Thrall (Supernaturals of Las Vegas Book 1)

by Carina Cook

  “I’m so sorry, Tait,” she said. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I just wanted to save Claire…”

  He shook his head, his eyes bright. “You don’t have to apologize, Liss. You did just fine. And you’re a blood mage. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

  “I didn’t know! I’d looked through the book and tried it a couple of times, just out of curiosity. But nothing ever happened.”

  “Oh.” He relaxed. “That’s better, then. I thought you were holding out on me.”

  “I wouldn’t do that. Honest.”

  “Good. Then I won’t give you a hard time for opening the book in the first place. You were supposed to keep it safe. You weren’t supposed to try it,” he said sternly.

  She fixed him with a stare. “You’re kidding, right? You knew I’d try it. You tried it. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Well… I…” He trailed off, unable to argue with that line of argument. “Okay, fine. You got me. You’ll teach me how, won’t you?”

  The mere idea made her sick to her stomach. Why would Tait want to know how to do what she’d just done? She’d killed someone. That was bad enough, but she’d taken away his free will to do it. She was never going to make that glyph again. Because now that she’d done it, she realized what it was. Taking control of someone else’s blood was nothing more than slavery. She wouldn’t have done it if she’d known.

  Of course she was glad she’d saved the baby. She looked around hurriedly but couldn’t see any of the Archambault family, or Isabeau. Worry for them gripped her, distracting her from the matter under discussion.

  “Did the baby make it out okay?” she asked.

  Tait blinked, trying to follow her train of thought. “The Archambault baby? I think so. I haven’t seen Isabeau since…” His eyes scanned the room. “No, I think she’s gone. I can check, though, if it’ll make you happy.”

  “I can look. I’m capable.”

  “Absolutely not. You’re to stay here, with Mother on guard, until Gregor says otherwise. I’m happy to take a look around for the Archambaults. It’s good for us to show concern about them—good thinking, Liss.”

  He gave her a firm nod as he walked off.

  As soon as he was out of earshot, her mother edged closer. She flicked a glance at Liss but quickly turned her attention back to the room. Liss could only imagine the calculations going on behind Dagmar’s steady gaze. She seemed to notice everything—the shift of eyes that might indicate a calculated attack in the making, the placement of hands near potential concealed weapons, the distribution of weight that separated bystanders from combatants. She’d taught Liss some of these things during their summer lessons, but it had quickly became clear that Liss didn’t have the natural combat abilities that her mother did. She was quite competent in a fight, but Dagmar had an instinct that set her apart from almost everyone else.

  Liss had never known what made her special. She was good in a fight, quick in the classroom, and she had a knack for getting her way in interpersonal relationships. Some people might call her manipulative, but she thought of it as making the other person want what she wanted. There was nothing wrong with that, so long as both parties were content in the end. But now, she knew what made her special. She was a blood mage, whether she liked it or not. And right now, she definitely didn’t.

  “I’m so sorry, Mom,” she said. “I didn’t know what I was doing. And I don’t want you to put yourself in danger over me.”

  “Don’t be silly, Anneliese,” Dagmar replied. “I would be standing here even if Gregor hadn’t told me to. You are my daughter. I would give my life to keep you safe.”

  Tears sprang to Liss’s eyes. She’d never doubted her mother. Dagmar had always said that she would love Liss no matter what, and Liss had believed her. But it was one thing to believe it and one thing to see it in action. Some small part of her had feared the worst, and now she could relax.

  “I will try to see that that doesn’t happen,” she said, pushing past the lump in her throat. “If it comes down to it, I’ll turn myself in.”

  “You will do no such thing,” declared her mother.

  “You can’t stop me.” Liss spoke with a conviction that made even Dagmar Lorensson pause and look at her. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you’re doing, because of course I do. But I couldn’t live with myself if I shamed our family. It would kill me to let you down.” Dagmar tried to speak again, but Liss overrode her. “Blood magic is forbidden. The punishment for using it is death. It says so in the book. If that comes to pass, I won’t let you get in the way. The alternative is chaos and anarchy. We both know it—if we break the hold that the kingship has over the vampires, everything could fall.”

  A slow smile grew over Dagmar’s features. “Ah, but that’s the thing. That was Viktor’s law, and Viktor’s laws died with him. Now Gregor holds the throne, and it’s up to him to make a declaration on blood magic.”

  Liss hadn’t thought of that. Gregor would make some changes, of course, but he had to have the backing of the vampiric nobility, or else they’d overthrow him. So he’d have to give them sweet laws to make the bitter ones go down more easily. Letting Viktor’s killer go free would be a bitter one for most. What would he have to trade in order to buy her life?

  Her eyes went to his slim hipped figure, standing with Chandra across the ballroom. Chandra was talking at him animatedly, and unless Liss’s eyes deceived her, Chandra was flirting her undead heart out. Liss could practically feel the breeze of Chandra’s fluttering eyelashes from all the way across the room. She tamped down the feelings of jealousy that rose in her and tried to consider this logically, although it was difficult. She wanted to march across the room and punch Chandra in the throat, but that wouldn’t endear her to the rest of the vampires at all. So she thought it over instead. Was she sucking up to the new man in charge, or did Gregor and Chandra have something going? It didn’t look like Gregor welcomed her advances. He didn’t have that intent look that he’d given Liss. And he’d leaped to Liss’s defense when Viktor had attacked. If he and Chandra were a thing, he would have gone to her, wouldn’t he?

