"I did." My mother stepped forward. "He came highly recommended."
"By who? The troll under the bridge? He couldn"t spell his way out of second grade!" Cornelius pulled a wand out of his pocket. He wore an expensive gray suit, so I had no idea where he"d hidden it. He bopped Waldo on his now bald head. Waldo sobbed and begged for mercy. We all ignored him.
"No, it was one of the G.o.ds. He..." My mother frowned. "Well, now that I think on it, he does have a reason to hate me." She glanced at the ceiling. "Oh, but he"ll have even more reason when I get back up there." I heard thunder and knew there would be quite a payback coming.
"I"ll let you deal with your own issues, madam. I brought some supplies. Where"s the victim?" Cornelius stared down the hallway. "Oh, here he comes. I"m just in time I"d say or his brain would start boiling. No one survives that. Not even a vampire."
I gasped. Jerry was being carried by two strong vampires. His skin practically blazed, so red from his fever I might not have known him except for his wild eyes. He wore only a pair of boxers. Apparently the men had given up trying to dress him or maybe he couldn"t bear more clothes on his overheated body.
"If he dies, Waldo, I"ll turn you into a dung beetle then crush you under my heel." Cornelius stood over a sobbing Waldo then finally hit him with his wand again.
"Help me," Jerry said, locking eyes on Cornelius. Then he pa.s.sed out.
Twelve.
They laid Jerry on the tile floor in Ian"s lab, his hands on his chest. It was the only way to work on him, apparently. He was unconscious. Cornelius stood at a worktable. He muttered while stirring some things together that he"d pulled out of a purple velvet bag. He paused occasionally to drag Waldo over to point out something.
After each of his lessons, which I guess is what they were, he banged Waldo"s head against Ian"s workbench as if to get the information into the junior sorcerer"s brain. Ian frowned, probably at the dents in his porcelain table, but he didn"t say a word. He was too busy furiously taking notes on his computer.
"He looks bad, Gloriana."
"Thanks, Mother. I really needed to hear that right now." I sat on the floor beside Jerry, brushing his damp hair back from his forehead. His fever had spiked again and it was all I could do not to scream at the sorcerer to hurry. They"d pushed ice packs up against Jerry"s body but those kept melting and had to be replaced constantly. Finally I heard Cornelius approaching, his silk slippers and robe swishing across the floor. I don"t know when he"d changed clothes and didn"t care.
"Move." He didn"t ask, he commanded.
I got out of the way, jumping up to watch and pray.
Cornelius paced in a circle around Jerry, chanting and tossing some kind of gra.s.s or herbs or whatever into the air. They smelled fresh, then bitter. A mist began to form above Jerry, like storm clouds gathering, swirling into a gray ma.s.s above his p.r.o.ne body.
I glanced at my mother and gave her a warning look. This wasn"t the time for one of her displays of power. If she started to toss thunder and lightning around, I"d never speak to her again. She shook her head and kept her hands folded in front of her, apparently just as interested in the proceedings as Melanie, who darted around for the best angle, capturing the whole thing on video camera.
"All right. Now this is important. He must drink this elixir now." Cornelius was obviously in his element. His eyes glowed, juiced sunbeams, and he raised his arms in their long sleeves toward the clouds he"d created. He began chanting something in a strange language. He gave Waldo, who"d crept closer to observe, a hard look and the incompetent sorcerer scurried back to a spot farther away. Finally Cornelius lowered the gla.s.s and faced me.
"You are this man"s lover, the person closest to his heart in this room. Is that right? I believe your name is Gloriana?" Cornelius held out a gla.s.s beaker etched with symbols. Not one of Ian"s I was sure. It held a few inches of a pale pink liquid.
"Yes. Gloriana. I will do whatever you need, sir." I felt like I should bow or something but just nodded, stepping forward. If this would save Jerry, I would do whatever he asked. I felt a whisper in my mind.
