Seeking Eternity Ch. 07

"Well, then," Catherine said wryly, turning to Cassandra, "it seems that you have your granddaughter's fate in your hands, after all."

Cassandra was silent, clearly weighing one side of the argument against the other.

"I hope that you will make the right decision," Catherine said. She wanted to say necessary, but using that word would open the gates to questions that she was not willing to answer yet, so Catherine hoped against hope that Cassandra would agree with parting from her granddaughter.

To Catherine's surprise, Cassandra said, "I will talk to Nicholas. Raine has to leave."

Victor Hartwell heaved a sigh that sounded more of relief than of resignation -- which was curious, Catherine thought, considering which side he voted for. "That's settled, then."

"Let's meet again in three days," Cassandra said slowly, as if still mulling over what she had agreed to do.

They discussed the matter for several more minutes, agreeing to Cassandra's motion of holding another meeting in three days' time. That would give Catherine enough time do to what she needed to do, provided, of course, that things fell into place for her, even for just a day or two.

Soon enough, they were piling out of the conference room, except for Cassandra and Henry, who vowed to iron out the details of their plan. Each of the other members of the congress either lingered around to talk to one another or headed toward the elevators that lined the western wall of the building. Seeing that Conrad Randall opted for the latter, Catherine ran after him, matching his long strides toward the express elevators that only served the first, second and top floors. He pressed the button for the second floor; Catherine settled for the first one.

"That was some scene you created in there," she commented when the elevator doors closed after them.

"Unfortunately," Conrad said, grinning. For a man who had come so close to dying, he looked oddly unperturbed. "My mouth has run off again this time, hasn't it?"

"He's a Collbreed," Catherine said, as if Conrad needed the reminder after what just happened. "You should have known better than to insult him."

"It was not intentional," Conrad explained with a sigh of resignation. "I just can't believe that Cassandra has no hand in this."

"You give her more credit than she deserves."

"Nicholas falling for Johanna's child? It is too convenient."

"Too complicated, you mean," Catherine disagreed. "But love does that, doesn't it?"

Conrad slid her a sidelong glance. "Catherine..."

"She was happy, Conrad," she said softly. "For a time. You cannot resent her for choosing the man she loved."

A hollow laughter sounded from the man. "Ah. But that also applies to you, doesn't it?"

The elevator doors opened to the second floor. "She did love your brother." After a pause, he added, "She most likely still does."

"And you?" Catherine asked. "Do you still love Cassandra?"

Conrad stepped out of the elevator, but he looked back at her and smiled meaningfully as the elevator doors closed. "Good day, Catherine."

A chuckle bubbled up Catherine's throat. Twenty-three years later, and it seemed that she was not the only person stuck in the past.

Just as she was stepping out of the elevator, her phone vibrated. Catherine fished it out of her purse, wondering who on earth could be calling her at this time of the day. She had only ever given her number to the alpha, the members of the congress, and her personal assistant -- who had been instructed never ever to contact her unless it was a matter of life or death -- and she could not believe that any of them would reach out to her this instant.

The caller ID was unfamiliar, and Catherine wondered whether she should even answer it. Just as she was about to let the call go to her voicemail, she remembered another person who knew this number -- the first person to whom she gave it when she first got her phone.

"Hello, Catherine."

Catherine stopped in her tracks, recognizing the voice at the other end of the line, as dearly familiar to her as her own. It was a voice she had not heard in a long, long time, and a rush of relief went through her at the sound.

"Amélie."

At last. Somehow, it seemed that, just this once, luck might be on her side, after all.

*****

Ashford heaved a sigh and leaned back on his seat, trying his hardest to rein in his frustration. He knew that he was being unfair to everyone around him, but ever since Cassandra took Raine away, his temper had gotten the best of him. His blood children had not said anything as he drove them hard to find out where Collbreed was keeping Raine, and for that, he was at least grateful. Amélie, on the other hand...

As if summoned by his thoughts, his sister walked into the library, wearing a strange expression that Ashford hardly recognized. There was determination on the crease of her brows and the set of her mouth, but her eyes spoke of something else. Was it excitement or fear? Ashford could not tell.

