Blood Forever by Mari Mancusi
As I reach the edge of the mansion’s side lawn, I slip behind a mammoth oak tree, hoping to stay hidden as I scout out the scene. The old Victorian manor that I used to think looked so cool now looks like a haunted house. As lightning flashes across the sky, followed by booming thunder, I’m beginning to wonder if I should have enlisted some backup for my rescue. Or, at the very least, let someone know where I was going. I try to remind myself that this is just the business office of my employer, a place I’ve frequented dozens of times. But for some reason the sentiment doesn’t make me feel much better.
I ready myself to retreat to the woods, to circle the perimeter until I reach the back of the manor, where I have the best chance to break in without being seen. But before I can make a move, a hand clamps over my mouth.
I try to scream, but the gloved hand allows only a few squeaks to escape from my mouth. I try to bite down but get only a mouthful of thick leather. Strong arms wrap around my waist and drag me, kicking and flailing, back into the woods. I lose my grip on my flashlight and a moment later, I find myself thrown unceremoniously down onto the dirt.
I look up wildly into the darkness, trying to focus on the dark figure hovering above me, silhouetted in the fog. A Slayer Inc. guard? Bertha the Vampire Slayer herself?
No. My eyes widen in recognition. Could it be…?
“You!” Jareth cries. Even in the darkness I can see that his face is full of horrified recognition. “Which one are you?”
“The one you probably don’t want to see,” I mutter, rising to my feet and brushing the mud off my back. I can’t decide if I’m excited to see him or furious that he would manhandle me like that.
“The girl from Club Fang,” he concludes. “The one who stepped on my feet.”
“To be fair, I was pushed, I’ll have you know,” I say, deciding to lean toward furious. After all, it’s doubtful he’s going to be anything but in the way when it comes to my rescue attempt.
“Are you stalking me or something? Didn’t I make it clear that I wanted nothing to—”
“Nothing to do with me,” I finish grumpily. “Yes, you made it clear as crystal. And no, don’t flatter yourself about the stalking thing.” I can’t believe I ever fell for the guy, the way he used to act. Like he’s God’s gift to vampires or something. “If you must know, I’m here to rescue my sister. She and your idiot little pal Magnus tried to break into this place to find proof that Slayer Inc. is planning to slay Lucifent. All because a certain vampire general wouldn’t take what my sister had to say at face value.”
Jareth throws up his hands in disgust. “I knew it.” He swears under his breath. “Those fools. They have no idea what they’re up against.” He paces the clearing like a caged tiger. Which, I have to admit, is kind of hot. Not that I’m thinking about hotness when I’m on a mission to save my sister or anything.
“Well, they went in hours ago and their car is still parked on the side of the road,” I inform him. Maybe there is a way we can work together. “Do you think they’re still inside?”
“I know they are,” Jareth confirms. “At least Magnus. His phone has a tracking device implanted in it,” he explains. “When he disappeared from Club Fang earlier, I activated it to track him down. He’s definitely in the vicinity.”
His words confirm my fears. “This is not good,” I mumble. “It’s been too long. I’m worried something must have happened to them.”
“Well, don’t be,” Jareth replies curtly. “I’m going to go in and investigate.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a beige business card with gold script. “Text me in an hour and I’ll let you know what I’ve found.”
I raise an eyebrow, glancing at the card, then up at him. “Are you kidding me?” I ask. “I am so not going to go home and wait, if that’s what you’re implying. She’s my sister. And if she’s in trouble, I’m going to help her.”
Jareth snorts. “You?” he says, his voice full of contempt. “You and what army?”
“I’m an army of one, baby!” I declare, puffing out my chest. Sure, I may not be a vampire anymore. Or even an official slayer. But I’m Rayne McDonald and that makes me kick-ass in and of itself.
“I’m so sure,” he replies, his voice rich with derision. “But may I suggest you leave your bravado at the door for a moment? Trust me, I’m the Blood Coven general and I’ve been around the block more than a few times. There is not a chance in hell a mere mortal would ever be able to successfully break into a highly secured Slayer Inc. administration building.”
