WE LOCKED ourselves away in Jacob’s room. He’d tossed the books and papers off of his unmade bed and onto the desk, and we were now lounging back, Jacob resting in my arms. Some kind of country music played in the background. All the months of watching him and I still didn’t get his enjoyment of that genre; he just didn’t seem the type. I pictured hard-edged rock or maybe some alternative, not good old homebody songs that would remind him of a place he had dedicated his energies toward escaping.
Jacob’s worries were no longer troubling his mind as he gave me a minute-by-minute account of Pitt’s win at the Fiesta Bowl. As he spoke, his face became animated while he described the rushing drive, his hands emphasizing the action. I watched the play of emotion across his face, enthralled with the ardor he had for his sport.
“Then Mark sacked the quarterback—” Jacob broke off his account, glancing at my face. “I’m not boring you, am I?”
“Hardly. I like hearing you talk about football. I wish I’d been able to see it.” Unfortunately, I had been unavailable at the time, and watching a taped version after the fact wasn’t nearly as interesting. “You are passionate about what you do. I can respect that.”
He turned in my arms, laying himself across my body, and settled his chin on his crossed arms. “What were you doing when you were my age?”
Threading my fingers through Jacob’s thick hair, I smiled at the way the cowlicks made it stick up every which way. “Oh, raiding another tribe I suppose, or the Romans, when they dared come beyond the wall. I had finished my fostering and returned to my clan by then.”
“Was that your whole life? Fighting, I mean,” Jacob asked.
“It was a large part of it. We were young when we left our families to be taught all manner of fighting skills. But it wasn’t everything. We enjoyed games, art, and writing as well. Our lives were rich.” I frowned with remembered irritation. “It was one of the things my Mistress could never understand. She was always trying to civilize me. In her Roman arrogance, she couldn’t see that my people were as cultured as hers were savage.”
“How did it happen?” Jacob asked in a subdued voice.
“My changing?”
Jacob nodded.
“We had decided to try and drive the Romans out again. The cost of their presence was becoming too high, so we raided beyond the wall, burning their stronghold and killing the garrison. I never did discover why she had been there, but she had been sleeping deep inside the fort and she’d been dreadfully injured. That night she came seeking revenge on our war party.” I glanced at Jacob’s face, noting his rapt expression. “She slaughtered us.”
“Why didn’t she kill you?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps she thought it would be worse this way. Maybe she saw something I couldn’t. I never understood the way her mind worked,” I replied with a careless shrug.
“You must’ve hated her,” Jacob said, sympathy in his limpid blue eyes. “Did you ever get a chance to return home?”
“After she disappeared I went back, but there wasn’t much to see. My people had long since disappeared, absorbed into the other cultures that followed.”
“You seem awfully philosophical about it,” Jacob accused. I suppose from his perspective he couldn’t understand my nonchalance. He saw things relative to such a short span of time.
“Jacob, I had learned to be philosophical about such things. I’d seen it countless times before. Civilizations come and go,” I answered. “It had been hundreds of years since my taking before I returned home. I had changed so much, they had. There wasn’t a connection anymore.”
“Is that why you’ve never created another one like yourself?” Jacob asked. “Dominic said that you hadn’t made another vampire. Is that true? Because of what happened to you?”
Was this what Jacob had been trying to get at the entire time? “Dominic was correct. I have never felt the need to do so. Some view this as a blessing, others a curse. For me, it is simply a part of who I am. I did not want the aggravation and responsibility for caring for a youngling. I do not have the patience for it.”
“Have you ever been tempted?”
“Twice, but it wasn’t something either of them wanted.” Old regrets rose to the surface, but remained only a small ache by this point. I waited for Jacob to ask the next question I was sure was coming, but he remained silent.
I slid my fingers from his hair to caress the nape of his neck. The rest of his interrogation could wait for another day. A faint smiled flickered over his lips as my mouth descended on his. I had wanted to seduce him when I had let him see me that first night, but had determined to wait until his desire overran his fear. Now, tonight, I was going to seduce him body and soul, so there would remain no further questions in his mind.
Jacob’s breath was warm against my cheek as I deepened the kiss. His hand fisted in my shirt, the fabric tightening around my ribs as he kissed me back. He made a small hungry sound in the back of his throat, levering himself up to hover over me. I could feel his need to dominate and take possession come to the fore.
I broke the contact, meeting his hazy blue eyes. “Let me.” My mind brushed against his and after a moment, he nodded. As my arms came around him again, I felt him opening up, mentally, emotionally, until we were merged together almost as closely as we had been in my office earlier.
Jacob’s desire surged hot in my blood as I drew his shirt off over his head. His body was perfectly sculpted, every muscle standing out in definition against his skin. He liked to push himself, always testing his limits, and it showed. This drive would’ve made him a gifted warrior in my clan.
I ran my hands over his sides and lifted my lips to catch one of the small golden rings piercing his nipples. Jacob’s breath hitched as I tugged and then felt his nipple pebble. I stroked my tongue over his sensitive flesh before tugging again.
“Oh, damn.” Jacob’s voice was breathy. His lips pressed against the top of my head while he worked impatiently on the buttons of my shirt, fumbling one-handed.
My hands slid down over his ass, kneading the firm globes through his jeans. His confined and growing cock throbbed against my thigh, screaming to be let loose. I traced my tongue over the tattoos on his chest, pausing to kiss his shoulder. His hands finally succeeded in stripping my shirt from me. My hands were braced on the bed, propping me up, leaving me half-sitting up, as he touched me.
Jacob’s heart was a rapid tattoo underneath my lips. I rolled us both over so that he was beneath me and smiled at him. “We were far too rushed last night,” I murmured, pressing my lips to his hard, flat stomach, dipping my tongue into his navel.
“We’ll have to see if we can hold back long enough this time.” Jacob sounded amused as he untangled himself from me and sat up. His hands came down and undid his jeans. Peeling them from his legs, he kicked out of them. “I really don’t hold much faith though,” he continued, reaching to finish disrobing me as well. “I’m already impatient.”
I chuckled and pinned him to the bed, my hands clasping his, our naked bodies entwining. “Ahh, mo chroí, you gave control to me tonight, so it’s not going to be up to you.”
Jacob groaned in my ear, arching up into me, meshing his fingers with my own. “Well then, I can’t wait to see what you do with the opportunity.”
I smiled slowly and reclaimed his lips, lingering over the kiss. His body moved restlessly under my own, striving to get as much contact as he could. I pulled back, looking deep into his eyes for a moment before pressing kisses along his jawline, my tongue flickering out to taste the small hollow behind his ear, then the larger one at the base of his throat. I could do this all night—hold him, kiss him, savoring the slow burn in our bodies.
Jacob’s emotions washed over me. I closed my eyes, reveling in them as I continued to worship his body. My tongue traced over his collarbone. I then pressed my mouth to his shoulder, working up along his arm. I released my grip on his wrists and touched my lips to the tender skin there, scenting his blood just underneath the surface. Just the smell of it enhanced my need to savor his body this night. I kissed the tips of his fingers, drawing them into my mouth, nipping at the pads. His eyes were locked on my face, reflecting the joy and desire I could sense in him.
Then I lavished attention on his other arm, starting with his hand and moving back toward his shoulder. He squirmed when my tongue tickled the inside of his elbow, and even more as I continued moving along the inner side. He was ticklish. Oh, for some reason, I found the idea delighted me to no end. I’d have to explore it more at a later date. Now, I had more urgent matters to attend to. My fingers ran down along his ribs, mapping out every contour. His sides, just above his hips, proved to be just as sensitive, and I lingered there for a bit, nibbling and stroking his thighs.
“Jesus, Kristair,” Jacob said, half-laughing, half-groaning. “Are you seducing me or torturing me?”
“I can’t do both?” I gave him an innocent look, chuckling as he groaned again. I was enjoying myself far too much to stop now, and Jacob’s feeble attempt at a protest only urged me on.
I scooted lower, positioning myself between his widespread thighs. For a moment, I didn’t move; I just lay there, looking at him. This moment, this vision would be etched indelibly in my mind forever. Jacob’s body was laid out before me in all of its power and youth. There was no fear in him, no holding back, just love and acceptance in a way I had never known. It made me ache so much, deep within my chest. I couldn’t say what he had the right to hear at that point, but I saw the confirmation of it anyway in his eyes. Whether or not I could say it, he could sense it.
