Tempt Me When the Sun Goes Down (20 page)

“Everything go as planned?”

I shook my head and Bishop looked relieved, almost happy for a moment before the worry reasserted itself.  He leaned close, lowering his voice for my ears only.  “The offer still stands.”

“I’ll be fine.  Let’s just get this over with.”  I chose a seat in the back next to Rob this time, leaving Carys to sit up front with Lee.   

“What was that about?” Rob asked, when I settled in next to him.

“Nothing.”  I picked up his hand and gave it a squeeze.  “Let’s go pitch this ring into the fires of Mount Doom!”

We gathered outside when it was getting close to start time, and without any lights or a moon it was
dark
out there.  Those of us with vampire enhanced vision didn’t have a problem getting around, but I heard Maggie swear under her breath as she nearly tripped over the uneven ground.  There had been some debate as to whether to allow her and Tucker to come along, but in the event that I didn’t survive the night, how could I say no?

Lilias led us away from the encampment to a deserted paddock surrounded by scrubby trees.  She wore a repeat of her outfit the other night, jeans and a t-shirt, though the brightly colored scarf covered her hair this time and her eyes were heavily lined, giving her a much more mysterious look.  The only jewelry she wore was a wire wrapped crystal with a brass key dangling from it.  Feet bare, she proceeded with steady certainty until she reached a certain point, and I noticed a circle laid out on the grass with smooth river stones. 

In the center of the circle was a short stack of flat stones, reaching only as high as my knee and Lilias knelt before it, unpacking a few items from a woven bag.  Out came a large abalone shell, a long wooden skewer tipped with silver, and a gleaming knife, the leather wrapped hilt ragged and ancient.

Without being given any direction, I stepped into the circle, as did Rob and Bishop.  The rest of them stayed beyond that stone border.  On the ground beside the altar was a section of freshly churned dirt, clear of grass and rocks.  I was about to ask about the wood skewer when Carys stepped into the circle. 

Maybe it was selfish of me, but I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope as she joined us.  Was she there to offer herself up for the sacrifice instead?  But Carys made no such offers, merely taking her place by Bishop. 

“I wish to see it done,” she said coolly, her emotions under tight control.  Looking up at Rob, I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind as he calculated whether or not he could drag Carys up to the makeshift altar to take my place.  Catching hold of his arm, I shook my head at him.  Rob tensed, but held his place beside me.

“Shoes off!”  Lilias announced, settling back on her heels while we removed them. 

The grass was cool and damp beneath my feet and somehow comforting.  Standing beside Rob in the clearing, I reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze.  His eyes were hooded in the darkness, his body rigid, but he returned the gentle press of fingers. 

“Right then, you two ready?” Lilias asked, rising to her feet. 

“I think so,” I nodded.  “But, um, could you maybe tell us how this works?” I couldn’t help but ask, thinking if I knew what to expect it might be less terrifying. 

Lilias nodded.  “It’s really very basic.  I’ll do a spot of preparation here, setting the ritual into motion.  Then I’ll call for the sacrifice, that means you.”  She pointed at me.  “You’ll lay down on the ground there and then I’ll call for the hand of fate, that means you.”  She pointed to Rob.  “You’ll wait for my signal – that’s very important. When the time comes, I want to you jab this wooden rod into her shoulder here beneath the collar bone.”  Lilias pressed a finger to his shoulder in demonstration.

“Wait, what?” I blinked sure I had to have heard her wrong.  Why we were only hearing about this tidbit now?

“You didn’t say nothing about this before,” Rob growled, his eyes snapping with anger. 

Lilias’ hands came up as she took a step away from Rob’s anger.  “It’s for her protection.  When you stake Anja, her body will go into torpor.  It’ll be so busy reacting to the wood that it won’t pay attention to the knife right away.  As long as you don’t get near her heart with the stake, she’ll be fine.  Just try not to puncture her lung, that’ll take longer to heal.”

It made sense in a twisted sort of way, but Rob had that look about him again.  “I don’t know about this,” he muttered.

“Then what happens?” I prompted, wanting to get any more surprises out of the way.

“Then, Robby takes the knife and cuts out a piece of your heart like we talked about, and put it in this bowl.”  She held up the abalone shell.  “I’ll take it from there.” 

“How will we know if it worked?” Carys asked and Lilias shot her a pointed look.

“You’ll know.  Now let me prepare.”  She knelt in front of the stones, her eyes closing.

“I don’t think I can do this,” Rob muttered, his eyes on the wooden rod.  The compulsion I’d given him only covered the cutting into my heart, and this new bit of violence started to erode his calm.