"Careful, Gloriana. I have reason now to know these sorcerers can"t be trusted."
I turned and glared at my mother. As if I"d listen to her advice. "Go ahead. What do you need me to do?"
Cornelius frowned at my mother, apparently a mind reader too. "Good. You exchange blood with the victim?" He smiled as if this was a good thing. I liked his att.i.tude. No prejudice against vampires here. I took the time to give my mother a "How about that?" look.
"Yes, of course," I said, ignoring my mother"s sniff. Had she said "Disgusting"? This time I speared her with a warning glance. I was in no mood to be messed with and she"d better not interrupt again.
"Use this to cut yourself, then allow some of your blood to fall into the gla.s.s along with this potion I have mixed. I think it more likely he will drink it if he smells your essence in it." Cornelius handed me a curved blade made of gleaming silver. It had a symbol on the handle, a crescent moon with an open eye staring from the center. Words in some strange language were engraved on the blade.
I didn"t hesitate. I slashed my wrist and watched the blood flow into the gla.s.s.
My mother gasped. "That"s enough. Surely." She rushed forward with a silk scarf and pressed it to my cut, s.n.a.t.c.hing the gla.s.s out of my hand.
"Yes. We don"t want to dilute the mixture too much." Cornelius patted my shoulder. "I know you meant well, but a few drops from your finger would have served, my dear."
"You think...Will this cure him?" I stood there while my mother tied the scarf around my wrist. It coordinated with my dress of course. Silly detail and so like her. I batted her away when she kept fluttering around me. I was already healing.
"We will see. Perhaps you"d like to give it to him. Speak to him. Coax him to drink." Cornelius stirred the mixture with the blade handle then handed me the gla.s.s.
My hand shook as I dropped to my knees and lifted the gla.s.s to Jerry"s lips. "Jerry, please, wake up. I have something here that I hope will make you feel better." I slid one hand behind his head, holding it up so I could wave the gla.s.s under his nose. He was so hot my fingers stung even with his hair cushioning them.
"Smell. This is my blood. You know you want it." I swear his nose twitched. Or had that been my own wishful thinking?
"Let me help you." Ian knelt on Jerry"s other side and slid his own hands under Jerry"s head. Smart man, Ian wore thick gloves now. "Dip your finger into the beaker and slip it into his mouth. That should get him going. His fever has come down enough that it shouldn"t blister you."
"I"ll take that chance." I smiled in grat.i.tude and did as Ian suggested. He was being kind. Or was it just the doctor in him anxious to see if this worked? Whichever, I dragged my finger through the mixture and pushed it into Jerry"s slack mouth.
Hot. Of course his mouth was hot, but I could take it. d.a.m.n it, why didn"t he respond? I did it again, rubbing the liquid along his teeth. Finally, finally I felt some movement.
"His fangs are coming down!" I glanced at Ian.
"I see them." Ian helped me hold the gla.s.s to Jerry"s lips. Together we managed to pour the contents, a little at a time, into his mouth. When some dribbled out, I scooped it up and pushed it back in again. I was determined that Jerry get every single drop, even holding his mouth closed until he swallowed. When the gla.s.s was empty, Ian gently laid Jerry"s head back on the floor.
"He should have a pillow." I knuckled away a tear. "Why the h.e.l.l doesn"t he have a pillow?"
"Here, Gloriana." My mother handed me a fluffy down pillow clad in an Egyptian cotton case, something that must have come from one of Ian"s beds. Ian lifted Jerry"s shoulders and together we settled Jerry on it.
"Why isn"t he waking up?" I looked around and saw Cornelius, still muttering. He had an ancient leather-bound book in his hand and was paging through it. "Do something!"
"Relax, child. Give it time to work. Feel his forehead. See if the fever is coming down." Cornelius had on old-fashioned spectacles now, perched on the end of his nose. He stabbed a page in the book and moved to the workbench. He said something to Waldo and the man scurried after him.
