Ganriel

by D. B. Reynolds

  They stopped in front of the elegantly understated entrance to Raphael’s house—or, she supposed, Raphael and Cyn’s house. She didn’t know how that worked. Human guards appeared to help carry bags up the entry stairs and into the house, leaving them piled in the foyer. Hana looked at her multiple purchases and wondered if there was an elevator.

  “You can leave some of those down here, if you want,” Cyn said, coming up behind her and grabbing her own bags. “Make a few trips. Elke tells me stairs are good for you. She’s the trainer from hell. She’s also my vampire bodyguard for when I go out at night. Actually, I’m supposed to have a daytime bodyguard, too, but Robbie had kind of a family emergency. Don’t tell—”

  “Don’t tell who what?”

  Hana spun around and stared at the huge and well-armed black man who was giving Cyn the look of death. She dropped the bags she’d been holding, prepared to fight, but then realized no one else was worried. Least of all Cyn.

  “Robbie!” she said, hurrying over to give the big man a hug. “You’re back!”

  “And just in time, it looks like. What the fuck, Cyn? You promised you’d get one of the guys to go with you.”

  “I had Hana instead. She’s tougher than she looks.”

  Hana didn’t know how Cyn could know that, but she did know she didn’t want to get in the middle of whatever this was. On the other hand, she really was tougher than she looked. “I really am,” she agreed. “Think of it this way,” she added, grabbing her various bags, “you didn’t have to spend several hours speed-walking through stores with Cyn.”

  “I’m familiar with the process. You’re Hana?”

  “Hana Himura,” she confirmed, holding out a hand, which quickly disappeared into his enormous paw. “We arrived last night.”

  “We?” Robbie was giving Cyn a questioning look.

  “I’ll explain later. Go. Irina will want to see you when she wakes up.”

  “Fine. But no more sneaking out. Raphael would kill me if some­thing happened to you.”

  “I wouldn’t let him do that.”

  “Like you could stop him,” he muttered, as he disappeared down the long hallway.

  “Your bodyguard?” Hana asked, following Cyn up the stairs.

  “And a good friend. We’ve been through a lot together.”

  They reached the top of the twisting staircase, with Cyn going one way and Hana the other. “Thanks for doing this,” Hana said.

  “I never mind going shopping,” Cyn said, smiling and looking much fresher than Hana felt. “I’ll see you later.”

  Hana trudged down the empty hall to her room, or at least her room for now. Locking the door behind her, she dumped the bags on the floor, not bothering to sort anything out yet. She was tired. Not only the miles of walking they’d done, but the weird time shift was getting to her. She lay flat on her back and closed her eyes, thinking she’d just catch her breath before going through the bags, taking off tags, deciding what needed to be washed . . .

  That was the last thought she had.

  THE SUN SET, AND the vampires rose. Including one pissed-off vampire lord who rolled over and grabbed his mate, trapping her neatly beneath him. “You went shopping today,” he growled.

  She put both hands on his cheeks and kissed him. “I did. Hana had nothing but the clothes on her back, the poor thing.”

  “Poor thing, my ass. She’s a highly trained warrior in her grand­father’s army.”

  “Exactly. Which is why we didn’t need a bodyguard.”

  Raphael’s growl deepened. “Is that what you think?”

  She kissed him more thoroughly. “I’m happy to see you, too, fang boy.”

  “Cynthia.”

  She sighed. “I know. We should have taken someone with us. But, honestly, Raphael. Neither one of us is easy prey. And we really were careful.”

  “Don’t do it again.”

  “I won’t.”

  “If you try, I’ll order the guards to stop you.”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “I would do that and more to keep you safe. You are . . .” He shook his head, unable to find the words. “I love you.”

  “I know, baby, and I’m sorry. But wait ‘til you see—” She didn’t get a chance to finish the thought, because Raphael had decided to show her just how much she meant to him. Words sometimes failed him, but his body never did. Not when it came to giving his mate pleasure.

