“Did you get the woman settled?”
She shook her head with a smile. “Her name is Hana, and you’re being mean.”
“She nearly killed Gabriel.”
“No, she didn’t, and you know it. She schlepped all the way here from Japan specifically because you were the only person she knew who could help him. Anyway, she’s half in love with him.”
“Only half?”
She eyed him curiously. “What do you know, fang boy?”
“No more than you.”
“Liar. But you’re pretty, so I’ll be patient. Tell me something,” she said, fiddling with the collar of his shirt. “Why would anyone kill the elder Himura to get to Hana? It seems she’d be more valuable as a hostage. Does she have other family who’d pay to get her back? Is that it?”
“Her parents are alive, but that’s not why Himura’s enemies want her. Magic runs in her bloodline. Her grandfather, Kyou, had a modest telepathic talent, but I suspect that whatever Hana’s skill is, it comes from her great-grandmother, Kiku Mai. I only met her a few times, but her magic reached out as if seeking my own.”
“She had real power?”
“She had a great deal of potential, but I doubt it was ever developed. Kiku Mai was the very proper Japanese wife of a wealthy man. She rarely left their home, to my knowledge. She died quite young, supposedly in a tragic accident, though I always suspected it was something more sinister. Hana’s grandfather, Kyou, was her only child.”
“What about Hana’s parents?”
“I don’t know her mother, but I’ve met her father. There’s not an ounce of magic there. Hana has two older brothers who are nulls as well. Hana, however, is Kiku Mai’s only female descendant, which may be why the magic skipped generations and flowed to her. It’s tied somehow to the female line.”
“But you don’t know what it is.”
“No, but I will soon.”
“Don’t be mean to her.”
He tsked impatiently. “You make me sound like an ogre.”
“Never. I told you, you’re too pretty.” He tugged on a lock of her hair. She laughed. “If they’re after Hana, then what’s Gabriel’s deal?”
“That fucking Katsaros. He obviously tried to cure Gabriel’s vampirism, and it backfired, nearly killing him.”
“Gabriel sees it differently, according to Hana. Or at least he did back in the day. Like way back in the day. Way, way back in the—”
“Yes, Cyn, I get it. Nick’s merry band of warriors lived a few millennia ago, possibly not even on this timeline. That’s hardly an excuse.”
“I’m not making excuses for him.” She hugged his neck, pressing her full breasts against his chest as she held him for a few minutes without speaking. “Do you want me to call Nick?” she said quietly.
“No, I fucking don’t,” he growled, then shifted her on his lap so he could see her face.
“You said he’d be coming here, and I know how much you hate each other. It might be easier if I called—”
Raphael bit back his rage. It wasn’t her fault that bastard Katsaros was back in their lives. And it sure as hell wasn’t her fault that Nick was a sorcerer and an asshole. But he hated the idea of that fucker having any hold on his Cyn, even if their relationship was long dead and faded. He knew Cyn was his completely. He knew she loved him the same way he loved her, with a passion that would never die. But he despised Nick Katsaros.
“He’s a fucking sorcerer,” he growled, with what he thought was admirable restraint. “He already knows the curse has been lifted, and he probably knows he’s lost Gabriel. That so-called cure of theirs dealt with one or two vampiric traits, but it also made the damn sorcerer the vampire’s new master. I bet Gabriel didn’t know that little detail going into it. He’s just lucky Katsaros wasn’t a total asshole. At least, not back then. Gabriel was a loyal warrior in his army, and the sorcerer appears to have repaid that loyalty in kind.”
“Well, you managed to say ‘sorcerer’ once in there without cursing, so I’d say we’re making progress.”
Raphael gave her a dark look, which had its usual effect. As in, none at all. His Cyn wasn’t the least bit intimidated by him. She grinned, as if guessing his thoughts.
“What happens now? With Gabriel, I mean. Is that fucking sorcerer still—”
Raphael laughed at her use of his descriptor for Katsaros. He leaned back in his chair, taking her with him. “I love you, my Cyn.”
