Much Ado About Vampires: A Dark Ones Novel

  No, but—

  We must eliminate the source of the threat. We must destroy Bael. We have no choice. And since I can’t do that by myself, we’re going to need help. The only being powerful enough to do so is the Sovereign.

  “But . . . why don’t you just wait until we get Diamond out, and then you can use all three of us against Bael?” she asked, stroking his chest in a way that left him growling with desire. “Surely that would be easier than trying to blackmail the Sovereign-who-isn’t-God?”

  “I would if it was possible, but I am a Dark One. By my very existence I have a tie to Abaddon. It’s impossible for me to destroy that to which I owe my existence.”

  “Well, then, someone else will have to do it,” she said, obviously distressed. His heart swelled with love at the thought that she was worried the Sovereign would be angry at him. No one—not in all the long centuries of his life—no one had ever worried about him. “Kristoff . . . oh, I suppose he can’t, either. Pia, then.”

  “Pia does not have the knowledge to defeat a premier prince. She would not be able to control the power of the combined Tools. No, my love, there is only one being who can topple a premier prince, and we must simply point out that it must do so, or risk its own existence.”

  “You’re threatening to use the Tools against heaven, but you couldn’t against Abaddon? How can you do that?” Cora touched his face in such a gentle expression of love, it almost unmanned him.

  “I have no ties to the Court,” he said with a grim smile, fighting the need to feed from her, to make love to her, to hide her away where no one but him could ever feast their eyes on her. She was his, and he would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

  She would have argued more, but Kristoff and Pia arrived at that moment, in possession of a sleek black car.

  “As you do not need me for the summons, I will go and speak to the mare Disin regarding your request,” Terrin said with a long look at Alec. “I will return here in an hour. That should leave us time to rescue the vessel.”

  Terrin disappeared into the evening just as Eleanor, bored with window-shopping, wandered up.

  “OK, what did we miss?” Pia asked some minutes later as they were driving out of town, heading for the caves. “And don’t ask me how I know we missed something, because Cora looks stunned, Terrin looked sick to his stomach, and you, Alec, you look like the cat who’s gotten into the cream. Spill.”

  “I look charming,” Eleanor added with thinned lips at Pia.

  “Yes, you do, very charming,” she hurriedly added.

  Should we tell them? Cora asked as she leaned into Alec.

  Yes, but not until we are private.

  She looked surprised for a moment; then her gaze slid over to where Eleanor sat on his other side. Oh, you don’t want her knowing?

  I’d prefer not, no.

  Gotcha. And I agree. I think we need to watch out for Eleanor, Cora told him, as Eleanor had looked oddly interested during the discussion concerning the Tools. I swear she intends on paying us back.

  Perhaps. She seems sincere in her desire to return to the Underworld.

  Yeah, but what’s to stop her from wanting a little payback before she goes?

  We shall see. Do not worry about the situation, Beloved. I will not let her harm you.

  Fortunately for Cora’s friend, it took a short time to reach the cave area.

  “That sign says that the cave is closed to the public,” Pia said, pointing at a sign headed with GROTTE CHAUVET-PONT-D’ ARC.

  “It is,” Kristoff agreed, stepping off the path and pushing his way through the undergrowth.

  “Then how are we going to meet the . . . oh. Side door, huh?”

  A metal door set into the wall of rock was unlocked, by arrangement with the lichmaster. Alec allowed Kristoff to go ahead while he took up the rearguard position.

  “Do we need a rear guard?” Cora murmured as he gestured for her to go in front of him.

  He couldn’t help but glance at her ass. “Yours will if you keep wiggling it at me like that.”

  She giggled, but stopped him, her eyes warm with concern. Now, Alec, I don’t want you to feel like you can’t tell me if you get panicky inside. I’m not claustrophobic, myself, but my mother is, and I remember how she used to have panic attacks whenever she had to go into our tiny little basement. There’s no shame in feeling nervous in a cave, you know.

