She’d barely had time to dress after her shower when the phone rang. She picked it up. “Hello?”
“Jess, it’s Sampson. I’m at the airport. Can you pick me up?”
“Britt and I will be there in a few minutes,” she said. Then she hung up and threw on a silky dress that made her feel just a little bit less of a vampire.
It would be good to see Sampson. She’d missed him. He was part of her inner circle, and she trusted him with her life.
“Britt, Sampson’s at the airport. He needs us to pick him up,” she called out, expecting him to reply. No one answered.
Sniffing for the familiar scent of his soap, she hurried down the hall to his room, knocking before opening his door. The bed hadn’t been slept in again. Did he not sleep at all, anymore?
She glanced at her watch and sighed. He was probably still on the case and looking for clues. The fact that he’d been implicated in a crime didn’t sit well with him. He’d never gotten over being framed for a murder he hadn’t committed in New York City. And she knew he wasn’t going to let it happen again.
It went without saying that she’d help him prove his innocence.
But there was something else that was bothering her—the church had put her brother directly in the path of the shadows. Would they be sentient enough to know that he was studying them, trying to find a way to defeat them? And where did Morana come into this? Jess didn’t believe for a second that Regent had found her by accident. The coincidences were piling up.
Shoving her cellphone into her pocket in case Britt called, and pushing all of her worries aside, she got into the SUV she’d rented and met Sampson at the airport. He beamed at her when she arrived to pick him up.
“I’m so happy to see you, Jess. How are you?” He looked her over in surprise, most likely at her more feminine attire.
She brushed her hands over her hips. “I’ve only been gone a week, you know. I’m fine.”
Sampson picked up his luggage and nodded seriously. “You look great. But what’s wrong?”
She’d told him when they’d spoken on the phone that she needed him urgently in Paris. But she hadn’t explained why. She hadn’t wanted to tell him over the phone line. Only, it looked like Sampson had thought there was something physically wrong with her.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t explain why we needed you here,” she said.
“Not a problem. Now that I know you’re okay, that is. Everyone else is okay, aren’t they?”
“Yes, Britt and Regent are fine as well.”
He heaved a breath. “Okay, what’s going on, then?”
“I’ll tell you on the way to Regent’s place.” They walked to the parking area where she’d left her rental SUV with darkened windows.
“Regent’s place?” Sampson asked.
“Yes, you’ll be staying with him while you’re here. He has a spare room, and he’ll enjoy your company.” Jess hesitated a moment. “And, to be honest, Sampson, I’d feel much better if he had someone to keep an eye on him. The church has him involved in some research that could prove to be dangerous. He needs surreptitious backup.”
“I’m not exactly the fighting type,” Sampson said, sounding concerned that Jess might expect him to suddenly become a vampire hunter. He raised his arm and proved it by showing his lack of muscle. “I’m a medical man. That’s my strong suit, I’m afraid.”
“Don’t worry. We’re not expecting you to join a black ops team or anything.” She grinned at Sampson. “Just be there and keep an eye out for Regent. If you have any concerns, contact me or Britt. We’ll take it from there.” Then she proceeded to fill Sampson in on what was going on.
By the time they pulled up in front of Regent’s apartment, Sampson looked concerned. “I’ll do my best to look after him, Jess.”
She stared straight ahead. “There’s another reason I needed you to come.”
“Yes?”
“I need you to verify the VNA of a possible twin sister.”
Sampson’s mouth dropped open. He clamped his hands onto his bald head and said, “What did you just say?”
“I might have a twin here in France. She’s also a vampire.”
“What are the odds of that happening?” Sampson said, almost stuttering.
“I know. That’s one of the reasons I need your expertise.”
“Isn’t Regent going to wonder why I’m here? I’m guessing he doesn’t know I’m going to keep an eye on him, because the Regent I know would never agree to that.”
Jess had the good grace to at least look sheepish. “I’ll stress that I want you here as my personal physician. I’m sure that’ll be enough for him. Besides, he knows I need you to check my lookalike’s VNA against mine. He’d never agree to being coddled, but I have the feeling he’s lonely. I’m sure he’ll be fine with you staying here. You two can catch up on your chess games.”
Sampson’s eyes widened. “You mean he doesn’t even know I’m going to be his guest?”
“Maybe I should have mentioned it, but I didn’t,” Jess said. “It’ll be fine.”
Sampson let out a long breath. “Okay, I’m your man. Let’s go shock the heck out of your baby brother.”
Jess laughed. “You are the most amazing friend,” she said.
Sampson’s eyes widened even more. No wonder. She’d never actually called him a friend outright before—an oversight on her part. He’d looked after her for years, and she valued his friendship. She should have let him know that before.
Suddenly, Sampson smiled so wide, it was if the sun had come out. She’d finally done something right.
She knocked on Regent’s door, and then let herself and Sampson in. “Regent, I have a surprise for you,” she called.
“Sampson,” Regent said. “Nice to see you.”
Jess waited for the two men to exchange greetings. “Listen, I was thinking. . . . instead of putting Sampson up in a hotel, could he stay with you? You have two bedrooms, right?” she asked pointedly.
