Stealing Time (20 page)

“Yes. Whoever did this wanted to make it abundantly clear that a slayer was murdered. A grave offense, this is. A declaration of war,” Leo said heavily. “As for our delegate, I examined what was left of Kain…there’s no question, he was killed by a vampire.”

“How can you tell?” Gage asked, his expression equal parts horror and curiosity.

“There were bite marks around his throat. Again, the message is very clear. A vampire did this, one who wishes to start a war.”

“War?” Gage echoed, dazed.

“It is the only conclusion.”

My stomach tightened as I spoke what James had to be thinking. “Could Philippe have done this?”

“If he did, then he has amassed far more influence than we could have imagined to dare such a thing.” His voice was bleak.

We all sat silent, stunned. “What now?” I asked. My head pounded as shock and disbelief echoed back and forth between James and me.

“Has there been any word from the Church?” James asked.

Leo said, “No, nothing. All that I know, I have told you, except this—Abasi has called a Gathering. It will be in Idaho, near Kootenai Lake, tomorrow night. As our most senior Ancient, perhaps he will have answers for us then.”

“Will you be there, Leo?” I asked.

“Yes, my dear, Abasi has commanded everyone to attend who can arrive in time.”

“Since we spoke last, have you heard anything of Philippe or the two vampires who attacked us?” James asked before turning to me. “I called Leo when you got in the shower that last day at home.”

“I made inquiries as we discussed, but have heard only half-formed rumors that fade to nothing when questioned. Philippe, damn his black heart, is more elusive than a ghost.” Leo’s voice was rough with frustration. “The moment I hear something more, I will call.”

At this point, there wasn’t much more to be discussed. We said our goodbyes and I reached over to turn off the sat-phone.

Gage’s face was ashen. “Somebody tell me what’s going on.”

James said, “All that I can add is just ancient history. Nobody really knows who the first vampire was or how he or she was created. It’s the chicken-and-egg question. How can you make a vampire without a vampire?” He lifted a hand to scrub his face. “For many centuries, we were not mythological creatures at all, but a very real part of human existence. In some cultures, we were even worshipped as gods. We existed openly and preyed on humans at will.”

“And the slayers?”

“At some point, someone either got brave enough or desperate enough to fight back.”

“But…how?” Gage asked. “You said only a tooth can break our skin.”

“No one knows how they did it, but the ancient texts indicate that the first slayers actually had a vampire tooth. A single tooth. Fixed to a spear, it was crude but effective. The tooth broke the skin and the spear pierced the heart.”

I winced at the image. “Like the bullet. The outer casing disintegrated, but it must have had a piece of vampire tooth inside.”

James went white and nodded. “To this day, we don’t know how they accomplished such a thing—our teeth, even in death, cannot simply be
removed.
However they did it, vampires became hunted. It was still very difficult to destroy one of us, for certainly none would just stand for the killing stroke. Each battle meant heavy losses for the humans, as they were killed outright or were bitten and then killed by their comrades before the change was complete.”

“Why didn’t vampires band together and wipe them out?” I asked.

He sighed. “Because, like most predators, vampires are solitary by nature. So with no real resistance, the humans began to organize in larger numbers. Eventually, they became a band of well-trained fighters and were formally recognized by the Church. They called themselves
‘Guerrieri Sacri.’
Holy Warriors. We call them slayers.”

I thought about this for a second. “How did the treaty come about?”

“That’s the ironic part. As time passed, vampires became more careful, better at blending in, and humans turned away from what they decided was superstitious nonsense. The slayers found themselves an embarrassment to the Church, a hold-over from the days when exorcisms and witch hunts were practiced openly. Essentially, the slayers found that time had passed them by. So their leader met under a white flag with our Ancients. He would allow the slayers to slip into history as long as vampires remained mythological creatures. They would continue however, hidden as we were hidden, watching but taking no action against us. So long as humans remained unaware of us and we took no action against the slayers, they would leave us in peace.”

“And it’s worked.” I said, mesmerized. Before my own change, I had been just as oblivious as all the other humans.

“Yes, surprisingly well,” James said.

“How long will it take us to get to Idaho?” I asked.

“We should leave in the morning. It will take most of the day to get there.”

Taking in Gage’s anxiety and thinking of his youth, I asked him, “Why don’t you wait for us here?”

James nodded. “It would be wise. We would be gone two to three days only. You would be safe here. And as a fresh changeling, your missing the Gathering would be permissible.”