“I know. Same goes.”
“For the record, and make no mistake about this, Gabriel is mine now. He’s a vampire, and I am no weakling master like the one who turned him. Katsaros can cast all the spells he wants. They’ll have no effect. But . . .” He shrugged, prompting a grunted protest from Cyn when the movement jostled her. He ran a soothing hand over her hip. “Two of his warriors have been freed already, one right here in Malibu.”
“How do you know?”
“This is my territory,” he said, with no little arrogance. “No one generates that much magic without me knowing about it. Katsaros came to see that warrior after the curse was lifted, then created a big magical stir out in the desert beyond Palm Springs, before running back to Florida where he belongs. For whatever reason—guilt or something else—he seems to care about the four men who were caught up in the curse. A curse which was aimed at punishing him, by the way, even though it’s the others who paid. Typical sorcerer,” he added in a mutter.
“So, if he knows Gabriel’s been freed—”
“Not ‘if.’ He knows. And since Gabriel is here, the fucking sorcerer won’t be far behind.”
“What about the other warriors? Is the Malibu guy—?”
“Still living here with the woman who broke his curse.”
“You think he’ll want to see Gabriel, too?”
“Probably. The only question is whether he’ll wait for Katsaros or come on his own.”
“Will you let Gabriel see him?”
He gave her a surprised look. “You think I would stop him?”
She shook her head. “No. Well, maybe. He’s vulnerable, and you wouldn’t want him hurt.”
Raphael gave her a brief kiss, mollified by her response. “He’ll be much better by tomorrow night. Stronger and more like himself. He was a mighty warrior in his time, and he will be again. But I don’t trust Katsaros or any of his people, so I’ll want to be in on their meetings. Gabriel won’t mind.”
“Because you’re the vampire lord?”
“Because he trusts me, lubimaya.”
She sighed. “So, we can expect a visit from Nick, then?”
He nodded. “He’ll have felt the curse release Gabriel, but unless he happened to be somewhere in or near Japan, the magical reaction would have been diffused enough by distance that he might have trouble pinpointing its source. Especially if he was home in Florida. But after what happened tonight, he’ll know where Gabriel is. He’ll be here soon enough.”
“Fuck. Why does it have to be him? You two are better off remaining on opposite sides of the continent.”
“I could kill him for you. End of problem.”
“Raphael.”
“What?”
“Maybe we should go on vacation. Colorado’s nice this time of year.”
“And miss all the fun? Not a chance.”
An Unknown Location
Sotiris flicked his fingers at the nameless underling, taking some small satisfaction in the man’s terrified flinch. “Leave me.”
The underling scurried for the open office door, looking nothing like the accomplished professional he was. Or that he had been, before he made the mistake of failing in his task. The sorcerer considered killing him before he could make it out of the room. Letting the vermin almost reach safety, almost escape, and then exploding his
heart. The useless piece of flesh deserved it. But then Sotiris would simply have to find someone to replace him, and that would only delay the job further. He settled for a sharp squeeze on the weasel’s heart, a warning shot, as it were.
“Find her,” he said. “I don’t care what it takes.”
The underling backed out of the room, pulling the door shut between them while still bent into a low bow. The man didn’t say a word, which made him smarter than a few others who were no longer around to offer their sniveling excuses.
The sorcerer swung his chair around and gazed down at the bright lights glinting all around, reflecting on the dark ocean beyond. He’d come all the way here to take the girl into his care. To offer her his patronage, his tutelage, after the unfortunate demise of her grandfather. Of course, he’d known the old man was going to die, because he’d made sure of it. But she didn’t need to know that.
But the fools he’d sent had lost her. Worse than lost her. They’d staged a bloody, fucking gun battle on the streets of Nagano, and had still lost her. The few who’d survived had insisted she’d had a bodyguard traveling with her. They’d told fantastic tales of some fierce barbarian who’d torn men to pieces and drunk their blood. Sotiris believed they’d seen something, since they’d died screaming under his questioning and never wavered from their stories. But whether it was a sorcerer’s trick or an actual living bodyguard, he didn’t know. The girl shouldn’t have had the right skills to wield that kind of power. By all accounts, she’d barely received any training at all when it came to magic, not even her own talent, much less anything else. But magic found its own way sometimes. Enough power could make up for a lack of skill.
