Chapter Thirty

Dinner was a tense affair. Mac couldn’t keep herself from blaming Kristoff and Maria for their part in Jon’s confinement. Richie sat next to her at the table keeping a careful eye on her. He was more concerned about her than he was showing the others gathered around the table. He wasn’t just concerned about her health and the pain that would soon hit her; he was also concerned about her stubborn pride and that she would try to sneak in to see Jon. Richie had joked and teased Jon over the years about the ‘infamous’ Council, but he was very aware of the power they wielded.

Kristoff had introduced the two of them to the other two members of the Council before they had sat down at the table. Richie had watched as Mac nodded her head to acknowledge the introduction, but had otherwise been very cold to them. Not that he blamed her, but he at least was polite and showed them the deference that their position required. They would, after all, be deciding the fate of his best friend.

Richie noticed that Mac didn’t eat much, only pushing her food around on the plate. He watched her absently rub her chest. Knowing what that meant, he cut his eyes to Maria. The woman nodded that she had noticed.

A few moments later, Maria stood and asked Mac if she would join her in the library. Reluctantly, Mac agreed, and Richie watched silently as the two women left the room. Once the women were out of hearing range, Richie turned questioning eyes to Kristoff.

"She will be fine," the vampire tried to assure Richie. "Drinking Giovanni’s blood will lessen the pain and allow her to go longer without a sedative."

"If she’ll drink it from a bag," Richie mumbled, forgetting for the moment he was sitting with three vampires who could hear his every breath.

The black haired, thin vampire with the British accent that had been introduced to Richie as just Sebastian turned piercing blue eyes on the guitarist. "Are you saying that she’s having trouble adapting to her new life?"

"No, not at all," Richie answered, silently cursing his own forgetfulness. "But, she’s only fed from Jon directly, never from a bag." He emphasized the last word to draw attention to the fact that even he found the thought of it disgusting.

The Council member that Richie had silently dubbed the ‘surfer dude’ when the introductions were made laughed then, drawing all the men’s eyes. His name was Constantine, but had quickly told Richie and Mac to call him Connie. The vampire had a deep tan and hair obviously bleached blonde by the sun and sounded like he’d just walked in from the nearest beach. "Oh come on, dudes, even you two old farts have to admit that we all prefer to eat ‘off the hoof’." That’s when Richie decided he liked ‘surfer dude’. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to end up hating him before this was all over.

Richie turned to Connie then. "I was meaning to ask you how you could possibly spend so much time in the sun to have that great a tan."

"Sunglasses, dude, sunglasses," Connie admitted, giving Richie a boyish grin, "I ask all the gods to bless the inventor of shades everyday. Well, him and the inventor of the bikini."

The three vampires laughed, and Richie couldn’t help but join in. Lord knew, he thanked the inventor of the bikini every day that he was at a beach or by a pool too.


*************************


In the library, Maria invited Mac to take a seat. Maria noticed how uncomfortable Mac seemed. "Mac, I know that we don’t know each other very well, but I’m hoping we can become friends," the woman’s ever-so-slight French accent was slightly heavier than normal.

Mac looked at the woman for a long moment before she finally answered her. "Maria, no offense, but I can’t separate yours and your husband’s involvement from what’s going on here long enough to even try to act friendly."

The other woman smiled at Mac. "You’re very blunt, I like that." Mac’s only answer to that statement was a little half-smile that was most definitely of a sarcastic nature. "And because you are so blunt, I will be as well. I know that you have powers that go beyond the ones you gained when Giovanni turned you into a vampire. You are a witch, yes?"

Mac was surprised. "How’d you know that?"

"I have powers of my own. Although, perhaps not as strong as yours, but I can see things about people just by touching them."

"Past, present or future?" Mac asked, genuinely interested in the other woman’s abilities.

"Mostly past, occasionally the present. The future, hardly ever," Maria answered. "Mostly, I just use it as a tool to judge a person’s character."

"Do you have any other powers?"

"I’m able to tell a person about their past lives. I’m able to see them as well when I touch someone. I know that you’ve lived several times before, just from the hug we shared earlier. Are you already aware of this?"

Mac was more than a little skeptical. "No, I wasn’t."

