Gen’s mouth fell open, and her eyes darted to the rearview mirror, but she kept driving.
“Oh my God,” she murmured.
You make your bed, you lie in it,Bene rumbled in my mind, telling me he’d seen it too.
I touched Gen’s shoulder. “Right now, you have to focus on getting us out of here — all of us.” I indicated Danielle.
Her hands tightened around the steering wheel, and she nodded, though she looked sick.
I glanced back. From what I could tell, Henrik hadn’t so much as swerved at the gory sight. Either he truly despised Celeste, or he’d had his eyes glued to the road when it happened.
Luckily, I blocked his view,Bene murmured into my mind.Nothing worse than finding yourself in a car with a blood-thrilled vampire.
So, Bene had more sense than I thought.
Good move,I told him, surprised to be as relieved as I was. Bene, Marius, Henrik, and I had been thrown together by fate, and we’d all counted down the time until we could be free of Gordon — and one another. But we’d meshed into a surprisingly good team, and the thought of anyone getting hurt — or going their separate ways after our contract concluded — struck deeper into my heart than I thought it would.
Marius. Mina. Everything all right with you?I called into their minds.
Yes, but the sooner we all get out of this blizzard, the better,Marius replied.
Henrik stuck to our rear bumper all the way down the mountain, blinding us with his lights. Still, I appreciated the buffer he provided against any vampires who might pursue us.None did, thanks to Marius and Mina spraying fire over the road behind us.
The snow petered out as we drove, suggesting Grepper was the one driving it. Well, let him keep those vampires snowbound as long as possible. We were making tracks.
When we reached the outskirts of town, Marius and Mina peeled away to land at their starting point behind a barn.
We’ll rendezvous on the south end of the village in ten minutes,I told Marius.Henrik, Gen, Bene, and I will clear our things out of the hotel.
We’ll be there,he confirmed.
What about our passenger?Bene asked.
Leave that to me,Gen said, keeping her lips tightly pursed.
The only two hotels in town were the Hotel du Lac, where we’d stayed, and the Seeblick. Gen dropped Danielle off at the latter with firm orders.
“Like Grepper said, you’ll do as you’re told,” Gen barked.
“I’ll do as I’m told.” Danielle nodded, looking blank and hazy. Grepper’s spell was holding, it seemed.
“Go inside. Charge the room to Grepper. He’ll contact you in the morning,” Gen said.
He wouldn’t — not directly. But he would make arrangements, I was sure.
Arrangements, as in bumping her off?Gen asked, alarmed.
I shook my head.That will raise too many questions. He’ll get her safely off to some place far away. Probably wherever he met her with a big gap in her memory.
Gen grimaced, then nodded to Danielle. “Okay?”
“Okay.” Danielle moved robotically to the hotel door.
We waited until she stepped inside, then took off for our hotel.
Ten minutes later, the six of us were reunited and roaring down the road to Lucerne.
I sat beside Gen, who drove, while Bene stretched across the back seat, still recovering from the shock inflicted by Grepper’s magic. Mina, Marius, and Henrik followed in a second vehicle.
