“No!”
Lisse licked the trail away. “Oh, yes. Delightful. You know, he was wrong to have once thought a lamia can’t wed a Wissenschaft. He could make a nice husband.” Lisse leaned forward and kissed his lips. He fought for a brief second, then sagged against the wall.
“No.” Sophie stood frozen, scared, confused. If she completed the wedding ritual with Ric, she’d be an Immortal. He’d pretty much made that clear. But what was the final step? And did she want to take it? Could she take it? Did she have the strength? The courage? What would happen to her? What would happen to Ric? And Dao?
Ric moaned and slumped forward, lifeless.
“Ric!” She knew she couldn’t take another moment to think, couldn’t wait. Her choice had been made for her. Not only for Dao, who was starting to stir and was taking in the scene before him with rage-filled eyes, but also for Ric, who was falling under the lamia’s spell. She caught his hand, closed her eyes, and sucked at the red blood dripping from his wrist.
To hell with life. To hell with fear.
When the salty blood hit the back of her throat, she gagged. But out of fear and rage, she forced it down. A flare of heat blasted through her belly, like she’d swallowed a lit firecracker. She forced another mouthful down her throat. God, it burned. Worse than shots of 200-proof liquor. Her insides were boiling. Her blood was like volcanic lava rushing through her body, sending the agony to every cell from the top of her head to her toenails.
She heard Ric yell below the loud thud of her slowing heart. The world grew hazy and dark. She staggered, dropping the shield. She fell to her knees.
The lamia stood over her, smiling. “Too late, baby doll. Your Wissenschaft’s mine.”
Sophie felt the strength draining from her. Felt her soul lifting out of her heavy body. It whirled around the room and then plunged inside Ric’s body. But it was a shell—empty, lifeless, cold. Ric was gone. Where? Her spirit shot from him again, returned to her body. She tested her arms, legs. They were heavy, weak but could still move. “Ric?”
He was gone. She’d lost him. Lost Dao. Lost her own life. Lost everything. She dropped her head, letting her forehead rest against the shield’s cool surface. “Oh, God, help me. I’m too late.” The shield heated, as if a flame had ignited inside.
Then she felt Ric fill her, felt his strength surging through her veins. She felt strong. She felt powerful. She felt new. She pretended to stagger to her feet, the spear clutched in her fist, and tripped on her own foot, falling forward. Lisse lifted her hands to push her away, but she didn’t block Sophie’s strike to her chest.
It was a clean shot. This time the blade sank in. Frigid air blasted from the wound and Lisse’s body crumpled to the ground like a deflated balloon.
Dao screamed behind Sophie, scrambled to his feet, then shook his head and stared at her, confusion pulling his face into a mask of tension. “Sophie? What happened? What’s going on?”
Sophie hugged Dao. “I’ll explain in a minute.” She kneeled next to Ric’s limp, cold body; palmed his cheeks; and kissed him. She felt his spirit rush through her mouth and out into his body. He stirred under her. Tears blurred her vision.
She’d done it; they’d done it. The lamia was gone. Dao was alive.
And she was now officially a vampire, or so she assumed.
“I guess there’s no more Ben & Jerry’s for me, unless they make a new flavor—AB positive.”
Ric’s chuckle was the sweetest sound on earth. “Not exactly. You see, you kind of skipped a part in that last step. Which means you’re not a real, full-fledged vampire. You’re a little bit human and a little bit vampire.”
“Oh?”
“But we are Joined and you know what this means, don’t you?”
Oh no! More secrets?
“Noooo.”
“It means you’re stuck with me for the next, oh, I’d say five hundred years or so. I hope you can deal with my snoring.”
Sophie kissed the daylights out of him. “No problem. I’ll wear earplugs. I’m just grateful for your being alive…or dead…or undead.”
“Sophie, what the heck are you talking about?” Dao asked incredulously. “Since when did you start believing in vampires?”
“Oh…about four or five days ago, when I met this incredibly handsome guy in the library who just happens to be a real vampire.” She then held her index finger to her lips and whispered, “It’s a secret. My secret vampire.”
“Sounds like a great story title.” Dao said, heading toward the door. “Mind if I go do some writing? I’ve just been inspired.”
“No way. I’ve just had a spark of inspiration myself,” Sophie said, pulling Ric to his feet. “First stop is the bathroom to clear up those eyes. I want you to see me when we’re making love. All of me,” whispered Sophie.
“I’m all for that plan.”
“I thought you would be. If there’s anything I learned the last couple of weeks, it’s that real vampires never say no to a good thing. And speaking of good things, I’m starving. How about some Ben and Jerry’s? I don’t know what being a half human, half vampire means, but I’ve got a taste for some Chocolate Therapy.”
