Blood Wager (Blood Destiny #1)

by Connie Suttle

  "Holy crap, you guys are good." I slapped a hand across my mouth. That probably wasn't a wise thing to say in front of the boss. Wlodek shuffled things around on his desk for a minute.

  "Now," Wlodek said, focusing on me again, "just a few other things. You are not to harm anyone inside this house unless they are threatening me, Charles or Radomir."

  "Radomir's a decent person," I said.

  "Am I chopped liver?" Charles complained.

  "Honey, you're pure caviar," I said. "Not anywhere close to liver. I was just thinking along the line of Enforcers. And Assassins."

  "You got all that from such brief exposure?" Charles was staring at me.

  "It wasn't hard," I said. "And if anyone's threatening you and it isn't Radomir or the Honored One, here, I'll be happy to slap a knot on their head for you."

  "Is that something they say in Oklahoma?" Charles was smiling.

  "Yes. And half the judges on the bench pack a gun in the courthouse. Welcome to the Wild West. The only place that might be a little weirder is Texas."

  "We're well-versed on Texas," Wlodek observed dryly. He didn't elaborate.

  * * *

  The bed was wonderful. I made a point to lie down on it before dawn caused me to pass out. The windows had all been blocked inside the bedroom by retractable panels that could be drawn back by pressing a button. The twilight sky was overcast when I woke the following evening; I found the button and checked it out. Wouldn't do to forget to shut those things before dawn since the windows were right in front of the bed. I found that Charles was waiting for me when I went down for my dinner. "Wlodek asked me to take you into London. Your wardrobe is, well, tiny," he said, grinning a lop-sided grin.

  "I have some cash," I said. "But it's U.S. Dollars. Is there someplace to exchange it?" My envelope of cash had been inside my suitcase but Gavin left my purse behind. The purse had held my fake ID, the cell that Winkler had given me and the company credit card I'd used. Gavin. Just the thought of him made me want to growl and allow my fangs to slip out. I wanted to slap him. Give him a knee in the groin. The sad thing? I'd never be able to get close enough to do that. All he had to do was place compulsion and it would be sit, stay, blink. Fuck him. Fuck him and the vampire sire that made him.

  "Keep your money for now. Wlodek said to buy what you need and use his card." Charles flashed a card at me. "We can get yours exchanged later."

  Charles drove and except for my limo rides, it was the first time I'd really experienced riding in a car in England. I got to sit up front with him, too, and aside from grabbing the Oh God handle once in a while when I was convinced he was about to get us killed, it was a fascinating trip.

  I'd heard of Harrod's before, but never thought I'd shop there. They have casual designers. International designers. Luxury collections. Designer shoes. I almost hyperventilated. Charles had to fan me to keep me on my feet and he grinned the whole time I was going through the lingerie department. Thank goodness we were vampires; there were so many bags after a while they would have required a pack mule if I'd still been human. Charles was determined to buy everything he thought I might look good in while I was trying to calm him down. "He'll kill us both," I hissed when he slid a designer dress off the rack. It was gorgeous but it cost a thousand pounds.

  "I pay all his bills," Charles grinned maliciously. "He told me to get what you need. You might need this."

  "Charles, we've known each other for a whole day or so. Put that back." I hung the dress up. "I'll buy it myself if I have to have it." We went to the salon after that, so I could get my hair cut and styled before the store closed.

  "That's perfect," Charles admired my hair. He'd gone off to look at a few things for himself while I was getting my haircut.

  "How long does it take to grow hair out, anyway?" I asked. He knew I meant it in the Vampiric sense.

  "We may grow half an inch of hair in a year. That sort of thing is very slow," he said. "And I've never had to shave since I was turned."

  "Well, that's interesting." I hadn't shaved my legs or my pits either, but I wasn't going to discuss that. Charles was all male, too, no doubt about that, even though he did enjoy shopping with me. I don't think Charles gets to go out much with someone who's as young or younger than he is. All the vampires in the house are older.

  "Is it impolite to ask who turned you?" I asked when we got back to his car.

