Radomir parked after a while and we walked along sidewalks where a few cafés and nightclubs were still open. There's a different smell to Paris. I was inundated with coffee, food, humans, perfume—all sorts of things. "It used to be a nightmare to walk down some of the sidewalks; the smoke from cigarettes would be so thick," Radomir informed me. "They passed a law recently banning smoking in all public places so the air has cleared up somewhat."
Since my nose is so sensitive now, it is difficult to stand near anyone smoking. The smokers at the courthouse where I used to work would congregate in an area outside and a little cloud would rise over their heads whenever several of them got together. The smell didn't bother me as much back then. "So, vampires don't smoke, huh?" I asked quietly.
Russell laughed. "Not unless they're on fire," he replied.
"Hey now, don't even kid about that," I swatted at him.
My shower was a little rushed the following evening so Russell could get cleaned up. Loading into the car quickly, we drove away from Paris, heading into the Champagne Valley somewhere. I watched the countryside roll past for an hour or so until Radomir pulled the car to a stop on a narrow lane. A charming (and rather large) chateau sat on a pretty hill off in the distance. "We can't give any names," Radomir told me as he unrolled a roughly drawn map of the chateau onto the hood of the car (or bonnet, as Russell says). "There's a vent here," he indicated a spot on the lower level. "It leads into the kitchen. We believe the items in question are locked away somewhere in a basement or underground storage area. You'll have to find the vault and extract them." Radomir handed over a velvet bag. It was perhaps a fourteen-inch square of black fabric with a heavy cord drawstring. Slipping the drawstring over my head, I allowed the bag to hang around my neck while I wait for further instruction.
"Now, turn to mist and see if you can do this," Radomir said. Russell was giving me encouraging looks so I concentrated, slowly turning to mist. Russell timed it.
"Four minutes, twenty-three seconds," he said. I floated over their heads, making my way quickly toward the chateau.
The designated vent was harder to find than I thought and precious minutes were wasted while I searched for it. It was past midnight already and time might become a larger factor before all was said and done. Once I located the vent and slipped inside, I swept through a kitchen that hadn't been updated in the past two centuries. The remainder of the chateau itself was richly decorated in Louis XIV furniture, with paintings appropriate to that period hanging on walls and luxurious fabrics covering windows. Somebody had a taste for obscene wealth, that much was certain. And Radomir had failed to tell me that the vampire in residence was not only at home, but entertaining guests. That worried me more than a little as I floated through the chateau quickly, searching for a means to get below ground level. Locating a locked door that led downward, I misted through an old-fashioned keyhole and sped down narrow steps. The vault where the tiaras were was underground, all right, with a thick, locked metal door sealed tighter than a hatch on a submarine. A tiny, oval window allowed me to see a part of what rested inside, and I could only imagine that some wealthy monarchs might be jealous of this vault's contents. The door would only open if I had the proper code to punch in on a lighted keypad to the right, and that stymied me. I floated up and down the impenetrable door's length, exploring it carefully, searching for a crack or some other way in. The better part of half an hour passed during my examination of the door, but I was still unable to find even a hint of a crevice to slip through. I might have had to go back to Radomir and Russell, admitting defeat by door, if the master of the house hadn't decided to show off his treasures to one of his guests. His voice filtered down to me as a key turned in the more conventional door above, so I hovered in a corner, waiting for him to come down the stairs.
He was handsome; no doubt about that, with dark blond hair that curled slightly, a sensuous mouth and warm brown eyes. If I hadn't known him for a thief, I might not have minded talking with him sometime. He spoke in rapid French; therefore, I didn't understand a single word he said as he punched a code on the keypad to allow his guest inside. I might pick my way through written French but my college French classes were mostly useless in the real world. What I did understand was the hatch opening with the same sound a very tight door on a freezer might make. Airtight, indeed. I floated inside, right above his head. His friend, not nearly as handsome with brown hair and eyes, dutifully admired the tiaras at length while I watched. After roughly ten minutes had passed the two vampires walked out again, locking me, the tiaras and a king's ransom in other treasures inside the vault.
