“Never lose it,” I said softly.
“What’s that?”
I shook my head and realized I was touching the amulet again. “Those were my mother’s last words. I wonder if she knew anything about your curse.”
“Once I had a name to go with, that made things a lot easier. And of course, I recognized the name. Marigold Grima was like the boogeyman to all the vamps I’ve ever worked with. So is her daughter.”
“Why did it take you so long to find me?”
“The problem was, I couldn’t track you by magic and I didn’t have a sample of your blood. Knowing that you are undead helps that to make more sense. May I ask how that happened?”
Chapter 6
“I was bitten by the same evil bitch who murdered my mother. To be honest, I’m not sure how my family got into the business of vampire hunting. I only know that it started with my great, great, great, grandmother who was half-faerie. My mother inherited all of her spellbooks and journals, but nothing we found ever said why she got into this.” I laughed bitterly. “I suppose that’s a pretty stupid reason to hunt down a species and kill them.”
“I’m not here to judge you.” He pointed to the wine bottle. “May I?”
“Help yourself.” I finished my blood in one big gulp. “It’s all right if you do judge me, I don’t mind. My mother was my hero and I did what she told me to. I wanted to be just like her. As crazy as that might sound, I never questioned the reasons why. All I ever saw of vampires was their monstrous side. Victims whose family members were killed by vamps hired us all the time. I inherited a fortune when my mother passed, all built upon the countless deaths of vampires.”
There was kindness in his eyes and sympathy in his deep voice when he asked, “How did a legend like Marigold Grima get killed by a vampire? She wasn’t exactly human. The stories I’ve heard made her sound like some kind of superhero.”
I smiled. “She was to me. But we were tricked. We followed several leads that finally brought us to the warehouse.” I sighed, wishing I could get drunk. “There were probably thirty vampires waiting for us. Even with the potions and weapons we had on hand, we were unprepared. When I thought it was all over, and the last few vamps ran from the building, I turned and saw her lying there. As my mother breathed her last breath, someone grabbed me from behind. I was held down by three vampires while one of them drained me until the point of death. I never heard them say a name, but I will never forget her face. She’ll likely never forget me either. After she forced me to drink her blood, the vamps holding me down let go. I guess they thought I was too weak to fight back.” I held up the palm of my right hand and showed him the cross-shaped scar I carried there. “With my last bit of strength I grabbed the silver cross from my pocket and pressed it into her face. Her screams gave me some satisfaction at least. They probably would have killed me for what I did, but the sun was rising. They ran and I hid in a dark corner of the building until nightfall. It took me a while to adjust to what had been done to me. During that time, it’s as if they vanished completely. No matter who I ask, or try to beat the information out of, no one has seen a pretty redheaded vampire with a cross-shaped scar on the left side of her face.”
We stood there in silence for a minute or so with Hugh steadily sipping his wine.
“I’m sorry,” he said at last. “That’s really awful. I’m not sure what else to say.”
“That’s all right,” I said, offering him a half-hearted smile. “You don’t have to say anything really.” I paused and looked directly into his piercing blue eyes. “You’re the first person I’ve ever talked to about what happened. I didn’t even get specific with the police. Actually, I didn’t speak to them at all. As soon as I heard the sirens I hid and used a spell to stay hidden. Thanks to the other spells I have in place, they were never able to locate me to inform me of her murder.”
“You don’t have any friends?” His remark wasn’t sarcastic, but sounded genuinely concerned.
“I know a lot of people, some better than others. But I learned a long time ago to keep anything truly personal to myself.”
“That’s a lonely way to live,” he said softly.
“Yes, it is. What I found particularly strange was that no one ever claimed the murder. You’d think a vampire out there somewhere would want bragging rights.”
“I agree, that is strange. You said you were bitten by the same vampire who killed your mother. Did you actually see her do it?”
I shook my head. “No, but I got the strong impression she was in charge, so I blame her. Even if she wasn’t the one who did the deed, looking for someone who obviously played a role in my mother’s death seems like a good place to start.”
“That makes sense.”
“All I know for certain is that someone set us up and organized an attack with the intention to kill us both. Why I was turned, I have no clue. Maybe they thought it was poetic justice, to kill the famous slayer and make her daughter a vampire.”
“Do you see becoming a monster as poetic justice?”
“No matter what they had done, I killed people for a living. Hell, I still do. I was already a monster. Now, I’m just a different type of monster.”
He moved closer and sat his wine glass on the counter behind me. The heat I felt rising from his body was as welcoming as his scent.
“Let me help you,” he said.
His deep voice seemed to resonate within my soul. Was this magic I was feeling or something else?
“Why would you do that?” I asked.
“Because I am your guardian and it is what I’m bound to do.” I was about to reply when he put his fingertip against my lips. That gentle contact made me shiver with pleasure and I fought the urge to lick that finger. “Besides, I would like to help you. You’ve been through an awful lot and come a long way on your own. I’m a P.I. maybe I can find something you couldn’t.”
“How did you find me tonight?”