Again, my mouth lowered to his skin. I nuzzled between his thighs, kissing the spot where I had bitten him last night. It seemed so strange that it had only been one day. So much had happened that it really seemed much longer. I licked my way down his legs, teasing his knees, my hands touching the places where my mouth would venture to next.
Kneeling at the end of the bed, I cradled his foot in my hands. It twitched, half pulling out of my grasp. I met his eyes and found an almost desperate expression on his face. I kissed the hollow just behind his ankle, and then his instep. His breath quickened as my tongue flickered over the delicate bones and veins.
Then, as I moved to draw his little toe into my mouth, he yanked his foot back. “Don’t,” Jacob’s voice cracked. “God, not my foot.” He turned around, crawling toward me, his feet safely on the other side of his body, away from me. Wrapping his arms around my neck, he nipped my lower lip hard. “Why don’t I torment you from head to toe now?”
I captured his lips, kissing him until he groaned and pressed himself closer to me. I skimmed my hand down the length of his back, and he arched at the light touch. My hands moved as if they had a will of their own, touching the curve of his ass, the swell of his thighs. And all the while, I couldn’t stop kissing him.
Jacob’s breath stuttered against my cheek and I drew back, nuzzling his lips for a moment. As I looked at him, the mischief rose in my eyes. “I’d agree. However, I haven’t gotten around to your other side yet.”
He groaned, dropping his head back, exposing his throat to me. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
“No, Jacob. Never that.” My hands came down to his hips, turning him around. “Though there are far worse ways to go.”
“Yeah,” Jacob agreed, stretching facedown on the bed. “Much worse than being loved to death.”
He always managed to get the last word in. Oh well. Tonight I was going to have the last laugh, and I pounced, grabbing a hold of his foot. He shrieked, trying to twist out of my grasp. “Hush, Jacob,” I chided. “You don’t want your roommates to come bursting in here because of a little toe nibbling, do you?”
“Fuck you,” Jacob replied. The look he gave me over his shoulder promised sweet retribution, though he otherwise subsided. I ran my tongue over his toes, watching the way the shudder rippled through his strong body. I drew one toe into my mouth, hearing his desperate groan as I laved it. He buried his face in the pillow, his hands clutching at his hair, while his foot twitched and trembled in my hands.
Taking pity on him, I released his foot and stretched out between his legs, crossing my arms on his back and setting my chin on them. “Come on, Jacob. It wasn’t that bad,” I teased.
“Speak for yah self.” Jacob lifted his head. His accent had thickened. If he only knew how easily he could seduce me with that voice. “Ah had hoped yah were going to do somethin’ else with that tongue of yours.”
“You mean like this?” I moved my arms, bringing my mouth to the small of his back, tasting the delicious little dip there.
“That’s a start.” He sighed, relaxing.
I levered myself up onto my hands and knees, and dragged my tongue up the length of his spine. He moaned, moving his hips beneath me as I teased the nape of his neck. The way we were mind-linked I could feel the sensations moving through him as if they were my own as I nibbled at this sensitive area until he cried out.
“You’re the devil,” he said, attempting to turn around until I stopped him with a restraining hand on his shoulder. His eyes met mine over his shoulder, pleading in their blue depths. “God, fuck me already. Ah’m begging yah.”
“Since you insist so prettily,” I murmured, rising from the bed and retrieving the bottle of lube I had brought with me. My show of nonchalance was just that: a show. His blatant need was driving me crazy, making me hunger. I returned, pausing to nip at the flesh behind his knee, chuckling wickedly as he jerked and cursed.
Jacob made it so easy to toy with him. He really did. I nuzzled against his skin, running my tongue over the firm fold of flesh where his thigh met the globes of his ass. There was a light sheen of sweat on his skin and the smell of his arousal was extremely potent. It stirred my own desire, which I had been holding at bay.
As my tongue flickered over the cleft of his ass, Jacob groaned, spreading his legs wider in supplication. His scent was stronger, muskier here. I placed my hands on his ass, spreading the cheeks. I blew lightly, watching him contract in response to my breath.
“Kristair, Ah swear to fuckin’ god, if yah don’t get on with it Ah’m gonna kill ya mahself.”
MY BODY was on fire. The tension rose to such a fever pitch that I could almost feel Kristair fucking me, though he had yet to start. I could taste it I wanted it so bad. Every sense was tuned to a fine degree. The cap of a bottle popped, sending a flutter through my stomach in anticipation. Then I felt the cool slickness of the lube and the warmth of his finger as he slowly penetrated me.
I glanced over my shoulder at him. “I ain’t made of glass, Kristair.”
Kristair stretched out next to me, smiling as he continued to stroke his single finger in and out. The slow motion only whetted my appetite for more. “I am not, Jacob—not ain’t,” Kristair corrected, leaning down to nip at my lip. “You’re the one who’s had some college, not me.”
As I opened my mouth to snip back, he pressed against my prostate and captured my mouth so all I could do was groan, warm pleasure rippling through me. He was such a sneaky bastard.
I moaned when he withdrew from me and broke the kiss. I reached up to wrap my hand around his neck. “No more teasing, Kristair. Damn, Ah want yah.”
“No more teasing, mo chroí.” Kristair’s eyes were warm on mine as he turned me over and curled up next to me. His hand slid between my thighs and I spread them for him, sighing as his fingers touched my entrance again. “But if you want to keep talking to me in that sexy accent of yours, I won’t mind one bit.”
I chuckled. “Ah aim ta please.” I sensed the outpouring of emotion from Kristair, just like last night. So much emotion, all focused on me. It was a little overwhelming. It also told me, louder than any words, that Kristair loved me too. “Ah love yah.” Not telling him was about as impossible as willing my heart to stop beating.
A faint flicker of a smile crossed his lips as he slid his arm under my neck, gathering me closer. “I know,” he replied, nuzzling against my jaw, penetrating me again, and stretching me wider. There was a slight ache, tension, as my body relaxed to accept his fingers.
I ran my hand over the smoothness of his scalp, sighing as his lips nibbled along my jawline, then down to my throat. He hadn’t bitten me yet and somehow I knew he wasn’t going to. My hand slid down to his chest, tweaking his nipples until the pleasure surged within him as well.
In response, his fingers massaged my prostate. I arched against him with a soft cry. His hard cock pressed against my thigh as I trailed my fingers down, teasing the dark line of hair surrounding the base, until I wrapped my hand around its length. It throbbed in my grip. I ran my thumb over the head, stroking. I loved touching cock, feeling the difference between silky, delicate skin, over the incredibly hard tissue underneath. It never failed to amaze me.
He groaned again, dropping his head down onto my shoulder. He was the strongest being I’d ever met. He could do things I couldn’t even begin to dream up, yet it was my touch that made him weak. He chuckled at my arrogance and raised his head to meet my eyes. “You need no encouragement from me, I think.” He nipped my lip. “You were born cocky.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” I smirked at him, squeezing lightly around his cock just to watch the heat flare in his eyes. “You’re pretty arrogant yourself.”
“Touché,” he murmured before kissing me. His fingers started to move faster, pressing deep into me. My breath caught in my throat as the heat blazed between us. I groaned, wrapping my other hand around the nape of his neck, kissing him back until he submitted. As always, it didn’t fail to raise all my possessive instincts.
Finally, I broke away, panting softly against his lips. “Ah swear, love, if yah don’t make love to me now, Ah’m taking you instead.” I licked his lips, a predatory smile crossing mine as he shivered. “And Ah don’t think yah’d mind one damned bit if Ah did.”
He scissored his fingers wide inside me, smiling as I gasped. “You do have me pegged. However, I am rather caught up with the idea of you riding me.” The picture of me doing that flashed through his mind and I groaned again, breaking away from him. I reached for the bottle of lube with a trembling hand as he slipped his own fingers from me, leaving behind a sense of loss.
I sat up, pouring some of the lube onto my hand as he stretched out onto his back. God save me, he was so gorgeous lying there. If what we were doing was a sin, then I’d gladly commit it until the four horsemen came to raze the world.
“Thoughts such as that could get you into trouble with your god,” Kristair said teasingly, though his eyes, hot on my body, spoke of other things.
“I don’t care.” I straddled his hips, my hand coming down to his cock and slicking it with the lube, stroking and watching the pleasure playing on his face, the way his skin flushed.
