Chrysabelle whipped her sacre up against Nadira’s neck again. Rennata whimpered. Chrysabelle ignored her. “Put the blade down.”
Nadira trembled, but held tight to the dagger. “I need it to cut this page from the book.”
Chrysabelle eased her sword back. If Nadira was willing to damage one of her precious books this information might actually be worth something.
She cut the page out, tossed the blade away, and handed the yellowed paper to Chrysabelle. “The signum along the edges will open a portal to the Garden’s gates the same way you’ve used the signum on your back to open a portal to me. The map will guide you to the tree once you’re there.”
Chrysabelle nodded at the paper. “Roll it up and secure it.” Nadira did, then handed it back. The sudden realization of the task before her sank in. “I have to get Tatiana through a blood portal? How is that help?”
Nadira pursed her lips. “You’ll figure it out. Steal something from her. She will follow.”
Chrysabelle tucked the scroll into her jacket. “I thought humans were banned from entering the Garden. Are you sure I’ll be able to enter?”
Nadira started to say something, then shook her head. “You will be able to enter. I give you my solemn vow.”
Chrysabelle raised her sacre between them. “And if that vow proves worthless, I will pay you one final visit. Do I make myself clear?” Nadira nodded. Chrysabelle pointed the weapon at Rennata. “You do anything to tip Tatiana or Lilith to this plan and so help me, holy mother, I’ll strip the gold from your body the way you did mine. Every. Single. Signum.”
Then she sheathed her weapon, spun on her heels, and left them to stare after her as she walked away.
Tatiana sighed. Hades, Mal could be difficult. “What is wrong with you? Was the taste of the comarre that unpleasant?”
Mal cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. “It was fine.”
Not very convincing, but perhaps he didn’t like drinking from a secondhand comarre. “Then stop swallowing.”
Mal swallowed again, probably just to annoy her. “Can we get back to the subject at hand? I don’t believe she killed one of the ancients. It’s not possible.”
Tatiana twisted her hands in her lap, the metal one reflecting light like a mirror. “I saw the skin around her shoulders with my own eyes. I swear to you, it was real. I’ve seen them often enough to know what their flesh looks like.” She forced herself to sit still. “I told you she was dangerous, but even I had no idea just how much. However…” She leaned forward and dropped her voice. “
“
She nodded. “Proof of how worried they are about her, don’t you think?”
For an instant, he looked skeptical. “Absolutely. What did they tell you?”
“We must take her to the Garden of Eden and get her to eat from the Tree of Life.”
He stared dumbstruck, then laughed. “And how do we get there? By unicorn? The Garden of Eden is a myth. They’re lying to you. Probably trying to see how much you’ll fall for.”
“It’s not a myth.” She reached down between her body and the side of the chair and pulled out the scroll Samael had given her. Carefully, she spread it open, revealing the hand-drawn map with the ornately illustrated tree at its center. “They gave me this.”
He studied it, nodding once or twice, then leaned in. “Let’s say this really is a map to the Garden and we go there. How do we get in? Isn’t it guarded?”
Her nerves settled with the realization that despite his skepticism, he was with her in this. “The ancient one assured me we would be able to enter.”
He sat back again, stretching one arm along the back of the sofa. “Then that’s the plan. Their word is good enough for me.”
She rolled the scroll up and stuck it back down in the cushions. “Are you ready to meet
His body language stayed loose and relaxed. “Yes.”
He’d better be. There was no turning back after this. She stood and lifted her hands. “Lilith, my darling girl, come to me.”
Darkness clouded the room as if someone had dimmed the lights, and then that darkness converged into a human form. From that, a woman-child emerged, shedding the darkness like a butterfly leaving its cocoon. Or a parasite leaving its host. She tipped her head and looked at Tatiana. “Hello, Mother.”
“My darling.” Tatiana fought to keep her smile in place against a new onslaught of nerves. This had to go well. “I’d like you to meet Malkolm Bourreau, the vampire I was telling you about.”
Her attention shifted to Mal. He stood, but kept his distance. He nodded at her. “So you’re Lilith?”
She walked toward him. “And you are one of the most fearsome vampires to walk the earth.”
The whites of his eyes began to turn black. Tatiana recognized that as a sign of him loosening his hold on the beast inside him. He was showing Lilith who he was. Good. “I’ve heard that said about me.”
Unfortunately, his show of power didn’t seem to affect her. Maybe she just didn’t realize what it meant. “That’s what Mother says.” Lilith looked over her shoulder. “Don’t you, Mother?”
“Yes,” Tatiana answered. “He is the perfect vampire to join our family.”
Lilith stuck out her bottom lip. “Why? What makes him better than any other vampire?”
“I didn’t say he was better. I said he was perfect for our family.” Tatiana wanted to slap her, but refrained out of respect for her own life. “He was my human husband and the father of my mortal child. He knows how to be a father—”
Mal put his hand up. “I’ll handle this.” He rolled his shirt sleeve back and held his black-inked forearm out. “See those names, Lilith? I am covered with them.” He pulled up his shirt, revealing a taut stomach covered with more black script.
Lilith sighed like a bored teenager. “So.”
Mal picked his shirt up a little higher, showing off more ink. “Each name represents one of my kills.”
Tatiana watched as Lilith’s eyes widened and a tiny smile lifted the corner of her mouth. This child she’d once held in her arms was a bloodthirsty savage, something she might have approved of if that savagery wasn’t so capricious.
Lilith reached for his skin. “So many…”
He tucked his shirt back in before she could touch him. “That’s not all. I have the ability to transform myself into a beast owned by darkness. A beast that has taken on and destroyed hordes of Nothos.”
Lilith clapped her hands. “Show me.”
“No.”
Her face fell. “Yes. Now. I want to see.”
Mal leaned forward, eyes going dark with the beast. “I said no.” The harshness in Mal’s voice surprised Tatiana, but then she realized he spoke with the beast’s voice too. Her satisfaction level rose. She hadn’t expected him to understand so quickly just how firm a hand Lilith needed.
Lilith flopped onto the couch to pout some more.
Just then, someone called Tatiana’s name from another part of the house. The sound of it gave her chills. She turned toward it, suddenly trembling. “That voice,” she whispered. Her hand went to her throat. “Octavian.”
Chapter Thirty-three
Getting into Dominic’s office had taken some doing until Creek had run into Mortalis. A little explanation and the fae had escorted him through the crowd without stopping. He even seemed mildly amused when Luciano jumped out of his chair as Creek walked through the door.
Creek held his hands up. “I’m not here to kill you. I just need to speak to Dominic.”
