Chapter 20

Jakob

The sun set early, before six. Amadeus headed to the SIU, a move Jakob first interpreted as cowardice or malice, but the man hadn’t stayed long. Certainly not long enough to place some hold on Mallory. A moment later his cell phone rang and she confirmed it, she was safe. Jakob left the roof top and followed his prey to its home.

A strong vampire would be more dangerous there, but not this man. This man’s only strength was his knowledge, his ability to manipulate and seduce. Jakob felt the rage he struggled to control last night grow within him again.

Weakness was not an unpardonable sin, and to compensate for a lack of strength with magic was within reason, but the type of magic Amadeus practiced would not be tolerated.

He thought back to their first private conversations, he’d judged the man to be a petty elitist, but not without merit. Now he questioned himself, at what point did you see in another a baser instinct and take that as justification for destroying them? Men could rise above their lesser natures. He knew that, but did he trust it enough to risk the woman he loved? No. He entered through an open window, wondering if Amadeus invited death.

“I knew you would you come.” The man cowered in front of him, his chest bare, the long cuts still healing. “Tell me how I can save my life.”

“First by teaching me everything you know about controlling death witches and then, by suffering a great deal.”

Amadeus bowed his head in submission, as he explained the darkness he worked desperately to master and then tried so hard to forget.