by T. A. White
I forced myself not to react, not to shoot straight to denial. It was different hearing what you could become and then seeing it. One was theoretical, real but in a very removed sort of way. Seeing the facts for myself, watching a vampire throw himself mindlessly against silver bars with no care for the pain he might be experiencing was different.
“Is this common knowledge?” I asked.
Joseph studied me, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Common enough.”
“And does devolution happen often?”
“No, it does not,” he said. “It’s almost unheard of nowadays. Those in their first century are most vulnerable.”
I nodded slowly, ice invading my center. “And is it only caused by abstaining from taking blood from humans?”
Joseph looked thoughtful. “There needs to be a perfect storm of circumstances. There are properties within human blood that can’t be replicated any other way. It feeds the vampiric virus—for lack of a better word—that sustains us. Take away that nutrient source, and it’ll start attacking your system. There have been cases where vampires subsisted on bagged blood for decades. We’re not quite sure why some devolve while others simply weaken.”
“Most spooks are aware of devolution but not the cause,” Daniel said.
“What about only feeding on vampire blood?” I asked.
The two traded a look.
“That comes with its own set of risks,” Joseph said after a pause. “Our blood might stop the onset of toxicity but it won’t treat it once it’s started.”
I didn’t respond, too locked in my own thoughts. Several things that I thought I knew about my past were being rewritten. It seemed people I thought I could trust, people I would have sworn had my back had lied to me, turned me onto a path that could have very well led me to devolution. That, or they were just seriously ignorant.
I didn’t know which was worse.
The captain should have known about this, yet he’d steered me away from the vampires deliberately, told me to avoid them at all costs.
I turned away from the video and started. Liam stood behind me, his thoughts hidden by a wall.
I hesitated, not knowing what to say after watching that video.
His gaze was cool as he noted my hesitation. “We’ll head out on your errands. You were right. There isn’t much more time before sunrise.”
He moved to the side and gestured for me to precede him out of the room. To my surprise, Daniel followed, bringing up the rear.
“Where do we need to go?” Liam asked once he reached the car. It was the same one he’d used the night after Caroline and my drunken revelry, its burnt umber color mocking me.
“My apartment.”
His head jerked towards me. He sat back and fixed me with an intent stare.
“The car won’t start itself,” I noted, glancing at the push start.
“I told you you’re not staying there until this is over,” he said with forced patience.
Daniel was a silent presence in the back seat, watching the two of us like we were a particularly volatile tennis match.
“As much fun as it would be to show just how much you’re not the boss of me, I have other reasons for going there,” I said through gritted teeth.
Cadell and Niall had made it clear they wanted to meet with me. Call me curious, but I wanted to see what they had to say.
As furious as I was with Thomas and Liam, I still couldn’t forget Jerry was caught up in all this. He had earned my respect and loyalty. I still wasn’t sure if he needed my help but I wasn’t going to walk away until I had an answer.
Not to mention the woman and man lying dead in the Gargoyle through no fault of their own. They’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Call me crazy, but I found that offensive. I wanted to find the bastards responsible.
None of that touched on the fact that these people had come after me and would probably do so again, if they weren’t stopped. So, yeah, it was tempting to stick it to Liam, to go off on my own, but I wasn’t stupid or crazy. I needed him and his power to deal with this threat. That meant playing nice for the time being.
Liam gave me a scathing smile. “I thought I was the boss of you. Wasn’t it you who begged to be part of this?”
I gritted my teeth. He was tap dancing on my last nerve. “Careful, before I forget all the reasons I need to work with you.”
“Would you two like some room?” Daniel leaned forward, his voice serious. “I can get out and wait.”
I turned and gave him a polite smile. “No need. There’s nothing he and I need to discuss.”
Liam flicked his fingers. It must have been some type of signal because Daniel got out, the door shutting quietly behind him.
The car filled with tension, the air fairly crackling with it.
“Go on, get it all out,” Liam said, giving me a come-hither motion.
I lifted an eyebrow but didn’t speak.
“Come on, tell me about how much of an asshole I am, about how you hate me and never want to see me again,” Liam said. “Let’s hear it.”
“Is that what you think this is about?” I asked. Liam was an asshole, no doubt about that, but that wasn’t why I was so upset. I wasn’t angry, or at least not entirely angry. I was upset, hurt in a way I didn’t realize I could be.
“I didn’t know he was going to do that,” Liam shouted.
“But you stood there and let it happen,” I screamed. “You didn’t say anything. You didn’t try to stop it. You just let it happen.” The last sentence was almost whispered, the emotion running out of me.
Liam closed his eyes and bent his head, not looking at me as the silence deepened. I sat there, feeling numb all over again.
“He took everything from me,” I said quietly. “My present, my future. Now he’s taken this, too.”
There was sorrow on Liam’s face. Understanding too. I turned away from him, not wanting to see.
“Tell me the truth, would you have drunk from a human?” Liam asked.
“Guess we’ll never know now,” I said.
