Dead Wrong

Dead Wrong A vampire novella by Wendy L. Callahan

Damnation Books, LLC. P.O. Box 3931 Santa Rosa, CA 95402-9998 www.damnationbooks.com

Dead Wrong by Wendy L. Callahan Digital ISBN: 978-1-61572-393-5 Print ISBN: 978-1-61572-394-2 Cover art by: Julie D’Arcy Edited by: Sally Odgers Copyedited by: Michelle Ganter Copyright 2011 Wendy L. Callahan Printed in the United States of America Worldwide Electronic & Digital Rights 1st North American, Australian and UK Print Rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any form, including digital and electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Dedicated to Katrina Hull –don’t stop believing.

I would like to thank David Hawksley, my former husband and still my friend, for encouraging me throughout the years.

Dead Wrong

Chapter One The vampire slayer had mistaken her reaction to him. Her disdain had less to do with the fact that she was a vampire and he was a slayer, and more to do with the memories he stirred within her. In fact, his ignorance of who she was and their shared past worked in her favor. It was a past she wanted desperately to forget. His presence brought it all back. He could continue to mock and taunt her about the superiority of a slayer to a vampire all he wanted; what she could not stand were the memories. With a dismissive wave of her hand, she turned her back on him and began to walk down the street. She suddenly found herself with both rage and hunger to spare, and she needed to take them out on the appropriate victim. He was not it. She knew her appearance would draw the right victim. While she generally preferred to be alone, even amongst her vampire clan, she knew when to drop the shields that made her unapproachable. She knew how to work her cute factor to lure one of the unscrupulous men who prowled the night looking for an easy fix. The more perverse and depraved he was the better. And if she found the right man–one who actually went so far as to push his attention on an unwilling woman–then she would even kill him. She did not consider herself some sort of crusader. She simply knew that if her hunger had to be assuaged, it was best to inflict the pain on someone deserving. He was easy to find; some punk with a ridiculous Mohawk, a shit-eating grin and a penchant for little girls. She tried not to recoil in disgust when he approached her. He liked the cat ears she wore. He liked her slender form. He liked the fact that she was only five feet and five inches tall. He liked her shoulder-length copper hair and her huge, innocent-looking doe eyes. He steered her toward a back alley and appreciated the fact that she seemed not to want to go. He wanted her to struggle and try to get away from him. He closed in and she squeezed her eyes shut as he leaned toward her, ready to go in for her own attack. There was a shout and the sound of bone crunching. She Page 1

Wendy L. Callahan opened her eyes and was shocked at what she saw. **** “What the fuck was that about?” she yelled. “He was practically molesting you,” the slayer muttered. “I can take care of myself.” She glared at him. He had not only taken away her meal; he had deprived her of carrying out some sweet justice against the perv. “You may be a vampire, but you’re a tiny little thing.” He stepped over the unconscious man to stand mere inches from her, trying to stare her down. “I thought you were old enough to know better, but apparently you’re just a baby vamp. There are men out there who will take advantage of you.” He looked confused as he regarded her, as though he was trying to place her face. Don’t remember me, she thought desperately as she stepped back against the brick wall, not sure how to react. She had been out of circulation for a year, and certainly had changed in that time. Still, she had known him for enough years that it was possible he could see through that change. All she knew clearly at this point was she was the one about to take advantage of this situation. It did not take any provocation on her part. He stepped up to her and bent his head to kiss her. She turned away from the kiss, but reached down to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. It all happened far more quickly than she expected. She just knew she was the one who pushed it beyond that initial contact, who pressed herself against him and wrapped her legs around him. She sensed his surprise, but when she felt his hands slide up along her legs and under her trench coat to grab her ass and pull her close, she was relieved. As his cock slid inside her effortlessly, she sighed and held onto him even more tightly. The wall was painful against her back and she welcomed the sensation. His cock was larger than any she had ever had the pleasure of fucking, and she welcomed that too. She was overwhelmed with the need to get out her frustration in some way, and this was the easiest one in reach. He fucked her so hard and brutally that she wondered for a moment if she really was the dangerous one. But it was only a fleeting thought as her body contracted and her orgasm came so forcefully she thought she would faint. Page 2

Dead Wrong Instead, she grabbed on to him and sank her fangs deep into his throat, drawn to the heat pulsing there. She took enough to satisfy her other hunger, before releasing him from her mouth to run her tongue along the marks where her teeth had penetrated him. The wound closed in mere moments, and she would not have known whether or not he noticed, if not for the fact that he had bucked against her harder than ever at the initial bite. She unlocked herself from around him and leaned back against the wall to steady herself as she repositioned her panties, smoothed her coat, and tugged her thigh-highs back into place. One of the ribbons at the top of them had come loose, so she retied it, ignoring his stare. “So when am I going to turn into a vampire?” She hid a smile. “Not going to happen.” She rose to her full height and said, “You won’t die either. This never happened.” She turned and strode from the alley without looking back. “What the…” He caught up to her and grabbed her arm. “I swear I know you from somewhere.” She shook her head and said, “I’m just some random vamp.” “Do you have a name, random vamp?” he asked, his gaze still searching her face as if he would find the answers there. “Yes, Desmond, I have a name.” Now he looked not just surprised, but a little angry. “Using your little Jedi mind tricks?” “Vamps are telepathic, yes, but I can’t get into your mind unless I glamour you.” “Then how do you know my name?” “We make it our business to know who is on the Slayers’ payroll.” That was a half-truth, at least. “I suppose you mean your clan?” “My Queen and my Lord, yes.” She nodded once. “In the interests of fair play, I should know your name.” She just wanted to go home, not play games with him all night. She needed to be alone. “You can call me Shiva,” she finally said. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Her gaze drifted down. “It was hard when and where it counted,” she responded, and then walked past him. It really was time to go home. **** “Darling, you’re back.” Page 3

Wendy L. Callahan “Yes, I am.” Shiva restrained herself from pointing out that Kat had a talent for pointing out the obvious. “Where is he?” “Talking with Sterling.” “Ugh.” Shiva turned to the mirror and smoothed her hair away from her face. Her Lord liked to see her eyes. He always gave her a hard time when they were hidden behind a curtain of hair, but when she had become a vampire her bangs had already been much too long, and she refused to cut them. Kat was his Second-in-Command. She was his eldest convert, a statuesque woman with curly brown hair to the middle of her back, and piercing blue eyes. Although she and their Lord had once been romantically involved, they had both agreed they were better as friends. Kat’s current beau was a hulking Norse-type heathen in their extended clan. As for their Lord… He was reputed to have no interest in women since his relationship with Kat, until Shiva’s arrival. Unfortunately, the interest in her extended beyond her immediate clan. Sterling, the Queen’s ambassador, had taken a liking to her. Shiva’s history made her a commodity in his eyes. He sought to unite clans by offering her in a political marriage. She had been married once before her vampire days. Once was enough. With a sigh, Shiva knocked on her Lord’s door, and entered his room when commanded. Where Kat’s heathen was tall, blond-haired and blue-eyed, their Lord was only a few inches taller than Shiva, dark-haired and green-eyed. The way Shiva liked them. Or so she had thought before tonight… She acknowledged Sterling’s presence with a courteous nod of her head. She liked their Queen, but Sterling made her shudder with distaste. He was a sly, sneaky, slimy sort of vampire who did not hesitate to use underhanded methods to get his way. When he left the room he brushed his hand against Shiva’s back. She stepped away from him, refusing to meet his gaze. “I know how much you dislike him,” her Lord said when the door was closed. “Yes, you do.” “I’ve managed to circumvent the entire marriage plot. I’m giving him Lise and Fender.” “What? Why?” Shiva cried in outrage. “Why give him anything?” Page 4

