“My love. I’ve done much more than touch him, vampire. He craves me and my hot blood, pulsing with life. That’s something you can’t give him, can you?” She gazed at me triumphantly. “No, I’m sure your blood is cold and dead.”
I just stared at her. What could I say? Jerry had admitted he liked hot mortal blood. But from her? I doubted he could stand the taste of it anymore. I didn’t dare provoke her so I stayed silent.
“I see you don’t deny it. And just look at what he gave me.” She held out her left hand and I gasped. It was the engagement ring Jerry had offered me months before.
“He didn’t give you that. You stole it.” I remembered what Miguel had said. I had the power. I read her mind. Of course she’d stolen it. She’d crept into Jerry’s house during the day while everyone staying there, all vampires, had been in their death sleep. Thank God she’d left without hurting any of them.
“I don’t see you wearing his ring, do I, Gloriana?” Mel shot a triumphant look around the alley. “No! He hasn’t claimed her as his woman. I’ve claimed him now. Jeremiah Campbell is mine. And he’s just where I want him.” She backed up and pointed a bloodred fingernail at me. “You, Gloriana, you have nothing.”
“You want him helpless?” Tears stung my eyes just before I threw myself at her. I had surprise on my side and she didn’t have time to protect herself. She fell back, her dead spirits vanishing when I wrapped my hands around her throat and began to squeeze. “Take it off, take off this horrible spell you’ve put on him.”
“Why should I?” She wheezed, the life draining out of her. I didn’t care if she was dying or not. I couldn’t ease up on her throat, not even when her face turned red. “K-k-kill me and he’ll never be yours again.” She glanced at her zombies. “Attack! Take her out!”
There was a sizzle and a pop and the smell of something nasty burning. My mother blew on her gold-lacquered fingernail as if it were a gun barrel.
“They aren’t going to be attacking anyone. Get her, Gloriana.”
I didn’t have time to see what Mother had done because I was too busy trying to squeeze answers out of Mel. I kept holding her throat but let up enough to shake her, knocking her head against the concrete.
“Why not? Tell me why he won’t be mine.”
“I’m not telling you anything.” She gasped and waved her arms wildly, trying to summon her spirits. I trapped one arm under each knee, straddling her.
“Stop it. Now tell me what you’ve done to him.”
“He’ll always belong to me, heart and soul. There are words that must be spoken or he won’t ever love another.” Her eyes were wild, her smile triumphant. “You’d better believe I won’t speak them.”
“He wasn’t yours a few minutes ago. He came to me on the stage. He said he loved me.” I snarled, let her see my fangs and the urge to kill in my eyes.
“That’s because I’d failed to mark him. But I did just now. Look and see. He carries my mark and will be mine forever or until my mark is removed.” She was still defiant, even though I could almost see the life draining out of her with each gasp as I tightened my grip on her throat.
“Go, Gloriana. See if she’s telling the truth. I’ve got this.” My mother touched Mel and she was instantly paralyzed. “See if you can find this mark she’s bragging about. We will make her take it off. No matter what we have to do to her.” Mother’s smile was cold and determined.
I couldn’t have a better ally. I glanced at the zombies. Or what used to be the walking dead. Now they were two piles of ashes.
“What can I do to help?” Rafe was there beside my mother.
“Don’t let anyone come into the alley. Can you stay by the door?” I’d been worried about that. This bizarre scene didn’t need any spectators or distractions.
Rafe helped me to my feet. “You can count on me.” He squeezed my shoulder then rushed to stand against the door.
I ran back to Jerry. Mark. I hadn’t seen her touch him but maybe she could have thrown something or her spirits might have been capable of carrying it. Did I even believe her? But she’d done something to make him first freeze, then fall unconscious to the ground. Then I looked closer. He wasn’t unconscious. He stared at nothing, now just like one of her walking dead. Oh, God.
“Gloriana, let me help.” Mars stood next to me.
“How? Do you know anything about these voodoo curses?” I ran my hands over Jerry’s shoulders and back. I knew his body so well. If there was anything new here, I wasn’t finding it.
“Loa. Melisandra claims she talked to Loa. Believe it or not, that’s one of my other names. This religion is one of my minor ones. I am a god, you know. Some people choose to worship me. Gods of war are popular. We have power and that appeals to people. But I don’t like it when their worship is twisted like this.” He frowned at Mel where Mother stood guard over her.
“Yes, I’d say Mel’s gone off the deep end.” I still hadn’t found a mark. Where could it be?
