Triquetra

by Marguerite Labbe

  If we hadn’t had an agenda for being there, I’d’ve stripped him of his clothes on the spot and made love to him on the bench. If there wasn’t a danger of Lisabeth and Artemise walking in on us, I’d’ve been tempted to do it regardless of our investigation. “I love you, too. Now come on, this is not a moment I want others to interrupt.”

  “Wait, you still haven’t said anything about kids. Seriously, what do you think about adopting?”

  “Don’t push it. That’s something I need to ponder some before I answer. I’m still adjusting to the idea of being an engaged man. I’ve had quite a bit of turmoil in my life this last year.” A smile tugged my lips. “I blame you,” I teased.

  Sure enough, Jacob’s eyes blazed. “Start running now, Kristair, and I may be nice when I finally catch you.”

  I laughed. Served Jacob right. “Maybe I’m not interested in you playing nice.”

  My lover growled and pushed the door open into the Sunken Garden. “Just you wait until we’re done here, Kristair, just you fucking wait.”

  Jacob’s threats had a way of making my blood sing in anticipation. The Sunken Garden was a long, low walkway with the plants growing high on either side like a half-buried grotto. The gentle gurgle of the stream was a quiet background song as the two people we came to meet entered through the door across on the other side.

  Artemise smiled in pleasure and came forward, cane in hand. Lisabeth held back, black eyes assessing, before she joined him. “Kristair, Jacob, it is good to see you again,” Artemise greeted and shook both of our hands. “I’d heard you were doing well, my old friend, but I never thought our paths would cross again.”

  “Shit has a way of happening,” Jacob said, and Artemise chuckled.

  “Succinctly put, young man.” His eyes darkened as he gestured us to a bench and held out a hand for Lisabeth before finally sitting himself. “I take it that this visit has everything to do with the rather unpleasant individual who’s taken to haunting our fair city.”

  “You’d be correct.” Once again, I wished that Artemise had been alone. “For the moment, I’d like to keep this conversation between the four of us until we’ve had a chance to track down our leads and see if they really have merit or not.”

  Lisabeth’s gaze sharpened, but she didn’t say anything, and Artemise nodded. “Of course, my friend, proceed.”

  Jacob’s presence beside me was solid and reassuring as I told the two vampire elders everything I knew. It was such an odd feeling of role reversal, almost unsettling. The last time I had talked with these two, I had been far more powerful than they. Now I seemed almost diminished, aware of my own frailty as I hadn’t been in a long time. Still, I was far older, and at least to these two, my years counted for something.

  And Jacob had worried I’d forget what I had become, that I was now merely human. I’d have to tell him later that his fears were groundless. A predator understood where he sat on the food chain. So did prey, for that matter.

  “Very interesting,” Lisabeth said when I was done, her expression inscrutable. “Gerard had come to speak to us, as Alette told you. He’d been troubled over the last couple months from some visions he’d been having. He wanted to talk with us about them. Afterward, he left.”

  “What were his visions about?” Jacob asked, not scoffing at the idea as he might have once done.

  “A war in the heavens. Worlds being ripped apart. Nothing clear, you understand, Jacob, that’s the way his visions always worked. It’s up to the person to interpret them as they will. Though sometimes I’ve wondered if Gerard wasn’t influenced by events in the media. He could be gullible, all of the recent theories about 2012 could’ve affected him,” Artemise said thoughtfully, chafing the head of his cane. “Still, we live in monumental times, my friends.”

  “Just wonderful, I’d prefer quieter times myself.” Jacob looked at me. “Anything else you wanted to add?”

  “I’d like to reiterate that if my theory is correct, you two are the most at risk. I’m only going on what I know so far, but tomorrow I’ll start tracking down some old contacts. If any more of them have been assassinated, then we’ll know that it has to do with my research and we can figure out where to go from there.”

  “I’d be very surprised to find out you’re wrong. I trust your instincts, Kristair.” Artemise’s brow furrowed. “Under normal circumstances, I’d never ask, but perhaps it might be better if we knew what happened between your disappearance in the warehouse and when you came back as a human.”