Dead Wrong “We are clan,” he said simply. “Fine, it’s a Three Musketeers situation, but I still don’t think any of us should have to make that kind of sacrifice.” “They say they are fine with going to the New York clan. The alliance between all the New England clans and New York will make us stronger than ever.” “They’re going willingly? What did they have to offer that tempted Sterling away from giving me away?” Shiva asked. “Experience more than anything. Although you are the first and only one of your kind, I persuaded him that such a novelty was pointless with your… unproven track record. In addition, if you did get skittish (shall we say?), you might fall back into your old ways. That would be rather detrimental to all of us.” Shiva smiled for the first time that night. “Besides, I need more time to make you fall in love with me.” “Oh.” Now she bowed her head to avoid looking at him. He had been working hard to win her affections since her conversion six months ago. Her illusions of love had been shattered before that. Love led only to heartbreak. She picked up the pieces of that heartbreak and came to the vampires. A new home. “Thank you,” she said, finally looking back up at him and smiling once again. “You can show me your appreciation right here, right now, if you like,” he suggested, smiling playfully. She approached and leaned toward him. His hands went to her shoulders and his grip was painfully tight. “Am I smelling what I think I’m smelling?” “My Lord…” “Shiva.” His voice was sharp and severe. She had heard that tone of voice before, but never directed at her. “I was hunting. We crossed paths.” “We try so hard to protect newborns from the slayers, and we took many extra precautions with you…” “I know! It won’t happen again. It was just by chance.” Shiva knew she should be contrite. When she ran into the slayer, she should have run the other way. The mistake was hers. “Go take a shower and then stay in your room.” “What?” She drew back in surprise. “Am I… grounded?” “I’ve lost my appetite.” He turned back to his desk. Feeling too much like a child who had been caught doing Page 5

Wendy L. Callahan something wrong Shiva straightened and left the room. As she walked by Kat, the other vampire said, “I smelled it the moment you walked in the door.” “Fuck off.” “Apparently you already did, because the smell is strongest from between those pretty little thighs of yours, my dear.” Shiva bared her fangs with a hiss. “Oh, you might be the first and only one of your kind, but you aren’t the first vamp to fuck a slayer,” Kat said soothingly, but still with mischief in her tone. “I think he’s not upset that you fucked another man, but rather that it was a slayer. A specific one at that…” “And that specific slayer knows nothing about me, so let’s keep it that way.” Shiva turned to go upstairs. “Are you really going to just let it go?” Kat asked. Shiva gripped the banister. “I have to. It’s all in the past,” she answered.

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Dead Wrong

Chapter Two Desmond closed and locked his front door behind him, still not entirely sure what had happened that night. All he knew was that predawn encounter had made him crave more. He had been through many girlfriends and lovers over the past few decades, some more adventurous than others, some dead because of his profession, some a waste of his time. This vampire had all the requisite necessities to be his lover, not the least of which being that she was completely forbidden to him. Being a slayer did not mean he was a goody-two-shoes. In fact, breaking the rules was sometimes required to get a job done. He wanted this vamp, and there was something familiar about her that he could not quite name. There was a mystery there his analytical mind urged him to solve. There was nothing to stand in the way of him getting what he wanted. Even her reticence could be overcome. She had been the one to jump him, after all, not the other way around. He opened the refrigerator for some breakfast, smiling at the thought of seeing her again and meeting the challenge she presented. **** She was told to stay in her room for two days. Kat had told her their Lord was jealous. However, he also knew how much Shiva needed her freedom. He could not keep her indoors merely because she had sexual relations with a slayer. Slayers were actually a useful means to an end in vampire eyes. They went after all sorts of unpleasant things–werewolves being the most common. A vampire who played by the rules was usually safe. A vampire who chose to break the code of honor was the usual target of a slayer. Slayers were unaware of that code. It was a simple one–no killing unless warranted. Shiva realized that vampires certainly were not undead Robin Hoods, but nor were they the depraved monsters of nightmare. Well, for the most part… Vampires did take Page 7

Wendy L. Callahan advantage of their allure to enjoy whatever they desired, including wealth, devoted mortal followers, and sex. The vampire world was much like the mortal world; full of politics and power plays. Undead society simply operated after dark. Shiva sighed as her mind went back to the werewolves. Another reminder of her painful past. First the slayer, and then the werewolves. Too many things on her mind and not enough distractions existed to keep her from thinking about those things. The door opened and her Lord entered, looking grave. “You have a guest.” “I hope you turned him away,” Shiva said, not moving from where she sat on her bed, staring down at her hands. “Actually, I let him in.” “What? Why?” Shiva leapt to her feet to glare at her Lord in outrage. “I want him here even less than you do, but I don’t think he poses a threat. Yet.” “Did you consider that he poses a threat to me?” He knew what she meant and nodded. “Despite that, I think it is time you face everything. You will never truly put it to rest if you do not finish the task you inherited. Don’t you agree?” “Oh, fuck all this shit!” Shiva kicked at the wall in frustration. “I realize this could all come to a very bad end, and I will let you make the final decision. Have you thought about it during the past few nights?” She shook her head. “No, you’ve avoided it.” He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I’ve been far too over-protective of you. In truth, I should have put you out there long ago to do this.” “I don’t want to!” Shiva knew she sounded like a petulant child. “Well, I think you have to if you want to get on with this life.” Shiva turned to face him with a sigh. She was fighting a losing battle. With one last, angry shake of her head, she stalked past him to stomp down the stairs, through the foyer, and into the parlor. “Sheesh. You make a lot of noise for someone so small,” Desmond said when she entered the room. She clenched her fists as she coached herself to keep her cool. “May I help you?” she asked. He regarded her for a brief moment, then said, “That guy I took out last night… Turns out he was on ‘America’s Most Wanted’. Do Page 8

Dead Wrong you make a habit of playing with thugs?” “Oh, yes, I love being molested in dark alleys by criminals,” she retorted sarcastically. “Or did you have other plans for him?” Desmond took a step toward her, looking very casual and self-assured. “I’m thinking my first impression of you was mistaken.” “Whatever gave you that idea?” Shiva answered coyly. “The moment you unzipped my pants and pulled out my cock,” he said. Shiva suddenly realized this was the wrong place to have their conversation. “What will it take to get you to leave?” she asked quietly. “Just you answering some of my questions.” “What if I refuse to answer you?” “Then I will pester you every night until you do. It wasn’t difficult to find you, you know. There aren’t any other vamps named Shiva in Massachusetts.” She nodded as she bit her lower lip. “Fine. We’ll talk, but we’re taking this outside.” “That’s fine with me.” He held the front door for her and she immediately made her way toward the cemetery a few blocks from the ornate Victorian home in which she lived. He caught up to her effortlessly. “How many of you live there?” “Are you casing the joint for some sort of raid?” she asked archly. “I’m just curious how many of you fit into that huge house,” he said. “There are only five of us, but it could hold many more.” “So, who are your roommates?” Shiva was not sure how this conversation had turned into small talk. “My Lord, his lieutenant, and two troubleshooters live there.” “Come again? What are vampire troubleshooters?” “One is pure muscle. He’s basically a bodyguard. The other is our techie. He keeps us connected. That’s all.” “So, it’s like a boss house, huh?” “I guess you could say that.” “Why do you have the honor of living there?” “My Lord converted me.” “Do all of his converts live with him?” “No.” “Then what makes you special?” Page 9

