* * * *
Danial quickly fell into our routine. He liked Levi, and Uther, as I’ve said. He even got along with Rip, though Danial was still sanctimonious from his months as a man of God, and remained standoffish at best. Rip told me privately, being a demon, he understood and would keep his distance, that it wasn’t going to be a problem.
Quentin he seemed not to like, but I suspected that was because he was vampire. Danial seemed to have a hearty distrust of vampires, and did not want to be around them at all, save when he had to be. I got that completely, knowing the ones I did, but I wondered that there wasn’t more to it, something that had happened to him in those years we’d been apart. He never spoke of that to me or of our past together. Figuring the time would come for that, I did not speak of it either.
Anna...well, Anna he seemed to like on sight. It was true he was always polite to her, but he also paid her many compliments, which I knew she had a fondness for. I believed it was good that he felt both protective and fond of her, as I needed someone to watch over her, as more and more business matters were consuming my waking hours.
My investments were growing larger each month. For example, I now owned not only the brothel which kept me in blood, but all the brothels in the city. The problem was my illegal dealings came with more than a fair bit of violence, which increased in tandem with my profits. In the beginning, it had been easy: the spilled blood came chiefly from men who’d made their living from dark means, and their deaths were easy to disguise as simple murders. Every city had its share, and mine was no exception. But what once was easy to hide was growing difficult now.
I wasn’t worried Louis would discipline me for the dead humans. He likely had his own illicit rackets to bring him income in these troubled times. My worry was the human deaths would bring my business dealings to his sight, and then he would want his share of my earnings. Quentin had said there was nothing written in vampire law about the money any ruler made, only that each level was subject entirely to the one directly above.
Samuel had many troubles to deal with. Likely, he commanded income from all the countries under his thumb, France being one of the largest and richest. Louis would be glad to learn of a new source of revenue, especially as he could then keep a much larger profit share for himself.
Danial proved his worth in that regard. He had an uncanny knack for ferreting out the truth of mysterious or puzzling matters, be they murders, disappearances of people or goods, or just random ill acts. With his help, I was able to solve the murders that had been giving Levi so much trouble.
Women were being assaulted near the main market at night. The first three had been prostitutes, nothing but rapes. Abhorrent though that was, it was to be expected. In response, Levi had put more guards on the areas where attacks had taken place. That didn’t work; new attacks happened in new places. The market was too big an area to guard all at once, not to mention the prostitutes were reluctant to have guards near them, as it discouraged customers. That the guards weren’t human and the hookers were was another obstacle.
Then the fourth woman was not just raped, she was killed afterwards. Worse, this was no streetwalker; this was the wife of the owner of the largest nightclub in the city, who’d been on an errand. Her husband knew of me from shared dealings and demanded lividly that something be done.
Danial studied the attacks, talked to the girls who’d survived, and set a trap. He caught the man the next night, using Eva as bait, taking him alive.
I contacted Louis that night via Rip, asking him to come at his earliest convenience, that a human needed his judgment. He arrived in two hours, his composure absolute. Danial brought in the man, quivering and shaking, to stand before him.
“What is the charge?” Louis said to me.
“Rape of several women, the killing of one woman, a wife of an important citizen, and the attempted rape of my Oathed One.”
“Anna?” Louis growled at me, his eyes glowing red. “How could you have let her get into that position—?”
“Pardon,” I said quickly. “I meant Eva. She volunteered to help, on behalf of the women who were hurt.”
“Very noble,” Louis said approvingly. “He must be killed, of course. You didn’t need to ask me here to know that, Devlin.”
“There is something more. I wanted to present my new second, Danial, to you,” I said. “He was the one who devised the trap that caught the man.” I motioned to Levi.” Take him out and dispose of him. Save his body for Rip.”
Danial came forward, handing off the man to Levi, who took him outside.
Louis studied Danial.
“You are a friend of Devlin’s,” he said. “Likely from his human life or directly thereafter. You must have crawled out of the hole he did, to have appeared so suddenly. Tell me; are more like you going to appear as the years wear on?”
“No, Sir,” Danial said respectfully. “I simply got tired of living in seclusion. I wasn’t doing anyone good there, least of all God.”
“So you are a believer,” Louis said scathingly. “I myself am not. There is too much evil in the world for any God to exist.”
“It is hard to stay in faith,” Danial said, nodding. “Yet I am doing good here. I thought it correct to make myself known, so you’d know I have no designs for glory.”
“A bold one, aren’t you, to speak so plainly,” Louis sniped. “What are your intentions—to spend the rest of your days tracking down human vermin?”
“Yes,” Danial said simply. “It suits me, and it helps make the world a better place, as God decrees.”
“You have no designs for more?” Louis said suspiciously. “For wealth?”
“I was born a peasant, and find it easier to stay one,” Danial laughed. “My only desire is for mentally challenging work. That is the hardest thing to obtain, to find tasks that stimulate after living so long.”
