She followed him and drew her knife the moment they were outside. The vampire spun on his heels and his hand shot to her neck. She moved away and sliced his chest with the blade, causing him to curse.
Smirking, she waited for his next move. He rushed her, his movements slow and clumsy compared to the older vampires she’d gone up against. Perfect. He tried to take her down by tackling her midsection, but she sidestepped, grabbing his arm and slamming him against the wall.
Holding the silver knife to his side she grinned. “Tell me why the humans are disappearing.”
“Fuck you.” He snarled, jerking against her.
She stabbed the blade into his side. “Want to try that again?”
He snarled at her. “I don’t know. I just snag them and then an ancient by the name of James takes them.”
Isadora twisted the knife. “What does James do with them?”
“I don’t know! We’re just given a list of what to look for, what to collect and to never collect more than three in each city.”
Izzy growled and pulled upwards on the knife. He wasn’t fighting much and he was giving information easier than she expected. “Who is James? Does he work for someone else?”
She grunted when something hit her hard from behind and slammed her into the vampire, smashing him against the wall. A hand wrapped around her throat and pulled her away. The knife came with her and the vampire cried out in pain.
“You want to know who James is, little Hunter?”
Izzy snarled and flipped the knife in her grip. She slammed it into the new vampire’s side and he threw her across the ally. Pain exploded in her head when it hit the wall, but with a deep breath she focused on the new vampire. Tall, blond, with black eyes, this one moved with the sickening grace of liquid. He was old and dangerous.
“You Hunters, always meddling in things that you shouldn’t.” He flashed fangs at her and fear struck her.
She went for her gun on instinct, but he was suddenly there, pinning her hand against the wall.
“Who is James you ask? I am James and I am a member of the Circle.” He brushed his other hand down her cheek. “You are beautiful, I’d love to have you as my Bound Human.”
Panic over took the fear and gave way to adrenaline. Izzy kneed him in the groin and the vampire snarled, loosening his grip. She shoved him away with one hand and he let go of her wrist. Pulling the gun up, she took the shot, but he was gone. Cursing, she looked at the lesser vampire who gave her a wicked smile.
“Police, drop your weapon.”
Aw, come on, seriously? Izzy placed her gun on the ground and held her hands up, the vampire mirroring her.
“Someone’s going to get in trouble.” He mocked.
There must have been an officer down the road, just her luck. “My name is Isadora Sidel. I have my badge, ID, and license in my pocket.”
The officer came into view and raised a brow. “Bit young to be carrying a weapon, aren’t you?”
She held her tongue. “Badge in pocket.” She ground out again. All local authorities were taught to work with Hunters. They were considered part of the government no one questioned, but everyone knew the rumors. She watched as the partner cuffed the vampire and she smirked.
“Go ahead and get it.” He still didn’t put his drawn gun away, but she couldn’t blame him.
Fishing in her back pocket, she pulled out the wallet that her badge was connected to. “Isadora Sidel, Elite Hunter, Colorado Division.” She held it out to him.
“What are you doing all the way out here, Sidel?” He put his gun away and looked at the badge. “We only have a handful of your kind out here.”
“I was following a lead and this is where it led me. Sorry about the disturbance. I wouldn’t have drawn my gun if I didn’t think it was necessary.”
“And yet you missed.”
“He wasn’t the one I was aiming for.” She sighed and took her badge back and picked up her gun. “You officers have a good night. Keep a close eye on that man.” She needed him to stay out of her way for a while. What she also needed was to call Isaac and update him. It was rare that the Circle was in the States. The last she heard they had visited Colorado and Lucius’ territory, but that’s it. There wasn’t supposed to be Circle activity here.
Ayden looked around the breakfast place. Every breakfast restaurant was a safe place for all creatures and he was hoping by some chance he would run into Isadora here. Each place was run by a supernatural creature, and the owner was in charge of enforcing the rules. He didn’t know when the practice started, but it was common knowledge. He still couldn’t believe that Z had talked him into coming. Stupid vampire, stupid territory. He looked up from his phone and grinned when the door chimed. Looked like tonight was his lucky night.
She looked exhausted and he could see a bruise forming on her arm. She flipped her black braid over her shoulder and cradled her phone to her cheek. “I know, Isaac, yeah thanks for the tip. I’ve got to go.” She closed her phone and shoved it into her pocket. The hostess showed her to a booth near Ayden. Perfect, time to turn on the charm.
The moment she sat down Ayden stood and moved to slip into the booth across from her. “I never thought I’d see Isadora Sidel out on her own. How are your parents?” He knew it was a low blow and a sore spot, but it would strike up the conversation.
“They’ve been dead for thirteen years.” Her voice plainly said ‘thanks asshole’.
Ayden frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. I just remember the stories my parents told me about them. I recognized you from some old photos.” He held a hand out. “I’m Ayden Blackwin.”
“Blackwin, we knew your family when we lived in Europe.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “They were a Keeper family. What on earth are you doing here?”
Well fuck, she had a sharper memory than he expected. “I got relocated so here I am. There was something about missing people and vampires.”