“This woman has invoked my power and abused it in a way that displeases me.” He lifted Jerry to his feet, making it look effortless. “Check out his upper right thigh, under that loin cloth. That’s where such marks are usually found.”
“I can’t believe . . .” I shook my head. “Never mind. I don’t think I’ll ever figure out Olympus and all the bizarre happenings there.” I sank down to study Jerry’s thigh, tracing an old scar. He’d won it in a battle centuries ago, before he’d been turned. There, just inches above the edge of that skimpy leather, was a small black mark like a brand. It looked like an x, with the bottom turned into an upside down heart. I rubbed my finger over it and it throbbed, hot to the touch.
“This must be it. Can you take it off?” I wished Jerry would moan, something. Instead, when Mars let him go, he just slumped in place, like a puppet left to hang from a hook by its strings.
“I’m afraid, my dear, that only the one who puts on the mark can remove it.” He stalked over to Mel. “Let her up, Hebe.” He stood glowering down at the priestess.
“Are you sure?” My mother frowned down at the frozen woman. “I could end her here and now.”
“And leave Jerry like this? I don’t think so. Thaw her out, Mother, and back off. Please?” I stood next to Mars.
“I hope you know what you’re doing, both of you.” She tapped Mel then moved back. Mel jumped up, wild-eyed.
“What have you done?” She raised her arms, ready to bring in the ghouls.
“Stop.” Mars fixed her with a commanding gaze. “I am Loa, the god to whom you pray. Do you know me, my child?” His voice had gone deep and guttural. It made my insides quiver.
Mel fell to her knees. “My lord Loa. You honor me.” She bowed until her forehead touched the rough pavement. “How can I serve you?”
“Remove your mark from this man, daughter. Set him free. Your attachment to a blood drinker does not please me. Have you not learned that we despise such creatures?” Mars stalked around Mel in a circle.
“How can that be your wish when you helped me gain his love in the first place?” Mel hadn’t looked up, and said this to the pavement.
Mars sighed. He touched the top of her head and she froze again. “This is what comes from having so many supplicants. I should listen more closely to their pleas. Get a few more assistants to handle incoming calls. If I’d known it concerned you, Gloriana . . .” He shrugged. “Well, this is a tough one. I’m not supposed to intervene once I’ve given the green light.”
“Let me talk to her. Like Jerry said, we have this potion. If he can thaw out and then toss it at her, it’s supposed to make Mel hate him.”
“What’s it called?” Mars gestured. “Let me look at it.”
“I can’t pronounce the name but here it is.” I slipped it out from behind Jerry’s belt.
Mars opened the vial and sniffed. “Good news. This will work. Talk her into thawing out the man and then, if he throws it in her face while she’s looking straight into his eyes, it will make her despise him. She’ll take off the mark willingly, unable to bear the sight of him carrying it.” He glanced at my mother. “Hebe, we need to get out of here. The woman will be insufferable if she remembers Loa himself deigned to speak to her. I think Gloriana can handle things from here.”
“Can you, dear?” My mother glared at Mel. “I don’t like leaving you with that woman. She means you harm. And of course she’s taken her religion to a very dark place. Sorry, Mars.” She linked her arm through his. “Perhaps I can comfort you later.”
“I wouldn’t mind that at all. But we must go back inside. I saw someone I think I recognize. You must tell me if I am right or not.” He smiled at her. “Gloriana? I’ll erase her memory of ever meeting me. Are you happy with this plan? Sure you can carry it off?”
“Yes. I’ll do whatever it takes to get her to thaw him out. Jerry knows what to do with the potion. Unless what she’s done to him will erase that memory.”
Mars walked over to Jerry and stared at him intently. “I think he’ll be fine. Inside his muddled brain he knows two things. He loves you and hates that bitch. I take that to mean this Melisandra.” He swept his gaze over her one more time. “Good thing Hebe didn’t incinerate her. She’s one of my priestesses. From now on, I’ll pay closer attention to what’s going on down here. In the future, this woman will have a rude awakening. Loa will come to her in her dreams and she’ll see the light, so to speak. Voodoo is a fine religion when practiced properly.”
“Glad to hear it. Now please go. I can’t stand to see Jerry like this.” I brushed my lover’s cheek but he didn’t move a muscle. Finally I tucked the open vial into his hand and sent him a mental message, reminding him what it was for. I tried to read his mind but I wasn’t as powerful as Mars because I couldn’t make the connection. “Ready.”