I guided him, feeling the head of his cock slip inside of me. His hands came up to my hips, steadying me as I sank down on him. It had been a long damned time since I’d been on the receiving end and the sensation of being so full was strange at first.
Kristair’s fingers caressed my skin, his eyes intent on my face. Experimenting, I clenched around him, watching his reaction with fascination. A soft groan parted his lips and his fingers flexed on my hips, urging me to move. I slid partially off of him, and then eased back down, grinning at the way he arched into me.
I could control his passion just as I had before. The realization came to me with startling swiftness. I wasn’t giving up anything by bottoming for him. We were still reacting to each other the way we naturally were. For all of his power, Kristair was more submissive, whereas that idea was alien to me. I smirked. Oh, this was going to be fun.
“That expression does not bode well for me,” Kristair said.
“Oh, I’m not so sure.” I started to move against him, slowly at first to get my rhythm. He was so deep inside me, driving into the center of who I was. It was thrilling, but not so much as the expression in his gaze every time I rocked my hips and sank back down on him.
I leaned over him, my hands fisting into the sheets for balance so I could move against him harder. His moans spurred me on, the way his body twisted under mine, each muscle lithe and liquid under his skin. Kristair’s hands slid down onto my ass, his fingers pressing deeply into the cheeks. My cock throbbed against the hardness of his stomach. Between the friction there and the sensation of his cock sliding past my prostate, I thought I was going to crawl out of my skin from pleasure.
My bed creaked and groaned. With every hard thrust, I wanted more and more. At the same time I wanted it to never stop, for me to stay joined with Kristair forever. It wasn’t just physical either; as good as his cock felt in me, and his body underneath mine, it was nothing compared to the way it was with our minds and emotions merged. It was nothing short of pure fucking ecstasy. Every sensation Kristair experienced, I did too. It echoed back and forth between us, raising the erotic tension to a stunning climax.
Then Kristair wrapped his arms around my waist, and before I knew it, I found our positions reversed. My eyes widened as I stared up at the gleam in his eyes. He grabbed my wrists in one hand, pinning them above my head. “Surrender to me this time, mo chroí.”
Before I could respond, he’d hooked his other arm under my knee, lifting me up, spreading me wider. My hands clenched together, a cry falling from my lips as he slammed into me again, his cock hitting my spot dead-on. “Oh fuck… oh fuck.” His mouth came down on mine, feasting, as he drove into me relentlessly.
I couldn’t move. God, I could barely breathe. Kristair’s grip was iron-like and all I could do was writhe underneath him as his hips snapped against mine. My cock was trapped between our stomachs and every surge heightened the friction. My breath stuttered against his cheek, my inarticulate cries lost in the heat of his lips.
My orgasm was looming, but I fought it off as long as I could, reveling in the tension of my body, strung so taut it bordered on being painful. I’d always mocked the idea of toe-curling sex, yet I couldn’t any longer.
His mouth broke away from mine and he pressed his forehead against my own. I was mesmerized by the emotion in his dark eyes, which, so often, were unreadable. It was almost reverent and vulnerable all at once. It completely contradicted the way he was fucking me. As always, his tenderness toward me undid me.
“Surrender,” Kristair whispered.
“Oh fuck.” It was as if the soft command dissolved my control. My body went taut, arching against his. I shuddered and my orgasm screamed through me as he trembled in response. He buried his face against my neck, muffling his cry.
We lay there, sinking deep into my sagging bed. Kristair’s body over mine was a comforting weight blanketing me. My palms ached and I realized my nails were digging deep into them and had to force myself to unclench them. Kristair’s hand had loosened around my wrists and I pulled away, wrapping aching arms around him.
“Jesus, love,” I managed, smiling as he hummed against my throat. “That was—” The only warning we had was the ominous-sounding crack before the upper half of the bed dropped with a bone-jarring thud to the floor. The mattress half-slid off, sending us and the blankets tumbling.
Kristair’s head lifted and the surprise on his face was comical. “That does it,” I bitched, giving him a mock glare. “See if I bottom for you again when you break my furniture.”
“I’m sorry,” he replied, peering over at the bed leaning at a dangerous angle.
“I’m teasing,” I said. “It was a piece of shit anyways.” As if to prove my point, the bottom half fell with a resounding crash.
Our eyes met and we both started laughing, the sound filling the room. Oh man, Steve and Tony were never going to stop ribbing me over this. Still chuckling, I sat up, trying to disentangle myself from the sheets and my lover.
Kristair eyed the damage, running a hand over his scalp. “I’ll get you a new one, Jacob.” He glanced at the clock on my dresser noting the lateness. “We can go tomorrow evening if you’d like.”
“No, I wouldn’t like,” I replied, pushing back the irrational surge of irritation. “You don’t need to buy things for me. I’ve got a job. I can manage.”
To my relief, he merely nodded and made no comment about my so-called job. I hated working in the cafeteria, but my scholarship didn’t cover any extra expenses and Lord knew Ma didn’t have any money to spare. Not that I would’ve taken it from her either, even if she’d offered.
Kristair helped me clear away the remnants of the frame, stacking them against the wall, and we set the mattress back underneath the window. I was happy to just toss the sheets and blankets on the mattress in a heap, but Kristair frowned and started making it up.
He was such a contradiction. Sometimes it seemed as if I knew him well, and yet, he still managed to surprise me. Maybe it was my notion of vampires or men with power that interfered with my perception of him. Whatever it was, the sight of him doing such a domestic chore was amusing.
Kristair glanced up as he smoothed the wrinkles from the blankets and arched an elegant brow. “Why are you smirking?”
I shrugged. “I have some laundry that needs to be done too, iffen you’re up to it.” My grin widened as his eyes narrowed. “And there are always dishes in the sink.”
“You have your idiosyncrasies, brat, and I have my own,” he replied, setting my pillow neatly at the top of the makeshift bed.
“Yeah, but yours are so much more fun to mock,” I said eyeing his bare ass. He was squatting back on his haunches. It would be so easy to knock him off balance onto the pristine neatness of my newly made bed.
I yelped as his hands closed on me. He had moved so damned fast, all I saw was a blur of motion. I landed hard on my back on the mattress, feeling Kristair’s weight topple over me. Then to my horror, his hands started finding every ticklish spot he’d discovered. Laughing helplessly, I struggled to free myself and protect my ribs at the same time. Neither was working. “Kristair, you fucking bitch!” It would’ve come out much more forceful if I could’ve stopped laughing long enough to gather my voice.
Kristair snickered and let up, rolling to the side and slinging his leg over my own. “Quit complaining. You got your wish.”
“Which was?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist and tugging him closer. I was incredibly content, more so than I could ever remember being before.
“Your bed is mussed again.” He laid his head on my shoulder, turning to press a kiss to my chest.
“That it is,” I agreed, feeling pleased with myself. I leaned my cheek against the top of his head. “Do you need to feed?” I asked softly. I had no idea how often he needed to. I didn’t sense any kind of hunger or discontent from him, but it didn’t hurt to ask.
“No, mo chroí,” he said. “Not for several more days.”
My fingers skimmed down his spine. The day’s events seemed unreal now as I held him in my arms, beginning to get sleepy. From waking up alone, angry and confused, to the confrontation with the Syndicate, and the madness that followed, it had been nonstop. It was far away now, almost as if it had only happened in a nightmare. Who knew how much longer we had to live in peace before they retaliated against him?
Kristair’s head lifted, his eyes searching my face. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked finally.
“No.” I gave him a small smile. “I just want to kiss you for the rest of the night.” My hand slid up to cradle the back of his head, and as I tugged him down, my lips captured his. It seemed like the perfect way to end the evening to me.
IT WAS the explosion that ripped me out of my slumber. The sun had just slipped below the horizon when the violent detonation rippled through the stones, which safeguarded me. Minute cracks zigzagged along the walls, ceiling and floor, spraying fine dust and bits of rubble into the air.
Disoriented, I struggled to claw my way free from the confines of the rock and steel, and it took longer than normal for me to reshape my matter as my essence oozed from the walls. As I emerged, I heard the shrill cry of the fire alarms slicing through the air.
“What is it, Kristair?” Jacob’s worried voice came to me. I had a clear vision of him sitting cross-legged on the pallet in his room, surrounded by notebooks and texts.
“I’m not sure yet,” I replied, leaving the room and striding toward the embrasure at the far end of the hall. “I think a bomb has gone off at the cathedral.” I peered out of the cracked window, my eyes trying to pierce through the billowing black shroud of smoke streaming up from several floors below me.
