The troops left the stronghold just after midnight. Sofia watched them go from her darkened office. She was no help in a battle, and in all truthfulness, she was frightened. She hadn’t bothered to offer to go even though she wanted to mete out some sort of vengeance for her family. There would have been no point to attempting the argument. Plus, she knew her presence would simply be a distraction to everyone.
When the last of the team disappeared into the woods, Sofia wandered downstairs to the inpatient units. She still hadn’t met all the staff and figured now was as good a time as any. The highlight of being in the employee relations position was getting to know people when they weren’t in trouble.
It was a slower than usual night on the second floor. Of the sixteen beds only four were occupied. A nurse sat behind the desk and one walked the floor.
“Can I help you?” the pretty redheaded vampire seated at the desk asked with a toothy smile. She clicked a couple keys on the computer and the screen went blank.
“I’m Sofia Engle, the Employee Relations Manager,” Sofia answered. “I just came by to say hello and introduce myself.”
“Engle or Petrescu?” The blond coming up the hall asked. Her fangs were descended and her blue eyes glowed.
“I haven’t quite decided…shouldn’t you put those away?” Sofia knew very well the Professional Appearance Policy required everyone to always appear human with no traces of supernatural presentation. Fangs and glowing eyes certainly did not work.
The blond frowned and let her fangs slide under her gums. “So sorry. I’m Rachel. This is Lisa.” As she extended her hand her eyes became crystal blue.
The gleam in her stare stood as a warning and Sofia suspected the vampire would break another important rule, the one about unleashing even a flicker of vampire power on humans.
Sofia braced herself then grasped Rachel’s hand. A mild sizzle of power hummed up Sofia’s arm. “I’m fairly certain that’s unacceptable as well,” she said.
“Is it? I hadn’t realized we couldn’t be ourselves in front of you.” Rachel released Sofia’s hand. “It’s a pity. We had hoped you’d be fun.” She leaned on the counter beside Sofia. “We get so few visitors up here at night. It’ll be especially boring tonight with everyone out.”
Sofia noticed a monitor on the desk showing two flat lines. “Are those monitoring the patients?”
Lisa followed Sofia’s gaze. “Oh, yeah. But they’re fine.” Lisa stuck a pencil under her cap and scratched her head.
“Nothing to worry about,” Rachel said. “I was just down there. They’re all set, tucked in for the night.” She tugged at the collar of her white uniform.
“Where’s the nursing assistant?” Sofia asked. It was odd that the nursing assistant was nowhere to be seen with so few patients. She focused on the floor, trying to sense any vampires or wolves that might be present. Though the two nurses stood in front of her, Sofia registered none of their energy. But down the hall she sensed a young vampire. And she knew from the aching energy the vampire was in distress.
The two nurses glanced at each other.
“Break,” Rachel finally said. “Be back in a bit.”
“The census is low tonight. So what’s the caseload like?” Sofia asked. She waited to hear if either nurse could give her any idea of what the patients’ needs were.
They glanced at each other again.
“We don’t want to bore you with medical mumbo jumbo.” Lisa walked around the desk and reached beneath. “Flower?” She pushed a bouquet of roses into Sofia’s face.
The moment the flowers touched Sofia’s skin they sprang to life, puffing an unnaturally fragrant aroma into the air.
Sofia gasped and backed away.
“Come here, girl.” Rachel jumped over the counter and barreled toward Sofia. The front of her white uniform was covered in blood from her waist to her feet. “We’ve been waiting for you all night.” Her fangs descended beneath amber glowing eyes.
“He said it would be easy. I just can’t believe they really left you here alone.” Lisa held up the bouquet of roses. “Taste one. They’re delish.” She made a show of licking her lips.
Sofia roundhouse kicked Rachel and the vampire flew backward over the counter into Lisa. She didn’t wait to see if she’d done any damage. She bolted down the hall and into a patient room only to come face to face with the nursing assistant. She was strapped to the bed in silver. The smell of burning flesh stunned Sofia.
“Help me. Let me up. Please. Please. My skin.” The poor girl’s skin bubbled and blistered. Puss and blood oozed where the silver touched her.