Gage looked between the two of us. “You’re trying to get rid of me?”

“No, of course not,” I said, and James murmured assent.

“Well good. Because I’m going with you guys.” Gage set his jaw.

“But…” I began.

“Look, the last month was so bad I tried to kill myself. My family and friends think I’m dead.” He ran a shaky hand through his hair. “I won’t get in your way. I promise.”

I crossed to sit on the hearth next to him. “It’s okay, Gage.”

James stirred restlessly on the sofa, a soft growl rumbling in his chest as his instincts roused. Giving himself a shake, he smiled ruefully at me and came to sit on the young vampire’s other side. “If you wish to come with us, of course you may. We were only concerned about your well-being.”

Gage brightened. “I can handle myself. If things get rough, it would be good to have another guy around.”

Out of consideration for the younger man’s ego, James said, “It would.” Unable to resist, he added, “Although few would challenge the three of us.”

“Three?” Gage’s jaw fell as he looked at me. “You fight?”

I smirked. “You’re forgiven for not remembering the bodach fight. Especially since I pulled at least eight of them off you.” Amused that the modern surfer dude had such ingrained sexist attitudes while the one-hundred-fifty-something-year-old Victorian had few if any, I ripped out a full-throated snarl and bared my extended fangs. Seeing Gage blanch and recoil was most satisfying.

James laughed and, after a second, Gage grinned appreciatively.

Looking shame-faced, he said, “I was pretty out of it.”

I cuffed his shoulder. “Good to see you feeling better.”

James stood abruptly and his expression, before he turned away, told me he was still wrestling with Gage’s presence. “We need to find a change of clothes for you.”

Putting some distance between us out of deference to James’s struggle, I said only half-jokingly, “You might want to shower too.”

“I can help with the clothes, but Gage, you’re on your own with the shower,” James said as he walked to our bedroom. I wasn’t sure if the space I’d created helped him or he’d gotten a better handle on his instincts. But his joking tone and the fact he could leave me with Gage seemed positive.

Gage looked over at me. “Can I ask you something?” He sounded hesitant.

Warily, I nodded.

“I’d ask James, but it’s, well, kinda embarrassing.”

“What is it?”

“Like I said, it’s kinda embarrassing. And if there’s going to be war…I mean, I could die. And I’d like to know if…”

I made circling motions with my finger, my eyebrows raised.

“Well…you and James, um…” he broke off, flinching, and I realized I was glaring at him.

I forced my expression to relax. “What about us?”

“I was wondering…if we, if vampires, I mean…
you know
,” he stammered.

I sensed James’s amusement from the other room as his acute hearing caught Gage’s question. “We’re
together,
” I said firmly, hoping that would end this excruciating conversation.

“Excellent.” Gage’s face lit. “So everything still works…”

“I’ll see if James needs help,” I stammered, fleeing the room.

I found him doubled up with silent laughter and swatted him for it. Not only was he listening, he’d given Gage the opportunity since there was no way it could have taken so long to find a pair of sweats.

“I can’t tell you how relieved I am that he chose to ask you his question,” James said when he was able to speak again.

“Well next time he has one, I’m going to send him to you,” I grumbled, sitting on the bed.

“I thought you handled it admirably.” He suppressed a grin.

My mind was elsewhere, though, as I thought about Leo’s news. James felt my mood and sat beside me. “We have to believe that everything will be all right.”

I took his hand. “There must be something we can
do.
” Inactivity always made me crazy. I’d always tackled problems head-on, just like with my illness. Sitting passively, just waiting for time to pass, was inconceivable.

“Umm, guys?” Gage called from the great room.

“Just a moment,” James responded. He lowered his face to look me in the eye. “We can only be certain of today, Evie. It is up to us how to spend it.”

“Well, given our company…not what I might otherwise suggest.”

He chuckled and I felt the quickening of his interest. “There is always later.”

I tilted my head to look toward the windows. “It looks like a nice day,” I said, trying to mirror James’s positive effort. “We could spend it outside. I’d like to explore the mountains before we leave.”

He stood and offered me his hand. Taking it, I let myself be tugged off the bed. I reached up and kissed him lightly, closing my eyes so he couldn’t see the anxiety I was sure was there. He, of course, sensed it anyway. “Evie…” His voice was gentle.