“I do.” Regent grinned at Sampson instantly. “Of course you can stay here with me.”
“Perfect,” Sampson said, then went out to grab his suitcases.
“I’ll show you your new laboratory tomorrow,” she said to Sampson once he got back inside.
“That’ll be fine,” he said, rubbing a weary hand across his eyes.
“I’ll make a nice hot cup of tea,” Regent said, putting water in a pot and setting it on the gas burner. “And then we’ll let you get to bed.”
Jess left the two men making plans for Sampson’s stay.
She walked a distance from Regent’s apartment before she slowed and leaned on a post where she could watch the river. She had a basic plan for tonight. It was time to talk to Morana, face-to-face. They needed a long, truthful talk about their upbringing. No more tap dancing around Morana’s biological possibilities. She wanted the truth.
She’d convinced herself that changing into club attire was merely so she wouldn’t stand out, but now that she saw herself in the mirror, unease seeped into her. She’d put on a red leather mini dress that opened in a seductive teardrop to expose her belly button, and four-inch spiked red heels. Forcing herself to do it, she pulled her hair up to make it look shorter. The resemblance was really uncanny. She thought she looked more like Morana than herself. And that galled her more than words could say.
BRITT HAD ALMOST reached their apartment when Jess stepped outside. When he saw her, he tried to swallow, but his mouth had gone dry. Holy hell! She was gorgeous in that outfit. Something akin to need slithered in his gut. He didn’t even want to think about other men looking at her while she was dressed like that. He’d never seen that much of her shapely legs outside of the bedroom. And those heels were going to kill him.
He didn’t have to wonder where she was
going. He knew instantly: LaCave. Britt’s hand rasped over his unshaven chin. He’d have to change his clothes and shave before he joined Jess tonight.
The fact that Jess hadn’t spotted him was unusual, though. Geez! Was it even Jess? If it wasn’t, he’d been drooling over the wrong woman. And that just made him sick.
Instead of changing his clothes, he took a shortcut that should allow him to catch up with her. Finally catching sight of her again, he picked up his pace. His jeans, white polo shirt, and leather jacket would have to do for the nightclub scene. He ran a hand through his hair and set his gaze on the most beautiful woman in France. There was no way that could be Morana.
Jess turned the corner a moment before he caught up to her, but he couldn’t speed up without attracting unwanted attention. Besides, he recognized the direction Jess was heading, and it wasn’t to Regent’s place. She was definitely going to LaCave.
Short of running, he’d never catch her now, but it didn’t matter. He’d find her in the club. He climbed down the stairwell and dropped onto the rough cement-covered path, just as a hand grabbed him from behind.
Before he could react, familiar lips covered his. Inhaling her vanilla scent, he groaned into her mouth.
“Are you following me, sailor?”
“God, woman, you’re driving me to distraction tonight.”
He felt her grin against his mouth and her teeth grazed his lower lip, sucking it in and releasing it in a seductively slow movement. “I noticed,” she said in a sultry voice.
He cursed under his breath. “You had me fooled, gorgeous. I thought you hadn’t noticed me.”
“Your heart rate would have given you away, even if I hadn’t spotted you the moment I stepped outside, lover.”
He laughed and slid his hand inside the opening of her dress. Too bad the leather was a little too tight for his wandering fingers to get very far.
The sound of voices coming their way meant they were about to be distracted by club goers. “Dammit.”
Jess kissed him quickly. “Did I tell you that Sampson arrived earlier? He’s probably sleeping off his jetlag at Regent’s place as we speak.”
“Aha. You have a VNA kit with you, don’t you?” he said.
“Of course.”
“But that’s not the only reason you’re here, is it, my love?”
“No. I want to get Morana alone. Maybe I can convince her to open up and tell the truth.”
Britt shrugged. He didn’t think Morana was a sap for sentimentality. She had the shrewd eyes of a killer vamp, the type he usually wiped out without thought.
ONCE INSIDE THE club, Jess braced herself against the music that boomed so loud, she could feel it in her bones. People were dancing like fiends, bouncing up and down to the overwhelming bass sound.
Morana wasn’t at the bar yet tonight, but her co-worker focused on Jess as she approached. His eyes narrowed and he bit his lower lip while he wiped down the bar, never quite taking his attention from her. His dyed black hair, heavy black-and-red makeup, and nose and lip rings probably helped hide the fact that he was a vampire. Especially since there were several humans in the club who had a similar look.
“Your name’s Diesel, right?” Jess asked.
“You know it,” he answered, feigning disinterest. “What can I get you?”
“Are you American?” Jess asked. His accent was a dead giveaway. An American vampire working in Paris? Holy hell, she’d never considered that vampires moved around in the world so easily. Or was Diesel an anomaly?
“You get a Kewpie Doll,” he said. “I’m from Maine.”
That told her one thing about him—he was old enough to remember Kewpie Dolls. “I didn’t realize people like us moved around so much.”
Diesel’s expression turned cold. “Why the hell not?”