"I hope you're not busy," she said, taking the seat on the opposite side of the desk. She reached for the glass of whiskey that he had filled for himself earlier and downed the contents in one gulp. "I need to talk to you."

Ah. Ashford reached for the other glass behind him and filled it. Neither excitement nor fear. Trepidation, then. "What about?"

"This whole mess," Amélie responded with a frown. "Raine, Ambercrest, the wolves..."

Ashford did not want to talk about 'this whole mess', but as Amélie's brother, he had a duty to at least listen to her. "Go on."

Amélie stared at him, saying nothing for the longest time, before reaching for the whiskey bottle and pouring herself another glass. Ashford watched her down the second fill in another swift gulp. Clearly, whatever it was that Amélie wanted to talk about would not be easy for her.

He waited, sipping whiskey in the meantime. Whatever his issues were, Ashford would always make time for Amélie and all the things that bothered her. If it meant drinking with her for the rest of the day, then so be it.

Her words, which finally came after she had drunk a third fill, were wholly unexpected. "I know what you're going through, Ash. I know how frustrating it is -- how painful it is."

Ashford said nothing, fighting against every instinct that prompted him to stop Amélie from talking. Did she really need to talk to him about this right now? He was not ready for it.

"But we need you, Ash," Amélie continued. "We need you to lead us with a clear head. If you want a chance to protect Raine at all, you need to set your feelings aside."

Ashford stared at her. "I am thinking clearly, Amélie."

"Then why are your children still here?" Amélie asked. "I thought you said we only need them if Collbreed decides not to help Raine and Cassandra -- if he decides to tell the Council of the Wolves about how we kept watch over Raine all these years. But he did the opposite of that. You were supposed to send your children away then."

"That was before he decided to keep Raine," Ashford said.

"Is that it?" Amélie challenged him, her countenance sympathetic and hard at the same time. "Is that what got you so riled up? Or is it because he took Raine to bed?"

Ashford frowned. "I won't lie, Amélie. I'd like to kill Collbreed with my bare hands for what he has done, but I know that that will serve nothing but my need for retribution. Still, I want her back. He cannot protect her the way that we can. He and Cassandra might be on the same side, but can they convince the whole pack? The congress of elders, the whole community of elders, the warriors, the guardians, even the regular members of the pack... How can Collbreed and Cassandra convince all of them?"

"We are talking about Ambercrest here," Amélie said. "It is the most cohesive pack that we know, and Collbreed's rule over the pack has never been challenged."

"That's the problem," Ashford reminded her. "We are talking about Ambercrest. Or have you forgotten the blood debts that exist between Ambercrest and vampires?"

"I will never forget that. Still, there is a fair chance that Collbreed will be able to convince the members to help."

"Perhaps, but can they keep the Council at bay?" Ashford asked. "Ambercrest is only one of many packs around. It might be the strongest, but if the Council commands that the other packs unite against it, what are Ambercrest's chances of winning?"

Amélie nodded. "I understand your point, but shouldn't we give Collbreed a chance to convince his pack first? Or, at the very least, give him a chance to help Raine with her transformation?"

"I'm giving him all the time that we can afford," Ashford said.

"How?" Amélie glared at him. "Your children's presence in Ambercrest territory is making the Council nervous. They will look into what is going on the longer you keep your children here, especially since everyone' been snooping around the business of the wolves."

Ashford smiled grimly. "As I said, I am giving Collbreed all the time that we can afford. I am keeping my children here because it pressures Collbreed to hasten his plans. The Council has already begun looking into our affairs the moment Melisande took Raine to me, and they are bound to find out sooner or later. The sooner Collbreed can do his part, the better chances we have of keeping Raine safe."

"Maybe being around her pack will serve Raine better," Amélie suggested.

"Maybe," Ashford agreed. With the pack around, she would learn how to control herself better. She would learn how the pack system worked, so she would understand what to do to get everyone's support, and what not to do to rile up others. "But her safety comes first. We need to make sure that the Council will get off her back."