"What"s Cornelius doing, Ian? Shouldn"t he be here, checking on his handiwork?" I touched Jerry"s cheek. Was it my imagination or did he feel a little cooler? "Take his temperature."
"I will. And, as for Cornelius, now he"s working on Campbell"s memory problem. He thinks he may have a way to restore his past. I a.s.sume that"s important to both of you." Ian threw off his gloves, then pulled out his thermometer. He shoved it into Jerry"s mouth, then rested the back of his hand on Jerry"s forehead. "Feels better, I think. And his foot jerked. I think he"s coming around."
"Oh, G.o.d, I hope so." I couldn"t think about Jerry"s memory until I was sure Jerry survived this thing. The thermometer signaled and Ian pulled it out. "What does it say?"
"He"s better." Ian grabbed Jerry"s jaw. "Wake up, Campbell. Talk to him, Glory." He tapped Jerry"s cheeks, harder than I thought necessary. I shoved Ian"s hands aside.
"I will if you move." I leaned down and kissed Jerry softly. "Please, wake up, Jeremiah. I need you." I kissed his cheeks then his eyelids. I felt them flutter against my lips. "He"s coming around!" His eyes opened and he stared up at me.
"Gloriana? What happened?" He closed his eyes again. "Head hurts."
"That"s only natural after a fever like that. I have something I could give him for it, but I think we should wait to see what Cornelius comes up with." Ian touched Jerry"s shoulder. "Campbell, hold up your hand."
"Leave me alone, MacDonald." Jerry turned his head toward me.
"Do it, Jerry. Ian is trying to see if the sorcerer"s potion got rid of your flaming fingers." I wasn"t about to test his hands myself. At least his mouth hadn"t burned mine. "Jerry, will you touch something? For a test?"
He squinted up at me. "What do you want me to touch?"
"Here." Ian handed me a piece of newspaper.
"Put your hand on this, Jer. If it doesn"t burst into flames, you"re all good." I grabbed his arm and aimed his hand at the paper.
"I can do it, Gloriana, I"m not helpless." He sat up, groaning. Then he s.n.a.t.c.hed the paper and crumpled it in his fist. We all waited while he held it in his palm. Nothing. Not a wisp of smoke.
"Genius. I certainly know who to call the next time I need a potion." My mother stood close by. "Cornelius, I need your number." She whipped out a cell phone, ready to punch it into her contact list.
"I try not to do business with anyone from Olympus, Your Highness." Cornelius bowed toward her but kept mixing. "Look what a mess Mr. Campbell is in right now. All because of your "games.""
"Well! I"d not call them games. With Waldo, yes. But Gloriana..." She lifted her chin in a gesture I"d used myself a thousand times. "I wanted my daughter with me. Is that so wrong?"
Cornelius threw a powder in the air and I smelled brimstone. Trust me, I recognized it. I"d had some bad dealings with Lucifer himself. "Next time you want something, examine your methods, Your Highness." He went back to work.
"Listen, Sorcerer." Thunder cracked and she flushed. "Are you trying to tell me...?"
"Mother, he"s right. With all your scheming, your plans didn"t pan out. Your sorcerer screwed you over. Learn from it. Now let Cornelius work. If he can give Jerry his memory back, maybe you have a shot at a relationship with me. Otherwise..." I couldn"t take my eyes off of Jerry, who was flexing his fingers as if checking them for damage. Knowing him, he probably wanted to toss a knife around to see if he still had his old accuracy. I glanced at Ian, happily making notes on his computer. Not a good idea. I could see a pair of guards nearby. They were never far away.
"You are being very bossy this evening, Gloriana. I don"t like it." My mother sat in a chair and gave herself a new outfit, one she must have decided suited the occasion better than an evening gown. Now she wore a severe navy suit that made her look like a professional woman. Of course it also showed off her perfect figure and she hadn"t bothered to wear a blouse underneath. The single b.u.t.ton was placed so that she showed plenty of cleavage and just a hint of bare midriff. I turned my back on her, sick of her theatrics, and helped Jerry to his feet.