  He debated telling her that he wasn’t the least bit claustrophobic, that he was more concerned with walking into a situation where he couldn’t defend her properly, but decided he enjoyed the feeling of being coddled. I assure you that you’ll be the first to know if I panic.

  Good. She gave him a bright smile and a pat on the hand, which she changed into a quick kiss before hurrying off the metal walkway after the others. Lights had been strung in this part of the cave, along with long black cables that snaked across the floor, no doubt there to bring electricity and air down to the lower depths, where the cave art was located.

  The low echo of voices reached them as they followed the walkway, emerging in a small, low-ceilinged room. A half-dozen wooden crates were stacked tidily along one side of the room, lighting equipment leaning drunkenly against them.

  Cora took his hand, her fingers gently stroking his as a tall, thin black woman clad in an orange down vest and hard hat popped up out of an inky hole on the far side of the room.

  “Oh, good, you’re on time. I can’t tell you how annoyed I get with groups who don’t understand that my time is very valuable these days. If you think it’s easy to convince people that a union is really for their benefit, well, you’re wrong. You must be Christopher.”

  “Kristoff. I take it you’re the lichmaster?” Kristoff asked, eyeing the woman with open disbelief. If anyone looked less like the sort of person who controlled liches for her own end, it was the woman before them. She had close-cropped hair and wore a faded blue T-shirt that read Liches Are People, Too. “Erm . . . did you say union? ”

  “Yes, I’m Jane Woodway, the head of the Liches International Union. The union encompasses the first liches to organize themselves into a group dedicated to the preservation and betterment of their members. I am not a lich myself, but I am wholly dedicated to their cause. We also fight for higher wages—well, actually, any wages, since liches seldom receive compensation for their services—health benefits, education, and job placement. It’s our goal that one day all liches will stand in such a way that members will no longer be used and abused. We will reign victorious over those who would subjugate our lich brothers and sisters!”

  Jane’s voice rang out with fervor, echoing off the low stone ceiling.

  “Er . . . yes.” Kristoff pursed his lips for a moment while they all considered the lichmaster.

  “I like you,” Eleanor told her.

  Jane eyed her. “You are an unbound lich, yes? Would you like to join the union? We have need for many helping hands.”

  “I would, but I’m expecting to go back to my hour soonish,” Eleanor answered. “Although it does seem like a worthy cause. What sort of work do you need done?”

  “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about Web sites, would you? We’re trying to start a social network for liches called Lichbook, but our Web person got sucked up by that fiendish Brother Ailwin, and we haven’t had time to replace her.”

  “Lichbook, hmm? I might be able to lend a hand with that,” Eleanor allowed before turning to Alec. “I still expect you to find a way to send me home, if I do stay for a bit to help out this nice woman.”

  He bowed. “I will do all that I can to make you happy, Eleanor.”

  She snorted in derision, but said nothing more, leaving him hopeful that they might be able to have a little respite to take care of more troublesome problems before tackling hers.

  She’s not what I expected, Cora told him, squeezing his hand. You’re not panicking, are you?

  Not yet, no. Thank you for asking, though.

  OK, good.
Just let me know if you need me.

  He thought the day would never dawn when he wouldn’t need her, but luckily, she was too involved in watching the union lichmaster to chase his thoughts.

  “Now, if you’re quite ready, I’d like to get the summoning done, so I can get back to my members. We’re planning a rally to be held in Monte Carlo next month, and you wouldn’t believe how far off track the planning committee has gotten. Liches,” Jane confined to Cora, who stood nearest her, “are absolutely horrible when it comes to organization.”

  “Are they?” Cora asked. “Then it’s good they have you.”

  “Yes.” Jane beamed at her. “It is. Shall we get started? ”

  Alec had seen a few ceremonies over the centuries, but never one to effectively steal a lich from one master to another. He assumed there would be a certain amount of ritual, however, and he wasn’t mistaken.

  Jane began the ceremony by asking Pia for some personal belonging of Ulfur’s.

  “I’m afraid the only thing we have is this,” Pia answered, pulling out a small wad of yarn.

  “Yarn?” the lichmaster asked, looking askance.

