by Susan Illene
“What exactly was he doin’?” the alpha asked with a growl.
Kariann toed the vampire’s arms from his head, giving everyone a better view of his bloody, pale face. Any decent vampire could feed without making such a mess, which meant this one had to have been almost rabid.
“Caught him feeding on a human woman—outside the tavern in the parking lot,” Kariann replied, glaring at the vampire. “Never saw her inside, so I don’t know where he got her, but she was already half dead when I came across them.”
Derrick reached down and grabbed the man by his jacket, jerking him up. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I was so hungry,” the vamp said, voice weak and shaking. “It took longer to get up here than I thought it would.”
“You just arrivin’ in Fairbanks?”
The man jerked his head in a nod. “Early this morning, but it was almost dawn, so I didn’t get a chance to feed.”
Kerbasi came to hover at the edge of the foyer, head cocked to the side as he examined the vampire. “I could help you question this whelp if you’d like.”
“Oooh, baby.” Kariann gave him an inviting smile. “We could interrogate him together. I could put on my new leather outfit and bring my whip—the one you love so much. Then we could have hot, sweaty sex afterward.”
The guardian’s face colored, and he stepped away quickly. “No, no. I’ll leave this man in your…capable hands.”
Kerbasi should have known better than to bait Kariann. She loved nothing more than to tease and embarrass him with sexual innuendo and toys. More than once she’d chased after him with whips, cock rings, or dildos. In the beginning, he didn’t understand what most of those things were for, but after people explained it to him, he was horrified. Cori almost felt sorry for him when the female vampire taunted his virgin status and tried to tempt him into losing it, but the feeling always passed. Kerbasi totally deserved everything he got.
Kariann gave the guardian a smirk before returning her attention to the vampire and Derrick. “This idiot chose a woman who had already taken an anti-compulsion potion. She was screaming her head off and fighting him since he couldn’t calm her down.” She clucked her tongue. “At the very least, he should have checked for that before trying to make a meal of her.”
There weren’t many rules about who vampires could feed off of in the Fairbanks area—or anywhere else for that matter—but the few rules there were included that they couldn’t kill their prey, and they had to leave no traces of their bite behind. Their victims also had to be compelled to forget the experience afterward, which couldn’t be done if they were immune.
“Where’s the human at?” Derrick asked.
“She’s in my backseat sleeping. I healed her with my blood and compelled her to relax. That’s the most I can do since I’m not strong enough to make her forget what happened with that potion still in her.”
The brew the witches sold around the country was potent to a point. A powerful enough immortal could sometimes break through the potion, but it took a lot of energy to do it.
“Bring the woman to me now and take the vampire to the dungeon at the house. I’ll deal with him later,” Derrick said.
She nodded. “Whatever you want, boss.”
“And Kariann…” He gave her a stern look. “Don’t be bringin’ messes like this to holiday dinners no more. Call me instead.”
“Now where would be the fun in that?” she asked with a saucy grin.
“I mean it,” he snarled.
She sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Got it.”
No doubt it had to be hard to take orders from someone centuries younger than her, but she didn’t have aspirations to be a leader. That left her with serving others—even if she didn’t always like it.
Kariann went back outside and a moment later carried in a curvy woman, who was slumped unconscious in her arms. The female victim was deathly pale with long, dark hair falling almost to the floor. Lucas, having joined the group in the foyer in the last few minutes, stepped up to take the poor woman while Derrick handed the vampire to Kariann.
“Get him out of my sight,” the alpha ordered.
Kariann shook her dangling prisoner and glanced between the dining room and living room. “Anyone want a good punch or kick on this guy before I go?”
“Just get out of here!” Derrick waved her off.
“I’m going. I’m going.” The female vampire sashayed out the door, holding the squealing vampire in front of her like rancid meat as she left.
Melena shook her head. “Well, that was the cherry on the cake for our dinner tonight.” She gestured toward her husband. “If you want to take the victim to the den, we can look after her there.”
“Good idea,” Derrick said. “Thank you.”
Melena, Lucas, and the alpha headed in that direction.
Cori took that as her cue to take over while they were gone. She stood up and called out loud enough for everyone to hear, “Who’s ready for dessert?”
A chorus of voices replied. She gestured at Emily and her teenage friends, who’d come out of their designated eating area in the den. “Come help me.”
They happily fell in line behind her, chatting about the unexpected event during dinner.
“It’s never boring at your house,” one of the girls said to Emily.
Melena’s adopted daughter rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”
Kerbasi was already in the kitchen when they arrived. “I’m here to help.”
“I’m sure you are,” Cori said, angling around to get a look at the counter he blocked with his large body. “But we’ve got it.”
He wrinkled his nose at the girls. “I can carry more than them.”
She pointed at a half-eaten pumpkin pie that was definitely not like that when she left the kitchen last time. “If I let you have any more desserts, you’ll be lucky.”
The guardian’s shoulders slumped. “Very well. I will wait with the others.”
