by Linda Howard
“Luca Ambrus!” Ahron said brightly, though he was too frail for that voice to have the hearty ring he tried to inject. “How nice of you to call. Did you bring me a snack?” His eyes flicked hungrily over Luca’s shoulder at Chloe. “I just fed a week or so ago, or was it three weeks? Doesn’t matter. She looks like a tasty snack. Perhaps even dessert!”
“This is Chloe,” Luca said. “We’re bonded, so she’s mine. Chloe, this is Ahron.”
“Too bad,” the old man with the young face said breezily, as he opened the door wide. “Come in, all three of you.”
For a moment Luca thought Ahron had suffered a mental slip, but suddenly he knew that wasn’t the case. The ancient seer saw not only Luca and Chloe, he also saw Chloe’s Warrior. Indikaiya was with them enough for her presence to be sensed.
Chloe gave him a confused look, then hesitantly said, “I’m pleased to meet you,” to Ahron.
“Are you?” Ahron stopped in his tracks, looking surprised. “How about that.”
Luca hadn’t been here in more than ten years, but nothing had changed. Ten years was nothing to him; the short amount of time was even less to Ahron. The computer was newer, and the television had been upgraded to a flat screen. The leather couch and matching recliner were the same, as were the paintings on the walls, paintings from the old masters such as Michelangelo. Did the human world even know these paintings existed? Their worth was unimaginable.
Ahron turned off his computer and sat in the recliner, moving slowly as if he were afraid he’d break if he sat too hard. “I suppose you’re here about the revolution. Isn’t it exciting?”
“I suppose that’s one word for it,” Luca said. He and Chloe sat side by side on the sofa. Her eyes were wide and, after greeting Ahron, she’d all but glued her lips shut. Considering she’d punched him—he still hadn’t gotten over his shock—she must really be intimidated.
“Vampires should’ve taken over centuries ago,” Ahron said with a wave of a delicate hand that was white as milk. “It’s the most logical progression of events. We’re stronger, we’re smarter. Humans are our food, for pity’s sake.”
“I liked the hotel better,” Chloe whispered under her breath, her words so low they were obviously intended only for him. She had no idea how sensitive Ahron’s hearing was, how sensitive the old one was to all stimuli.
Ahron responded with a wide grin, as he fixed his gaze on Chloe. “My, my. That’s twice you’ve spoken.” He looked back to Luca. “That’s very generous of you, letting her talk. But allowing such liberties can be a mistake, as I’m sure you know by now. She serves two purposes, and I suspect she’s adequate in both senses, but to allow her to speak to you as if she’s an equal …” His green eyes glowed and he spoke directly to Chloe. “I’ve seen women like you come and go many thousands of times since I became vampire. You’re very pretty, useful in your own way, but still, you are temporary. Don’t be offended; it’s your nature, like a flower is temporary.” His smile faded. “Some are more temporary than others. I remember … bah. I don’t know what I remember. I scare you, I see, and I should try not to scare you any more than someone would purposely frighten a child, but that is in my nature.”
Like a switch, he turned his attention back to Luca. “I would offer to introduce you to someone I know who could lead you to the rebels, but you don’t want to join them, you want to destroy the movement. It wouldn’t be fair for me to interfere. I must remain impartial. Well, outwardly impartial, at least. The outcome of this clash is not set in stone. So little is, I have found. It’s maddening to see so much and not know what is meant to be and what is mere possibility. My mind is filled with possibilities, potential outcomes, all riding on the swing of a sword or the path of an arrow.”
Rambling was Ahron’s stock-in-trade, but if you listened carefully enough, you could get his meaning. “Who is leading the rebels?” Luca asked. “How many are there?”
“I cannot tell you who leads, as you would surely use that information against the rebels. Besides, she would be very unhappy with me if I were to tell, and I would miss her company. Though she does not call as she once did,” he mused. “Perhaps when the revolution is over and she is queen, she’ll come to me again. Even better, perhaps she will offer me a new and better home, one where I can see the sun if it pleases me. I would make a superb minister of … something. I’m certain she sees that for herself.”