"How are you feeling, love?"
"Like I"ve been h.e.l.l"s gatekeeper at the fiery furnace. I had no idea a man could feel so hot and still survive. Let"s go outside where it"s cooler." Jerry put his arm around me and headed for the terrace doors.
"Go ahead." Ian looked up from where he and Melanie were now seemingly fascinated by the playback of the video they"d taken of the exorcism or whatever you called what Cornelius had done to Jerry. "Don"t leave, though. We may soon be able to solve your bigger problem, Campbell."
"Don"t worry. If there"s any hope I"ll get my memory back, you couldn"t run me off with the entire MacDonald army." Jerry pushed open the French door, then collapsed on a chaise lounge. Ian"s home had a lake view and the night was cool and clear. "G.o.d, but I don"t think I"ve ever felt worse, not even when I took a spear in my gut during a Viking raid."
"I was scared, Jerry." I snuggled up next to him, then thought maybe he"d like to put on more than those boxers which probably belonged to Ian. "You want your clothes?"
"Not yet. Let me just cool off awhile longer. Everyone here has already seen me naked so this is an improvement, I"d say." He wrapped his arms around me and ran his hands down my back. "For a while there I thought I might not ever get to do this again."
I shuddered. "I know. Stupid Waldo. I want to go inside and kick him myself. I wonder if it was incompetence or if he was bribed to betray her."
"I saw your mother shoot him again with her lightning. She knows how to get the truth out of a fellow. Either way, Waldo will think twice before he deals with her again." Jerry chuckled.
"You think that"s funny?" I stared at him. "Brain damage. I"ll have to ask Ian about it."
"It"s laugh or throw myself off this cliff in front of us."
I glanced at the forty-foot drop to the lake. "Okay, laugh all you want. When you get your memory back, we can have a laugh riot." I laid my head on his chest and listened to the slow but steady beat of his heart. So close. I"d been way too close to losing him. I heard someone clear his throat.
"I have consulted the books and questioned the idiot who mixed the original potion that caused your amnesia, Mr. Campbell. I think I have a solution." Cornelius held out a gla.s.s vial filled with a dark blue liquid. "There are no guarantees. I know it won"t turn you into a billy goat, which is what Waldo"s next cure would have done." Big sigh. "And allowing for your vampire nature, I am fairly certain it won"t kill you." He almost smiled. "Now drink it down and we"ll see what happens."
"Perhaps I should just live like this. No memories. A fresh start." Jerry took the vial like he was handling a poisonous snake. "I"m not sure I have much confidence in sorcery after what I just barely lived through."
"Come now. Waldo is a third-degree sorcerer. A mere trainee. Barely qualified to turn princes into toads." Cornelius glanced at me. "What do you say, Gloriana? Do you want your man to remember his past or to stay the way he is?"
What a loaded question. Of course Jerry should have his memories back. The gaps he"d railed about earlier tonight were driving him mad. Driving. He needed to remember how to do that at the very least. And I wasn"t such a coward that I"d rather he stay lost in a fog than face my infidelities, was I?
"It"s up to you, Jerry, but I know you want to remember everything you can. You"ve been furious at your lack of knowledge." I waved my hand around-at Ian"s place, the computer nearby, up to where a plane streaked across the night sky. "As long as Cornelius thinks it will work, I think you should go for it. He certainly proved he knows his stuff when he cured you of the h.e.l.lfire spell." I stood and stared into the sorcerer"s strange eyes. "Really, no bad consequences?"
