“Should we open the champagne, or wait to hose the boys off with it?” Denise asked.
We were seated in the living room, a formal place with earth tones and gilded pieces of antique furniture. The massive table looked like it was carved from a single gigantic tree. Food adorned it, along with solid brass and silver serving pieces, but no one really ate. I’d been drumming my fingers on its polished surface before I glanced up at her question.
“Hmm? Oh, go ahead and pop the cork. They’ll be a while.”
The reason I was here, instead of downstairs, was twofold. One, I didn’t want to leave Denise and my mother surrounded by strangers on a holiday, and two, though he didn’t ask me to leave, I knew Bones didn’t want me below. Since they now knew Anubus was hiding something and not just ignorant, the gloves would definitely be off. It bothered me that Bones still thought seeing him like that would change how I felt about him, but I didn’t want him distracted over me. Not when lives might depend on how fast he got the information out of Anubus.
Denise poured the champagne. “This stuff is excellent,” she enthused. “Man, is this place ever stocked. Did you see all the brandy? I’ll need a new liver if we stay here long!”
Her cheerful mood made me smile, but with a touch of jadedness. No, she had no idea how ugly things were downstairs by now.If you stay around vampires long, though, I mused,you’ll learn. It’s not all fun and vintage liquor.
Instead I said, “Fill her up. There’s two hours before midnight, we may as well start the party. The last report from Zero was that they were making progress, whatever that means.”
While Bones, Mencheres, Spade, Vlad, Rodney, and Ian were below, Tick Tock and Zero were our guards. Hell, we wouldn’t even be able to stub our toes without one of them jumping in to prevent it.
“The snow’s died down,” my mother commented. “At least now you can see out of these windows. I can’t wait to leave this barren place-and just for the record, I won’t be waiting much longer.”
Uh oh, there she goes. Some New Year’s wishes would never come true.
I sighed. “If you don’t like being surrounded by these vampires and ghouls, imagine how much more you wouldn’t like it if it were Patra’s vamps and ghouls.”
“I’m not a child, Catherine,” she replied in her usual sharp tone. “Don’t speak to me like one.”
The tenseness of the past several days caught up with me, even though I of all people knew better.
“You’re not a child? That is news, considering you’ve acted like one most of my life.”
Denise’s mouth dropped at my rejoinder. She gulped her champagne, settling back in her chair for a better view.
“That’s it,” my mother announced, furious. “I’m leaving!”
Why couldn’t I just learn to keep my trap shut? With resignation, I followed her as she marched to the front door, grabbing a coat.
“Mom, be sensible. It’s about six degrees outside, you’ll freeze to death. Where do you think you’re going, anyway?”
“I’ve had enough of this,” she spat. “Go here, do that, stay still, silly little mortal, tricks are for kids! Well, I am through being carted around for guilt’s sake.”
During her tirade, she had pushed past me and marched straight out onto the lawn. I didn’t stop her, partly because I didn’t want to have to get physical and also so our grievances could be aired in semi-private. The living room was hardly the place for this kind of family circus.
“You’re wrong, Mom,” I said, trying to ignore the biting wind. I hadn’t bothered to don a coat, and the chill cut straight through my sweater and pants. “Can you be a pain in the ass? Yeah. Do I wish you weren’t in my life? Of course not. Now, really, let’s get back inside, it’s freezing out-”
“I’ll walk to the nearest house, street, town, whatever,” she snapped, not mollified in the least.
We reached the trees, the fallen snow silvery in the moonlight. My breath came in plumes of smoke. “There’s nothing around for at least twenty miles,” I pointed out in a calm tone. “Believe me, I know. Mencheres picked this place for a reason. You can’t walk it, you’d be overcome by hypothermia inside of five. We’re out in the middle of nowhere, trust me, there’s nothing around…”
And then I stopped, frozen to the spot and not from the temperature. My sudden unyielding grip on her prevented her from going another step. She rounded on me angrily before ceasing at my expression.
“What?” she whispered.
“Shhh.”
It was barely audible to her, but sounded way too loud for my comfort. Then again, our bitching over the past fifty yards hadn’t been quiet. Neither were the heavy footfalls in the distance, disturbing the night with how noisy they were.
I narrowed my eyes, focusing all my energy toward those sounds. No heartbeat, no breathing, but also no feeling of encroaching power. They were moving slowly. A whole hell of a lot of them. Why didn’t I feel anything? Every vampire or ghoul gave off an aura of power, but there was nothing. What the fuck were they?
Without waiting to find out, I snatched her up and ran for the house. Zero and Tick Tock were already at the door, sensing trouble from my rapid pace.
“Get everybody downstairs now,” I barked, shoving my mother in that direction for emphasis. “Something’s coming.”
“What?” Denise began, rising from her chair.
Randy was quicker on the draw and went to her, pulling her up. Zero gestured to the stairs, ever respectful but urgent.
“Please, this way.”
When my mother didn’t move, I shot her a single glare. “Awake or unconscious, you’re going with them.”
She muttered something but went after them, her shoulders stiff.
“Tick Tock,” I breathed, still straining to listen to those figures. “Get Bones and the others.”
Two minutes later Bones came, Spade and Rodney close behind him. I ignored the stains on him and pointed to the window.
“Do you hear them? I can’t feel anything, but there are a lot of them. Headed right this way.”
Bones narrowed his gaze, staring into the darkness with green pinpoints in his eyes. After a few seconds he let out a grunt.
“Can’t feel anything, either, Kitten, but they’re stomping around like a herd of elephants. Whatever they are, they aren’t human. Charles?”
“I have no idea, Crispin. That curls my stones in my sack.”
Rodney gave Spade a grimly supportive glance. “I’m right there with you.”
“All right.” Bones cracked his knuckles, his eyes all green. “Let’s get ready to greet them. We’ll need knives, swords, crossbows, guns…quickly. A few of them sound like they’re ahead of the pack. We’ll be finding out soon what’s come to call.”
“Why don’t we just leave?” I asked on the way to the armory.
“Because there’s not enough choppers to get everyone off, and if we take cars, it could be an ambush. We’ll make a stand, luv. Find out what we’re up against. Now, we’ll have the chopper ready just in case. If need be, you can fly your mum, Denise, and Randy to safety.”
“I won’t leave you,” I said. “No matter what.”
Bones made a soothing noise even as he began to strap on about forty pounds of silver. “Now Kitten, they’re human and therefore easiest to kill. The rest of us are capable of-”
“Not a motherfucking chance.” In the same reasonable tone he used. “Juan knows how to fly and I’m stronger than he is, so he’d be the best choice if their evacuation became necessary. And if you even think of pulling a fast one, like knocking me out and loading me onto that chopper, I’ll return to work full-time taking on assignments that’ll make your hair even whiter than it is now.”
Bones gave me a quick, fierce kiss.
“Bloody woman. Learned a few mind-reading tricks of your own, have you? Right then, suit up and change clothes. Your sweater’s too bulky, it’ll restrain your movements.”
I just pulled it off, left in my bra, sweatpants, and sneakers. There was no time to go upstairs and find a more flexible shirt. I began to strap on silver knives, lashing them to my legs, waist, and arms with the enhanced speed of long practice.
