Taken in the Night

by Tara Fox Hall

  “Some I don’t trust at all or want around Elle and you. They were not invited.”

  “Won’t ignoring them aggravate them?”

  “It is my choice who to invite. If I summon them here, as I did for a couple, they have to come or face death as penalty.”

  Most of the guests had gathered around Danial by this time. On some unspoken cue, they bowed to him as one. He inclined his head slightly in response and then beckoned to me.

  Danial kissed my neck, and then reopened the partly healed wound on my neck, drinking only a little before kissing it enough to stop the bleeding. “The customs have been honored,” he said commandingly. “Please enjoy yourselves. If I asked you to see me, please do so immediately.”

  Everyone bowed again, and then they broke up, some going to dance and others feeding either on collared humans they’d brought or some humans Danial had provided for the party. A few vampires reluctantly went towards Danial now in the center of the room.

  I’d missed this last year when I was in the bathroom with Tatiana. Elle pressed herself to my skirt, watching with wide eyes. “Is that what Danial does to you?” she whispered.

  I glanced around. Everyone was conducting himself or herself appropriately. No one was screaming in pain or half-unclothed, and there was little blood.

  “Yes,” I said. “Don’t be afraid. No one’s going to do anything to you or me.”

  “Good Evening, Sarelle,” a voice said from behind me. I turned to find Samuel standing there. “You look lovely, my dear,” he said warmly. “I must compliment Danial on his handiwork.”

  Here was the moment I’d waited for all night.

  I smiled at him, extending my hand. “Elle, this is Samuel, Vampire Ruler of Europe. Samuel, this is my daughter, Elle.”

  Samuel looked down at Elle. He looked up at me, anger in his eyes. “So I was right. Your oath was a lie,” he said coldly, his blue eyes chill.

  I didn’t reply. I gazed back at him, thinking his eyes were cold, that they had never been kind eyes at all. I’d just seen what I wanted to that night he’d saved me.

  “Your guard was your lover,” he continued. “Why does Danial permit you to keep her?”

  “He loves her as a daughter,” I said quietly, hugging Elle.

  “Then I’m glad her real father is dead,” he said cruelly.

  I stepped into him suddenly and shoved hard. While he was far stronger than me, he wasn’t expecting that. He fell backward to land on the floor on his rear.

  “Tell me what you did to Theo,” I shouted furiously.

  All conversation stopped in the convention center as all eyes focused on us.

  “I did nothing,” he said coolly, his eyes tinged red. “I don’t answer to you, whore.”

  Danial’s voice sounded behind me, cold as a winter wind. “How is it you know for certain he is dead?”

  “No were survives his head removed for long.”

  “Why did you not tell me that when I asked of Theo?” Danial said, coming to my side.

  “You already knew it,” Samuel said casually.

  “Tell us what you know,” I shouted.

  “I’ll tell you nothing. You two make a mockery of our traditions.” Samuel rose to his feet.

  Terian was behind him suddenly. There was a loud click as he disengaged the safety. Samuel froze.

  “Tell them what you know.”

  “I will not.” Samuel glared at Danial with red eyes. “You are dead the next time you come to Europe,” he snarled. “You dare threaten me, a fellow Ruler?”

  There was a low growl. I looked down. Elle’s eyes had changed to golden yellow, and her teeth were bared to reveal cougar fangs.

  Samuel looked down at her and recoiled. “A werecat!” he said in disgust.

  “How dare you say that?” Danial roared. “Theo was my best friend for more than a decade. How dare you insult his child and my lover, to say nothing of insulting me. I am Master here. It is my territory. You seem to forget tradition easily enough when it suits you.”

  Samuel met Danial’s eyes, and slowly the red faded. Dawning realization Elle was Theo’s, but was not my biological daughter followed. “I apologize, Racklan.”

  Danial’s eyes were still red. “Tell us everything you know.”

  “I thought your Sar and Theo were lovers. I was angry, especially knowing you two were oathed and how much you cared for her. So I decided to remove Theo from the equation. I sent a man to kill him, and he came back to report Theo was already dead. He had seen a headless corpse with a fatal chest wound from one of the new guns.” He paused. “I did not know he was your friend. I am glad I was not the one who ended his life.”

