Sarah rose after another restless sleep...the dreams that haunted her growing worse each time and without Gabriel to ease them, together with the added worry over where he might be, left little ease for Sarah to find. And the comfort she might have found with Karen was also denied her since the female vampire was also missing.
Well, perhaps they'd both be downstairs tonight. She didn't want to think, right now, about what she'd do if they weren't.
She made her way downstairs and looked into the study. D'arcy was standing by the window, a rather disconsolate-looking Rene was in one of the large overstuffed chairs.
"Toni's not here?" Sarah tried with more brightness than she felt.
"No," D'Arcy replied. "She is off attending to her latest affair. I long ago learned that I cannot control her actions."
"It must be the air in this house," Rene muttered.
"Then it would be the first time in a few hundred years," D'Arcy replied. "Or maybe it is the fact that our housekeeper is not with us at the moment. Either way, things seem to be somewhat out of control."
D'Arcy fingered the envelope he held in his hand.
Feeling rather like a broken record, or more modernly, a stuck tape, Sarah mechanically reached for the letter, and taking it, opened it.
The same familiar cut out letters...but this time the message they spelled out was anything but meaningless. At least in one sense.
15. October 14, 1948. Clearbrook, Minnesota. Sarah Lindsay, 16
Next to her name, drawn in what looked like dried blood, was the circle-and-upside-down-A symbol of the vampire Clan Brujah. Her own.
What little color she had in her face faded, she stared at the paper trying to process what this meant. A slight strangled sound was all that escaped her parted lips.
D'Arcy reached out to grab the envelope as Sarah felt her legs turn to liquid beneath her. Rene helped the sagging vampire into the nearest chair then went to look over D'Arcy's shoulder.
Cold anger flared in D'Arcy's liquid brown eyes. "Merde!" he muttered under his breath. "Is there no cruel torment this maniac will not inflict?"
"What is it now?" Rene asked, his voice strained from the stress he had been under. Peering at the envelope in D'Arcy's hand, he paled. "Another one! What the hell is going on?"
Sarah sobbed and Rene went to her, holding her tightly. "What now, Rene," she cried against his shoulder. "What now?"
"I don't know," Rene answered, "But I'm tired of doing nothing. We have got to do something, anything!" Rene stood and paced. "Karen isn't dead; I would know if she was. But that's not the problem. The problem is I don't know what is being done to her and I can't stop it. We've got to do something!"
"Without knowing where to look?" Sarah almost wailed in desperation and confusion. "Or what this means, or why? That's *me* it's talking about now, and that date's when I...when I became a vampire."
She shook her head. "You were right last night Rene--this's gone too far now. If Karen...Gabriel...are being hurt because of me..." she closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "Damn it what does this all *mean*?"
She looked at the other two, only then did it register that someone else besides Toni was also not present.
"Andrew...has he seen this yet?"
"Where *is* Mr. Harrington tonight?" Rene asked. "D'Arcy, have you seen him? I know he wasn't here when I woke this evening. Now, here we are with another letter, and now it has Sarah's name on it. What is Caine is going on here? I know one thing, I need some answers, Karen and Gabriel have been missing for days now, we need to do something and do it now. I've got Harry and Jazz on my back asking me questions, questions I don't have answers for, and for that matter I am growing restless sitting here doing absolutely nothing. It's time for us to find some answers or at least someone who might have answers to our questions. If anyone cares to, maybe we could put out a message over the telegraph, but let's do something, start somewhere, I can't wait around like this anymore. And Sarah, I'm sure you want some explanation for all of this, this has gone too far and we can't sit around waiting for something else to happen to someone else. I say we first find Andrew and see what he has to say about this letter that has arrived."
Sarah held the letter in her hand and looked up at Rene. "I don't know where Andrew is--in fact I'm surprised he's not down here already, he's usually up before me." She looked at the letter she held again and shook her head. "Well, I'm not waiting for him to come down. I'll go get him, and we'll see what he says about this. Though he'll probably put me off again the way he always does."
She left the study and made her way back to the tower, to the room that Andrew was using. She knocked, once, twice, three times, but no answer came.
Trying the door, she found it unlocked.
The room was empty, though there were signs Andrew had been here recently. There were some papers on the table, letters most likely. She walked over to it, and seeing Andrew's journal open beside the letters, curiosity got the better of her.
