"I've only done it once before."
"Indeed," he said.
"Don't get all pissy on me."
"I shall get pissy if I want to," he said. "These are my people, my companions, and you have them walking around like puppets. I find that most disquieting."
"So do I," I said. I looked back at the vampires. Liv, who had been so animated last night, stood there like a well-preserved zombie. No. No, I'd never have mistaken her for a zombie. I could feel a difference. But there she stood, that muscular body waiting for my next order. There were others behind her. I couldn't see how many. Too many.
"Can you put my vampires back, ma petite?"
I continued to look at Liv, avoiding Jean-Claude's eyes. "I don't know."
He touched my chin, turning me to face him. He studied my face, eyes searching, as if some hint of truth might show through. I let anger fill my face, anger was always a great thing to hide behind.
"What did you do with the last vampire you raised, ma petite?"
I pulled away from him. He grabbed my arm unbelievably fast. Too fast to see. What happened next was simply automatic. He held my right upper arm, but I could still bend at the elbow and point the Firestar at him. The Uzi in my left hand pointed at him, too. He could have crushed my arm before I fired one gun, but not both. But for the first time, staring down the barrel of a gun at him was problematic. The sash of his robe had come loose and I could see a triangle of pale flesh. I could see where his heart would be. I could blow his heart out his back and sever his spine. And I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to splatter that beautiful body all over the wall. Damn.
Richard came closer. He didn't touch either of us. He just stared from one to the other. "Is he hurting you, Anita?"
"No," I said.
"Then should you be pointing a gun at him?"
"He shouldn't be touching me," I said.
Richard's voice was very mild. "He just finished touching you a lot more than this, Anita."
"Why are you helping him?"
"He helped me. Besides, if you kill him over something small and stupid, you'll never forgive yourself."
I took a deep breath and let it out. Some of the tension eased with the breath. I lowered the Uzi.
Jean-Claude released my arm.
I pointed the Firestar at the floor and looked at Richard. There was something in his eyes, even the wolf's amber eyes, that was all too human. Pain. He knew how much Jean-Claude meant to me. It was there in his eyes. That one comment said that he understood my relationship with the vampire, maybe better than I did.
I wanted to apologize to him, but I wasn't sure he'd understand what it was for. I wasn't even sure I could explain it. If you love someone, truly love them, you should never cause them pain. Never fill their eyes with something so close to grief.
"I'm sorry I got mad at you earlier. You want what's best for the pack, I know that."
"You still think I'm a fool to want a bloodless coup," he said.
I stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently. "Not a fool, just naive, terribly naive."
"Very touching, ma petite. And I do appreciate your interference on my behalf, Richard, but these are my people. I promised them certain freedoms when they joined me. I ask again. Can you put them back as they were?"
I turned to Jean-Claude, one hand still balancing against Richard's chest. "I don't know."
"Then you had better find out, ma petite."
It sounded too much like a threat for my taste, but... there was a figure behind Liv the bouncer that I couldn't take my eyes off of. I walked towards the waiting vampires. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. My stomach clenched into a hard lump, my chest was tight. I finally said it: "Willie McCoy, come to me."
Willie walked out from behind the tall blond vampire. He was wearing the same chartreuse suit he'd had on at Danse Macabre. His brown eyes seemed to see me, but they were empty of that spark that was Willie. He wasn't home. It was like watching a puppet moving, and I was the puppet master. I tasted something bitter at the back of my throat. My eyes were hot and tight. I wasn't sure if I was going to throw up or cry first.
I stopped him about two feet from me. Close enough that I couldn't pretend or wish it away. I swallowed hard, and tears hot enough to scald ran down my face. "I didn't want to know this," I whispered.