“I’m too old to be a Nighthawk,” Ibis reminded her. “You should respect your elders, youngster.”
“Is this how you ask for a favor?” They’d always enjoyed bickering with each other, though right now she wasn’t sure why she found it pleasant to spar with Ibis. She pulled back from their old pattern, and asked, “What do you want?”
He chuckled. No doubt at her this had better be good tone. “It’s Ben,” he told her. “The vampire who killed Reese. Reese was a creature invested with great power. Ben has eaten that power, and it is starting to change him.”
Change him how? she started to ask, then realized. “He’s a child of mine.”
“He needs your help to be reborn.”
She gave Ibis a hard look. “You planned this, too, didn’t you? To distract me from punishing you?”
“It’s a distraction,” he agreed. “It will give you time to calm down. Not that I really believe you would punish me for doing the right thing.”
“I hate when you’re like this.”
“I know.” His features creased in a devilish grin. “But wasn’t the fall of the Roman Empire fun?”
“Yeah—but those were mortals we punished, not our own kind.”
“Then shame on us for not—”
“Enough!” Valentine held up her hand for silence. She sighed. “Where is this Ben person?”
“My people have him safe. Shall I take you to him?” He started to come around the wide desk.
Valentine shook her head. “Not tonight. I’m sorry if he’s suffering, but I’m not up to any more blood rituals tonight.”
“Ah, yes.” Ibis nodded gravely. “Mr. Haven. That was a good thing you did.”
“Yeah. His girlfriend doesn’t think so.”
She looked out the windows. The world was wide and open, and scary, but from up here it didn’t seem so big. The lights were so pretty. She was so tired, and everything was complicated. She needed a day to sleep, really sleep, to dream rather than to think. Sometimes the answers came in dreams. “I want a bedroom,” she said to the man who owned the hotel. “The best room in the house.”
He bowed his bald head gravely. “Of course. You deserve only the best.”
“Tomorrow I’ll take care of your Ben.”
“I have your promise?”
“Yes. Of course.” As if she would ever deny a rebirth to one of her children. “Las Vegas is going to need a new Enforcer, I suppose.”
“A new Guardian of the Night.” Ibis used one of the Nighthawks’ old titles. “Defender. Protector. A Hunter for the territory. Tytan. Bu—”
“Oh, shut the fuck up.”
He bowed. “As the Lady of Snakes wishes.”
“That isn’t shutting up.” Valentine turned around. She glanced at the nearest silently watching vampire servant. “I’m going to the lobby first. Then you can show me to my suite.” She glanced back at Ibis. “I’ll decide what to do about you tomorrow.”
Ibis put a finger over his closed mouth, deliberately provoking her by obeying her. In response, she tossed what was left of her long, curling hair, and walked out.
Geoff stood as Valentine approached, trailed at a distance by another vampire. From the look on her face and the vibes she put out, Geoff thought it might be wise to be circumspect. Instead, he put himself between her and the view of the couch.
“What’s up?” he asked. “Where have you been? What’s going on?”
“Where’s Jebel?” she asked, peering past him at the empty sofa. “Where’s the girl?”
Anger flared white hot in her, but Geoff stayed directly in front of her. “Gone,” he said.
“I see that. Where?”
“I have no idea.” Geoff reached out to touch her shoulder. She felt very tired. “Can’t you feel him?”
Her gaze snapped to his, accusing. “When?”
“I have no idea.” He spoke the absolute truth. “I was looking around the building. When I came back, they were gone.”
“You let her go.”
“I’m not Char’s keeper.” He sure as hell wasn’t Haven’s.
Fury bubbled through her, and jealousy. It seethed beneath the exhaustion. “I’m going to kill her.”
“No, you’re not.” It was another statement of fact, and a declaration of intent. He kept his hand on Valentine’s shoulder, knowing she wanted to pull away, to run out into the night and find the mortal that now belonged to her. Geoff projected calm, reason, and sympathy for this sudden loss.
“Why doesn’t anyone believe me when I say I’m going to kill them?” Valentine asked. She sounded petulant, but there were tears in her eyes. “He’s mine,” she added.
“Char can’t see it that way. Not yet. She’s hardly going to hurt Haven, Val.” She glared at him. Silent, seething. “Let me go after her,” Geoff suggested. “Let me handle it.”
His words were a reminder that he had handled a great deal for her in the last several years. She depended on him. He’d helped her take steps out into the world again, but had been a shield and anchor as well. He also remembered that she and Haven had yet to complete the companion bond. Haven was not completely Valentine’s yet.
“I will definitely make sure he comes back to you,” Geoff promised his friend and mentor.
She recognized his sincerity, and she smiled a little. “For all my reasons, and for yours.”
He tilted his head in acknowledgment. “As long as I bring him back . . .”
She didn’t like it, but he felt the shoulders beneath his hands slump in acquiescence. She gave a brief look at the vampire that had followed her across the lobby, and now stood waiting patiently away from them. Then she looked back at Geoff. “Ibis knew,” she told him. “Ibis always knows what’s going on. Ibis arranges what’s going on.”
“Ibis?”
“Never mind. He’s my problem. So’s turning a vampire into a Nighthawk. Ibis made me promise to do that little job tomorrow night.”
Geoff tried not to show any relief. “Then you can’t go after Char. Not if you have to—”
“Don’t keep piling it on, sweetie. We both know you get the job.”
Geoff drew Valentine into a quick, hard hug. “It’s going to be okay,” he promised her. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
She stepped away from him. “I seriously doubt that. Just—Beware of the Light, okay?”
Maybe she’d noticed that he was no longer wearing sunglasses. “I will,” he promised.
“Fine.” She turned toward the waiting vampire. “I’m going to bed now.”
Geoff stood in the otherwise empty lobby and watched her follow her guide toward the elevators. He wanted to make sure she was out of sight before he pulled the spell book out from under the chair cushion where he’d stashed it. He found it very interesting that the book had remained dormant while he talked to Valentine.
He was certain he could pick up Char’s psychic scent. Certain he could catch up to her. He wasn’t yet certain what to do or say to get her to let Jebel Haven go. He’d come up with something when the time came.
Valentine’s guide directed her toward a corridor. The last thing that Valentine did before she disappeared from sight was send a thought Geoff’s way.
Don’t make me have to track you down, the words filled his head. Because I really don’t want to have to kill you.
Is that any way to say goodbye to a friend? Geoff thought back.
It is if you’re a vampire, was her answer.
Heroes Page 21