  My big plan had flopped. Samuel didn’t have the answers I wanted. He just knew what we already had. My shoulders slumped.

  “That was not his body,” Danial said. “It was another werelion’s body, a man by the name of Will. He had his own reasons for wanting Theo dead. We assume Theo shot him, but aren’t sure.”

  “I’ll check this,” Samuel said. “There are persons in Europe who would pay to have a pet werelion.”

  I gripped Danial’s hand hard, dizzy with the implications.

  “I’d appreciate that,” Danial said coldly.

  “I insulted you and your lover at your own party. It is the least I could do to make amends,” Samuel said, lowering his eyes. “Vampire law demands it. Adieu.” He turned and made his way to the exit with a few men and two vampires taking up flanking positions behind him.

  I looked around, suddenly noticing the silence. All the guests were looking elsewhere as if nothing had happened. It made sense they wouldn’t have wanted to get involved in a fight between the two most powerful vampires in the room.

  “Sar,” Elle said in a garbled voice.

  I looked down. She was still half changed to cougar, her fangs protruding.

  “Danial, we’ll be right back. Come.” I led Elle to the bathroom.

  “Sar, what do I do?” she wailed, her words still garbled. “I can’t talk.”

  “Shh, I’m right here. No one is going to hurt Danial,” I said calmly. “Breathe and think about how much fun you had tonight dancing with Danial.” I held her, murmuring words of encouragement, and slowly she changed back, her eyes darkening to blue, her teeth receding.

  I had her look in the mirror to see she was back to normal. “See? All set.”

  She smiled at me, relieved. “I’m sorry.”

  I hugged her. “You’re okay, Elle. Your dad changed like that, too, when he was really angry.”

  “Really?” she said, looking relieved.

  “Really,” I said, giving her a smile.

  “Touching,” a cold voice said. I looked up in fear to see Devlin standing in the doorway. He was just as gorgeous as ever, but diminished, no longer the picture of power and arrogance. Yet he was still strong enough to break my bones with one blow. A river of fear like ice water went down my back.

  “Are you lost? Get out of the women’s room.” I shouted at him.

  His golden eyes narrowed. “I was looking for you, Sar. You are the hostess, right? I just wanted to give you a little kiss, to thank you for all you’ve done for me.”

  “Get out of here,” I said loudly, glad I sounded brave.

  “No,” he said, pushing me hard. My back hit the wall, and Elle let out a scream. Devlin turned, reaching for her, and I pushed him, putting him off balance. He staggered, but caught himself, then grabbed my wrists, slamming me up against the wall. I pushed against him, but his strength kept me pinned like a captive butterfly.

  “Let me go,” I said, hatefully. “Don’t you dare touch me.”

  “I’m doing you a favor, Sar. I’m here to give you information,” Devlin said scathingly. “Don’t you want to listen?”

  “Stop it, please!” Elle cried out, tears in her eyes.

  “Run, Elle,” I said urgently. “Go get Terian or Danial.”

  “You move, Girl, and you’ll come back to a bro
ken mother,” Devlin threatened, turning to Elle. Elle stayed where she was.

  “What is it then?” I spat at him. “Tell me and get out.”

  He pressed his body to mine. “Aren’t you going to tell me you missed me first?”

  I recoiled, turning my head so I wouldn’t have to look at him. He leaned in closer, his breath soft on my neck.

  “Theo’s alive,” Devlin whispered in my ear. “He’s being held in Europe, which is why he never came back to you. He’s being used by a breeder of fighting dogs for practice. He’s torn up almost on a daily basis, but he regenerates. He’s alive, Sar. At least, for now.”

  I fought not to cry, not to believe him. Yet hope rose within me at once. “You’re lying. You hate me and you hate Theo. All you sow is evil. You are just saying this to hurt me.”

