Waging War (9 page)

He held my eyes for a long moment before he
finally spoke. “I want to shake him and make him wake up to her
sitting in front of him. He needs to wake up, Saira. It’s not
fair—” he cleared his throat again. “It’s not fair for Mum to
finally find someone, just to have him disappear in front of her
eyes.”

“I got through to my mom for about a second.
Has she been able to reach him at all?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, she hasn’t
told me. But he’s not a Descendant. What if he doesn’t come out of
it?”

I couldn’t answer that, and Ringo saved me
from having to try when he came into the room holding a book open
to a marked page. “I found the Monger ring!”

Both of us were by his side in a second.
Ringo had been with me in Slick’s office when we’d taken the
genealogy, and he’d actually held the blood red gemstone ring in
his hands for a second until I made him put it back. I didn’t
regret it, because that ring just
felt
nasty, but this
wouldn’t even be a conversation if I had let him nick it like he
wanted to.

Ringo pointed to a drawing of a ring that
instantly sent shivers down my spine. It was the same ring we’d
seen in Slick’s office, and the same one he was wearing when he
snake-charmed my mom and Jeeves. Ringo read the description.

“It’s called Le Sang du Christ, and it
disappeared in 1842.”

My limited French was enough to translate.
“The Blood of Christ. That’s graphic. Disappeared from where?”

“From the Vatican. The Blood of Christ has
been in the papal records since about the ninth century.”

I stared at Ringo. “The popes had the Monger
ring?” It sounded blasphemous to even say it.

He shrugged. “It was part of the Vatican’s
collection until 1842.”

“Do you think the popes actually wore it?”
Connor looked horrified.

I snorted. “It might explain a lot – like
maybe the Inquisition and the Crusades.”

“
If
it’s the same ring, how does
knowing about it help anything?” Connor’s voice was still
incredulous.

Ringo answered him. “Because understandin’ a
thing that makes no sense might just give it edges to grab onto.
And if the church ‘ad it, they might know ‘ow to fight it.”

Connor scowled. “Bishop Cleary’s Church of
England. We don’t know any bigwig Catholics.”

Ringo and I shared a look, and I knew
exactly what he was thinking. I grinned. “We do know a guy…”

Connor’s face lost its scoffing grumpiness
as he suddenly got it. “The Vampire from France?”

“Where did Bas say he’d be going next?” I
asked the guys, but Archer answered from the doorway as he entered
the room.

“From France he was continuing his Catholic
immersion in England to learn English. But by the time of the
Tudors he would have gone to Amsterdam. Why?” Archer’s tone was
casual and light, but he moved stiffly, like he was still in pain,
and I rushed to his side. He kissed me lightly and accepted my help
to the sofa.

“Because we need to ask him about the Blood
of Christ,” I said.

Archer made a wry face. “I’m not sure he
ever actually drank that, but you can ask him.”

I shook my head at him. “Seriously? You can
pun, but you can’t dodge bullets? Your self-preservation instincts
are a little wonky, my friend.” The air in the room felt so much
lighter with him in it, and I tucked myself in next to him on the
worn leather.

Ringo opened the book and showed Archer. “Le
Sang du Christ is the Monger ring. This book describes it as one of
the Vatican treasures that went missin’ in 1842.”

“You’re sure it’s the same ring?” Archer
studied the drawing carefully.

“There’s an inscription – just there.” Ringo
pointed to the inside of the band where two words – oravi and vici
- were barely visible. “The ring I held in Walters’ office had the
words
veni, oravi, vici
engraved inside.”

“I came, I spoke, I conquered.” Archer said
softly.

We all stared at him as the full weight of
those three words hit us. I looked at Ringo. “You called it the
power to compel. I think the words make it clear that the Monger
ring gives the wearer the power to compel other people. And the
Mongers have probably been using it for centuries.” I shook my head
in awed horror. “How many wars were started with that ring?”

