by Imogene Nix
Cressida didn’t speak, just gave a slight nod, and he retreated.
* * * *
The pages in front of his face shimmered. Daniel raked his fingers through his hair. A glance at the corner of the computer screen told him it was five a.m. and long past time for him to have retired.
“Just one more thing…” The murmuring words died away as his vision blurred and turned gray. The thud as his hand collided with the desk brought him around.
Daniel quickly tugged himself upright, cracking his jaw with a tremendous yawn. A last glance at the screen showed the final letter he’d tapped on the computer, the words ending with a single letter running along the screen. The results of the microsleep, he thought.
Daniel gave a snort of disgust and rose. “I’ll take a nap and come back to it.” The planning of the expansion was too important to leave for any longer than necessary, but exhaustion dragged at him.
The couch in the corner of his office beckoned and he headed in its direction, promising himself no more than an hour or two of rest, to be followed by a shower and change of clothes.
He pulled off his glasses and put them on the coffee table opposite the couch, then lay down with a sigh and closed his eyes.
Within seconds, consciousness fled.
The scene before him was unfamiliar. Scents, the acrid taint of burning wood, lay heavily in the air as he looked around. The rough room in the bar was populated by groups of men. Their hair hung in greasy hanks and their clothing was stained while they bellowed to one another and gulped down the liquids in their tankards. Clearly they were employed in manual labor.
“I’m in a barroom? How the hell did I get here?” He couldn’t stop the words as disbelief filtered through him.
A gentle touch on his shoulder caught his attention and he turned, unsure what he’d see.
In front of him stood Cressida. A Cressida he’d never seen before. Her hair was arranged in a halo-like single plait coiled around the top of her head.
“How did you get here, Daniel?” Cressida’s eyes narrowed and her lush lips flattened.
“I honestly don’t know. Where are we?” He glanced about the room, the sounds swelling.
“This is my past. Or a part of it.” Her face settled into the familiar mask of acceptance—the one he knew she used to hide her feelings. “Come with me.”
Cressida gathered her cape closer. He noted the black velvet fastened at her neck with an ornate silver clasp that shone in the dim light.
“Where are we going?” His eyes darted here and there, watching the hard gazes follow them as he left the bar behind her.
Stepping through the door brought them into a drawing room. She stopped and shook her head.
“That can’t be right. It never used to lead here.” Her soft words were threaded with confusion.
“Where are we, Cressida?”
She turned her gaze in his direction with a sad smile on her face. “This is my home. Or it was my home.”
Daniel watched as she ran shaking fingers over the furnishings, as if reintroducing herself to them. “So long ago.”
The sparseness of the clean and obviously well-cared-for room was clearly not of his time.
He waited until she turned back to look at him, and he was captured by the pain in her eyes. Not for the first time, Daniel wondered just how old Cressida really was.
A low sound of anguish ripped through her and, unable to help himself, Daniel strode forward and took her in his arms. She leaned in and he knew she was seeking his comfort. He meant only to kiss her cheek, but in that instant she turned her face.
As he settled his lips over hers, the inferno within him erupted. What should have been a simple peck grew. Exploded as their lips moved.
She opened her mouth on a moan and it kicked the desire that he’d been controlling up to a wildfire—a conflagration that spread through his entire body.
Tingles started at every point where they touched while he caressed the dips and hollows of her body. The bite of her fingernails barely registered as he dropped his hands to her waist.
She tangled her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck—a sting as she dragged him back from the precipice.
“Daniel, I…”
Her blue eyes shone in the low light. His heart pounded rapidly as he waited for her to tell him why this was wrong, while the molten lava in the pit of his belly cooled and became a heavy weight.
“I shouldn’t… God help me though, I want to.” Her voice cracked as she swooped in, her kiss voracious and hungry.
His body ached with desire as he raised his shaking hand to her cheek—
The sound of a ringing telephone woke him from the dream, which hadn’t felt much like one. His body ached.
Even as Daniel reached for the receiver, he knew who the caller was. “Cressida?”
“What have you done to me?” The harsh whisper tore a jagged hole in his heart.
“I haven’t…”
“Oh God!” She hung up while he lay there.
He heard the disconnect signal and his immediate reaction was to hurl the telephone across the room as frustration warred with good sense. It took long seconds of internal struggle before he overcame the fury.
He placed the receiver very carefully on the cradle and rose, then snatched up his glasses and stalked to his desk.
Another day of planning while burying the hunger deep inside loomed—work might help to bank the emptiness that hollowed his belly.
Not for the first time, he wondered just why he accepted the limitations of his status. Then he sighed and reached for a file.
* * * *
Cressida accepted the files from Samra with a grimace. All night she’d battled with herself. Ringing Daniel had been a major mistake. Potentially also a costly one.
Sleep hadn’t come easily for her as her body had battled the tremendous surge of desire that thrummed through her veins.
It was the touch of Samra’s hand on her shoulder that roused her.
“Cressida? Did you hear me?”