“Even if the mortal in question had all of the Slayer Inc. security passwords memorized?” I ask, with a slight smile of defiance. “Do you think maybe she’d have a chance in hell then?”
Jareth raises an eyebrow. “And how, may I ask, would someone like you come across something like that?”
“No, you may not. Ask, that is,” I shoot back. “You may either admit you need my help or go ahead and botch the whole operation yourself.”
Jareth lips pucker with annoyance. I can tell it’s going to kill him to acknowledge that I may be even the tiniest bit useful in this endeavor.
“Come on,” I urge, dropping my sarcastic tone. “Swallow that pride. It’s your friend and fellow coven member’s life we’re talking about here. You need to suck it up—pardon the pun—and accept all the help you can get, and you know it.”
Jareth stubs the toe of his boot against a tree stump, and at first I don’t think he’s going to answer. Then he sighs. “Very well,” he concludes. “You may accompany me if you wish.”
“Gee, thanks. So very kind of you to let me tag along.”
“Just don’t get in the way.”
“How about you don’t get in my way?” I know I’m being obstinate. But seriously, the guy needs to be knocked down a peg or ten.
Jareth surprises me with a grudging nod, then turns and starts heading through the woods again, walking so fast I have to sprint to catch up. He expertly skirts the manor’s lawn, avoiding any spotlights, until we’ve reached the back door. He studies it for a moment, taking in the massive lock attached to the remote control panel to the side. Then he turns to me with an expectant look.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did you need my mere mortal assistance already?” I ask sweetly.
“I don’t need it,” he clarifies, his voice laced with bitterness. “It just seems unnecessary to go through all the trouble of breaking down a door if you can simply open it with your secret password.”
“Now you’re thinking,” I reply with a grin. “Stand back, vampire, and watch some mortal magic.” I approach the control panel, opening the alarm box and pressing the secret code I learned from my Slayer Inc. training. Thank goodness I had been paying attention when Teifert drilled those numbers into my head back in the day. A moment later, the box beeps twice and all three LED lights go green.
I turn to Jareth triumphantly. “Would you care to bust in the door now, m’lord, utilizing your magnificent vampire strength?”
The corner of Jareth’s lip twitches. “So there is something you can’t do.”
“Not really. I just wanted to make sure you still felt useful and relevant.”
The vampire groans, then reaches out to wrap his hand around the doorknob. The door swings open easily. “All right! Way to go!” I cry in my most encouraging tone, patting him on the back. “Rock on with your bad vampire self, you!”
“Do you mind lowering your voice?” the vampire hisses. “We are trying to be stealthy here, are we not?”
“Oh. Right. Good point.” I had been so enjoying teasing him that I almost forgot we’re still in dangerous territory and all. “Sorry. Let’s do this.”
We step through the door and into the dark hallway at the back of the manor. I bite on my lower lip, assessing the scene, trying to remember the best way to get to the stairs, leading to the dungeon below. If Magnus and Sunny were caught, that’s probably where they’d be taken. Unless Bertha or another slayer got too eager and—
“Holy super-stealth, Batman,” I note dryly.
The vampire fumbles with the phone. At first I assume to silence it. But then, to my surprise, he steps back out the door and puts the receiver to his ear.
“Hello?” he whispers as I stare at him in disbelief. “Oh, hey, baby,” he says after a pause. “That’s so sweet of you. But I’m right in the middle of something now. I can’t really talk.”
I squeeze my hands into fists. Is he for freaking real? Making mad gestures, I soundlessly urge him to hurry up. He holds up a hand.
“No, no, I’m alone,” he assures her as he looks up at me, putting a finger to his lips. It’s all I can do to prevent my jaw from dropping to the floor. “Well, I appreciate that. Good-bye, sweetie.” He pauses, then laughs. “No, you hang up!” Another pause. “No! You!”