  RAPHAEL HELD ON to Cyn as the elevator rose to his office. Her body was still thrumming with pleasure, her kisses languorous and sated as she draped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Soft breasts were crushed against his chest as he squeezed her close. “Be good,” he murmured, feeling himself harden in response. “I’d rather remain in bed with you all night, but regrettably, there are matters that won’t wait.”

  “You say the sweetest things,” she whispered against his lips.

  His hand dropped to her ass, and he was about to say, “the hell with it,” and take her back downstairs, when Juro’s voice in his head requested his urgent attention. He sighed and stroked his hand from her ass to her lower back, instead. “This situation is going to get worse before it gets better.”

  She dropped down from her toes and patted his chest. “How can I help?”

  “Find Hana. Bring her to my office. Gabriel is still asleep, but I need answers, and she has them.”

  “Okay, but be nice.”

  “Nice doesn’t always produce results, my Cyn.”

  “If she knows you’re protecting Gabriel, she’ll help you. She loves him.”

  “I don’t think this is about Gabriel. I think it’s Hana, and I can’t protect either one of them if I don’t know the truth.”

  The elevator door opened, and they stepped into his office. Cyn slid a caressing hand from his shoulder to his chest, kissed him lightly, and said, “I’ll bring her here.” He watched the sway of her hips as she strolled to the door and opened it, greeting Juro and Jared in the hallway with a “Hey guys,” and then disappearing from his view.

  Raphael moved around behind his desk and sat down. “You have news?” he asked, watching his two closest advisors as they lowered themselves into the two chairs in front of his desk. They were big men, but the chairs had been chosen for their size and sturdiness. None of his inner circle was small.

  “The sorcerer is aware of Gabriel’s arrival in California,” Juro said, his deep voice betraying the hostility toward Katsaros that he shared with his Sire. “Kato Amadi, the witch’s son, now knows as well,” he said, in response to Raphael’s inquiring look.

  “Ah. I assumed as much. Too bad he lives so close.”

  “On the other hand,” Jared said, “it makes it easier to keep track of him.”

  They all shared a chuckle over that, then Raphael said, “Cyn’s bringing the woman. Whoever was following them is after her, not Gabriel. No one tried to stop the first two of Katsaros’s warriors, once they were freed, not even the witch’s son as far as I know. Why would they want Gabriel? He’s a powerful warrior, no question. And he’ll be a strong addition to my inner security circle, but he has no magic.”

  “You’re sure of this?”

  Raphael looked at his lieutenant. “I’ve walked in his soul, Jared. He’s been through hell, and he has a heart that is loyal to a fault. But he has no magic, other than that which makes him vampire.”

  “He’s yours, then,” Juro commented.

  “He is mine. Or if he chooses, I’ll recommend him to another North American lord, someone I can trust. Between the bastard who sired him and that fucking sorcerer, he’s been through enough.” His gaze shifted to the office doors. “Cyn has returned, with Hana.”

  The other two came to their feet as the doors opened. Cyn gave them all bemused looks, then walked over
to join Raphael behind the desk, taking up her usual position next to him. He ran a caressing hand over the back of her firm thigh as he watched Himura Kyou’s only grand­daughter move more cautiously to the front of the desk. He waved at the recently vacated chairs, and she sat, her careful gaze moving first to Cyn, who gave an encouraging nod, and then back to Raphael.

  “Where’s Gabriel?” she asked.

  “He’ll join us soon,” Raphael said smoothly. “Tell me about your magic.”

  Hana stared. “How do you know I have any?” When Raphael returned a patronizing stare, she muttered, “Of course you do.” She clenched her jaw, then said, “The night of the attack, when Grandfather told me to run, he insisted the attackers were after me.”

  “I suspect he’s right. Your great-grandmother had magic, did you know that?”

  Her surprise was obvious. “No. Grandfather never talked about her.”

