“I’ll gut this bitch if you take another step, Mohiri.”
I fingered the hilt of my sword as I studied the vampire pressed back against the wall with the human girl dangling by her throat in front of him. The girl’s face was a mask of terror when the vampire’s claws drew blood from her throat. I could feel her staring at me, silently pleading with me to save her.
I kept my attention on the vampire. “If you think the human will save you from me, you are sadly mistaken, my friend.”
He shifted from one foot to the other, his eyes darting around for another means of escape. He knew what I was, and he also had to know there was no way he was leaving this place alive. I had to convince him not to take the girl down with him.
From another part of the house, a scream rang out and was quickly cut short.
The vampire’s eyes widened, and the hand around the girl’s throat shook. “You protect humans. You won’t do anything that will hurt her.”
My gaze locked with his. “I do protect them, but I’m a hunter above all else. Seeing her blood on your hands will only make me hungrier for the kill.”
He swallowed hard, glancing at the door four feet away from him.
I made the decision easier for him and moved two feet in the other direction. I even lowered my sword to let him think he had a sporting chance.
The girl cried out as he threw her at me. I caught her with one arm and set her aside.
The vampire sped toward the door. He was fast – at least fifty years old.
I was faster. My sword sliced through the side of his throat. He croaked and clamped his hand over the wound, but not before blood sprayed across the Victorian-style wallpaper and the pale blue carpet.
The girl screamed.
I went after the vampire, who staggered to the door. Bringing my sword up, I skewered him through the heart with enough force to embed the tip of my blade in the wall behind him. I yanked it free, and he crumpled to the floor.
Chris appeared in the doorway, his own sword dripping blood. “That’s the last of them. I found a human male upstairs. He’s lost a lot of blood, but he’ll live.”
“Good.”
We’d discovered four teenagers in the nest of seven vampires. That two of the humans had survived was a small miracle.
The girl whimpered.
Chris stood his sword against the wall and approached her slowly. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she sobbed. Chris gave me a helpless look, and I shrugged. There was nothing I could do for the girl he wasn’t doing already.
I pulled out my cell and nodded toward the door. “Looks like you have the situation under control. I’ll call Denis and tell him to send a cleanup crew.”
The night was warm and muggy when I left the house and called the local unit to give them the address. I also let them know we had a couple of human teenagers needing medical attention. I waited for ten minutes until they pulled up in front of the house, and then I walked down the street to where Chris and I had parked our bikes in the driveway of an empty house.
Pulling off my bloody T-shirt, I found a clean spot and wiped my face. I used the shirt to wipe down my sword before I stowed the weapon away in the sheath that ran along the bottom of my seat.
I was donning a clean shirt when Chris walked up to me. “Why is it they never cling to you like that?” he asked as he went to his bike.
I laughed at his sullen expression. “Must be your smile that draws them to you.”
He yanked off his shirt. “It wouldn’t kill you to comfort them every now and then.”
“But you are so good at it.” I sat on my bike and waited for him to clean up. “I keep them alive and kill the bad guys.”
I didn’t need to add that I had no clue how to handle an overwrought teenager. Unlike Chris, I didn’t associate with humans on any kind of personal level. They were my job. I protected them and kept them safe from the monsters they didn’t know existed. As a warrior, it was better to remain detached. Closeness created emotions, and emotions created distractions. Distractions got you or the people you were protecting killed.
Chris scoffed and mounted his bike. “Beer?”
“Sounds good.”
Thirty minutes later, freshly showered and changed, we walked into the bar down the street from our hotel. We found a table against the back wall, and I sat facing the door. I liked to know who – or what – was coming and going from a place while I was there.
A pretty blonde waitress came over to take our drink orders, and her red lips curved into an inviting smile when she looked from Chris to me.
“What can I get for you gentlemen?”
We ordered whatever they had on tap and a couple of burgers. The waitress lingered at the table for a moment before she went off to put in our order.
Chris leaned back and ran a hand through his blond hair. “I’d call that a good night’s work.”
