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She looked at Roman. He nodded, holding out the stake. She took it and, with me bracing her shoulders, she plunged it through Terrance’s heart. One cloud of dust later, the Fangtabula was closed.
On our way out, Roman turned back. “Clean it out and lock up,” he told his children. They nodded and we headed to the limo. A group of bedraggled vampires and bloodwhores huddled in the parking lot, and as the guards took a step in their direction, they scattered into the night.
Serena came with us. I wasn’t sure what the hel to do with her, but Roman solved that. He made a quick cal , stepping to the side so we couldn’t hear him, then returned. “I have a female friend you can stay with for a few nights til we make provisions for you. Wil that be al right?”
She nodded. Ever since she’d dusted Terrance, the girl had fal en mute, seeming weary beyond belief. On the way home, we stopped at another mansion, where Roman sent Serena to the door with the driver, and within moments, she vanished into the palatial estate.
“Who’s she staying with?”
“My ex.”
I stared at him. “You were married?”
“Thirty-five times. Either they died—they were mortal—or they grew bored and wandered off.
This most current, she’s a vampire, too, and we were married during the fifties. But she grew restless. We kept in touch, however, and she can be trusted. She runs several women’s charities
—behind the scenes, of course—and a safe house for abused women.”
I shook my head. There were so many layers to this man, and I had the feeling it would take several lifetimes to discover them al . “So . . . what now?”
“Now, we rest. And at the Winter Solstice bal , I unveil you as my consort. I wil also be introducing the new Regent. By the way, your friend Wade wil receive an invitation to the bal , too.
He is not to bring his mother. I’ve heard enough about her. But he wil be expected to attend.
Vampires Anonymous wil be playing a bigger part in the community these coming months.”
I nodded, wondering just what Wade would say about that. But Roman silenced my thoughts as he pul ed me to him. My lips met his, and we slid down onto the seat, rocking the limousine in the silent and deadly night.
CHAPTER 25
Camil e, Delilah, and Iris were waiting up when I came back through the door. They took one look at my bloody clothing and Iris pointed to her bedroom. I quickly stripped, tossed my clothes in the hamper, and took a shower. She’d fetched my robe from my room and it lay waiting on her bed. I wrapped myself in the warm terrycloth and joined them again in the kitchen.
“So . . . Terrance is dead.” I took my place at the table and told them about the evening, including Serena. “I plan on handing her over to Wade, unless Roman’s ex-wife wants to take over the case.”
“So much blood the past few days. So much death.” Delilah shook her head. “But that’s what we’re here for, it seems.”
“Yeah, it seems so, doesn’t it?” I glanced at Camil e. “You ready for Morio to come home?”
She nodded. “More than ready. I’ve managed to avoid Smoky knowing anything about Vanzir yet. But it’s going to come up soon and I dread it.”
“Changes, changes everywhere,” Iris said. “Speaking of which, I know we’re nearing midwinter, but can you and Smoky and Rozurial leave with me in a week or so? We’l be back before your induction into Aeval’s Court on the solstice.”
Iris was off to search for a way to break a curse that had been laid on her centuries back, when she was in line to become high priestess of the temple to Undutar. She had been given the highest of titles: Ar’jant d’tel—Chosen of the Gods—but it had been stripped away when she was suspected of torturing and kil ing her fiancé. She had no memory of what happened, but until she broke the curse, she would be forever barren. And for a Finnish Talon-haltija, or house sprite, in her childbearing years, that was one of the most devastating things that could be done to her.
Now Iris had to venture to the Northlands, in search of the spirit of her lover, to find out the truth, and she’d extracted a promise from Camil e and Smoky to go with her. Rozurial had volunteered, too, having spent many years in the icy northern wastes.
Camil e nodded. “Yeah, we wil . And that in itself should prove to be an adventure.” She turned to me. “So, big vampire party coming up in a couple weeks?”
“Yeah . . . and a cocktail party before then. And hand-fasting to plan.” I thought of Nerissa, who was tucked warmly away in Delilah’s playroom upstairs. She’d come over, waiting for me, while I’d been gone. “This is going to be one hel of an interesting ride.”
“We’re living in interesting times. The old Chinese curse, playing out in our lives. But at least I’l be off bed rest as of next week,” Delilah said. “And that is a good thing.”
“A good thing indeed,” I said, thinking about al the things that were going on. We’d seen good and bad together, and my fears about us splitting up were at rest. I’d fought my battle tonight without them, but they’d stil been there—in spirit—in my heart.
No matter whether we stood on the front line together, or whether Camil e was hunting with the Moon Mother, or Delilah prowling with the Death Maidens, or even me—skimming the rooftops with Roman and dancing under the stars with Nerissa—we stil had each other. And that would forever be enough.
ONE WEEK LATER
