‘How long?’
‘About four hundred years.’
I recalled him mentioning the rings turning black during times of danger. It must have happened then.
‘Right now I need you to understand what’s going to happen.’
‘Okay, back to this challenge. If I get this right, it’s a risk for you too?’
‘Yes. If I step down before the Ritual commences, I’ll be allowed to live. But if I step up and am rejected, I’ll be executed.’
I nearly choked on my coffee. ‘Why?’
‘To avoid a civil war. In the past, the Princeps had been challenged and because the challenger was allowed to live, a faction built up around him and a civil war ensued. The temporary power they enjoyed was used to destroy the Elders and then rain down terror on humans. Entire villages were decimated before the survivors took up arms and burned down every house they thought belonged to a Brethren. But the Brethren managed to capture the Ingenii and suck him dry.’ I felt my eyes widen. ‘Both sides suffered. Eventually the rebellion was put down and all who took part were beheaded, their bodies exposed to the sun. The Princeps had to wait several years for the new Ingenii to come of age. It was a tense time. Nobody who remembers those days wants them to return.’
I understood what he meant. History was filled with wars begun by rivals for the same throne, so why should the vampire world be any different? A tinge of fear crept over me as I realised how very different Alec’s world was from my own—alien and frightening.
‘Listen to me, Laura. You and I both saw the way the rings reacted when they met. You’ve already chosen me, so a challenger won’t succeed.’
‘Well I hope you’re right.’ I let out a sigh. ‘Is there more?’ He didn’t answer right away. ‘Alec?’
‘One… minor thing. I must feed from you before the entire assembly for our bonding to be recognized.’
Was he serious? ‘Wrist?’
Alec shook his head. ‘Neck,’ he mouthed.
‘That’s a minor thing?’ My voice rose and I glanced quickly around to see if anyone had noticed, but people were absorbed in their own conversations.
‘Laura, I also need to make you aware there’s an element of risk involved. Compared to ordinary humans, your blood has a quality that makes it intoxicating and I need to exercise extreme control so I don’t kill you!’ I stared at him. ‘It’s one of the reasons the Elders are there. In case I lose control, they’ll pull me off you in time.’
I temporarily lost the power of speech and had to fight the urge to run back home to Matt.
‘Has it ever happened?’ I said weakly.
‘Nearly. It takes time getting used to a young Ingenii’s powerful blood. First Taste is always fraught with danger. Yours’—he inhaled deeply—‘is fresh and potent.’ His eyes slightly lightened.
I sat there breathing hard while Alec signalled the waitress to bring another cup of strong coffee—for me. ‘Pity they don’t serve alcohol here. I’d prefer brandy right now.’
‘The Elders will be there Laura, to make sure we don’t lose you.’
‘Gee, there’s a comforting thought!’ I wondered if my aunt deliberately chose not to mention this to me. Smart woman.
He smiled. When my second cup of coffee arrived, I gulped most it down and nearly scalded my throat.
‘Um, one other thing.’
I stared at him over the rim of my coffee cup.
‘The Elders will examine your neck as proof I’ve taken your blood, after which they’ll approve us before the assembly.’
This was unreal, like a dream, yet everything around me seemed solid—people chatting, cups clinking against saucers, the delicious smell of brewed coffee and fresh rolls, someone laughing—all real. And this strange, beautiful man, sitting so close to me was real too, but he inhabited a very different reality.
The idea suddenly came to me. If Matt and I were to have a future together, he needed to be there with me. ‘Can I bring Matt?’
‘No.’
He said it without any hesitation and I blinked. ‘Why?’
‘Apart from parents of the Ingenii and donsangs, all other humans are forbidden.’
‘My parents will be there?’
He gave a curt nod.
‘But Matt’s my partner—’
‘As in blood givers, Laura. Each of the Brethren are required to bring their donsangs—their food source. It’s not possible to provide enough refreshment to cater for my kind at these large gatherings. For this occasion, I’m your partner. Your boyfriend would be seen as unattached and could possibly end up as someone’s… snack.’
