Four, page 38
“Oh my, are you OK?” a sweet little voice said as an old lady in a violet tracksuit came wandering toward the sinks.
Gail sniffled. “I’m fine.”
The old lady’s hands shook as she tried to pass them under the sink, but the water refused to run. She motioned to Gail. “Would you mind? This one is broken, dearie,” she asked.
As Gail passed her hands in front of the sensor, she felt a slight pang in the pit of her stomach. She looked past the doddering, tiny old thing to see the edge of a blue apron and a limp hand hanging down from the handicapped toilet. Gail looked up slowly to see only one reflection looking back in the mirror. She tried to scream, but the old woman’s talons snapped around her throat with shocking force.
“I would be very, very quiet, if I were you,” the old lady said. “Now I want you to tell me absolutely everything you think you know about vampires.”
Meanwhile, out in the alley, one Georgia Sutherland opened the door to the stately old vehicle and let a few more tears fall. Once inside, an extremely concerned-looking man with thick ginger hair wrapped an arm around her. The driver, a butch Barbie doll of a woman with a prominent Adam’s apple, let out a deep sigh of relief.
“I told you that she’d come back, Mr. Lambley,” Nicolette Tesla said. She shut up quickly as she saw the poor girl sob. “Should we head back to the house?”
“Wait, what about Gail?” Georgia asked. “You didn’t—”
Mr. Lambley held up a hand and motioned her to wait. He squeezed his assistant once more for good measure before there was a tap on the glass. He rolled it down to reveal none other than a concerned-looking Mr. Sugar.
Georgia’s eyes widened. “What is he—?”
“I promise you, all will be explained. You have to know that the sheriff was involved. The Jaegers would never be so flagrant with the rules, even a couple of young idiots like those two,” Geoffrey said.
“The sheriff has it all taken care of. Mr. DeMarco has just gone in,” Mr. Sugar said in hush-hush tones. “Now, you should take her home.”
“Wait—Steve?” Georgia asked weakly as she looked up from the damp spot on Mr. Lambley’s neatly tailored lapel. “Is he going to—?”
“Now, Georgia—” the vampire started.
“Don’t you worry, sweetie,” Mr. Sugar said. “He’s only being asked to kiss her good night.”
“Just a kiss?” she asked again.
“Take her home, Mr. Lambley.”
Georgia and her boss rode in silence through the streets of Boston until they arrived at a quaint little brownstone in the busy restaurant district of Brookline. She ran her fingers slowly over the little bunny statues while Nicolette took care of the door. The moment she stepped inside, a shambling mass of orange fluffiness bolted toward her, purring as he twisted and coiled around the young woman’s leg.
“Schrodinger is certainly glad to see you,” Mr. Lambley said in forced cheerfulness. “Come now, we’ll have a little tea, and I can put on a movie.”
Georgia gave the pudgy old vampire a quick kiss on the cheek. Her eyes widened. “Something is different about you,” she said.
The vampire smiled weakly. Georgia pounced on the opportunity to run her finger under his lip. He pulled away, but not before she could just feel a tiny bump growing where once there had only been a gap.
He blushed. “So, movie?” he asked weakly.
“I think I’m tired and am just going to go upstairs.” She looked over at the drag queen futzing with the mail. “Nicolette, are you OK with staying another night? Are you paid up?”
“Sure thing,” she said. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything?”
Georgia shook her head before shambling up the stairs. Much to her surprise, a pair of puffy gingers followed her.
“I said I was tired, Mr. Lambley,” she said.
“You know what happened to that Matsuoka boy wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known what would happen when you gave him that vial,” the vampire offered.
“I should have known, and I should have come to you and Mina and Lorcan rather than trying to run away. You were right. I do belong here.”
“But it’s not over. You could still—” he said.
“Good night, Mr. Lambley,” Georgia said. “Don’t stay up too late with Nicolette.”
