by Nalini Singh
Chapter 2
The first thing she did after recovering from the compulsion to throw up was call the Guild. "I need to speak to Sara," she told the receptionist.
"I'm sorry. The director has left the office. "
Hanging up, Elena punched in the number to Sara's home line.
The other woman picked up after barely half a ring. "Now, how did I know I was going to hear from you today?"
Elena's hand clenched on the phone. "Sara, please tell me I'm having a delusion and you did not sign me up to work for an archangel. "
"Er . . . um . . . " Sara Haziz, Guild Director for the entire U. S. of A. , and all-around tough-ass, suddenly sounded more like a nervous teenage girl. "Hell, Ellie, it's not like I could say no. "
"What would he have done-killed you?"
"Probably," Sara muttered. "His vampire lackey made it very clear that he wanted you. And that he is not used to being denied. "
"You tried to say no?"
"I am your best friend. Gimme a little credit, here. "
Slumping into the sofa cushions, Elena stared out at the Tower. "What's the job?
"I don't know. " Sara began to make soft cooing sounds. "Don't worry-I'm not wasting my breath in a futile attempt to calm you down. The baby's awake. Aren't you, sweetie pie?" Kissing noises filled the air.
Elena still couldn't believe Sara had gone and tied the knot. And had a baby to boot. "How's Mini Me?" Sara had named her daughter Zoe Elena. Damn if Elena hadn't sniffled like a baby herself when she found out. "Hope she's giving you hell. "
"She loves her mommy. " More kissing noises. "And she said to tell you she's gonna Mini Me you after she grows a few more feet. She and Slayer are a crack team. "
Elena laughed at the mention of the monster dog that lived to slobber on unsuspecting people. "Where's your beloved? I thought Deacon liked doing the baby stuff. "
"He does. " Sara's smile was apparent even through the telephone line and it made something inside Elena clench in the most vicious of ways. It wasn't that she begrudged Sara her happiness, or that she wanted Deacon. No, it was something far deeper, a sense of time slipping through her fingers.
Over the past year, it had become increasingly obvious that her friends were moving on to the next stages of their lives, while she remained in limbo, a twenty-eight-year-old vampire hunter with no strings, no attachments. Sara had put down her bow and arrow-except for the odd urgent hunt-and taken on the most critical desk job in the Guild. Her lethally skilled tracker of a husband had gone into the business of manufacturing hunter tools (and changing diapers), with a slow grin that all but shouted contentment. Hell, even Ransom had had the same bed partner for the past two months.
"Hey, Ellie, you gone to sleep?" Sara asked over the baby's happy squeals. "Having dreams about your archangel?"
"More like nightmares," she muttered, squinting as she caught sight of an angel coming to land on the Tower roof. Her heart skipped a beat as his wings flared out to slow his descent. "You never finished telling me about Deacon. Why isn't he on baby duty?"
"He's gone to the store with Slayer to pick up some double-chocolate very-berry ice cream. I told him the cravings stick around for a while after birth. "
Sara's delight in fooling her husband should have made Elena laugh, but she was too aware of the fear crawling up her spine. "Sara, did the vampire give you any hint of why he asked for me?"
"Sure. He said Raphael wanted the best. "
"I'm the best," Elena muttered the next morning as she got out of the taxi in front of the magnificent creation that was Archangel Tower. "I'm the best. "
"Hey, lady, you gonna pay me or just talk to yourself?"
"What? Oh. " Pulling out a twenty-dollar note, she bent down and crushed it into the cabbie's hand. "Keep the change. "
His scowl turned into a grin. "Thanks! What, you got a big hunt coming on?"
Elena didn't ask how he'd pegged her for a hunter. "No. But I do have a high chance of meeting a horrible death within the next few hours. Might as well do something good and up my shot at getting into heaven. "
The cabbie thought she was a riot. He was still laughing as he drove off, leaving her standing on the very edge of the wide path that led up to the Tower entrance. The unusually bright morning sunlight glared off the white stone of the path, sharp enough to cut. Pulling off her shades from where she'd hung them-in the vee of her shirt-she placed them gratefully over her tired, sleep-deprived eyes. Now that she was no longer in danger of being blinded, she saw the shadows she'd missed earlier. Of course she'd known they were there-sight wasn't her primary sense when it came to vampires.
