Hungers of the Heart

by Jenna Black

  “It’s all right,” Lily hastened to assure her. “I can walk. Just concentrate on getting us out of here.”

  Grimly, Faith complied, her hands exploring the seam of the door until she figured out how to open it. Her psychic probe told her that two of their captors were still above them in the plane, but that one vampire and one mortal were at most ten yards away from the door. She bit her lip.

  How old was their vampire guard? She’d never met him before, and she couldn’t tell by his aura. Certainly he was capable of overpowering a fledgling like herself, but if he wasn’t too old and she could take him by surprise, she might be able to delay him long enough for Lily to get away. And it would a relatively mild glamour to lure the mortal close enough for her to make a quick kill.

  A shiver traveled down her spine at the thought of killing someone, especially a mortal. But she didn’t have a lot of options.

  “What’s the plan?” Lily whispered when Faith hes­itated too long.

  Faith took a deep breath and reached for Lily’s hand in the darkness. “I’m going to use my glamour to get the mortal guard to come close to the door. Then I’m going to pop the door open and kill him.” Her voice choked a bit on the words, but she forced herself to continue. “And you’re going to jump out and run like hell.”

  Lily’s hand tightened on hers. “That’s a rotten plan. There were at least four guys when Charles brought us here.”

  “Yes, and two of them are in the plane. There’s only one vamp on the tarmac, and as soon as the mortal’s out of the way, I’ll do my best to take him down.”

  Lily snorted softly. “Like I said, it’s a lousy plan. I’m not stupid. You can’t fight off one of La Vieille’s vamps.”

  “Maybe not, but I can delay him enough for you to get away.” At least, she hoped she could.

  “No way!”

  “Shh,” Faith reminded her, and Lily’s voice dropped back to a whisper.

  “No way. I’m not going to run away and leave you here.”

  “Yes, you are. You can’t help me by staying here. You can help me by getting to a phone and calling Armand?’ Faith wasn’t sure that even Armand could help her, if he had to fight Charles and La Vieille’s two vampire cronies to get to her, but she thought he might try. And at least if she gave Lily hope, she might actually go along with Faith’s plan.

  “But they could kill you before he gets here,” Lily protested, a hint of tears in her voice.

  “They won’t,” Faith said grimly. “Remember, La Vieille wants me alive. And anything they do to hurt me, I can heal from. Please, Lily. This is our only hope.”

  Lily threw her arms around Faith’s neck hugged her fiercely. “I love you,” she said. “I’m I’ve been such a pain in the butt.”

  Faith’s own eyes burned with tears as she returned her sister’s hug. “That’s what little sisters are for. I love you, too.” She gave Lily one more squeeze, pushed her away, wishing she could see in this inky darkness. “Now, are you ready?”

  “For the record, I still think this plan sucks. But yeah, I’m ready.”

  After one more deep, calming breath, Faith very slowly cracked the door open. She winced at the noise it made, but when she peeked through the crack, she saw that their captors were engrossed in conversation with each other. Good, because their distraction covered the noise. Bad, because Faith couldn’t lure the mortal toward her without the vamp noticing.

  Patience, she told herself. She had to wait for just the right opportunity. Behind her, Lily practically vibrated with anxiety, but she remained still and quiet, following Faith’s lead.

  After a few minutes, the conversation finally died down. The sound of footsteps on metal stairs made both the mortal and the vamp look toward the plane. Caught by surprise, Faith could do nothing but hold her breath and hope they didn’t notice the door was ajar.

  She allowed herself to breathe again when she realized this was a changing of the guard, especially when it turned out this new pair wasn’t as chatty. The vampire stood disturbingly still and quiet, while the mortal fidgeted and looked bored. This was Faith’s chance.

  She stared at the back of the mortal’s head and reached out with her glamour. His fidgeting slowed, then stopped, but the vamp seemed to be completely ignoring him and didn’t notice. Slowly, Faith reeled the mortal in, drawing him closer and closer, trying not to think too hard about what she was about to do.