The only smile I was ever to see graced Louis’s face. “Indeed. I hear your belief in your words, not that I don’t find them painfully true also. You are welcome here, Danial. Get an Oathed One, if you like. I have only one request: you are to come if I have need of you. France is a large country, and it has many murders. Once in a decade, there is usually a string of bad murders. I’d appreciate your help, when the time comes.”
“Of course,” Danial said, nodding.
“Good to see you, Devlin,” Louis said with a bared fang. “Give my very best to Anna.” He nodded to his demon, and they disappeared.
“Do not go,” Uther said immediately from the doorway. “Not under any circumstances. If he sends for you, Danial, leave the country. For he won’t want your help, but to separate you from Devlin, that he might destroy you more easily.”
“I know, but there was nothing else for it but to say I would,” Danial said wearily. “This way at least I’ll have warning the moment he plans to move against Devlin.”
“Yes, you will,” Uther said respectfully, admiration on his rough features. “A well-played hand. You are much more than you seem.”
“Of course he is,” I said proudly. “He’s my brother, after all.”
Danial laughed. “I was waiting for that, Dev. You always have to be the center of attention.”
“I do not,” I said crossly. “I just meant that you have all of my good qualities, in addition to your own. I have never been good at mysteries, I admit.”
“Danial, your skill is needed again tonight, I’m afraid,” Quentin said hesitantly. “A courier came to deliver an urgent message from the police. An inspector asks that you come. There is a valuable diamond necklace that has been stolen from Lady Jezebel’s country home.”
“Of course,” Danial said. “Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”
Quentin nodded and went out. Danial made to follow him, but I grabbed his hand.
“I’ve heard of the Lady Jezebel,” I said in a low voice. “She arrived here only a week ago. Quentin says she’s no lady at all, but a goblin disguised in pretty flesh. Be on your guard.�
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“I’ve heard of that myself,” Danial replied quietly. “I think she wants some kind of alliance with you, and this theft is mere fakery to bring about a meeting. I’ll be careful, and report to you when I return.”
“Thank you,” I said, wanting to embrace him but feeling too ill at ease to make the attempt. “I appreciate all you are doing. Please let me know if you need anything.”
Danial gave me a faint smile. “You’ve done enough, really.”
“No, I haven’t,” I said seriously. “Feel free to ask me for anything.”
Danial raised his eyebrows. “Even Anna?”
I blinked quickly, thinking he could not have said what I’d heard, or if he had, he hadn’t meant it the way it sounded. “You want my Anna?”
Danial didn’t move, he just continued to hold my gaze.
“What are you proposing?” I said, trying hard to keep anger out of my voice.
Danial held my gaze for one more moment, and then his face split into a wide smile. “You see how it is, when the shoe is on your foot, Dev. Remember asking me, years ago on my wedding night, if you could stay with Beaulah and me to ‘keep us company?’”
A faint blush suffused my face. I had said that and more, being stupendously drunk and rather randy at the time. “I am sorry for that. I’m sorry for a great many things—”
“Relax, brother. It was just a joke,” Danial said quickly. “I really need to go. I’ll talk to you when I get back.” He left, striding out of the room.
Quentin returned, his face looking tired. “Let’s go for a drink, Devlin. Seeing Louis wears my nerves to rags. The investments will keep for another night. We have the opera tomorrow and the playhouse the night after.”
I nodded, and walked out with him, after kissing Anna goodbye.
En route, I asked him, “What have you heard of Lady Jezebel?”
Quentin snorted. “That one is no lady. She is a goblin who seduced an old lord, then fucked him to death.”
I gaped at him. “To death? That isn’t possible.”
“For her it is,” he replied distastefully. “Don’t get me wrong, she is lovely to behold. But inside dwells a monster.”
“Could she be useful to us?” I asked after a moment.
“No,” Quentin said shortly. “She is more trouble than she’s worth. Have nothing to do with her. She’s long been trying to involve herself with powerful beings to gain more power for herself in Spain. She recently moved here, probably hearing you are newly ascended, in hopes of making an alliance.”
A woman after my own heart. Perhaps I’d arrange to meet this Jezebel after all.
Chapter Thirteen
I’ve explained how Danial helped me with his deductive skills, but it does him disservice to make that seem all he was good at. For all Danial had been poor, living the life of the cloth, he knew a great amount about what it took to get things done in higher circles. For example, he made alliances with the police, arranging for a certain few murders to be buried in paperwork in exchange for his help solving crimes of more importance to the police force. He also made the acquaintance of several lawyers who were able to influence some of my business deals favorably.
For all he was doing, I thought he deserved more recompense. Therefore I turned all of my legitimate dealings over to him—most of the mines, real estate, and crop futures—leaving myself to concentrate on the gambling, brothels and opium dens. These would provide Danial a steady source of income, even if his dealings were not the more profitable ones.
Despite all his talk of how he had enough pay, Danial welcomed this. He had a knack for management, and took control of more and more of the business dealings, until it was he and not I that was meeting with Quentin, visiting factories and mines abroad. As this gave me back more time with Anna, I was only too happy to comply. Besides, I had my hands full with running the department, and also helping Uther with some troubles he had with neighboring werebat colonies. They were disgruntled that he and his bats were allied with a vampire lord, and so had combined forces, to try to pressure him into abandoning me.