‘No!’
He nodded.
‘And… if he was my husband?’
‘But, he’s not.’
‘Yet.’
Alec’s said nothing, but looked at me unblinking and twirled the Serpent Ring on his finger until the silence stretched uncomfortably between us. I broke first. ‘Anything else I should know?’
‘Yes. We’ve got company.’
Alec’s gaze moved over my shoulder. I turned to look but it was difficult to make out anyone specific from the groups of people milling around the various other shops and cafes on our side of the street. I glanced back at him and frowned in confusion but he simply indicated the direction with a nod. There at the far end, on the other side of the road and barely distinguishable from those around him, was Matt. Only his height and familiar gait gave him away as he made his very determined way to our table.
I groaned inwardly and checked my watch. How long had we been sitting here? And what was Matt doing awake? It then occurred to me—how could Alec have spotted him at such as distance? His vision must be phenomenal. Also, how did Alec know Matt? They’d never met.
‘How did you know—?’
‘Last night, I watched him come to you.’
‘You what?’
‘To make sure you were all right before I left.’
He wanted to make sure I was okay? He’d scared me half to death, yet he was concerned enough to hang around and risk being seen when Matt arrived. I honestly didn’t know what to think of him.
Looking behind me again, I could see Matt practically running down the street only to get stopped by traffic lights. His lower shirt button was undone and as the breeze caught the end I saw the gun strapped to his belt. He was supposed to leave it at work when off duty!
My hands shook and I glanced at Alec as he said, ‘Are you afraid of him?’ There was a dangerous edge to his voice.
‘Of Matt? No! It’s just that…’ I bit my bottom lip and wondered how to answer him. No way I could mention Matt was packing a gun. Instead I said, ‘I left him sleeping. We had a late night.’ He raised his eyebrows and I knew what ran through his mind. But really, it was none of his business. ‘I thought I could meet you and be back before he awoke. I… left a note and your card sitting on the table next to the flowers—which I placed in a vase.’
A look of understanding crossed his face. ‘Ah!’
‘He would have prevented me coming otherwise.’ Or he would’ve come with me.
‘I see.’
Matt wasn’t smiling when he arrived at our table. His lips were a tight line, eyes stormy as they darted from me to Alec and back again. ‘We’ll talk about this later,’ he said icily, and he leaned down to give me a quick kiss.
My stomach clenched. ‘Matt I’m sorry, but I thought I’d be back before you woke up so you wouldn’t worry.’ I seemed to be doing a lot of apologising lately, but I didn’t regret my decision to meet Alec this morning. Oddly, I enjoyed his company and time seemed to stand still while we talked.
‘Laura kindly came at my request,’ Alec said.
‘Matt, this is—’
‘Dr Alec Munro,’ Matt finished for me.
He had definitely read the card I’d left on the dining table.
Alec rose and extended his hand without a welcoming smile. ‘Detective Sommers.’
Matt gripped it and returned
the shake. ‘So, Laura’s mentioned me. In that case let’s not pretend we don’t know why I’m here.’
My stomach churned. Seating himself next to me and directly opposite Alec, Matt reached for my hand and interlaced our fingers while his eyes never left Alec’s face. Awkward was not a strong enough word to describe this situation.
Tension plus.
‘Let me hazard a guess,’ Alec replied coolly. ‘Protecting your interest?’
I slid my other hand under the table onto my knee to stop it bouncing, which it always did whenever I was nervous.
‘Protecting my girl,’ Matt corrected him.
Alec’s gaze returned to me. ‘She’s worth it.’
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. This was not good. Matt tensed at that comment so it was just as well I was holding his gun hand. ‘Matt, let’s go, I have things to do.’ I stood up to leave.
He didn’t budge. ‘Not yet, Babe. I need to ask Doctor Munro a few questions.’
‘You’re off duty,’ I reminded him.
‘It’s okay. This is the perfect opportunity.’
‘Matt, please, not here!’ I hissed.
‘Don’t worry, Babe, it won’t take long.’
