Vampire Babylon - Break Of Dawn Part 37

Yet she would need his help to do this because she wasn't equipped with the powers he had possessed. She only hoped Costin was still equipped with them, but shouldn't he be? All that had changed was that Jonah was a vampire now. His body was still in good working order for Costin's needs.

And maybe that meant Costin could continue the quest since being in a vamp body wasn't exactly like being trapped in a dead- dead body. Jonah was undead. Would Costin's operating base really matter that much as long as it could walk and breathe and fight?

She thought of how, long ago, The Whisper had forced Costin from his original vampire body, but that had only been out of a need to smuggle Costin out of the jail, right? Could Costin even undertake a holy mission in a cursed body? Was that allowed by the powers that had given him this quest?

And she wasn't even going to dwell on how she'd put him in the position of ultimately escaping Jonah's vampiric sh.e.l.l. d.a.m.n it, she'd really created a problem out of her good intentions.

Kiko tugged on the long-sleeved Henley she was wearing, getting her attention. "You're still worried that you've already screwed up his deal with The Whisper. You're worried that anything you do won't matter."

"Yeah, I'm worried." But since Costin himself hadn't forfeited the deal with The Whisper, there was still a chance that he would get his soul back if he stopped the dragon from rising. She kept believing that.

"So he'll just have to undertake the rest of the quest as a vampire," Kiko said, shrugging. "There'll be advantages."

"Why don't you just break into an Orphan Annie song?" Dawn bent down, hugging him. "You take care of yourself until I see you again."

"I will." She broke away before she could mist up. "No, I mean it. You freakin' take care of yourself. Frank's going to be here to watch."

Speaking of whom . . .

With a warning look that made Kiko roll his eyes, Dawn stood, then made her way to the kitchen. The aroma of herb-encrusted pork wafted out of the stainless-steel room, where Frank sat at a table, leaning on his forearms and smiling at the air. His hair moved, and Dawn knew that Breisi the Friend was touching him.

Eva was at the counter, tossing a salad. She had her back to the room, looking like any other mom cooking dinner for her and Kiko. But Dawn could detect the forced line of her body.

She'd explained that she'd been too weak to help fight the Master during the attack, and regretted that she couldn't join in, though she said she would have if the Master had gone into his ultimate form. Luckily, he hadn't managed, thanks to Dawn and the silver.

That was well and good, but, sometimes, Dawn wondered if Eva's story was altogether true. She didn't doubt Eva had been healing during the battle-that wasn't it at all. There were just times when she caught her mom staring off into s.p.a.ce with a glance so sorrowful that Dawn didn't know what to do. Did Eva miss everything she'd had as a vamp? And had her mom resisted killing the Master because of what it would destroy?

Her beauty and youth.

Or maybe she kept looking so down because Frank had chosen Breisi over her.

Whatever it was, Eva had taken to maternal life like it was a new mission-and why not? Jacqueline Ashley's burgeoning acting career had already guttered. Like many of the other Elites, the "starlet" had quietly disappeared from the public eye, just like so many other Hollywood careers often did. But, as for the Elites who'd become superstars again? No explanations. To the world, their disappearances were a disturbing mystery played over and over on the tabloid shows.

Thus, Eva now stayed indoors here at the Limpet house exclusively, even though Kiko was working on securing a new ident.i.ty for her. She doted on Dawn, doing things like cooking dinner, taking care of her daughter's laundry, and serving tea in the late afternoon. But her perfect family plans weren't quite complete with Breisi in the picture.

And there was another thing that weighed: what was going to happen to Eva's restored soul after human death? She'd told Dawn that it felt "dirtied" now that it'd come back from its limbo.

Dawn knew the feeling, because her own soul had returned the same way. But that was secondary to Costin's issues since it'd been her choice that had put them in this position.

She said good-bye to her parents, whispering to Frank that he needed to watch over Kiko. He agreed and followed Dawn to the door, Breisi's jasmine by their side, too. Kiko took up Dawn's other side. Eva trailed behind them all.

