Puzzled, she looked at Inger. “They have a link with Paloma Soleil. Something is not adding up. I need to get to the office and run this by Michael and the others.”
Alarmed, Inger quickly came to her feet. “What could this mean?”
Joan held the book against her chest, her green eyes glittering with barely contained excitement.
“It could mean that the most dangerous Vampire assassin in history has resurfaced. It could also explain why the organization has reactivated.” She grabbed her purse and car keys. “I need to be off. See you later.”
Once the door closed behind Joan, Inger strode over to the computer, opened a search engine, and typed in PALOMA SOLEIL. Not much came up, but she did learn something. Many of the facts corroborated what Joan had told her. I was right! For all her sexy looks and gorgeous body, she knew she needed to handle Paloma with care. She was very dangerous indeed—the Vampire version of the Grim Reaper. A shiver ran down her spine as she recalled the silvery gaze of the Assassin.
†
Tahlia was already dressed and sitting on the bed in their underground chamber when Jemima rose from the rich patch of ground that served as their daylight resting place. With a flick of the hand, she cleaned herself and got dressed before turning to look at Tahlia.
“You’re up early. What’s bothering you, my love?” She came to sit next to Tahlia.
The black eyes turned to look at her. “I need to speak with Paloma.”
For twenty years, Jemima had known the vampire warrior was in town, but not once had Tahlia spoken about her—until now. She hadn’t pressured Tahlia but whenever Paloma’s name came up her thoughts raced. Tahlia was very secretive about her. Even Pierre and Jonas refused to talk about her the few times she’d tried to fish out details. Many times, she’d been tempted to search the library for anything she could find on Paloma. But she was scared of what she might discover. She wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to handle the truth. Secondly, she wasn’t sure how Tahlia would feel about her going behind her back to find out about Paloma. So she decided to wait. But since Tahlia had brooked the topic first, she might just as well ask the one question she’d been carrying around with her for two decades.
“Why don’t you want to talk about her?” The blue eyes became clouded. “Were you lovers?”
Tahlia’s black eyes widened in shock. “No.” Tahlia reached out and took Jemima’s hand in hers. “Since becoming a vampire, you are the only woman I have ever been with.” The black eyes melted. “There will never be another woman for me.”
“But why all the secrecy? Nobody seems to want to talk about her.”
Tahlia nodded. “With good reason.” She paused. “We are childhood friends.”
“What? You mean to tell me that she’s as old as you?”
The shock in the blue eyes made Tahlia smile.
“Actually she is older than me. We grew up together and our mothers were best friends.” Tahlia’s voice trailed off for a few seconds. “When my mother heard of Lecrac recruiting young men and women, our mothers took us to him. In return, Lecrac took care of the families of those whom he made vampire. That was the only way we could take care of our parents. Five centuries ago she disappeared, only to resurface twenty years ago.”
Jemima pushed a shaky hand threw her hair as she studied Tahlia. How were they going to deal with another master vampire who—if Tahlia’s reaction was anything to go by—could be an enemy?
“What does this mean for us…for you?” Jemima leaned her head on Tahlia’s chest. If this vampire were indeed an enemy, Tahlia would be torn by the thought of having to destroy her.
“Seeing her just brought back a lot of memories that I buried when she went missing. Also, with her resurfacing, I am sure many of her enemies will be lured here in their quest for revenge.”
Jemima’s blue eyes sharpened. Her thoughts immediately went to her wayward daughter. “Does it mean that Inger might be placed in more danger than she already is?”
Tahlia nodded. “She is attracted to Paloma, and I have seen how Paloma reacts to Inger.” Tahlia rubbed over her eyes. “They will become lovers, and I am afraid there is nothing we can do about it.”
“There must be something we can do. If Paloma is as dangerous as is rumored, I don’t want my child near her.”
