The Hunted

by L. A. Banks

  He shoved her away hard. “Listen, sister. I’m not going to report it, only because . . . well . . . shit, because you were on a mission to find out something that could rock the vamp empire. Neteru is volatile substance—like a damned nuclear bomb. It would have every male turn on each other and wipe each other out, even at council level. I’m talking major implosion and unrest.”

  “I know,” she murmured, unfazed. “That’s why Neterus primarily hunt vampires—the most advanced level of the dark realms. And that’s why they always cremate their bodies on hallowed ground when they die. Poor thing . . . she died in the jungle before her team could get to her.”

  “But to take him to the vanishing point, you had to double plunge a top-ranking—which means, a black blood transfer,” he whispered in horror. “When y’all came out of the fusion point, it was a fifty-fifty chance that you would have vanished, been sucked into his body, and could have given a strong were-demon all the powers of our vampire level.”

  Carlos started pacing again as he wiped his brow. “You could have given a were-demon the potential to turn their victims in three days, instead of having to wait a whole lunar cycle until the moon went full again. You would have sped up their breeding process.”

  “That’s why he was so anxious to try it. Only vampires know how to go to the vanishing point, baby. Were-demons can’t produce the euphoria rush, or do the velocity . . . they need a good engine to get their thing off.” She dropped her voice to a sensual purr. “I’m rocket fuel.”

  He spun on her as the magnitude of the offense swept through him, and pointed at her, his arm outstretched so taunt that his hand shook. “You could have given him unlimited mobility like us. He wouldn’t have been bound to hunt in the region where he was first made—he could travel without boundaries like we can. He wouldn’t have to wait till the full moon to feed and come topside. That’s why it’s a capital offense! If one of them got that juice from you, baby, and then they did blood exchanges with each other—”

  “Uhmmm-hmmm,” she said, running her hands through her hair. “It was a risk, but it was worth it—since I came out of the fusion, and he didn’t.”

  For a moment, all he could do was stare at her.

  “But you’re missing the point,” Carlos said cautiously. “It could have gone down way differently, and their side could have become our greatest nemesis, beyond what they already are.”

  “No, you’re missing the point,” she said, her voice very quiet but firm. “I came out with everything he had.” She paused to let the information sink in. “I can do daylight.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CARLOS STARED at the outrageous female before him, forgetting how to breathe. She had to be lying.

  “I can come up during the day while here in Brazil—full equatorial UV blast. But, alas, I’m bound to this region because he was. Small issue. But at night—and I don’t have to wait for the full moon—I can come up anytime, like our kind. Unfortunately, like the were-race that’s trapped by the grounds they were felled on, I do have to stay here . . . unless you can give me a boost out.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about. Unsanctioned mess backfires all the time, and isn’t stable. That’s why council doesn’t allow it on level six. That’s the behavior of demons—and vampire intellect knows when to step off some outrageous nonsense. We’ve seen where this kinda stuff leads. It’s mad-scientist type shit. And you lost your mobility behind it. Serves you right.”

  She lifted her chin higher. “All right, I may have lost my mobility, but I gained a whole lot beyond the sun, which should have been enough to convince you. When I shape-shift, it’s no vampire parlor trick. Trust me. The were-demons own that form. That’s their foundation. It’s primal, it’s stronger, it’s faster, it hunts better, and brings down kill more effectively than a vampire just amusing himself by trying on different shapes!”

  She strutted away a few feet, leaving Carlos speechless, and then smiled. “He, like most men, was so anxious to try it for the power rush as much as for the pussy.” She shrugged. “Their ranks were thinning out because of the were-animal militias that have been hunting them down during their limited topside access time . . . and with nowhere to run, because their territories are so gated . . . and with master vampires setting them in fits, what can I say? He was down to take a risk for the Big Cat Nation, if he could expand his borders and increase their rate of turns. For sunlight, I was ready to take a risk, too. So, we struck a deal; a hit of Neteru, for a shot at the vanishing point. Fair exchange. Winner takes all, and like most men, he assumed he’d best me. But I also knew where his stash was.”

