The Gates

2

MIDNIGHT IN MONTMARTRE

“Please, let me take you home. You’re drunk.”

“I am not.” I shoved him, spilling some kind of delicious poison on him. “Go home and have a wild time with Ms. Scarlet. In the bedroom. With the—”

“Okay, you’re starting to talk board game. Let’s go home, babe. I’ll get you into bed.”

“Sounds like a great idea!” I hopped, then wobbled, my heels getting stuck in the cobblestones. The narrow streets and bustling throngs of passerby were buzzing all around us, multiple scents wafting in the breeze. “Only, you won’t sleep with me until you’re human and you don’t see me as a pity-case anymore.…” I tossed my drink into a trashcan, continued to wander away from him.

“Cam, that was glass.”

“So sad. The whole thing is just so sad.” Laughing, I somehow managed to swing myself around a street light. “I mean, first I fall in love with you, and you’re a vampire. And then I stay with you. Really, who does that?”

“Camille. It’s almost midnight and we need to get you off the streets. It’s dangerous.”

“Excuse me, sir …” Slurring this, I dug around in my wallet for cash to buy another drink. “I got around just fine after midnight before you ever came along.”

“That was before you ran in my circle. Before a vampire queen had a hit out on you. Don’t make me carry you back to the apartment. Because I’ll do it.”

“You know, a Frenchman would sleep with me. How much you wanna bet I can find one right now?” I looked at him, hazy, still digging for some cash. Spotting a bar’s liquor sign, I shuffled toward another quaint terrace and waltzed up to the first young guy I laid eyes on. “Parlez-vous français? My boyfriend doesn’t want to have sex until we’re married, but he has no problem having crazy, passionate sex with someone else. Does that sound fair to you? Non?”

The guy looked me up and down, smiled, then shifted in his stool to face me, clearly amused. I smiled back, winked, then stumbled. “How about you buy a girl a drink, mon ami? We can rendezvous at the Sacré-Cœur Basilica.” I trailed a lazy finger under his chin.

“That’s it.” Gavin grabbed my elbow.

“Don’t touch me.” I wrestled with him as he tossed me over his shoulder and stormed out of the bar, my body swaying over him like a ragdoll. The last glimpse I caught was of the poor guy I’d accosted. His expression made me crack up, and before I knew it, I was laughing hysterically.

“That’s enough, Camille Hart.” Gavin smacked my rear and readjusted me over his shoulder as we made our way outside. It made me laugh harder. “I know it’s pointless to talk to you right now, but I’m going to do it anyway.” He put me down, stuffed us in between two buildings in a snug alleyway, steadying my shoulders. “We have to be extra safe right now. Normally, I could get by with taking little to no energy from anyone, because it wasn’t every day I was taking on other vampires. But now, they’re after me. After us, in legions. And they’re going to have an advantage over me because I’m not loaded up on energy. We don’t have time for your drunk escapades, love. Definitely not around midnight, while they’re out on the prowl for their next meal.”

“Oh, just take the energy from me like you did last time, when you used it to help us escape Amaranth.” I leaned up against the wall and fumbled with my lighter, attempted to light a cigarette. Failed.

“You’d be no good to me right now.” He let out a breath and grabbed the cigarette and squashed it, then slung me back over his shoulder.

* * *

“You’re pretty cute when you’re a mess.” Gavin shrugged off his jacket and scarf and tossed me down on the bed. I could tell he was smiling, even though it was dark. A hint of moonlight filtered in through the blinds.

“Cute? I guess I don’t have to worry about you taking advantage then,” I said. The bedsheets felt cool and refreshing, and the room smelled like Arianna’s delicious crème brûlée.

“And when you’re mad.” He let out a sigh, leaned down to unbutton my dream coat, still grinning while he loosened each button, his eyes fixed on mine in the dark. He slipped me out of the coat and pulled off my boots. I looked up at him, wondering if he’d talk about her while I had booze in my system.

“Gavin?”

“What I had with her was nothing.” He peeled off his shirt and sighed, probably aware of where I was going with this. “That’s what drove us together, and that’s what drove us apart: nothingness.”

