The Vampire's Revenge (25 page)

Deylaud wasn’t relieved for long. Soon he began to sob. “My sister may not live.”

I’d never seen a creature more heartbroken. “I’m so sorry, Deylaud. I wish I could protect you, but I have my hands full trying to keep a step ahead of the old lords. And that means I’ll be depending on you to take care of Reyha when she gets back. Maybe you should hire some security guards to help you and Reyha feel safe.”

Deylaud bristled. “Do you not think we can take care of ourselves and the mansion? We foiled this attempt on our lives and William’s property. When Reyha gets well, we’ll . . .”

“Shhh. It’s all right,” I said soothingly and patted his shoulder. “Of course you can take care of things. I don’t know what I was thinking.” Deylaud and Reyha’s sole purpose in life was to guard me and the property, and they did their job well. I should have realized that suggesting they needed any help with their sworn sacred duty would go against Deylaud’s grain.

“I’m also counting on you to handle all William’s business matters, including the maintenance of all properties and assets,” I added quickly. “You know what to do. If you need business help, you can hire someone.”

Deylaud had served as William’s clerk since the days when books were kept in, well, real books. When the computer age came along, Deylaud adapted to technology as quickly and easily as he adapted to everything else. He knew as well as William had himself what it took to run William’s many business interests. In addition, he had all the legal authority he needed. He also had a talent for forging his former master’s signature.

Deylaud nodded and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “You can count on me, Jack. I’ll handle everything. We just make sure that Reyha’s okay first.”

“I give you my word,” I said, and squeezed his hand. “I’ll make sure that Reyha has everything she needs to recover. I’m sure she’ll probably be fine by the time she gets back here.”

Deylaud took a deep breath. “After all the danger that you and William have found yourselves in, not to mention Melaphia and Renee, I never believed that Sister and I would be in danger, too.”

“I’m so sorry, Deylaud,” I repeated. I was sorry I’d let these trusting, loyal creatures down. And I was sick to death of being sorry. I was beginning to feel like turning a whole army of vampires, and damn anyone who tried to stop me. Enough was enough.

Deylaud sat up straight and tall, but his eyes were still full of misery. “You should go back to sleep, Jack. You need your strength. I’ll tell you when I hear from Seth and Connie about Sister.”

As I headed back downstairs, Deylaud called to me, “Jack, are we ever going to be a family again?”

“Yes,” I said. “Absolutely.” I hoped he couldn’t sense the bravado I heard in my own voice.

Downstairs I climbed back into my coffin, still rattled by everything that had happened but too exhausted to do anything but fall into a deathlike sleep.
Finally.
I was only vaguely aware of Deylaud opening the lid to my box some time later to tell me that Reyha was back home and getting better.

I woke at precisely sundown. Connie was waiting for me in the vault. “Reyha’s going to be fine,” she said. “Come upstairs and see.”

Reyha, still in dog form, was resting comfortably on Melaphia’s bed, covered with a down comforter pulled up to her slender neck. I stroked her, murmured soothing words of thanks to her, and kissed her head. “You rest now,” I said, and left a much-relieved Deylaud watching over her.

“Oh, man, what a load off my mind,” I said.

“Mine too,” Connie said quietly.

“Are you all right?” I asked her.

“Yeah. Just tired.”

“You didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“I’ll be fine. I wanted to stay with her until you woke up.”

“Thanks for helping Reyha. I know Deylaud is grateful. I am, too.”

Connie smiled and nodded, but didn’t say any more. She might be fine, but she was definitely subdued. I wondered what she and Seth had talked about during their trip to the vet and back. I couldn’t worry about that now, though. I had plans to make.

“I think it’s time for that team meeting I told you about.”

I called Rennie and told him to get the irregulars together and meet us at Eleanor’s house. Then I called Werm and told him to be there, too. I instructed both of them to go through the tunnels so as not to draw any attention to themselves.

“I forgot to tell Seth to come,” Connie said after I got off the phone with Werm.

“Go ahead and call him.”

She did, and I pretended to be interested in whatever it was Mole was telling me while Connie talked to Seth. She hung up and said, “He’ll be there.”