“Yes.”
My eyes swept the bar. At a corner table a young couple was making out, oblivious to everyone around them. I wouldn’t have noticed them if I hadn’t caught the gleam of silver in the male’s eyes. Incubus. Most of the sex demons were careful not to harm humans when they fed from them, but there were some who loved the thrill of the kill. I wasn’t sure yet which way this one swung.
A laugh drew my attention back to Chris. I shot him a questioning look.
“You are so predictable, my friend.” He inclined his head toward the incubus. “We haven’t had our first beer, and you’re already looking for your next fight.”
“Just keeping an eye on things.”
The waitress returned with two glasses of draft and set them before us.
Chris picked up his beer and drank deeply. “Relax. I saw the two of them in here last night. If he was going to hurt her, he would have done it by now.”
He was right. An incubus intent on killing his victim would do it within a few hours. He certainly wouldn’t come back for a second date.
I gave the pair one last glance then turned my attention to my beer. I preferred a nice aged Scotch, but the rich lager was good for quenching thirst. I downed half the contents before I set the glass down and stretched out my legs beneath the table.
Chris looked at me as if he was waiting for me to say something. When I didn’t, he said, “So, you want to stick around here for a few days?”
“I don’t mind staying here for a day or two. They’re having a problem with lamprey demons in Bywater, and I told Denis we’d give them a hand.”
“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind,” he replied dryly.
I let out a laugh. “What’s her name?” Chris only suggested we take some downtime after a job when he’d met a female he wanted to get more acquainted with.
He grinned over the top of his beer. “Nora. She’s a student at Tulane, and she invited us to a party at her sorority tonight.”
“I think I’ll pass.” Intoxicated coeds were not my idea of an entertaining night. I could think of more pleasurable ways to spend an evening. An interesting book, a good game of poker, a bottle of Macallan, to name a few. Or a beautiful female friend who knew me well, in and out of the bedroom.
“Let me guess your plans for tonight. Prowling the streets to keep the good people of New Orleans safe, or staying in your room with a book?”
I suppressed a chuckle. He knew me too well. “Neither, actually. Viv’s in town.”
“Ah, the lovely Vivian. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Two years.”
“That long?” He smiled over the rim of his glass. “I guess I won’t be seeing you for breakfast then.”
“Probably not.” Or for lunch, knowing Viv.
Our food arrived, and as we ate, we talked about the job we’d just finished. A week ago, we’d gotten word of an increased vampire presence in New Orleans, along with a rash of missing persons, mostly teenagers. New Orleans was already a hub of supernatural activity that kept the local unit busy, so Chris and I had come to help them out with the vampire problem.
It had taken us three days to find one of the elusive vampires and trail him back to the nest in the Garden District. It didn’t require much guesswork to know what had happened to the previous owner of the old house the vampires had claimed for their own. We’d watched the place for a day and then made our move.
I hadn’t expected to find human survivors, and that made the job even more satisfying. I’d told the vampire I cared about the hunt more than the humans, but that was a lie. Nothing was more important than protecting human lives.
Chris crumpled his napkin and tossed it on his empty plate. “I was thinking we could head west when we leave Louisiana. There’s always something going on out that way, and we could pay a visit to Longstone while we’re there.”
“How long has it been since you were home?” Longstone was the Mohiri stronghold in Oregon where Chris grew up. His parents moved to Germany a few years ago, but he still had family at the stronghold.
“I haven’t been back since my parents left, almost three years.”
I pushed my plate away and reached for my beer. “Sounds like a plan. We can stop over at Westhorne on the way.”
His phone buzzed, and he smiled when he looked at the screen. “Right on time. I need to go meet my date.” He stood and threw some money on the table. “Say hello to Vivian for me.”
“Will do.” I pulled out my phone and texted Viv, asking if she was up for some company.
I smiled when she replied immediately. Do you need to ask?
Tossing some cash on the table, I stood and headed for the door. See you in ten.
