Regardless of what that made me.

I slipped carefully from the bed, hovering on the edge for a minute to see if Guy would wake. But he merely rolled toward the spot where I had lain and smiled slightly in his sleep. He looked peaceful. Happy. For a second I almost crawled back in next to him, see if I could wake him and chase reality away a little longer. But no, I couldn’t.

What I wanted didn’t matter. As usual, it was my job to take care of things, not be taken care of. I would do what I had to do. And I’d bear the consequences.

I moved as soundlessly as I could, putting on the clean clothes left for me. Black trousers, a pale green shirt and vest. Soft black boots.

Lily’s doing. Almost as though she knew I would need to be able to move easily. I wondered how many times she’d dressed to do something that made her feel sick inside, creeping through the darkness feeling as though there was no way to win.

More than me, probably.

It only added to my reluctance, the thought that maybe Lily and I could have something in common. That maybe, if things were different, she could be a friend. In that other life where I had no problems and could be the sort of woman Guy might love.

Stop dreaming, Holly girl.

I twisted my hair up, jabbing the lock-pick pins in with more force than strictly necessary, then bent to retrieve the charm from my bag.

The crystals dug into my palm as I stole out of the room, closing the door softly after one last look at the man sleeping there.

Outside, the corridor was deserted, the lamps burning at half strength, so that everything was dim and soft looking. I walked cautiously along it, looking for somewhere private to trigger the charm. I wondered if Simon and Lily shared a room like ours somewhere nearby. Part of me hoped not. If anyone was likely to sleep lightly, it would be a wraith. I couldn’t risk any interruptions.

It didn’t take too long to find an empty room: what looked like an abandoned office when I peered through the small glass pane in the door. My picks made quick work of the lock and I eased inside. The moon gave me enough light to find my way to a chair. I carefully carried it over to a corner on the same side of the room as the door.

I sat, legs crossed, and stared down at the charm glinting at me in the moonlight. Tears blurred my vision briefly before I wiped them away.

No choice.

I had to do this.

Indeed, now that I was so close to the charm, I had an almost overwhelming urge to listen to what it had to say. The geas at work. There was no other way I could feel so disgusted with myself and so compelled to keep going at the same time. Somewhere in the back on my mind I could hear my father laughing at me.

Get on with it
.

I bent my head again, whispered the words to trigger the charm, and began to listen. Simon had carried the charm for nearly two days. A hear-me is activated by voices and I’d keyed this one to him, but a healer has many, many conversations in a day. I gripped the charm tighter, calling my power, going into the half trance I needed to let the charm speak faster to me, almost as though what it carried was dumped directly into my brain. It was an unpleasant sensation, but I gritted my teeth and held the trance, listening for anything that might be useful.

After what seemed like a series of unending medical conversations, interludes with Lily, and Simon talking to himself as he made notes on patients and went about his business—with not a little cursing about his fool brother—I suddenly heard the words.

Blood-locked
.

My spine prickled. That was something unusual. Not many blood-locked made it to a hospital. By the time they needed medical care, it was usually too late for their families to drag them away from the Night World. I listened more carefully, but whoever Simon was talking to, the charm hadn’t caught all of the conversation. I didn’t know whether it was because I hadn’t made it properly or whether some other magic wherever he had been was interfering, but I only caught a few words.
Blood-locked
again. And
progress
.
Patients
.
Not much longer
.

Lords of
hell
. I had to force myself not to throw the charm across the room in frustration. None of it made any sense. I held the charm closer, increasing the power I fed it as much as I dared. But nothing else came through. Reluctantly, I let the charm go quiet. If I pushed too much power into it now, I could burn it out and not be able to bring it to life again to listen a second time.

My hand curled around it, the glass and metal biting into my palm. It hadn’t given me what I wanted. Nothing I could take to Cormen.

Nothing to save Mama and Reggie.

I’d failed.

Part of me was happy. No information meant no victory for my father. But that part was small and nearly drowned by the relentless tide of fear rising in my veins.

I’d failed.

And my family would pay the price.

Chapter Nineteen

HOLLY

I
hadn’t long crept back to bed, sliding cautiously in next to Guy after finally managing to quell the storm of frustrated tears that erupted after my realization, when the door to our chamber opened once again.

I squeezed my eyes nearly shut, hoping the healer would leave as quickly as the previous one.

Only it wasn’t another unknown healer checking on us. It was Simon. I felt the warm hum of his power even before I recognized his profile in the glow from the light in the hall. And more than just his power. Besides the warmth of his magery, there was the familiar chill of the invisibility charm hanging by his hip. Stronger now.

Activated.

I fought to stay still, keeping my breath slow and even.

Where was he going that he needed an invisibility charm ready to hand? He couldn’t leave St. Giles, not after he and Lily had claimed haven. I didn’t think he’d leave Lily sleeping alone willingly.

Simon’s head withdrew and the door shut softly behind him. I lay there for a moment more, heart beating fast.

The Lady had given me another chance. One last opportunity to discover his secret. If I dared to risk leaving Guy a second time.