  Then she laughed, and to Carlos’s horror her incisors came down—two up top, two ripping up from the bottom . . . just like a panther’s.

  “Oh, shit . . . Baby, look at you!”

  “Yeah, well,” she sighed. “The fellas on level five like it.”

  Carlos instantly bulked to battle stance. His voice dropped and he circled her. “Did you take any were-demon males there afterward? It’s a matter of empire security, and you need to answer me fast.”

  She backed up, walking counterclockwise to him, but didn’t seem afraid. “No. I took one gamble and came up holding aces. Why would I allow some lower-level were demon to put me at risk to take all this back?”

  He stopped stalking her but had not normalized.

  “I saved it for the master vampire in my territory, who I hear is about to be made council.”

  “Do any other vampires know about this? Is this info out?”

  “No. Well, the bats gossip about my treks down there . . . and the Amanthas are snooping around—maybe that’s why they didn’t attack you because they knew you’d be running into me, sooner or later. And the weres think I’m pretty valuable . . . you should hear the offers their top brass is throwing my way for just a chance to check me out. But it’s all idle speculation and not even council can tell. All I have to do is consume a little human flesh to help me normalize, and go topside during the day to burn off the Neteru. But four-fangs, regardless, I would be very alluring to a power-hungry topside vamp male.”

  “But you haven’t shared this with anybody else?” He dredged her mind so brutally that her nose began to bleed.

  “No,” she said, sniffing back blood and wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

  He normalized.

  “That’s right,” she said, thoroughly offended. “If two vampires go to the vanishing point, I can transfer all this to you. When we go there, since we’re not two different species, both of us drop out of it breathless—but that’s about it. I didn’t inform the were-jag of the total risks, believe me.” She shook her head, disgusted.

  He didn’t know what to say. This variable was scaring him, and the package it came in was too lovely for words.

  “It’s like, if you could go there with a regular human, our primary form—their soul weight would ensure they dropped out afterward and wouldn’t be consumed into the dominant form.” She chuckled. “They just can’t do it. They don’t have the phenomenal blood siphon and transfusion mechanism like we do,” she said, now coming to him.

  “We can’t take a human to the vanishing point, and you know that. Just like a were-demon can’t make me take him there. Vamp males lower than second-level can’t do it, only masters can—so it’s not like I can just go turn some guy then drop this on him. And you can sense that no other vampire males have crossed your borders, and I can’t go out. There are no second-levels in the province; council wiped them out because they sensed some kind of threat. So why are you so angry?”

  “I should have been informed.” That was all he could say. Women could be so damned treacherous it was scary.

  “That’s why I was calling you so hard for over a month, as soon as this opportunity presented itself. But, if you ever want to taste daylight, or what it really feels like to hit the edge of the universe in raw were-panther form . . . with all that incredible, primal jaguar power under your
hood . . . burning up ground like a high-velocity drag race—”

  She stopped. Her eyes got wide and her fangs retracted, then she covered her mouth and laughed. “Oh no!”

  He walked away. She’d gotten into his mind and found the race, plus a few things he definitely didn’t want her to know. His head had been a damned open door seeking knowledge about this twisted shit so hard that he’d left the back bolt off. Fuck it. He was out. He slammed his mind shut.

  “Wait a minute,” she said, trying not to laugh. “But, you’re a master. You have two continents under your belt, baby, and are on your way to a throne. Don’t you want to rule the world? You mean to stand here and tell me, you haven’t actually taken anybody for a ride like that? As awesome as you are?” She looked him up and down, her gaze lingering over his body like a sweet caress, undressing him with her eyes. “We need to rectify that immediately . . . that’s unnatural, at your age.”

  He was gonna serve her vapor and be invisible so fast that the air would suck out of her lungs and turn them inside out! This humiliation was beyond his personal limit. But he had to salvage his dignity. He also had to keep this chick contained. If another master got to her first . . .

  “I had my reasons,” he grumbled, not looking at her. “The moment I got made, there was ripe Neteru topside, and I had a primary mission—protect the vessel from rebels. After that, I’ve been focused on one thing—protecting the vessel from damage. Chasing stray tail and losing cargo valuable to the empire was not on my agenda.” He turned and pointed at her, his eyes narrowing. “That shit will never happen on my watch. Especially not for some mad-science. There’s only one sure way to make day walkers, and that’s through a Neteru, not this convoluted shit!”

