The Ripple Effect

  He clapped his hands—in the same manner he had earlier when Victoria entered the room. The door on the opposite side of the ballroom opened and more slaves appeared. I didn’t pay them any attention. The person I wanted a piece of stood to the left of Revenald. I swore to myself that before all was said and done, I’d kill Anton. I’d see him suffer.

  “You took the life of Lady Victoria’s brother.” Revenald kept talking and, though I listened, I stared at Anton. “There has to be a penalty for such a crime. After deliberating the matter, I decided that the only justifiable conclusion is an exchange.”

  I ripped my gaze from Anton, looking at Revenald. “An exchange?”

  It was then that I looked at the group approaching us from the door. It felt as though the floor vanished, no longer under my feet, my bearings unviable. I would have fallen but my knees locked. The walls closed in on me, the ceiling dropping so close it almost touched my head. It was surreal, out of place, and wrong.

  So fucking wrong.

  This is nothing but a nightmare, I told myself. Something from the most macabre of dreams. They couldn’t have found her. I’d done everything to prevent it.

  Despite that, I still heard myself speak, calling out to her as she neared. “Jenny?”

  “Rhiannon?” Jennifer whispered, clothed in the pitiful garments she wore at the mental hospital. “How did I get here? Where am I? What’s going on?”

  Her hair was messy, lines of drool dried around her mouth and chin. She seemed confused, disoriented. Her eyes darted around the room, and she didn’t fight the people guiding her toward me, although she scratched at her arms as though invisible objects were brushing against her. I wondered how long she’d been off her medication, how quickly she was descending into darkness.

  I started to run for her when a hand wrapped into the hair at my nape, a knee was shoved into my back, and I was thrust to the floor. “You see.” Revenald pressed his face against my neck, speaking into my ear. “It’s only fair—a sister for a brother.”

  “No!” I screamed, struggling to break free.

  “Yes,” Revenald replied calmly. “You need an incentive to be a productive part of our world. If your sister is a member of it, you’ll fall into line. It’s the perfect solution. After all, there’s no bond stronger than the one you share with family.” As I continued fighting him, whipping my head back and forth so hard that I busted my nose and blood flowed from it, Revenald cooed, “Shh. This is the way it has to be. You’ll see. Flesh of our flesh, blood of our blood.”

  “They’ll miss her,” I bluffed, scrambling for an excuse. “They’ll know she’s gone. They’ll search for her.”

  “All taken care of,” Revenald replied. “Your mother checked her out of the hospital early this morning. She told the staff she’d hired private help. Pity we had to destroy the old woman before the trip here, but she didn’t serve any purpose. She wouldn’t have survived long in my home, anyway.”

  “The girl is mad,” Victoria said from behind us, her distain obvious. “Look at her. She’ll lose all sense of logic. She’ll be uncontrollable.”

  “That may be true, but mad or not she is the key to your revenge. Change her, bring her into your fold. My familiar wouldn’t dare act against her own, especially her sister.” Revenald inhaled deeply against my head. “Can’t you smell the fear coming from Rhiannon Murphy? Isn’t it more powerful than killing her quickly? You can ensure she suffers for an eternity. You will govern the life of the person she cherishes most—forever. There is no greater justice I can give you.”

  “Please,” I begged, breaking down. “Don’t hurt her. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “Of course you’ll do whatever I want,” Revenald whispered mockingly. “That isn’t open for debate. You are mine. You do what I say, when I say it. You don’t eat, sleep, or think without my command.”

  “Please,” I repeated, desperate despite his tone. “You don’t have to do this. She hasn’t done anything to you. Let her go. You’re angry at me, not her.”

  A hand forced my head back and I gazed into Anton’s face. He seemed awed, his green eyes glowing. Portions of spit had dried on his nose, leaving behind white patchy smears. “The despair in her eyes tastes delicious.”

  “Don’t do this.” I couldn’t believe I was pleading with the man who’d killed Paine. “Let her go.”

  “She’s so much better when she’s obedient,” Anton observed, lowering his head and licking the blood streaming from my nose before he let me go. “Sticky sweet.”

