I watched everything slide out of his eyes, until they were empty and waiting.
"Come to me, Raymond," Pallas said. "Come to me."
Stirling sat up, his one good arm embracing the vampire. He tried to use the broken arm, but it wouldn't bend at the elbow.
Bettina bent the broken arm backward and forward, laughing. Stirling never reacted to the pain. He snuggled against Pallas. The look on his face was one of happiness, joy. Eagerness.
Pallas sank fangs into his neck. Stirling spasmed for a second, then relaxed and began making soft noises in his throat.
Pallas moved Stirling's head to one side, sucking on the wound but leaving enough room on the other side for someone else. Bettina sank fangs into the exposed flesh.
The two vampires fed, heads so close together their hair mingled, gold and black. And Raymond Stirling made happy noises while they killed him.
Larry walked away to the edge of the clearing, hugging his arms tight across his chest.
I stayed where I was. I watched. I had wanted Stirling dead. It would be cowardly to look away. Besides, I should have to watch. I needed to remember who the monsters were. Maybe if I forced myself not to look away, not to blink, I wouldn't forget again.
I stared at Stirling's happy, eager face, until his arm dropped away from Pallas's back, and his eyes closed. He passed out from blood loss and shock, and the vampires hugged him tight, and fed.
His eyes flew open wide, and a gurgling sound crawled out of his throat. Fear screamed out of his eyes. Pallas raised a hand and stroked Stirling's hair, a gesture you'd use on a frightened child. The fear died out of his eyes, and I watched the last light die with it. I watched Raymond Stirling die, and knew I would remember that last look of terror in my dreams for weeks to come.
Chapter 37
There was a rush of wind that raised a fine cloud of dirt. Jean-Claude appeared as if conjured from the air itself. I had never been so happy to see him. I didn't run to his arms, but I moved to stand near him. Larry followed me. Jean-Claude wasn't always the safest refuge, but right now he looked pretty damn good.
He was dressed in one of his white shirts. This one had so much lace on the front it looked fluffy. A short white jacket hit him just at the waist. More lace peeked from the sleeves of the jacket. He wore tight white pants with a black belt. The belt matched his velvet black boots.
"I did not expect you here, Jean-Claude," Janos said. I couldn't tell for sure, but he sounded surprised. Goody.
"Serephina delivered her invitation in person, Janos, but it was not enough."
"You surprise me, Jean-Claude," he said.
"I surprised Serephina, as well." He sounded terribly calm. If he was afraid standing outnumbered on the hilltop, it didn't show. I'd have loved to know how he'd surprised Serephina.
Jason walked up the far side of the hill, from the direction of the Jeep. He wore black leather pants that looked like they'd been poured on him, short black boots, and no shirt. There was what looked like a silver-studded dog collar around his neck, and a black glove on either hand, but other than that he was na**d from the waist up. I hoped Jason had chosen his own outfit for tonight.
The right side of his face was bruised from chin to forehead as though something large had hit him.
"I see your pet joined the struggle," Janos said.
"He is mine in every way, Janos. They are all mine."
Just this once I let it go. If my choice was belonging to Jean-Claude or to Serephina, I knew what my vote would be.
Larry moved so close to me that I could have taken his hand. Maybe he didn't like being included in Jean-Claude's menagerie.
"You have lost that air of humbleness that I found so appealing, Jean-Claude. Have you refused Serephina's invitation altogether?"
"I will come to Serephina's party, but on my own with my people around me."
I glanced at him. Was he crazy?
He frowned. "Serephina wanted you at the party in chains."
"We can all live with this choice, Janos."
"Are you saying you would challenge us all here and now?" There was an edge of laughter in his voice.