DEALING WITH THE OTHERS
No matter what I did, who I chose to work for, or what choices I made, I’d be pissing somebody off. I had my pick between The Circle, Royce, or the White Hats. The White Hats were obviously an unstable element, considering they thought I’d be more amenable to joining their fun and games at knifepoint. The Circle had me in a contractual pinch I wouldn’t be able to break out of with any ease. Royce would probably hit the roof as soon as he figured out what I was really after. Each and every one of them had the resources and clout to make my life miserable or even make me disappear. One, or more, of them would have a reason to want me to, once I made a move.
I wandered back to my bed and sat down on the edge, staring blankly at the wall. My hands had started shaking again. Right now, Royce seemed like my safest bet, seeing as he was the only one of the three who hadn’t threatened me.
Yet.
I was so dead…
HUNTED BY THE OTHERS
JESS HAINES
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To my unofficial number one fan, Binah, and all the friends who supported me through the publishing process. You know who you are. To my tireless cheerleader, Mom. To my compadre, caffeine, followed closely by his sidekick, chocolate. I love you guys!
A special word of thanks to my agent, Ellen Pepus, and to my editor, John Scognamiglio (along with the rest of the team at Kensington). Words cannot express my appreciation for all your time, advice, patience and hard work. Thank you so much for helping me bring the world of the Others to life.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
> Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 1
Long, delicate fingers caressed the stem of a wineglass, trailing upward to catch a few small beads of condensation on the glass. Sultry eyes the color of the sky during a summer storm bored into me from across the cloth-covered table, with all of the woman’s not-inconsiderable power of compulsion behind them. I knew what she was trying to do, which didn’t make it any easier to resist.
Taking a deep breath, I forced my gaze away as nonchalantly as I could to look through the bay window beside our table. Staring at the rippling black waters of a little man-made pond, dotted with reflected lights and a single white swan, beat falling into a black enchant by looking into Veronica’s eyes. The bird floated, serene and oblivious, as a laughing young couple threw bits of bread at it to try to lure it closer.
Swans were pretty but vicious if you got too close. Much like my dinner companion.
She was still waiting oh-so-breathlessly for my reply. With a sigh, I dragged my attention off the sights outside and back to the mage, careful not to meet her gaze directly.
“Look, it’s not that I don’t need the money, but I don’t kill vampires for magi. First and foremost, I’m human. I can’t compete with you guys. Second, I’m a private detective, not an assassin. Not to mention that it’s still illegal to kill vamps without a signed warrant.”
It took every ounce of willpower I had not to look into those overbright eyes and change my mind. Hey, I hated vampires as much as the next human, but I wasn’t about to go hunt one down like a crazy person and get myself killed. My job was scary enough as it was without adding angry vampires to the list of stalkers trying to get a piece of my hide to make up for the grief I caused them.
“Shiarra, I’m not asking you to kill him. Just,” Veronica paused, her persuasive tones trailing off into a throaty “hmm” before she continued, “just find out what he’s up to. Detain him if necessary. Find the location of a little trinket for us. My coven will take care of the rest.”
Her cherry lips curved in a smile more predatory than any vamp’s, her pinkish tongue darting out to run suggestively along her upper lip once she noticed that was where my attention was focused. God, I hate magi.
In the back of my mind, I wondered darkly why Jenny, our receptionist-slash-bookkeeper, had set this appointment without checking with me first. Belatedly recalling that she went over the bills with my business partner on a regular basis, I realized she must have decided the need to pay our bills outweighed my likely moral outrage. Under any other circumstances, the moment I found out a potential client was an Other, I walked. Jenny knew this. She also knew that since money was so tight, I’d probably at least agree to hear the mage out.
After finding out what she wanted, though, I was starting to regret agreeing to stay through dinner.
“I know I made the news with that whole Were incident at the Embassy last month, but honestly, that was my first run-in with supernaturals. I don’t have the experience or the equipment to deal with vampires.”
I tried to sound reasonable, though I was afraid I was coming across more testy and frightened. This woman really put me on edge, though I tried to tell myself it was what she was asking me to do, not the aura and crackle of magic surrounding her, that did it. Maybe it had something to do with her coming on to me? Either way, I didn’t like it.
“Frankly, I don’t think you could pay me enough to put my life on the line against a vampire. Shouldn’t you be getting a half-blood? Or another mage to deal with him?”
Little furrows appeared between those perfectly shaped brows of hers. Her hair was a lovely mahogany shade that didn’t quite match the dark brown of those eyebrows, framing her delicate, oval face. I hated that she could pull the look off so effortlessly. My hopelessly curly red hair would never look as sleek and sophisticated as her artfully careless ’do. It was probably spelled to look that way.