"And yet you dream of your previous lives all the time," Maria commented, softly.

Thinking about her ‘dreams of the past’, Mac shrugged. "Is that what those are?"

"Mac, you are a very powerful witch," Maria told her, "and yet you’ve turned your back on your skills. You should embrace your heritage."

"Now you sound like my mother," Mac told her, grinning.

"Maybe your mother is right," Maria responded. "Most people don’t dream of their past lives, and yet you do. But all of your past lives don’t interest me, only one of them."

"Is that so?" Mac asked, rapidly losing interest in this conversation.

"Yes, the young Italian woman that you’ve dreamed of so much recently," Maria told her.

"Why her?"

"Because of the link I share with Kristoff, I know who this woman is. You see, he met her many years ago. And, I’ll be blunt, who she was concerns me very much."

"Why would it concern you who I was in a past life?"

"Because, I care about Giovanni," was her only answer.

Mac didn’t like the way Maria said that. It almost sounded like a threat. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her denim clad legs. "Color me stupid, but what has any of this got to do with Jon?"

"That woman was very important to Giovanni at one time," Maria answered, giving Mac a hard look. Maria paused dramatically, wanting to judge Mac’s response to what she said next. "Her name was Cecilia."

Mac’s gasp echoed through the otherwise silent room. Jon had told her all about Cecilia. Would the knowledge that she was the love that once betrayed him effect the way he felt about her now?

"Are you sure?"

Maria could hear the hope in Mac’s voice that there could be a chance that she was wrong. "I’m sure," Maria told her.

"This isn’t happening," Mac denied, "all of this is just a terrible nightmare, and soon, I’ll wake up in Jon’s arms."

"No, Mac," Maria shook her head at the younger woman, "this is all happening, and you’re going to have to be strong. I want you to know what you’re up against. I think the men in our lives would prefer that you not know; they think they’re protecting you."

"What exactly are you talking about?"

"The physical separation of life-mates will cause pain. Not just of the emotional kind. It can also cause delusions and hallucinations," Maria started to explain. "The extreme emotional stress you’ve felt today since you were separated from Giovanni is just the beginning. The loneliness and hollow feeling will get worse and so will that ache you’re feeling in your chest."

"And the anxiety?" Mac asked.

"You mean the worry that he’s not well, that he’s dying and you’ll be left alone?"

"Yeah."

Maria nodded. "That will get worse. I have something that will make it better, but only for a short time. Eventually, a sedative will be required. I’m only telling you this because I want us to be friends, and I don’t think that it’s a good idea to try and keep it from you. The men think it’s wise to not increase your worries by telling you before the symptoms arise. So that, you’re not worried about what will happen until it’s happening. But, I didn’t want you to think you were going crazy. These symptoms are real, not your imagination."

"And what is this temporary fix?"

Maria got up and gracefully walked to a bar in the corner. When she came back she carried a large brandy snifter filled with a thick red liquid.

"Is that what I think it is?" Mac asked.

"It is blood drawn from Giovanni earlier," Maria told her. "I’ve kept it warm for you, and I thought drinking it from the glass would be far better than the bag it was in at first. Also, I got it out of the bag as quickly as I could, to avoid the unpleasant taste of the plastic."

Mac took the glass from Maria, but frowned in distaste. The thought of drinking the blood was still unappealing to her. She held the glass up to her nose and sniffed it experimentally. She smelled not only the tangy smell of blood, but also a faint whiff of alcohol wafted to her nostrils. "What else is in here?" she asked the other woman.

"I mixed in a little red wine," Maria smiled. "You will still get what you need from Giovanni’s blood and the wine will make it more palpable to you. I know it was very hard for me to drink Kristoff’s blood without feeding straight from him. I’m only offering what I wish someone had offered me."

"Thanks," Mac told her, smiling weakly. "Cheers, I guess," she said softly, lifting the glass to her lips. At first, she just took a little sip, but suddenly she was overcome by the taste and the smell, reminded of the last time she had tasted it. Reminded how her fangs had sank into Jon’s neck as she rode the waves of an orgasm, and before she knew it, she had gulped down the entire glass, somehow feeling close to him even without him being in the room.