Several of them stood along the sides of the Tower but there were at least ten others hidden or walking around in the well-cared-for shrubbery outside. All were dressed in dark suits teamed with white shirts, their hair cut in the sleek, perfect lines patented by FBI agents. Black shades and discreet earpieces finished off the secret-agent effect.
But internal commentary aside, Elena knew these vampires were nothing like the one she'd tagged last night. These guys had been around a long time. Their intense scent-dark but not unpleasant-when added to the fact that they were guarding Archangel Tower, told her they were both smart and extremely dangerous. As she watched, two of them moved out of the shrubbery and into the path of direct sunlight.
Neither burst into flames.
Such a violent reaction to sunlight-another myth embraced by the moviemakers-would have made her job a heck of a lot easier. All she'd have had to do was wait until they went down for the count. But no, most vampires were perfectly capable of walking around twenty-four hours a day. The few that suffered from light sensitivity still didn't "die" when the sun came up. They simply found shade. "And you're procrastinating-soon you'll be composing an ode to the gardens," she muttered under her breath. "You're a professional. You're the best. You can do this. "
Taking a deep breath and trying not to think about the angels she knew were flying overhead, she began walking toward the entrance. Nobody paid her any overt attention, but when she finally reached the door, the vampire on duty bowed his head in a small nod and opened it for her. "Straight through to the reception desk. "
Elena blinked and removed her sunglasses. "Don't you want to check my ID?"
"You're expected. "
The doorvamp's insidiously seductive scent-an unusual trait thought to be an evolutionary adaptation against the hunters' tracking abilities-swirled around her in a sinister caress as she thanked him and walked through.
The air-conditioned lobby was a seemingly endless space dominated by deep gray marble shot through with discreet veins of gold. As an example of wealth, good taste, and subtle intimidation, it took first prize. She was suddenly very glad she'd traded in her usual jeans and T-shirt combo for a pair of tailored black pants and a crisp white shirt. She'd even tamed her slithery hair into a French twist and stuffed her feet into high heels.
Those heels hit the marble with sharp businesslike sounds as she crossed the lobby. As she walked, she noted everything around her, from the number of vampire guards, to the exquisite-though slightly odd-flower arrangements, to the fact that the receptionist was a very, very, very old vampire . . . with the face and body of a well-maintained thirty-year-old.
"Ms. Deveraux, I'm Suhani. " The receptionist rose with a smile and walked out from behind her curving desk. It, too, was stone, but of a jet so well polished, it reflected everything with mirror perfection. "I'm so pleased to meet you. "
Elena shook the woman's hand, sensing the flow of fresh blood, the beat of a racing heart. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Suhani who it was that she'd breakfasted on-the blood was unusually potent-but she caught the impulse before it could get her into trouble. "Thank you. "
Suhani smiled and, to Elena's eyes, it was a smile filled with old knowledge, with centuries of experience. "You must've made good time. " She glanced at her watch. "I
t's only seven forty-five. "
"The traffic was light. " And she hadn't wanted to start this meeting out on the wrong foot. "Am I too early?"
"No. He's waiting for you. " The smile faded, to be replaced by a slightly disappointed expression. "I thought you'd be . . . scarier. "
"Don't tell me you watch Hunter's Prey?" The disgusted comment was out before she could stop it.
Suhani gave her a disconcertingly human grin. "Guilty, I'm afraid. The show is just so entertaining. And S. R. Stoker-the producer-is a former vampire hunter. "
Yeah, and she was the Tooth Fairy. "Let me guess, you expected me to carry a big sword and have eyes that glow red?" Elena shook her head. "You're a vampire. You know none of that is true. "
Suhani's expression slipped to reveal a cooler darkness. "You sound very certain of my vampirism. Most people never guess. "
Elena decided now was not the time for a lesson in hunter biology. "I've had a lot of experience. " She shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "Shall we go on up?"
Suhani was suddenly, and, it seemed, honestly, flustered. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I've kept you waiting. Please follow me. "
"Don't worry. It was only a minute. " And she was grateful for the chance it had given her to settle her thoughts. If this elegant but sensitive vampire could deal with Raphael, then so could she. "What's he like?"
Suhani's stride faltered for a second before she caught herself. "He is . . . an archangel. " The awe in her voice was mixed with equal parts fear.
Elena's confidence took a nosedive. "Do you see him often?"
