Vanquished Read Free

Estefan Montevideo might be doing to her.
    Exhaling and closing her journal, Jenn stood up and headed for the chapel, knowing she’d find Father Juan there. Incense and the smell of candle wax wafted toward her as she pushed open the arched wooden door. A large crucifix hung above the altar, which was strewn with flowers. To the left of the altar, before a large statue of Mary, small votives flickered. The faithful had been asking her for favors, for help.
    In the pew closest to the statue Father Juan knelt in prayer—and he wasn’t alone. Antonio was beside him, head bowed, eyes closed. Jenn’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at Antonio. His dark, curly hair wisped around his ears. His ruby cross earring once again sparkled in his left ear. Antonio had cast it away after Aurora had broken his humanity, returning him to the fiend he had been whenhe was first converted into a vampire. Jenn had found the earring on the stairs leading to Aurora’s penthouse and rescued it. She took it as a good sign that he was able to wear it without it burning his skin. Antonio was the only vampire they knew of who could touch a cross.
    Antonio stirred, having heard her or smelled her, or both. He touched Father Juan on the shoulder. After a moment they both crossed themselves, bowed on one knee as they left the pew, and faced her.
    Jenn swallowed down all her wanting and grief. Antonio seemed so distant, even when she could reach out and touch him. She folded her arms to keep herself from doing so.
    “Jenn?” Father Juan asked softly.
    “There’s a war to be fought,” she said. “And we can’t do it if we’re hiding here.”
    A look flashed across Antonio’s face. She couldn’t tell if it was pride or fear.
    Father Juan sighed. “I understand your impatience.”
    “No,” she said carefully, “I don’t think you do.”
    They each raised an eyebrow at her.
    “The two of you are used to spending hours, days, praying and meditating. Meanwhile the rest of us are just waiting , alone with our own thoughts, and trust me, none of them are happy right now.”
    “We haven’t given up,” Antonio said quietly.
    “This feels like surrender to me,” she retorted. “It’s onlya matter of time before Jamie goes off on his own and does something stupid or Sade completely loses it.”
    “What do you suggest we do?” Father Juan asked.
    “Enough with the skirmishes. It does us no good to kill a dozen, a hundred, even a thousand vampire foot soldiers. They can convert more in a heartbeat. We need to eliminate the leadership.” She frowned. “We shouldn’t have let Greg and the other black crosses stop us from attacking Solomon in Washington when he held that press conference with the president.”
    “I’m not so convinced Solomon is the real power,” Father Juan said, glancing at Antonio. “Not after what we saw in Salamanca.”
    “Even if he’s not, he certainly thinks he is,” Jenn replied. “And so do most of the civilians out there. If we could take him out—”
    “We can’t worry about him right now,” Antonio broke in. He winced and turned away.
    What is up with him? she wondered.
    “We think we might have found something,” Father Juan said slowly, giving Antonio a concerned glance. “Some one .”
    “What? Who?” Jenn asked.
    “My grandsire,” Antonio whispered without looking at her. “Lucifer, the father of all this misery.”
    * * *
    Antonio was in hell.
    He couldn’t imagine someplace worse, or a more apt description for what it was he was suffering. Even glancingat Jenn made him yearn to drain her. He still struggled with his bloodlust. It was dangerous for him to be around anyone, even Father Juan.
    And Jenn was going through her own changes. Since her knock-down, drag-out fight with Jamie six days earlier, she carried herself differently. She seemed stronger, more aloof.
    She’s become the leader Father Juan knew she would.
    Antonio was so proud of her, even though he mourned the