I put a lot of effort into making sure I wasn’t an easy person to locate. Besides all kinds of spells blocking me from being magically tracked, I also had a spell on my address. Mail still managed to reach me, but no one remembered my address one minute after reading it. If they tried to write it down, the words and numbers would automatically rearrange themselves.
“I was nearby working on another case when I suddenly started to change. That reminds me, I need to fly back at some point and get my truck. I’ve been able to transform on my own since that first time seven years ago, but it has never been forced on me again until tonight.”
“And you think my blood touching the amulet caused that?”
He nodded. “I do. I’m not sure how to describe it exactly, but I felt you. It was as if an invisible chain was attached to my breastbone, pulling me in your direction.”
Just then I remembered something else. “Earlier you said you might not be real for much longer. What did you mean?”
He ran a hand through his long dark hair and I suppressed the urge to touch him. It had been a while since I’d been with anyone and he had the body of a god. No harm in admiring though, right?
I found myself staring at his throat, not because I was a vampire and could sense his pulse. But because I wanted so badly to press my lips against that smooth expanse of skin. I wanted to run my tongue over his flesh and find out what he tasted like.
“It was something I found in my research,” he said, bringing me out of my reverie. “If a guardian fails to protect two people they are bound to, they will be permanently transformed and turned to stone.”
Chapter 7
“That makes me think twice about all the gargoyles I’ve ever seen on old buildings. How terrible,” I said.
“And I’ve already failed once,” he said softly.
I reached over and touched his hand. His skin was so warm. Since being turned, I’ve become increasingly aware of how cold my skin can be. Warmth is one of those things you take for granted, like your humanity. I realize there is more to “
humanity” than actually being classified as a human being. But being as cold as death warmed over can take a toll psychologically. No one wants to feel like a corpse, right? After I’ve had some blood I am warm again, for a time. However, as my hunger returns my warmth gradually fades away. As I told Hugh, the cold won’t kill me, but I do feel it.
“How could you possibly see my mother’s death as your failure? Like you said, you had no idea you were living with this curse. Do you even know how you were cursed?”
“No, only that most of these type curses are tied to an object, normally an amulet of some kind. It likely wasn’t even me that was cursed, but a long dead relative and somehow the curse was passed down.”
“My mother had only recently started wearing this,” I said, touching the necklace again. “Maybe she had just found out and never got a chance to explain it to me.”
“I think we should both accept that we may never know how it all started. But I can help you find those responsible for your mother’s death.”
“Do you think it will ease the pain?” The vulnerability in my voice surprised me. It was a side I hadn’t shown anyone in a very long time. That realization was both freeing and terrifying. Why was I opening up to this man I barely knew? Maybe I was tired of being so damn strong all the time. Being the reigning boogeyman (or woman?) of vampire kind and not having anyone close to talk to can take a lot out of you.
His smile was kind as he reached out and softly touched my face. “Speaking from personal experience, there is no such thing as revenge for something like this. My sweet grandmother was torn to pieces by a werewolf. He wasn’t starving, or newly turned, and it wasn’t the full moon. He was just a psychopath who needed to feel powerful by hurting someone helpless.”
“I am so sorry.”
“It won’t make the pain any easier, but getting revenge is better than nothing.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I’ll need some details to get started.”
“Right now?”
He took a step back and gestured toward my living room. “Now is as good a time as any, right? Or do you have other plans this evening?”
My loft is huge, with only a half-wall dividing the kitchen from the main living area. The only thing actually private is my bedroom and the connecting bathroom. Everything else is open.
As I followed him into the living room I said, “I walked right into another trap tonight. What chaps my ass most about that is, I’m not stupid. I’m also cautious, most of the time. So how the hell did this happen to me, twice?”
I watched him sit in my oversized recliner and smiled when he pulled his towel closed over an expanse of muscular thigh. Suddenly, the chair didn’t seem oversized anymore with him in it.
“How do you think that happened?” he asked.
“Magic was obviously at work.”
I explained how I hadn’t been able to sense the werewolf at the club until he revealed himself as a wolf.
“And why were you there?”
“I was following up on a lead about my mother’s killer.”
“How did you come by this lead?”
I hesitated a moment before admitting, “I tortured it out of a vampire last week.”
He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment.
“I still kill for hire,” I explained. “Only now, I don’t just work for humans looking to kill vampires. Sometimes, I even work for other vampires wanting to kill vampires.”
“You don’t have to explain your reasons,” he said softly. “I told you I’m not your judge and I meant it.”
I believed him and yet I couldn’t shut up. If this guardian business was for real, and I believed it was, shouldn’t he know me? If you’re going to protect someone, you should know who they are. At least, that was my reasoning. Either way I kept talking.
