Silver-Tongued Devil (28 page)

“C’mon,” he groaned. “Don’t make me beg.”

I set the mugs on the counter and pretended to think it over as I poured the coffee. “I suppose I could drag this out and make you suffer, but if your hangover is as bad as mine, you’re already in enough pain.” I took a deep breath. “Yes, I will join the team.”

“Yes!” He pumped a fist.

“But just until you find someone else.”

“Sure, whatever.” He nodded distractedly. “We’re going to have to think of a good name for you.”

Remembering the silly names all the girls adopted, I grimaced. “Really?”

He pulled back, surprised. “Of course. It’s tradition.” He looked me up and down, tapping a claw on his lips. “How about Madam Menace?”

“Lame,” I said over the steaming cup.

“Buffy the Roller Slayer Girl?”

I rolled my eyes. “How about Bloody Mary?”

“Sabina, please,” Giguhl said. “This is serious.”

I shrugged. “Fine, you figure it out and let me know what you decide. I’ve got to get going.”

He waved a claw to indicate he’d already dismissed me. I polished off my coffee and grabbed a bag of blood on the way to my room for a quick shower. By the time I emerged a little while later, I felt like a new woman.

Just in time to go drug my sister and face my estranged lover’s overprotective aunt.

Thirty minutes later, I turned Adam’s SUV off the highway and onto the dirt road leading to the mage estate. I hadn’t hesitated to take his car. Until I heard otherwise, I assumed I still had the right to use it. Besides, he had the ability to travel magically and I did not.

But honestly, on the drive up, I had plenty of time to stew about the situation and embrace my anger about his continued avoidance of me. It’s not that I didn’t accept my responsibility in the matter. I knew I was wrong and I felt guilty as hell. But I also felt that after everything we’d been through together and shared, I deserved the opportunity to explain my side of things. Part of me was even hoping he’d be at the manor when I arrived. I just wanted to get the fight over with so we could start picking up the pieces.

I pulled the gas guzzler up to the huge black gates set about a mile into the forest. The two iron gates met in the middle to form a Hekate’s Wheel design. As usual, the magical wards protecting the entrance made the hairs on my neck stand at attention. I rolled down the window and punched the code to gain entrance. A surveillance camera above the box whirred to life as the mage on the other end focused on my face to verify my identity. I wiggled my fingers at it. A few seconds later, the gates creaked open.

As I drove through the grounds, I ignored the butterfly fight club in my gut. I hadn’t seen Maisie since our argument in the greenhouse. I wondered if Rhea warned her I was coming or if I was going to be the first in a night full of nasty surprises. I sucked a deep breath through my nose and repeated my new mantra: “It’s for her own good.”

Soon, the forest opened to reveal the estate itself. It glowed like a mirage from some old-time fairy tale. With its spires and turrets and mix of architectural styles, it looked like schizophrenia translated into architecture. I pulled the car into the wide circular drive out front and cut the engine.

Before I could pause to collect my thoughts, the front door opened wide and Rhea emerged. Seeing me sitting in the dark car, she waved an impatient hand to hurry me on. Left with no choice but to comply, I got out.

“You’re late,” she called.

This time I really was. “Sorry. Did you start without me?” I said, climbing the steps.

“No, the chef is just laying out the first course now.” She pushed me toward the door, chattering as we walked. “I’ll slip the sedative into her drink during the main course. By dessert, she’ll be out.”

I blew out a breath. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

“Just act natural. You’ll come in later, once we move her to the
abaton
.”

I paused. “What’s that?”

She urged me forward, obviously not wanting any more delays. “It’s the official name for a space used for dream incubation. In this case, the old chapel on the east end of the grounds.”

I’d never seen an old chapel on the grounds, but as large as they were, that didn’t surprise me. “Sounds good,” I said for lack of anything clever. I couldn’t help feeling on edge. Not just because of what we were about to do, but also because I was waiting for her to mention the Adam thing. As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait long. But first, I had to get through seeing Maisie.

Rhea pushed me through the dining room doors. “Look who decided to join us,” the elder mage called, her tone overly jovial.

Maisie looked up in surprise. Her brow knitted into a frown and she didn’t say anything. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one recalling our last conversation.