  "It depends. I don't mind telling you, but you need to get to know anyone else before you ask."

  "All right," I nodded.

  "Flavio turned me. He was the Council member who was sitting to my left."

  I'd seen him, all right. He may have been the most beautiful man I'd ever seen in my life. "He voted not guilty," Charles was smiling.

  "I remember," I said. I knew the scents of every one of those Council members, in addition to which ones had voted for and against me.

  "I thought he was going to crush the table in his fingers when he saw you cry," Charles said. I wasn't sure what to do with that information, so I kept quiet. Charles likes to talk and he adores information of any kind. He kept up a constant conversation all the way home.

  * * *

  "Charles and I have gone through the records and there isn't another one anywhere," Wlodek looked across his desk at the vampire who sat there. "You need to teach this one carefully, as her abilities might be more than useful. She must be brought to the idea of working for the Council in a gentle manner. The possibilities are almost endless if she does so willingly."

  "I hope you do not intend to send her out as a prostitute." The voice was chilling.

  "This one would never consent to that," Wlodek said. "And it would be distasteful in the extreme to do that to her. Wait until you see her; she is quite lovely."

  "I have no interest in that."

  "I know. I hope you do not treat her indifferently, however. She needs someone to genuinely care for her."

  "I will do my best. I will certainly not mistreat her."

  "Good. Here are the financial holdings," Wlodek handed over a thick folder. "The building in London needs renovation. I don't believe Sergio used it for the past fifty years."

  "I'll see to it. Anything else?"

  "Let her stay here, tonight. I'll send her over tomorrow."

  "All right." The vampire sighed as he rose, nodding to Wlodek on his way out.

  * * *

  "I have found someone who has agreed to act as your surrogate sire," Wlodek informed me as I sat in the same chair I'd taken two nights before. The information caused me to draw in a shaky breath. "He has several turns to his credit and every one of them has had much success. Unfortunately, he lost two of them, three years ago. I think he still feels the loss so do not vex him overmuch."

  "All right." I knew about loss. No way was I going to rip into those wounds if I could help it.

  "Charles will drive you over tomorrow. Your new sire's home here in England is about twenty miles away. He owns property in New York and other locations as well. I can only imagine that he might take you traveling with him at times."

  I could only nod. My life was about to take another turn and I wasn't sure I was ready for it. "Pack up your things except for what you need tonight and tomorrow. Charles will drive you to your new home as soon as you are ready tomorrow evening." Wlodek turned back to a stack of papers on his desk. I'd been dismissed. I wanted to ask questions. He hadn't given me the vampire's name or any other information about him. This was worse than a blind date. What if he was another version of Gavin? That would be untenable and there wasn't any way I could ask for a different sire if I didn't like this one. My legs were a little unsteady, I think, when I rose from my chair, mumbled my thanks to Wlodek and left his study.

  "I think you'll like this," Charles said as he drove me the following evening. I'd dressed in slacks and a new top that was a cranberry color, leaving my hair loose. I didn't know what else to do. I had four suitcases, now; Charles had dug up some expensive stuff from the basem
ent. That's what he'd called it. I didn't realize that Wlodek had a basement, but it made sense. Vampires needed those things to survive most of the time.

  Charles helped me unload everything on the wide porch of my new home. It was another three-story, I saw, but it looked newer than Wlodek's. A maid answered the door and she was human, I could tell right away by the scent. We carried the bags in and left them in the entry hall. There was a single, wide set of steps leading up to the next floor in this one.

  "Hopefully he'll let you have a cell phone," Charles said when it came time to say goodbye. "Here's my number, this'll get you right to me," he handed a slip of paper over. I tucked the number inside the pocket of my slacks. Charles shocked me by giving me a quick hug and a kiss before taking off, and the maid closed the door behind him.

  "The master is out at the moment but he'll return after a bit," she said. She was short and perky, probably in her late thirties with light brown hair and blue eyes.

  "What's your name?" I asked.

  "Lena," she said. "Actually, it's Lenora, but I prefer Lena."