The sound he made wasn’t happy. “Don’t lie to yourself. As much as you might hate what he did, and my part for standing by, he saved you from a fate worse than death. I’m glad for what he did, and if I’d known how far gone you were, I’d have done it myself.”
That shut me up.
Daniel climbed back into the car as Liam started it. The drive passed in silence.
*
“We’re here,” Liam said. “Now what?”
I undid my seat belt and shouldered open the car. “You stay in the car while I get some things.”
There was a slam of a door, then Liam was beside me in the next moment, his eyes snapping blue fire at me. “That’s not how this works.”
“Liam, don’t be ridiculous. I just need to grab a few things,” I said.
He leaned closer, caging me against the car. I had no way to escape, not with the car at my back. I noted distantly Daniel had elected to remain inside. Smart man.
“You don’t trust me, that’s fine,” he said, lips curved in a decadent smile that should have scalded me. “I don’t trust you either. Now, I can either come with you or we can go back to the mansion. Your choice.”
It was no choice, really. Given everything that was happening, we needed an inside look at the other camp. This was our best shot.
Seeing the answer written on my face, Liam straightened. “Thought you might take that option.”
He didn’t wait for my response, leaning down and telling Daniel. “Drive around until I call for you.”
Daniel must have agreed because Liam started for my apartment. I trailed behind him, fuming.
Liam had already climbed up to my apartment and unlocked my door by the time I reached the half formed stairs. I couldn’t even find it in me to be surprised he had a key. Of course, he did. Thomas was my landlord after all.
Liam prowled around my apartment while I stood in the living room. Inara fluttered in
to sight while I was still debating my next step and jerked her head toward the bathroom.
I followed.
“Where are you going?” Liam asked, not looking up from where he was examining my bookshelves. They were full of books and little items from all the places I’d visited and adventures I’d had. There should have been more of them, but becoming a vampire had put a serious crimp in my travels.
“The bathroom. I need toiletries,” I said.
Liam grunted but didn’t say anything else, secure in the knowledge there was no way to escape. It was a logical assumption, given there were no windows in the bathroom and its door could be seen from where he stood.
I stepped inside, Lowen and Inara darting in after me. They landed on the sink as I opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed a few toiletries to give credence to my fib.
“What’s with the fanger?” Inara asked, jerking her thumb toward the living room where Liam waited.
“Don’t ask,” I said, slamming another item down. The act didn’t make my anger lessen any.
She rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t matter anyway. Close your eyes.”
“Wha—?”
Before I could finish my question, the world spun around me in a dizzying hurricane of kaleidoscopes.
I landed on my ass with a thump, my head still spinning and a headache beginning right behind my eyes.
“Inara, what the hell?” I asked, groggily, feeling like I’d just gone on a three-week bender and then been thrown into a wood chipper.
The door to the bathroom yanked open. Cadell peered down at me with an inscrutable expression. “Good, you brought her.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I sat up from my sprawl on the floor and looked around. Their bathroom’s layout was similar to mine. Whereas mine had spots of bright colors in the towels and photos I’d hung on my wall, theirs was sparse of any decoration—except for a surprisingly healthy plant on a shelf over the toilet.
“Come,” Cadell said before disappearing into the apartment.
I aimed a glare at Inara and Lowen as I picked myself off the floor. They ignored me, fluttering into the apartment with a flick of their wings.
I grumbled about annoying house guests as I followed. It would have been nice to have had a little warning before Inara shifted me through time and space once again, but at least this dealt with one problem—getting me a meeting with Niall and Cadell without Liam’s knowledge or interference.
After the whole debacle with Miriam, I was hesitant to introduce another set of contacts to him.
I walked into the living room to see that unlike me, Niall and Cadell had found the time to change since the party, looking almost human in jeans and t-shirts, instead of like Fae lords about to jaunt off into the woods.
I felt slightly self-conscious in my rumpled dress, which was looking worse for wear. I scrubbed at a spot of blood that had dried on the beautiful fabric. I wondered vaguely if vampires had dry cleaners who specialized in blood removal. It would make sense, given what they liked to eat.
“Aileen, I want to express my appreciation to you for coming,” Niall said in a cordial voice.
“Your lackey over there didn’t give me much of a choice,” I said, turning my stare on Inara.
She flicked her hair over her shoulder and met my glare with a haughty look, not repentant in the least.
I turned to the other two. “I can’t stay long. Liam is going to notice I’m missing.”
If he hadn’t already. Vampires didn’t have need of toilets. He wasn’t going to believe the excuse of “I just had to use the bathroom”.
“You want to tell me what a bunch of fairy princes are doing living in a place like this?” I glanced around. Their apartment was nicer than mine. A lot nicer, but it wasn’t exactly what I pictured them calling home.
A guffaw escaped Cadell.
Niall’s face was slightly startled at the sight of his friend bent nearly double, lost in laughter.
“Our people don’t really have princes as you understand it,” Niall said.
“And if we did, we would not be among their number,” Cadell chimed in.
“Our fairy tales beg to differ,” I said.
“Because they’re so reliable,” Cadell said, his amusement fading slightly. “How’s the state of your soul? Have you turned into a ravening monster yet?”