  “He was very young when she died, but your great-grandfather was aware of her ability, and I suspect he passed on the knowledge. You resemble her very closely, but while you look like her, you’re very different. She was a housewife. You’re a warrior. Kyou made sure of it, probably because he knew, or suspected, the risks you would face.”

  She shifted in her chair, not looking at him, as if uncomfortable talking about her talent. And why wouldn’t she be? She’d clearly been raised not to admit its existence, much less discuss it with strangers. Regardless of Raphael’s ties to Gabriel, or Cyn’s enthusiastic shopping trip, they were all very much strangers to Hana.

  “Grandfather called me his little soldier,” she said softly, then looked up. “I have twin older brothers, did you know that?”

  Raphael nodded.

  “Grandfather brought all three of us to Gabriel’s garden when we were older. His statue was hidden behind a tall hedgerow, impossible to get to unless you possessed some magic. I used to visit all the time, though I didn’t think about why I was the only one. I just assumed the twins were too idiotic to try. On the day the three of us were there with Grandfather, they looked at Gabriel and laughed, calling him a monster. I was shocked, because I only ever saw Gabriel. Not a monster, but an angel. My angel.” She stopped abruptly, as if afraid she’d said too much. “Neither of my brothers would have survived the past few days,” she added, as if to explain why she’d mentioned it.

  She hesitated then, as if making a decision, but finally continued. “Grandfather always calls me . . . he always called me,” she corrected, swallowing obvious emotion, “a magic amplifier. He said his ‘luck’ was better when I was around. That was his code for telepathy, which he never acknowledged having. He never wanted anyone to know about my magic, either, so we never did anything close to a formal test, but he always thought it was on the order of two.”

  Raphael grew very still. “Meaning you can double the power of whoever taps into your ability?”

  Hana tensed at his reaction. “Theoretically. But like I said, it’s never been tested, and I wouldn’t know where to start.”

  Raphael wasn’t listening anymore. Jesus fucking Christ. Double. Every sorcerer alive would be after her if they knew. She could turn a two-bit magic-user into a power, and a true sorcerer. . . . He thought about Nick Katsaros, and his gaze swung automatically to Cyn. She might have a soft spot for the fucking sorcerer, but not even she would want that much power vested in one man, would she? He glanced briefly at Hana, then back to Cyn, the question in his eyes.

  Cyn must have read something more in his expression, because her green eyes flared in alarm. Moving quickly around the desk, she came between him and Hana. “Raphael says Gabriel will sleep later than usual today. Kind of like you or me after a hangover,” she added with a grin. “You want a nap yourself, or—”

  “What I’d really like is a gym. We went from running for our lives to sitting on a plane for way too many hours.”

  “Call Elke,” Raphael suggested, in a tone that said it wasn’t a suggestion. Now that he knew what she could do, he wanted to be sure he knew where she was and with whom. He hadn’t directed the order to anyone, but Juro stepped into the hall, and a moment later, Elke ap­peared.

  “My lord?” she asked, her gaze going from one to the other of the people in the room.

  Cyn took over again, clearly not trusting him to make it sound like Elke was anything except a prison guard. “Elke, this is Hana,” she said, pulling the other woman to her feet. “She’s majorly jetlagged and needs a good workout.”

  Elke’s smile was almost evil. Raphael approved, though Cyn obviously didn’t. “Hana’s not a vampire,” she cautioned.

  “No, really?” Elke drawled.

  Cyn scowled. “Be nice.”

  Elke laughed. “You’re still alive, aren’t you? Come on, Hana. I’ll set you up.”

  Hana glanced once at Raphael, then at Cyn, who gave her an encouraging nod. “I’ll join you in a bit.”

  She made an aborted start at a bow to Raphael but stopped herself and settled for a nod instead. “Thank you for everything. If you wouldn’t mind, could you have someone advise me when Gabriel is awake?”

  “Of course,” he agreed smoothly.

  She turned and followed Elke out of the office.

  Cyn stared after them. “You think Elke—?”

