Blood Forever by Mari Mancusi
Rayne bites at her lower lip. “Did we just screw up big-time?”
“Here we are, thinking we’re changing history for the better. What if we just made things a lot worse?”
“What should we do?” Rayne asks as she turns the key in the ignition and flips on the headlights. “Should we follow them to the cemetery? Maybe help Slayer Inc. slay Lucifent after all?”
“We could. But if we did, that’d be it. There’s no way we’d ever get Magnus and Jareth back after that. We’d be their enemies forever.”
“I wish Teifert had been more clear on the details!” Rayne pounds on the steering wheel in frustration. “What if the Lucifent thing isn’t a big deal?”
“What if it’s a huge deal? What if we’ve just signed humanity’s death warrant?”
“Oh God,” my sister moans. She puts the car in gear. “All right, let’s go to the cemetery and at least see what’s going on. Maybe we can figure something out on the fly.”
I nod in agreement—what else can we do?—and a moment later we’re speeding down the dark roads, on our way to St. Patrick’s Cemetery, home of the Blood Coven crypt. I remember my first trip down into the underground headquarters. The night Lucifent got killed by Bertha. At the time, his murder had seemed so evil. So unnecessary. But now I’m not so sure. What if my murderer was actually a good guy in disguise?
We pull over at the edge of the cemetery, then creep through the dark gravestones toward the crypt. At first I’m positive we’re going to end up seeing nothing—that all the vampires will already be deep down inside, where no mortal can enter. But instead, as we grow close, a set of headlights sweeps into view. A long, black limo approaches, pulling over at the entrance to the crypt. A moment later, the door opens and none other than Lucifent himself steps out, into the night air. A little blond boy, dressed in an adorable mini-tuxedo. It’s hard to believe someone so tiny and seemingly inconsequential has the power to change the world.
Rayne grabs me and yanks me down behind a gravestone, just as a bellowing cry echoes through the night sky. It’s a cry I’d know anywhere.
Bertha.
The slayer leaps over the grave she’s been hiding behind, letting out a piercing roar. Without pause, she launches into a round-off back-handspring, flipping toward the Master at breakneck speed, two stakes strapped to her massive thighs. I hold my breath, gripping Rayne’s hand in my own. Maybe this is it. Maybe we didn’t screw things up after all.
But before she can reach him, Jareth and Magnus step out from the shadows, taking their places in front of their Master. Together they grab Bertha and fling her backward, as if she’s a rag doll. The slayer slams into a nearby grave and crashes to the ground.
“Wow,” Rayne breathes, squeezing my hand. “I don’t know whether to cheer or boo.”
Bertha scrambles to her feet, her face twisted in rage. She starts again toward the vampires, her steps slow but determined.
“Halt,” Magnus demands. “You are not welcome here, slayer. Walk away now and I will let you live.”
“Take another step and you shall dine tonight in hell,” Jareth concludes.
“You know people always say that as if it’s a bad thing,” I whisper to Rayne. “To be honest, there are some pretty amazing five-star chefs down there. And Bertha, for one, would be pleased to know that calories no longer count.”
“Shh,” Rayne hisses.
Bertha’s mouth lifts in a sneer. “I am a licensed slayer. On an official commission for Slayer Inc., which has been appointed protector of the vampires. If you touch one hair on my head it’ll be seen as an act of aggression. And the contract we’ve held with your kind for centuries will be broken forever.” She pauses. “In other words, there will be war.”
Rayne and I exchange worried glances. She’s right, of course. As much as I’d love to see Bertha dead, I’m not sure murdering her in cold blood while she’s on official assignment is the best way to go about it. Especially if it comes at the cost of peace between slayers and vampires. Could this be what Teifert was worried about?
“She’s right,” Magnus says suddenly, and I let out a breath of relief. He’s always been the rational one. “You should go home. We should meet with your leader in the morning. Talk this through. I’m sure we can come up with a diplomatic—”
But his words are cut off as Lucifent lunges at the slayer, so quick I can’t follow the movement. He grabs her and slams her against a nearby angel statue. There’s a sickening crack as he breaks her neck and she crumples to the ground.
