Fade Out

“Cohiba?” he asked, and took an unlit cigar out of his pocket to offer it to her. She shook her head, violently. “Pity. You know, daring women used to smoke.”

“Cancer isn’t sexy.”

He raised his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “You all die of something,” he said. “And we all pay for our pleasures, one way or another.”

“Myrnin, what the hell is going on? You send this freak to abduct me. . . .”

“Actually,” Oliver said, “I sent Pennywell. It seemed to me he would be the one of us you and your friends would be least likely to argue with.”

Pennywell laughed. “There you are wrong.”

“I never said it would be easy.” Oliver slammed the door on that conversation, and focused back on Claire. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and she tried not to be intimidated. “Myrnin and I wish to ask you about Amelie.”

“Amelie.” Claire stared back at him blankly, and then she felt the first tinglings of alarm. “What about her?”

“That display of foolishness last night. How did you know what she was doing? I didn’t.”

“I think it’s the bracelet. I don’t know. Maybe—”

Maybe it’s Ada, she thought, but didn’t say. Myrnin stared at her thoughtfully through half-lidded eyes and blew smoke in a cloud at the roof. “Maybe she wanted me to know. Deep down. Maybe she wanted someone to stop her.”

“Was she surprised to see you?” Myrnin asked. Claire slowly nodded. “Then she didn’t summon you, consciously or unconsciously. Interesting.”

“Theories?” Oliver asked.

“Not at present.” Myrnin shrugged; then he spoiled his cool by catching sight of something outside of the limousine windows and brightening like a three-year-old with a new toy. “Oh, an all-night drive-through! I could murder a cheeseburger. Don’t you just love this century?”

“Focus, you fool,” Oliver growled. “What is Amelie up to? Is she fit to remain in control?”

“What makes you think she is in control?” Myrnin asked absently, then shot Claire a frown. “What happened to your face?”

“You,” she snapped. “Remember?”

“I certainly did not order you to stand out in the sun. What possible good would that do?”

“Box? UV bomb? Ringing any bells?”

“Oh.” Myrnin considered this carefully, then sighed.

“Yes. Quite my fault. So sorry. What were we talking about?”

“Amelie,” Oliver said, almost growling.

“Is she fit to lead?” Myrnin stubbed out his cigar in the wineglass. “Careful, my old friend,” he said.“You come very close to saying something you would regret. I’m not your creature.”

“No,” Oliver agreed. “You’re her creature to the bone. You built her this madhouse of a town. I would assume you could destroy it, if you chose.”

Myrnin’s attention seemed to be focused on crushing the cigar into submission. “Your point?”

“Amelie said herself that Morganville was built as an experiment, to see if it was possible for vampires and humans to live openly, and in peace. Well, I think that after all this time, we know the answer to that question. The only way to control humans is through fear, intimi dation, and appeals to their greed. This exercise hasn’t made us stronger; it’s made us weaker.”

“We were dying already,” Myrnin said. “Out in the world.”

Pennywell, who hadn’t spoken since entering the limo, let out a derisive laugh. “Some of us,” he said. “And some of us were killing.”

“Any fool can kill. It takes genius to create.”

“Hey!” Claire broke in. “Why me? Why grab me?”

“We’re still debating that,” Myrnin said.

Oliver looked frustrated enough to claw steel. “No, we are not debating it. The girl clearly has a connection to Amelie. It’s the one way we can guarantee she will come to us.”

“Don’t be stupid. Amelie may have a connection to her, but Claire is eminently replaceable,” Myrnin said. “No offense, my dear, but you’re human. Humans are, by definition, replaceable.”

“So are vampires,” Pennywell said. “Including you, you bedlamite wretch.”

“I was never in Bedlam,” Myrnin said. “Although I hear you picked off inmates there when the rats ran scarce.”

That must have been a serious vampire insult or something, because Pennywell launched himself across the space to latch his hands around Myrnin’s throat.

Myrnin didn’t even bother to react. He yawned.

“Oliver,” he said, “control your beast before I am forced to.”

Pennywell snarled. His fangs snapped down.

Myrnin’s eyes sparked red, and he grabbed Pennywell’s wrist in his hand and twisted.

Bones snapped. Pennywell howled, clearly shocked at Myrnin’s strength. From the look on his face, Oliver hadn’t exactly expected it, either. Myrnin shoved Pennywell back to his place, pointed a finger at him, and smiled. “Next time, I will take your fangs,” he said. “Then you’ll be a toothless tiger. I don’t think you’d enjoy it. Play nicely, witchfinder.”

“Boys,” Oliver said coolly, “the question at hand is an important one: Do we allow Amelie to continue to run Morganville? Or do we use the girl to take it from her control, once and for all?”

Myrnin sighed. “You do understand that Amelie is aware of your intentions? That she’s planned for your eventual rebellion? Because it was plain as the moon that you’d betray her, sooner or later.”

“I’d hate to disappoint,” Oliver said. “And she has become weak. The weak can’t lead.”

“I’ve known Amelie a very long time, and I would never describe her as weak.” Myrnin lit up another cigar, with much puffing and use of a lighter with a hot blue flame. Claire almost choked on the smoke. Her eyes burned and teared, and she had to wipe them clear. “Wounded, perhaps. Less certain of herself than before. But not weak, which you will discover if you think to push her.”

Oliver frowned at him. “I thought you were with me in this.”

“Did I say that? Well, I’m not very reliable, as you know.” Myrnin closed his eyes in delight as he drew in the smoke from the cigar. “You very nearly succeeded in bribing me with these excellent Cubans. I haven’t had the like since Victoria was still Queen of England. But in the end, I must remain loyal to my lady. And I really can’t allow you to torment my apprentice. After all, that’s my job.”

“I thought that might be the case,” Oliver said.

He pulled a stake from inside his coat and slammed it into Myrnin’s chest.

Claire screamed and lunged for Oliver, or at least she started to—the limousine violently swerved, sending them all flying, and Claire ended up on the carpeted floor with Myrnin’s deadweight on top of her. Something hit them, hard, and Claire felt the car lift, twist in the air, and slam down on its top, sending her and Myrnin in a tangle to the roof of the limo.

Oliver and Pennywell had somehow stayed in their seats—holding themselves in by main force, apparently. Claire fought free of Myrnin’s body, panting and disoriented. She wasn’t hurt, or at least she didn’t feel hurt, but everything seemed a little odd. Too bright. Too sharp. Pennywell’s eyes were bright red, and his fangs were out.

Oliver was looking at her like lunch, too.

The side window had broken out when the car rolled. Claire grabbed Myrnin’s shoulders, crawled backward through the wrecked window, and dragged him along with her. As soon as she had his chest clear of the limo, she wrapped both hands around the stake and yanked it free with a wrench.

“Ahhhhhh!” Myrnin screamed, and came bolt upright, both hands slapping at his chest. “My God, I hate that!”

Pennywell dropped down onto his legs like some pale jumping spider. Myrnin slammed a boot into his face and crawled free of the wreckage, grabbing Claire as he rose to his feet. There was blood staining his shirt, and