Кейти Макалистер: Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang

Janice looked like she wanted to consider that option a bit longer, but Rick, bless him, continued on. “The second is an execration.”

“I said that death is out-”

“Not execution, execration . The modern usage of the word ‘execrate’ means to detest or loathe, but in centuries past it was used to mean ‘to curse.’ The Brotherhood has long labeled those cast out of the fold as cursed to walk the earth in darkness.”

“There could be worse things than that,” Magda told me.

“Like remaining in. I agree. And I agree to the execration, assuming that there is something I must do in order to get the ball rolling. Make a statement of my beliefs? Provide a witness to say I’m friendly to the enemy? Or do you need some sort of blood oath?”

“Nothing so easy, I’m afraid,” Rick said with a genuine smile.

Despite the fact that he was one of the bad guys, I kind of liked him. His wife, however . . .

“The director said you would refuse to listen to reason,” she said, her lips still tight.

I almost asked her why she bothered to argue with me, but let that go in favor of ending this conversation more quickly.

“So he empowered us to make a deal with you. You failed acting as Zorya in two separate instances: The first was refusing to send on a spirit who had sought help from you.”

“Ulfur,” I said, a pang of guilt zinging through me at the memory of him. “I didn’t refuse him at all. I would have sent him on if I could have, but he opted to remain and help me.”

Janice’s lips tightened even more. I was surprised she could crack them to talk. “Nonetheless, you must find him and send him to Ostri, as you were meant to do.”

“I have no problem with helping him,” I said. “Although he said he would be fine when I left Iceland. But he must be tired of poking around with nothing to do but watch tourists. What’s the second thing?”

“You must engineer the release of those Brotherhood members whose detention by the vampires you aided two months ago. If you do those two things, the director will ask the board of governors to execrate you from the Brotherhood.”

“Free the reapers?” My stomach wadded up on itself when I realized just what they were asking.

“Mother Mary,” Magda said under her breath, her gaze fixed on me. “The vamps aren’t going to want to do that, are they?”

“What you ask is too much,” I protested, my hands flailing a little as I tried to imagine me marching up to the vampires and asking them sweetly if they’d let their mortal enemies go. “Even if I knew where they were being held, there’s no way I could get them released.”

“Nonetheless, those are the terms of the agreement. Either you restore to the Brotherhood the four people listed here”-she handed me a card-“or you will fulfill your duties as Zorya.”

“You can’t make her be a Zorya,” Magda said hotly.

“Actually, we can,” Rick said, one side of his mouth quirking up. “I always thought it was a bit odd that a Zorya is merely a conduit to the power of the moon, but I can see why it would be useful in just such a case.”

I grimaced at the idea of being used again as a tool of destruction. The very idea made me sick to my stomach. Therefore, the vampires were just going to have to play ball with me. Which meant I would have to face that silly council after all. “All right,” I said slowly, looking at the card. The name Mattias had been written next to a name I recognized, followed by the word “Vienna”; Kristjana was evidently being held in Iceland, while the other two had a notation that they were being detained in Oslo.

“I doubt I can do anything for these three people,” I said, pointing to Kristjana and the two flunkies Frederic had brought in. “I don’t know the people in charge of them. But I do know the one keeping Mattias. I will agree to rescue him in exchange for my freedom.”

Janice frowned and looked as if she were going to object, but Rick leaned in and whispered something. She answered, and they spent almost a minute in conversation before Janice finally turned back. “We will concede the rescue of the two Norwegian members, since you had no direct contact with them, but you are responsible for Kristjana being held. Therefore, we will be satisfied if you will bring back to us the sacristan and the priestess.”

“Priestess?” I was momentarily taken aback by the idea of Kristjana being some sort of a holy woman. Devout people did not scream like banshees while flinging themselves on others with the intent of gouging out flesh with their bare hands.

“It is the title given to the person in charge of each chapter,” Rick explained. “It’s more an honorific than anything.”

“Ah.” I thought for a moment, but didn’t think I could get them to budge on that point. “All right, we have a deal. You can go back and tell your director that. Er . . . for the record, the director is Frederic, isn’t it? For that matter, has another Zenith been chosen?”

“Yes, the director is Monsieur Robert,” Janice answered, picking up her purse. “No Zenith has been named yet. The director and governors are meeting in Los Angeles to discuss candidates.”

“Wow,” Magda said, watching as Rick waved and followed Janice out without saying anything further. She raised her eyebrows as I carefully closed the door behind them. “That was . . . Frederic? The same Frederic that I met?”

“Yes,” I said slowly. “Somehow he must have escaped jail in Iceland. I wonder how he did that.”

“And he’s the director of the governing board? Whew. No wonder you didn’t like him. Are you really going to do it? Free Mattias and Kristjana, I mean?”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Her face screwed up in thought. “Nope. Can’t see any other way out of it.”

“Me either.” I turned off the computer equipment and the lights, preparing to lock up the office.

“Boy, I’d give just about anything to see that delicious Christian’s face when you walk up to his door and ask him for the reapers. You have to take me with you-I can’t possibly miss something that’s going to be so very entertaining.”

“Oh, yes, it’ll be a laugh riot, all right.” My stomach felt like lead, my spirits dampened and drooping like soggy feathers.

She giggled, but watched me closely as I gathered up my things and stuffed them into the leather satchel that I used as a briefcase. I stood her scrutiny for as long as I could before turning to her with an irritated, “What?”

She nodded toward the door. “You were impressive with that woman, you know? It was a side of you I hadn’t seen before.”

“Needs must and all that crap.” I set down the bag and slumped into a nearby armchair. “I just hate it when someone pulls the rug out from under me. It makes me feel so irritable. And now I have two separate groups pulling two separate rugs, and I don’t know how on earth I’m going to do everything they want me to do.”

“Suck it up, buttercup.”

I glanced at her in surprise.

She laughed and gave my shoulder a little squeeze. “That’s what my dad always used to say to me. I know you don’t particularly want to have anything more to do with the vampires, but this may turn out to be a good thing.”

“In no way will my further involvement with the vamps be considered anything but potentially disastrous,” I complained, rubbing my temples. “Dammit, Magda! This isn’t fair!”

“It’s called life, and it sucks at times.” She looked up as Ray opened the door and stuck his head in, asking if we were almost ready to go. She told him we’d be right there. “Then again, there are times when it really is very nice.” She sighed happily as she watched him through the window.