Promise Me

by Tara Fox Hall

  Hearing myself and seeing their expression, I almost laughed. I had to laugh or I would start screaming from all the tension. With all the demon and vampire bullshit of the last forty-eight hours, I was frenzied. Being ravenous didn’t do anything for my bad mood.

  “Sar?” Theo said hesitantly.

  “What?” I said, glaring at him.

  “There’s no pizza place around here.”

  I was shocked. “How can there be no pizza? I live outside the city, and there’s a pizza place within a few minutes.”

  “There’s a Chinese place,” Danial said, trying to placate me.

  “Where?”

  “I’ll take her there,” Theo said. “You need to answer a call that just came in.”

  “It can wait.”

  “No, it can’t. Devlin left you a message.”

  Danial’s eyes glanced at me, then at Theo. He turned without a word and went up to his office.

  Theo tried to lead me out the door. “C’mon.”

  I let him think I was going, then hauled back suddenly. He lost my hand, and I ran up the stairs with him hot on my tail. I got to the landing, turned, and burst through the office door. Theo tackled me, and we sprawled on the floor just in time to hear Devlin’s voice.

  “—per our conversation, you have six months to Oath Sarelle. Your strategy is admirable, but I don’t believe you’re capable of carrying it to a conclusion. Let me know as soon as something happens. I’ll be waiting.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  I pushed Theo off me and climbed to my feet. “Okay, what was all that about?”

  “Dalcon is being a jerk,” Danial said. He reclined in his chair, looking at me with his head thoughtfully. “You didn’t have to be so cryptic about this, Theo. It’s no emergency.”

  “Devlin’s a pain in my ass and yours,” Theo said. “He’s showing too much interest in your affairs of late. You know it has to do with Sarelle.”

  “That’s his misfortune. By law, he can’t do anything. He knows that.” Danial got to his feet and took my hand. “Let’s go.”

  We went downstairs, got our coats, and headed to the garage, where a fleet of black Expeditions was parked in a row. Danial took the wheel of the nearest one and navigated down the long driveway, where we emerged onto the road and took a right. Within minutes, we arrived at a small town called Alan’s Creek and placed our order for dinner—Theo’s and mine, that is. Danial told me a little about the town while we waited, but we didn’t speak of Devlin’s message. I ignored Theo, and he ignored me, checking messages or texting on his cell phone.

  On the drive back, I couldn’t get my thoughts off Devlin’s message. Danial had said it was nothing to worry about, but it still bothered me that Devlin had tried to give Danial a deadline. The underlying threat was obvious; if Danial failed to claim me, then Devlin was going to try his hand at me. King-shit or not, he didn’t know what he was in for, trying to bend me to his will.

  “We’re home.”

  Theo had opened my door and stood glaring at me. I glared back as I got out.

  We went into the dining room. Danial excused himself, saying he’d be back in an hour or so. I thought he was going to work upstairs, but he went to his bedroom and closed the door. Odd, but I was relieved to have time to think about Danial’s boxes without him there. The only trouble was Theo.

  I ate as fast as I could, then called Cia to check on how she was making out with the cats. She reported that everything was fine.

  Hearing her friendly manner gave me the gumption to ask her something that had been bugging me for a few days. “Don’t the cats know you’re a fox? They don’t seem afraid of you.”

  “You’re thinking with your eyes and discounting your nose. It matters more what I smell like than what form I wear. I smell like Cia, not a fox. At first, they were wary, but they relaxed after they saw I wasn’t going to hurt them.”

  I thanked her and said good-bye. After hanging up, I got on my coat and walked outside to sit on the front steps.

  It was a nice night, if a little chilly. The stars were shining brightly, as was the moon. The deep forest looked primeval, impenetrable and menacing; like it was waiting for me to look away so it could move closer.

  The front door opened, startling me from my dark thoughts. I turned to see Theo.