  “No, it’s Ulfur’s horse. A very nice Summoner taught me how to bind spirits to things, so we bound the horse to this so we could bring him here. Ragnor, we need you now.”

  Cora scooted closer to him as the ghostly horse appeared out of nothing, bobbing its head up and down a couple of times before it tried to take a bite out of Kristoff.

  “Don’t even think about it,” the latter told the horse, who just laid back his ears and snorted.

  Is that what I think it is?

  It is.

  Cora whistled to herself. A ghost horse. OK. Horses can be ghosts. Don’t you think I’m handling this really well, Alec?

  I think you’re acclimatizing yourself to the Otherworld very well, yes. Are you, by any chance, the one who is freaking out?

  No! Not over a ghost horse. Cora looked at Ragnor as the horse snuffled her front. She put out a wary hand to pat it, but her hand passed right through its neck. OK, maybe a little.

  He put an arm around her, kissing the top of her head. You have nothing to fear, love. I will not allow anything, mortal or immortal, to harm you.

  You know, that sort of an attitude could be cloying and very annoying.

  But you understand my need to protect you and cherish you, he said, making it a statement and not a question.

  Something like that.

  Jane the lichmaster seemed to be suffering the same sort of surprise as Cora. “A horse. Yes. Well. Can it take a corporeal form?”

  “For short periods, yes,” Pia answered. “Ragnor?”

  The horse’s form solidified. Cora pressed against Alec. Not because I’m afraid, she told him.

  Of course not.

  She snorted, then smiled when everyone looked at her. “A ghost horse. So . . . yeah. Um. Do I need to do anything for this ceremony?”

  Jane eyed her. “Are you related to the summonee?”

  “No. Well, not unless you consider the fact that we’re now both—”

  “She is not related,” Alec said quickly. Beloved, this woman is a lichmaster. I don’t think we need to tell her that in a few moments she’ll have two of the three Tools of Bael in her presence.

  Oh! I didn’t think of that. She seems so nice. But you’re probably right. I’ll just keep my lips zipped on that subject around lichy people. How come she doesn’t recognize what I am, like Brother Ailwin?

  Probably he’s much older than her, and has either seen a Tool or knows what signs to look for.

  “‘Now both’ what?” Jane asked Cora, obviously curious.

  “Both . . . having had contact with his boss. Alphonse de Marco, that is,” Cora said with a toothy smile.

  “Ah. Shall we proceed?” Jane drew a circle in the dirt floor, chanting as she did so. She directed Ragnor to stand in the middle of the circle, which the horse did, then held out a small silver dagger to Pia. “The lich is to be bound to you, yes? He will initially be bound to me when I summon him, but directly after that, we’ll transfer him to you. This blood bond should help that transfer. If you would prick yourself with the dagger and squeeze six drops of blood into the circle, following with six strands of your hair. Then blow on the horse six times. I shall do the same.”

  “They have to blow on the horse?” Cora asked Alec.

  “Blood, hair, and breath. They are the three common elements in summoning spells.”

  He could feel her turning that over in her mind, one part of her warning her to run as fast as she could from the concept of magic, the other part of her, the curious part, fascinated with the whole proceeding.

  It took longer than he hoped it would take, requiring three separate summonses and an hour and a quarter before the air in the circle shimmered, pulled itself together, and resolved into the form of the former ghost.

  “Ulfur!” Pia squealed, starting forward toward him. Kristoff pulled her back before she reached the circle at the same time that Jane called out a warning.

  “Do not touch him yet! We must first bind him to me quickly before his master can summon him back, and then we will transfer him to you. By my blood I bind you, by my body, I bind you, by my breath, I bind you.” Jane slapped her hands together, the sound reverberating with the intensity of a small bomb.

  Too late. Cora clapped her hands over her ears. Jesus wept, what was that?

  The sound of a lich being bound. It is done at last, and by my reckoning, we have less than an hour to summon your friend.

  But won’t de Marco just summon him back?

  He can’t, Alec answered.

