The Meridian Gamble (55 page)

“Because I need your help. Before
they do something stupid.”

She wrinkles her brow in confusion.

“And what is it that you think they
are going to do?”

“I think they’ll try to transform
me, whether or not they have permission.”

“No, no, no,” she says, marring her
perfect features with a look of disappointment. “That would be a mistake. Adam
is not allowed to give the gift of the change. I would be forced to destroy
you, Saga.”

“Then they’ll go to Paris, to get
permission from the Elders.”

“And they are sadly mistaken in
that, too. The Elders would never contradict me in such a way.”

“I know. So you can see my problem.
You know how stubborn they are. I don’t think they’ll take ‘no’ for an answer.
Not from anyone.”

“Not from anyone? Not even from
me?” And her eyes look to me questioningly, with a kind of curiosity that
borders on suspicion. “What else is there that you are not telling me?”

I’m silent for a moment, and I’m
sure she can read it on my face. How do you tell someone that their friends
want to murder them?

“You think they’re going to try to
hurt me, don’t you?” she says, without waiting for my reply. “You think they
will get me out of the picture, so Roland will be the next to make the change.”

“I think they’re going to do
something stupid, that will get someone hurt, if not themselves, than someone
else. And as old as they are, they should know better.”

Marion shakes her head, hissing in
disgust.

“Of course they would,” she says.
“They are men in love, and men in love will do ridiculous things. Even worse,
they’ve had centuries to moon over their memories of you, and your mystery.
Sometimes I think they’re so obsessed with you, because you are the one thing
they could never have.”

I’m insulted by what she says, but
it probably hurts because there’s an element of truth to it. They probably
would become bored with me if they had me for a lifetime, or longer. Or they
might come to the realization that they never really loved me at all. But then
again, I can’t imagine Adam ever feeling that way. He certainly had enough
years of my ghost following him around to become sick of me, if that was going
to happen.

But I try to forget all that, and
focus on the task at hand.

“Marion, isn’t there something you
can do? A way you could sneak me out of the city, somehow?”

“It would never work,” she says.
“Adam is a natural born hunter. He would never stop searching for you. And I
guarantee, he would find you eventually. Even worse, they would still try to
assassinate me, thinking that you were out there somewhere, just for the chance
to change you.”

“I don’t understand this,” I say,
in frustration. “Why can’t I simply be allowed to live out my life without
being changed at all? Why is there such a problem with my existence?”

“You are Luminos. You are our
enemy, and we have rules about that. We are not forgiving of our foes. The one
loophole would be if you were to be transformed before the memories came back,
or before others discovered the truth. The blood is sacred that way, and once
you are changed, you cannot be put to death. In fact, I would gladly change you
myself, but I cannot pretend I did not know your true nature. It would only
draw more suspicion on you, because the whispers are already too strong that
you are Saga, that you have returned.”

Marion reaches over and gently
strokes my cheek, which only confuses me further, because her gesture seems so
sincere, so full of concern.

“I am like them, my old friend. I,
too, have missed you. I remember the past, and how you so selflessly saved me.
How you stepped aside from Adam for me. And I know that you’re doing it again,
that you have come here to save me once more. I would do anything for you,
Meridian. But there’s something the boys aren’t telling you …”

She leans closer, looking around,
as though someone could be listening in on us. Marion has a nervous expression,
and I’m frightened too, because whatever scares her must be terrifying, indeed.

“Roland believes you to be
important to the vampire cause. He thinks he has hidden this from me, but it is
a truth I learned long ago. And I am going to tell you something I have never
shared with them, with anyone.”

Marion’s eyes fill with urgency,
and my pulse quickens.

“I cannot tell you how I know this
or where the information comes from, but I’ve been given a glimpse of the
future. And in it, you are significant. Saga, you are not our savior. Quite the
opposite. If given the chance, you will bring about the destruction of us all.”

I almost pinch myself, to make sure
I’m not in another dream, because her words are almost too bizarre to be
believed. Her secret is worse than I imagined, and I shake my head, confused.