"How is Jon?" she suddenly asked, breaking the silence in the room.

"Suffering from the separation just like you."

"Is there any way they’ll allow me to see him?" Mac asked, a desperate quality to her voice.

"Only at Caleb’s trial, which begins tomorrow, and then at Giovanni’s own trial."

Maria watched the range of emotions that flashed across Mac’s face, and knew what the younger woman was thinking. "Do not try to get in to see him," she warned. "It will only cause problems for him at his trial."

"Why would my actions affect his verdict?"

"You really don’t understand the rules at all, do you?" Maria questioned, leaning forward slightly in her chair.

"What rules?"

"The reason it is considered such a heinous crime for a vampire to turn a human without their permission is because then they are not bound by the rules of the Council. If a human agrees to be turned then they are agreeing to follow the laws. In your case, you were not given the opportunity to give consent or accept this way of life, therefore, Giovanni is responsible for your actions because he is your sire. They will hold him accountable for every rule you break."

The other woman’s words immediately quashed any plans that Mac had been making. She certainly didn’t want to cause Jon any more problems.

Mac stood on shaky legs. "I think I need to lay down."

"If you need the sedative later, just let me know," Maria replied.

"I will," Mac told her, nodding. "Will you please tell Richie that I went up to my room?"

"Of course," Maria answered, smiling.

"Good night," Mac said softly, as she headed for the door.



*************************


Somehow, Mac made a wrong turn on the way to her room and found herself in a long hallway that looked just like the one her room was on. The only difference were the two huge vampires guarding one door. She knew Jon was on the other side of that door, and although common sense told her to just turn around, her feet led her to the two vamps.

"You shouldn’t be here," one of them said in a hard tone.

"I’m lost," she told them softly. "I know that sounds like a lame excuse, but really I’m lost. I guess I turned left when I should’ve turned right or something. How do I get back to my room?"

Inside the room, Jon had been sitting in a chair trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his chest when Mac’s scent drifted to him from the hallway. He knew the penalty if she tried to get into see him, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to see her. Practically flying across the room, he was soon leaning against the door, listening to her conversation with the guards. He hoped she was telling the truth, that she was really lost and not just trying to get in to see him.

One of the guards began to give her directions back to her room. When he was done with his recitation, she asked in a pleading tone with tears in her eyes, "Please, couldn’t I just see him for a moment?"

Through the door, she heard Jon’s voice, "Mac, please, just go back to your room." He sounded angry to her, or maybe just like it was hard to tell her to go away. What she didn’t know was that his forehead was against the door, with one hand pressed against the hard wood, straining to keep from tearing the barrier between them down just to get to her.

The guard who had given her directions gave her a sympathetic look. "I’ve been separated from my life mate. I know what both of you are going through." He looked at his companion, "If we didn’t let them out of our sight, what harm could it cause?"

The second guard shrugged. "I don’t see a problem with that, Duncan. But, the Council...". He left the sentence dangling in the air.

Duncan answered, "I will take sole responsibility."

Inside the room, Jon felt hope building inside him quickly replacing the pain in his chest. He took a step back from the door, hoping it would soon swing inward. After what seemed like an eternity, the door swung inward, but he didn’t even have the opportunity to see her before she was throwing herself into his arms. He savored the feel of her against him, while giving the guards a grateful look over the top of her head. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes as his lungs were filled with her scent.

"I missed you," she was crying against his chest.

"I missed you, too, moglie mia," he said into her hair. "Did you feed?"

She was touched that even with the huge trouble he was in, his first concern was still of her. "Yeah, Maria put it in a glass with some red wine. It really wasn’t so bad."

With one finger, he lifted her chin so that he could look down into her lovely face. Seeing her tears, he gently wiped them away with his thumb. "I’m proud of you," he told her softly.

"For what?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

"You’re being so strong," he answered.

"I’m not being strong," she told him. "I’m falling apart. You’ve turned me into a weak, needy, clingy woman who can’t even be away from you for a few hours."

"Mac, I promise, this will all be over soon," he told her softly. "And, I’ll see you at the trial in the morning."

Duncan cleared his throat. "You really have to go now, miss."

