“And what is Grandma Chris supposed to do?” Lee argued.
It was always weird to hear her called that. Probably because when the kids had started she was barely thirty. Even now at fifty she looked too young to be a grandma. I was sure I would get a big-time lecture from Sasha about extracting one of his spies without permission. He should get used to it. I rarely asked permission and only asked forgiveness when I really needed it. I didn’t here. She was in danger and she’d done her job. She could give us everything she knew and live out the rest of her days in the comfort of Frelsi, doing happy witch things and being part of the family.
After all, knowing what I knew in that moment, it was all she’d ever truly wanted.
I had the bag in my hand when I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. “Christine?”
I gasped because she was face first on the floor, and what I did next was nothing more than instinct. I moved to her, dropping to my knees, the bag falling to the floor. I gently turned her over and there was blood everywhere. It was coming from the hole someone had punched into her gut.
“Zoey,” she said softly.
“Mom, we need to get her out of here.” Lee stood over me, and his gun had already made an appearance.
Christine shook her head. “You need to run. He’s here. Thought he was on our side. He’s contacting Myrddin. Couldn’t get through the door.”
I wasn’t sure who he was. “Lee, get under that cloak now.”
I didn’t think I could save Christine. I had to think about Lee. In that moment I wasn’t even thinking about the fact that I had the grimoire. I was thinking about my son, and I couldn’t lose him again. I was panicking because my heart was engaged in this.
“Christine, we have to go. I’m so sorry. Dad…he told me he would be waiting.” Tears blurred my eyes because I’d failed her. I’d failed my father, and I had to get his last message to her. “He said you won’t be alone.”
Her lips curved slightly even as a trickle of blood came from her mouth and she was seeing something I couldn’t. “He’s here now. Oh, it’s good to see him. Don’t be afraid, Zoey. What happens next…don’t be afraid. He’ll see the light and know. He’ll see it…he was born in it…”
“Who is he?” I asked.
But the light died in her eyes.
“Mom?”
I turned and horror spilled through my veins because there was something sticking out of Lee’s chest, something pointed and bloody. Lee’s good eye was wide, and I could see the fear on his face. And then that blade disappeared and Lee started to fall to his knees.
“I do believe she was talking about me, dear.”
Alexander Sharpe pulled the short sword in his hand up and dragged his thumb over it before bringing it to his lips.
“And thank you for bringing me that bag.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lee hit his knees and groaned, his head coming up. “Mom? What do I do?”
My heart threatened to seize. His skin had already gone pale.
Alexander chuckled. “You die, boy.”
I reached for my pistol, and I hated the way my hands shook as I leveled it at the vampire who really fucking shouldn’t be walking around because it was still light outside. Alexander was a warrior. His vampiric talents were strength and speed. Academics were the ones who got to walk around in the daylight. Daniel could walk in the daylight because of Dev’s unique magic. Alexander should be safely tucked away in his resting place, unable to even move when the sun was out.
“That’s what happens when you send a child to do a man’s job,” Alexander said, staring down at my son with those reptile eyes of his.
I should have fought harder to have him executed before. I’d always known he would turn on us, but he’d been so patient. For years and years he’d been a useful tool, convincing my husbands, the academics, and Sasha that he was worth keeping around.
But a snake will always strike.
I fired and his shoulder flew back. “Lee, get inside that apartment. Now.”
We needed cover because that one bullet wasn’t going to stop a vampire as old as Alexander. It wouldn’t stop any vampire at all, but it could slow him down. The silver might kill him eventually if he didn’t get the bullets out, but if I didn’t hit him directly in the heart he could still fight.
I had to get Lee some cover. If his body was left out here…I had no idea what they would do with it. He needed time for the vampire blood in his system to heal the wound. It would if I could keep his heart going long enough, if I could keep Alexander from doing more damage.