Wendy L. Callahan Shiva stopped outside the cemetery. “I don’t think that really matters.” “Well, what’s your purpose?” Shiva looked down at the stone wall that was about hip-high. “I don’t serve any special purpose,” she answered softly. “Not in this life, anyway.” Crap. This was the third time in the past few nights that the past had come back to haunt her. And even though it was not buried in this cemetery, she suddenly realized this had been a poor choice of place to find privacy. She blinked back the tears that suddenly burned at the corners of her eyes. “Why are you so uncomfortable?” “I’m not.” “You certainly are. Is it me?” She felt him moving closer to her. If he touched her, she would break down. She leapt effortlessly up onto the wall and began to walk along it, until she had reached the darkest part of the cemetery, on the top of the hill. He followed, not pestering her. She dropped lightly to the ground and ran her hands over one of the aboveground graves. “These are my favorites,” she sighed as she pressed her fingers to the cool stone. “I once knew a girl who loved cemeteries,” he said softly. “You remind me so much of her, even though you look so different.” Shiva choked back a sob and responded, “And that’s why you insist upon seeing me again?” “Possibly.” She felt him touch her hair as he said, “Her stature and facial features were similar to yours. She was blonde, though. But it’s the cat ears that really get me… She never wore anything like that, but she was our Neku…” This time it was impossible for Shiva to keep a small sound of sorrow from escaping her lips. She hoped he would mistake it for passion, as he was standing behind her now, his arms on the grave, on either side of her, his body pressed against her. She arched slightly, pushing her ass toward him. This was the worst way to forget, but also the most convenient. He did all the work this time, and Shiva gasped with pleasure as he thrust into her from behind. His hands came back around her, this time to grip her wrists and hold her immobile against the grave while he fucked her hard and fast against it. “This style of yours is quite convenient,” he commented when they finally regained their own personal space. Shiva tried not to smile as she smoothed the schoolgirl skirt Page 10

Dead Wrong back into place and fluffed up the ruffles of her lacy top. “Wow. So, you can look happy.” He tilted his head as he regarded her and said, “That smiles really lights up your face.” Shiva had to resist the urge to give him a raspberry. It would have been too juvenile. And too reminiscent of her former life. “Is it a typical vampire thing not to smile or make jokes?” he asked. “We all have different personalities. That doesn’t change in the conversion,” she said. It’s life events that change your personality, she added silently. “So, how did you end up as a vampire?” Desmond wanted to know. Shiva realized the only way she was going to get rid of his attention was when he got bored with her. Her only option was to play the sex card, and hope he soon got tired of the kinky taboo of fucking a vampire. “I don’t think it matters,” she responded in a soft voice, reaching out to take the neck of his shirt in her fingers. “Do you?”

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Chapter Three For the next few weeks, Shiva found Desmond waiting for her when she left the house. They had sex nearly every night. Some nights he talked and she listened. She never did the talking, except to ask him once if he was slacking off. His response had been that things seemed to be pretty well under control, and he had not gotten any calls to the contrary. Shiva resisted the desire to point out the dozens of truths he did not yet know existed, and would never know, if only he would finally get bored with her. This proved to be a problem that was finally noticed in the house. “He’s really pissed about it,” Kat said one night. “He hates that you’re hanging out with the slayer.” “Not as much as I do,” Shiva answered, leaning across the green felt of the pool table to knock a striped ball into the corner pocket. “Then why are you doing it?” “He told me to face the past.” “You aren’t facing the past. You’re fucking a piece of it.” Kat waited impatiently as Shiva made another shot. “The ball is in two weeks.” “I know. I’m still going as my Lord’s escort.” “He would like you to go as something else.” Shiva looked up, this time knocking the ball far from the intended target. “You need to break up with the slayer.” “We aren’t ‘going out’,” Shiva protested, stepping back from the table. “This is not a break-up situation. Like you said, I’m fucking him.” “Well, you need to either fuck our Lord, or nobody.” Shiva shrugged. “I thought Desmond would get bored with me.” “Apparently, he isn’t.” Kat sunk a ball in the side pocket. “Christopher has had enough. It’s over, Shiva.” “Yes, I’ll tell him…” Shiva looked down at the carpet as she ran her pool stick along the weave. “Oh my hell.” Page 12

Dead Wrong “What?” “You like him.” “No.” Shiva shook her head vigorously. “You do.” “Even if I did, it would be pointless. He’s not that kind of a guy.” Kat put her hand on her hip. “You don’t think there’s a chance that he might like you as more than a fuck toy?” Shiva nodded. “I disagree.” “Kat, you think every man loves me. I think you’re wrong.” “Okay. I propose a bet.” “A bet?” Shiva raised her eyebrows skeptically. “Yup. Break it off with him. Tell him you’re doing it for Christopher. If he shrugs it off and gets another sex toy, fine. If he gets pissed, then I’m right.” Shiva laughed. “There isn’t a jealous bone in Desmond’s body.” “Just a boner, you think?” Kat cocked her head to the side. “I don’t think you’re giving the slayer enough credit. I mean, he comes into the midst of the enemy to spend time with you. How many men will do that to get laid?” “You have to be sort of disturbed to be a slayer anyhow,” Shiva muttered. “Yeah, you would know, ‘Shiva’.” **** “I think I’m in love.” “Really?” Ben looked at Desmond in surprise. “That’s nice, because there hasn’t been anybody since…” “Yeah, I know.” Desmond set aside the silver bullets and picked up his favorite knife to look it over as he spoke. “This one is quiet. I know there’s something she’s not telling me. Probably many somethings.” “Well, tell us about her.” Jasper walked into the living room to set the bowl of chips and six-pack of beer on the coffee table. “After all, you blew us off for the past, what? Three weeks now. You were practically AWOL, all because you were getting laid.” “I think it was more than that. She doesn’t say much, but she’s intelligent. She has a sharp sense of humor. And when she smiles…” “Oh, look at that expression,” Ben chortled. “You really are in love!” Page 13