Rhea brushed past me, shooting me a look to remind me to act natural. I wanted to remind her that I used to be an assassin not an actress. But that didn’t really matter because it was obviously up to me to get the ball rolling with Maisie.

“Hey, Maze,” I said.

She rolled her tongue into her cheek. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

I cleared my throat. So much for warm greetings. Taking my seat, I flashed her a smile. “Rhea invited me.”

Maisie shot Rhea a look, clearly believing the mage had set up the dinner as some sort of sisterly reconciliation. Rhea, a much better actress than yours truly, shrugged and looked abashed. “I thought it might be nice for all of us to sit down to a nice meal together. It’s been too long, don’t you think?”

Maisie shrugged. “Whatever.” She busied herself by fussing with her napkin.

I grabbed my glass of water and took a drink to cover a visual inventory of my twin. Judging from the look of her, my idea of sticking a guard on her had prevented her from feeding from anyone. But the lack of blood also meant she couldn’t maintain the glamour she’d been using to hide her physical deterioration. The circles under her eyes had darkened into bruises, like she’d been punched. Her cheeks had hollowed out and her hand shook when she lifted it to smooth a stray hair. I was surprised she managed to sit upright given how exhausted she looked.

“So, Sabina,” Rhea said into the tense silence. “Is something wrong with Adam?”

The innocent question caught me off guard. I accidentally sucked down an ice cube and immediately choked. A violent coughing fit followed. Rhea jumped from her chair and pounded my back until I managed to swallow the frozen shard.

“Are you all right?” Rhea said, forcing me to look at her.

I swallowed against the pain in my throat and nodded. “Wrong pipe,” I gasped.

“Hmmph.” She gave my back one more pat for good measure and took her seat. “Well?”

“What?” I said, my voice hoarse.

“Adam?”

I shifted uneasily in my seat. Obviously, she hadn’t seen Adam. Rhea might be a good actress, but if she knew what had happened, she wouldn’t bother digging for info. She would have come out and asked me what the hell I’d been thinking treating her nephew like that. “Not sure,” I said, evading. “He’s been so busy we haven’t seen much of each other lately. Probably, he’s just stressed about keeping everyone safe at the festival.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it was much easier than the full truth.

Luckily, I was saved from further questioning when the door to the kitchen opened and servants entered with trays of food.

“So, Maisie,” I said, “what did you do today?”

She stabbed at her food with her fork. “Rhea made me meditate in the Sacred Grove.” Her tone was petulant.

“Who wants wine?” Rhea asked quickly. Obviously, the meditation had been a part of the covert prep for the incubation.

Before we could answer, Rhea rose and went to the sideboard. Behind my sister’s back, Rhea looked at me and gestured for me to make conversation. So with one eye on the vial Rhea produced to drug my sister’s drink and the other on my unsuspecting sibling, I tried to mend fences. “I’m sorry, Maze,” I said quietly.

She looked up. Her expression uncertain. “For what?”

I heaved a deep sigh. Good question. Was I apologizing for our fight or for betraying her? Probably both, I decided. But for now, I’d focus on past sins. “For our argument the other day. I know you’ve been going through a lot. Maybe I haven’t been there for you as much as I could have.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Forget about it.”

Rhea poured white powder into one of the wineglasses. I watched the granules fall and felt my conscience rise.

“I can’t forget about it,” I said, my voice tinged with remorse. “I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you. And I know that I could have done more to protect you.”

“Sabina—” she began, but I shook my head.

“Don’t say it’s okay. It’s not.” Behind Maisie, Rhea paused and turned to shoot me a concerned look. I ignored her and continued. “But I’m going to make it right.”

Rhea came forward then and set Maisie’s wine by her hand. “Here you go!” Her tone was overly bright.

Ignoring Rhea, Maisie snorted, a harsh sound. “Sabina, believe it or not, everything that happens isn’t about you.”

I pulled back, stung. “That’s not what I meant. I—”

She lifted the wineglass and took a long drink. When she’d swallowed it, she glared at me. “You think the world revolves around you? Well, it doesn’t. My problems are just that—my problems. I don’t need you or anyone else to save me.”