He spat a curse, furious at being denied after all his planning. A crack speared through the plate glass in front of him, branching off like a bolt of lightning. He pulled his power back with an act of will. Discipline. Control. That was why he’d triumphed over his enemies for thousands of years. Why he was still alive, when so many others like him were dead. And why he’d succeed this time, too.
She was a novice, an innocent. And he was the most powerful sorcerer on earth. She would be his. And he would rule the world.
Chapter Four
Malibu, CA, USA
HANA DROPPED THE last of her shopping bags into the back of the SUV and collapsed onto the front seat, while Cyn slid behind the wheel and steered them out of the parking structure, like all the demons of hell were after them. The woman drove fast. Fortunately, Hana was too exhausted to worry much about it. She was still waiting for feeling to return to her aching legs. Who knew that shopping was such great exercise? Other than Cyn, that is. She hadn’t been kidding when she’d claimed to love shopping. Not only that, but the people in every store they’d gone to clearly returned the love. Hana had bought more clothes for herself than she’d owned before leaving Japan, mostly because in her grandfather’s house, she’d rarely dressed for anything. She’d been prepared to do the same here and had gone to the stores expecting to buy a few pairs of jeans, some shirts and shoes, and maybe one nice pair of slacks. She’d bought all of that and more. Underwear. Beautiful, sexy bras and panties, which Cyn had insisted she’d need, giving her a conspiratorial wink. Hana hadn’t bothered trying to argue that she and Gabriel didn’t have that kind of a relationship, because Cyn would have seen right through her. It was true that they hadn’t yet, but that didn’t mean she didn’t hope that they would. In fact, all those beautiful undies were giving her a dose of fresh confidence when it came to a certain vampire warrior. She’d bought clothes for him, too. Jeans and T-shirts that she could hardly wait to see him try on.
She smiled to herself and realized she was more relaxed and optimistic than she’d been since her grandfather had been killed. Maybe even before that. She’d made the right choice in coming here, even if Raphael wasn’t what she’d expected. Oh, she’d anticipated the power and even the arrogance, but he’d been such a jerk. She glanced guiltily at Cyn for the thought and hoped Raphael’s mate was only what she seemed—beautiful, fearless, tough as nails. But no telepathy. When Cyn didn’t react to Hana’s unflattering thoughts of Raphael, she breathed a sigh of relief. And the truth was, that although Raphael had been a jerk to her, she couldn’t fault his genuine concern for Gabriel. She’d have put up with a lot worse from the vampire lord for that alone. Gabriel was what mattered.
She sighed and settled more deeply into the cushy leather seat, thinking about the future. If she and Gabriel were going to remain in this part of California—and it certainly seemed they were—then they were going to need a car. Public transportation was good in some areas, nonexistent in others. Everyone drove here. Fortunately, she and Cyn had done more than shop this afternoon. They’d also visited the banks Hana needed to access her private funds. It would take a few days for the cash to become available, but she had her credit cards for the most immediate needs. Housing would have to be arranged, although it seemed for now, at least, that Gabriel would be living on the estate. Cyn had explained that it wasn’t a requirement for Raphael’s vamps, but that vampires tended to be most comfortable living in close quarters. Hana had lived on her grandfather’s estate most of her life and knew the rhythms of that kind of living arrangement. But she didn’t know if she’d want to live on Raphael’s estate. There were houses nearby. Maybe one of those would do. Not right away, not for Gabriel. But eventually.
“Sorry to cut off the shopping so soon,” Cyn said, drawing her out of her thoughts.
So soon? Hana’s legs felt worn to the nub.
“Raphael gets grouchy if I’m not there when he wakes up.”
Gets grouchy? Christ, you mean he wasn’t already? Hana stared out the side window to conceal her expression. “Is that normal?” she asked, thinking about her hoped-for future with Gabriel.
