Rebirth of the Seer (33 page)

Wesley cleared his throat and continued. “I’ve thought this out, okay? It isn’t as suicidal as you think it is. If we set out now, before the vamps rise, we’ll murder their boss and if we can’t get to him, we’ll double back and wait.” His lips quirked upward. “Help’ll be on the way before we know it.”

“Fucking humans,” I said, ripping my hand from the wall. The sunlight faded, and the sound of raindrops hitting the side of the house replaced the conversation I had just witnessed. I turned to face Monica, regarding her in the shroud of darkness once again. “They left already. Right before the storm began.”

Monica threw up her hands. “Goddamn it. That could’ve been hours ago.”

“Which does not bode well for their longevity.” The wind whipped a tree branch against a window, causing Monica to jump. I remained lost inside my thoughts, though, weighing the pieces of the puzzle I had collected. For the first time, I stood knowingly on the threshold of calamity, able to choose my next step. Three people were in mortal danger, and if my visions bore any weight, would certainly perish if I did not stop their killer. The seer within me screamed toward action, but as I looked at Monica, I knew how much risk I mi
ght be taking in continuing
further down this road. Whether or not that pool of blood belonged to Monica, taking her
with me
placed her in the crosshairs of imminent doom.

“I must go,” I said, frowning. “But I wish you to retreat somewhere safe. Meet me back at the apartment after sunrise, but not before. If I do not return, then leave Chicago and do so before sunset, do you hear me? I must go to the coven. If The Fates are kind, I might yet find your friends amongst the living.”

Leaning forward, I placed a quick kiss on her lips and motioned to turn. She captured my hand, though, and
pulled me back
. “Wait just a damn minute here.”

I looked at her and perked an eyebrow. She scowled and shook her head. “I don’t believe you. Thinking you can fall into some bullshit chivalrous act and tell me to be safe while you go out and play hero. That’s not how this sort of thing works, Peter. You’re not going anywhere without me.”

“And you are not going anywhere with me.” My frown deepened, my gaze unwavering. “I am not convinced Ian would leave you alone. Especially now. You could be in grave danger if you come.”

“I could be in grave danger if I
don’t
come. You’re trying to play with fate and that never works.” Her shoulders straightened, and for the first time I recognized the fear she constantly kept at bay, masked behind the bravado she presented on the forefront. “At some point or another, you have to let go. Until this mission is finished, we don’t have any promise of a happily-ever-after. And until then, I’m still your watcher and I still have a job to do.”

I felt my heart sink. “I cannot allow this.”

“Cannot or will not? If the guys are in danger, yo
u could be in danger, too.” Her
gaze locked with mine. “This
thing happening between us is
only one small portion of a much larger picture. You need to be alive for what happens next.”

My jaw clenched and eyes narrowed, but I bit back the impassioned plea I wished to issue. As much as I hated to admit it, the woman was right. I did not wish for her to be right, because that meant escorting her right into the very thing from which I desired to protect her. Still, as deep as my affections ran for her, a duty stood betwee
n any future we might have
.

I glanced away. “I shall allow it only under two conditions. First of all, you must swear your presence by my side is not some attempt on your behalf to be quixotic again. That your calling compels you there and not my well-being. Secondly, you must remain as close to me as possible. Do I make myself clear?” My gaze returned to her, my voice wavering with emotion. “If I could clutch you in my arms and fight at the same time, I would. This is how close I wish you to be.”

My last words echoed, and time itself froze for a few tense moments. At first, I wondered if I had offended Monica, but she closed the distance between us so swiftly, the impact of her body and mine forced me to step back a pace. Her arms engulfed me and I wrapped mine around her in response. She buried her face against my coat. “I want you to remember something, just in case anything happens to me.”

I shut my eyes, tightening my hold on instinct. “What is that, love?”

“That this man I’m holding onto might be a vampire, but he has all the heart and soul of a human. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise and don’t ever fall back into the lie that you’re only capable of evil. You might still be a vampire, but the seer you are is more powerful than the devil he’s trapped inside.”

