You’re a fool, she told herself. He posed just as great a threat to her as his grandfather. The fact that he could use his magic on her without a qualm was proof of that.
Her legs stopped moving when it reached the door to their room.
“I’m going to release you,” Tarian said, arms crossed over his chest. “It’s your choice whether to walk into this room so we can have a civilized conversation or whether I have to chase you down again.”
The tingling in her limbs drained away, until she was once again in control.
“I’m going to enjoy watching my father eviscerate you,” she promised with a smile.
“Let’s just add this to the list of things I need to make up to you before we reach New York.” He gestured into the room, and she strode passed him with her head held high. The last thing she wanted him to know was how unnerved she was to be powerless in his presence.
Melissa heard the door close behind her but refused to turn. Instead, she went to the window and looked out at the dark parking lot. She wasn’t used to being the weaker partner in any sort of relationship. Vampires were stronger than most immortals, but all her usual advantages were wiped away with Tarian. She had nothing to fight with if things went south, and the knowledge made her want to do physical damage.
“This isn’t how I wanted to start our night,” he said from behind her.
“I can’t tell you how devastated I am to have ruined your plans.”
“Let’s have a seat and discuss our situation calmly.”
“Or, and I’m just tossing ideas around here, I could continue to curse the day you walked into my life and do everything in my power to escape you.” She turned, ready to stare him down. “Decisions, decisions.”
“You could,” he agreed, as he perched on the edge of the bed. “But you’ll fail.”
Her fangs burst from her gums as she hissed at him. “If at first you don’t succeed—”
“You don’t want to try again.”
Silence stretched as she regarded the man she’d been so happy to see walk into her office just a few nights ago. Now everything was different. Her world was splintering and she had no idea who to trust.
“Is this were we get to the portion of the evening where you rain threats down on me?” she murmured.
His eyes were blank as he looked at her. No hint of her boyish would-be lover remained in the necromancer before her.
“That’s not how I want this to play out,” he replied.
“But a bastard’s gotta do what a bastard’s gotta do, am I right?”
He stood, and every instinct in her flared to life, even though he looked harmless enough.
“I don’t want to use my power on you. Never did. I regret that circumstances made it necessary to do so today.”
“Please,” she replied. “Necromancers love nothing more than to use vampires like puppets.”
“I’ve told you before, you have no concept of my race.”
A smile twisted her lips but she doubted her expression was pleasant. “Your grandfather gave me a crash course.”
“We’re nothing alike.”
“I’m sure.”
“I gave you a rield.”
The words cut off the snarky comment she’d been about to voice. Instead she kept her peace and waited for him to continue.
“Dominic took it from you, so I know you understand what it means.”
She swallowed before inclining her head. “I don’t know why you gave it to me, though.”
“I wanted to protect you,” he replied, walking toward her. “Even from myself.”
“Out of character.”
He shook his head. “Had we worked out, I never wanted you to doubt, even for a moment, that all your decisions had been your own.”
Her heart twisted in her chest.
“I’ve told you before, but I’ll say it again.” He stopped before her. “You’ll always be safe with me.”
Her breath caught. Sincerity infused the simple vow. It was far too tempting to believe him, to step into his arms and let the world fall away. Even knowing what he was, she didn’t want to be his enemy.
Tarian reached for her before his hand paused and eventually dropped. “What I am doesn’t define who I am,” he said.
“Make me another bracelet, and I’ll consider believing you,” she offered. “Prove you won’t control me and then maybe…” She let the words trail off, not knowing what she could promise.
Tarian shook his head. “I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Making a rield requires time and resources, neither of which we have available. It also requires a deep store of power. I won’t be able to make another one for years.”
She blinked. Though Dominic had been shocked to see the bracelet on her, she hadn’t thought it was an item of such priceless value.
“What if you’d met your mate in the next few years, and I was still wearing the only rield you could create?” she whispered.
Tarian looked away, refusing to answer the question.
Confusion swept through her mind. Had she been a fleeting tryst, he wouldn’t have wasted the gift on her. Which meant he’d either intended to get it back or…
Or he’d been serious about thinking of her as a potential mate.
She shook her head to try and find some clarity.
“Answer me this, then. If you had a rield in your possession right now, would you give it to me?”
Tarian exhaled slowly before turning back to her. The sincerity and regret that had filled his face were gone, replaced with an enigmatic mask.
“No,” he said. “When we first met, I was trying to be noble. Now I’m trying to stop a war.”
“And you’ll do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.”
“Yes.”
“Monster.”
His hands shot out to grip her arms at the soft charge.
“I’m trying to save more than just necromancer lives.”
“So you say.”
She lifted her chin and met his gaze, even though her instincts urged her to yield. Tarian held all the cards. She should be trying to appease him instead of pushing him to react. No matter what her circumstances, however, she didn’t have it in her to back down. Not even before a necromancer who watched her with barely concealed anger burning in his eyes.