  “What say you, Victoria?” Revenald asked. “A life for a life. A loss for a loss.”

  Victoria grabbed my head this time, looking down at me. I didn’t know what she was looking for. I simply gazed into her endless green eyes, humbled, pleading, and desperate. After a moment, she seemed to have found what she was searching for. She nodded and released me.

  “Make her watch.”

  “No!” I screamed a second time, trying to break free, wishing I had the power to do something. Instead my head was forced back at an angle that left me with no alternative but to witness Victoria approaching my sister.

  I prayed, pleading for God to help me, to intervene on behalf of an innocent soul. Jennifer was a victim, someone who had never done anyone any harm. It wasn’t fair—no, it wasn’t right—that she should suffer further atrocities. I strained beneath Revenald, knowing I couldn’t break free, unable to forgive myself for being so weak. They were going to destroy the only part of my sister left, taking the last of her sanity.

  “You said I could plead and you would listen,” I whispered to Revenald, past my breaking point, no longer whole. “I’m begging you. Begging you. Please let her go. I’ll be your fucking slave if that’s what you want. I’ll do whatever you tell me to. Just don’t hurt her.”

  “See, I told you that you’d beg. Eventually, you all do.” He sounded smug, but I was too terrified to be angry.

  “Please don’t do this. Take your anger out on me. She doesn’t deserve it. I won’t create chaos in your home. I’ll be everything a proper servant should be. I promise.”

  “Poor soul.” Revenald petted my head. “I believe what you say, but it’s too late. You’ve brought this upon yourself. From this moment forward, you decide how your sister is treated. If you do as I instruct, I’ll make sure that no harm comes to her. Defy me and she will pay the price. Your pride is too precious to you, your will too strong. From this moment forward, you will belong to me in all ways.”

  “Please, please, please.” I continued repeating the word, watching Victoria snag a handful of Jenny’s hair. “Don’t do this. Please don’t do this.”

  “It’s done,” he said simply. “Watch and endure. There is nothing left for you.”

  The panic in Jennifer’s eyes was almost too much to take, but I suffered with her, knowing if I turned away it was the same as turning my back on her during a time of need. When Victoria forced my sister’s head to the side, baring her neck, I wished I had Disco’s gift of telepathy, to give her comfort and the strength she needed. Tears streamed down my face, but I didn’t give a shit. If she was going to endure, I would endure beside her.

  “Jenny,” I yelled, trying to see her face. “Look at me.”

  Her eyes were wild—like those of a trapped animal—when she did as I asked. The weight in my chest settled, but I refused to turn away. We’d been through so much together. I would not abandon her now. It was my fault she had been brought into this horrific, supernatural world. If not for me, she wouldn’t be in this situation.

  “I’m here,” I said. “I’m here.”

  “Why is this happening?” She broke eye contact with me to glance at Victoria. “Is this Hell?”

  “As close to Hell as you’re likely to get.”

  “Get the fuck away from her!” I screamed, long and hard. It felt as though I’d blown a vessel in my throat by the time I’d finished, stopping only so that I could breathe. Victoria sneered at me and lowered her
head, her long and sharp canines shining in the light before they pierced Jenny’s neck.

  I knew how bad vampire bites hurt, how painful they were. “I’m here, Jenny,” I cried, big fat drops of agony winding down my face. “You are not alone. I promise. You are not alone.”

  I don’t know if she heard. All I could understand was her wail of agony, of confusion, of fear. Victoria’s throat moved as she drank Jenny’s blood, rhythmic swallows, one after another. Even though Revenald made it clear he expected Victoria to change Jenny, I feared they’d drain her dry. So in some perverse way I felt relief when Victoria eased her fangs free of Jennifer’s throat, cut a line in her wrist and forced it to Jennifer’s mouth.

  Jennifer attempted to turn away, but it was useless. In seconds, she was drinking the blood from Victoria’s wrist, gulping it down. I didn’t know if I should thank God or curse Him. She was alive, but she wasn’t. She was something else now. Someone else. Would her madness evaporate with the change? Or would it become worse? I had no way of knowing, left only with empty musings.

