"Nick?" Jillian called from her laundry room. She closed the lid to the washer and re-entered the living room.
"Yep?" he answered. The minute the sun had gone down he'd shown up on her back porch with flowers and a crooked grin. She had accepted the flowers and his offer of company.
It was the first night they both had off since she returned from a week of rest and relaxation in Hawaii. The week had seemed endless to Nick, who didn't even care to admit how much she'd come to mean to him. He now sat comfortably ensconced in her over-stuffed couch flipping through one of her travel books as she finished folding her laundry. The flowers he had brought were now artfully arranged in a vase on the coffee table in front of him. Jill was wearing loose jeans, a faded pink T-shirt, and no socks. He noticed that her toenails were painted the same pink as her shirt. He couldn't remember seeing her quite as casually dressed as she was this evening and silently congratulated himself for his equally casual choice of clothing.
Large photos of Egypt and the Middle East danced before his eyes and Nick wondered absently how many places she'd see in her nearly 800 years. It occurred to him that he still knew very little about her. On the other hand, she knew him almost better than he knew himself. He suddenly felt desperate for information. When she had first told him of her immortality she had mentioned an early marriage and her subsequent first death. But since then, in an effort to continue the work of restoring Nick's humanity that Natalie had started, Jill's focus had been to get as much information about him as possible. It hadn't even struck him until this moment that the only real information he had on her was that she was an Immortal, 760 years old and that her blood tasted almost unbearably sweet. He quickly dismissed that last thought from his mind, but not before his stomach rumbled in response.
Now she crossed the room and let herself fall forward against the back of the couch near his head. The smell of her skin flooded his senses and drowned out the fragrance of the flowers before him. She always smelled like gardenias. "I've heard that vampires can hypnotize people. Is that true?" she inquired.
"Yep." He didn't even look up at her, but grinned at the return to the familiar. Over the last few months since they'd met and become friends he'd gotten used to her endless barrage of questions and had missed them terribly while she had been away.
Jill knew a moment's wonder at his easy answer. He was so comfortable with his abilities that he made it seem as if everyone should be able to do it. "Have you ever tried it on me?" She suddenly realized that she was gesturing with a pair of panties she had been folding and managed to pocket them before Nick noticed.
"Nope," he replied honestly.
"Would you?"
He hesitated. "If I thought it was important maybe."
She grinned at his misinterpretation. "No, I mean would you try it on me now?"
"Now? Why?" His eyebrows knit together and looked at her curiously.
"I'm just curious."
"What do you want me to hypnotize you into doing?" He gave her a sly look with twinkling eyes.
Jillian gave him a disgusted glare. "Watch it, buddy. If I end up table dancing in some biker bar because of this, I'll wear garlic perfume for a month."
Nick laughed then became serious. "I promise. It might not work, you know. Some people are naturally resistant, and I've never tried it on an Immortal."
"If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I just want you to try it." She sat on the couch and motioned him to sit on the coffee table in front of her. He sat and looked into her face. Her almost black eyes stared back at him.
At first she didn't feel anything at all. Then she felt that same static she always felt when he was near by. It felt like an itch in her mind that she couldn't quite reach. She retreated into herself trying to find the source.
Nick heard her heart beat slowing down and her breathing became shallow. Her eyes were still wide open, but they had that familiar empty look of someone completely under his spell. Once upon a time he'd love the feeling this power gave him, but not now.... not with Jillian. He fought the urge to shake her out of it. He didn't like her this way.... But then a thought occurred to him and a slow smile crept across his face.
"Jillian?"
She was so lost in her own mind that his voice barely penetrated. "Hmm?" she answered dreamily and her eyelids drooped.
"Listen to me."
Her eyes focused on him.
He gave her mind a final nudge. "Forget." That one word echoed through her mind for what seemed like hours before Nick's voice came through again, this time stronger. "Jill? Jillian?"
She shook her head and blinked hard. "What?"
"Are you okay? You faded out there for a second."
"I’m fine. What were we talking about?"
