by Aubrey Ross
“The danger is no longer just a possibility,” Hector joined in. “Robert is dead. This is real.”
“What does this vampire want with us? The elder council only deals with the Dichotomy. How could we have wronged him?”
“Don’t confuse Taerok with Valerie,” Steffen cautioned. “A common enemy might have brought them together, but their goals are very different. Taerok knows for a fact that combining human, Dichotomy, and vampire physiology can create a being immune to the solar trance.”
“What are you talking about? I thought he was helping Valerie avenge her family.”
“The details are classified,” Steffen told her. “We’ve been using his connection with Valerie as a cover as often as possible.”
“He knows about the Sentinels?”
Steffen nodded, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “Taerok’s father participated in the original project. It was his DNA, in part, that created my father and Max.”
“But their genetics were engineered in a laboratory. Taerok is trying to…consume the right combination of blood. Surely he sees the difference.”
They had congregated in the living room after Hector received the grisly news about Robert. Her father was the only one composed enough to sit. Steffen and Mara were pacing the room with alternate patterns.
Steffen paused at her side, his gaze sharp and assertive. “All I know for certain is Taerok can be merciless.”
“Do you need to see these pictures again?” Her father held up a stack of photographs. “You’ve known Robert for years. The council proposed him as a possible mate for you. How can you not be affected by this tragedy?”
“I’m not some callous bitch,” Mara objected. “Shall I show you pictures of all the children the Serenity Foundation helped last year? I’m not planning a social excursion here. This is an important fundraiser. People are counting on me.”
The men fell silent and Mara took a moment to absorb the new information. There were still pieces to the puzzle that didn’t fit. “If this isn’t about the council, why are you so certain he’s coming after me?”
“Max is busting his ass trying to find Taerok before he realizes he’s a step behind. Our only advantage so far has been knowledge. We know more about the—formula, for lack of a better word, than Taerok knows.”
“The genetic formula that created Max?”
“Yes. Vampires and humans have been blending their genetics in various combinations for centuries. Taerok knows it was only when Dichotomy DNA was added to the mix that the results became impressive.”
“So what is he missing? What does Max know that Taerok has yet to figure out?”
Steffen seemed reluctant to explain the rest, so Hector spelled it out. “He needs a halfling. He must start with a person who is already half human and half Dichotomy.”
Anxiety dropped into the pit of her stomach and she pressed her hand to the base of her throat. “Why me? There are halflings peppered all over the world.”
“There have been very few halflings in the Ruiz family,” her father went on. “Taerok wants the very best, the strongest and most powerful.”
“But I have no abilities. I can’t even send my thoughts.” Her link with Steffen had broadened her telepathic horizons, but this wasn’t the time to introduce that particular tangent.
“We’re not sure why, but abilities tend to skip generations when our bloodline mates with humans. Your children will likely have powers stronger than mine. That’s why the council has been so interested in your potential mate.”
“Only the oldest and most powerful families hold positions on the council,” Steffen said. “We believe Taerok will ultimately target one of their halfling descendants.”
“Are the others being guarded as well? What about Rebecca and Melissa? Oh my God, what about Colette? Her abilities are unbelievable.”
“Our agents are protecting everyone you mentioned and more,” Steffen assured her.
“How many of them are planning to attend the gala?” her father wanted to know.
She dreaded the answer, knowing it would give them more ammunition to use against her. Or would it? “It’s well known that many council members have generously supported the foundation.”
“Which is why it’s too dangerous to hold the event,” her father concluded.
“I disagree. If we warn everyone away, make sure I’m the only halfling there, we leave Taerok no choice but to make his move.”
Steffen’s gaze narrowed thoughtfully, but her father was having none of it. “There is no way you are setting yourself up as bait!”
“We’d create an opportunity the Sentinels would be able to control. We’d decrease the variables and—”
“Talk some sense into her,” Hector flared. “She stopped listening to me a long time ago.”
“She’ll be in danger until Taerok is destroyed,” Steffen muttered. “I don’t like using her as bait any more than you do, but it’s not a bad plan.”
“This is how you protect your assignments?” Hector sneered. “I’m not impressed.”
“Mara is more than my assignment and you know it. I can hide her away during this one event, but she’ll still be in danger. Taerok must be stopped permanently before anyone else is hurt.”
“I don’t like it,” Hector snapped.
“I don’t like it either, but we might never get another opportunity like this one again. Mara’s right. We can’t squander it.”
* * *
“You clean up pretty well,” Lukas said as he casually slipped into the chair beside Steffen.
Steffen glanced at his younger brother and smiled. The subdued light of the massive ballroom picked up the blue tones in his ink-black hair, which in turn made his sapphire eyes appear even brighter. “Right back at you.” Steffen couldn’t remember ever seeing Lukas in a tuxedo before. Faded jeans and a black leather jacket were far more his style.
“There’s a spectacular sunset going on outside.” Which meant they were running out of time. “Where did your charming companion disappear to?”
“I was just about to go find out.” Steffen pushed back his chair and stood. The structured portions of the gala had gone off without a hitch. The band had just begun to play, encouraging the guests to dance.