Magnus and Jareth stare at Lucifent in horror. “What have you done, Master?” Magnus whispers.
“Exactly what needed to be done,” Lucifent purrs. “Slayer Inc. has been the bane of vampire existence for far too long. It’s time to take a stand against our oppressors. And thanks to you two, we now have the perfect opportunity to do so.” And with that, he gestures to the slayer’s prostrate corpse. “Now come on,” he says with a sickening grin. “Dessert is served.”
“Oh God,” Rayne whispers as Lucifent enthusiastically starts in on his all-you-can-eat Bertha buffet. “What have we done?”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I whisper back, my stomach roiling from the grossness of it all. At least Magnus and Jareth hold back and don’t participate in the slayer soufflé. But still. I try to remind myself that Bertha deserves this and more. She killed me, for goodness’ sake! But as I watch, disgusted beyond belief, I can’t help but hear Teifert’s words, echoing through my brain. What have we just set into motion here?
The Master now lives. The Slayer is now dead. We’ve succeeded in changing history. But to what end? Will there be war between Slayer Inc. and the vampires? And what does Lucifent have up his size six sleeve?
After what seems an eternity, the Blood Coven Master rises from his meal, his mouth and shirt soaked in blood. He frowns, looking out into the darkness.
“Someone’s here,” he informs Jareth and Magnus. “Bring them to me.”
“Uh-oh. I think we’ve been spotted,” I whisper to my sister.
She nods, then rises from our hiding spot. “Hey, guys! It’s just us! Nothing to worry about!” I follow her as she steps into the moonlight, a nervous grin on her face. “Just wanted to make sure you were able to take down the big bad. But looks good! Nice work.” She walks confidently up to the vampires and pats Lucifent on the head. He scowls.
“Mortals,” he cries. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been asking myself the same question all night,” Jareth sniffs.
“They’re with us,” Magnus interjects. He walks over to me and takes me by the arm, then leads me over to the Blood Coven Master. “This is my intended blood mate, m’lord. She was the one who informed me of this plot by Slayer Inc. to end your life. I didn’t believe her at first, so I accompanied her to Slayer Inc. Manor to find proof. When we encountered the slayer, I was wounded. If it weren’t for this girl, I would have died there in prison.”
“And this one helped me break into the dungeon,” Jareth adds reluctantly, gesturing to my sister. “Without her, rescue would have been impossible.”
“These two girls saved your life tonight,” Magnus concludes. “Without them, we never would have been able to take out Bertha.”
“I see.” Lucifent strokes his chin. “Well, it appears thanks are in order,” he says simply. “It is not often that I come across mortals willing to open a vein for my kind.”
“No problem,” Rayne says gallantly. “Anyone would have done the same.”
Lucifent turns to Jareth and Magnus. “And as for you two, you have once again proven yourselves loyal, valuable servants of the Blood Coven. A reward of the highest order shall be bestowed upon you for your bravery and selflessness tonight.”
Magnus bows respectfully to his master. “There is no reward greater than the satisfaction of saving your life, m’lord. As you once saved mine.”
“You are aware, Magnus, that you would have been made Master in m
“It is an honor I do not wish for myself,” Magnus replies automatically. “I would prefer to spend my days in quiet service, as I have done for the last thousand years.”
“You are too valuable for that,” Lucifent insists. “I am promoting you to second in command of the Blood Coven. And as for you, General Jareth,” the Master continues, “given the current state of things, I believe it would be wise to expedite Project Z. Can you have things ready to go by the end of the week?”
Project Z? I glance over at my sister, who wears my puzzled face. What’s Project Z? Could that be what Teifert was hinting about?
Jareth nods. “The queen is completely smitten and has vowed to do whatever I ask of her,” he says with a smile. “We are ready for the demonstration anytime you give the word.”