I had to get rid of this burr under my saddle where Seth was concerned. What they talked about was none of my business. They were together now. Connie and I were business partners of sorts. Nothing more.

“Let’s go then,” I said, and we set off.

We were the first to arrive at what was to have been Eleanor’s house. William had recently ordered the place built, after Reedrek had torched her first brothel. With all hell breaking loose, the house had remained vacant. I hadn’t had a chance to think about what to do with it now that Eleanor wouldn’t be coming back.

The bottom floor had a large parlor on one side and a spacious reception area on the other, complete with a circular desk. Upstairs were eight bedrooms and another big common area. There were kitchens on both floors and a generous laundry/utility room on the ground floor in the back of the building. The whole setup was like that of a small, exclusive hotel. The most important feature to those of the pointy-toothed persuasion was the light-tight basement with steel-reinforced doors and its own secure entrance to the tunnels.

“I can practically see the wheels turning in your brain. What are you thinking?” Connie asked as we looked around the main floor.

“I was thinking that all we need to do is furnish this place and it would be a dandy facility for a big group of blood drinkers.”

“Indeed,” Mole observed. “This would make lovely accommodations. Depending on the appointments, it could be quite posh.”

Werm came through the door. “How’re things at the mansion?” he asked.

“Fine now,” I assured him.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Werm glanced around and whistled. “Wow. This is a nice place. Mind if I explore?”

“Help yourself.”

“I shall join you,” Mole said.

Werm shyly squeezed Connie’s arm on his way past her to the stairs. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Thanks. It’s good to be back.”

Seth was the next to arrive. As soon as he came through the door, he stationed himself between me and Connie. “How’s Reyha?” he asked.

“A lot better. She’s going to be fine, thanks to you,” I said.

Seth shrugged. “You look like hell,” he said.

“Again, thanks to you.” I fingered the wound on my chin. It was nearly healed, but he kicked my ass and I guess he had to rub in that fact. Especially in front of Connie. I wanted to point out that I let him beat me because I knew I had wronged him, but of course I couldn’t say that. Instead I tried to lighten up the tension convention I seemed to be chairman of. “I hope you’re up to date on your vaccinations,” I said.

“I’ll be fine if you have rabies. I don’t know if they make inoculations for evil dead. It’s not catching, is it?” Seth said.

“Boys,” Connie said, looking away.

“I was talking about
my
health,” I said, ignoring her. “I’m living proof that your bite’s worse than your bark—or howl or whatever. I probably have a whole bloodstream’s worth of dog germs right now.”

“Hope you don’t get an infection,” Seth said with a snarl. “Oh, I forgot. You’re already dead.”

The door opened and the boys from the garage filed in. “Oh, good,” Connie said. “Everybody’s here.”

After folks had a few minutes to look around, I asked everybody to go into the parlor. Some of the guys sat on the floor or the hearth and some leaned against the wall. Connie perched on the reception desk while Seth leaned on it as close to her as he could get. He was so determined to mark her as his territory I half-expected him to hoist one leg and pee on her at any minute.

I started by introducing Mole to the ones who didn’t know him and explaining his background. The others couldn’t help but stare. I thought since they’d gotten to know Werm they might well figure they’d seen it all where funny-looking vampires were concerned. But Mole raised the bar on the vampiric creepiness factor, and that was no small feat. I went on to catch everybody up on the events of the last few days—most of the events, that is.

The irregulars expressed alarm at the firebombing, relief that the real Connie was back, and awe to hear that she had killed Eleanor and Ulrich.

“You should have seen her bitch-slap him before she stabbed him,” I recounted. “Actually, it was more of a pimp slap. It was inspiring, I’m telling you.”

There were whoops of approval all around. Seth looked at Connie. “You didn’t tell me about that. Way to go, honey,” he said.

“What do you think this Diana is going to do now?” Jerry asked. “I know it was scary and all, but hiring somebody to throw a Molotov cocktail at William’s house seems like a lame kind of a move for a self-respecting vampire.”

“Yeah,” Rufus agreed. “Seems someone like her would be able to think of something more—I don’t know—impressive.”