If I could have gulped I might have, but one thing I noticed while I was there was that everything was alarmed. There was a small digital readout on the pad the tiaras rested upon, and right next to it was another pad with a necklace sitting on it that had enough rubies and diamonds to support me for a very long time. Many other items were spread around the room, all out in the open so their owner could come in and peruse them at his leisure. Every single one of them alarmed, of course. This vampire was taking no chances, but I was. I was taking a big chance. Taking a huge chance because if my plan didn't work, I was a very dead little vampire. Russell and Radomir would have to go back to England and explain to Wlodek and Merrill that I'd made a foolish mistake and died because of it.
First, I had to come back to corporeality and take the bag from around my neck, setting it aside gently on the black granite island that held the tiaras and ruby necklace. Then (and this is where the big risk came in), I concentrated on turning back to mist. My hands and my feet always turn to mist first, and they're the first things to reappear when I come back to corporeality. Once I was completely turned to mist, I concentrated once more on turning back but only until I could see my hands. Hastily I snatched up the bag while my body was still mostly mist and raked both tiaras inside, drawing the string. I figured I had minutes at the most, seconds at the least, and I was gambling with my life when I accomplished what I did next. I turned back to mist and like a miracle, almost, the bag turned too. The alarm tripped the moment I'd swiped the tiaras into the bag, their weight removed from the electronic pad, which set off the warning bells. Consequently, the moment I was completely turned to mist I hovered as near the ceiling as I could, waiting for the master of the house to reappear.
He did, punching the code in with fingers moving faster than lightning. He then rushed inside the vault, eyes red, fangs extended and claws out, ready to fight. If he'd seen me, no way would I have lived over that. As it was, I zoomed invisibly through the open vault door, leaving a cursing vampire in my wake. If he'd had any sense at all, he might have closed the door behind him; there was another keypad on the inside of the door.
The vampire was now raising everyone inside the house seconds behind me. I was scooting up the stairs and through the house as fast as I could go, my mist rushing toward the kitchen vent. Once through that and on the outside again, I sent desperate mindspeech to Radomir. He wasn't parked far from the Chateau—not for a vampire, anyway. I was warning him as I fled in his direction.
Leave Now! I shouted mentally. Open a window—I'll catch up to you! I was halfway to the car but our pursuers weren't far behind; we were parked on the only road leading to the Chateau.
Go, Radomir! I'll catch up. I'll let you know when I'm inside the car. My mental voice held frightened urgency and I was almost praying as I closed in on the now speeding automobile. I saw them moving away; thankfully, Radomir didn't need the lights to see as he hit the accelerator. It took another minute or so to catch up, although I was moving as swiftly as I could. And I can't describe my feeling of relief as I was sucked inside the window Russell left open for me. I have no idea what, if anything, our pursuers saw when the car got away, but we didn't need to take any chances. I concentrated on turning back to myself.
"Well, look who's here," Russell said, peering over the back of his passenger-side seat. I heaved a grateful sigh and handed the velvet bag
over to him. He looked inside briefly before flashing a beautiful smile. "Nice work," he said.
"It wasn't easy," I grumped, brushing my windblown hair away from my face. "Everything was alarmed."
"Save it for later, the plane's waiting. We already had someone pick up our bags and load them in," Radomir said. "We don't need to stay if we have what we came for. Father was worried it might take a while."
"I see," I said, even though I didn't. Once again, I was flying blind, completely out of the informational loop. I wondered briefly if I would ever be in it.
Another hour went by before we found our way to the airport. Russell tucked me under his arm and ran me up the steps to the jet like a football. Radomir took charge of the velvet bag, slipping it inside a locking case that he placed at his feet during the ride home. We arrived in England barely two hours before dawn; a vampire waited for us there with a car. We loaded up in no time flat and were whisked away to Wlodek's mansion.