She raised her head to gaze at Samra.
Her second frowned. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said for the past few minutes.” The warrior woman took the seat opposite her. “We’ve known each other for centuries and I’ve been your second for well over a decade.”
Cressida winced at Samra’s direct attack.
“Look, I know when something is screwing with your head, so you might as well tell me.”
Cressida glanced away, knowing that action too was telling. “Dreams. I’m dreaming of— What am I doing here?”
“Oh no! Not you too!” Samra gaped at her and Cressida couldn’t disregard the concern and dismay on her second’s face. “It’s not the human, is it?”
She slumped in her seat. “I’m not even sure where to start. Samra, how do I deal with this?” Confusion rattled her. I’m too damned old to be having to cope with these ridiculous emotions! “He’s barely even a baby, and I’m…I’m old enough that most of my peers are less than even dust now. How the hell…”
Samra gave a sad shake of her head and clucked. “It happened to Xavier and Javed. I shouldn’t really be surprised. It had to happen. But the timing sucks, Cressida.”
Cressida snapped out of the cloud of self-pity at Samra’s words. “You’re right, of course. Too much is at stake for me to wallow in this well of self-indulgence. Tell me again what you’ve learned.”
“Only if you promise to listen this time.”
She winced hearing the reprimand. “Of course.” Cressida settled both hands on the wooden tabletop and gave her undivided attention to the woman on the other side of the desk.
Samra settled back, glanced at Cressida as if to check if she was listening—something Cressida found quite unnerving—then began. “We know it was Creedar’s soldiers who attacked the nest in Brisbane. They seem to rely on their overwhelming numbers and the element of surprise rather than any formal training and actual strength. But…�
� Samra’s face clouded.
“But what?”
“Indications are they had a force of maybe three hundred warriors.”
That stole the breath from Cressida’s lungs. Three hundred? Three hundred warriors? That means… Shaking her head didn’t help to clear the shock from her brain. “You’re sure that is the number?”
“That’s the estimation. Cressida, we both know that is a number we haven’t seen in…centuries!”
Samra was right. For him to have amassed that number of warriors in so short a time was unnerving and placed most of the nests in danger. An average nest might boast thirty to forty warriors. Not enough to fend off a massed attack. “Do you have any positive intelligence?” Her lips were dry and it took a great deal of effort to force the words out.
“Maybe. I think…to have those kinds of numbers, I believe his warriors would have to be turning others.” Samra braced her hands on the desk. “And we all know just how dangerous that can be.”
“No. Surely even Creedar wouldn’t make that kind of mistake. Past experience has shown—”
“If the situation is what we think, it must be something to do with Creedar himself being able to strengthen them. Cressida, this is a significant and worrisome discovery.”
“If it’s right.” Cressida raised her shaking hand to her brow. “We need to see the witches. Only they can clarify…” Her mind spun in circles. How the hell can mere warriors be changing others? Over the years, they’d seen young vampires attempt changes. They were never successful, leaving only hollow zombie-like creatures devoid of their minds. They were little more than killing machines. In the past it had been kinder to exterminate those who’d been turned before they could escape. Before humanity had discovered them.
Over the centuries, she’d cleaned up more than enough ill-conceived changes to misunderstand what was at stake.
She’d participated in the biggest cleansing, which had taken place in Spain under the guise of the inquisition. Finding the remains of their victims had turned her stomach then, and the memory still had the power to horrify her.
“There were no instances of…” She looked over at Samra.
“The walking undead? No. Not from what we’ve found, but then, as you know, it’s sometimes hard to tell, after we find what’s left…” Samra stopped, her words hanging in the air.
“We have to find their nest. Find Creedar.” A mixture of fear and anger rose, almost choking her. That Creedar would bring them to this point was beyond bearing.
“Cressida, we’re doing our best, but… We need help. The witches? Will they help us to find Creedar?”
“I’ll contact them.” She stood, needing to move, while turning over in her mind the reality that the witches might not be disposed to assist. Not after the contretemps with Daniel.
“Call a meeting of the nests for tomorrow night. We need Yeux Secondes, Masters and seconds. Warn them they’ll need security plans and ideas. We have to ensure the safety of our nests before we can consider engaging in any other kind of assistance now.” She knew her voice sounded harsh, but at times like this, the weight of her responsibilities hung like a millstone around her neck.
“Yes, Cressida. Can I also suggest…”
Cressida swung back in Samra’s direction. “What?”
“Since the investiture I’ve been working with other Seconds. Given what the witches said at Javed’s—” She stopped and for a moment Cressida was sure she didn’t want to hear what would come next.
“What?”
“If Daniel is the key, then we need—”
“No!” The words were torn from her. Knowledge of what Samra hadn’t said pierced her. She would shield him if she could. It isn’t right that he be asked to sacrifice himself and his future. Cressida couldn’t voice the argument that had played inside her brain since the idea had first been raised, instead she ignored the thread of sanity that told her he was already a pivotal member of their forces. “That will not—”
“It may not be a matter of options, Cressida. We may yet need…” As if she understood the battle Cressida waged with herself, she stopped without finishing the words, then bowed deeply.
