Pure: Ignis Part 27

I stood still.

"What do you want?" I tried to keep my voice from shaking.

"I told you, I want to talk."

"What would we talk about? You tried to kill me."

"I did not try to kill you. I was just trying to kidnap you. Then I was going to turn you over to some other people-who probably would have killed you. But I wasn't going to do it myself."

"That's not really any better," I said.

"I suppose from your perspective it wouldn't be, no."

"Is that what you're here for this time? To kidnap me?"

"No. I've already told you why I'm here. No offense, but you're a little slow on the uptake today."

Anton continued to stand solidly in my way, staring at me.

He wasn't going away.

"You said you wanted to talk," I said after an uncomfortable moment.

"Yes."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't want you to go."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"I don't want you to go to Russia for Christmas."

I felt a fresh wave of panic. "How do you know about that?"

"I've got pretty good hearing."

"You've been spying on me?"

"Yes. And let me tell you, it was a good thing. There are a lot of people after you."

"You have been keeping them away?" I was stunned.

"Yes."

"Why? Why would you do that?"

Anton simply smiled at me. "Don't go to Russia."

"But you were with Innokenti when he practically ordered me to go back. And now you don't want that?"

Anton shrugged. "I changed my mind."

"What's wrong with my going to Russia?" I asked.

"I know you think that you'll find William, and he'll come back to you. But you're wrong. He's not who you think he is."

"You don't know William," I said.

"On the contrary, you're the one who doesn't know William."

"I trust him." I said the words before I even thought about them-but I realized they were true.

"You trust him?" Anton asked. "Even though he's left you? Even though I told you he went off with Innokenti?"

"I don't know why William's gone," I said. "But I'll see him again."

Anton tilted his head on one side. "What if I told you that I knew why William had left?"

Suddenly I felt panicked, and my heart began to beat wildly. I stood, speechless, afraid of what Anton might say-but I'd just said myself that I trusted William.

What could Anton possibly say that could be worse than what had already happened?

"Why did William leave?" I asked at last.

"William left because Innokenti brought him an offer."

I stared into Anton's eyes unflinchingly.

Anton continued. "The offer was from the Sdh. They told him they could remove the-as they put it-'vampire taint' from his body. They could make him fully Sdh again. They would take him back. But only if he gave you up forever."

I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe. I knew how much William hated the part of him that was a vampire. I knew how much he wanted his old life back.

Anton leaned closer, placing his lips next to my ear. "There's a lot you don't know about William. The vampire part of him is very real, though he can control it now. He wants to erase all of that part of him. Memories are important to creatures like us. They're one of the few things that can be used to bribe us. Anyone who can manipulate them can command us. William will have his memories as a vampire erased and his memories of his life with the Sdh returned. And for this he gave you up."

My vision began to swim, and it was even harder for me to breathe.

William's memories meant everything to him.

Anton's voice seemed to come from a distance. "Are you all right, Sunshine?"

I felt light-headed.

"Sit down," Anton said, steering me toward a chair. His fingers were shockingly cold-so much so that the touch of them forced me to draw in my breath sharply.

"You understand about William now, don't you?" Anton asked quietly. He kneeled beside me.

"You-you're trying to help me?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes. Like I said, William isn't who you think he is. Besides, there are rumors someone's building an army over in Krov, and that destroying you is one of their aims. Stay here. You'll be safe here."

"Safe?"

"Well, safer."

"Why would you want to help me? You said yourself that you were going to turn me over to-to-"

I looked at him. "Who were you going to turn me over to?"

"You know, the reward for turning you in is pretty good," Anton said, ignoring my question. "Remember what I said about memories? Well, the Sdh aren't the only ones who can manipulate them. I was offered a chance to blot out everything I've done over the last few centuries-and that was an offer I fully intended to take advantage of. But that day in the forest when I caught you, I changed my mind."

"Why?"

