by Kayleigh Sky
Besides, once Asa found the necklaces, he’d be free. He’d have no reason to go back, not even to give Zev a book he already had.
It struck him again, though, as he thought about the necklaces, that they were common and plentiful. Not expensive, not valuable. But Solomon had said that Zev’s were royal. Which didn’t make them valuable. It made them jewelry.
Or a ruse.
A way to fool Asa into becoming Solomon’s scapegoat if he needed one?
But then why had Morjin or Og attacked him? The necklaces must exist, and with the manor vacant, this was his chance to find them. And Asa being gone would keep Isaac safe and might buy Zev time, though Asa didn’t owe him anything.
Gripping the book tightly, he took it to the register. A minute later, he crossed the street at the main intersection and headed to the gas station.
“Almost ready,” said Carl when Asa stepped through the door.
“No rush.”
“Do me a favor. Thermostat’s on the back wall. Can you turn off the heat for me?”
“Sure. I have some cash on me for gas too.”
“How about you buy me a drink when we get where we’re going?”
“Sounds good.”
According to his calculations, the drive down the mountain to Comity was four or five hours, the train to New Seaside another five depending on stops, then ten miles on foot unless somebody picked him up. Still, he might make it to Dinallah Manor by the next night.
And then?
He closed his fingers on the book in his pocket.
After they locked up, they got into Carl’s pickup and headed down Main Street. “I have to stop off home and tell my uncle to open up for me tomorrow.”
“It’s okay?”
Carl glanced over, teeth gleaming in the dark. “Oh yeah. I cover for him too. Plus, tomorrow’s Sunday and we don’t open ’til noon.”
He swung the pickup onto a side street and rattled over a plank bridge across a small creek. A few yards later, a curve brought them into view of a small house. Light shone out a window onto a covered porch. Carl stopped and pulled the brake. “I’ll leave the engine on for you. Gets cold fast.”
“Thanks.”
“Back in a sec.”
Carl hopped up a step onto the porch and went inside the house. A shadow swooped over a wall inside and disappeared. A few breaths later, the windshield fogged, and Asa cracked his window only for the door to fly away from him. His brain froze until hands reached in and grabbed him.
Zev!
What had he done, leaving Zev alone? He kicked at his attacker. Were they going to drain him? He’d never see Zev again, and he’d left him alone, and without the necklaces…
God, why hadn’t he told Zev who he was? Why did he always run?
He kicked again and flipped onto his stomach. Still holding onto the wheel, he reached down and flattened his palm on the gas pedal. It’s engine roaring, the pickup lurched against the brake.
Shit!
A weight piled on top of him and pulled up his arm. The back of his head whacked the underside of the dash. He bit his tongue at the bright flash of pain. Then the pickup jumped, slammed to a stop, and a thunderous crash filled the cab. Fingers knotted in his hair.
The other door flew open. “You hit my house!”
“Shut up.”
Another yank ripped Asa’s grip off the steering wheel, and he slid off the seat, and smashed face first onto icy gravel.
He gasped at the blow and jammed his elbow back. Somebody else gasped. God… damn.
Something heavy—a fist—pummeled his kidney. He flopped like a fish until an arm around his neck jerked him up, and he gagged against the pressure.
“You shit.”
“Hold him still.”
A steely grip pulled his arm out straight and tugged his sleeve up.
“No!”
Fangs sank into his flesh.
Fire and ice mixed in his veins, warmth billowing around him like steam, and he sagged against an arm wrapped around his waist.
“Save some of your appetite for me,” Carl said.
“You sicko,” somebody muttered. Then a thunk and grunt followed a second later. “Get inside.”
Asa moaned. A fog entered his head, soft and gentle, and he floated on it. He remembered the fog that had saved him before. He wanted to sink into it, but… Zev.
Then somebody said, “What the hell,” and the fangs jerked away.
“What is that?”
“I don’t… Get in the house!”
“No time.”
The pines blurred and the cold stung his face. He blinked. Warmth spread through him. I’m dying.