The vampire hung his head but turned and walked back down the stairs, leaving only the oversize kitten to follow Georgia to her bedroom. Once inside she took her time peeling away the layers of clothing until she was left only in her bra and panties. She pulled a clean tank top over her head and cracked her neck a few times. Finally she yanked off her diamond ring and placed it carefully on her dressing table on top of a pair of passports—one green, one blue.
“Every Jaeger has to pass a test to prove his worth to the clan. Every Jaeger has to be a killer,” she said softly. “And I couldn’t do it. I’m not like them,” she told her reflection.
Just as she had calmed down and managed to settle into bed without any more tears, a buzzing sound lured her back to the land of consciousness. Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone in its snazzy leopard-print case, and a single text splashed across the screen.
It read, “Meet us tomorrow.”
16
Georgia struggled to open the door to Little Jiro’s Sushi Hut with her arms full of a bright blue box topped with a floppy silver bow. After a solid minute of struggling, she finally managed to wedge her toes between the frame and the jamb and kicked it open enough to hop inside.
Georgia let out a sigh of exasperation as a tall, leggy blonde continued to lounge in her chair rather than offer even the slightest inkling of help. Instead, she flipped through a fashion magazine and ogled a bright pink and white striped sun hat.
“I don’t think it will do you much good,” Georgia snapped as she set the box on the table.
“Ooh, you took zee time to wrap it up with a pretty little bow.” She squealed in delight as she took a deep sniff. “You really shouldn’t have.”
“You’re right about that,” Georgia muttered. “I got up early for this.”
Minerva pulled the bow with the giddiness of a schoolgirl at Christmas. She giggled and pulled out a little plastic container full of rich reddish brown pudding. She looked in frustration at the chopsticks littering the table until Georgia came to the rescue and produced a spoon from the bowels of her purse.
“What? No gift for me?” Steve asked as he wandered to the table and snagged the chair next to the blonde. “After all, I was the one who had to take a beating.”
“That was hardly a beating, mein bruder. Georgia here has hit you harder,” Minerva sighed.
“Well, she’s certainly hit more below the belt,” Steve laughed. “Seriously, sweetheart, you should move to Hollywood because those were some of the greatest crocodile tears that I’ve ever seen.”
“Well, it had to be convincing. That’s what Dr. Pang said,” Georgia said, looking off anxiously toward the sushi counter.
“I still think it would have been quicker to just take him to a nice farm in Bolivia and let him discover his roots there,” Minerva sighed.
“There you are, still thinking like a Jaeger,” a new, lilting voice said. Georgia turned to see a striking brunette drifting across the plastic tiles without making so much as a click even in her five-inch heels. She tossed her long braid of inky hair over her shoulder and found a way to ease into her chair that perfectly displayed her sizable assets, which were barely contained by her silk blouse. “My Geoffrey is a Pendragon boy, and you have to think like a Pendragon to save him, dearie.”
Georgia half bowed, half curtsied to the final vampire joining them at the table before she too took a seat. Lady Mina leaned over and kissed the blushing girl on each cheek.
“I am so glad he found you, Georgia darling. I knew you had spunk from the moment I met you. I just knew you’d be the key to his recovery!” the Pendragon continued. She leaned across the table and gave the younger vampire a knowing smile. “You see, we just had to make our Geoffrey a hero and give him a little quest.”
“Why did I have to be the villain though?” Steve whined. “You could have let someone else—”
“You’re a Jaeger, darling. It’s what you do,” Mina sighed. She rustled around her purse and pulled out a few little velvet boxes. She handed a small one to each of the Jaegers and a larger one to the surprised Georgia.
Once more Minerva was all smiles as she pulled out a pair of glittering pearl and diamond earrings. Mina smiled and said, “I’d give you a pearl necklace, but I know you’ve had so many of those in the past.”
Minerva laughed and replied, “You and me both!”
Steve pulled out a pair of cuff links and jumped out of his seat as he read the inscription. “How did you . . . ?” he asked.
“You weren’t the only vampire sleeping with half of Hollywood. I just happened to land a few costume designers, and yes, those are from Casablanca,” Mina said.
