To Nikolai, Kristoff said, 'He took out the guards without killing a single one—almost as if he was making a point. You were right. Conrad isn't lost. He's... quite a few things, but he's not irredeemable. And I can concede when I made a mistake. Though you should have come to me instead of willfully breaking our laws.'
Nikolai shrugged. 'I couldn't take the risk that you would say no. He's my brother,' he said, as if that explained everything.
Kristoff turned back to Conrad. 'Swear fealty to me, and all of you leave today as allies. Otherwise we fight.'
There wasn't any time left to fight. 'I'll vow... that I'll never engage you or your army.'
Kristoff studied him, then said, 'It will do for now.' To the brothers, he added, 'Take a week off. And do get your Brides to cease plotting my downfall.'
When the king and his men disappeared, Nikolai said, 'Conrad, you must tell me what's happened for me to help you. Who is your Bride?'
Conrad hastily said, 'Néomi, this beautiful little dancer. Love her. So much it pains me. Have to find her.'
'Why do you think you need to go to a cemetery to find her?'
'She was a ghost, the one I told you about. But no longer. She died again tonight and might have been resurrected—or embodied, fuck if I know the difference—but the witch, the werewolf, and I lost her body. One of the bodies. Or else I just can't find it. I'm going to go to every goddamned cemetery in the city and listen for her heartbeat.'
Sebastian raised his brows and said, 'The ghost thing again,' just as Murdoch muttered, 'Con's thoroughly lost it.'
Conrad snapped his teeth at them. 'This happened!'
'I don't know what outcome I'm hoping for,' Sebastian said. 'Conrad's either irretrievably mad, or his Bride is a spirit from beyond whose corpse is lost. This seems like a lose-lose.'
'He always did things differently,' Murdoch said, daring to slap Conrad on the back. 'I would like to stay, but I have an emergency that's weeks overdue. Good luck, Con.' He traced away.
'Nikolai, do you have this one?' Sebastian asked. 'I need to make sure the Valkyrie stand down.'
Conrad turned to Nikolai, struggling to calm his tone. He wanted to punch his fist into the wall with frustration, to howl to the ceiling with anguish. His little Bride was in the dark... was she frightened? He stifled a shudder.
To get to Néomi, he had to convince them that he hadn't lost his mind. 'Know this sounds crazy. But I am... I am asking you to believe me in this. Just... just take me to the cemeteries.'
Sebastian said, 'I don't think he's ever asked for anything.'
Conrad grasped his forehead. 'Nikolai, please, she's going to be'—his hoarse voice broke with emotion —'she'll be... afraid.'
Nikolai finally said, 'Go, Sebastian. Tell Myst I'll return after this.'
When Sebastian traced away, Conrad said, 'You believe me?'
'I... don't.' Nikolai ran his hand over the back of his neck. 'I don't know if I can accept everything you said.'
'Then why?'
'For whatever reason, you need this badly, and you came to me for it.' Nikolai cast him a stern look. 'Because I'm still your goddamned brother.'
42
St. Louis Cemetery #1,
New Orleans
In the third cemetery they traveled to, the tombs had seen better days. Many were storm-damaged, with crumbling stucco and rusted iron fences. Markings were eroded.
Spates of rain were sporadic; it was well after midnight. And still this haphazard maze of tombs was busy.
Drunken ghost tour patrons laughed raucously as they smoked cheap clove cigarettes and marked Xs on a tall pediment tomb.
Nikolai muttered, 'That's not even Marie Laveau's crypt. Though Myst says that the priestess does get a kick out of it.'
Conrad roared at the group. 'Leave—us!'
After a moment of thunderstruck silence, tourists shoved each other down into the wet gravel as they fled.
Once the place was emptied, Nikolai said, 'Conrad, you have to prepare for the possibility that you might not find what you're seeking. Or that you might locate her grave only to find what this woman... what she once was.'
Her remains. Conrad shook his head hard. 'I understand,' he said, then he went still, holding his breath to listen for Néomi, willing his own heart to slow its furious pounding. He strained to hear over the cicadas and distant traffic—
He jerked his head to the left. There. The faintest rhythm. 'I hear her!'
'How can you be sure it's her?' Nikolai asked.
'Know her heart.' He homed in on the sound, tracking it to a vast, bleached white tomb, standing at least seven tiers high. Dread built like ice in Conrad's veins. Was she truly within this place? In one coffin among so many? How terrified she must be. I'd dreamed her choking on her terror...
No! Can't think about that now, need to keep my mind focused.
He pinpointed the sound to a third-level bay. The marble closure tablet was eroded beyond deciphering.
Swallowing hard, Conrad punched in the marble, crumbling it. Inside the vault was a small black coffin.
He slid it out from the space, easing it to the gravel path.
'Conrad!' Nikolai clamped his shoulder. 'Just be prepared.'
Conrad nodded, then gripped the lid, wrenching it free... .
'Néomi!' he rasped.
Her eyes were closed, her body still as if dead. Remnants of rotting lace and ribbon were scattered over her naked body. Dust marked her pale face and long hair. With a yell, Conrad snatched her out, clenching her to his chest.
'My God,' Nikolai breathed. 'You weren't... does your female live?'
'Néomi, say something to me!' Nothing. Conrad brushed the backs of his fingers over her face. No response. But why? He held her away from him. She looked perfectly formed. Her skin was warm and pinkened. Jostling her in his arms, he said, 'Please, baby, anything—'
Her eyes fluttered open. So blue.
She coughed, gasping, '... knew you'd find me.' Then she burst into tears.
With his gaze averted, Nikolai handed Conrad his jacket to wrap around her. Once he had her covered, Conrad cupped the back of her head, pressing her too tight to his chest, but he couldn't let up.
Trembling against him, she whispered, 'I-I knew you'd come for me, Conrad.'
'Always, koeri, always,' he murmured, gently rocking her. 'My brave, brave girl.'
Then he met Nikolai's astonished gaze. 'My vengeance is no more.' His voice broke. 'You have my gratitude, brother.'
'I'm sorry I doubted you,' Nikolai said sincerely. Then he asked, 'But did you just call your female bait? That's an endearment for you, Conrad?' At Conrad's annoyed look, he held up his hands. 'None of my business.' To Néomi, he said, 'Welcome to the family.' Then he traced away.
Conrad took her from there as well, tracing her directly into their bathroom at Elancourt. Without releasing her for a second, he drew a bath, then lowered her into the steaming water.
As he washed the dust from her skin and hair, she sat with her eyes dazed, still steadily crying.