Then Dawn took off in the SUV, tuning in to the open sensory path Costin was leading her on. Fairly soon, she found the cabin in the woods. The hideaway.

Ultimately, she decided not to take her bag just yet-too presumptuous. Instead, she emerged from the 4Runner into the lifting darkness.

The door was unlocked, so she entered, pulse choking her.

"Costin?" She didn't know why she even bothered to ask for him, because her body was pulling toward a room on its own, as if hooked.

She found him waiting in a chair behind a desk, shadows from an electric crystal lamp playing with his face. His scars had disappeared, thanks to vampire healing. It left him brooding and beautiful, with only sadness as a more obvious wound.

As she stood in the doorway, s.h.i.+vering because of the unheated house and something even deeper, he spoke."I have sensed another."

Overwhelming emotion, unidentifiable in its mixture, rushed upward to consume her. He sensed another master-that meant his quest was on. That also meant . . . What?

He got out of the chair, coming to stand in a slant of shadow, topaz eyes burning bright. This was it-the condemnation she deserved.

As he paused, his body jarred for no reason, and he reached for the wall, as if balancing himself. It made Dawn wonder if Jonah's vampire body might have some control over Costin's soul now.

Even though guilt took her over, she said, "I can't regret what I did." The words were like exposed cuts. "Not if it's going to save you in the end."

"Not even if I am cursed to carry through in this body?" He clutched at the wall. "Not even if it has made you my master now?"

She s.h.i.+elded against the comment because, truthfully, she would've loved this turnaround three months ago. All the control she'd craved-it was hers. The user was at the mercy of the used.

"You don't really have a choice but to tolerate me," she said. "Kiko thinks that maybe I'll have something to do with getting the dragon, so you need me."

And I need to redeem myself to you at the same time you're redeeming yourself.

She took a breath to continue, but he abruptly held out his arms, interrupting her as if he'd finished with holding back.

"Come here, Dawn," he said, the name soaked in desire, his eyes filled with it, too, taking on a hint of silver.

Heart bursting, she went to him, not holding back, either. When he embraced her, she lost herself in a scent that seemed more appropriate for another lifetime than this one. Spices, exotic memory, vampire.

She had become many things: hunter, slayer, even an actress. But right now, she was finally herself, finally with the only person who could truly understand the changes, the becoming, the horrific acceptance.

"Dawn . . . ?" he breathed before longingly stroking her throat.

Had he been waiting for this-to feed on her again?

Without hesitation, she opened herself to his pleasure, her eyes opened wide to focus on the dim light of the lamp as she bent to offer her neck out of mutual yearning. Out of taking responsibility for him, too.

A sunburst, she thought as the lamp's colors sparkled and illuminated. A beginning.

Above her, Costin reared back his head, and she grabbed him, forcing him down to her, wanting with her entire heart to embrace everything about him-about them.

As his fangs pierced her jugular, she pulled him tighter, feeding him, keeping him alive, and guarding his very soul. The sunrise colors expanded, exploding, shedding warm light.

s.h.i.+ning the serenity of a new day over every open s.p.a.ce inside of her.

Dear Reader, Thank you so much for coming on this ride with me. This series has been a lot of fun with all its twists and turns, but I'm happy to tell you all that the ride is going to carry on even after Book Three ends!

A Drop of Red will continue the Vampire Babylon series in March 2009. In fact, it's the start of a new VB trilogy. You've come to realize that this series isn't structured like most: it's told in trilogy arcs that concentrate on one basic story. While each individual novel focuses on a central mystery, which is solved by the end, the three books together build character and mythology arcs/mysteries until everything culminates in the third book. In the second VB trilogy, you're going to discover a new Underground as well as further adventures of Dawn and the team, so I hope you're as excited as I am to explore it.

Until then, happy hunting, and thank you once again!

Chris Marie Green THE BERKLEY PUBLIs.h.i.+NG GROUP.

Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data eISBN : 978-1-436-26669-7 1. Madison, Dawn (Fict.i.tious character)-Fiction. 2. Women stunt performers-Fiction.

3. Missing persons-Fiction. 4. Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)-Fiction. I. t.i.tle.

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