  She ignored his outburst and passively slipped her hand within his. The submissive way she did it began to de-escalate his rage. She led him back to a small clearing. Why he was following this woman, he wasn’t quite sure. If knowledge was indeed power, he had just gotten his mind blown. Maybe that’s why he didn’t resist when she leaned into him and kissed him tenderly and pulled back to look into his eyes.

  “You’re right. Maybe I shouldn’t have done it. But I’m not all that bad,” she whispered. “No different from you. I was trapped, and wanted a way out. I lost patience. Nuit had botched the job, then you lost her and nobody could find you—not even council for a bit. You fellas were fucking up opportunities, big time, and I got tired of waiting. That’s the truth and I’m sorry.”

  She kissed him again and let her hand run down his chest. “But I will tell you,” she admitted softly, “the Neteru I took has . . . it has side effects that aren’t pleasant. Maybe it’s because I’m a female vamp, or it was so old?”

  “Talk to me,” he said in a quiet voice, no longer angry, just weary.

  “It gives you flashbacks, like a conscience at times. It’s scary . . . and I’m only telling you because I don’t want you to get upset if you experience certain things, after we hit the point. Maybe it won’t affect you that way. Perhaps because you’re stronger as a master, I don’t know. Maybe you can go into my head and get rid of the nightmares that I got from the tainted product? You used to distribute illegal substances when you were alive,” she said gently. “With your new power . . . tell me you have something that will bring me down.”

  She embraced him and laid her head on his shoulder. It was reflex that made his hand stroke her hair. He looked up at the stars, knowing that there was no running from a conscience once you had one. Neteru would give you that—flashbacks and a conscience. He oughta know. His was kicking his ass right now for several reasons. The things he did in his old life was just one of them.

  He kissed her temple and let his breath out hard. “Open your mind for me, and let me see if I can pull the poison out. But, I don’t know if I can.” Hell, he didn’t know if he should. Probably the best thing to do would be to dust her and put her out of her misery, as well as take a volatile temptation variable off the game table for the empire and for himself.

  He closed his eyes as she looked up at him, trusting, searching for his help. Her hand touched his cheek.

  “I see why she’s so crazy about you, even though her job is to hunt you,” she murmured, and waited for him to open his eyes and look at her. “Thank you.”

  Tears of relief filled her eyes, and she brought her mouth close to his. “I can’t be in your mind, unless you’re also in mine. It is the way of the Neteru, too. See for yourself.”

  Terrible images shook him. Children, women running, screaming, a full-scale massacre in progress. Men fighting with inferior arms. Then he saw her, hair rising on the wind, her warriors behind her. Heard her war cry. Gorgeous, natural beauty in the heat of sudden battle. She was trying to fight gunboats, cannons, men who had no mercy. He saw her people bound and shackled, women raped. Horrible disease-ridden bodies with priests splashing anointment on them, unknowingly passing their diseases with their robes and blankets.

  This mysterious female vampire stood before him, her hands trembling on his shoulders. A sob caught in her throat, but he heard her swallow it away. He stared up at the moon and could not bear the images that marched across it. He saw a Neteru team in her mind die off, one by one, until the Amazon Neteru was alone—an Isis sword raised. He nuzzled her temple and cradled her cheek as hot tears fell against his palm, and her tears sent shards of pain through his fingers. And before his will could consult his brain, he allowed her to see his life echo back at her, making her cover her mouth and nod. She understood . . . just like he did.

  “When did she fall? When did her people lose their Neteru?” he murmured, no longer out of control, or in need of being sated by any woman. This was just too intense—all of it. Carlos brought his hands up to his temples, trying to sort it all out.

  “She fought as long as she could, but they came . . . so many of them. They weren’t vampires, or demons—but they acted like them. The Neteru perished. Her people were tired, had never endured such atrocities. They contracted the invaders’ diseases. Their weapons never felled her, but she became sick.”