  Why not? Cora nodded toward Jane. She just did.

  Jane summoned Ulfur because Pia had a connection to him in the form of his horse, who he was bound to in death. De Marco has no such link; thus he has no way to summon Ulfur from Pia.

  Well, that’s a relief.

  The transfer to Pia went quickly after that, and in no time Kristoff was writing out a very large check while Pia repeatedly hugged a teary-eyed Ulfur.

  “I will never be able to thank you for what you’ve done,” he said, holding Pia’s hands before turning and making a formal bow to Kristoff. “For what you’ve both done. I will be eternally grateful that you released me from my bondage to de Marco. But I must tell you—”

  “I think we’d better be leaving,” Alec interrupted with a telling glance to Kristoff, who nodded and shooed Pia toward the side door. “Beloved?”

  “Right here. Nice to see you again, Ulfur. We have a lot to talk about, but I’m sure Jane is anxious to get Eleanor up to speed on her Web project, so we’ll catch up back at the hotel, OK?”

  Ulfur opened his mouth to say something, but evidently caught the undercurrent of tension, and simply nodded.

  They made their good-byes to both Eleanor and Jane, using the time spent traveling back to the hotel at which they’d agreed to meet Terrin to fill in Ulfur on the recent happenings.

  “I never thought other lichmasters would want to use us in that way,” he said after hearing about Brother Ailwin’s failed attempt to take Cora. “Oh, god, we’re going to have to live with that forever, aren’t we? Not to mention the fact that every lichmaster and necromancer who knows what we are will summon me away from you, Pia.”

  “Well, as to that, Alec has a plan,” Cora said, giving him a worried look. “I won’t say it’s not crazy as a coonhound, but it’s the only thing we can think of to fix the situation.”

  “A plan?” Ulfur asked, looking slightly worried.

  “What plan?” Kristoff demanded to know.

  “Crazy as a coonhound? Oh, it sounds completely up our alley,” Pia added, patting Kristoff’s arm. “Dish!”

  “It’s quite simple, really,” Cora said as she leaned into him, her scent teasing him, as it always did. “Alec is going to destroy Bael.”

  The silence that met that statement wasn’t particularly flattering to his ego, nor was
the “He what? ‘Crazy as a coonhound’ is the understatement of the year” comment as issued by Kristoff. But Alec was a man driven, and he knew that if he wanted to have any sort of future with Cora, he’d have to do the impossible.

  It was just a matter of organization, and if there was one thing he was good at, it was making plans.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Cora . . . this isn’t going to hurt, is it?”

  I gave Ulfur a reassuring smile. “Of course not. It just makes you kind of tingle, like you’re almost touching an electric fence wire. Why would you think it hurts?”

  His lips twisted. “Everything else does. Why should being the Tool of Bael be any different?”

  I stared at him for a few seconds as Pia cooed over him. Another one who is in pain. What is with you guys?

  Alec was startled for a moment. Another one? You can feel my pain?

  I did before we Joined, yes. Shouldn’t I have?

  No. Once I realized we had a sympathetic link, I made sure to keep those emotions from you.

  I thought of the anguish, the endless well of torment, that bound him so tightly it would have driven anyone else stark raving mad, and said nothing.

  “Are we all here? Excellent. I’ve taken rooms for the summoning,” Terrin said as he bustled out of the elevator of the hotel at which we’d arranged to meet. He shooed us toward it, glancing at his watch to add, “We have slightly less than twenty minutes, so we really should get started.”

  “What exactly does a summoning consist of?” Pia asked as we all squished together in the elevator. “I’ve never seen a Tool being used before. Is there something we should do? Do I have to order Ulfur to do anything now that I’m officially his lich . . . er . . . mistress?”

  “Yes. You should be running far, far away,” Kristoff muttered under his breath, shooting Alec a crabby look. Kristoff hadn’t taken very well to Alec’s plan to overthrow Bael. None of them had, really, although in the end, they all agreed that if Ulfur, Diamond, and I wanted to live any sort of normal lives, Bael had to go.