“I really can’t accept anything—” Georgia said as she looked at the blue velvet box in her hands. The elder vampire smiled and brushed a little bit of hair off of Georgia’s forehead to reveal a substantial bruise.
“Steve, you are a Jaeger brute. You play too rough always!” She turned back to Georgia. “I am a woman of honor, Miss Sutherland. You had the most dangerous part to play in this little game, and I will see you rewarded.”
“Why reward her? We don’t even know—” Minerva started.
“They were growing back. I felt them!” Georgia said.
“Oh, I’m sure you did,” Mina said with a little wink.
Georgia decided to diffuse the situation by opening up the box. It contained a familiar house key, mounted on a beautiful new chain, as well as a very old-looking key mottled with rust and pits.
“You are welcome both in the house of Pendragon here and in our main estate, Miss Sutherland. You are under my protection as well,” Mina said with a pointed look at Steve. “Now, I’d say that my work here is done. I think I should leave town with the sheriff before my little lamb gets wind that I messed with his affairs again. Auf wiedersehen, Minerva. Good-bye, Stefano.”
“Auf wiedersehen, Mina. As always, it was a pleasure doing business with you,” Minerva sighed.
Georgia rose as soon as the elder Pendragon drifted out the door. “So we’re done, right?” she asked.
“I suppose,” Minerva said. “Dear Steffan, could you get zee car? I want a moment here.”
Steve reluctantly got to his feet. He did stop right in front of Georgia. “You know, now that Gingersnaps is on the mend, maybe you and me could—”
“Remember what I said last time? You know the never, ever, ever getting back together part? Was it somehow unclear?” she asked.
“Well, I was pretty sure it was all pretend, for Geoff’s sake. I was hoping that—”
“It wasn’t all pretend, Steve,” Georgia said.
“Well, I guess I won’t be seeing you for a while.”
“I guess not,” she said with a sarcastic little wave. “Bye, Steve!”
“Seriously, Minnie, what is with your brother?” Georgia asked as she settled back at the table. She got distracted as she saw another figure lurking just around the bend at the counter.
“Yes, he’s here,” Minerva sighed. “Matsuoka, come!”
Georgia stiffened as Ren once more drifted into her life. He made a point to sit right next to Minerva and kept his head lowered. The vampire lifted his wrist and inspected where a few fresh welts had appeared.
“I do love Japanese food,” the vampire said with a wicked little grin. “Don’t you, Berliner?”
“I really should be getting back to Mr. Lambley. It’s a key point in his recovery—”
“If there is one thing I know about Geoffrey, it’s that he likes to sleep in,” Minerva said. “Stay a moment. I have questions.”
“I don’t have anything to say to you right now, Minnie,” Georgia snapped. “Did you really let that girl go?”
“Yah. She has a headache that will last for days, but as far as she knows, she got drunk and had an amazing one-night stand with zee waiter from a club downtown.”
“I won’t see her in the papers?” Georgia asked.
“Nein, nein,” Minerva said. “Zee sheriff was there with Lady Pendragon. Nothing bad will happen. Plus it would be bad for zee business if one of our Serbian friends were to disappear. Are you satisfied?”
Georgia nodded.
Minerva looked over at her stiff, blank-faced servant and raised a brow.
“You know, when you were telling zee story, I almost thought you really cared for him,” the vampire said.
“Like I said, I had to be convincing. Mina thought it would only work if there were humans in danger.”
“I mean, I really don’t mind if you want to use my toy from time to time. A little passion makes zee blood flow,” she sighed. “But you have to know that he belongs to me and I only share when I want to.”
“Of course,” Georgia said, looking at Ren rather than the vampire. “Look, we’re done, right? Mr. Lambley will get stronger, and maybe at some point, you guys can all be back to your good old frenemy selves.”
“Perhaps,” Minerva said, standing up. “I guess we should go.”
Georgia did finally look back at the vampire. “You know, there is one thing. I know that Steve and Mr. Lambley were buddies, but why did you agree to help? Why get him to see Dr. Pang in the first place? I know that can’t have been cheap or easy for you.”