“Excellent,” Lucifent says, clapping his hands in glee. “What perfect timing, too. The vampire masters are all convening in Vegas for a worldwide symposium and Pyrus shall be in attendance. I shall send word to him tonight, requesting an audience. Once he sees the Blood Coven’s display of power, he will be sure to lift our coven to the highest order and we will finally get the respect we deserve. As well as our revenge on Slayer Inc.”
O-kay then. This does not sound good. Not good at all. I notice, out of the corner of my eye, that Magnus also doesn’t look too comfortable with the idea. And after a moment, he steps forward. “Master,” he says. “What is this Project Z you speak of?”
But Lucifent only grins, patting his protégé on the kneecap. “Come inside, my boy,” he says. “We’ll open a bottle of Machiavelli and we’ll toast this triumphant night. There will be time to talk of such things at a later date. Right now I feel like celebrating.”
Magnus bows. “Very well,” he says. “But let me say good-bye to my blood mate first.”
He turns to me, taking my hand in his and leading me away from the group. “Thank you again for tonight,” he whispers once we’re out of earshot. “It was definitely…interesting.”
“Magnus,” I say. “I don’t like the sound of this. Taking out Slayer Inc.? Impressing Pyrus? Project Z?”
The vampire gives me an indulgent smile. “Don’t worry,” he says. “Lucifent knows what he’s doing. Sometimes he can be rash, but in the end, he is reasonable. He would never do something to hurt the coven, despite what Slayer Inc. might say.”
I frown. I wish I could have his confidence in the guy. But after seeing him gleefully slurp down a dead slayer with wild abandon, I’m not exactly feeling the warm and fuzzies for our fearless leader.
“You have done well today,” Magnus adds, oblivious to my distress. He brings my hand to his lips and kisses it softly. “I am very much looking forward to the day when I can make you my official blood mate for all eternity.”
He pulls me close, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing me tight. I know I should feel warm in his embrace. I should feel safe. But instead, I feel nothing but cold seeping into my bones.
Because no matter how much Magnus trusts his Master, I don’t trust him one bit. And I feel like I’m only just beginning to realize the extent of Rayne’s and my future-changing mistake.
15
“There is seriously nothing I hate worse than doing nothing.” Rayne proclaims, bursting into my room early the next evening and flopping herself down on my bed. She picks at her black-painted fingernails, frustration etched on her face. “I could barely function at school today thinking about everything that happened last night. And when I tried to lose myself in a World of Warcraft raid this afternoon? I ended up getting everyone killed and they booted me from the group.”
I give her a regretful smile. “Maybe it’s for the best,” I point out. “I mean, not about the WoW thing,” I add quickly, catching her face. “But as far as doing nothing? We’ve probably done too much already. I’m thinking it’s best we lie low from this point forward. Before we screw up the world any worse than we already have.”
“And what? Just sit back and let all hell break loose because of our mistake?”
I sigh. “What else can we do? Go try to slay Lucifent ourselves?”
“I am a slayer…”
“Not in this world you aren’t,” I remind her. “And you’re not a vampire, either. I just wish we knew what the guy was up to. What this whole Project Z deal is.”
“Well, we know it’s something designed to impress Pyrus,” my sister points out. “And since we know Pyrus is pretty much as evil and power-hungry as vampires come, I’m guessing it’s probably not a charitable venture to help feed starving children in Africa.”
“Yeah. I think it’s probably safe to say he’s not planning Operation World Peace,” I agree. “But beyond that, we don’t have a clue. Besides the fact that it starts with a Z…”
“Right.” Rayne purses her lips, then pops up from the bed and heads over to my laptop. “Project Z,” she muses, loading up the browser. “What could Project Z stand for…?”
“Um, are you trying to Wikipedia a vampire master’s secret plan?” I ask skeptically.
“I was thinking more of searching the Scrabble dictionary for Z-words,” Rayne replies, scanning the web page. “Like…maybe…Project Zamboni?” She giggles. “Lucifent’s master plan to give the Blood Coven hockey team a fighting chance at the Stanley Cup?”
I snort. “Yeah, that’s it. I’m sure.”