  “I cannot,” I replied as Jacob stiffened beside me. I echoed his reaction. “Even if I wanted to tell you, it wouldn’t be permitted. I have no doubt I’d be eliminated before I said three words. Some things, Artemise, must be found out on their own.”

  “Somehow, I thought that would be the case. Don’t worry, my old friend, I won’t ask again.”

  “If there is a connection, we’ll figure it out.” Jacob rose and held out his hand to me. “Are you ready? There isn’t much point in rehashing this. Tell Ussier to watch out for any new arrivals to the city. They’d almost have to be targets.”

  “If so, we’ll pass it on to you.” Artemise said. “I’ll stop by in a few nights if I haven’t heard from you to see if you’ve learned anything new.”

  “Fair enough.” I shook his hand again and nodded to Lisabeth, who watched us with her cool, unreadable eyes. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  Both Jacob and I were quiet as we walked back out to the Camaro. Thunder still rumbled and heat lightning lit up the clouds, but the storm didn’t seem any closer to breaking than before. Jacob slid behind the wheel and took off deeper into the park. “I think that went pretty good. What do you think?”

  I rubbed my finger along my temple, weighing the conversation. “It went about as suspected. Artemise is an ally and Lisabeth is an unknown.” I smiled as Jacob grumbled. As much as he complained about this whole other world that he sometimes was forced to interact with, he was uniquely suited to it. “However, I do believe we’re not in any danger from her. We’re too valuable.”

  “I don’t know if that’s any better, and right now I don’t give a crap.” Much to my confusion, Jacob turned onto Panther Hollow Road and pulled over when we reached the lake. The environs were very dark around us except for the Cathedral of Learning rising up behind the trees, lighting the sky like a beacon.

  “You know, I used to think of you as the lord of the tower, all arrogant and alone,” Jacob said, clambering into the back seat.

  I twisted around to face him, cocking my head in question. “What are you doing?”

  “Our work’s done for the night and we’re now engaged.” Jacob crooked his finger at me. “Come ’ere, love, it’s long since past time that I taught you about necking.”

  “Here?” I had no idea what Jacob meant about this necking, but it had to be something sexual, considering his wicked expression. The back of his Camaro, with the rear window sloping low, didn’t seem the place for such activities. My pulse started to race though, despite my best efforts.

  Jacob smiled, a knowing sort of smile. “Yes, here, that’s a part of it. Now get in the back seat with me, Kristair, or I’ll drag you back here.”

  “You will, will you?” I said, amused at the thought.

  He nodded. “I would, and then I’d have to punish you.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I rethought them. He would dare and more. Before Jacob could reply, I climbed awkwardly into the back seat to join him. “You’re incorrigible.”

  Chapter 9

  I TURNED to face Kristair and slid my hand around the nape of my lover’s neck, fingers pressing into his warm skin. His expression was so wary it was almost comical. “You fuss too much, Kristair.” I leaned in until I was just a hair’s breadth away from his lips. “Now shut up and kiss me.”

  “Jacob, somebody might come by and see us.”

  I’d never realized what a streak of prudery Kristair had.
When he had been an Ascended and had been sent back to me as a shade, he’d walked around buck-assed naked, though now I would bet he never would’ve done that if there had been a chance anyone other than me could see him.

  “So what, let them look.” I laughed softly and rubbed my tongue lightly over his upper lip. “This is what it’s all about. I’ve got a sexy bitch of a car, a hot man in my arms, and all the time in the world. Now kiss me.”

  Kristair ceased his protests, and his lips were firm as he kissed me. When they parted, my tongue swept into his mouth. Surrender never tasted sweeter on anybody than it did on him. I could have just held him and kissed him forever, savoring the slow burn. His breath came quicker against my cheek, and oh, how I loved that sensation. His breath, his warmth, all signs of what he had given up for me. To stay with me.

  “Fuck, I love you,” I murmured against his mouth as the kiss broke.

  I felt his smile as his fingers came up to lightly circle my throat. “You know, when you first mentioned necking, it made me think of biting you.”

