Keeper of the Shadows

chapter 23



As it turned out, DJ had not been breaking as many fire codes as Darius had suggested. The basement room was completely fireproofed relative to the rest of the house. While the basement burned itself clean, the rest of the house was untouched; the blaze never even raised an alarm with the County Fire Department.

“I may be a junkie, but I’m not stupid,” DJ huffed.

It was the height of Hollywood absurdity, but strangely fitting.

Barrie brought Phoenix back to the House of the Rising Sun, and after she had tucked the exhausted boy into a guest room, the Keepers convened in the great room with Mick, DJ, Brodie, Declan and Merlin in attendance. Rhiannon circulated through the room, pressing pastries and coffee and tea on everyone who would take them.

“Darius is dead,” Barrie told them. “Staked through the heart with the help of Johnny Love. There’s going to be nothing left of him in that inferno.”

Sailor was crying; Darius had been her mentor, her godfather. She wasn’t blind to or even surprised by his villainy; in fact, Sailor and Rhiannon had deduced that someone had lured them away from Barrie with the fake call about the Elven-vampire standoff. Brodie in turn had never made it to DJ’s house, because he’d received texts apparently from both Rhiannon and Sailor calling for help at their own crisis, and of course he’d rushed to their aid. It was obvious in retrospect that Darius had been the one to orchestrate all those diversions.

So, surprised, no—but it was still a brutal blow to Sailor, and indeed to them all.

The biggest shock of all was the cold-bloodedness of the vampire’s kills. Mayo had killed Johnny out of lust and jealousy. Tiger had killed Mayo out of empathy and revenge. But Darius had killed Tiger and Travis Branson, and covered up Mayo’s crime, and attempted to kill Barrie and Mick and DJ and Phoenix, all for business. Nothing but business. And power.

“I don’t know if I ever want to act again,” Sailor sniffled. “What’s the point, when people can do such horrible things to each other for money and for fame?” Declan pulled her close against him on the couch, soothing her.

“There’s a nightmare side to the business, no doubt,” Barrie said. “But remember, at its best Hollywood still creates dreams for everyone in the world. We need the good people to keep dreaming for us.”

“Hear, hear,” Mick said softly, and slipped his arm around her.

Brodie was on his feet, thinking through the real-life consequences of the situation. “We’re going to need to account for Darius’s death.”

“Nobody can trace him to DJ’s house,” Mick pointed out. “He covered his own tracks by sending a shifter to some banquet in his place to create an airtight alibi. Whoever that shifter is, he’s going to keep quiet so as not to be implicated in Darius’s disappearance himself.”

“So, we just say nothing?” Rhiannon asked.

“Could be the best course of action,” Brodie admitted.

“And if that doesn’t work, well, all that’s left of him is a pile of ashes, and wildfire season is coming up,” Sailor said.

Everyone looked at her in shock.

“So cute, and yet so devious,” Declan said dryly, and hugged her.

Finally they turned to the real issue at hand: the teenager sleeping in the guest bedroom. Though Tiger was the one who had actually killed Mayo, Phoenix had been in on the planning of it.

Not a single adult in the group had any thought other than that Mayo had gotten exactly what was coming to him. He was a pedophile and a murderer who had cut short the life of one of the most talented Others ever to walk the planet, and he had gone scot-free for fifteen years, not to mention that he’d enjoyed a life of unprecedented power and fortune for every one of those years. Tiger was only one of a long line of young people—and young Others—Mayo had exploited, sexually and otherwise.

“But we can’t have Others executing people—or conspiring to execute people—without trial simply because they deserve it. That would be anarchy and chaos,” Rhiannon said.

“So, we put him on probation,” Barrie said. “Phoenix is only sixteen. We can’t handle him as if he were an adult, but we can’t leave him alone. He’s our responsibility now.”

“That’s right,” said Mick. “I’d be willing to mentor him. And Deej will, too.”

“Me?” DJ did a comic double take. “What do I know about kids?” he protested.

“Everything,” Mick shot back at him. “You never grew up. I have a feeling it would be even better for you than it would be for him.”

Even DJ had nothing to say to that. Mick looked at Barrie. “We’ll be checking up on you. Both of you.”

She felt emotions welling up in her, so strong she could only squeeze Mick’s hand.

Rhiannon stepped up to Mick and looked at him steadily. “Thank you for keeping her safe.”

He met her gaze. “It was good practice. I plan to be doing a lot of it in the future.”

Rhiannon smiled. “I was getting that picture.”

“So, what do we call you?” Sailor demanded. “Robbie? Mick? Michael?”

“Just don’t call me late to dinner,” Mick said, and everyone groaned good-naturedly. Then he looked serious. “Robbie was a onetime guest appearance. He’s retired for good now.”

“Johnny Love, Robbie Anderson and DJ reunited to defeat evil,” Sailor sighed. “You know what’s sad is—the best parts of this story can never be told.”

“That’s sort of the story of our lives,” Rhiannon said.

“What’s important is we know it,” Barrie said, and threaded her fingers through Mick’s.

* * *

There were hugs and kisses all around, and finally Mick and Barrie walked out the back door and across the patio, past the pool, which rippled enticingly in the moonlight.

“That water looks pretty fine,” he said thoughtfully, and the tone of his voice made her blush all over. “What time do you think...?”

“They should be asleep in an hour or so,” she said, and felt a shivery thrill of anticipation.

“We’ll have to think of something to do until then,” he said, and drew her under an arch of jasmine to kiss her. The fragrance surrounded them, and she sank into the bliss of his touch, his lips, his body against hers, his arms enclosing her.

“Do you know I fell in love with you when I was thirteen?” she said dreamily as he kissed her ear, the nape of her neck.

“And I’ve been trying to find you ever since,” he said into her skin, and she felt fire race through her.

“City of dreams,” she said, and stretched up against him.

“It is,” he said, and then she was lost in his embrace.