"Here's the deal," I began, spreading my fingers and moving them for emphasis as I spoke. "The masquerade ball is October thirty-first on Halloween, beginning at six o'clock. We all go in, enjoy ourselves for a bit, and then I need to get the Count alone."
"How are you going to do that?" said Johnny.
I saw König stiffen at the thought of me being in a room alone with Ghost. I snuck a glance at him and tried to focus on the task at hand.
"I will have to seduce him," I shrugged. "I must show him I am willing to accept his love."
"If that is even what you can call it," murmured König as he squeezed his fists tightly together.
"But wouldn't your father or Price know how to kill a vampire, Jezebel?" said Johnny; he winced once he said the word 'kill.' "Is putting your freedom at risk really worth it? What if we can't bring you back?"
"My freedom is already at risk," I argued. "I know this will work. I am strong. And as long as you or König are around to hear whatever he admits to me once I get him alone, we will hopefully have the information we need."
"And let us pray we can break the sire once that happens," said König with his arms crossed. He was avoiding my gaze. I stared at his arms for a moment, the same arms that had me locked on the ground while he made love to me. Could I call it that? Love? Did I "love" him? I have known him for quite some time, and my feelings for him have only intensified since I met him. I have just been so focused on killing the Count I have not really had time to consider my feelings.
"Jez..." trailed off Johnny MacTavish. The candlelight made half his face dark and unreadable. "I don't know... It sounds like a lot."
"It will all play out on the thirty-first," I said assuredly.
"I hope so."
"Johnny, you said that Ghost ripped a page out of that orange book, right?" I brought up.
"He did. I have no idea what the book actually was, but I knew that it was this ugly orange hue."
"That orange book is the same one I read when I found out Count Ghost was a vampire. It's how I connected the dots."
Johnny's lips made an 'O' shape.
I went on: "That piece of the book he ripped out explains how to break the sire. Once we get the information we need, all you and König have to do is sneak into his room at some point afterwards, find that piece of paper, break the sire, and then we kill him." I exhaled, feeling short of breath. "Easy."
"Yeah. Easy," said König. His voice was quiet and distant, almost a little pained. Was he still upset that I wanted to go through with this plan? He has known about it for ages! I hardly understand why he is still concerned. I have this all figured out!
"I miss the nice, innocent Jez," joked Johnny, breaking the ice, much to my relief. "The one that didn't want to murder people."
"Ouch," I grinned, but on the inside, I felt guilty. I did not want to murder Ghost. Killing the vampire was something I must do for myself, for my father. If I had the option to leave him alive, I most certainly would.
"Seriously, though," said Johnny, dropping the humor. He turned to König. "König. Has Price ever said anything about how to kill a vampire? So maybe Jez doesn't have to go through with this insanity?"
"König, wait!" I added, an epiphany working its way up inside me. "You were in the room when Price told my father about how Ghost wanted to sire me, weren't you? Did they ever say anything about how to kill him?"
"Yes, I was in the room, but I was in my box at the time," König responded. "Remember in the bathroom, Jez? I told you that my father puts me in the cage to help with my heartbeat, my cardiovascular system. I only heard bits and pieces, like that you were a witch and shit."
"In the bathroom...?" Johnny wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. I punched him lightly on the arm. König's face flushed.
"It was not..." said König, but he did not finish his sentence.
"Suuuuure."
"Johnny," I wanted, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Jezebel," he replied with a teasing smile.
"Ugh..." I groaned shaking my head. "Listen, this is good enough for now. We've got a solid foundation for how this is going to play out. You both should probably leave."
"Fifteen minutes apart?" said König, about to stand. "Like last time?"
"Y-" I was about to answer him in the positive, but Johnny had already bolted out the door. He shot me a quick wink before he closed it behind him.
"...Thanks for letting me look at the books!" He hollered once he was already down the hall. I wanted to cry. How dare him leave me like that! He was very much aware that König and I were very tense at the moment — I mean, I had never told him what happened, but I guess he must have figured it out for himself.
Once Johnny had left, the room went deathly silent. I swallowed my saliva, bringing my knees to my chest as I stared at the wall ahead of me, avoiding any and all eye contact with König. He was not wearing his mask, for I had stole it from him before he could put it on, so I could see his beauty from the corner of my vision. It made my body feel weak.
König played with a nearby flame from one of the candles, swiping his hand back and forth over it and tapping his foot on the ground. I snuck a glance at him. He took up a lot of the space on the floor. I did not realize how large and tall he was until Johnny had left the room and it was just him and I.
"Are we going to... discuss it?" I began hesitantly. I wanted be rid of this tension between us and go back to the way we were, and the only way I felt as if I could do so was if we talked about what happened.
"What is there to discuss?"
"We made love."
"I am aware."
"Does that not matter to you?" I said, my heart squeezing.
"Of course it does," König said, whipping his head around. His countenance revealed that he felt somewhat betrayed that I would assume such a thing. "But-"
"But what, König?" I interrupted. "Why have you been acting so strange? Was I... bad? Did I do something incorrectly?"
"No... Jez-"
"It was my first time. I was always told to wait until marriage, so I- I did not think it would happen so soon, I-"
"Do you regret it?" said König fearfully.
"No, no, of course not!" I assured him passionately. "I do not regret what happened, not one bit. It was just very soon for me."
"I understand, Jez-"
"I do not even know what to make of it. Not- Not that I regret it, necessarily, it is just the simple fact it happened to me at all, not that it was with you, but that it had happened before marriage. I do not retain the same beliefs I always have, seeing as I am... different... now, but I cannot just rid myself of my past beliefs. I still have confusions and feelings about things even if I do not believe certain things anymore-"
"Jez. You are not making any sense," König stopped me.
"I know," I whispered with a sigh, hugging my legs.
"I-"
"How do you feel about it?" I looked up, getting his gentle gaze. "Do you regret it, König?"
"No," he said. "Never. But... I feel as if..." He glanced away. "I feel like maybe it did not mean as much to you as it did to me."
"Are you serious?" I said incredulously. He nodded. "Why?"
"You've just been so preoccupied with everything else-" He gestured with his hands, and then took one and pushed his hair back with it. "I don't know..."
"Let me show you how much it meant to me," I said suddenly, and then stood up. I put my hand out and he took it, staring at me in bewilderment.
I guided him to step over the candles and we went to my bay window. I drew back the black curtains, grabbed a candlestick, and held it to the window. I jabbed my finger at the window and looked at him beside me. "Look. Look at the fields."
The fields outside my bedroom window were still bursting with color, daisies and roses speckling each spear of vibrant green grass like freckles. It was only one spot, however, the spot where we had made love, and the beautiful vibrancy of the lively grass and colorful flowers was a stark contrast to the dead trees and greenery surrounding it — the field was alive, or at least a portion of it.
I stared at him, waiting for him to make eye contact. Eventually, König took his attention away from the window and looked at me.
"That is how much it meant to me, König," I said under my breath.
Without another response or word of protest, König grabbed my face and slammed his lips against mine. I yelped in surprise, but soon melted into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck and digging my hands into his soft hair. I moaned as his tongue slid past my teeth, and I opened my mouth to let him in... I had no clue how to kiss, especially how to kiss like this, and I am certain he did not either, but whatever we were doing, it felt right. He felt right.