"You tried to face me-not very successfully I might add-but you did try. Most people do a lot of begging and crying. You did do your share of running, but no crying. And just now, you did it again. No crying. In fact, you even tried to order me out, even though you were clearly scared and in no position to give me orders of any kind. You're different from any other victim of mine."

"Victim?"

"Well, potential victim. Now past tense."

Anton was staring at me steadily. His dark eyes were mesmerizing.

"You're oddly intriguing," he said.

The front door slammed, and the spell he was weaving was broken.

"GM!" I cried. "GM, I'm in here!"

I stood up quickly, stumbling over my chair.

There was a rush of air, and I spun around.

Anton was gone.

Chapter 13.

"What's wrong, Katie? Katie?"

GM rushed into the kitchen. "Katie, are you okay?"

Several shopping bags she was carrying tumbled to the floor.

"I-I'm glad you're home," I said, glancing around to make sure that Anton was truly gone. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just-really excited to see what you bought."

The words sounded inadequate to me, but GM seemed to accept them.

She beamed at me and deposited all of her bags onto the kitchen chairs.

"I do not blame you for being excited, Solnyshko. It is only natural."

She began to pull out her purchases.

"Oh, Katie. We are going to have a wonderful Christmas in Russia. Wait till you see what I have bought."

I was still shaken after the scene with Anton, and I tried to put it behind me. I told myself that and GM and I were safe.

Or at least I hoped we were.

I made an effort to focus on GM and what she had bought-I tried not to let her know that anything was wrong.

As it turned out, what GM had bought was quite a lot of clothing-all of it well made and chic, with names on the labels that I had only seen in magazines.

"Wow, GM," I said.

The piles of clothes continued to grow.

"Do we really need all this stuff?" I asked abruptly.

GM looked at me in surprise.

"Sorry," I said. "I didn't mean that to sound so blunt. The clothes are beautiful-really beautiful. I've never seen anything like them before."

GM laughed. "Yes. I have excellent taste, don't I?"

"But I imagine that the trip to Russia itself must be expensive," I said, "and our social calendar is not so glittering that we typically wear clothes like these. Do we really have this kind of money to spend?"

GM laughed again. It was a little odd to see her in such high spirits. "Practical girl! My dear, thoughtful, Katie. You need not worry. Your grandmother is a clever woman-this you know. But I am cleverer than even you realize. I have a good head for business. And yes, I will say it-I am a financial genius. We will always have money when we have need of it. Never fear."

She held a dress of a storm-colored blue under my chin and studied the effect. "Just as I thought-it brings out the color of your eyes. You will be beautiful in this."

She tilted her head and gave me a contemplative look. "We are Rosts, you know. Yes, your father's name was Wickliff, but you are a Rost, too. At one time Rost was an important name in our part of Russia, and though circ.u.mstances have changed, Russians have long memories. The name 'Rost' will not soon be forgotten. And as we have ample time to prepare for this trip, we shall go in a style that befits our name. I have shoes, too. Also, hats, coats, and gloves."

I was reminded for just a moment of the missing Odette, who had once gone on a similar shopping spree. I very nearly mentioned it, but I stopped just in time.

I knew how much Odette's disappearance had hurt GM.

GM began to gather all of her purchases back into their bags. "I will put your things in your room. When you pack you should take all of them. Do not leave them here for fear of ruining them. Such clothes are meant to be seen."

GM left the room, and I had to wonder about our finances. GM was much in demand as a graphic designer, and I was sure she did pretty well. But I was also sure that we weren't well-to-do. We had gone on a last minute trip to Russia via Georgia in October, which I'm sure had been expensive. But that had been an emergency.

We had literally been chased out of the house-by someone who had wanted to kill us.

But now, GM's purchases seemed extravagant, and Branden's remarks about Russian moonshine in Elspeth's Grove suddenly popped into my mind. Of course, it was ridiculous for me to think even for a moment that GM was involved in anything illegal. She was very proud and lived by a strict moral code. I knew she would go after something fiercely if she wanted it. But she would see criminal activity as the wrong route-and she would never take it.