Sophia

by D. B. Reynolds

  Raphael watched her go, enjoying the sway of her hips, even though she was irritated with him. He turned back to Duncan with a wry twist of his mouth. “I think she worries even more than you do, Duncan.”

  Duncan grinned. “Impossible, my lord,” he commented, adding, “She loves you deeply.”

  “She wants to protect me.”

  “Speaking of which, if you permit this Sophia to meet with you—”

  Raphael blinked slowly and gave his lieutenant a patient look.

  “Ah, that is, when you meet with her, my lord, I believe you should permit Juro and myself to greet her first. I’d like a better sense of her purpose before we admit her to the building, at least, and certainly before she is permitted into your presence.”

  “You’re as bad as Cyn.”

  “No doubt. And for somewhat the same reasons.”

  Raphael arched an eyebrow at him.

  “I did say somewhat,” Duncan said dryly.

  Raphael flashed a quick grin, sobering almost immediately.

  “Very well.” Raphael heard Cyn’s footsteps and looked over his shoulder to see her heading for their private quarters. “I think I’ll have a word with my mate.”

  * * * *

  Cyn was coming out the large bathroom when Raphael entered their suite. She had a towel in her hands and her face was still damp from a recent wash. She didn’t say anything, just tossed the towel onto a rack, then walked over to the side table and began refastening her shoulder holster, her back to him once more.

  Raphael crossed the room silently, taking selfish pleasure from her gasp of surprise as his hand snatched the gun from her fingers before she could slide it into the holster. Sliding the weapon across the table out of her reach, he spun her around to face him. Not that she was cowed by his show of strength. The look she gave him all but dared him to try anything.

  “Sweet, sweet Cyn,” he said silkily. He felt her grow perfectly still, saw her eyes flare in alarm as she recognized the danger simmering beneath his quiet voice. The stubbornness fled, replaced by a wary watchfulness. He growled soft and low in his chest. “You are angry because I value your life too much to hide behind you? You are human, my Cyn, and I am Vampire. Which of us do you think more likely to survive an attack by my enemies?”

  “Well, thank you very much, oh great one. I won’t trouble you with my useless human efforts on your behalf any longer.”

  Raphael tightened his grip, pulling her closer, forcing her up onto her toes. “I don’t need you to protect me,” he insisted, only inches away from her face. “I have hundreds of vampires specifically trained to do that. You know this.”

  “And what about all the others?” she snapped back at him, raising her hands between them and pushing ineffectively at his chest. “The thousands of vampires who depend on you for their lives, the thousands who will die if anything happens to you. What about me? How would I live without you?” Her voice cracked with emotion as she fisted one hand and punched his shoulder. “You’re irreplaceable, damn you!”

  He stared at her, loosening his hold until he could run gentle hands up and down her arms. “And do you think you’re not?” he asked, his impatience replaced by stunned disbelief. “Do you think I could go on if something happened to you? Do you think I would want to?”

  Cyn looked away, a flush of embarrassment staining her lovely cheeks.

  “Sweet Cyn,” he murmured, pulling her into his arms. “Lubimaya,” he whispered against her fragrant hair. “I would sooner die at your side than live without you.”

  “Me, too” she whispered, tears filling her voice.

  “Then there is nothing for it. We shall both have to live, my Cyn.”

  He placed a finger under her chin and raised her face to his, kissing her long and slowly, savoring the luscious, warm taste of her mouth, lingering to twine his tongue around hers until she softened against him at last, her arms snaking beneath his jacket and around his back.

  “I love you, my Cyn,” he said, breaking away from the kiss and holding her close. “And I need you always. Never doubt that.”

  “Ditto, fang boy,” she muttered against his chest.

  Raphael laughed. “Put on your gun, then. We’ll have a visitor to question soon.

  “Sophia can’t be here already.” She dashed back into the bathroom, checking her face in the mirror and splashing it with cool water to erase the signs of her tears.

  He followed her, leaning against the door frame and watching her in the mirror.

  “No, but Juro’s team won’t take long. Vampires drive fast.”

  “While we wait, I want to clear up a few things with Wei Chen, and there are the reports from Juro’s team on the two crime scenes. They went out there the first night and secured the houses.”

  She crossed to the table and snapped her gun into the shoulder rig, then slipped on her jacket, concealing the gun from casual inspection. A vampire wouldn’t need to see the weapon, of course. The scent alone would betray its presence. Cyn knew this, but she’d carried her gun in this fashion for years, she’d told him, and saw no reason to change. She looked over her shoulder, meeting his gaze with eyes filled with anticipation. “So, we meet this chick from Canada, and then we can start tracking these guys, right?”

  “So eager, lubimaya. I approve.”

  She blew out a dismissive breath and he grabbed her, swinging her around and claiming her mouth in a hard kiss. Then he raised his head and said, “Soon, my Cyn, very soon we hunt.”