So. The leader was a woman. He wasn’t surprised; he’d always known the female Council members were far more dangerous than the males.
“How many?” Ahron continued. “Too many, not enough, more every day. Who among us does not wish to be accepted and embraced for who we truly are? Who does not wish to claim that which is his or her right?” His eyes glowed bright again; he changed the subject as if he’d been yanked from one time to another. “Your mother was incredibly beautiful, when I made her one of us. She stayed beautiful for many years. Even when she was carrying you beneath her heart and her health was not at its best, she was beautiful. I wish I had given her a child, I wish I had created a powerful blood born, but it was your father, the ungrateful bastard, who got her with child.” A flash of hate altered his expression for a moment. “I was finished with her by that time, I did not care who she gave her body to, but you almost killed her coming into the world. She was never quite the same after that; beautiful women are often not the best of mothers, wouldn’t you agree?”
“The rebels,” Luca said, trying to turn the seer’s mind back to the subject at hand.
“Yes, yes, your questions. Who? I can’t say. I could, but I won’t. How many, eh, who can know? When does the strike begin in earnest?” Again, his eyes flashed. Chloe flinched, and Luca didn’t blame her. “Stop the Warriors, lift the spell, take the city. It’s a good plan. Take the government as our own, rule their army, their government, and their people. From there it will spread, one city, one state at a time.”
“What spell?”
“Soon I will need no invitation,” Ahron said with barely disguised glee. “The world will be my own. Every home, every one, will be open to me. The spell that keeps me out isn’t natural, it isn’t right. When the spell is broken, nothing will stop me.”
A chill touched Luca’s bones. It had to be the sanctuary spell. The rebels must have a witch, either captured or paid, who was strong enough to break the spell. If the sanctuary spell was broken, Chloe would never again be safe, not even in her own home. There would be no place for any mortal to hide.
Sticking close to Luca was never exactly a chore, but Chloe stayed especially close while they were in Ahron’s basement home.
Luca and Sorin, even the creepy trio who’d shown up at the hotel, could easily pass as human, if they wanted. Ahron couldn’t. Nothing could disguise the kryptonite eyes, the skin that looked like milk glass, the fangs that were permanently extended. He’d actually been handsome once, she could see. He had the face of a man of around twenty, she’d guess, though what that translated to aeons ago, she couldn’t guess. His careful movements and white hair marked his age, and against the young face that age was really strange.
Though he moved very carefully, like an old man, she had a suspicion that if he wanted to he could be very, very fast, which was all the more reason to stay close to Luca.
Were there others like Ahron, hiding around the world? If the rebels won the world might be overrun with monsters like this one. She’d known for years that she could die at any moment, though she’d always had hope that death wouldn’t come too soon. In that respect, nothing had changed; it just might not be her heart that killed her.
Ahron liked to talk, even though most of what he said was nonsense. He talked about television shows and movies, his blog—proof that anyone could have a presence on the Net if they wanted it—and those he had once known. Talk about name-dropping! Alexander, Caesar, Mozart, King Henry … more than one of them … as well as many names Chloe didn’t recognize. She got the sense they’d been no less important i
n their time; their names simply hadn’t made it into the history books.
Useful information was scattered within the rambling, like rubies hidden in a pile of worthless stones. Names, numbers, places … She knew when those meaningful tidbits came, because she felt a surge of energy in Luca. One name in particular—Jonas—gave him a heavy jolt.
The day dragged. Ahron would occasionally look at her and smile, but it wasn’t a friendly grin. It was more of a “Hello, dinner,” expression of pleasure, as if he were sitting there wondering how she’d taste. Chloe knew hours had passed because she was so hungry her stomach had begun to growl. She placed her hand over her stomach and pressed down in an effort to still the protest. She didn’t think Ahron needed to be reminded of hunger in any way.