“It’s just … she had a part of you that I haven’t. And I had to hear it straight from her mouth. She said you guys talk all the time, and you told her all about me.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry. She never should’ve said those things to you. For the record, we do not talk all the time, she’s exaggerating. That’s just how Scarlet is: manipulative. Last time I did talk to her, I gushed about you. Look, I really do want to marry you first. I told you, it’s what I want—for you to know that you’re set apart. After what you’ve been through with the others, physically and emotionally … it matters to me. When I was with her, I was a new vampire. That made me incredibly reckless and lonely,” he slid on top of me and let his weight rest on my body. “You’re not some ancient fling to me, you’re my life. Something I don’t deserve and something that is irreplaceable. Forgive me if I want to handle you with a little more care.”

“It makes me sick,” I whispered, distracted by his position and all-too-alluring scent.

“You don’t think it’s revolting to know about the guys you’ve been with before me? The ones who had their hands all over you, against your will? Who treated you like—” His body became rigid, his grip tight around my pillow.

“That’s not what I meant.” I pulled him closer, aligned my lips with his.

“No?”

“I won’t ever measure up to someone like her.”

“Camille,” his lips barely grazed mine, his breath hot and close proximity unbearable, “she won’t ever measure up to you. No one will. There’s nothing to be jealous of. I’m the one who’s jealous. I almost went mad tonight.” He shifted his hands underneath my back, moved me up toward the headboard to hold me in place. “Seeing you waltz up to that guy in the bar …” His breathing hitched and he leaned in closer.

“Well … good. You deserved it.” I placed my hand on his chest to force some distance, shoved him backward. But then I felt a grin spread across my face, and I felt a slight annoyance that my anger was dissipating. There’d be enough of it to go around in the morning when my buzz wore off, though.

“You’re no match for me, you know,” he cocked a brow and wrestled with my arms, effectively crushing the barrier I’d made, pinning my wrists to the headboard with one hand.

“You know,” I mimicked his threatening tone, “if you want me to comply with this whole marriage thing, seducing me is not the way to go about it.”

“Who said anything about trying to seduce you?” He spoke low and inviting, running his hand up my thigh, allowing his thumb to glide along the inside.

“Damn it Gavin, my inhibitions are out the window and you’re not helping matters. Cut it out.” I nudged him with my leg.

“Don’t try to fight it, love. I can assure you, you won’t win.” He pressed my leg back down with the weight of his thigh and bit down on my bottom lip, careful not to press too hard. I sighed, surrendering, knowing he was right. Such a tease.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing that old, reckless side of you someday,” I whispered when he let go of my lip.

“Ha. Patience is a virtue.…”

Whether it was that last drink or the intoxicating effect of his mouth now moving with mine, as his fangs slid lecherously across my lips, I entered a midnight euphoria. Mortals didn’t know what they were missing. While I drifted off to sleep in his arms, I envisioned wedding bells and the day I could have Gavin. All of him, forever.

* * *

The next morning, Gavin and I decided to catch a real flight back to Louisiana, to follow through with the plan we’d all agreed on during the meeting at Arianna’s. Arianna flew with us, to stay at Josh’s house to help with preparations. A good friend of Gavin and Gabe, Josh helped Gavin and me rest and refuel after escaping Amaranth, then managed to save me from Marie’s kidnapping shortly after. His home and presence were a safe haven, and one we were very thankful to have. As soon as we were home, we headed to Gavin’s plantation home to meet Vivienne, avoiding the bookstore and my house. One avoidance was fine, the other less so. I definitely couldn’t face my former boss Carol after what I’d done, leaving my job mid-shift to sneak away to Amaranth with no warning whatsoever, and there was no sense in torturing myself over the loss of my favorite job or saying goodbye to my home just yet. No, it was the second change in plan that concerned me. Apparently, what we were about to discuss was so confidential that Vivienne, my conjure mentor and the woman who’d introduced me to Hoodoo, didn’t feel safe enough to talk about it at her shop. We’d briefed her on our escape from Amaranth and all it entailed, and she agreed to help us, but offering her help would mean great danger for her conjure family.

