That brought my eyebrows up. 'A unicorn took his oath! Wow... Now, that would be quite a story.'
'Indeed. I have heard rumour that it was Elaren-her-ah who turned his markings from red to gold.'
I frowned in thought. 'Didn't Aurealis, do that?'
The vampire shrugged. 'As I said, it was rumour, only Therion could confirm it. We are friends, yes, but he doesn't like to go into detail about his transition. Although, I imagine someone like you might actually succeed in getting him to tell you about it.'
'I'll have to ask. Although, at the moment, even if he is more conversive than the angels, he's keeping a lot to himself. If they put him on a romance novel cover, he would well suit the brooding, mysterious hero.'
Bastien snorted elegantly, if such a thing were possible. 'Except he'd be the one feeding on their souls, not an ideal template for the hero-figure.'
I started to respond and then found I was speechless. I'd been focused on the Therion from this morning. The Therion who protected me. It was true he radiated a kind of volatile fierceness, but I didn't feel like it was directed at me. And there was something reassuring about his presence. I felt idiotic thinking it, but there was also something distinctly attractive about him.
Bastien made another sound similar to the snort of before and turned to look out the window again. 'I cannot count the number of women who find me attractive. And men. Although, in my case, it's a part of my natural hunting tools, like my teeth.'
Again, I raised my eyebrows, so not all the myths were fiction, they could lure humans by some means of magnetism. 'I'll remember that.'
Lifting his chin so he could meet my eyes in the window's reflection, he fixed me with an intense stare. 'Be certain to do just that. You will be among my people for a short while, be wary of them.'
Reading between the lines, I said, 'And of Therion. I get the message.'
He didn't nod, but I had the feeling he did mentally, as if thinking: Good, you'll be safer if you do.
'Is there a way to tell the difference, between real attraction and induced. I mean, Therion doesn't seem to have a need to…'
'Glamour his prey? No, he doesn't have the gift of magnetism my people possess. He is still very dangerous, Jayden. What you have seen so far is hardly likely all that he is capable of doing.'
'Jay,' I corrected absently. 'I wasn't disputing whether Therion is more or less dangerous than you, just establishing whether he could… glamour, as you say, and the likelihood he used it on me. Not to, um, seduce me or anything, but so I'm not as afraid of him.'
I didn't see him shake his head, but I heard it in his voice. 'You. You're not under any influence,' he said with certainty. Then he added thoughtfully. 'You do appear to be uncommonly fearless when it comes to him. Whenever you think of him, no fear edges your voice or your expression. That is unusual in my experience. Even those who trust him, usually fear him a little.'
'I get that from my mum.' I smiled affectionately as I thought of her. 'She's well suited to her profession. Being a cop has put her in uncountable dangerous situations, but she never shows fear.'
'She does when she thinks of Therion.'
I gave him a sharp look and our eyes met through the reflection in the window. 'That's the second time you've said that. You can hear thoughts, can't you? Can all vampires do that?'
He frowned deeply. It wasn't me he was angry at, but himself for not being more careful.
'I'm sorry, I've obviously stumbled across information you'd rather not become common knowledge. I'll be sure to keep it to myself.'
He turned and studied me for a few moments and then nodded. After a few moments, he said, 'In general, vampires cannot 'hear' thoughts.'
'Good to know.'
'Therion can scan surface thoughts, so you should keep that in mind. It's not an ability he hides or wants to keep secret, but it rarely comes up in such a way that he thinks to mention it.'
Ah, that explained a few things. 'It seems his arsenal includes much more than sharp teeth and a paralysing shriek.' Then, to add a little levity, I added, 'But if a unicorn went near him, he can't be all bad.'
I liked the sound of his laugh; it was low and mellow. 'I can see why he likes you.'
'He said that?'
'No, but his message impressed upon me that he was worried that the guardians would be insufficient protection on their own and he would regret it if his neglect led to yours or Em's death. He's not like that with all his charges. With you it's a little more obvious why. I think he likes people who do not judge him. He gets enough of that from the guardians and Aurealis.'