"Nothing in particular. Am I really that boring?" Now he was teasing her.
"Sorry Nick. I must not have slept as soundly as I thought." She shook her head again and then her eyes flew open. "Oh, I know what I was going to ask. Can you hypnotize people?"
Nick's face split into a wide smile. "Yep."
"That must come in handy."
"It sure does," he said, nodding smugly. Jill would remember that look hours later and wonder.
"Would you . . ." Jill began.
"No," Nick cut her off in mid-request.
"Okay. Just thought I'd ask." Her stomach growled loudly and she grinned. "Are you hungry?"
"Nope," he lied.
"Well, would you come with me to get something to eat?"
"Sure." He sounded pleased.
"And then would you take me dancing?" she continued hopefully.
He eyed her softly, then replied with sincerity, "I'd be honored."
"Great! I'll be ready in 15 minutes." And she danced down the hall to the beat of music only she could hear.
Nick fell back against the couch pillows with a sigh of relief. She didn't know. If she had turned out to be a resister he would've had a lot of explaining to do, and he wasn't sure he wanted to try and explain why he'd chosen to test his hypnosis by kissing her. He smiled to himself. Some secrets could be fun.
An hour later, Nick pulled his Cadillac into the first available parking space in front of the Chateau d’Elegance. The hotel had an expensive restaurant on the roof that had good food and a great dance floor. After they'd decided on a location for their date, Nick had flown home to put on something more suitable for a nice dinner and to pick up his Caddy. His black leather vest, deep red shirt and dinner jacket complemented her outfit perfectly. Jill had outdone herself in only a few minutes. Her shoulder-length chestnut hair was expertly rolled and secured off her neck and she wore a silk dress of the same color as her eyes. The night was warm, so she didn't need a jacket; unfortunately that made it necessary for her to leave her sword in the car.
Nick gave her a lop-sided grin and commented on her lack of hardware in a mock Cockney accent: "So I guess you're not planning on lopping off any ‘eads this evenin', eh luv?"
Jill gave him her best smile. "Nope, and to tell you the truth I feel a little naked without a sword of any kind." She looped her arm through his and continued, "You'll just have to be my protector tonight because this dress just doesn't accessorize well." Indeed it didn't. The dress was tea-length with a scooped neck that exposed her very tanned neck and shoulders and nipped in at her tiny waist. Nick knew a moment's jealousy that her immortality allowed her to enjoy the sun, but then stopped himself. Her immortality held as dreadful a price as his own did. His left him without the sun and gave him an unquenchable thirst for human blood; hers forced her to fight friends and strangers in an unquenchable thirst for power. Neither option was preferable to the other, and they'd both have given up their longevity for just one normal lifetime.
Jill was slightly distracted as they entered the restaurant. When Nick had first arrived to pick her up for dinner she had had a brief, but disturbing, vision of kissing him. She assumed it was residual images from the night he had been shot and she'd had to make him use her for food. But that was months ago and never had anything like this happened since then. She gave her head a shake and forced herself to focus on the present. The restaurant was on the top of the hotel’s sixteen floors. The ceiling was at least 30 feet high and generously decorated with mirrors and chandeliers. The tables were covered in black, and the decorations were golden. Heavy drapes hung open beside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
As they entered the room, the band started to play a waltz. "Dance?" Nick asked with a smile.
"Food first, then dancing."
Their table was next to the windows and had a fantastic view of the city. Nick observed that the windows were Plexiglas and double paned.
"I'll have the stuffed prawns with the sauce on the side, the house salad with bleu cheese dressing on the side, and steamed vegetables," Nick heard Jill telling their waiter, Steven. She crossed her legs and let her shoe dangle precariously from her toes.
"And for you, sir?" Nick froze. He stared blankly at Steven.
Jill came to his rescue, "We're going to share. Neither of us is very hungry this evening." Nick relaxed visibly and mouthed a thank you to her. When Steven took his leave, Jill whispered to Nick teasingly, "He'll think we're on a budget."
