“You must wake before I am pulled under.”

“Go away, I wanna watch.”

“Renee, it’s Jacob. You have to come back to my voice.”

“Go away, little one.”

I felt the sting before the view of Jacob’s smile wiped the vision from my mind. “Did you just slap me?” He shook his hand as if he felt the sting as well, and then shook his head and stood up. “I gather I was out a little longer this time?”

“We are the only ones that have not been pulled under, but I am soon to be on my way.” Jacob pulled one of the high back chairs in his room over by the bed and sit down and lean back with his eyes closed.

I waited a few minutes before I spoke. “Jacob,” I whispered. When he didn’t reply I continued. “Martin had Yvette help him kill his dad, like, way back when. They were in that same room where she killed that man you called 'the Egyptian’. He said he lied, but I had no idea he was that old. The really bad thing…he held down a young man while she drained him; well you woke me before I actually saw it but it was about to happen.”

“I know, I have always known.”

“Good grief!” I all but jumped off of the bed. “You could have given me a heart attack. I thought you were out.”

“No, I could not do such a thing and I, as you say, I will indeed be out shortly.”

“Either way you look at it, Strawberry, that scarred the shit out me. Rest well, Jacob.”               ***              

I woke with a hand holding mine. It was hard to make out the face with the hair hanging around the features but when the fireplace came to life it was hard not to pull my hand free. It was Martin and all I could see was him by Yvette’s bedside. Then the memory of him being tortured replaced my childish jealousy. “Should you be up moving around?”

“You slept in the guest room. I do not like waking without seeing your face. Not if you are under the same roof.”

“We got in late and I didn’t want to disturb you,” Jacob said as he stood beside the fireplace.

“I understand my young friend. I, too, have held the curse of drinking from an ancient,” Martin looked at me as I pulled my hand free and sat up, bringing the covers to my chest as I did so. “I just hope she can forgive what she sees from the ancient that she now owns.”

“I’d look pretty stupid if I held something that happened longer than I can even imagine, against you. But, that doesn’t mean I won’t ask you about it. Like what was the deal with you needing Yvette’s help to kill your father?”

Martin took in a deep breath, stood and limped over in front of the blazing fire. He kept his back to me so I got up and walked over and gently wrapped my arms around him from the back, resting my hands on his chest. Jacob looked at me and was about to turn and leave. “Stay,” I whispered. I then lay several kisses on Martin’s shirtless back. “I love you and we can talk about anything, just like you said.” Martin reached up and rubbed the back of my hands with his left, as he leaned his cane on the side of the chair with his right. He then pulled me around and into a hug.

“I love you and will answer all that you ask.” He looked down at me and I rose onto my toes. The kiss was magical and must have lingered a bit too long because Martin didn’t release me until Jacob cleared his throat. I heard nothing but the soft humming of spring. I was in love and it showed no matter what I did to hide it. “I needed her help to seduce my father into going to a place where his guard could not follow but his trusted son could, and would. I saw them together many times before, being a slave to them both. Now I was using her when she thought she was using me.”

“Your father would have been an elder, had he lived, is that correct?”

Martin nodded several times. “Because I was his blood kin, I was given to him from birth and told he was my father. Yvette had no idea what I was to inherit by taking his last drop but it was enough to rid myself of the likes of her.”

“And the story about the man you saw burn in the tunnel?”

“Very true, Renee. My father had this piece of London since it was created. But, we had not come to this stay for many years, leaving London to the likes of those you have met, or others much like them. We had only been here a short time when some of the slaves my father had bought, escaped. It was then that the old man with us lost his mind and walked out into the coming dawn. We woke in the cover of that tunnel and the first thing that I did was step out into the night to see the charred remains that the day had left behind.”

“I’m so sorry, Martin.”

“I wish you would all change your minds and not go this one time. Renee, would it be so hard to gather your family and take a break? You can always make a better plan later and go do what you all do best once you have rested well and trained to your best ability.”

“If we take down the elders, we can live in peace, Martin. If not we all have to watch over our backs and stay in hiding. I’m not willing to do that. Not even for a little while. I know you mean well, but the plans are in motion and they can’t be stopped now or Angelica and Inara will be worse than when we got here.”

“She’s right, Martin. If we were to leave now they will find it as a victory and London’s dark world will pay with their cruelty.”

“You few are going to go to a place where there is going to be at least fifty, if not more. And you plan on being the only ones walking out…” Martin held up his hand before I could speak. “I know you think if you take down the main heads that the rest of the body will fall, but what if you only anger the body and it retaliates?”

“Then we’ll fight our way out. It won’t be the first time,” I shrugged.

“How can you be so nonchalant about this matter, Renee?”

“The same way that you’re so bothered about it I guess, Martin. I don’t know.  You know, I can see you being upset because you can’t join u, but I don’t get why you pretend that this shouldn’t happen. I’ve told you that I will join you after we take care of the beginning of all of this and we will live a very happy life.”

“But, not until then,” he whispered, lifting my hands and kissing the backs of both. “I shall keep my word.”

A light tap sounded on the bedroom door. “Are you guy’s about ready to get these stupid clothes on? Tanda’s having a fit waiting to see if the things she fixed are going to work out okay,” Derek spoke loud enough for us to hear him through the door.

“I will go and try on the pants she worked on of mine. Don’t be too long, Renee, your hair will take time.” Jacob left Martin and I alone.

We both said each other’s name at the same time and started laughing. “I’m sorry, you go first.”

“No, ladies first. I insist.”

“If all of this is meant to be, if you and I are meant to be forever, then those who are doing these horrid things will go down and we will see it happen. Those who follow the ways of their makers will turn tail and run or they will go down as well. One night it will all end and our kind can live in peace, just like us.”

“You have my support this night and you may take anything that I own. Whatever is mine, is yours. The unmarked coaches are hidden under tarps at the back of the stalls.”

I couldn’t resist, I reached up and put my hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down to meet me and pressed my lips to his until he opened to me. Our tongues mingled as the taste of his blood rushed through my senses like a wildfire in a wheat field on a windy day. I had pressed too hard on his lips and nicked his already scarred bottom lip. He was so sweet, that I wanted more. Martin broke the kiss and moved my head to his neck. “Take from me, I am your maker.”

“No, I can’t.”

“I will make you stronger and I will be with you on this battle tonight. Take from me, my love, and satisfy us both. My promise to you is to return that satisfaction when I am healed,” he spoke low by my ears and sent chills cascading over my entire body. “Now, take from me, my love.”