“She was so pissed that the Slayer killed her man, it was the only thing she could think of on short notice,” I said. “That’s my theory anyway. I’m not looking forward to the day she gets her act together.”

“Do you have any idea what the Council’s next move is?” Rennie asked.

“No, but that’s what I called y’all here to talk about. I figure all of us have a stake in the future of this city and the well-being of the citizenry. I know I’ve called on all of you at one time or another to help out with fending off the bad vampires. Y’all have really stepped up to the plate, and I thank you. But with William gone and with the Slayer in Savannah, we’re going to be the target of who knows what in the future. I mean, look at the earthquake, for example. The old lords tried to harness the forces of nature, of the elements themselves, to raise hell and they very nearly succeeded.”

I looked from face to face. They were duly concerned, but there was not a coward among them. I was proud to be their friend. “I’d like us to continue working as a team, but our numbers are thin. I think we need to consider adding some new recruits.”

“What exactly are you talking about?” Seth said, his yellow-green eyes narrowing.

“I’m talking about making new vampires. Very carefully, of course.”

“That’s a damn fool idea,” Seth said. “William wouldn’t have approved of that and you know it.”

I had to catch my teeth between my fangs to keep from telling him off. “Things change,” I said. “We need help, and the western clans can’t spare any. Werm thinks we can recruit every vampire-to-be discreetly and selectively from some of the young people he knows. We’ll look for people who have skills we can use, people who don’t have any family.”

“I don’t know, Jack,” Otis said. “Won’t a bunch of fledgling vampires running around Savannah be hard to keep tabs on?”

“It’s true we have to be very careful. This is going to be a slow process,” I said. “We’re not going to go off making vamps half-cocked. And of course we would never turn anyone against their will.”

“This is against everything William stood for,” Seth said, his muscular arms crossed in front of his massive chest.

I looked at the ceiling and tried to keep my temper under control. “William’s not here,” I said deliberately. “I have to defend this city—hell, this
continent
—the best way I know how. I’m in charge now, but if any of you have better ideas, I’d be happy to hear them.”

Seth ran a hand through his hair and looked at the others. Nobody said anything. Connie let herself down from her perch on the desk and walked to the bay windows at the far side of the room. It struck me that she was reacting to my reminder that William was dead. Her guilt and sorrow were palpable. Seth had respected and looked up to William almost as a father figure, just as I had done. He had always been in awe of what William had been able to accomplish for good, how he’d overcome his nature as a demon.

“You may be large and in charge,” he said at last, “but if you go through with this scheme, you’re half the man William was.”

I glared at him. I wondered how much of his anger was about making more vampires and how much of it really was about me having sex with Connie. The others were looking back and forth between Seth and me like they were expecting a fight to the death to break out any second. That wasn’t going to happen if I could help it. “You’re entitled to your opinion.”

“I’m not going to participate in this unholy fiasco,” he said. He stalked toward the front door and put his hand out for the knob before he realized that Connie wasn’t following. She remained standing with her back to him, her spine ramrod straight. He hesitated for a moment before leaving and slamming the door behind him.

Twenty-one

When he was gone I looked around at my remaining friends. Not only did the situation put Connie in an awkward position, it was also potential trouble for Jerry. As Seth’s second-in-command, his loyalty to Seth in the pack’s business was a given. But when it came to outside matters he was a free agent. I was particularly touched that he didn’t make a move to follow Seth.

“The last thing I want to do is to twist anybody’s arm,” I said. “If any of you have a problem with this idea, you’re free to go without involvement and with no hard feelings. I promise you that.”

There was only a moment’s silence before Huey piped up. “I’m with you, Jack. I’m not sure what you’re talking about exactly, but whatever it is—count me in.”

Out of the mouths of zombies. Huey’s affirmation broke the tension, and there were chuckles all around except, I noted, from Rennie. Even Connie laughed. She turned around and rejoined the group, sitting on the floor right in front of me. Nobody else left. They waited to hear more about my plan. I relaxed, grateful that I had so many true friends. So many more than I felt I deserved.