This thought made him chuckle. His current net worth was well over 700 million dollars and he suspected that Jill was worth a pretty penny herself. Earlier he had noticed her diamond solitaire earrings and matching pendant and accurately guessed them to be over a full carat apiece, and brilliant-cut at that. Most medical examiners couldn't afford to throw away $20,000 on jewelry.
After dinner they danced: first a tango, then a waltz. Nick spun Jillian around the floor with dizzying perfection. When the music slowed he pulled her close and rested his cheek against her temple. His skin felt cool against her warm skin and reminded her that he truly was not alive in a very real sense of the word. She banished the thought and lost herself in the music. Somehow, the fact that Nick was an amazing dancer didn't surprise her. However, she was surprised that his normal reserve had vanished this evening. Ordinarily he shied away from anything that would draw attention to himself, but not this night. Other dancers had stopped to watch them tango and applauded when it ended. Nick grinned in slight embarrassment, but made no move to leave the floor. At one point he had noticed that a stray lock hair had fallen over her forehead and he tucked it behind her ear. It was this unusually intimate gesture that made Jill realize suddenly how much she'd missed his presence during her vacation.
Although Jillian had had many relationships over the centuries, her Immortality had always made it necessary to keep a part of her life secret. Even Natalie had never known. But Nick understood, better than anyone else could. She found it deeply moving to finally have a friend who knew her greatest secret and accepted it. His dark humor matched her own as well and created a sense of camaraderie unequaled in her life. She closed her eyes and let Nick sweep her away. A contented sigh escaped her lips just before her mind announced the presence of another Immortal. She stiffened.
"Did you feel...." Nick began. Somehow the fact that he was a vampire helped him feel Jillian's Immortal presence. The same was true of Jillian's ability to feel vampires.
"Yes," Jillian answered quickly, and discreetly looked around the room for the source of her discontent.
A man in all black was just entering the restaurant followed by others in the same garb. Their clothing would've given away the fact that they were not looking for a meal even if the weapons they carried hadn't. Cooks and wait staff came stumbling in through the doors from the kitchen with another black-garbed man following behind.
"Your attention please," the other Immortal, obviously in charge, addressed the crowd. "Please remain calm and no one will get hurt. Please take a seat with your back to the wall. You will remain this way until we return. If all goes well, you will all be home within a few hours. If it doesn't go well, some of you will not leave here alive."
The man's eyes locked with Jillian's and he smiled wickedly. He crossed the room with decisive steps to where she stood. Nick positioned himself behind her with his hands protectively on her shoulders. The Immortal was slightly taller than Nick with perfectly coifed blonde hair, a square jaw and chiseled features. His eyes were a piercing green, but something about them disturbed Jillian.
Their introductions were short.
He spoke in a rich, smooth baritone. "Phillip Clifton at your service." Jillian noticed that one of his eyes followed the other slightly slower and found herself unable to decide which one to look into. Instead she addressed his nose.
"Jillian Carpenter."
"An unexpected bonus. I'll be back for you later, my sweet."
"Really? I simply can't wait," Jillian replied with no inflection whatsoever and didn't return his smile. Clifton turned his back to her, barked an order to his men, and left the room. The men scattered to the windows and pulled the heavy curtains closed.
Nick looked around the room. Luckily, the earlier crowd had thinned around midnight and now at nearly 2 o’clock he counted only 17 people left, including the wait staff and cooks. All of them were obediently finding places to sit. Nick led Jillian to a spot beside the bar so that they were out of the view of the majority. Her stiff movements shouted the enormous tension she was feeling.
"Nick, I'm in trouble here." She spoke in urgent yet hushed tones and he could feel her raw fear like it was his own. She hugged her knees to her chest and pulled her skirt to her ankles. "You don't happen to have a sword on you do you?"
He shook his head gravely, knowing that she didn't really expect an answer. His own thoughts were no more comforting. Perhaps he could get out of the room unseen, but that would leave Jill alone with Clifton. He looked at his watch and realized the sun would be up in a few hours. Even with the curtains closed he would be vulnerable and weak. He'd laughed earlier in the evening when she'd called him her protector, but now, when she would need it the most he might be too weak to help her.
