Part 13 (1/2)
I wait for his anger, his screams of condemnation. But they don't come. Instead he asks, ”So, to what do I owe this... honor?”
Where to even begin? I shuffle from foot to foot. ”Can we talk somewhere private?”
He nods. ”Come upstairs to my hotel room.”
I follow him back onto the elevator and we shoot up into the sky. A few minutes later we step into one of the most luxurious hotel rooms I've ever seen. With a view fifty-something stories up looking down on the neon wonderland they call s.h.i.+njuku.
”Wow,” I say, walking over to the floor-to-ceiling window. ”Rayne told me these were sweet digs. But I had no idea-”
”So your sister is in on this little escapade as well,” Magnus says grimly, sitting down on the bed. ”Of course.”
I turn back to face him. Here goes nothing. ”Turns out Jayden wasn't bitten by Cornelius after all,” I admit. ”He was bitten by Corbin. And now the two of them share some kind of psychic link. That's why the Alphas were able to locate the Holy Grail. I told Jayden where it was. And that's why they raided the Bite Club in Harajuku.”
Magnus squeezes his eyes shut, then opens them again. ”What else?” he asks in a tight voice.
I kick the carpet with my foot. ”They probably know that you're here.”
”Here, in j.a.pan?”
”Here in the Park Hyatt. Rayne was going off about how awesome it was. I'm sure Jayden heard her.”
”Oh, Sunny.” My boyfriend sighs deeply. ”Why couldn't you have just trusted me and stayed in England as I asked?”
I frown. ”Um, so I could just let you murder Jayden? I don't think so. I mean, I know he lied-and believe me, I'm furious with him, too. But that doesn't mean he deserves to die.”
Magnus stares at me, a puzzled look on his face. ”What are you talking about?”
”I overheard Tanner talking to Lucedio. You ordered him to poison Jayden and make it look like his body didn't accept the transfusion.”
Magnus rises to his feet. ”I don't know what you think you heard,” he replies bitterly. ”But I can a.s.sure you, I ordered no such thing.”
”But-”
”You really will trust anyone in the world-even vampires you barely know-over your own boyfriend, won't you?” Magnus growls, pacing the room. ”I don't even know what to say about that.”
I hang my head in shame. Was it true? Did he really know nothing about this? ”I'm sorry,” I say, though the words seem so useless. ”I just... I heard it and I freaked out. And I had to get Jayden out of there.”
”And so you brought him here. And put us all in danger.”
”Well, to be fair, I didn't know about the Corbin thing. I just found that out right before I came here to see you. He finally admitted it to me.”
”Well, isn't that b.l.o.o.d.y n.o.ble of him.”
I rise to my feet, looking pleadingly at Magnus. ”I screwed up,” I admit. ”I know it. And I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I need your help.”
He rakes a hand through his hair, freeing it from its ponytail. ”Of course,” he says, his voice laced with sarcasm. ”How can I be of a.s.sistance?”
”It's Rayne. After the Alphas attacked at Bite Club, she went after Corbin. And I haven't heard from her since. I tried calling her cell, but the woman who answered said she found it discarded in an alleyway. I'm worried.”
Magnus whirls around, his eyes wide and frightened. ”She went after them? Alone-without backup? Is she crazy?”
”Um, we're talking about Rayne here, remember?” ”h.e.l.l,” he swears, stalking over to the hotel phone and picking up the receiver. He presses a few b.u.t.tons. ”Jareth?” he says, after a moment. ”Have you heard from Rayne?” He waits for a reply. ”Okay,” he says. ”Well, let me know if she reports in. Yes, I'll tell you the whole story. It's probably nothing but...” He pauses. ”Yes, yes, I promise. I've got to go.” He hangs up the phone and sinks back onto the bed, scrubbing his face with his hands. ”Pyrus is going to kill me.”
”Who cares about him?” I demand. ”My sister could be in trouble!”
”Ah, yes, once again, this is all about you,” Magnus notes. ”Who cares that Rayne put herself in trouble by not following orders? And who cares that I'm going to be the one to pay if the Alphas have really taken her.” He squeezes his hands into fists. ”Rayne knew full well she was supposed to stay here, under the protection of the Blood Coven. She knew the Alphas would stop at nothing to kidnap her and harvest her blood. And yet, she-just like her sister-decided to defy those orders and sneak out on some crazy mission she felt was more important. Putting all of vampire kind in danger.”