Radomir carefully placed the velvet bag on Wlodek's desk once we were inside his study. Wlodek opened it up, lifting each tiara out and examining it solemnly. "Very nice," he commented. "Very, very nice." He looked at me over his desk, his dark eyes enigmatic. "You must tell me how you did this, but not until after you rise for the evening. Merrill has already been informed that you're spending the night. Congratulations on a job well and swiftly done." Wlodek shocked me a little by smiling slightly.
Charles led me to the same bedroom I'd occupied before after Wlodek dismissed me; the suite with the sky blue walls and white trim waited expectantly for my arrival. My bag was already there and I wanted a bath badly. "I'll see you when you get up," Charles promised, closing the bedroom door behind him. My bath was quick—I didn't have much time before sunrise and I scarcely made it into my pajamas and under the covers before I was out.
* * *
"René, I warned you that she might succeed when we arranged this test," Wlodek spoke softly into his cell phone as he prepared for the rejuvenating sleep.
"Honored One, I did not expect such swift results," René muttered, working to hide the anger in his voice. He'd placed a wager with his two vampire children and now he owed them a great deal of money as a result. He'd insisted that no mister could get into his vault. Or, having accomplished that, might get out again, once they were locked inside. This new one did both and in very little time. He was still puzzled over how a mister might turn so swiftly; less than thirty seconds had passed before he was opening the door of his vault once the alarm sounded, expecting to find a mostly corporeal female vampire inside. Instead, there was nothing and he'd lost the items he'd taken so much trouble to steal.
"René, when I asked you to steal something, I had no idea it would be such important and high-profile items. These will be returned to their rightful owners."
"Honored One, you left that option open to me. You know I enjoy a challenge."
"Then perhaps you will appreciate another. The girl will be brought out in this year's annual meeting. Take a look and tell me you might not desire that as well." Wlodek hung up abruptly. René muttered an obscenity in Latin and went to bed.
Chapter 3
"Lissa? Wake up, angel."
I was swimming through molasses—at least that's what it felt like. Somebody was talking to me while sitting on the side of my bed.
"Whuh?" I finally managed to vocalize something, whether it made sense or not. I lifted a hand to my head; it felt as if it were stuffed with cotton.
"You're sleeping late this evening," the voice came again. It sounded familiar, but my eyes wouldn't open and my ears weren't connected to my brain so I might determine who it was. Rolling over on my side with the hope that it would go away only brought hands to me—big hands that gripped my body near my hips and pulled me toward the edge of the bed.
"Henri says that he's this way too, whenever he mists several times in a short time span." Another voice I should recognize but didn't.
"What does Henri recommend, then?" the first voice offered dryly.
"Here," something changed hands.
"Come, Lissa, I'm taking you to the tub. I do not wish to spill this on the sheets." I was lifted up and carried somewhere, and then settled against a cold surface. A hand gripped my jaw, forced my teeth apart and poured blood into my mouth. I choked and swallowed, fighting for air and struggling against whoever held me.
"Hush and drink this," he commanded. My eyelids finally unglued and I glared at an unsmiling and willfully determined Gavin, who was doing his best to get me to drink a unit of blood. Both my hands were held effortlessly in one of his while the other held a bag of blood at my lips.
"It would be easier if you'd let my hands go," I snapped as blood dripped off my chin. Yep—definitely not attractive, and I probably had bed-head on top of that.
"Are you going to drink?" A dark eyebrow quirked speculatively as blood continued to drip from the bag.
"Yes." My voice was sullen. I now had blood all over my face, my chest and my pajamas. Gavin was leaning over the side of the bathtub while I wriggled uncomfortably beneath his hands. Charles stood at Gavin's shoulder, watching the whole thing with a bit of amusement in his eyes. Nope, not embarrassing in the least.
"Drink first, then we'll clean you up," Gavin said, letting my hands go. I snatched the bag of blood away from his hand and started sipping. Getting into a tussle with him while we had an audience seemed unwise.