Jillian watched his face go through a myriad of emotions in a few seconds. "Nick? When the sun rises, what will happen to you?" She asked the question carefully, not really knowing if she wanted to know the answer.
"Daytime is draining to my kind. If I stay out of the sun I should be okay, but I won't have a whole lot of strength," he answered.
"So I guess asking you to take on Clifton is out of the question." Nick gave her a helpless look. She laughed sardonically, "We're quite a pair aren't we? We're both out of our element and all because I wanted to go dancing." She smiled, but her eyes were full of tears.
"I'm sorry, Jill." He reached out and pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder.
"Don't be. It's my problem." She sighed and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "This sucks."
Nick smiled weakly. .
"I just wanted one night where I could feel normal. No swords.... no head hunters.... just dinner and a little dancing. Is that so much to ask?"
Nick let her finish without comment. She wasn't really looking for answers. He held her tighter and kissed her temple. He leaned his head back against the wall.
"All I've wanted for 800 years is just to watch a sunrise." He heard himself say it, but didn't know where it came from.
Jill put her arms around his waist and squeezed hard. "I'm sorry, Nick. I forget that your sentence is harder than mine.
"Not harder, just different. Remember: I chose this life. You didn't.
His sharp hearing picked up bits and pieces of different conversations around the room. An older woman wearing a blue dress that seemed much too young on her sat huddled together with her husband. The soft sound of sobs came through clearly from another part of the room and from another he overheard a heated argument. Nick decided not to continue his eavesdropping. Everyone was frightened and handling it in the only way they knew how.
"The upside of this is that we have plenty of time to talk," Nick said cheerily.
Jillian looked at him askance. "And on which particular subject would you like to converse?"
"Anything. Everything." He looked at her and continued, "Let’s start there and if there’s time we’ll tackle philosophy and world literature.
"I’ll discuss anything but politics." She tried to smile.
"Agreed, you first. Where were you born?"
"Hungary.
Nick waited for her to elaborate. When it was obvious she wasn’t going to go on he prodded a little further. "If you’re going to give only one word answers this is going to take an awfully long time.
"We’ve got all night," she said dryly, then decided he had the right idea. "Immortals are all foundlings. Nobody knows how we’re born or who our parents are. I was found in a tiny town call Rinkobing. The town midwife, who had been widowed for just under a year, adopted me. Her name was Katja and she named me Helga, meaning Holy, because I was found in the church.
Nick’s eyebrows rose. "Helga?"
Jillian’s eye’s narrowed in challenge. "Yes, Helga. Now you know why I changed my name. The funny thing is that Katja used to tell me stories of the ‘vapir’ to keep me from sneaking out at night. It was a terrible thing to tell a child."
Nick smiled at her. "My mother used to try and scare me with the same stories. I guess it created more fascination than fear.
Phillip Clifton was an exceptional planner and even better at executing his plans. Jillian's presence was not in the plan. He knew the Immortal penchant for causing trouble and knew a moment's doubt about leaving her alive for the time being. He could not, however, risk being weak for the time it took to recover from a Quickening. She'd have to wait until the wheels of his plan were too far in motion to disrupt. He focused once again on his work and dialed a number on his cell phone. When a groggy voice answered, Clifton spoke.
"Let me speak to the Prime Minister. Yes, I know, he's sleeping. Let him know I'm holding 20 people hostage in the Chateau d'Elegance and if he wants them all to remain alive he'd better wake up now." A scuffling could be heard in the background and Clifton smiled to himself. Who needed drugs when there was such power in just a few words?"
Clifton spoke quickly. His terms were 50 million dollars within 12 hours or the hostages would die. He hung up and smiled to himself thinking about what kind of scurried frenzy he'd just put into motion. He looked at his watch: 3 AM exactly.
Nick had fallen asleep during a lull in the conversation and now rested comfortably with his head in Jillian’s lap. She stared at his peaceful face and wondered what he was dreaming of, if in fact he had dreams. Nearly everyone in the room was asleep. Maybe it was the fright, but she was wide-awake.... or maybe it was Nick's questions.