“That can’t be. I’m nothing. I’m
insignificant. How could I bring about destruction? I don’t even want to hurt
anyone.”

“I know you don’t, Saga. You are a
sweet and kind soul. And I do not know how it happens, through some hidden
skills and abilities, or some role you play in the struggle between these two
men and our war with Luminos. But all the same, you are being manipulated, and it
is being done by our Elders for a very dark purpose.”

I stay silent for a moment, trying
to drink it all in.

“Roland thinks otherwise. He thinks
I’m meant to lead. That it’s some jealousy thing, that you’re afraid to lose
your rule.”

“If only that were true, I would
gladly step aside and give you my throne. But it’s not, Saga. It’s not.”

I’m sickened and terrified at the
same time, because on some level, I fear that what she says is true. I remember
my visions of the past, of the Elders appearing in each of my lifetimes,
hovering around me. And whatever they want frightens me, deeply.

“But this makes no sense. Why would
they want to destroy everything?”

“Who can say for sure? They are the
Elders, and they’ve lived for a very long time. Their plots and plans are
complicated things, far beyond the ken of us lesser beings.”

“But there must me something I can
do. There must be some way I can change this fate.”

Marion puts her hands on my
shoulder and stares at me, seriously.

“There is. Saga, you must listen to
me carefully, and remember my words, remember them so strongly that you’ll
carry them with you through lifetimes. If you come back to this realm, you must
stay out of the war. Stay away from Roland and Adam, stay away from the
Luminos. If you can find me, I will do everything in my power to hide you, so
the boys do not know you’re here. In fact, if you can, do not return to this
place at all. That is our only hope.”

“But what about now? What can we do
in the present?”

Marion says nothing for a moment,
and it’s a sad thing, to see concern mar her perfect features. Her eyes shift
away, but she slowly forces herself to return my gaze.

“There is only one thing. It is an
ugly piece of business what I must do to you, Saga. And I hope you’ll forgive
me one day.”

I swallow nervously, and the words
catch in my throat.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“No. But I’m hoping you won’t think
it’s a far worse fate.”

And I know what it is. It hits me
in a flash; the tanks. She’s going to put me in the tanks. And, again, Marion
looks away, full of guilt.

And I don’t know what I was
thinking, how I can continue to put myself in the heart of danger, lifetime
after lifetime.

Before either of us can say more,
the doors to her suite burst open. It’s Lina, and she comes storming inside wearing
one of her black outfits, a more formfitting bodysuit this time. Marion’s face
registers shock and rage.

“Lina! How dare you enter my
private chamber this way!”

“Is it true?” Lina says, ignoring
her. “Is this woman Saga?”

I’ve never seen Lina like this. Her
face isn’t hardened, and full of arrogance. It’s soft, and she seems almost
panicked, and just a bit hopeful. And once again, I’m filled with feelings of
guilt for hiding my true nature.

“It’s true,” I say. “I’m her. I’m
sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“Oh, my sister. I’ve looked for you
for so long. You don’t know how I’ve hoped you would return to me with your
Luminos gift,” she whimpers.

Lina rushes to me and takes me in
her arms. And I feel something in her hug that transcends time and past lives.
It’s something I haven’t felt with Staci, or even my own sister. It’s different
even from Adam. I feel a sense of family, like she’s someone I can trust above
all others. I try not to cry, this is the last place where that should happen,
but I can’t stop a few tears from rolling down my face.

“And to think I was so mean to you.
I was worried that you were another of Adam’s ruses.”

“It’s all right, I don’t mind.”

Lina leans back, and looks me over.

“You’re still the same, little
sister. Turning all the boys’ heads.”

“Well, maybe not all the boys,” I
say, trying not to sob. “And as I recall, you were the true beauty of the
family.”

Lina laughs, for a moment. But she
pulls away from me, and I’m shocked, because her soft features are gone. She’s
frightening again, full of rage, though it’s not directed at me.

Lina is glaring at Marion.