“It wasn’t,” she said. “And let’s just say that Mr. Lambley once helped me and never knew about it, and I wanted to return that same favor. He is never to know of my part of this arrangement, am I clear?”
“Crystal,” Georgia said.
Before she could turn for the door, Ren said quietly, “I have the business arrangements to take care of with Miss Sutherland, mistress. I’ll take her to get a cab.”
“I don’t know. Can I trust you two alone?” the vampire asked warily.
Ren bowed submissively to his master. “I assure you, mistress, that I only carried out my orders exactly as requested. We had to be convincing. That is all.”
Minerva waved him away. “Do what you have to. You know, I wonder what would have happened if you had really fallen for this girl? We could have used another servant and a nice live meal. Oh well, que sera sera!”
“I’ll be but a moment, mistress,” he said as he led Georgia back out the front door. They shuffled together until they reached the corner, where he pulled out an envelope marked with Georgia’s name. “It’s your portion of the fee for your part in this charade,” he said.
She grabbed the envelope but didn’t pull it out of his hands. Instead, she let her fingers rest against his for as long as she dared. She looked over her shoulder, as did Ren.
“I’m going to find a way,” she said.
Ren closed his eyes and let the tiny touch fill every inch of his senses. He then let go and turned away. “It’s too late for me. The treatment didn’t work.”
“But there have to be other treatments—”
Ren shook his head. “Not known to human medical science.”
“Then we’ll find another vampire doc—”
“I can’t go to any other vampire doctors,” Ren hissed. “You know what is happening to me. I can feel it. We’ve both seen the signs.”
“Ren, please. Just have a little faith. Mr. Lambley promised me that he will find a way to save you.”
Ren shook his head. “You have an awful lot of faith in a vampire who lost his fangs, you know.”
She darted around to face him again. “No, I have a lot of faith in a really smart man and his desperate would-be sweetheart,” she whispered. “Next time we will find a way to escape.”
He leaned his forehead against hers and squeezed her hands as tightly as he dared. “Georgia,” he hissed, “the only way you’ll be safe is to forget about me. They have to think . . . no, they have to know that what we had was a lie, or one of us will end up dead . . . again.”
She pressed against him. “We already got past that once,” she offered weakly.
“You don’t understand. Minerva can feel my emotions when she feeds off me, and she keeps feeding me over and over again. She’s inside me all the time, and it’s getting harder and harder to resist—”
Georgia looked up at him. “Please, you have to keep fighting,” she begged. “You aren’t that monster they want you to be.”
Ren shook his head. “That’s the problem. I can feel a new monster welling up deep inside the pit of my stomach. Something is wrong, Georgia. I can feel it. It’s not just Minerva. Something changed that night. I don’t know what, but there is someone else in here,” he said, pointing over and over to his temple. “There is something seriously wrong with me.”
“Of course, there is something wrong with you. You fell in love with an idiot like me,” Georgia hissed. “You just have to hang on, OK? Just find a way to think of me wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, and I’ll be there with you. We will fight this, OK, Ren? Promise me that you’ll fight.”
Ren fought between shaking his head and nodding. “You have to go,” he said. He gave in and grabbed her, kissing her within an inch of her life right on a public street corner. He ignored the wolf whistles from some college kids and the honking from an appreciative cabbie.
“Make sure you tell her that I attacked you in a fit of human emotion,” Georgia said as she pulled away.
“Of course.”
She embraced him one last time. “Be strong and think of me,” she whispered once more.
“You should just forget about me, Georgia. I’m a lost cause,” Ren said sadly.
She gave him a little salute before flagging down a cab. “Don’t you know, Ren? Lost causes are my favorite kind.”
She took the ride back to Brookline in relative silence. When she arrived at the brownstone, she was greeted with the aroma of curry and the sounds of swelling music coming from the TV room. She peeked in the lounge to see Mr. Lambley curled up in a blanket watching his soaps while sipping on a steaming mug of blood and milk.
