Vampire State of Mind (27 page)

‘Yep. Pretty much.'

‘No, it's important.
All
the stuff from the fridge?'

‘Er, yes. There wasn't much in there. And we brought the paperwork. We left the dead files, but I picked up everything that's open at the moment. Why?'

‘Because I have a plan.'

At almost cartoon-speed I outlined my idea to Liam, who flinched. ‘You think that's it? That'll work?'

‘It's the only hope we've got right now. You wait for …' I tailed off as Malfaire came sauntering around the corner accompanied by his pair of Shadows.

‘Jessica.' He clicked his fingers and the Shadows flowed off into hidden corners. I was clearly supposed to be aware they were still present. ‘We find ourselves alone at last.'

‘Hello.' Liam gave a little wave. ‘Still here, still listening, still paying the fan club subscription fees. I might not be armed but I can bite bloody hard if you're after a fight.'

Malfaire hardly gave him a glance. ‘Humans do clutter the place up, don't they?' he said to me. ‘Perhaps we should …'

‘Malfaire.' I had to stop him thinking about Liam, although it already helped that he considered my front-line weapon to be beneath contempt. ‘I think we should let Liam carry on staffing the office. If people notice the tracker programme is down, we could have chaos breaking out on the streets.' The demon's expression went thoughtful, so I pressed home my advantage, ‘I mean, yes, we want chaos, ultimately, but we want chaos we can be in charge of. Not chaotic chaos,' I finished lamely. ‘Keep things running until we can step in and take over. We don't want the humans implementing some kind of “scorched earth” policy, do we?'

Liam's eyes flashed wide for a second. The reality of the danger we might be in if I couldn't do something fairly drastic was clearly sinking in. And I knew that there were plans in high government for terminal action should the vampires try to rise. I'd once slept with a blabbermouth journalist – something Liam
didn't
know about. At least, I hoped he didn't.

Malfaire waved a hand. Didn't even seem bothered enough to waste words on a mere human. I leaned towards Liam, steadied myself against his shoulder, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. ‘See you later,' I said, and then under cover of wiping away non-existent lipstick (I worked for the
council
, lipstick in my job would have been like clothes on dogs) I whispered in his ear, ‘Sil and Zan are in the house.'

Malfaire pulled me away rather more roughly than I thought the situation warranted. I barely had time to grimace at Liam in a way that I
really
hoped he understood, before I found myself in a high-ceilinged reception room, with the double doors firmly closed behind us.

Malfaire glanced around at the furnishings. ‘How odd,' he said. ‘Usually vampires have more of a sense of style.' He turned to face me. ‘That's all they are, of course, a triumph of style over substance. You seemed surprised that I could so easily subdue both your pet and the old one, but, as you will find out, vampires are pathetic creatures, really.' He removed his jacket and hung it carefully over the back of a Louis XIV chair, stroking the folds so that it wouldn't crease. ‘Yes,' he went on. ‘With vampires it's all blood and thrills, which is not a basis for a system of government. This world will be so much better when demons run it properly.' He gave me a long-lashed look. ‘And by demons, of course, I mean you and me.'

This was good. This was the bad guy wanting to talk. And the longer he talked, the more chance there was of Liam being able to do what I'd asked. If I could keep him talking a while longer …

‘So.' I perched on the edge of a ridiculously over-gilded chair. There seemed to be a lot of gilt around this house. I wondered if Zan was being metaphorical through the medium of furniture. ‘Where do we go from here?'

Malfaire leaned against the wall and stared down his nose at me. ‘You are very like your mother, Jessica,' he said suddenly. ‘In appearance, I mean. She was an easily broken thing, ultimately, and I do hope that you have not inherited that tendency.'

I held my breath. Tried to keep my expression neutral. ‘I see.'

The demon fussed with the creases in his trousers, lining them perfectly down the front. ‘You should never have been born, of course,' he continued. ‘Ghyst do not willingly breed unless threatened with extinction; we are not prone to giving birth to our own downfall. Although that now seems to have been little more than unsubstantiated rumour.'

‘Well, you wouldn't, I suppose. It would be like giving birth to a life-sentence.' I swallowed hard. ‘My mother – what was she like?'