"And once it does?" Amélie's eyes bored into his. "Are you telling me that, once this is over, you will consider sending her back to her pack? To Collbreed?"

"Must I?"

Amélie sighed. "Ash, I know how you feel, but you have to consider what's best for her." When he did not say anything, she continued. "You know why her body responded that way to your claim, don't you? You know why her wolf is dying to come out?"

Ashford knew. He realized it the moment Ross and Adam told him about Raine's history with Nicholas James Collbreed. "She found her mate before she was claimed, and he's a wolf."

"Exactly." Amélie's tone turned soft. "You have to let her be with him, Ash, or it's going to destroy her."

Just the thought of letting Raine go was enough to drive him crazy, but to think of her being with another man...? "I can't, Amélie."

"Yes, you can." Amélie sounded so matter-of-fact that she might have been able to convince another soul -- but not Ashford. "Remember what you told me before? Broken hearts heal with time, and vampires like us have enough time on our hands."

Ashford let out a hollow laugh. Leave it to Amélie to use his own words against him -- and leave it to fate to turn the tables around and make him swallow the bitter pill he basically shoved down Amélie's throat when she had needed it.

Ashford finished his glass of whiskey and started pouring himself another one. Amélie said nothing more, respecting his wish for silence. She raised her empty glass and waited for him to fill it, drinking the contents more quickly than she could drink blood.

Any other time and Ashford would have asked her what the matter was. But not right now. Right now, he could only focus on what he felt, on what he thought. He could listen to Amélie, he could talk to her, but he could not bring himself to ask her about what she was feeling, for he was not in the condition to help her at all.

After several more minutes of silent contemplation, Ashford finally spoke. "How did you manage to let him go?"

There was more silence as Amélie mulled over the question, but when her answer finally came, it came in the form of a surprise.

"You were there." At the look of confusion on his face, Amélie smiled. "As impossible as it sounds, you gave me the strength I needed to let him go. I actually thought back then that nobody would understand, and maybe you did not really understand, but you were there." She looked at her glass, her smile turning mellow. "You were there for me when others were not."

"Is that why you stuck around?"

Amélie chuckled, running her fingertip along the rim of the glass. "I made no children, Ashford. You are the only family I have left."

"What are you talking about?" Ashford asked with a chuckle, raising the glass of whiskey to his lips. "Corban still lives, and so do Cleo, Allister, David, Agatha, Leon and Isabel. And then there's Iris."

"They might be Iulius's children, but you are my only brother," Amélie said. "You are the only family I chose to have, and a family must stick together, mustn't it?"

At the reminder of Iulius's words, Ashford smiled bitterly. "Yes, it must." Shaking his head, he asked, "It's ironic, isn't it, that a man who did everything he could for his family would be betrayed by one of his own?"

"That's how the world works, Ash," Amélie said with a sigh. "That betrayal is the only blood debt that I will never forget in a thousand years, and I will collect it no matter what."

"Iulius would not be pleased if he was still alive," Ashford warned her.

"No, but I bet I can sweet-talk him in the afterlife, if there is one for the likes of us," Amélie declared.

Ashford laughed. "You had always been his favourite."

"What can I say? Must be my charm."

"Or lack thereof," Ashford mused.

"Could be," Amélie conceded. "In any case, I need you to promise me something." She stared into his eyes. "You and I -- we will protect Raine. No matter what it costs."

Ashford smiled. "I thought you did not want her in this house?"

"I didn't," Amélie admitted. "I still don't. But it's not about what I like. It's about what must be done."

That was the heart of the problem, was it not? Nothing was about what they wanted; everything that they needed to do was about what must be done.

"I promise," he said finally. "We will protect Raine, no matter what it costs."

"Even a broken heart?"

Ashford flashed a mirthless smile but nodded nonetheless. "Even that."

"Great." Amélie stood up, leaving a half-empty glass on the table. "I just needed to make sure. But we need the girl to decide whose heart she will break when this is all over, so I will get her back for you."

"How?" he asked with a bitter grin. "You don't happen to have an army of wolves who think of you as a friend, do you?"

"I have something better," Amélie said in a light voice.

