However, her preferred area was the gym. It was an empty room with a wooden floor and a wall filled with weaponry. Mack had them installed in all his houses for her when she was a girl. Jaden favored the openness of space. If the penthouse had been located out of the city, it would’ve been her favorite home.
Jaden frowned as she came to the top of the stairs. She heard voices, but couldn’t make out the words. Seeing Tom coming from her uncle’s library, she moved out of sight. It was too late. Tom saw her. He gave her a polite nod of acknowledgment, but the greeting didn’t erase the coldness in his eyes. She didn’t bother to return the pretense.
She waited until he led the two men with him away, not wanting to be forced into smiling for her uncle’s friends. No doubt they would try to impress her with their bank accounts. When she heard a door close, she moved to the library and wearily pushed her way in.
Mack’s eyes met hers instantly. Jaden didn’t even pretend to smile.
“Who was that with Tom?” she asked. For the hundredth time since picking herself off the alley floor, she flicked her tongue over her stinging bottom lip. The mark was still there.
“Just a couple of men who lost their sisters to a vampire. They wished to donate a large, anonymous sum to the organization,” Mack answered easily. He did not elaborate and he knew Jaden wouldn’t ask him to. He leaned forward in his chair and struck his keyboard with a decisive punch of his fingers. The computer screen cleared.
Jaden knew her uncle’s venture was well funded. She just didn’t know how. And frankly, she didn’t care to ask.
“Do I need to take care of it?” she asked, distracted.
“No. I’ll put the guys on it,” he answered. “It’s simple enough.”
Mack studied his niece for a long time. He couldn’t ignore the large bruise forming on her jaw. It wasn’t an unusual sight, seeing her thus. She always came home a little banged up from her fights. Luckily, due to her unique bloodline, she had a high tolerance for pain and quick recoveries. Beyond the bruises, Jaden was a beautiful woman. She had strong, Scottish cheekbones, a smooth pale complexion and hair of luxurious dark brown with just a hint of red. But what made his young niece striking was her eyes the color of precious jade. Those she had received from her father.
When Jaden was a girl, he and a small group of scientists had tested the limits of her abilities. It was ironic that the one feature she carried from her father—her magnificent eyes—was the one feature on her that was practically normal in function.
At his unusually long perusal, Jaden frowned. “What is it, Mack?”
“You look so much like my sister.”
Jaden ignored his words. She didn’t like to talk about her parents. Instead, she crossed over to his desk. Taking a seat in a comfortable leather chair, she asked indifferently, “Tom still angry?”
“Do you blame him?” Mack reached over to pour a glass of scotch. He offered it to Jaden. She took it gratefully. Gulping the contents down in one swallow, she set the glass down on the desk with a decisive clink.
“No,” she grumbled. And she clearly wasn’t sorry for it. “I would be pissed off too, if I’d been beaten up by a girl.”
“Jade,” Mack scolded lightly. His scowl couldn’t last. His eyes turned fondly over her emotionless face. “You’ve been insolent since girlhood. I remember your tutors nearly pulling their hair out at your quick, sarcastic wit.”
“Hmm,” she mumbled, showing no particular fondness for the same memory.
Mack cleared his throat. “You still haven’t given me a full report of what happened in New Orleans. If you told me, maybe I could talk to Tom and smooth things out. He is one of my best men and I would like it if you would work together.”
“And I won’t give you a full report either,” she answered evenly with a yawn. “The vampire is dead. That is the report. Type it up yourself. Or hand me a pen and I’ll write it down for you.”
Mack chuckled, “All right, Jade. You win. I’ll stop asking. But will you consider working with To—”
“No,” she broke in before he could finish. “I would be too tempted to let the vampires have him.”
“Then what about Rick? You seemed to like him when I first lured him away from the Marines,” Mack continued to try to persuade her.
Jaden smiled ruefully, shaking her head in denial before the words were completed. Mack sighed and let the matter drop.