  Chapter Ten

  Sophia surveyed the Seattle compound as the big gate rolled shut behind her, nearly silent despite its obvious heft. She was reluctantly impressed by the Western vampires’ security, from the careful scrutiny of the two who’d been dispatched to escort her, to the watchful gaze of the guards as she was passed through the gate and into the compound proper. Lucien had nothing like this in his territory, not even in his own lair, which she’d found almost alarmingly unguarded. Of course, that might be because Lucien himself was not in residence. Surely, if their lord had been present, his guards would have been more alert? On the other hand, if they’d been doing their job properly, he never would have gone missing in the first place.

  Although, having read his letter, it now seemed more likely he was in hiding, rather than missing.

  The truck—and regardless of what the makers called it, this behemoth vehicle could be considered nothing but a truck—drove into the compound, winding through more of the ever-present trees as they rounded the curved driveway and headed for a quite elegant concrete and steel structure. There was a surprisingly strong hum of power coming from the building, and Sophia wondered just how many vampires were inside. It had to be considerable to produce that strong a power signature.

  The truck came to a halt and she remained still, waiting for some sort of signal from her escort. The big Asian vampire driving hadn’t said a word the entire journey, so she looked to the other, a dark-skinned male whose Caribbean accent flowed cheerfully over her ears. She could hear him murmuring from his seat in front and realized he was wearing a communication device on his wrist of the type used by high-level security personnel around the world. Even more impressive, she thought. If they observed this much caution for a visit to the local compound, imagine the gauntlet one would have to run for a visit with Raphael himself.

  Two vampires emerged from the building and made their way down the stairs, clearly heading her way. Between the light cast from the building’s interior and the generously lit landscaping, she could see their faces clearly and at first glance didn’t recognize either of them. But that wasn’t a surprise. Vampires tended not to mingle, and especially not across territorial boundaries. Larissa had produced a file on the Seattle compound which had contained a few photographs, but beyond that, Sophia had little information on whom to expect here. Darren, who’d attended years of Council meetings with Lucien, would have been able to describe the Council members themselves, and perhaps their vampire lieutenants, bu
t Sophia didn’t expect to run into any of them here in Seattle, so she hadn’t bothered to ask him.

  She studied the two males as they approached the vehicle. The first was an eerily accurate match for her humongous driver. He was at least a brother, if not a twin, which was fascinating—she didn’t think she’d ever seen the like. The other Seattle vampire was a good-looking male, tall and well-built, with long blond hair tied back into a neat queue. He said something to the twin, who walked over to the truck and opened her door.

  “Step out, please,” the giant said in a deep, rumbling voice that matched his impressive stature perfectly.

  Sophia swung her legs through the open door and scooted forward. The male held out a huge paw, offering his assistance, and she took it gratefully, noting as she did so the deep hum of power beneath his skin. It wasn’t a deliberate show on his part. If he’d wanted to test her, he would have been far more blatant about it. This was simply the power that lived inside him, and it was considerable. Sophia knew he was receiving a similar trace of her own power, which was just as firmly banked. They were all being very carefully polite this evening.

  She reached the ground and disengaged her hand, watching from the corner of her eye as the blond vampire approached.

  “Sophia,” he said in a cool, uninflected tone. “Welcome to Seattle. I am Duncan.”

  Sophia froze and fought not to show it. This was Duncan? When she’d spoken with him earlier, she’d assumed he was in Malibu. But, of course, her call could have been forwarded anywhere. Clearly it had been forwarded right here to Seattle. But if Duncan was in Seattle—

  Suddenly everything made terrible sense. The security, the impossibly strong power signature. Aware of the knowing brown eyes watching her ever so closely, Sophia forced herself to take a step forward, to accept the hand Duncan was offering. Many of the older vampires didn’t shake hands, especially those who eschewed human contact. Sophia was not one of those. Her life in Rio was filled with far more humans than vampires.

  “The inestimable Duncan,” she acknowledged. She shook his hand firmly, surprised that he, at least, hadn’t tested her power with that handshake. Many vampires in his position would have. But then, if what she’d heard about him was true, he probably didn’t feel the need to. But at the same time, she wondered how much they had discovered about her in the short time since that phone call. Not much, probably. She’d kept an intentionally low profile down in South America, and before that she’d been just one more of Lucien’s playmates, not worthy of any notice at all.

  Duncan smiled slightly. “Just Duncan will do. And this is Juro,” he added, indicating the giant vampire next to him. “What brings you to Seattle, Sophia?”

  Well, she thought, at least they didn’t waste any time on chitchat. “As we discussed on the phone, I’m here on behalf of my Sire,” she said smoothly. It was close enough to the truth that it would pass, and, besides, she had more than enough power of her own to conceal her thoughts. “I’m searching for someone, a vampire who has gone missing. The trail led me here, where I hoped to secure permission to continue my search and a safe haven for the duration.”

  Duncan regarded her steadily, giving away nothing of his thoughts. “For whom do you search?”

