Edge of Humanity (Only Human Book 5)

by Candace Blevins

  The vampire was dressed appropriately for the cold so he wouldn’t stand out, but not because he needed to stay warm. I understand they don’t feel cold the way we do, and there’s no danger of frostbite with them. I held back my sigh. “I get that a lot.”

  Lauren was in her dorm with a lion and a fucking grizzly bear who seemed to have the hots for her. Her suite held four women — two bedrooms and a huge common room with a shared bathroom. However, just down the hall was a suite full of men. Coed dorms, kind of. At any rate, there were a number of supernaturals on her floor, and I’d been informed Marco had personally stepped in to rearrange thoughts and memories to make it happen. I felt bad about it, but was grateful.

  Except for the uber-sexy grizzly bear.

  I’d wanted Lauren to have the full college experience, but this guy was… damn. Lauren’s life. I needed to back the fuck off.

  “What did you expect?” I had my senses out, trying to feel for Celrau, but I could handle conversation with Marco while I worked.

  “More bad-ass and less mother.”

  “If I tear the grizzly bear’s head off his body, will that make me both?”

  He laughed, and I couldn’t imagine Abbott laughing like Marco. Full of joy. Abbott’s years weigh on him, even if his body looks young. Marco seemed eons younger, though he looked slightly older.

  We both stopped and turned towards a grassy area with trees at the same time. There weren’t many trees, but they were big, so someone could plausibly be hiding behind a trunk.

  Two? I asked.

  I believe so. I’m bringing my people in from other directions. Let’s continue. I can monitor while we talk. “They rarely allow freshmen to start midway through the year.”

  “The Dean approved of the reason and granted an exception. With her double-major, or joint concentration, she’ll be here four and a half years, so it works out.”

  “Business and theater.”

  “You’ve spent a lot of resources researching my daughter.”

  “Researching you, which meant finding out as much as I could about her. I knew most of this before the request came through for protection while at Harvard, and then I learned what was necessary before I could agree to help protect her. I don’t take such things lightly.”

  “Nathan gave me strict instructions not to ask you what I could do to thank you. He says it’s been taken care of.”

  “It has, though allowing your wolf an evening with me is appreciated.”

  “Her choice. I don’t tell her what to do.”

  We’d walked around the building and were about to enter the grassy area from another side.

  Everyone’s in position, and my geek’s taken the campus’ camera’s offline. Let’s go.

  I need one alive, to play with.

  I’m aware.

  Marco and I merely had to help block the two Celrau vampires, so his people could net them and toss them in the back of an SUV.

  I thought I was going to get to help.

  You did. They saw you and turned to run right into my people. Why are they afraid of you? I thought they were here to try to capture you.

  Reconnaissance, probably. The big guys are the ones who want me.

  Call your daughter. See what she can sense. They’ll park outside her dorm room.

  I called Lauren and spoke to her in Chinese to ask her what she could sense, and to talk her through pressing her senses outward. I figured Marco would understand, but hopefully not many others. The old ones have had time to learn many languages.

  Between Chinese on the phone with Lauren, and telepathy with Marco, we figured out Lauren can sense Celrau up to about a hundred and twenty yards if she’s focusing entirely on trying to feel them, and around forty yards if she’s only putting some of her attention towards sensing. When they killed one of them at one hundred and forty yards, she immediately told me one was gone.

  I hung up and let out tension I didn’t know I’d been holding. She could sense them; she could fight them. Also, she had people watching out for her, which was good, but I felt better knowing she could rely on her own skills.

  “The supernaturals you put on her floor — you didn’t give them suggestions to like her, did you?”

  “Your dragon was very specific about not fucking with free will too much. The Lioness didn’t like her original roommates very much, so moving her was a favor and I didn’t need to do much at all to make it happen. Two of the shapeshifters were quite happy with their living arrangements, so I moved their entire room from one dorm to another, and had to put multiple suggestions in about why this was necessary, and why they wouldn’t resent it.”

  “So if they like her and are her friend, it’s natural? Not because you told them to?”

  “There’s a suggestion about needing to make sure she’s safe, but nothing about whether they are her friend or not.”

  I’d need to make doubly sure I thanked Aaron, later.

  “Your Mandarin is very good.”

  I let him get away with changing the subject. We were probably done with the other one, anyway. “I recently spent eight months in China. I should hope so.”

  “Touché. You know I heard both sides of the conversation.”

  “I do. I think we need to keep walking, see if there are more.”

  “Any reason to keep the second alive?”

  “None I can think of, but it isn’t my call. Hang on.”

  Cora. Any reason to keep one of the Celrau alive?

  Not if Marco shares what his people get out of their heads. Otherwise, we’ll need to interrogate them ourselves.

  “Will you share what your people get out of their heads?”

  “I will share the information with the Amakhosi or his cat.”

  “Why not me?”

  “He’ll share it with you. Yes?”

  “Possibly. Sometimes they keep things from me in an effort to protect me, and it nearly always bites me in the ass.”

  “I see.”

