Blood Forever by Mari Mancusi
He was the Master. They were his people. They needed him and he had to be there for them—even if it meant stepping out in the middle of a movie and leaving me alone with my bucket of popcorn. It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t cool. And there were times, I have to admit, when his workaholic tendencies almost ended our relationship altogether.
But that, it seems, was the old Magnus. The new Magnus, the one who is supposed to be second in command of the coven, seems pretty content to let his boss do all the heavy lifting. When we first arrived in Vegas, I had assumed we’d head straight to the Consortium headquarters, to find Pyrus and make arrangements to present Project Z. (Giving me an opportunity to figure out a way to stop it all from happening.) Instead, Magnus presents me with reservations to the hottest restaurant in town.
“But don’t you have business to take care of?” I ask, staring at the tickets, bewildered.
He smiles. “My first order of business will always be to take care of you,” he tells me gallantly. “The rest of it can wait.”
It would have been a dream come true, back in the day. But now it’s more like a nightmare. Pyrus is ready and waiting. Lucifent’s preparing the show. And there’s a plane full of zombies landing at Las Vegas airport in only a few hours, from what I’ve been able to glean from my sister’s disturbing text. How the heck can I justify dining out?
“But shouldn’t we be helping Lucifent?” I ask. “I’m sure he needs some assistance for his big presentation to Pyrus tomorrow night.”
But Magnus only shakes his head. “He told me he and Jareth have it all under control,” he assures me, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “We just need to relax and enjoy our time together.”
I wonder if he even knows about the zombies. Did Lucifent ever clue him in on Project Z? I’m guessing no—I’m thinking if he did have a clue as to what his boss was really up to, he wouldn’t be acting so cavalier. He’s Magnus, after all. Protector of the people. The fairest ruler of them all. There’s no way he’d be down with letting loose an army of the dead on Slayer Inc., never mind the general population.
Unfortunately every time I try to bring it up, he cuts me off, telling me he doesn’t want to talk business tonight. He doesn’t want to think about vampires or the Consortium or any kind of projects—from A to Z. Tonight he wants to spend time with a pretty girl and enjoy all of what Vegas has to offer.
So I do my best to enjoy myself. Try to remind myself that this is exactly what I wanted. But in the end I find I can barely hold a conversation. And by the time we get back to our hotel room at the Wynn, I can tell Magnus thinks something’s wrong.
We stand outside the room and he pulls out a key card, handing it to me and inviting me to open the door. From the anxious look on his face, I get the feeling there’s something special inside and my heart starts fluttering as I slip the card into the reader and step into the room, wondering what on earth it could be.
The first thing I notice is all the candles, placed on every available surface and giving the room a warm, golden glow and sweet scent. Then my eyes find and follow the trail of dusty pink rose petals winding toward the king-size bed. On the white cloth–covered bedside table is a bottle of champagne—Cristal—chilling on ice, alongside two silver flutes. It’s a scene of seduction right out of a Hollywood film. But I’m guessing it’s not sex Magnus has in mind. At least not only sex…
As I stare at the room, too shocked to move, the vampire steps in beside me, snaking a hand around my waist. My body lurches at his unexpected touch. “Do you like it?” he whispers in my ear.
Do I like it? Once upon a time I would have thought I’d died and gone to Heaven to see such a love nest, created by my busy boyfriend. Back then he was too preoccupied to ever do something so romantic. Now, I realize, because of Rayne’s and my actions, he has nothing better to do than to spend his existence trying to make me smile.
And I should be smiling. I should be thrilled. Instead, I’m filled only with dread.
“Wow,” I say, forcing my feet to step farther into the room, escaping his tender touch. “It’s really beautiful. And so…unexpected.”
He comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist again, dragging me close to him and nestling his head against my back. “I wanted to surprise you,” he says, stroking my stomach with gentle fingers, sending my pulse skittering like a frightened cat. “I wanted to make sure tonight was special for you.”