“Or maybe Project Zirconia?” Rayne adds, using the mouse to scroll through the word list. “Selling all the diamonds in the Blood Coven vault and replacing them with fakes, all in an effort to solve our current economic crisis.”
“Nah. Too magnanimous,” I declare. “What about Project Zookeeper? He’s figured out a way to cage all the werewolves and create a brand-new tourist attraction to compete with Disney World.”
Rayne rolls her eyes and abandons my computer. She wanders over to the bed again, her smile fading from her face. “This sucks,” she sulks. “At this rate the world is going to end before I manage to get Jareth back as my boyfriend.”
“Oh!” I cry. “That reminds me. What was Jareth talking about when he brought up that whole queen thing? It had something to do with Project Z. He said she was completely smitten and would do anything he asked, remember?”
My sister frowns. “God, that’s right. I swear, the guy’s got girlfriends coming out the freaking wazoo.”
“Or maybe not,” I point out. “Maybe it’s the same girl you saw at Club Fang. Maybe she’s also this queen person.”
“Well, I suppose she does look a little inbred,” Rayne admits. Then she sighs. “Seriously what does she have that I don’t? Besides a tacky wardrobe and piglike eyes?”
“Um, maybe the power to help him launch Project Z?” Seriously, my sister’s one-track mind makes her a bit slow at connecting the dots sometimes.
Rayne looks up in surprise. “Oh my God,” she breathes. “That explains everything. She’s not his true love at all! He’s merely using her to help implement his secret plan! Of course! That’s why he never mentioned her when we started dating. She was never really his girlfriend to begin with!”
“Well, we don’t know that for sure…”
“But don’t you see? It makes perfect sense!” Rayne cries, ignoring me, of course. “It explains why he’s been acting all goofy and not like himself. It’s just an act.” She leaps from the bed. “I knew the real Jareth would never play the ‘no, you hang up!’ game.” She turns to me, her face shining with excitement. “This is great. Now all we have to do is stop Project Z and Jareth will be all mine.”
I shake my head. My sister and her priorities…
“Again, easier said than done,” I remind her. “Seeing as we still don’t have a clue as to what this Project Z thingie even is.”
“Right.” Rayne stops bouncing. Then her eyes widen. “Hey, you don’t think it could be—”
A knock sounds on the door, caus
“Sunny, there’s a boy here to see you,” Mom calls through the door.
My heart skips a beat. I glance over at my sister, eyebrows raised. “Do you think it’s…?”
She shrugs. “Well, I don’t think it’s Jake Wilder…”
Mom knocks a second time. “I think he said his name was Magnus or something?”
“Thanks, Mom.” I swallow hard. “What should I do?” I hiss at Rayne.
Everything inside me tells me to leap off the bed, burst through the door, race downstairs, and throw myself into his arms. But at what price? Could I end up making things even worse?
“Duh. You should go talk to him,” Rayne whispers back. “Maybe you can even get him to tell you what Project Z is. Not to mention get some dirt on this so-called queen.”
“Ooh, yeah,” I agree, a thrill twisting up my spine at the prospect. “Good idea!” I turn to the door. “I’ll be right down, Mom!”
I rush over to the mirror to run a comb through my hair, regretting my choice to not reapply my makeup after gym class this afternoon. At least I changed out of my sweats. Though my ripped jeans and laundry day T-shirt aren’t much of a step up, to be honest.
“You look beautiful!” Rayne interrupts, obviously needing a change in her contact lens prescription. “Now go hook up with your boyfriend and try to save the world!”
I don’t need a second invitation. I burst out the door, taking the steps two at a time until I reach the front foyer where Magnus is standing with my mom. He’s wearing all black, as per usual, with a bright red rose stuck in his lapel. God, he looks so yummy. It’s all I can do not to lick him all over.
“Hey,” I say, trying to sound as casual as possible. “I didn’t know you’d be stopping by.”
“I hope it’s not a problem,” Magnus says gallantly, giving me a small bow. Mom raises an eyebrow.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Sunny?” she asks.