  I shivered. “I miss that, not enough for you to become a vamp again, but I do miss it.” I tipped my head back as his mouth slid down my neck, and then his tongue was tracing along the vein just as he used to before sinking his fangs into me.

  “I miss it too. I loved your scent when you knew I was going to bite you, so sharp with anticipation, and the way you tasted, fiery and passionate. I could’ve gotten drunk off of you.” Kristair nipped the tender skin of my throat, and I caught my breath.

  “Jesus, Kristair.” I unbuttoned his vest, tugged his dress shirt free from his waistband, and slid my hands under it. His stomach tightened under my touch. “You make me crazy.”

  “We must be crazy to be doing this in a public place.”

  I stifled a laugh and kissed him again, determined to make him forget all about where we were and think only of the pleasure of kissing and touching. Slow heat simmered as our tongues tangled lazily. My fingers stroked his stomach, slid around to his hip, and he made an impatient sound as he tried to press closer to me.

  Kristair’s hand slid down my back, under my sports coat, and then he stiffened, pulling back. “Jacob, get rid of the gun.”

  “Whatever you say, it would only get in the way for what I intend.” I tugged off the holster, left the gun inside, and put it all in the front seat.

  “And just what do you intend?”

  “You’ll see,” I whispered, and I reached for him again. This time, he didn’t protest at all. The stubble growing in on his jaw teased my lips as I kissed along there, and his hand sank into my hair as I nipped and sucked.

  “I think I’m in trouble,” Kristair murmured.

  I grinned against his throat and nipped again. “Very much.” Once again, I slipped my hands under his shirt, tugging him over me until he straddled my lap, his head tucked to keep from banging into the rear window. “Mmmm, free rein.” Our lips met, and as we kissed I squeezed his ass. Lord, he had a fine one, more than a handful, and all thoughts about keeping this tame fled. I wanted to see him with his pants around his thighs, on his hands and knees in the backseat as I fucked him.

  My cock throbbed to life, and Kristair tore his mouth free with a soft gasp. “Why don’t we go home, mo chroí, and we can finish this there.”

  “Oh hell, no, I’m having too much fun to stop now.” I unbuttoned his shirt enough to find one flat nipple and caught it between my teeth as his breath hissed through his teeth.

  “Jacob.”

  I smiled at the sound of his voice when he said my name. I’d be hearing that for the rest of my life, when I woke up and when I went to sleep. On our wedding day. I grinned at the thought. My lover, my soon-to-be husband, my damned miracle.

  I cupped his cock in my hand, feeling the heat through his pants. I rubbed the hard length of him and thrust my tongue into his mouth, swallowing his low, urgent groan. Kristair fisted both his hands in my hair, tugging my head back, and bit my throat. Fuck. Not enough to break the skin, but god, it felt fucking good.

  “So would you let me do anything I want?” Good intentions were overrated, and I ditched them now with a wicked chuckle as I impatiently fought with the rest of the buttons on his shirt.

  “Don’t you anyway?” Kristair groaned.

  “True enough.” I grabbed one of his hands and brought it down to my aching cock, groaning as he squeezed. “I want your mouth, and then I want you to ask me to fuck you.”

  Kristair shivered and bit my throat again. Then his hands were undoing the zipper, and I moaned as he slid his hand inside my pants and began stroking me through my boxers. “You want all that? What if I don’t?”

  “Then I’m just going to have to fuck with you until you do,” I said, breathless as desire raced through me.

  He laughed softly as a cold slither of awareness touched my mind. My hands tightened on his biceps, and I turned my head to stare out the window. It was dark, so damned dark outside, and suddenly I felt very exposed.

  “What is it?” Kristair straightened, pulling his hand free of my jeans.

  “Something’s coming, can’t ya feel that?”

  Kristair tensed, his head cocking to the side as if listening to something only he could hear. “Yes, get your gun.”

  The rear windshield shattered, showering us with glass. To my horror, something wet struck the back of my neck, and then a head dropped onto the seat next to us. I recoiled with a shout, bile rising into my throat. “Holy fucking shit!”

