“There,” Kyle finally said as they replayed one of the videos for a third time. A plain white van with no signage came into view. Only the driver was visible in the front, and he was wearing a dark hoody and sunglasses. “It’s the same make of van. They’ve pulled off the signage and the driver has changed appearance, but I’m sure that’s it.” In the pit of her stomach Gabi knew he was right, just as she now knew for certain that her mother hadn’t simply gone shopping or broken down somewhere.
She’d been abducted.
The knowledge stole Gabi’s breath and blanked her mind.
“Do you think Julius is awake yet?” Derek’s hushed voice speaking Julius’s name broke the fugue that had fallen over Gabi.
“It’s still an hour to sunset, but he might be,” Kyle’s voice responded. He was close to her, just to her left. She was sitting in a chair, her head bent down with a cold-pack pressed to the back of her neck. Slinky wound worried around her right leg, his own anxiety like a dark cloud hovering over him. She shook herself, mentally and physically, then reached down to stroke the agitated ferret and send an artificial ribbon of reassurance to calm him. Once he settled, she sat up, grabbing the cold-pack off her neck.
“I’ll go back to the Estate and rouse Julius,” she said. She had managed to shove the fear, anxiety and guilt haphazardly in a box in the back of her consciousness. Instead she found the simmering pool of anger and outrage bubbling inside her. She stoked the fire beneath the pool and bathed her mind in their armour. “Wolf, can you get to where my mom was taken, check if the car is still there, and try to scent anything useful?”
Kyle was already reaching for his keys.
“Trish, will you work on tracking that van? I don’t think it’ll get us anywhere, these guys look like they know exactly what they’re doing, but you never know.”
“Of course, Gabi,” Trish said, her voice thick with emotion.
Gabi stood and put her hands on her friend’s shoulders. “Stay strong for me, Trish. Keep me posted with anything, even the tiniest bit of news.”
“I will, you know I will,” Trish assured her, trying to smile, blinking rapidly. “Stay strong yourself.”
Gabi nodded, but she knew she was the personification of grim. When she caught up with whomever had taken her mother, she would be the personification of vengeance. There would be hell to pay.
As always, Julius’s face looked years younger in sleep, the weight of responsibility that he wore when conscious vanquished by a sleep so deep and dreamless that nothing could wake him. Well, almost nothing. Gabi paused for only a moment, for once unable to appreciate the sculpted lines of his honed body stretched out against the dark sheets. She stripped off her jacket, dropping it on the floor as the overly large tabby cat roused from his doze on the foot of the bed to take in her appearance with a yellow-eyed blink. In an instant he was on the floor, hackles raised and eyes fiery. Gabi cursed, she’d thought she had her raging emotions safely under lock and key, but Razor’s fine-tuned empathy had cut right through her carefully built facade. She took a moment to send calming thoughts his way, assuring him that the threat wasn’t imminent. His fur settled back into place, but his stance didn’t relax. He was on high alert and nothing she said or did would change his attitude. He knew her life too well. Gabi reached down to stroke his head before moving to the far side of the bed to sit near Julius’s head.
She mentally steeled herself as she reached to withdraw one of the butterfly swords from the sheath on her leg. They were closer to daggers than swords, handmade to her specific measurements, and treated with the very special protective coating that also protected her cars and battle clothing. Not even demon blood would corrode it. The coating was a true godsend; her main sword, Nex, had once been protected by a magic ward to make it immune to demon blood, but that ward required a large expenditure of energy by a very experienced Magus. With the Magi Council understaffed and their people in turmoil, there was no chance Nex’s ward would be renewed once it wore off this time. The magical warding only lasted a few months at best; Savanna’s special coating was good for a full year. Julius sure knew the right people.
