“Do you want me to manipulate his aura for you?”
“No. I want him to feel every bit of this without any outside influence.”
Alleyways presented convenient options for killing the man unobserved, but then there would be the problem of the body. He wouldn’t act foolishly like the careless vampires Amaia had told him about. A bloodless body would raise too many questions. He’d need to bury the man, and all the roads they’d passed thus far were paved with cobblestones.
The sky turned purple as the sun set. In a little while, he’d have the cover of darkness to work with. The man turned down a residential street, clearly making his way home or to visit an acquaintance for dinner. Instead of following directly, Michael went down the alley behind the homes.
Perfect. Just as he expected, each house had a private garden behind it. He’d found the dirt he needed to bury the man in, and he’d easily procure a shovel from one of the garden sheds.
“It’ll be easiest to abduct him before he enters a house.”
Michael nodded. Time to make his move. As the man passed by, Michael darted out, clamping his hand across the man’s mouth so tightly that not a sound could emerge, and pulled him between two houses, pinning him to the wall. Michael had chosen this spot because no windows overlooked the space. The chances that they’d be discovered were slim.
For a brief moment, Michael considered simply breaking the man’s neck as Amaia had done. However, it would rob him of the pleasure the man’s fear would bring him, and more importantly, the terror would be fitting retribution for whatever evil the man had done.
“Try not to make a mess.”
“I won’t.”
“Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not too late to stop. He hasn’t seen your fangs. You could rough him up a little bit and send him on his way.”
Michael removed any doubts Amaia might have of his dedication to the task at hand by lowering his fangs in full view of his victim. There’d be no turning back now. Even if he had a change of heart, Amaia would have to kill the man to prevent knowledge of their kind from spreading.
The target’s eyes went wide, the whites standing out in the fading light. He struggled beneath Michael’s arm, the futile movements weak against Michael’s inhuman strength. Eventually, the struggles subsided to a steady trembling as the man realized he wouldn’t escape. Michael considered saying something to him, but he could only think about how wonderful killing him would feel. He could hurt the man, make him suffer before he died, but Michael had never been one for unnecessary violence. The irony struck him, but he didn’t dwell on it.
Michael descended on the man’s neck, gentling his movements only enough to prevent a mess. He started slowly, savoring the flavor, but quickly picked up speed as the man’s life drained away. The heady sensation of killing filled him as quickly as the man’s blood did. The body went slack beneath him. The heart slowed to a crawl. The blood didn’t come so easily now, and he sucked harder, drawing every drop to his mouth. When no more would come, he released the corpse and reveled in the high. It wasn’t the same as his transformation kill, but it was close, and this kill had the added benefit of not torturing his soul with guilt.
His veins tingled with the fresh supply. His heart beat with new strength. Everything about his body felt reinvigorated. When the high dissipated just enough for him to be conscious of his surroundings, he looked to Amaia for her response. Part of him dreaded what he would see. The last thing he wanted was her disapproval.
What met him was a blank stare.
“Amaia?” He reached for her arm, concerned at her lack of response. When his hand encircled her arm, she shook her head briefly and finally met his gaze. “What is it?”
“Lawrence. Zenas doesn’t care that you’re a vampire. He’s not going to stop until we’re dead and any vampires who have aided us are dead.”
Michael’s high crashed.
Chapter 21
Amaia helped Michael bury the body in an unkempt garden where they could hide the freshly turned earth with weeds. She wanted to feed as well, but they needed to get back to the cottage to discuss this new development with Meg and Liam. She fed off as much human energy as she could on their way out of town.
“Everything is going to be all right. I’m not going to let Zenas, Lawrence, or anyone else hurt you.”
She must appear more worried than she’d thought, or perhaps Michael simply knew her too well. “We’ll talk about it when we get there.”
Before they reached the cottage, Amaia stopped. Two unfamiliar vampire energies came from the direction of the house, and Meg and Liam weren’t nearby.
