‘Stop talking! You’re just a monster! You’re trying to get inside my head and twist my thoughts.’ She backs away. ‘It won’t work!’
It already is. The sudden emotion she’s showing is proving that. ‘Your parents love you, Lisa,’ I say, dropping my voice and holding her eyes. ‘They’re going crazy trying to find you.’
All the anger leaks out of her and she stares at me. I can’t read her expression but it’s definitely a step up from the zombie look she was sporting. ‘Are they…’ She pauses and swallows. ‘Are they alright?’
‘What do you think?’
Her shoulders sag. ‘I had to come here. It’s the only way. They told me I’d be part of something greater.’
‘You’re a sex toy, passed around from man to man.’
The abrupt flare in her eyes, which dies almost as quickly as it rises up, proves the truth of my words. She shakes her head vehemently though. ‘It’s not like that. What I do is for the martyrs.’
Every molecule in my body freezes. Martyrs? I don’t like the sound of that at all. ‘Who are the martyrs? What are they?’
‘That’s enough.’ My eyes flash to the door. Isaac is standing there, a frown on his face. ‘Lisa, do what you came here to do. We need Ms Blackman to look pretty for the cameras.’
Lisa glances at him and then at me. Her tongue darts out to lick her lips and, for a moment, I think she’s going to refuse the order, whatever it may be. Then the dullness returns. She nods and, while Isaac watches, takes out a small knife. The blade is sharp and catches the weak light streaming in from the door.
I glare at Isaac, throwing as much malevolence as I can at him. ‘This isn’t necessary,’ I growl.
He laughs. Gone are the relaxed features and easy smile of the boy I met in St Paul’s Cathedral. This is pure menace. I sigh. He thinks he’s dealing with a monster. He doesn’t know what I do though; to know that, you need to become a monster yourself.
‘Oh, Ms Blackman, it’s very necessary. We don’t want the watching public to think that we’ve hurt you.’ He smiles. ‘At least not yet. After all, you’re going to be the face of the revolution. Lisa is simply going to help you gain the strength you need to sit up straight and form coherent sentences.’
I gesture at myself. ‘As you can see, I can already manage both those things. I don’t need her blood. I prefer to drink from willing donors.’
The snort Isaac emits is extraordinary. ‘Yeah, right. That’s why you drain the blood from half of the people you capture.’
Shit. ‘That’s different.’
He raises his eyebrows. ‘Is it.’ It’s not a question. ‘Come on, Lisa. Chop chop. We don’t have all day.’
‘Look at me, Lisa,’ I say softly. ‘And think. Who’s the bad guy here? Who’s making you bleed? Because it’s not me.’
‘Now!’ Isaac barks.
Lisa flinches, drawing the knife across the pale skin of her arm. She thrusts it through the bars of the cage and all three of us watch her blood splatter onto the cement floor. My stomach rumbles, loud enough for them to hear. Isaac chuckles while Lisa looks terrified.
I cross my arms. ‘I do have some self-control. I’m not doing this.’ No matter how delicious the scent of her is, this isn’t going to add a bloom to my cheeks. I was right about the cameras and it’s the reason he’s staying in the doorway. He needs footage of me with blood dripping from my mouth and he wants to stay out of shot. He needs me to look like the vampire I am, not the hero the rest of the world sees. I’m not going to give him that kind of satisfaction.
Isaac clicks his tongue. ‘Mr Hale thought you might prove difficult. Fortunately there’s more than one way to skin a cat.’ He snaps his fingers. ‘Bring him in.’
My stomach drops. No longer sure what’s going on, I look behind him. A man appears from the corridor outside. His tree tattoo is proudly displayed for all to see. I recognise him from the little coffee shop and my heart sinks. That’s nothing compared to what happens when I see what – or rather who – he’s holding.
He has a long chain made out of shiny metal that looks similar to the stuff the cage is made of. He gives it a sharp tug and there’s a vicious snarl. Lisa whimpers. I ignore her and focus on what’s at the end of the chain. There’s a sudden flurry of movement and it darts forward, all white incisors and sharp, gaunt features. A vampire. He lunges for Lisa and she jerks back. The man cackles, pulling sharply on the chain again and bringing the vampire to heel.
