“Hello?”
“The vampire Isabelle is dead,” he stated, as if we had been talking all this time.
I sat up straighter, closing my eyes. I had known that this was likely, but hearing the words was a huge blow.
“You killed her,” I said dully, a statement.
“You knew we would, Liam. Our truce only has to do with Selene.”
“I know.” I leaned back in my chair. “It’s just that Isabelle was 5 centuries old and now I have to explain this to her ex-husband.”
“Who nearly compromised another Shield in this situation,” Thomas reminded me. “This is already drawing dangerously close to the line. The others are restless. If Selene is not killed, I’m not sure I can stop an out-and-out war.’’
“I know.”
I seemed to be able to come up with nothing but those two words. I knew that disaster was weighing heavily on us, and yet there was nothing I could do it about. I had an ex-girlfriend who was about to drop dead, a ghost in my theater, and I was apparently the ringleader of a supernatural war and the headmaster to hundreds of kids. Five years ago, I couldn’t even keep track of my own car keys, and now all of this was on my shoulders.
“You should know that you are not the only one disapproving,” I said. “The elders visited me and told me off for telling humans about my existence.”#p#分页标题#e#
“At least someone keeps order within the vampires,” Thomas replied. “I understand you lost one of your own.”
“We did.” I was surprised by his sympathy.
“My condolences, we’ve been through it,” he said softly. “And we wish to never go through it again.”
“Thomas…” My voice caught in my throat. “Porsche was…”
“Don’t,” he cut me off. “Just don’t, Liam. We have tried every way we can to not soil her memory. But there’s nothing I can do to fix who her friends were.”
I swallowed hard and tried to change the subject.
“Can you Shields do anything about ghosts?”
“Excuse me?”
“Ghosts. I think I have a ghost in my theater. Any chance you can help me out?”
Thomas was silent a moment, thinking.
“It depends. If the ghost is a residual energy from the other side, then we cannot do anything. But if it’s a soul, trapped there, then we have the same effect on it as we do on other supernatural creatures. Ghosts are powerful creatures with a lot of knowledge, because they see and hear things others do not. If you have a ghost, it might be able to assist you.”
I nearly dropped the phone in surprise. “You can make it human?”
“If it’s a soul trapped in this world, then we can make it more solid, yes. We can’t make it human, Liam, because we can’t raise the dead. If we could…”
“Can Sarah do it?” I asked quickly, my heart pounding. “Would she be strong enough to do it?”
“Doubtful. Those Shields were always weak, while De Ritter Shields leave residual energy after they die, they are so powerful,” Thomas almost boaster. “Who’s the ghost?”
“Amy’s mother,” I blurted out. “At least… we think it is.”
“Ah.” There was silence and then I heard Thomas sigh. “Your O’Malley Shield wouldn’t be strong enough, no. But if I have your word of honor, I’ll send you the Cameron’s active Shield, Larissa. But if anything happens to her, Liam, so much as a scratch…”
“Nothing will happen to her,” I replied. “Nothing, I promise.”
“It’ll be to your disadvantage as much as ours, for your allies will be weakened. She’ll be by your office in the morning.”
“Thank you,” I said hurriedly, and we said our goodbyes.
I hung up the phone and left my office door open as I bolted down the hallway, phone to my ear, with Amy’s number ringing.
Hi, you’ve reached Amy. I’m unable to come to the phone right now…
Of course you are, I thought bitterly. She probably saw my caller ID and threw her phone against the wall. Annoyed, I rounded the corner to the cafeteria and found Sarah, who had recently rejoined the world of the living, first by piling her plate high with cafeteria food.
“Need you,” I said.
She raised an eyebrow, giving me a look of annoyance. “After I eat.”
“Can’t wait.” I was practically hopping from one foot to the other.