Wendy L. Callahan “Does this mystery girl have a name?” Jasper asked. “Shiva.” “Weird name.” Jasper sat on the couch and reached for the semi-automatic rifle at his side. “It’s probably not her real name. When we met, she said I could ‘call’ her Shiva. In fact, I’m one hundred percent sure that is not the name her parents gave her.” “Why the odd name?” Ben asked. Desmond looked up at his fellow slayers slowly. “Because she’s a vamp.” There was a tense moment of silence, before Jasper jumped up from the couch and shouted, “Oh, hells no!” “Jesus, Des!” Ben looked like he didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry. “You’re my best friends. I thought you would be alright with this.” “Man, you better never introduce her to me, or I will have to kill her leech-ass!” Jasper yelled. “Look, I know what they did to your parents, but she’s not like that…” “You can’t justify this shit to me, man!” “Des, is she going to be at this vampire ball?” Ben asked quietly. “Yes. She already told me that she committed to go with her area clan Lord.” “Aw, crap. You know she could die…” “I’ll protect her.” “You can’t do that!” Jasper yelled. “Our mission is clear. You heard it from the Council itself. We go in there, and we take out whatever leeches we can. They’re a threat to humanity! They are taking over this world, and you know it!” “I really don’t see how that is possible. All their businesses are run at night. They cater to an entire society that only runs in the dark. I don’t see how that messes with our daytime society.” “Oh my god! You’re defending vampires now?” Ben put up his hands. “Alright, stop it. Look, I respect your newfound understanding of vamps or whatever, Des, but Jas is right.” “I don’t see how.” Desmond stood up and glared at them defiantly. “This is a capitalistic society. Anybody can profit. Vampires haven’t changed that.” “Yes they have, by fucking murdering the people who have a right to walk this earth; by killing off the living human beings, to Page 14

Dead Wrong further their own filthy, undead society!” Jasper had stepped so close to Desmond that they were standing toe to toe. “Okay, it’s time for us to leave,” Ben said. He rose to his feet and put his hand on Jasper’s shoulder. “Look, Des. You have a mission. If you can’t complete it, you need to bow out now and let another slayer in on it.” “I can do it,” Desmond answered angrily. “Besides… she reminds me a lot of our Neku.” Both Ben and Jasper paused to look at each other, then back at Desmond. “She’s dead,” Ben said softly, as Jasper looked on; an inscrutable expression on his face. “I know. I think that’s why I’m drawn to this girl. She’s like her in so many ways, yet different. And, I know it’s difficult to imagine, but even though this girl is a vampire, she just seems too vulnerable…” Jasper just looked at him as though he were bat-shit crazy, but Ben’s attempt at being understanding gratified him. By the time his friends left and he had put away his slayer paraphernalia, he was still feeling frustrated. Too many questions lingered. The knock at his door was unexpected. He glanced at the clock. The options for visitors were fairly limited at this time of the morning. He opened the door to find Shiva standing there. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms. She was taken aback by his gesture. When he finally released her from his embrace, she said, “I never thought you had it in you.” “You’ve known me for about four weeks,” he said. “Um… I mean, you just never struck me as that kind of a guy.” She dodged his gaze and stepped around him to look at the living room. “What kind of a guy?” “Oh… The hugging kind.” Shiva did not want to look at him. She was afraid she would reveal too much. “Bad night?” “Pretty much, yeah.” She nodded. “I can’t believe I just came here to make it worse.” “What do you mean?” Shiva turned to look at him. “I can’t see you anymore.” “What? Why the hell not?” She winced at the anger in his tone. “My Lord and his Second want me to break it off with you.” “Do you always do what other vampires want you to do?” “Don’t give me that shit. I have to live with these people!” Desmond shook his head. “No, you don’t have to. You choose Page 15

Wendy L. Callahan to. And your ‘Lord’ keeps you close because he wants you. That’s pretty obvious.” “Yes, he does want me. He wants to marry me.” Desmond made a sound of derision and Shiva felt something inside her snap. “Why the scorn?” she yelled. “You don’t think it’s possible that someone could love me? Or is it that you don’t think vampires can love?” “It’s obvious that vampires can’t love! You certainly don’t want me!” “What makes you think that you were ever anything more than a means to an end?” Shiva cried. She realized she was being cruel, but she hardly cared. “You’re the one who uses pretty words to get what you want! You dangle love like bait, but you can’t back it up, because you’re a selfish, hedonistic asshole!” “What? Where the fuck is THAT coming from?” he shouted. Shiva knew she was on the verge of saying far too much. What she hoped would be a quick, clean break was turning messy and complicated. She calmed herself down instantly. “I’m sorry. This is the way it has to be. I’ve got to go.” As she strode toward the door, he moved faster, grabbing her by the upper arm. “No, this is not the way it has to be. You aren’t going until you tell me every fucking thing that is going on in that head of yours! I want to know the truth. None of this ‘Lord’ shit, none of these weird accusations toward me. Tell me what the hell is going on!” “I don’t want to hurt you,” Shiva said softly. “You already have.” “I doubt it.” She turned away from him so he would not see the tears in her eyes. “You don’t have feelings for anybody but yourself.” “You better start explaining yourself.” “Goodbye.” She tried to wrench her arm from his grip, but when he held tight, she turned to throw a left hook. Caught off guard, he let her go. She fled from his house as quickly as she could. **** “Has she come down from her room yet?” Christopher asked. “No, my Lord.” Kat shook her head and glanced toward the ceiling. “She just sits up there and looks so sad. It’s pathetic, really.” Page 16

Dead Wrong “I’m sure she’ll feel better after tomorrow night.” “It’s all your fault, you know.” “Excuse me?” Christopher looked at her in surprise. “You’re the one who told her to take a chance with the slayer, to deal with her pain. You didn’t consider that she might actually really like the guy.” Christopher bowed his head. “No. I didn’t.” “So. What are you going to do about it?” Kat looked at him expectantly. “I suppose the only thing I can do about it.”

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Chapter Four Kat smiled at Shiva as she checked her reflection in the mirror. “You look beautiful, baby vamp.” Shiva nodded. “Oh, smile, for goodness sake!” Shiva only glared at her. “Fine.” Kat adjusted Shiva’s laces. “The corset suits you. You’ve got the curves for it. He will be the most envied vampire there.” “Is William waiting for you?” “Yes.” Kat was glowing, both from a recent feeding and her excitement at seeing her heathen. “I think he might propose tonight. That would bring him here permanently.” “I hope he does.” Shiva turned away from the vision of herself in black and crimson. She reached up self-consciously to touch the curls Kat had created and piled atop her head. “I feel like I belong in a period piece.” “The Vampire Duchess?” Kat suggested. “You are obsessed with Keira Knightley movies.” “She’s skinny, but still manages to be tasty.” Kat winked. They went downstairs to find Christopher and William waiting. Shiva silently accepted her Lord’s arm and her future as his consort. **** The hotel ballroom was darkly appropriate to the event being held there that night. Shiva tried to appreciate the efforts to which the decorating committee had gone to create this gothic paradise, but it was a waste of time on her part. “You’re preoccupied,” Christopher observed. “Sorry.” She looked up at him as they danced. “Ever since your conversion, I’ve looked forward to this night.” Shiva lowered her gaze. So this really was happening… “It was my intention to formalize our relationship almost from the moment I met you. It was just a matter of waiting for the right time. On a night like this, the entire clan is in attendance to Page 18

