"Then come over here under the trees for shelter. You'resoaked."
"I'm dead," he says, his voice bitter. "What does itmatter?"
I take his arm and pull him to the shelter of one of the tall firs. Underneath, only a few errant drops of rain fall through the canopy of needles. I close my umbrella and stand still in the ensuingsilence.
I squeeze his arm incomfort.
Michel shakes his head. His hair is soaked and his thick lashes clumped from the rain – ortears.
"He was so good to me," he says, his voice breaking. For a moment, he says nothing, and I can see him struggling with his composure. "Despite everything, he treated me sowell."
"He loved you very much, despite how he teased you," I say. "How hard will it be to get an Ancient's blood to restorehim?"
Michel sighs. "I'll get Soren to do the rite tomorrow, but the price will be very high." Then he touches my cheek lightly, saying nothing, reaching up to cup my face and I lean into his hand. I realize he's using his powers to take away my sadness, and in that moment, I feel a surge of something for him that surprises me. Whether it was his doing, or just a flash of insight, I don't know. All I know is that he was never a monster, no matter what he'sdone.
In the darkness, he reaches out and folds me in an embrace, his arms tightening around me. Our skin doesn't touch and so we're just two people embracing, providing each other comfort. I rest my head against his shoulder. He's silent for a long moment and it feels so comforting to be in hisarms.
"Soren arranged all this," he says, his voice filled with emotion. "All of it like one big chess game. He wants one of us. He'll want Julien's servitude in return for revivinghim."
I can think of nothing to say in response. Then, movement catches my eye and I turn, my heart racing, only to find Antonio standing on the pathway a few steps away from us. Like Michel, he's drenched from therain.
"This is where they stood," Antonio calls out. The old man points to a spot off the pathway. "I held up my crucifix and tried to stop it, to make it leave Julien alone, but I was not strong enough. Julien was already under itsspell."
Michel doesn't move. I'm transfixed as well, imagining it in my mind'seye.
"The demon tried to stop me, but I fought it," Antonio says, his voice gaining strength and emotion. "Then it killed Julien, staking him. It threw him across the clearing as if he were no more than a rag doll. He fell onto the ground here." Antonio points to a tall fir beside thewalkway.
Michel moves closer and examines the spot but there's nothing to see. Whatever blood there was has been washed away in therain.
"You must take up the fight, Michel," Antonio says. "You must follow in his footsteps. Give in to God's plan. But there are sides. Choosecarefully."
Michel pushes past the old man and leaves the garden. I follow him to the park's exit and he stops and waits forme.
I touch his arm. "He's a crazy old man. Ignorehim."
"Not as crazy as you mightthink."
"Tell me,then."
"Eve," he says and rubs his forehead. "I'm taking some time off while I make arrangements to revive Julien." He looks at me. "You're not safe. I'm going to have to teach you to look after yourself. I want you to meet me tomorrow night at the dojo. If I'm leaving you unprotected, I'm doing things my way. I have to go to my appointment, but you need to go home now. Promise me you'll use my driver and go home rightaway."
"Of course Iwill."
He leaves my side and walks down the lane to the monastery without looking back. When I glance back to the garden, the old man stands in the center where Julien died, still unprotected from the rain that now falls intorrents.
* * *
Chapter 19
"They sickenof the calm who knew thestorm."
DorothyParker
Michel's waiting in the dojo when I arrive for my shift at seven, and as soon as I see him, I'm like Pavlov's dog, all excited and breathless. On top of my desire for him, there's a strange excitement in my belly at the prospect of him teaching me how to kill a vampire properly – and as acting as his propersubmissive.
I remind myself what he said – that I must obey him, no questions asked about his decisions. That I must trust himcompletely.
I'm not sure if I can do this. I'm so used to being my own woman, making all my own decisions. I've been alone for my entire life, with no siblings, and most of it without my real parents. I just don't know if I can play thisrole.