Nico’s lips flattened in irritation, but then he shrugged. “You have good sources. Sotiris thought he could use Kato’s blood to enhance his own power.”
“Which, I assume, would have killed Kato.”
“Yes. Dark magic is powered by pain. It doesn’t care whose pain it is.”
Raphael nodded.
“I almost caught up to him that time, but he twisted reality to ensure his escape.”
“Have you ever faced him directly?” Raphael asked. It was an insulting question, but the vampire lord’s expression showed nothing but curiosity.
“Many times in battle long ago, and we always defeated him. That was why he resorted to cursing my warriors the way he did.”
“And how do you plan to defeat him this time?”
Nico’s expression tightened, going from frustration to pensiveness and back again. “Sotiris is without boundaries. There’s nothing he won’t do. He’s not only powerful, he’s cruel and damn clever.”
“Sort of like you,” Hana said softly.
Nico looked at her in surprise, but then shrugged. “You’re right. The difference is I always loved the people I fought for, and the men who fought with me. Why do you think Sotiris took the four he did? Because he knew I loved them more than any others. They were my brothers. They still are, and I want their world to continue, for them to be safe now that they’re free.” He looked around the table. “Sotiris loves only himself. He wants to rule the world, at least the magical part of it. And he doesn’t care what happens to the rest as a result. Imagine how he could use Hana’s talent, what he’d use it for.”
“Only if I worked for him, which I wouldn’t. I’d die first.”
Raphael turned to face her. “And if he threatened not you, but that which you hold most dear? What then?”
Hana stared back at him.
“Frankly, my goal right now is to keep him from getting his hands on you,” Nico interjected. “If we don’t manage that . . . Raphael’s right. Sotiris is powerful, even in this world with its thin supply of magic. I’m his match or better if we fight one on one, but if you double his magic? Fuck me. Fuck all of us.”
Gabriel put his arm around Hana and pulled her close. “I won’t let him have you,” he whispered, then kissed the soft skin of her temple. Her head swiveled, her eyes meeting his as she nodded solemnly. And he realized she thought he meant that he really would kill her before letting Sotiris control her. Fuck me, too, he thought, and his heart clenched at the very idea of doing such a thing.
“Well, before we all submit to being fucked,” Raphael said briskly, “we should at least attempt to come up with an alternative plan.”
Nico barked out a laugh. “Right you are, vampire. All right. First, I need to teach Hana some magic.” He shifted his gaze to her. “You’ve got enough power to protect yourself—at least until we can get to you—but you don’t know shit about using it. We have to correct that fast.”
“All right,” she agreed. “How do we do that?”
“We’re going to start with shielding. You were wasting power last night, trying to cover yourself and Gabriel. No.” He raised a hand when she started to protest. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t have covered him, only that you were bleeding power all over the place while you tried. That’s probably what Sotiris locked on to when he attacked you.” He shifted, swinging his chair around to face the table directly and putting both hands flat on the surface. “I have a spell that can protect you until you learn to do it yourself. It draws on your own magic, but the skill behind the spell will be mine. That means I control it, and that gives me free access to your magic.”
Hana’s face paled.
“If I were a different sort of man, I could use this spell to use you much the same way Sotiris would like to. I could force you to do things against your will, even things you’d never choose to do on your own. I’m telling you this so you understand the risk, but also to point out that the admission I just made is not the act of a corrupt man. The choice is yours.”
Everyone was looking at Hana, waiting for her answer. Everyone but Gabriel. He was studying Nico. He knew this man, knew he could rightfully claim to be the good to Sotiris’s evil. But for all his power, he was still human, with human flaws. Nico could be cruel if he thought it necessary to achieve his goal. And he was capable of sacrificing the innocent in the name of a greater good. Was that what he was doing now? Better that he control Hana, than let Sotiris have her?
Gabriel trusted Nico, but could he trust him with the most important person in his life? Could he trust him with Hana?
