“You can put me down as something else that won’t be of any use,” Corban said, bitterly. “I couldn’t even stop myself from kidnapping you.”
“That Taser was one of Blackwood’s developments?”
“Not a Taser—Taser’s a brand name. Blackwood sells his stun gun to ... certain government agencies who want to question prisoners without showing any harm. It’s a lot hotter than anything Taser makes. Not legal for the civilian market but—” He sounded proud of it—proud and slick, as if presenting the product at a sales meeting. He stopped himself, and said simply, “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault,” I told him. I looked at Chad, who still seemed thoroughly spooked. “Hey, why don’t you translate for me a minute.”
“Okay.” Corban looked at his son, too. “Let me tell him what I’m doing.” He wiggled his hands, then said, “Go.”
“Blackwood’s a vampire,” I told Chad. “What that means is that your father can’t do anything but follow Blackwood’s orders—it’s part of what a vampire does. I’m a little protected for the same reason I can see ghosts and talk to them. That’s the only reason he hasn’t done the same thing to me ... yet. You’ll know when your father’s being controlled, though. Blackwood doesn’t like your dad signing to you—he can’t read sign. So if your dad’s not signing to you, that’s one thing to look for. And your dad fights his control, and you can see that in his shoulders—”
I broke off because Chad began gesturing wildly, his fingers exaggerating all the movements. His equivalent of yelling, I supposed.
Corban didn’t translate what Chad said, but he signed very slowly so he wouldn’t be misunderstood and spoke his words out loud when he answered. “Of course I’m your father. I held you in my arms the day you were born and sat vigil in the hospital when you almost died the next day. You are mine. I’ve earned the right to be your dad. Blackwood wants you alone and afraid. He’s a bully and feeds on misery as much as blood. Don’t let him win.”
Chad’s bottom jaw went first, but before I saw tears, his face was hidden against Corban.
It wasn’t the best time for Amber to come in.
“It’s hot upstairs,” she announced. “I’m to sleep down here with you.”
“Do you have the key?” I asked. Not that I expected Blackwood to have forgotten. Mostly I just wanted to keep her attention and let Chad, who hadn’t noticed her, have his moment with his dad.
She laughed. “No, silly. Jim was not very happy with you—I’m not going to help you escape. I’ll just sleep out here. It’ll be quite comfortable. Just like camping out.”
“Come here,” I said. I didn’t know that it would work. I didn’t know anything.
But she came. I didn’t know if she was compelled, or just following my request.
“What do you need?” She stopped within an easy arm’s reach.
I put my arm through the bars and held out my hand. She looked at it a moment, but took it.
“Amber,” I said solemnly, looking into her eyes. “Chad will be safe. I promise.”
She nodded earnestly. “I’ll take care of him.”
“No.” I swallowed and then put authority in my voice. “You’re dead, Amber.” Her expression didn’t change. I narrowed my eyes at her in my best Adam imitation. “Believe me.”
First her face lit up with that horrible fake smile, and she started to say something. She looked down at my hand, then over to Corban and Chad—who hadn’t noticed her yet.
“You’re dead,” I told her, again.
She collapsed where she stood. It wasn’t graceful or gentle. Her head bounced off the floor with a hollow sound.
“Can he take her again?” asked Corban urgently.
I knelt and closed her eyes. “No,” I told him with more conviction than I felt. Who knew what Blackwood could do? But her husband needed to believe it was over for her. At any rate, it wouldn’t be Amber who walked around in her body. Amber was gone.
“Thank you,” he told me, with tears in his eyes. He wiped his face and tapped Chad on the shoulder.
“Hey, kid,” he said, and he stepped away so Chad could see Amber’s body. They talked for a long time then. Corban played it tough and gave his son the gift of the belief in the superman qualities of fathers for at least one more day.
We slept, all of us, as far from Amber’s body as we could get. They pushed the bed up close to my cell and the two of them slept on that and I slept on the floor next to them. Chad reached though the bars and kept a hand on my shoulder. The cell floor could have been a bed of nails, and I would still have slept.
“MERCY?”
The voice was unfamiliar—but so was the cement under my cheek. I stirred and regretted it immediately. Everything hurt.
“Mercy, it is dark, and Blackwood will be here soon.”
I sat up and looked across the room at the oakman. “Good evening.” I didn’t use his name. Some of the fae can be funny about names, and the way Blackwood had overused it made me think that the oakman was one of those. I couldn’t thank him, and I searched for a way to acknowledge his honoring my request, but I didn’t find one.
“I’m going to try something,” I said finally. I closed my eyes and called to Stefan. When I felt I’d done as good a job at that as I could, I opened my eyes and rubbed my aching neck.
“What are you trying to do?” Corban asked.
“I can’t tell you,” I said. “I’m very sorry. But Blackwood can’t know—and I’m not sure it worked.” But I thought so. I never had been able to feel Stefan like I did Adam. If Blackwood hadn’t managed to take me over ... yet ... that should mean Stefan could still hear me. I hoped.
I tried touching Adam, too. But I couldn’t feel anything from him or the pack. It was probably just as well. Blackwood had said he was ready for werewolves, and I believed him.
Blackwood didn’t come down. We all tried not to notice Amber, and I was grateful for the coolness of the basement. The ghosts didn’t show up either. We talked about vampires until I’d told them everything I knew in general—only leaving out the names.
Stefan also did not come.
After hours of tedium and a few minutes of embarrassment when someone had to use the buckets left for us, I finally tried to sleep again. I dreamed of sheep. Lots of sheep.
SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NEXT DAY I REGRETTED that I had not eaten the food Amber had prepared. But I was more thirsty than anything. The fairy staff showed up once, and I told it to go away and be safe, speaking softly so no one would notice. When I glanced back at the corner it had been in, it was gone again.
Chad taught me and the oakman how to swear in ASL and worked with us until we were pretty good at finger spelling. It left my hands aching, but kept him occupied.
We knew that Blackwood was paying attention to us again when Corban stopped in the middle of a sentence. After a few minutes he turned his head, and Blackwood opened the door.
The vampire looked at me without favor. “And where do you suppose I’m going to find another cook for you?” He took the body away and returned a few hours later with apples and oranges and bottled water—tossing them carelessly through the bars.
His hands smelled of Amber, rot, and earth. I supposed he’d buried her somewhere.
He took Corban away. When Chad’s father returned, he was stumblingly weak and had another bite mark on his neck.
“My friend is better at that than you are,” I said in a snotty voice because Blackwood had paused, with the cage door open, to look at Chad. “He doesn’t leave huge bruises behind.”
The vampire slammed the door, locked it, and stowed the key in his pants pocket. “Whenever you open your mouth,” he said, “I marvel that the Marrok didn’t wring your neck years ago.” He smiled a little. “Fine. Since you are the cause of my hunger, you may feed it.”