Dead Wrong witness important announcements.” Shiva continued to keep her silence. “So I’ve been discussing it with Kat, and I realize that tonight is the best time to let you go.” “What?” Shiva’s eyes went up to his. “I clearly made a mistake in pushing you on the slayer. I thought it would help you move on. I made a further error by miscalculating how you might feel about him. I never expected you to love him. But you did, so it is only right for me to let you go.” “Let me go…” “To be with him.” “Oh my…” Shiva felt his hand tighten around hers as they danced. “Don’t you want to be with him?” “Yes.” “Then why in the hell are you still here?” She smiled and let out a small laugh. “Goodbye.” At that moment, an explosion rocked the room. Christopher’s hands tightened on her instinctively as the back wall crumbled to pieces. “Slayers!” he hissed in her ear. “Did you have any idea…?” “No!” she gasped, as shocked as everyone else in the room. To her horror, the first person she saw was Desmond, and he was looking right back at her. Christopher immediately grabbed her hand and turned to run. “It’s going to be a blood bath in there. I don’t want you to have anything to do with that.” “But…!” Shiva began to protest, but was cut off as the attendees scattered to fight. Someone ran between them, separating her from Christopher. She turned toward the sound of the fighting and saw both Kat and William fending off three slayers. Without a second thought, she threw herself into the fray. She could no longer see Christopher or Desmond, and the floor was quickly becoming slippery with the blood of slayers and vampires alike. “Why tonight?” she cried. “This many vamps in one place? Easy target,” Kat returned. “Plus, it was a complete surprise. They’ve never hit the vampire ball before.” “These attacks have been coordinated throughout the area,” William said. “The Vermont clan tells me their ball has also been attacked.” Page 19

Wendy L. Callahan “Fuck!” Kat cried. “Stop multi-tasking and just fight!” Shiva resolved to tell William later that she was impressed that he could fight and hold a telepathic conversation simultaneously. She was too busy defending her life to let her thoughts go much further. Something tangled in her hair, yanking her back. She screamed in surprise and pain, and reached back to sink her nails into the hand that gripped her head far too tightly. She expected to die in the next moment, maybe to have her throat slit by a gleaming blade or to take a shot to the back, but instead she was knocked to the ground. She pushed herself up and saw Christopher lying only a few feet away, very pale and still. “Oh no!” A hard foot ground into the small of her back, pushing her to the ground, and she felt the cold muzzle of some sort of gun against her temple. “Don’t fucking move.” Oh shit, she thought.

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Chapter Five “Are you crazy?” Ben asked as he followed Desmond through the house. “Bringing her here?” “The Council said to interrogate anyone we could.” “Yeah, but taking a prisoner? Jeez, Des. We were supposed to leave no survivors. Interrogate them there, and then put a bullet in their head.” “She’s close to the area clan leader. She can verify the intelligence the Council has.” “Fine, question her then kill her,” Jasper said. “I’ll do it now.” He turned to descend into the basement, but Desmond hauled him back. “She’s not going to answer our questions now. She’s upset and pissed off, and she’ll tear your throat out if she gets the chance.” “What are we supposed to do?” Jasper asked. “Have a fucking tea party with her? Hope that the info we need comes out during a lovely little chat? I don’t goddamn think so.” “I’ll find a way to make her talk,” Desmond answered softly. “We’re a team. This isn’t a one man operation.” Jasper glared at him, still angry that Desmond had dared bring a vampire among them. “Tell me how you’re going to make her give up that kind of information.” Desmond clenched his fists at his sides, conflict evident on his face as he glanced at the basement door. “Do you have any suggestions?” “Yes,” Jasper answered harshly. “Deprived of blood and daytime sleep, she’ll sing like a canary.” “How very Al Capone of you,” Ben said, his voice quiet. “So we need to babysit her 24-7 to make sure she doesn’t get any sleep, and then she’ll tell us everything we need to know to take out the rest of the New England clan.” Jasper shrugged. “After that, we can kill her.” “Fine,” Desmond answered. “Do whatever it takes, but I want no part of torturing her like that.” “That’s probably because you never experienced a loss like mine,” Jasper snarled in response. “Think about the pain vampires caused to me when they killed my family. What she’ll Page 21

Wendy L. Callahan experience is what she deserves.” Desmond averted his gaze to the floor, well aware that his own expectations of obtaining information from Shiva were flimsy at best. Jasper nodded to indicate that the matter was settled in his mind. “I’ll take the high noon watch, then. I’m going to get some rest.” Ben turned to Desmond after the other slayer had left the room. “Are you sure this isn’t personal?” “She hurt me. I think I’m allowed to hurt her.” “This is a little extreme, letting Jasper have his way. He’ll kill her the moment she gives up the information we want. I thought you cared about her more than that.” “She fucked with my heart. Maybe she’s just getting what she deserves.” Desmond stomped down the hall and slammed the door to his room. **** Shiva realized that she might have been able to be friends with Ben, if only he wasn’t so into his job. Like Desmond, he would look at her searchingly, with partial-recognition in his eyes. At least he wasn’t a complete asshole, like Jasper. Ben was calm and steady, but he was definitely committed to the slayer cause. He hadn’t changed a bit. As for Jasper, Shiva had additional reasons to detest him. Reasons that came back to her as freshly painful as if it had only been yesterday and that made her wish she were now dead. She could have laughed in Desmond’s face when he questioned her about doing whatever the other vampires in her clan told her to do. Slayers were no better. She knew that from bitter experience. Since Ben did not speak to her, she immediately pushed and pried to access his mind. Slayers were trained to protect themselves from telepathy. He felt her pushing and pushed her right back out of his thoughts. Fine. She really didn’t need access to his mind to know that they would probably starve her, deprive her of sleep, and then finally interrogate her for information before they ultimately killed her. What information she could give them, she had no idea. All she knew was that their organization was as corrupt as it had been a year ago… **** Page 22

Dead Wrong Ben wasn’t sure if it was the lack of food or rest that hurt her so badly. He had a feeling it was something deeper, because while she certainly looked like she was in physical pain, she also looked incredibly sad. Her face and expressions were oddly familiar, as Desmond had said, but the luminosity of her immortal existence made him unsure. Perhaps he was only tricking himself into thinking she resembled Neku. Maybe he thought she was familiar only because he had been guarding her on a regular shift for the past week. The end of his shift was nearing. The sun would rise shortly, and Desmond would come down to take the next shift. Her head was drooping, but his job was to keep her from sleeping. She sat, slumped in the chair, held up only by the chains that were strong enough to withstand the strength of any supernatural creature, and enchanted with the magical properties to keep shapeshifters from slipping from their hold. “Just kill me,” she said softly. They were the first words she had said in the entire seven days she sat in that dark basement. “What?” Ben turned toward her. “I don’t know anything. So just kill me. You’ve already taken the most important person in my life away from me, so just end it now.” She spoke so softly, her tone so sorrowful, that Ben realized he almost felt sorry for the dispirited vampire. For a moment, he wanted to know what she was talking about, but he realized that this might be his opportunity to dig for the information they sought. “What do you know about the treaty between the vamps and weres?” he asked, kneeling to look into her face. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. If you’ve been told that there is one, then the Council has lied again.” “What do you mean ‘again’?” “Kill me,” she said again, tears sliding from her eyes. “Please.” Ben rose to his feet, reaching toward the large knife that he always carried. He was moved to pity. He had no idea why. “I’m begging you.” She was practically sobbing now. “Ben!” Desmond’s voice was full of reproach. “Get out of here.” Ben hesitated at the door, but left as he was ordered. Shiva could not look up. She did not have the strength to even sit upright anymore. Her body strained forward against the chains. “I want to die,” she pleaded. “I wish I had never been born. I Page 23

Wendy L. Callahan wish I had never met you. I wish I had never become a vampire.” She was crying uncontrollably now, waiting for him to end her misery. She did not even hear the commotion through her own sobs, nor did she feel the chains fall away from her body. Only when she crumpled to the floor did she have any awareness of what was happening. “We’re going home,” a familiar voice said in her ear, before she fell into a merciful darkness.