“The Ageless would know us for our magic. That wouldn’t work at all. A half-blood would kill first, ask questions later. Same with a Were.” She paused, thinking. “Unless, of course, he killed them first.”
I leaned back in the chair, crossing my arms over my chest. “Not really helping your cause here.”
The woman started tapping her perfectly manicured nails on the table, leaning back as she eyed me anew. Something in that look told me wheels were turning and her plans were changing. Uh-oh.
“A human is our only chance. You have no taint of magic, no scent of change on you. You also now have some familiarity with, and have proven yourself capable against, supernaturals.”
For a moment, Veronica’s lip curled faintly in a sneer, venomous but gone almost as soon as it appeared. I would have missed it if I hadn’t been staring at her lips and nose, avoiding looking directly into her eyes. Her features resumed that intent predatory look that told me she was only barely hiding her contempt for the lowly pure-blood human, doing what she could to put me on edge. Sadly, it was working.
“As I said, we do not want him dead, just watched. You can get close without fear of injury, since he has plenty of willing donors and is known for his restraint. The worst that could happen is you being banned from his places of business.”
It was my turn to tap my nails. “Aside from an abrupt, painful death, that is the worst thing that could happen to me. Alec Royce owns half the nightclubs and restaurants in the city. Those are the places I go to track my marks.”
I glanced at my watch in an effort to give her the hint that I wasn’t going to stick around much longer for this crazy talk, even if she was picking up the tab.
She gave an overly dramatic sigh, no longer hiding her annoyance. She dropped the sickly sweet tones she’d been affecting and finally put a cap on the damn aura she’d been exuding since this dinner started. No wonder the waiter hadn’t come to refill our glasses in almost an hour.
“Shiarra Waynest, you forget yourself. The other half of the city belongs to The Circle, and we are more than prepared to compensate you. Fifty thousand, plus expenses, and an extra ten thousand if you find what we’re looking for. Five thousand up front, and your pick of equipment from The Circle’s own security vaults. We’ll give you protection, and more work if you do well at this job.”
I sat back, speechless. Five grand to start? My usual take only came out to two thousand, sometimes up to four if it the job was tricky or somewhat dangerous. Plus equipment? Expenses? Maybe this really was a godsend in disguise. I wondered if she might know that I had debt up to my ears and a car payment that was killing me. Plus I think my PI license was about due for renewal, and let’s not forget taxes coming just around the bend. Mental note: get Jenny a very, very nice thank-you card and a bonus.
Taking my stunned silence as a bad sign, Veronica narrowed her eyes and threw another bone on the table. “Is that too little? Fine, make it ten if you get the information, and another twenty if you find the location of the artifact.”
Lifting my napkin up to my mouth to hide the fact that I couldn’t snap my jaw shut, I took just a moment to close my eyes, take a breath, and remind myself that I’d be walking right into a death trap if I took this job. I thought bleakly about the stack of bills that seemed to grow larger every day. Most unsettling was the one from my landlord that had appeared in my mailbox a few days back. I hadn’t quite been able to bring myself to open it yet. My cut of the deposit for this job would be enough to cover the demands of my landlord, and maybe a few of the other creditors demanding a good chunk of my income.
“Well?”
Though I couldn’t help but feel I was betraying something inside myself, something important, I gave her the words she wanted to hear, however grudgingly. “I’ll do it. What is it I’m looking for?”
Veronica leaned back in her chair and smiled grimly, a sly light in her eyes. I really hoped I would live long enough to regret this.
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Chapter 2
The next morning, my partner stared at me in shock over the scarred and pitted kitchen table in the tiny break room of our office, coffee mug paused inches from her lips. Sara Halloway blinked as if trying to clear her vision—to make sure she was really seeing what was in front of her.
“Run that by me one more time. Slowly.”
I rubbed a hand down my face, groaning as I tried to figure out how to explain my reasoning to her without sounding like I’d finally gone off the deep end.
“I know. I can’t believe I took the job either.”
I reached into the back pocket of my jeans and carefully smoothed out the crumpled check on the table, staring down at the five grand under my fingertips so I wouldn’t have to face Sara’s disbelief. I had enough of my own.
“What is it you’re supposed to be looking for exactly? You know it’s got to be dangerous if they’re paying so much.”
“Paying so much? This is a drop in the bucket to The Circle.”
Shaking my head, I brushed a few loose tendrils out of my eyes before reaching for my own coffee on the table. “Anytime a vampire or spark is involved, it’s dangerous. You mean more dangerous than that? Sure, I’m positive whatever it is will get me killed if I don’t watch my back. It may be worth the risk. I can always back out if things get too hairy.”
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