“It’s…very special,” I stammer, inhaling sharply. Can he hear my heart hammering in my chest? I’m almost positive it’s drowning out the soft jazz, drifting from hidden speakers.
He brushes away my hair and presses his lips to the nape of my neck. I shiver at the slight scrape of fangs against my delicate skin. “All I want to do is make you happy,” he murmurs. “For the rest of your immortal life. Which,” he adds, pulling me around to face him, taking my hands in his own, “will start tonight.”
I leap back, startled out of my trance. He furrows his brow at my reaction. “What’s wrong?”
“Look, Magnus,” I say, trying to keep my composure. “I thought we agreed we were going to wait.”
His smile falters, a shadow crossing his face. “Only so I could make it special for you,” he reminds me. He gestures to the romantic room. “Which, as you can see, I have tried my best to do…”
Oh God. This is not good. My heart is now pounding in my chest with the force of a sledgehammer and I don’t know what to do. I’ve run out of excuses and evidently out of time. If I say no now, he’s going to be angry. I’m going to lose my in and my only chance to stop Lucifent. But if I say yes, I realize, the consequences are going to be far worse.
“Magnus, I don’t know,” I try to hedge. “I mean, there’s so much going on right now. Shouldn’t we be concentrating on Lucifent’s presentation to Pyrus?”
Magnus’s eyes narrow. He drops my hands and walks over to the bed. With an angry gesture, he sweeps the rose petals from the comforter and sits down.
“You seem awfully concerned about Lucifent,” he says sourly. “In fact, you haven’t stopped talking about him since we got here.” He looks up, his eyes rimmed with red. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
I sit down beside him on the bed, reaching over to take his hand in mine. “I’m sorry,” I say. “It’s just that I can’t help thinking about the battle between Slayer Inc. and the Consortium.”
He squeezes my hand, his face softening. “Sweetheart,” he says, “you need to stop worrying about that. Lucifent has everything under control.” He pulls my hand to his lips and starts kissing the back of my wrist.
I pull my arm away. “Yeah, I know. That’s the problem.”
Magnus cocks his head in question. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, do you really think it’s a good idea to take out Slayer Inc.?” I ask, searching his face for answers. “After all, they’ve been policing vampires for centuries. Keeping all the checks and balances. To remove that removes all the security measures that have been put in place. And then there’s nothing to stop, say, an evil dictator who wants to destroy the human race.” I take in a breath, daring to continue. “Look, Magnus, I know Pyrus is your head honcho and all. But have you taken a close look at his politics? Do you really think he’s the leader that the Consortium needs to take the vampires through the millennium?”
Magnus grits his teeth. “Rayne, you’re new to all of this. And I appreciate the fact that you’re interested in the politics. But dearest, you don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to Pyrus.”
“I know more than you. You don’t even know what Project Z is!” I blurt out before I can stop myself. But I need him to take me seriously.
He lifts an eyebrow. “And I suppose you do.”
“Yes. Actually I know a lot of things,” I say. “And you need to listen to me. If you don’t get involved with what’s going down, there are going to be huge consequences.”
Magnus rises from the bed, stepping over to
“You need to be careful what you say,” he says at last, still staring into the night. “Especially about Pyrus. It could be seen as treasonous if someone were to hear you. They could revoke your membership, meaning we could never be joined…” He trails off, then turns to face me, his eyes drilling into my soul. “But maybe that’s your plan,” he realizes aloud. “Maybe that’s why you’ve been so hesitant about joining me. You’re only here as a spy. Drawing me in, making me care about you, allowing you into my world…”
My heart breaks at the hurt in his voice. “Magnus…”
“That’s it, isn’t it?” he demands. “You’re a spy. For Slayer Inc. or someone else. You never wanted to be with me. This is all just subterfuge.”
“It’s not like that,” I reply flatly. “You don’t understand.”