“What do you want to do?” Michael placed himself between her and the vampires they could barely see through the trees.
“Wait.” Amaia didn’t know if they had been spotted. Until she had a better understanding of the situation, she didn’t want to make a move.
After a minute, one of the vampires left in the opposite direction, traveling until Amaia could no longer feel him.
“If you’re out there, my mate has left. We come in peace,” the woman shouted.
“I don’t trust her.” Michael crouched low, ready to spring.
“We can help. I won’t call my mate back until we’ve talked.”
“Trust has little to do with it. I can take both of them on my own. With them separated and you helping, there’s no way they’d be able to overpower us. We’ve got nothing to lose.” Curiosity got the better of Amaia. She didn’t want to let the woman leave without discovering what she knew. Alone, the woman posed no threat. Even with her mate, they weren’t a challenge. Since death wasn’t a possibility, the worse that could happen was they passed information on to Zenas. It wouldn’t matter. Lawrence already knew they were outside of Paris with Meg and Liam.
Amaia ran toward the woman, looking for any defensive signs. If she wanted to use violence, she’d do so against a charging vampire. The woman remained still, completely relaxed. The only change in her countenance was a questioning lift of her brow. Amaia stopped a few yards away, maintaining an unthreatening distance. Michael stood in front of her and to the side. He made no secret of his willingness to attack if the vampire threatened her.
“Are you Amaia?”
“Yes, I am. Who are you?”
The woman smiled, and her eyes twinkled in a welcoming way. “I’m Alice. My mate Remy and I are nomads. We’re friends with Meg and Liam.”
Amaia had heard their names mentioned before, but given the current state of affairs, she wasn’t willing to trust them whether they were friends or not. They weren’t on a social visit, otherwise she wouldn’t have been interested in Amaia. “What business do you have here?”
“We’ve heard of your trouble with Zenas and are here to offer our support.”
“It looks as if Lawrence gave himself a head start,” Michael said.
“It means Lawrence is still in Paris, or Zenas is nearby. He couldn’t have gone far to present his findings.”
“What trouble?” Amaia thought it wise to feign ignorance to see how much Alice knew.
“It isn’t right what Zenas is doing to you. No clan should be able to hold a person like that. You’ve done nothing wrong—or at least not now that your mate is turned. You’re not even one of his children. Zenas called for your execution yesterday, with a bounty so high word’s been spreading faster than a vampire can run. He’s overreached. You have a right to live how you wish so long as it doesn’t endanger the rest of us. Remy and I think it’s wrong, and we want to stand with you against him.”
Nothing in the woman’s demeanor hinted at a lie. “She’s speaking the truth—or at least the truth as she believes it.”
“It could be a trap.”
“I doubt it.” Amaia said aloud, “What can a couple of nomads do?”
“Not much, but it’s not just us. A lot of the nomads are saying it’s time to take a stand. We’ve grown weary of the clans.”
Amaia’s intere
st perked at that. The nomads, while relatively peaceful, were nevertheless not inclined to throw loyalties behind anyone other than a mate. “Are you saying that there are nomads who are willing to band together?”
“I’m saying there’s much to discuss. I’ll leave you now and come back later with Remy, after you’ve had time to talk to Meg and Liam. They’ll vouch for us. Then we can talk about current events.” Alice nodded farewell and left before Amaia could say anything more.
When Amaia could no longer see her, Michael rose from his defensive position. “I know I’m new to being a vampire, but that wasn’t normal, was it?”
Amaia shook her head. “No. I’ve known nomads to befriend each other, and they love spreading gossip, but they hold no loyalty to one another. I’ve never heard of nomads banding together for anything. If what she says is true, there are changes afoot in the world.”
“If word has already spread, then it’s not safe for us here. We should go back to town, try to find Meg and Liam.”
“When I left Meg, she said they wouldn’t be long. I’m surprised they’re not here already.”