  Sophia met his cool stare, her expression calm despite her exquisite awareness of the building behind him, and far more importantly, of who she now knew had to be waiting inside that building. She sent out a thin thread of inquiry and snapped it back almost painfully, very nearly singed by the raw, unimaginable depth of power that could only be Raphael. A shiver of dread crept along her spine and she steeled herself against it. She could not afford to show weakness. Not anymore, not with Raphael here in Seattle and her own Sire mysteriously absent. Was it possible that Raphael had something to do with Lucien’s disappearance? Or, meu Deus, might her Sire be Raphael’s prisoner? Maybe right here in this compound?

  Duncan was regarding her patiently, seeming willing to stand in the cold damp of a Pacific Northwest night for as long as it took to get a response to his query. She frowned and drew a deep fortifying breath. “I am looking for Lucien,” she said at last, knowing she’d never get past the front door otherwise. “I have reason to believe he’s nearby. I had even thought he might be visiting here, but I now think that unlikely.”

  Is he here? Do you know where he is? She choked back the questions she was desperate to ask.

  Duncan raised one eyebrow quizzically, the most reaction she’d seen from him so far. He went very still and she knew he was mentally speaking to someone inside. Raphael, probably. He would take direction from no one else.

  He smiled at her then, just a slight upward curve of his lips as he turned and gestured with one hand toward the warmly lit building. “My Sire will speak with you.”

  Seeing no alternative, Sophia started up the concrete stairway toward the front door, irritated by the awkwardness of the individual steps, too long and too shallow, so that she felt like an overgrown child scurrying along a giant’s staircase. But even as she swallowed her irritation, she recognized it for what it was—a distraction from the fear pooling in her belly, something she hadn’t felt in longer than she could remember. Not since her earliest nights alone, after Lucien had cast her out of his nest and forced her to find a home of her own.

  Duncan strode along next to her, with Juro slightly ahead of them. Neither of the two said anything, but Duncan at least seemed friendly in a reserved sort of way. Not terribly forthcoming, but not hostile either. More curious than anything else, she thought.

  Juro pulled open the heavy, glass front door and went through first. Duncan caught the door and held it for her, with a slight bow. She acknowledged the courtesy with a smile, nodding her head as she stepped through. All of that courtesy didn’t keep her from noticing the heavy steel shutters hanging over her head, however. Shutters she had no doubt were lowered every day before sunrise and could probably be dropped at the touch of a button, if necessary. Just beyond the front doors was a “great room.” Rooms like this were used for many things in modern houses, but this one was a large, casual sitting room, with a pair of long, heavy couches facing each other across a thick glass coffee table. A pair of matching chairs stood to either end, making a square seating area, with an enormous area rug framing the entire thing. The ceiling was high, two stories at least, with windows on the far wall that nearly met the roof line. And like the door, automatic shutters framed every window. This building had been constructed for vampires. The door was the only real vulnerability and by the time an intruder reached it, the shutters would be deployed and it, too, would be pretty much impregnable.

  Halfway across the great room, Duncan quickened his pace, stepping out in front of her and heading straight for a pair of tall wooden doors. At the same time, Juro slowed to flank her, even as his twin and the Jamaican closed in behind, herding her in Duncan’s wake as he opened the doors and disappeared into the room beyond.

  Juro slowed further, glancing once at his twin before pausing in front of the open doors and indicating with a sweep of his broad palm that she should enter ahead of him.

  Sophia met his flat stare, then tossed her long hair over her shoulder and entered the lion’s den.

  She took two steps into the room, her gaze sweeping quickly from side to side, taking note of the small group of vampires. The Seattle nest leader, Wei Chen, was there. He was one of those she recognized from a photo the efficient Larissa had included in her file. There were three others, none of whom she knew, but all of them, including Wei Chen were watching her closely, their power simmering just below the point of challenge, ready to defend their Sire. Letting her gaze travel farther, she saw Duncan crossing to the far side of the room, toward a huge bank of glass overlooking the valley below. As she entered, he turned to take up a position next to a vampire who could only be Raphael.

  Sophia couldn’t help it. She sucked in a breath, her gaze riveted on the big vampire sitting in the place of honor. Why had no one w
arned her of his sheer presence? He fairly vibrated with power. It distorted the air around him and zinged painfully along her nerve endings as she fought to keep up a cool front. She’d thought her master Lucien was powerful, and he was. But he’d never had power like this, had never sought to hone his strength to anything beyond what it took for the loose governance of his territory, spending most of his time and energy on pleasure and foolish games. Sophia wasted a few precious seconds regretting her own foolishness in spending so many years dancing through the hot, humid streets of Rio, instead of cultivating her power. And she cursed Lucien yet again for encouraging his children to do nothing but play during their long lives.

  Raphael, she knew instantly, did not play at life. He was power in its truest form, power whetted to the finest edge and knowing no equal.

  But while the vampire part of her took note of his power—and kept her own carefully tamped down to avoid even a breath of offense—the woman she still was took note of his beauty. Even as a human, he must have been formidable, well over six feet and broad of shoulder, with short cut black hair and unusual black eyes. There was the slightest flicker of silver in those eyes, evidence of his ready power. As if he’d need it, surrounded as he was by so many of his own powerful children.