Biting her lip, she stopped procrastinating and dug the tip of the blade into the fleshy part at the base of her left thumb. It only stung a little, less than slicing a fingertip, she’d found. As the blood welled, she used her right hand to pry Julius’s lips apart and wipe the first bright red drops across the inside of his lower lip. Then she readied herself. She’d got better at doing this over the past few months, but there was still an element of risk involved. She had to be quick—really, really quick—if she didn’t want his fangs in her flesh before he was fully conscious. If a Vampire bit you with the right intentions, it was the most erotic, sensual experience Gabi knew of, but they could also cause agonising pain if they wanted to or if they weren’t aware enough to help themselves. And being brought out of daysleep unnaturally left even the most senior Master Vampire dazed and confused for a few minutes.
Knowing how much blood was enough to rouse him was a work in progress. If she got it just right, she would avoid both her physical pain and his mental anguish at having hurt her. If she got it wrong…well…it was nothing a little of his blood and a couple of hours wouldn’t fix, but right now she needed to be one hundred percent on her game. Their mental connection was her secret weapon. She made sure to pull down the mental walls that had become her second skin, opening herself to him, waiting for the tiniest signal that his consciousness was returning.
One more smear of the blood that still trickled from her hand and she felt the emergence of the familiar warmth deep inside her mind. The presence that was Julius. Gentle as a feather, but solid as granite. She leapt from the bed, retreating from him, her back to the bedroom door, her hand outstretched to yank the door open if she needed to. She’d already cleared the few remaining Werewolf staff from the mansion. That way, if he chased her naked through the house, she wouldn’t be forced to dig any of the females’ eyes out afterwards. Under other circumstances it could’ve been an extremely entertaining start to the evening.
And then Julius was a rush of air and masculine scent barrelling directly for her. She let out an undignified squawk and yanked open the door to tumble out into the hallway, barely keeping her feet. Razor’s warning hiss mingled into the confusion as Gabi hurled one thought at Julius across their link. It’s me, it’s me, it’s me.
Julius caught her wrist in a bruising grip, yanking her towards his chest and knocking the wind from her as she collided with him. “Shit,” she wheezed, trying to draw breath into her empty lungs. Just when she’d thought she was getting better at this.
And then Julius stilled. “Lea?” he growled, confusion tainting his voice, a man emerging from a dream. Her bleeding hand was just millimetres from his mouth, and his fangs glistened, large and prominent, as he drew in her scent through his open mouth.
“Yes, it’s me,” she gasped, still trying to refill her airways. He brought her hand to his mouth and licked the small stab wound, closing his eyes as he savoured the taste.
“You woke me for an emergency, I assume?” he asked, his words slow and measured, regret already tinging them.
“Of course.” She coughed a little and automatically snapped her mental defences back into place before he could read the riot of emotions engulfing her.
“Gabrielle.” Julius released her wrist and plunged his hands into her hair, turning her face up to his, concern narrowing his eyes. “What is it?”
Anxiety rode Gabi hard, the constant flow of adrenalin was causing her chest to tingle and her stomach to knot. She barely noticed the sting of the self-inflicted bite wound in her lower lip, but she was aware enough of the three Vampires in the room with her that she made an effort not to draw blood again. Being still was physically impossible.
Pace, pace, pace…
Exactly six and a half paces and then she had to turn.
Pace, pace, pace…
In the comfortab
le, informal space they called the entertainment room, Julius stood with his arms folded, outwardly calm and just two steps from the centre of her pacing track, close enough that she didn’t feel alone, far enough that she didn’t feel smothered. Razor was seated on the bar counter, his intelligent yellow eyes following her every movement and his tail twitching with his own disquiet. She would soothe him if she could, but right now, if she opened her senses towards him, she’d only unsettle him further.
“Fill us in. What have we got to go on?” Alexander asked, concern etched across his perfectly drawn features. He and Fergus had joined them minutes after Julius had gone to rouse them, despite the last rays of sun still colouring the landscape. Alexander was now at Master level, with Fergus not far away from it, but neither would take the final test so long as Julius was still alive. And not for fear of Julius but instead out of loyalty and respect.
“Kyle says that whoever took her was professional about it,” Gabi said; her voice sounded dispassionate to her own ears. “They used a blow-dart to take out her tyre and made their move when she pulled over. They knew exactly where to take her from, the only blind spot to street cameras. And they knew the kind of people who would be trying to track her. They used perfumed aerosols all over the scene. Not even Kyle could pick up a scent marker.” Her voice cracked just a tiny bit, and she had to clear her throat.
