She paused, waiting for Clayton to offer a belated greeting, but he just kept heading toward the sofa, where Lucas was slowly waking up. He handed Lucas his coffee, sat down beside him and passed him his glasses from the side table.
"Sorry," Elena muttered. "Just ignore him. Please. You know, I read an article about you a few months ago. At the time, I thought it was pretty interesting. Then when Paige told me who she was working with, the name sounded familiar, so I plugged it into a search engine and realized you were the one I'd read about."
"You knew who she was, too, and you didn't tell me?" Savannah sputtered.
"Edward got into a car," Clay announced from across the room.
For a moment, everyone was silent, struggling to fit this statement into the present conversation, then realizing it didn't fit and wasn't supposed to.
"Yeah, yeah," Elena said. "We'll get to that in a second. Don't be so impatient."
We all headed into the room. Lucas was still fighting back yawns, but managed a tired smile for me and shifted over to let me sit down beside him. Clay stayed on his other side and Elena perched on the sofa arm beside him, leaving the armchair for Jeremy. Jaime and Savannah grabbed chairs from the dinette table.
"So Edward got into a car?" I said. "Can't track him that way, I guess. Damn."
"Was it in a parking lot?" Lucas asked.
Clay shook his head. "Street in front of his hotel."
"Did you happen to notice a bus stop nearby?" Lucas asked.
"Oh, very good," Elena said. "Nope. No bus stop, and no street parking. So he must have hailed a cab. Does that help?"
"It might," he said. "I have a contact at one of the taxi companies, who can usually obtain information from the others for a small fee. I'll go call him."
When Lucas slipped into the next room, I turned to Jaime. "How have things been with you since we left? Natasha making any noise?"
Jaime shook her head. "She's gone. Disappeared, probably at the same time she ripped open that portal. Mission accomplished, I guess."
"Maybe, but something happened to her when she opened the portal, and from the look on her face, it wasn't something good. She might not be haunting you now because she can't. Someone shut her down, or--"
Lucas reappeared.
I studied his expression. "Not good, I take it."
"Edward did call a cab, one from Peter's company, which made it easy. Unfortunately, he asked to be dropped off in Little Haiti, at the Caribbean marketplace, which doesn't help us at all." He settled onto the couch. "What about this portal ritual, Jaime? Did you have any luck researching it?"
"Yep," Jaime said. "Found exactly what I was looking for. First, though, the warning. I have no idea whether this would even work. Like I told Paige, people don't punch holes into the ghost world every day. Portals and how to reopen them are the stuff of necro myth. I knew I'd read something about it years ago, going through my Nan's books. I had some trouble finding another necro who knew the details, though."
"Do you have the books at your place?" I said. "If it'd help, we could send someone from the Cabal to get them. Save relying on secondhand info."
"I, uh, don't have the books," Jaime said, gaze skittering across the floor. "Back when I left home, I didn't take them. My mother pitched them out."
"That's okay," I said. "We don't need them. You got the information from someone else, so we're good. What did they say?"
"Well, the first three necros I called had no clue what I was talking about. Then I found two who did, and they tried to tell me any necromancer could reopen the portal, no special tools required. But I knew that was wrong. Nan's books were the best there were, the real thing, not like the crap that's out there today." Another wave of regret flooded her eyes. She shook it off. "Anyway, I knew that reopening a portal called for human sacrifice of a specific kind, so I kept calling around and finally found someone who'd read the same book my Nan had. We need--"
A knock came at the door. Everyone looked up. Elena's nostrils flared and she leaned over to whisper something to Clay.
"Fuck," he muttered. "Keep talking, Jaime. It's only Cassandra. She can wait. Forever, if we're lucky."
"I heard that, Clayton," Cassandra said as she walked in.
"Who the hell forgot to lock the door?" Clay said.
"You were the last one in," Elena murmured.
"Damn."
Black-Magic Standby
AARON ARRIVED A FEW MINUTES LATER, HAVING LIKELY been parking the car. He got a warmer reception than Cassandra, but the meet-and-greet phase was cut even shorter this time, now that we were all eager to hear what Jaime had found. First, though, we had to bring Cassandra and Aaron up to speed.
"So now Jaime was about to tell us what Edward needs to reopen the portal," I finished.
