Sophia

by D. B. Reynolds

  Raphael nodded. “Sophia?”

  “She spent the day at Mister Murphy’s,” Duncan reported dryly. “They’re on their way here now.”

  “Excellent. Wei Chen first.”

  Raphael turned off the great room, heading not for the big meeting room where he’d greeted Sophia at the start of all of this, but for the smaller, more private conference room down the hall from Wei Chen’s office.

  The nest leader was waiting for him. A manila folder sat on the table in front of him and he was working busily on his PDA when Duncan opened the door. He set the device aside immediately and stood, giving a short bow.

  “Good evening, Sire,” he said. “I understand last night’s hunt was successful.”

  Raphael nodded. “We eliminated the human threat.” He sat, leaning back in his chair, gesturing for Wei Chen to resume his seat. “But Lucien remains at large,” he continued. “And neither Sophia nor I found any knowledge of him amongst the humans.”

  Wei Chen cocked his head thoughtfully, then tapped the folder in front of him. “But you believe Sandra Koepke may have knowledge of this?” He nodded and opened the folder, flipping a few pages before turning the folder so Raphael could see. “Before coming to us, she worked in Vancouver, my lord.”

  Raphael passed the folder to Duncan who bent over the table to read it. Raising his eyebrows at what he found, he pulled out his cell and made a call.

  “Justin,” he said quietly. “What is your location?” He listened a short time, then said, “Whatever it takes, stay on her.”

  Raphael looked up at his lieutenant, and Duncan said, “Wherever she’s going, it’s definitely not the address she lists as her home.”

  Wei Chen looked from Duncan to Raphael in surprise. “My lord, I—”

  “Did she have a vampire connection in Vancouver, or anywhere else before coming to work here?” Raphael interrupted.

  Wei Chen seemed badly startled by Duncan’s news and it took him a moment to process Raphael’s question. “No, my lord,” he insisted. “I would never have hired her if that were the case.”

  Raphael stood without warning, prompting Wei Chen to jump to his feet. “My lord?”

  “I’m going to pay Ms. Koepke a visit. You are not to call her or communicate with her in any way.”

  “Of course not, my lord!”

  Raphael strode through the door Duncan held open for him and down the hallway. Sophia and Murphy were coming through the doors as he reached the great room.

  “Sophia,” he said without pausing. “You and Murphy will want to join me for this. You have a vehicle, Murphy?”

  “Yes, sir,” Murphy said, frowning.

  “Good. Take Sophia and follow us.”

  “Duncan, you and Juro. No one else.”

  “Juro is already waiting, my lord.”

  Raphael smiled grimly as he pulled the door open and headed down the stairs into the cold, wet air. His instincts were screaming louder with every step he took. He wasn’t certain yet what this night held, but he knew he was on the right track.

  And Lucien was waiting at the end of it.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  “Do you know where we’re going?”

  Sophia jerked her gaze and her thoughts away from the SUV in front of them. It was little more than square of black, with the red taillights gleaming like a demon’s eyes on the dark roads. Colin had both hands clenched on the wheel and was every bit as tense as she was.

  “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “You heard everything I did. But it must have something to do with Lucien. He’s the only string left dangling.”

  Colin gave her a quick glance. “This is the same Lucien who’s your Sire, right?”

  “There is only one Lucien, believe me.”

  “So, let’s suppose we find him. What then?”

  Sophia’s lips tightened unhappily and she turned away from Colin, staring at the blur of dark trees as they sped by. She would never have said as much to Raphael—it shamed her to admit it even to herself—but she was fairly certain Lucien had intentionally led the killers away from his own territory and into Raphael’s. She didn’t know how he’d done it, but she understood Lucien enough to know why, especially now that she’d seen the kind of men who were behind the murders. For Lucien, it would have been quite simple. He was not a fighter, but Raphael was. So why not let Raphael deal with these vicious human thugs?

  “Sophie?” Colin said, when she remained quiet. “You okay?

  She swallowed hard and nodded. “Those men were here because of Lucien. I don’t know how, but I believe it. And I think Raphael does, too. He’ll want to kill Lucien if he finds him, and he would be justified.”

  Colin gave her a long glance. “And you?” he asked quietly.

  “If he did this, he deserves to die.”

  “That’s not a good answer, Soph.”

  “I know, but I don’t have another one right now.”

  Colin braked sharply and Sophia looked up to see the SUV ahead of them making a hard right turn. They drove along for several more minutes before Colin muttered, “Where the fuck are we going?”

  He started playing with the GPS device built into the dash, punching buttons and swearing softly at whatever he found.

  “Look at the GPS,” he said tightly.

  Sophia did, then shrugged. “All right. I’ve looked. Now tell me what I’m seeing.”

  Colin huffed impatiently. “A few more miles and we’re at the Canadian border. Do vampire territories follow international lines?”

  “Usually. It’s easier that way. But there’s no checkpoint here.”

