state deteriorated further, in order to spare him?
Cliff kept his expression blank as he bent down, retrieved a pair of sneakers from beneath the sofa, and donned them. Straightening, he wiped sweaty palms on his jeans. “Can I say goodbye to Melanie first?” He wanted to hug her one last time and thank her for everything she’d done for him, make sure she wouldn’t blame herself for not finding a cure in time.
“Bye, Cliff!” Melanie called merrily from across the hall.
He failed to find a response. Did she even know what they planned? Had Bastien opted not to tell her? Did he intend to watch Seth decapitate Cliff, then say it was some kind of accident after the fact? Maybe let her believe Cliff had tried to escape?
Though it rankled, he supposed that was the nicest way to deliver the blow.
“Shall we?” Seth asked.
Cliff wanted to say, No, I’m not ready but lacked the time.
Without waiting for a response, Seth touched their shoulders.
Everything around Cliff went black as a feeling of weightlessness engulfed him. Seconds later the darkness lessened, broken by the moonlight that fell upon them.
He glanced around as Seth released him and stepped back. The three of them now stood in a field beneath a sky that sparkled with stars. No structures lay in sight. Only lumpy, uneven ground covered by grasses and weeds that swayed and rustled in the breeze. Nevertheless, Cliff recognized the place and was so surprised that the voices retreated momentarily.
Bastien’s home had once stood here. Or his lair, depending on who you asked. As Cliff surveyed the area, a feeling of peace suffused him along with nostalgia. “I never thought I’d see this place again.” He drew in a deep breath. “Or smell it. Damn, it smells good out here.” It had been so long since he’d been outside, inhaled fresh air, and felt the wind on his skin. He supposed if it was his time to go, this was a far better place to do it than strapped to a table in network headquarters like Joe.
He studied the ground around them. Not even a cement slab remained. “The old place is gone, huh?” He couldn’t help but be saddened by the sight.
“Yes,” Bastien said, “as are the caverns we constructed beneath it.”
“Wow. All that work…” Vampires might be stronger and faster, but they’d still had to work their asses off to create the labyrinth that had resided beneath Bastien’s home.
“I know.” Smiling, Bastien tossed him a duffel bag. “This is for you.”
Cliff caught it easily. When the two immortals watched him expectantly, he unzipped it.
Inside lay black fabric.
No, he discovered as he shifted it around. Not fabric. Clothing: black cargo pants, a black shirt, and a black coat identical to Bastien’s.
Metal gleamed at the bottom of the bag.
His heart stuttered when he pushed the clothing aside and revealed beautifully crafted weapons.
Cliff looked from the contents of the bag to Bastien. “What’s this?”
Bastien clapped him on the back. “You’re going hunting with me tonight.”
Cliff stared. There was no way in hell Seth would allow Cliff to hunt. Not in his current state. Not with the fucking voices urging him to do things that made him sick to his stomach.
It’s a diversion, the voices whispered, rearing their unwelcome heads as if just thinking about them had issued them an invitation. So you won’t see the blow coming.
His hands tightened on the bag.
Bastien’s smile lost some of its brightness. “I thought you’d be pleased.”
The chirping of crickets sounded abnormally loud in the void that fell.
“He thinks we’ve brought him here to execute him,” Seth said softly.
Bastien lost his smile. “What?” He looked at Cliff. “Why the hell would you think that?”
Cliff glanced at Seth.
The stoic leader looked at Bastien. “Because the violent thoughts are growing louder and harder to ignore, and he knows I can hear them.”
A stricken expression washed over Bastien’s expression before he hastily replaced it with a frown. “Why would I give you a bag full of hunting clothes and weapons if I intended to kill you?”
Cliff tried but couldn’t muster a smile, so he shrugged. “I thought maybe it was like people getting their dog all excited about going for a ride in the car so he wouldn’t realize they were taking him to the vet to have him put down.”
Bastien stared at him with what appeared to be very sincere consternation. “That’s fucked up.”
“Yeah.”
“Cliff,” Bastien said earnestly, “when the time comes, I’ll either take care of it myself like I