“I can,” Bishop said, his voice low, but full of resolve.

“What?” 

“I’ll do it.  I was the one who cut into the other vampire, I know how it’s done,” he offered.

“No, you’re fucking not going to cut her,” Rob snarled, his arm wrapping around me protectively.

“We don’t have time for this, guys,” I said, darting a look at Lilias, who still sat with her eyes closed.

Bishop didn’t back down, if anything he took a half step closer to me.  “I love her too.  If you can’t do it, I’ll be the one to make the sacrifice.  It’s what she wants.”

Carys gasped at the admission, her eyes wide and gleaming in the darkness. 

“I’m the one she wants to save, not you,” Rob retorted.  “I’ll bloody well be the one to stand beside her and see this done.”

Bishop’s eyes narrowed dangerously.  “Then do it and stop whining like a girl about it.”

“Guys!” I yelled, my eyes on Lilias who now stood, the knife in her hand.  “We seriously don’t have time for this.  Bishop, thanks for the offer but we’ve got it covered.”

“Everybody out of the circle who’s not participating!” Lilias announced in a ringing voice.  Bishop shot me a final, worried look and I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile before he left the circle with Carys in tow.  “Let the sacrifice approach,” she said simply, and I moved to stand before her, letting out a long breath to keep my lip from quivering.  Lilias laid the gleaming knife against the side of my throat.  “Do you submit of your own free will?”

Cripes
, did I?  “I…”

“I do.”  Another voice rang out as a figure appeared at the edge of the trees. 

Holy buckets
, it was, “Jakob?  How did you…?”

The
Ellri
boldly strode into the circle of stones to stand by my side.  “I knew you would never come to my bed of your own free will after how I’ve wronged you.  When I learned that Carys was to join you, I knew something must be up, as they say.  I followed you here.”

“You went to his bed?” Rob demanded, his emotions whiplashing back to anger. 

“No!” I gasped.  “Well, I mean yes, but nothing happened.  Not really.”  That wasn’t the pressing issue for the moment.  “Jakob, please don’t get involved.  Can’t you understand we need to end this thing once and for all?”

“I understand more than you think,” he smiled, reaching out to touch my cheek with the back of his fingers.  “I will do this, let it be my sacrifice,” he declared, and Lilias rolled with it, her eyes bright in the uncertain light.

“Decide quick, people.  Who’s doing the cutting?”

Carys looked ready to step forward, but Jakob’s gaze swung to me.  “My Anja will be the one.” 

“Me?  No, I can’t,” I protested.  No matter how much I’d wanted to end him when I found out about the curse, I couldn’t actually carve his heart out, even if he asked me to.  Or could I?

“You must,” he smiled, leaning down to kiss my cheek, his words meant for me alone.  “Progeny or not, I would not willingly place my heart beneath Carys’ dagger.  You are the only one I trust to take only what’s needed.  I submit of my own free will,” he added, much louder. 

We all goggled at him, and I could only stare in mute fascination as he took my place, lying down on the loamy soil, his expression serene as he unbuttoned his shirt. 

Unperturbed by the change of events, Lilias continued with the ritual.  “Let the hand of fate approach,” she called out.  Rob backed away, staring down at Jakob as he stepped out of the circle.  I approached Lilias, who once more laid the knife to my throat.  “Do you submit of your own free will?”

“I do,” I replied, my words hardly more than a breath. 

In one fell swoop Jakob had offered me everything I desired, salvation and revenge wrapped up into one.  For all his faith about me taking only as much of his heart as was needed, I had my own doubts.  This man was my Sire and I’d wanted him dead.  I’d stood beside him, pencil in hand, plotting his murder in cold blood, and now Lilias set the wooden rod into my hands, giving me permission to exact that vengeance.  Not even permission, it was
expected
of me.  No one standing around the circle would say boo if I
accidentally
took too much and ended Jakob’s life. 

The rod felt impossibly light, despite the silver tip, little more than a twig.  If I grasped it too hard it might snap and I forced myself to hold it gently, like an egg.  This man had caused me a world of pain and there he lay, trusting me with his life – and I didn’t want that trust. 

“This won’t work,” I murmured.  “I don’t love him.”  There was a time when I would’ve willingly flung those words at him like a weapon, but now all I felt was pity and sorrow that it had come to this. 

The corner of Jakob’s lips tugged up in amusement.  “But I love you, Anja, from the moment I first beheld your delicate beauty.  And that love has only grown as I learned to appreciate your strength and goodness.  Only your hand will do.”  His eyes held mine for a long moment before he let out a long, drawn out sigh, looking up at Bishop who stood next to the circle.  “Brace yourself, Ulrik.  This may sting.”