“Get in the truck!”
His head smacked metal, and somebody plowed into him from behind and knocked him across the seat. Doors slammed, and the engines roared, the pickup jerking and rattling.
“Hit the goddamn gas.”
“I am!”
Asa slipped half off the seat, one arm hooked over a thick leg. The floorboards vibrated as the pickup reversed. Tires squealed, and the pickup spun.
Asa retched.
“Shit.”
“It’s inside!”
“Stop!”
Cold air rushed into the cab, and he flew out the door onto the icy road. A moment later, somebody grabbed his jacket and hauled him up. “No more screwin’ around with the light bearer. You go back or die.”
They let him go with a push, and the pickup sped away. Its taillights wavered in the pines. He followed it on wobbly legs while the cold snuck inside his jacket and gloves. He stuffed his hands under his arms and pushed on. He made it to the corner of Main Street and stared at the row of shops. The spill of lights pooled warm and yellow on the sidewalks. A bell jangled as a door opened, and a laugh rolled in the air. Human? Vampire? He ground his teeth together and crossed the street. A few pedestrians strolled along the sidewalk, and cars and pickups clustered near the coffee shop. He went on until he reached the dark gas station. The cold had roused him, but the thought of picking his feet up for hours in the snow numbed him. He’d die before he made it to the lodge. As he turned back toward town, a few winking lights caught his eye.
What was that?
He headed toward it. An unpaved road veered off the highway. The lights of town were still visible through the pines, and he soon came upon a parking lot surrounded by a split rail fence in front of a long, low building. Condensation fogged the windows and made silhouettes of the people inside. A sign hung over the door.
The Huntsman.
That’s right. Opal Lake Village’s one fancy restaurant.
He pulled his hands free of his armpits and patted at his pockets. He still had his belongings, even his new book.
Two vampires stepped out of the restaurant, glanced at him with narrowed eyes, but walked on to their vehicles.
Asa climbed the steps to the porch and went inside.
He sank onto a bench in the lobby until a human hostess approached him. She held a single menu wrapped in her arms but glanced around the lobby as though looking for more guests than Asa. She settled her gaze on him with a smile. “Just one?”
He swallowed, cracking the ice that had frozen his throat. His voice rasped. “Sorry. I was… I was hoping you had a phone.”
“Are you okay?”
“I just need to make a call.”
“We don’t have a phone, but there’s a radio.”
He climbed to his feet. “Can I use it?”
“I don’t know.” She bit her lip. “I have to ask the manager.”
A vampire manager with cold eyes and distaste crossing her face. “Our cabins are sold out, but Summit Inn is only a mile down the highway.”
“I can’t make it. I just need to get back to the lodge.”
That sparked the vamp’s interest. “The king’s lodge?”
He nodded. “I have money.”
The vampire smiled, showing her teeth. “I wouldn’t charge the king. Wait here.
I’ll call for you.”
“Thank you. My name is Emek.”
The hostess brought him coffee. He cupped the mug, gloves in his lap, the steam warming his face.
A half hour later, Jere appeared. Asa pulled his gloves back on and followed him out.
“You better have a good explanation.”
“I’m not a prisoner.”
“You might be. There’s been a murder.”
40
Dead Weight
The cold bit through the hood Zev wrapped around his head as he turned away from the moonlit lake and made his way to the tree line.
“Sire.”
He didn’t respond as Justin kept pace at his side. Ignored the worry on his face. Was Zev insane? Lost in love? Was his fated a murderer?
Well, Otto hadn’t said so.
He headed toward the sound of voices and the flicker of lamps in the trees. Two enforcers followed, one on either side of him. They should have been patrolling the property, but they stuck to him now, Emek’s escape chaffing at them, though it had been Zev who’d pulled them away from their duty, and he’d only been humoring Otto, telling himself he could trust Emek, though he’d snuck off, just as Otto had warned him he would.
“I’m not saying he tried to kill you. I’m saying he’s hiding something.”
And Morjin had warned him too. “The human’s up to no good.”
