One Foot in the Grave

Page 32

Ian was seated front and center like royalty. The lowest balcony was one level up from the platform, so I tilted my head toward him and feigned surprise.
"So you're the one who's behind all this? Serves me right for not twisting that knife before. Come on down and I'll fix my oversight."
Ian had dressed up as well, wearing a vintage flowing shirt with ruffles of antique silk. I guessed it was late seventeen hundreds, from the style. Its pearly color nearly matched his skin, and his chestnut hair was tastefully arranged. Turquoise eyes gleamed at me with anticipation.
"Your prissy pants suit didn't begin to do you justice, Catherine. You are simply dazzling."
"Once and for all, and it's good that so many people will hear this so I don't have to repeat it-my name is Cat." Since they'd all seen me, concealing my work name hardly seemed important. "Now, I dragged my ass up here for a reason, and it wasn't to hear that you liked my dress. Where are my men? And what do you want? It must be a real doozy for you to track me down and blackmail me."
Ian had a superior grin when he answered, comfortable in his presumed control. "You can thank your old friend for helping me find you, Cat. I have a feeling you'll remember him. Crispin, say hello to your former protegee."
"Hallo, luv. Long time no taste," a voice drifted down to me.
I hid a grin and turned in his direction.
Bones cleaned up better than Ian, in my prejudiced opinion, and I couldn't help the tug of a smile when I saw his hair. Sometime since I'd last seen him, he'd colored it the same shining platinum it had been when we first met. It was newly cut as well, hugging his head in closely cropped curls. His shirt was a full-bodied crimson, contemporary by contrast with Ian's, and his skin glowed like cream-covered diamonds against the vivid fabric. It was time for me to look away. Fast. Before I drooled.
"Bones, what an unexpected revulsion," I said cleanly. "Jeez, you're not dead yet? I'd hoped to see the last of you years ago. Still having that premature ejaculation problem?"
Ian guffawed in amusement. So did the rest of his section. They were segregated by lineage, with the youngest members higher up in the nosebleed seats. Bones sat symbolically on the lower edge of Ian's group, and a snort of laughter accompanied his response.
"Perhaps if your snoring hadn't been so bloody loud in the interims, I would have been able to concentrate better."
Touche. I turned my back to him. "All right, Ian. Enough of this crap. I'm all decked out in my pretty dress and it's clearly a party. What's the occasion?"
Ian went right for the melodramatic. "Far and wide I've told everyone that the avenging human called the Red Reaper is actually a vampire disguised behind a pounding heart and warm flesh. There isn't another known half-breed in the world. Put simply, I want you with me, Cat, as part of my people. Since I didn't reckon on you being agreeable to the thought after our last meeting, I've taken four of your men to ensure that you're more...open-minded when we discuss it now."
Ian didn't know I'd already gotten back three out of those four, and had six of his own men to boot. He probably just thought Francois and the others were running late.
"Uh huh," I said cynically. "I'm guessing this whole being 'part of your people' means I'd have to spend a lot of time with you."
Ian smiled with more than a hint of wickedness. "You would require supervising at first, after all."
"And if I refuse, I suppose you'll kill my men?"
He shrugged. "Really, poppet, would it require me killing all of them before you'd see what I'm offering isn't so repugnant? I think it would only require killing one or two, at most."
You cold bastard, I thought, eyeing Ian. The fact that he was being practical, not maniacal, told me a lot about him. Ian didn't seem like he'd particularly enjoy killing a couple of my men, but he'd do it. Bones had some of that same coldness, I knew. And so did I, if I was honest.
"You told people about me," I said abruptly, changing my tactics. "But I bet they had trouble believing you. Want me to give them a demonstration of what I can do? I mean, you've got all these guests, but so far, they haven't seen anything exciting yet."
An interested look came over Ian's face. Bones had said Ian liked a flashy show. It didn't appear that he was wrong.
"What are you offering for a demonstration, my lovely Red Reaper?"
