His body sank, even though he physically remained stiff postured in his chair. He seemed to leak out of the form that resembled Sorin, a puddle on the floor, dirtied and diseased.
For the past thirty years, he’d lived the high life with this emerging Underground, adding to the numbers of his precious Elites, watching Groupies come to exist, seeing to it that Sorin’s Guard corps would be ready to defend them when and if the next blood brother attacked.
Yet it’d only taken a woman’s smile to slay him.
From that point on, he died a daily death, wanting her. His hope started to wither, spiraling downward into a chasm of worthless wishes. Long nights, endless, empty…
Then, finally, over twenty eternal years later, everything changed.
One night, his television sparkled with a picture shown during an Eva Claremont entertainment special: Dawn Madison, all grown up.
Slowly, Benedikte sat up on his divan.
Hope stirring.
Resurrecting.
TWENTY-FOUR
THE BARGAIN
T HE oppression in the hidden room told Dawn it was late, but more rest wasn’t an option. She’d already gotten enough to revitalize, even though she wouldn’t say she was fully back to Xena fighting form yet.
Frank obviously didn’t agree so much with getting a move on. He was leaning against the wall near the fireplace, messing around with the wire innards of an old radio that would’ve been right at home in the seventies. Apparently, it was one of Eva’s “antiques” and he’d taken it upon himself to play Hero of Domestic Bliss by making the piece of junk work.
“Why haven’t you been putting that kind of energy into devising some makeshift weapons?” Dawn was wandering around in search of anything she could use to bully Julia. “You could even be trying to yank that chain out of the wall.”
“Why would I run off when you just got here?”
Hah-hah. “Because Wifey has you chained up? Some people might consider that a threat.”
“It’s a…what do you call it? Formality. It’s Julia’s idea more than Eva’s, really. This Underground is obviously suspicious of me ’cos I worked with Limpet. Jonah ain’t one of their favorite people. Eva asks me about him all the time.”
Dawn remembered the mind probe Eva had put on her about The Voice. “She asks you about Jonah, or she mind screws you?”
Frank kept on working, never looking up, even though his rough complexion went ruddy. “She’s fiddled with my head, but I can keep her out.”
Training from Limpet.
It made Dawn wonder…. Had she inherited Frank’s blocking abilities? Is that why she’d been a natural from the start?
“Anyway,” she said, scanning the baseboards, “I’m glad to hear you’re still on our side. I wasn’t so sure.”
Now her father glanced up from the radio, baffled.
She motioned to her neck, her chains chiming. Then she gestured to him. When Dawn had allowed Eva into the superficial areas of her mind, her mom had shown her that she could heal things like bites, among all her other talents, so Frank wouldn’t have much of a mark right now.
Even so, exactly how powerful would Frank’s kind of vamp be? Less than Eva, for sure, but more than a Groupie.
Clearly surprised, her dad put a hand over his jugular, almost like he was pressing a love letter into a secret book.
It explained a lot, even why he would betray Limpet and Associates, a group he’d supposedly been loyal to—as loyal as Kiko. And Breisi.
Dawn chuffed. “Do you think Breisi’ll be just as understanding with you as you are with the wife? I mean, when she finds out you’re Eva’s vampire boy and all….”
Dropping his hand from his neck, Frank went back to work. He had a look on his face that said he couldn’t believe Dawn would think he’d ever give in so easily. That he would ever give up on Breisi.
Dawn didn’t back off. “Did you exchange blood? Is Eva your poison of choice now?”
Without warning, he heaved the radio to the ground. It vomited parts, then rattled to stillness.
Father and daughter stared at each other, needing to say so much, yet…there was a line to be crossed here. She didn’t want to know about her parents’ private lives—what child did?—but it’d come to so much more than that now.
Didn’t Frank know what he was doing?
Or did he know? Maybe Dawn had spent so much time distancing herself from him that he’d truly become the reformed, savvier man Breisi talked about.
Who the hell was he?
Who were any of them?
Their impasse cracked apart when the door opened. Julia entered first, holding her dart gun and aiming it at Dawn. Always the primary target.
Eva came in next, rosy-cheeked and dressed in a new flowy summer dress. The style was her signature—one that captured Frank, if his adoring gaze proved anything.
But the actress herself was anything but flowy. She actually seemed more nervous than ever. “There’s something on the news….” She trailed off, watching her family’s faces. “Julia, I’d like to be alone with them.”