  “Get ready’ she said to Lily in the faintest of whispers.

  The mortal was almost within reach, and Faith pushed the door open a little more. Then she drew on every scrap of will and courage she had, reminding herself that she would do anything to keep Lily out of La Vieille’s hands.

  Swallowing the last of her reluctance, she shoved the door all the way open and leapt at the mortal. She lost control of the glamour at the last moment, and he started to turn, but she barreled into him before he got all the way around. She wrapped one arm around his neck and gave a hard jerk.

  The feel of his neck snapping made her stomach heave, but she didn’t have time for squeamishness.

  The vampire . had turned toward her, and launched herself at him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lily jump to the tarmac and start running like mad.

  The vampire tried to call out some warning to accomplices, but when Faith crashed into him, he fell to the tarmac. When they landed, her knee dug into his groin, and all the sound he could manage was faintest gasp of pain.

  In that moment, when the guard was too stunned with pain to summon his glamour or fight her, she could have made a run for it herself. But she fear he would recover too quickly, and she needed to give Lily as much time as possible to make her escape. So instead of running, she swung her fist at the vamp’s head with all the strength in her body.

  She felt bone give way, and the tantalizing scent of blood perfumed the air. Her fangs descended, and she fought the urge to tear into his throat, knowing a wound like that wouldn’t kill him. She needed an instant death, like the snapping of a neck. Something he couldn’t heal from. She grabbed his head in her hands.

  And then froze under the power of another’s glamour.

  The guards in the plane must have heard the commotion, for they were both running down the stairs to­ward her. She reached out with her senses, trying to find Lily, and was thrilled when she couldn’t. Granted. her reach wasn’t very impressive, but it meant Li had a good head start. If these two guards took a little more time to realize she was missing, she had a chance of escaping.

  The vampire from the plane grabbed her roughly by the arm and swung her around to face him. He bared his fangs at her. Then his fist crashed into her chin and she blacked out.

  ***

  THOUGH IT WAS long past the airport’s closing time, glamour ensured that the guard at the gate-house let Charles drive his car, with Armand still and silent in the trunk, toward La Vieille’s jet. He’d been expecting a call from Brigitte, but so far his phone had remained silent. Uncertainty gnawed at his gut, but there was nothing he could do other than bring the Seigneur to the plane. If the plane took off before Brigitte contacted him, then he would just have to fall back on his original plan. The thought made him grimace as he now wondered if La Vieille would give him Lily as he’d so optimistically hoped.

  His worries were interrupted when he caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye. Slowing the car, he squinted into the darkness, reach­ing out with his senses to help him locate the source of the movement. He picked up the aura of a mortal, running fast. The hangar blocked his view, but he could think of no good reason for a mortal to be run­ning around a closed airport at this time of night.

  When Lily emerged from behind the building, Charles slammed on the brakes. What was she doing running free? And where was Faith? With a curse, he put the car in park and reached out for her with glamour. She came to a dead stop, and he called her to him. He opened the passenger door and gestured her in.

  “Please,” she sobbed, but
his glamour had a firm hold, and she had to obey him.

  He used his telekinesis to close Lily’s door, and then drove back in the direction from which she had come. “I’m truly sorry, Lily’ he said. “I can’t allow you to run away.” He risked a glance at her tear ravaged face, and his heart constricted with pity. Yes he wanted Lily to be his. But he wished there could have been some other way to win her. As it was, she was probably going to hate him for years.

  “I promise I’ll keep you safe,” he told her.

  “What about Faith?”

  He had no answer for that. None she’d want to hear, anyway. There was nothing he could do for Faith. She’d go to either La Vieille or to Henri.

  When he reached the plane, Charles saw the re­mains of a battleground. One of La Vieille’s mortals lay on the tarmac, his head twisted at an unnatural an­gle. One of the vampires limped over to the stairs lead­ing into the plane, clutching his face and hunched over in obvious pain. And Faith lay facedown as the other vampire bound her hands behind her back. The bright white lights of the plane revealed a heavy bruise on the side of her face.