“How’s the shoulder?” He suspected something happened between his niece and the marine. Jaden never had much to say when he mentioned Rick Fletcher. And Rick was just as uncomfortably quiet.
“Doesn’t hurt.” She shrugged, shifting awkwardly.
“And your jaw?”
Lightly, she touched her face. With a wince she drew her hand to fall back on the arm of the chair. “It’s nothing.”
“Need a doctor?”
“No.” A small smile threatened her lips but never surfaced.
“Who were you tracking?” Mack asked, busying himself with the papers on his desk. Casually, he placed them in a folder and turned to put them into his safe hidden beneath a decorative sundial. Jaden watched him curiously, but he didn’t let her see how he opened it. “I haven’t given you an assignment for months.”
“Just felt like a bit of a spar,” Jaden answered. “Have you ever heard of a vampire named Tyr?”
“Tyr what?”
“Just Tyr.” Jaden again shrugged.
“I can’t say that I have,” Mack answered thoughtfully. “How old? It is so hard to log all the new ones. It seems like someone is going about building an army of late. The guys have been running into a lot of newly turned.”
“I’m not sure how old. I just heard his name mentioned and wanted to know if he was worth worrying about.” Jaden stood, crossing over to the expanse of old books lining the wall. Running her fingers over the volumes, she stopped at a thin leather bound record book. Pulling it down, she flipped open the yellowing pages. After careful searching, she sighed, “I don’t see him on this list.”
Jaden snapped the book shut and slid it back into place.
“If he’s one of the old he more than likely would be,” Mack answered. “That list was taken directly from the vampire tribe’s own records in the 1700’s. If he isn’t listed, he must be a young one. I’d say he is nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not so sure. Maybe it is a nickname for one of these others.” She again reached for the book and carried it with her to the chair. She flipped through it again, running her finger over the pages. Mack watched her closely. She ignored the crossed out names that signified the vampire was confirmed dead. When she reached Bhaltair’s name still boldly displayed, she ran her finger over it lightly before moving on. “And I really have doubts about the thoroughness of the tribal council’s record-keeping ability. How do you know this list is an honest account?”
“The source is fairly reliable.” Mack new Bhaltair was dead and was glad for it, but he couldn’t tell Jaden as much.
“I doubt it,” she clipped. “The only source I would call reliable is one of the tribal leaders themselves. And they wouldn’t turn on their own kind.”
“Let’s just see.” Mack sat at his desk and started typing. He ignored her words about the council. “Tyr, you say. T-I-R. Nothing.”
“Try Tyr, T-Y-R,” Jaden murmured in distraction as she turned another page.
“Ah,” Mack said. “Here we are. You’re right. It must be a nickname. It says here that Tyr is the Norse god of war and justice, son of Odin. He carries a spear in his left hand and is missing his right hand. It was bitten off by a wolf, Fenrir.”
“That makes no sense,” Jaden muttered coming to her feet. “None of the young ones would pick such a name. They always call themselves so-and-so the bloody or the mace, the hammer, whatever weapons have you.”
“Someone must be teasing you, Jaden,” Mack mused, leaning back. “Maybe one of the guys is playing a prank to cheer you up.”
“I
don’t think so.” She licked her lip.
“Wait, Tyr.” Mack suddenly sat up. He pressed his forefinger thoughtfully to his lips. “I think I have seen that spelling somewhere before.”
Within moments he pulled a large tomb of a book from the highest shelf.
Jaden wasn’t sure she trusted her uncle completely after what happened in Louisiana, but she wasn’t about to admit it to anyone. She watched him drop the book on the desk.
“What’s this?” Jaden asked. She didn’t read French.
“An old book of myths that I bought several years ago in India.” Mack flipped through several more pages before finding the one he wanted. “Here. The Dark Knights.”
“Dark Knights?” she repeated with a doubtful chuckle.