Nico had turned his gaze to Gabriel, waiting for an answer, but Gabriel only smiled slightly and faced Hana. “It’s your decision, älskling.”
She met his gaze unflinching, then mouthed “thank you” and kissed him lightly before turning to face Nico. “No,” she said clearly. “I’m not comfortable with that. If you’d like to give me some pointers on shielding, I’m happy to learn, but I’ll be no one’s puppet, not even yours.”
Everyone seem to exhale at the same time, as if they’d all been holding their breath, waiting for Hana’s answer. There were blank faces all around, except for Nico’s. He was plainly disappointed. Oddly, that made Gabriel feel as though Hana had made the right choice. Even the strongest man, the most honest, could succumb to temptation. Hana had a power that any sorcerer would covet, and Nico was a man accustomed to getting what he wanted. He barely knew Hana. He certainly didn’t love her. It was possible he even resented her, thinking she was the real reason that Gabriel had taken oath with Raphael. Hana was right not to tempt him too closely.
“Well, that’s settled,” Raphael said, which ignited a flash of anger from Nico. Maybe he’d thought to take a shot at persuading her. But Raphael only gave him a cool look and continued. “Do we know for sure that Sotiris is in L.A.?”
“Based on Hana’s description of the attack on her last night, I’d say definitely,” Nico replied. “He’s probably been here a while now. This was his home base before he tried to sacrifice Kato. He’s fully capable of shielding his location from detection—various wards and spells in the walls and so on—so there’s no reason he wouldn’t come back here. He certainly wasn’t with his team in Nagano. If he had been, they wouldn’t have used gangster tactics to try and grab her. But since his contractors failed, and especially now that she’s ended up here . . . he’ll come after her himself.”
“So how do we find him?” Gabriel asked.
Nico sighed. “That’s the trick. We have to wait for him to show himself, which probably means an attack, either to take out Hana’s protection, or to grab her directly.”
“The hell with that.”
Nico focused on Hana again. “I understand why you rejected the temporary shield I suggested. But I’ll give you a few pointers, teach you a spell or two. Enough to confuse anyone who tries to grab you and buy yourself enough time to get away.”
“She’s not going to be facing this danger alone,” Gabriel said flatly. “And don’t forget that she’s a trained warrior herself.”
“Of course. And we’ll all do everything we can to protect her, too. But if the worst happens, and it comes down to Hana escaping on her own, it would be nice if she had something to work with besides her battle skills.”
Hana regarded Nico silently, then put a hand on Gabriel’s arm and said, “That would be useful.”
Nico nodded. “I can’t do it here, though,” he said, waving a hand to indicate Raphael’s estate.
Every vampire at the table turned to stare at him, their eyes unblinking, their expressions full of suspicion. It was Raphael who said what they all were obviously thinking.
“Hana is safer here than anywhere else. I have more fighters, and they’re on highest alert, which means double watches along the entire perimeter, as well as the m
ain house. And that includes daytime, when she has the added protection afforded my vampires while they sleep.”
“I’m sure that’s true. Unfortunately, I can’t teach her magic with you all congesting the air. Your magic alone is enough to interfere with what I’m trying to do. When you add in a few more vampires like these two”—he indicated Jared and Juro—“it’s almost difficult to breathe. I don’t know how you stand it.”
Raphael bared his teeth. “It’s comforting.”
Nico scoffed. “I bet it is, but not to me. I’ll take her to Grace and Kato’s place. It’s only two miles down the coast, barely enough for you to raise a sweat if you run it at speed. I’ll be there. So will Kato and Damian. Kato already has the house warded, but I’ll add a few protections of my own.”
Before Raphael could say anything, Gabriel jumped in. “It has to be at night.” He turned to Hana. “You will not leave here without me.”
She patted his thigh. “No, I won’t. If I go at all.”