“Most can’t control their baser instincts,” she said, glancing over her shoulder and noting that Britt wasn’t too far off.
“Shit, yeah. I know what you’re saying. It’s that way in Maine, too. There are a few of us who are more evolved, so to speak,” he said leaning forward. “But not as evolved as you are. Word gets around the North American vampire grapevine.”
Jess blinked. “You’re kidding. I had no idea.”
Diesel sniffed. “Of course you wouldn’t. You’re special, different from us. You have family, friends, and you’re a cop. You don’t need to scrounge to get food, do you? You don’t need to listen for what’s happening in your neighborhood in case someone stakes you when you sleep. Every vampire in North America has heard the stories about how you can walk in daylight. How do you do that, by the way?”
Jess ignored his question, instead asking, “Do you know where Morana is?” Had he told Morana what he knew about her abilities? She already hated Jess enough. If Morana knew, Jess would be lucky to get information out of her. Maybe that’s why she seemed jealous of Jess. Regardless, Regent would be devastated if Morana dropped out of his life.
Diesel looked disappointed at her lack of response, but not particularly surprised. “She’s got the night off. She’s probably walking the streets. It’s her way of taking a break.”
Britt must’ve read her body language from across the room because he arrived behind her and touched the small of her back. “Everything okay, Jess?”
Diesel raised one eyebrow at Britt. “Him again?”
“We work together,” she said. Diesel didn’t need to know anything else.
Diesel made a clicking sound with his tongue before staring at Jess again. “It’s really uncanny how much you look like Morana. If you had short hair, even I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”
Jess gritted her teeth. “Thanks for the info.” She turned to walk away. “Britt, you coming?”
Britt followed her without looking back at the irritated vampire behind the bar. “Where are we going?”
“To find Morana.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
They walked for two hours. In that time, they saw plenty of lovers strolling around the city, but didn’t catch a glimpse of Morana. Suddenly, her skin felt like it was crawling. Britt appeared to be just as uncomfortable. Something evil was coming their way.
“There’s a shadow moving along the sidewalk over there,” Britt said.
Jess stared hard at the darkness, in order to discern which shadows were real and which were not. “Wait! There’s Morana and another shadow. It’s following her,” she said.
Morana strode the sidewalk as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Tonight, she looked more like Jess. She’d dressed in jeans and a knitted shirt that showed her curves, but it wasn’t her usual over-the-top haute couture design.
“The resemblance is uncanny,” Britt said under his breath.
Jess didn’t have time to react to Britt’s comment. “Morana!” she shouted. “Look out behind you. You’re being followed.” She might not like Morana, but she didn’t want to see her burned as badly as Britt had been.
They made for one of the many bridges crossing the Seine in order to meet up with her on the other side.
Morana stopped and looked behind her just as the shadow began gaining on her. She took several tentative steps away from the shadow, then yelled, “Get the hell away from me!”
The shadow slowed its approach, as if sentient. But then, suddenly it rose off the pavement and formed a globular shape in front of Morana.
“Get on the bridge,” Jess shouted from the bridge.
But Morana didn’t make it that far before the shadow grew tall enough to loom over her.
A sound emanated from it, as if it held a chemical charge. Tiny sparks built inside it until it thickened and took on a more demonic shape. With its blacker than black hollows for eyes and a gaping mouth that let out another ear-piercing sound, Morana seemed una
ble to get past it. Then it lashed out at her, sending her flying back against the brick wall. As if in slow motion, she slid down the wall in a heap.
Britt lurched forward, but Jess grabbed the back of his leather jacket. “No, stay here. Don’t take a chance on being burned again unless you really have to. Another dose of their poison might kill you. Besides, this thing is more powerful than the other shadows we’ve encountered. Let me try this time.”
“I don’t like it,” he said, but knew better than to deny her. “I’m not hanging back for long, babe. If you run into any trouble, I’ll be there.”
“Understood.” She walked toward the end of the bridge, just as the demon attacked Morana again. Its long shadowy fingers made red welts across her face, while she continued to curse at it. But her words only seemed to give it more strength. Every move she made to fight against it only seemed to help it grow in size.
Jess crouched for moment, then sprang off the bridge. Somehow, she managed to get around the demon in order to stand side-by-side with Morana against it.
The demon seemed taken aback for a moment, maybe because she and Morana looked so much alike. Its surprise didn’t last long, though. It lashed out again, slicing her arm open.
But something happened—something more than being attacked by a shadow. She caught a moment of understanding. All of a sudden, she knew what the shadow was thinking as it fought. Even though the wound burned like hell, probably because it came from the fires of hell, she was stunned by the fact that she’d gained information she’d never expected.
She now sensed there were millions of shadows building below the ground. And yes, this shadow had a mind. It and the others were going to take over Paris. They’d already possessed the necessary humans. Though, after they took power, the humans would no longer be necessary—they’d all die.
Gritting her teeth, Jess covered the wound on her arm with her hand. She wanted to shout to Britt to tell him what she knew, but the pain grew until it was almost unbearable.
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