Preferring anger to worry, I growled, “Fate seems to be stirring her bitchy self again.” At his look—half amused, half reproachful—I held up a hand and began ticking points off on my fingers. “Cancer, dump truck, hit-vampires, insane uncle, righteous psycho-mercs…”

James barked a laugh. “With such busy lives, who needs cable?”

I scowled up at him. “I’m wallowing in misery here and you’re making jokes?”

He pulled me against his chest and rested his chin on top of my head. “My feisty Evie, taking on the world.”

My heart swelled at the pride in his voice.

I buried my face in his neck, blocking out all thought, purposely opening my senses so that the scent and sound and feel of
James
filled my awareness. When he lifted my chin with a fingertip to study my expression, I was far calmer than before and he gave me a small smile.

I caught the echo of his own worry, but understood he was trying to help us live in the moment, to enjoy today for its own sake. While I agreed with his philosophy that we have no control over anything except how we choose to react to whatever fate hurls at us—
the nasty bitch
—putting it into practice was a whole other thing.

Still, if it would please him…When I smiled this time, it was genuine.

If fate showed herself, I was so kicking her meddling ass.

We left early the next morning, stopping not far from the Canadian border to let Gage slip out of the Range Rover. He would have to cross into the U.S. the same way he entered Canada—on foot—since at the lodge we had no way to make travel documents for him and, without them he’d never be allowed across.

As the Donahues, we drove through customs and watched Canada recede in the rearview mirror. A few miles in, we pulled over at a service station to get gas and, as planned, Gage showed up before James pumped more than a few gallons. To a casual observer, it would appear that he’d been in the bathroom and was rejoining us.

“Any problem?” James asked, leaning against the SUV as gas filled the tank.

“No, it was literally just a walk through the woods. Well, a run.” Gage shook his head in wonder. “You’d think crossing into another country would be a lot harder than that.”

I snorted. “You should be glad it’s not.”

“Done,” James said as he replaced the gas hose and closed the Range Rover’s tank. “Time to go.”

Gage climbed into the back and I got into the front passenger seat. James got in, started the engine, and we were rolling.

We made good time, passing through some of the most beautiful and rugged land I’d ever seen. It was a long drive, broken only by stops for gasoline and a quick side-trip to buy clothes for Gage at a Wal-Mart close to the highway. Even so, the hours passed all too quickly as we drew closer to the Gathering.

Remembering James’s words, I tried not to think about what the night might bring. It was impossible, of course—telling yourself not to think about something when the very act of trying not to think about it is, in itself, thinking about what you’re trying not to think about. It made my head spin.

Feeling James’s eyes on me—he’d caught the echo of my irritation, not the source of it—I said, “Stream of consciousness thinking. It’s not worth trying to explain.”

His lips twitched and he returned his gaze to the highway.

Gage was unnaturally quiet and I turned to look over my shoulder at him. He slouched with his head against the seat, his eyes staring out the window.

“Gage?”

He rolled his head to look at me. His eyes were heavy lidded and I could see his exhaustion.

“Why don’t you rest?” I asked.

Gage closed his eyes and nodded. “I am a little tired…”

I sat back in my seat and saw James watching me. “You would do well to rest also, Evie.”

Although I was a bit drowsy, I said, “I’m okay.”

“Evie,” he said, disapproval in his voice. “You will do us no good tonight if your body shuts down and forces the stasis. You can only put it off for so long.”

I started to not answer, but relented, knowing he could sense my tension whether I spoke or not. “Tonight’s meeting feels ominous and I don’t want to lose any time with you.”

James lifted his hand to stroke my cheek. “Here and now, love.”

Waves of reassurance washed through me and I looked at him, startled. “Are you doing that on purpose?”

He chuckled. “I thought maybe we could do more than just passively sense one another’s strong emotions. I wanted to see if I can send too.” He glanced sideways at me. “I’m guessing it worked.”

“It did. But no whammying the fiancée,” I teased. “Er…mate. Or whatever I am.”

“On my honor,” he said, smiling gently.

Tilting my seat back, I turned my face toward him. I kept my eyes on his beautiful profile for as long as they stayed open, knowing that he would be the first thing I saw when I returned to myself.

According to the clock on the dash, I rested for about an hour. Turning to look, I saw that Gage was still out. James drove as steadily as ever, relaxed and comfortable. His left hand was on the steering wheel and I let my gaze rest happily on our hands where they lay twined between us.

Sensing my emotions, he smiled. “Hi there.”

“Hey yourself.” Looking out the window, I asked, “Where are we?”

“Still about two hours away.”