Chapter 12
Bartol
Bartol, Tormod, and Caius waited near the plane as Zoe gave her daughter a tearful goodbye worthy of an award. Rebecca took it with stoic grace, simply hugging her mother and telling her she’d consider seeing her again after training. It wasn’t easy to reject a parent, but the female nerou knew her mother wasn’t a good person. Bartol respected Rebecca’s maturity and self-control that she didn’t give in to the woman’s emotional manipulations.
“This is my cell phone number,” Zoe said over the roar of the plane engines, handing a slip of paper to her daughter. “You can call me anytime.”
Rebecca tucked the paper into her pants pocket. “Thanks, but…um, try to keep in mind I’m busy with training, so I won’t have much time to call.”
“Of course, but I’m here whenever you need me.”
Bartol had seen Zoe stressed and upset before, but he’d never seen her clingy. It was an entirely different look on her. She stared at her daughter like Rebecca was a lifeline, and she might drown if the younger woman got out of her sight.
“Goodbye, mother.”
The young woman took hold of her bag and climbed aboard the plane. She looked back once, but it was only to nod at Bartol and the others. Her gaze said she wished them safe travels, knowing the next step in their journey could be dangerous. She had offered to come with them, but they’d declined. While Rebecca had impressive abilities, they weren’t the kind that would help against a demon. It was best to get her back to her training in Alaska.
Zoe clenched her fists at her sides as the plane taxied toward the runway. Bartol would have liked to leave right away, but he couldn’t go until the plane was out of sight. As long as the female nephilim could see it, there was a chance she could flash on board and grab her daughter. He had to be certain the plane went beyond her ability to reach. Aircraft weren’t easy to board while flying at high speeds, but a nephilim could manage it if they could see it visually.
There was also one other matter left un
resolved.
Zoe’s eyes misted as the plane entered the sky. Not once did she acknowledge the others waiting on the tarmac, watching her. She was a mother who loved her daughter unconditionally. It was too bad that meant she’d stop at nothing to bring her little family together, no matter who she hurt. Rebecca was going to have a tough time once they were both free to move around the world in a few short months.
“Well, that’s it,” Caius said after the plane disappeared in the sky. “We’ve got important places to be.”
Zoe continued to stand there, silent and rigid.
Bartol glanced at the other two men. “Go ahead. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Caius grabbed Tormod by the arms and flashed away. They were going hundreds of miles to reach Lepel, Belarus—their next stop. The nerou hybrid wouldn’t make it that far on his own. Bartol was also grateful he had an excuse not to transport Tormod, though his partners in this journey knew he’d avoid the task anyway. He’d seen the pitying looks they gave him when they thought he wasn’t paying attention. They had no idea exactly why he didn’t like to be touched, but they had likely made their own assumptions.
Only Cori knew the full truth.
Bartol’s chest tightened at the thought of her. The longer they were apart, the more they would suffer from the distance between them. He was already feeling the pain of it, and they had only begun their long journey. His anger over her recent actions was the only thing helping him to keep going and not return to her. He needed this time to figure their relationship out.
He startled when he realized Zoe was now standing close to him.
“I can’t decide who is suffering more at the moment—you or me,” she said, studying him closely.
Bartol gave her a hard look. “You asked for a few minutes alone to talk. Say whatever it is you want to say so that I can go.”
“I know you don’t plan to fight the demon, but it has to be you.”
He stiffened. “Why?”
Zoe reached a hand out toward his arm, but he stepped away. She knitted her brows. “Many of us have been tortured by Kerbasi, but why are you the only one sensitive to touch?”
“I asked a question first.”
“Because.” She sighed in exasperation. “One of my nerou sources says the demon won’t be stopped without you, though he couldn’t ascertain the full details. He saw several different versions of the future—most of them terrible with many of our mutual acquaintances dead, including angels. The only good outcome he envisioned showed you standing over the demon’s lifeless body.”
Bartol didn’t like the sound of this at all. It fed into his deepest fear that he wouldn’t be able to walk away from this mission once the demon had been located. “How long have you known that?”
“A few weeks.”
“Why didn’t you mention this before?” he growled.
“I couldn’t reveal all my cards at once in case you tried sending my daughter away early.” She glanced at the sky where the airplane had disappeared, took in a shuddering breath, and returned her attention to him. “And I thought you might want to hear the news without your friends around.”
The woman would never cease to amaze him. “Since when have you ever thought of anyone else’s feelings aside from your own?”
“Let’s just say my daughter’s visit left an impression on me.”
He could almost buy that, almost. “And why should I believe anything you’ve said?”
“I don’t have the best track record, I admit.” She glanced away. “But more than anything I do want this world to survive as it is and not under some lunatic demon’s control. There is no advantage in that for me.”
“You always find an advantage,” he pointed out.
She shook her head. “Not this time. As much as it galls me, the man who cannot stand to be touched is our greatest hope.”
Of course, Zoe could not resist one final dig at him. “I wouldn’t put too much stock in me as your savior.”