He could be so stubborn, which made me wonder whether it was concern for my safety or his pursuit of a perceived murderer that made him rush down here. And since I didn’t have the answer, I sighed and sat miserably back down again.
Alec seemed to enjoy watching our exchange, and a slight smile played about his lips. Well actually, it was more of a smirk. He lounged back in his chair, folded his arms across his chest and said, ‘Ask away.’
I signalled the waitress for my third cup of coffee. At this rate I was going to be awake for the next three days.
‘Since when has your lot been able to come out during the day?’ Matt asked Alec.
‘They can’t, normally.’
‘You’re the exception?’
‘Obviously.’
‘Laura’s bloodline, huh?’
Alec gave a simple nod and his eyes strayed to the gun at Matt’s belt. ‘Since when are your lot allowed to carry a weapon when off duty?’
‘When my girl leaves a note telling me she’s meeting a person of interest, I’d be a fool to leave it behind.’
He said it calmly, but I felt him tense and his hand in mine began to sweat. I’m sure it had little to do with the day’s heat.
‘Or a fool to think you could intimidate me with it.’ Alec indicated Matt’s gun with a nod of his head. ‘That, poses no danger to my kind, but it does to everyone in this café. Perhaps you should have thought of that before bringing it.’
Matt smiled. ‘I did a little research last night and discovered a certain substance that’s quite nasty to your kind. Wood. How do you know I’m not packing that?’
Alec smiled back. ‘If you did, Detective, it wouldn’t be in your holster right now. All I can smell is lead, but nice try. Maybe next time the bluff’ll pay off!’
They stared at each other, as if neither were willing to back down. It was like watching two roosters face off, yet Matt’s comment about the wood prompted me to intervene. ‘What does wood do to you?’ I asked Alec.
‘Not all wood, only certain types. As snake venom is to you, so wood is to us.’
The furniture in this café was metal. Was that why he’d chosen it? ‘You didn’t mention this last night?’
‘You didn’t ask.’ His smile broadened.
I stared back, unable to break away.
‘You like to drink?’ Matt’s voice had a sharp edge to it.
‘Depends what type of beverage we’re discussing.’ Alec’s gaze shifted slowly from me to Matt.
It was going on midday and the sun had crept further toward Alec’s side of the table but this time he didn’t shift his chair and I knew he couldn’t be out for much longer. He’d only told Matt half the truth and I wasn’t about to say otherwise, since Matt appeared to position his chair to prevent Alec from shifting into the shade.
The sunlight had reached Alec’s left shoulder and he tried to angle his body away. I watched as Matt extended his leg and let it rest on the crossbar of Alec’s chair effectively preventing him from moving.
I couldn’t believe he’d do such a thing. It was a side to him I’d never seen before. Was this how he behaved at work everyday? I realised then I didn’t know Matt well at all and for a moment I disliked him—and that shocked me.
‘Adolescent blood. Twelve to thirteen year olds?’ Matt suggestively asked.
I glared at him.
‘This isn’t the most appropriate place to ask me that,’ Alec answered in a quiet voice. ‘But since we’re on the subject, I prefer mine a little older and more mature.’ His gaze slid to me.
A muscle ticked in Matt’s jaw. Whether deliberately or not, Alec seemed to be pushing all his buttons. Matt’s hands balled into fists, forgetting one of them held mine. I winced and tried to pull free.
‘You’re hurting her,’ Alec warned.
‘And you didn’t?’ Matt spat out. He unwound our fingers and turned my wrist up to expose the discolouration. I’d never seen him so angry.
Alec blanched at Matt’s comment. ‘Let her go, Sommers,’ he said quietly and dangerously. His eyes paled.
Conversation in the café stilled and heads turned in our direction. My heart stopped. On top of everything I had to cope with since my life had been turned upside down, we were now the centre of attention of a trendy café crowd. Could things get any worse? I had to leave—and quickly—before it all became too much.
I snatched my hand from Matt’s grasp, picked up my handbag and rose to leave.
‘Where are you going?’ Matt asked and grabbed my arm.