Tahlia came to her feet slowly and stood with her back to Jemima. Jemima could see the tension in the broad back. “Paloma is very honorable, and I can assure you that she will not hurt Inger intentionally.” She turned back to look at Jemima with sad eyes. “I am in a very difficult situation, Jemima. I have my loyalty toward Paloma on the one hand and the love and protection toward my daughter on the other. I am not sure how and if they will work out, but I feel that they need a chance. Paloma is lonely. I have sensed her loneliness for the past twenty years.” Tahlia again turned away. “Did you know that she had been dogging Inger for the past three years, looking out for her? I have even seen her countless times, sitting on the balcony outside Inger’s room.”
Jemima came to stand behind Tahlia and gently turned her to face her. “What are you saying?” she asked softly.
“It is obvious that Paloma loves our daughter. I think she is safer being with Paloma than being apart from her.”
Jemima nodded. It made sense, but still... “I love my child very much, and I don’t want to see her get hurt, Tahlia. I will try not to interfere.”
Tahlia nodded and took Jemima’s hand. “She is in the library. Let us go greet her.”
†
After leaving her parents, Inger made a quick stop at her grandparents’ house before getting onto her motorcycle to roam the streets for renegades. She stopped at Joe’s, a bar notorious for being a gathering spot for renegades. After parking her motorcycle, she took off her helmet and shook out her hair.
Almost immediately, she felt the vampire’s presence.
“I’m going in for a drink. I promise not to be too long,” she spoke into the darkness and sauntered into the club.
†
Once Inger was out of sight Paloma stepped out of the darkness with a wide smile. The girl’s got spunk, taunting her like that with her last remark. For the past week, she had sensed a vaguely familiar presence in town, but couldn’t put her finger on it. That feeling was stronger here. Whoever it was must be inside, and Inger was in there. Using the shadows as cover, she slipped into the bar.
†
Inger knew she was in trouble the minute she entered. A very disturbing presence filled the room. It felt as if something evil and full of hatred was ready to pounce on her. Walking over to the bar, she quickly scanned the interior. The place was packed with renegades: a good harvest. The metallic smell of blood hung heavy in the air and she knew instinctively that there were blood cows in the back room.
The latest craze at establishments that catered to vampires was serving human blood. For this purpose, young men and woman are recruited and paid handsomely to serve as human cows to be sucked on by vampires. This practice was not only cruel, but it was dangerous. More often than not, the human cows were ‘accidentally’ drained. That left the police force baffled with the number of bloodless corpses piling up in the city morgue.
She ordered a beer. With every movement she made, she was aware of the renegades staring at her. She was hard to miss, being a human female entering a notorious bar alone. When her beer arrived, she took a long swig and turned to face the renegades.
That was when she saw her—the Assassin. Death incarnate, according to the texts she’d read earlier. Her tall athletic body clad in black leather, Paloma walked toward her. The silver eyes were on her, staring at her with so much intensity that Inger felt her stomach do a summersault. Paloma gave her a slow smile, and all Inger could do was to stare at the woman, her mind blank except for the mental image of her golden sweat-slicked body bucking above hers, urging her on. The silver eyes flashed and Inger wondered if she’d read her mind. It wasn’t possible of course. Paloma had no
t taken her blood. Nevertheless, she would have to be careful around the woman.
Chapter 4
“You frequent odd places, Slayer.” Paloma said when she reached Inger. The silver eyes looked calm, almost drowsy, but Inger sensed an acute alertness about the woman. There was something else, too, something very familiar. The buzzing was particularly strong as if it were coming from close by. She turned her head slowly and stopped. The only person standing close to her was Paloma. She looked into the silver eyes and received her answer before she could ask.
“Now that I know you were shadowing me for the past three years, may I know why?” She was angry with the woman for having stalked her, but mostly she was angry with herself for having been stalked by such a sexy creature and not having known. Goodness, had she known she would’ve made sure to entice the vampire into following exactly where she’d wanted her to go—a hotel room with a huge bed and room service, perhaps. She mentally shook her head, ridding her mind of the vivid images of a naked Paloma on top of her. Instead, she fixed a cold stare at the blonde vampire.