He’d spotted Max earlier in the day, but Max had instructed him not to react to his presence. It was imperative Taerok not connect him with any of the other Sentinels. Is everyone in place?
We’re waiting for the delectable bait.
As if responding to the comment, Mara entered the ballroom through a side door and strolled toward them. Her emerald-green dress skimmed her curves, showcasing her figure with elegant subtlety. Steffen’s breath hitched and his heart thudded awkwardly for half a second before regaining its steady rhythm. Her exotic eyes picked up the color of her dress, appearing impossibly green.
“Damn,” Lukas muttered under his breath. “She is easy on the eyes.”
“She is mine.” The emphasis explained everything Lukas needed to know.
She reached them and slipped her hand into the crook of Steffen’s arm. “Are you going to introduce me?”
“Of course. This is my brother Lukas. Lukas, meet Mara Ruiz.”
Lukas held out his hand and Mara shook it. “I’m pleased you could make it. Have you enjoyed the party?”
“The food was wonderful and the band is great. What more could anyone ask?”
“I hope you express your appreciation with generosity.” She remained true to her role as she’d been instructed to do.
“Unfortunately, I missed the auction. I just arrived a few minutes ago.”
“It’s never too late for a donation,” she reminded with a pretty smile. “There are brochures on tables throughout the room.”
“I’ll make sure I grab one before I leave.” He raised her hand to his lips and brushed her knuckles with a light kiss. “It was nice meeting you.”
Time to enact the final phase of their plan. “You look a little pa
le,” Steffen said as Lukas disappeared into the crowd. “Are you feeling all right?”
“I’ve been running half a step ahead of a migraine all day. Unfortunately, I think I’m losing the race.”
“Can’t someone cover the rest of the party? You look pretty miserable.” She’d never looked more beautiful, but there was no telling who might overhear their conversation with this many people milling about.
“I’ve already arranged it. Can you have the car brought around?”
“I think you better come with me. You look pretty unsteady.”
“All right.”
Mara’s steps lagged a bit as they left the ballroom. There had been no evidence of vampires at the party, but the sun was just now going down. What if he doesn’t show?
He’ll show.
Shortly after the incident in her office, Mara realized Steffen could hear her thoughts. Her inability to communicate telepathically had always made her feel inadequate. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to send her thoughts to anyone else, but it comforted her to know their bond was strengthening.
Steffen had wanted to concentrate entirely on her protection, so he’d insisted they take a limo to the party. The hotel had a side entrance with a circular drive designed for limos and taxies. Steffen called their driver and wrapped his arm around her waist as they waited for the vehicle to arrive.
“Where is Max? I see no reason to negotiate with minions.”
The autocratic voice sent shivers down Mara’s spine. The air around her grew dense and cloying as evil polluted the atmosphere. Steffen turned and stepped in front of her. They stood at a slight angle and she could see the intruder.
Neither tall nor brawny, the vampire managed to exude menace with nothing more than his presence. His hair was a common shade of brown, tucked carelessly behind his ears. Though his eyes were the same unremarkable brown, the intensity in their depths was chilling.
“Are you talking to me?” Steffen did a respectable job of sounding confused.
A slender woman stood beside the vampire. The calculation in her blue eyes belied her bored expression. She turned to the vampire with a charming smile. “Can we play with them before you kill them? They make such a pretty couple.”
Ignoring her entirely, the vampire moved toward Steffen. “Where is Max?”
A large space behind the couple blurred as if space itself disintegrated to make way for the Sentinel commander. “I’ve never known you to negotiate with anyone, Taerok, so don’t waste our time.” Tall, heavily muscled, and darkly dangerous, Max was far more what Mara had expected than his nemesis. “Do you turn yourself in or do my men close ranks and bring you down?”
Taerok chuckled, pivoting so he could see Max without losing sight of Steffen. “Though it would be entertaining to watch you try, you have no crime with which to charge me.”
Max’s dark eyes narrowed and tension rolled across his broad shoulders. “I’ve got the savaged body of a Dichotomy that says otherwise.”
“Yes, poor Robert.” Taerok folded his fingers and inspected his immaculate nails. “That was unfortunate, but I had nothing to do with his death.” Amusement bled from the woman’s expression an instant before Taerok grabbed her arm. “Valerie took a life and as her sire she is my responsibility.” He shoved her toward Max as the ghost of a smile stole across his thin lips. “Do with her what you will. I uphold the alliance.”
Valerie collided with Max as Taerok flashed out of sight.
“That lying bastard!” Valerie tugged against Max’s meaty fist, her features tense and pale. “He killed Robert, not me! You can’t take his word for it.” Max snatched a metallic band off the back of his belt and snapped it against the side of her neck. The semi-rigid collar coiled around her throat and she shrieked as if she’d been scalded. Kicking and twisting, she gasped and cursed.
“Settle down,” Max commanded. “It won’t hurt if you stop fighting it.”
“It’s draining me,” she cried, clawing at the offensive band. “I can feel my strength melting away.”
“It will just ensure you behave.”