  “Elke knows her job,” Raphael said impatiently.

  Cyn swung around to study him, then sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, her long legs stretched out in front of her. Jared took the second chair, while Juro carried a chair from the alcove to make a third.

  “What do you think?” Raphael asked, aiming the question mostly at his vampires. He already knew what Cyn thought. She was tough as nails beneath that beautiful exterior and had killed without qualms in the past. There were no lengths she wouldn’t go to protect him. But it wasn’t only his body she worried about, it was his soul. And she didn’t want this stain on that already blackened thing.

  “I think she’s a walking, talking, nuclear bomb,” Juro said.

  “Hell, yeah, she is,” Jared agreed. “A bomb I don’t want to see in the hands of our enemies. Or anyone else, for that matter.”

  “Sure as hell not that fucking sorcerer,” Raphael added, staring directly at Cyn.

  She sat forward, her worried eyes meeting his. “I know you don’t trust Nick—”

  Raphael snorted.

  “—but he’s not an altogether bad guy. And what’s the alternative? Hana needs to learn control from somebody, right? I mean, what’s the other choice? Lock her up? Kill her?” she added in a bare whisper.

  Raphael wanted to dismiss that last possibility. Hana was the beloved granddaughter of a friend who’d trusted him more than once. Not to mention what it would do to Gabriel’s trust in him. More importantly, it would hurt Cyn deeply.

  Fortunately, it wouldn’t come to that. Jared and Juro understood. They were both staring at Cyn, wondering why she wasn’t seeing the logical alternative. Maybe this was one time when you really did need to be a vampire.

  “You believe I’d kill her that easily?” he asked. He would kill her, if it came down to it. But it wouldn’t be easy, and he was frankly a little wounded that Cyn would think it of him. She should’ve known that he’d never treat her heart so carelessly.

  She must have seen something in his eyes, because she came around the desk to hug him. “Of course not,” she said, planting her sweet ass on the arm of his chair. “I’m just worried. After Hawaii, I don’t trust any of this magic stuff.” She looked from Jared to Juro and back to him, then frowned. “Okay, you guys are seeing something I’m not. What is it?”

  Raphael rested a hand on her thigh. “It’s very simple, my Cyn. I’ll bind her to me through Gabriel.”

  She frowned. “So you can use her instead?” she asked, sounding puzzled.

  “No. Her magic doe
sn’t work on mine. I can feel it, like an annoying buzz, but there’s no amplification effect.”

  “You think she’ll agree? I mean, she and Gabriel aren’t exactly—”

  Raphael’s phone rang once and stopped. It was the standard comm protocol from the gate. He glanced at Juro, then pressed a single key, putting the call on speaker.

  “My lord, there’s a man here, demanding to see the visitors.”

  He glanced at Juro who immediately stood. “I’m on my way,” he answered the gate guard, and then disconnected and left the room.

  Jared stood as Juro walked out. “I’ll check on Gabriel. He should be awake by now. He was stirring before I came up here.”

  “Make sure he has whatever needs,” Raphael said. “I want him to feel comfortable seeing his old friend again.”

  Cyn waited until both the vampires had gone, then slid around to his lap. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried about Hana. She needs to learn about magic, and at least we know Nick. Better him than someone like that other sorcerer, Sotiris.”

  Raphael stiffened beneath her, and not in a good way. “Sotiris? Where’d you hear that name?”

  “Back in Kansas. Nick told me he’s the one who cursed his warriors, way back when.”

  “He confirmed that it was Sotiris who cursed his men?”

  “Well, yeah, but that was ages ago. He’s dead by now . . . isn’t he?”

  He shook his head. “Sotiris is still very much alive, my Cyn, and Katsaros knows it. That dust-up in the desert I told you about around the time his second warrior was freed? That was the two of them going at each other.” He snorted dismissively. “Maybe when he gets here that fucking sorcerer will tell us why, after all this time, they’re suddenly trying to kill each other.”