“Are you okay?” His alarm was immediate. “I’m on my way.”
“NO!” My response was perhaps a little more forceful than I intended and I felt his stab of resentment through his fear for my safety. I set my heart to beating inside of his chest so he would have that extra tangible connection to me. “I’ll be along quickly, I promise, mo chroí. I just need to make sure Kayla wasn’t in my office.” Concern for her colored my mind and I knew he sensed it.
“Fine… just hurry the fuck up and don’t you dare think of shutting me out.”
I chose not to dignify that with a response as I raced down the staircase. Kayla was usually gone by this time, but sometimes she stayed later so we could converse, more so now that Jacob and I had gotten involved and the imminent danger of my future had eased.
The floor where my office was located was in shambles, with pockets of fire here and there. The Syndicate had been very quiet in the long weeks since our confrontation, which only confirmed my suspicions that they weren’t going to let it lie. Now, I had their rebuttal.
The smoke was thick and acrid. If I had to use my lungs, I would’ve been overwhelmed in minutes. “Kayla!” I shouted, listening intently, but all I could hear were the crackling of flames and the creaking of tortured metal.
I peered into my former office, keeping well back from the inferno. The reinforced door to my back room had been blown off its hinges. Smoke billowed, flames spat and surged, eating up the walls. The cold pit in my stomach eased a trifle when I didn’t see a figure amongst the wreckage of the desk and file cabinets. Step by step, I edged into the room, the nearness of the flames making my skin crawl. I had to be sure she wasn’t there. Jacob was still a presence in the back of my mind and his tension eased my own.
A hard body slammed into me from behind and another took out my legs and we tumbled to the floor in a heap perilously close to the flames. I cursed at myself for concentrating so hard on the scene before me. I should have been expecting an attack. I should’ve sensed them lingering in the vicinity.
I heaved them off me and rolled to my feet, snarling. They dared! In my own home? Putting my daughter at risk. I crouched down, taking in all five of them. Two circled around me, their eyes rolling back in fear from the chaos around them. The others stood outside the doorway, blocking the only other exit from the room.
I cursed again. I should’ve known. They didn’t want me dead, but they did want me. If I had been slumbering in the other room when the bomb had gone off I wouldn’t have been killed—probably—but I would’ve been injured enough that I would have been vulnerable. They could’ve come in and collected me with no one the wiser.
“I would’ve known,” snapped Jacob.
I clamped down on my immediate response and concentrated instead on my foes. Time was ticking down. I needed to be sure Kayla was safe.
“I’d love to accommodate you boys,” I said, eyeing the entrance and their positioning with regards to me. “But this is really not the time, nor the place for a good rousing fight.” There wasn’t much room for the three of us as it was within the tight confines. “This is your chance to leave before you piss me off any further. As you can see, your plan went a little awry and I’m not hurt.”
“Then we’ll just have to fix that,” the one to my right responded. I leapt out of the way as they attacked again. Screw this, as Jacob would so colorfully put it. If they wanted to brawl in the middle of a bonfire then I would leave them to their entertainment. I doubted they could stop me or even catch a hold if I bulled my way through them.
One grabbed my arm and I spun around, whipping him into the wall. He let out an inhuman shriek as he burst into flames. It was one of those mysteries about my kind I never did understand. How we could be so seemingly indestructible, but yet extraordinarily combustible at the same time. No human would’ve caught fire that fast unless they were doused with lighter fluid.
I turned to bolt toward the door and tripped over something that caught my foot. Glancing down, I saw to my horror Kayla’s backpack peeking out from under the remains of my chair, the strap around the toe of my shoe, the leather smoldering. No…. I scrambled up, tossing rubble aside, searching with a lump in my throat. “KAYLA!”
I had forgotten about my assailants and they pounced again, knocking me off balance. Hands held me down then attempted to drag me out of the room. “Kayla!” I fought back, roaring, masking the pain from the wounds they dealt me, so Jacob wouldn’t decide to take matters into his own hands again. There was a confusion of heat and sound, the taste of blood in my mouth as I latched onto one of my enemies.
They were all on me, biting and clawing, inflicting savage gashes on my face and body. Inch by scrabbling inch, I was dragged away. I had no idea how they planned to subdue me, nor did I wish to find out. Kayla was somewhere close by. I had to get to her. Taking a gamble that my age lent me more fortitude, I rolled us toward the flames.
The fire roared around us, a wild uncontrollable creature. Flames seared my back and I bit back a scream as the vampire over me erupted, engulfing me as well. The other three leapt away, two moving too late to avoid being consumed as well. Pain such as I hadn’t felt in a long time scorched through me. Dimly, I saw the last flee as I shoved what was left of the vampire off me.
My fingers scraped on the floor as I tried to gather my wits enough to change form and sink into the stone to escape the agony racking my body. My mind spun as I executed the change more rapidly than I normally did. Then blessed cool relief washed through me as the fire was extinguished and the pain vanished for the time being.
“Kristair! Kristair!” Jacob screamed my name, mentally shaking me, trying to provoke a response, his voice frantic.
“I am here, mo chroí,” I replied, masking my agitation from him. That had been too close.
“What the fuck happened? All I could tell was that you were fighting someone, but even that was fuzzy. Then you disappeared.”
I sensed more than heard the sound of many feet climbing up the stairwells to this floor. The rescue teams were finally arriving. I pushed back the despair that threatened to swamp me. The chances of Kayla being alive were very slim. Still I had to keep trying until I knew for certain.
“It was the Syndicate. They were waiting for me. They failed, however.” A note of fierce satisfaction colored my mental voice as I remembered the screams of the ones who had perished.
“Are you okay?” Worry and uncertainty nagged Jacob. “Please come down, Kristair.”
“I can’t. She’s up here somewhere.”
Jacob was quiet, his frustration battling with his desire to help. I started to move through the rock toward the relative safety of the hallway. I didn’t dare risk any further injuries and my helplessness made me want to howl with fury. Lassitude crept over me and my progress slowed to a crawl before stopping altogether.
It had been so many weeks since I heard the voices, I almost didn’t recognize them at first. They started as a vague awareness on the edge of my consciousness that grew steadily stronger. Then the whispers started. As before, I couldn’t make out individual words, but they were compelling nonetheless. I found myself listening intently, trying to discern their meaning. “Let go.”
“What the fuck was that?”
Jacob’s outraged voice snapped me out of their spell. A cold chill gripped my consciousness as I realized how close I’d come to obeying that order. My control over my own matter had slipped to the point where it was a struggle to regain a hold on myself. The lure to sink my mind into the mass consciousness that beckoned me was still there, strong as ever, but Jacob’s presence helped dilute the call.
“Kristair!”
“I’m still here, mo chroí.” Sluggishly, I started to move again, focusing my mind on one thing. Kayla wasn’t in my office. There was no sign of a body in there. Maybe she had gone down to the basement for a bite to eat. I clung to that hope.
“What is her cell phone number?”
“What?” I paused in the midst of my journey, a process that was usually easy made more taxing by my injuries and the presence of the other entities who stalked my every move. I tried to detect where the firefighters were situated in relation to me. It certainly wouldn’t do for one of them to spot me exiting, but everything was muddled, confused.
“Kristair, Kristair, Kristair. Home, Kristair. Come….” The whispers became clear for a moment before Jacob interrupted.
“Come on, love. A chick like that has got to have a cell phone. She’s probably outside like everyone else watching the drama. Then you’ll know where she is and can get your dumb ass outta there like any sane person would.”
Jacob had a good point and the sound of his voice was beautiful, familiar, and once again had the whisperers retreating in confusion. I rattled off the number and waited impatiently for the news she was fine. Then I heard her cell phone, playing a song that never ceased to annoy me. I’m sure that is the reason why she picked it. “Jacob, she’s in the library.”
I began to move in that direction as fast as my waning strength would allow me. If she had been in there during the blast then chances were she was okay. From what I could see, the explosion had been concentrated in my office and living area. The Syndicate, no doubt, would wish to have access to the knowledge I’d gathered, not seek to destroy it. I held onto that belief, using it to drive me forward.
Agony struck me anew as I emerged from the reinforced walls, though I had braced against it so it wouldn’t alarm Jacob. I slumped against the wall from the onslaught, my mind focusing on one single thought: pushing away the pain.