  “What do you think he’ll do?” she asked her mother.

  “So far, he’s been trying to solidify his hold on the throne,” said Dagmar. “He’s buying their indulgence with shares from the casino. That should give him enough time to build up some true support. It’s an intelligent approach.”

  “That’s good.” Liss shifted her weight nervously. “But I meant more personally. What do you think he’s going to do with me?”

  Dagmar turned her attention fully onto Liss once again. “That all depends on you, doesn’t it?” she asked. “Blood magic could be a boon or a liability. It will be up to you to prove which you will be.”

  “But I don’t want to do blood magic ever again!” exclaimed Liss. “You’ve seen what it does. It made me a killer.”

  “I am a killer,” said Dagmar simply. “You’ve heard of what I can do. You’ve seen some of it, but I’ve made sure to never let you see me in action. Because once you saw me as a killer, I worried that you wouldn’t trust me as your mother. But I have killed when necessary, and then I’ve come home to bake cookies with you. Killing is sometimes a necessary evil. It will only stain you if you allow it. You are my daughter, Liss. My first kill was similar to yours; I did it to save the life of someone weaker, someone who couldn’t defend themselves. Do not blame the tool for the decision you made. You are stronger than that.”

  “But…I don’t want to do blood magic any more. I’m not as strong as you are, Mother,” whispered Liss. “I’m afraid.”

  “Of course you are. You’re not an idiot.”

  “I know, I know.” Liss sighed. “Only stupid people aren’t afraid in the face of danger. You’ve told me this a billion times. Bravery isn’t about not being scared, but about acting despite the fear.”

  “Well then, you know what to do, daughter of mine,” said Dagmar.

  Liss sigh
ed again. “I suppose I do. I need to talk to Gregor, don’t I?”

  “Yes, you do. Convince him that it’s in his best interest to keep you safe. Gregor is a good person, and I know he will do what he can for you. But you can make that job easier for him.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Liss tried to sound more confident than she felt, but she wasn’t sure that she succeeded.

  “You’ll do fine,” said Dagmar. “You’re right, you know. You aren’t as strong as I am, Anneliese. You’re stronger.”

  CHAPTER 8

  It seemed to Gregor like everyone wanted a piece of him, even more than they had before. Maybe it made sense under the circumstances, but he didn’t have to like it. He didn’t want to explain his casino idea individually to every minor vampire noble. He didn’t want to have to shake hands and make nice with Viktor’s old cronies. Duke Mieville brought them to him, one by one, as if he reveled in Gregor’s discomfort. The conversation with Chandra played over and over again in his mind, and he wanted nothing more than to talk to Liss. She must think he’d abandoned her. That he was angry about what she’d done, when that was so far from the truth that they didn’t even inhabit the same planet.

  Finally, he tore himself away from Mieville and sought out Liss. It wasn’t difficult to find her. Dagmar had kept her pinned in the corner. It was a smart move; any relocation on their part would have automatically attracted attention. Better to let everyone dwell on his coronation and what it meant for their political careers rather than on the events that immediately preceded it.

  “Anything to report?” he asked Dagmar as soon as he was close enough to speak privately.

  “No.” Liss broke in before her mother could respond. “What’s going on?”

  A furrow settled in between Dagmar’s eyes, but she didn’t comment. Gregor wasn’t sure if she was worried, annoyed, or something else entirely. He didn’t feel like it was his place to ask given the circumstances, but at least he could show kindness.

  “You must be exhausted. Perhaps you’d like to get something to eat, or freshen up? And you might bring something for Liss afterwards,” he suggested.

  “Of course,” said Dagmar. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Thank you.”

  She sheathed her knife but left the grip exposed and ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice. Then, without a backwards glance, she left in the direction of the buffet table. The crowd parted around her and closed again in her wake.

  “So am I to be quarantined in this corner for the rest of my life?” asked Liss. It sounded like she was trying to joke, but he couldn’t see the humor in it no matter how hard he tried.

  “No, not at all. But I’d prefer that you don’t leave court without me or your mother. For your safety,” he hastened to add in response to her inquiring look.

  “Ah. About that. I could…” She swallowed and seemed to be searching for words. He waited patiently. He had nothing but time, after all. “I could learn more blood magic with your permission. It would be helpful to you as the king.”

  He couldn’t believe that, at a time like this, she was more worried about his kingship than she was about her own safety. In many people, he would have called it naivety, but he was fairly sure that Liss knew what she faced. She just cared more about the welfare of others than she did for herself.

  “You are amazing.”

