Back in Simon's apartment, Brenda found Morgan up and about, still naked, rearranging Simon's books. Brenda suspected Simon was not going to be pleased. He struck her as one of those people who, like Brenda, liked everything to be just so. Morgan looked up as Brenda began to climb through the window. "Hello, dear."
"How did everything go at Elysium? Is Simon okay?"
"Simon will be fine. I, however, am now hunted. If you wouldn't mind driving me, I believe it's time for me to return home."
"Sure. It's probably safer for you that way. But I'm glad you were here last night."
Morgan smiled as she began putting on the discarded clothing she'd worn the night before. "I'm glad I was here for you."
"Maybe you were right. About it being the goddess's will."
"Of course I was. I'm ready," she said, slipping on a pair of sandals.
Brenda led the way out through the window and back toward her rental car. "Why are you hunted now? Did they find out you stayed here?"
"No," said Morgan, climbing into the passenger seat of the car and pulling the door closed. "He assumes I stayed here."
Brenda buckled her seatbelt, shaking her head in disbelief. "He can't punish you based on an assumption."
"But I did stay here."
"So what? He can't prove that you did. It doesn't matter that he knows you stayed. He has to be able to prove it."
Morgan placed a hand on Brenda's knee, shaking her head. "You are not mortal anymore. It only works that way in the mortal world. Vampires have different rules, many of which are unjust. A Prince rules over a city because he is the strongest. He can do whatever he wishes."
Brenda sighed. So they had no choice but to live under the rule of a tyrant? What about the Carthian Movement, she wondered, thinking of Matt. Surely they would oppose such a system. But maybe they couldn't. Maybe Prince Rex was too powerful. But something had to be done. She had to find Grace Simmons. And she feared if something wasn't done, Simon would never be free.
"Did you kill the Prince's Childe?" Brenda asked.
Morgan straightened her shoulders. "As I said before, I am not responsible for his actions. Any repercussions resulting from his foolishness were brought on himself."
"I'm not asking because I want to know what you did. I just need to know if he's dead, so I can rule him out as the one who raped me," Brenda explained.
"Yes. He's dead," Morgan said quietly.
Brenda sighed. That left only two possibilities. She hoped.
"But he still may be the one who hurt you."
"What?"
"His death was very recent."
Brenda hadn't been thinking straight. Otherwise, that possibility would have occurred to her already. "He left me lying in there for days . . . I thought I'd been abandoned to die. But maybe he really didn't come back because he couldn't."
"It's a possibility. But don't assume that means it was him."
"No," Brenda agreed. "It will be much safer to assume that whoever did this is alive and aware of me."
"No matter who it was, any one of them is capable of it."
Brenda nodded.
"And no matter who it was, you're likely to make an enemy of the Prince."
"I know."
"You can let me out here."
Brenda brought the car to a stop in the same area where she'd waited for Morgan and Simon the night before. "Thank you, again, for being there last night. For helping me."
"Of course. Now, I do hope Simon gets to work on your training quickly, since he's been so lax."
"I'm sure he will." It seemed it would never occur to Morgan that Brenda might not want to join the Circle of the Crone. Was this a sign of her arrogance or her intuition, since she happened to be right?
Morgan paused after opening the car door. "There will come a time when your abilities surpass Simons and there will be nothing more he can teach you of our ways. When that time comes, you are welcome here with me."
"Thank you." If what Morgan said was true, it was undoubtedly a long way off.
Morgan leaned toward Brenda, and Brenda put out her arms, expecting a hug from the High Priestess. Instead, she found Morgan's cold, soft, strangely moist mouth against her own. The High Priestess pulled away and climbed out of the car before Brenda could react, a satisfied smirk on her blood-red lips.
Instinctively, Brenda brought her fingers to her lips, and then examined them in the starlight. They glistened with blood.
Brenda returned to the apartment to find Simon rearranging his books, swearing loudly as he did so. She made a mental note to herself to be very careful about moving any of his things. "Hi, Simon."
He looked up at her and smiled, despite his obvious agitation.
"I took Morgan home."
He nodded. "I'd hoped so. She is my High Priestess, and my friend, but . . ."
"I know. She's a little controlling."
"A little?"
Brenda shrugged, wanting to smile, but too many worries were eating at her. "How did things go for you?"
"My servitude will continue until I kill Morgan."
"He can't expect you to do that!"
"Of course he doesn't. He knows I'll do no such thing. He intends for me to serve him forever.
"I'm sorry." So, this was the price of Simon's compassion.
"I wouldn't change the choices I made," he assured her as he began shelving a stack of books, his back toward her.
Brenda remembered that he could have saved her life without Embracing her. She wondered what it was he'd seen in her to make him choose to grant her this. It seemed as though Morgan saw it too, whatever it was. "This is no way to live," she said.
"I know." He turned to look at her. "There are times when I hope someone else will rise up and usurp this Prince's position. But anyone with the power to do that will most likely be just as corrupt, and possibly even worse."
"How can you be sure?"
"Power corrupts. The more power you have, the more corrupt you tend to be. Even among mortals this is usually the case."
Brenda nodded. "Is there a reason we can't just leave?"
"We could do that," he said thoughtfully. "Anywhere but Las Vegas."
"I'm not all that interested in Las Vegas." That must be where Opal lived. "Just someplace where you aren't subjected to the Prince's every whim." And where I might not have to face my rapist anymore.
Simon nodded. "It may be a good idea. It might be best if you scout ahead, and then call me to join you once you're settled. Travel isn't as easy for our kind as it is for mortals. Most airline flights are in daylight hours, and driving, one has to be careful to find a secure shelter before morning."
Brenda nodded. There was so much that she would have to adjust to.
"How did your night go? Were Liz and Sanji able to help you?"
"Yeah, sort of. Liz had her friend get me a gun, and Sanji . . . he wouldn't take me to the place where the two of you found me."
Simon sighed. "That isn't surprising."
"He did give me a reading. He said I'll find what I need by pursuing my spirituality. He thinks I seem very ready for that. And I admit I have been finding myself interested in that."
Simon studied her uncertainly. "Does this mean you've made a decision?"
Brenda nodded. "I want to learn more about the Crone. I feel drawn to her."
Simon smiled, stood up and closed the distance between them. "There's time to begin your lessons now, if you're willing. But first, welcome to my Circle." He extended his hands.
Brenda placed her hands within his own and gave herself over to his guidance.