  “It’s not a lie,” Devlin said, his golden eyes staring into mine. “Theo isn’t invulnerable. He can’t sustain too much more damage without dying. It’s a matter of days, Sar.”

  My heart was beating out of my chest. I had to save him. I had to find him.

  Devlin let out a shriek of pain. His grip on me abruptly loosed, as his body jerked, then fell away from mine. Terian stood there, his prototype gun smoking. Devlin was on his knees, glaring up at Terian, a huge hole in his chest to the left of his heart. As we watched, the wound filled in.

  Devlin regained his feet. “Demon,” he hissed, baring his fangs. “I owe you from before—”

  “Where is Theo?” Terian said calmly, his gun steady on Devlin.

  Devlin glared at him and didn’t reply.

  “I will shoot you as many times as it takes for you to tell me,” Terian continued, his eyes cold. “Until you die or I have to leave you here in pieces to get more ammo.”

  “Somewhere in Germany,” Devlin spat out, his golden eyes filled with hate.

  “Sar, go get Danial,” Terian said. “Quick.”

  I left, giving Devlin a wide berth and grabbing Elle’s hand to pull her with me. We raced back out to the convention room. Craning my neck, I located Danial. He was with two vampires, the ones I’d met last year: Van and Erik. Dark haired and eyed, both of them looked somber in matching forest green shirts and black pants. I hurried toward them, pulling Elle with me.

  “Van, Erik, you remember Sar?” Danial said pleasantly.

  They both took my hand one after the other, and kissed it.

  “Good to see you,” I said politely. “If you’ll excuse us?”

  I pulled Danial to the edge of the room. We weren’t remotely out of hearing, but I didn’t care. There was nowhere we could go inside the building where someone wouldn’t hear us.

  “Devlin accosted Elle and me in the bathroom. He said Theo is being held in Germany by a person who breeds fighting dogs. They are using him for practice. He only has a few days before he won’t be able to regenerate anymore.” The last sentences came out as a sob.

  Danial held me to his chest, trying to calm me. “Breathe, Sar.”

  “We will help,” Erik said suddenly from behind us, glancing at Van. “For a price.”

  “Find him, dead or alive if at all possible,” Danial said over my head to them, “and you can name your price.”

  “I owe you for Erik,” Van said in an emotionally charged voice. “You helped negotiate his release those many years ago. It will be the usual price between allies.”

  “Go tonight,” Danial replied urgently.

  They nodded to him and left immediately.

  “Can you trust them?” I was finally regaining my composure.

  “They are two of the best trackers I know. If he’s there, they will find him,” he said convincingly, as he led me to the bathroom. “Now let’s find out what else Dev knows.”

  Terian and Devlin were just as I’d left them. The latter didn’t have any new holes in him, just the one round patch near his heart. He looked sly and full of himself standing there, even though Terian still had the gun trained on him. Hate still smoldered in his golden eyes.

  “I shouldn’t be shot for crashing a party I ought to have been invited to,” Devlin stated. “Your whole staff is infected with bad manners, Danial.”

  “Dev, how is it you know this information?” Danial demanded.

  “You think I ruled for centuries and didn’t make acquaintances?” Devlin said sarcastically. “I know who deals in live black market goods in Europe, goods like captured wereanimals and collared female vampires, names all your investigating couldn’t acquire. I know a few months ago someone sold a werelion to a dog fighter in Brussels.”

  I staggered. Danial held me up, supporting me against him.

  “You will give me the names of every buyer and seller of wereanimals you know,” Danial said with authority. “Now.”

  “Of course I will, for a price,” Devlin said with a smile.

  “What do you want?” Danial replied.

  “I want you to share some of your power with me, Danial. I have no standing now, none. I want you to give me standing. I want respect again. I have too many enemies to appear weak.”

  Danial looked at Terian and then back to Devlin. “I can’t give you some of my power. I can’t trust you around anything I care for. However, I’ll give you some of my business. I often get contracts for jobs I no longer do, like guarding the rich, seeking private justice for the wronged, and putting fear into those who prefer to cause it in others. I’ll pass them onto you, if you give me your assurance you’ll do the jobs and not fuck up or hurt anyone more than necessary to do the job.”