Cyn laughed. “There is no normal when it comes to vampires. Get used to it. Every night is a new adventure.”
Hana wasn’t sure she wanted that much adventure in her life. But she did want Gabriel, so. . . . “When will I see Gabriel? I want to see him tonight,” she added firmly.
“Of course. Raphael meant what he said about all of this being Gabriel’s choice. You don’t understand yet, but Raphael could have taken Gabriel’s vow last night. A lot of vampires would have done that, would have taken advantage of Gabriel’s need and bound him to them tighter than a drum. I know he was rude to you, but he’s a good lord to his people. And he’s scrupulous when it comes to free will.
“That said, he won’t want to wait too long for Gabriel’s decision. It’s not good for anyone, especially not Gabriel, to be on his own under these circumstances. Vampires really aren’t designed to live alone. Raphael will make sure Gabriel understands what it means, but if you guys want to stay in his territory, he’ll have to pledge his loyalty. There are eight territories, which means eight vampire lords who work in alliance to control all of North America. He’ll have to swear to one of them. Raphael just happens to be the strongest.”
Hana considered that for a moment, then said, “It’s not easy to think of Gabriel as someone who needs to be taken care of. I mean, until a few days ago, he was trapped in that damn stone. But he’s really smart, and he’s an amazing fighter. Truth be told, I think he’s dealt better with everything that’s happened than I have.” She sighed. “It’s his decision. I’ll go along with whatever he decides.”
“You plan to stay with him, then?”
Hana gave her a startled look. “Of course,” she said immediately, wincing when she realized what she’d given away.
Cyn didn’t look away from the road, but she smiled smugly. “You love him.”
She blew out an exasperated breath. “Fine. I love him. I mean, I’ve always loved him, but that was before, when I was young and he was this larger-than-life statue of a fantastic hero. But now . . . I’m a grown woman, and he’s very much a real man. You’re going to thi
nk this is strange, but he reminds me of my grandfather. Not the looks obviously, although you have to admit that he’s pretty damn fine. But I’m talking about the important things, like honor and kindness, and a protective streak a mile wide. And don’t tell him I said so, but he’s so sweet sometimes, I want to hug him and never let go.” She sighed. “But mostly I just want to get him naked and have my way with him.”
The other woman chuckled. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. But you might want to tell him how you feel. It’s so much easier that way.”
“Easy for you, maybe. Raphael obviously adores you.”
“He does,” she agreed softly. “And I adore him right back. You don’t think Gabriel has feelings for you?”
“Oh, sure. I told you, he’s very protective.”
“Nothing else?’
Hana wasn’t comfortable talking about Gabriel’s feelings. “I don’t know. Tell me about this Nico, or Nick, whatever you call him,” she said, changing the subject.
Cyn gave her a look that said she wasn’t fooled, but she went along with the gambit. “Nick is a damn powerful sorcerer. A nice guy, generally, but sorcerers live by their own rules and don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks.”
“Kind of like vampires.”
She laughed. “Just like vamps,” she agreed, as she turned off Pacific Coast Highway and started down the long drive to the estate. The smell of eucalyptus trees was sharp despite their closed windows. The vamp guards scanned the interior of the SUV, giving Hana special attention, before passing them through the gate. As they started for the house, Cyn glanced at Hana and said soberly, “Raphael’s going to want the situation with Gabriel resolved before Nick gets here. He’ll be upfront about that.”
“When do you think Nick’ll—?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure anyone does yet, but hopefully we’ll learn more tonight. I’ll talk to Raphael. Gabriel will probably wake a lot later than usual, given his physical exhaustion and the big dose of Raphael’s blood, which is like an atomic jolt of narcotics to a vamp. I’ll find out what the plan is for later and give you a call. In the meantime, feel free to wander the estate, but I wouldn’t recommend going beyond the walls alone. We still don’t know where your enemies are, or if they’re even aware you’re here. You won’t be safe until we do.”
Ganriel Page 12