“Would you like me to drive for a while? Do you want to rest?”

“You are welcome to drive if you wish, but I don’t need to rest.”

Curious, I asked, “Ever?” Thinking back, I realized that he had never rested in the time I’d known him. I just never thought about it before.

“No. It is very uncommon for mature vampires to do so.”

“I wonder why that is.”

“It must be connected to the higher concentration in our blood of whatever it is that makes us vampires. It is much more efficient at rejuvenating cells, so we do not tire.”

“I have your blood in me, your strength, but I rested just now,” I protested. Then mischievously, I said, “And you have mine.”

“Yes, but my blood does not fill your veins—it is diluted by your own. And I did not take much of yours…only a taste.” I felt him remembering the intensity of that sharing and my breath came faster. “Besides, this is only the second time you have rested since you were injured and it was very brief.”

I realized in surprise that he was right.

James kissed my hand, his expression amused. “What’s your favorite book?”

Grinning, I turned sideways in my seat to face him. “Infinite detail time? But you’re stuck with me now.”

“Ah, but you haven’t agreed to marry me yet.”

My chin came up. “I have too.”

He rolled his eyes. “I feel certain I would not have overlooked, let alone forgotten, such a wondrous thing as your agreeing to marry me.”

I tossed my head. “I agreed in theory, when I told you the idea wasn’t awful.”

He snorted. “Actually, you conceded that the concept wasn’t totally appalling.” He grinned. “Not exactly definitive, but I’ll take it. As for the infinite details, I like learning more about you.”

His voice roughened, just a little, enough to bring heat to my cheeks and to other parts.

He glanced at me and the way his eyes darkened told me he’d caught my reaction. Still, he kept his tone light. “We can make a game of our questioning. Aren’t you supposed to play games when you drive long distance?”

“So I’ve heard,” I said in a dry voice. Games weren’t a part of the interminable road trips with Mama as she filled the rusted-out car with clouds of cigarette smoke and flirted with whatever guy she’d picked up on her way from one nowhere place to the next. I remembered all too well her hard, blue-eyed glare in the rearview mirror lest I even
think
of making a sound. Thank God she kept me supplied in books—battered things she found or stole, I’ve no idea which. Her motivation had nothing to do with education or encouraging my budding interest in reading, and everything to do with keeping me quiet and out of her hair.

“Evie?” James asked quietly, his hand warm on my cheek. “Bad memories?”

I tilted my head back on the headrest. “Yeah. And, honestly, I’m so damn tired of it all. Of letting ancient history taint my life.”

James’s lips twitched. “Ancient?”

I snorted. “So what do you say we make some better ones of our own?” At his nod, I said, “I love too many books for one to be a favorite. But I remember the first book that really touched me. It was Robin McKinley’s
The Hero and the Crown.
Now it’s my turn. How did you become interested in painting?”

“My mother. A very talented artist, she was, in a time when women were intended to be nothing more than pretty proof of their husband’s success.”

“You were close?”

“Yes. With my father too. I had a blessed childhood.”

“Did you have any brothers or sisters?” I asked.

“No, it was just the three of us. Unlike most parents of the day, mine refused to relegate me to nannies or boarding schools. And they never believed that children were better seen than heard.”

I loved the way James’s face lit up as he talked about his parents. “What were they like?”

“My father, William, was the type of man others are drawn to. He loved life and it showed. Father was a gentleman in all things, with a kind word for everyone.”

“I’ll bet your mother was beautiful.”

“Yes. Very. Father never stood a chance.” James smiled. “My mother’s name was Emilie de Lenclos and the two met on one of Father’s many business trips to Paris. It was love at first sight for him.
Maman
took only a little while longer to fall in love with him…”

The rest of the trip passed all too quickly. We spoke as we wished and the silences were comfortable. Gage returned to himself when we were just a few miles out and grew edgy as soon as he realized how close we were.

“We have to park and hike in to the meeting place,” James said. “Gage, are you sure you will not stay with the Range Rover?”

We both knew that his mind was made up, but I understood James’s desire to try once more.

“I’m coming,” Gage said and that was the end of it.

We parked at a trail head and I was surprised to see that there were already a few cars there. Hopefully they belonged to vampires and not humans—I shuddered at what would happen to people caught in the woods tonight.

James opened my door while Gage scrambled out of the back. I leaned into James’s chest, my arms around his waist. He tilted his head and kissed my forehead, trailing down my cheek to my lips. His love flowed through me and I opened my senses to him. I hadn’t figured out how to send, but wanted him to feel the depth of my own love for him in whatever way possible.