I pushed away from the display cabinet I'd been leaning on and took Mum's recliner, it gave me a side on view and I couldn't see Bastien's reflection as well, but I was tired and wanted to sit. As if hearing my thoughts, Bastien moved to half lean, half sit on the back of the sofa so, although he was side on to me, I could see his face without relying on the window. I reconsidered that thought, 'as if', I'd almost forgotten already, he could hear my thoughts.
'I thought Aurealis was his benefactor, you know, redeeming him…'
'That doesn't mean she refrains from judging him. In fact, her whole role is one of judgement. Is he safe enough to be allowed to go free? Which actions make him redeemable and which ones set him back from progressing along that path? You need to understand, Therion is like a shark invited to swim amongst a pod of dolphins. Equally, he fascinates and terrifies them. They take every opportunity to gossip about him; he's different, he's exciting. They enjoy his beauty, his power, and that he chooses not to use it against them, and yet there is that thrill of fear, the not-quite-certainty. He used to kill them, you know, before Aurealis persuaded him to change sides.'
'I've seen the dark-angels attack the light-angels,' I said.
'Exactly. And while they enjoy the protection of his presence now, and the power his allegiance to Aurealis has given them over him, they know there's a strong possibility he might fail to reign his instincts in and they will not survive if that happens.'
The vampire's eyes were almost glowing, his tone, strangely detached. I got the feeling that Bastien would find it amusing should what he was describing happen one day. Some intuition also told me that, once, someone had tried to domesticate Bastien. I don't think it went too well.
'My point is,' he said, 'that humans, and many supernatural beings, are often attracted to beings who are clearly dangerous. Courting death... can be… exhilarating…' He breathed the last word, sounding like one who was quite seduced by that courtship himself at times. I wondered what dangers he had courted.
'But it is still a risk,' I acknowledged. It sounded too much like he was trying to warn me away from Therion and I decided I'd rather change the subject, so I said, 'While we're talking about supernatural beings, I thought vampires didn't have a reflection?'
He looked back at the window and when he turned back his expression indicated that he was impressed by my observation skills. 'You might recall that the impediment you refer to involves mirrors.'
I closed my eyes briefly and then gave him an embarrassed smile. 'Oh, yeah, that would explain it.'
Bastien shrugged. 'Never mind. Although, even were it a mirror and not a window, it is thought in modern times that without silver backing, mirrors pose no problems for vampires. One thing it would serve you well to remember, though, is that when we do not want to be seen, we are as good as invisible.'
Just then, Mum returned and said to Bastien, 'Thomas would like to talk to you and go over the perimeter.' She looked at me, amusement in her eyes. 'We're to remain indoors.'
After Bastien left, Mum dropped down onto the lounge. 'My goodness that man had a lot of questions. Is the house brick or brick veneer? How old is it? How many roof hatches are there? Do we have double glazing throughout? How close is the nearest neighbour?' She ran a hand through her hair. 'Doesn't come across like a vampire, either, more like a businessman. He answered a call part way through, from America, an investme
nt adviser, he said. Spoke natural brokerese, if you'll forgive the bastardisation of the word.'
'Reminds me of bureaucratese.'
Mum rolled her eyes. 'I don't think there's a lot of difference. I'm really relieved they're here. He sounds like he knows what he's doing. You could easily mistake him for someone with decades of experience in security.'
'You should know as that's kinda your business or at least related to it.'
Mum laughed. 'True. He said we can go to bed. Someone will be in the house all night, but they'll be quiet.'
'Unless more Dark Realm critters turn up.'
'Hmmph, that'll definitely wake us. Not that I think I can sleep, right now. You?'
I gave her a look of doubt and shook my head. 'Not likely.'
'Princess Bride?'
'Perfect. No vampires or bat-winged monsters.'
'Ah…' Mum grinned. 'What about the ROUS?'
I paused to decipher the acronym, Rodents Of Unusual Size, from the movie. 'Yes,' I agreed. 'But we're nowhere near a fire swamp, so we should be safe enough.'
