A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series)

by Hannaford, Sharon

  "It wasn't that I don't trust you, or that I don't want you to be part of my life," he finally said. His fists were clenched around the steering wheel, and he was staring into the darkness next to his house. "I said that I would work on my protective instinct, but I also warned you that it was a long-standing habit. It’s never going to be easy to overcome."

  Gabi bit her lip, forcing herself to give him time to speak.

  "I thought I would be able to keep you safe from this. I have people working to eliminate the threat. Unfortunately there are some clandestine forces at work, and an old enemy has decided to strike while he thinks I am vulnerable."

  "And are you?" Gabi broke her silence. "Vulnerable, I mean?"

  He turned his intense, sapphire blue gaze on her, and she felt like she needed to grab onto the car seat to stop from drowning.

  "Yes, Lea, I am more vulnerable now than I have ever been," he said.

  "Why?" she whispered. "Why now?"

  "Because there is something more precious to me than my own life, Lea. You are my greatest strength and my greatest weakness. Because I love you and will do anything not to lose you. If they get their hands on you, I am their puppet."

  Gabi felt uncomfortable and then realised it was because she'd stopped breathing. She dragged air into her lungs. Stunned by his declaration, she honestly didn't know what to say.

  Julius put one hand under her chin and tipped her head up so that he could lean forward and lay a gentle kiss on her lips. "There is no time to explain now. I swear I will tell you everything later, but first I must deal with my guest." He said the word with some distaste. "If it is who I think it is, he’s here to see you as much as to see me."

  A brief spark of emotion sizzled through their psychic link before he clamped down on it, and Gabi was left with the strangest sensation that he was preparing himself for an inevitable but unacceptable outcome.

  Maximilian waited for them, lurking just inside the front door. Gabi and Maximilian didn't like each other much. Their first meeting had resulted in his heart very nearly making acquaintance with Nex. The tall, skinny Vampire reminded her of Riff-Raff from her favourite cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. She thought she'd try calling him Riff-Raff in future to see if it got a bigger rise than Maxi did. She delighted in annoying him every chance she got, and he reciprocated, but only when he was sure Julius wouldn't find out about it. They both knew he was treading a very fine line.

  "Sire, the visitor is in the boardroom. He will not give me his name, but Nathan and Fergus are keeping him, uh, company while awaiting your arrival." It was clear that Maximilian was expecting a rebuke from Julius for allowing the stranger into the house.

  "It's all right, Maximilian," Julius told him. "Though it is rarely used these days, the visitor is entitled to invoke hospitium. See to it that drinks are served in the boardroom, as well as something for Gabrielle to eat."

  The house steward scuttled off without another word.

  "Would you like to change into something else and join us in the boardroom?" he asked her, obviously remembering that her clothes were in tatters under his overly long duster.

  She desperately wanted to put on some clean clothing and have a quick wash, but there was no way she was missing this. Whatever 'this' was. "No, I'm fine," she said, raising a challenging eyebrow.

  Julius's reaction was unexpected; he actually seemed to approve. He led the way down the wide, brightly lit corridor, as she quickly folded back the sleeves of the coat so that she didn't look entirely like a street urchin. At least her boots had survived the fight, and Nex was a comfortably familiar weight down her spine.

  The previous manor house hadn't had a boardroom. Julius had tended to keep business away from his home, but with the rebuild it had seemed a good idea to include somewhere that formal guests could be entertained should the need arise. The boardroom was large and stately enough to hint at Julius's wealth without being ostentatious, and was not comfortable enough for anyone to truly relax in. It was a statement that clearly said 'make your point and leave'.

  Those who were welcome in the house gathered in the function room, a replacement for the previous entertainment room, which featured comfy seating, a bar, pool tables and large-screen TVs. Gabi doubted their visitor would be invited back to the lounge with them.

  The tension in Julius was palpable, and different from anything she'd felt from him before. She'd come to associate his anger with heat; being too near him when his temper flared always felt like standing too close to a furnace. Now it felt cold. Darkly, bitterly, glacially cold. He paused for a moment at the closed door, collecting himself before thrusting it open. He didn't look at her as he stood back to allow her to precede him into the room.

