Roaring Dawn: Macey Book 3 (The Gardella Vampire Hunters 10)(50)

“At least let me stanch the blood a bit,” Grady said.

Flora gave a great sigh. “Very well. I might have need of her later. You may help her, but make it quick. As I was saying, this entire situation began when my best friend betrayed me. We’d been close chums for years. Even had the same piano teacher—who we were both terrified of—and we grew up in the same small town. And then we moved to Chicago, the big city, and everything changed.

“At first I thought things would change for the better. We had our own flats, and there were cabarets and jazz clubs, and my brother knew some of the owners of the speakeasies, and he said he’d get us in one sometime—though he never did.” Her voice turned bitter and hard. “Another person who betrayed me.

“But through it all, Macey and I were best friends. We had other chums, but it was the two of us who shared secrets, and talked about men and what we wanted to do with our lives, and everything. I loved her. She didn’t make fun of my red hair and freckles and long, gangly arms and legs—even when we were younger and the other kids did. She introduced me to all of the men—they gathered around her like flies. And some of them even liked me, too. Though I was their second choice, at least they liked me. She even tried to help me find a job that was as good as hers—she worked at the library at the university, you see, and she was a professional and made good money.

“And that’s when I realized…perhaps she didn’t think I was good enough for her after all. I tried to get a job working as a secretary, or in a typing pool, and none of those options worked out. She laughed and pretended to sympathize and encourage me when I told her how I spilled ink on the woman who interviewed me at the secretarial pool, but I started to think she was laughing at me and not with me. And when I told her I was going to try and get a job working as a seamstress in one of the clothing factories, she looked down her nose at me, as if I would no longer be good enough to be her friend if I did.

“And then she met a Negro woman named Temple. And she and that nigger bitch became friends, and Macey didn’t have time for me anymore. She even quit her job at the library. She was never home when I called her or came by to see her.”

By now, Macey’s eyes were welling with tears and she needed to blow her nose. Oh, Flora! How terrible that her best friend believed all of those things, and how ill it made her feel.

And yet…Flora was right about some things. Once Macey had become a Venator, she didn’t have as much time to spend with Flora or Chelle or Dottie as she wanted.

And to make things worse, she hadn’t been able to tell them about her new life and why she wasn’t available.

“But that was when my life changed. I met a very charming man named Count Alvisi who owned a cabaret called The Blood Club. And he introduced me to a secret society called the Tutela, and told me that if I played my cards right, I could become immortal. I’d be strong, and have power that surpassed what any human could have. And for once, I’d be better than Macey Denton. And maybe I’d be the one helping her.

“And so I was very careful and very good—and for the first time, I was doing something well. I was successful at it. I worked at The Blood Club, and I made friends with many of the—what did you call them, dear Grady? People?” Flora tittered again, then cut off her laugh abruptly. “You’ve been near her for too long. Get away.”

“What happened at The Blood Club?” Grady asked, and Macey heard him move away from Savina.

“Oh, yes…that.” Flora’s voice hardened. “A most unusual thing happened there. It turned out to be the best thing, but at the time, it made me quite angry. You see, once Alvisi learned I was best friends with Macey Denton, he was suddenly extremely interested in my…in me. And he turned me immortal almost right away, because he wanted to use me to get to Macey. So once again, the only reason anyone wanted anything to do with me was because of her.”

Flora had moved into view now, and Macey eased back from the edge of the doorway to ensure she wasn’t seen. At any moment, she could expose herself, but she wanted to know more of what Flora had planned, and whether there were any surprises.

Yet she was acutely aware that any delay could cost the injured Savina her life.

And if that happened, what would she tell Max?

Her chest felt tight. Hopefully Grady had been able to help her somehow, but Macey could delay no longer.

She gripped her stake and eased further around the corner, crouching low to the ground so it was less likely she’d be seen.

“And then I realized something: how valuable I was to the—people, as you call them,” Flora continued in that triumphant voice. “But let’s call a spade a spade, shall we, Grady dear? They’re vampires, and so am I. And I am getting to the point of my story, so do bear with me. Once I realized how important I was to the vampires—being the best friend and confidante of the famous Macey Gardella Denton”—bitterness took over her words—“I began to use it to my advantage. Especially when I discovered that Macey simply won’t kill me. She’s had several chances to do it, you know, and she hasn’t been able to bring herself to do so. The first time, she missed. She just missed me—like a baseball player striking out. What sort of Venator is she?”

Flora was laughing by now. “And there have been other times since. Even if she were to walk into the room at this moment, and I gave her my heart, she wouldn’t be able to drive in that stake. It’s because she still believes she can save me. That things can go back to the way they were. She even believed me when I pretended to be weakened by your presence, dear Grady, at the photography exhibit Saturday night. She’s believed everything I’ve ever told her. That I wanted to go back to being mortal—as if that were likely—and that I missed her.

“But things can never go back the way they were…and it’s Macey who’s going to need to be saved. Her entire life is going to be ruined…as soon as she gets the message that you’re here and she sees what I’m about to do to you, Grady dear. And what a waste that will be, you handsome Irish devil.”

“But I am here. And you didn’t even need to send a message.” Macey stepped into view as Flora spun. Her eyes were wide, and she still held the gun in one of her hands.

In that instant, Macey took in the details of the room: Grady under control of two undead, who gripped him by the arms and back of the neck. Savina lying on the floor unmoving, her clothing stained with blood, her dark hair spread around her. A small, tall table next to the throne-like chair holding the squat black pyramid. On a different table: the silvery glint of two knives, a bronze dish, and several books and tools. At least six other vampires lurking near the main doorway to the room—probably where Flora expected Macey to enter, had she sent a message.

“Well,” Flora said, her eyes flaming red, “so you are. And thus I won’t need to repeat the entire story for you. Just the ending, Macey, my girl.”

“And what ending would that be? In your fairytale world?” Macey tried to catch Grady’s eye, but he wasn’t looking at her. He seemed to be looking at Savina instead. To Macey’s relief, the inert woman seemed to show some sign of life, shifting slightly.

Flora was still ranting, her fangs exposed and her eyes wild with fanaticism and fire. “You’ve destroyed my entire life…and yet here I am, like that bird that rises from the ashes…what is it called? Ah, it doesn’t matter. But that’s what I am: better and more powerful than I’ve ever been when we were friends.

“And now I’m going to destroy your life, and let you see what it feels like. No, I have no intention of killing you, my dear friend. None at all. You see, I feel the same way: I could never kill you. I could never live in a world without you.” Flora wandered over to the table and picked up Rekk’s Pyramid, hefting it in the hand not holding the gun. “This is one thing I didn’t lie to you about, you know. And what a happy accident that I should happen to discover it before Iscariot did!”

She held it flat on the palm of her hand and looked at the small onyx object as if it were a diamond. The lamplight caught on the shiny edge and glinted brilliant blue and green.

“You see…it’s ready for a new master. For me to take over as its mistress. All it needs is to be awakened.”

Macey was waiting for the right moment to strike—when she could send her stake winging across the room and directly into Flora’s heart.

She’d show her who wasn’t able to kill whom.

“And how do you intend to do that?” she asked, stepping further into the room. One of the undead started to move toward her, and Macey gave him an encouraging look.

He stepped back, edging toward his comrades near the door.

Flora saw the interplay, and her smile became harder. But she spoke to Macey. “There is one thing in the world you care for above all things—and he’s right there. You tried so hard to keep this very moment from happening…but, alas, like your father, you couldn’t prevent it.”

“Why are you doing this?” Macey asked, still waiting for her chance to act.