She gripped Jon tighter. He knew she was about to argue. "Moglie mia, go. We wouldn’t want Duncan to get into trouble because of us. I love you, Mac."

Tearfully, she said, "I’ll see you tomorrow. I miss you already."

Gently, he pushed her away from him and closed the door himself. He heard Duncan giving the directions again, then her scent drifted away.


*************************



When Mac got back to her room, she found Richie waiting for her. He’d been sitting on the sofa, but stood up as she entered the room.

"Where’ve you been?" he asked, "I thought you would’ve beat me here."

"I made a wrong turn and ended up in the hallway where they’re keeping Jon," she answered. He gave her a doubtful look. "No really, I got lost. But, the guards were really nice, and they let me see him for a few seconds."

Richie’s face lit up. "Really? How is he?"

"He seems to be handling all of this a lot better than we are," she replied.

"It’s all an act," he told her, running his hands through his hair. "He’s always acted tough. Jon believes that’s what’s expected of him. Besides, he would want to be strong for you."

"He promised me that this would all be over soon," she told Richie. "And, I’ve got to believe that. Otherwise, I’ll go stark raving mad."

She started to tear up, and Richie tried to reassure her to forestall the crying he knew was coming. "Of course, surely they can’t drag this out much longer."

"I’m really tired, Rich, I think I’m gonna go to bed."

"Yeah, you do that," he answered, relieved that she wasn’t dissolving into tears. He watched her disappear through the door that led to the bedroom of the suite. Richie was really hoping that this was all over soon!

Chapter Twenty-nine

Following the man who had opened the door and welcomed them in, Jon guided Mac down a hallway with a protective hand at the small of her back. Richie followed close behind the couple. Vincent seemed to have just disappeared, his task completed. Mac realized that as soon as they had walked in the door that Jon’s glamour dissolved, leaving him looking young, but not vulnerable. She took courage from his strength.

The tall dark-haired man led them to a large old-fashioned library where a small blonde woman waited. She hurried over to hug Jon.

"Oh Giovanni, it’s so good to see you again," the woman gushed.

Returning her hug, Jon answered, "It’s good to see you again too, Maria."

Mac watched as the dark-haired man pulled Jon into a man hug, saying in heavily accented English, "You have been missed, Giovanni. I wish this visit was under different circumstances."

Stepping away from the other man, Jon nodded in agreement. "Me too, Kris." Then he pulled Mac into his side with one strong arm. "Both of you remember my friend Richie." They both nodded, and Richie and Kris shook hands. The guitarist also pulled Maria in for a brief hug. "And this is my life mate, Mac."

Mac was pulled away from Jon and enveloped in a big bear hug from Kristoff. "I’m so glad to meet you, and I’m also happy he finally found you."

"Turn the poor girl loose," Maria ordered her husband. Then once he had released Mac, Maria stepped up to hug her too. "It’s nice to meet you, Mac."

"Thank you," Mac said softly.

"She’s beautiful, Giovanni," Maria said.

"Da, she is more than you deserve, old friend," Kristoff laughed, slapping Jon on the shoulder.

Mac tried to reach out to Jon then, just to see if she could. But, it was like a brick wall stood between them. She tried harder, concentrating. Jon saw her frown and asked if something was wrong.

"This is not exactly the welcome I had expected," was all she said.

Kristoff looked at Mac and smiled. "This may be where the Council has convened, but it is above all my home, and Giovanni is always welcome in my home."

"I’m well aware of my welcome," Jon told the other vampire. "But, I wouldn’t want you to get into any trouble for giving me special treatment. Call the guards, Kris. Let’s get this over with."

"The guards are outside the door, Giovanni," Kristoff explained. "If you are ready, I will call them."

"No," Mac pleaded, not sure she was ready to be pulled away from Jon.

Jon pulled her tightly against him, and nodded to Kristoff over her head. "It will be all right," he whispered into her hair. "I love you, Mac. We have to do this, but then one way or the other, everything will be okay." With a finger under her chin, he lifted her face to his and kissed her gently. "This will all be over soon, I promise." He stepped away from her, and Mac noticed the two men who had entered the room. Jon moved to stand between them.

