Feast of Fools

They were, she thought, still safe.

A police car raced toward the fire, lights flashing, and Claire slapped her forehead in frustration. “Idiot,” she muttered. She’d lacked any pockets to put her phone, so she’d stowed it inside her hat.

Thanks to the elastic band, the silly little matador cap was still on her head.

Claire breathed a sigh of relief as she dug the phone from the hole in the lining, and dialed Richard Morrell.

“I need a ride.”

Richard was in the middle of a cell phone rant about how he wasn’t her taxi service, and how important it was to keep city services moving, when he screeched his patrol car to a halt at the curb just outside. Claire jumped down the steps of her parents’ house and raced for the car door as he threw it open.

She made it, slammed the door, and locked it. Richard looked her up and down. He no longer seemed pressed and perfect; he was smoke-stained, tired, and rumpled, and he was the most lovely thing she’d seen.

“What the hell are you supposed to be?” he asked.

“Harlequin.”

“Isn’t that a Batman villain?”

“I thought you were in a hurry.”

Richard slammed on the gas, and the car screeched away from the curb. “Strap in,” he said absently. She fastened her seat belt. “So. Nice night for you?”

“Peachy,” she said. “You?”

“Fantastic.” He jerked the wheel and nearly spun the car as he took a right-hand turn. “There are two of Amelie’s vampire buddies at the power station right now, refusing to turn on the lights. And three of them made us stand by while the DonationCenter burned. You have any idea what’s going on?”

“The long game,” Claire said. He sent her a look. “Not really, no. But in chess you create openings to make your opponent move the wrong way.”

“Chess,” Richard said in disgust. “I’m talking about lives. Kid, you’re starting to scare me.”

“I’m scaring myself,” Claire said. She didn’t feel like a kid. She felt a million years old, and very tired. “Just get me home.”

Because she was going to have to tell Amelie that she’d just left Myrnin, alone, at Bishop’s mercy.

Amelie was sitting up when Claire arrived, escorted in by Richard Morrell, who was instantly pounced on by his sister and father for hugs and information. She didn’t look good, but she looked alive.

Sort of.

Claire didn’t have any sympathy for her.

“Myrnin,” Claire said. “You used him.”

Sam, sitting on the arm of Amelie’s chair, frowned at her. “Don’t. She’s very tired.”

“Yeah, well, we’ve all got problems.” Claire shook off Michael’s hand, too. “Bishop’s blood is the cure. You and Myrnin were right.”

Amelie’s expression didn’t change. She looked cold, remote, unreachable.

All of a sudden, Claire felt a wild urge to hurt her. Badly.

So she did.

“Bishop’s there,” she said. “He’s got Myrnin.”

Amelie’s eyes focused on hers, and all of Claire’s fury melted away. “I know,” Amelie said. “I can feel it. We knew it was a risk, using Myrnin as a stalking horse, but something had to be done.”

“You can’t leave him there. You can’t.”

Amelie sighed. “No,” she agreed. “I can’t. I still need Myrnin, very much. It’s far too early in the game to sacrifice him.”

Claire swallowed hard. “Do we mean anything to you? Any of us?”

Amelie looked around the room. At the humans, all wearing purple elastic bandages at their elbows, the sign they’d given blood to save her. At the other vampires, all waiting for commands.

“You mean everything to me,” she said. “The survival of my people, and yours, is all I have ever wanted, Claire. It’s why I came here. It’s all I’ve worked for.” Her eyes grew chilly, and some of the old Amelie came back. “I would sacrifice Myrnin for it. Oliver. Sam. Even myself. But it’s not enough.”

Everyone in the room was still. Shane moved up next to Claire, and she was aware of Eve and Michael just behind her.

But Amelie was staring right at her.

“What will you sacrifice, Claire?” she asked. “To win?”

“It’s not a game,” Claire said.

Amelie inclined her head. “True. It is war. And now we have to fight for all of our lives.”

Claire linked hands with her friends.

“Then tell us what to do.”

Amelie was quiet for a moment, and then she stood. Claire thought that only those who knew her, really knew her, could tell what that cost.

She raised her voice to carry to every part of the room.

“Our forces must be split,” she said. “We must not lose the Founder Houses, the Bloodmobile, the university, and Common Grounds. We will hold. Those who follow Bishop have been promised the freedom to hunt. Those of us who are strong enough will deny them that right. Those who are prey will be armed to defend themselves. This is not optional. All humans will be armed and taught how to strike a vampire.”

“There’s no going back from that,” Oliver said. His voice was neutral. His expression wasn’t. “You’re giving them too much.”

“I’m giving them equality,” Amelie said. “Do you wish to argue the point with me now, of all times?”

Oliver, after a heart-stopping second, shook his head.

“Then go,” Amelie said. “Oliver, Eve, go to Common Grounds and hold it. Sam, choose defenders for each Founder House. At least two vampires and two humans per house. Michael, Richard—go to the university. I will call the regent—you’ll have all you need.”

Her gaze moved to Claire. “I need you with me,” she said. “We will fetch Myrnin.”

“Bishop’s there,” Claire reminded her.

“I’m well aware. We will take precautions.”

Shane cleared his throat. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”

“I’m afraid we are,” Amelie said. “I have a very special job for you, Shane Collins.”

“I’m not going to like this, am I?”

She smiled.

“Didn’t think so,” Shane finished under his breath.

“You will be in charge of the Bloodmobile,” Amelie said. “And one other thing.”

“Like the Bloodmobile isn’t bad enough?”

Amelie reached in the pocket of her crystal-specked robes, and pulled out a small leather-bound book.

It looked really, really familiar. It was the book that had gotten them in such trouble before—the book Bishop wanted.

“You’ll be in charge of this,” she said, and held it out to him.

He took it, and as he did, Claire realized what Amelie had done.

She’d just made Shane the bait.

About The Author

In addition to the Morganville Vampires series, Rachel Caine is the author of the popular Weather Warden series, which includes Ill Wind, Heat Stroke, Chill Factor, Windfall, Firestorm, and Thin Air. Her seventh Weather Warden novel, Gale Force, will be released in August 2008. Rachel and her husband, fantasy artist R. Cat Conrad, live in Texas with their iguanas, Pop-eye and Darwin; a mali uromastyx named (appropriately) O’Malley; and a leopard tortoise named Shelley (for the poet, of course).

Please visit her Web site at www.rachelcaine.com and her MySpace, www.myspace.com/rachelcaine.