Malfaire gave a little smile. ‘Ah. There was a lot more to your mother than met the eye, my dear. Very much more.' The smile thinned at the corners. ‘But, if it is all the same to you, I don't think it a good idea to give you
too
much information. Added incentive to keep me alive and well, do you see? If anything happens to me, all knowledge of your parentage will die with me.' He studied his nails. ‘And, of course, when we rule her picture will hang –' a glance at the walls – ‘just
there
, I think.'

He has pictures of her. He knows all about her, my mother, Rune Atrasia. The information I most want in the world. But …

‘Would you like some wine?' I blurted out, trying to cover the tumult of emotion that was rioting through me. If I'd had a vampire demon it would have been a very, very happy bunny right now. ‘Zan keeps …
kept
a pretty swanky cellar; there's some expensive stuff down there.'

Malfaire shrugged. ‘You need alcohol?'

‘Oh yes,' I said, with very heavy emphasis. ‘Right now, I think I do.'

‘Then we shall share a bottle of the vampire's finest. Order your human to fetch us some.'

‘I'll go and find him.' Leaving the demon lounging in an antique chair, I fled down the corridor to the living room, where Liam had all the office equipment. He was crouched in front of the fridge. ‘Jessie, this had better work,' he said, straightening up as I came in. ‘I am really not up for spending the rest of my life as that man's domestic servant.' He handed me a bottle. ‘Well, not unless it comes with a really smart uniform,' he added.

‘This is it?'

‘Yeah. Zan helped out. He's ace at mixing cocktails, it seems. Particularly this sort, which makes you wonder. Jessie, are you …?'

‘Don't. Please. Where are the vamps now?'

Liam nodded at the wall. ‘Secret passageways run all over the house. Perfect for that mob-and-blazing-torch moment.'

‘They think of everything. Right. You know what you're doing?'

‘Yep. The boys are waiting for the cue. They'll let me know when you're ready.'

‘You mean they'll be watching? What if this,' I shook the bottle, ‘doesn't work?'

Liam gave a little grin. ‘Then I think we all die horribly in some kind of cinematic slo-mo.' Then he reached out and unexpectedly touched my cheek. ‘Are you all right?'

I felt the tears heavy behind my eyelids. ‘I have to be. Otherwise …' I choked off and shook my head. ‘I don't think we'd like the alternative.'

‘Well, look at it this way. There can't be many people who've had to get drunk on very expensive wine to save the world.'

‘Thanks.' We stood a moment longer, then I waved the bottle and left. Couldn't speak for the lump in my throat. If I messed this up then I'd never see Liam again. Not alive, anyway.

Sil waited in the passage behind the panelling for Zan to catch up. ‘She's good, you've got to admit.'

The old vampire nodded. ‘Clever. Devious. Almost like one of us.'

Sil half-laughed. ‘I think that is what frightens her most.' He pressed his eye to the crack, which gave a fish-eye view of the room beyond. ‘She has left the room.' His stomach lurched in a way he recognised from when he'd been human. He was actually
scared
. It had been a long time since anything had had the power to frighten him, but the thought of Jessie alone with that demon was sending adrenaline spurts through his system and making his own demon writhe inside him. He closed his eyes for a second, feeling the thrashing monster that lay within him as though for the first time. The trade off. The thing that gave him long life and the strength to hunt, the thing that fed off the blood and the power and the thrills. The thing that made him what he was. His mind choked on the thought.
Jonathan died in the alley with a vampire's bite in his throat and a vampire's seed in his blood. Sil walked away. And now I co-exist with a creature that has the power to kill me simply by leaving, a creature I sustain by allowing it to feed on any emotion which connects me to humanity.

He drew his fingers down the rough plaster inside the wall, digging his nails through the surface, trying to reach a sensation that would bring his mind back to where it should be. But all he could think of was her expression when she'd known she had to fight Malfaire alone. Her golden eyes holding all that fear and all that terrible knowledge as she'd tried to send him away. His demon pinched at his lungs.
I can't let her face it alone. It's going to hurt her, it's going to make her feel a little less human. She shouldn't be alone.