The strange creature eventually seemed to forget that he had guests. He left his chair, sat before his computer, turned it on and, talking to himself as if he were alone, began to write his blog.
Luca took Chloe’s arm and led her toward the door. “I’d hoped to be able to leave you here while I—”
“No,” she snapped before he had a chance to finish. “You can’t leave me here.”
“No, I can’t. Ahron seems to be aligned in some way with the rebels.”
“That, and given half a chance he’d eat me.”
Luca looked as if he wanted to smile, but this was not funny. His humor didn’t last long. “I don’t know of a safe place to leave you while I hunt the rebels. Ahron mentioned Jonas, and, unfortunately, Jonas is the most talented of all the trackers.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “I’ve worked with Jonas. I can’t believe he’d go over to the rebels, that isn’t his style, but I have to accept what Ahron said.”
She didn’t like it. At all. So, what else was new? She didn’t want to be involved in this vampire, warrior, human war, with the humans getting the raw end of the deal. But she was here, smack-dab in the middle of it all. There was only one solution, one logical choice.
“Take me with you.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
It was fully dark when they drove away from Ahron’s hideout. Chloe had never been so glad to escape from anyone, or anything, in her life. That’s what leaving Ahron behind felt like: blessed escape. Luca didn’t say much as he drove directly to the closest airport, parked in long-term parking, then rented a minivan, which was all the rental company had available for last-minute pickup. Though Luca was definitely not a minivan guy, he didn’t complain. He handed over his fake ID and took possession of the vehicle, loaded their luggage into the back, then took the fastest route to the interstate.
“Can’t you be tracked by your credit card?” she asked. She was so tired she felt punch drunk.
He glanced at her and smiled, but there was no real humor on his face. Talking to Ahron had not put Luca in a good mood. “You’re assuming the Council or anyone else knows all my identities.”
All? “How many do you have?”
“More than enough.”
“If no one remembers you after you’re out of sight, then why bother to have so many …”
“Just a precaution,” he said absently. “These days you can’t sneeze without a driver’s license. Having several IDs simply makes things … easier. In case we’re spotted, we’ll switch cars as often as we change hotel rooms, from here on out.”
They drove back into D.C., traffic picking up as they neared the center of the city. Luca seemed to know where he was going. If he had a specific destination in mind thanks to something Ahron had said, or his own abilities, he didn’t say so. She didn’t ask. They were both quiet.
The clock on the dashboard read three-twenty when Luca drove into an exclusive neighborhood, where the houses were huge and set very far apart. Chloe stared out of the passenger window, on alert and also entranced. Good thing they weren’t driving her car; it would stick out like a sore thumb here. The minivan wasn’t a lot better, but at least it didn’t chug and shudder and make weird noises. These were estates, with gated drives and security cameras and enough lights to illuminate a small city. Her high school hadn’t been as big as some of these houses.
“Somehow I expected Sorin and his buds would be in a warehouse like Ahron’s, with no windows, no lights, maybe a few chains for their prisoners.” Their food. Yuck. But then again, she’d been food for Luca several times now, and she not only hadn’t minded, she’d enjoyed it. Maybe chains weren’t always required.
As they drove past one estate with a perfectly manicured and massive lawn, a three-story redbrick mansion at the end of a long drive and a couple of very impressive cars near the front entrance, a sharp, raw sensation ran through her veins and she knew that was it. Her entire body shuddered, and she couldn’t catch her breath. Luca had picked up on some energy, and she was feeling the backlash. The minivan slowed, then he steadily drove past.
“He’s in there, isn’t he?” she asked.
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I felt it. I felt your reaction to it. It’s brighter than the others, too,” she said, “and the sight of it makes me feel cold to the bone. Basically, I just know.”
“You’re right,” he said, not sounding all that happy about the news.
“It’s the bonding thing, I guess. You recognize the place, so I do, too,” she said, her eyes on the tall, wrought-iron gates. They were standing open, maybe because vampires came and went with regularity, maybe because they weren’t at all afraid of intruders. Any robber who tried to hit that house would be in for a big surprise.