Sofia covered her mouth and peeled away the silver, trying not to lose the contents of her stomach all over the girl. “I’m so sorry.” She tried to be as gentle as she could.
“Just hurry. They’re coming.” She staggered to her feet and pulled up her pant leg to remove a stake from a shin strap above her calf. “I knew there was something wrong with them. They’ve been awfully happy these past couple nights. When they arrived tonight they were practically giddy. They’re usually so miserable. I can’t stand them. Rotten wenches.”
The nursing assistant tore a strip from the bed sheet and tied it around her neck. She did the same with her waist. “You’re Dragomir’s mate, right?”
She nodded. “Yes. Sofia.”
“I’m Amy. I know you hate fighting, but you’re going to have to help me. I might be able to handle one, but never two. Not like this.” Her wounds had stopped bubbling but the oozing puss ran down her neck, hands, and scrubs.
“There’s blood in the lab,” Sofia said. “If we can get down there and—”
The door blasted in. “Come here, you.” Rachel stood in the doorway. Blood oozed down her face and smeared across her cheeks. “You’re going to pay for this.” She held up a fang. “These don’t grow back.”
Lisa snorted behind her.
“I’m so sorry. I hadn’t meant to hurt you.” Sofia stepped backward.
“No? What did you think kicking me in the face would do?” Rachel sneered. Blood dripped from the spot where her fang should have been. “You’re mine. If he thinks I’m bringing you in, he’s crazy after that move.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Sofia said.
“Yes I do.” Rachel licked the gap created by her missing fang. The look of hatred on her face said it all. Sofia would pay with her life.
Sofia remembered what Dragomir taught her. Stake through the heart.
“You’re going to wish you’d never heard of vampires when I’m through.”
Sofia grabbed the IV pole beside the bed and hurled it like a javelin just like she’d seen Melanie Andrews do in the Emergency Room.
Rachel’s voice silenced. A high-pitched keening cry sounded behind her. The bodies of both vampires dropped to the floor in the doorway. They landed on their knees, mouths open, eyes holding only vacant stares.
“That could not just be adrenaline,” Amy said. She slumped back onto the bed still gripping her stake. “If I hadn’t seen that with my own eyes, I’d never believe it could happen. Man I wish I’d gotten it on video.”
Sofia’s hands shook. She’d killed someone. Two people. “They were going to kill me. It was the right thing to do.” Her voice quaked. She couldn’t catch her breath. Her heart pounded so loudly it was all she heard. Amy’s lips moved, but Sofia couldn’t hear a thing. The room began to spin and darken until finally all was quiet.
*****
Something cool rested on Sofia’s forehead. “Open your eyes, love.”
Sofia whimpered.
“You’re fine. Wake up.” Dragomir’s voice was steady, but it didn’t hide the emotion behind it.
Sofia felt his concern and something else. She couldn’t quite recognize the other feeling. It was powerful and edgy and coursed through him like raging water. After several minutes studying the feeling she understood. Dragomir fought to hide his fear and worry and anger.
She opened her eyes. His fa
ce was the first thing she saw. Dark hair hung above her just barely tickling her skin. Midnight blue eyes gazed at her above a smile to melt her heart. That edgy power ebbed, receding until finally it disappeared. Sofia tried to smile, though her head throbbed.
“You did quite well.” He kissed her forehead and she winced. “Put a nice knot on your head when you passed out, too.” He placed an icy gel pack on the sore spot.
“When did you get back?” She tried to sit up but the room tumbled. “Uuh.”
“Just lie still and rest.” Dragomir pressed her back into the pillow.
The large room was barely lit, but she could see IV poles and metal trays holding instruments. There was a monitor beside the bed where she lay and beds on either side of hers. Across the room was another row of beds, some of which were occupied, though Sofia didn’t know who lay in them.
“This isn’t the ER,” she said.
“No, it’s the infirmary. We’re in the Lower Level.” Dragomir straightened the sheet covering Sofia. “It’s noon. I couldn’t leave you upstairs.” He smiled.
