“What about me?”
“Leo used his magic on you, against you, trying to turn you to his own ends from the moment he met you. Leo’s compulsion magic was powerful. And Leo’s magic through me made it more so. Leo knew I was deeply attracted to you. He used that attraction to control and compel both of us. And that, my dear love, is the biggest regret of all, that Leo had access to you through me.”
I had known all that. Had even figured that Leo had used Rick’s betrayal and my reaction to it to draw me closer to his side and closer to Bruiser. To say that Leo had been Machiavellian didn’t even scratch the surface of his hopes, strategies, schemes, and plots, layer upon layer for centuries. But I had been attracted to Bruiser, and when Rick left, I fell into Bruiser’s arms just like Leo hadexpected. What he hadn’t expected was for that attraction to dilute his vampire control over both of us. I said, “Until you fought him for control of your own life and mind.”
“I fought him for you, Janie. If not for you, I might have remained under Leo’s control forever. That alone makes me less than honorable.”
He had also been a teenager when Leo took him and claimed him and started feeding him blood. Stockholm syndrome times two. But I didn’t think he’d listen to reason or forgiveness, not in his current mood. “Maudlin,” I drawled out.
“What?” Bruiser sounded affronted.
“Isn’t that term for what you’re feeling?”
“Maudlin means oversentimental, overemotional, tearful, and lachrymose. I am none of those things.”
“Coulda fooled me. We were all his tools and weapons and targets. Even though he couldn’t blood-bind me, he still made me his servant. He knew I’d fight to keep the witches safe.”
Tentative, Bruiser asked, “Who will I be if I’m not someone’s servant?” And that cut right to the heart of the matter, drawing blood with a savage twist.
I remembered the words of the redheaded witch in the snow and said, “I don’t want a servant. I want a man with a mind of his own, wants of his own, and a life of his own.”
“I’ve had none of that. Ever. I’m not sure who I am. Not anymore.”
“I’m a war woman. I have to save my friends.”
Bruiser said, “You are a servant to your destiny.”
I scowled at that, wanting to disagree.
“And you may want a man with a mind of his own, but I’ve never had that. I’m a servant.” He made a huffing breath of surprise. “How... odd. That I didn’t realize that until now. I’m a servant, born and bred and twisted into shape by Leo for decades. To be a servant. And now to beyourservant.” He seemed shocked and sad about that. His back straightened. He twirled the glass on the counter. “I’m yours to command.”
I didn’t want a servant but I wanted Bruiser. I had no idea how to merge the two desires. “And after all our enemies are dead and our friends are safe? Who will you be then?”
“Our chances of surviving the Flayer of Mithrans are little to none.” He tossed back the scotch, pushed away from the kitchen bar, and away from me, and left the room.
Flayer of Mithrans, a terrible, wholly deserved title. I took Bruiser’s seat and prayed. Because there was nothing else I could do. Nothing at all.
***
It was after dusk and the snow/sleet/frozen rain mix had started and stopped a half dozen times. Two weather systems were vying for power over the Appalachians, one Gulf warm and the other arctic cold.
Soul hadn’t made an appearance at the inn. Bruiser was still overemotional. Eli was still single and snarly. Alex was still hunting Shimon Bar-Judas in every spa, hotel, and big private home he could find. Alex had also managed to get access to all the Regal’s stored security feed and was keeping an eye on every current thing at the hotel, the macabre hotel camera feed up on secondary screens the kids couldn’t see. PsyLED CSI, including my birth brother, ICE, and the FBI, had finally made it to town. They had begun carting bodies out of the hotel. The feebs were all ticked off to have missed the culprits, their body language furious and worried.
The witch adults were in the winery’s front yard, inspecting thehedge of thornsward and discussing ways to make it more impervious to attack. They were less worried and more... having fun? Like a family reunion combined with bloodthirsty dangerous vamps on the prowl.
The local vamps and their humans were in and out of the inn and the cottages. I spotted my victim, Klaus, cheerfully following Shaddock or one of the other vamps around like a puppy. He didn’t even need a leash to be compliant to his current minder. Which made me a little sick.
The other prisoners were out like lights, under asleepworking, well secured with steel and silver.
The kids were watching a Disney flick and eating popcorn. Cassy was napping. She seemed to sleep a lot.
Sabina, in New Orleans, had disappeared. She had been hurt, burned, in the attack on the fanghead cemetery. She hadn’t been seen since her cell phone call to Alex.
HQ in New Orleans were not answering the phone or text or e-mail or anything. Alex couldn’t raise them at all. Alex couldn’t access the cameras in the old building. Alex—and thus we—were blind, though Eli had called in a favor, and so we knew the building at least was still standing and seemed to be occupied.
Jodi’s cell phone went to voice mail. The WooWoo room rang without an auto response.
And Brute had shown up again. He had dragged his big mattress into the TV room and was snoring like a freight train, Pea lying on his shoulders, the stink of wet dog filling the room. EJ was curled up against Brute’s smelly, hairy side, sound asleep, a bowl of popcorn in the curve of his little knees, spilling over. The cute nearly melted my heart.