“Kayla?” My voice was raspy as I stumbled away from the wall. I needed blood, before the desire for it overwhelmed my reason. Blood would heal me, give me new vitality, but first…. I called my daughter’s name again.
There was no answer. The library was in shambles, shelves overturned, books and equipment scattered everywhere. I felt a pang of loss. It would take weeks to put everything into order again, and who could say if all the books and artifacts could be salvaged?
Still, that was a concern for another time. “Kayla!” I picked my way through the mess. She had been in here during the explosion. The presence of her cell phone proved that. The wretched child never went anywhere without it.
Then the phone rang again and I turned sharply as the obnoxious sound pinpointed her location. Relief and the driving need to get to her dulled the pain to an irritation in the back of my mind and I moved almost normally as I scrambled over the mess, dislodging more tomes and curiosities in the process.
I saw her hand first, peeking out from a row of tumbled shelving. For half a second I froze, my stomach wrenching, before I yanked the heavy bookcase off of her. She was curled over on her side, one arm cradled over her head. Books covered her still body and I tossed them aside, terrified by her lack of response.
“Little one?” Gently, I turned her limp body over. She was warm and her heart was still beating, though her breathing was shallow. At least the smoke, which choked the rest of the floor, had not been able to get into this room. There was a gash on her forehead and the scent of her blood made the room spin.
“I found her.”
“Thank god.” The surge of relief rushed through him into me and snapped me out of my blood hunger. “Is she okay? Are you done playing hero?”
“She’s hurt, but I cannot tell how much.” Blood stained her lips as well and the pallor to her skin worried me. The scent of her blood called to me again, bringing back to the forefront of my mind how injured I was. Just a little bit, to tide me over until I could hunt. Ruthlessly, I pushed the thought away and gathered her in my arms.
“Ah, Kayla, my Mistress would be very displeased if she could see you now,” I whispered, pressing my lips to her forehead, willing her to rally. She was too stubborn to give way to death without a battle.
“There’s plenty of medical help waiting outside.”
“I hear you, mo chroí.” My young lover was not going to stop nagging until I was out of here. I made my way to the doorway, moving with care over the tumbled piles to jar her as little as possible. I could still hear the rescue crews beyond the door. I concentrated, changing my appearance, disguising the extent of my injuries and making myself unrecognizable. With any luck, if the remaining bastard who was with the Syndicate was still hanging around, he would think I perished with the others.
Acrid smoke stung my nostrils as I opened the door, and Kayla began to cough weakly. That had to be a good sign. There was a shout down the hall and rescue workers broke off from the group and came toward us. I shut the door behind me, trusting the specially designed room would protect the contents from water, smoke, and anyone who might try to enter without proper access.
Water, debris, and ash covered the floor, and it seemed as if the worst of the fire had been extinguished. I explained the situation to them with terse words as I relinquished my precious burden. They strapped Kayla down on a stretcher, covering her with a blanket, and we started making our way down the stairwell. I longed to change my form again and make the trip quicker or to find a way to waylay one of the workers long enough to feed, but I was reluctant to leave her side.
I shrugged off their concerns about my health as I hobbled my way down the infinite number of stairs. The stairwell was relatively free of smoke and Kayla ceased coughing, going back to lying limp and pale. I concocted a story about Kayla and I being in the library together and convinced them not to enter my sanctuary without a university representative. There was nothing in there that would help them with their inquiry, and I had the means to make sure I was the only one who could give them access.
We emerged into the cold, night air, into chaotic noise and flashing lights. I searched the crowd for any sign of the Syndicate member who had survived, but if they were amongst the throng they were nowhere to be seen. I answered what questions I could to the authorities and turned my back to the media. Their attention made me uneasy.
“I am out of the cathedral and safe, Jacob.” I hoped that eased his mind some. I would wait only long enough to see Kayla was headed off to the hospital before leaving myself. I didn’t want to answer any more questions or be the focus of any more attention. As I watched them wheel Kayla toward a waiting ambulance, I wondered what my chances were that Jacob would stay put while I hunted. Knowing him, he’d leave to search for me if I lingered too long.
IT TOOK me way too long to find Kristair. I must’ve walked by him a couple of times, sensing he was near, but not able to recognize him. Finally, I realized he was the dark presence hovering by one of the ambulances. His features had been changed into a mask of someone else and he had even given himself hair. At a different time I would’ve found it interesting; if he could look any way he wanted, that raised all kinds of possibilities. Right now, I only wanted to hold him, and make sure he was really okay. I made my way over to where he was standing, watching the EMTs load Kayla into the back of an ambulance. She was knocked out, her hair a bright splash of color against a too-pale face, stained here and there by soot, with an ugly-looking gash on her forehead.
“How is she?” I asked, taking his hand in mine and glancing up at him. His face was stony, his emotions hidden away behind a wall I couldn’t knock down.
“I don’t know.” He met my eyes as the EMTs shut the doors. “It’s too early to tell just how hurt she is.” Then he scowled. “I thought I told you not to leave.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” I rolled my eyes. “Be happy I stayed down here. Personally, I think it showed amazing restraint on my part.”
He went back to watching the red and blue lights getting smaller until they turned a corner and vanished. I shivered and twined our fingers together. There was a terrible stillness in him that was worrying. “Do you want to meet them at the hospital?”
“She’ll be safer if I don’t.” His voice was remote. “I’ll talk with someone who will keep an eye on her for me.”
He was distancing himself and a slice of fear cut through me. What if he decided I was safer if he were to disappear out of my life too?
The thought froze my blood. I grabbed his arm, turning to face him. “Listen to me….”
Kristair snarled, his face transforming and becoming almost beastlike. As he snatched his arm away, I felt the pain he’d been hiding from me like a physical blow.
“Christ, Kristair,” I whispered. “How bad is it?” I reached for him again, uncertain of what to do. “Let me help.”
“I need to hunt,” Kristair said, looking around at the people milling about. I sensed that he couldn’t meet my eyes. “Go back to your apartment, Jacob. I’ll meet you there when I’m done.”
Every movement he made spoke of the pain he was in and, like a fucking idiot, I hadn’t noticed. I’d assumed he’d changed his appearance to hide from the Syndicate, but now I wondered if it was really meant to hide how hurt he was from me. “Will feeding help you to heal?” I asked, my mind racing. I couldn’t let him go off alone like this.
Kristair nodded. “And I need more than you can offer me, so don’t even offer.” He squeezed my fingers. “Go back so I know that you’re safe at least.”
When we were together, there were times I felt so useless, so helpless. This was one of those times. “Come back with me, love. Take what you can from me; heal what you can before you go out again.” As much as I hated the idea of him feeding from anyone else, I sensed the truth in him. His hunger was almost alive, beating at him with insistent fists. He hesitated and I pressed my advantage. “They’re still out there, right? Looking for you? Don’t make it easy for them. Please….”
“Cease your nattering, Jacob. I’ll go with you.” A faint smile crossed his lips. “Else your bitching will probably distract me too much.”
Oh, thank god. I thought he was going to be much more stubborn about this. I turned toward the part of the street that hadn’t been blocked off, looking for a cab. “Thanks.” I was so happy, I decided not to give him the response his comment deserved.
The ride to my place was quiet, and thankfully quick. I could sense the tension radiating from him despite his efforts to hide his pain from me. In a way, I was almost grateful. I don’t know if I could’ve kept a clear head if I’d known how hurt he was. As we rode, I searched his strangely altered features, but I couldn’t see any cuts or wounds to explain his injuries.
I led him up to my apartment, straight back to my room, without seeing anyone. I drew the curtains over my window against anybody spying on us. If they were still out there and suspected Kristair was not healthy…. I shook my head. I had no doubt they would attack.
There was a tightness around his eyes and as I reached for him, he drew away. I ignored the small stab of hurt. “Let me see,” I insisted. He wasn’t the only one who could be demanding.
Kristair hesitated, his mouth drawing into a hard line. Then without a word, he started to change. He was exhausted and it had cost him too much energy to maintain the illusion as long as he had.
His clothes became tattered, covered in burn holes, sliced open in several places. I gasped as his normally golden skin turned a deep, dark red, as if the fire was still contained within his flesh. Scorched black ridges of flesh were peeled back, exposing damaged muscle beneath. Thick blisters ruined the usual smooth perfection of his body.
“Oh Jesus,” I said faintly, nausea rolling in my stomach. I couldn’t find a place where I could touch him that wouldn’t cause him more agony.