Amused, Ashford looked at her -- and froze. The grim set of her jaw told him that Amélie was serious. There was determination there, along with apprehension and hesitation, even pain.

"I have Catherine," she supplied.

Ashford frowned. Now, it all made sense. The apprehension, the hesitation, the pain in Amélie's eyes -- they were all because of the imminent meeting with Catherine Norwood-Ackerworth. "Amélie..."

Amélie shook her head. "As you said, Raine's safety is our top priority. The Council might not think twice about declaring war against Ambercrest, but it will hesitate to declare war against vampires. She is safest with us."

He wanted to argue -- to tell her that she did not have to do this -- but Ashford also knew that Amélie was right. Raine's safety came first; everything else was of almost no importance, their opinions and feelings least of all. They were duty-bound to protect Raine, and Ashford understood duty more than anything else. Still, knowing what Amélie was sacrificing for him, he could only thank her.

In response to his words of gratitude, Amélie flashed a gentle smile before heading to the door. "I owed you, Ash, and I mean to pay it back."

*****

Miranda appraised her reflection in the mirror one more time, checking to make sure that her hair did not look unkempt and that her makeup did not smudge. She had just finished an exquisite dinner with Theodore, and they were about to head out of the restaurant. He would probably not care if her hair was all over the place or if her makeup was impossibly off, but Miranda wanted this night to be perfect. It was the first time that they went out after their partnership fell apart, and she wanted him to remember this night fondly. She knew she would.

As she approached the table where Theodore was patiently waiting, Miranda could not help but smile. She was in an extremely good mood. Not only did her date look dashing in a suit, but things went according to her plans. Michael Gilford might not trust her enough to let her know the identity of the female wolf held captive under the sprawling Gilford estate, but Theodore did. Her name was Johanna, and Miranda could barely wait to pass on this piece of information to Seth. Although not part of any vampire coven, Melisande's mate loved keeping track of what was going on, and the identity of the wolf Gilford was keeping was a subject that interested Seth deeply. Now, Miranda had that information, and she meant to reward herself for a job well done.

Theodore stood up, leaving a wad of cash on the table, when she was close enough. He was wearing an almost boyish grin that Miranda loved so much: it was quite at odds with Theodore's rather serious exterior, but it was a good indication of how fun he really was. Ah, yes... Theodore knew how to have fun, an attribute that made him so dear to Miranda back when they were still partners.

As they walked out of the restaurant together, Miranda wondered if Theodore managed to keep that side of his personality. She was aware that he became more reserved after she asked Reginald Gilford for a new partner, and losing touch with him for years meant that she did not know the new man who came back to replace the Theodore she used to know. Although some things never changed -- he still would not eat shrimp if his life depended on it -- she could sense that things were not as they used to be. But -- hell! It would have been much stranger if things were as they were, wouldn't it?

Outside, the city was still bustling with life -- full of lights and sounds, of people going about their business unaware that there were deadly predators lurking around almost every corner. There were vampires like Melisande and Seth whose supply of human blood came from people who knew (one way or another) what they were getting into, but here and there were vampires who hunted humans for blood. It was the latter type of vampires that slayers like her and Theodore were supposed to kill, but Miranda was not sure whether or not Michael Gilford knew of the existence of the other, very civilized side of vampirekind.

In fact, Miranda did not think that many slayers knew of its existence. Myles, Raine's best friend, must have known, having been involved with one of such vampires. Raine now knew for sure. But were there others who kept this secret to themselves?

Sometimes, Miranda wondered whether all of the vampires that they have killed -- that she had killed -- were what Melisande had referred to as 'renegades'. Was there a way to tell renegades from other vampires? If there was, neither Melisande nor Seth had advised her of it. The vampires seemed to know by instinct which ones were civilized and which ones were not, but whatever the secret was, they were not about to tell.

"Is everything okay?"

Miranda shook her head. This was not the time to deal with these things. She would try to ask Melisande the next time they saw each other, but for now, she needed to focus. This was her night; she did not have to think as a slayer tonight. She was just Miranda, a homeless girl now all grown up and going out with a man she was fond of -- and probably in love with at one point in her life.