“Cat, no,” Geri said.
I didn’t answer her. Cannelle gave me a look filled with malicious defiance. “But Bones isn’t your husband. Gregor is.”
“Semantics. You’re wasting time. Get right with God. Fast.”
“I am a human,” she hissed. “A living, breathing person. You may have it in you to wound me, but not to kill me.”
I ignored that, too. “Marie got her freedom for her role in this. What did Gregor promise? To change you into a vampire?”
Another hostile glare. “Oui. It’s my payment for all the years I’ve served him.”
“You backed the wrong horse,” I said. “You’re not going to be a vampire, Cannelle, but I’ll let you die like one.”
She stood up. “You wouldn’t dare. Gregor would kill you.”
Then she looked down. The silver knife was buried in her chest. It even vibrated for a few seconds with her last remaining heartbeats. Cannelle watched with astonishment the handle quiver before her eyes glazed and her knees buckled.
I stood over her and felt more of that awful coldness.
“Maybe Gregor will kill me for this, Cannelle. I’m willing to take that chance.”
I went to see Don. He was busy with his own preparations for departure. I didn’t know where my former unit was stationed now, and that was good by me. I wouldn’t have put it past Gregor to use that information to his advantage. Don wouldn’t, either. That’s why everyone from our division was clearing out right after I did.
Vlad was in Don’s office. As soon as I entered, they both quit speaking. My mouth curled.
“How obvious are you two? Come on, boys, what’s the topic? ‘Will Cat have a breakdown?’ or ‘Ten easy steps to talk someone out of suicide’? Both of you can save it. I’m okay.”
My uncle coughed. “Don’t be so dramatic. I was getting a way to contact you since you can’t exactly send me a postcard, and Vlad was informing me that you’ll be with him.”
I gave Vlad a look that would have been challenging—if I hadn’t just spent umpteen hours flying overseas on an empty stomach, lack of sleep, and general hypertension.
“For now.”
Vlad smiled, disdainful and amused at the same time. “It’s your choice, Cat. I’m not forcing you.”
Don looked back and forth between us, his gray eyes narrowing. They were the same smoky color as mine, and right now, they were glinting with suspicion.
“Is there something going on with the two of you that I should be aware of?”
“Isn’t there something going on with you that she should?” Vlad responded.
Now it was my turn to glance between them. “What?”
Don coughed and flashed a single glare to Vlad. “Nothing.”
Vlad let out a noncommittal grunt. “Then that’s all you’ll get from me as well, Williams.”
I was about to demand to know what the hell the subtext of this was when Don spoke up.
“Cat, you asked me before to find out if those dream-suppression pills had any side effects. I’ve checked with Pathology, and they said you might experience depression, mood swings, irritability, paranoia, and chronic fatigue. Have you noticed any of that?”
I thought back to my last few times with Bones and couldn’t help but burst into demented laughter.
“Yeah. All of the above, and all at once. This information would have been useful a couple weeks ago, but it’s kind of irrelevant now.”
I wasn’t going to use those pills again. I’d rather be ignorant of my whereabouts than subject to the side effects that had helped drive Bones and me apart. Don must have guessed some of my train of thought because he gave me a sad look.
The moment was broken when Cooper came running in. “B4358 is coming in for a landing.”
“What?” my uncle snapped. “They didn’t get permission!”
My eyes widened. Those were the call numbers to Dave’s plane. The one that was carrying Bones and Spade.
“I know, sir. The tower ordered them not to land, but they said an Englishman got on the wire and said to shut it or he’d beat the seven shades of shit out of him.”
Bones. “We have to leave,” I said to Vlad. “Now.”
“‘Run, Forrest, run!’” Vlad mocked.
“Stow it, Drac,” I snapped. “With or without you, I’m in the air before he gets off that plane.”
“It will be with me. Williams”—Vlad gave a nod at my uncle—“farewell. Few people have your determination to walk their road all the way to its conclusion.”
I didn’t even spare the time to give my uncle a hug. I was halfway down the hall, tossing a “Thanks, ‘bye!” over my shoulder.