Bastien
'I've checked the neighbouring properties. One appeared vacant, which led me to check in with…'
Thomas wasn't listening. He wasn't ignoring me, it was lethargy, but then it was ten in the morning, and while the sun won't burn us, we are very definitely nocturnal. I clicked my fingers in front of his face a few times. Thomas looked at me and blinked.
'I was updating you on my rounds of the neighbouring properties, but I suspect I should get you some refreshment.' A hit of blood would stimulate him.
'No, no.' He shook himself. 'I'll be fine.'
'There's no shame in it, Thomas. Like any other younger vampire, if you want to function during the day, you need the human equivalent of coffee—'
He cut me off. 'Just tell me what you found out.'
I ignored his grouchy tone; he was just sleep deprived. 'I 'had a talk' with the neighbours to ensure they'll be inclined to stay indoors tonight. I've also commanded them to ignore gunshots or anything of the like.'
'I hope you were careful; those kinds of commands require heavy influence.' Something seemed to suddenly occur to him, then, as his head practically snapped up. 'You weren't wearing those, were you?' he asked nodding to the most obvious of my weapons.
I was wearing a twin set of customised katana-style swords with phoenix hand-grips in a back harness. Most of the kinds of beings we face don't die unless you separate head from body, or something just as rigorous.
'Of course, I wasn't. You really are tired if you think I'd knock on doors wearing swords.' I sent a text to my assistant, Meredith, and another to Adrian, one of the senior members of Thomas's clan. The first following up on the large cooler with blood supplies and the second instructing someone to get the 'refreshments' in the refrigerated car coolers and hand them around, starting with Thomas.
Thomas seemed to have drifted off again, so I left him sitting in the dining area with his unattended paperwork and went into the adjoining lounge room so I could see if my instructions were being carried out. I'd barely reached the window when I saw Adrian and another vampire, Haylan, arrive at the cars.
Bare feet padding down the hall caught my attention and Jay entered. She was wearing a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt too big for her with the words, 'A clear conscience is a sign of a bad memory' on it. She gave me a sleepy smile of welcome, which wavered when she noted my swords and the rest of the weapons I was wearing.
After a moment, she seemed to mentally shrug it off as she asked, 'Is Mum around?'
'She left early so she could meet her colleagues at the office.'
'Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. When she shot that bat-creature last night, some of the neighbours reported it. Mum had the call cancelled, but she promised to explain it in the morning.'
Jay crossed through to the kitchen and the coffee machine. I followed but moved through the kitchen to the veranda so I could intercept Thomas's refreshment and subtly deliver it to him— he was never comfortable openly drinking blood in front of humans.
I greeted Adrian with a nod and he handed me the blood. 'Thanks. Meredith will be here soon with a large cooler. Help him set it up in the guest room.'
I stepped back into the house, Thomas looked quite drawn, but awake. I waited until Jay made her coffee and then, just as she moved to the table to take a seat, I said, 'I don't mean to seem rude, but would it be alright if I had a word with Thomas alone?'
Jay nodded towards my hands, which were behind my back, indicating that she knew I was holding something out of sight. 'I really don't mind. But if you'd like a glass, just rinse it out and put it in the dishwasher. To use the microwave to warm it up, type in the time and hit start.'
She moved on to the lounge room, closing over the folding doors. I considered her with a bit of wonder. So far, Jay had behaved in a manner completely opposite to my expectations and experience. I'd anticipated some level of hysterics and a lot of disbelief and difficulty in accepting the circumstances she found herself in. By the scent of her blood, I knew she was yulari. It's fairly common for them to have 'fey' traits or magical abilities. I suspected Jay had some level of telepathic ability. She would call it instinct or intuition. I'd met honest-to-God seers who weren't as perceptive. Something about her made you let down your guard, something I knew to be careful of now. A taste of her blood would tell me exactly what fey heritage she held and how strong the bloodline was. Fey blood is quite a delicacy among our kind. Unfortunately, I was pretty certain Therion would break my neck for even trying.