She hadn't thought of Katja in years. Jillian smiled to herself. Her youth spun before her eyes like a whirlwind; running in the fields under Katja's watchful eye; sitting on Katja's ample lap talking and laughing; learning to cook beside her. It had been the best time of her life, until the present of course. Jillian, with her dark hair and almost black eyes, had looked much like Katja. They could very well have been mother and daughter. Katja had never made Jill feel like a stranger. They did everything together. Jillian eased the widow's loneliness, and in return, she had opened her heart to the abandoned child. There were two marked differences between the two women; while Jillian was thin and moody, Katja was round and cheerful. They also shared two great passions, singing and cooking. When her mother died, Jillian, who had recently married, remained in mourning for over a year.
Jill leaned her head back and closed her eyes, remembering the sweet sound of Katja's voice. She hummed softly a tune from her childhood that she could no longer remember the words to, and within minutes, her head fell forward in sleep.
Nick heard Jill's humming stop and realized she’d fallen asleep. He'd awakened to the sound, but remained still hoping she'd keep singing. He closed his eyes again and tried to block out how hungry he was. An almost deafening pulsing was pounding in his ears and he was trying desperately to forget that it was her heartbeat. Suddenly, he felt like crying. If he stayed awake he'd be harassed by a dozen heartbeats and if he fell asleep he would be haunted by the ghosts of victims past. His dreams were always the same when he was hungry. Choosing dreams over reality, he fell into restless sleep.
"Listen up!" Jillian and Nick started awake at the sound of the shouted words. One of Clifton' men was making an announcement. "We'll be taking groups to the restroom again. Please line up here in groups of three if you have the need."
"I'm going to go with them this time, Nick. Maybe I can find a way of escape." Nick didn't look at her, but nodded.
Jillian got to her feet and joined the small band of hostages waiting in line for the facilities. When her turn came and she was led into the hallway her eyes darted back and forth, taking in as much information as possible without attracting attention.
There was a sentry immediately outside the door of the ballroom and another by the bathroom door, but aside from their escort she saw no others. A great scaffold took up much of the hallway. One wall had a great hole knocked in it. Jill’s quick eyes caught a glimpse of wires and pipes before being ushered through the bathroom door.
Jill returned from her trip to the restroom with no more information for Nick. She hadn't been able to break away and only saw a total of two men on guard. She had no idea how many more there could be.
"Looks like we're in for a long day, Nick." She glanced at Nick and did a double take. His normal chalky skin tone was even more ashen and he was gritting his teeth in pain. Jillian fell to her knees and took his face in her hands. "Nick? Are you okay?"
"It's nothing," he snapped and whipped his face away. Then he stopped and looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, Jill. I'm just hungry and that makes me nervous with all these people here. I can hear these people's blood pumping in their veins and I'm scared." He was staring with wide eyes at the tiny sliver of sunshine coming from underneath the curtains.
"Of them or yourself?"
"For them and of myself. I don't like feeling vulnerable like this. I'm practically salivating, and my stomach hurts." His discomfort was apparent as he hugged himself and rocked gently. The room was stifling and too many scents assaulted his heightened senses. He looked like a fragile little boy trying not to sob.
Jill watched him carefully for a second longer while she debated the obvious solution to his problem. She knew she could help him, but it meant she'd be vulnerable for an undetermined length of time. A small patch of dust marred her shoe and she wiped it away absently. If it weren't for the complication of having another Immortal to worry about there wouldn't have been any debate; she would've offered herself with no reservations. It was a short war. She knew what she had to do regardless of the consequences to herself.
"Nick, we both know the solution to your particular problem is me. We've done this before."
"No, Jill. What about Clifton? I won't risk you."
"It's my choice, Nick, and I've made it. Just be careful not to take too much. If he comes back and I'm weak, it's all over for me."