The rest of the household filed into the
library, and I welcomed the distraction from the thought of so much
power in Monger hands. They must have just come from dinner because
everyone was dressed in formal clothes, and even Jeeves had on a
tuxedo. Archer struggled to his feet, but I knew better than to
help him up. A second later, Connor followed his lead. I watched
Connor’s eyes dart between Jeeves and Liz. She sat at a table and
then patted the seat next to her for him to join her. He complied
with a vague smile that made my heart hurt. Mr. Shaw pulled a chair
out for my mom, and Ringo stood to give Millicent his. I always
loved seeing what Millicent wore to her formal dinners, and
tonight’s jewels didn’t disappoint. She had on my favorite long
gold chain with the emerald pendant that looked like it came off
the shipwreck of a Spanish galleon, and a chunky gold ring set with
a bloodstone intaglio and circled with diamonds. The striking
jewels suited the severe lines of her satin evening gown, but not
even the reflection of sparkly things could erase the worry in her
eyes.

Millicent nodded regally to Archer. “You’re
looking well this evening, Mr. Devereux.”

“Thank you, milady. You are stunning as
usual.” Somehow, Archer made courtly manners sound perfectly
contemporary, and Millicent smiled at him. She looked at me and
lifted the long gold chain with the emerald over her neck.

“Saira my dear. I’ve been meaning to give
this to you. I’m sorry I missed your birthday.” She held the
necklace out for me to take from her hand. In my shock I got up and
gave her a hug, which probably startled her as much as it startled
me. She placed the chain over my head and the emerald fell to
almost the same length as Elizabeth Tudor’s black pearl did under
my shirt. I stared at the pendant in my hand, then at her.

“It’s so beautiful, but it’s way too
valuable for me to have—” I started to take it off again, but she
stopped my hands.

“Nonsense. It is a thing. Lives are
valuable. Things are just pretty to look at. Enjoy it, my dear.
Eighteen is a time for joy.”

Millicent’s eyes actually sparkled as I
kissed her quickly on the cheek. “Thank you.”

My mom had a funny expression on her face
when I sat down, as if she was concentrating really hard. “Bertram
bought that emerald for Emily when she was pregnant with Tallulah—”
Her eyes cleared as she looked at Millicent. “Your mother. He said
it came from India and had belonged to a princess, so to a princess
it would go.” My mom looked relieved to have gotten the words out,
but then confused at why everyone was staring at her, and she
lapsed back into silence.

I looked at Millicent and whispered. “It
should go to your family.”

“You
are
my family,” she whispered
back.

“We interrupted something when we came in.
What was this about the power to compel?” Mr. Shaw asked.

“We believe it is the power of the Monger’s
Family artifact – the ring. But Saira seems to be unaffected by it,
which means perhaps the other mixed-blood Descendants are too.” I
was glad Archer answered. I wasn’t sure of my footing with Mr. Shaw
after his outburst at me the night before. Archer handed Mr. Shaw
Ringo’s book. “The Monger ring has the red stone in it.”

Mr. Shaw flipped the book over to see its
title, then looked up in surprise.
The Treasures of the
Vatican
?

Ringo responded. “It went missin’ from
Vatican City in 1842.”

Mr. Shaw held the page open for my mom.
“This is the ring that was on Seth Walters’ hand when he lied to
you. This is the ring that makes those lies sound like truths.” My
mom actually looked away, as if it was a picture of dead kittens or
something. Liz held her hand out for the book.

“May I?” she said. Mr. Shaw handed it to his
sister, and she studied the page for a long moment, then placed it
in front of Jeeves.

“What do you see, Mason?”

He looked down at the page compliantly,
shied away for a second, then seemed to force his eyes back to the
page. Then he pointed to the Blood of Christ ring. “That was on his
hand.”

I held my breath, and I don’t think I was
the only one. “On whose hand, Mason?” Liz asked gently.

He closed his eyes, and Connor’s face fell.
But then he opened them again, and looked straight at Connor’s mom.
“On Walters’ hand when he made me stop the car for Claire and
Saira.”

