The French doors to the balcony weren't exactly repaired, but they were boarded up and once again bore all the trappings necessary to keep away monsters.
Since one of New Orleans' finest had been there, they'd been able to report the incident, and get Barry Larson to the hospital for the care he neededand explain the dead man in the house. Lucien and Ragnor had whisked Mary off, so there was no need to explain how the missing corpse had come back to life at the crime scene. Sean arrived and took over the official end of things, but to Jessica, the night seemed to stretch forever. Nancy and Jeremy remained at Sean and Maggie's, safe, with Brent Malone and the others.
As he watched the crime-scene team do their work, Bryan felt like an uneasy observer.
He had worked alone for so many years, and he told himself that was a good thing. Look at the way Jessica had been betrayed. And yet he couldn't help feeling he had lost out in some way, never really trusting anyone since Gregore's death. He was a warrior, and a warrior's solitary quest was the destruction of evil. Yet this group had also made that their aim, as unnatural-as impossible as that seemed to him.
Once, so long ago it didn't seem real anymore, he had known what it felt like to belong. He had fought for a king who had honored him, alongside stalwart comrades. They had worn leather, chain and steel, rather than cotton and denim, Levi's and Armani, but in a way, they were much the same.
He was quiet, watching the activity all around him, making a few plans of his own.
At least the results of the preliminary investigation were manageable from a PR standpoint. The perp had, obviously, come in through the French doors, and he'd worn gloves. No identifiable prints had been found, and no shoe prints in the garden below. By agreement, Bobby had described the attacker as a tall man who had fled when he'd arrived. Bryan was surprised to see that after his initial shock, the cop dealt with the situation quite well.
Bryan finally left Jessica's house, knowing she was safe in the hands of people who cared about her, and went to the hospital in the wake of the ambulance. During the hour he waited until he was allowed to see Barry Larson, he checked on the status of David Hayes. One of the residents lowered his voice as Bryan questioned him, saying, "I never saw so much blood loss, but I think he's going to make it. Whoever attacked those cops ripped up the veins in his arm pretty good, though, which still that doesn't explain..."
"Explain what?" Bryan asked.
"He's convinced he was attacked by a vampire. Twice. The first time by a naked girl in the morgue, then in his room by a man in a doctor's whites."
"So he's conscious now? Is he allowed visitors?"
"It's up to the cops who gets in," the resident said.
Bryan thanked him. Mendez was on duty and let him past without comment.
"Hey, how are you doing?" Bryan asked.
The boy looked at him curiously. "Do I know you?"
"I'm a professor," Bryan explained. "I study ancient legends and beliefs-like vampires."
"They exist," David said gravely.
"Yes," Bryan said.
David looked at him, stunned that someone finally believed him.
Bryan smiled. "No one else is ever going to believe you. I'd give it up, if you want to become a doctor."
Hayes shook his head. "You don't understand. I'm...petrified."
"Do everything they tell you and you'll be fine. The vampire who came after you is done here right now. He's moved on to his real target. They're pumping you full of new blood, so hang in there, and grow up to be a great doctor."
"That's...it?" David said.
"Well, it won't hurt you to eat a lot of garlic and keep religious symbols around your house."
"Like crosses?"
"Like whatever you believe in. Face it, whatever supreme power is out there, I'm pretty sure that in the end, what's going to be most important is how we treat one another while we're here on earth."
David stared at him blankly.
"You've got a real chance, kid. Use it," Bryan advised, then got up and headed toward the door.
"Hey, Professor? Are you going to be around? In case...in case I need some help?"
"Not for a while, actually. But don't worry. Someone will be watching over you."
He went back to Emergency and found out where they had taken Barry Larson, who wasn't in bad shape, suffering mostly from a concussion. He was amazingly happy as he greeted Bryan.
"I nearly stopped him. I tried, anyway."
"Good man," Bryan said.
"I've known something was going on at that house. I knew Big Jim knew it, too. No need to worry about me, though. I had my story down. I said I couldn't remember much, just that a really big guy broke in from the balcony and we tried to stop him." His face hardened. "'Course, Gareth will come out looking like a hero, dying to fight off a burglar, but that's okay, I guess."
After a few pleasantries, Bryan left. When he got back to Montresse House, Stacey was downstairs with Bobby, who still looked shell-shocked, but at least he was getting some colour back in his face. He looked at Bryan with weary eyes. "They're going to need a new maintenance man," he said dully.
