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LAURA
The top deck was the control centre of the yacht. Its three-metre-long, white-panelled console resembled a plane’s cockpit with its array of computer screens and various other techno-gadgets at whose function I could only guess.
Sam was seated at the captain’s white leather swivel chair, his back turned to the others as he manoeuvred the boat from its mooring. The first-mate’s chair beside him was empty. Directly behind him stood a small cocktail bar against which Jake and Cal leant. Both were gazing intently at the ring Jake held between his fingers. It was the same wolf’s head that had been on Rasputin’s hand.
‘Really cute,’ Jake muttered facetiously. He pressed the side of it with his thumb and the deadly spike sprang out.
Terens was crouched on the floor in front of Jenny, who was seated with Kari on one of the L-shaped settees scattered around the deck. Both her hands were held in his. He must have said something to her, for she nodded, looked up, saw me and smiled. Terens turned and winked at me, then joined the others.
‘Hey hon, you okay?’ Jenny asked me, but before I could answer, Kari shot to my side and enveloped me in such a bear hug I thought my ribs would crack.
‘Laura, you were incredible,’ she said then sniffed and pulled back. ‘That big ape would make anyone vomit.’
‘Thanks Kari.’ I was quickly learning that subtlety was not one of Kari’s strong points.
‘I’ll get you some water,’ Alec said.
Kari sat me on the settee between her and Jenny. ‘You saved my life, and I’m the one who’s supposed to be the bodyguard.’ She looked crestfallen.
‘You were great. How were you to know that man could mesmerise us all like that?’ I patted her hand then turned to Jenny. ‘I’m so sorry, Jen, I honestly thought you’d be safe with us.’
‘I can cope, girlfriend.’ She glanced in Terens’s direction and smiled.
Thank you, Terens.
Alec returned and handed me a chilled bottle of Perrier then perched on the coffee table opposite me as I rinsed my mouth and drank. The water tasted cool and sweet. ‘We didn’t know what Rasputin was capable of, Kari. If Sam had trouble—’
‘Then we’re all in trouble.’ Sam finished. ‘Son-of-a-bitch can sniff out a weakness and twist it around in your head.’ He briefly turned his head toward us. ‘Laura, did he try that with you?’
‘Sure did, but the ring brought me back.’
Alec repeated what I’d told him.
I looked at my hand. The eyes of the serpent glowed, as did its twin on Alec’s hand. But then, they always did when either of us was close by, as if they relished each other’s company. Luc told me the serpent rings were fashioned from the pendant the witch had worn around her neck; so perhaps it was true – they were two halves of a whole – the way Alec and I were, and whenever we came together, the rings blazed to life.
‘Luc needs to know,’ Sam said. ‘As far as I remember, it’s never done that.’
‘Know what?’ Luc’s head emerged at the top of the stairs, Judy by his side. He must have been too preoccupied elsewhere to overhear our conversation.
‘Rasputin tried to mesmerise me, and it would have worked, if not for the ring. It got my attention, burning my finger, as if willing me to look in its eyes. When I did, everything became clear.’
‘Yep, we saw it, didn’t we?’ Kari said. She glanced at Jenny, who nodded.
‘Interesting,’ Luc said. While Judy pulled up a chair next to Alec, Luc strode over to the bar, poured himself a brandy and took something with care from his pocket. He laid it on the counter – another wolf’s-head ring.
Jake did the same with the one he held.
‘Here, add this,’ Alec said, and removed another one from his own finger – one I hadn’t noticed – and tossed it to Luc, who caught it and placed it with the others.
‘So, now what?’ Jake asked. ‘Keep ‘em or destroy ‘em?’
For the length of a slow vampire-heartbeat nobody spoke, their gazes riveted on the three shiny objects with their deadly cargoes – death at the push of a hidden button.
Jenny nudged me and whispered. ‘What’s with the rings? Magic or something?’
‘It’s what’s inside them. White-oak – that spikey thing that popped out. It’s poisonous to vampires. That’s why Rasputin made that pathetic joke, “One scratch and you’re ash!”’
‘Right.’
‘It’s outlawed among our kind. Anyone found in possession is usually executed on the spot,’ Alec said.
Jenny stared at him, wide-eyed. I had the feeling whatever she knew about vampires, or thought she knew, was now overturned.
‘I say we hang onto ‘em.’ Terens picked one up and held it to the light. ‘I know it’s against our laws, but this changes everything. If every damned Rebel has one of these, then our side doesn’t stand a chance. And we’re the good guys.’ He dropped the ring back with the other two.
Cal nodded. ‘Good point.’ He pointed to the ring in Cal’s hand. ‘Those could even things up a bit.’
‘I hate the whole idea.’ Luc scowled, moved away from the bar and sat in the first-mate’s chair next to Sam. ‘Antonius and I made these laws only to break them now?’
‘Way I see it, new game, new rules,’ Terens retorted.
‘Agree.’ Sam said without taking his eyes off the water ahead. ‘The enemy has a superior weapon and we’d be fools not to take advantage of it.’
‘Jake, what do you think?’ Alec asked.
He didn’t answer straight away, but looked around until his gaze rested on Luc. ‘I believe there comes a time when rules need to be amended. I can see no other way to get through this. Banning it no longer works, and not defending ourselves would also be wrong.’
‘Alec, what about you?’ Luc asked.