Julius took over the account. “Her car was closed and locked, the keys left in the gutter, her bag and phone missing, no evidence of their presence left at the scene. There were also no traces of blood or any signs of violence. Whoever took her was careful of her well-being.” He was gently reminding Gabi that her mother was more than likely safe. At least for the moment.
“That’s good tae know.” Fergus spoke up for the first time. As usual he was standing near the door. The ruggedly built Scotsman with the vicious scar down the side of his face was always on guard; it was his natural state of being.
“Trish was able to track the suspicious van to the outskirts of the central city, and then lost them.” Gabi spoke again, her throat still tight, but her voice clear. “There aren’t as many cameras once you leave the main CBD. These guys were acutely aware of cameras when they…when they took her, so it stands to reason that they would know how to escape without leaving much of a trail. They were last spotted on the eastern fringe near the university. It looks as though they were heading for the southern motorway, but that might just be what they want us to think.”
“The Werewolves are mobilising; teams have been sent to the airports, train stations and all major routes exiting the City,” Julius continued. “They have the description of the van and the suspects.”
Alexander’s eyes narrowed contemplatively. “Has this got something to do with one of SID’s cases?” he asked. He left the rest unsaid, but they all knew what he was alluding to. Before anyone could reply, the doorbell rang and they could hear Kyle’s voice.
“Send him through, Claudia.” Julius barely raised his voice with the order to his newly appointed head steward. Gabi and Maximillian, the previous steward, had never truly seen eye to eye, but they had tolerated each other: Gabi because she could annoy the man for sport any time she chose, and Maximillian because the alternative was losing the best job he’d ever been offered. The relationship, however, had not withstood the introduction of Razor and Rocky to the household. The first night Gabi left on an errand without Razor, Maximillian had attempted to evict her pets. The Vampire had lost an eyeball and three fingers for his audacity. It took a good twenty-four hours or more for a Vampire to regenerate after that kind of damage, so it was obvious what had transpired when Julius arrived home later that evening. Maximillian had been packed off to supervise the cleaning of one of Julius’s office blocks before Gabi returned to the house. Claudia, his replacement, was much easier to get along with, and she immediately accepted the pets as part of the household. Razor even appeared to like her.
Kyle strode into the room moments later, his expression grim. He nodded curtly to the Vampires and ran a quick, assessing eye over Gabi. The fact that he didn’t say anything to her meant she was either holding up better than he expected, or he was treating her like a rabid tiger.
“Do you have any idea what or who we’re dealing with?” he asked of Julius instead, not wasting time with greetings.
“There are several possibilities,” Julius replied. “Each as likely as the next.”
“All tied to Gabi being a Dhampir?” Kyle posed the question, but his tone implied it was rhetoric.
“Not all.” Julius shook his head. “Aside from those who want the knowledge of Dhampir creation or control of Gabi herself, we can’t forget that SID is responsible for the execution of several Master Vampires. Any of their underlings could be out for revenge.”
CHAPTER 4
“Well, we need something to go on, somewhere to focus.” Kyle’s voice was uncharacteristically impatient. He was taking Gabi’s mom’s abduction personally. “We could start with the cases SID has closed or is working on. How much can you discuss?”
Gabi paused in her pacing and looked at Julius. Their eyes locked, both asking the other the question. They’d never been officially told to keep details of the cases confidential; keeping the secrets of Vampires as well as the Princeps was tacit and non-negotiable, details of their cases on the other hand… Well, there was no precedent for that.
“I’ll take the rap,” Gabi said, “if they have a problem with it.”
Julius’s gaze turned flat and annoyance tainted the link between them. He didn’t bother to respond, but his feelings were clear. Still, if it ever came back to bite them, Gabi would protect Julius, Alexander and Fergus. She would tell the Princeps it had been her decision, and Faruq, their Vampire lie detector, would confirm the honesty of her statement.