A moment later she was sagging into the chair as her knees felt as if they had suddenly evaporated.
The story was all there, in his own words.
All those women, Andrew's other childer...and she was Raymond's. Only Andrew had sought to take her for himself...and Raymond tried to stop him and lost.
The letters to her family, to her...all part of his game.
She closed her eyes, struggling to keep back the blood tears.
Oh, how could she have been so blind, to not have seen it??
Caine, was *this* what Rhys had meant??
Damn it where was Andrew? And what was happening to Gabriel and Karen??
Sarah bit her lip. She had to show this to Rene. Though she could hardly believe it herself, after knowing Andrew so many years.
Taking the journal with her, she slowly made her way back to the study. She entered and almost immediately both Rene and D'arcy knew there was something wrong. Though this time she was not crying hysterically, as she had been the other night...this time it was anger that showed in her eyes and on her face. An anger that showed as she practically flung the journal down in front of them.
"I didn't find Andrew...but I did find *this*. Look at it...just *look* at it!!"
D'Arcy fixed the young vampire with a look of patience that would have done Job proud as Rene bent down, picked up the pages and began to peruse them.
"Well?" Sarah demanded.
D'Arcy glanced quickly at the pages held in Rene's hands and then back at Sarah.
"Sit down child," he ordered in a tone that demanded obedience.
Sarah sat. The tall French vampire walked over to stand above her, the distinction between the two not quite lost on the younger Sarah.
"Now then," D'Arcy began. "I have had quite enough of this nonsense. I have welcomed you and your friends into my home as has been my wont since I first came to this land." Sarah opened her mouth and then stopped. "Nor do I begrudge such hospitality; I would do so again. I would even welcome your problems, terrors and fears again for to help you and yours is to give back to whatever society it is that we choose to accept. The honour and obligations owed to my family's name and all who have gone before me demand nothing less. What I cannot abide and what I will no longer stand for is the constant adolescent hysterics you insist upon breaking into whenever you decide you do not like the facts of your life or suspect that someone may be being less then truthful with you. You have been one of us for the last fifty years, it is time to grow up child. Far past time."
Rene took the pages from Sarah and read them. As he scanned the words written, his expression turned to one of incredulity. He glanced at Sarah and saw the same look on her face.
"What is it?" D'Arcy asked, concern overcoming his anger. "What have I missed? Is there some word in there concerning Gabriel and Karen?"
Rene finished reading the damning pages and handed them to D'Arcy. As D'Arcy read, Rene looked to Sarah in bewilderment. "I can't believe the implications. Is it really possible? He had me completely fooled."
"I don't know what to believe, either," Sarah said. "Andrew has always been there for me. I can't believe he would do anything to hurt me. But there it is, in his own handwriting. My God, how could he do this to me? To Gabe and Karen?"
Rene's expression turned grim. "I don't know, but he has some explaining to do, and I mean to find him right now! If I have to beat it out of him, he's going to tell me where Karen is."
D'Arcy raised his eyes from the pages he was reading. He had earned valuable, if unwanted, experience in such matters from the stalking and abduction of his dearest friend.
"Do not act out of anger or in haste," he warned them. "Things are not always as they appear. We must give Andrew a chance to explain."
Sarah stood and took Rene's hand. "I ... We know you mean well ..." she began.
"But I ... we ... need answers and we are going to get them," Rene finished for Sarah. "Now!"
The two vampires turned and quickly left the room.
D'Arcy sighed as the scent of roses filled the air.
"Oh Isabelle," he breathed softly. "How many more lives must be damaged before we learn from the past?"
The only answer D'Arcy received was the gossamer touch of an ethereal hand against his cheek. And a knowledge that he could not allow his impatience with the current situation to turn into an impatience with his guests. That would have been more than unforgivable.
D'Arcy hurried out after Sarah and Rene and found them just as they reached the huge carved front door.
"One moment, please," he asked them.
The two vampires turned to look at their host, nothing but impatience shining forth from their eyes.
"What?" Sarah wanted to know. "I don't have time for this."
"And you don't have time to go running off half-cocked," the slang expression felt strange to the vampire who had never been able to shed his formal up-bringing."