Last chance. It rang in my head. And suddenly I had to act. Maybe it was the geas seizing my will, but I didn’t think any further. I slipped softly out of bed and pulled my clothes on again. Guy stirred once and I froze, but he didn’t wake.

I pulled an invisibility charm from my bag, slipping it into a pocket.

After a second’s hesitation, I added a hear-me, tucking it inside my boot. I triggered the invisibility charm as I opened the door. Simon’s charm left a trail in the air, a tiny fading glow of power that showed me which way he had gone. I hurried silently after him, moving quick and cautious.

St. Giles was quiet this late at night, but it was by no means empty. It wouldn’t do to crash into a Fae, or even a human, and reveal myself.

Simon’s trail led me to the staircase and then down, as I had half expected, into the tunnels. I didn’t see the man himself until I had nearly reached the tunnel with the wards and then I almost ruined everything by skidding to a clumsy halt when I did catch sight of him. He must have deactivated the charm. His sudden appearance surprised me but also made my life somewhat easier.

I moved closer, keeping what I hoped was a safe distance, paying even closer attention to staying silent. He approached the final branch of the tunnels and then, curse it, triggered the charm again, disappearing from view.

But I could still feel it, strong enough to follow. I would have to be careful, beyond careful, to trail behind him when I couldn’t see him.

We approached the door in the tunnel and I felt Simon work the wards. This was the tricky point. I had to slip through the door after him without him noticing. Hard but doable. I’d managed such things before and the massive size of the door in question would make it easier. Still, uneasy sweat trickled down my back as the door swung open and I waited a few seconds before making my move, hoping that I wasn’t about to ruin everything.

But my luck held and I made it safely through. Holding my breath, I moved a little way down the tunnel, standing as near to the wall as I could to minimize the chance of Simon bumping into me as he walked past. The door closed behind us and I heard his footsteps move past me.

The lamps on the walls bloomed into life and I looked down the tunnel. Another door. Another set of glowing wards.

Damn.

I’d done it once; I could do it again.

I followed Simon, placing each foot with care. A full Fae could walk across the squeakiest of floors and you’d never know. But the blood that meant that I wasn’t sickened by the iron we’d passed through also made me more tied to the earth, gave me less of the connection that let the Fae walk so lightly across it. I had to work for my silence, calling on every skill I had learned in all my years of spying.

Muttering silent prayers to the Lady, hoping she’d let the dice continue to fall in my favor a few more feet, a few more steps. One more hour even.

Until I could see what lay beyond the door and fulfill my father’s binding. Free myself and my family.

My fingers curled into my palms. Freedom.

A pretty notion. Not one I’d ever known. Not really. Guy said he fought for the humans to stay free, to survive. Who fought for me?

No one.

Stark reality but it didn’t stop the guilt curling in my stomach. Whatever secrets lay hidden in these tunnels, the humans obviously valued them. If I turned them over to my father, what was I doing to these people who had taken me in? Who had healed me?

What was I doing to the man whose bed I had stolen from to follow his brother here? My nails bit harder. I couldn’t afford guilt.

Inside the second door was a medium-sized room. A desk and a chair sat near one wall, another long table nearby. The table was cluttered with tubes and various things that looked vaguely medical to me.

I frowned, wondering what exactly I was getting myself into. The room was empty, though, and there was yet another warded door in the wall opposite where we were standing.

Simon suddenly blinked into view, stuffing the charm into his pocket. We must be close enough to his destination that he was no longer worried about detection. If I had been able to make a sound, I would’ve breathed a sigh of relief. At least visible, he was easier to tail.

Simon headed toward the next door and I followed, walking even more cautiously. I didn’t want to be detected so late in the game. Even if I had wanted to turn back, I doubted the geas would let me.

Still, something perverse made me stop a moment, test the theory by taking a few steps backward. As expected, the geas bit hard and fast. I clenched my teeth, cursing Cormen in my head, and started after Simon again.

Simon worked the wards on the door and once again, I slipped through behind him, stepping sidewise to press myself against the wall.

This room was larger. What it held made it easy to freeze in place. Row upon row of hospital beds. Filled with mostly still, sleeping bodies, though a few of the occupants moved restlessly, as though they were having a bad dream. Some of the beds were empty. But it wasn’t the beds or the rest of the hospital paraphernalia that held me frozen. No, what surprised me was the vampire moving among the rows.

One of the Blood down here? Helping the humans? The shock of it had my blood roaring in my ears, so loud I wondered that Simon didn’t hear it.

But he was only human.

Unfortunately for me, the vampire was not.

He lifted his head from where he was bent over one of the beds, then turned toward us. “Simon?” he called. “Who is with you?”

Simon started at the question, turning from the lock he was working to the vampire. “No one,” he replied, sounding confused.

The vampire’s head swiveled for a moment, then focused unerringly on me. Scars covering his face. Even covered what should have been his eye sockets. Blind.

But lack of sight wouldn’t save me. Not when he still had all his other vampire senses.

“You are mistaken,” he said. “I hear another heartbeat.” Then he moved. Too fast for me to follow. Long fingers grasped my shoulders and fangs flashed in front of my face as he snarled, “Show yourself.”