  “Doesn’t mean there’s no border. There are places around here where you can walk back and forth pretty easily. This is the longest border in the world, you can’t guard the whole thing.”

  Sophia got a sick feeling in her stomach. If they were that close . . . Her thoughts were interrupted as Raphael’s SUV braked sharply, turning again, but onto a private road this time. The gravel here was thick, shifting smoothly beneath their tires as they drove a short distance and parked in front of a tidy little cabin. Lights glowed warmly from behind white lace curtains and tubs filled with flowers crowded a porch as wide as the cabin itself.

  Colin turned off the engine. “What now?”

  Sophia stared at the cabin.

  “Sophie?”

  She shook herself impatiently. Whatever, whoever, waited for them here, she would deal with it, because she had to. Because no matter what it was, she had dealt with worse and survived.

  “We see who answers when we knock,” she said matter-of-factly and opened the truck door.

  She was struck immediately by the scent of all those flowers. It was lovely, the first truly pretty thing she’d seen since arriving in this rainy place. Whoever lived in this house had an appreciation for beauty.

  Something whispered through her mind, a touch there and gone before she was even aware of it. She caught her breath and stared hard at the homey little cabin. Impossible.

  Her attention shifted as a pair of dark shapes separated from the shadows and headed directly for Raphael and his party. Vampires. They were clearly Raphael’s and had been set to watch this place until he arrived.

  A light came on over the door. One would have to be deaf and blind not to notice their arrival. The door was pulled back and a vaguely familiar human female appeared in the opening. Sophia took a few steps to the side to escape the porch light’s glare and get a better look. She was puzzled to discover it was the woman who worked for Wei Chen during the day.

  Even more puzzling, the woman took one look at who was waiting for her and instead of sensibly slamming the door, she opened the screen and stood back, welcoming them into her home.

  Sophie frowned. This was not the behavior of a guilty person. So why were they here?

  Whatever qualms Sophia had, Raphael had none. He started toward the stairs, and Sophia smiled as both Juro and the two vampire guards jumped to get there ahead of him. Ra
phael’s people were fanatically devoted to his safety. She could only hope her own— Sophia froze in mid-step. Her own?

  “Sophie?”

  She took Colin’s offered hand, taking comfort from its solid warmth. “Let’s see what Lord Raphael has in mind, Colin.”

  * * * *

  The woman was unremarkable, Sophia thought. Although not unattractive. She might have been pretty if she’d taken the time to fuss. Her hair was a lovely auburn shade, but she had it pulled back into a tidy pony tail that did nothing to enhance her features, and her eyes were hidden behind sturdy wire rim glasses.

  She was nervous, but who wouldn’t be when confronted in the middle of the night by so many hulking vampires? It had to be terrifying to answer your door and find them waiting on your doorstep.

  And yet, even knowing who Raphael was—and working at the compound, she had to know what he was—she smiled and invited them inside, as if she’d expected them.

  “Ms. Koepke,” Duncan said with his customary calm. “You have nothing to fear from us. Wei Chen has spoken highly of you and your work for him.”

  The woman nodded, her gaze flashing around once again, seeming to hesitate when it touched on Sophia before moving on. “How can I help you, Lord Raphael?” she asked.

  “You know why Lord Raphael is here in Seattle,” Duncan said. “You know about the murders.”

  “Of course. But I heard—” Her lips shut in a tight line.

  “What did you hear?” Duncan asked gently.

  Sophia watched the woman closely, wondering why Raphael was bothering with such gentle inquiries if he truly believed she had something to do with the murders. And if she didn’t, then Sophia’s question was the same as the woman’s. Why were they here?

  “I heard you found the awful men who did this,” the woman said in a low voice. “The ones who murdered Marco and Preston and then attacked poor Mariane. And I heard that Lord Raphael and . . . that one,” she added, giving Sophia a malevolent glare, “killed them all.”

  Sophia drew back in surprise. As far as she knew, she’d never met this human before, and the woman seemed to have no problem with the others. So why the hostility toward her?

  Raphael was leaning against the cold fireplace, one arm resting negligently along the mantle, as if trying to seem less than he was. Privately, Sophia thought it would take much more than a casual pose to make Raphael seem harmless, and apparently he agreed with her. He straightened impatiently, giving up the pose.

  “I’m tired of this,” he said abruptly. “What do you know about the men who committed these murders? About their connections in Vancouver?” he demanded.

  “She doesn’t know anything about that.”

  Lucien! The abrupt awareness of her Sire drew Sophia’s shocked gaze to the dark hallway. She stared as he walked slowly into the light, anger warring with relief that he was here and alive. She risked a quick glance at Raphael. He wasn’t surprised. Clearly this was the reason they were here. That big bastard had known all along that they’d find Lucien with this woman.

  “Sophie?” Colin said softly as Sophia tensed, facing her Sire.