Malfaire had moved into one of the State receiving rooms. An enormous desk, which must have been built
in situ
, took up the centre of the room. The remainder of the furniture, a green velvet
chaise-longue
, some over-polished mahogany woodwork and some truly horrible paintings, were all racked along the walls, leaving the desk looking like an island in an over-fished sea.

‘Ah. There you are. Thought I was going to have to come looking.' Malfaire was reclining on the velvet day-bed effort, like Byron on his day off.

‘Liam found us this.' I waved the bottle, and the two glasses. ‘So we can drink to our success in style.'

Malfaire took the bottle and scrutinised the label. ‘Not bad. Chateau Latour Pauillac. 1990, too. I almost revise my opinion of vampires.'

‘He's opened it for us, but I'm not sure it's had time to breathe.' I put the glasses on a side table, hoping he wasn't going to come over all posh wine critic and insist on giving it time to reach optimal drinking temperature. I wasn't sure I could keep polite conversation going for much longer. ‘Shall I pour some?'

The demon yawned. ‘Why not? It may relax you sufficiently to begin discussions of our future together. I am considering giving you the North to rule.'

‘Lovely!' I said brightly, wondering why Malfaire merited London and the ports, while I got the chilly half and the pigeon racing. Still, at least the M25 would be his problem. I wondered if that would hold up his plans for world-domination. I poured two glasses of the black-red wine. It was thick, almost gloopy, and smelled of blackberries with a metallic edge.

He raised his glass to me. ‘Let this be the first of many.'

I clinked my glass against his and took a small swallow. It tasted foul, but then I've never had much of a palate for wine. Give me a bottle of lager and a packet of cheese-and-onion crisps and I'm happy; the expensive stuff always reminds me of paint-thinner.

Malfaire, however, seemed to appreciate it. He sniffed his glass, took a sip and followed this with a larger gulp. ‘Hmm. A little tinny. Odd sort of aftertaste … seems to me that this has been massively over-rated.' He did the whole slooshing about in the mouth thing beloved of professional wine-tasters. ‘But drinkable. Very drinkable.' At last he swallowed. ‘Now. What do you think of my proposal?'

I refilled his glass. ‘Have some more.'

‘Jessica, are you trying to get me drunk? I'm a demon. It won't work.'

‘Then there's no problem. Drink up.' I pressed the glass into his hand. ‘Can we negotiate for Birmingham, or do we have to draw lots or something?'

Malfaire gulped the whole glass down in one, clearly pleased that I was going along with his plan. ‘I will take the Midlands. Sheffield, however, is all yours.'

‘That's … very nice. Trams. Meadowhall. All the … shopping I can take. Wow, you must be thirsty. Another?' Without waiting for an answer I refilled.

‘There will be no need for shopping.' Malfaire drained the glass in another single swig; he'd clearly stopped worrying about the bouquet and the after-taste. The wine, and its addition, must be cutting in already. ‘That is why we have the humans. They may be a nuisance, but we need to retain some to feed the vampires that we choose to keep alive.' He smiled. ‘I am thinking we may spend the weekends hunting them for sport.'

‘Well, I've never liked football much.'

‘I thought of starting with your pet. He looks as though he could run quite quickly, doesn't he? Particularly with … what, Shadows after him? Or wights? Which would you prefer to see tear him apart, Jessica?'

‘No!' I wasn't fast enough to keep my mouth shut and a sudden flare of magic sparked between us, sending a flash of pain all the way up to my shoulder. ‘Ow!'

‘I apologise. Automatic response.' Malfaire smiled that cat-like smile again. ‘Purely defensive, you understand, nothing personal.'

So he doesn't really trust me
, I thought.
He's not completely stupid.
I tried to move smoothly, unthreateningly and not say anything inflammatory. ‘No, I should apologise. I'm still getting my head around …' I waved an arm. ‘It's taking some getting used to.' My heart raced as he slumped back against the velvet of the
chaise
. His expression had changed to surprise, tinged with a vacant kind of bliss and I felt a momentary relaxation of the muscles between my shoulder blades.
This just might work. But it means …