A Whisper of Humanity

by Denyse M. Bridger

"No one you need worry over, I assure you, mon amour.” She looked back at him, quickly and accurately reading his mood. “You didn't come here for conversation, Adrian. What is it you are trying to ask of me this time?"

  "Have you seen anybody new here tonight?"

  Suspicion flared within her, but it never reached her outer composure. “Many people drift in and out, Adrian. Am I expected to keep a record of them for you?"

  "This one's a cop,” Blackthorne told her, his voice hard. “An out of town cop named Faith Prentice. Shiller told her she might like this place."

  "Perhaps she would?” Julianna suggested with a tilt of her head. “Many do."

  "Was she here, Julianna?” Adrian demanded, quickly losing patience with the verbal fencing.

  "No."

  Something in the flat reply sparked suspicion in Adrian, and a finger under her chin forced her eyes back to meet his when she looked away.

  "When was she here?"

  She glared at him, but offered no answer.

  "Julianna!” He grabbed her arm, not bothering to be gentle, nor to masque his considerable irritation. “Where is she?"

  She jerked her arm free of his grasp and considered her answer. She quickly decided it would be much easier to get the young woman out of her club than risk Adrian's wrath. There was a certain amount of enjoyment in the knowledge that this would deny Cartier of his prize, too. And, she added mentally, he would blame Adrian for that loss, not her.

  "She is with Cartier.” She dropped the news with a toss of her head, and laughed as he rushed toward the back room.

  * * * *

  Faith felt her hips pushing forward as she reached up to touch the silver head bent to hers. Her fingers brushed through the soft, short hair and came to rest against the back of Cartier's neck. She moaned as another intense spasm of passion consumed her. When Cartier's fingers began a new discovery of the firm fullness of her aching breasts, Faith's head swam with the overload of sensuous pleasure. Her tongue traced the vampire's teeth, and she tasted blood when she encountered the razor sharp edge of fangs. Pain replaced passion and she was suddenly choking with fear and revulsion.

  * * * *

  Cartier felt the abrupt change in his prey and was thrown off balance when Faith pushed violently at him. Angered, he grabbed a handful of thick, dark hair and yanked her head to one side with a painful jerk. His lips touched the tender throat, and he ignored the hissed intake of breath that accompanied her futile attempts to push him away again.

  * * * *

  The room spun away at a weird angle and Faith slid from the couch as she was released with shocking suddenness. Through a blur of mist and grey fog, she felt her stomach roiling and her mind objecting to the nightmarish spectacle she was witnessing.

  * * * *

  Cartier recovered quickly from the blow that had sent him reeling away from Faith, and he turned glowing eyes to the one who'd dared to strike him. Adrian! He should have known. Even through the lust-enhanced hunger, Cartier was aware of Faith inching across the floor in an effort to escape. The scent of her fear was as tempting as her passion of minutes earlier. He'd find this one again, he promised himself, if she were fortunate enough to escape him after all this night.

  "You are going to push me too far one day, Adrian,” Cartier warned, his eyes still blazing fury at the younger vampire.

  "Maybe,” Adrian agreed, one eye watching Faith's progress as he tried to fight down the urge to kill. “Tonight I intend to see that a friend remains safe."

  "This lovely creature is a friend of yours?” Cartier asked, once more taking firm control of both himself and the situation. “Your taste improves, Adrian."

  The mantle of ice had returned. Adrian knew there would be no further need to fight—not tonight, at any rate. Cartier was considering another time and another venue for their next meeting. Adrian had no illusions about it being a pleasant encounter. If anything, he sensed death in the other's mind. True and lasting death. It was not the first time since Cartier's return that Adrian wondered when the master vampire would demand his retribution—in full. So far, despite frequent confrontations, Cartier had not seriously attempted to destroy him. Yet, Adrian felt the time was nearing.

  "Take her, Adrian. You've risked more than you know for her,” Cartier whispered softly.

  He watched the wariness grow within the former knight's deep blue eyes then filter into Adrian's expressive features. The ancient vampire laughed quietly as Blackthorne grabbed Faith's arm and helped her to her feet. They were out of the room without another word being uttered.

