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He groaned, hunched over, and fell over on the grass, body curled over his manhood.
“Asshole,” I muttered, chest heaving as I climbed to my feet and kicked him over, then added a kick to the back of his ribs to encourage him, politely, to stay there.
Two guards ran over, looked at me, then him.
“Elisa Sullivan,” I said. “Maison Dumas.” Most vampires who weren’t Masters used only their first name. I’d gotten an exception since it wasn’t practical for a kid to have just one name.
They nodded, confiscated the stake, and went about the business of handcuffing the vampire. I picked up the katana, wiped the blade against my pant leg, and dared a look at the field around me.
Two of the other Saint-Germaine vampires were alive, both on their knees, hands behind their heads. I didn’t see the others, and unless they’d run away, which seemed unlikely, they’d probably been taken down by the Paris police or Eiffel Tower guards. Fallen into cones of ash due to a deadly encounter with aspen.
Humans swarmed at the periphery of the park, where Paris police worked to set up a barrier.
Some of the humans who’d survived the attack were helping the wounded. Others stood with wide eyes, shaking with shock and fear. And more yet had pulled out their screens to capture video of the fight. The entire world was probably watching, whether they wanted to see or not.
I found Seri standing at the edge of the park, her eyes silver, herexpression fierce and angry. She wasn’t a fighter, but she knew injustice when she saw it.
I walked toward her, my right hip aching a bit from hitting the ground, and figured I’d passed my first field test.
I suddenly wasn’t so sad to be leaving Paris.
TWO
Twenty-four hours later, I woke several thousand feet in the air, senses stirred by the whir of the automatic shutters. The jet’s windows had been covered while we slept, protecting us from burning to a crisp in the sunshine.
Through the window, orange and white lights glowed like circuits against the long, dark stretch of Lake Michigan. And I could feel the monster inside me reaching out, stretching as if it could touch the familiar energy.
The monster had a connection to Chicago—to the city and the sword that waited in the Cadogan House armory—that made it harder to control here. That was one of the reasons I’d gone to Paris, and one of the things I couldn’t explain to my father on the tarmac before I left.
My heart began to beat faster as the monster’s magic rose, and I had to work to slow it down again, to stay in control. I breathed out through pursed lips, concentrating to send it back into darkness again.
I can do this,I told myself.
I wasn’t the same girl I’d been four years ago. I was returning with more strength and experience, and four more years of practice in holding it down, keeping it buried. Which is where I meant it to stay. I’d be here for only a few days, and then I’d be on my way back to Paris, far from its reach. I would manage it until then, because there was no other choice.
Because I wouldn’t hurt anyone else, ever again.
“Are you all right?”
I glanced at Seri, unclenching my fingers from the armrest and giving her what smile I could manage. “Fine. A little groggy.”
Her brows lifted, and the expression said she didn’t believe me. Seri was a Strong Psych, and had a sense about people, about emotions, about truth and fiction. And she’d almost certainly felt the magic.
“Jet lag,” I said, which was mostly true. Vampirism and time-zone changes didn’t mix well for me even in the best of times. I’d spent most of my first week in Paris napping.
She didn’t look entirely satisfied, but she nodded. “I’m glad we have only the reception tonight.” She smiled at the attendant, wiped her hands with the hot towel he offered. “I’m not ready to listen to hours of arguing.”
“Me, either.” And I didn’t need to be a Strong Psych to know that no one on the plane was feeling especially optimistic. “But they’ll have wine or champagne or both. And we’ll only have to go back upstairs when the party’s over.”
The opening reception would be held at the Portman Grand, one of Chicago’s poshest hotels—and our home for the next few days. I’d said no to Marion when she offered to let me stay at Cadogan House. There was nothing to be gained from baiting the monster.
“You could still change your mind about the hotel,” Seri said. “Stay at Cadogan so you can see your parents more often.”
I made myself smile at her. “I’ll be working. Diplomatic responsibilities, remember?”
And a little more peace.
• • •