I sensed his withdrawal before he began to move and I reached up and grabbed his head between my hands as gently as I could. He was terrified. I couldn’t understand why, but I wrapped my spirit around his, soothing him as he so often had done for me. “You won’t hurt me.”
“I could kill you,” Kristair said, his eyes boring into mine. I saw reason fighting against a wild animal trying to claw its way out.
“No, you won’t.” I reached up on my toes, dragging his head down until his lips brushed my throat. “You love me.”
For a moment, I was afraid he would pull away from me, rejecting once again what I was offering him. Then, to my immense relief, his arms slid around me as his fangs sank deep into my throat. My entire body groaned as I shuddered. I would never get used to how it felt when he bit me. I never wanted to. It was the most intimate invasion, an act both painful and erotic, which joined and surpassed us at once.
Under my trembling fingers, I could feel flesh newly forming, blisters shrinking, the heat starting to ease. Where I had been supporting him before, now he held me as I began to weaken, I was light-headed and flushed, even as my toes began to get cold. In the back of my mind, I realized I had been lowered down onto my mattress, the warmth of his body pressing against my own.
Kristair showed no signs of stopping. With the last of my strength, I brushed my mind across his, unable to even mind-speak. I touched an animal. I couldn’t even say if there was conscious thought there. All I sensed was overwhelming hunger and pain, and the dreadful urge to feed. My thoughts recoiled back. I cried out, tongue-tied in my weakness, filled with a sudden fear of the man I loved.
His mouth broke away from my neck and the sudden withdrawal was agonizing. I heard my name being called out and Kristair’s answering snarl of rage. There was a scramble of movement, a sharp scream, and then blackness rolled over me.
I had no idea how long I was out, but when I woke every muscle ached and my eyes were gritty with exhaustion. For a long time, I couldn’t move. I stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out what the hell had happened. I lifted a violently shaking hand to my neck. The puncture wounds were already beginning to close.
I was torn. I wanted to reach out to Kristair, make sure he was okay and let him know I was awake, but I wasn’t sure if he was himself yet. Call me a damn coward, but I wasn’t up to facing that right now.
Raising my head proved to be a major task. When I saw Tony’s body sprawled on the floor by my open door, the confusion of sounds I had heard before I passed out suddenly made sense. “Tony,” I croaked, forcing myself to my feet and stumbling over, falling to my knees beside him.
“Tony?” I shook him and his head lolled to the side, revealing the bite marks on his neck. His skin was clammy and his face ashen. Fuck! Didn’t that indicate shock or something? I scrubbed a hand through my hair, my thoughts spinning. I had no idea what to do in a situation like this.
“Steve!” I shouted, climbing back to my feet a trifle steadier than I was before. He would know what to do for Tony. There was no answer. I called his name again as I made my way into the living room, a fierce headache throbbing between my temples.
The living room was in shambles. The furniture had been turned over and video games and systems scattered over the floor. I picked up a lamp, pulling the shade away from the bulb where it was starting to melt. Damn, if that had caught fire…. My heart pounded, my gut heaved again. Where was Steve?
I found him behind the overturned coffee table, a baseball bat not far from his outstretched hand. Oh god, Kristair, what did you do? What have I done? Gently, I turned Steve over. His face was ghastly, and blood covered his shirt. His breathing was sketchy and his heartbeat was erratic.
Bile rose in my throat. This was my fault. I had brought Kristair here. He’d tried to warn me and, as usual, I didn’t listen. I grabbed one of the worn couch cushions off the floor and eased it under Steve’s back before calling 911. I covered them both in blankets and started to straighten the room, my mind blank, needing something to occupy my hands.
It took the ambulance no time to get there. Hell, I could’ve walked to the hospital in five minutes. I was feeling much stronger and, to my relief, Tony stirred as they strapped him down on the stretcher. Steve, however, looked even worse. His skin was waxen, which terrified me.
The cops showed up on our way out the door. Oh, sweet Jesus. My frantic phone call must have been enough for the dispatcher to alert them too. I wanted to scream and tear out my hair in frustration. My emotions were skittering in all directions and I bit my knuckles, trying to think of a story to give them.
One of the paramedics took me by my elbow and guided me to the door. “Come on, son. You look like shit. We’ll check your vitals and you can ride with your friend.”
The cop glanced at me and I gave him an awkward nod, not sure what to say. Should I promise to come by the station afterward? My skin crawled at the thought and my mouth went dry.
“We’ll be sending someone to talk to you at the hospital,” one of them said before turning into the apartment. I nodded again and left.
The emergency room was chaotic, but it was like that on a good day when buildings on campus weren’t being blown up. Before I knew it, we were whisked off in three different directions. I was forced to wait in a small cubicle with the curtain drawn, filling out useless forms. It wasn’t like I had health insurance, unless the school offered some. I didn’t know; I never had to look into that sort of thing before.
After a long wait, the doctor came in and gave me a cursory examination, before pronouncing me fit with a look of disgust in his eyes. I could’ve told him, had anybody bothered to listen. Except for the hunger gnawing at me, I felt normal. Even my headache had disappeared.
The doctor vanished before I could ask him about Tony and Steve, so I wandered out into the main waiting area. I scanned the room until I found the head nurse station and pushed my way to the front. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Tony Hodge and Steve Teasia. They came in with me about an hour or so ago.”
She didn’t even glance up. “They’re being seen to, young man. Take a seat and wait.”
“Please, can you at least let me know if they’re going to… to….” Fuck, I couldn’t say it. They had to be okay.
She looked up then, fleeting sympathy in her eyes, before pointing a finger toward the plastic chairs in the lobby. “I’ll let you know if I find out anything else. Now sit.”
I sprawled out in one of the chairs, and then groaned in disgust as I saw a pair of cops making their way toward me. Great. Just fucking great. Why couldn’t a hole open up in the ground and swallow me for a couple of hours?
They stopped in front of me, two men who were the most unlikely pair I’d ever seen before. Both were dressed in plainclothes, but one looked as if he were a step from the streets himself, with his hard eyes, a ratty goatee, cornrows and tattoos, while the other looked like an older lawyer out entertaining clients in his tailored suit and expensive trench coat.
“Mr. Corvin, I’m Detective Aderson and this is my partner Detective Kuykedal. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?” the lawyer one asked, not bothering to remove his dark glasses. I didn’t bother to rise, just wearily nodded.
“Did you see who fucked yinz up?” Detective Kuykedal asked. His accent was damned near impossible to understand. Pittsburgh had a nasal dialect all its own; at times they seemed to be speaking another language and my own drawl had caused more than one miscommunication in the past.
I shook my head, offering a partial truth. “I heard Tony shout, that was it, and next thing I knew I was waking up and whoever it was had skipped out. I couldn’t wake up Tony or Steve so I called for help.” They were both studying me, the street cop with his beady eyes and, though I knew the other one was too, I couldn’t see a freaking thing behind those dark glasses. It was like they could see right into my head and I had to force myself to meet their gazes.
“You know how long you were out?” Detective Aderson spoke now, and my attention shifted toward him.
“It couldn’t have been long. The lamp woulda caught the place on fire. No more than fifteen minutes, I think. I’m not sure.”
They asked a couple more questions, but my mind wasn’t on it. My thoughts darted between Kristair, my friends, and finding food. My hunger was quickly becoming overwhelming. There really wasn’t more I could add anyway, so I stuck to my story. I didn’t know if Tony or Steve had seen Kristair and if they had, even been able to recognize him in the state he was in. Damn… I just wanted them to wake up and yell at me or something.
The nurse headed in our direction, her graying braid bouncing over her shoulder. I jumped up from my chair, my heart pounding, my stomach roiling. She looked at the cops, and then gave me a brief reassuring smile. “Tony is awake now. You can speak to him before we move him to a room.”
She started to turn away, but I jumped forward, laying my hand on her arm. “Wait… is Tony going to be okay? Why’re you admitting him?”
She hesitated a moment, eyeing me before answering. “He’ll be fine. It’s just for observation. They’ll probably release him tomorrow.” She tugged her arm out of my grasp and I grabbed it again.
“Wait, what about Steve? He’s okay too… right?” I silently pleaded with her to give me the answer I wanted, willing it with every fiber of my being. He had to be fine… it was Steve.
“He’s not awake yet. That’s all I can say.” Then with another sympathetic glance, she was gone.
