Cin Craven - Wages of Sin Part 7

She floated down the stairs in a flutter of purple silk. Mrs. Mackenzie's gaze followed her down as if she didn't know whether to disapprove of the former courtesan or admire her.

"Is there a room where we can stay that has no windows?" Michael asked.

"Just the dining room and the cellar," Mrs. Mackenzie answered. "The viscount who built the house had a fondness for natural light."

"The dowager's suite," I said. "Grandmother had rheumatism and couldn't abide a draft. Her suite has heavy shutters built inside the windows. They lock very snugly. Will that do?"

"As long as no one comes along and opens them, that should do fine," Michael said. Bending down he swept me up in his arms as if I weighed no more than thistledown.

"If you would be so kind as to show me the way?" he said to Mrs. Mackenzie.

Mrs. Mackenzie looked at him and then me for a moment. Nodding, she turned and started up the stairs.

"I can walk you know," I whispered.

"Yes," he said, leaning his head down close to my ear, "but you wouldn't rob me of the chance to play the gallant hero, would you now la.s.s?"

I giggled and laid my head on his shoulder.

"Oh Lord," Fiona muttered behind us and we all trooped upstairs to the Dowager's suite.

I sat on the bed, huddled in my cloak. Mrs. Mackenzie, Fiona, Mr. Pendergra.s.s and Michael were standing around staring at me as if they expected any minute I might conjure a demon to eat their faces off and make a break for the door. That's how Devlin and the others found us.

"What's going on?" he asked, dropping a large leather satchel on the floor at his feet.

"We're just waiting for her to turn us all into weasels," Fiona said brightly.

"Fiona!" her mother scolded.

I laughed. "No, she's right. I did accidentally turn Sebastian into a weasel the other night."

The vampires all took a step back from me.

"You can do that?" Michael asked.

"Apparently," I said. "Don't worry, though, it didn't last. The problem is that when he calls to me I feel compelled to come to him."

I shrugged. "He makes me want to do anything necessary to get out of this house and go to him." "He's close then," Devlin said. "We'll hunt him."

I looked at Justine, still in her fine dress. "Fiona, would you take Mademoiselle Justine to my father's wardrobe and let her have whatever clothing she requires?"

Fiona nodded and escorted Justine out the door.

"Do you know where the vampire is staying?" Devlin asked.

"I'd say probably at his estate which joins our property to the north." I sighed and shook my head. "We used to play here as children. His parents really didn't seem to care what he did until he came of age to go to school. We spent many afternoons together, sailing little boats down the creek or playing in the fields."

"And yet you say he was an unwelcome suitor?" Michael asked.

"He changed, after he went off to Eton. I don't know what happened to him there but when he came home for holidays he was different."

"Different how?"

I shrugged. "Angry. Mean, belligerent. He kicked my dog once and I punched him in the nose and told him never to come here again. I didn't see him again until years later at social events in London. He pursued me and I spent some time with him, thinking he was grown up now and maybe he'd changed, maybe he could again be the nice boy I'd known."

"But he wasn't," Michael said, not a question but a statement.

I shook my head. "No. Oh, he was gentlemanly and courtly enough. He always said the right thing, was always solicitous of me, but there was still something dark and frightening behind his eyes that scared me. I tried to dissuade him but he just wouldn't give up."

"What exactly did he say to you the night he bit you?" Devlin asked.

"He came after dark, he said to pay his respects. He asked to come in but I wanted to go for a stroll down to the stables so I invited him to join me. I didn't realize at the time why that seemed to annoy him; now I know. He said that he'd just gotten back from Yorkshire but when I told him that I'd thought he'd been home for over a week he said that he'd been ill."

I took a deep breath. "He asked me to marry him. He said it wasn't proper for me to live here all by myself. When I refused he grabbed me and... and bit me. We struggled and I managed to get free. Tim, the stable boy, and I ran into the house through the kitchen door and Sebastian couldn't follow."

Michael arched a brow at me. "You outran a vampire?"

"With a little magical help."

Devlin shook his head. "I didn't feel the presence of any other humans in the stable."

"No, I sent them away on a sort of holiday. I couldn't very well leave them out there as fodder."

The bedroom door opened and Justine stalked in, there was no other word for it. The white blouse hit her at the tops of her thighs, the black pants clung invitingly, those long legs encased in leather boots. Archie actually tripped over the leg of a table. Devlin rolled his eyes at the man.

"Did he say anything else?" he asked. "Threats. 'You can't stay in here forever', 'there's no escape for you'... blah blah. Oh, and he said 'we need you', whatever that means."

Devlin just nodded. The humans in the room stared in fascination as he opened the leather satchel and started pulling out weapons.

He handed several items to Justine and I watched as she strapped on a belt that had knife sheaths attached at each hip. The sheaths were then buckled around each thigh so that she had two very wicked-looking daggers ready at hand level. Each dagger was set with a sapphire the size of my thumbnail in the hilt. She added a spine sheath with a short sword which ran down her back. Devlin had one also and added two daggers himself, one in the top of each boot. He threw a sheathed sword and a sgain dhu to Michael.

