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When I lifted my head, something cracked in my neck, but it was nothing pivotal. In fact, a great release of endorphins followed the pop. Through my one good eye I could see Jameson standing a foot or two away from me.
“Good. I didn’t kill you,” he said with a nod.
I spit a mouthful of blood onto the floor and let my head loll backwards so I was staring at the ceiling. Spider-web patterns of light exploded across my vision and an achy throbbing sound pulsed in my ears, but I could at least see who was in the chair behind me.
r /> “Nolan,” I croaked. “Nolan, are you okay?”
The boy was still out cold, his head flopped to one side like his neck contained no bones. But he was breathing, so for the time being I could assume he was all right. My head rolled to the side of its own volition, and I found myself looking out a large picture window.
In the tree outside, a barn owl glared at me.
I let out a small yip of joy, though to anyone present it probably sounded like pain.
Jameson came over to me and pulled my head upright by my hair, narrowly avoiding my attack when I tried to bite his arm open with my still-exposed fangs. He yanked his arm away, then grabbed my face in one of his large, rough hands. He shoved my upper lip up on both sides and gave a long whistle.
“Damn, girl. ”
I snarled at him but ended up choking back more of my own blood.
Near my chair was an old, tall brass lamp. I’d only have one chance to execute this plan properly, so I had to believe my rudimentary grasp of physics was enough. I swung the weight of my body to one side, jerking my face out of Jameson’s hand, and then when he moved to grab at me again I tipped the chairs the opposite way, dragging Nolan’s body weight as well as my own to the tipping point.
The chairs tumbled over and the back panel of one broke, but our bonds still held firm. Freedom hadn’t been the point, however. The brass lamp wobbled, and I watched it with one eye wide. It teetered violently, and then it too tumbled. Its fall was much more spectacular because it fell into the big window, creating a triumphant crash. The window wasn’t destroyed, but a large panel of it was now missing.
The owl blinked at me and I blinked back, but given how screwed up my face was it probably looked like I was winking at it.
Jameson pulled our chairs back up with one tug and glared at me.
“You’re supposed to behave,” he snapped.
I laughed. “Whoever told you that either never met me or thought you’d be stupid enough to believe it. ”
He looked flummoxed and repeated, “You’re supposed to behave. ”
I spit more blood out, then touched my fangs with the tip of my tongue to make sure neither was loose. My human teeth I could get caps for. Vampire fangs don’t regrow if you lose them, and I wasn’t in a position to lose my only built-in weapon. They both felt secure, so at least that wasn’t the source of the blood.
“Jameson,” I wheezed. “Who told you that?”
“I…” He checked the bonds holding me and Nolan and seemed satisfied they were secure. Behind me Nolan groaned, finally starting to come around.
If Jameson was someone’s daytime servant, he lacked any of the sensibilities of the ones I had previously met. Other human servants were whip-smart, devoted and cunning. You had to maintain certain skills in order to survive for centuries without the speed and strength of a vampire. Jameson seemed lost and bumbling. Even during the brief encounter we’d had at Bramley, he had been self-assured and larger than life.
This Jameson was an empty husk of his former self.
A puppet.
“Oh, Jameson, you stupid old fool. You of anyone should have known. ”
He stared at me blankly. “I don’t know what you mean. ” He still sounded like himself. The Jameson of old was in there somewhere, probably trying to claw his way to the surface. But he had been turned into a Renfield. He was some master vampire’s errand boy now.
“They got you. ”
“No one got me. ” He walked over to the main doors of the room and yanked one open. “Noriko said you were one of them and she was right. You must be sacrificed for the cause. ”
I blinked my one eye uselessly. A giant hand of pain squeezed my skull.
“What cause?”
But Jameson had vanished through the open door, leaving Nolan and me alone in the room.