“Yes,” Mack murmured before translating. “The Dark Knights are a legendary band of enforcers created by the vampire council in the year 888 AD. They number eight, one from each of the existing tribes. It says that if the vampire council of elders is the political force behind the vampire nation, then the Knights are their elite military. Not much is known about these dreaded soldiers of the darkness except that their numbers were chosen by the council after rigorous testing, their existence is well guarded and they are feared by not only mortals, but by vampires. They are the only creatures, aside from the council, that are allowed to feed on their own kind.”
“A cannibalistic knight?” Jaden questioned in disbelief. “Vampires can’t feed on their own kind. I thought you said the dead blood would cause them harm. Besides, it contradicts all we know of the council. They would never allow it. By all accounts, they are too greedy for power and would never permit such a creature to exist. One of their sacred laws is that no vampire can harm another vampire, especially from the same tribe.”
“Ah,” Mack argued for the sake of being controversial. “In theory, if the council chooses them, then they might be allowed special privileges.”
“But to break a sacred law?” Jaden countered skeptically. She shook her head. “What else does it say?”
“It references some old text. It is said that they act with ruthless force and that their decisions are final, unless overruled by the council elders for some spectacular reason. The existence of the Knights is widely accepted as a myth between vampires and mortals alike. They are generally not believed to be anything more than an old folklore created in the superstitious times of the Middle Ages to get new vampire children to obey their creators. See attached list for names and known descriptions.”
Mack turned the large page. Jaden leaned over for a closer look. Touching the small print, she found a word she recognized. “This is a list of the eight tribes. The Moroi tribe must have created Morana. The Myertovjec’s knight is called Chernobog.” With a smirk, she added, “That’s a pretty name.”
Mack chuckled at her sarcasm as he walked over to his computer. He began typing in the names she read.
“Ah, the Llugut knight is Aleksander,” Jaden continued with a deepening frown. “Vrykolatios is Hades. The Vrykolakas is Ares. Are you getting the feeling these were all named after gods of some sort?”
“What about the name Tyr?” Mack asked.
Jaden froze. Weakly, she whispered, “Yes, he is the Drauger knight.”
“It would make sense. The tribe is said to be of Nordic decent.”
She thought of the vampire in the alley. He did resemble a Viking god of sorts, though he still possessed two hands
“Ah, Shiva is of the Rakshasa and Osiris is of the Impudula.” Jaden looked up from the book, hoping her words didn’t quiver too tellingly. “What do you think?”
“I think someone is playing with you. In all my research I have never heard mention of a Dark Knight actually existing. Occasionally they are blamed for a vampire’s death, but nothing is ever proven. And in the old superstitions it was said that they killed hunters amongst the gypsies. But really, the deaths could be linked to any number of things, not necessarily a Dark Knight.”
“You mean dhampirs,” Jaden said as quietly as possible, thinking of the gypsy myths. A fear gripped her heart. She knew the stories of the old dhampirs. She knew what had been done to them—especially the hunters. They were tortured for days and saved each time they were brought near death. When aided by the healing properties of vampire blood drops, the process could last for years—decades. When he didn’t answer, she added, “Like me.”
Mack swallowed uncomfortably. Not meeting her eye, he nodded. “Yes, but it has to be a joke. It isn’t as if your profession is low profile in the underworld. They probably revived the old name to scare you.”
“Can you translate this description here, just in case,” Jaden asked. She pointed to the short paragraph following Tyr’s name.
“Sure.” Mack came over to her and read. “Tyr is known as a heartless and cruel warrior. He uses his strength to execute his duty and to obtain whatever information he was sent to acquire.”
“That’s all?” Jaden asked in sinking dread. She stared at the foreign words, wishing she could translate them herself. A suspicion crept over her as she noticed the word vampijorivic, little vampire. It was another name for dhampir. There was more her uncle wasn’t telling her. Memorizing the page number, she turned her eyes away.
“It pretty much says the same thing for all of them,” Mack answered soothingly. “They’re just stories to scare new vampires.”
Jaden wasn’t concerned with the rest of them at the moment. Wearily licking the wound on her lip, she thought in dejection, Boy, do I know how to pick the good ones. It seems I can’t even get my own suicide right.