Luca rubbed his face, looking perturbed. “The bonding links us, so, yes, you’d know if I’m upset or happy or horny. It shouldn’t let you see energy.”
“Well, it does.” Her voice was a little sharp. If he didn’t have an explanation, she sure as hell didn’t.
Luca kept driving, because, hello, to stop directly in front of a vampire hideout and walk up to the front door wouldn’t be smart. He parked a half mile or so away, on a side street where the homes were slightly smaller and less impressive, though still amazing. After a moment, he got out of the minivan.
“Are you nuts?” she asked as he closed his door. A little spying from the car she could agree to, but anything more at this point was crazy. Luca didn’t say anything, just circled the van and opened her door like a gentleman—or a madman, because she wasn’t going anywhere. She gave him a stubborn look and stayed where she was. “I thought we were just scouting things out, getting the lay of the land. We can’t just walk in and start introducing ourselves!”
“I need to see more, and you know damn well I can’t leave you here alone.” He offered his steady hand to her.
After a moment’s hesitation, she unlatched her seat belt and took the offered hand. “Crap,” she muttered. “I’ll have you know I’m not entirely happy about this.”
“I realize that.” Of course he did.
“Shouldn’t I have a weapon or something?”
“You have me.”
Well, that was the truth.
“I meant like a gun, maybe.”
“Tonight is just for recon. When we attack, I’ll see that you’re properly armed.”
Attack? They were going to attack? Chloe gulped. She was in this of her own free will, as far as she knew, and still the thought of attacking a house full of vampires gave her pause. She was determined, not stupid.
They walked down the sidewalk, which was deserted at this time of morning. There were hours to go until sunrise. The humans in the neighborhood should all be asleep, while the vampires were at their peak. Did the people around here realize, at a gut-instinct level, that there were some among them who were different? Not just different, but dangerous? Man, she’d love to be a fly on the wall at their homeowner association meetings.
Luca walked fast, but not so fast that she couldn’t keep up. She could tell his mind was elsewhere, just as she could feel the energy emanating off of him, almost as if he were buzzing with power. She was a little surprised he didn
’t glow in the dark—like Ahron’s eyes. Instinctively, she shuddered at the memory. Was she ever going to get that face out of her head?
“Why are you here?” she asked, her voice soft out of respect for the night.
“Because I refuse to sit back and wait for Sorin to attack again.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.” Luca was many things; dense wasn’t one of them. “My reasons are pretty simple. They want me dead, and they’re threatening my world and everyone in it. But you … why?”
He sighed. “A victory for the vampires would be the beginning of a war that would never end. Humans don’t break easily, not even when fighting means death. If vampires come out into the open more humans will be turned, but a lot more will die. It’ll be a blood bath, literally. The result isn’t good for anyone, vampire or human. And if too many humans die, well, it’s stupid to kill off your food source.”
She scowled; it really pissed her off to be referred to as a food source. “So choosing to help me was a purely logical decision.”
He paused, then said, “Not purely logical. Don’t talk anymore; we’re getting too close to the house.”
They were still over a block away. She started to argue that no one at the house could possibly hear them, but she caught herself in time. These were vampires they were trying to sneak up on; they had super sight, super hearing, super speed—hell, super everything. Nothing got past Luca, she knew that much. She nodded, saving her other questions for later.
Walking in complete silence at such an early hour of the morning gave Chloe a decidedly creepy sensation. Once, just a few days ago, she’d enjoyed her quiet walks home from the Metro, in the early hours. Since Enoch’s attack, she definitely worried about things that went bump in the night. Something rustled in the bushes to their left, and she moved closer to Luca. He didn’t seem concerned, so she assumed it was a cat or something; she didn’t care, so long as it was a night creature that didn’t want to kill her and suck out all her blood. Or was that backward? Maybe they sucked out all the blood first and then killed.