  When Jennifer slumped, the servants caught her. I lowered my head, weeping silently, unable to look at Victoria or my sister turned vampire. Within hours—by sunrise—the change would take place.

  It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.

  “There, there now,” Revenald said, easing his hold on me. “It’s done.”

  Done? Was he crazy? It had only just begun. I wouldn’t leave my sister with Victoria, no matter what he did to me.

  “Now you’re going to collect the dagger I requested, and when you do I expect total subservience. Whether you like it or not, you belong to me now. Gabriel Trevellian is a long forgotten memory. From this moment forward, you do as I say.” He moved away from me—a destroyed mess at his feet—and pointed at Goose. “Take her to recover the dagger. Bring her to me when she has it.”

  “I’ll see to it, Sire.” Marius stepped in. “This mess is my making.”

  “Very well.” Revenald spoke, but I didn’t dare look at him. Emotions blurred together—horror, fear, loss, devastation—until I couldn’t tell one from the other.

  Someone helped me to my feet, but I didn’t know who. Faces were unidentifiable, bodies no more than large blobs in my vision. As we exited the ballroom, walked down the hall, and left the residence, I couldn’t think clearly. Thoughts of Paine, Jennifer, and Disco bled together. What did I do? Give Revenald what he wanted? Bow down to his power? Was there any other choice?

  We entered the limousine, and I was certain it started moving. Unfortunately I had no idea where the vehicle was taking us. Home? Where was home? There was no home anymore. Home was where your heart was, and my heart had been broken beyond repair.

  “This is your fault,” Marius snapped. “You stupid, stupid girl.”

  Yes, I heard him, but it didn’t register. I knew Goose held me, whispering apologies and reassurances in my ear that made no sense. This couldn’t be happening. The things I’d witnessed were not real. It was a dream. A horrible, horrible nightmare.

  No, it isn’t. Balls the fuck up and grow a goddamned pair. The part of me that never bowed down to anyone or anything surfaced, drowning out the voices that had taken me over. If you’re hit, hit back harder. They fucked with the wrong person. Show them why you’re the one to be feared. Bring it back to them, make every single vampire, half-demon, and demon between Hell and earth afraid to speak your name. Show them why they shouldn’t fuck with what they don’t understand.

  But what if I couldn’t? What if I wasn’t strong enough?

  Memories of my past pervaded my mind—of Ray, of Jennifer, of crazy child vamps, hell on earth, grief and comfort during a night spent Paine’s arms, Disco’s betrayal, my ability to overcome it, and everything I’d faced to bring me to this time and place.

  I held out my bloodstained arms and looked at them, imagining the weight of Paine’s body. He was so special—so unique—but I’d never told him. Now he was gone. Lost to all of us. Then there was Jennifer, turned into something she might not ever understand. Becoming a vampire changed things. She wouldn’t experience life in the same manner. She’d be stronger, more powerful, and her thought processes would begin to change.

  Would her mind hold up? Or would she be lost to me forever?

  How could I leave something like that unanswered? How could I let it go?

  Simple. I couldn’t.

  Jennifer and Paine deserved more than that. I owed them more than that.

  Slowly, the despondency lifted, the light eclipsing the dark, leaving fury and clarity in its wake. I would make sure those I loved hadn’t suffered in vain. This was a fork in the road. The question was which path I would take? Did I leave those I loved behind? Forcing Disco to endure one hundred years underground? Could I possibly leave Jennifer to suffer in the hands of Victoria?

  Fuck no, I couldn’t. No way.

  I settled against Goose, allowing him to comfort me. I couldn’t exist like this. I wouldn’t survive it. Living as Revenald’s bitch. Doing anything and everything he said. Knowing my sister and lover continued to suffer and I hadn’t done a damned thing about it. I would have to take a risk, one that could put an end to it all.

  Revenald had brought death to my door.

  It was time to return the favor.