Rhea, quiet as a ghost, came around the table and handed me a glass of wine. “Careful,” she whispered.

I looked up at her. Her eyes pleaded with me to let the matter drop. But I couldn’t. Not now. If Maisie woke up in a few hours and realized what we’d done, she might never speak to me again. This was my chance to lay it on the table. “Listen to me, Maisie,” I said. “Like it or not, I was involved with what happened to you. Lavinia kidnapped you to get to me. She unleashed you on Adam when you were blood crazed to punish me.”

“Stop,” Maisie whispered brokenly. “Stop it.”

“No. This has to be said.” I swallowed against the bitter guilt clogging my throat. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that my coming here led to your being hurt. I’m sorry that I didn’t kill Lavinia in California when I had the chance. If I had, then none of this would have happened to you. I’m sorry that I didn’t find you sooner in New Orleans.” My voice cracked. “But most of all, I’m sorry that being my sister has caused you so much pain.”

“Enough!” Maisie roared. She stood so fast her chair crashed back into the sideboard. She opened her mouth to yell at me again, but her body swayed. She grabbed the tablecloth to steady herself.

“Maisie?” Rhea said.

“I—I feel weird.” She put a hand to her head.

I jumped up. “You said it would take longer than this,” I said to Rhea.

Maisie looked up sharply. “What?”

“She’s so weak it must have acted faster than I intended,” Rhea said. She moved quickly to Maisie’s side.

But my sister ignored the aid Rhea offered. Instead, she glared at me, her eyes hot despite being unfocused. “What have you done?”

With that, Maisie collapsed into Rhea’s arms.

26

I
followed Rhea through the snow to a section of the mage grounds I’d never visited. Tree limbs tangled overhead, blocking out the almost-full moon’s light. We trudged through the stark landscape in silence for what felt like miles. When my toes went numb, I asked Rhea why she didn’t just flash us to our destination.

“It’s part of the ritual,” she said. “The extra effort signals our dedication to the outcome we desire.” Her boots crunched in the snow and her cheeks were pink with chill. “The gods are never impressed by those who take the path of least resistance.”

Ten minutes later, I wondered if the trek through the ankle-deep snow was really some sort of punishment. But then the moon’s rays sparked off a roof’s frosted peak.

“What is this place?” I wasn’t sure why I was whispering. But something about the dense trees and the deep cold and the weight of our mission demanded a respectful volume.

“The family who built the manor used it as a chapel,” Rhea said, stepping over a fallen branch jutting from the snow like a pleading skeletal hand. “When the Hekate Council bought the place, we deconsecrated it and turned it into a meditation retreat.”

The building itself was made of old stones. The arched windows were dark but shadows hinted at stained glass. A small spire rose from the roof, but instead of a Christian cross at the top, there was a simple spiral circle forged from black iron. From my studies with Rhea, I remembered the symbol represented the cycles of life and spiritual journeys. Fitting, I thought, for both the building and our purpose.

Rhea opened the large red doors with a large metal key. “Quickly.” She waved me in.

Hugging Maisie’s limp body to my chest, I ducked through the dark doorway. The air inside was stale and cold, hinting that the space was rarely used. Rhea whispered something behind me. The air shimmered and static crawled across my skin. An instant later, several torches around the room flared to life. I blinked against the sudden illumination.

Once my eyes adjusted, I caught my breath at the beauty of the chapel. Dozens of candle flames flickered in large, wrought-iron candelabras. Set high in three of the walls, large stained-glass windows sparkled in the candlelight. Patches of glass in blues, greens, and purples formed images of gods and magical symbols.

I generally avoided churches as a rule. It wasn’t that sacred spaces were dangerous or anything, no matter what mortal vampire lore claimed. It was just the principle of the matter, seeing as how the Big Dude turned his back on all the dark races in favor of his golden children, the mortals. But, like Rhea said, this place wasn’t a church anymore. All Christian symbolism had been stripped away and replaced with more familiar and comforting mage and pagan accessories.

Speaking of pagan things, a stone altar squatted under a huge wall sculpture of a snake wrapped around a staff. Rhea waved me toward a space next to the altar. As she spread a pelt of some sort on the ground, she explained the symbol.