  Dead, colorless eyes stared back at me from an ashen face, dark hair matted with blood and worse stuck to its cheek.

  “Stamatis.” Kristair snarled, and then his warmth was gone from my lap as he scrambled out of the back of the car and took off.

  “Shit.” Cursing, I struggled to get my jeans back together and get out of the car at the same time. “Don’t you dare; wait for me.” I slammed the door shut in time to see Kristair disappear into the trees.

  I was going to fucking kill him.

  I took enough time to grab my gun from the front seat, and, keeping my eyes away from the damage to my car, I took off after Kristair. As much as I wanted to shout for him, I forced myself to keep quiet. There was no damn way of knowing how many of them there were, and there was no sense in announcing where the hell I was.

  Several yards into the trees, I lost track of them as utter darkness consumed me. Even if there hadn’t been a new moon or clouds, I wouldn’t have been able to penetrate the closely woven branches. Setting my jaw, I pressed forward. I stretched out one hand to keep from getting struck in the face and kept the other one clasped around my gun. Twigs caught my clothing, slapped against my palm, and the underbrush crackled despite my efforts to be quiet.

  There were hundreds of acres in this park. That was it. Kristair was going to start carrying a cell phone whether he like it or not. The fact that I wouldn’t have dared call him right now didn’t matter. It was the fucking principle of the matter. Since we didn’t have our connection anymore, I had to have a way to get a hold of him in situations such as this when we were being stalked by crazy motherfuckers.

  Fury built up with each yard. Hadn’t we just fucking talked about this the night before? Hadn’t Kristair promised me he would think before he went all gung-ho super predator mode? He’d sworn he’d remember that he was human now and use extra caution. He’d given me his word.

  It was as dark as Satan’s asshole underneath the trees, and every sound was magnified by the knowledge that there was a very sick individual somewhere out there with us. Every crack of a dry twig, every goddamn cricket’s keening song leapt out on me from all sides.

  The bastard had thrown a head through my windshield. And not just any head, but the head of a vampire. And if he had been friends with Kristair, he had to have been old on top of it, so we weren’t talking about some youngling, powerless bloodsucker either. And my lover hadn’t taken a moment to think before chasing after him, weaponless. Like he was still some badas
s himself with super powers.

  It took several minutes before the awareness that I was being herded broke through my seething thoughts. Sweat broke out on my brow, and my hand tightened on the gun. There were parts of this park that probably didn’t see people for days, and that was where I was being driven, further away from the car, the roads. Why hadn’t we paid more attention to all the lights going out in the park before? I had no doubt that whoever was behind this had been waiting for their chance.

  And now they were behind me. How the hell had that happened?

  With ice trickling down my spine, I began circling back toward the car, trying to get a glimpse of my pursuer in the process. I walked as fast as I could and while still remaining quiet. I had never been so grateful for all those years I’d spent trekking through the swamps with my friends. Growing up near a bayou had taught me a few tricks and about sneaking around outdoors. Come on, Kristair, where are you?

  The trees opened up into a little clearing, and a rush of relief swept through me as I saw my lover emerge out into it, a few feet off to the side. Inwardly, I cursed my own stupidity. I’d spent this entire time running from Kristair instead of toward him. I might as well stamp “idiot” on my forehead.

  I stepped forward to call out to Kristair, and the words died on my lips as he turned toward me, looking all around him intently. I couldn’t say what it was about him that chilled me so, what was so very wrong, but I shrank back further into the shadows and froze.

  His eyes passed over me. The faint light that managed to make its way through the trees gleamed on his bald head. He turned and loped into the trees away from me with the terrifying speed of an alligator that had zeroed in on his prey. I listened, still frozen, until the sound of his passing had disappeared and the normal song of the woods returned.

  “Fuck.” I let out an explosive breath. What the hell had I been thinking about? Kristair had been right there and I’d let him walk away! Snarling at myself, I stalked after him, but he was long since gone, as if he’d never been there. Where could he be?