“No!”  Guessing what was coming next, Carys rushed forward, but Rob caught hold of her with difficulty, keeping her out of the circle. 

“You can’t help him now, only one thing can,” Rob hissed.

“Jakob, no, it’ll kill him!”  Carys broke Rob’s hold on her even as Bishop staggered to his knees, a low cry of pain issuing from his lips as Jakob released his compulsion over her.  Awash in emotion, Carys wept as she gathered Bishop up in her arms, his face deeply etched with suffering as he felt the full brunt of the curse for the first time in centuries. 

I was already three steps closer to where Bishop fell before I realized I couldn’t leave the circle and I ran back to Jakob, falling to my knees beside him.  “Can’t you stop the compulsion after the curse is broken when it’s safe?  What if he doesn’t survive this?”

“If this fails and I die, it will be the same,” he said gravely.  “If I am merely diminished, I will be unable to remove the compulsion for some time.  It seemed a kinder cruelty this way.”

Lilias chanted low and unintelligible in the background, and Bishop seemed to recover slightly after a few seconds, sitting up to watch the proceedings from Carys’ lap.  Now there was even more at stake.  How could I even contemplate killing Jakob when it might kill Bishop at the same time if the ritual didn’t work? 

“Rise now and let the hand of fate deliver the sacrifice.”  I had to do it now, I didn’t want to think about what might happen if we lost this opportunity.  “Rise now!” Lilias commanded, and I forced myself up on my knees. 

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, grasping hold of the slim wooden rod.  Almost falling with the motion toward him, I pierced his flesh.  Jakob gave a weak gasp, in too much pain to draw breath in again and scream, his eyes rolling up into his head as he lay there pinned to the ground. 

Lilias pressed the knife into my hand.  “The heart, hurry now.”

The knife nearly slipped out of my nerveless fingers, but I caught it, gripping the hilt tightly.  “You can do this… you’re a strong, confident vampire,” I murmured, wavering on my knees and for one terrifying moment, I thought I might pass out.  But then my hands moved, almost as if someone else controlled them, and the knife plunged into his chest, severing bone to reach the delicate treasure guarded beneath. 

The scent of his blood was overpowering, and the need to taste it nearly destroyed my resolve.  Instead, I gritted my teeth and pried open his chest cavity, which gave way easier than I’d thought it would.  Somehow I’d forgotten his heart would be beating, and I watched in sick fascination as it pulsed slower and slower, the torpor settling in. 

“Take the sacrifice now!” Lilias hissed, jarring me out of my daze, and I sliced off a hunk I thought would be enough of a sacrifice without killing him.  Looking to Lilias for approval, she gave a satisfied nod and held out the abalone bowl.  With a sickening plop, the piece of his heart hit the shell and I sank back on my heels, closing my eyes tightly as a wave of nausea swept over me. 

I couldn’t make out the incantation she chanted, the words blurry and indistinct, but I felt the tingle of magic in the air.  She laid the shell on the makeshift altar, leaning back when the contents spontaneously burst into flame.  Snapping the necklace free from her throat, she held the brass key over the fire, and I watched as it was consumed by the flame, dissolving into ash that fell into the shell. 

The ring on my finger flared with sudden heat and I looked down to see it glowing as bright as an ember, searing my skin.  The shriek from Carys told me the same was happening to her, but no matter how I scrabbled to tear it free, I couldn’t take it off.  All I ended up with was singed fingertips for my efforts.  But then it faded as the flames died out, and I looked up to see Bishop lying beside Carys, his chest rising and falling slowly, very near unconsciousness.  Why was he still so weak?  Hadn’t it worked?  Was this all for nothing? 

A blinding flash lit up the night sky, and I was blown off balance by a crack of deep thunder that echoed through the clearing like a bomb had been detonated.  For long seconds, I couldn’t move as my body throbbed with power, and then everything went completely still.

Still dizzy with residual energy, I pushed myself up on my elbows, even as Maggie and Tucker rushed to my sides to help me up.  My view obstructed, I couldn’t help but wonder, was everyone alright?  A painful groan let me know Bishop was at least still alive, even though I couldn’t see through Tucker’s well meaning torso. 

Rolling onto my shoulder I saw Rob laid out on the ground with Lee by his side, and I stretched my hand out toward him.  “Are you okay?” I asked, worry overtaking me that he’d been hurt worse than I had and been in less shape to handle it in the first place.  I was almost afraid to ask; I couldn’t take another defeat, not after everything we’d been through.   