  * * * *

  Cartier walked the silent room, his stride casual, a trace of a smile hovering on his lips. The merest hint of Faith Prentice's blood lingered on his tongue, and he savored the taste with amused indulgence. The chess set drew his attention again, and he strolled over to the antique board. He picked up the ivory knight and examined it for several long moments, then crushed it to powder in his hand. He let the pale dust sift through his fingers and fall to the board, obscuring the gleaming surface. He picked up the ebony queen and smiled, then dropped the piece into his pocket.

  * * * *

  When Julianna finally dared to go back to the room, she was anticipating an enraged confrontation. What she found was more disturbing. She glanced at the chess board, and her stomach churned wildly when she saw the powdery remains of the white knight. She slumped weakly into a chair, not yet noticing the absence of the second piece, the dark queen. The one Cartier had just laid claim to...

  * * * *

  "Are you out of your mind, Don?” Adrian asked as he strode into the squad room and spotted his partner. The outrage on Don's features was wasted on Blackthorne and he resisted the temptation to bare his fangs and scare ten years off the detective's life.

  "Would you like to elaborate on that, partner?” Shiller replied with a smile that earned him another withering glare. “Geez, what is your problem, Blackthorne?"

  "Faith Prentice,” Adrian informed the other detective. “Why, of all the possible places in Montreal, did you send her to The Tomb?"

  "She wanted to have a drink, Adrian,” he shrugged. It wasn't like the lady in question couldn't take care of herself. Plus, it wasn't his business what she wanted to do after hours. He'd suggested The Tomb simply because it crossed his mind. He said as much to his irate friend.

  "Is there something going on with you and this L.A. lady?” Shiller prodded with a grin. “She's a nice lookin’ broad, Adrian. If I didn't have Jenna, I'd be tempted myself."

  Adrian felt another flare of temper, and squashed it. Shiller hadn't made any real error, and it wasn't his partner he was really annoyed with anyway. He waved aside the disagreement and glanced at the time. He'd left Faith at her hotel nearly an hour ago. His shift was almost history. He'd forget it for now and check on her tomorrow before he came in to work.

  * * * *

  It hadn't taken long to find the correct hotel, and Cartier stared down at the woman sleeping soundly in the large bed. She was lovely, and a smile flitted across his features when he recalled how passionately she'd responded to his caresses. She would have made a delightful diversion for the night if Adrian hadn't disrupted their interlude.

  He sighed, unconscious of the reaction. Faith stirred beneath the blankets and echoed the sound as a soft, wistful whisper. Was she dreaming of him? Cartier wondered, oddly pleased by the whimsy. It had been an extremely long time since anyone had looked on him with pleasure and welcome. Before he could prevent the fall, his thoughts had trapped him in a void he scarcely acknowledged even in his most private moments.

  He was lonely.

  The children he loved best had rejected him. Adrian had almost killed him. Julianna tolerated his presence because she hadn't yet figured out a safe way to avoid him. He felt exiled from those he had once created to shield him from the very emotions he was now experiencing. Yet, this woman, this mortal, would have willingly opened herself to his possession tonight. She would have
given her body for him to sate his lust and her blood to feed his hunger.

  Yes. Faith Prentice had wanted him. The ancient vampire had felt the repressed desire hidden deeply within her, just as she'd briefly tasted the freedom his passion could give her. Her isolation was bred into her psyche, and she was capable of understanding what true loneliness could be. For a few minutes, Cartier permitted himself to consider what taking her might mean to his own solitude.

  He left the bedside and walked out onto the balcony that overlooked the glittering city of Montreal. He sat and stretched long legs before him as the sheer curtains fluttered in the light autumn breeze. He watched the woman in the bed, attuned his senses to the steady beat of her heart.

  She was intelligent and inquisitive, as well as attractive. She'd make a pleasant companion. Taking her would be exhilarating. He smiled, the expression held a slight trace of mockery. Adrian would be enraged. The former Templar Knight had claimed the woman as a friend, and Cartier's plans would infuriate his child. An added bonus, he decided darkly.