"Yeah. Where is everyone?" Sean asked.
"Sean's been called back in. Niles Goolighan went wacko in his cell, attacked a guard. Most of the others are at Sean's place. They're making arrangements." He hesitated. "They decided it's too dangerous to keep Mary at a house where there are children, so she'll be staying with a guy named Malone and his wife until it's all figured out. Jessica's upstairs," he said. "Resting."
"She's not resting. She's busy blaming herself for everything," Stacey contradicted.
"Thanks."
Upstairs, he found Jessica pacing the floor in her room, which had been put back in some semblance of order. She stood still when he appeared and stared at him, as if holding her breath. Waiting.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Oh, God, Bryan!" She ran across the room to him, and he took her into his arms.
"All these years...Gareth came to me before I ever even moved here. A couple of punks trying to rob the manager of a convenience store, and he...saw me take them down. He told the cops then I'd just had a lucky break, coming up behind one and cracking him on the head with a bottle of wine. I was sure he'd seen the truth, but he was so convincing. A few months later he admitted that he knew what I was, but he said he wasn't afraid, he only wanted to help me. And he did. Bryan, he was with me for ten years. I left Stacey alone with him. I trusted him."
Helplessly, he smoothed her hair. "We all need to have faith in others. And sometimes we make mistakes." He hesitated. "Don't let it change you. I'm not saying that you don't have to be careful, but..." He lifted her chin. "Don't forget there is love out there, friendship, loyalty. You've got good friends. Big Jim, for one. And I have to admit, I really thought it might be him. And Barry. I'm pretty sure he's the real thing."
She smiled. "Go figure, huh?" She shook her head, then let out a deep sigh. "Sean went back to the station. Niles Goolighan attacked a guard."
"The Master intended to leave a mess in his wake, and I'd say he did a damn fine job."
"I don't know what you mean."
"He's moved on. He's caused all the trouble here that he wanted. Now he wants us to follow him. He never intended to have a full-blown battle here. We're not on his turf. And we have no choice. Wehave to follow him."
"Follow him where?"
"Where this all started. Sometimes I don't believe myself it all happened. I don't believe I was once a man, a knight fighting for a king and a cause, in love with the king's illegitimate daughter. That's what he wants, Jessica. He wants to relive that day. We have to return to Scotland."
She backed away and stared at him.
"It will be a different battle. But," he added slowly, "the odds won't be quite as bad as I'd always expected."
"Oh?"
"I suppose thereare a few good vampires out there."
She smiled and moved into his arms again.
"You need to get some rest," he said.
"We don't have time."
"Yes, we do."
She looked up at him. "A little physical activity always seems to help before a nap."
Hell, he hadn't been born yesterday. He kissed her, his lips light, infinitely tender.
And he made love to her. Slowly, savoring every touch, whisper, glance between them. It wasn't until the end that they both gave way to the absolute passion and desperation of arousal, climaxing together in a bond as sweet as any the far distant past had ever offered.
Afterward, she slept.
He rose. Downstairs, he found Bobby and Stacey cuddled together on one of the sofas.
"Jessica?" Stacey asked.
"Is sleeping," Bryan said.
"I'd kind of like to go see Sean, then..." Bobby hesitated, looking disbelievingly at Bryan. "Stacey's tried to explain it to me."
Bryan grimaced. "Bobby, you can get explanations for a lifetime-hell, you can live several lifetimes-and still not really understand."
Bobby nodded. "I guess everyone needs to get some rest, but then we'll have to start making plans. And..." He barely missed a beat, then looked Bryan straight in the eyes. "We'll need all the help we can get."
Stacey smiled. "A major meeting. Here. Tonight. I'll see to it."
"I'll be here," Bobby said. "I won't fail again, I promise."
"You didn't fail, Bobby. And next time you'll be prepared. But nothing is going to happen here. I'm almost sure of it."
"I won't fail again," Bobby repeated.
Stacey curled her fingers around his hand, smiled grimly as she looked at Bryan. "Wewon't fail," she assured him.
Bryan shook his head. "I'm going to need you guys to provide support, and that's not because I don't trust you. But you're only human, like it or not. There's only so much you can do."
They both looked deflated, but Bobby only sighed and told Bryan, "Yeah. Sure. We'll make great babysitters."
Bryan found Sean Canady outside the entrance to the cells.
"How did you know I'd be here?" Sean asked him.