  “Sarelle, I’m sorry about being so nasty to you earlier—”

  I focused back on the forest, gritting my teeth. “Apology accepted. Let’s leave it at that.”

  “It wasn’t because you helped Terian. I feel like a third wheel, and it’s hard for me. Danial’s been single since I started working for him. We used to spend a lot of time together. Now he spends most of it with you.”

  I knew what it felt like to be lonely. “I—”

  “I’m happy for you both, especially for Danial. Like you said, let’s leave it at that.”

  “Okay. For the record, you can relax about Terian. He’s not coming back.”

  He nudged me in the back with his foot. When I looked up, disgruntled, he said, “Just because you’re done with Terian doesn’t mean he’s done with you. Come for a walk with me. You can bring the dogs.”

  I got to my feet. “We’ll leave them.”

  We walked along the drive leading to the road. Snow fell gently, mostly from the wind dislodging it from pine branches. I waited for him to talk, but he was quiet and withdrawn. I thought to ask him about the memory boxes and Danial’s former girlfriends but didn’t. All my opening lines seemed either jealous or morbid.

  “Why did you want me to walk with you?” I finally asked.

  “Danial is feeding from another woman through her dreams. It’s with her permission and not intimate, but I thought you might not want to be there.”

  He was suddenly concerned about my feelings? “I don’t have a problem with it. We just ate, so it makes sense that he needs to.”

  “It’s easier for him than drinking blood,” he said nonchalantly. “What he did last night was more to get that woman to back off than anything else. He wouldn’t dare drink yours until at least another day passes to make sure Devlin’s blood is out of your system. And he hates wereblood—”

  “He told me earlier what Devlin’s blood could do to me.”

  “And about how his own can’t change you?” he asked.

  “Yes. He said he didn’t know why it can’t.” I paused. “Would Danial be Ruler instead of Devlin, if he had that power?”

  “I’m not sure. Danial doesn’t have the love of power that Devlin does. He has enough power to rule New York without much opposition, but he doesn’t flaunt it like Devlin or other vampires who control a territory. He just settles for being someone most know not to fuck with. For the most part, no one does. If he had the power Devlin does to make vampires, he would be on par with Devlin. There would probably be a clash just because of that.”

  “I noticed that they seem to be rivals,” I said sarcastically.

  “They were good friends for many years. At least, that’s the way Danial tells it. Although they split up after becoming vampire, they kept in touch through the years. Devlin didn’t find out about his ability to make vampires until he was over a century old. Danial had already tried and failed. Devlin wasn’t willing to risk his lover. He was sure he would fail. The first time he tried, he succeeded. When he accomplished what Danial couldn’t, they had their falling out. They’re allies now, but...”

  “But no longer friends,” I finished for him.

  “No. And when one of them has a woman he cares for, the other seems hell bent on breaking them up, one way or another.”

  I couldn’t believe that. “You’re saying that Danial would seduce a woman Devlin loved just for the sake of taking her away?”

  “He’s only done it once, over two hundred years ago. But he started it. Devlin never forgave him and he’s been punishing him for it ever since.”

  No wonder Danial hadn’t had a lover in a long time. “That’s awful.”

 
; Theo stopped walking and faced me. “I tell you this because I want you to be on guard. Devlin will try to seduce you if he can. And what he wants, he usually gets.”

  I flushed red.

  “If you wanted to be with him and not Danial, Danial would have to remove your necklace. So before you’re tempted like before, just say no.”

  That was uncalled for. I was offended. “How can you say that? I’m with Danial—”

  “To quote you, ‘save it’,” he said. “It’s my job to keep him safe. I take that seriously. Part of that job now is keeping you safe for him.”

  “What is it with you two?” I asked irritably, running to catch up as he strode away.

  “He’s my friend. I was mucking out an existence at the edge of state land, getting shot at by rednecks and eating whatever I could catch. Then the land was sold to developers. Luckily, Danial had contracted with them. It was in the early days of his company, when it was just a one-man operation. Building materials were being stolen. One night when he was doing surveillance, he saw me change. He tracked me down the next night and offered me a job. I took it, and I’ve been grateful ever since.”