‘Let go, Matt. If you want to cause a scene, you’re on your own cos I refuse to be a part of it.’ I leaned down till our faces were barely a breath apart. ‘I didn’t mean any harm by coming here and meeting Alec in a public place, so please have the decency to respect my judgement.’ I straightened up. ‘I’m leaving now and going shopping.’
‘I’ll be in touch, Laura.’ Alec stood and inclined his head toward me.
It was unusual to see such old-world manners. It was nice.
‘The hell, you will!’ Matt rose to face him, his chair scraping across the floor as he did so.
I briefly closed my eyes in exasperation, turned my back on Matt and walked away just as my coffee arrived.
Chapter 8
The Boyfriend
ALEC
Laura walked off and left me alone with Sommers, which was not exactly the scenario I had envisaged for the day. On the other hand, maybe Sommers was right and this was a good opportunity to find out about those exsanguinated bodies, and determine whether he would be a future threat. I had little doubt he’d make an implacable enemy, as he’d already proved to be.
I could see why Laura was attracted to him. He was confident and intelligent, but he demonstrated a ruthless streak, which unless tempered, could later develop into something hard and brutal. Strangely enough, I didn’t like the idea of Laura ending up with such a man. She was bright and independent and he would only stifle her.
I shunted the thought aside. The woman was beginning to haunt my thoughts and I had no intention of becoming emotionally involved, yet I couldn’t rid my mind of the endearing way she bit the side of her lower lip when she appeared to be thinking something through. And when she smiled the two small freckles above her upper lip dimpled slightly.
Enough! I grabbed my chair and pulled it into the shade. Sommers turned on hearing the movement. I was once again seated with my arms folded on the table.
‘Please, sit down, Detective. We need to clear some things up.’
‘Is that so? If you think—’
I raised my hand palm outward and pointed to the chair.
He dropped into Laura’s vacated seat, keeping a safe distance. Wise move. I hadn’t fed in days and his blood smelled good. In fact, everyone did. If on
ly they knew about the predator in their midst. I clenched my teeth and kept a tight reign on my hunger.
‘Let me explain something to you. Regardless of your objections, Laura needs my protection and in return allows me to feed. I’m sure she explained this to you.’
‘She did.’
‘In order to achieve that, I need your co-operation not your belligerence!’
His lips thinned—at least he stopped objecting—sat back in the chair and regarded me a while. ‘All right, you have it for now.’
‘That’ll do. Now, tell me about those bodies.’
‘Three juveniles. Entirely emptied of blood.’
‘When was this?’ I couldn’t let him know Laura had already mentioned it to me.
‘Last five days.’
A lot of Brethren had arrived in Sydney for the Coming-of-Age ceremony. Among them were some of the oldest vampires on the planet—Zhao from China, Kwome from Nigeria and Maris Quesnel from France—who together with Luc, Marcus Antonius Pulcher and myself, made up the Eldership. They would be conducting the ceremony. Each had arrived with their own entourage in privately chartered flights. Normally they would have been welcome to stay in Luc’s extensive mansion in Vaucluse but, fearing for Laura’s safety, the house had been cleared of all but our immediate circle.
Sommers watched me closely. If I were indeed a suspect then he’d be waiting for any clue, any word or expression, that would confirm his suspicions.
‘Any marks on them?’
‘Plenty. Coroner found punctures on the pulse points—neck, ankles, wrists, back of the knees, inner arm and groin. Whoever did it, took their time and drained them slowly.’ He grimaced.
‘Ages?’
‘The oldest was no more than fifteen and the youngest, only twelve. I thought we were dealing with a psychopath who thought himself a vamp, but never imagined it might be the real thing.’
‘It doesn’t mean one of my kind did it. It could still be a human.’
‘Lebrettan said roughly the same thing when I questioned him last night.’
He watched me closely. I know what he was trying to do; hoping the mention of Luc’s name would somehow get a reaction out of me, but I didn’t give him the satisfaction, yet the description he gave… suspicion entered my mind.
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