"Hunch," Bryan said. "Will you have trouble getting me in?"
"Usually I would have to pull some strings and do a lot of paperwork. But today...I don't think so. Come on."
Bryan followed close behind Sean as they made their way to the holding cell, filling the cop in on his theory about the final battle. Sean assured the guards they passed that he could handle things himself, though he shouldn't have been going in alone, much less with Bryan; it was totally against policy. But the guards were spooked. They didn't want anything to do with the entire area where Niles Goolighan was being kept.
Bryan remained out of sight when they first approached the cell. Goolighan grinned at Sean. The kid was covered in blood, His own? The guard's?
"Hey, piggy, piggy," Goolighan taunted in a singsong voice. "Come on in. I've the power now, and you're going to die."
"You're a punk, Niles. Always were, always will be," Sean said.
Goolighan shook his head. "No. He kept his promise. He came to me."
"Who's that?" Sean asked, as if he weren't the least bit interested.
"The Prince of Darkness," Goolighan said delightedly.
"He's not the Prince of Darkness. Just a punk follower-like you, He's had a little more practice, that's all, and he isn't quite as dumb," Sean said.
"I'm not stupid. I'm going to be all-powerful. I'm his ally."
"No, Niles, you may have asked him in, but you're still a punk. Cal talked, by the way. We know all about the Web site, and we know how he gets to you assholes."
Goolighan didn't seem to be listening anymore. He was liked a crazed hyena, laughing, chortling. "I'll be there. I'll be at the great battle. Come on in, pig. I'm going to kill you. Then I'll die and come back and be at the battle when it rages."
"You'll be the best punk there, I bet," Sean told him. "Where will this battle take place?"
"What do you care? You'll be dead. Come on, pig. You can't resist. Get in here and try to kill me."
"You're right. I can't resist. But humor me, first. Where is it going to be?"
Niles started laughing as if that were the funniest thing he'd ever heard. "It will be so cool there, in the mists."
"He'll be waiting below the high tor, huh?"
Niles giggled again. "Not bad, piggy, piggy. It's the bitch he wants. He's wanted her all along. Wants to kill her. I think once he wanted to fuck her, but she was like all bitches, wanting someone else. Some piece of highland shite." He gave the last the Scottish pronunciation, then went into gales of laughter. "Ah, laddie." he said, doing a creditable Scottish accent, "he'll bastion himself in the MacDonnough ruins, that he will. He'll command the valley and the highlands. And then it will end for those who made his life-and death-a hell."
"Great. Thanks," Sean said, turning the lock, stepping into the cell.
Bryan moved up behind him in the blink of an eye, and Niles saw him for the first time. He roared in sudden knowledge and fury.
Sean stepped back. There was no fight. Not really. Niles was a fool. He attacked Bryan, going straight for him, impaling himself on the small wooden stake Bryan held. He hadn't even needed to thrust it forward.
"I guess I'm going to have to answer a lot of questions," Sean said when it was over. "But I've done it before and, God help me, I'll probably do it again, somewhere down the line."
They both looked at Niles, crumpled on the floor.
"Rest in peace, you sorry punk," Sean murmured.
"There was nothing else we could do," Bryan told him.
"I know. It's just such a waste." Sean sighed, straightened. "Let's go."
This time they were all at the house on Bourbon Street.
They filled the kitchen, and at first glance they might have been any group of friends; Stacey and Bobby had gone to Sean and Maggie's to watch the children, but all the rest were there. Sean was explaining what had happened to Niles Goolighan.
"How did you explain killing him in his cell?" Jessica asked, pouring coffee for herself.
Sean hesitated for a moment. "I've had to explain far worse," he reminded her. "There wasn't a soul who didn't believe he'd attacked me. I said I was damn lucky Bryan had a stake on him."
"Astake? " Jessica said. "And how did you explain Bryan carrying a stake?"
"Easy. A prop for his lectures," Sean said.
"Somehow," Maggie said, "it will work out. It always does."
Sean smiled. "Hey, this is N'awleans. We've always been what we are, a little decay, a little voodoo, history, jazz...mystery. I had another interesting conversation today, too."
"With...?" Jessica asked.
"Florenscu," he said.
"Florenscu?" Jessica repeated. "The detective in Transylvania?"
"The same," Sean said. "I asked him to interview some of the partygoers about a hunch I had. He got back to me immediately, and damned if the information about the party didn't appear on the 'Master' site about twenty-four hours beforehand. If we'd known to look, I'm sure we would have found the same thing for the party here, even though the Master never meant to attend."