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Chapter Six “Well, aren’t you just the damsel in distress?” Kat put a cup of fresh blood in Shiva’s hands. “You had us worried sick. I wanted to go after you right away, but I had to see to my Lord first. He was hurt pretty badly. Sorry it took us so long…” “Nick of time sort of thing,” William chortled. “Just like the movies.” Shiva said nothing. She only drank slowly, taking her time with the blood. It was nauseating at first, but she felt her strength returning. “Okay. Stay here, drink blood, and sleep. Doctor Kat’s orders.” Shiva slid back down on the pillows and into her bed. She knew she would not have any problem following those orders. **** Their area clan leader earned his income in a very typical way– with a bar catering to vampires. All five of them were expected to take turns working there, helping with the general running of the establishment. Mortal customers were also served, and part of the role of the vampires was to give them what they expected of the undead. Kat enjoyed her role, wearing long, black gowns and playing the seductress. Shiva had often preferred a more unobtrusive task, bussing tables. She had no desire to interact with her own clan mates, let alone customers, since the night of her rescue. She dressed in her prettiest, frilliest frocks, always the shade of gray reminiscent of a dismal summer storm rolling in off the ocean, and sat quietly by Christopher’s side each night. Kat tried to shake her out of her melancholy. “It’s been a month. Snap out of it!” she would growl. Shiva would turn and walk away from Kat and anyone else who tried to talk to her. “She doesn’t even speak to me,” Christopher told Kat. “I’m trying to cheer her up, but the poor girl’s spirit is more broken than…” He shrugged, unable to find an appropriate comparison. Page 25

Wendy L. Callahan “It was all too much for her, but it was inevitable,” Kat said with uncharacteristic gentleness. “We all have to lay our past to rest sooner or later. There is too much unspoken between them.” “You’re right and I’ve decided to fix that problem.” As they spoke, they both sensed his entrance. They looked at Shiva, who sat quietly beside Christopher’s chair. She did not even look up. Christopher sighed, looked back at Kat, and then approached the slayer to plead his case.

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Chapter Seven “What are we doing here?” Shiva had expected to go to the bar as usual tonight. To her horror, they were standing outside Desmond’s house. “We’re expected.” “What?” She turned to glare at Christopher. “I’m not going in there.” He smiled slightly. “I see your vitality is somewhat recovered.” “I will be a hell of a lot more recovered if you try to bring me into that house.” “It’s time for the truth, my dear,” Christopher said. Before Shiva could answer, an unwelcome voice said, “I was thinking the same thing.” She turned to look at Desmond as he said, “I’m not really happy to have either of you in this house, especially together, but your ‘Lord’ assures me it is important.” “Not important enough for me.” Shiva turned on her heel to walk away from both of them. “Then I can show him this.” There was some movement behind her as Christopher and Desmond approached one another. She heard a sharp intake of breath. “Where did you get this?” Desmond asked. “Ask her,” Christopher answered. Shiva turned back to look at them and Desmond held the item up for her to see. “Traitor,” she hissed at her clan leader. “Let’s go, baby vamp.” Christopher extended his hand to her. Shiva ignored it, but marched past him into the house. When she turned around, both Christopher and Desmond were blocking the front door and her only way to escape. “Where the hell did you get this?” Desmond asked again. Shiva took a deep breath. “It’s mine.” “Don’t mess with me. Where the fuck did you get this?” He sounded angrier by the minute. “It was given to me when I became a slayer,” Shiva answered. “It’s my sword.” “It has someone else’s name on it.” “Yes, it does.” Shiva lifted her chin. “I renounced that name Page 27

Wendy L. Callahan when the slayer Council betrayed me and my husband.” “And my friendship? Ben’s? Jasper’s?” “I never renounced that.” “The minute you became a vampire, you renounced it.” Desmond threw the katana down onto the floor at her feet. “Why did you do it?” “Because the Council ordered my husband’s death.” Desmond paled noticeably. “You have a lot of explaining to do.” “Not as much as the Council does.” “Talk. Now.” Shiva sighed. “When we met, of course I ended up marrying Neil after I graduated from high school. You know what that was like. All of us hanging out together; slaying vampires and werewolves together. We had good times.” “Yes.” “Neil found something that implicated our slayer Council in a conspiracy, one that reeked of hypocrisy and injustice. Since our original goal as slayers was not to just kill supernatural things willy-nilly, but rather to preserve the sanctity of life, Neil felt this conspiracy violated our codes of honor. He was going to bring it to the attention of the higher-ups in London. He had proof and he wanted the Boston Council disbanded, and a new slate of officers elected to run our group.” Desmond was quiet as she spoke, but looked paler by the moment. “I have reason to believe the Council ordered a hit on Neil.” “He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” “To the back of his skull?” Shiva cocked her head. “You are one of the most intelligent men I know, and I can’t blame you for not knowing the whole truth. The Council is very good at keeping secrets.” “How do you know he was killed by one of our own?” “Because I saw Jasper do it.” Shiva finally knelt to pick up her sword, the gift given to her by a Council elder who had long-since died, and the symbol of her initiation into the slayers. “To his credit, I do understand that it was a direct order. He and Neil were never close, but close enough that he would never discuss such a thing. It suited the Council’s plans perfectly. We’ve all heard of slayer hits on fellow slayers when they commit an egregious violation of the code. But they wanted Neil’s hit quiet. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He was only guilty of knowing too much.” “So they put Jasper on the hit, and he believes so strongly in Page 28

Dead Wrong his job, he would never defy a direct order. He also believed in the bond of friendship that we all had with you and Neil, though, so he would never admit to killing him.” “As I said, you’re one of the most intelligent men I know.” Shiva caressed the sheath, her gaze taking on a faraway look as she continued to delve into her memories of the past. “I knew I wasn’t safe. So I ran only a week after the funeral.” “You weren’t safe.” Desmond bowed his head. “They sent me to kill you.” Shiva now finally met his gaze. “I’m not surprised,” she said softly. “What did you find when you got to my house?” “You weren’t there. The place was a mess. Broken furniture. The door was practically hanging off its hinges. There was blood on the floor.” “This is where I come in.” Christopher finally spoke. “Neil had been working with me in the six months prior to his death. He had asked me often to take care of Shiva, if anything happened to him. When she told me Neil was dead, we planned to make it look like she had been killed.” “So you staged a break-in?” Desmond asked. “Yes. A break-in, rape and murder, all in one. The thing was…” Shiva glanced over at Christopher. “I never exactly intended to become a vampire. Not at first. But I was so angry; a rather perverse side of me took over. The idea of a slayer being turned into a vamp? It was too good to pass up. So Christopher and I agreed that we would do that, once I was safe.” “Except, I got a little carried away during the destruction of the house…” Christopher looked sheepish. “He doesn’t need details,” Shiva said quietly, looking at Desmond. “I have a vivid imagination.” His jaw clenched, and Shiva wondered what had angered him. “Not your decision to be a vampire, but the fact that you couldn’t trust me? That hurts.” “Oh really?” Shiva cried. “You were sent to kill me, Desmond. What was I supposed to do? Sit around and wait for it to happen? Hope you made it quick and painless? Ask for an apology before you did the deed?” “I could have never killed you.” “Because even back then you just wanted to fuck me?” “So this is where all that pent-up anger came from,” Desmond said, exhaling with relief. “This is why you screamed at me like that the night you broke-up with me. You think I think with my Page 29