"Unlikely. But, as I said, no guarantees either. It may do no good at all." He pushed his hands into one of his robe pockets and pulled out a round mirror trimmed in bronze vines. The handle formed into a loop that he held in one hand. "Let me see if I can predict..." He stared into it, his pumpkin-colored eyes losing focus. "Hmm. I see you alone, Mr. Campbell, driving a car." He blinked and smiled. "A good portent, I think."
Was it? Or had the slippery sorcerer just read my mind again? I gave him a narrowed-eyed look but Jerry sat up and swung his legs down to the deck.
"I"ll take it! As it stands now, Gloriana must drive me everywhere." Jerry smiled at me. "Wish me luck?"
"Of course." I held my breath as he downed the inky liquid in a single swallow.
"Tastes like s.h.i.t." He made a face. "Warm in my stomach, though." He pressed a hand to his forehead. "I have to lie down." He fell back on the chaise. "Cornelius, the world is spinning."
"That"s all right, Mr. Campbell. Your brain is searching for your memories. Let it do its work. Close your eyes and try to relax." Cornelius laid his hand on my arm when I started to speak. "Leave him be, Gloriana. This should take a few minutes. I"m going to get Dr. MacDonald. He"ll want to see this in action. You are not like your mother, I can see that. If you ever need me..." He slipped a card out of his sleeve. "My unlisted number."
Well, that was a surprise. I tucked it into my bra before I sat on a chair across from Jerry. Use a sorcerer? If Cornelius could pull off this miracle, I"d definitely add him to my contact list. Of course I hoped I"d never need him or any of his magical powers again.
I stared at Jerry hard, as if I could will that potion to work. His chest rose and fell, like a runner"s after a hard race. Hyperventilating. His fists clenched. What was happening in his mind? Was he watching a movie in his head? Did he see his life unscroll before his eyes? Could he be reliving every single event of the last four hundred years? The good and the bad? I saw him wince, then smile. This went on and on. At one point he moaned, then gritted his teeth. What could have caused that? A chuckle, a sigh of satisfaction. I wanted to read his mind and even tried but I came up empty. I was well and truly blocked out from whatever he was going through.
I sensed someone beside me. Ian, then my mother stood there. Jerry wouldn"t like such an audience. I shooed her away and she went back inside. Of course the doctor wouldn"t budge.
"This is fascinating."
"And frustrating. I wish he"d wake up." I leaned forward, desperate to help Jerry through this but able to do nothing, not even to touch him, even though I tried. It was as if the sorcerer had put a shield around him. Any move toward Jerry left my head spinning, like I would pa.s.s out. I stopped trying.
"He was mad at you when he left here, wasn"t he? When he headed back to the old country?" Ian sounded happy about that. b.a.s.t.a.r.d.
"When I got to the castle, before he lost his memory, Jerry was glad to see me. He"d forgiven me." I refused to look at Ian.
"Good for you. Hopefully he"ll remember that part. Of course he may not know everything you were up to after he left. Does he?" Ian pulled up another chair.
"There was no need to bother him with that when he had amnesia, Ian. And you"d better not get into it either." My stomach leapfrogged into my throat. Ian knew all about my affair with Ray. Ray was addicted to Ian"s daylight drug and he"d made a special trip over here just so he could clue Ian in to our hookup before I"d left town.
Ian smiled, happy to have some dirt he could use against me. "Relax, Gloriana. I don"t plan to exchange gossip with Blade." He leaned forward in his chair. "But if he ever asks me about your relationship with Caine, I won"t lie for you."
I didn"t need to hear this now. Not when Jerry was on the brink of remembering his life. Or at least I hoped he was.
"I get it. Jerry and I will work it out. Just stay out of my business." I went back to watching Jerry, who was still twitching and making faces. G.o.d, what was he going through?
"Blade had better hurry with this rewind. We"ve got less than an hour before dawn. If he stays out here, he"s fried." Ian looked up at the sky.
"If he"s not done by then, your men will have to drag him inside to a safe place for his death sleep and you know it." I did finally face Ian. "The feud is over, remember?"