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Authors: Debbie Johnson
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and was, as far as I was concerned, a free agent. But he looked so hurt, so worried, that I wasn’t enough of a heartless bitch to remind him of that. That was probably something I needed to work on.
He nodded, and I could feel the effort it took for him to drop the subject.
‘I understand. Just be careful,’ he said. ‘With Luca. With all of them. They’re allies, but they’re animals. Their control can slip.’
Right. Another gem to add to the list: don’t poke the vampires.
‘Where’s Carmel?’ I asked, deciding to change the subject.
‘She’s gone home to call work – said she was “throwing a sickie”, whatever that means – and she’ll meet us later. She said she needed to feed the cat, but to be honest, I think she was drunk. I need to restock the vodka if she’s coming round again.’
‘And is she? Coming round again? You’re not going to do some, I don’t know, Jedi mind-control trick and erase it all from her memory?’
He sat down opposite me, eyes running over my face, lingering on my neck as though checking for potential vampire mayhem.
‘I could, if that’s what you want. I have the magic to do that. But apart from the alcoholism, she seemed to take it all in her stride. For a mortal. And she is tough, also for a mortal. It would help my mind rest easier if I knew she was with you, when I can’t be.’
I pondered the issue, not overly thrilled at the prospect of a new life where I seemed to be in need of a bodyguard twenty-four/seven. But I needed Carmel as well – not only for babysitting duties, but because she was mine. In this world of weirdness, she was my friend. I didn’t doubt Gabriel’s dedication to his duty, but to him, I was Mabe. Mother of the Mortals and potential consort. To Carmel, I was Lily McCain, retarded pop girl and late-night news desk buddy. And whatever else I got dragged into, she’d always see me as that.
‘Will she be safe?’ I asked, trying hard not to be selfish.
‘I can’t guarantee it one hundred per cent,’ he replied. ‘But we’ll do our best to guard her. It’s something we do well. I have no intention of letting anything happen to you, Lily, or to Carmel.’
‘And Coleen? Nan?’ She might be a grade-A battleaxe, but I was in no rush to sit by that hospital bed.
‘Don’t worry about her. She’s being watched.’
‘Right,’ I said, tucking my knees up to my chin. Ugh. My jeans were smelly. I still hadn’t had that shower. ‘Well, let’s ask Carmel. I’m fairly sure what the answer will be, but we’ll let her make an educated decision. What time is it anyway? I assume after dark, unless Luca’s the kind of vampire who takes sunshine risks?’
‘Luca takes no risks at all when it comes to his own well-being,’ said Gabriel, ‘so don’t worry on his account.’
There was an edge to his voice, a slightly bitter anger I’d not heard before.
‘Are you … jealous?’ I asked, unable to keep the grin off my face. ‘Are you, High King Cormac macConaire, feeling a touch of the green-eyed monster?’
He stood up. His usual height, which was quite tall enough. Looked at me with slight haughtiness, the kind of expression I supposed a High King would have been practising for years.
‘Of course I am,’ he replied. ‘I am consumed with it. I feel the need to run a stake through Luca’s heart, disembowel him and spread his entrails in the midday sun. He touched you in a way you won’t let me touch you. You touched him in return. I felt it all, every one of your breathless sighs, every one of your heartbeats. And I hate him for it. Does that answer your question,
a ghra
?’
Uh. Yeah. I suppose it did. Even if I didn’t know what that last bit meant.
Chapter Eight
Same time, same place, different world.
We were back at the Coconut Shy, and I was nursing another beer. This time, Gabriel was by my side, as my High King totty, and just a few hours earlier I’d been feeling up the band’s hunky dead drummer boy.
He nodded, and I could feel the effort it took for him to drop the subject.
‘I understand. Just be careful,’ he said. ‘With Luca. With all of them. They’re allies, but they’re animals. Their control can slip.’
Right. Another gem to add to the list: don’t poke the vampires.
‘Where’s Carmel?’ I asked, deciding to change the subject.
‘She’s gone home to call work – said she was “throwing a sickie”, whatever that means – and she’ll meet us later. She said she needed to feed the cat, but to be honest, I think she was drunk. I need to restock the vodka if she’s coming round again.’
‘And is she? Coming round again? You’re not going to do some, I don’t know, Jedi mind-control trick and erase it all from her memory?’
He sat down opposite me, eyes running over my face, lingering on my neck as though checking for potential vampire mayhem.
‘I could, if that’s what you want. I have the magic to do that. But apart from the alcoholism, she seemed to take it all in her stride. For a mortal. And she is tough, also for a mortal. It would help my mind rest easier if I knew she was with you, when I can’t be.’
I pondered the issue, not overly thrilled at the prospect of a new life where I seemed to be in need of a bodyguard twenty-four/seven. But I needed Carmel as well – not only for babysitting duties, but because she was mine. In this world of weirdness, she was my friend. I didn’t doubt Gabriel’s dedication to his duty, but to him, I was Mabe. Mother of the Mortals and potential consort. To Carmel, I was Lily McCain, retarded pop girl and late-night news desk buddy. And whatever else I got dragged into, she’d always see me as that.
‘Will she be safe?’ I asked, trying hard not to be selfish.
‘I can’t guarantee it one hundred per cent,’ he replied. ‘But we’ll do our best to guard her. It’s something we do well. I have no intention of letting anything happen to you, Lily, or to Carmel.’
‘And Coleen? Nan?’ She might be a grade-A battleaxe, but I was in no rush to sit by that hospital bed.
‘Don’t worry about her. She’s being watched.’
‘Right,’ I said, tucking my knees up to my chin. Ugh. My jeans were smelly. I still hadn’t had that shower. ‘Well, let’s ask Carmel. I’m fairly sure what the answer will be, but we’ll let her make an educated decision. What time is it anyway? I assume after dark, unless Luca’s the kind of vampire who takes sunshine risks?’
‘Luca takes no risks at all when it comes to his own well-being,’ said Gabriel, ‘so don’t worry on his account.’
There was an edge to his voice, a slightly bitter anger I’d not heard before.
‘Are you … jealous?’ I asked, unable to keep the grin off my face. ‘Are you, High King Cormac macConaire, feeling a touch of the green-eyed monster?’
He stood up. His usual height, which was quite tall enough. Looked at me with slight haughtiness, the kind of expression I supposed a High King would have been practising for years.
‘Of course I am,’ he replied. ‘I am consumed with it. I feel the need to run a stake through Luca’s heart, disembowel him and spread his entrails in the midday sun. He touched you in a way you won’t let me touch you. You touched him in return. I felt it all, every one of your breathless sighs, every one of your heartbeats. And I hate him for it. Does that answer your question,
a ghra
?’
Uh. Yeah. I suppose it did. Even if I didn’t know what that last bit meant.
Chapter Eight
Same time, same place, different world.
We were back at the Coconut Shy, and I was nursing another beer. This time, Gabriel was by my side, as my High King totty, and just a few hours earlier I’d been feeling up the band’s hunky dead drummer boy.
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