Wendy L. Callahan cock. You think I saw you as nothing more than a sex toy.” “Isn’t that how you saw me, both now and then?” she asked. He looked into her eyes and shook his head. “I saw you as a friend then. A sweet girl who was nice to everybody, and couldn’t think a nasty thought if she tried.” “And now?” “You’ve grown up, and while I miss the girl who was my friend, I prefer the woman who is my equal.” Now it was Shiva’s turn to feel relief. Desmond nodded. “I wouldn’t have killed you. I would have found a way to help you. I guess Christopher simply got the opportunity before me.” “Well, that’s my story. I became a vampire, took on a new name, and hoped to leave the past behind me.” “And then the past somehow walked right back into your life.” Desmond reached out to touch a strand of copper-red hair that lay against her cheek. “Neku…” The nickname finally brought her back to far happier memories, and she could not help but smile. “So this is why you don’t smile enough,” he said quietly. “This is why,” she affirmed. “What is this plot the Council was involved in?” “Remember they told you that you were attacking the vampires’ ball because of a treaty between vamps and werewolves?” “It would be a bad thing if it happened,” Desmond stated. “It would be a snowball’s chance in hell,” Christopher muttered. “The truth is that the treaty is between the Council and the weres,” Shiva said. “What?” Desmond did a double take. “No. That is impossible.” “What were the odds that you would end up falling in love with a friend you’ve known since she was fifteen, whom you haven’t seen in a year, because you thought she was already dead, after you’d been sent to kill her, but she turned out to be a vampire?” Shiva batted her eyelashes at him. Desmond laughed. “Point taken, and glad to see you’ve got your sense of humor back.” He glanced at Christopher. “Can I have a moment?” The other vampire nodded and left the house. Desmond pulled Shiva to him and kissed her, his arms locked around her in a hard embrace. When he finally gave her air, she gasped, “What was that for?” “I am so sorry for what I did to you. I was never going to have Page 30

Dead Wrong anything to do with you again, but that vampire lord of yours–he got me to come and have a look at you. I thought I was going to lose it when I saw you. I thought I had broken you beyond repair.” “Not quite.” Shiva reached up and smoothed the dark hair away from his forehead. “You were the only one who could fix what you broke.” “Then can I say I love you?” “Only if I can say it too.” He kissed her again and Shiva realized they were in danger of losing sight of the task at hand. She pushed him gently away and said, “The treaty…” “Right.” He took a deep breath and smiled ruefully. “If it does exist…” “It proves Neil was right. He had his own proof, but it died with him. He had been on his way to London the night Jasper killed him. We were at the airport. He was taking one of the private jets under the pretense of going to the London Council on an errand for the Boston Council. But of course they already knew the truth. I was inside the airport at the time, and when I saw Jasper move in, I knew it was too late. Neil expected it. Unfortunately, it happened too quickly. Jasper got the briefcase with Neil’s proof.” “How did you get out of there without Jasper hitting you too?” “Christopher was with me too. As soon as he realized what was happening, he tried to rescue Neil. When he saw it was too late, he got me out of there. I’m sure Jasper would have been told to hit us both if possible. Since we took a shuttle to the airport, my car wasn’t there. It had been at home all night, so I simply claimed that I’d been home all night too. The best way to protect myself was to say that I had never witnessed the hit. But, even still, I knew my time was limited.” “And you were so right.” Desmond buried his face against her neck. “I’m so sorry…” “Are you going to apologize all night?” Shiva asked. “Or are we going to do something about this?” “So you became a vampire so you could get your revenge?” “Revenge, no.” Shiva shook her head. “It was never about revenge. Honestly, I just wanted to put the past behind me and forget about it. I just wanted to move on as Shiva, vampire extraordinaire. But it seems that the universe didn’t want to let me do that.” “So…?” “I want justice. Find the truth, prove it, and punish those who deserve it.” Page 31

Wendy L. Callahan “Those people being…?” “The entire Boston Council.” Desmond nodded. “And what about Jasper?” “Like I said, I know it was a direct order. I have no reason to kill him or even to harm him. He did what he had to do. I don’t even need him to apologize. The pain I have suffered was caused by the Council’s conspiracy. They are the ones who need to be judged for their actions, and not by us, but by their superiors in London.” “The odds of us getting in to see the London Council are slim to none. I may be a slayer, and you a former slayer, but you know how formal and tight they are. It must have taken Neil months to get them to give him a piece of their time.” “It did. And he couldn’t out-and-out accuse Boston. Not yet. There were forms and policies and procedures. It was all very bureaucratic.” “So what do we do?”

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Chapter Eight “We’ve all done things we never expected, things that might even sit wrong with us…” “Killing vamps and weres isn’t a problem for me.” Jasper shrugged. “Maybe not,” Desmond said. “But what about those times when our orders aren’t on a vamp or a were? What about when those orders are on a fellow slayer?” As Jasper paled in horror, Ben leaned forward. “What are you talking about?” “The hit on Neil Blackden.” “They told us it was suicide. He was having an affair with a London slayer and couldn’t deal with the guilt. Rather than leave his wife, he shot himself before he even got on the plane.” “And who saw the entry wound?” Desmond asked. “The coroner, I assume.” “A coroner who was in the pay of the Boston Council.” Desmond looked at Jasper. “The same Council that ordered me to take the hit on his wife.” “Oh, shit.” Ben also looked at Jasper. “Did you kill Neil?” “He did. I saw it happen.” Shiva entered the room. Jasper looked at her. “I am so sorry,” he said hoarsely. “Oh my god…” Ben stared at her. “It really is you!” She nodded once. “Why did they order the hits? I can’t imagine either of you had violated the code.” “It was to protect the Council’s secret treaty with the werewolves.” Jasper spoke this time, and Shiva looked at him in surprise. “Yes, I did read what was in your husband’s briefcase. And the moment I did, I realized I made the worst mistake of my life. I’ve had to live with the guilt for over a year now.” “Wait, if you were supposed to kill her, how come you didn’t?” Ben looked at Desmond. “We were told she was dead, that her house had been broken into and destroyed. There was supposedly blood, like she’d been dragged out the door…?” “I was well aware of what was coming my way.” Shiva perched Page 33