"I'm just acting like the child you said I was," Sarah pointed out angrily.
"I did not mean ..." D'Arcy tried.
At this point, Rene spoke up. "You were right about that ... to a point. But we aren't talking about some minor disagreement or little tiff Sarah has had with someone. People are being hurt and they are being kidnapped. We don't know what has happened to them, but the very fact that I can't feel Karen tells me it's something bad. Sarah probably doesn't react in an adult way because she isn't treated as an adult. In fact, I'm not feeling very adult about this myself. I'm scared as hell and if throwing a tantrum helped, I'd be throwing one. Unfortunately, that isn't the answer."
"And running off into the night is?" D'Arcy wanted to know. "I have seen first hand what happens when an individual acts first and thinks later, I do not wish such a fate to befall anyone else!"
"But Karen is out there!" Rene's voice raised a notch.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Sarah shouted over the two men. Then in a lower, nearly choking voice, "Tell me what to do!"
* * *
The jet had landed at the airport just in time for Francis to down one last drink, and be poured off the plane and into the waiting stretch limo. Black, of course, he noted. With smoked windows and a bar that held some fine Scotch and other liquors, and *ugh* blood in bottles. Francis dropped the bottle he'd removed and one of the Fearless Vampire Hunters caught it and gave him a reproachful look.
"It be His," the man said, his accent heavy. "You not touch."
"Fine, all right, I'll just sit back here and doze, then," Francis muttered. He tried. Really he did, but the stares and the sotto voice comments of his companions kept him awake and jittery.
And then they were turning into the drive. Over the bridge. And up to the house. In the dark. Where two figures were standing on the front step, arguing with someone within.
Sarah, Rene, and D'arcy stood in the entrance hall, staring at each other, each desperate for some way out of this mess they were all caught up in...when the echoes of the entrance bell reverberated through the house.
They all looked at each other for a moment, then D'arcy took a step towards the door, only to be cut off by Sarah who rushed past him.
"That's Andrew, it's got to be, and I want to talk to him first!" she exclaimed as she fumbled with the door fastenings in her haste.
A moment later it was open "Andrew--" she began, the words she'd been about to say died on her lips unspoken as she realized that it was a strange man standing there. Well, actually, a group of strangers. men and women both.
"You're not Andrew..." she murmured weakly.
Rene and D'Arcy were right behind her, wondering who the blazes this was.
"No, that is, my cousin's name is Andrew, um," Francis stuttered. "Um. I thought ... uh, that is, well..." Subira pushed past him as he spluttered to a halt.
Two men came up behind her, both vaguely French-looking to Francis' eyes.
Meanwhile Subira had begun to talk, over-riding the younger man who'd taken Sarah's hand. "We're here for Gabriel," she announced. She looked the young girl up and down, then smiled. "You must be that Sarah child he's been worried about."
"I'm not a child," Sarah said. She let just a bit of fang show. Not that it fazed Subira. Unlike Francis, who let out a faint moan.
Not wanting to be swayed from his original intent, Rene led Sarah by the hand, saying, "Excuse us, we were on our way out."
"But where are you going?" the other man asked. His eyes were on Francis as he spoke, even as the other man tried to pull Sarah further out onto the stone patio, not answering the query.
"Please excuse my rudeness; we seem to be in the middle of a crisis here," the other man said, finally, to Francis and Subira.
"I see, the child and the fledgling want to move," Subira said, her dark eyes flashing as she stared at the two of them, hands still linked together. Under her eyes, Sarah began to pull away from the other man.
Rene pulled Sarah out the door, "We'll be in touch." They walked off, leaving D'Arcy to deal with the visitors.
Subira stared after them, dark eyes revealing nothing, then turned her attention back to D'Arcy. "You, sir, seem to be wiser then the two who have just left. Is it not true that no harm or malice can come through your doors?"
"The grounds are warded, yes," the man said. His voice was indeed suffused with a French accent.
"M'sieur Poulignac," Subira said, then, "I do not presume to order you, or yours, but it seems to me that a council of war should be gathered before *any* one goes off hunting in the darkness. Even a vampire is not proof against the powers of necromancy, as the plight of my Lord and your friend show us."
D'Arcy stood aside and gracefully waved his latest visitors inside. "Then, perhaps, everyone should step inside so that we may convene."