"Bring out your strongest fighter. I'll beat him or her, and I'll do it with only what I've got on me now."
I spread my hands and twirled to show that I didn't have any weapons, but of course Ian would know that I'd been searched. It wasn't my fault no one had taken a good look at my shoes.
"What do you want if you win?" Ian asked.
"One of my men back unharmed. And I get to pick who."
Ian looked me over for a long moment. I gave him my most innocent expression. "Agreed," he said at last.
"Good," I said instantly. "I'll take Noah."
Shit, if I could win back Noah myself, that was a big load off my mind. Wouldn't Ian be surprised later when he found out he'd bartered his only hostage back to me?
Bones chose that moment to stand up. "Ian, before this circus begins, I have an issue to settle with you. Frankly I would have skipped this event altogether if you hadn't commanded me to appear. That is the rub, my sire. I wish to be under no one's authority but my own, and it is time. Release me from your line."
Ian looked like he'd been punched in the gut before he shielded his expression.
"We will speak on this later, Crispin, when there aren't so many distractions," he said, struggling to stall without appearing weak.
Bones encompassed the multitudes with a wave of his hand. "There is no better time than now, with all present to observe tradition. I want nothing more when I leave than what is mine by right-the vampires I've created, their possessions, and all my human property. I've waited long enough for this, Ian, and I'm not waiting any longer."
There was an uncompromising edge to his last sentence, and everyone there heard it.
Ian's tone changed from coaxing to curtness on the spot. "And if I refuse? Are you threatening to challenge me to win your freedom?"
"Yes," Bones replied bluntly. "But why the need? Our paths go back to our humanity, and we shouldn't part with one of us destroyed by stubbornness. Release me by your favor and not by a fight, for that is my wish."
I couldn't imagine having a centuries-old history with someone like Bones had with Ian, and one that had literally transcended death to boot. Ian didn't seem like anything special to me, but for Bones to try so hard not to have to kill him, there must be more to him than met the eye. I knew loyalty over Ian changing Bones into a vampire would only go so far. Maybe Ian was a bit like Don. Ruthless and manipulating when it came to what he wanted, but at the core, not an evil person. Otherwise Bones wouldn't bother asking for his freedom, when he could challenge Ian to a duel and kill him for it. Bones could beat Ian if it came to that, and he knew it. The question was, did Ian?
Ian weighed his decision silently for a minute. There was a hushed expectancy. I tensed when he took a knife from his pants and made his way through the guests to Bones.
He looked at the knife, at Bones, and then flipped it until the blade was facing inward instead of pointing out.
"Go then, and be Master of your own line, subject to none but yourself and the laws which govern all of Cain's children. I release you."
Then he handed the knife to Bones, who accepted it respectfully.
"You all bear witness," Bones called out, to various audible acknowledgments.
Wow, that was short and sweet. I'd expected something more bloody or ceremonial.
Ian let out a resigned noise. "We've been together a long time, Crispin. It will feel odd not having you as one of my people. What are your plans?"
"The same as any new Master of a line, I suspect," Bones said lightly, though his expression hardened. "I'll protect those who belong to me at all costs."
I knew what he meant by that, even if his deeper meaning flew by Ian.
"You're under no more obligation to stay; will you be leaving, then? Or will you wait to see if your former protegee wins her challenge?"
Bones smiled, and his eyes flicked to me. "Wouldn't miss this part, mate. I wager she wins, unless she's forgotten everything I taught her."
"I rather doubt that," Ian responded dryly.
"What are the rules for this fight?" I questioned. "Are you judging the winner by who's first to be pinned and helpless?"
Ian returned to his couch and settled comfortably on it. "No, poppet, this isn't a wrestling match. You'll only win back your man if you kill your opponent. Now, your opponent doesn't have the option of killing you, however. But he can deliver you to me in any state, and once he does, then you're mine."
I absorbed that information. With that, I let my own light loose from my eyes. Their glow pierced the air like twin emerald lasers, causing a multitude of voices to speak at once. Ian had told them what I was, but seeing was believing.