Vivian’s suite was on the top floor of the Ritz-Carlton, and she answered the door wearing a white silk robe, with her long, blonde hair loose around her shoulders.
“Nikolas!” She pulled me into the room, hugging me before she’d even shut the door. “It’s so good to see you.”
Chuckling, I hugged her back. “Great to see you, too.” I pulled back and looked down at her short robe that came to mid-thigh. “If I’d known you’d greet me like this, I would have come to visit you a lot sooner.”
A throaty laugh slipped from her. She pulled my head down to hers for a slow, languid kiss that was sensual, but also warm and familiar. My other sexual encounters were just about mutual pleasure. Vivian Day was more than that. She was a good friend whose company I enjoyed, and there were no strings attached. She wanted to be tied down even less than I did, if that was possible.
Breaking the kiss, she took my hand and led me into the living room of her suite that had a great view of the French Quarter. She sat on the couch and made me sit beside her.
She arranged her robe around her legs. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard you were in New Orleans. It’s been too long.”
“It has. But then you’re the one who’s always off on some mission for the Council whenever I’m on your side of the world.”
“Maybe if you’d agree to work for them, we’d see each other more.”
I stretched out my legs. “I love you, Viv, but I have zero interest in working for a bunch of bureaucrats. I respect the Council for what they do, but I prefer to work my own way.”
She gave me a knowing smile. “Still haven’t outgrown that little aversion to authority.”
I laughed. “And you still know me better than anyone.”
I’d known Vivian most of my life, our friendship going back to my early years in England when my sire was leader of Hadan Castle. Vivian and I had trained together, and the two of us had been competitive, driving each other to work harder.
She got up and went to the bar. “Drink? They didn’t have any Macallan, but they brought up a bottle of Bowmore.”
“Only if you’re having one.”
“Of course.” She poured two drinks and came back to the couch, handing one to me. “I can’t believe it’s been two years. I remember when I couldn’t imagine not seeing you every day.”
“What was it you said back then? When we became warriors, we’d go off and hunt together, just the two of us.”
Her eyes sparkled with laughter. “That’s because I was afraid you’d beat me in vampire kills if I left you alone.”
I sipped my drink. “And it had nothing to do with the huge crush you had on me?”
“Ha! If anyone had a crush, it was you. You were a lovesick fool that first time.”
“I was a horny teenager, and the prettiest girl I knew wanted to have sex with me.”
When she’d come to me one day and told me she wanted her first time to be with her best friend, my sixteen-year-old self had needed no persuasion. We still laughed over how awkward the two of us had been that first time.
She burst out laughing. “I’ll never forget the look on your face when I asked you. You went from shocked to ‘let’s do it’ in about five seconds.”
“Three. I was trying not to look too eager.”
“God, we were something.” She took my free hand and laced our fingers together. “Sometimes I miss those days. Life was a lot simpler back then.”
“Are you being nostalgic, or is something going on?”
“I’m great, just a little weary, I guess. I’ve been on the road for almost a year. You know how it is.”
“I usually get back to Westhorne every month or two.”
The life of a warrior often took you away from home for long periods, unless you were mated. Mated couples tended to stay closer to home, at least for the first few years. I couldn’t stay in one place for a long time. Neither could Viv, which was one of the reasons both of us were happily unmated, much to our mothers’ mutual despair.
She swirled the amber liquid in her glass. “I was surprised to hear you no longer work solo, and that you and Chris have been partnering on a lot of jobs.”
“Yes. It keeps the Council off my back. Well, almost.”
The Council of Seven was the ruling body for our people, and most of them had their own ideas about how things should be run in the field. They liked everyone to work in teams, and it annoyed them when someone didn’t follow their protocols. I wasn’t on their list of favorite people, and I didn’t lose any sleep over it.
“So where is your partner tonight?” she asked with a smile that said she could already guess what Chris was up to.
“Sorority party.”
She laughed. “Let me guess, not your thing?”
“You could say that. And I wouldn’t pass up a chance to see you.”
Her eyes softened. “You always say the sweetest things, Nikolas Danshov.”