Jon watched Mac’s eyes tear up, and she angrily scrubbed a hand at each cheek. He smiled when Richie stepped over and pulled her into his arms. He heard his friend whisper to Mac that it would be okay, that he was with her. Jon wasn’t surprised when Richie looked up at him with sadness in his eyes.

"I’ve got your back, Kidd," Richie said softly.

"I know you do. I didn’t expect anything less." he replied, then followed the two newcomers out of the room.

Mac didn’t mind if Richie saw her tears, but she refused to cry in front of Kristoff and Maria. "Could you show us to our rooms?" she asked them.

Seeing her distress, Maria stepped forward. "Of course, Mac, your bags are already in your rooms. Just follow me."

Maria had been separated from Kristoff right after she had been turned. She understood what Mac would be facing. A separation between life mates was rough. Immediate sadness at first, then after several hours there would be a physical pain that would start as an ache in the other woman’s chest, but would soon become almost unbearable. Maria was sure that Mac would have to be sedated just to keep her comfortable. She knew from her own experience that Kristoff had also experienced the pain, and she worried not only for Mac, but also for Jon.

They arrived at Richie’s room first, but he only looked inside then followed Maria to the room next door that would be Mac’s.

"Thank you, Maria," he told the woman, taking control of the situation. "I’ll take care of her from here."

Maria realized she was being dismissed, but she couldn’t go without making sure that Richie knew what would be coming. She turned to Mac. "Would you excuse us for just a moment?"

Mac looked at Richie questioningly. She had been so glad that he had seemed to take over the situation, since she couldn’t seem to think straight after Jon had been led from the library.
"It’s okay, Mac," he said gently, "I’ll just be a minute."

"Okay," she agreed weakly, before going into her room.

Maria explained the situation to Richie quickly. Leaving nothing out, she told him what would happen in the next several hours. She assured Richie that she would come with a sedative later, if he wanted. Suddenly, Richie felt out of his league. How was he supposed to take care of her, if he didn’t know what to do for her?

Maria could see the confusion on his face. "No fears, Richie," she soothed, "Giovanni is our friend as well; Kristoff and I will help take care of her. She will not suffer over much, if we can help it."

"Thank you," Richie responded. "But, I should warn you. Mac is a very strong willed woman. Very independent. She may not be willing to accept help from people she considers strangers. To be honest, I’m surprised she has clung to me like she has."

"She will continue to cling to you, Richie. Mac will see you as a sort of surrogate for Giovanni. She will need your strength and your patience."

"She already has it," he answered. "She became a member of my family when Jon told me what she was to him."

"I understand," the woman said.

"I should go to her," Richie told her. "I’ll let you know if we need anything."

"As you wish," Maria told him, and turned to go.

Richie walked through the door and suddenly found his arms full of a crying woman. Gently, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to a sofa. He sat down with her still in his arms and began to rock her gently. Smoothing her hair with one strong, long-fingered hand, he murmured soothing words to her. All he knew to do was try to comfort her as best he could.


*************************

Jon quietly surveyed the room that had been assigned to him. A strange feeling of emptiness had almost overwhelmed him only moments after he’d left Mac in the library. It was like a piece of him was missing. Somehow, he knew Mac was hurting; it felt like how he had heard amputees explain the sensation of still being able to feel an ache in their missing limb. He knew his own pain would start soon; he only hoped that it would fill the gaping hole in his soul where Mac’s lightness had resided. He tried to tell himself she was in the castle with him; that she was fine, but not being able to reach out to touch her mind was almost unbearable. It almost made it worse knowing she was so close yet so far away.

His room was actually a suite, made up of a bedroom and sitting room. In the bedroom, he found his luggage and sent out a silent thank you to Kristoff. His guitar case was among his luggage; at least he’d have one friend in his solitary confinement.

The knock on his door was as unexpected as the scent of his guest, that floated to his sensitive nose under the door.

"Come on in, Kris. It is your home after all," he called out.

Kristoff opened the door and walked in smiling. He turned to say something to the guards and closed the door. Jon motioned to one of the armchairs arranged around a low coffee table. The two vampires took a seat.

Jon was the first to break the silence. "You shouldn’t have come, Kris. This will look bad for you."

