Bloody Heretic (21 page)

    “
I didn
’
t bring her. She brought me.”
Orleans looked to Gloria, which was a mistake. Michel set his sights on her as well.

    “
Do your worst. Nothing I have to say will change what happens here tonight,”
Gloria told him, head held high. It was just like her to face death head on. And she was really pissed off.

    “
I
’
ve been meaning to make your acquaintance for some time, Ms. O
’
Malley. Jeanne never made another Child after you. Nor one before. I
’
ve often wondered what made you so special.”

    “
Ask her.”
She looked at Jeanne. “
I always just assumed I had annoyed her enough and she had finally caved.”

    “
Jeanne? Any comments?”
M
ichel asked her. Dom watched as she fought the pull of his will as Adam had. She failed.

    “
She was
the strongest, most beautiful woman I had ever met. I couldn
’
t bear the thought of her not existing in the world.”
The confession poured out of her and
sh
e
swayed with the internal battle. 

    “
How sweet. Was that really all it took? A pretty face?”
He looked at Gloria again, seeming to gauge her worth.

    “
She deserved eternal life. At the cost of everything she had thought she knew she accepted the g
ift and used it to avenge herself. That was something I could believe in.”
Michel cocked his head, continuing to study her.

    “
Tell me, what is the key to your demise?”
He asked her.

    “
Cut my head from my shoulders,”
she grated past her teeth. Michel
chuckled.

    “
Clever but I would like specifics. What secrets do you harbor?”
After a deep breath she looked to Orleans and spilled.

    “
I smothered Queen Elizabeth with her own pillow.”
Everyone stared wide eyed at her.

    “
But Queen Elizabeth is still
alive,”
Claude muttered.

    “
Queen Elizabeth the First,”
she clarified. He mouthed
‘
Holy Shit.
’

    “
Boring! Give me something else, something personally devastating.”

    “
I turned my son into
a Vampire for betraying me. I
’
ve killed thousands of men in
my lifetime, some in times of war,”
she looked to Orleans, “
some for sport.”
He wi
nced but otherwise remained
neutral. 

    “
Alright,”
he snapped, disgusted with her lack of juicy stories
. He
spun on his heels. Jeann
e let out a breath as he let Gloria
go.
Alex
let out a tiny scream as he
came to face her and Ethan.

    “
What is your story? Name? Age? Etcetera?”

    “
Alexandria Lambert-Hollowman. I
’
m forty-
eight. I don
’
t know what else to say.”
She looked so nervous. Dom couldn
’
t help but be nervous for h
er. He knew Michel was forcing everyone to feel his victims emotions, and it was taking its toll on him. He didn
’
t know how much longer he could take the emotional onslaught.

    “
Oh! You
’
ve got to be kidding me? You brought me the King
’
s daughter?”
He lo
oked at them in unbelieving elation.
“
Am I on some sort of hidden camera program? There is no conceivable way you brought me Master Orleans, his daughter, the top executives in the Vampire Hierarchy
and
the King
’
s daughter.”

    “
How did you know?”
She ask
ed. 

    “
I have friends in high places, dear. Everyone who is anyone heard
your name and
about Ethan nailing the highest prized bounty in the land. And you weren
’
t even on the market for very long, were you? Tell me, why Ethan?”

    “
Because I love him,”
she answered easily. Ethan smiled sadly at her. She smiled back despite the situation.

    “
Yes, yes. But why do you love him? Was it love at first sight or was it lack of better options?”

    Alex glared at him. “
As a matter of fact, it
was
love at first
sight.”

    “
Really? And you love him unconditionally?
”

    “
Yes.”
Her conviction was a thing of beauty and Michel stopped broadcasting her feelings, lest they suddenly remember that they weren
’
t jus
t drowning in sorrow. That few seconds of pure love that he had felt from Alex was enough to remind him of the way he had felt toward Jeanne just hours ago. She was facing away from him, watching the scene unfold between Alex and Michel. He reached out an
d
held her hand. She didn
’
t turn toward him but she squeezed his hand once to let him know she had felt it too, before letting go.

    “
Alright. I believe you. Let
’
s see if Ethan
’
s conviction is as solid.”
He forced Ethan to look at him. “
Do you love her a
s unconditionally as she does you?”

    “
More so. Every minute of every day...,”
he snapped his mouth shut as soon as Michel waved a hand in disgust.