Point taken. Many of the myths about vampires weren’t true either.
“Jury’s still out,” I murmured, my thoughts turning to earlier in the evening.
“The proper term would be lord or lady,” Niall said. “But it’s not so straightforward as your human inheritances.”
“Anybody who is powerful enough can earn the title, regardless of lineage,” Cadell said. “Niall is one such person.”
“But you’re not?” I asked, just to be sure.
Cadell smirked, letting that be his answer. No, I was betting he served as Niall’s guard. He moved with the sort of purpose and confidence acquired through extensive training in the deadly arts.
While the lesson in Fae hierarchy was interesting and all, it didn’t answer my question.
“We’re in hiding,” Niall said.
I snorted. “You sure could have fooled me.”
I wouldn’t exactly call it “hiding” when you show up at a vampire get together with the same people you’re supposedly avoiding. That was the exact opposite of hiding.
Cadell looked at his friend. “I have to agree with the vampire.”
“I told you we had no choice,” Niall said. “Niamh felt us the moment she crossed over. Running or hiding would have brought unwelcome suspicion.”
“And so, the very people we’re trying to avoid now know exactly where we are,” Cadell said flatly.
“But not why,” Niall returned.
It seemed like this was a familiar argument between the two.
“How dangerous is this Wild Hunt?” I asked, watching them. I knew what the vampires thought of it but wanted their take as well.
“They’ve called a hunt?” Inara asked, sounding alarmed.
“Yes,” Niall confirmed.
Her wings beat rapidly. Lowen watched her with a concerned expression.
To me, Niall said, “And very, if you’re the prey. There are only a few who can survive a hunt.”
They all studiously ignored the small pixie queen as her wings gave away her tumultuous emotions.
“I feel bad for whatever poor bastard Niamh decides to hunt,” Cadell muttered.
“I thought the magic of the hunt decides the prey.” At least that was what Liam had led me to believe.
Inara’s laugh was ugly. “Perhaps once, but not now that she has gotten her claws into half of the lords of the hunt.”
Niall and Cadell’s faces were grim. They agreed with her.
“How is that possible? I thought wild magic couldn’t be tamed or controlled,” I said.
A faint agitation showed in their faces. Niall was the one to answer. “That isn’t entirely true. There are those among us who are closer to the wild magic than others. People like Arlan. I don’t know if I’d call what they’re able to do “control” so much as influence.”
And because Niamh held influence over them her will bled down into the hunt.
“Tell me about the hunt’s mark,” I said.
Niall went very still. “How do you know about that?”
How much to tell them?
“Because I have one on my back,” I said.
The words that came from Inara would have put a sailor to shame. They were jarring coming from the small pixie queen.
“Show me,” Niall said, sitting forward.
I turned and moved the back of the dress from the mark.
There was an indrawn breath and then warm fingers touching me lightly. “You’re lucky. It’s only half a mark,” Cadell said from behind me.
I let the dress fall into place and turned to face him. His gaze was intense and his thoughts hidden.
&nbs
p; “What does that mean?” I asked.
“You’ve been marked by the hunt, but you are not yet its prey,” Niall said.
Okay, that fit with what Liam and Thomas had said.
“A lord of the hunt would have needed to physically place that mark on her,” Inara said, fury radiating from every small line of her body. Her glare could have scorched flesh as she aimed it at the two Fae.
The revelation was jarring. “Neither Arlan nor Niamh got close enough to lay a hand on me.”
I tried to think back if I crossed paths with any of the other Fae in their party. I didn’t remember any run ins, certainly not the type where they could lay a mark on my back.
The only Fae who’d gotten close to me all night was Cadell when he passed me the note.
I’d looked at the mark in the mirror earlier. It was simple, something any tattoo artist could do, a drawn bow with arrow nocked in it.
“That may be, but someone got close to you,” Cadell said.
The statement was disquieting in more ways than one. I turned my attention to matters I could still control.
“You said it’s only half a mark. What would turn it into a full mark?”
Niall’s expression was sympathetic. “I don’t know.”
I rubbed my forehead. That wasn’t the answer I wanted. Not even by a little.
The situation was starting to spiral out of my control. I was marked for a hunt I wanted no part of, with no way of knowing how to keep myself from turning into its prey. Half the city wanted me dead and I could no longer trust Liam or the other vampires, not after what happened tonight.
Nor could I trust the people in front of me. They had an agenda, the same as everyone else. They might appear to be on my side for now, but they were working from a plan I couldn’t yet see.
Being out on my own in the cold was a lonely and scary place. It was a position I’d promised myself I’d never be in again.
“The attack tonight. Was that aimed at you or Thomas?” Dwelling on my problems wouldn’t solve them.
“I’m not sure,” Niall said.
“Why would they want to kill you or Thomas?” I asked.
“We don’t know if that was their goal,” Niall said carefully.
“They weren’t throwing marshmallows around,” I said. “That spell I intercepted wasn’t the sort of thing that would have made you sing arias and see sparkling unicorns. It was a nasty piece of work. They intended their target to die a horrible, horrible death.”