Three additional Sentinels materialized in the periphery. Two were armed to the teeth, while Lukas, like Max, wore a tuxedo. Max pushed Valerie toward the nearest Sentinel. “Take her to headquarters. Have Olin interrogate her.”
Offering a stiff nod, the man grasped Valerie’s upper arm. The other fully armed Sentinel fell into formation on her other side. He grasped her arm as well and the three faded from view.
“What the hell just happened?” Steffen asked.
“He got us to tip our hand,” Max muttered with a frustrated sigh.
“Do you believe him?” Mara asked. “Do you think Valerie killed Robert?”
“Probably, which means technically he’s right. I have no reason to apprehend him.”
“Yet,” Lukas drawled. “He’ll slip up. They always do.”
“And we just wait around until he makes a mistake?” Mara didn’t like the sound of that at all.
“If he’s smart, and he is, Taerok learned two things tonight.” Max held up his index finger. “One, his focus on pureblood Dichotomies is misplaced.” His second finger joined the first. “Two, you’re not worth his time.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“I mean no disrespect.” Amusement revealed flashes of blue within the depths of Max’s dark eyes. “This is one situation where your lack of paranormal abilities will work to your advantage. As soon as Taerok scanned you, he realized you don’t possess two distinct natures. The similarity between a Dichotomy’s transition and a vampire’s solar trance are at the heart of his obsession.”
“He needs a halfling who can shift between their personalities at will.” Mara crossed her arms over her chest. There were only a handful of people who met that criteria.
“It won’t take Taerok long to put the pieces together,” Max went on. “The trick is adequately protecting these people without drawing his attention to them.”
“Decoys?” Lukas suggested.
“Perhaps. Or disguising their protection as something else entirely.” He shook his head, his expression tense and aggressive. “Let’s head back. We’ll have to set things in motion tomorrow during his solar trance.”
“May I stay with Mara, sir?” Steffen clasped his hands behind his back, his features utterly expressionless. “Despite her apparent worthlessness, I don’t think we should leave her unprotected.”
Max chuckled. “That wasn’t what I meant and you know it.” He looked at Mara and inclined his head. “Would you feel more comfortable if Steffen tags along?”
“Yes, sir.” Beneath his gruff exterior he was almost likeable.
“Then we’ll find a way to muddle through without him.” He turned his sharp gaze on Steffen and squelched his smile. “You’re still on call.”
“Of course, sir.”
Max winked at Mara and flashed out of sight.
* * *
“You just gave her to them?” It wasn’t that Raze gave a damn about Valerie, but Taerok’s indifference shined a glaring light on the precariousness of his own existence.
“She’d outlived her usefulness.” Taerok paced his favorite chamber, deep in the bowels of a crumbling ruin. “I suspect I’ve been searching in the right vicinity, yet my focus is slightly off course.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I was born a vampire, so there is no humanity in me.”
Raze fought back a bitter laugh. That statement was true both literally and figuratively. “So how do you correct your course?”
“I transform someone who is both Dichotomy and human, someone who has complete control over both their day-dwelling and nocturnal natures.”
“Some of the halflings are able to transform at will?”
“The ability is rare, but I’m certain this is the key.”
He’d been certain Valery was the key, but Raze knew better than pointing that out. “Then you’ll begin your search again?
”
Taerok’s smile revealed his cruelty. “Thanks to Max, I know just where to start.”
Epilogue
Mara stared out the window of the limo with unseeing eyes. She’d survived the gala and the Serenity Foundation had funding for the next fiscal quarter, so why did she feel disappointed?
Steffen lightly touched her knee, drawing her attention to his handsome face. “If you don’t stop brooding, I’m going to have to take drastic measures.”
“I’m not brooding, exactly. I just can’t help feeling like we’ve only shifted the focus of Taerok’s ambition to another victim.”
“All of us would have liked nothing better than to punish Taerok for what we suspect he will do, but even Max is bound by rules.” Steffen rested his arm on the back of the seat and angled his body toward her. “Until we can prove Taerok has taken blood from an unwilling donor—”
“Vampires only feed from those who offer their blood willingly? You expect me to believe that? You showed me just how easy it is for a vampire to make someone willing.”
“Vampires are predators. It’s against their nature to compromise on any level. The alliance creates a delicate balance. We are allowed to hunt those who break the terms of the alliance so long as the ones abiding by the terms are left alone.”
“I can’t believe you’re defending them.”
“Have you forgotten I’m part vampire? The darkest part of my nature understands their cravings all too well.”
She’d sensed it in Steffen from the start, a wildness, a barely contained aggression. It was part of what attracted her to him. “You’re right. I’m judging people I know little about.”
“I’m not Taerok and neither is Max, but if we abandon the rules, we are no better than the ones we hunt.”
“I understand, or at least I’m starting to.”
He hooked his pinkie through the thin strap of her dress and dragged it off her shoulder. “I believe we have a date tonight.”
“A date?”
His warm lips pressed against her shoulder before he explained, “I told you I would demonstrate my need for control in intimate detail once the gala was over and you were safe.”