Just the thought of her sweet blood escalated his condition from uncomfortable to desperate. He just didn't have the strength to resist and she smelled so good. "I'll try," he said weakly and reached for her. His eyes glowed red.
"But if you ruin my dress I'll shower with Holy water from now on." Her weak attempt to ease the moment with humor did no more for her mood than for his.
"Jill...." he began.
"It's okay, Nick. Just do it.
She sat in front of him with her back against his chest. She took his hands and pulled his arms around her. Then she let her head fall back against his shoulder, exposing her neck to him. She didn't want to see his eyes.
He ran his fingers down her neck probing her jugular. Jill shivered involuntarily at his cool touch. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear just before his fangs punctured her skin. She inhaled sharply and whispered what sounded to Nick as "deja vu," then closed her eyes and tried to relax. Her fingers started tingling within a few seconds and she tightened her grip on his hands. She opened her eyes and upon seeing the room spinning in front of her shut them quickly.
"Nick, please," her voice sounded funny and far away in her ears. When he didn't respond she attempted to sit up, but her muscles wouldn't respond normally. She ended up sliding toward the floor, which, luckily, had the same effect. Nick broke contact with her neck and realized he had lost himself to the need.
"Jill, I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he stammered, wiping residual blood from her neck and watching with fascination as the wound sealed itself.
"I'm okay," she whispered weakly. She wanted to reassure him, but her arms wouldn't move.
Nick pulled her protectively to himself and she pulled her knees to her chest. He cradled her head in the crook of his arm and watched her eyes close. She looked deathly pale under her tan. He could hear her heart beating strong in his ears and knew that she was healing, but it would take time. She slept for nearly thirty minutes before she stiffened against him and opened her eyes.
"He's here." Her horror was apparent in her voice.
"Jill, I can stop him."
"No, you can't interfere. Those are the rules. If he's here for me, I'll go." She sat up and met his questioning eyes.
"I'm okay, Nick. Maybe not 100 percent, but I'm okay. How are you doing?"
He stared at her wide-eyed. "You amaze me. You're facing the fight of your life and you're worrying about me. I'm fine, Jill. The question is what are you going to do?"
"I guess I’ll just have to wing it. There is some construction going on in the hallway. Maybe I can find a hammer or something I can at least use to block his sword." She paused for a second, and then looked pained. "Look Nick, if I don't come back there are some instructions in the lockbox under my bed. The key is in my sword scabbard."
Nick shook his head as if to reject the possibility that he would need to have this information. Before he could protest Jillian kissed him lightly and whispered, "I trust you." They locked eyes for just a moment before the door opened at the far end of the room. Clifton strode over and pulled Jillian to her feet. Nick felt anger rise in his throat. He wanted nothing better than to sink his fangs into the other Immortal's neck and have a nice long lunch.
"It's 3pm and time to kill a hostage. You're going to be my first victim," Clifton sneered at Jillian, then turned to the obviously perturbed Nick. "Stay where you are, pretty boy, or you'll be next." Jill and Clifton disappeared through the kitchen door. Nick hit the floor in frustration, cursing himself for being so weak.
Clifton threw Jillian into the same hallway she had scoped out earlier on her way to the restrooms. .
"What's this all about anyway?" She was trying to stall him while looking about in a desperate attempt to find a suitable weapon.
"Money, of course. Isn't that everyone's motivation for everything?"
"Why don't I just write you a check and you can let these people go home?" Her eyes fastened on a piece of pipe that rested on the scaffolding behind her opponent. It would work until something better presented itself.
"It just wouldn't have the same adrenaline rush. And besides I don't think you could meet my price."
"You might be surprised," she murmured under her breath. "If it's an adrenaline rush you're looking for I could write you the check and then throw you off the building," she suggested.
"Thanks, but no thanks. You have spunk. I like that. I wonder if that'll transfer to me in the Quickening."
"Don't hold your breath."
She brought her foot up to his chest and he flew backwards far enough for her to grab the pipe. It was heavier than she had expected, but it felt good in her hand. Phillip Clifton wasn't happy. The force of her kick told him she was stronger than he had expected. He gave an ugly smile.