"I had a discussion with the other members of the Council. They understand that we are friends and have agreed to allow me to visit you. I am to be your liaison from them and to keep you apprised of your lifemate’s condition," Kristoff explained.

"So this is an official visit then," Jon said, nodding.

"As far as they are concerned," Kristoff told him.

"How is Mac?"

"As well as can be expected," the Russian answered.

"Don’t hand me that shit, Kris," Jon replied, "give it to me straight."

"Maria told me that she is suffering slightly from the separation. The loneliness hit her hard at first, but your friend is keeping her company. The physical pain hasn’t started yet."

Abruptly, Jon stood up and ran a hand through his hair in frustration before starting to pace the room. He wanted this to all be over quickly. Not for his sake but for Mac’s.

"When does Caleb’s trial start?" Jon turned to Kristoff to ask.

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"Will I be allowed in the courtroom at the same time as Mac and Richie?" Jon knew that under normal circumstances all the witnesses against Caleb would be allowed in the Council chambers at the same time, but since those same witnesses were to testify against him at a later time, he wasn’t sure how it would be handled.

"Yes," Kristoff answered, "but conversation between you will be kept to a minimum. As you know, the Council will not allow any whispered comments. Everything must be said loud enough for everyone present to clearly hear."

"I understand," Jon nodded. He was silent for several seconds, before exploding. "I don’t know if I can take this, Kris. I need to know she’s okay."

"She will be fine, Giovanni," Kristoff told him patiently. "I, myself, will administer a sedative if it is needed. She will not suffer. I promise you this, my friend."

"You don’t know Mac," Jon warned, "she won’t ask for help. She’s strong and stubborn. She has a hard time asking for help from people she knows, and she considers you and Maria strangers."

"Your friend has already warned Maria of this problem," the other vampire replied. "We won’t wait for a request of help. We will just step in when we are needed."

"Will you be taking blood for her now, or will you come back later for that?" Jon asked.

"If you are ready, we can do that now," Kristoff answered.

At Jon’s nod, Kristoff rose and walked to the door. When he came back into the room, he carried with him medical equipment to draw blood from Jon.

"Have a seat, Giovanni," Kristoff said softly, "this will only take a few minutes."

Jon sat back down in the chair he had vacated earlier and watched as Kristoff inserted the needle in a vein in his arm. Once the blood was flowing freely through the tube and into the bag, he said very softly, "Kris, thank you for seeing that my guitar stayed with my luggage."

"You don’t have to thank me, my friend. I wasn’t ordered to take it from you, therefore it stayed. I knew what it being in here would mean to you."

Jon nodded. "You’ll let me know if there’s any problems with Mac feeding, right?"

"Of course," Kristoff answered, seeming slightly offended. "I would not let you worry needlessly. But, I assure you she will be fine. Someone will come by later to feed you."

"Kris, I didn’t mean to offend you," Jon told him quickly. "Look this is a little personal, but until now, Mac has only fed during sex. In the throes of her orgasm, is the only time she has been able to bite me and feed. I’m only concerned that she won’t feed from the bag."

"Ah," Kristoff nodded in understanding, "she has the same aversion to feeding that Maria had at first. Only the uncontrollable and instinctive urge to bite me kept my lifemate alive and well fed at first, also."

Jon laughed. "Humans. I won’t ever understand the big deal about drinking blood."

The other vampire realized, Jon was trying to lighten the mood and joined in his laughter. When the bag was full, Kristoff removed the needle from Jon’s arm and gathered the medical equipment.

"Maria will be visiting Mac and Richie shortly. We hope they will join us in the dining room for a light dinner. I will closely inspect her for any signs of pain then. I will tell you everything I know, Giovanni."

"Thanks, Kris."

Jon watched his friend leave the room. This was a hell of a lot harder than he had thought it would be. He went to his bedroom and bent to open the case. Pulling his old friend out, he sat down on the bed, with his guitar on his lap. He retrieved his notebook and pen from the case also, and began to strum idly. Every so often, he scribbled in his notebook. He didn’t know if anything he was working on would ever be heard by another soul, but at least it would take his mind off worrying about Mac.