Even as she thought it, she realized she wasn’t as ready for death as she had been at the beginning of the night. She knew it should have shaken her how close she had come. But not being as eager to end it didn’t mean she wanted to continue on. She was thoroughly exhausted—tired of the isolation, tired of being forced to hunt, tired of feeling too much of the wrong thing and especially tired of living with the guilt of what she had allowed to happen.
Mack laid an arm around Jaden’s shoulders. “You know I would never let you get hurt. You are my only family and I love you.”
“I know.” Jaden pulled away, unused to the affection. Mack let her go. “So you think it is a hoax?”
“I would stake my life on it.” Mack gave an assured nod.
Jaden sighed. “All right then. I’m off to bed. I’ve had enough excitement for the night. I’ll see you at dusk before I go out.”
“Jade,” her uncle said, stopping her from retreating. “Why don’t you stay in tomorrow? Or maybe we could go out together—catch a play. I can get tickets to anything you want.”
“No,” she said.
“You should take a break,” he said gently. “You’ve been working yourself too hard.”
“Have you no assignments for me? You mentioned the guys had their hands full with an army of young ones.”
“It’s nothing the guys can’t handle on their own. Although, if you would like something to do, some scientists in Russia have come up with a new weapon for us to test. It’s like a flash bomb. It’s lighter to carry than our current artificial sunlight and stronger. I’m thinking of testing it out in the field. If it works, we could all possibly retire. And the good news is that it doesn’t harm mortals—just gives them a terrible headache.”
“Hmm,” Jaden mused. Such weaponry seemed like cheating to her. Dropping a light into a den of vampires took the sport out of the hunt. She much preferred hand-to-hand combat.
“You could help me test it, if you like,” he offered again.
Jaden shook her head. Mack frowned.
“I think I’ll go to Europe,” she decided. In truth she wanted to run as far away as she could from the man who’d marked her. If he was a Dark Knight, she knew she should be afraid. If he wasn’t, then he was most likely a lunatic and she still should be scared. Either way, he would be able to find her. If he so chose, he could haunt her shadow for the rest of her nigh
ts.
“Great!” Mack exclaimed. “Which house would you like me to ready for you?”
“I don’t care. Could you just make the arrangements?” Jaden forced a smile she didn’t feel. It would be better if she didn’t know where she was going. If she ran into Tyr again, he wouldn’t be able to find it in her mind. “And I’ll need some cash this time. American is fine. I can exchange it when I get where I’m going.”
“The jet won’t be available for a few days,” Mack said.
“Fine.” She yawned noisily, putting on a good show for her uncle. “Then I’ll just have to leave in a few days.”
Mack waited for his niece to close the door. When he heard her footfall shuffling away, he picked up his phone. He didn’t have to wait long before his call was answered.
“Yeah,” came a tired yawn on the other side.
“Rick, its Mack. I want you to trail after Jaden tomorrow night. This is top priority. See where she goes and if she talks to anyone.”
“Want me to bring the men?” Rick’s response sounded more awake.
“No, go alone. I don’t want anyone else knowing she is being followed.”
“She won’t like it,” the man answered. Mack heard the phone being shuffled about as Rick adjusted his headset.
“Don’t let her find out,” Mack commanded. “There is something she’s not telling us. What the devil happened in New Orleans?”
“Nothing unusual, I told you,” Rick reacted to the harshness of his employer’s tone. “It was completely routine. Duncan didn’t give us a fight. Jaden wasn’t happy with our intrusion and she beat up Tom. Nothing unusual.”
“She didn’t say anything about it to you?” Mack insisted.
“We don’t talk.” Rick’s voice was hard with what he wouldn’t allow said.
“You’ve got two days to find out what is happening with her. Then I’m sending her off to Europe.”
“Done.”
“You know, Rick,” Mack said, “I think you could use a vacation yourself. How about going with her? I would be pleased if you got close to her.”
The Jaded Hunter Page 4