As they walked to the door, Justine paused in front of Archie. "I just realized why she knew to call for us," she said and c.o.c.ked her head to one side. "Was he your brother?"

"Who?" Archie asked, confused.

"The slayer who was killed in London a few weeks ago. You have the look of him."

"He was my cousin."

Justine nodded. "If it brings you any comfort, I took the head of the one who killed him."

Archie opened his mouth and then closed it again, not knowing what to say. Justine smiled sadly and turned away. Devlin put his hand on Michael's shoulder when he moved to follow her.

"Justine and I will hunt," he said. "You stay here and watch the girl."

"I should be at your back," Michael argued. "Someone strong enough to control her must stay with her." Michael paused, but then glanced at me and nodded. "Good hunting, old friend."

Chapter Eleven

Dulcinea, you've been a naughty girl. What have you done? Come out, come out! You must be punished.

"Let me go!" I yelled as Michael grabbed me around the waist and hauled me back from the door.

A book and a vase flew past his head to smash into the opposite wall.

"Pendergra.s.s!" he yelled. "Can't you do something about this flying debris?"

"I can give her laudanum so she'll sleep but that's the best I can do."

"No," I said. "Please, not yet. I don't want to be helpless."

"We could tie you up again?" Fiona suggested.

"Oh G.o.ds," I said and sat down, my head in my hands. It felt like my head was a pumpkin that someone was carving out, this constant dull sc.r.a.ping inside.

"Did it work?" Michael asked.

"Mostly," I replied.

"Until she broke the chair to pieces and I had to knock her unconscious."

"Which we will not be doing again," I said, leveling my gaze at her. "I think you enjoyed that far too much."

"Did not," she muttered. "But we should probably tie you to something st.u.r.dier than a chair this time."

I caught Michael's gaze stray to the large, carved oak bed. A small smile played on his lips and then he turned his attention back to me. I c.o.c.ked my head, beckoning him closer.

"As much as I hate it, we should probably do as Fiona suggests," I whispered. "It won't keep things from flying around the room but it'll keep me from running. One less thing to worry about. It's just that, well, I really don't want to be tied up with everyone standing around staring at me. Do you understand?"

He looked at me with those blue-gray eyes and his lips curved up in a small smile. "I'll take care of it."

He went over and spoke quietly with the others. Fiona slipped an arm around my shoulders and laid her head on mine.

"I love you, you know," I whispered.

"I love you too," she said. "Don't worry, we'll fix this. If anyone can, I think it's these three. He's quite handsome, is he not?" she said, nodding toward Michael.

I didn't answer. What could I say? Yes, he was the most sensual, attractive man I'd ever met. He was also dead. I could not be interested in him. A girl should have some standards, after all. Like that a man should at least have a pulse.

Mr. Pendergra.s.s and Archie left the room. Mrs. Mackenzie came over to me.

"I'll go down and fix up some tea and sandwiches for Mr. Pendergra.s.s and Mr. Little. I'll leave Fiona to help you get settled and keep you company," she said, glancing at Michael. Company, as in chaperone. "You let me know if you need anything."

"The dawn would be good. Could you manage that?" I said with a smile.

"Impertinent baggage," she said with a hug and left.

Fiona immediately took charge. She waved a hand in Michael's direction. "Shutter the windows and pull the drapes and then bring two cords."

I groaned. "When this is over I'm going to burn every b.l.o.o.d.y drapery cord in this house."

"And I'll be more than happy to help you," Fiona said as she pulled off my cloak. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Dulcinea Craven, wherever did you get that dress?"

d.a.m.n. I'd forgotten the dress. "Not a word to your mother, Fiona Mackenzie," I said. "And keep her out of here until dawn."

Fiona narrowed her eyes at me. "On one condition," she said.

"What?" I asked skeptically.

"You let me try it on tomorrow!"

"Deal," I agreed.

Michael returned with the dreaded drapery cords. I sighed and sat down on the bed. It was the only thing in the room that was too heavy for me to break if things went badly."No," Fiona said, "Best get under the covers, that way if anyone comes in we can pull the spread up over that dress."

I pulled the sheets down. Michael stood across from me and we stared at each other over the empty bed. How easy it would be to crawl across that bed, kneel before him, run my hands up his chest.

"Fi, why don't you go get some rest?" I said, my eyes never leaving his.

"Because I'm supposed to be the chaperone," she said, loftily.

"And you can chaperone just as well from the wonderfully comfortable settee in the next room."

She looked at me and then at Michael and then smiled a wicked smile. "I can, can't I?" she said, humming as she left.

I lay down on the bed and watched as Michael tied one of the braided silk drapery cords to the bedpost. He stopped and looked down at me. I offered up my right wrist.

"I'll leave some slack in it," he said. "No sense in you not being able to move a bit, you'll break the bedpost before you ever break these cords."

He tied my wrist. I could move my arm down until my elbow nearly touched my side. He walked around to the other side.

Dulcinea! Stake him and be done with it. I grow tired of these games.

"Hurry," I whispered. He tied the cord tight.

You think these two can stop me? My master and I will kill them both and then I will come for you. Come to me now and save the lives of those you love.

"No, no," I moaned.

"What is it?"