“Get over your past, Bartol, and grow a pair—or else we’re all doomed, including your mate.”
He itched to slap her, but he wouldn’t lower himself or lose control that way. She wasn’t worth it. “Go to Hell, Zoe of Chalcis.”
Picturing in his mind his next destination, he flashed away.
***
He found Tormod and Caius waiting for him at the front of the hotel they’d reserved for the evening. Since Bartol’s contact in town was a vampire, they wouldn’t be able to meet with him for two more hours—just before five in the evening since the sun set relatively early in this area. In the meantime, they’d check into their rooms and go for a late lunch.
The hotel stood two stories tall with a yellow façade, numerous windows, and a red roof. It was one of those quaint places one would expect to be comfortable. At least, that was what Caius and Tormod had claimed based on the reviews they read online. Bartol had left them in charge of that while he took care of other arrangements.
A set of steps led up to the entrance. They climbed them and went inside where warmth pushed away the winter chill. He was relieved to find the interior as inviting as the exterior. A host greeted them, took care of the paperwork and payment, and showed them to their rooms. Each of them got their own private quarters. Bartol’s had a full-size bed outfitted with flowery sheets and a maroon comforter. Not his top choice, but the color scheme didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be here long enough to care. The rest of the room appeared clean and well maintained. He checked the shower, relieved to find hot water. At the nerou compound in Russia, it had been sporadic at best. Bartol might have spent most of his life without modern conveniences, but he’d begun to appreciate them since his return to Earth.
After dropping off his bag, he met the other men at the front of the hotel. Tormod’s stomach was already growling.
“Sorry,” he said, rubbing his belly. “I seriously need a decent meal.”
Caius grinned. “I think we all do.”
They walked to a nearby restaurant their proprietor had recommended. Along the way, Bartol marveled at how much had changed since his last visit to the country. Centuries had passed. Nothing looked quite the same, and he didn’t only mean the buildings and streets. There was a time when the clothing people wore varied considerably from one country to the next, but he saw far less of that these days. In the winter, it appeared most people wore jeans or slacks and thick jackets. On a favorable note, it meant he and his comrades had no trouble blending in as they traveled from one destination to the next.
Tormod gazed at their surroundings. “At least it hasn’t snowed here recently.”
“For now,” Bartol replied.
They’d caught the town on a relatively good weather day. Bartol still found it cold—just above freezing—but nowhere near as bad as it had felt at the nerou compound. Or Alaska, for that matter, where it was the coldest of all.
They found the restaurant easily enough and got a table. With it being late afternoon, it wasn’t too crowded, but there were a few other customers. They ordered borscht, cabbage rolls filled with beef, and pelmeni as the main meals to share.
“I could eat this again,” Tormod said, sitting back in his chair with a satisfied expression. “No one makes these kinds of meals in Alaska.”
From what Bartol had heard, the nerou compound typically prepared American fare, though they sometimes had Italian or Mexican dishes. He set money on the table for the food, having thankfully brought a variety of currencies with him for the trip. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, though there are many more foods around the world you should try once you’re free to do so.”
Tormod frowned. “We’re supposed to be getting our first assignments soon, so we can begin studying the area where we’ll be stationed. Most of us will get the U.S. or Canada, but I heard there will be two slots for Australia as well.”
“Where are you hoping to go?” Caius asked.
“I’m not sure.” The nerou was quiet for a moment. “New York, Fl
orida, Texas…all those places would be awesome, or even Australia, but none of them are going to be near my mom. She says she’ll be going back to Scotland and meeting up with my dad in the spring. I’m supposed to visit her there whenever I can.”
And since Tormod didn’t train at the European compound, he wouldn’t be stationed over there. “At least you’ve had some time with your parents, and as your mother pointed out, you’ll be able to visit.”
The nerou ran his hand through his shaggy brown hair. “Yeah, but it’s not like I can flash that far to see them whenever I want. I’ll have to take vacation time, which Remiel says we won’t get for our first year.”
“You’ll be fine,” Bartol reassured him. “You need to get out on your own and find yourself away from everyone else. This will be your chance.”
It almost felt like he was giving that advice to himself, considering that had been part of his purpose in going on this trip. Would he learn anything in the coming days that would help him figure out how to deal with Cori? Would the distance help her as well?
“I believe our friend is here.” Caius nodded toward the window.
Bartol glanced that way, spotting the man in question across the street in a sharp business suit. He stared directly at them with his dark eyes. They left the restaurant and headed outside.
Eduard, a five-hundred-year-old vampire with short black hair, a lanky build, and pale skin, walked toward them. To look at him, one wouldn’t consider him much of a threat, but he’d fought for control of the area against men and women who should have been stronger than him and won. The only supernatural in the country left who was more powerful lived in Minsk. They’d agreed to stay out of each other’s way, and even after two centuries since Bartol’s last visit, it appeared nothing had changed. Eduard was astute, cunning, and one of the best allies one could have as long as they stayed on his good side.