He pushed her back against the wall as he crowded into her space.
“You’re trying my patience.”
“If I had a nickel.”
His hands tightened on her arms. “You will accompany me to New York, even if I have to enspell you across the whole damn country.”
Looked like her dashing would-be mate had no qualms about forcing her to behave like a doll whenever she proved a little less malleable than he wished. Good to know. Not the least bit devastating at all.
“Then I guess I’ll learn exactly what kind of man you are.”
All emotion, even the anger, was wiped clean from his face. Ice slithered down her spine as she looked into the blank blue eyes regarding her. Despite her bravado, she did not want this man in her head.
“I’m backed into a corner,” he said. “And I’ll do anything to avert this coming disaster.”
“Why do you need me?” she demanded. “Just let me go, Tarian.”
He gave a sharp shake of his head.
“Your father will rip apart my people when he discovers Dominic was behind your abduction.”
“True.”
“That means we have one chance of stopping this before it gets out of hand. Necromancers took you, so necromancers need to return you. You’ve got to end up in New York with me as a sign of good faith so we can convince Redgrave not all of us are evil.”
“First you’ve got to convince me.”
“I’m always up for a challenge.”
Options flew through her mind. Strike out on her own, try to contact Lucian, stay with Tarian. She had no idea which choice would help her most.
“Melissa,�
� Tarian said, a thread of warmth creeping back into his voice. “Your chances of survival are slim on your own.” His grip tightened on her as he added, “And mine are non-existent without you.”
“I should care what happens to you?”
He didn’t flinch, she’d give him that. “I have a sister to protect,” he said. “Not to mention a whole race your people could annihilate. You can hate me, Melissa, but I’m not leaving you until New York.”
“And if I decided not to ally myself with my enemy, you’ll make the choice for me.”
Tarian shook his head. “Don’t ask me to choose between you and my entire race.”
Because she’d lose. Whatever they had in New York, obviously it hadn’t meant to him what it had to her.
“Fine. Whatever you say. It’s not like I have a choice in the matter.”
He didn’t move. “Give me your word you won’t try and escape me. Do it, and I’ll swear not to use my powers on you.”
She inhaled out of habit at the unexpected offer. His powers were his trump card. Never before had she encountered an enemy willing to give up his advantage so easily.
“Why?” she demanded. What sort of trick was he pulling?
“Because despite what you believe, I never wanted to use them on you in the first place. It’s a promise I’ll be happy to make.”
“No power. Not ever. I don’t care what situation we get into, I stay with you, and you keep your creepy magic off me.”
“That’s the deal.”
She chewed her lip as she mulled over her options. There was no denying it was the best deal she could hope to wring from him. Not to mention, given the circumstances, it might not be a bad idea to stick together. Though a phone call would have her father’s men to her in hours, Tarian was right. There would be no hiding such a public rescue, and the vampires would consider this an attack on their race. They’d lose any chance at avoiding conflict, and the resulting uprising would put vampire lives in jeopardy. Her immediate safety was not worth igniting a war. Taking a road trip with a necromancer, however, didn’t exactly sound like her kind of vacation.
“If you break your word, I will never trust you again,” she cautioned. “I don’t care what sort of partnership we build. You use your magic on me, and we are through.”
“You don’t trust me now.”
“You know what I mean.”
He inclined his head. “I will keep my promise.”
Melissa exhaled slowly before she made her decision. “Deal. I’ll stay with you. But if you betray me, I’ll use all of my father’s considerable resources to hunt you down and make you regret it.”
“Duly noted.”
Pushing him back, she jerked away from his grip and paced the length of the room. “How long will it take to drive back to the city?”
“Forty hours, give or take,” he replied. “You didn’t do too well in the trunk, though, so I’d suggest only traveling at night.”
“Four nights or so,” she said, factoring in the average hours of darkness. She could stand his company for that long, especially if she’d either be unconscious or behind the wheel most of that time.
“Fine,” she said. “Then we should get on the road as soon as possible.”
“Ready when you are.”
Melissa smoothed a hand down her dress, noting the scorch marks where the sun had burned her skin. Several red welts still showed on her calves, but most of her daylight injuries were well on their way to healing.
“I’ve got to stop somewhere to change,” she said. “I know the heroines in adventure movies might run from exploding buildings in tight dresses and stiletto heels, but in reality we do better with jeans and running shoes.”
Tarian gestured to the broken down chair in the corner. A gray Wal-Mart bag waited for her.
“I thought of that,” he said. “Once you were settled in, I did a quick run.”
She took the bag and refrained from thanking him for the unexpected thoughtfulness.
“I had to guess at the sizes,” he replied, striding back to the bed.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” she said and slipped into the bathroom.
There she traded her Dior dress and Jimmy Choos for polyester and sneakers. Glancing in the mirror, she saw every trace of a curl had left her hair, and her makeup had more or less vanished. She looked…ordinary. Something she hadn’t been since her human days.