  As the night passed in speculative thought, Cartier's powerful mind invaded Faith's. By the time dawn approached, the master vampire knew her better than she knew herself. He rose from his vigil and went back into the shadowy bedroom. He sat on the edge of her bed and smiled when she instinctively turned toward him, her lips parted to invite his kiss.

  Instead of the caress she silently asked for, Cartier brushed a lock of dark hair off her forehead. She murmured softly, and he let one long finger whisper over the curve of her mouth. His hand dipped into his jacket pocket, and he withdrew the dark queen. He placed the chess piece on the bedside table and left.

  * * * *

  Throughout the day, Faith had regained consciousness in brief spurts. This time, she was determined to stay awake. She cursed softly as she tried to persuade her aching body to move from the bed, but the lethargy in her limbs refused to accommodate her. For several minutes she stared at the ceiling. It wasn't like she had to get up, she reasoned with herself. The case had been cleared up the previous evening, and she'd told her captain that she was staying in Montreal for a few more days on holiday. Caruso hadn't been pleased with that decision, but he wasn't in a position to argue too heatedly when she'd just wrapped up a major case—with Adrian Blackthorne's help, she amended automatically.

  She glanced at her watch, saw it was just after five in the afternoon, and gasped in surprise. It took another minute to decide that she didn't really give a damn, and she rolled onto her stomach and stretched languidly in the bed. Her nightgown twisted around her and on impulse, she peeled it off and tossed it on the floor. The satiny sheets felt deliciously smooth next to her naked skin, and she shivered with the purely sensual pleasure. Her eyes closed and she drifted back into sleep...

  * * * *

  Adrian smiled as the maid unlocked the suite door with obvious reluctance then glared at him suspiciously.

  "She is a friend,” he assured the small woman, “I'm just worried about her because she hasn't been taking calls all day.” When the woman continued to look skeptical, he gave up and slipped into the dark rooms.

  It was nearly eight o'clock and Faith hadn't replied to any of the numerous messages he'd left with the desk. It had taken his police shield to get any information out of the clerk, and he'd quickly discovered that she hadn't been seen at all that day. The uneasiness that had been building over the past hour died instantly when he walked into the bedroom and saw she was asleep.

  He was about to turn and leave when a low moan from the bed made him cross the room. He knew his mistake as soon as he reached her. The blankets had been thrown aside, and all that covered her was the lightweight satin sheet. A single glance made it clear she wore nothing beneath the ivory-colored cover.

  Faith's body twisted enticingly, writhing to the demand of an invisible lover. Her head pressed back into the pillow and the smooth column of her neck was revealed in the beam of moonlight that bathed the room in ethereal light. Her hands moved over her body, caressed and aroused her further as she sighed blissfully.

  * * * *

  Cartier laughed quietly as he held her bound in the throes of passion. He sharpened the images, flooded her mind and her body with the intensity of his hunger, and the depth of his lust.

  * * * *

  Faith's body spasmed, and she cried out in combined pain and ecstasy as her hips rose from the bed. Adrian turned to leave her and froze as his gaze fell on the dark queen. The piece was lying on the floor, staring up at him with guileless wonder. The realization of Cartier's presence chilled him to the bone. He bent to retrieve the piece and closed his eyes against the wave of unleashed longing that battered his senses. Faith's dream was reaching to encompass him, and he felt an unwanted surge of desire as he turned back to her. The sheet had fallen away from her body as she curled toward her unknown lover.

  The balcony doors were open, the filmy curtains blown aside by the night air as it billowed them inward. The moon, full and brilliant in the ebony sky, shone like a light on the bed. Faith Prentice was bathed in a pale, silvery-white glow. The sheen of perspiration that filmed her body made her seem almost translucent in the spectral light. Her breasts were heaving with her efforts to breathe normally, her nipples erect and firm, clearly visible in the bright radiance of the moonlight. Adrian's gaze moved over her in spite of his awareness that he should leave. The scent of her arousal and the erratic pounding of her heartbeat struck his enhanced senses like a blow.