"We'll find it before the party in Scotland, then," Jade said.
"I can already tell you when it will be," Bryan told them.
They all looked at him.
"The Demon Moon, an occurrence that falls maybe once in a century. But the way the planets align, it's not an eclipse, it's a red moon."
"I've seen it," Maggie whispered.
"As have I," Jessica said dryly. "The Demon Moon, and the MacDonnough castle." She shook her head. "It wasn't all that well fortified. It wasn't even that big. There was a wooden fence around the clan homes, and the castle itself was stone, but..."
Jade DeVeau walked over to her with a sheaf of pages. "In the 1400s, the clan came into some money. They built a stone wall around the keep. You can see what remains of the courtyard. During the Jacobite uprisings it was abandoned, taken over by the Crown and forgotten. It's nothing but ruins now."
Tara walked over and showed Jessica the second page. "This is the original chapel. There are tombs beneath it. Lots of them. Apparently it was a big family. The catacombs run like tunnels beneath the place. There's a huge memorial room there. The chapel itself was deconsecrated a long time ago, though." She was silent for a few seconds, thinking. "I can't be sure, but there have been a number of unexplained disappearances in the area over the years, and I believe the Master has been using it as a base while he regained his strength. I'm willing to bet he's created an entire army there, and they won't all be newly made vampires who have no idea how to defend themselves." She looked over at Bryan. "You need to be careful," she said softly. "I gather you have superhuman strength and an ability to heal, but everyone has a weakness." She shook her head. "Frankly, I don't think you should go."
Bryan walked over and met Tara's eyes. "I have to go," he said flatly. He looked around at the group. "I have to go, and you know that. Perhaps it would be best if I go alone."
Tara sighed. "I knew he'd say that."
"No way in hell are you going alone!" Jessica protested.
"You know," Lucien said, "I'm not underestimating your power, Bryan, but we're talking about an army. I think more of us than just Jessica should go."
"I think this is a battle Bryan and I have to face alone," Jessica said.
Bryan inhaled. "Frankly, you're exactly the one who shouldn't go. I have to destroy him."
"Wehave to destroy him," Jessica corrected him.
"Jessica, don't you see? That's what he wants. Both of us there to be destroyed."
They were all startled when the doorbell rang. "Who is that?" Sean asked, frowning.
"Want me to go?" Ragnor asked.
"No, it's all right," Jessica said. "I'll get it."
Bryan followed her at a discreet distance. He was startled to see a very distraught woman at the door, then he frowned as he realized he recognized her, then tried to remember from where.
"I knew he was going off the deep end," the woman was saying, nearly sobbing. Jessica had a hand on her shoulder, trying to soothe her. "He's been gone since last night, but I know he didn't run away," she said. "This is real. And it's not a ransom note, it's...I don't know what it means, but the police won't help, and your name is here.... Oh, God, what should I do?"
Bryan's memory clicked. It was Mrs. Peterson, mother of Jacob, the boy who thought he was a vampire. Without Jacob, he might not have been in the right cemetery that night.
The woman had brought Jessica a note hand printed on a torn piece of computer paper.
"Mrs. Peterson, we'll find Jacob," Jessica promised.
"You can find him?" the woman asked with desperate hope. "You think he's alive?"
Jessica nodded. "I'm sure of it."
She let out a deep sigh. "I'll find your son, Mrs. Peterson. And I'll bring him back to you. I swear it. Now go home, have a glass of wine, call a friend and leave this to me."
"Thank you. The police wouldn't even take a missing persons report yet-they said teenagers wander off all the time and he hasn't been gone long enough yet. But this note...it scares me."
Bryan realized someone was standing close behind him. Sean.
"I'll see her home. I can't leave New Orleans now, anyway," Sean said softly. He walked past Bryan, meeting the woman at the door. "Mrs. Peterson, I'm Lieutenant Canady. I'll get you home and take down all your information."
Mrs. Peterson, looking so lost and scared, stared numbly at Sean.
As soon as Sean left with her, Bryan strode over to Jessica. "What does it say?" he demanded.
She handed him the paper.
He looked down at it. In pen, it saidFor Jessica Fraser . Beneath that three words had been scribbled in what appeared to be blood, one on top of the other, the middle word underlined.
Ioin
Igrainia