"Bring on your best, Ian. I'm ready."
He smiled. "Don't you want to have your former lover wish you luck first?" And he pointed at the ceiling above me.
I looked up-and stared. Son of a bitch. Suspended in a cage at the top of the domed ceiling was Noah. Talk about a bird's-eye view. He was even tilted at an angle for perfect scrutiny. What a shitty position to be in, watching your fate played out below you while you were helpless to do anything about it.
The green shine from my gaze fell on Noah's face, who was looking down at me with horror. It was the expression I always knew he'd wear if he found out what I was. Sometimes it truly sucked to be right.
"Grendel," Ian called out. "How would you like to deliver this half-breed to me?"
There was a laugh from the other side of the room. A bald man stood and gave a slow, appreciative whistle.
"I'll bring her to you, Ian. It will be my pleasure to break her."
I looked my challenger up and down. Uh oh. This might be a problem.
Chapter Thirty-Six
FOR ONE, THE MAN STANDING HAD TO BE almost seven feet tall. His arms were thicker than my waist, and he had legs like tree trunks covered in skin. For someone his size, he moved down the aisle with a light, quick grace that gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach. Massive and fast; that wasn't good. But what had me the most concerned was that the man now jumping into the arena wasn't a vampire. He was a ghoul.
I could kick my silver heels through his heart until the cows came home, but it wouldn't kill him. Neither would these heels suitably double as a sword to cleave his head off. Alrighty, then. This would be interesting.
Ian grinned at me with expectant victory. "Do you know who that is, Cat? That's Grendel, the most famous mercenary of the ghouls. He's almost six hundred years old and a former stradioti of the Venetian armies. Grendel used to be paid according to the number of heads he lopped off in battle, and that, my dear poppet, was just when he was human."
I caught Bones's eye. He raised a brow. Did I want him to intervene? he was asking silently. He could stop all this by pulling the property card, I knew, and Bones's expression told me that Ian wasn't exaggerating a bit in his description of what a badass Grendel was.
I gave the smooth-skulled ghoul another thorough evaluation. Yeah, he looked like a mean motherfucker, no doubt about it. And here I was armed with only a pair of high heels. I glanced up at Noah, who had a resigned expression on his face. Clearly he thought he was a dead man no matter what happened. I could take the easy way out. Call myself Bones's Bite Bitch and walk away with nary a broken fingernail to show for it, but that wasn't my style. No, I'd rather fight this giant and win my freedom than get it handed to me by default. But where was a cannon when I needed one?
"Don't bash her about too badly, Grendel; I have plans for her later." Ian smirked.
The ghoul gave an ominous laugh. "She'll be alive. Anything else is up to you to heal."
How comforting. I shook my head ever so slightly at Bones, indicating I didn't want him to intercede. Then I cracked my knuckles with a hint of grimness, watching as Grendel approached. The ghoul looked me over with a professional, callous scrutiny, no doubt deciding which of my bones to break first.
"To show that I have no fear," he said in his deep voice. "I'll let you strike the first blow without defending myself."
"I'm not giving you the same thing," I responded instantly.
A cold smile wreathed his face. "I would hope not. Then this would end too soon and spoil my fun."
Nice. Grendel the Giant was a sadist. Who said anything in life was easy?
I took a deep breath-and then leapt in the air toward him, kicking my feet out with all my strength. My heels landed in his throat and I scissored outward, hoping to sever the spinal column in his neck.
But it didn't. What it did do was tear off two big chunks of his neck and leave me straddling him as we both fell back from the impact. I landed with my knees very indecently around his face, and then I jumped back.
Ian laughed so hard, his eyes turned pink from tears. "You didn't use that battle tactic with me before, Cat. I daresay I feel cheated."
Grendel wasn't in as jolly a mood. He got to his feet, rubbed his throat where the skin was healing back into place, and gave me a very unpleasant look.
"You will pay with pain for that."
What was I supposed to say? It wasn't good for me, either?