“Do you think something’s happened to them?”
“No.” Amaia didn’t know how she knew, only that she felt sure if something had happened, she’d know somehow. “It’s more likely they’re just enjoying themselves. Meg mentioned going to a bookshop. If she did, she’d easily lose track of time.”
“I don’t like staying here as easy targets, especially when you haven’t fed.”
“I took enough energy on our way here.”
“It’s not the same.”
As Amaia opened her mouth to reply, she heard a sound in the distance and felt the familiar auras of Meg and Liam. “It’s a moot point now.”
When Meg arrived, she took one look at Amaia and asked, “What’s happened?”
“The impossible.”
Chapter 22
Michael sat next to Amaia at the table, holding her hand. He needed that physical connection to prove her safety to himself. She had just recounted the conversation with Alice to Meg and Liam. Even with their friends across from them, Michael still didn’t like the idea of sitting there as easy prey for any vampire looking for a reward.
“Alice and Remy are good people. We’ve been friends with them for almost three hundred years now. They wouldn’t lie to us.” Meg spoke with such faith.
“How do you know? From what Amaia says, nomads don’t have loyalty to other nomads.”
“That’s true, but they wouldn’t go to the trouble of lying. If they wanted us dead, they would have come right out and tried to kill us.” Liam’s voice held a certain respect, as if he were speaking of some long understood code of honor among vampires. It did nothing to reassure Michael.
“Whether they’re being honest or not, they found us, which means we’re vulnerable here. We should already be on our way.” Instinctively, Michael’s hand gripped Amaia’s tighter, as if he might run off with her at any moment.
“I want to hear what they have to say,” Amaia said. “What’s your outlook on all of this?”
Meg turned her gaze to Liam, letting him answer for them.
“I think Alice and Remy are right. We’ve all grown more than weary of the clans, but we’ve never had much of a cause to rally around. The clans typically only bother with each other, and we don’t concern ourselves with their internal matters. The reason most nomads hate the clans is the tribute system. We’re perfectly capable of working out territories and not encroaching on anyone’s space by ourselves. There’s no need for the clans to police an area. It’s just an excuse to exert power and make money. Any word to the contrary is a lie meant to scare vampires into allowing the clans.”
“I fail to see how this current situation changes any of that.” Michael didn’t care about vampire politics. All he cared about was the safety of his mate. It wasn’t such a hard stretch to imagine that every other nomadic vampire felt the same. They’d all only concern themselves with their own well-being.
“The difference is Amaia. She’s earned the respect of many vampires. While the extent of her powers with energies and auras is not well known, enough has been said about them to command respect. It’s understood that she can blend in perfectly with humans, better than any vampire before her. If that weren’t enough, she’s one of the deadliest vampires in several centuries. The fact that she’s still alive is enough to garner our kind’s respect.”
“While it flatters me to hear such things about my mate, what does that matter to the nomads? They’re not going to rally behind her, put her on a pedestal, and form an ad hoc clan around her because they respect her.”
“Sure they will,” Meg said. “We’ve all been waiting for an excuse to face down the clans, and she’s given us one. Amaia has never truly been a part of Zenas’s clan. He didn’t birth her, and she never swore fealty to him. Technically, he has no jurisdiction over her. He’s overreaching because his pride has been wounded. Like Liam said, the nomads have been hesitant to take action before because disputes have always occurred within the clans. That’s not the case here. If Zenas has decided that he can punish a vampire who isn’t in his clan and isn’t exposing us, that puts us all at risk.”
Michael looked to Amaia for her thoughts on Meg’s explanation.
“I don’t see how a few nomads can change anything. Even if we had the numbers, there is no way to coordinate the kind of effort it would take. There’s a reason Zenas has stayed in power for so long. Having a mental link with every member of his clan is a huge advantage that everyone who has ever faced him has underestimated.”
“Then we won’t underestimate him.” Liam’s voice was hard as iron.
