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She had been wrong.
Together, hand in hand, the two of them walked into the terminal.
EPILOGUE
Saint-Tropez
Isabelle of Orleans, at home, looked just as intimidating as she had at the party. The countess received them at her villa in Saint-Tropez, on the sun splashed terrace that looked over the bright blue Mediterranean. It was their first stop on the way to Florence, and it had been Jack's idea to try to achieve what Schuyler had failed to secure months before.
"So, you are refugees from Michael's tribe," Isabelle said, her voice low and gravelly. "What makes you think I shall give you what you ask? Why should the European Coven even care about two wayward children?"
"Your Grace, we understand your skepticism... but we are desperate. Without the protection of the vampires, we will not be able to carry out Lawrence Van Alen's great work," Jack said.
The countess raised her eyebrows. "So you are here in Europe to try to fulfill his legacy?"
"Yes, Your Grace." Schuyler nodded.
"Then why did you not mention it sooner?" the countess demanded, causing her two lap dogs to yelp.
Jack and Schuyler exchanged a glance. "Our apologies," Jack said.
"I shall grant you access to the European Coven, and give you my blessing. While you are within our borders, the New York Coven will be unable to touch you."
"Thank you, Countess. You don't know how much this means to us," Schuyler said, relief and gratitude evident in her voice.
The countess ruminated. "This war has taken the life of my most trusted friend."
Schuyler nodded. She had heard the body of the real Baron de Coubertin had been found floating in the Seine, a few weeks after the attack.
"We are so sorry to hear that," she said. She knew what it meant to lose a Conduit.
The countess shrugged sadly. "You know, I was always a friend to Lawrence and Cordelia. It was Charles I could never stand," the countess sighed.
"I know he had to punish my brother, but I thought the punishment was unnecessarily draconian. Surely there must have been a way to live in peace together without resorting to such stringent measures. Well. There's not much we can do about that now, is there?"
"Your brother, Your Grace?" Jack asked.
"Why, Valerius, have you forgotten me so soon?" The countess smiled, looking suddenly coy and flirtatious.
"Oh, how much we three sisters fought over you when you came of age! Handsome Valerius! But of course Agrippina won you, as always. Well, perhaps not anymore." She winked and looked at Schuyler. "You're a lucky girl, my dear."
"I'm sorry?" Jack asked.
"Back in Rome, you knew me as Drusilla," the countess told them as she got up from her chair. "Come, children. I believe lunch is being served. And my chef makes an excellent tomato salad. You will join me, won't you?"
ER 69
Schuyler
During the ride to JFK, Schuyler kept to herself.
She was still exhausted from yesterday's events, but there was no time to rest. The documents Oliver had found, which he had been so excited about, were a small package of notebooks that he had discovered in files kept by Christopher Anderson, Lawrence's Conduit.
Fifty-five notebooks detailing everything her grandfather had found concerning the Van Alen Legacy, and every possible lead. The keepers of the third gate, the Gate of Promise, were most likely still in the city of Florence, which was where they were headed now.
Last night, when she finally came home, Oliver was waiting for her in her apartment. When she walked in, it took him a while to accept the fact that she was truly alive and standing in front of him. He had been convinced he had lost her forever. They hugged each other close, but Schuyler was still too distraught and confused about everything that had happened with Jack, to give Oliver much of her attention.
She listened as he filled her in on what had happened to everyone else during the attack and the aftermath; most of the Blue Bloods had gone to hide in the Force Tower, as they had been instructed by the Conclave. They had all come out safe.
