Sunni lay on the bed with her head against Jacob’s chest. She listened to the quiet pounding of his heart, trying to process everything that had just happened, what it meant and what their next move would be. Looking at their entwined hands, she couldn’t help noticing that although her own fingers were wrinkled like prunes, his were smooth and plump.
“I have a confession to make, Sunni,” Jacob said quietly. Very gently, he lifted her off his chest and sat up. “I have been watching you for years. Since before your mother died.”
Sunni nodded. “Well, that makes our relationship a little awkward, that you’ve known me since I was a little kid, and I hardly know you at all, but that’s okay.”
“There’s more.” When he looked at her, there was no light in his eyes. His face was as immobile as a statue. “I am responsible for your mother’s death.”
She pulled away so that no parts of their bodies were touching. “What are you talking about?” she whispered.
“The Council has been aware of you since you were born. It is illegal to make a dhampir, but in general the Council allows them to exist—as long as they don’t fall into the hands of rogue vampires.”
“So dhampirs are like nuclear weapons? The good vampires are allowed to have them, but aren’t supposed to use them? And the bad vampires aren’t allowed to have them, but they sometimes get them anyway?”
“I’m no expert in nuclear weapons, but I suppose the analogy works. And I was assigned to watch over you, to make sure that you didn’t fall into the wrong hands.”
Sunni got out of bed, pulling the antique quilt with her and wrapping it protectively around her body. “I should probably tell you, Jacob, I’ve already heard this story from Richard.”
His eyes widened. “Oh, really?”
“Yeah. I should have told you, I guess, but I didn’t really trust either one of you at the time.” She blinked hard. “He said that two vampires came from the Council to ‘acquire’ me. I remember those two vampires. My mother was fighting with them. Then another one came and tried to save her, but one of the first two killed her. ”
“Let me guess,” Jacob said. “Richard told you he was the one who tried to save your mother and you.”
“That was his story. ”
Jacob shook his head, shaking with bitter laughter. In a few economical movements he jumped out of bed and pulled on his jeans. “Oh, he is clever, I’ve got to give him that. But Sunni, he mixed the story up. He was one of the first two vampires. He was not with the Council. He and another rogue vampire just decided to kidnap you.” He looked down at his empty hands. “But I failed. I am sorry.”
Sunni glared at him. “Okay, spill it. The whole story. ”
“There isn’t much more to tell. I saw the car, I saw them fighting, and I came running.” He paused with his eyes closed. For a moment his face looked ancient.
“What, Jacob?”
He backed up until he hit the bedroom wall and then he pressed himself flat against it. “I saw it was Richard, and I was afraid, all right? I hesitated for a moment, and that was all he needed. He killed her. I came forward again, and they drove away. “ His fingers scrabbled, as if trying to dig their way out. “If I hadn’t hesitated, your mother would be alive today. ”
Jacob’s history with Richard and his inability to confront him had been the cause of her mother’s death. It was also the reason why Sunni had endured years of loneliness and misery thereafter. Sunni felt her blood turn to ice in her body. “You’re a pretty piss-poor yeoman, aren’t you, Jacob?”
He flinched, but he didn’t defend himself.
“Why didn’t Richard come after me again?”
“He has, hasn’t he? It took him twenty-four years, but he came back for you.” His voice was ragged. He turned his face away as if he couldn’t bear her scrutiny.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before …” Sunni stopped, unable to finish the sentence out loud.
Before I fell in love with you.
“I didn’t intend for any of it to go this far. I didn’t plan to love you.”
She saw pain etched deeply into his face, like carvings in granite.
“What do you want to do now?” he asked.
Sunni felt as if a huge weight had fallen on her chest, slowly suffocating her. “I think we’re done here.”
“All right then.” Jacob grabbed the rest of his clothes and threw them on. Sunni couldn’t bear to watch, but she couldn’t look away, so she stared at her chair in the corner and followed Jacob with her peripheral vision. Why did every move he made have to be so graceful? Love and hate, that toxic blend she had become so intimately familiar with since her mother died, no, since before her mother died, washed through her again.
Jacob paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Even if you choose not to use my help, please don’t try to do anything alone. Go to Sherman Wong. He will help you.”
Sunni stared at him, not believing her ears. “Sherman Wong? What the hell does he have to do with …”
Jacob left the room before she could finish her sentence.
She was numb, drained of any feeling, lifeless. She welcomed this lack of emotion. It was so much better than anger or sadness. If she felt nothing Jacob could never hurt her, never disappoint her. No second chances.
“We’re getting married,” Isabel trilled.
“Isabel’s here,” Carl belatedly announced, trailing Isabel into Sunni’s office. He raised an eyebrow, silently asking Sunni if she wanted him to get rid of the intruder. Sunni had come in early that morning, yelling that she had a dozen fires to put out and he should hold all but her most urgent calls.