And now Morjin’s brother was dead. And for a few heart-stopping minutes, a faraway voice had frozen him to the bones. Zev!
Pain had chased panic. His knees had turned to water and a dread that somebody had poisoned him again had washed through him. He’d stumbled to the liquor cabinet seconds before Uriah burst in. “Pan has found a body.”
Now the shakiness was gone, and he just felt dead tired. Where was Emek? Zev was afraid he’d never again see Emek’s evil grin and hear his whispered, “Gotcha,” right before he trapped Zev’s king.
Justin’s breath puffed beside him.
“I trust your instincts, sire.”
Zev stopped and focused on him. “And?”
“Please don’t be foolish.”
Zev forced a smile onto his frozen face. “You call your king a fool?”
His smile gentled his tone. Justin’s harsh face and blank expression intimidated humans and vampires alike, but he was a loyal servant to Zev, and before him, loyal to Lem Goran and Qudim.
Sorrow softened Justin’s voice. “I don’t understand the pull of a fated love.”
Fated?
God, was it that obvious?
“You have a passionate heart, sire, but don’t let it cloud your judgment. Especially of a human. They have reason to hate us. They don’t understand our ways. Though it might seem it, we are not alike.”
“Do you believe in fated love, Justin?”
“I believe in fate. I was born to serve.”
But so was Zev. In his way. He continued to the lights in the clearing.
Otto, Moss, and Uriah stood around Og’s body. Morjin knelt on one knee, forearm resting on his bent thigh, head down.
Og lay prone in the snow, splotches of blood, black in the light, surrounding his head. His coat had been torn half off him, pockets ripped. Zev’s gaze skipped away from the back of Og’s pulverized head. Mortal even for a vampire. Was it possible for a human to get the best of him? Og would have heard anybody sneaking up on him. Without an advantage of surprise, how could a human do this? Unless Og hadn’t seen him as a threat.
He gazed at Morjin on his knee. “Morjin.” The vampire lifted his head. “We will avenge him.”
Morjin gave a thin and bitter smile. “That won’t bring him back to life. He’s a sacrifice.”
Otto grunted. “What do you mean by that?”
“We’re being punished for turning from the old ways. Og is a sign to remember who we are.”
“And who is that?” Otto asked.
Morjin rose. “Your rulers.”
Otto grinned and took a step toward him, but Zev cut him off. “I am your ruler, Morjin. I grieve with you, but do not overstep yourself.”
“Forgive me, sire, but I doubt you.” Morjin stepped over his brother’s body. “Your pet human ran for a reason.”
Zev swallowed his anger. “You think a human did this?”
“Og was a dreamer. Like you. I think he let down his guard, and now he’s dead. His mistake, and one I won’t make.” He gazed at Otto again. “Convenient timing for your swain and the princess to return home.”
“They are escorting Essie,” said Zev. “You know that.”
“Ellowyn. Capable of murdering another Ellowyn.”
“I trust Esseline.”
Before Morjin passed him, Zev moved into his path. His enforcers edged closer. Morjin lifted his chin, and Justin gasped. “Gennarah. Respect.”
Ignoring Justin, Morjin held Zev’s gaze.
“I caution you, Prince Morjin. I make a better friend than an enemy. The evil that infects us is a disease I will eradicate.”
Morjin’s lips tightened, then relaxed in a smile. “May I pass, sire? I have funeral arrangements to make.”
“Gonna have to wait on that,” said Otto.
Morjin’s eyes widened, nostrils flaring. He turned. “Why?”
“An autopsy is required.”
“Any idiot can see the back of his head was smashed in.”
“Only an idiot of a cop would assume that was the cause of death.”
Morjin went still for a moment, body stiff. “You think somebody poisoned him? To get near him?” He shot a baleful glare at Zev. “Like a human?”
“No idea,” said Otto.
“How long?”
“No idea.”
“Go, Morjin,” Zev said.
Morjin spun back and pushed past him. Zev waited until he disappeared from sight. “Was that necessary? His brother is dead.”
