? ? ?
We pulled into the graveyard to find the hinged metal arms of the gate standing open in invitation. It was the darkest part of the night, the moon below the horizon, the sun not yet risen. The white stone mausoleums stood among the white shell paths, the statues on each roof looking like something out of Europe, white marble angels holding metal swords. There were no lights. Vamps didn’t need lights to see by, and any human who wandered in after dark to vandalize or find a place to neck, to use Aggie’s term, was likely to end up as dinner for the priestess and then wake up with no memory of the night before. The SUV’s headlights picked out the individual aboveground graves, the tree line in the distance, and the chapel. I rolled to a stop about fifteen feet away and cut the engine.
The chapel was small, though larger than the multi-casket tombs with their gated and locked doors. The chapel’s windows glowed softly with candlelight, bloodred, ruby red, wine, burgundy, the pink of watered blood. That candle flicker spoke to the old ones, a sign of all things good and safe. Inside, something moved past a window, a shadow only. “You need to stay here,” I said.
“I’m backup.” There was disagreement in his tone.
I shifted in my seat to Eli in the dark of the car, still brightened by the glowing dash lights. “She’ll assume I brought her a human to munch on.”
Eli grumped, giving in, by the scent. “Really like teleportation?”
“And really like mind-warping. You need to stay in the car.”
“So why am I here?”
“To tell the others and prepare for Peregrinus to attack tonight if she kills me.”
“You take all the fun out of a nice drive in the country.”
“I do, don’t I? I’ll be back in a bit.”
Eli stayed in the vehicle, watching as I took the steps to the front door, knocked, and entered.
CHAPTER 22
I Am a Far Worse Devil
The priestess was sitting in a rocking chair at the front of the chapel, wearing her nunlike white robes, her pale, once-olive-skinned face glowing in the light of the candles. She pushed with a toe, the chair rocking back and then forward, back and then forward, but no way did I think she was relaxed. If I said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing, she would be on me like white on rice and faster than the speed of light. To her side was a stone bier, like a sarcophagus, the lid too heavy for me to lift alone, even with Beast helping, though I could push it aside if the need arose. Inside were the treasures she guarded. No way did I think I knew everything she hid there. No way was I eager to go exploring. Again. I’d learned my lesson the first time.
I walked between the rows of wood pews, my feet loud in the quiet place, and paused about twelve feet away. I gave a nod of respect, the closest thing to a curtsy that I could do. In the silence, marred only by the sound of the rockers on the old floor, I waited.
Her black eyes glittered as she surveyed me, her hands clasped at her waist. Rocking. Rocking. And I waited.
“What do you want, skinwalker?”
I nearly jumped but managed to hold the startled reaction in. As if she saw it anyway, a faint smile crossed the priestess’ face.
I licked my lips, wondering when my mouth had gone so dry. “Joses Bar-Judas is chained in the lowest subbasement in the Mithran Council Chambers in the French Quarter. Tonight, a group of Mithrans kidnapped Katie and a wounded Leo, captured a juvenile arcenciel in a necklace that one wears around his neck, busted into HQ, and tried to set the Son of Darkness free, or kill him to get his power, or something. We got in the way.”
Sabina said nothing, did nothing except to rock, and I cleared my throat, feeling way worse than I did when I’d been called to the principal’s office as a kid.
“One Mithran and her blood-servant are dead. The dead are Batildis and the Devil.”
I could have sworn that Sabina tried to smile, though her lips didn’t move. “This is good. They have long been a pox on this Earth.”
“Okay. Ummm. Not so good. The lead Mithran, named Peregrinus, got away. With the arcenciel. And he’ll be back. Revenge and all. And unfinished business with Joses Bar-Judas.
“A onetime friend told me also that Peregrinus was coming for me, for the icons I have in safety. For the things Leo has, or might have in the safe on sub-four.”