The jittery sensation in Cressida’s belly rose. She could pluck the thoughts from Samra’s mind if she wished to, but she knew what her Second thought. That using Daniel might yet be their only option.
But in order to defeat Creedar, the texts they’d managed to decode had made it clear he’d need to make the ultimate sacrifice and undergo the change. She couldn’t do that to him, if there were any other options. She’d exhaust them first. “No.”
“If that is your wish.” Then Samra retreated, leaving Cressida scowling.
* * * *
He didn’t want to be here. His head ached, his eyes stung and exhaustion, now his constant companion, was a palpable thing. It dragged at what remained of his wits and left him wilted.
The most powerful members of all the nests had been summoned to Cressida’s. So he followed Javed and Kharisma—Javed’s second—up the stairs and into Cressida’s house.
The hubbub of voices hit him like a wall as they stepped into the foyer. Quick steps led them to the meeting room, where rows of chairs squeezed up against one another.
He looked around, seeking a quiet corner where he might regain his equilibrium, but the corners were already occupied. He edged to the side of the room where David, his cousin, stood propped against the wall.
“Do you know anything about…?” He waved his arm and Daniel shook his head, taking in the sight before him.
David clamped his arms on his shoulder, squeezing and lending support. Clearly he wasn’t the only one dealing with heavy issues, he thought as he noted David’s pallor.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t… I’m resigning my commission and plan to seek a place in a new house.”
Daniel frowned. “Today?”
“No. When the mess with Creedar is done. I’ve hung in only because… It was Hope that kept me together, once I came to terms with what had been done. I treated her badly and so did my parents. I feel dirty because I believed everything I was told. Now, it’s hard to stay after…” David shrugged and Daniel understood that David truly regretted everything that had gone before.
“But if Hope forgives you, surely the situation can be resolved?”
“No, Daniel. Everyone knows what I did. What we did. How we took her—Alexa’s—side and left Hope to suffer the consequences of the lies. It just…it doesn’t feel right, you know? She’s built something good and true. I can’t muddy it any longer than necessary. She needs to be able to rebuild her life free of that taint.”
David’s wife, Alexa, had betrayed their nest, hiding her real identity in order to cause panic and to cut off Hope. She’d known of Hope’s special abilities and used them to her own ends. They now knew it had been an offshoot of Creedar’s original plot.
Daniel could only guess how hard that knowledge was for David to bear. “If you need to move, you would be more than welcome with me. I can talk to Javed…”
“No. But thank you.” David shook his head. “When it’s done… Once Creedar is defeated, I’m thinking of going somewhere else. Somewhere far from here.” Then, sucking in a deep breath, he stepped back, around Daniel, and wandered to the other side of the room.
Daniel watched his cousin before following and looking for his spot next to Kharisma and Javed. As he sat down, Kharisma turned to him. “Everything all right?”
“I’ll explain later.”
He turned his gaze to where Cressida stood still like a statue. He wondered if anyone else noted the tremor in her hands as she spoke, welcoming them. “As you know, our Australian nests have faced the terror of Creedar’s attacks. We have sent several of our best tacticians down there to assist them in securing the nests. We have also provided financial assistance, but now we must look to our own security. We believe they may have in excess of three hundred warriors available to them.”
“We have CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts.”
Daniel watched while she fielded question after question. She didn’t stop moving, like a caged tiger he’d seen at the zoo as a child. It forcibly reminded him that she was an alpha of the night. A predator. Her every action cautioned him. He had to remember that she was a warrior looking for a way to protect her territory. It didn’t stop the driving need he felt to be with her, though.
He had to pull himself together. Blaming constant exhaustion for the wandering of his wits was inexcusable. It took extra effort, but he forced himself to concentrate, and before too long he’d immersed himself in the twisting conversation. The discussion turned to ways they could protect the nests, including early warning systems and internal safe rooms, which could be erected in the human offices and houses in case of attacks.
He noted they avoided the discussions of public sentiment and he couldn’t fault them for that.
However, as much as he could understand the situation, he still felt it was unwise to ignore the long-term ramifications.
As the meeting broke up, Cressida called him and Javed.
Kharisma caught his eye, then Javed’s, before shrugging. “I’ll wait outside.”
The room emptied until finally there was only Javed, Daniel and the Councilors.
A fraught silence twanged at his brain. He could see them looking at one another, and several exuded surprise and anger.
He wondered at the communication, what it meant. It doesn’t bode well, he thought.
Cressida gave a silent nod, and as one the Councilors rose and left the room, leaving him with Javed and Cressida. The door reopened and admitted three ancient witches who exuded unmistakable power.
“Councilor? How may we assist you?” Javed spoke smoothly but he took position in front of Daniel.
His ire rose, though he knew it was an automatic action from his Master.