‘Jake’s right. There’s no other choice. Enforcing the white-oak ban worked in the past, but not any more. Humans don’t believe in us anymore and the last two centuries have seen an increase in our kind now that we’re no longer hunted.’
‘Not all humans,’ Jenny pointed out.
Alec looked at her and smiled. ‘No, not all.’ He turned his attention back to Luc. ‘It’s difficult to police our laws. Even the prefects struggle to maintain the ban in their prefectures. I can’t see any other solution but to allow the use of white-oak.’
Luc downed the rest of his brandy, rose to his feet and strode to the railing, letting his arms rest on it while he stared into the water. No one spoke, while he wrestled with the issue. ‘I’ll need to confer with Antonius and the other Elders,’ he said at last without looking around.
‘Of course,’ Alec answered.
‘There’s a snag,’ Cal said unexpectedly. ‘Time. How long it would take to get the stuff and form it into something useable, like sword tips, bullets, or,’ he pointed to the pile of wolf’s-head rings, ‘these things, could take weeks.’
‘Yup,’ Terens remarked. ‘Let’s skip all that, find where the Rebels are hiding, rip the damned things off them –’
‘And pulverise ‘em before they do it to us,’ Cal finished.
The two punched fists in a sign of solidarity.
‘Use my blood.’ The words left my mouth before I realised what I was saying. Something had prompted me, yet I had no idea who or what.
Luc swivelled around and glanced from me to Judy. ‘No, Laura. That’s not an option.’
‘It makes sense,’ I said. ‘The Rebels are using an outlawed lethal weapon that would take time for us to obtain, while my blood is just as deadly and ready to use.’
‘Luc’s right. We’re not going to use you as a weapon,’ Alec said.
‘Why not?’
‘Yeah, why not?’ Terens asked.
‘Laura’s blood is her protection – not for us to use as we’d like.’ Alec’s face was set in a resolute expression – which I ignored.
‘Even if I let you?’
‘Not even then.’ His expression changed from stubborn determination to such tenderness that had my heart not already belonged to him, I would have dedicated it to him anew. ‘Besides, I’ve just thought of something else which will solve this problem.’ He turned around to face Luc. ‘It might take a few days, but I want to find an antidote to white-oak.’
Jake shook his head. ‘Tried several times.’
‘Then we’ve got to try again. My lab’s the best equipped in this country.’
‘Think you can do it?’ Luc moved from the railing to stand next to Judy. He placed a hand on her shoulder. She covered it with her own.
‘I can only try,’ Alec answered.
‘We can only try,’ Jake emphasised. ‘Remember the old adage about two heads.’
Alec nodded his thanks.
‘How long will you be away?’ I asked, hating the idea of being separated from him, even for a few days.
‘Not sure. As long as it takes – a few days perhaps. Between the two of us,’ he glanced at Jake, ‘working night and day, we should come up with something.’ He took my hands in his and intertwined our fingers until the serpent rings touched. Their eyes lit up in an unearthly glow and bathed the faces of those around us in a ruby aura.
I heard Jenny’s intake of breath. ‘Wow. Don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing those flarey eyes.’
‘Couldn’t buy that in K-Mart,’ Kari quipped as she leaned forward to look past me to Jenny on my other side.
Alec rolled his eyes and I fought the urge to laugh. Kari had successfully killed the moment.
‘I won’t be far away,’ he said squeezing my fingers. Call and I’ll come. His voice sounded in my head.
I will, I sent back.
His mouth crinkled up into a smile.
‘Ugh! Will you two quit making eyes at each other!’ Kari said.
This time I laughed.
Alec kissed me then rose and joined Jake and the others at the bar. They were all still bare-chested and barefoot. Alec’s damp jeans hugged his body, which probably explained the sigh that came from Jenny.
Luc crouched down to speak to Judy, and while their conversation flowed around me, I was oblivious to it – too intent on the discussion Alec and the men were having. I saw him pocket the three wolf’s-head rings, and Terens’s protest, although I couldn’t catch the words. They spoke too fast and low.
‘Jacuzzi, Laura.’ Kari’s face loomed in my vision and blocked Alec from my view.
‘What? Sorry, I wasn’t listening.’ I angled my head to see around her, but Alec and Jake had gone. Blast!
Kari draped her arm around my shoulders. ‘What I was saying was, I’ve got a great idea. Jacuzzi.’ She beamed. ‘It’s exactly what you need right now.’
I could think of several reasons why that was a great idea, but one in particular stood out. ‘Do I still smell of vomit?’
‘Yep, and that ape’s blood.’ She paused then added, ‘Handless and hairy. Hey, I like that. Think I’ll call him that from now on – HH.’ She laughed.
‘The Jacuzzi will help relax you, Laura,’ Judy said. ‘Kari knows her way around and where the towels are kept.’ She rose and stretched. ‘I’m off to bed. Goodnight.’ She kissed me on the cheek and walked down the stairs. Luc strode over to the men, whispered something before following her.
‘Well, there goes any chance of skinny-dipping,’ Kari said, and her pixie face contorted into a comical grimace. ‘Seems you’ve got extra bodyguards tonight.’
The three of us looked in the men’s direction. Terens smiled at Jenny and raised his glass.
She nudged my foot with hers and whispered, ‘Chuck my bikini overboard.’