Wendy L. Callahan on the arm of the empty recliner. “Neil and I already had a close friendship with the area vamp clan leader. The moment Jasper took out the hit on my husband; I planned for my own demise. Literally.” “I was the one who called the Council to tell them she wasn’t there,” Desmond said. “I told them that it looked like someone had gotten to her before me, and I was right. She did die, but came back undead.” “Now you’re all caught up on what happened,” Shiva said. “Except for how we ended up together like this.” Ben looked at her. “Did you seek him out?” he asked, indicating Desmond. “Not at all. In fact, the clan was well aware of my past, and did their best to shelter me from the possibility of seeing any of you. My Lord was incredibly over-protective. He knew I was mourning my husband’s death and the loss of any trust I had in my fellow slayers. It was a very difficult time for me. And that’s an understatement.” “Ok, it makes sense.” Ben nodded. “So, now what?” “We can’t get to the London Council without submitting proof that the Boston Council is betraying them,” Desmond explained. “That proof went with Jasper the night he killed Neil; it went straight back to the Boston Council. Am I correct?” Jasper sighed and said, “Yes. I didn’t keep any of the proof for myself. I simply handed them the briefcase and walked away.” He looked ashamed. “We all have to watch our own asses,” Shiva said softly. “Just like I knew I had to fake my own death if I wanted to save myself.” “We have to call the Council on this conspiracy,” Desmond said. “Challenge them and let them try to deny the accusations.” “How do we get Shiva in there?” Ben asked. “We invite her, of course. We all have the authority to invite her into the Council headquarters. Her and Christopher.” “It won’t work. We still need London to take them down,” Jasper protested. “It’s a pointless thing to even try without London’s help.” “Not if we bring Christopher,” Shiva responded. “I didn’t know the entire story, but Christopher does.” “Why would the clan leader want to help a handful of slayers disband an unethical Council?” Ben asked skeptically. “Slayers and vampires have been around since long before we were born. There is something in play here that we probably aren’t even aware of right now,” Shiva said. “We take the chance and Page 34

Dead Wrong right a hell of a lot of wrongs, or we just go on with our lives knowing the awful truth. Do whatever sits right with you. I won’t fault you for it.” Jasper took a deep breath. “I fucked up royally. If anyone should be in on this scheme, it’s me.” “And you’re my two best friends, so of course I’ll go too.” Ben looked from Jasper to Desmond. “They pulled me into this shit too.” Desmond turned to Shiva. “It was my trust they betrayed,” she said. “And my husband they killed, and our friendship they destroyed. I’ll go through hell and back again for justice.”

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Wendy L. Callahan

Chapter Nine The Council headquarters was just as she remembered it. Only this time, she was walking into the home of her enemy, instead of her allies. Shiva felt a shiver ripple through her body. The rage she felt was barely suppressed, but if Neil had taught her anything, it had been to use every other weapon at her disposal before giving in to her anger. She never thought she would stand before this Council again. “What is your business here?” Sheffield asked as they entered the conference room. “We are here to put a stop to the treaty with the weres,” Desmond said. “There is no such treaty,” the old man retorted. “Then why did you kill my husband over it?” Shiva asked quietly. “So you went to the other side. A true betrayal of the code.” Sheffield looked her over arrogantly. “You ordered my and Neil’s deaths, all to further an alliance with werewolves.” “In the hopes of eradicating the vampires.” “And then?” Christopher walked into the room. “Once the terms of the treaty had been fulfilled, with whom would you have allied yourselves to eradicate the werewolves?” “The clan leader…” Another Council member looked aghast at Christopher’s presence. “You have no proof,” Sheffield sneered. “Even if Jasper read the contents of the file when he completed the hit on Neil Blackden, you have only hearsay.” “And your admission that you ordered Neil’s death!” Shiva snarled, ready to jump across the table and kill him. “Even so, that hardly implicates us in such un-slayerlike dealings as brokering a peace with the weres.” “No, but this does.” A British-accented voice drew everyone’s attention to the entrance, where an unfamiliar man stood. “George Chelton of the London Council,” he said, approaching them. “I’m afraid I have the displeasure to inform you that the Page 36

Dead Wrong Boston Council is hereby disbanded and that you are all under arrest for conspiracy against the Slayers.” “Impossible!” Sheffield sputtered. “Necessary, although I wish it was not.” George nodded and the room was suddenly filled with a contingent of slayers. “As for the widow of Neil Blackden…” He turned to Shiva. “I am sorry to see that you committed the most sickening offense possible with regard to the Slayer Code. Still… you did not seek to betray your own. The acts of these men are far more disgusting than any you could possibly commit, young lady. You are hereby acquitted of your actions and I would like to ask you to return to the slayers.” “As a vampire, I cannot possibly be a slayer,” she demurred. “You would be quite an asset to us as a slayer,” George responded. “Nevertheless, I am beholden to my clan, and that is where my loyalties now lie.” Shiva met his gaze steadily, confident in her choice. George sighed with disappointment. “Very well, Mrs. Blackden. I can respect your decision. However, do not be surprised if we call upon your Lord from time to time for your assistance. After all, slayers do not exist to commit genocide against vampires and werewolves, but rather to ensure peace between humans and supernatural species; to maintain balance.” He glanced up as the Boston Council was taken from the room in manacles, at gunpoint. “It seems these men forgot our purpose. However…” He looked at Desmond. “You have been loyal to all the tenets of the slayers. Will you accept a position on the new Boston Council?” Desmond glanced at his fellow slayers. “I am not suited to bureaucratic work,” he responded. “However, I believe that both Ben and Jasper would make excellent choices for the Council. Both are very committed to the slayer cause, and Ben’s reserve will balance out Jasper’s sometimes overzealous methods.” “I must agree with that assessment. What do you say, gentlemen?” George looked at the other slayers, both of whom nodded wordlessly. “Very good. I am glad you have accepted. We must discuss other possibilities to refill the council seats immediately.” Shiva watched as the room began to empty and felt, for the first time in a year, as if she finally could let go of the past. “Well…” Christopher looked at her, and then glanced at Desmond. “I’ll expect you home by curfew, little girl.” “Why would I have any reason to stay out tonight?” she asked. Page 37

Wendy L. Callahan “Don’t play dumb.” Christopher pulled her into a brief embrace. “Be careful.” “Yes, my Lord.” As the door closed, Shiva turned to see Desmond looking at her. “Thank you,” she finally said. “Thank you for not being dead.” Shiva smiled. “Well, technically I am dead…” “And your sense of humor is really back. Thank goodness.” Desmond caressed her face before kissing her gently. “I have a feeling I need to get to know you all over again, now that you’re not exactly human anymore.” “I’m not so different from the way I once was,” Shiva answered. “I’m just a little more…worldly.” “Yes, and that was forced on you in the worst way possible.” He continued to stroke her face. “I am so sorry for that. Neil did not deserve to die.” She nodded. “Thank you. If these men hang for murder, then that will be a greater kindness than I would have offered them.” “Where do we go from here?” Desmond asked. “Why don’t we get to know each other again?” she suggested. “Maybe take a walk together or something.” “That sounds like a good idea. I have all night.” Shiva smiled and let him take her hand. If there was one morbid fact that was true, it seemed to be that death really was nothing more frightening than a new beginning.

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About the Author: Wendy L. Callahan is a Priestess, writer, homeschooler and genealogist. She has walked the Goddess path since 1984. Her writing has appeared in numerous Pagan periodicals and an independent comic book. She has a wonderful husband and son, and is a native of Massachusetts, currently living in England.

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