His features ring a bell. I sift through my memory, alighting on the images that Michael showed me. The man is one of the missing Montserrat bloodguzzlers.
Judging from the crazed look in his eyes, he’s been here for some time. He’s also obviously starving. Whoever he was originally, that person is long since gone; this creature is just an animal, reduced to its baser instincts. I spy a network of criss-crossing scars and fresh welts across his body. He’s been hurt and hasn’t healed. Whatever happened to him, it certainly wasn’t pleasant.
‘Be thankful that we’re on a schedule and don’t have time to do the same to you,’ Isaac murmurs in the same cheerful tone. ‘We were going to use him for this little show but when your hacker mugged up for the cameras, Mr Hale was smart enough to see a different opportunity.’
I understand. ‘Why use a vampire who no one recognises when you can have the Red Angel?’
He smiles. ‘Just so. You’re the one guzzler, the one freak, who everyone thinks is a hero. If we can change their opinion of you, they won’t blink when they see what we do next. If the public can’t trust you, they can’t trust any vampire.’
Lisa’s blood is continuing to drip. He points at her. ‘Drink from her or you know what will happen. I will order his release and it will be a bloodbath.’ He shrugs. ‘Either way, we will get what we need. It just depends whether she survives or not.’
‘She’s one of you. Why would you sacrifice her?’
‘There are necessary casualties in every war,’ Isaac intones, as if he’s repeating a well-worn mantra. ‘Lisa understands.’
I’m not so sure about that. Lisa is shaking from head to toe. Her face is getting paler and paler and it has nothing to do with blood loss.
‘Let’s forget the cage,’ Isaac murmurs. ‘We’ll get a better shot without it.’ He produces a key from his pocket and steps over, nudging Lisa roughly out of the way. He unlocks the door and it swings open, then he wags his finger at me. ‘No funny business.’
I take in the situation. I could probably bring both Isaac and his goon down but it wouldn’t be easy and Lisa might end up as collateral damage. I need to play the long game here. I make a decision, step out and grab her arm, raising it to my mouth. I lick the blood and the coagulant in my saliva seals her wound. Isaac raises his hand.
‘Not so fast,’ I growl. ‘I just prefer the jugular.’ I pull her back towards me and let my fangs sink into the flesh of her neck. Then I drink.
Chapter Twenty: We All Have Our Demons
I must have put on a good show because, once I’ve taken my fill, Isaac leaves me in peace. Part of me was concerned that Lisa’s blood might be tainted in some way, laced with a drug to weaken me, kill me or turn me into a rabid animal, like the poor bloodguzzler who was dragged out of here still snapping at his chain. She tasted clean, though. Whatever Isaac has up his sleeve, he wants me completely compos mentis.
Still, he’s given me more information than he probably intended to. Tov V’ra’s original plans obviously didn’t include me. Hale, Isaac and whoever else is in charge of this outfit have altered their set-up to include me. They might think they’re being clever but last-minute swaps often don’t pan out. It means they’ve not had time to consider all the variables. I smile in the darkness. Variables like me.
Even so, I’m not stupid. I hunker down in the centre of the cage and hug my knees, giving the impression of someone who’s defeated. I’ve been in worse situations than this – and this time I’m better prepared.
I don??
?t know how long I was unconscious for, so I don’t know what time it is. One of the less-advertised aspects of being a vampire is that our internal body clocks work differently after we’ve turned. Even in the depths of the cellar, I can feel that it’s night.
I scratch my head for a moment and ponder. Given that the majority of London is asleep, Isaac must be planning to release his photos of me drinking from Lisa later on. He’ll want a lot of people to watch them.
I understand that Tov V’ra’s end-game is to destroy the Families once and for all, but I still don’t get how they’re planning to do it. And there’s Medici to take into consideration: if he is working with Hale, how does he fit into all of this? Unless he’s using Hale to rid himself of the other four Families once for and all without getting his hands dirty. Then his bid for power will be completely unobstructed. Considering the hatred in both Hale and Isaac’s eyes when they looked me, it’s possible that for once Medici may have bitten off more than he’s realised.