  “Faith!” Lily screamed, but Charles wouldn’t let her go dashing out of the car.

  Instead, he pulled to a stop and parked, assuring himself that the situation was well under control. Then he turned to Lily, frowning at the rope bums that cir­cled her wrists. He reached out to touch one gently. Lily tried to jerk away.

  “I’m sorry they hurt you’ he said, wishing he could kiss the wounds and make them better.

  He realized with something of a shock that he could. All he had to do was bite her, transform her, and she would be unconscious for days as her body changed. Then when she woke up, all her wounds would be gone. He found himself staring at the pulse that throbbed in her throat. His fangs descended, and he leaned toward her without even meaning to.

  He stopped himself before she had a chance to guess what he’d been about to do. Now was hardly the time for him to transform her. He couldn’t force her to become a vampire—she’d have to accept the lifeline he offered her when he took her to the brink of death, and he feared right now she wouldn’t do it. Somehow, he was going to have to win her over, and that was going to take time.

  He used his telekinesis to close Lily’s door, and then drove back in the direction from which she had come. “I’m truly sorry, Lily’ he said. “I can’t allow you to run away.” He risked a glance at her tear ravaged face, and his heart constricted with pity. Yes he wanted Lily to be his. But he wished there could have been some other way to win her. As it was, she was probably going to hate him for years.

  “I promise I’ll keep you safe,” he told her.

  “What about Faith?”

  He had no answer for that. None she’d want to hear, anyway. There was nothing he could do for Faith. She’d go to either La Vieille or to Henri.

  When he reached the plane, Charles saw the re­mains of a battleground. One of La Vieille’s mortals lay on the tarmac, his head twisted at an unnatural an­gle. One of the vampires limped over to the stairs lead­ing into the plane, clutching his face and hunched over in obvious pain. And Faith lay facedown as the other vampire bound her hands behind her back. The bright white lights of the plane revealed a heavy bruise on the side of her face.

  “Faith!” Lily screamed, but Charles wouldn’t let her go dashing out of the car.

  Instead, he pulled to a stop and parked, assuring himself that the situation was well under control. Then he turned to Lily, frowning at the rope bums that cir­cled her wrists. He reached out to touch one gently. Lily tried to jerk away.

  “I’m sorry they hurt you’ he said, wishing he could kiss the wounds and make them better.

  He realized with something of a shock that he could. All he had to do was bite her, transform her, and she would be unconscious for days as her body changed. Then when she woke up, all her wounds would be gone. He found himself staring at the pulse that throbbed in her throat. His fangs descended, and he leaned toward her without even meaning to.

  He stopped himself before she had a chance to guess what he’d been about to do. Now was hardly the time for him to transform her. He couldn’t force her to become a vampire—she’d have to accept the lifeline he offered her when he took her to the brink of death, and he feared right now she wouldn’t do it. Somehow, he was going to have to win her over, and that was going to take time.

  He sighed. “Behave yourself and you won’t need to be tied again,” he said, getting out of the car. He popped the trunk, then came around to Lily’s side and opened her door.

  For a moment, she just sat there with her arms crossed over her chest and a stubborn scowl on her face.

  “You’re not a child anymore, Lily,” Charles scolded, a little more sharply than he meant to. “Stop acting like one. You’re only making this more difficult for yourself.”

  She glared at him through damp lashes and red-rimmed eyes. “I don’t see how things could possibly get worse.”

  The vampire who’d just finished trussing Faith laughed, and it was not at all a pleasant sound. But was a relative youngster, only about a hundred a fifty. Charles could destroy him easily, and he let that thought show in his steady stare. The vampire stopped laughing and shrugged.

  “Get the body out of sight,” Charles snapped. His senses told him there were no security personnel close enough to see the dead man lying on the tarmac, but there was no point in taking chances.

  La Vieille’s minion left Faith where she was lying and slung the dead man oven his shoulder. He headed for the hangar, and Charles figured that was a good place to stow the body as anywhere. By the time anyone found it, the plane would be long gone.