As the vampire hunters and their lawyer stepped into the vastness of Lourdesmont, Rene was leading Sarah towards the carriage house that now housed self-propelled carriages.
"Where are we going?" Sarah asked.
"I don't know; I thought we could ride around and I'll try to get a sense of Karen," Rene held up a set of keys. "D'Arcy said to take the Corsica, it won't attract attention. I'm sure when we get near her, I'll be able to feel her. It beats sitting on my hands doing nothing."
Sarah nodded her agreement. "That's really a good idea. The link you have between you will work. . .if she is still alive."
"Don't say that! Besides, I would know if she weren't." Rene's face was grim as he secretly wondered if that were true.
"Goin off alone, are ya?" A wary, gruff female voice addressed Rene and Sarah. Startled, they looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tall woman, about five foot 10 or so, with dark skin, she was obviously North American Indian. It was difficult to tell her age, she looked somewhere between 25 and 45. Her black hair was wavy and went halfway down her back. She looked serious, almost stern.
"Who are you?" Sarah asked.
"Name's Capri Monroe, ma'am. I'm an aquaintance of Karen's. Been away several months and now I come back and find she's in trouble. I'd like ta help ya out if I may."
"Well," Rene looked doubtful.
"Ya know them captors 'ave Karen, and who's ta say they won't try the same thing with you? I'd like ta make sure that don't 'appen, and 'help ya find Karen all at the same time if that's agreeable with ya. I want an end ta this insanity 'smuch as anyone." As she spoke, she looked straight at Sarah and at Rene, letting them know she meant what she said.
"I want an end to this too, but Gabriel and Karen are out there somewhere being hurt and it's because of me," Sarah whispered, looking from Rene to Capri and back again.
Rene threw his hands up in the air, saying, "Why not? We can use all the help we can get. You're welcome to join us."
"Yes, please," Sarah said, extending her hand to the other woman. "I'm Sarah."
"And I'm Rene."
"Yer Karen's friends," Capri said, shaking their hands. "Pleased ta meetcha."
"Come on, let's get started before somebody else shows up," Rene said, wondering what in the world was going to happen next.
"Someone wants me so badly they're hurting them to get to me...and I don't even know why. All I've got is *this*...and questions." Sarah waved the letter she'd just gotten, the one with her own name in it.
"Hmmmm," Capri took the letter and skimmed it. Deciding the present was more important than what happened in the past, Capri handed the letter back to Sarah. "ya can worry 'bout that later. Right now we gotta see 'bout preventin more 'arm comin to Karen. And if them captors get in the way...Well, if they're smart, they won't."
"Let's go." Rene urged.
Capri nodded, and she and Sarah got into the vehicle along with Rene and rode off.
"But don't you see? It's all because of me. And I don't know why!" Sarah despaired.
Capri looked at Sarah. "ya can't blame yerself for the actions of depraved monsters. They's just usin the past as an excuse. I can getcha to Karen in a moment, and ya gotta be prepared for anythin. She may be badly 'hurt."
As they drove on, the scene changed. Rene got a sense of Karen, but just as he was about to say something, Capri spoke up. "This's the place.
"What if we're seen?" Sarah asked as they were about to get out.
"No chance of that. The only one's gonna be able ta see us is Karen. Now c'mon." The faerie strode swiftly along, with Rene and Sarah in tow.
Sarah stared at the building before her. Though it was night, the house's unlit exterior and general rundown appearance made the place seem darker than it already was. Yet even that, for vampire eyes accustomed to seeing in the dark, meant little.
No, what bothered her was Capri's insistence that Karen was inside...that and the general air of...dare she say, evil? that seemed to hover around this place as if it were a cloud as black as a starless night sky.
"But where is this place?" Sarah asked. "This is only a vision, we're not really here, right? How do we find it again when we have to come here for real?"
And could they do that in time to save Karen and Gabriel from whatever or whoever was doing God and Caine only knew what to them inside...?
"No," Capri said, "This ain't no vision. I can't put things in other people's heads. Besides, why would I do something so cruel as give ya a lousy vision if that was possible? This's the real thing. I dunno where this place is, only that Karen's somewhere in there and ya gotta get 'er out. If ya can get a link on 'er now, you should find 'er."
