He held on to the chair arms so tightly that his muscles flexed. His skin was sickly white and there was a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. “That’s a very appropriate word to use for the way I’m feeling.”
“Are you in pain right now?”
“Ever since I was touched by the hellfire I’m constantly in varying degrees of pain. Today it’s worse than ever before.”
I couldn’t help but cringe at Gideon’s obvious distress. As Quinn had reminded me earlier, I was basically a vampire-shaped Peep.
Suck it up, marshmallow girl, I told myself. This is the man who threatened to kill everyone you love if you say or do the wrong thing. Never forget that.
I wouldn’t forget.
“I need something from you,” he said through clenched teeth.
“What?”
“Come here.”
My eyes flicked again to the dagger next to him as I tentatively approached. “What’s that for? Whittling stakes? I met a hunter who said that was a hobby of his.”
“I need some of your blood. Now. It can’t wait.”
That surprised me. “But the ritual—”
He drew in a shaky breath and raised his green eyes to meet mine. “The ritual will go on as scheduled. This… this is different. The research I’ve done on your unique blood makes me think it may help to ease my pain. If I can have some of it now—it may help me to think straight. The pain… it’s destroying me. Please, Sarah… help me.”
So what flowed in my veins was a magical elixir that healed all ailments? I’d been looking for a new job. Now I knew what it was. I’d charge people big bucks to suck my blood.
Gideon wanted me to ease his pain. He was relying on me. I could work with that.
“I’ll help you,” I said. “But first I need you to promise that everybody I know will be safe.
No assassins, no spies. I want all of them called off.”
“No.”
My eyes narrowed. “Just no? Not even a negotiation?”
“Ask for something else. Anything else.”
“The grimoire.”
He shook his head. “The grimoire is payment for information leading me to the Red Devil.
Ask me for money, gifts—furs, diamonds, anything. I can give you whatever you want.”
“I don’t want gifts.” I stood firm. “Lose the assassins or give me the grimoire and I’ll help you out.”
His strained expression flinched. “Then what assurance do I have that you’ll go through with the ritual?”
“You’ll have my word.”
He glared at me for a moment. “I can’t do that.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“No, I don’t.”
“That stings, Gideon. Really. I thought we were friends.”
He managed to laugh a little. “Sure you did.”
I crossed my arms. “Okay, I didn’t. But you’ve been trying real hard to convince me you’re a nice guy.”
“Not buying it?”
“I don’t buy anything from the Chase boutique. I don’t like the return policy.”
His lips twitched a little. “You’re the first woman in the world able to resist me.”
“Even when you’re in agony you’re still full of yourself.” I rolled my eyes. “No, I’m able to resist you, Gideon, because I know what you are. And I know what I am. Hunters kill vampires, in case you’ve momentarily forgotten.”
“I haven’t forgotten anything.”
I shook my head. “Why should I help you if you’re not willing to do anything for me in return? Doesn’t sound like a very fair trade-off.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Well, there is that matter of those handy assassins I have only a phone call away. Do you think I won’t follow through with my threats?”
My eyes narrowed. “Oh, believe me, I don’t underestimate you. I know exactly who you are. I’ve done my research.”
“And who am I?”
“You’re a murderer. Why would I ever help somebody like you out of the kindness of my heart? You have to threaten me or you’d never get what you want.”
“You’re absolutely right,” he said quietly.
“I’ve met a lot of hunters in the past three months and I have to say, a lot of them are dumber than a box of hair. But you’re not stupid. I can’t imagine that you’re convinced that vampires as a whole deserve to die. They’re people. They can think, they can cry, make jokes, make love; they have lives and jobs and marriages—and just because they’re a little different you feel justified in killing them. You know what you do is wrong and yet you do it anyhow.”
When he didn’t answer, I paced to the other side of the room and then came back to stand in front of him. “Even with all your women, money, and power, are you that dead inside, Gideon? That must be it. Forget the hellfire. You’re already dead and killing vampires must be the only thing that makes you feel alive.”
Okay, that was a way longer speech than I was planning. I should go into politics, maybe.
But it wasn’t every day that a mere fledgling like yours truly got to face off against the leader of the hunters and say what’s on her mind.
I guess my half a semester of psychology in university had paid off after all. Maybe Gideon was devastatingly handsome and popular with the bimbos at one time; maybe he had a ton of power and hunters across the world looked up to him, and his father, and his grandfather before him. But he was just an empty candy wrapper that happened to look like a man. I felt strangely sorry for him suddenly.
Gideon stared at me, still and silent. The only thing that showed he was still alive was the constant flicker of pain in his eyes.