  It wasn’t what he’d intended to say, and frankly, he felt a bit sheepish once the words came out. He believed them wholeheartedly, but it wasn’t the most kingly response to an offer of assistance from a blood mage. Viktor had feared blood magic because he couldn’t control it himself, but Gregor didn’t see things that way. He knew the streets of Las Vegas teemed with a whole variety of supernatural creatures. Under Viktor, the vampires had led a fairly sheltered existence, separate from the rest of society, but Gregor didn’t see why it needed to be that way. The survival of the entire supernatural community depended on keeping their existence secret from the humans. A threat to one group posed a threat to them all.

  Having Liss by his side would serve a dual purpose, the more that he thought about it. Not only would he insure her safety, but they could also begin to network among the rest of the supernatural community. His mental powers were nothing compared to Viktor’s, since his sire had never allowed him to practice them. But Liss’s blood magic could provide a valuable asset in establishing mutually beneficial relationships within the supernatural community.

  All of those things were true, so why had he called her amazing? It might be true, but she wouldn’t respect that. A king didn’t inspire confidence by falling in love at first sight, and he wasn’t even sure he believed in love. So what was it that he felt for her? He couldn’t explain it except to say that he felt better when she was near, and he worried when she wasn’t, and she was amazing.

  She seemed stunned, and he rushed to cover up the awkward silence.

  “I mean, you’re—”

  She cut him off before he could finish the sentence.

  “I think you’re amazing too,” she said. “I’m going to be honest with you, because I know you’re the only reason I’m still breathing right now. Well, you and my mother.”

  He didn’t take offense to that. He knew Dagmar’s reputation and sometimes wondered if Viktor’s treatment of him would have been worse if not for her. It had been so in the past, and he’d been dreading what would happen when she no longer served him.

  “Please do,” he said.

  “I’m terrified of the blood magic. I don’t entirely know how I did what I did, and I don’t know if I could do it again, and I’d really rather not try. But I will, if it will help you. If it will keep my family safe.”

  “I think I understand.”

  He took her hand in his, feeling the warmth of her skin and the jump of her pulse beneath. It energized him. Not because he was hungry, but because touching her made him feel so alive. Like she transferred some of that vitality to him in some miraculous way. Maybe it was the magic at work in her, but he didn’t think so.

  “This was your first kill, wasn’t it?” he asked. When she nodded, her face drawn and grim, he continued. “I thought so. And although it might shock you, I remember how it felt the first time I fed and killed someone. I wanted nothing to do with vampirism after that, and I refused to learn anything about it. I can say from experience that it was the worst thing I could have done, and I ended up doing more harm that way than I would have if I’d learned to control it in the first place. I won’t presume to lecture you, because I know you’re intelligent. All I’d like to ask is that you take a little time to mull it over before you come to a decision. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to, but I hope you’ll agree that training is a wise decision.”

  She hung her head. “That is… very kind of you. It seems like I shouldn’t be shocked, because you’ve been kind to me all night. But this isn’t at all what I expected.”

  He ran his thumb over the backs of her fingers. “Me either, to be honest.”

  Their eyes met. Gregor couldn’t restrain himself. He leaned forward and brushed her lips with his. As kisses went, it wasn’t the most passionate or lengthy. But still, it ran an electric shock down his spine. It seemed like she felt it too, based on the surprised look on her face as he pulled back.

  It took him a moment to remember how to speak, but when he did, he said, “Your mother is returning. I must officially close out court, and then we will return to your apartments to discuss security arrangements with your mother.”

  “I need security now,” she said slowly, as if trying to get used to the idea.

  “Sadly, we both do,” he said as he stood up. “Things have only just begun to change. But they will settle eventually. I’m sure of it.”

  He left unspoken the worry that the situation wouldn’t settle for quite a while. But she didn’t seem to pick up on it. Her eyes lit up, and the grateful expression made the worried tangle in his stomach ease just a bit. But there wasn’t time to dwel
l on it. Behind Dagmar, he saw Chandra making her way toward them, and he didn’t want to let her anywhere near Liss. So he excused himself hurriedly and intercepted her midway.

  “Yes?” he asked, putting his body between her and Liss. It was silly, but he didn’t even want Chandra looking at her. Like maybe eye contact might make Chandra start spouting what amounted to death threats again. But it turned out that the eye contact wasn’t a necessary part of that equation.

  “We should close out court with a final statement, Your Majesty,” she suggested. “Perhaps something about the matter that we spoke of earlier?”

  He frowned. It didn’t matter whether she was referring to her plans to have Liss killed or the one where she and Gregor got married. He didn’t want any part of either of them. But his position at the moment wasn’t sturdy enough to say so outright. He needed to buy more time.

  “I told you that I didn’t want to make any commitments hastily,” he said. “I feel that important matters deserve attention, and this is certainly an important matter.”

  She nodded, her eyes locked on his in a way that she seemed to think was alluring. “Of course, Gregor. May I call you Gregor? But here’s the thing—some of Viktor’s former supporters still aren’t happy. I was just talking to Duke Mieville, and he likes the thing you’ve done with the shares, but he says it doesn’t change the fact that you’re harboring a murderer. What’s to keep her from deciding that she doesn’t like any of us? She could make us stake ourselves at any time.”