  We walked another block before he said. “I will share it with you, so long as you assure me you aren’t in the habit of shooting the messenger.”

  “Unless the messenger threatens me, I’m not.”

  A chuckle. You were off a little in your supposition. They know Lauren came home with more skills than she left with. They want her because they think she may be a substitute for you. If she isn’t, they’ll use her to bring you to them.

  I kept the channel open so Cora heard, and I easily sensed her anger through the connection. For my part, I told Marco, Thank you for telling me. I’ll almost certainly be here three weeks, and we may have to negotiate for me to stay longer.

  We walked another two hours without finding more, and though Marco scented others around the campus, he was certain it was from previous nights.

  We didn’t talk about anything terribly important, and yet I think I learned a lot about him. He isn’t as arrogant as Abbott — it’s almost as if he has more memories of what it means to be human, while Abbott has completely forgotten. I’m sure he learned more about me than I did about him, but I was fine with whatever he may have learned.

  In the elevator on the way up to my hotel suite, he asked, “Do you trust me?”

  “Kendra assured me you’re honorable. So far, you’ve proven yourself to be.”

  “A non-answer.”

  I sighed. “Tentatively.”

  Another laugh. “I begin to see what others mean when they say you’re refreshing. I appreciate your candor.”

  Most vampires of your strength feel the need to prove to me how strong they are.

  Your daughter told you how strong I am. I have nothing to prove.

  I’ve been told Kendra could be Master Vampire on her own if she chose. I hadn’t realized it meant she was stronger than someone who holds as much territory as you.

  Stronger is a relative term. One-on-one when neither of us can pull from other sources, it’s possible she’d be stronger. However, we won’t meet that way, a
nd in a real-life situation, I would come out on top.

  “You won’t meet that way only because you know she’ll never challenge you.”

  “Never is a long time.”

  Cora opened the door as we neared, and we went in without speaking. I stripped my gloves and plugged them right into the charger. No way did I want to have to spend time outside without them.

  While I worked to get the coat off, Cora said, “Nathan has a lion up in a tree for the night, watching the dorm. He has a clear line of sight into the common room, and can see Lauren’s window.”

  “The grizzly bear?”

  “Is back in his room.”

  Marco chuckled again, and I glared at him. He held his hands out to the side, trying to look harmless. “You are kind of a mama bear, aren’t you?”

  “You have no idea,” said Cora.

  I tilted my chin to Marco. “The Dragon King calls her a hatchling and considers her a niece.”

  “I’m aware.” His expression told me he was being patient, the tone of his voice told me his patience was wearing thin. He wanted me to see him as trustworthy, and he didn’t take kindly to threats — not even veiled threats.

  I wasn’t prepared to back down, though. “Just thought I’d reiterate.”

  “The Celrau have been known to pay agents to do their bidding during the day. Caution should be exercised even when the sun is above the horizon.”

  “Thanks for the reminder. I’ll work with Cora and Nathan to come up with a security solution that won’t hinder Lauren’s activities too much.”

  “I’ve had an interesting evening, walking with you. Valerie will coordinate tomorrow night’s hunt. If you wish to participate, she’ll pair you with one of us. Please work with us instead of going out on your own, so we don’t stumble across each other.” He looked to Cora and back to me. “Agreement has been reached with your wolf’s Alpha, but I’ll wait until the Amakhosi is in residence before taking your lovely Cora back to my lair for a night of fun and frolicking.”

  “I look forward to it,” Cora told him. “Thank you for being courteous of our security needs.”

  “Thank you for using her name.” I told him.

  He’d called her “my wolf”, but then had used her name. It felt like he sensed my displeasure the first time and switched it up at the last second.

  He nodded to me, and left.

  It’d seemed important to acknowledge his courtesy, but perhaps I shouldn’t have said that last bit and tipped my hat that I sensed the change. I probably wasn’t supposed to have been able to. I wasn’t sure I’d ever fully get the hang of supernatural politics.

  I went to the bedroom and texted Kendra with a request to call me when she could talk. Three minutes later, my phone rang.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yes. What can you tell me about Marco?”

  “He’s honorable. That doesn’t mean he’s totally trustworthy, but I don’t believe he’ll turn on you.”

  “Valerie?”

  “Where are you?”

  “Hotel suite. Cora’s sound dampening music is playing in the main room.” I walked to the bathroom and turned the shower on. “I’m between a running shower and Cora’s music, and you aren’t on speaker.”

  “Don’t turn your back on her. She’s a bitch with a capital C.”

  “Anyone you absolutely trust?”

  “Yes. His name’s Norris, but he’s an actor in New York and hasn’t attempted to climb the hierarchy. He can’t help you.” She sighed. “Plus, he has to do as Marco and Val say, so…”

  “Right. My instincts tell me Marco’s on our side. I’m not so sure about Valerie.”

  “If you knew a human wanted to be given to her, would you be opposed to being the one to offer the gift?”

  My stomach turned at the thought, but I understood the true question. “I’ll do it, if you think it’ll help.”