“They’ll never know.” Alexander broke the tense silence in the room. “No one will repeat anything said here. It will get no further than this room and the five of us.” The atmosphere in the room began to thicken, and goosebumps prickled up Gabi’s arms as Julius gathered his power to issue an unspoken command. She could feel the power radiate outward and the way it sought out each of the Clan members on the Estate. No one would dare come close enough to overhear them now.
Julius not only held the physical power of life and final death over each of his Clan members, but had the mental ability to control each of them if he chose. Throw in the Magi abilities of both an Air-bender and a Fire-bender and you got the kind of package very few beings on the planet would trifle with. But Julius never acted like he had that kind of power and rarely used his gifts unnecessarily. Gabi regularly thanked every god listening that they hadn’t bestowed those gifts on someone like Caspian.
Julius reached out towards Gabi, his palm up, and waited patiently for her to put her hand in his. When she capitulated, he pulled her close to the cool strength of his body. It was the first time she’d allowed him to touch her in comfort. The unspoken reassurance and understanding undid her, as she’d known it would. Tears pricked the back of her eyes and her throat felt thick. He kissed the top of her head before drawing her down onto a sofa with him. He kept her close, his arms wrapped around her, outwardly shielding her emotional meltdown. There was no way to truly keep the others from witnessing her moment of weakness. Razor jumped up on the other side of her, purring quietly as he too pressed close to her. For a brief moment she experienced a crushing need to lash out at Julius for making her vulnerable in front of them, but she firmly clamped it down, reminding herself that she trusted each one of them as much as she trusted Julius. All of them would lay down their lives for her, and she would do the same for them. She knew that word of her unguarded moment would never leave these walls either.
“We’ve dealt with three confirmed cases so far,” Julius began, his voice a low rumble above her head, giving her time to compose herself. “Three that have been tried and found guilty by the Princeps. They were executed without delay. There was anot
her case where the Master had been making plans but hadn’t actually followed through with any of them, so he wasn’t executed. We’re currently following up another suspected case.”
There was the faintest clink of glass on the small table to Gabi’s left, and the enticing aroma of a hearty Merlot teased her nostrils. She pulled away from Julius, brushing away tears, before reaching for the glass with a nod of thanks to Alexander. She was hesitant to meet his eyes, not sure she could deal with sympathy or compassion, but when she did, all she found was calm determination.
She buried her nose in the wine glass and leaned back into Julius’s side as Razor’s purr deepened, her anxiety levels tempered by the quiet strength of those around her. Three Vampires, a Werewolf, a Dhampir and a crazy cat—if anyone could get her mother back in one piece, it was the six of them.
“It’s highly unlikely that Duncan, the Master who wasn’t executed, would try something like this,” Julius continued. “He’s a plotter, but not much of a doer, hence the leniency of the Princep Council. He’s well known for planning all kinds of mischief, but never actually gets around to perpetrating anything. He was stripped of his Mastership and is indentured to the Council for the next hundred years. He’d have little access to the people or funds required to pull off a kidnapping of this calibre.”
“And our current case is so far unaware of SID’s interest,” Alexander put in. “I only received the intel two days ago.” Despite being relegated to the City, Alexander was still an integral part of the initial investigations. One of his responsibilities was to sort through all tip-offs and information sent to SID from all over the world and to sift out the important cases, then to arrange preliminary inquiries into the case before handing it onto Gabi and Julius. Once they were handed the file, it was up to them to obtain proof of the unlawful activity, generally only achieved by travelling to some far-flung part of the world, and then apprehending the culprit. If it was deemed too dangerous to take the offender, or offenders, into custody, they could call on the Princep Enforcers to do the apprehending for them, but so far they’d done it on their own. Very few Vampires were able to resist Julius’s power over them. It would take a well-prepared army to stop Julius, and even then, there was no guarantee who would come out the victor. Alexander broke Gabi’s reverie. “Of the other three I would say that only Sergei’s Clan would hold enough of a grudge to try something like this.”
There'll be Hell to Pay (Hellcat Series Book 6) Page 5