  She arched toward him, though he knew she wasn't conscious of his company. Beneath the cover her thighs parted and he forcefully resisted the almost overwhelming desire to pull aside the satin sheet and make love to her himself.

  * * * *

  Cartier felt the second pull of desire that was near his captive, and he frowned thoughtfully. Someone was with her, but not touching her. His features dissolved into laughter moments later when he recognized the familiar presence. Adrian was feeling the effects of his master's game as acutely as did the pretty woman with whom the ancient vampire presently toyed.

  Cartier intensified his control for another instant, felt an undeniable shudder rush through him at her lascivious response, then he snapped the dream bond abruptly.

  * * * *

  Faith cried out loudly, her voice a sob of denial and frustration, then she jolted into wakefulness. Sweat filmed her body and she was gasping in air that didn't seem to fill her lungs quickly enough. The shock of cold air blowing in through the open French doors increased the discomfort she was feeling. It wasn't until the soft bang of the doors sliding shut penetrated her mind that she knew she wasn't alone in the room.

  She sat up in the bed and hastily snatched the sheet and blankets to cover herself. She felt her body trembling and begging for the release her dream had promised. Her hand reached naturally for the gun that was under the second pillow.

  "It's Adrian."

  She relaxed momentarily then glared at him when he clicked on the small bedside lamp and sat next to her on the edge of the bed.

  "What the hell are you doing in my hotel room, Blackthorne?” She winced when she heard the breathless quiver that lingered in her voice.

  "I was worried about you. You haven't answered any calls, and no one had seen you today,” he explained and looked closely at her. He hesitated then decided to throw caution to the wind. “Do you remember your dream?"

  Faith blushed scarlet at the surprising enquiry. What had he seen? Her body trembled at the merest hint of the dream's powerful sensuality. Pure raw sex, that's what her dream had been about. She sure as hell wasn't about to reveal that to Blackthorne.

  "Get out, Blackthorne!” she snarled.

  "Do you remember who you were with?” he pressed.

  "Blackthorne, I'm warning you—"

  "Was it the man you met last night?” he interrupted with a demand that stopped her cold and left her staring at him.

  "Look, Adrian, I don't know what you think...” She drew in a
deep breath and tried again. “You have no right."

  "Cartier's dangerous, Faith,” Adrian said gently. “He was here last night."

  "No one was here last night!"

  Adrian held open his hand, and she stared mutely at the black queen in his palm. She knew at a glance where it should have been, where she'd seen it the previous night. And, she recalled vividly the imposing man who had shown her the exquisite chessboard.

  "Was it Cartier in your dream?"

  Again, the question was softly spoken, but gently insistent.

  "Adrian, don't...” She tried to turn away, but his hand on her cheek forced her to meet his candid gaze. “I don't know,” she finally confessed. “I just know I've never felt anything like ... It's all vague, images and sensations, nothing clearer than that.” She glared at him again when she realized how much she'd said. “I don't owe you explanations, Blackthorne! Now why don't you do me a favor and leave?"

  "Get dressed, we need to talk,” Adrian decreed without emotion.

  His voice, dull and flat, struck her like a flood of ice water, and she felt chilled all over again. “Mind if I take a shower?” she asked sweetly, sarcasm evident in every syllable.

  Adrian's smile reflected her tone. “Make it a cold one,” he suggested. “But make it quick, I'm already late for shift."

  "So go to work, Blackthorne!” she snapped. “Go to hell, for all I care! Just get out of my bedroom!"

  * * * *

  When Adrian heard the shower running, he put in a call to the station and told Shiller he'd be in within the hour. Afterward, he paced the spacious living room of the suite and tried to reorder his chaotic thoughts. The queen in his hand drew his attention repeatedly. It had been left like a challenge, or a warning. He'd known Cartier would resurface, he just hadn't anticipated it being within hours of their confrontation.

  Why hadn't the master vampire killed Faith? It had been the question nagging at him since he'd discovered the chess piece. If she still lived, that left only one real answer—the one he'd been avoiding. Cartier would taunt him with Faith's life until he decided to take her. Would Adrian be able to stop his master?