“Why don’t you go talk to this Tony, while I finish up here?” Detective Aderson said, sticking his hands in his trench coat. The other nodded and walked off toward the back and I watched him go, my heart sinking. If I could just see Tony with my own eyes, then I might believe he was going to pull through, and I could find out what he’d seen.
I glared at the cop, unable to be diplomatic in my current mood. “I answered all your damned questions. What else is there to say?” I all but snarled the words out. Sometimes I could be a real idiot. This cop gave me the willies. Somehow, I would rather have dealt with the thug-looking one.
His fingertips brushed the sides of my neck before I was even aware of what he was trying to do. I gasped and stepped back, my eyes going wide as I touched the spot where Kristair had bitten me. It was healed, except for two tender areas were the skin was newly formed. I gave the cop a wary glance, everything in me screaming to bolt, but I held my ground.
“You’re one of their pets.” It was a statement, not a question.
I shook my head. “I don’t know—”
“Listen, you were lucky tonight. You may not have that chance again. Your friends might not have that chance again. Get out while you can, kid. You’re in way over your head.” He turned and walked away as well, leaving me staring after him, stunned. I sat down in the chair again, dropping my head in my hands.
Tell me something I didn’t know.
IT HAD been a long time since my reason had slipped to such a degree. I had always made it a point never to let myself get so hungry. It had been even longer since anyone had had the power to injure me in such a manner. Still, regardless of the reason, I despised being out of control.
I knew Jacob was awake and well. I could feel his own hunger through our bond. I wanted to speak to him, but he wasn’t in any mood to converse with me right now. I suppose I couldn’t blame him. When his roommate had come upon us, instinct had taken over. I wish I could take comfort in the fact that I had retained enough self-possession to not kill either of them, but it wouldn’t even have to be a worry if I’d followed my instincts and gone hunting on the streets instead. And I doubt my sense of guilt would ease Jacob’s worry.
I was miles from Jacob’s apartment now and most of my wounds were healed. The burns on my back were the worst, but by the time I awoke again tomorrow night, even those would only be a memory.
It seemed I had some time on my hands until Jacob cooled off enough to contact me. I glanced around at the massive trees in the park I found myself in and decided to track down the remaining member of the Syndicate who had survived. I grinned, letting the hunt to come wash away my regrets. I hoped my prey had had time to relax. It would make it all the more interesting when I found him.
I brushed my thoughts across Jacob’s, savoring the contact. I had the impression he was sitting by a bed, his insides clawing with hunger. I planted the idea to go eat and withdrew. He would feel much better when he had taken some sustenance. Healing from that kind of drain on his resources took a toll on his body.
I returned to the cathedral, slipping through the shadows and masking my presence from those still milling about despite the late hour. Ever-curious students hovered outside the yellow tape, no doubt anticipating the cancellation of classes on the morrow. The police had set up checkpoints as their various teams investigated, shifting through the wreckage and making sure the rest of the building was sound.
I longed to go into my library and start setting things to right, not to mention seeing if there was anything left of my belongings in my room behind the office. However, I had no desire to draw attention to myself. The night was only going to last so long and I had many tasks to accomplish before then, not the least of which was to find another place to sleep before dawn.
So, as much as it pained me, I avoided the library altogether, lest the temptation prove to be too much. The police continued their work and chattered, unaware of my wraith, except for maybe the passing chill down their spines, which was soon forgotten. It took some concentration to pick out the vampire’s scent from that of all of the humans who had trampled over the area over the past couple of hours.
Fierce triumph surged through me as I caught it. The trail didn’t veer or double back on itself, so my prey hadn’t been worried about being followed. It led to a brownstone tucked away in the heart of Squirrel Hill. For a long time, I studied the building from my vantage point across the street, weighing my options. There was a chance they believed I had perished, in which case, if I didn’t bring their attention to me, I wouldn’t have to worry about them bothering me anymore. On the other hand, the idea of hiding, limiting my actions while those who were responsible for Kayla’s injuries walked free, left a horrid taste in my mouth.
Jacob would’ve already been inside, raising hell. I had to smile at the image that arose of his blue eyes blazing fire in righteous indignation. He was beautiful.
I eyed the house again. There was still activity inside and the majority of rooms had lights on. I wouldn’t make a decision either way without more information.
Sneaking through the walls was not an option. My experience with the voices earlier and the way they’d almost taken me over had made me wary. I didn’t want to tempt fate a second time in one night. Whatever immunity I had gained by my ritual with Jacob seemed to be lost.
That was a worry I’d have to tackle another hour, another day.
I concentrated, my body becoming as insubstantial as mist. I flowed out of my hiding spot, keeping close to the ground. The darkness and snow ought to be enough to shield me against anyone who happened to look out a window. I found one of the exhaust vents and started to make my way through the maze of ductwork, spreading myself out to cover as much ground as possible.
As I slithered, the whisperers arrived. They hovered, silent, and as much as their hushed presence disturbed me, I forced myself to go on, knowing I could do nothing about them at this time.
I found my lone surviving assailant alone in a room upstairs. Alone being a relative term. It was far too late for the woman he was feeding on. Her skin had already sunken in on itself and her limbs twitched feebly. His other victim was slumped over, forgotten on the floor, long since dead.
It was incredibly tempting. I could be on him before he even realized it, and kill him before he could alert the others. It was the lure of the idea that decided me. What if it was a trap? Silently, I flowed on, leaving him to his meal. I would return for him later. He would be busy for some time and I would get my retribution after I found the information I sought.
The others were downstairs, gathered around a table in another room to the side of the kitchen. There were almost a dozen of them seated, while more stood near the door and windows. Bitter disappointment tasted sharp and rank in my mouth. I might be able to slaughter all of them, but I couldn’t guarantee one wouldn’t escape to alert their headquarters. My city didn’t need to be crawling with more Syndicate members than there already were. I would not risk Jacob and Kayla like that, so I settled in to listen instead.
They were a motley crew, a collection of men and woman of all races, stations, and seeming ages. The only characteristic they had in common was their uncertainty. They stank of fear as they looked around with darting eyes and spoke in hushed tones. Mentally, I smiled, reveling in their reactions that posed another possibility to me. One I had not considered before. Maybe they could be terrorized into leaving me be.
“We cannot report to the Council that the Ancient One was destroyed without proof,” a woman insisted. “They will never accept it.”
“What do you expect us to do?” another woman replied from farther down the table. “If Tuck had stuck around instead of running like such a coward, we would know for certain. He said the Ancient One is dead. I’m inclined to believe him.”
“You don’t believe him any more than I do,” a man sneered, stabbing a finger in her direction. His accent was Italian and heavy. It made me want to sink my fangs into his throat. “Are you going to stand before the Council and give them half-truths? They’ll see right through them. If we go back, the Council will either destroy us for failing, or send us right back to finish our job.”
Chaos erupted around the table as various factions sided against one another. I couldn’t remember the last time I was the subject of so much controversy. It was nice to know I could cause such discord amongst my enemies. The Italian soon got the others under control. Clearly, he was the one in charge. I’d deal with him first.
He stared down those gathered, his voice bared steel. “The chances the Ancient One was destroyed are slim. He is stronger, more invulnerable than we are. He is clever and patient. What terrified fools you are. Do you think he’s survived this many centuries to be destroyed so easily, with so little cost to us?”
Ah, a thinker. There had to be at least one.
“So little cost!” A heavyset woman pushed her way from the wall to the table and glared at the Italian. “Doverspade is dead! Ch—”
“As I said,” the Italian cut in smoothly. “A small price to pay as yet. This isn’t over with. He will not take our assault without an answer; unless we’re prepared we’re going to lose many more.” He got up from his seat and leaned over the table, stopping responses with his gaze. “We made a mistake. He wasn’t injured in the blast, so he mustn’t have been sleeping there. That was your job, Frank.” His eyes glinted as he looked at a tall, blond man, standing near one of the windows.
“Everything we’ve learned about him indicated he haunts the cathedral,” Frank replied, looking unrepentant. “We knew there was another room behind the office and that it was reinforced. It made sense.”
“You screwed up,” the Italian said. “We had to be utterly sure before we went ahead. Now, we’ve lost our advantage. He knows we’re coming after him and it’s going to be harder to catch him unaware.”
I listened with half my attention as they continued to argue. That answered one question. They weren’t going to go away. Well, if they wanted a war, I’d be more than happy to oblige them.