“Come on, Hana,” Nico said impatiently. “If we do it at night, you’ll have the best protection this world can offer. The most powerful sorcerer—” He touched his own chest, then gestured around the table. “And three of the best warriors in the history of man, plus a few scattered vampires, I’m quite sure.” He glanced at Raphael. “Though they’ll have to stay back from the wards. I can’t have them trying to punch through when I’m trying to concentrate on Hana.”
“I can go with them,” Cyn said unexpectedly. “I don’t have any magic to interfere, and you know I’m a badass.”
Raphael smiled and took her hand, kissing it before placing it back on her chair arm. “That you are, my Cyn.” He shifted his gaze to Hana. “Hana? Gabriel? What do you think?”
“My lord,” Gabriel said hesitantly. His instincts were telling him to follow Raphael’s advice in this. Gabriel was a warrior and had fought more wars than he could count. Ask him a question about battlefield tactics or strategy, and he could tell you the best possible solution. Put him in charge of an army, and he’d win the damn war. But this? This involved sorcery and vampires, and a conflict between Nico and Raphael that he didn’t understand. And without understanding, he couldn’t be sure that Nico wasn’t using Hana to win whatever battle was playing out between the two powerful men.
“Not this time,” Raphael said softly, seeming to understand Gabriel’s quandary. “You’re not a slave, Gabriel. Your life and decisions are your own. Just be careful. I would not lose you so soon after finding you.”
Gabriel swallowed hard, then waited for Hana’s decision. Because once again, it was hers to make. She knew where he stood on the question of trusting Nico. They’d talked about all of this more than once.
Hana drew a deep breath. “I’ll go, but only at night, and only for the evening. We return here before dawn. And Cyn, I’d welcome your company, if Lord Raphael can spare you.”
Cyn grinned. “Ah, he’ll be okay. He’ll miss me, but he’ll be fine.”
For his part, Nico had pushed back from the table with a big smile. “Excellent. We’ll start tomorrow, to give us more time in the night. How soon can you be there?”
Raphael gave him a cool look. “They’ll arrive with escort at nine o’clock. My vampires will remain close enough to assist, but not so close as to interfere. Cyn will remain with Hana, as will, I assume, Gabriel.”
“Fine, fine,” Nico said impatiently. “I can deal with one of you, just not the whole fucking vampire army.”
Raphael stood, pulling Cyn up with him. “Tomorrow night, then. Juro will see you out.”
Chapter Ten
NICK WATCHED FROM an upstairs window as three big SUVs drove through the open gate of Grace’s family home, riding bumper to bumper, so close it was a wonder they didn’t crash into each other as they filled the courtyard. A fourth vehicle pulled up on the street, blocking the driveway in front of the open gate. Blacked-out windows all around gave away nothing of the passengers, while black-painted exteriors gleamed under the security lights. There was not even a hint of chrome to break the monotony. Fucking vampires. He wondered if they had a car wash hidden in that huge estate of Raphael’s to keep their cars all shiny and bright.
Doors opened all at once and vampires spilled out, seeming to know where to go without asking. He counted twenty vamps, including the two big Japanese twins who paused briefly to confer before one of them joined the group heading around the house to the oceanfront. Twelve vamps to the beach, then. That made sense. Security on that side was much weaker, since the house sat right on the sand, while the street side had the now-closed gate and the curtain wall to protect it. Or to at least slow down any attackers.
The other twin vamp, the one left behind, walked over to the middle vehicle in the courtyard and signaled with a lift of his hand. Cyn opened the front passenger door and slid to the ground, her long legs camouflaged by black combat-style pants, pockets bulging with flat shapes, the swell of her breasts concealed behind a tactical vest that covered her from neck to hip. Nick had heard about the nearly fatal wounds she’d sustained in a gunfight up north. He’d been pissed as hell that her fucking vampire lord had let that happen. But since that same fucking vampire lord had then saved her life, he couldn’t complain. Much. Nick loved Cyn, and she loved him, and the benefits had been great. But no more. He sighed. No more. Cyn’s benefits were now reserved for that fucking vampire.