“You’re an Independent Hunter, you don’t just get relocated.” She laughed and he smiled when she seemed to relax.
He shrugged. “My duties were moved here to the states and let’s just say, indie or not, I still have higher ups I have to listen to as a Keeper.”
“So you’re investigating the disappearances too?”
He nodded. “Sure am. Maybe we can team up.” It was a bold offer, but the Sidels were known for their loyalties.
“I need backup for something tomorrow night. My Master Hunter refused, but he gave me the tip.”
And that sounded like a trap, but he doubted the Master would have set one. “Just tell me the time and place.” He smiled.
He set the phone down. His plan was working perfectly. All he needed to do was rid the Society of the list and help Markus and the Circle out, and then he’d survive when the Father started wiping out the human race. He knew that the vampires were growing in numbers and that the Society would not be able to survive or keep up with the number of attacks that were coming. Luckily, an ex-hunter named Cody worked as a great contact with the vampires. All he had to do was work through the list and make it look like vampires or accidents. No one had caught on to him yet.
“What is this place?” Ayden asked as he followed behind Izzy.
She couldn’t believe that he actually agreed to follow her here. Something didn’t seem right, her gut told her this mission was wrong. Different. Dangerous. Well, more dangerous than previous ones. She’d known that when Isaac had sent her there, but she hadn’t expected him to refuse send her backup after giving her the tip. Lucky for her Ayden was willing to go.
“It’s a mansion that’s owned by the vampire who attacked me the other night. At least we think it is.” She pushed aside some of the tree branches that blocked their path. “Its owner is listed as currently living in Europe, but there’s been activity here for the last few months. Starting when the disappearances started.”
Ayden stiffened. “What’s the vampire’s name that attacked you?”
“James?
He’s old. Really freaking scary old.” She crouched behind some bushes and focused her gaze on the door of the mansion. Old fashioned torches flickered on either side of the doorway, casting strange shadows on the wooden door. The building held an ancient feel to it. Vines covered the sides, weaving around the windows and over the shingles of the roof. The glass plates of the windows were tinted, but not enough to block the light completely. More torches lit the outside area. A shiver crawled up Izzy’s spine and she looked at Ayden over her shoulder.
“If he’s the James I’m thinking of, we need to get out of here. Neither of us are a match for him or the company he keeps.” Ayden put a hand on her shoulder. “Report back to your Masters and your Elder Masters and let them know what you have found, but we can’t go in there.”
The hell they couldn’t. She didn’t come this far to not finish the mission. If she had a chance of finding the people who disappeared, than she had to take it, but part of her knew Ayden was right. “You know more than you’re letting on.”
“I do. Why don’t we go back to my place, have a cup of coffee and I’ll fill you in?”
She blinked at him. “And then what?”
“Then you go back to Colorado and report what you’ve found. Let the Master Hunters take it from here. This job is out of the question for the Elites.” He met her gaze. “Please Isadora, trust me on this.”
She glanced back at the mansion and then to Ayden. “You fill me in and I’ll reassess before I make that choice.”
He considered her for a moment, but she held her ground. She wasn’t going to just change her mind because he didn’t feel comfortable with the situation.
“Fine. Let’s go.” He mumbled and then led her back towards the street where they’d left her SUV.
They climbed in and she drove in silence to the small house he directed her to. Something ate at her, something about the mansion, Ayden, and the whole situation. She didn’t want to voice her concerns because she wasn’t sure if she could trust him completely or not. Not all Independent Hunters had the same goal in mind. Her parents had taught her that. Michael had reinforced that lesson as well. She pulled up to the house and threw the car in park.
Ayden started to get out. “Aren’t you going to join me? I don’t bite, I promise.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I can trust you on that one.” She could take him on if she needed to. That much she trusted herself to do. She got out of the SUV and hit the button on the key fob to lock it. The vehicle let out a little honk to let her know it was secure.
Ayden shook his head. “I can tell that you’re skeptical, but I promise I won’t drug your coffee, I won’t kill you, and I will answer all your questions.” He led her up the small pathway and into the house.
She looked around at the sparse furniture and empty walls. “Just move in?”
“It’s actually a place I share with another Hunter. He’s out on a hunt right now. I move around too much to actually have a place of my own.”
It wasn’t unheard of. A lot of Independent Hunters shared places that they could call home and rest their heads. Her parents’ house had been such a place for Michael. “So you just got back from Europe and came here?”
“Something like that. My jobs have been overly complicated lately, but I know that it has a lot to do with the changes that are going on in the vampire world.”
She followed him to the kitchen and watched as he went through the motions of making a pot of coffee. “Who is James?”
“He’s a member of the vampire Circle.” He sighed and paused as he scooped coffee into a filter. “He’s one of the more powerful ones, right up there with Markus.”
The name filled her with instant hate. “I didn’t know Markus was a member of the Circle. I didn’t know that the Circle actually existed.” She walked over and started looking through the cupboards for mugs.
“The Hunting Society tries to keep their existence and other pieces of vampire history on the downplay. But trust me, they do exist and they are scary fuckers.” He put the coffee grounds away and she placed the mugs on the counter.