“What happened in your fight?” She remembered quite vividly what occurred with the nurses. For some reason the squishing sound of the IV pole stabbing into both vampires played in her mind. She swallowed hard. “Wait. Who were those nurses?”
“Rachel and Lisa were Bas Dubh informants. They’d gone over to the other side shortly after you started here.” Dragomir held Sofia’s hand. His skin was cool against hers.
She nodded. “I killed them.” She looked up at him. She’d never killed anything bigger than a stinkbug before last night. Her stomach twisted and she looked at her hands. Killer’s hands.
“So much for nonviolent responses.” Dragomir watched her. She felt him sizing her up, waiting for her reaction.
“It was one of those necessary moments. A me or them situation.” Even though she said the words and knew them to be the truth, she still fought to keep the tears from her eyes.
“Hey.” He turned her chin toward him. “It was the right thing. They had lost all sense of reason and moved to the other side.”
She nodded.
“Sofia, they’d have killed many more people, first humans and eventually, when they were strong enough, vampires and werewolves. Your act was a justice for society. Don’t forget that. Don’t let your feelings about the action cloud your judgment.”
Squeaky wheels and clanging trays drew Sofia’s attention. Osgar and Rick pushed a table with a giant potted plant. A multitude of slender spikes covered in small spiky yellow flowers spiraling up the stems waved with the motion of the table.
“The mignonette,” Dragomir said. The word rolled off his tongue and Sofia smiled.
“My favorite flower. How did you know?”
“I did not. But this is the fragrance I smell whenever I’m near you.” He turned to face both Sofia and the flowers. “One greenhouse held several of these spiky little things.” He slipped a stem of flowers through his palm then smelled his skin and smiled. “The Little Darling.”
“Oh, so you know about flowers, do you?”
“Just my little darling.” The smile on his face widened.
Sofia blushed.
Osgar groaned. “Okay. There’ll be plenty of time for that when you’re home.” He plopped onto the bed, yanking the file folder out from under his arm. “You’ll be pleased to know we have edited, approved, signed, and posted the new Workplace Violence Policy.” He opened the file and held it for Sofia to read.
She sat up. “Wait. Edited? Edited? How? Which draft is this? Posted? I haven’t signed anything.” She pulled the paper toward her.
Dragomir turned on the light above the bed and Sofia squinted against the brightness. As her eyes became accustomed to the light she read the draft. It was clearly the one she had written, edited, reedited, rewritten, and nearly given up hope for getting approved. But here it was signed by Fergus and Osgar. Two empty lines remained. One for her signature and one for Dr. MacDuff.
“Here.” Rick pointed to a paragraph on the second page. “Wolves and vampires not suitable for front line positions will be reassigned to other duties within the stronghold.” A slight smile curved his lips but vanished before anyone could have tried to prove it happened.
“So Louis?”
“He’s learning how to understand the monitoring system for now. Eventually, he’ll go back to college, probably become an engineer and find himself a nice job at Cader.” Rick handed Sofia a pen. “Your turn.”
“Wait a minute.” She closed the folder and turned to Dragomir. “Jefferson? What about him?”
“You’ll have your chance to meet with him. Guarded, of course.” Dragomir’s eyebrow crept up and his lips pulled into a tight line.
She squared her shoulders, knowing full and well guarded meant with him plastered to her side and probably Noelle, Osgar, and Rick restraining Jefferson. But it was a start. “I knew you’d see it my way.”
“I’ll admit I didn’t believe you when you included the line ‘Deadly force will only be used in extreme situations involving imminent danger and clear threat of death,’ but then you killed those two bitches. Now I have to believe you’re a woman of your word.” This time the smile on Rick’s face was unmistakable.
Sofia frowned and took the pen.
“Still coming to terms with what happened.” Dragomir rubbed her back. “She’ll get there.”
“I’m not killing anyone else.” Sofia made one minor edit and signed her name then closed the file on the policy.
“Well, she’s awake.” Noelle’s voice came from behind Rick and Osgar. “You were a more difficult patient than most.” She stepped between the men and handed Sofia a glass of juice. “Complaining about your head and telling me not to bother with you. Where’s my husband? Go take care of Amy. Ah, Amy’s fine.” Noelle waved her hand at Sofia. “This is why I like the vamps and wolves better. They know better than to give me shit.”