    “
Blech, save it. I want to hear what you don
’
t want her to know. I feel a tugging in ther
e, trying to get away,”
he said, tapping on Ethan
’
s forehead. Ethan gritted his teeth in frustration. Dom was curious despite himself to know what Ethan could possibly have kept from Alex and everyone. 

    “
I...fed Alex my blood...,”
he panted. Michel di
dn
’
t seem satisfied by this and pushed Ethan harder.

    “
And?”
He asked, leaning in.

     “
As an infant...I fed her my blood. So I could sense her where ever she was in the world. I wanted to be able to find her no matter where she went. I promised myself
I
’
d keep her safe.”
He panted so hard Dom was sure he was going to make himself sick.

    “
This doesn
’
t seem very juicy. What do you think Alex? Is this a betrayal of trust?”

    “
No, I don
’
t know why you
’
re freaking out, Babe. I
’
m a Vampire, I drink bl
ood. I already knew you were watching out for me. I don
’
t care.”

    “
But you seemed so human when you were born. I fear...I fear I turned you myself.”
Everyone looked on as Ethan sobbed out his confession. Michel seemed intrigued as well.

    “
Is that y
our big secret? You thought you made me into a Vamp as an infant?”
She laughed at that. Ethan looked up in shock. She waved a hand, trying to get her giggles under control as she tried to comfort him. “
No, no, no. Ethan
,
my condition is part of my DNA. Dad
showed me the process as soon as I arrived. I tested the PCR myself. I
’
m
fifty-fifty on a molecular level
. It wasn
’
t anything you did. All you did was give me the sweetest snack I
’
ve ever had and a built in GPS.”
She smiled at him and again Michel
had to
block
the emotions coming from them. Their love was truly unconditional. Ethan had never looked so relieved. Michel grabbed Alex roughly by the chin and the mood was abruptly destroyed.

    “
Is it true then? What you are?”
He forced the question on her har
der than necessary. She quaked with fear.

    “
Yes. I
’
m the first born Vampire.”

    Michel let go of her and shook with some powerful emotion Dom didn
’
t want to discover. The fear they felt could have been Alex
’
s or their own but either way, they knew th
ey were reaching a turning point. Michel would snap eventually. As Dom was thinking it, Michel turned abruptly toward Claude. He jumped.

    “
What
’
s your story?”

    “
Claude Fletcher. I was turned in
’
84 by Richard Bailey, a Vampire from Canada who like
d
what I could do with computers. He kept me long enough to teach him all I knew and then he sent me to New York to train the
King. King Niles,”
he amended.
“
I moved to Scanning in
’
96 and then to Investigations in
’
01. I don
’
t know what else to say.”

    “
G
ive me something good, Claude Fletcher. Something that will crush one of them,”
Michel commanded. The look on poor Claude
’
s face tore at Dom. Claude was one of his closest and most loy
al friends. He tried to convey his support but Claude was too busy stari
ng at Michel.

    “
Like what?”
He stammered.

    “
A betrayal. A secret. A
dirty limerick for all I care, just find something,”
he ordered.

    Claude looked at Gloria in apology and Dom knew it was about to get ugly. “
I was monitoring the local security f
eeds earlier tonight, scanning through the daylight hours for any comings and goings. I
didn
’
t believe it at first because...well because he seemed so committed but...I
’
m so sorry Gloria but I saw Orleans at that cafe across the street with another woman.”
Michel looked at Gloria with a raised eyebrow.

    “
What?”
She looked at Orleans confused. He rolled his eyes and then leaned over to look at Claude.

    “
What did she look like?”
He asked, looking at Gloria with a smile.

    “
Well the camera wasn
’
t that
good but she had dark hair, a big floppy hat on and sunglasses.
A trench coat.”
As he described the woman in question Glo
ria smiled in understanding. Dom thought he understood as well.
Gloria had snuck out with Orleans during the day. He didn
’
t think she
would have risked that, but they obviously loved each other. Claude just didn
’
t know what she was, that she could go out during the day. “
I don
’
t get why you think this is funny, I saw you kissing her. It was plain as day.”

    “
Claude, let me stop you th
ere. I think I see where this is going and it
’
s more than
enough for me to work with.”
Michel
looked at Gloria with raised eyebrows, as if to say
‘
It was you?
’
She nodded. “
Alright. Now we
’
re talking.”
He turned to Orleans. “
Do you love her?”
He asked.

  
“
Yes,”
he growled.

    “
And is there anything you would like to share with her
?”
He asked. Orleans took a deep
breath, filling out his huge chest, and looked at her.