  A man was standing on the far side of the rectangular twelve-seater boardroom table, pretending to admire the artwork on the wall. Gabi could sense his watchfulness from the other side of the room. He'd been waiting with keen anticipation for them. He took her in from head to toe with a polite, enigmatic smile, just as she studied him. He didn't have a European complexion; she would hazard a guess at Middle Eastern origins or possibly South American. He wasn't particularly tall, stockily built, boasting a neat moustache and goatee, and neatly trimmed, dark hair. He must have been in his mid-forties when he was turned, but he held his age with grace. He was dressed in a three-piece suit that she could only describe as dapper, and carried an elegant cane, which he obviously didn't need. She allowed her Vamp-sense out to play and immediately picked up on his age, which was close to Julius's, but his power level was confusing to her. Not anywhere near as powerful as Julius, but his power had a strange feel to it, and it seemed somehow familiar.

  "Caspian." Julius's tone was sharp, but outwardly calm and controlled. He stalked further into the room, keeping the boardroom table with its plush leather executive chairs between them. Gabi kept pace with him, but didn't crowd him. She always allowed enough room to draw a sword in tense situations.

  "Julius." The man greeted him with a slight nod of the head in a polite, almost paternal tone. It bordered on patronising, and Nathan and Fergus stirred slightly at the mild insult to their Sire. They were standing against the walls on either side of the room, the newcomer sandwiched between them. Julius didn't give them the nod to subside; he allowed the tension to rise to a firm simmer.

  "I am not here to pick a fight with you, Julius," Caspian said soothingly, his strong accent negating Gabi’s previous assumption of his origins and making her think more of Spain or Portugal. His grasp of English was excellent, though. "I have simply requested an audience with you and safe passage in the City for a few days."

  He took two steps away from the artwork on the wall, closer to the table, and hefted the cane so that the head was clearly visible. It was an intricately carved wolf's head with rubies for eyes and ivory fangs. Both guards tensed, hands on weapons, but he ignored them as though they didn't exist. "Are you going to introduce me to the lovely lady at your side, or should I introduce myself?"

  Spanish, Gabi decided, hearing his heavily accented English.

  "This is Gabrielle Bradford," Julius said stiffly. "Gabrielle, this is Carlos Medina, now known as Caspian."

  The other man inclined his head respectfully and took another step closer so that he was pressed up against the table, one hand on the back of a chair as he laid the wolf's head cane across the highly polished surface of the table.

  "Enchanted to meet you, Gabrielle," he said in a slow, lazy drawl. "Please don't consider me rude for keeping my distance." He indicated the table between them. "I don't want to upset my host; he seems a little…highly strung tonight." His eyes flashed to Julius, and something passed between them.

  Julius remained silent, but a muscle ticked along his jawline. Gabi wasn't in the mood for obeying the rules and niceties of Vampire society. She narrowed her eyes.

  "Is there a reason for your visit to our City, Caspian, or are you simply here to make trouble?" she asked.

&nbs
p; A genial smile curved the Spaniard's mouth despite her curt question, and his nostrils flared, clearly drawing in the scents around him. He opened his mouth to reply and then froze, his eyes going wide. He drew in another breath. His eyes raked over Gabi's body from head to toe and then narrowed on Julius; a riot of emotions flashed across his face before he shut them down. His smile had suddenly become stiff and forced.

  "I have recently spent some time at the Court of the Princeps and simply have some information that I wished to share with Julius," he replied to Gabi, but his attention was fully on Julius now, who, while no less tense, was radiating a degree of smugness.

  In a flash of intuition Gabi realised why Julius hadn't protested her refusal to get changed. The essence of Julius and sex cloaked her body, and her scent clung to every inch of him. He'd marked his territory as effectively as if his name was tattooed on her forehead. She had no right to be angry at him; the sex hadn't been one-sided, and he hadn't known about his unwanted guest until they arrived home. And he had given her the chance to clean up and change before coming to this meeting. But that didn't stop the annoyance flaring; men could be so…pubescent.