I debated whether or not to get Mr. Ussier mixed up in this. He considered Pittsburgh to be his city and defended his territory ferociously against outsiders. Still, this was a private matter and I’d already involved him once.
Mr. Ussier would want to be kept updated, however. I vacillated between leaving my vantage point to call him or staying put. I ran through several options and discarded them all. Finally, I decided to go look in on Tuck again. He probably had a phone on him since all of the younger people, human and vampire, seemed to be slaves to the device.
Tuck sat alone, either healing from unseen injuries or contemplating the trouble he was in from his fellow Syndicate members. He’d cast off the woman, no doubt sated after feeding so much. He would be lethargic. Anticipation heightened my senses and I could taste the kill even before I attacked.
Quickly, I flowed out of the vents and surrounded him before he realized something was amiss. Tuck jumped up from the bed, his eyes widening in alarm. He opened his mouth to shout and that’s when I struck, pouring myself into him through his mouth, nose, and ears, smothering the sound before it started. Ah, his fear was intoxicating. It ran through my senses, thrilling and dark.
Tuck stiffened as my essence invaded every particle of his body. His mental screams buffeted me as I leeched all of the blood from him with a thought. It was a simple matter to cause his heart to implode, a mere twist of my energy around the muscle. The vampire fell to the floor next to his victims, as cold and empty as they were.
That was interesting. I flowed out of him and resumed my form, studying his body. The expression on Tuck’s face was terror-stricken. I had never killed anyone in that manner before. I hadn’t even known it was possible. Over the years, I had learned I could do just about anything with my matter. It only required time, months, sometimes years, to puzzle out how to alter my form, use it. This time, I thought it and it happened. Interesting, indeed. It opened new possibilities.
I dug through his pockets until I found his cell phone. This was fast becoming a habit with me. My conversation with Mr. Ussier was terse. As I suspected, he was not pleased by these new events. It was not going to be a pleasant evening for the members of this household.
I locked the door from the inside in case anyone decided to check on the departed Tuck. Then I transformed myself into the mist again. As I moved behind the walls, I sensed the mass presence in my thoughts, which had remained quiet so far, grow stronger. I tried to ignore the sibilant sounds, which crawled through me as insidiously as I had invaded Tuck. Then inexplicably, they died off as I took up my earlier spot. Uneasy, I put the incident out of my mind, needing to be clear-headed when Mr. Ussier and his cohorts arrived.
The Syndicate members were still talking when I looked down on them, though most of the arguing seemed to have ceased. They were trying to find a way to lure me out of wherever I was holed up now. Wouldn’t they just love to know? my thoughts snickered. Their methods and suggestions were inventive, I’d give them that. Though the burning question in my mind wasn’t how they were going to capture me, but how they planned on holding me if they succeeded. That would be a feat in and of itself, but if they had a method for doing so, they neglected to mention it in the midst of their debate.
“What of the boy?”
My senses became sharply tuned as I focused on the speaker, a woman who had been quiet until now. She seemed to be in her mid-forties, with light brown hair and strikingly angular features.
The Italian’s lip curled. “You cannot be serious.”
Fury consumed me at the hint of a threat toward Jacob. It took all of my discipline to make myself wait. Ussier would be there soon with reinforcements. Now, I had to make doubly sure none escaped with the thought of Jacob in their minds. I marked her to be my first victim, moving the Italian down my mental list. I billowed and coiled, moving continually in my restlessness. Mr. Ussier had better hurry.
My sudden rage must have alerted Jacob, for I felt the hesitant brush of his thoughts. I seized the contact, making sure through our link he was okay. “Where are you, mo chroí?”
“At the hospital.” His mind was colored with guilt and lingering anger.
That was good; he would be safe there with all the people and activity. And if he was there this late into the night, he wasn’t likely to leave before dawn. I pressed a mental kiss to his lips. “Stay there until daylight. Your friends too.” I hesitated, and then tried to offer him some reassurance. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I didn’t listen, as usual. You tried to warn me.”
Jacob’s emotions were a tangled knot of self-reproach, anger, and worry. I tried not to let his fear toward me affect me. “I will see you soon. We can talk about it then.” He didn’t answer and I gently withdrew, leaving a tendril of contact.
“Whether or not he cares for the boy is moot,” the woman was saying. “But the Ancient One must have some interest in him to be spending so much time with him. It might give us leverage.”
“He’s human.” The Italian’s voice was baffled. “What possible interest could he hold for the Ancient One?” He shook his head. “We’re wasting our time.”
“Now who is the fool?” The woman replied with a superior smile on her face. “What harm would it cause to take the boy? If we’re wrong and the Ancient One has no interest in him, we’ll just kill him. Then we won’t have lost anything for the effort.”
“Just our—”
Whatever the vampire was going to say was lost when the door exploded inward, disintegrating the vampire who had been standing guard before it. Shouts of alarm filled the room as the vampires scrambled away from the table, tripping over one another in their haste. Their expressions of fear first changed to confusion, then rage when Mr. Ussier stepped through the wreckage, alone. I suppose they were expecting me instead. He was a tall, light-skinned black man, with a hard face and incongruous dimples on his cheeks.
“Who the fuck are—”
The gun in Mr. Ussier’s hand was the size of a small cannon. And it cut off the Italian’s query as his head exploded, his final words hanging in the air.
I was not about to let Ussier have all the enjoyment out of this battle. I poured out of the vent and coalesced behind the woman who’d brought up Jacob’s existence. She screamed once as I grabbed her, ending her life swiftly. She was lucky. Had I the time, I would’ve lingered over her death for the rest of the night, savoring it.
Bullets ripped by, finding their targets as I turned and leapt on another. He fought back fiercely, his claws digging deep into my side and shoulders, but he had neither my strength nor my bloodlust, not with the memory of Kayla lying still, and the threat to my lover uppermost in my thoughts. He went down and I moved on to my next opponent and then the next. Several swarmed over me, pulling me down, biting and savaging. One’s head exploded in a mist of brains and blood, and I tore another one’s heart out as the third turned to run again. Ussier’s gun was quicker and I was up again.
It didn’t take long to clear the room and I met Mr. Ussier’s eyes as he holstered his guns. “I think I might change my mind about that little toy of yours, sir. It is very effective.”
“We’re long past flintlocks and sulfur matches; time to enter the twenty-first century.”
“Where’s your partner?” I asked, starting to check the bodies, making sure they were all destroyed and all accounted for. “I’m a little surprised to see you alone.”
“There wasn’t anything here we couldn’t handle on our own.” Mr. Ussier’s dark face lit up with a wolfish smile. “Besides, she’s crazy. She takes things too far. Everything’s personal with my partner, even when it shouldn’t be.”
I’d had the dubious pleasure of meeting her before so I knew his words held some element of truth. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to impinge on your hospitality some more, my friend,” I said, rising after my grisly search through the fallen Syndicate members. “My haven was compromised tonight and I have something I wish to discuss with you.”
“Hey, mi casa es su casa,” Mr. Ussier replied, clapping me on the back. “I’m always pleased to help the geriatric crowd with assisted living.” He gave the state of my clothing a critical look. “I know you don’t read GQ, but I’m sure even you know that rags aren’t the mode for a brawl.”
“GQ?” I shook my head, not quite sure of what he’d meant. Some people were always trying to be a comedian.
“Yeah. If you’re going to be my sidekick I can’t have you looking like a vagrant.” Those dimples flashed in Mr. Ussier’s hard face. He was enjoying himself.
“You’ve been hanging around Ms. Dupree for too long. Her snobbery is beginning to rub off on you.”
“Alette’s a snob by virtue of her being French. I have an image to maintain.”
“Ah, I see. Well then I shall be careful not to tarnish something you hold so dear.” I gestured toward the door. “Shall we? I’m afraid to say I’m not in the habit of carrying around a change of clothes.”
Ghedi Ussier followed me out into the street and led me to the 4Runner parked halfway down the block. “I keep forgetting you’re not really in the game anymore. I mean, anyone with a moniker like the ‘Ancient One’ doesn’t strike me as someone who gets his hands dirty squabbling with us whippersnappers.”
“Peace and quiet, that is all I ask for.” I got into the SUV as Mr. Ussier snorted with laughter. “Let’s go; I have enough verbal sparring in my life as it is.” As we pulled away, another SUV parked in front of the silent brownstone and the Razor Children emerged to begin their cleanup.