A Bite to Remember Page 0,115

sunset."

Jackie glanced skyward at this announcement. The trees had thinned out the closer they got to the beach and she could now see the sky through the branches. It was no longer full dark, daylight wasn't far away. She'd place the time at somewhere between four and five in the morning. Sunlight would be creeping up the sky in less than an hour or so.

Staked out in the sand for the day, then beheaded, Jackie thought unhappily. It was how the council punished immortals who broke one of their serious laws. From what she'd heard it was a most unpleasant way to go. Her body would dehydrate, the nanos would begin to eat her organs in their desperation for blood... she'd suffer horribly before the sun set.

"Why?" she asked, pausing abruptly as they suddenly reached the end of the trees and the beach spread out before them.

"For my William." Lily didn't bother to tell her to move, she simply took back control of her. Jackie found herself moving a good ten feet out of the trees before her body stopped and turned to face Lily.

"William?" Jackie asked, still retaining her ability to speak.

Lily turned her gaze to the ocean, her voice sounding far away as she said, "They killed him, you know. They staked him out in the sun and then beheaded him at sundown."

"Who did?" Jackie asked with a frown.

"Lucian Argeneau, Michael Moreau, and Vincent's father, Victor."

"Okay," Jackie said slowly. "So, Vincent's father and two other men killed your William. Why are you going after Vincent for it? He had nothing to do with it."

"I know." Lily sighed unhappily. "When I decided to seek revenge for William, I went after Michael Moreau first. I stalked him, caught him, then staked him out in the sun and left him there all day long, enjoying his screams from a nice little cave nearby. Then I beheaded him at sunset."

Lily frowned. "I didn't feel any satisfaction at all. I expected to gain some peace from it, but I didn't. Then I realized that he hadn't really suffered as I have. Sure, he went through the same pain as my William, but it was only a day's agony. I've suffered for a hundred years over what happened. I realized then, that to gain true satisfaction, I have to make them suffer as I have. I can't just kill them, I have to torment them by torturing and killing someone they love."

"So, Vincent is to suffer and eventually die so that his father, Victor, suffers for what he did to your William," Jackie said slowly, trying to follow her reasoning. Then she shook her head. "If it's Victor you're trying to make suffer, why are you tormenting Vincent? Why didn't you just stake Vincent out in the sun and behead him?"

"Because his father isn't here," Lily said with irritation. "I thought if I began to sabotage Vincent's work and so on, he'd call Victor in. He's on the council and should have been called in to take care of things, especially when I began to harm humans. Instead, the idiot called you in to handle it. The fool has ruined everything."

Jackie raised her eyebrows at her frustration, then said quietly, "From what I understand, Victor has been withdrawn and reclusive since his life mate was burnt at the stake in England. Vincent rarely sees him. I don't think he'll ever call him about this if that's what you're hoping."

Lily's mouth was a firm line of fury as she said, "I'd come to that conclusion myself. So, instead of dying, he'll just have to suffer the loss I did in his father's place. You will die like William did, and he will agonize over it for centuries."

Jackie considered that and wondered if it meant she'd leave Vincent alone and move on after this? Would he and Tiny be safe once she was dead?

"Tiny is a mortal, no more than a friend to Vincent. I won't trouble myself to bother with him," Lily said, obviously reading her thoughts. "But I've been thinking I will try Marguerite next. Lucian Argeneau is said to be very fond of his sister-in-law. Her death this way should be upsetting to him and Vincent both. Of course, I'd prefer a life mate or child in Lucian's case, as well, but he has neither. I will have to settle for Marguerite now and a life mate or child later, if he ever has either. In the meantime, I have you."

"Right," Jackie sighed.

"Obviously,