  That explained his loyalty, at least to some extent. “How long has Danial had his company?”

  “I don’t know. When I met him, it was already respectable, although it was just him. After he met me and we’d worked together a few years, he told me he wanted the company to grow. I agreed to help. That was ten years ago, and now we’re a success.”

  I couldn’t decide what to ask first. Theo’s revelation about his past had only opened up more questions. Why had he been scavenging in the wilderness? Had he always been a werefox? Where was his family? But I didn’t ask. He was in a good mood and I didn’t want him snarling at me again. I had more important things to ask him about.

  “If all this effort is being expended to keep me from Devlin, why doesn’t Danial just ask me to take the oath now?”

  “If you’d have come along with me nicely and not have been an ass, you would have understood that wasn’t the case at all.”

  I did a slow burn, but controlled it well. “Fine Theo. Since I’m so far off the mark, what did that message mean?”

  “It meant he wanted to possess you, but he can’t just take someone’s lover. You have a collar and neither of you want to break that arrangement. The most Dalcon could do is seduce you away. Short of that, he can’t do anything. That he gave you his blood when he wasn’t supposed to clinches it.”

  “Clinches what?”

  “He wrote the law on chokers, making no one exempt from it, not even the Ruling class. He would be ousted from power if he broke that law again with you. Devlin likes his power too much to give it up. Most of that message was posturing.”

  “Then why the hell were you so upset about it?”

  “You didn’t hear the first part,” he said quietly. “He said he’d called on Neoline’s behalf, to let me know she was dead. It was at her request...” His voice suddenly cracked. Glancing over, I saw him wiping his eyes.

  I reached out and touched his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

  We stood there for a moment. The snow around us tapered off, making the night darker. We began walking again.

  “I liked her a long time ago,” he began. “I should be relieved. She wanted to die after Oathing herself to Garrett, but he never gave her the opportunity. Nothing could be done. She’d given him her Oath. She was trapped.”

  He grabbed my arm, turning me to face him. Snow swirled about us. His gaze was chilling, his eyes no longer blue, but a golden yellow. Animal eyes.

  “I’ll say this once and only once. If you take the Oath, there is no turning back, no changing your mind. It’s not like a marriage. There is no divorce. There’s no running away either. You’ll be hunted down. Make damn sure it’s what you want.”

  He leaned closer, so close I thought he was going to kiss me. His yellow eyes looked into mine with barely checked rage. I wanted to back up, but didn’t dare. He whispered his words just loud enough for me to hear over the rising wind. “Because once you say you’re his, he will never let you go.”

  My mouth fell open. Everything seemed to freeze. I waited for Theo to move, but he remained there. I didn’t want to move first.

  Think of a comeback quick. “Theo, I appreciate your candor, but—”

  “Fuck your appreciation, Sar. And don’t ever refer to what I said publicly.”

  I broke eye contact and looked down. He turned away and strode back to the house. I followed at a distance. Theo left me at the porch without a word.

  The dogs were still asleep, but they woke to welcome me home. The familiar act brought me conflicting emotions. I wasn’t home; I was in the home of a vampire I didn’t even know that well. I thought I loved him and he loved me, but what was I doing? What was I thinking? Was this who I was, the type of person who would take off in the night, ignoring my job, my friends and family, so I could be with an ageless killer who might enslave me?

  Overcome, I lay on the floor between the dogs. They snuggled closer with sighs of contentment. Seeing Danial could wait. I just wanted to rest and not have to think about any of this.

  * * * *

  Some time later, I woke up naked and alone in Danial’s bed. There were voices outside the door. I grabbed the quilt, wrapped it around myself, and eased over to the door to see who was there. I looked out the crack, but could only see a part of the great room. No one was in sight.

