A Destined Death (30 page)

I locked myself in the Egyptian room and stared into the eye of Osiris one last time before I grabbed the corner of the rug and ripped it off the floor. The outlined floorboard came up easily since Lissa had pried all the way around it with some sharp object. I reached my hand inside the dark hole and pulled out a small, red velvet bag, which held a folded piece of paper and a large red, heart-shaped ruby necklace with a leather strap.

Elizabeth,

I see you reading this so I know you found The Forgiving Heart. My job is done, and that means two things. One, I have done absolutely everything I can do to save Draven, and two, I cannot see any further into the future. The rest is up to you. Wear it when you go to France, and you should make it safely to Draven.

Good Luck, Elizabeth.

All my Love,

Lissa

P.S. Don’t forget to have the house redecorated. 

Exasperated, I puffed a gust of air out of my lungs. “That’s it? Wear it when I go to France? That’s all you’re going to tell me? What the hell does it do?”

“Are you all right, Milady?” Candy asked through the door.

Getting off my knees, I opened the door. She looked in at the missing floorboard but didn’t say a word about it.

“I’m fine. Did you find anything?”

Candy bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Milady. Nothing.”

“What about this?” I asked, holding up the necklace. “Do you know anything about gems?”

“No, but it’s beautiful.”

“It’s called The Forgiving Heart. See if you can find any literature online, please.”

“Yes, Milady.” She curtseyed before she left.

I doubted Candy would find anything. If it were a well-known piece, it would surely be in a museum somewhere. That made me wonder how Lissa had known about it. In the study, beside the witchcraft book, I found an even older book titled Mythical Egyptian Relics. On the bookmarked page, I found a drawing of the necklace but I couldn’t read the foreign text.

“Candy?” I found her in the dining room working studiously on her laptop. “Can you by any chance read Egyptian?”

“No, Milady, but I can have anything translated for you in a half an hour.”

“You’re so cool,” I teased, making her blush.

The translation came back with little information, saying only that the jewel was supposed to offer protection from vampires. I wondered if that was all Lissa knew about the necklace too. Maybe she hadn’t lived long enough to test it out.

“I could talk to Johnny about the Elders. I mean, it’s worth a shot. I really don’t think he’ll kill me.”

I sat down in a chair beside her, remembering the last time we ran into him. Candy seemed to have taken care of him easily enough to get away but he would be ready for her tricks this time. Still, I felt like we needed to know what the necklace did before we went to France, and I doubted we’d get a better opportunity.

“Do you think you could get him alone?”

“I know I can.”

“All right. Then we’ll both go.”

Candy stiffened in her chair as her eyes expanded with fear. “Oh no, Milady. I can’t put you in danger on purpose. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you, and Draven would rightfully kill me!”

“Draven isn’t here,” I reminded her.

After minutes of what looked like a powerful internal argument, she finally agreed. I tried not to appear shocked that she knew Johnny’s personal cell phone number, and when we arrived in a large, abandoned garage, I tried not to notice the way the corners of her mouth turned up. The door closed behind us, blocking out the sun, and then Johnny showed up alone, true to his word.

“You brought me two snacks, Candy? Is that your way of apologizing? I accept,” he said, walking toward us with an eerie grin.

She opened her door and stood, resting one arm on the top of the car. “No.”

“Yes,” I argued.

Candy ducked and scowled at me.

Johnny shrugged and licked his top lip. His eyes jumped between the two of us before he moved toward Candy.

“Wait!” she begged, holding up her hand. “Let me ask my questions first. I might not have the strength after.”

Johnny laughed but sat down on the hood of the Camaro. “I suppose you have a point, and I am curious about what you could possibly have to ask me.”

“We need to know about the Elders.”

“What about them?” He sounded bored.

“Is there anything they want? I’m looking for a bargaining chip.”

Johnny kicked back his head and chuckled loudly. “You think two human women can go to them and bargain?”

Candy frowned. “Do you know of anything or not?”

He rolled his eyes. “All they want is anonymity for vampires.”

She shook her head and scrunched up her face. “Do you have any idea why would they send three bounty hunters to pick up Draven?”

Johnny cocked his head curiously. “They didn’t.”

“What do you mean? How do you know?”

“By law, bounty hunters have to announce that they are there by orders of the Elders and express the reason they are being taken in for judgment. Most times that reduces resistance anyway. If they didn’t give you a reason, then it wasn’t the Elders who called them in.”

“Then who––”

“I’ve answered your question about the Elders,” Johnny interrupted, looking thirsty as he walked around the car door to Candy. “My turn.”

“Wait,” I pleaded. I threw my door open and stepped out of the car. “Can I go first?”

Johnny snickered. “Do bring your anxious friends more often, Candy.”

In an instant, Johnny moved around the car, sniffing my neck. I bared it freely and closed my eyes. I felt tingling as he healed the old wound, and then I felt nothing before he pushed me into the car.

He stared angrily at Candy. “What the fuck is this? She could have chipped a fang!”

“I don’t know.” When I reached out my hand, Candy took it and sat down in the driver’s seat.

“Never mind. You’ll do.” Johnny moved like lightning around the car and tried to bite Candy with the same results. “You tricked me! I swear, the next time I meet you––”

“What do you mean? You couldn’t bite me?”

“Your skin is like stone.” His fingers traced his fangs as if to make sure they were still intact. “And why do you no longer smell like a mark?”

Candy let go of my hand and walked over to him. She put her arms around his neck and lifted her head. “Try now.”

