Never Cry Wolf (Night Watch #4)(61)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“Fucking vampires cheat death! They come back, they live forever! They feed on humans and they kill and destroy.” Josette’s chest heaved. “Martin, Maxime, and Helene—they were good people. They should have gotten to keep living.” She shoved back her hair. “So I gave them a chance.”

No, because he knew how this worked. Josette wasn’t the only one who’d ever been tempted. “They don’t come back the same. You know that.”

Her bottom lip still trembled but she caught it, biting it with her top teeth.

“They don’t have a will of their own.” Piers spoke now. Yeah, figured he’d know all about the Raised, too. Because that was what they were called in the right circles. Raised. “They’re puppets. They have to do whatever you command.”

Her hair flew back as she shook her head, hard. “I commanded them to live, that was all. They had choices. They had free will!”

Had. Interesting word choice. Lucas let his gaze rake her. “You know Maxime and Helene are back in the grave, don’t you?”

Her eyelids flickered. “Grand-mère released them.” Flat.

“And what about Martin? Did she release Martin, too?”

Her gaze dropped to the diamond ring. “I did that.” She swallowed and the painful click was too loud. “He . . . asked . . . he didn’t want to stay with me. He knew what . . . he was and he didn’t want to stay with me. He said—he said I’d made him into a monster.” A tear tracked down her cheek. “I just wanted to save him!” Her eyes looked as dark as a demon’s. “But he said I was the one who’d turned him into a nightmare. Me!”

Sarah’s gaze cut toward Lucas. Her expression was so stark—but then she glanced back at Josette. “He didn’t realize what you’d done for him.”

Her shoulders fell. “I traded everything for him. There’s no going back now. Once the Dark gets you . . .” Her hand lifted and her fingers curled into a fist. “There’s no fighting.”

The hair on his nape was still up. Lucas looked at the symbols she’d written so carefully around her circle. Some signs he recognized. Some had him worried as hell. And some . . . some he didn’t understand at all. “What’s the circle for, Josette?”

“I can hear the dead,” she said, speaking quietly. “They call to me now. Some are stronger than others, and some want to rise.”

Fuck. “Who are you bringing back?”

“Grand-mère.” Whispered.

“No!” Sarah’s voice snapped out, fueled with an angry heat. “No, she doesn’t want to come back. I don’t know what you think you’re hearing, but Marie wouldn’t want to be pulled from the grave.”

“She’s not in the grave yet . . .”

“She wouldn’t want this!” Sarah’s cheeks flushed. Josette’s head whipped toward her. “How would you know? You know nothing about her, you don’t know—”

“Marie could see the future, couldn’t she?”

“She could see everything.”

Lucas knew that was true.

“Then she knew Death was coming,” Sarah said, and Lucas saw her shoes edge closer to that line. No. “She didn’t fight her attacker. She let him in, let him get close enough to kill.”

“Damn you!” Josette lunged forward. Her hand flew out of the circle and caught Sarah’s arm.

A hiss of sound filled the room, just like a snake’s hiss. The candles flickered.

“Marie knew.” Sarah kept talking. Her body was still out of the circle, and Josette was trapped inside. “She said—she told me, ‘There’s no saving everyone. No matter how you fight, Death will still be there.’ ”

Josette swayed.

“She wants you to let her go. She told me, I didn’t understand then, but she said—”

“I won’t be alone, I won’t!” Josette screamed.

Then Sarah lunged forward, slamming her body into Josette’s, and the two women pitched back, falling right out of that circle.

The hiss died away. The candles stopped flickering.

“She’s gone.” Sarah crouched over Josette. “Let her go.”

Josette started to cry, not just silent trickles of tears. Deep, gulping sobs.

The door shattered, sending wood flying into the room. Lucas spun around, claws up, and saw Maya and her shifter shoving through the wood.

Ah, figured they’d be here now. Always a little late to the party.

But Maya froze after taking just a step. “Why the hell does this place smell . . .” Her nostrils flared a bit and he knew she’d caught the stench of death. “Josie, what have you done?”

“Just raised a little dead,” Lucas muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and wondering what would have happened if Sarah hadn’t gotten Josette out of that circle. “Just a little dead.”

Josette cried harder and he heard her choke out, “Martin.” “Oh, damn.” Understanding filled Maya’s voice. She crept forward, but Josette immediately flinched. Josette’s hands curled tight around Sarah.

“Josette.” Lucas said her name, deliberately making it snap like a whip.

Her head jerked up.

He knew grief was ripping her apart, but time was his enemy right then. He didn’t want any more dead on the streets. “You know Rafe killed Marie, don’t you?”

A slow nod.

He growled, satisfied. “So that means you stay the hell off my back, vampire.”

“He’s still mine.” Figured Maya wouldn’t back off that easily.

Josette’s gaze darted between them.

Maya tried taking another step forward. “Josette, let me help you.”

“No one can help me.” But she kept holding onto Sarah.

Lucas unclenched his teeth. “You have a cure for the Dust?”

“There is no cure.” No more tears. Flat, emotionless. Like the woman had totally shut down now, her fight gone.

Fucking fantastic. “Where’s Rafe?”

She just stared up at him.

His teeth were clenching again. “Where. Is. He?” He stalked toward her. “You want vengeance for what he’s done? I’ll give you vengeance. I’ll rip his head off and I’ll bring it to you and you can make sure no one ever lets that bastard rise.” His breath heaved out. “Just tell me where he is.”

“I don’t know.”