From my spot on Gavin’s couch, I looked around at his roomy but neglected living room while I scarfed down a shrimp po’ boy. The stoic grand piano, long, taupe drapes, and elegant Victorian furniture all still intact, his collection of movies and records lining the walls with a visible sheen of dust around the edges. Examining the character of his historic home made me miss my own. Not nearly as majestic as his, my little, cozy yellow house suited me just fine, with Cajun food joints just up the road. Hard to believe, but I missed my job, too. Breaux Bridge really had become my home, a part of me. But I was a ghost now, a detached entity that couldn’t quite connect with that part of its past, no matter how hard I tried to make contact. A new fate awaited me, and I tried to accept it was time to surrender to its pull.

“I told ya, nah, I’m no psychic.” Vivienne meandered around the room, eyed Gavin’s record collection as she spoke. “But obstacles will come that you aren’t expecting, ya hear?”

“We know it’s going to be a tough battle,” Gavin said, jingling the keys in his pockets. “But we’re ready.”

“You gotta be willing to do whatever necessary while you’re in Amaranth, nah.”

“We’ll do whatever it takes,” I said, washed my sandwich down with a swallow of water. “Our friends’ lives are depending on it.”

Vivienne exhaled, an old, tired sound full of apprehension. She set a long rectangular wooden box onto the table in front of us, and glanced at me. “She know about Arianna?” She set her gaze on Gavin, raised her eyebrows.

“Yes,” he replied. “Arianna told her, but no one outside our circle knows. Only Marie, but she thinks she has her son to protect, so she won’t talk. That’s it.”

“You’re certain.” Vivienne’s eyes narrowed, her brow furrowing.

“Positive.”

“If anyone learns of this before the attack—”

“I know what it means.”

“Samira has no idea where Arianna is,” I spoke up, making sure I followed.

“Yes,” Gavin replied, “and no one knows she’s Samira’s daughter. Arianna’s never told a soul. Only our family knows, including Gabe and Josh, who I count as family. If anyone, even someone in the resistance here on earth, were to find out and rat us out before the attack in Amaranth, our plan to attack Samira and overthrow her kingdom is ruined. Arianna is what Samira wants. And Samira definitely has no knowledge of Arianna being placed with me and my family all those years ago.”

Oh my. As if things aren’t stressful enough. The resistance, which was comprised of vampires on earth and humans in Amaranth, all wanted the same thing—to destroy Samira and reclaim their freedom. The reality that secrecy from our own allies within the resistance was so vital meant our situation was even more vulnerable than I’d realized.

“What else has Gavin told you about the frozen souls—the vampires?” Vivienne peered at me now, her lips bunching as she assessed my face, her dark eyes wide and cautious.

“Only that they were created by this Gérard guy, with the help of your magic, and that your people didn’t approve. Am I right?”

“That’s right, child. It was a disrespect to Voodoo, and our Hoodoo practices. He twisted them, made them somethin’ evil, just to create his own species.”

Gavin cleared his throat and spoke up. “Gérard was Samira’s lover. He betrayed her to create a hybrid species. He and Samira are the only hybrids, which is why they’re the most powerful. He used her as his own personal science experiment, made her part witch, part vampire. He put a spell on her and made her a prisoner of Amaranth to manage his power supply, then left and took their daughter years later. He is Samira’s weakness, along with Arianna. Together, they’re one big, open wound.”

I slid forward on the couch to reach out and touch the wooden box, felt its ridges with my fingertips. “So, Gérard created Samira? Where is he, anyway?”

Vivienne leaned down and popped open the box. “Mmh-hmm. She was human once, nah. He stays hidden away, roamin’ the earth, doin’ as he please. The frozen souls ain’t seen him for some time. When he used our magic to turn her into a hybrid, he told her she’d be his queen, rule the land of Amaranth for eternity. She gave birth to Arianna, and she believed they’d be a happy family, using the reformed vampires in Amaranth only as necessary power. Tssskk. Samira wanted to treat them with respect, wanted to coexist. But he used our magic to create Amaranth for his energy source, then held Samira captive there after they began having disagreements … about whether Arianna would be human or vampire.”