  "How interesting." Caspian drew the words out into distinct syllables as his pensive gaze flicked between the two of them. "Have you told her yet, Julius? About our conversation on the telephone a few weeks ago?"

  The question was mild, but the jolt of fury that slammed through Julius was enough to make her want to move away from him. Her blood ran cold as she realised this was all about her. There was only one thing about her that would interest the Princeps. Somehow they'd found out that she was Dhampir.

  The door opened behind them, and Gabi almost flinched. Alexander strode in, followed closely by Claudia with two trays laden with food, alcohol and glasses. Alexander took up a position to Julius's right and adopted his sullen, watchful guardian face without speaking. She hadn't seen that look since the first time she'd met him. It was the persona he wore when he thought Julius was putting himself in danger unnecessarily.

  "On the table is fine, Claudia," Julius said.

  "Do you require the presence of a feeder, Sire?" she asked, not meeting anyone's eyes as she set down the trays.

  "Caspian," Julius growled, "does your request for hospitium include a request for sustenance?"

  A polite smile lifted Caspian's mouth. "Not at this time, Julius," he replied evenly, apparently having regained control of his emotions. "Thank you for the offer."

  "That is all for now, Claudia." Julius dismissed the female Vampire, and she ghosted from the room, closing the door behind her. "Have a seat," he said to Caspian. It wasn't really an invitation. "Would you like a drink? I'm afraid I don't know your tastes." He indicated the tray full of drinks and glasses; there were half a dozen bottles of top-class alcohol. He pulled one of the high-back leather chairs out to his left for Gabi and settled her before seating himself. Alexander moved to the tray and began pouring a large glass of red wine and adding ice to a whiskey glass.

  "I would appreciate a strong port if you have one," Caspian said, pulling out a chair on the other side of the table. "I see your commander in chief hasn't developed a sense of humour yet." He gave Alexander a sidelong look.

  Alexander returned the look with a mocking smile, big enough to show his fangs, and placed the glass of red wine in front of Julius, and then served Gabi the whiskey before finally placing a small glass of dark, plum-coloured liqueur in front of their guest. Then he took a seat on the opposite side of Gabi, which startled her; she was used to him being on Julius's right at all formal occasions. This was contrary to what she knew about Vampire protocol, and was obviously meant to send a very specific message. Alice down the rabbit hole again, she thought, trying to make sense of the situation through her Rage-befuddled brain.

  She was becomingly overly warm in Julius's coat, but had the feeling that stripping it off and allowing Caspian to see her practically naked would send Julius off the deep end. Julius's power brushed against her, lifting the hairs on her arms; then movement near the door caught her eye. The temperature control panel for the room was changing by itself, dropping the temperature by several degrees; she wouldn't be overly warm for long. Caspian's eyes caught her gaze and followed. His expression stiffened, and he looked down, concentrating on his drink.

  "How much do they know?" Julius asked in a growl. "And how did they find out?"

  Caspian leaned back in his chair, a slightly superior smile on his face now, condescending almost. "Have your spies not told you what is being discussed in the dark corners of the Court, Julius?"

  "None of what is being spoken about in Court explains your presence in my home, or your…assumptions." Julius sipped his wine sparingly. "Let's not pretend you don't know what I'm capable of, Caspian. I'm sure you, of all people, know that the Princeps put their heads in the sand where I am concerned. They pretend they don’t know the true extent of my power. Don't force me to become uncivilized enough to demonstrate." The softness of his tone made his words even more sinister.

  "I have heard the whisperings at Court, of the things you did to your brother's people," Caspian said, his tone bland. "But we all know how gossip can get out of hand."

  Gabi suppressed a shudder. She knew that Julius had broken the minds of those loyal to Dantè after her kidnapping, not a single one had remained sane enough to save after he was through with them. She hadn't seen it herself, but she'd seen the haunted look in Kyle's eyes after he'd witnessed one of the interrogations. It reminded her that there was a reason his own Clan treated him with such deference. The same reason most other Vampires left him in peace.

  "I'd be more than happy to demonstrate on you if you would like to compare gossip with reality," Julius offered.