  But she was too stunned to answer, staring in horror as Lucien emerged fully into the soft lamplight of the woman’s living room. If Sophia hadn’t heard his voice first, she wouldn’t have recognized him. He was bent and feeble, his fingers bony with knobby joints and yellowed nails. His black, wavy hair, once a source of shameless vanity, was now a dull gray that drank in the light and swallowed it, hanging as stiff and straight as dried twigs. And his face—his beautiful face—was parched and wrinkled, jowls hanging to his chin, his once sparkling eyes concealed beneath heavy lids and coarse brows.

  Sophia wanted to weep. Concern radiated from Colin like a heat lamp as he moved closer, and she knew he was prepared to defend her even though he had no idea what was causing her distress.

  Her fingers brushed against his. He was too much a warrior to take her hand in an unknown and possibly hostile situation, but his hand touched her lower back briefly in reassurance.

  “Raphael,” Lucien rasped. His head rotated slowly in her direction. “And Sophia, my treasure. I knew I could count on you.”

  His clouded eyes studied the other vampires in the crowded room. “Duncan, of course. But I don’t know these others.”

  And then his gaze fell on Colin, standing so close to Sophia, and for one moment his eyes held their old sharpness. But then it was gone, and he smiled, baring discolored teeth.

  “Yours, Sophia? I gave you my good taste, if nothing else, heh?” He chuckled dryly and then coughed, one hand hitting the wall as he staggered into it.

  “Sandra love,” Lucien said, beckoning the Koepke woman to his side. She hurried over, her face wreathed in joy as she gazed up at the vampire lord’s ruined countenance.

  “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” she whispered, her fingers reaching upward to stroke his cheek, halting inches away as if not daring to despoil such perfection.

  Lucien smiled and rested his hand on her arm as she guided him to a big upholstered chair in the corner as if he was a visiting prince.

  “She doesn’t see him,” Sophia murmured, staring. The words were intended for Colin’s ears, but she knew every vampire in the room caught it, too. “He’s cast a glamour over her mind. She sees him in his glory, as he used to be.”

  Sophia tore her gaze away from the spectacle of Koepke fawning all over Lucien, and studied Raphael, wondering what would happen next. She could feel the hunger rising from every vampire in the room. It was only the fact that Lucien was her Sire that kept her own hunger from joining theirs. Vampires were predators, all of them. But among vampire lords, that instinct reached soaring heights. Raphael was the epitome of Vampire, the predator’s predator. And Lucien had just shown himself to be prey.

  “Why?” she asked suddenly, needing answers before Lucien died. She stared at him, demanding that he deal with her. “Why all this subterfuge? Why—” She struggled to find words for a concept she didn’t really understand. “Why diminish yourself like this?” She gestured at their modest surroundings, although her words encompassed so much more.

  Koepke twisted around to glare at Sophia once more, but Lucien touched the human woman’s cheek, stroking it softly to pull her attention back to him. “I have spoken to her of you, Sophia,” he said without looking away from Koepke. “I’m afraid she is somewhat jealous. Gently, cherie,” he murmured to the human, and the familiar endearment on this old man’s lips filled Sophia with fear and disgust in equal measure.

  That was all he said for some minutes, but then he raised his head and met Raphael’s gaze, as if asking for permission to tell his story. He had to know his situation was precarious, Sophia thought worriedly. But did he understand the extent of his danger? Did he know his actions had nearly cost the life of Raphael’s mate? It was a miracle, an act of supreme restraint on Raphael’s part, that Lucien still breathed.

  Lucien was still staring at his fellow vampire lord, waiting. Raphael’s jaw tightened perceptibly, but he nodded, a short, sharp jerk of his chin.

  Lucien seemed to relax, his breath running out in a sigh. He leaned back in the chair, one gnarled hand stroking Koepke’s head where she sat tucked up against his legs like a dog.

  “It was a woman, of course,” Lucien began. “I’ve always had a weakness for beauty, although it never mattered whether it was man or woman, did it, Sophia? Remember that young man—ah, my apologies. We shouldn’t speak of such things in front of your human.”

  A soft growl, little more than an audible vibration, emanated from Raphael where he stood near the empty fireplace.

  “Quite right, old friend,” Lucien said quickly. “I am sorry for the deaths of your people. I never intended— Well, that’s not quite true.

  “But the woman was lovely, and I was vain. Little to be vain about anymore, I suppose,” he added ruefully. “Although ma belle Sandra sees me as I was, don’t you, cherie?” he said, stroking her head
once more.

  “My story goes back to before I became what you see. And the woman—so beautiful, so very human—was charmingly shocked to discover that I was Vampire, that such a thing really existed. I know now it was all a pose, but I was too blinded by her flattery to recognize it. She was intrigued by everything—what I was, what I could do. And finally, by all of the others I held in my grasp. I boasted like a fool. I told her about the vampires living among humans, while neighbors, friends, even coworkers were none the wiser. I told her of our houses, our wealth.”