Gage shut his car door, leaving him standing a mere foot away from us. Seeing our embrace, he sighed impatiently. “Are you guys going to be all night?”

James gave a genuine growl, his power flaring in warning. I could feel the anger vibrate through him, fed by his proprietary instincts. That he’d reacted so strongly, so quickly, spoke volumes about his current mental state and concerns about the Gathering.

“Gage, now would be a good time for you to back off,” I murmured. James’s eyes flashed, punctuating my words even as I sensed his internal battle to regain control.

Gage blanched and moved to the other side of the Rover, averting his stricken face. “Sorry!”

The power buzzing along my skin eased and James’s tense posture relaxed against me. He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes closed, burying his face in my hair. A long moment passed, then he spoke quietly in my ear. “I love you, Evie.”

“I love you too.” It felt so wonderful to say the words, to both see and sense James’s happiness upon hearing them.

He raised his head and met my gaze, a tender smile curving the corners of his lips. “All right, let’s go.”

We’d gone maybe thirty yards, a cautious Gage trailing along behind, when a white-haired vampire materialized next to him. Our young friend seemed to levitate and landed some distance away, his face ashen. Through James’s senses, I’d felt both the Elder’s approach and his own calmness about it, so I wasn’t alarmed.

James laughed. “Leo, it’s a good thing Gage can’t have a heart attack or you would have just given him one.”

Leo was instantly apologetic. “I’ve gotten out of the habit of moving at human speeds around our kind. Do forgive an old vampire’s forgetfulness.”

Gage allowed himself to be talked into rejoining us and introductions were made. Within minutes, I could see that Leo’s energy and good-natured spirit had won Gage over and the two were talking animatedly.

“You must be James’s Evie.” Catching my eye, Leo came forward and gave me a bear hug. “My dear, this is a great pleasure. A great pleasure indeed.”

“Hello, Leo,” I squeaked with what little air was left in my lungs.

James stirred angrily as his instincts roused. “Release my mate,” he growled, his voice low and hard.

Leo let go and turned to clout him good-naturedly on the shoulder. “Well done, my
khaver.
That you wish to protect your mate, even from an old friend, tells me you’ve chosen very well indeed.”

James’s tension dissolved and I found myself grinning at the older vampire. He was unrepentant and full of life. Leo radiated so much energy that he should have been huge, but he was very slight and only a little taller than my own five foot six height.

Greetings over, we set off down the trail. I smiled at James’s bemused expression as he watched the two figures walking along in front of us—Gage, tall and golden, Leo, short and white-haired.

“It appears that Leo has taken our young friend under his wing. Meaning we have our privacy back.” James ran a fingertip across my throat, setting my skin tingling.

“Whatever shall we find to do?” I laughed as his eyes flared.

It was dark by the time we reached the meeting place. We picked a spot close to the tree line and Leo took a position next to Gage with James on the side closer to me, effectively framing our newest member. There were already close to seventy vampires present and I noted that, at four members, ours was the largest group. I wasn’t the only one to notice this—the others maintained a careful distance from us, watchful and wary of our strength.

The clearing was made like a giant bowl, with high cliff walls towering overhead. There were immense trees all around, but the clearing itself was free of them. Boulders of varying sizes lay scattered, having sheared off the cliff walls over eons of weathering.

A full moon hung high in the sky before a dark-skinned male with two enormous companions entered the clearing. I stifled a growl as Kore and the Masai warrior, Duni, appeared behind them. Another vampire strode close by Kore’s side. Although he looked like he’d been no more than fourteen or fifteen when changed, I sensed his great age and somehow knew him to be an Ancient. His short-cropped, black hair shone like patent leather in the moonlight, and he wore jeans and a turtleneck with a leather jacket. My imagination supplied the slim Egyptian vampire with a Nemes headdress and it seemed so appropriate, I wondered if he had been royalty.

“He is Amenenhep,” James said, noticing my gaze. “Of all the Ancients, only Abasi is older.”

“He moves like a wraith,” I said as the vampire glided across the clearing.

“He’s just as silent as one. No one has ever heard him speak.”

“Anyone know why?”

“No idea.” His gaze flicked to the ebony-skinned male beside the Egyptian. “That is Abasi. With Kore are the remaining Ancients, Mehisti and Siobhan.”