“It’s okay,” Sunni said, her hand covering the phone receiver.
She’d been talking to the curator of a small museum in Paris, trying to establish the provenance of a Gustav Klimt painting that had just come up for sale. A Jewish family in Poland had owned the painting before the War, but it fell off the radar screen in 1942. She knew two other dealers wanted the painting and if she didn’t put in an offer soon she’d lose her chance. Sunni told the curator an emergency had arisen, apologized, and hung up.
“Sorry, Isabel,” Sunni said. “What did you say?”
“Richard and I are engaged.” Isabel shook off her crutches and sat down in Sunni’s visitor chair.
Hearing it twice didn’t make it any less unbelievable, so Sunni decided not to make Isabel say it a third time. She just stared at her with her mouth open.
“When it’s right, you just know it,” Isabel said.
Sunni did a swift mental recap. The dinner at Gary Danko had been on Monday, Isabel’s date was on Tuesday. Today was Friday. It was absurd how fast it had happened. But of course it seemed absurd. It had happened in vampire time.
“I didn’t realize you even saw him again after you went to the symphony. I know he asked you, but you didn’t tell me you’d gone out.”
“I omitted a few things,” her friend admitted.
“Why would you do that? ”
Isabel shrugged. “You’ve been busy.”
Sunni’s stomach felt like she’d swallowed a dozen live goldfish. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m sorry, tell me about it now.”
Isabel leaned back against the chair. A giant, bejeweled brooch in the shape of a leopard twinkled above her left breast, a gift from Richard, no doubt. It wasn’t Dennis’s taste.
“We were at Jardiniere last night, and during dessert he got down on one knee. My heart almost stopped, I tell you.”
“I believe it,” Sunni muttered, cursing herself for letting Isabel out of her sight.
“‘Isabel,’ he said, ‘I would like to request your hand in marriage.’ Did you ever hear anything so romantic?”
Sunni stared at her friend. Something about her was distinctly off. Even though she was talking about how wonderful everything was, her face was immobile. She barely smiled, and she spoke as if she was reading the words off cue cards.
“We’re getting married on Sunday. Richard worked it out with the priest at St. Sebastian’s. The church was already booked up for the next six months, but Richard convinced him to add another slot at the end of the day. The ceremony is at seven o’clock.”
So vampires could have church weddings? Sunni thought about the cross Enzo wore around his neck. It was starting to seem as if none of the stories humans told about how to vanquish vampires were true.
“You’re getting married. At St. Sebastian’s. Great.” Sunni concentrated on breathing slowly and deeply while her stomach roiled.
“And Sunni,” Isabel reached across the desk to touch Sunni’s hand, “I want you to be my maid of honor. ”
“No,” Sunni blurted out.
Isabel’s brows dropped in confusion. “What do you mean, no?”
Sunni pulled her hand free. “Isabel, don’t do this.”
“What are you talking about?”
Sunni jumped up and circled around the desk. “It’s too fast, don’t you see? You don’t know the guy at all.”
“Richard says we know everything we need to know about each other,” Isabel pouted.
“He may know everything he needs to know about you, but you know nothing about him.”
“You don’t know that. You don’t know anything about our relationship.” Isabel’s words were angry, but her reactions still seemed muffled, as if she was half asleep.
“I know a lot more than you think.” She lifted both hands. “Look, I’m not saying don’t do it. I’m just saying take your time. What harm could there be in that?”
“Richard says it has to be on Sunday. ”
“It doesn’t have to be on Sunday. It doesn’t have to be anytime!”
“I know why you’re doing this …” Isabel said slowly.
Sunni felt immense relief. Maybe even in her altered state Isabel understood that Sunni always had her best interests at heart.
“It’s because of my illness. You don’t think Richard could love me because I have MS, so you’ve decided he only wants me for my money.”
Sunni looked at her friend’s glassy eyes and slack mouth. She thought about what Jacob had said about his ability to hypnotize people. Glamouring, he had called it. Richard had done it to Jacob’s wife in order to drink from her night after night. Realization slowly set in. Lazarus must have glamoured Isabel so deeply that she remained under his spell even when he wasn’t present. It would do no good to argue.
“I’ve changed my mind.” Isabel stood up, gripping the back of the chair.
“About what?” Sunni asked.
“About you being my maid of honor. I don’t even want you at the wedding if you can’t support me.” Isabel shoved her arms into her crutches. Her long blond hair swung to the side, momentarily revealing her neck.
Sunni gasped. She skirted the chair and grabbed Isabel by the arm, pulling her hair aside. Two tiny wounds two inches apart, pale pink like the inside of a seashell, adorned Isabel’s soft white neck. Richard had left her a calling card.