Dylan (Bowen Boys, #3)(30)

“And what if you change one? What of that man’s family then? Would you not feel remorse when he could not be given a proper burial? Would you even care how his family felt if they were to find out?” The man, his name no longer in his mind, had shaken his head. “You are not a man, but a monster.”

“I am both, actually. A man who would like nothing more than to live the rest of his lifetimes as a monster.” He’d let his fangs drop to try and impress on the wizard that he was big and powerful, but he didn’t seem to care at all.

“You’re a monster, all right, but nothing more.” The man shifted in his seat, settling down for the full details, as Lucius remembered. “And how do you plan to carry this out? You do have a plan, do you not?”

He’d told him. All of it. He was going to enter the White House and murder all those within. A grand plan, he realized now, because of the overwhelming amount of people in the place, but back then not so many as now.

“I will turn them all and have them creatures of the night with me. They shall be my minions and me their master. They will protect me when I rest. I will—”

“If they are creatures such as yourself, how will they protect you when you rest? Won’t they have to rest, as well? I mean, who will protect any of you if all of you are down for the day?” This had been the first of many questions the man had that Lucius had had no answer for, and after a while he knew that he’d have to rethink his plan and make it perfect. He realized that this one was full of holes.

“This is merely a plan, not the actual execution of it. There are going to be flaws in it. There are for every plan that one makes.” The man nodded. “Have you ever gone to do something and realize right away you have forgotten some vital ingredient or something important, and had to return at a later time to complete it?”

“No. When I go to do something, I do it right the first time. Then, unlike you, I don’t have to go back and do it over and over to get it right.” He stood up. “You let me know when you have it perfect. When you do, I’ll listen to you prattle on again.”

So, years later, he’d found the man again and told him of his perfected plan. The man sat there for the entire time and hadn’t done anything more than nod and smile a few times. After he was finished, Lucius asked him what he’d thought. The wizard smiled and told him what he’d done, as well.

“I have been able to go into the building myself. A nice piece of craftsmanship, if I do say so myself. They let you have a free tour of it if you want, and I did. Had to see how your plan was going to go from the planning stage to the execution part. Gotta tell you, had you been able to pull it off before I got in, you might have been able to do just what you said.”

Lucius nodded, then frowned. “Had I? What do you mean had I gotten in before you? I will still be able to get in, and you know that this plan is perfect.”

“It is. It was. But now it’s not. I fixed it.” Lucius started to ask him how, but he told him anyway. “I’m a pretty good wizard, as you know, and unlike you, I’m always prepared. So I went to the big house and did a little magic on the place, so neither you nor your kind can enter.”

“You can’t do that.” The man nodded and smiled bigger. “Well, I will just have someone invite me in. I’ll get in that way. I’ll…why do you shake your head?”

“Thought of that, too. Can’t enter, ever. Not anyone of your kind. I also made it so that if you do try, or any vampire tries to enter, they’ll go up into dust before they step foot on the first step to the place.”

Lucius had roared his anger. The wizard hadn’t moved. When he grabbed him around the neck, his fingers burned, and it felt as if a dagger of silver had been stabbed into his hand. He dropped him immediately to nurse his injuries in a corner of the bar. The wizard moved to stand over him.

“You can’t harm another wizard, either. Not you or any of your children. You cannot, nor can they control anyone that would harm a wizard of any kind even if they are causing you harm. You have messed with the wrong one.” He stood up, then leaned down and touched his forehead with his thumb before standing again. “You are marked to us. Any wizard will know who you are and what you’ve done to one of my kind.” Then he simply walked away.

But there was a way in. Small was the key. And once he was inside, he was going to have Small give him whatever information he had at his fingertips. Then Lucius was going to give it all to the highest bidder and sit back and wait for the bloodbath. Lucius rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He would be the greatest vampire ever born. Or in his case, made. Lucius made his way to the sublevels of his home. He needed to rest, then to plan. The trial could not go on. He needed Small.





Chapter Ten


Dylan watched the news with Jack and the rest of his family. Caitlynne had let them read over what she was going to say, and everyone had approved and thought it was a good idea. Everyone but Jack. She’d been staring off into space like she was now since after her meeting in the study.

“I thought that tomorrow we’d go to the falls at the back of my property and have a picnic. We could stay all day if you want.” She nodded, and he knew she wasn’t really paying attention. “I could strip you down and make love to you in the water. It’s probably very warm right now.”