Page 22 of Kept 4
“I’m so sorry. I wish I could offer you some solace, give you more information. But we don’t know what happened to her. We fear the Hunters may have taken her, as they did you, and knowing she was Kept, ended her life – Gerald is in Europe now, retracing her steps, I will join him shortly.”
“Why?”
“Why?”
“Yes, why? I mean, why are you joining him? If she is dead, then that is exactly what he wants. Why should he care where her body ended up, or who did the deed?”
His silence speaks volumes. I imagine him frowning, cocking his beautiful head to the side as he considers my cold-hearted response and tries to make sense of it.
“Because Gerald is my friend, and if the hunters are bold enough to make a move against one Kept, then the men and women sharing the lives of all vampires are at risk – we must step up our pursuit of these hunters and end them once and for all.”
“But,” I frown, “I thought you were in pursuit of Elsbeth?”
“That will have to wait,” Nicholas says gently, “she has made no move against you in Thailand. You haven’t felt fear in this regard, surely? I have not felt anything other than the occasional feeling of anxiety spreading from you to me, which is to be expected travelling in a new land. Is there something you are not telling me?”
“No,” I grit my teeth, “but it probably isn’t a stretch of the imagination to suppose that the vampires who tried to kill me last month were in league with her, at least, that was your take on events, since you still trust that prick, Gerald.”
He sighs heavily.
“I’ve talked this over with Gerald. He has no powers, Josephine. But as he said, sometimes our Kept, they believe we are far more powerful and omniscient than we really are, some almost deify us. Margarita cared deeply for Gerald; she misunderstood his abilities, that is all.”
I look across at my sleeping friend and shake my head. She and I had enjoyed many, many conversations over the past few days, and I had watched her go from totally confused, to angry as hell over what she had experienced. One thing was for certain, though, Gerald had completely and totally controlled her, and he could fly.
Still, no point flogging a dead horse. Nicholas did not believe me, that was fine. I planned to retrieve the weapon the moment I had sent Margarita to safety, and then the Hunters could dispense with their ancient once and for all. Let the chips fall where they may.
It would hurt me, wound me to my very core, to have Nicholas also die, but I was resolute now in my course of action. And if Nicholas was away from home, my plan would be all the easier to execute. I concentrate now, on what may be my last conversation with my vampire, and try to warn him one last time.
“Gerald is leading you astray,” I grit, “he is taking you away from hunting Elsbeth. Nicholas, can’t you see that perhaps I am right, that maybe he is protecting her?”
“Josephine, please,” he sighs, “must we have this conversation over and over?”
I let out another deep sigh. Clearly, I am not going to get anywhere here. It feels like a knife twisting deep in my heart to have to acknowledge it. I decide to change the subject, for both our sakes.
“I can’t live in Asia for the rest of my life,” I say quietly, “sooner or later you will have to go after her.”
I don’t add that he won’t have to if the Hunters achieve their goal, or that I’m not really in Asia and have no intention of going there. At least not right now. So many secrets, lies within lies, and yet at the heart of it all, I still loved this man, felt terrible lying to him – I wanted to bare my soul, but how could I when he trusted one so wholly evil? Had always trusted him?
Seeing Margarita stir, I know I have to end the conversation, his hearing is exceptional, even one word from her and the game will be up.
“Nicholas,” I need to go.
“I have so much to tell you,” he says, his voice sad.
“Send me your journal.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I sigh.
I feel duplicitous asking, but it might give me the edge to know what Gerald is up to and where they are both heading. Also, if I’m honest, I miss Nicholas to the core, I want to know his thoughts too. As I think this, I lose the battle to conceal my desire for him, the depth of my need, just how much I miss him. The feelings come in a rush, overwhelm my senses, and I close my eyes tightly to squeeze back the tears.
“I feel the same,” he says gently and hangs up.
9
Margarita safely ensconced in Daniel’s limousine, I turn to him and shake my head.
“What would I do without you? You are like the proverbial knight in shining armour coming to my rescue.”