Rob sat up, a dazed look on his face.  “Besides feeling like I relived the Blitz?  Yeah, I feel…” He took a long, slow breath, his head cocked to one side.  “I feel… pretty damn good.”

My head fell back in relief, tears gathering in the corners of my eyes before I realized we weren’t all out of the woods yet.  “Jakob?” I swallowed back a lump of fear, fighting my way up to a sitting position even though my muscles wanted to stay put for a week.  “Did Jakob make it?”

There was no response. 

“Jakob?”  His chest lay spread open, exactly as I’d left him, the wooden rod preventing him from bleeding out in the interim.  “What do I do?” I looked to Lilias, who rested on her behind, drinking out of a slender, leather-clad flask.  “If I take him out of torpor he’ll bleed all over, right?”

“He will,” she nodded, taking another deep pull on the flask.  “But that’s the only way to restore him as well.”

“Okay, so if I pull it out, then I can give him some of my blood to heal him, right?  Maybe if I give him some, and Carys and everybody pitches in a little…” 

“You can’t give him your blood,” she insisted.  “No blood from any of his line, it’s too powerful.”

That would’ve been good to know ahead of time.  I would’ve been a goner for sure if it’d been me on the other side of that knife. 

“What about mine?” Maggie asked in a small voice.  “I’m not related to him and there’s nothing special about my blood.”

“N-n-no,” Tucker immediately objected.  “Y-you don’t have to d-d-d-d… you’re scared of vampires drinking your b-b-b-b-b…”

“It’s alright, Tucker,” she smiled.  “A lot has changed since I was bound to Jasper.  I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, trying to catch her gaze.  “I know Jakob would never hurt you on purpose, but he’ll probably be in a lot of pain when I wake him up.  If he’s too rough… we might be able to stop him while he’s weak, but he’s an
Ellri
. I honestly don’t know what could happen.”

“Then stand ready with that rod and you can torpor him again,” she replied with a smile, though I could tell from the fast patter of her heart that she was nervous about it. 

“If you say so,” I agreed, wrapping my hand around the base of the stick.  “Lee?”

“I’m right behind ya, darlin’,” he drawled.  “If he gets outta hand, I’ll help ya wrangle him.”

“D-don’t do this, Maggie,” Tucker pleaded, catching up her hand, and she gave it a brief squeeze before pulling it free. 

“It’ll be fine,” she smiled serenely, settling down beside Jakob, her wrist poised over his lips.  “I’m ready.”

I pulled the stake free from his shoulder in one swift movement, immediately handing it off to Lee.  The terrible wound in his chest bled like crazy once his heart started beating again.  Jakob’s head tipped back, lungs filling with air which he promptly expelled in a mighty roar of agony. 

“Jakob!  Here drink,” I called out, placing Maggie’s wrist against his mouth.  At once his fangs snicked out and sank into her flesh, not at all gentle and she cried out in pain. 

“Shh, Maggie, it doesn’t hurt,” I crooned, adding a layer of compulsion where Jakob lacked the finesse to.  She quieted instantly, but a pucker of worry settled over her brow.  “Jakob, can you hear me?  That’s Maggie you’re drinking from, do you hear me?”  Bending close to his ear, I tried to make him hear me.  “I know it hurts, but it’ll get better, I promise.  Try not to take too much, okay?”

I couldn’t tell if my words got through to him or not, his mouth worked, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed again and again.  I counted beside them, biting my lip when he showed no signs of slowing.  The gaping hole in his chest started to close slowly, much too slowly and it fast became apparent that even if he drained Maggie dry, it wouldn’t be enough. 

“Jakob, you have to stop,” I said, desperate to catch his attention.  “We’ll find you some more blood, but you have to let her go.  Jakob?”

He didn’t acknowledge me in any way, his eyes still pressed tightly shut.

“T-take my blood,” Tucker cried, prying Jakob’s jaw open to release Maggie’s wrist and thrusting his own in its place.  I wasn’t sure if Jakob would like the taste of werewolf blood, but he clamped down on it without skipping a beat.  Maggie fell back weakly, and I caught her, using my blood to stop the wound at her wrist. 

“Are you alright?” I asked, searching her face carefully in case I had to give her some of mine, but she gave me a wan smile.

“I’ll be fine, I need to rest a while is all.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve had worse before,” she nodded, and sadly, I knew if any human knew her limits when it came to blood loss, it was Maggie, thanks to her time with Jasper.

“Tucker?  How we doing, are you okay?” I prompted, turning my attention back to them.  He hunched over, in obvious pain, but didn’t make a sound.  “Tucker?”