  "Maybe another time." Caspian smiled, though there was no humour in it. "I said I was here to share information with you, and so I will." He drained the last of the port in his glass. "A lovely vintage," he conceded, pushing the glass towards the centre of the table. Nathan stepped forward to replenish the glass and then stepped silently back to his position. Tension began knotting the muscles in Gabi's neck and shoulders.

  "Share your information, Caspian," Julius said. "I have other matters to attend to tonight."

  Caspian's eyes flicked immediately to Gabi, and an unpleasant sneer curled his top lip. "I'm sure you do," he said meaningfully.

  Julius was suddenly standing, leaning over towards the older Vampire across the table. Gabi hadn't even seen the movement. She had to grip the chair to stop herself from reaching for him to calm him.

  Alexander put a hand on her wrist, making her grimace in pain. He obviously expected her to react and sensed there was a very fine line being walked right now. She gave a barely perceptible nod to let him know she understood, and he released her.

  "They don't know as much as I do," Caspian said quickly. A tiny flicker of fear tightened his eyes.

  Gabi had to hand it to him; he'd barely flinched from Julius. Others would have been cowering on the floor by now. But then, perhaps Caspian simply had no idea of Julius's true power. Julius didn't subside back into his seat, but the dark maelstrom of power calmed a little.

  "They only know what their informant knows. The rest I have put together myself. They only know what she is, not how she became what she is."

  Gabi felt numb as Julius slowly settled back into his chair. The shock at actually hearing that the Princeps knew she was Dhampir was countered by the relief that, so far, they didn't know how to recreate more like her.

  "Who is their informant?" Julius asked.

  "A dark Magus with a grudge against you, her," Caspian nodded towards Gabi, "your Clan and the Werewolves."

  "Mariska," Julius and Gabi hissed the name like a curse.

  "She has been using the name Marisol," Caspian said, "but no one actually believes that is her real name."

  "What did she request in exchange for the information she gave them?" Julius asked.

  "The execution of
both you and Gabrielle, as well as your second in command and the Werewolf who is not a Werewolf. I assume that means more to you than it does to me?" He lifted his eyebrows enquiringly.

  No one answered him as the news sank in.

  CHAPTER 6

  "They agreed to this?"Julius finally asked his unwelcome guest.

  "They agreed in principle that laws had been broken, but the Magus wouldn't give them any details before a deal had been struck," Caspian explained. "I very much doubt they would've agreed so quickly to executing a Dhampir if they'd had the slightest clue what the Magus was about to reveal. It's possible they will find a way around the agreement in Gabrielle's case. The rest of you should be watching your backs."

  "And you're absolutely sure they don't know about Gabrielle's creation?" Julius's voice was low and urgent.

  "So far." Caspian nodded. "The information has been kept at the very highest level, I only know because I have a…friend in the know, who owes me a few favours. They have many hypotheses, based on some kind of attack in her childhood, but none have struck on the truth."

  "How did you figure it out?" Alexander demanded.

  "They had a spy obtain a copy of her passport and birth certificate," Caspian explained. "The moment I saw the photo on her passport, it all clicked into place." He turned to Gabi and smiled faintly, the closest thing she'd seen so far to a genuine smile. "She is almost the spitting image of her mother at the same age, though I dare say a little more capable of taking care of herself."

  Gabi felt like a whirlpool had just opened up underneath her, as though the world was about to be swept out from under her.

  "I'm sure I wouldn't have to rescue her from a Rogue Vampire in a dark alley like I did for her mother."

  Adrenalin flooded her body, followed closely by what felt like a tide of novocaine. Numb, tingly, cold, hot, alive, dead. Her mind and body reeled from the shock. Caspian had made her what she was. Caspian was her what? Sire? Julius gently touched her arm, nothing more. She could sense the extent of his fear and worry, even through her own tumult. He was trying to hold himself back from her, but his emotions were too strong. His greatest fear was that she would turn from him. He was certain Caspian would have some kind of irresistible hold over her. Julius's fear was the antidote to the novocaine sensation smothering her. She put her hand over Julius's and sent a wave of reassurance his way.