He sniffed her and then grabbed her neck wildly, sinking his teeth into her soft, virgin flesh. She gasped in pain but he let her go after a minute and healed her old and new wounds. He appeared conflicted when his turquoise eyes appraised her.

“Damn, it was more fun when you ran from me. Don’t mess with the Elders, Candy. They won’t take kindly to a human trying to deal with them, and they sure as hell won’t have a problem killing you. I don’t know how you two pulled off what you just did, but they’re the strongest vampires in the world. It might not hold up with them.”

“Thanks.” She cast her eyes downward when she withdrew from his grasp, but then slowly tilted her head up to meet his. “We’re square?”

He made a large sweeping bow before he disappeared. 

“So the necklace changes our smell and makes our skin like stone to vampires,” Candy stated on the way back to the mansion, “and if we’re touching the person wearing it, it will protect us all?”

“It appears so,” I said flatly, unable to get excited. We knew what the necklace did but now we had no idea where Draven and Armando were. If the Elders hadn’t called Draven in, then it could’ve been anyone who put a bounty on his head.

“We’ll find them,” she said.

“We have to.”

Candy nodded. “The documents will arrive in the morning, and I’ll schedule a jet to leave after that.”

“I’ll let Tina know.”

When we returned to the mansion, Ben stood in the middle of driveway, an irritated gaze pointed at me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked when I stepped out of the car.

He shook his head. “I thought I’d wait out here. That man’s climbing the walls waiting for you.”

My stomach churned as I prepared for the expected confrontation with Charles. “Did he say anything?”

“Nope.”

After an accepting sigh, I headed for the front door. Candy and Ben followed.

“Milady, may I speak with you?” Charles asked anxiously when I stepped inside.

“Of course.” I laid a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him.

He frowned at my hand and delicately worked his way out from under it as if he didn’t like to be touched. “I think I might know where Milord is,” he disclosed.

“What? Where?”

He took a couple of deep breaths until his color returned to normal. “The man he went to visit when you were young, the man he asked to kill him if he didn’t turn you. His name is Damion. Damion Kern. Does that help?”

I threw my arms around him and hugged him until he wriggled himself out of the hold and stepped away. Unshaken, I turned to Candy, my eyes aglow. “That makes sense! That’s why they wanted Draven, and that’s why they asked if I was his wife. They were checking to make sure he wasn’t married yet!”

She hugged me, and we jumped in place like teenagers. 

“He lives outside of Paris,” Charles continued. “You should go right away.”

I squinted at him curiously. Didn’t Candy tell him that part? “We are. We’re leaving for Paris in the morning.”

“Oh. That’s good!” he said awkwardly. He half-turned to walk away but then stopped. “Do…do you think I should go? I mean, in case Milord needs me. Maybe I can help.”

I shrugged and glanced at Candy.

She nodded. “He could accompany Tina and Coty and make sure they get home safely.”

“Yes, and I can stay with the jet until they arrive,” he offered, “to make sure no unwanted vampires get on board.”

“That’s a good idea,” I said, suddenly feeling uneasy because Candy hadn’t thought of it. “All right. We leave in the morning then.”

I waited for Candy and Charles to leave before I lowered my voice to speak to Ben. “Do you know anything about a vampire named Damion Kern?”

“Nah. I don’t know any of them by name. I haven’t learned to speak French yet, and that’s been inhibiting my strong powers of persuasion. It does no good to sweet talk the ladies if I can’t understand what the hell they’re saying. I keep meaning to learn but this job keeps me busy.”

“Will you help us?”

“Point the way, darling.” His dimple peeked at me. “Killing those bastards is what I do best.”

“Oh no. Draven considers him a friend. I just want you close by in case I need help or in case he’s not as good of a friend as Draven thinks he is.”

After a deep breath, he exhaled slowly. “You know I heard that story Candy told in the car about you and that vampire.”

“His name’s Draven,” I clarified.

“Right,” he said with a nod. “Anyway, it sort of… Well, I’ll help you but I don’t have to like it.”

I almost giggled at the way the tough vampire hunter stammered, but I bit my tongue and gave him a hug. “Thank you! And for the record, you know one by name now.”

Ben scowled and walked out the door.

****

The moment the jet set down in Paris, I heard Draven’s melodious voice. Even tired and worn, it was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard.

“Elizabeth, are you there? I’m so sorry for everything. I’m sorry that monster bit you. I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

Draven! I can hear you! Tell me you’re all right! Please, tell me you’re unharmed.

“We’re not harmed, just weakened. Armando and I will straighten this out, and we’ll be together again before you know it.”

I sighed.
You’re an optimist.

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Elizabeth. I’ve had a good feeling since yesterday afternoon. I miss you.”

Just hang on, Draven. We’ll be there soon.

“What?”
he screamed into my head, his voice filled with alarm.
“You can’t come to France! Oh my God, you’re here already, aren’t you? That’s why you can hear me. No! I can’t believe this is happening, and it’s my fault. Again, you will die at the hands of fate!”

When he started slinging what I was sure were French cuss words, I sent him an image of myself in the wedding dress. I heard him suck in a breath.
I love you, Draven, but I need you to trust me this once. The vampires can’t hurt us.

“Us?”
he asked, sounding anxious again.
“Who else came?”

Charles, Tina, Ben, and Candy are all here. They insisted.

His silence rang louder than his words, and I again regretted putting them in danger.
“Ben?”
he finally asked.
“He’s the man you were screaming at near the barn, the one who shot me?”