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SEBASTIAN PROWLED THROUGH the shadowy streets of the affluent area of the Fae District. He listened to whispered conversations, seeking someone who could suit his needs. He heard shouts of alarm coming from a mansion at the end of a long driveway and paused. A guest had been attacked and the master of the house was missing. “Maybe one of the secret assassins killed him and hid his body,” the master vampire murmured in amusement, then he continued on.
A tantalizing scent caught his attention and his head turned to follow it. The beautiful fae woman he’d saved from the rogue werewolf had been here recently. His senses had become heightened by the bond he had with Kade Sinclair and Raum. All three of them were far more powerful now, but he hadn’t tested how much strength he’d gained yet. He was nowhere near ready to take on the Immortal Triumvirate and he needed to remain under the radar. Now that Jardine knew he was here, word was eventually bound to spread. He just hoped he and his allies would find their mates and that the warlock could bind them together soon.
Sebastian’s feet carried him after the dark-haired beauty despite knowing it was a bad idea. He hadn’t forgotten the kiss that they’d shared. The mysterious woman was a tantalizing blend of seductive loveliness and sweet innocence. It was a rare and fascinating combination. He hadn’t asked her what her name was and he couldn’t tell her what his was. It would be a very bad idea for it to become known that a master vampire by the name of Sebastian was roaming around Nox.
Rain hammered him and lightning flared as he chased after the delicious scent. He heard stiletto heels clicking on the sidewalk a couple of blocks away, then he heard something else that made the hackles on the back of his neck rise. Hungry whispers of starving fledglings carried to his newly enhanced hearing.
“What about that skinny fairy with the black hair piled up on her head?” a vamp said in desperation. “She doesn’t have wings. She’s probably one of the weak fairies who’ve lost them.”
“Or she’s so powerful she can call on them at will,” one of his cohorts pointed out.
“If she was that powerful, she’d still be able to teleport,” another one whispered.
“She can’t run away from us in those high heels,” the first vamp said. “Let’s rush her and knock her out before she can scream for help.”
Sebastian moved so fast that he reached the starving fledglings before they could take a single step. Huddled in an alley, they gasped and cowered away from him when they sensed his power and his rage. “What are you doing in the Fae District?” Sebastian asked, glaring at them from beneath his hood.
“There’s no food in our District, master,” one of the vamps said subserviently. They all lowered their heads and shot cringing glances at him.
“Where is your master?” he asked.
“She’s dead,” one of the others said in a flat tone. “There are hardly any masters left now. We don’t have anyone to conjure up blood for us and we’re too afraid to hunt the witches and wizards now.”
A stab of pity cut through Sebastian’s anger. It wasn’t their fault that their master was dead and that they’d been left without a leader. This was the Immortal Triumvirate’s doing. They’d doomed Nox’s inhabitants to this miserable existence when they’d stolen the Night Cursed beings’ energy. Even with all of their strength and power, they couldn’t fix their colossal mistake.
Sebastian debated about taking the fledglings in and making them his kiss, but he didn’t have the time to watch over them. Once he’d defeated his enemies, he and his allies could turn their attention to the plight of the citizens. For now, he could only offer them a temporary solution to their immediate hunger. “Follow me,” he ordered, then he headed for one of the abandoned houses in the neighborhood.
It was easy to tell which dwellings were uninhabited. The doors didn’t have any images on them and no noise came from inside. He chose one a few blocks away and they filed inside. He kept his face hidden beneath his hood as the lesser vamps waited warily. They didn’t have a choice but to obey him due to his innate power as a master. Sebastian held his hands out and two glasses appeared. The fledglings gasped in wonder when they became filled with fresh blood.
“I haven’t seen anyone conjure up blood that easily since before the Drain,” one of them murmured. He took the glass and gulped the blood down before it could begin to cool. When all four of them had finished a glass of blood, they looked at the hooded master in hope.
“Return to the Vampire District and don’t come to the Fae District again,” Sebastian ordered.
“Where will we find food, master?” one of the minions asked plaintively. “The Shifter District is too far for us to walk to and carriages don’t stop for our kind unless we’re high-ranking members of the Vampire Guild.”
Sebastian let out a small sigh as he realized he would be dooming them to certain death if he didn’t rescind his order. “You may hunt in the Fae District, but don’t kill your victims,” he said. “Just drink enough blood to keep yourselves alive.”
“Thank you, master,” one of them said with tears of gratitude shining in her eyes. “We will do as you say.” They filed back out into the rain, then headed for a bridge that would take them back to their District.
The fae woman’s scent had faded, but Sebastian sped through the streets until he picked up her trail again. Not even the brewing storm was enough to mask her from his senses.
He heard the telltale click of high heels and zeroed in on the sound. Up ahead, he saw the slender, perfect figure of the woman who had a strange hold over him. She was dressed in dark purple from head to toe. Even her umbrella was purple. She held it in front of her like a shield against the rain that was lashing at her. There were no carriages in the area, so if she was heading for the City Square, she was going to have a long walk ahead of her.
Sebastian knew it was a bad idea to keep flirting with the mysterious female, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from coming to her rescue yet again. A hailstone bounced off the purple umbrella and was quickly followed by a few more. The storm was about to get worse and her umbrella wasn’t going to offer her much protection. His instincts drove him to act and he sped towards her once again.