I finished my drink and gave her a small smile. “Keep that to yourself. I have a reputation to protect.”
She grinned. “I’m well aware of your reputation, and I’ll do what I can to keep it safe. But it’s going to cost you.”
“What’s it going to cost?”
She stood and took my glass, setting it on the coffee table with hers. Then she reached for my hands and tugged me to my feet.
She turned to the bedroom. “I’m sure I can think of something.”
* * *
“She’s good, isn’t she?” Chris inclined his head toward the small group of trainees practicing their swordplay. Most of them were skilled with the weapon, but the blonde moved with a lethal grace that I’d seen only in more experienced warriors. Next to her, the other trainees looked like children with toy swords.
I watched the girl’s opponent lunge at her. At the last second, she parried and slipped her blade behind his, sending his weapon flying away from him.
I nodded. “She’ll make a fine warrior.”
The boy she’d disarmed retrieved his sword and turned to say something to her. He noticed us watching them and flushed. The other trainees stopped their practice and turned to see what their friend was staring at.
I inclined my head at them in acknowledgement.
Chris smirked. “Your adoring fans. Maybe you should give them a lesson while we’re here.”
“I’ll leave that to the real trainers.” I shouldered my bag and resumed my walk to the main building. Some people were cut out for teaching; I was not one of them. I had neither the patience nor the inclination toward that vocation, though I had a ton of admiration for those who did. There were few jobs more important than molding our youth into warriors capable of defending themselves when they went out into the world.
A grinning red-haired warrior left the building as we neared it. “About time you two showed your mugs around here. How long are you back for this time?”
“Couple of days,” Chris said. “Thought you and Niall were still in Ireland.”
“Nah. Got back last week.” Seamus’s eyes gleamed. “Brought back a couple of bottles of good Irish whiskey. Stop by later and we’ll catch up.”
“Sounds good.” Anything that involved Seamus, his twin, and a bottle of whiskey promised to be entertaining.
Chris and I entered the building and went directly to the south wing. People greeted us as we passed, but we didn’t stop to talk. I said good-bye to him at his door and stepped into my own apartment, dropping my bag on the floor. After a month away, it was nice to be back in my own place.
My gaze swept over the living room, taking in the dark colors and the simple yet comfortable décor. Aside from the portrait of my parents, there was no art on the walls. My collection of antique swords hung on one wall, and above the mantle was a pair of Flintlock pistols that had belonged to Alexander II – a gift from my sire who had received them from the emperor. There was a full bookcase and a state of the art audio system, but no television. I preferred it that way.
Kicking off my boots, I tossed my jacket on the back of the leather couch and headed for the shower to wash off the grime of the road. Ten minutes later, I emerged with a towel around my hips and put on my favorite sixties rock mix.
I was tempted to drop the towel and crash on the bed for a few hours, but I knew Tristan would be by when he got word we were here. I pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of sweats, grabbed my Slaughterhouse-Five paperback, and stretched out on the couch to read until he dropped in.
A little over an hour later, a knock came on the door. I called out for him to enter, and Tristan walked in wearing a wide smile.
“Heard you were back,” he said, sitting in the leather chair across from me.
I sat up and laid my book on the couch beside me. “You’re getting slow. I expected you half an hour ago.”
He laughed and settled back in his chair. “Council business. You know how it is.”
“No, I don’t, and I’m happy that way.”
Like any government, the Council spent half their time embroiled in debates and wrapped up in meetings. Some days, Tristan spent more time talking to the Council than he did running the affairs at Westhorne. Where he got the patience to handle them day after day was beyond me.
“Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that we were discussing your latest job. They aren’t happy you and Chris went into that nest in New Orleans without backup.”
I had never explained my actions to the Council, and I wasn’t going to start now. But Tristan was my friend, and I respected him too much to not tell him what he wanted to know.
“I would have invited Denis’s team along, but you know how busy those guys are down there. Chris and I did our due diligence, and we knew exactly what we were facing when we went in. A nest of seven vampires is nothing we haven’t faced before.”