"No, why should I?" The receptionist gave her a puzzled smile. "He has no need to pass through the lobby. He can fly. "
Elena could've slapped herself. "Right. " She came to a standstill in front of the elevator doors. "Thank you. "
"You're welcome. " Suhani began to key in a security code on the touch screen mounted on a small plinth beside the elevator. "This car will take you straight up to the roof. "
Elena paused. "The roof?"
"He'll meet you there. "
Startled, but knowing a delay would gain her nothing, Elena entered the large, mirror-paneled car and turned to face Suhani. As the doors shut, she was uncomfortably reminded of the vampire she'd locked into a crate less than twelve hours ago. Now she knew what it felt like to be on the other side. If she hadn't been so certain she was under surveillance, she might have given in to the urge to drop her professional facade and start pacing like a crazy woman.
Or a rat stuck in a maze.
The elevator began to rise in a smooth movement that shrieked money. The glowing numerals on the LCD panel ticked over in a stomach-curdling sequence. She decided to stop counting after the car passed floor number seventy-five. Instead, she made use of the mirrors to ostensibly smooth down the twisted strap of her purse . . . while actually ensuring her weapons remained well hidden.
No one had ordered her to come in unarmed.
The elevator whispered to a smooth stop. The doors opened. Not giving herself a chance to hesitate, she headed out and into a small glass enclosure. It was immediately obvious that the glass cage was nothing more than the shell that housed the elevator. The roof lay beyond . . . and it had not even a token railing to stop an accidental plunge.
The archangel clearly didn't believe in putting his guests at ease.
But Elena wouldn't call him a bad host-a table set with croissants, coffee, and orange juice sat in solitary splendor in the middle of the wide open space. Another look and she saw that the roof wasn't bare concrete. It had been paved with dark gray tiles that glimmered silver under the sun's rays. The tiles were beautiful and unquestionably expensive. An extravagant waste, she thought, then realized that to a being with wings, a roof was assuredly not a useless space.
Raphael was nowhere to be seen.
Putting her hand on the doorknob, she pulled open the glass door and walked out. To her relief, the tiles proved to have a rough surface-the wind was soft right now but she knew that this high, it could turn cutting without warning, and heels weren't exactly stable at the best of times. She wondered if the tablecloth was bolted to the table. Otherwise, it would probably fly off and take the food with it sooner rather than later.
Then again, that might be a good thing. Nerves didn't make for easy digestion.
Leaving her purse on the table, she walked carefully to the nearest edge . . . and looked down. Exhilaration raced through her at the incredible view of angels flying in and out of the Tower. They seemed almost close enough to touch, the temptation of their powerful wings a siren song.
"Careful. " The word was soft, the tone amused.
She didn't jump, having felt the push of wind engendered by his near-silent landing. "Would they catch me if I fell?" she asked, without looking his way.
"If they were in the mood for it. " He came to stand beside her, his wings filling her peripheral vision. "You don't suffer from vertigo. "
"Never have," she admitted, so terrified of the sheer power of him that she sounded absolutely normal. It was either that or start screaming. "I've never been up this high before. "
"What do you think?"
She took a deep breath and a step backward before turning to face him. The impact hit her like a physical blow. He was . . . "Beautiful. " Eyes of such pure undiluted blue it was as if some heavenly artist had crushed sapphires into his paints and then colored in the irises with the finest of brushes.
She was still reeling from the visual shock when a sudden wind swept across the rooftop, lifting up strands of his black hair. But black was too tame a word for it. It was so pure it held echoes of the night, vivid and passionate. Cut in careless layers that stopped at the nape of his neck, it bared the sharp angles of his face and made her fingers curl with the urge to stroke.
Yes, he was beautiful, but it was the beauty of a warrior or a conqueror. This man had power stamped on every inch of his skin, every piece of his flesh. And that was before she took in the exquisite perfection of his wings. The feathers were a soft white and appeared dusted with gold. But when she concentrated, she saw the truth-each individual filament of each individual feather bore a golden tip.
"Yes, it's beautiful up here," he said, breaking into her fascination.
She blinked, then felt her face color, having no idea of how much time had passed. "Yes. "
His smile bore a hint of mockery, of male satisfaction . . . and of pure, lethal focus. "Let us have breakfast and talk. "
Furious at having allowed herself to be blindsided by his physical beauty, she bit the inside of her cheek in reprimand. She wasn't going to fall into the same trap again. Raphael clearly knew how striking he was, and he knew the effect it had on unsuspecting mortals. Which made him an arrogant SOB she should have no trouble resisting.