Gavin sent Charles away when I was ready for my shower. I tried to shove him out the door too, but he wouldn't budge. It was like moving a mountain—a very grumpy and protesting mountain. Gavin wanted to assist me in the shower but I drew the line at that, so he was forced to wait inside the bedroom while I cleaned up. He did help me dress afterward, even though I slapped his hands several times.
"What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be somewhere bashing heads in or something?" I snapped at him as he buttoned my blouse.
"I don't have to bash heads every day. I get time off now and then," he corrected me. "And Wlodek is waiting to hear from you, so I will be going along for that."
"Oh, joy," I muttered.
* * *
"I wouldn't have gotten in if he hadn't decided to show off the tiaras," I informed Wlodek later. "And I took a chance, allowing him to lock me inside. That vault was completely airtight; I couldn't find even a crevice to fit in," I added.
"So what did you do?" Wlodek watched me, his face expressionless as usual.
I explained that I'd turned back, took the bag off and set it aside before turning to mist again, then coming back to corporeality but timing it so only my hands and feet became solid. Accomplishing that, I was grabbing the tiaras and stuffing them into the bag. And then turning completely to mist while the alarms went off. I described how the vampire had returned to open the door, allowing me to escape.
"No wonder you were exhausted," Russell said. He, Radomir and Gavin were all inside Wlodek's study with me.
"So, only your hands and feet were solid?" Wlodek asked.
"Yes."
"Fascinating."
I just shrugged at him, wondering where the tiaras were. It was none of my business now; I'd done what he sent me to do. Wlodek wouldn't be telling me anything else—I could see it in his eyes. I thought about going home and sleeping in my own bed. I was exhausted and my sleep hadn't helped much.
Wlodek finished with us a few minutes later and Gavin took my elbow when we left the study. "Come with me," he said.
"Gavin, I'm tired," I complained. He didn't say anything, he just ushered me down the stairs, told Charles to have my bags sent to Merrill's and pulled me out the door with him. A car waited outside; a silver Mercedes SLR McLaren that gleamed in the moonlight. Gavin placed me in the passenger seat, fastened the seatbelt around me and closed the door. He was on the driver's side in no time, starting the car and crunching over gravel as we drove away.
I had no idea where he was taking me and at the moment, I didn't really care.
I just closed my eyes and catnapped. Vampires don't usually sleep during the night, I guess, unless they're really tired. I was exhausted, actually, and Wlodek's grilling had made the situation worse. I couldn't even keep my eyes open at times.
"Where are we?" I asked after a while when Gavin stopped the car and then came over to open my door and unbuckle my seat belt.
"My place," he said, lifting me in his arms.
* * *
"She's asleep," Gavin explained to Merrill over the phone. "Nothing happened. Nothing will happen. She's exhausted, that's all." He listened while Merrill informed him that Lissa could have slept in her own bed just fine.
"I know that. It was a moment of weakness, nothing more. You'll have her back in one piece tomorrow night."
* * *
"Lissa? Wake up, angel." There was a gentle kiss and a nipping on my lower lip. Part of that nipping was sharp. I was awake and huddled against the headboard of a huge bed in less than a blink.
Gavin was staring at me as if I'd lost my mind. At least he was dressed—in jeans and a polo. Me? I was naked, thank you very much. I wanted to smack him across the room.
"Lissa, calm down, love. We can get you dressed in no time. I thought you might like to bathe first."
His eyes were a deep, liquid brown and the term bathe held such a note of hope in it. "I can bathe by myself," I pointed out acidly, trying to pull the sheet over my nudity. It wasn't working; Gavin was sitting on the edge of it. "And why is it you always see me naked," I gave another jerk on the sheet, realizing that I'd rip it if I jerked any harder, "and I haven't even seen you with your shirt off except when you were burned." I gave up on the sheet and buried my head in my hands.
Blood Passage (Blood Destiny #2) Page 4