As she pulled away, I looked down at her, uncertain of what to say in response. Part of me wished to thank her and profess my love for her again. Another portion wished to shake its head and tell her that, once again, her f
aith in me was blinding her
.
The truth of the matter was
I did not know which I carried more strongly – the deviance of Flynn or the conviction of Peter – but that
contest
would have to be settled some other time.

Instead, I bent to kiss her
, wishing we could simply run, but knowing the cost would be allowing her friends to die and Ian’s evil to remain unchecked.
Toying with fate. I pulled back, nodding as the kiss ended.
“I shall remember your words,” I said. “Now, as for my conditions…?”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m only coming because my calling is telling me to. And, if I might be so bold to say, buster, I think I know where my place is supposed to be even without your fancy visions.” My arms fell to my sides as she released her hold on me. One of her hands reached to clasp one of mine. “I’ll be as close as your shadow. Now, let’s get out of here, before we really are ice skating on a lake of their blood.”

“Indeed.” I gave her hand a light squeeze before leading us back
out to into the night. The door shut behind us as
I admire
d
the rain-drenched streets
with a  pensive stare
. Monica glanced up and I, without looking down at her, unbuttoned my coat and wrapped her inside its folds before taking my first steps away from the porch. I
f
could not ensure her protection from danger, the
least I could do was give her refuge from the cold.

Once again, the vision played out in my mind and I recognized – as my shoes touched the gritty pavement – that not everything in the cosmos was up for debate. This could be a f
ool’s errand we were set upon, confronting something immutable, b
ut one fundamental truth
was abundantly clear. Fate had conspired to set my path.
The creature walking
it
was merely along for the ride.

As we approached the coven, that sense something was dreadfully wrong made its presence known again. It was well past sunset and yet, the surrounding streets resembled a ghost town with not a sign of a
n immortal to be had anywhere. The same group of h
umans
I had observed two nights prior
huddled
in the park,
bonfires lit to spite the heavens. It was not until we rounded a corner and the
hotel
came into view
, though,
that I realized how surreal the situation had become.

Furrowing my brow, I stared mute until I needed confirmation of what my eyes beheld. “Monica, please tell me I was not hallucinating last evening,” I said. “This was the building I was in, was it not?”

Monica nodded, a gesture completed in slow motion. Her eyes remained locked in a mesmerized stare when I glanced at her, which only
prompted my gaze to return to the monolith before us
. I had prepared myself for guards at the doors, and antagonists who would prevent us entry into their home. I had even
warned myself a few of them might
be wielding some
hidden tricks
. What we faced was
entirely unexpected and stole
the high ground
out
from beneath my feet.

What lay before us could only be described as a crypt.

The lights were out and the lavish gate protec
ting the grounds was broken,
hanging askew from its posts. The front doors I remembered strolling through were still intact, though filthy, and the exterior walls had been tagged by graffiti everywhere human hands could reach. Even the landscaping itself was overgrown and choked by weeds and dead grass. My mouth hung agape. We had stepped into the realm of the absurd.

Monica moved, which knocked my stupor back into reality. I looked down at her again, watching her take two steps closer before pausing once more. “This is the one,” she said. “Only… it doesn’t look like anyone’s used it for anything respectable for months. Maybe even…”

“… Years.” I strolled to her side. “Wesley mentioned thinking this property had fallen out of use, had he not?”

“Yes, he did.” A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. “This is bizarre.”

“Quite.” Not apt to continue forward idle-handed, I parted the folds of my coat and drew my sword from its sheath. My eyes shifted to anything and everything as I stalked closer. “What causes this sort of phenomenon, my watcher?”

“Honestly? Only thing that fits this bill is dark magic. We’re not dealing with a rookie, though, if he can conjure the type of mojo that can make people hallucinate a whole building.”

“Be mindful to watch your steps, then.”

In my periphery, I saw her nod, walking only a few paces behind me as I started for the main entrance. The door creaked with more volume than I would have preferred and each footfall sounded like a shout to whomever might be inside.
Here we are, they
said. Out in the open where you can surprise us. My eyes
never settled on one place for long
, ears at
tuned to each creak and skitter
.

I could almost relive what Wesley and the others were thinking as they made their way through the foyer. Undoubtedly, they were just as confused, and had just as much of a sense they should flee while they still had the opportunity. Still, I knew they ignored every impulse and walked ahead of where we stood. Two large clues confirmed that fact for me.