  He snapped his fingers at the wounded vampire who sat moping on the stairs. “Come take the girl,” he said, grabbing Lily’s arm and pulling her out the car. “Hurt her, and I’ll tear out your tongue.”

  The man snorted, but used his glamour to call Lily to him and didn’t touch her when she was witin reach. Charles nodded his approval. Then he drew the tranq gun once more and moved to the back the car, carefully opening the trunk.

  Armand lay there curled in fetal position, his drenched with sweat, his face a mask of pain. Charles lowered the gun, reassured that Armand wasn’t close to needing another dose yet. He tucked the gun back into its holster, then dragged Armand out of the trunk.

  Armand’s eyes had been closed when Charles first hauled him out, but when he let go to close the trunk, he heard a pained moan and saw that Armand was looking at Faith and Lily. Charles slammed the trunk and squatted near his friend, trying to harden his heart.

  “I’m sorry, Armand~ I owe you. . . everything. But I haven’t your courage, I’m afraid. La Vieille offered me immunity if I would bring the surviving members of the delegation home.” He shook his head and stared at the ground beneath his feet. “I couldn’t refuse her. Not even for you?’

  The look in Armand’s eyes was positively murder­ous, but he said nothing.

  “There’s a car coming, boss,” La Vieille’s surviv­ing mortal said.

  Charles shot to his feet, but he knew as soon as he caught sight of the little red sports car just who it would be. Brigitte pulled her car to a stop beside Charles’s, then waited for Henri to come around and open the door for her.

  La Vieille’s minions stood there looking dumb­founded. Brigitte smiled and waved at them one at a time, then turned that smile to Charles.

  “Were you beginning to worry about me?” she asked.

  “I was beginning to wonder,” he said warily. He might have allied himself with her, but he couldn’t exactly say he trusted her.

  She reached out to pat his cheek, and he had to check his urge to jerk away. “I wouldn’t miss out on this for the world. Now, why don’t you explain to my mother’s friends just what’s going on here?”

  He looked at La Vieille’s people, and his heart quailed at the thought of them reporting his actions to La Vieille. All hope of clemency would be
gone­-which, of course, was why Brigitte wanted him to do this and cement his loyalty to her.

  He had already made his decision when last he’ talked to Brigitte. Now it was time to make that decision irrevocable. He straightened his spine and tried to look dignified.

  “I will not be returning to France with you,” told them. “I have decided to stay in America with Brigitte.” They stared at him in open shock.

  DRAKE TURNED OFF his lights the moment passed through the gates into the airport. Eves small airport was a large area to search, but a psychic probe located seven vampires off to his right somewhere. He tried not to let his heart sink at the hopelessness of his cause.

  Gabriel had taken to dialing Drake’s cell phone repeatedly, so Drake had turned the damn thing off. Maybe Gabriel would show up in time to help—and be recovered enough from the drug to be useful— maybe he wouldn’t. Drake didn’t dare depend him.

  He drove slowly toward the congregation of vampires, his head whirring through possible plans, none of which had a prayer of succeeding.

  He considered parking the car and then sneaking up on foot, but rejected that as useless. They would no doubt be on alert and sense him coming. If stealth wasn’t an option, he might as well use the car to reach them as quickly as possible.

  He turned on the lights and sped up, trying not to think about the last time he’d tried to save someone he loved against terrible odds. When he’d tried to save Eamon, he’d done nothing but cause his brother more pain. But considering what he’d heard of La Vieille, nothing he could do could possibly make it worse for Faith or Lily.

  When the plane came into view, the first thing Drake noticed was the pair of cars parked just out of the brightest glow of the plane’s lights. Then he saw the gathering of vampires, only two mortals in their midst. Charles was standing by the open trunk of one of the cars with a figure huddled on the tarmac at his feet. The Seigneur, no doubt. Next, Drake caught sight of Brigitte, with Henri glued to her side as usual. He cursed and hit the steering wheel, hardly believing his odds of success had gotten worse.