I’m just dropping into a doze when there’s a sudden buzzing in my ear. I slap at it reflexively.
‘Bloody hell, Bo!’ O’Shea hisses. ‘This equipment is delicate!’
I drop my head further down so any cameras can’t make out my lips moving. ‘Sorry,’ I murmur back. ‘I wasn’t thinking.’
‘I’m not sure you’re thinking about anything. This seems like a fool’s errand to me.’
I tense. ‘What do you mean?’ If this place, wherever it is, is well fortified and well guarded, I could be in real trouble.
‘These guys don’t have a clue, is what I mean. Anyone can waltz up and say hello. It’s like a goddamn American summer camp. So far I’ve spotted a barbecue, a café, volleyball nets ... you’re not being held at Fort Knox, you’re in Disneyland.’
I consider this. ‘It makes perfect sense. Tov V’ra are setting themselves up as the good guys. They want to make it clear that they have nothing to hide. If they did have, someone would have popped by before now and asked whether their missing loved ones are having a game of rounders nearby. Hiding in plain sight is the smart way to manage it. No wonder no one’s noticed them before. They’ve not advertised themselves but they’ve not hidden themselves either. Guards would cause the outside world to ask questions.’
‘Well,’ he says, ‘there have been plenty of people doing that. Until about eleven o’clock there was a steady stream of journalists wandering in and out. I guess they’ve changed their minds about keeping quiet. Lots of pretty photos being taken of blonde children and happy couples.’
I nod. ‘They’re selling the ideal human life.’ I suppose I should be grateful that Isaac didn’t make me drink from a kid – although Lisa is attractive enough to make an effective anti-vampire poster child.
‘Do you know what they want with you?’ O’Shea asks.
‘They’re going to use me as an example to prove to the world that vampires are evil.’ I shrug. ‘It’s not a bad idea. Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I still get a lot of publicity.’
‘Then what will they do?’
I grimace. ‘I don’t know.’
‘I could call the police. I’m sure Foxhunt would come running if I phoned.’
‘His name is Foxworthy and he’s not hugely impressed with me at the moment. Besides, I think this is one of those matters that’s best kept in house. So to speak.’
‘Suit yourself.’
I wet my lips with the tip of my tongue. ‘Are you inside?’
‘Nah. I wanted to get the lay of the land first. Should I head in? It wouldn’t be hard, I can just stroll in through the front gates.’
‘Do that. Don’t involve yourself in anything though – just watch.’ Better to be safe than sorry. I pause. ‘How big is this place?’
‘Pretty massive. There are a lot of people milling around.’
‘Any idea where they might have taken me?’ I ask. ‘If they’re lax about security, they’re going to have me somewhere nondescript so they don’t arouse suspicion. I’m not the only vampire here so it’s probably a pretty big building, either underground or somewhere with no windows.’
‘Most of the buildings are wooden huts. There’s a big stone structure in the middle with a huge cross on the top.’
‘Well,’ I say, ‘they will want to make sure their strong religious values are displayed to the world.’
‘They’re believers?’
‘Actually, I don’t think they are. It’s just an excuse to do what they’re doing. They’re fanatic, certainly, but they’re not as Christian as they pretend. Not the ones in charge anyway.’ I tell him about Isaac’s misquote.
‘Figures,’ O’Shea says.
I think about Isaac’s mention of his ‘schedule’. ‘They’re planning something big. Can you see signs of any movement? Large groups of people entering or leaving or equipment being moved around?’
‘Other than a maypole they’ve just erected in front of the church building, nope.’
I frown. Maypole. Huh. That’s an interesting construction for the middle of winter. It’s also pagan – and paganism has far more connections with vampirism and daemons than with humans.
‘Okay,’ I say slowly, mulling over everything. ‘Is everyone else okay?’
‘Hunky dory. Maria is back at your place with Kimchi. Mikey baby is holed up with his Family.’