There was a collective sigh in the room,
though Liz never let Jeeves’ eyes leave hers. “What happened next,
Mason?”

I thought she was deliberately using his
name to keep him present. He winced for a second, but then his eyes
cleared again. “I don’t know,” he said. “It’s as though I were
underwater with my eyes open, but anything I saw or heard was …
distorted.”

“Is it distorted now?” She asked him.

Jeeves touched Liz’s face gently. “No. I see
you very clearly.”

The smile she gave him felt almost too
private to witness, and there seemed to be hope lacing the
tentative smile he returned. He finally turned his gaze to the rest
of us, and when it landed on me, he looked relieved. “You’re
unharmed, Saira?”

I nodded. “Archer stopped them.” I got up
and went over to Liz. “Can I see the book again, please?” She
handed it to me, and I took it back to my mother. “Mom, tell me
what you see.”

She shied away from the picture again, and I
used the most firm, gentle,
mom
-voice I could find in my
arsenal. “It can’t hurt you now, Mom. It’s just a drawing in a
book. It has no power here.”

She looked back at the page, but just
couldn’t keep her eyes focused on the ring. They kept sliding away
as if it was just too much to bear. “I can’t … Saira.” She said,
with effort. But it didn’t sound like she was saying my name, more
like she was talking about me.

“I’m right here, Mom. The ring has no power
over me, and Seth knows it. I think it’s why he’s been after me.
I’m a threat to him when he uses that ring, because I can’t be
compelled by it.”

Her eyes drifted up to mine, and after a
moment they seemed to focus. “You’re immune?”

“Apparently.” I smiled. “You don’t have to
worry about the ring getting me, Mom. I’m fine.”

Her eyes cleared even more, and Mr. Shaw
took her hand. “We’re all here, Claire. Are you with us, or do you
still feel as though you’re underwater?” He shot a quick glance at
Jeeves, who nodded. Yes, he was still with us. My mom took a deep,
shuddering breath and then looked around the room, focusing on each
face as she went. “Where’s Logan?”

A Voice from the Past

Liz looked at my mom oddly. “Logan’s back at
the flat. Why?”

My mom seemed to try to concentrate. “I
don’t know.”

I didn’t like that, and neither did anyone
else. “Think, Mom. Did Seth mention his name?” The thought that
Slick might even think about Connor’s little brother made me
nauseous.

She finally shook her head. “It’s gone.” She
looked at me with clear eyes. “I can’t remember.”

“But you’re back, aren’t you?” I didn’t have
to ask because I could see it in her eyes.

She looked up at Mr. Shaw, and he squeezed
her hand. “Yes, I think I am.”

Liz turned to Jeeves and was about to speak,
but he was already rising to his feet. “I’ll just go to the flat.”
She gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you,” she whispered. Then she
spoke to her brother. “That still took longer than I like, but at
least we know how to break the ring’s effects.”

Millicent shuddered. “It’s not an experience
I wish on anyone, much less twice.” She focused on my mom. “Are you
well, Claire?”

“I don’t like the memory gaps, but yes, I am
well, thank you.”

I stood and addressed the room. “A couple of
things came out of yesterday’s drama that we need to talk about.” I
knew Jeeves would get the rundown from Liz later, and I figured
we’d have to tell the Armans and Ms. Simpson too. But the group in
the library was sort of the core of my adopted family, so I told
them everything that Ringo, Archer, and I had been discussing about
Tom and about the missing mixed-bloods.

We all agreed that it was even more vital
than ever that we find the mixed-bloods as soon as possible. No one
trusted Seth Walters, and everyone assumed he’d be in stealth mode
now that he’d been tagged as a person of interest by the police.
That could work to our advantage because maybe he’d stay so low
that he couldn’t do anything to the people he held captive. My mom
and Mr. Shaw decided to bring Ms. Simpson up to speed so maybe they
could all go to Ms. Rothchild and confront her about her
brother-in-law.