Tristan nodded. “The Council says you should have followed protocol and called in one of the teams from Houston or Atlanta once you located the nest.”
“We could have, but we would have been too late to save those two human teenagers. And saving human lives is our first priority, is it not?”
“It is.” His fingers tapped out a rhythm on the arm of the chair. “I’m required to tell you that you are too valuable to risk your life needlessly. And that you must follow procedure next time you are in a similar situation.”
“Noted.”
“Now that we have that out of the way.” He smiled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “How was New Orleans?”
“Busy. We helped Denis’s people with a lamprey infestation, and we raided a gulak operation that was breeding bazerats. They could use some more people down there.”
“I’ll bring it up to the Council.”
“Good.” I knew Denis would have another team at his disposal by the end of the week.
Tristan gave me an amused look. “Surely it wasn’t all work and no play. It is New Orleans after all.”
I shrugged. “We ate, we drank, we listened to some good music. Chris got to know the locals a little better.”
The two of us laughed because we knew how much his nephew loved getting to know the locals. Chris treated the females well, and he never made any promises he couldn’t keep. He’d left a trail of pining hearts from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
“I heard Vivian is there for two weeks. Did you see her?”
“Yes. We spent some time catching up. It was great to see her again.”
He smiled fondly. There were few who knew Viv and didn’t like her. “Why didn’t you stay on a few more days with her? You didn’t need to rush back here.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Careful. You are dangerously close to sounding like my mother.”
My mother had two missions in her life: protecting humanity and seeing me happily settled. After almost two hundred years, you’d think she would let the second one go.
“Irina wants her son to be happy. It’s what every parent wishes for their child.” Sadness flickered in Tristan’s eyes, and I knew he was thinking about Madeline. Over fifty years had passed since she’d left, but she was never far from her father’s thoughts.
“I am happy,” I grumbled.
He chuckled and looked around. “How long are you planning to stay this time?”
“Three or four days and then Chris wants to visit Longstone. From there, who knows?”
“Sometimes I envy you, my friend.”
“I keep telling you to come with us. Claire is more than capable of managing Westhorne in your absence.” And the Council would learn to deal with it. They deferred too much to Tristan as it was. The Seven ruled together, but at times they treated him like their unofficial leader.
“One of these days I’ll take you up on that.” He ran his hand through his blond hair. “How would you feel about postponing your trip to Oregon? We’ve received word of a possible vampire problem in Maine, and I was hoping you would look into it.”
“Maine? That’s werewolf territory. Vampires usually avoid that place like the plague.”
“True, but there have been a number of disappearances in Portland in recent weeks. Four human girls have gone missing with no trace, all close to the same age. The authorities there have no evidence or leads. I might have dismissed it if we hadn’t also gotten word of several dead bodies with animal attack listed as the cause of death.”
“Do we have anyone in Portland now?” We didn’t keep a permanent Mohiri presence in Maine because it was usually very quiet there.
“Erik’s team is in Boston and they’ve been monitoring the situation, but they haven’t found anything. We considered the possibility that the deaths could have been caused by a rogue wolf, but the werewolves would have dealt with it by now.”
I rubbed my jaw. “Erik’s good. If he can’t find any leads, what makes you think I can?”
Tristan smiled. “Because you are the best at finding things when no one else can.”
“Now you’re just trying to butter me up.”
“Is it working?”
“Maybe.” He had piqued my curiosity, and he knew it. Mysterious disappearances in a quiet place like Portland, that was the kind of job I couldn’t resist. “I’m sure Chris won’t mind waiting a week or so to visit Longstone.”
“Good.” He clasped his hands together. “Perhaps you should take a team with you, just in case.”
I laughed at his not-so-subtle attempt to get me to comply with the Council’s wishes. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I’m sure this is nothing Chris and I haven’t handled before.”
“Famous last words, my friend.”
The corner of my mouth lifted. “You’ll see. We’ll be in and out of Maine in no time.”