"Well, like I said, the key ingredient is the black-magic standby, a good ol' human sacrifice. If Edward performs the sacrifice on the exact spot that the portal opened, it'll reopen for a couple of minutes."
"So what's to say he hasn't done this already?" Cassandra said. "He's a vampire. He could have taken a victim by now and gone through the portal."
"I'm getting to that," Jaime said. "As I told Paige, I knew he needed a specific victim. According to the necromantic ritual book, he needs to shed the blood of someone who passed through the portal."
"What?" Cassandra said. "That's ridiculous. You've made a mistake, Jaime. Obviously, if they passed through the portal, they aren't here to--"
Aaron clamped a hand over Cassandra's mouth. "Continue, please, Jaime."
"Cassandra's right," Jaime said. "Most people who pass through a portal never return, so the ritual doesn't actually mean you need to kill--or rekill--the person who went through. That would work, but the ritual means figurative blood--the blood of the closest same-sex relative. That leaves four possibilities, since two of you went through. Someone could use Paige's mother or daughter, or Lucas's father or son. Now, I know Paige's mom has passed over, so unless one of you guys has a kid stashed away--which I seriously doubt--that leaves one possibility."
"My father," Lucas murmured.
"And Edward has how long left?" I said. "About twenty-four hours before the portal closes for good? That leaves him one day to kidnap and kill the Cortez Cabal CEO. Right now, I bet Edward's seriously researching the 'hidden child' theory. It would be near-impossible to get Benicio."
"Perhaps," Jeremy said. "But if he's as determined as he seems, he'll certainly try."
"I should warn him," Lucas said.
As he rose, he brushed his hand against my arm. I looked up and he nodded, almost imperceptibly, toward the bedroom, asking me to join him. I followed. Less than thirty seconds into the call, I understood why he felt the need for a little moral support.
"No, Papa," he said firmly. "I am in absolutely no danger. This is about you--" Pause. "No, my blood--" Pause. "My blood won't--" Pause. "Papa, listen to me. Please. Edward can't use my blood for the ritual."
The lie flowed so smoothly even I almost wondered whether I'd misunderstood Jaime.
"Consider it logically, Papa," Lucas continued. "Why would the ritual require the blood of the person who passed through? That person is gone and, in almost every case, not coming back. In most sacrificial rituals, if the original subject is no longer available, you must use the nearest same-sex blood relative, correct?"
A brief pause. Lucas's lips parted in a silent sigh of relief.
"Yes, that's right," he said. "Therefore you are the one in danger. I know you're extremely security-conscious already, but this will require additional protection. For the next twenty-four hours, you should excuse yourself from public life and--"
Lucas stopped and listened, frown lines deepening with each passing second.
"Yes, yes, I do remember your mentioning it, but--" Pause. "In this one case, I believe you have a reasonable excuse for not attending--" Pause. "Yes, perhaps it would be a way to trap him, but--" Another sigh, this one audible. His eyes cut to me.
"Let me speak to Paige, and I'll phone you back."
"What's this about trapping Edward?" I said as Lucas hung up.
"My father is scheduled to make an appearance tonight--a semipublic appearance--and he refuses to bow out. He hopes Edward will show up."
"The charity masquerade," I said. "For the New York firefighters."
"Precisely."
"Would Edward know he's there?"
"It's a large event, well covered in the media. The Cortez Corporation is a cosponsor, and my father is expected to attend. Edward would only need to pick up today's paper to see that. That may also explain why the cab dropped him off at the Caribbean marketplace. It would be an excellent place to get costume fixings." He swore under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps I can still talk him out of it--"
"You won't," I said. "He's not going to that safe house any more than you are. We have to deal with it. Let's go talk to the others."
As we walked back into the main room, Elena was talking.
"Okay," she said. "This is dead obvious so, since no one else is bringing it up, I know I'm missing something. We're assuming that Edward wants to go back through the portal to get to Natasha. My question is: Why doesn't he just kill himself?"
"I know that sounds easy, Elena, but for a vampire, it's more complicated than that." Cassandra's voice held none of the impatient snap she used with the rest of us. "The only way we can die is by being beheaded."