  “That won’t give me power,” Devlin said angrily.

  “It will give you both respect and fear, which carries limited power,” Danial said forcefully. “It also will give you a solid tie to my business, which commands a very healthy respect since last August.”

  Devlin looked inward, considering, as we waited.

  “It’s a deal,” he said, reaching out a hand to Danial.

  Danial shook it. “The names.”

  Devlin reached into his shirt pocket and handed Danial a computer generated list. A glimpse revealed names, addresses, and what they’d bought or sold in the last year.

  “Take Elle to the car, Sar,” Danial said, his eyes still on Devlin. “Terian, go with her. I have some unfinished business here.”

  I gathered up Elle and took her to the car, glad the party was done. Terian drove us home, not speaking.

  Later, after I’d put Elle to bed and showered, I lay in our bed thinking. What if Devlin had lied? What if Theo wasn’t in Germany? Danial said Van and Erik would search all of Europe, but how long would it take?

  Danial came in, his hair still wet from the shower.

  I sat up, relieved. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried leaving you there with Devlin.”

  “The other guards were there,” Danial said reassuringly. “Despite my ominous tone, most of what we spoke of was just catching up. We haven’t spoken since I returned from Europe.”

  “I know he’s your brother, but I don’t want him to come here,” I said softly.

  “It’s because I want to keep you separate that I stayed there to talk,” he answered. Lying beside me, he opened his arms. “Come, please.”

  I went into them gratefully. “I’m scared Erik and Van won’t be in time.”

  “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “They’ll find him if he’s there. They are already in route.”

  I broke down crying. “What if he’s dead? What if he’s dead because we took too long to find him?”

  “Theo is strong,” Danial said calmly, squeezing me. “No one who’d pay the high price a werelion would cost on the black market would weaken him to the point he couldn’t regenerate. You’ve seen the foxes. Even with serious injuries, they are fine with food and a little rest.”

  Darkly, I thought to myself there were rich idiot men who’d buy an animal for the sheer pleasure of shooting it and mounting the head. Dogfighters were somewhere below them.

  “Relax,” Danial s
aid tenderly. “We are doing all we can.”

  “Hold me for a while, please?” I said.

  “Gladly,” he murmured.

  * * * *

  The next day, Dr. Camlyn visited us. Danial was taking no chances after what had happened last year with me being cursed. Elle and I underwent an elaborate exam to make sure no one had tried to curse either of us. Elle was reluctant to participate, but once I told her what had happened last year, she was eager to go along with the exam.

  Stephen found nothing on either of us. I was very relieved, to put it mildly. “Thanks.”

  “I’m glad no one had tried to hurt either of you. You both appear healthy. Still, as your doctor, I recommend you come in right after the new year to get your blood tested and a physical. It’s been close to a year. Elle can wait for her checkup until mid-summer.”

  “I’ll call for an appointment. Thanks again for coming.”

  After he left, I sought out Terian. He was in his lab, concocting some potion.

  When I’d heard him request a sorcery lab a month before, I’d envisioned feathers, claws, skulls, and black drapes. However, his lab was well-lit and airy, with dried powders and plants labeled and stacked neatly on shelves.

  “Hey, Terian,” I said, entering.

  He looked up and smiled. “Hi, Sar.” He carefully measuring out some of a clear liquid. I waited until he was done and then came closer.

  “Thank you for saving us last night.”

  “It’s my job,” he said with pride.

  In the weeks he’d been here with us, Terian had been a lot happier. It was not being alone and maybe also because he knew we truly needed him. Danial may have been the hub, the center of Solutions, Inc., but Terian was now the frame that held everything around Danial together.

  “What do you want, Sar?” Terian said finally. “You didn’t come here to chat.”

  He knew me too well. “I want a potion that will let me dream of Theo like I did before so I’ll know if he’s alive.”

  “I don’t know of one,” Terian replied. “Not one you can take by yourself to share his dreams without any physical contact with him.”

  “Is there anything magical that will let us know?” I persisted.