“What are you planning on doing to
her, Marion?”

“Only what needs to be done,”
Marion says, calmly.

“Are you insane? Have you gone mad?
This is Saga.”

“No, she is not Saga. She is
Luminos. You just said it, yourself.”

Marion stands firm, keeping a grave
face, even though I suspect that it’s killing her inside, at least a bit.
Though I can’t help but to be skeptical to some small degree, I suspect that
there’s truth to her words.

“Stand back, little sister,” Lina
says, putting her hand in front of me.

I back away, in horror, as the two
women begin to circle each other around the table.

“You are not going to harm a hair
on her head,” Lina says.

“And do you really think you can stop
me? When doing so would be treason?” Marion says, full of contempt.

But Lina doesn’t wait for more
banter, and it happens in a flash. She lunges, but Marion casts her aside,
throwing her into the long table. And a few of its chairs clatter to the ground,
as Lina scrambles to her feet.

My sister comes back at her, and
it’s almost too fast to see. She’s on Marion, throwing punches the vampire
queen blocks. Lina aims for a gut punch, which Marion stops with her hand. But
she’s not trying hard enough, and Lina slaps her. Twice, and the shock
registers on Marion’s face.

She throws Lina again, and she hits
the wall, grazing the frame of the giant oil painting. It falls down, and it’s
unnerving, to see the destruction the two women are causing. They’re trashing the
beautiful room before my eyes.

Marion runs at her, but Lina uses
her height to her advantage, and throws a roundhouse kick at Marion with her
long leg. She bombards Marion with more kicks, one after the other, stunning
her. Lina raises her hand in the air like a claw, and for a split-second, her
burgundy nails glisten in the light. She slashes down on Marion’s face, and red
lines cross her beautiful features. Marion screams, holding her hand to the
wound in shock.

While she’s stunned, Lina manages
to wrap her hands around Marion’s neck, and the two tussle on the ground,
rolling about, but the vampire queen cannot break Lina’s deadly grip. Marion
winds up on top of her, but Lina still holds her back with her extended arms,
choking her. And I’m shocked, when she calls out to me.

“Do it, sister! Use your Luminos
skills to end her wretched existence. You can do this!”

But I’m too shocked to reply. I’m
stunned that Lina would even think of me in this way.

And Marion slowly twists her head
within Lina’s grip ever so slightly, looking in my direction.

And it happens. All the training
and hours of combat from my past, the ones I never truly believed were there,
come bubbling to the surface. I know I only have a moment, while Marion is
stunned, and I run.

I’m not stronger than her, but I
could bring about enough force to fracture her neck, so Lina could have the
edge. And I leap through the air. But at the last moment, I shift my foot, to
land on her shoulder, and I knock Marion away.

I manage to get to my feet between
them, and I raise my hands, stopping the two women. It’s terrifying, like
trying to block two wild animals from fighting.

“Samahlina, no!” I tell my sister.
“I did not save your life so you could throw it away …”

The shock of my yelling brings Lina
to her senses, and she stands down. But she still looks ready to pounce.

“Marion is doing what she must,” I
plead. “Promise me. Promise me that you will never try to hurt her again.”

Lina looks enraged, but she nods
her head, slowly.

“I agree to what you say. Only for
you, sister.”

“And you, Marion. Swear to me. Give
me your word you won’t put her to death for what she’s done here today. Promise
you won’t punish her, and I’ll do exactly what you want.”

But my words are loaded. I’m not
talking about marching dutifully to the tanks, which I’ll do, of course. I’m
talking about staying away, from Adam and Roland, from the Luminos. Forever.
Which will kill me, far worse than any torture they could inflict in their
vampire dungeon.

I stare at Marion intently, communicating
the message with my eyes, and she seems to understand.

“Of course. It was a simple
misunderstanding. Lina’s emotions got the best of her, but she did me no real
harm.”

And perhaps she’s right, because
the wounds on Marion’s face are starting to heal before my eyes. They’re not
even leaving a scar.