“Then make me!” he cries, his voice anguished. “Make me understand why you’re so hot and cold. Why you melt against me one moment, then pull away the next.” He rushes to me, grabbing my hands, a desperate look in his eyes. “Please,” he begs, dropping to his knees. “What aren’t you telling me?”
And so I tell him. Everything. About the time travel. Our previous relationship. What Rayne and I have been trying to do this time around. As I speak, his hands clench mine so tightly, I wonder if he’ll break my bones. But I can’t stop the truth spilling from my lips.
“Project Z stands for zombies,” I finish at last. “And if Lucifent is allowed to present them to Pyrus, we may as well kiss the human race good-bye.”
Magnus rises to his feet, staring down at me as if I’m insane. “Time travel?” he repeats. “Zombies? You are seriously out of your mind.”
“But I’m telling the truth!” I insist, wishing so badly I had started telling the truth from the start. Then maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t be in this mess. “The zombies are on their way. We don’t have any time to waste. We have to stop Lucifent from presenting them to Pyrus…by any means necessary.”
Magnus stops in his tracks. “What are you saying?” he demands in a cold voice. “You want me to kill my own sire?”
I draw in a breath, forcing the hysteria from my voice, knowing it’ll only hurt my case. “Yes,” I say slowly. “If he won’t listen to reason.”
“Then you’re as bad as Slayer Inc.”
“But Slayer Inc. was right!” I protest, feeling like I’m losing the battle. What can I say to make him believe me? “I didn’t know it at the time—I thought he was innocent, just like you. But now I see he’s not. And he must be stopped. The fate of the world depends on it, don’t you see?”
“All I see is a liar and an enemy to the coven,” the vampire growls. “A snake who has slithered into our midst in a pathetic attempt to destroy us from the inside out.” He glares at me with hatred in his eyes. “You know nothing about Lucifent or Pyrus or any of the other vampires. And if you think I would ever believe your wild tales—well, you know nothing about me either!” He grabs the bottle of champagne and throws it against the wall. It shatters into a thousand pieces, alcohol spraying everywhere.
“Magnus!” I beg, tears gushing down my cheeks. “Please. Just listen to me! I swear I’m telling the truth! Just ask them! Just ask them about Project Z!”
But he’s already on his phone, calling the guards to take me away.
22
Rayne
The gig, as they say, is up. I’ve got puke on my shirt and a plane full of zombies staring at me with eager eyes. And one zombie queen, storming up the aisle in my direction. My only weapon—a semiautomatic pistol, stashed under my seat, isn’t going to be all that useful in a crowd, even if I did manage to avoid shooing out a window and depressurizing the cabin.
It doesn’t take long for Queenie to reach me. “You!” she cries. “You’re not one of my children.” She stares at me, as I try to come to terms with the fact that she considers these corpses family. That may explain a lot. “Why…you’re…” Horrified recognition washes over her face. “The girl from the club!” She looks over at Jareth, who is now also standing above me, peering down with a surprised look on his face. “What is the meaning of this?” she demands.
Jareth ignores her, choosing to address me instead. “Well, well, if it isn’t the mere mortal,” he says. “You really can get in everywhere, can’t you?” Hmm. Do I actually hear a thread of admiration in his voice?
“What is she doing here?” Queenie screeches, with no admiration whatsoever.
He chuckles softly. “I can promise you, dearest, as always I haven’t the slightest clue as to Miss McDonald’s motivations.”
I stifle a chuckle. Queenie stares down at me with venom in her eyes. She opens her mouth to speak but is cut off by a sudden squeal two rows up. “Ew!” Spider cries, leaping from her seat. “Watch the drool, dude!” She wipes her arm on the seat cushion, a grossed-out look on her face. Great. I guess we’re both busted now.
Queenie marches up to Spider, grabbing her roughly by the arm and dragging her back to Jareth. The vampire gives her a critical once-over. “There’s another one of you?” he asks derisively. “I guess at least this one’s not a triplet.”