"Not the easiest method of suicide. Okay, I get it. But why..." She hesitated, as if reluctant to question something if no one else was.
"Why not get someone else to do it?" Clay said.
Elena nodded. "Right."
"Because he can't guarantee he'll end up with Natasha," I said as I took my place on the sofa. "We have no idea where she is, whether it was some kind of vampire afterlife, or a side effect of their immortality experiments. The best way for Edward to ensure he'd be with Natasha is to use the portal she opened. In the meantime, we have a new problem."
I told them about Benicio's plan.
"Maybe this is for the best," Cassandra said. "You've done your share--more than your share. Let the Cabals finish this. I would prefer to see Edward taken quietly and allowed a fair trial, but if he's killed while attempting to kidnap a Cabal CEO, there's little I can do about that."
She glanced at Aaron as if for confirmation.
He nodded. "Not much chance they'll behead the guy in the middle of a charity gala. They'll probably settle for taking him into custody; then we could intervene later. If not, well, Cassandra and I can deal with any fallout in the vampire community. Edward has committed enough crimes that I'm not going to put someone else in danger just to make sure he gets a fair trial."
I looked at Lucas. Stone-faced, he was struggling not to argue, but I could see concern simmering in his eyes.
"Your father invited us to the masquerade," I said softly. "Maybe we should go."
"As backup, I hope," Clay said. "Because if you mean what I think you mean--"
I lifted a hand. "Hear me out, okay? Yes, I mean Lucas and I go as guests, that we set ourselves up as bait."
Clay's mouth opened, but Elena shushed him.
"It makes sense, doesn't it?" I said. "Edward thinks we're dead. If he sees us there, it'll throw him off and divert his attention from Benicio. We'd be the easier targets--" I stopped and looked at Lucas. "Unless your dad finds out Edward can use our blood. Didn't he have his researchers looking into the ritual?"
"They didn't find anything."
"Good. So he might have a couple of guards tailing us, but he knows Edward's focus will be on opening that portal, not getting revenge by killing you. So he'd assume he's the main target. When Edward sees us, though, he'll realize we'd be easier to capture."
"But you're only trading one decoy for another," Clay said.
"True, but it's not an equal trade," Lucas said. "Paige and I know more about vampires than my father does. And we're certainly better equipped to deal with a direct threat than he is. It's been many years since he's needed to defend himself."
"I can pull bodyguard duty," Aaron said. "Watch over you from the sidelines."
Elena glanced over at Jeremy, who nodded.
"Count me in," Elena said.
"Us," Clay said.
"Not sure what I can do, but I'm in, too," Jaime said.
"I'll go as well," Cassandra said.
"Cool," Savannah said. "Do I get to dress up in a costume, too? Or should I help Elena and Clay?"
Everyone turned and looked at her. As her gaze went from my face to Lucas's to Jeremy's, her eyes narrowed.
"No way," she said. "Uh-uh. I'm not staying behind. I can help out. I'm at least as good a spell-caster as Paige--"
"Better," I said. "But you're also thirteen years old. No matter how good you are, I'm responsible for you. Not only might you get hurt by Edward, but you're still a prize for the Cabals."
"You're special, remember?" Elena said, offering a smile. "Just like Jeremy. You two can keep each other company, man the control center, eat lots of pizza, and stay up really late."
Savannah rolled her eyes at Jeremy. "Sucks being special sometimes, doesn't it?"
"It certainly does," Jeremy said.
Benicio was thrilled with our offer to attend the gala as backup for him, though I'm sure he had no intention of letting us watch his back. That was a job for a half-demon employee, not a sorcerer heir, but if it meant Lucas willingly appeared by his side at a public function, Benicio would humor us...especially if it also meant he could keep a closer eye on his son.
We devoted the day to preparing for the night. Our first concern was costumes. Though it was by no means our primary concern, it did need to be attended to first. Since it wasn't safe for us to be combing costume shops, where Edward might see us, we accepted Benicio's offer to bring materials to us. We left the guys to work on something for Lucas, while Cassandra, Jaime, Elena, and Savannah helped me. Once we came up with an outfit that could be put together quickly, I called Benicio and gave him my material list.
Next Lucas obtained blueprints for the hall and maps of the grounds. We used these to scope out routes Edward could take, plus the best places from which the others could hide and watch us. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon making plans.