Pulling out a chair, he waited. She halted a foot away, very conscious of his height and strength. She wasn't used to feeling small. Or weak. That he could cause her to experience either sensation-and without any apparent effort-made her angry enough to chance reprisal. "I'm not comfortable with anyone standing behind me. "
A spark of surprise in those blue, blue eyes. "Shouldn't it be me who fears a knife in the back? You're the one carrying concealed weapons. "
The fact that he'd guessed at her weapons meant nothing. A hunter was always armed. "The difference is, I'll die. You won't. "
With a small, amused wave of his hand, he walked to the other side of the table, his wings brushing over the squeaky clean tiles to leave behind a shimmering trail of white gold. She was certain he'd done it on purpose. Angels didn't always shed angel dust. When they did, it was immediately collected up by mortals and vampires alike. The price for a speck of the bright stuff was more than that for a flawlessly cut diamond.
But if Raphael thought she was going to get down on her knees and scrabble, he had another think coming.
"You don't fear me," he said now.
She wasn't stupid enough to lie. "I'm petrified. But I figure you didn't make me come all this way just so you could push me off the roof. "
His mouth curved, as if she'd said something funny. "Take a seat, Elena. " Her name sounded different on his lips. A binding. As if by speaking it, he'd gained power over her. "Like you said, I have no plans to kill you. Not today. "
She sat with the elevator cubicle at her back, aware of him waiting with old-world chivalry until she'd done so. His wings draped gracefully over the specially designed chair back as he followed suit. "How old are you?" she found herself asking before she could nip her curiosity in the bud.
He raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Do you have no sense of self-preservation?" It was a casual comment but she heard the steel beneath the surface.
Chill fingers trailed over her spine. "Some would say not-I am a vampire hunter. "
Something dark and exquisitely dangerous moved in the crystalline depths of those eyes no human would ever have. "A born hunter, not a trained one. "
"Yes. "
"How many vampires have you captured or killed?"
"You know the number. It's why I'm sitting here. "
Another gust of wind whipped across the roof, this one strong enough to rattle the cups and pull strands of hair from her twist. She didn't try to pin them back, keeping her full attention on the archangel instead. He was watching her in turn, much as a large beast of prey might watch the rabbit it was eyeing for dinner.
"Tell me about your abilities. " It was nothing less than an order, his tone a blade that whispered warning. The archangel no longer found her entertaining.
Elena refused to look away, even as she dug her fingernails into her thighs to anchor herself. "I can scent vampires, differentiate one from the pack. That's it. " A useless skill-unless one was a vampire hunter. It sort of made the term "career choice" an oxymoron.
"How old does the vampire have to be for you to sense his or her presence?"
It was an odd question and one she had to pause to consider. "Well, the youngest I've tracked was two months old. And he was the outer limits. Most vamps wait at least a year before trying anything funny. "
"So you've never had any contact with a younger vampire?"
Elena had no idea where he was going with this line of questioning. "Contact, sure. But not as a hunter. You're an angel-you have to know they don't exactly function well the first month or so after being Made. " It was that stage in their development that continued to fuel the myth about vampires being lifeless zombies given will.
They truly were creepy in the first few weeks. Eyes wide open but with nobody home, flesh pallid and wasted, movements uncoordinated. It was why the hate groups preferred to target new vamps. Most people found it far easier to mutilate and torture someone who looked like a walking corpse than someone who could be their best friend. Or brother-in-law, in Elena's case. "That young, they can't feed themselves, much less run away. "
"Nevertheless, we will do a test. " The archangel picked up the glass of juice beside his plate and took a drink. "Eat. "
"I'm not hungry. "
He put down the glass. "It's a blood insult to refuse an archangel's table. "
Elena had never before heard the term, but if it involved blood, it couldn't be anything good. "I ate before coming here. " A flat-out lie. She hadn't been able to keep down much more than water, and that with effort.
"Then drink. " It was an instruction so absolute, she knew he expected instant obedience.
Something snapped inside her. "Or else?"
The wind stopped. Even the clouds seemed to freeze.
Death whispered in her ear.