“I know,” said Otto. “And I plan on finding out who did it.”
The crackle of a radio stopped Zev from replying. He shifted his attention to Uriah, who backed to the edge of the trees. Moss followed him halfway.
“Whadda you got?” Uriah asked.
A broken mumble came through. “… Back… Now… Want me… Do with him…”
“Hold on,” said Uriah. He glanced between Otto and Zev. “Jere has Emek. What now?
“Put him in the—”
“Study,” said Zev.
“Dungeon,” Otto finished. “He’s a suspect whether you like it or not.”
Zev gritted his teeth. “You, detective, work for me.”
“I know my job.” Otto grinned. “Majesty. Let me do it. The law is the law. Even for you. Trust me. Do not start fudging the lines.”
Both Moss and Uriah inclined their chins. Their respect meant nothing, because they were agreeing with Otto, and everything in Zev told him to resist. Locking up Emek meant the murderer still roamed. “What if it isn’t him?”
“It might not be.”
“Do you lock up every suspect?”
“I question every suspect. This one is a flight risk.”
Emek had given him no reason for trust. My sweet. No, he’d only played him. Gotten close. Worked on his guilt. Teased his memories. But he’d never revealed himself. And why not? Why was he playing this game? What did he want from Zev?
“I understand why he might want me dead.” Moss locked his gaze on Zev, a startled expression on his face. “But why Og?”
“If he’s Og’s killer,” said Otto, “and we don’t know that yet, maybe Og saw something last night. It’s a guess. I don’t know. That’s why I need to question him. And we need him to stay here. It’s for his own good anyway. If he’s stupid or reckless enough to run, he won’t make it. Not with the storm coming in.”
As though he’d forgotten the cold, it bit at Zev’s skin again. He stared at Og’s stiff body. “What are we going to do with him?”
“There’s a satellite Sheriff’s station twenty miles from here. I’ll take him th
ere.”
“I’ll go with you,” said Uriah.
“We’ll be back before the storm hits. I advise you to stay in your rooms and keep your enforcers near you. I’ll question Emek tomorrow, and we’ll see what we’re dealing with.” Otto turned to Moss. “Nobody in or out. That means the driver too.”
“Got it.”
Fury flared in Zev’s chest, and he dropped his fangs. His breath floated like a ghost, and the ice pricking at his skin burned away.
Otto straightened, his eyes lightless slits, and Uriah took a step closer to him. Of course. Uriah served Rune, and Otto was Jessa’s swain. Seneras. Family came before king, though the Ellowyn might pretend otherwise. Where was Zev’s family? A mother and father who had retreated from the world? Moss, his cousin? Moss glared at Uriah, and stubbornness surfaced on Uriah’s face. Zev wanted the family Otto had. The family a human had. But Zev had taken a different course through life. He was the other half of Rune’s heart.
Whither thou goest, I will go.
His fury receded, and the cold bit at him again. The dungeon would be cold too.
“You’d better hurry.”
Otto let out a breath. He dipped his chin and turned to Moss. “We’ll need something to carry him on.”
Zev turned away too and met Justin’s eyes.
Was that disappointment?
41
Locked Up
“Do you know who was murdered?” Asa asked.
Jere grunted. Nothing else.
Irritated, Asa bit his tongue and stared out the windshield as snowflakes fell in dancing swirls. The pines formed a dark wall on either side of them, shaping a tunnel into the unknown. Who was dead? Not Zev. Asa would never have gotten out of The Huntsman alive. He gripped the door handle when they turned into the driveway. Golden lights flickered. Candles and sconces, but a steady light hung in the dark behind the house, lighting the garage and three vampires, who stood waiting.
Jere pulled up, and Asa shoved at his door.
“Let me out.”
The locks snapped. He pushed his door open, and an enforcer he’d never seen before reached in. Asa kicked him and scuttled sideways. Jere slammed his door, blocking Asa’s escape, and the enforcer grabbed Asa’s ankle and yanked him out. He clutched the enforcer’s coat sleeve and hopped on his free leg.
