Page 17 of The Vampire Always Rises
“No, of course not. Call her. Worst-case scenario: you be a tourist until your friend gets there.”
We chatted for a little while longer, but Roxy was anxious to get unpacked, and I wanted to talk to Allie.
“I’m sorry you feel like we didn’t want you,” the latter said a half hour later, when I managed to get her on the phone. “I assure you it had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with Christian being overly cautious.”
“You said that yesterday when you bundled me on the train, but I still don’t understand why he would think I was some danger to the vampire who was left there.”
“It’s not that at all. He was thinking of your welfare, since the pink-haired man saw you.”
I grimaced at nothing. “If Spiky Pink Hair would hunt me down because I knew he saved a vampire’s life—and I can’t imagine he’d do that, since he seemed more concerned about himself—I am certainly no threat to him. Even if I wanted to tattle on him, I don’t know his name or who his boss is.”
“No, but ... it’s complicated ...” Allie hesitated, then said softly, “Oh, to hell with it. I’m going to trust you with the truth. After all, you’re Roxy’s niece, and when she asked if you could visit, she swore up and down that you were as trustworthy as she is.”
“I am, I really am,” I said, both flattered that my aunt would think so much of me and intrigued by Allie’s statement.
“Hang on a minute.”
There was a rustling noise and a brief muted conversation, immediately followed by the sound of footsteps lightly running down what I imagined was one of the castle’s stone hallways.
“OK,” Allie’s voice came hushed and somewhat breathless. “I’m away from the kids. I’m going to tell you what happened, but you have to promise not to talk about it to anyone else, because it involves the safety of four men. Four Dark Ones.”
“I promise I won’t breathe a word,” I exclaimed, glancing around my little balcony to make sure no one could overhear me. Since I was the only person crazy enough to sit out in the midday sun, I was safe enough from eavesdroppers. “And thank you for trusting me. I won’t let you down.”
“There is this group of people called the Revelation.”
“Revelation like ... in the Bible?” I asked, confused.
“No, evidently it’s the name of some corporation. Anevilcorporation. Anyway, a few years ago we started hearing about this group called the Revelation. They were advertising at folk festivals and similar events about vampires who would come to your party and entertain.”
“Like clowns?”
“No, do vampire things for the entertainment of those present.”
“Um ... do you guys do that?”
“No! Not real Dark Ones, anyway, but you know how it is—there’s a huge vampire fandom out there, and lots of people like to live the lifestyle and believe they are vamps when they really aren’t. Anyway, we just assumed it was that, but then one day Merrick’s sister went to one of the parties, and wasn’t seen again.”
“Who’s Merrick?” I asked, having lost track of the players.
“The vampire you found on our doorstep. His sister Renata was seeing a man who we only know as Edward, who evidently was one of the high mucky-mucks in the Revelation. He invited her to attend one of their parties.”
“What happened to her?” My gut tightened. I had a bad feeling I wasn’t going to like the answer.
Allie was silent for the count of fifteen. “Her body was found two months later. She’d been raped and ... brutalized.”
“Oh my goodness,” I said, sick at the thought, of both the poor woman having gone through such a horror and her family dealing with the tragedy. “That’s just appalling.”
“Renata is a Moravian—a female Dark One. Do you know about them?”
I thought hard. “They don’t have to drink blood like the males, but can if they want, right?”
“Yes. Merrick found Edward, and ... well, you can imagine what he did.”
“Glorioski. He didn’t kill him, did he?” Had I bonked a murderer? No wonder my father wanted to keep me away from men—clearly I lacked any sort of ability to discern evil from good.
“No, although I gather it was a near thing. Merrick brought Edward before the Moravian Council, the group that polices Dark Ones. He was tried and convicted, and is currently imprisoned in Merrick’s villa.”
“What a relief,” I said without thinking, slumping back into my chair.