For one, some of the dust had been recently displaced, both on the doors and the carpet in the entry. Secondly, and more importantly, I could sense the cold chill of fear and smelt a lingering aroma which tickled at my mind with familiarity. If they had any sense of the danger surrounding them, they did not take it as seriously as I would ha
ve hoped
.

Monica glanced about the immediate area the same as I did. “This place is giving me the willies,” she said. She looked at me and paused near the staircase. “Are you picking up on anything?”

I indulged a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. “They had to have felt this, Monica. Yet, they proceeded forward anyway.”

“You’re sure of that?”

“Yes, I am. I cannot quite explain it, but they were here.”

“If the seer sixth sense is telling you that, then I believe you.” She sighed, folding her arms across her chest as though cold. “Wesley thinks it’s only his argument with my father that got him kicked out of the Order. I can tell you right now, a good part of it was how kamikaze he gets. Half of his asshurt as far as you’re concerned is about Lydia, but the other half is because he wasn’t the big man on campus any longer with you around.”

“Yes, well such an attitude might have gotten him killed. Let us hope such is not the case.” My gaze shifted toward the double doors leading into what had been the rowdy common area. I perked an eyebrow at them. The ornate tapestries which had hung from the walls were all fabrications, but now I had to wonder if the occupants of the house had been as well. How many vampires had truly been felled the night before? I lifted a hand and rubbed my face. “Dearest, I am severely questioning the potency of these powers I possess. How much of this was actually real?”

“Damned if I know.” She followed my gaze. “What was in there?”

“The vampire equivalent of a nightclub.”

“Wow. Swanky.” As she motioned forward, I reached for her arm and frowned sternly as I forced her to stop. She sighed and rolled her eyes, but gestured for me to walk ahead of her. I nodded once. A barely suppressed smile lit my face as I led the way to the double doors.

The grin was to be short-lived, though. As we walked into the common area, the sense of surrealism gained heightened form, as did
evidence of our
compatriots’ presence
. The tiled floor bore footprints which formed confusing patterns, leading in several different directions. But they were all full-treaded markings – not the sort high-heels or dancing would have created. I spied the tables, booths, and chairs and only a few looked to have actually been disturbed. Ian had not only conjured a false interior, he had fashioned imaginary people as well.

“What is it?” Monica asked, breaking the silence.

“This room had been filled with people last night. You would hardly know that now.” I crouched, setting down my katana for a moment to examine the disturbed dust on the ground. A shiver of recognition ran up my spine. This had at least been part of my vision. “The sword which ran me through was no mere figment of my mind, but I have to wonder if everything else was.”

“On the other side of the looking glass.”

“
Quite
so.” I ran a finger along the ground and admire
d
the layer of dirt on my skin. Wiping it off on my pants, I picked up my weapon again and came to a stand, turning to face Monica as she walked along the walls and idly touched them. The gesture struck me as odd until she shut her eyes. A sigh punctuated the action. Her lids lifted and I crossed the distance between us, a bemused expression on my face.

“You are attempting to see something?” I asked.

Her hand dropped to her side. “Trying and failing.” She pursed her lips and shifted her attention to the wall again. “I think I might go to the other wall. You’re welcome to try this one, but I’ll be damned if I know how to squeeze any energy out of it.” Without another word, she strolled away, her gaze already locked on the other side of the room.

I sighed and looked to the wall again. This one did not buzz in the same manner as the one in Wesley’s house, but there was still enough of a current in the air for me to wonder. Drawing a deep breath inward, I extended my hand and focused on the concrete and plaster the same way I had before. I was just about to give up when the first crackle jumped from the flat sur
face to the tips of my fingers.

E
yes narrowed,
I concentrated
on that spark
before bringing
my
hand closer and finally touching
the wall. The shift from one reality to another was much more gradual – much less the explosion it had been – but gradually the rain outside relented and a cloudy, overcast dusk replaced the pitch black of night. The sound of shuffling from the doorway brought my attention to it. I
felt
a shiver as I wondered if I might be looking upon ghosts.