  “Can’t hurt. I’ll send someone up with Nathan. He’ll stow the man somewhere until you need to offer him.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I care about Lauren, too.”

  21

  The next couple of days were without incident. As I’d predicted, Lauren fit into her suite perfectly, and was soon more comfortable with the idea of not having me a few blocks away.

  She wasn’t ready for me to leave yet, but she would be soon.

  We turned the van in and rented an SUV. Smokey was allowed to visit the dorms, and he even got permission to stay overnight once.

  We slept part of the day, spent some time with Lauren, played tourist — but our nights were for hunting Celrau. Valerie never gave me a reason to doubt her, but I didn’t like her. She paired me with a different vampire every night, and we found nothing. I also ordered more of the heated gloves and socks, to be sure I always had some charged. While I was ordering them, I saw a heated vest and I ordered it, too.

  On our fourth night, I told Valerie that Cora and I would be working on our own.

  “Marco hasn’t approved this.”

  “For whatever reason, we aren’t finding them when we’re with your people. I believe Cora and I will work better alone.”

  “I shall let Marco know.”

  I had Marco’s cellphone number, and I decided to text him myself.

  I believe we should split up for a few nights and see what happens. Cora and I will hunt together, apart from your people tonight.

  I didn’t expect him to be awake yet, but he texted right back.

  You believe someone in my organization is compromised?

  I’d like to rule it out.

  I’ll clear it with Valerie.

  Thank you.

  “That seemed almost too easy,” I told Cora.

  “Yes. I wish we knew for sure who to trust.”

  Some famous and/or extra-rich parents paid Drake Security to protect their children on campus, plus Aaron’s company was brought on as a consultant to work with the university’s security to be sure those at higher risk were guarded more than the average student. Cora had checked in with security when we arrived and received a warm welcome. She and Kane had badges identifying them as security, and Nathan would have one when he arrived. The vampires didn’t need a badge, since they could make a human not care about seeing them.

  Still, we’d formed a route that kept us out of camera range. I had a feeling the Celrau knew what our path had to be, based on cameras, and were managing to avoid us. I was certain the vampire I’d been with the night before had scented something and not told me. If the Celrau were only having to hide from me and Cora, but could risk being scented by the vampires, it wouldn’t be so hard for them to be there and not be found. With the snowfall, Cora told me the scents were buried.

  “Why would Val go against Marco and let the Celrau near Lauren?” I asked Cora and Kane one late morning, when we met in the suite’s common room for breakfast.

  “Abbott keeps his most powerful people close, and they work as a team,” said Kane. “Marco lets his be little mini-Masters in cities around him. Both strategies have good and bad points. Abbott can keep a closer eye on those who may try for a coup, but he also risks having those people leave him to become a Master Vampire of another city. Marco keeps people of strength in his organization who report to him instead of running their own city, because he’s kind of letting them run their own city. However, if they can organize their people quietly, a coup becomes possible.”

  “You don’t think Marco intends to put me in a position so I solve his little problem, do you?”

  Cora sighed. “It’s possible.”

  “Fuck me.”

  “His Majesty will know what to do,” Kane said.

  “He might.” Eight hundred years old was a baby to the oldest vampires.

  I’d tried to find out whether Nathan had punished Kane and Tyson for losing me in Africa, but no one was talking. I’d gotten around feeling guilty about what might happen to Kane if I went missing again by making him responsible for Lauren’s s
afety. I was fully on board with punishing him if something happened to Lauren when the sun was up.

  Cora and I patrolled at night, Kane watched her dorm from a distance and kept an eye on the people she associated with during daytime hours.

  I met Kane’s gaze and asked, “Do you know what Nathan’s going to do before he comes here?” He’d told us he’d just rent his own vehicle and meet us at the hotel. This told me he had something to do, otherwise he’d have been fine with us picking him up from the airport. Most everything was in walking distance and we only needed one SUV between us.

  Kane looked to his coffee mug and back up. “Please ask Nathan any questions about Nathan.”

  “Okay. Fair enough. I apologize.” It wasn’t fair to put him in the middle. He couldn’t go against his King’s orders.

  Cora put her hand on my arm and told Kane, “She thinks she understands, and she kind of does — more than most humans — but she also doesn’t.”

  The relationship between Nathan and his lions — and Randall and his wolves — bothered me, and yet, I kind of got it. Still, it pissed me off. We humans value our free will.

  “Probably true,” I said. “What if we come at it from another angle? What are the odds the Celrau are staying somewhere close? Would we be able to sense or smell them while bedded down?”

  “When I’ve caught a bit of a scent,” said Kane, “I’ve tried to follow it, but I think they’re doing something to obfuscate it.”

  “How might they do that?”

  “Having humans dress them, so they don’t touch their clothes, coat, or any other outerwear,” said Cora. “The long johns you and Lauren wear would help, too. Also, hats or wigs, so no stray hairs are breezing round, or just outright shaving their head. Gloves, and a high-alcohol aftershave on their face.”

  “Sounds about right,” said Kane. “It’s possible the hints I’ve been catching are their breath caught in leaves.”