“You aren’t seriously suggesting we fight? I’ll not endanger Amaia that way. We’ve run before. We’ll run again. Zenas’s fury will die down, and when it does, we’ll make a home then.”
“I’m not so sure it will die down this time.” Worry tainted Amaia’s tone. “Why now? Why did Lawrence choose this time to contact me after staying silent for so long? He’s up to something. If Zenas were the only force at play, I’d be inclined to agree with you, but he’s not. Lawrence is pulling his strings. This is all to his benefit somehow, and he won’t back down until he’s seen it through. I don’t delude myself about him anymore. I know how his mind works. He either wanted me reconciled with him or fighting the clan.”
“So if we fight, we’ll be giving him what he wants.” The fact that Lawrence wanted it made Michael more committed than ever to the idea of running.
“He’ll get what he wants. If we run now, it’ll simply weaken our position. It’s better for us to fight when we have support.”
Michael didn’t like to hear Amaia speak of fighting. He knew she was capable—deadly even—but sometimes he wished she were the type of woman who’d be content with hiding safely away. Then again, that wouldn’t be the woman he’d fallen in love with.
“Alice and Remy wouldn’t have come if they didn’t think there was a very real chance that this could be what we’ve been waiting for. If you decide to fight instead of run, you won’t be alone.” Liam’s expression made it clear that he and Meg would stand by them.
“I’m not convinced, but if you’re sure you can trust them, I think we should talk to them and see what the reality of the situation is.” If there was a real chance of permanently ending the threat against Amaia, Michael would pursue it, but he didn’t feel any shame or cowardice at the prospect of running.
“I’ll go see if I can find them.” Liam left the house at a run.
“Liam wouldn’t be supporting this if he didn’t think there was cause to be optimistic.”
“I know, Meg. If nothing else, he wouldn’t risk endangering you.” In truth, that had been the predominant reason Michael was willing to listen to the other vampires.
“Especially not for me.” Amaia smirked.
“This is a cause Liam believes in. He’s always hated the clans.”
; Somehow, it comforted Michael that Meg didn’t lie. She could have given the standard answer that Liam would protect Amaia in order to keep her death from hurting Meg, but Michael would never believe he’d place Meg in harm’s way simply to preserve Amaia’s life. If Liam was willing to enter this fight, Michael had hope that others would join as well.
Only a few minutes passed before Liam reentered with Alice and a male vampire who had to be Remy. “Alice, you’ve met Michael and Amaia. Michael, Amaia, this is Remy.”
Michael shook the man’s hand. Remy didn’t appear intimidating at all. Not only was he a head shorter than Michael, his slender frame looked as if a strong gust of wind would send him flying. His mop of black hair was almost as big as his head, and his blue eyes were wide and set too close together. He had the sallow skin tone of someone who’d been plagued with a fever. In short, he was not attractive. Alice stood only a little taller, but her willowy frame spoke of feminine grace. She had mousy brown hair and dark green eyes too large for her face. Michael realized that these two did not appear threatening at all. It made him more comfortable in the moment but did not bode well if they truly planned to pick a fight with Zenas’s clan.
“Alice!” Meg jumped from her chair and embraced the woman, her excitement bubbling over in predictable exuberance.
Amaia kept her seat and merely nodded toward the newcomers. Instead of seeming rude, it only added to her air of danger. Michael was beginning to see that others must view her as a cold killer, even for a vampire. That the same woman should hold such warm love for him seemed incongruous, yet he’d observed both sides of her and knew they coexisted in harmony. She had a peace with herself that he envied.
Liam arranged the sofa so that it faced the table and gestured for Alice and Remy to sit. “Thank you for coming, friends. I’m interested to hear what you have to say. Michael and Amaia have told us what passed between you earlier. Now that we’ve explained a little about the nomads to them, I think they’re ready to listen with new ears.”
Immortal Echoes (Haunting Echoes Book 2) Page 13