“I have standards,” I added quickly. “I’m not sure how much you’ve researched about me and my mother, but I don’t just kill anybody. I would never hunt someone down just for being a vampire. That’s something I never understood about my mother. She killed vamps on sight. I go after the ones who have killed or maimed people for no reason. Even though I’ve never killed a vampire simply because of what they are, I admit that before being turned I was a hardcore speciesist. I hated vampires with such a passion. I think most people would if they saw the things that I did. But that’s not what you asked me. Sorry. I’m getting ahead of myself. The reason I’m telling you this is because I came into contact with the vamp I tortured by accident. Well, I thought it was an accident at the time.”
As I stared into his icy blue eyes I realized something. “You’ve been meeting my gaze all night. Most people are afraid of being hypnotized.”
Not every vampire has the power of hypnotism, but enough do that as a rule people are told to not look into a vampire’s eyes.
His smile was slow, a subtle curl of his full lips. “I’m not most people. Besides, gargoyles cannot be hypnotized.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that.” He met my gaze for a moment longer before I said, “Anyway, back to the subject. A woman hired me to slay the vampire who killed her fiancé.”
“Hold on,” he said, running a hand through his still wet hair. “How is it that people can hire you to do things like this, but I had to find you almost by accident? And I should add that I’ve really looked for you.”
I laughed softly. “I use so many spells to stay hidden as much as possible. Precautions like these are something my grandmother started. If I didn’t hide, how would I keep vampires from burning my house to the ground? Or worse.”
“How does anyone hire you then?” he asked, looking puzzled.
“Only people who want to hire me can find me. During our meeting I will speak a few magic words. After hearing these words, they will not remember my face or how to contact me. I will contact them. Actually, since becoming a vampire that’s gotten a lot easier. Most of the time I just use my natural abilities now, rather than a spell.”
“So, even if their intent is to lead you into a trap, they can still find you?”
He paused to take a sip of wine and I found myself watching his lips. It wasn’t simply that I had been alone for years, there was something about him. I felt a spark of magic in his touch and it called to me like a siren’s song. The taut muscles of his stomach flexed as he shifted in the chair, watching me. He was more inviting to me than a warm fire on a cold night. It took me a moment to realize he had asked me a question.
“Yes,” I said at last. “If I get too selective with the wording of the spell, no one would ever find me. Like if I said ‘only those with good intentions’ would be able to locate me, I’d never have work.”
Chapter 8
“I understand,” he said with a laugh. “Neither of us encounters many people with good intentions in our lines of work. So, tell me about this vamp you accidentally found.”
Remembering the vamp’s face was enough to calm my libido for the time being. “The moment I saw him I recognized him as one of the vampires who escaped the night my mother was killed. Obviously, I was supposed to find him and follow up on the lead he gave me.”
“What did he say exactly?”
“He said the one responsible for my mother’s death hung out at the club, Dark Web. He said I’d know them when I saw them. I assumed that’s because he was talking about the vamp with the cross burned into her face.” I paused and wished once more that I could drink alcohol. “While I was recovering from the attack and learning to control what I’d become, I fantasized about getting revenge. On nights that I considered staying up to meet the sunrise, those thoughts kept me going.”
“I can understand that,” he said softly.
“I was overeager and walked into another trap.” I sighed. “Let me get you some more wine.”
Before Hugh could object I stood up and took his empty glass. When I get frustrated, I sometimes find it difficult to be still. I had never been one to ask for help, but worki
ng alone these past seven years was not easy. Maybe Hugh could help me. It was obvious that I wasn’t getting anywhere on my own.
I took a deep breath and walked back into the living room. Breathing is no longer a necessity for me, but it helps me think. At first it was frightening to realize I wasn’t breathing. Now, I hardly notice unless I use breathing to calm my nerves.
“Here you go,” I said, offering him the glass.
“Thank you. Do you believe the woman who hired you was in on it too?”
I shrugged as I sat back across from him. “The vampire matched her exact description, right down to his tattoos, so yeah.”
“How did you get the information out of him?”
Without hesitation I answered, “I tied him up and burned him with silver. Once I was finished with him, I staked him and cut off his head. Not very original, but it’s effective.”
Hugh took another sip of wine and seemed to be deep in thought for a moment. “Maybe those responsible for your mother’s death didn’t disappear. Maybe they’re using spells and charms to stay hidden, just like you. One of them could be a witch, or they could have hired one.”
“The thought has occurred to me, but I have no idea how to counter whatever they’re doing. Mostly because I’m not sure what they’re doing.”
His smile was both charming and sexy. “This is why you need me. Whoever these people are, they probably aren’t hiding from me. No matter how powerful or smart they are, no one can plan for every possibility.”
“You seem confident.”
“I am good at what I do, and I do know a little something about magical loopholes. One of my specialties is finding ways out of magical contracts. Most practitioners have no idea how important wording is.”
Well, that was impressive. “That’s an unusual specialty for a P.I., isn’t it?”
“Private investigators who work with the paranormal community need many talents.”
“Go for it, knock yourself out.”
Taming the Vampire: Over 25 All New Paranormal Alpha Male Tales of Contemporary, Military, Shifters, Billionaires, Werewolves, Magic, Fae, Witches, Dragons, Demons & More Page 152