Wesley entered ahead of the others, holding a crossbow. Mark clutched his sai and Jesse gripped a wooden stake in the palm of his hand. A sword graced the sides of the latter two, but Wesley carried a quiver of bolts on his back. He scanned the room, frowning. “Nothing,” he said, disgust evident in his voice. “Not a damn thing anywhere in this building. It’s completely empty.”

Jesse raised an eyebrow. His foot crossed the threshold and the door swung shut behind him once he cleared its path. “Place has been deserted for a long bloody time, it seems like,” he said, pausing behind the others. “This isn’t right. We saw this place yesterday and it was alive with the stench of vamps. Now, they’re gone and left a cloud of dust on everything.”

Mark frowned. “There wasn’t ever anything here besides us and them.”

Wesley turned to look at Mark, stopping in his tracks and lowering his weapon. “You don’t think?”

“I’m sure of it.” Mark tilted his head to study the ceiling. “The dust in the entryway. The cobwebs all over the place. Had any of the decorations been real, we wouldn’t have seen so much. I don’t think this has been home to anything but a few homeless people and some drug addicts.” The look on his face turned haunted. I could almost feel his stomach sink. “We’ve all been fooled.”

“I knew it.” Wesley grumbled, shifting the weight of his quiver. “That son of a bitch vampire’s been leading us on a wild goose chase the entire time.”

Jesse laughed, incredulous. “By
‘
vampire
’ I take it you mean Flynn again
?”

“Who the fuck else do you think I mean?”

“You’re off your trolley
.” Jesse scoffed. “Saw it bloody well as I did. We killed a few of them before offing that bastard who stabbed Flynn. You mean to tell me Flynn dreamed all that up and let himself get r
un through to pull a prank on us
?”

“They sure as hell missed his heart, didn’t they?”

“Explain to me why the fuck he would do something like that.”

“To trap us.” Wesley spun around, raising his voice. “Where are you, you fucking bloodsucker?” His gaze rose heavenward. I was tempted to wonder if he thought me hanging from the ceiling. “Come on, you prick. Come out and deal with us face-to-face.”

When nothing but silence greeted his command, his face contorted in a fit of rage. “Show yourself!”

All at once, the curtains flew closed, immersing the room in darkness. I noticed their presence for the first time, nearly jumping at the suddenness with which a moderately-lit room became shrouded in darkness. My hand pressed harder against the cool plaster, holding onto the vision when the abrupt change threatened to throw me off. The trio reacted similarly and Jesse pocketed the stake in favor of drawing his sword. Something about the a
ir which settled on the room bor
e an ill omen. “Get out, you bloody idiots,” I whispered.

A laugh caused the three of them to spin around and face its source. Standing on the other side of the room was Ian, ornamental cane in hand which he clutched with both hands while gazing into the gemstone at its top. He shook his head without making eye contact. “I tell you humans so many times to be careful what you wish for, but you never do listen.” After spinning the cane around once, he dug the tip into the ground and leaned his weight against it. His cobalt eyes found the three human hunters. “Well, you asked for a demon, so here he is. So good to finally make your acquaintance, Mr. Parker.”

Wesley furrowed his brow and stepped closer to Mark and Jesse. ‘
Yes, make it easier for him to kill you all in one fell swoop
,
’ I thought. “So, you finally came to face us,” he said. “Stopped sending your monkey boy to do all your work.”

Ian cackled. “You humans are so rich. You and your imaginations.” Lifting his cane, he began to pace around the room. “Or lack thereof, I should say. You asked for your enemy when you’ve known who he is the entire time. Do you really think Flynn – despite the remarkable things which have reached my ears about what he’s capable of doing – has any idea how to drape a world in front of your eyes or cause you to miss the very obvious clues which should’ve been staring you in the face? My boy, he might be good, but he’s young. I, on the other hand, am much older.”

The lump in Wesley’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. “What do you want with us, then?”

He shrugged. “Honestly, this had nothing to do with you three until Flynn showed up. It’s been keeping you busy, following me around. Made you feel important, so I left some of the more expendable creatures under my watch for you to take care of for me. I’ve found that humans get remarkably brazen when you let them think they’re superior to you in some manner. Even if you’re penning the game and building the field for them to hunt.”