You’re a Redgrave, she told herself. The match of any necromancer, no matter how old.
Rolling her shoulders back, she lifted her chin. In four nights she’d be home. She could do this. As long as she remembered the real Tarian was the one who had forcibly brought her back to this room, not the one who had shown up at her office with lunch and even more delicious kisses. Whatever reason he’d had for pursuing her, she bet it wasn’t because of her awesome dating abilities. Which meant she had to keep her foolish, romantic heart firmly in check. She might have deluded herself into thinking he was the man of her dreams, but she’d never been the woman of his.
Opening the door, she found Tarian standing with his back to her. She paused and took the opportunity to study him. Tension knotted in his tight shoulders. He must have had time to exchange his regular suits for more casual attire before setting out after her but still, she appreciated the speed at which he’d managed to come to her aid.
You’re a means to an end to him, she told herself. Even if that end is in everyone’s best interests. It doesn’t change the facts.
She couldn’t trust him. Ever.
“I’m ready,” she called.
He turned to her, but there was no pleasure in his eyes. “Then we should get going.”
“I’ll drive,” she offered. “You couldn’t have gotten much sleep.”
He inclined his head. The fact that he hadn’t argued told her just how exhausted he must be. She’d slept the day away while he’d put a safe buffer between them and Dominic. Given that he’d spent the night before awake with the necromancers, he must be asleep on his feet.
Together they left the run down motel in wary harmony.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had to drive herself anywhere. Not only was Manhattan not exactly conducive to owning a car, but she had a driver whenever there was a need. Ignoring the whole trying-to-avoid-a-group-of-zealous-necromancers thing, she rather enjoyed the freedom of the wide open Arizona roads. While Tarian slept in the passenger seat, she’d spent hours flying down the dark pavement. There was definitely something to be said for racing through the desert on empty roads, feeling like the last people on earth.
However, her joy at the open road shriveled when her companion came to. Melissa glanced at the clock on the dashboard, wondering if she could use the dawn as an excuse to pull over for the night and escape the confines of the small car. But the traitorous timepiece showed at least two hours before she could justify stopping for the day.
“No trouble?” Tarian asked, pushing himself up in the seat.
“No sign of your criminal cousins,” she replied. “Looks like we’re still ahead of them.”
Silence stretched, and it was anything but comfortable.
“You made good time tonight,” he offered, glancing out the window.
“Not like there are many cops to catch me in these parts.”
“If we continue to make such speed we might shave a few hours off our estimate.”
Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Excellent news.”
“Still, it’s good to know that—”
“Stop,” Melissa cut in. “Just…stop.” She drew in a deep breath out of habit as she tried to figure out how to best phrase her request. “I can’t sit here and chitchat with you as if nothing has happened,” she said.
His head turned slowly to look at her. His powers might allow him to sense the changes in her body, but that advantage worked both ways. Melissa counted the steady heartbeats echoing in her ears.
“I regret you were drawn into this.”
His words broke the uncomfortable silence.
She glanced at him before looking back at the road. “Your fault.”
“I know.”
“What, did you walk into Fated Match and decide it was a great day to screw with a vampire’s life?”
“No.”
“Was I your way of taking your pound of flesh from the vamp community?”
“Didn’t even cross my mind.”
Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. Those words had sounded so sincere, and the weakest part of her wished they were. “Then why?” she said. “Why did you pursue me?”
His gaze never wavered from her. Melissa felt its weight like a physical touch as she waited for him to respond.
“You won’t believe a thing I say,” he told her, his voice soft in the quiet of the car. “Any answer I offer will be dismissed. Tell me I’m wrong.”
What had she expected? That he start waxing poetically about being struck by her beauty and just having to have her, despite the barrier of their species? Her life rarely worked out so perfectly. No, there was more to the story than lust, if he’d even been serious about his attraction to her.
He’s right. She’d distrust whatever answer he gave her. It was a useless line of inquiry. Melissa shook her head, knowing just days ago she would have trusted him so easily because she’d foolishly hoped he was something he could never be.
“There’s a twenty-four hour convenience store ahead,” she said, as they drove through one of the small towns that had peppered their journey. “We should stop for supplies.”
She didn’t bother waiting for his reply, merely slowed to a halt outside the brightly lit store. Pushing from the car, she inhaled the desert night air. She needed a break. Trying to figure Tarian out was giving her a headache.
As she walked up the wooden steps to the store, she tried to run her hand through her hair only to have her fingers get stuck in the tangles. Looked like stopping would serve two purposes. She could catch her breath, figuratively, and get a hairbrush all in one fell swoop.
A tiny bell chimed as she entered the store. Rows of shelves, housing every item you never knew you desperately needed, waited before her. The cashier barely cast her a glance before turning back to the small TV perched before him.
Dying to Date Page 8