‘Medici?’
‘The same. Everyone’s keeping inside.’
‘The calm before the storm,’ I muse. ‘You should probably go, Devlin. Don’t exert yourself too much in the meantime. You’re going to need your energy for later.’
There’s a long pause. ‘Okay. You called me Devlin though.’
‘I’m aware of that. It doesn’t mean anything.’
His voice is quiet. ‘I hope not. I need you, Bo. You’re my friend. What happened to Connor wasn’t your fault.’
I suck in a breath, trying to ignore the ache that rises up without warning in my chest. He keeps saying that but repetition doesn’t make it true. ‘Thanks,’ I grunt. Saying what I really think is pointless.
‘Michael needs you too. He might be too butch to say it but he does.’
It takes me a moment to speak. ‘I need him too.’ It’s the truth. ‘But I really do prefer it when you’re less serious. I’m not in mortal danger. This will all turn out fine in the end.’
‘Sure.’ He doesn’t sound convinced. ‘Listen, Bo, about that other daemon, the one you’ve been working with. Is he the guy Maria told me about? Did he send you in there?’
‘Someone’s coming,’ I lie, ‘I have to go.’
‘Bo, wait…’
‘Shh.’
Thankfully, he takes the hint and the transmitter clicks off. Small mercies and all that.
***
It’s still night when they come for me. I count twenty-one of them in total. Clearly, Tov V’ra isn’t taking any chances, even with all of the anti-vampire Magix toys they have to play with. I don’t resist; I’m too curious to see what they have planned. I don’t make things easy for them either. To bring me along they are forced to drag me. Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll think that I’ve given up – or that I’m too weak after my collision with the magicked cage, regardless of Lisa’s blood.
If I’m expecting fireworks and pizzazz, I’m sorely mistaken. Instead they haul me down a long corridor, up two flights of stairs and outside. It’s a clear, crisp night, with a myriad of bright stars twinkling down at us. It takes me only a second to work out where I am. Behind me is the stone building designed to look like a church and in front is the odd maypole which O’Shea described.
Standing a fair distance away is a large crowd. Many of them are wearing the same simple white clothing as Lisa but there are some who are dressed differently. I scan everyone in turn, trying to work out which is O’Shea. He damn well better have seen what’s going on and made his way here to join them.
I’m so focused on the people that it takes me a moment to spot the cameras. Th
ere are four of them, encircling the maypole with their dark lenses pointed directly at it. Once I see those, I also see the chains wrapped round the maypole. Okay. I guess I have more of an idea about what they’re planning to do with me now. If they’re all going to stick to the Bible, perhaps it’ll be some sort of stoning affair. That’d probably kill me, I reflect; there are enough people to manage it, especially if I’m completely immobile.
That could be another reason why Isaac wanted to make sure I was fed first. It means I’ll be able to heal myself so the stoning itself will be longer and more torturous. I don’t see any stones, however, and it’s probably too brutal for television viewing. These guys don’t want to look like monsters – that position is reserved for me and me alone.
I chew on the inside of my cheek. No, they’re going to want to do something to make me appear unnatural and evil. To be honest, that really shouldn’t be so hard.
I’m dragged over to the pole. From several metres away I can smell the fresh paint. Whatever they’re planning to use the pole for, I’m going to be the sacrificial lamb that has to test it out – sacrificial in more ways than one.
It takes five of them to pull my arms behind my back and place handcuffs round my wrists. Considering I’m not doing anything to get away or stop them, it’s hard not to roll my eyes. Tov V’ra are bringing new meaning to the phrase ‘better safe than sorry’. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time I’ve been forced to wear cuffs such as these. They’re specially designed to work against bloodguzzlers; they don’t just restrain us, they also sap our strength. Even if I wanted to do something, I’m not sure I’d be capable of it.
Before they can attach me to the pole, there’s a rippling of applause from the assembly which grows louder and louder. I turn my head, expecting to see Hale’s irritating swagger once more but it’s not him; instead, four figures are striding out from the church. The one on the far left is Isaac, the others I don’t recognise.