“How do you know that for sure?” She raised a brow and crossed her arms. “It’s not like you could have met them all.”
He snorted. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Isadora, but tonight isn’t the night to get into it. The thing is, if that mansion belongs to James, you’re in over your head and you need to go home.”
“Isaac gave me the tip on the mansion. He told me that if I had the chance I should get in there and figure out how it was connected. Why would he do that?” Was Isaac setting her up? No. He wouldn’t do that. Each Hunter swore their life to the Society and to uphold the codes. Purposely sending her on a suicide mission would be breaking that code.
He leaned against the counter while the coffee started to brew. “I don’t have the answer for you on that. My gut says that Isaac is trying to get you out of the way for something.”
“Do you know Isaac? He’s been with the Hunters for thirty something years. He wouldn’t risk putting me on a suicide mission.”
He chuckled. “I know a lot more about the Society than you think, but never question the motives of humans. There could be many things that factor into Isaac sending you out here.”
A seed of doubt started to grow in her, but she couldn’t believe that a Master Hunter would do that. “Every Hunter swears their allegiance to the society, to break any rules or regulations means being skinned of your mark. Going against Elders could mean death.”
“They don’t strip people of their marks anymore.” He shook his head and turned to pour the coffee. “Those are now just boogie man stories.”
“They stripped someone of their mark last year.” She stated, her voice even.
He turned around and gave her a deer in the headlights look. “The last person was stripped twenty years ago.”
“And that was Michael, but no, this was a Skilled. Who went against everything his Elite told him to do.”
Ayden whistled. “Must have been a hell of a mission.”
“Rumors say it had to do with the Father.”
Ayden visibly shivered at the mention. “We don’t talk about him.”
“You’re scared of the boogie man of all vampires? That’s kind of cute.” She took her coffee from him. She studied the swirling black liquid and sighed. “You know I’m going back there.”
“Isadora, that is the stupidest thing you could possibly do at this point. You need to go home.” He met her gaze. “This is way over your head.” He motioned to the breakfast table that sat in the kitchen.
She sat and sighed. “What has you so scared? It’s a simple observation, go in and report back.”
He tapped his fingers on the mug and she assumed that he was thinking. “There are rumors that the vampires are gathering humans for breeding stock.”
Her stomach churned at the thought. “Breeding stock?”
“And slaves, food, cattle essentially. It’s an old practice, but apparently the Circle is trying to bring it back.” He wouldn’t meet her gaze. “It’s disgusting, but the Hunting Society won’t be able to take them down. There are too many rules and regulations that keep them in check.”
“So you think what? I should tuck tail and run?” She shook her head. “That’s not in my nature.”
“Damn it, Izzy, this is bigger than you. This is bigger than the revenge you want on every vampire. This is something that will get you killed, or worse, turned into a pet.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve seen it happen, dealt with the aftermath, it is not pretty.”
She opened her mouth to ask, but his phone rang. He glanced at the screen. “I have to take this. I’ll be right back.” He stood and went into a different room. She couldn’t hear his words, the conversation to soft for her ears.
Who the hell was he to tell her she was in over her head? How did he know about her goal as a Hunter? Something wasn’t right in the situation and now was the time to remove hers
elf. She grabbed her bag from the floor and crept through the kitchen and back through the living room. The door was unlocked and she opened it, holding her breath that it didn’t squeak. Silence. Of course it was, he was an Independent Hunter, he’d want to be able to sneak out in case of a problem.
“Yeah, I think I know what’s going on. I hear things are hell out there for you.” Ayden laughed as he talked to Tegan. “Tell your brother that I have it handled. You just focus on what’s going on there.”
“He wants details.” She grumbled.
“Well then maybe he should learn how to use a phone.” Ayden snorted. “But here’s what I think is going on. The Master Hunter named Isaac has set up something to put Isadora in danger, possibly a death that’s not suspicious, or a disappearance. I don’t know why specifically her, since the other Hunters seem to all just die on a regular mission.”
“What did he send her out there to investigate?”
“You know, if your brother didn’t trust me to handle this, maybe he should have sent you.”
Tegan laughed, but it wasn’t a happy one. “Yeah, because that would go over well with the local vampires. Not to mention I’m forbidden from traveling by the Circle.”
“I’ve missed something, haven’t I?” A pit of dread settled into his stomach. “Tegan?”
She took a moment to respond. “You have, but I can’t get into it. Just make sure Isadora’s safe, and my brother won’t geld you when you return.”
He didn’t like the tone in her voice. “She was sent out here to investigate what I think is a human slave trade location.”
“Get her out of there, Ayden. I have a feeling Zaaren will flip his shit if she ends up in one.” Tegan growled. “They aren’t supposed to have those any more.”
“Yeah, well until all the Originals wake, there is not a lot we can do. How is Nuala?”
Tegan sighed and he heard something shift in the background. “Not waking. Not yet. I can feel it though.”
“Soon then.” He closed his eyes. “Okay,” He paused as he heard a car start. “Fuck. Gotta go.” He ended the call and shoved the phone in his pocket. By the time he got to the front door Izzy was already gone. This could not be good. Stupid mule headed Hunter.
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