"Good. I might actually have to work for this one." He sounded confident.
Jill gave a short, sardonic laugh and deflected several blows with ease. He was good, but she knew she was definitely better. The only problem was that they weren't on equal footing. The fight would've been over quickly if she'd had her sword. As it was, the only sword was in his possession and she doubted that he was just going to hand it over, even if she asked nicely.
"I've lived nearly 400 years and I have to say, this is the most invigorating fight I've ever had." He advanced and backed her up against the wall.
"Glad I can be of some entertainment," she spat at him. The narrow passage was definitely working to his advantage. She had to stay out of the reach of his sword and by doing so she found herself repeatedly cornered. The carpeting kept grabbing her heels until she finally managed to kick both shoes off. He backed her up against the scaffolding. The pipe blocked his sword as it flew toward her neck.
"How old are you?"
Her eyes shot to his face. "Why do you want to know?"
"I just want to have some idea of how much stronger I'll be after I take your head." His face was in hers.
Jillian's eye narrowed. "Why not just let it be a surprise?" Her knee came up hard and he doubled over in pain. She brought the pipe down hard on the back of his neck at the same time as she dug her other knee into his chest. He fell to the floor with a grunt and lost his grip on the sword. Just as the realization hit him that he was now weaponless he felt his own blade under his chin. She leaned down, grabbed his face pulled it close to hers.
"In answer to your question, I'm twice as old as you'll ever be." And Phillip Clifton died.
Jillian sobbed in relief as the dead Immortal's body began to shed its power. The Quickening hit hard and forced her back against the wall. Her feet were barely touching the floor, but the force of the current kept her suspended. Her hair made a wild Rorschach around her head and she felt every follicle tingle. In the middle of a thousand images from Clifton' life a hidden memory of her own surfaced. She saw herself and Nick sitting in her house. She even recognized the clothes she was wearing the evening before. Nick leaned forward and kissed her for a long moment. She couldn’t feel his lips on hers, but his passion and intensity were evident. The rest of the Quickening passed almost without her knowledge. As it subsided, she fell to her hands and knees, but was still focused on why she would've forgotten that particular event. As always her nose started to drip blood. Finally she forced herself to her feet and stumbled a few yards before regaining her bearings. A thought occurred to her. She turned back around and carefully wiped her fingerprints from Clifton' sword hilt.
Nick spotted her the instant she returned to the ballroom and great waves of relief flooded over him. She was markedly disheveled and appeared to have a slant to her walk that someone else might've attributed to too much alcohol. Nick knew better.
Jill fell into his arms exhausted. "I'm okay. Clifton is dead."
He guided her to the floor, made sure she was comfortable and then made a move to leave. Jillian grabbed his hand, "What are you going to do?"
"You took care of your end, now I'm going to take care of mine. Stay here." He kissed her lightly on the temple. She opened her eyes long enough to see him steal quietly into the shadows. Then she knew nothing.
Nick made sure no one was looking and flew to the high ceiling. He floated to the kitchen door and knocked from above. The man who answered found himself floating in mid-air and then suddenly flying back the way he’d come. His head made a dull cracking noise against the stainless steel wash basin and his lights went out. Nick strode past him without a glance. His supernatural hearing pinpointed two voices in the hallway. They were obviously arguing and Nick took full advantage. He opened the door and slid through. The men were just around the corner. He emerged, fangs bared behind one of the men.
"Look behind you!" the man facing Nick shouted, and raised his weapon. The man with his back to Nick didn’t live long enough to make any protest. His chest was ripped open by a spray of assault rounds. Nick caught a few, but other than ruining his favorite vest, they did nothing.
"Oops," he commented around his fangs.
The other man fainted. Nick gave a toothy grin before making sure that the unconscious man was handcuffed to the dead one.
No one else died that night, and all seven men were accounted for. Nick let the SWAT team onto the floor and let them make sure it was secure. He found Jillian curled up next to the coat racks dozing lightly. They made their way out into the hall. Nick’s partner Don Schanke stood over Clifton’ body.