He shifted his gaze to Gabriel, who’d climbed out of the back seat and was offering a hand to Hana, who smiled up at him. It was obvious to Nick from her graceful jump to the ground that she didn’t need anyone’s help. But it was just as obvious that she was head over heels in love with Gabriel, which was why she’d accepted the assistance of his hand. Nick was almost jealous. He’d had plenty of lovers over the years. He still did. But no one had ever looked at him like that.
He shook his head impatiently. There was no time for such stupid thoughts. He had one night to get Hana up to speed on magical skills that normally took years to master. He could only hope she was a fast learner. But first he had to get downstairs and make sure the vampires kept their distance. He couldn’t teach Hana anything if the damn vamps were pressing close with their weird version of magic. Not for the first time, he wished he could get hold of a dead vampire to examine. Unfortunately, the damn creatures dusted when they died. He’d be happy to settle for a live one to cut up instead, but no one had volunteered yet. His head tilted thoughtfully. Maybe Gabriel? He’d gone over to the dark side, but he still had loyalties to Nick and the others.
Of course, that fucking Raphael would never agree to it, and vamps were all good little soldiers when it came to obeying their damn lords. Lords. Christ, was this still the dark ages?
“Nico!” Damian’s voice came from downstairs.
Nick walked out to the landing and started down the stairs.
“The vamps are here,” Damian announced unnecessarily.
The big Japanese vamp came to stand next to him, dwarfing even the huge warrior. Nick had to blink. He’d seen bigger men, but never one whose confidence and stature matched that of Damian with his self-styled claim as a god of war.
“Juro here wants to know if you have any restrictions on where he can deploy his people,” Damian said.
Juro, Nick repeated to himself. How come Damian knew which twin it was, but he didn’t? Maybe because he hated the vamps too much to pay attention to personal details? Yeah, that was probably it. “Right. Your people are where?” he asked, pretending he hadn’t been watching the whole time they’d been deploying.
The vampire—Juro, Nick reminded himself—gave him a look that said he knew exactly where Nick had been, but all he said was, “Most of my force will deploy on the beach side. I’ll remain in front with seven fighters. Gabriel will, of course, be in the house with Hana, as will Cynthia.” He nodded over his shoulder to where Han
a had taken a seat on the big couch, while Gabriel stood above her, his legs braced and hands resting on the sub-machine gun hanging on a sling around his neck. Cyn sat with one hip on the back of the couch, one arm lying across the same kind of weapon. Nick couldn’t have said which make the gun was, but he was sure Damian could.
“Gabriel . . . ,” Nick said slowly, but one glance at his warrior—his former warrior, which still galled—told him he wouldn’t be budged from Hana’s side. Nick shrugged in acceptance and said, “Cyn’s fine, and I can deal with Gabriel. But the ones on the beach need to remain twenty feet from the house. Less, if the tide comes in, of course. I’m not unreasonable.” He smiled insincerely. He’d actually take tremendous pleasure in forcing the vamps to stand in the water, but he wouldn’t put Hana’s safety at risk for his own enjoyment. “Those of you in front of the house need to stay on the street side of the curtain wall.”
Juro frowned at that. “As long as the wall door remains open,” he said.
Nick shrugged. “Fine. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
Juro nodded, then addressed Damian. “You and Kato?”
“We’ll stay inside, ready to help wherever we’re needed if there’s an attack.”
The big vamp gave a grunt of agreement, then turned and shared a nod with Gabriel, before heading out the front door.
“Well,” Nick said. “Now that’s settled, let’s get to work. Gabriel, Hana and I will be working here in the living room. If you could remain over by the kitchen, maybe behind the counter, it will make things much easier for both of us.”
Gabriel gave the big window a doubtful look, then walked over, closed the sliding door, and pulled the drapes.
“What about your vamp buddies? Won’t that make it harder for them to get in here if we need them?”
Gabriel shook his head. “It’s only glass.”
“Right,” Nick muttered. “What was I thinking? You okay staying in the kitchen?”
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