She pulled out a handful of mojo bags and some parchment, sat in the armchair next to me. “She been a slave to him for centuries, bound to admit immortals into exile to feed his power. And without it, she ain’t got no power, either.”

“Gérard. He’s Arianna’s father.” I looked at Gavin now, in understanding. “He was friends with your father?”

“Back in his early conjure days, yes. As he became stronger, he changed. Gérard was never really the same after he created Amaranth. Their friendship eventually fizzled out as he became greedier about packing the city full for his power.”

“So Gérard never really loved Samira?”

“Oh he did, child,” Vivienne’s voice jumped, eyes wide, “he worshiped her, mmh-hmm. But they bore a human child—a miracle—and she wanted Arianna to remain human. Ancestors of mine cared for Arianna when she was just a baby. The ones still livin’ said they ain’t never seen a love like the kind Gérard had for Samira.”

“Ancestors?” I glanced between Vivienne and Gavin. “That’s how you know so much?”

Vivienne nodded, saying, “I’m one of the original conjurers, by blood.”

“But Gérard had other plans,” Gavin continued. “He wanted Arianna to become one of us, to make her own decision to change, without Samira’s bias. So he took her away when she was eighteen, and Samira never saw her again … not until Arianna returned to live in exile, after she left Joel on earth.”

Gavin handed Vivienne a bottle of ink. She began scribbling on the parchment, mumbled to herself while she wrote down what sounded like instructions for a spell. Gavin said, “Samira’s wolves—Dali and Akim—they were Gérard’s closest conjure mates, and Vivienne’s ancestors. In her anger, she turned them into her pets when Gérard left her.”

“Indeed, the history has been passed on for generations,” Vivienne kept mumbling, dabbed at the ink. “We don’ like what Gérard’s done with the frozen souls, nah, but Samira will have to answer for her own wrongdoin’.”

I crumpled up my sandwich’s paper bag, observed the items Vivienne pulled from the box, in disbelief that I actually felt a tinge of sympathy for Samira. Was that even possible? Was it rational? She seemed so inhuman; it was hard to picture her having any feeling, any true emotion or empathy for one of us. She was purely animalistic, a creature so cold, I shuddered just thinking about her. “Then why is she so hell bent on making the Amaranthians miserable? I mean, why go against what she wanted in the first place: to peacefully coexist with humans?”

“She just angry, plain ’n simple,” Vivienne reached for more ink. “Gérard hardened her. Now she takes her wrath out on the frozen souls, especially the reformed ones. They’re what tie her to him.”

“No,” I shook my head, thoughts stewing. “She’s remained loyal to him all these years.…” My mind wandered, suddenly hypnotized by the dancing of the pen in Vivienne’s hand. As it glided across the paper, I began to picture my mother again, the way she held on to my father for so many years, even after all he’d done to her. “Maybe there’s a part of her that thinks he’ll come back to her someday.” I spoke softly, still staring at the pen. “So she continues to feed him, to please him.…”

“Listen, nah, child.” Vivienne snapped her fingers in front of my face. “You might be right about that, but don’t you start treadin’ dangerous ground feelin’ sorry for her, nah. She may have had some tough luck, but she still a monster, ya hear? She’ll destroy you and everyone ya ever loved if given the chance.”

“She’s right, Cam.” Gavin sat next to me, looked sternly in my eyes. “Don’t let her history cloud the reality of who and what she is. She didn’t have to turn on the people of Amaranth, didn’t have to take it out on them. She chose to let Gérard ruin her.”

“No one chooses that,” I mumbled. “That kind of betrayal alters you.…” As I began to shake, thinking of my mother, Gavin’s cell phone rang and he disappeared into the hallway to take the call.

He returned, his expression frantic. “We have to go.” He looked at me. “Marie came looking for you again, back at Josh’s cabin.”

“And Arianna’s with Josh,” I whispered in realization, remembering the last time I encountered Marie, when she stalked me at that very same cabin. Marie was now even more of a threat. We had to ensure that details of Arianna’s whereabouts wouldn’t travel back to Samira. I sprinted toward the door, Gavin making it to the car before I had a second to ponder what this would mean for our plans.