  "Then Lena it is," I agreed. She showed me upstairs to a bedroom, and its windows were closed off in a similar fashion to the ones at Wlodek's place. This bedroom was more modern with a nice comforter on the bed, lots of pillows and shams, a sitting area, dressers and an armoire, plus a walk-in closet to die for. The bath was Italian marble in a light sandstone color with a tub and separate shower. Did all vampires have money running out their ears? This place had to cost a fortune. I also found myself wondering as I took two bags up at a time, if Wlodek was going to come over and remove his compulsion after a while or if he intended to leave it in place and my sire (yes, I was having trouble with that word) would place a second one. The brief period that I'd had both Gavin's and Wlodek's compulsion wasn't the most comfortable I'd ever been.

  "Come downstairs and meet Franklin," Lena said after I'd dumped my second set of bags in the bedroom.

  "All right," I said, following her down the stairs. Franklin was human as well—I could tell that right away. He was cutting up fruit for a fruit salad when I walked in. His thumb was bandaged, and the wound was making it difficult to use a knife. Franklin was tall, with a bit of gray hair running through dark brown. He also had a nice face, although it was lined a bit with age. I estimated him to be in his early sixties.

  "Here, let me do that for you," I said, walking over to him and taking the knife. "I'm Lissa," I extended my right hand.

  "I know, we're expecting you," he held out his hand and I shook it. He handed the knife over with a smile, so I started slicing up apples, pineapple and peaches. Franklin sat down while I washed the grapes and strawberries and added them to the glass bowl. "Are you ready to eat this now or are you going to serve it later?" I asked. You never add bananas until the last minute; they look terrible after a while.

  "Lena and I are about to eat," Franklin grinned.

  "All righty, then," I said and cut up the bananas.

  Franklin asked me questions while he and Lena ate. He asked me where I was from and then said he'd never been to Oklahoma.

  "You know, I get that a lot," I said. "It's just like anywhere else. It has its share of really nice people."

  "Do people actually have oil wells in their yards?" That was Lena. "I saw a movie once where these people had an oil well in their yard."

  "If you're meaning the pump jacks," I made the rocking motion with my arm and she nodded, "Then yes, I've seen that before. People have gas wells in their yards, too, and on their farms."

  "Franklin?" The voice came from down the hall. I had the feeling I was about to meet my surrogate maker. I stood up quickly and straightened my outfit. I'd been sitting on a barstool, leaning my elbows on the granite island and talking comfortably with Franklin and Lena. Now I was shaking.

  Maybe he wasn't quite as handsome as Flavio, but he had black hair, piercing blue eyes and I knew right away that he wasn't just vampire. There was a scent about him that had the telltale exotic spice, but there was more than that and it smelled to me like a fresh wind in a spring field. The exotic spice part was old, but the other—I had no idea. This man, whatever he was, had power. What had Wlodek done to me? Of course I wasn't about to point any of this out to my new sire, and I had no idea how much trouble I might be in if I tried. I just kept my mouth shut.

  "Lissa, this is Merrill," Franklin stood to make introductions. I stared for a few seconds while all those thoughts chased themselves through my head.

  "Sorry, didn't mean to stand there like a gaping fool," I said, holding out my hand. Merrill took it, then leaned in and kissed me lightly on the cheek.

  "Welcome," he said, smiling.

  "Thanks," I said.

  Chapter 16

  Merrill waited until the following evening to get started and we both sat in his study. It wasn't as elaborate as Wlodek's; there was a computer and a stack of newspapers on his desk.

  "You can speak freely around Franklin, he knows everything," Merrill advised me right away. "Lena knows not to disturb us during the day. A light compulsion takes care of that. She thinks you have a skin condition," Merrill smiled. My bedroom came equipped with a small fridge in the bathroom, already stocked with bagged blood. I'd have to find out where the supplies came from. I suppose Merrill would tell me.

  "I like Franklin. And Lena," I said.

  "Franklin is quite impressed with you. Anyone willing to help in the kitchen is good with him."

  "Well, I'll cook for him sometime, then," I said.

  "You still cook?" Merrill was surprised.