Amy sat up in the bed across from Sofia. “I’m fine. Who needs to sleep during the day when you’re only twenty? Certainly not someone who was attacked and chained in silver by two of the most horrible coworkers a girl could have. Her curled red hair bounced all around her head. “And let me just say, they were not our best nurses.” She flopped back onto her pillow. “I deserve a raise after last night.”
“Go back to sleep, little one,” Dragomir whispered the words and Amy stopped grumbling and sighed. Faint snores came from her bed.
Sofia looked at Dragomir in a quizzical way.
“She is mine.” He raised his eyebrows. “Nice kid, but talks too much.”
Sofia knew from the powerful rumble of energy entering the room Jankin and Fergus were headed toward them.
Jankin smiled, looking much less worried than he’d appeared in the past few days. His eyes were brighter, face gentler, shoulders relaxed. Sofia wasn’t sure she’d seen him look this relaxed since she’d started at Cader.
“You’re looking well,” she said.
“As are you, Sofia. Thankfully, you’re looking radiant.” He admired the mignonette. “Yes, this is the one.” He nodded to Dragomir and chuckled.
All around Sofia she felt powerful ribbons of energy coursing. The currents coming from her husband, Noelle, and Jankin were smooth as glass though fluid as water. The werewolf energy vibrated. In her mind’s eye she pictured a lightning storm where brilliant bolts shot along the skyline one after another.
She wanted to ask about it but remembered the way Fergus had reacted when he learned Sofia could sense the wolves.
“What is it? You look confused,” Noelle asked.
Sofia glanced at Dragomir. “I can tell when certain people are around but not others.” She frowned, unsure of how to proceed.
“Do you mean the wolves?” Dragomir’s voice lowered.
“And some vampires,” she said.
“You will be able to sense anyone bound to me,” Dragomir explained. “Our union gives you access to my progeny a
nd any of my wolves. So you’re now linked to Osgar and Amy and others.”
Sofia nodded and briefly glanced toward Rick and Fergus and then looked away.
“Ah, the werewolf whispering. That’s what troubles you.” Jankin clapped a hand on Fergus’s shoulder. “I’ve explained how I bound you to me when you started at Cader in order to ensure your loyalty to our cause. I apologize for not allowing you to remember the incident but it was for your own good.”
Jankin gazed at Sofia and though his face remained expressionless Sofia felt him coaxing her into agreement. The hazel fleck in his green eyes sparkled and he appeared more like a mischievous college boy than a thousand-year-old vampire.
“Oh,” was all she said.
“I believe there is a policy awaiting my signature.” Jankin held out his hand.
Sofia handed over the file and pen.
“The prisoners are ready.” Laurent strode into the infirmary. “I believe at least two of them can tell us about upcoming attacks and possibly know the whereabouts of Kiernan’s lair.”
“Very good. We use whatever force is necessary.” Fergus cleared his throat. “They aren’t employees. They’re war criminals. Osgar, Rick, let’s get going.” He stepped aside to let them pass.
“See ya, Sofia.” Osgar followed Rick. “Hey.” He turned around and walked backward toward the door. “Before you come back to work, make me some more cookies.” He grinned.
“Okay.” She laughed.
“Dragomir, take care of your mate. Sofia, don’t be so rough on him. We need you both.” Fergus smiled. “I’ll see you soon.” He left the infirmary, getting the full report from Laurent as he went.
Jankin perused the policy. “Very well done, Sofia. It took some doing, but I think you might even be learning patience. It was never one of your strong points.”
Sofia couldn’t argue. She sighed.
“Plenty of time for learning patience, love.” Dragomir stroked his fingers up and down her arm.
Jankin flipped to the signature page and smiled. “Congratulations, Dragomir.” He signed the last empty line and handed the file back to Sofia. “Petrescu. It’s a good last name. Strong. Very fitting for our Employee Relations Manager.”
Black Magic Rose Page 26