  “Why are you here disturbing us?” It was an innocent question, but the sneer in Danial’s voice was unmistakable. “Make it quick—”

  “You know why I’m here,” said a cool, clear voice dripping with meaning. I knew that voice and feared it. Devlin. “You didn’t call, so I stopped by for a visit.”

  “You gave me six months,” Danial said sarcastically. “I hadn’t expected that you would show up in twenty-four hours looking for a progress report.”

  “I’m not here for Sarelle,” Devlin said indifferently. “You’d know if I were. I want to know if you’ve been successful yet.”

  “Not to my knowledge,” he said glumly.

  “Do you really believe you can do it?”

  “I don’t know, Dev. He said it was possible but not probable. That I wasn’t you and my blood might not be strong enough to get the job done. I wanted to kill him for being so vague.”

  Wait a minute! Dev?

  “That seems a bit out of character for you,” Devlin said solemnly.

  Danial laughed. “More like you.”

  Devlin joined in. “Yes, brother. You were always the nicer one.”

  That would explain why Danial and Devlin argued and yet were so close. They were brothers but not equal. Devlin had to be older.

  Devlin continued. “Knowing that, you’re still—?”

  “Yes,” Danial said hesitantly but hopefully. “I need to try.”

  “Then good luck. As for your new lady, I’ll call you in a month for my ‘progress report’,” Devlin said, laughing.

  “Enough of your jokes. You know if anything happens, I’ll let you know.”

  “I’ll be going then. You have places to be and a woman to do.” He laughed again, but Danial didn’t. This time, Devlin’s trailed into silence.

  “What about Neoline?” Danial asked gravely.

  “What about her?”

  “Did she take her own life, or was it by your hand?”

  “I offered to end it, but she chose to do it herself. It was quick. She said she wanted peace. She’d endured enough from that bastard. Permitting that kind of treatment wasn’t what I intended when I wrote the laws.”

  “I’ll tell Theo,” Danial said abruptly. “Thank you for letting her die according to her wishes.”

  “I’m sorry about Sarelle. About the blood.”

  “You should be! You would have turned her if I had taken more of her blood.” His voice dropped lower, and I heard real killing anger in it. “Don’t take Sarelle as a dalliance, br
other. I intend to spend the foreseeable future with her.”

  Devlin issued a rich laugh that would have been beautiful if not for the mocking note in it, making the melodious sound discordant. “I know. That’s why I did it.” His pleasure rippled, undulating like a snake. “I know how much you always take, just as you know it’s my nature to taste anyone you start to love. There was no danger of her turning.” His voice turned passionate. “I could taste that it was so. She tasted so good.”

  Shudder. I was glad I was out of sight.

  “I forbid you giving her your blood again. It’s against both our wishes and vampire law.”

  “I won’t do it again,” Devlin said sincerely. “At least, without an invitation.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” Danial said pointedly.

  I heard footsteps. With a sigh, I got back into bed and waited for Danial to come back. But he took his time and I fell asleep.

  I woke later to find myself in bed with him. We were both naked, spooning.

  “Wake up, Sar.”

  “I’m awake,” I said, remembering the conversation I’d overheard.

  “I know you overheard us. I’m going to have to teach you better manners. You shouldn’t be listening at doors.”

  “Maybe I wouldn’t have to listen at doors if you’d have told me what was going on.” I said, turning to glare at him. “Devlin’s your brother?”

  “Yes, though there have been times when I wished we weren’t.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked with barely restrained anger.

  “What’s the difference? Being my brother doesn’t excuse him for what he did. He’s always been like that, even when we were human. We competed for the woman who later became my wife.”

  Irked, I began to get up, but he held me tighter. “You’ll stay and listen. When was I supposed to tell you? Would it have made it any better for you if you knew he was my brother when he kissed you? Would it have been a good time to tell you when you were upset? Maybe when we were making love?”

  “But I’m always the last to know. Do you understand how that makes me feel?”