I grab the phone from his hand and throw it across the field. As he watches the phone fly through the air, a look of horror on his face, I shrug. “Sorry,” I say. “You seemed to be having some difficulty disconnecting. I thought I’d help you out.”
“I can’t believe you just—”
“So are we going to do this whole rescue? Or did you need to ask your girlfriend for permission, first?”
Jareth lets out a long sigh, then closes the door behind us, leaving his phone out on the field, where I hope the rain will douse it so it will never work again.
“Fine,” he says. “Now where to begin?”
“Oh just shut up and follow me,” I growl, no longer feeling excited about our daring rescue. I stalk down the hall, not looking back to see if he’s following. I can’t believe he answered his phone. Not only answered—but was all cutesy to the girl on the other end. That’s so not like the Jareth I know. I mean, he’s never once talked to me on the phone like that!
Jealousy burns at my gut as I push open the door that leads down into the basement, where the dungeon is located. I stare down into the darkness, wishing I still had my flashlight.
“What are you waiting for, all-powerful mortal?” Jareth asks, coming up beside me and whispering in my ear. I jump a mile in surprise.
“Nothing,” I retort, trying to still my heart. “Just…just looking for a light switch.”
“Not a good idea. It might alert someone to our presence.” He grabs me by the arm and pulls me close. “Just stick by me,” he purrs, his breath tickling my earlobe. “Perhaps I have my uses after all.”
13
Sunny
It’s been a half hour since the blood transfusion and Magnus is already looking a hundred percent better. The bleeding has gone, the wound has closed up, and his abs are once again the six-pack of perfection they were always meant to be. I have to admit, being a vampire does have some benefits. Namely the amazing power of regeneration.
Which I, on the other hand, am severely lacking. While Magnus did manage to restrain himself from draining me dry, my donation to his health has left me in a very weakened state. Not surprising, I suppose. If I were to have given blood at the Red Cross, I would have at least gotten some orange juice and cookies out of the deal, to help keep me standing. Here I don’t even get a dry crust of bread.
I do, however, get Magnus’s chest as a pillow, which, let’s face it, is better than cookies and OJ any day of the week. I guess he feels bad about my suffering for his sake because after the transfusion, he cares for my wound as best he can in these unsanitary conditions, ripping off a swatch of fabric from his pants and wrapping it around my wrist. Then he pulls me close to him, cuddling me in his nook, arms wrapped around my body, hands softly stroking my back. As I curl up against him, breathing in his warm, familiar scent, I feel a strange sense of peace wash over me. Sure, we’re in a bad situation. We may even be in danger of our lives. But here and now, with Magnus gently running a hand through my hair, his fingernails lightly scraping my scalp, I have to admit, I haven’t felt this good—this at ease—for a very long time.
I’m not sure of the moment I fall asleep. Or how long I’m out once I do. But at some point I’m awakened by a loud clattering noise outside the cell. I jerk up in bed, peering out into the dimly lit jail. Magnus rouses beside me, looking a little sleepy himself.
“Who’s there?” he demands.
“Magnus? Is that you?” a male voice calls out through the darkness.
Magnus is on his feet in a flash. “Jareth?”
Sure enough, a moment later, my sister and Jareth step into view. Seeing us, Rayne turns to her vampire companion, a smug smile on her face. “See? I told you they’d be down here!”
“I never said they wouldn’t be,” Jareth grumps back. “So save the ‘I told you so’s’ for someone who cares.”
Ah, yes. Rayne and Jareth and their infamous bickering. Some things even time travel can’t change.
“Sis!” I cry, leaping off the bed with a burst of energy I didn’t know I had. “Thank God you’ve come!” I do my best to hug her through the bars.
“Yeah, well, if you had invited me to begin with…”
Oh, here we go. “If I had invited you to begin with, you would be stuck in here with us and thus not available to help us stage our rescue.”