“See?” Spider mutters. “I told you we look nothing alike.”
“Look, can we talk to you?” I ask Jareth, figuring we might as well come clean. Well, as clean as possible with puke running down my shirt and Spider’s arm caked in zombie goop. I glance over at Queenie. “Alone?”
“You know, anything you have to say to my boyfriend—” Queenie starts. Jeez. She really is like in third grade, isn’t she? Luckily Jareth cuts her off.
“It’s okay, darling,” he assures her, reaching out to kiss her on her cheek. How much effort must he be making to be so sweet to someone so nasty? “You stay here and take care of the children,” he says. “I’ll take care of our little stowaways in the back.”
Queenie reluctantly agrees, though she doesn’t look like she likes it. As she walks down the aisle, we follow Jareth to the back of the plane, through an ornate-looking wooden door and into a second cabin. Unlike the standard setup of the front cabin, back here is a luxurious sitting area, draped in crimson and black with a bar stocked with bottles of blood. Totally Air Vampire chic.
Spider surveys the scene, letting out a low whistle. “Toto, I don’t think we’re flying Southwest anymore.”
Jareth closes the door behind us, then turns, his face expectant. “So,” he says in a smooth voice. “To what do I owe this dubious honor?”
“Um, the crap tables were calling and we hate flying coach?” Spider, to her credit, tries. But Jareth just rolls his eyes at her, then turns to me.
I snort. “No offense, dude, but you’re the one with the plane full of zombies,” I remind him. “Maybe you’re the one who needs to start explaining.”
“That is none of your business.”
“Actually,” I correct him. “It kind of is. I mean, have you ever seen Night of the Living Dead? It’s one of the few horror flicks where not even a virgin, sober white chick survives at the end.”
“So, what? You think twelve zombies will bring about the apocalypse?”
“Twelve zombies, no. But once Pyrus gets his hands on Queenie out there, he’s going to raise a few more. Like an entire army’s worth. Meaning we can pretty much kiss that whole happily-ever-after-for-the-human-race fantasy good-bye.”
“I don’t know what you’ve heard,” Jareth replies. “But I can assure you, this has nothing to do with your precious human race. We are only using them to go after Slayer Inc. And they more than deserve what’s coming to them.”
“Slayer Inc.?” Spider cuts in, in an indignant voice. Uh-oh. “What did Slayer Inc. ever do to you?”
Jareth whirls around to face her, his eyes practically bulging from his head. Oh dear.
Spider lets out a small eep and backs away quickly. “Um, I mean, just for conversation’s sake,” she stammers. “Not like I like them or, you know, work for them or anything.”
“Actually Jareth’s got a pretty decent reason to hate Slayer Inc.,” I butt in quickly, before she can make herself sound even more suspicious. “At least the old Slayer Inc. They killed his family, back in the day. Because his brother and sister were child vampires.”
Jareth thankfully abandons Spider, turning his attention back to me. “How do you know that?” he demands, his eyes filled with suspicion. “How do you know about my family?”
“It doesn’t matter. The point is, that was the old Slayer Inc. Today’s organization would never do something like that.”
“But they did.” The vampire crosses his arms over his chest. “Two nights ago. Remember? They sent Bertha after Lucifent because he was a child vampire. In fact, you and your sister were the ones to warn us in the first place.”
Sigh. “Yeah,” I admit. “Our bad. Turns out they actually had a really good reason to take him out.”
“Which was…?”
“Um, the whole unleashing-an-army-of-zombies-on-the-world thing?” I remind, gesturing to the front cabin. “You gotta admit, that’s pretty harsh.”
“Once again, I can assure you—”
“—you’re just after Slayer Inc. So you say. But how do you really know?”
“How do you really know? You were obviously wrong before.”
I knew he was going to say that. And what am I supposed to tell him? That the future him came to me in a dream and warned me about Pyrus’s real intentions? He’s so not going to buy that.