Paloma gestured for the bartender to come over and ordered a glass of red wine. “I was just looking out for you.” Her eyes stared deep into Inger’s and hidden in those silver depths she saw an indecipherable emotion. Lust, perhaps. Or was it bloodlust.
“What makes you think I needed your protection?” Inger snapped.
Taking a quick sip of wine, Paloma smiled. “You are an exceptional fighter, and I think I am learning a lot from you. You know where they gather and how to flush them out.”
Said like a true diplomat. Inger looked past Paloma to a short balding man in a grey suit. He looked out of place in the bar, and his eyes bored into Paloma’s back. He emanated deep hatred.
“Do you come here often?” she asked the vampire and was surprised to find that Paloma’s gaze had never left her. The silver eyes were guarded, but for a fleeting moment, she saw a brief flicker of something. A strange emotion that made her heart stutter.
“No.”
“Then you must make enemies faster than I do.”
Paloma grinned and without turning to look at the man, spoke. “I was hoping he would see me. Now at least I have a face to work with. Are you done with your drink? We have a bar to clean out.”
With the words barely past her lips, Paloma exploded into action using preternatural speed. Inger could barely make out the flashing of a sword as Paloma worked the room like a killer tornado. As Inger watched, more corpses joined those that lay decapitated on the floor. Paloma was a dark blur as she moved. The only others she had seen move like that were Tahlia, Jonas, and Pierre. Another super vampire, she thought.
Out of the corner of her eye, Inger detected a movement. Oh no, you don’t. The man in the suit was making a beeline for the door. Inger grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it at his feet. He crumbled to the floor, hitting the edge of a table on his way down to lie there, unconscious. Reaching for her guns, Inger joined the fracas. Within the space of minutes, the bar was quiet with body parts strewn around the floor.
Paloma carelessly threw the scattered body parts onto a mound, and, with the flick of her hand, the pile burst into flames. Inger grimaced when the fire alarm went off. She saw Paloma turn to the bartender, who stood rooted behind the bar, his eyes stiff in their sockets.
“You will remember nothing of what happened here tonight. An ashtray caught fire and set off the alarms. Do you understand me?”
The man swallowed hard as he nodded repeatedly. Pulling the man in the suit up by the scruff of his neck, Paloma left the bar. Inger threw another glance over the trashed interior of the bar before making her way to the exit. When she came outside, there was no sign of Paloma or of the man. With a muttered curse, she walked over to her motorcycle.
On the drive to the campus, she relived the brief and brutal fight. Her mind stuck on an image of a blood-splattered Paloma, her eyes glowing bright red as she looked down on the dismembered body of a renegade. No wonder her own kind feared her so much. The woman was a killing machine.
†
Opening her eyes, Inger reached for her alarm clock. It was only 2 a.m. She rolled onto her back. Something had awakened her. She swung her legs from the bed. There was someone on the balcony. Now that she knew what the buzzing meant, she quickly donned her robe and stepped onto the balcony. At first, she didn’t see her.
“You should not be so careless as to come out onto the balcony unarmed.” A voice spoke from behind her.
Turning sharply, she saw Paloma step out of the shadows. The blonde hair blew gently in the breeze and she looked at the younger woman in silence. The sight made Inger’s stomach flip over.
“What are you doing here, Paloma?” Inger asked as she tore her gaze away from the compelling woman. She looked out over the dimly lit campus ground, suddenly uncomfortable at being alone with this woman. She was acutely aware of her near naked body under the thin robe.
Paloma kept her distance, but her silver eyes were so intense that Inger felt them leaving a scorching trail where they scanned her body.
“I wanted to come and see if you had arrived home safely, cara. I had to rush off to secure that man before his people got to him first.” Paloma’s voice was velvety soft, the small endearment causing Inger’s body to react almost instantly.
Inger folded her arms over her chest, attempting to hide her hardening nipples. She nodded slowly. “I’ve arrived safely as you can see, but I really need to get back to bed. I’m taking a test tomorrow.” But her legs refused to move as she returned Paloma’s stare.