“I c-can take it,” he replied, jaw set until I compelled the pain away for him too.

We went through the same thing when Tucker started to grow weaker, Jakob neither slowing nor acknowledging my attempts to get his attention as he drank.  Lee stepped up to change places with him, the old shifter gritting his teeth against the sting.  Fast running out of options, I looked around for inspiration, and that’s when I saw them – the flickering lights in the darkness. 

A long procession of candles stretched past the paddock and into the woods as the gypsies approached.  Single file, they marched into the clearing, the tongues of fire casting their features in sinister shadows.  But they didn’t come with pitchforks, ready to take us all down while we were weak and vulnerable.  Instead they approached, one by one, to kneel before Jakob, offering a cup of blood. 

Not a giant brimming cup, more like a shot glass’ worth, but combined, it did the trick.  At first, it took Rob and I both holding Jakob down to get him to let go of Lee’s wrist, but after a few shots of blood, he began to comprehend that we were still feeding him.  By the time a half dozen of the gypsies had passed, Jakob’s eyes were open, and he lay half reclined across my lap, accepting the offerings with a grave nod before he tossed them back. 

When the last gypsy had gone, Jakob closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.  I could tell he was still awfully weak, and might be for a while, but it felt like the worst of the danger had passed. 

“Thank you,” he said weakly, his eyes still closed.

“No, thank you, Jakob,” I replied, dropping a kiss to the top of his head as he drifted off to sleep.  “Thank you.”

* * *

Back at the encampment, Jakob was set up in cramped but cozy quarters to get some rest while his body began the slow effort to heal itself.  My dizziness had faded somewhat on the walk back, and after washing his blood from my hands, I started to feel better without all the worries pressing on me. 

A party of sorts had sprung up, the gypsies deciding a celebration was in order and I admit, my heart felt lighter for the first time in months.  Several campfires had been lit, and the smell of cooking meat wafted to me as I stood in the doorway to the washroom.  A lone violinist set a blistering pace, several stringed instruments following along as the mood grew more festive and there was some dancing.  Nothing showy, just people having a good time.

Maggie and Tucker looked much better, laughing and clapping along to the music.  Lee sat chatting with a buxom beauty, puffing on a wooden pipe he’d appropriated from somewhere.  I saw Bishop and Carys sitting by an open fire, deep in conversation, and I looked away once I realized I was staring.  I’m sure they had a million things to talk about, the layers of compulsion stripped away from their relationship. 

I was about to join Maggie and Tucker when Rob swung me around, positively giddy with strength and vigor, and I couldn’t help but laugh with him. 

“Feeling better then?” I grinned as he set me down on my feet.

“Better than I have since I died,” he admitted and I sobered at the thought.

“I’m sorry, I never meant for you to go through any of this.”

“Hush now,” he stopped me from wallowing deeper into the pit of self recrimination I’d waded up to.  “All’s well that ends well.  I’ve no cause to complain when I would’ve been dead and gone if you hadn’t turned me.  Weren’t none of this your fault and don’t think it escaped me that you were willing to die to save my sorry life.”

“I wouldn’t have died, I just would’ve been extra sleepy for a month or twelve,” I joked, still trying to process this lighter version of Rob that was so willing to let things go.  “Are you sure it worked, I mean, really worked?” I asked, darting another glance to where Bishop sat.  He seemed less jubilant and more subdued in his conversation with Carys, but looked no worse for wear. 

“It’s hard for me to say what normal is since I’ve felt that way since I was turned, but the burning thirst…”  Rob shrugged.  “It’s gone.  And I feel strong, stronger than I’ve ever been.  What about you?  How do you feel?”

“A little worn out, but mostly fine.”  I imagined it’d take some time for all the stress and strain to go away completely.  I looked down at the ring on my finger, the smooth amber cabochon glowing dully against the fire light.  “I guess there’s only one way to find out for sure if it’s over though.” 

I took hold of the ring and gave it an experimental tug.  It slid free, sticking only slightly over the swell of my knuckle before it came off and I held it in the palm of my hand.  My finger felt naked without the familiar weight, the singed burn scar from the ritual marring the band of flesh even though my other fingers had completely healed already. 

It was a beautiful ring, the intricate runes and scrollwork decorating the band and the luminous amber seemed to glow with a life all its own.  But I didn’t hesitate for one second before throwing it into the largest of the bonfires.  I never wanted to see it again.  Tears gathered, my shoulders shaking as the pent up emotions spilled out of me and Rob gathered me into his strong embrace.