  "Yes. I haven't forgotten how. I cooked for the werewolves. Those guys can eat, let me tell you."

  "You're joking?"

  "No. Why?"

  "Most vampires become ill if they prepare food. They generally don't want to be exposed to any food that isn't blood."

  "I never had that problem, I guess."

  "Lissa, show me your fangs."

  "What?"

  "Just do it." He walked over and knelt down beside my chair.

  "All right, this isn't awkward or anything," I muttered, feeling embarrassed.

  "Please. I don't wish to lay compulsion."

  The shakes came. I'd never tried to force my fangs out, before. I'd never even noticed that they'd come out unless I was about to feed, and the one time Tony had kissed me on the beach. "Lissa, show me your fangs." It was an order, wrapped in compulsion. If the house had been hit by lightning, it wouldn't have felt as forceful. My fangs came out and Merrill reached up, lifting my upper lip gently. "All right," he sighed, "you may retract them." Merrill returned to his seat behind the desk.

  "No wonder the first man you drank from thought you'd only kissed him," Merrill said. "Your fangs are tiny. Not just thin, but short, too. Amazing."

  "What does that mean?" I asked.

  "It means that it's a good thing you don't need much blood," he said. "Otherwise you might have a feeding problem."

  "Great," I grumbled. "What else is wrong with me?"

  "Lissa, I'm going to go ahead and remove Wlodek's compulsion—I told him I would," he said. "And when I place my own, I'll be telling you to forget that I can do that. It's not something that the normal vampire can do."

  "But Wlodek knows you can do it?"

  "Yes, he does."

  "Good enough," I shrugged. Merrill went ahead and did it, right then.

  "You are freed from all other compulsions," he said, and just like that, all of it went away. I felt light-headed, it was such a relief. "I'm sorry to place another so quickly, but it must be done," he said. "From this point forward, you will do as I instruct, within reason. You will protect the members of this household and you will not attempt to escape or disobey a direct order from me."

  That one slipped over my brain like a light blanket. I nodded. What else could I do except follow his commands?

  "What if somebody else tries to place one?" I asked, thinking of Gavin.

  "They will not be a
ble to get past mine," Merrill assured me. I wasn't so sure. I knew how heavy-handed Gavin's had been. It was almost a physical pain and the humiliation and betrayal that had come with it was still unbearable to me. I'd trusted him. I would never trust like that again.

  "Now," Merrill said, "it is time to talk about what you are. And I will be placing further compulsion for you to hide some of these things. Most vampires are not like you, Lissa. You are almost a queen and likely should still be considered one, although you are susceptible to compulsion."

  "Someone in a bar called me that one night," I said. "I didn't know at the time that he was vampire and I certainly didn't know what he meant."

  "That was a pick-up line," Merrill said. "Many male vampires will use it if they find a female vampire. First off, Lissa, female vampires are rare. Very, very rare. In fact, at this moment there may be less than sixteen in total."

  "Are you sure?" I asked. "I saw two in the Council chamber."

  "Those two are the two oldest female vampires. Female vampires are extremely difficult to turn, Lissa. Those two fools who turned you were toying with your life when they attempted the turn. I saw the records from the questioning that Wlodek performed. They have done this sort of thing many times, but only with males until you. All the males died quickly afterward, at Edward and Sergio's hands. It was a game to them, Lissa, as vampires can take from three to seventeen days to turn, depending upon their age and physical condition at the time of their turning. You were the one female those two attempted, and they found you in your human shape so pitiful and beneath them that you weren't a sentient being anymore, you were a plaything that they could pick up and discard."

  "Too bad they're dead now. I think I might try killing them myself," I muttered angrily.

  "As your sire, if they weren't dead already, I'd try killing them," Merrill agreed. He was vampire after all, so he'd heard my quiet muttering. "Now, back to female vampires. It is unfortunate, but any female that is turned has a seventy-five percent chance of walking into the sun or finding some other way of eliminating themselves after sixty years of existence as a vampire. We have been unable to find the root of this problem. I am asking you now to please not consider that."