†
For the first time in many centuries, Paloma felt panic. The feeling was so foreign that she felt herself tremble. After she had secured the man, she rushed home and took a shower to try to wash off the stench of death. But to no avail. The oppressive feeling intensified as soon as she’d stepped out of the steaming water. There was only one sure way she knew to regain her balance. Looking at the girl standing before her, she felt her world slowly tilt back into position, grounding her. It was not her intention to wake Inger. When she heard Inger’s breathing change as she slowly came awake, Paloma considered fleeing into the night. Selfishly, she stayed. Her heart had ached to see her again and now that she had, she was anxious at the thought that Inger wanted to leave her so soon. She was terrified of going back home to that dark and dank underground cellar...alone and lonely.
Paloma let her eyes slowly travel over Inger, her nostrils flaring as she tried to restrain herself from reaching for her. She doubted that Inger, her dark hair sleep-ruffled and blue eyes still drowsy, had any idea how close she was to being ravished. Paloma saw Inger draw the robe closer around her body, probably uncomfortable because of the older woman’s close scrutiny. Her sharp eyes immediately zeroed in on the small hardened peaks of Inger’s nipples, and Paloma’s mouth fell open in a soundless gasp.
Ignoring her own advice of not rushing the girl, Paloma took two quick steps and pulled Inger into her arms. She saw the alarm in Inger’s eyes and she gentled her hold. Her eyes filled with tears as she rested her cheek on Inger’s soft hair.
“I will never hurt you, but since you kissed me in the nightclub, I have craved to hold you in my arms again.” She tenderly tightened her arms around Inger and simply held her. Paloma could actually feel her cold heart thaw as the heat of the young girl seeped into her core.
The last time she’d held someone like this was almost 800 years ago. It was one of her lovers, a beautiful Italian countess, but like all the others it hadn’t lasted. Something had always been missing in her relationships. Some of them included a deep affection, loyalty, ignorance, and—in many cases, fear—but there was always a vital part that was missing. For as long as she remembered, she’d wanted more. Whatever it was; she’d never known—until now.
She had wanted someone who could look beyond the monster and reach out to the woman within. She was looking for someone who was comfortable around her kind and who understood her.
Someone—someone like Inger. She gently pushed Inger out of the embrace and looked down into her face. The blue eyes looked back at her with a mixture of confusion and wonder. Paloma rejoiced at the lack of fear.
“The only person who holds me like that is my mother. You should one day tell me about my mother. There are so many similarities between the two of you.”
Smiling slightly, Paloma playfully touched the tip of Inger’s nose.
“Never confuse me for your mother, cara.” Paloma’s eyes moved to Inger’s lips. She almost groaned out loud when Inger’s lips parted, pushing out a shaky breath. “What I want to do to you has nothing maternal to it. In fact, your mother will kill me if she finds out I am having this conversation with you.” Her breathing was unsteady from suppressed desire, and she gently stepped away from the girl’s intoxicating nearness. “It is getting late, and you need to get back into your bed.”
Paloma ran a soft hand over Inger’s hair before she pushed Inger through the door. She didn’t follow her inside and seeing the question in Inger’s eyes, she shook her head.
“Your mother has placed strong protection spells at your doors and windows. I will try to unravel them one day, but I need to warn you…” Inger’s blue eyes widened slightly. “Once I have altered the spells, and I am inside your room, I will want more than a kiss, dearling. Remember that.”
She pushed the door close and stepped back. She waited until a blushing Inger had locked the door and then she disappeared.
†
Paloma was a few yards from Inger’s room, when she sensed another presence. Swinging around, automatically taking on a battle stance, she backed down immediately when she saw who stood behind her. Staring at the woman, her ethereal beauty once again took her aback. After twenty reincarnations, Jemima still looked as beautiful as she had the first time she’d seen her.
A Guardian's Love Page 5
