Part 13 (1/2)
Adia shook her head. ”Zachary-”
”No,” he interrupted. ”Just...no. You know perfectly well I couldn't tell you. I certainly couldn't tell Dominique. I couldn't tell anyone except-” He swallowed thickly.
Adia saw Jay's eyes widen as if he knew something Adia didn't know and had just made the connection.
”Believe it or not,” Zachary said slowly, ”vampires will pick out their favorite hunters. And other vampires know about it. My 'patron,' as she puts it, made it clear to me that she wouldn't reveal me to others of her kind, but that if I got in trouble, I could say her name and she or one of her a.s.sociates would come get me. I swore up and down I'd never use it, and I never have, but she and her friends frequent a lot of the rougher circuits, so sometimes I don't need to. I'll be in a fight, and then suddenly it'll be over and...”
When it became clear that he wasn't going to say more, Jay asked, ”The guy who helped Nikolas pull Sarah off you was one of your friend's friends?”
”What guy?” Adia asked, startled...and yet not. Jerome had said he had warned the twins, and that had been when they had found the first photograph, which she realized now hadn't been left accidentally. It had been a message, though not to her.
”I didn't see him, since I was locked in the closet at the time with a broken arm,” Jay answered. ”I just heard his voice.”
”Jerome,” Adia said.
Zachary flinched and nodded. ”I'm sorry, Adia.”
”Why didn't you ever talk to me?” she asked. ”I'm not Dominique, Zachary. You could have told me what was going on, and we could have worked it out. We could have gone after them together, or just-”
”Because you needed to be better than I was!” he shouted. ”Adia, I know I'm weak. My entire side of the line is. My mother went mad after my sister's death. She went out, and never came back. My little brother followed her, and we never saw him again. The only reason I've survived is because Dominique looked out for me, and you know what kind of perfection she demands. I couldn't spread my weakness to you and Sarah.”
”There is no such thing as perfection, Zachary,” Adia said, aware she was quoting Jerome. The vampire had been right.
Jay collapsed dramatically to the couch. ”I knew your line was weird, but I never even imagined how profoundly messed up you all are. It's no wonder Sarah had a fling with a serial killer, or that Zachary unwinds with the undead. You're all so obsessed with being perfect, you end up hating yourselves.”
Zachary tried to glare at him again, but in Adia's view, the expression seemed halfhearted.
No one was perfect.
Maybe that was true-obviously it was true. Adia had known for a long time that she was far from perfect, but she had always managed to fake it by looking to Zachary, and Dominique, and Sarah as examples of what she could be. But it had been a house of cards, and now it had all come tumbling down.
Adia jumped as her phone buzzed, announcing that she had a text message. She read it and felt her blood go cold.
No one was perfect.
But someone needed to try to be.
CHAPTER 20
SAt.u.r.dAY, 5:05 P.M. P.M.
SARAH FROZE. NIKOLAS had to recognize the witch in front of him. He would not have forgotten the face of the hunter who had nearly killed his brother. But Nikolas glanced at her, as if waiting for her response before he decided how to proceed. had to recognize the witch in front of him. He would not have forgotten the face of the hunter who had nearly killed his brother. But Nikolas glanced at her, as if waiting for her response before he decided how to proceed.
Suddenly, the lights and music around them were surreal. Michael wouldn't attack somewhere so public, so what was he doing? He didn't even look nervous-and the Arun didn't normally bother to conceal his emotions. He looked like he should be calmly taking a stroll through the park.
”h.e.l.lo, Michael,” she said, trying to keep her voice even.
”Hi, Sarah,” he answered. ”Is this the new boyfriend?” Sarah shook her head. Michael looked at Nikolas. ”I would offer to shake hands, but I don't think you would trust me that far.”
”And you would trust me, would you?” Nikolas asked in the cool, controlled tone Sarah remembered well from the first time they had fought.
”I don't need to trust you,” Michael answered. ”I know Kendra's rules. As long as I don't attack you, if you kill me here, she'll take your head off. Do you think I would have walked up and outed myself to one of the most infamous vampires in recent history if I didn't know I had some kind of protection?”
”Nikolas?” Sarah asked.
He nodded absently and gave Michael a critical look. ”You're a witch. Since when do you have any faith in our rules?”
”I'm an Arun, Arun,” Michael answered. ”Ask any Vida. We're not to be trusted, right, Sarah?”
”I always trusted you.”
”Then trust me now, now,” he said, earnest sincerity in his lightning-kissed eyes. ”You know I think most Vida law is bull. I've got Jay Marinitch on my side, but his family is saying we have to stick to the Rights, and the Smoke witches believe refusing Vida law now will end up endangering SingleEarth. So I'm risking my a.s.s to tell you that I'm trying to find a way out of this mess, and to ask you to help me out. You know those laws back and front. What should I do about the Rights?”
If anyone was brazen enough to flaunt their laws this way, it was Michael. He was just wild enough to gamble everything-and with a little vampiric blood in his own veins from his family, maybe he really could believe that blood alone could not turn someone into a monster.
Nikolas seemed to take his cue from Sarah's thoughts. ”We are going to the theater tonight,” he said to the hunter.
”Nikolas,” she whispered in warning, wondering both why Nikolas was apparently inviting himself along and why he was sharing with Michael. I would like to believe he is on our side, but he I would like to believe he is on our side, but he is is still a witch still a witch.
He ignored her, continuing to speak to Michael. ”Perhaps we could all meet afterward, to discuss a way out of this tangle?”
If we do not give him an opportunity to double-cross us, we will never know if we can trust him, will we? he replied silently. he replied silently. I think the potential of an ally among the witches is worth a bit of risk I think the potential of an ally among the witches is worth a bit of risk.
”Sounds good,” Michael said. ”Sarah, I didn't know you liked theater. What are you seeing?”
She shrugged, not about to give him any more information than Nikolas already had.
”We haven't yet picked a show,” Nikolas answered for her.
”Well, give me a call when you get out. I'll be around. Sarah...” Michael hesitated, his gaze lingering on her. ”Well, I'll see you.”
He walked out, turning his back to them as if perfectly certain they would respect the rules of this place and not hurt him. Or maybe he just trusted Sarah. She couldn't forget the expression on his face at the house. He hadn't wanted to hurt her.
Of course, that had been before the fight.
”You handled that very calmly,” Sarah commented to Nikolas after Michael was out of earshot.
”He defended himself,” Nikolas answered. ”If Kristopher had not recovered, I would have hunted him down, but as it is, we need allies. I will not hold against him the fact that he fought back when attacked.” He paused, then added, ”At least, I will not hold it against him much much. Besides, if he knows Kendra's rules, then he knows what her wrath is like for hunters who kill without permission in her territory. I do not believe he would willingly try to fight us on the island.”
”I'm not sure you fully understand how little respect Michael tends to have for authority figures,” Sarah muttered. ”Besides, he never mentioned anything about Kendra when we used to hunt here.”
”Kendra has an arrangement with some hunters, with regards to whom and when and where they may hunt in her city. Would you have tolerated knowing of such a situation when you were still a witch?” No. Of course not. It didn't even need to be said. She wanted to believe that Michael had set up the arrangement only after after Sarah had left the city, but looking back, she wondered if he had instead subtly steered her toward safe hunts. Sarah had left the city, but looking back, she wondered if he had instead subtly steered her toward safe hunts.
In other words, he had lied to her.