  She covered her face with her hands. “But how could she keep the human invaders at bay and pestilence from the very air?” Her voice ragged, she turned to him, her eyes filled with anguish. Her visions were staggering and it made Carlos release her. She spoke like a person having a nervous breakdown, or a schizophrenic. He stood there, totally stunned, watching this female vampire vacillate between knowing what was real and not understanding what was just a vision, illusion. It was the most frightening thing he’d witnessed in a while.

  “When the Neteru became ill, her mother-seer could see that she was lost to them, that they had lost. And she grieved. Oh, how she grieved, Carlos. She made a pact with the were-demons tied to this region. She allowed them to give her and the guardian team the turn bite and then take the Neteru’s body down to level five. The Neteru’s soul ascended, but her body was taken down to level five. They boiled it down and captured the Neteru essence. It was such a small portion, but it was enough to be a weapon that could tip the scales in their favor in the oncoming Final War.”

  “And what did the mother-seer get out of this?” Carlos asked horrified. “What could she have possibly gained by allowing her Neteru to be desecrated?”

  “A chance at revenge,” she said, her breathing ragged. “She allowed herself to be turned so that she could rise again, consume the Neteru’s essence, destroy those who had destroyed them, and forever guard the lands of their beloved Neteru.”

  “Seems like a job for the Amanthras to me,” Carlos said, folding his arms across his chest. “They’re the revenge demons. Why didn’t she summon them?”

  She gave a shaky smile. “You’re right, but Amanthras are limited topside. They must either possess a body or attach themselves to a building of some kind. Allying themselves with Nuit gave them more power than they had ever experienced as a species, but that only came as a result of the alliance. The mother-seer needed fa
r more mobility and power to exact revenge on the scale she wanted.” She smiled. “You must also remember that she was a guardian, and though broken she still thought like one. Were-demons are mortal enemies of vampires and she planned to continue fighting against the vampires. What better way to do that than as a were-demon possessing the scent of the Neteru?”

  “So what happened? We would have heard of a were-demon trailing the Neteru’s scent long before this. The Vampire Council would have taken her out.”

  She looked away. “The senates betrayed her. They didn’t want to waste the small portion of Neteru scent on one grieving woman’s wish for revenge. They wanted to hold on to it, to use it as their own personal weapon in the upcoming Final War.” She took a deep breath. “She and her guardian team tried to take it from them. They didn’t succeed and were confined on level five.” She looked at Carlos. “Nuit’s portals allowed them to escape, but by then the Neteru essence was gone.” She gave another small shaky smile. “See, I had happened. But they didn’t know that and the first killings that went down had been done out of anger . . . and of course, out of the need to feed. Were-demons must consume human flesh in order to survive.” She tilted her head to the side. “And then something interesting happened.”

  Carlos watched her warily. “What?”

  “They found me . . . and knelt at my feet.” She smiled again, showing her upper and lower incisors. “Apparently, they believe that somehow their wish has been fulfilled, the Neteru’s essence lives on and is topside again. Only it has been done through me.”

  Carlos stared at her in disbelief. “They think you are their leader.” It was a statement, not a question.

  She nodded. “Oh, yes.” She moved up close to him. “Do you realize how powerful I am? I am a vampire who can walk in daylight, I hold the Neteru’s scent, and I have a guardian team at my command. That is why I have been calling you so hard.” She leaned in close as if she were going to kiss him. Her breath was coming in soft pants, her excitement at being near him clear on her face, in the way she molded her body to his. “The memories of the Neteru and the memories of the seer-mother, because they were so linked, sear my brain. I know what was done to their people. The humans who destroyed this land weren’t so different from our kind. They came as explorers. They came as starving, humble men in need of refuge—and the indigenous people had great kindness, mercy, and took them in. Then they sent more ships and returned with plunderers. Conquistadors. This time around, we will be the ones. It’s always been about power; the humans themselves have blood on their hands . . . so why protect them? Together—if you make the right decision tonight—we can conquer all that they have built.” She lay her lips against his in a hot, gentle kiss, and then pulled back again. “Be my mate, Carlos Rivera, and make it happen.”