Simon was suddenly beside him, holding a pistol. Around us the room brightened, the gaslights flaring.

The vampire’s fingers tightened. He shook me. “Show yourself,” he repeated.

I put my hands between us and shoved. “Let
go
.” I might as well have shoved a tree trunk.

At my words, Simon’s expression darkened. “Holly?” he snapped. “I would appreciate it if you did as Atherton has requested.”

So much for prayers. The Lady had chosen to withdraw her favor, it seemed. There seemed to be no way for me to get out of this. Visible or not, I couldn’t escape from a vampire’s senses and they could keep me down here until my charm wore down. They would know who I was eventually.

“All right,” I said. I slid my hand into my pocket and deactivated the charm.

The vampire didn’t move, still pressed me into the wall with a grip I couldn’t break.

Beside him, Simon looked disgusted. “Guy warned me to watch you.”

The words felt like a blow. He had? When? Then common sense prevailed. Of course, Guy had warned him. He was a Templar, dealing with a Night Worlder. This was a reminder that I needed to remember we were both after our own agendas no matter how pleasing he was in bed.

I met Simon’s gaze without flinching, but I didn’t say anything. The vampire—Atherton—was still far too close for comfort, the gaslights making his pale skin eerily white. His fangs were paler still, glinting at me. He could tear out my throat before I could blink if he chose.

“Would you care to tell me exactly what you’re doing here?” Simon continued when it became clear I wasn’t going to answer.

I lifted my chin. “How about you tell me what you’re doing here first?”

The vampire hissed at me and I flinched.

“Atherton,” Simon said sharply. “Let her go. She can’t get very far.”

No, I couldn’t. Nor was I going to try with Simon’s pistol pointed with casual ease at my head.

With another snarl, the vampire stepped back.

“Are you armed?” Simon asked.

I shook my head. I hadn’t thought to grab even my razor as I’d set out. I hadn’t expected to need it. Getting too cocky. Or too driven by the geas into following before I could properly prepare myself.

“Search her,” Simon said to Atherton.

I held out my arms and let him pat me down. No point doing otherwise. To his credit, his hands were coolly professional. He didn’t take any liberties.

“Nothing,” he reported.

Simon nodded, and then gestured with the gun. “Miss Everton, why don’t you take a seat? There are things we need to discuss.”

I nodded and did what he asked, choosing a high-backed wooden chair beside the nearest bed. I wasn’t looking forward to this next part. I didn’t think the geas was going to let me answer any questions, and Lady knew what would happen to me after that.

Simon sat on the bed opposite and the vampire moved behind me, making me wish for eyes in the back of my head.

“So, let’s start again,” Simon said. “Why are you following me?”

“I—” I tried to answer, but my throat closed over, a wave of nausea gripping me. The geas. My throat burned and tears rose in my eyes. I shook my head at Simon.

He frowned. “Come, now, we have you red-handed. There’s no point in trying to protect whoever it is you’re working for.”

I swallowed and shook my head again, making a slashing gesture across my throat. Let him think I was in fear for my life. Maybe chivalry would make him treat me with some understanding.

“I take it from your silence you are unwilling to name names?” Simon’s fingers drummed the barrel of the pistol.

I shook my head again. Not unwilling. Frankly, there was nothing that would please me more than to cast Cormen into the hands of the humans and let them do with him as they would.

I tried again to speak, but as expected, the geas bit again, sending a throb of pain to my head so fierce it made me gasp. “I—” I tried again, not knowing why I was bothering. Other than the fact that I felt more loyalty to the man in front of me and his brother than I did to the man who’d sired me.

Apparently I pushed the geas too far. The next thing I knew I was slumped on the floor, with Simon leaning over me.

“Don’t move too fast,” he said, sounding exasperated. “You’ll faint again.”

“I fainted?”

“Yes.” His blue eyes narrowed at me. “Though there’s no earthly reason why you should have. Which makes me suspect an unearthly one. Lady Bryony is on her way down. Perhaps she’ll be able to discern what I cannot.”

Lords of hell. That was all I needed. A high Family Fae poking around in my brain. Would she be able to spot the geas? If she did, could she remove it?

Doubtful. Cormen wouldn’t have sent me here in the first place if that were possible. Still, a small shred of hope flared within me.

While I waited to find out, I looked carefully at the beds around me but couldn’t determine what was wrong with their occupants. Nothing to indicate why they were hidden away down in the bowels of St. Giles, under the care of a sunmage and a vampire. My mind buzzed with possibilities, but I was also more than a little distracted wondering what was going to happen to me next.

Would I be handed over to the human authorities? Sent back to the Night World? What would Cormen do to me? What would he do to my mother? Or Reggie?

I laid my head on my knees for a moment, not wanting Simon to see the despair I felt written on my face.

But I didn’t get the luxury of being able to compose myself for too long. The door snapped open again and Bryony appeared.

“What happened?” she said, her gaze fixed on me. I shifted uneasily. The chain around her neck had a dark blue-purple tinge to it. An angry Fae was something to be wary of.

“She followed me down here.” Simon plucked the invisibility charm he’d confiscated. “She used this.”