Our lives entered a happy time there for a year, or maybe it was two. Danial and I worked together, Levi and Uther helping us, Rip guarding our backs, and Quentin advising us. If Danial was melancholy sometimes, or spent some evenings by himself, indulging in his old love of painting or stargazing, I thought it only natural. I had Quentin to socialize with. In fact, I even convinced him to begin to teach me some of his tricks for staying power with the opposite sex, which Anna appreciated very much. I had moods myself at times, especially after disciplining my subjects, or quarrelling over strategy with Uther, or worst, fighting with Anna.
We had never fought before this, never raised our voices to each other.
It escalated quickly.
It began innocently enough, with my worst night since taking Guy’s crown. Everything had gone wrong from the moment I’d woken to Levi pounding on the door, telling me we had a telegram from Louis advising that he would be visiting in a month. Next, there was a triple murder: one of my brothel girls, the madam who ran the house, and a repeat customer of hers. This was the same madam I’d met with Quentin years ago, a trusted partner. Worse, the girl killed was Danial’s favorite.
Danial departed at once to began an investigation, rage barely held in check. Just after he left, Uther appeared to announce that he was getting mated again. That might seem to anyone else like good news. I saw it as something that would divert his attention from me just when I needed one hundred percent of it.
“Can this mating be put off for a while?” I said forcefully. “I need you here and focused.”
“She is from a neighboring colony. My flock is pressuring hard for this union; it will put to rest the fighting, and solidify us again. I remind you that it was my alliance with you that has caused this rift in my people—”
“You went into it with open eyes,” I said scathingly. “Your people enjoy many luxuries now because of our alliance. You were living in caves, and hunting for your meat and fruit, barely surviving! Now you can afford the sweetest fruit year round!”
“I am going to be a father, and I have not been one for two years,” Uther bellowed back. “I do not have time to waste guarding you when I must be guarding her. It will be a difficult pregnancy as it is, she is only seventeen—”
“Eighteen is the limit I have set,” I warned. “You already have a dozen children and more grandchildren and great-grandchildren than that. I will not allow this.”
“Consider this my notice,” Uther snarled. “Find yourself another guard, Vampire.” He stalked out.
Levi watched him go, and then said, “What are we going to do without him?”
“He’ll cool off, and come back,” I said, hoping there was prophecy in my words. “What do you need? You are supposed to be with Quentin.”
“He sent me to find you,” he said reluctantly. “There has been a late freeze in Spain.”
“And?”
“An inch of rain had fallen just before. All crops not already harvested are ruined.”
I let out a scream of frustration, then asked as calmly as I could, “How much did we lose?”
“He had just purchased an additional thousand bushels for you and your brother. Quentin said the loss will be close to the last two months profits.”
“Of our field profits?”
“Of your total profits, Danial’s and yours combined.”
I let out another scream of anger, and then stalked past him, yelling for the butler to get my carriage ready.
I drove to my nearest brothel and lost myself in blood until I was fat as a tick with it. Mollified, I returned to my home just before dawn. Anna was there waiting for me.
I longed to lose myself in her flesh. But when I embraced her, my lips seeking hers, she recoiled.
“You smell of blood, Devlin, blood and cheap perfume.”
“Be quiet,” I said angrily. “I’ve had a trying day, and I need you. Be a g
ood wife, Anna, and kiss me.”
“I will not, not until you have washed the scent of other women from your body.”
“I have lain with no one but you, Oathed One,” I said dangerously. “But that will change if you rebuff me.”
Anna gave a hitching gasp, and then ran from the hallway.
I went to our bedroom, calming myself with some effort. Then I washed my body, making sure to get all traces of blood and perfume off me. Anna had been right; I was reeking with the scent.
She came in some time later, as I woke up with her sleeping beside me. When I kissed her awake, she kissed me back, and we made love. Both of us enjoyed the act, but something was missing.
I hadn’t meant to say what I had. But the words had been spoken, the threat made, and things were strained from then on between us.
Danial tracked down the man who’d killed his lover the next night, and killed him. I tried to talk to him about it, but he replied that there was nothing to talk about, that the girl had been avenged.
“You will still need blood,” I began carefully. “There are other women in the city that are available. I know you preferred her—”
“I have found someone, brother,” Danial admitted, biting one lip with his fang. “I didn’t want to tell you.”
“Why the hell not?” I said loudly, clapping him on the back. “How long have you been keeping this secret?”
“Two months,” he said sheepishly, “I’ve not been to see anyone else for some time. You know I don’t partake as often as you do—”
“What’s her name? How did you meet? Where does she live?” I couldn’t get my questions out fast enough.
“Her name is Justine. I met her one night during an investigation. She was the wife of a tavern owner.”
“I’m guessing he’s no longer her husband,” I joked. “Or have you been naughty?”
Danial rolled his eyes. “No, you fiend. He was a large beefy man who liked to hurt those around him, especially those he professed to love. He is rotting in pieces near the river, what the werevultures left of him, anyway.”
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