  Chapter Sixteen

  By the time we arrived at the mansion Disco and his family called home, I’d stopped crying and had made the proper mental preparations. I moved away from Goose, ignored him and Marius, and climbed from the back of the limo before the driver opened the door. The trip back to Bhevencourt Estate would take at least two hours—meaning I had to hurry. I wanted to return before sunrise, when Revenald and the vampire masters at his home would feel safe. I had to make sure none of them would view me as a threat. But before that, I had to gear up and perform a summoning.

  “Rhiannon,” Goose called out to me but I kept going, running up the stairs.

  The rest of Revenald’s vampiric household were just climbing from the other vehicle, so there was no one to stop me as I shoved the front door open, strode toward the stairs, and headed for Disco’s bedroom.

  His scent hit me the instant I walked in—giving me a measure of comfort and strength. Moving past the bed, I retrieved my luggage, jacket and boots, and walked into the bathroom. Once I was certain the door was locked behind me, I quickly washed the blood and tears from my arms and face, knelt in front of the case and sat my shoes on the floor.

  First order of business—clothes.

  I yanked off the corset and slid into a bra and my favorite black T-shirt—one that was tight and fit comfortably against the leather pants I decided not to remove. Next were my socks and shitkickers. The boots wrapped around my leather clad-legs like a second skin, more comfortable than I would have imagined.

  When I finished dressing, I opened the top of the case and retrieved the holsters nestled inside. They fit comfortably around my shoulders, so that I had an easy range of movement. The tactical belt I banded around my waist provided me with plenty of slots for my weapons and ammunition. I made sure I grabbed the sterling silver butterfly knives Disco had given me, sliding them into the empty grooves at my sides, as well as the gun magazines stocked with the silver bullets I’d acquired from Bane.

  Speaking of which...

  I removed my cell from my jacket, searched the memory and found the number I was looking for. Yesterday I wouldn’t have considered making the call, but twenty-four hours can change a lot of things.

  “That was fast,” Bane said when he answered. “I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”

  “What can I say?” I asked, proud that my voice sounded only mildly scratchy from screaming and crying. “I got a clue.”

  “So what do you need?”

  “You said I reminded you of someone. I want you to tell me who she is.”

  It didn’t hit me until the car ride home that Bane had offered to help me because he obviously wanted something. He kne
w about vampires, that I was connected to them, yet he reached out in my direction. That meant I had value, that his wasn’t a one-way offer.

  “I’m hanging up,” he said.

  “Then you’ll never get what you need from me. I’m living on borrowed time. I wouldn’t have called you otherwise.” Truth, truth, and truth. It was best to put it all out there, right from the start.

  “I see.” He paused. “My cousin. You remind me of her.”

  Now it was time to push his limits. “Why?”

  “She was a lot like you.” His raspy timbre was hard to read. I couldn’t tell if he was angry, calm, or malcontent. “Young, stubborn, made some decisions she shouldn’t have. Like getting involved with vampires.”

  “It got her killed?” Damn. The phone call might not work in my favor.

  “It got her missing,” he clarified. “I made the move to New York in 2006 when she stopped calling home. I’ve been here ever since. Now that I’ve shared, it’s your turn. Why did you call me?”

  “I need a safe place to lay low until I can get out of the city.” I hated the nervousness that made me tremble. “A place big enough for three.”

  “You’re bringing people with you?”

  “That’s what I just said.”

  “One of them wouldn’t happen to be the vampire who gave you that mark on your throat, would it?”

  “Is that a problem?” His cousin was missing because of vampires, but he hadn’t indicated that he hated them, or that he had a vendetta against them.

  “If I said it is?”

  “Then this conversation is over. If you mean to harm the vampires I care for, it’s best we don’t associate.” I wasn’t going to risk my life to save Disco and Jennifer only to put them in danger.

  He didn’t speak for several seconds, and I wondered if he’d tell me to fuck off. Finally he said, “I don’t know what you’re involved in, but if you need a safe place, I have one you can use for a few days. No harm will come to the people you bring with you.”

  “Do I have your word?”