Once I replenished Thomas's glass a second time, and rinsed it before placing it in the dishwasher, I left Thomas to his papers. Jay was reading in the lounge room, so I went to meet Meredith. I paused on the wide veranda to gauge the locations of the sentries and take in my surroundings. With Therion well past his expected time of return, I'd likely be fighting in this location sometime this evening.
The veranda wrapped around the house, with the exception of the garage, which was attached to the side nearest the lounge room. A combination of grape vines and potted and hanging plants gave enough privacy without crowding the area. A set of wide stairs led down into the backyard and connected to a path, which, in turn, encircled a pond flanked by groupings of roses. Two rows of tall, thin trees had been planted on either side of a barred fence surrounding the property. Behind the property, trees stretched over a series of progressively larger hills.
A four-wheel-drive pulled up just as I rounded the side of the house and I saw Adrian going to meet it. To my surprise, Amelia was at the wheel. Her raven-black hair was up in a very practical bun, which made her oval face seem narrower. Her sparkling, green eyes greeted me through the windscreen, and I felt my mood lift.
As she got out of the vehicle, she explained, 'Meredith had more than enough to do and I need Thomas's signature on several documents, so I volunteered to come out.'
Adrian and I followed her around to the back of the vehicle. The two large coolers were replicas of the smaller ones in the boots of the clan cars, which were connected to both the car battery and a separate battery. The car battery is a back-up, as we'd rather walk than need blood.
There were two smaller coolers and when Amelia saw me spot them, she said, 'I brought extras to resupply the cars.'
'I'll take care of that. You and Adrian set up in the house. Um, could you, ah, I mean I was going to ask Meredith to bring back some of my armour, but could you play delivery driver one more time, please?'
Amelia gave me a brilliant smile. 'You know I will. Anyone who gives me diamond earrings can ask such small favours.'
'Thomas still gives me grief for that,' I grumbled. 'Who'd have thought such tiny things could be objected to so strongly?'
Amelia laughed. 'He's as old fashioned as they come, grandsire, but he's the one who agreed to let me get my ears pierced.'
I snorted with amusement as I moved towards the cars I needed to resupply. 'Only after you
twisted his arm.'
Adrian had handed me keys for the cars and I opened the boot of one. When I looked into the cooler with the resupplies for the cars, I smiled, showing my fangs. Bless Amelia's forethought! She had brought the specially designed cans rather than bags of blood. They were Amelia's invention actually, a very clever young woman— one too easily bored if not allowed to make use of her mind. The cans Amelia had designed looked like energy drinks, but, twist the bottom and it heated the blood to drinking temperature.
When I re-joined Thomas, he had a half-finished warm can by his elbow. Amelia, no doubt.
'I know you've had some blood, but, considering we'll probably be facing combat this evening, I think it might be prudent to get a little real rest in.'
Thomas gave me a long look as he considered my suggestion. 'You really think a soul taker of some sort will come?'
'Therion only guards spirits Ceri-talen wants to steal— he'll send a soul taker. Our best strategy is for me to fight it while you use planes-shift to get Jay to safety.'
Thomas grunted softly. 'Then I should rest.'
Because Thomas is younger, planes-shifting just once will exhaust him, so the precaution was a reasonable one. Sighing, Thomas closed his file and put it in his laptop bag. Just as he rose to go to find a spare bedroom, Amelia came in from the hall with Adrian and Jay trailing behind her. Thomas paused to kiss Amelia's forehead. 'I am going to rest for a bit,' he told her as he moved through to the hall. 'I will check in with you later.'
Amelia watched him go, then turned to me. 'I'll go get that armour. Do you need anything else?'
I shook my head.
Amelia leaned up and I bent so she could give me a kiss on the cheek without straining too much. 'Thanks for taking care of Thomas.'
'Thomas can take care of himself,' Thomas said leaning on the doorframe leading into the kitchen.
Soul Taker's Redemption Page 32