"Head’s over here. Body’s over there. Anybody wanna venture a guess as to the cause of death?" Schanke chimed in brightly. "And could someone please explain to me why in the 'H-E-double hockey sticks' it looks like the lights have been blown out in here? This must've been some fight.
"Cute, Schanke." Nick shook his head. Schanke looked up, surprised, and Nick explained his presence. Jillian extricated herself from Nick’s encircling arm and took charge of the crime scene.
"Would you do your partner a really big favor?" Schanke pulled Nick aside and lowered his voice. "Next time you want to spend a little time with the good doctor, could you give me a little warning so I can have the coroner's wagon waiting? Every time you two have a date, someone ends up dead." Nick gave him a withering look. "If you two get engaged we'll probably have an earthquake, or a flood!" Schanke was shaking his head in mock seriousness. "Or maybe a meteor will strike Toronto." Truthfully, he was proud of his partner for finally taking a step forward with Jill.
Nick glanced over at Jillian. She was bending over the body of the man she had decapitated, taking notes as if it had nothing to do with her. Nick shook his head. A few moments later he bent down beside her.
"Sometimes it comes in very handy to be the medical examiner and to have a homicide cop for a good friend," she murmured under her breath.
Nick gave her a crooked smile. "So, Doctor," he raised his voice loud enough for listening ears, "have you established an approximate time of death?"
"Down to the minute if you'd like," Jillian teased softly.
"Nick!" Schanke was calling.
Nick rubbed his hand lightly over Jill's back before responding to his partner's hail. Jillian felt her cheeks flush furiously at his gentle touch and was thankful he had turned away from her.
"This lady insists on talking to you. I think she might have some information on who killed this guy." Schanke walked away.
The same woman in blue that Nick had noticed earlier stood before him now, wringing her hands. "I wanted to talk to you directly because you were with her tonight. The doctor over there went walking off with that awful man and when she came back she looked like she'd been assaulted. I don't know if she had anything to do with his death, but I just thought you should know.
"Yes. Thank you for coming forward." Nick glanced around to see if anyone was within earshot. He didn't notice Jillian coming up behind him. Seeing no one, he locked eyes with the woman before him. The same familiar blank look washed over her face.
"Listen carefully. You didn't see anything," Nick pushed into the woman's mind gently.
Jillian froze. Something in his voice struck a familiar chord.
"The doctor was in the room the entire time."
Suddenly it was clear to her why she hadn't remembered Nick kissing her: he'd hypnotized her. The memory came flooding back. She'd asked him to try hypnotizing her, but then hadn't remembered. Her cheeks flushed for a second time that evening.
"Do you understand?"
The woman before Nick nodded slightly, blinked a few times, gave Nick a confused look and then wandered off to where her husband stood. He looked around and found Jill staring intently at him.
"Handy little talent you've got there," she commented quietly.
Nick sensed something dangerous in her tone, but Schanke was calling again. He'd have to wait until later to question her.
Nick pulled his car into Jillian’s driveway and let it idle. He looked at her remarkably white shoulders and commented, "Interesting that your tan has disappeared."
"Results of the Quickening I suppose."
"Or blood loss." Nick spoke quietly, gratefully. Jill nodded. "Thank you again, Jill. I know what you risked for me. I owe you my life again. Someday I'll repay you, I promise."
"We've got time, Nick, and I'll hold you to that." She flashed her beautiful smile.
"Should I call you later, Helga?" he asked, and his eyes danced with humor.
Jillian grimaced and wrinkled her nose. "Actually I think you should just come over when you get off work. We need to have a little talk."
"About?" he queried lightly thinking that she wanted chastise him for using her given name. Her answer took him completely by surprise.
"About why you chose to test hypnosis by kissing me."
Nick's mouth fell open. She knew! Before he could even begin to stammer Jillian stepped out of the Caddy and walked toward the house. She turned around right before going inside, smiled enormously and blew him a kiss. Nick chuckled nervously to himself; it was going to be a long night.