He turns to me, his eyes bloodshot and wild. ”You think I'm the one who's not trustworthy?” he demands. ”You think my loyalties are divided? You don't care one bit about what I go through on a daily basis. Or how much trouble I'm constantly in for siding with you instead of my bosses. And if I even hint that I have a duty to perform that doesn't directly benefit you, you automatically start questioning my loyalty or making up crazy things in your head that I'm somehow lying to you and working behind your back to murder your friends.”
I stare at him, unable to speak. Oh G.o.d, have I really been so selfish?
”I'm not saying the Consortium is perfect,” he continues. ”But it's the only government we've got. And when I took command as Master of the Blood Coven, I made a vow to uphold their laws, no matter what. In exchange, my vampires get protection and peace,” he explains. ”I've seen what happens to covens tossed out of the Consortium for not obeying their rules. They lose everything. They live in squalor-in fear for their lives. There's never enough blood...” He frowns. ”I can't let that happen to my people.” He rises from the bed and walks over to the window, crossing his arms over his chest and staring out into the night sky. I let out a frustrated breath, feeling the tears well up into my eyes as my mind races over the events of the last few days. Here I've been thinking I'm the n.o.ble heroine, on a mission to save a life. But am I really the selfish villainess, putting everyone in danger, just as Jayden did?
I glance over at my boyfriend's rigid back. You can practically see the anger coming off him in waves. My heart lurches in my chest and I feel like I'm going to throw up. How am I ever going to get him to forgive me?
I rise slowly to my feet and walk over to him, wrapping myself around him and laying my head on his back. At first I wonder if he's going to shrug me off, push me away. But he just stands there, staring out the window. Not submitting, but not rejecting either. I guess that's something.
”I don't even know what to say,” I whisper. ”Sorry seems so useless.”
At first he doesn't respond. Then he turns slowly, pulling me into an embrace. I collapse against him in relief, feeling the sobs choke my throat at this suggestion of forgiveness. Maybe there's still hope. Maybe I haven't ruined everything...
”I'm sorry, too,” he whispers. ”I know I'm not always forthcoming about the big picture. I try to keep you out of things in an attempt to protect you. But that only makes you worry and doubt me.” He pauses, then adds, ”And you're not selfish. You're just all heart. You can't stand to see the people you love suffer.” He strokes my head with a gentle hand. ”We're a lot alike in that way. I'm protective of my vampires just as you're protective of your sister and friends.” He sighs. ”It's heartbreaking to see those two good things constantly at odds.”
”We need to start working together,” I murmur against his chest. ”We're stronger together than apart.”
He pulls away to look down at me with loving eyes. ”I agree,” he says with a small smile. ”So let's go talk to the Consortium about what's going on here. Together.”
I c.o.c.k my head in question. ”What? But I thought mortals weren't allowed in their sessions.”
”They're not.” He shrugs. ”But I don't care anymore. You're my partner. My equal. And it's time I start treating you as such.”
”Thank you,” I say sincerely. ”That means a lot.”
”You mean a lot,” he replies, leaning down to kiss me softly on the head. ”Now let's go save your sister.”
21.
And that's how, an hour later, I find myself the only living girl in a room full of undead. All the premiere voting members of the Vampire Consortium- masters from all over the world-a.s.sembled together in a large arena, which, during normal business hours, houses sumo wrestling matches. (And has the stench of sweaty fat guys to prove it.) When the infamous House Speaker, Pyrus, a tuxedoed, bleach-blond vampire who bears a striking resemblance to Gerard from My Chemical Romance, calls on us, Magnus leads me up to the podium at the center of the arena.
”This is Suns.h.i.+ne McDonald,” he announces to the crowd. ”Royal daughter of Queen Shrinking Violet of the Light Court of Tir na nog.”
The crowd quiets and I can feel a hundred pairs of eyes focus on me expectantly, and I'm suddenly glad of my fae heritage. At least that gives me a tiny dash of otherworld street cred here. I wonder if I should mention I was actually a vampire for about six days last spring. Would that help or hurt my case?
I step up to the podium with legs that feel like Jell- O. ”Um, h.e.l.lo,” I try to say into the microphone. But in my nervousness I've leaned in too far, spoken too loud, or just got my iPhone too close to the speaker, and high-pitched feedback screeches across the room. I leap back in surprise, my face heating in embarra.s.sment. Way to make a professional first impression, Sun.
I can hear several vampires t.i.tter amongst themselves. Jerks. You'd think living a thousand years would give them a more refined sense of humor.