At five we started getting dressed. The basis of my costume was a green silk dress. I used the minimal dressmaking skills I'd learned from my mother to sew on scraps and strips of green and brown taffeta. Next, I added real leaves and feathers. Then onto grooming. Cassandra did my makeup in golds and browns. Savannah painted my nails a mossy green. Jaime styled my hair in a messy, upswept do, and added leaves and feathers. Elena held the mirror.
Clayton flung open the bedroom door as Cassandra was zipping up my dress.
"Closed door means knock," Elena said, shooing him out.
"You've been in here for two hours," he said. "She can't need that much work." He frowned as he examined my outfit. "What the hell is she? A tree?"
"A dryad," Elena said, cuffing him in the arm.
"Oh, my god," Jaime said, surveying my outfit. "We forgot the bag!"
"Bag?" Clay said. "What does a dryad need with--"
"An evening bag," Cassandra said. "A purse."
"She's got a purse. It's right there on the bed."
"That's a day purse," Cassandra snapped.
"What, do they expire when the sun goes down?"
Elena pushed him out of the room. "Okay, do we still have time for someone to run out and buy something?"
"No!" Clay called back through the closed door. "Car comes in fifteen minutes."
"I'll have to skip the purse," I said. "I can slip my lipstick into Lucas's pocket. He's got his cell phone. That'll have to do."
Jaime opened the door and announced me with due fanfare. I accepted the obligatory gracious compliments from Jeremy and Aaron. Lucas smiled, walked over, and offered his compliments privately into my ear.
&n
bsp; "Lucas!" Savannah cried. "Where's your costume?"
"I'm wearing it."
"That's not a costume, that's a suit! The same thing you wear almost every day."
"It's a tux," I said. "And a very nice one."
"But what are you supposed to be?" Cassandra said. "A cocktail waiter?"
"I was going to say James Bond," Jaime said.
"Don't look at me," Aaron said. "I was pushing for a knight costume, but these two"--he gestured at Lucas and Clay--"shut me down."
"And I wisely decided to keep my mouth shut," Jeremy said.
"If he doesn't want to wear a costume, he doesn't have to wear a costume," Clay said. "Hell, he's got a mask. Good enough."
Lucas held up a plain black eye-mask.
"They don't come in colors?" Savannah sighed. "At least you put in your contacts." She looked out the balcony window. "So do you get a limo?"
Lucas shook his head. "A chauffeured car, but not a limousine. My father finds them too ostentatious, even for formal occasions."
"Limos are for high school graduations," Cassandra said.
"And weddings," Jaime said.
"Not good ones," Cassandra said.
"I like limos," Savannah said.
"So do I," I said, sneaking a grin at Lucas. "Lots of room to...stretch out."
He paused, then the corners of his mouth twitched and he reached for his cell phone. "I believe we still have time to request a change of vehicle."
"Uh-uh," Jaime said. "I just spent an hour doing Paige's hair. No limos. Tell you what, though. You guys finish this and I'll rent you a limo for the whole trip back to Portland."
"Cool," Savannah said.
"Uh, right," Jaime said. "Okay, scrap that idea. How about a shorter limo ride and free baby-sitting?"
"Car's here," Clay said from his spot at the window.
"You guys scoot, then," Jaime said. "We'll meet you there."
Masquerade
THE CHARITY BALL ORGANIZERS HAD CHOSEN A MASQUERADE because of the event's timing--the night before Halloween. The party planners, though, had avoided the usual Halloween fare in favor of something more whimsical, accentuating the fantastical rather than the frightening. The ballroom was ringed with mannequins in incredibly elaborate costumes from children's fiction, from the Queen of Hearts to Puss-in-Boots to the Swan Princess. Paper dragons guarded the door, heads dipping and swaying in an invisible breeze. The buffet tables were floating magic carpets, the food forming the patterns of the rugs. Punch flowed from the mouth of an ice-sculpture phoenix, backlit by a small fire that melted the bird, only to have a fresh one arise from the bowl below. It was a glorious paean to everything magical, and I would have loved it...had I not spent every minute worrying about a certain murderous vampire. Mythical creatures make lovely ice sculptures, but far less enchanting enemies.