She grins. “Touché, sis.” As we part from our hug, I catch her gazing at my bandaged wrist with a questioning look on her face. Feeling my face heat, I quickly yank down my sleeve. I don’t want her to get the wrong impression.
“Magnus, what were you thinking?” Jareth demands, crossing his arms over his chest. “Coming here alone—without backup. You could have been killed.”
“I could have been,” Magnus agrees. “But I wasn’t. Thanks to my blood mate here.” He gives me an affectionate look. “She not only rescued me from a slayer but allowed me to drink her blood to heal my wounds.”
Rayne fist-bumps me through the bars. “Score yet another one for us mere mortals!” she crows at Jareth. The vampire general only sighs.
“You do realize that sharing blood with an unlicensed mortal is strictly forbidden,” he reminds Magnus.
“It was a matter of life or death,” Magnus replies quickly, throwing me a knowing look. “Now are you here to report me or rescue me?”
“Don’t be daft. Of course I’m here to rescue you,” Jareth retorts, heading over to a nearby desk and rummaging through the drawers, presumably looking for a key. Rayne joins him on the hunt. “I’m just surprised,” he continues. “First you run off here on a crazy whim. Then you manage to get yourself captured. And, if that’s not bad enough, you decide to drink blood from a practical stranger. I have to say, it’s not like you to take such risks.”
“Well, we can discuss my risky behavior another time,” Magnus declares. “Right now we must get out of here and get to the Blood Coven crypt as fast as possible. Slayer Inc. plans to slay Lucifent tonight. And we must figure out a way to stop them.”
Jareth stops his search to look over at Magnus in surprise. “Tonight?” he repeats. “Earlier you said a month from now.”
Magnus looks sheepish. “Right. Well, I’m afraid our little…intrusion…may have forced their hand. Sped things up a little.”
“Oh, Sis,” Rayne tsks disapprovingly.
“Don’t blame us,” I declare. “It’s Mr. High and Mighty Vampire General who demanded proof. If we just could have met with Lucifent to begin with…”
Rayne holds up a key that she’s found hanging in a dark nook. “Ta-da!” she cries. “Score another for—”
Jareth yanks the key from her grasp. “Mere mortals, yes, yes, we get it. God, you’re like a pit bull with a bone.” He slips the key in the lock and turns. The door creaks open. Magnus and I are free.
“Come on,” Magnus says, grabbing me by the arm and hurrying me along. “Let’s go save Lucifent.”
14
At first I assume Magnus and Jareth plan to take Rayne and me with them as they attempt to stop their Master’s murder back at the coven crypt. But it seems they have some
But maybe it’s for the best. After all, I’ve got a lot to debrief my sister on. Once we get into the vehicle and close the doors, I turn to her. “We have a problem.”
“That Jareth is a huge, pigheaded idiot who refuses to admit the fact that a mere mortal can do anything a vampire can do…and probably better?”
“Er, while I’m sure that is very problematic in and of itself, that’s not exactly what I was talking about.”
“Sorry. Go on.”
I draw in a breath, wondering where to begin. “After we fought Bertha, Teifert showed up. And he said something strange. He said there was a good reason that Slayer Inc. wanted Lucifent dead.”
“Yeah, we know,” Rayne interrupts. “Because he’s a child vampire. The same reason Slayer Inc. went after Jareth’s family back in the day. It’s such a stupid technicality, if you ask me. Who cares if a vampire looks like a little kid forever? What does it hurt anyone else?”
“That’s what I said,” I reply. “But Teifert looked at me like I had two heads and said they’d never do something like that. Then he hinted there was something else that Lucifent was involved in. Something…bad…that could hurt the Blood Coven. Not to mention mankind.”
My sister furrows her brow. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t elaborate. But, Rayne,” I say, a feeling of dread creeping into my bones all over again. “What if we were wrong? What if Slayer Inc. really did have some top-secret reason to take out Lucifent that had nothing to do with his being adult-challenged?”