Eternal Prey

by Nina Bangs

  Lia looked as though she was listening. “One more thing. Adam says to move your asses because it’s almost dawn.”

  “Almost dawn? How time flies when you’re spreading pain and destruction.” Utah hated being ordered around.

  “Do you think he’s going to make us sleep in that tunnel?” Lia looked creeped out at the thought.

  “I sleep where I choose.” Kione started to walk back toward the car.

  Utah glanced at Lia. Given a choice, he knew exactly where he’d “choose” to sleep.

  Chapter Five

  Lia worked on her impulse control as she drove back to the tunnels. She resisted the compulsion to slide her gaze across to where Utah sat in stoic silence. Was she the only one about to explode into a shower of erotically charged particles? Looked like it. Well, no way would Lia admit she was more susceptible to Kione than he was. And double no way would she allow Utah to know that her heat-seeking hormones had attached themselves to all the interesting places on his body.

  She’d been strong all her life. Had to be if she’d survived as Katherine’s daughter. Fine, so this wasn’t like the other challenges she’d faced. This one came wrapped in the promise of pleasure. She’d identified the threat, and now she’d defeat it.

  Kione gave what sounded like a fair approximation of a human sigh. “Your thoughts are no fun when all you think about is sex. And no, I won’t stay out of your minds. I need some entertainment. But I do feel an obligation to explain something to both of you. What you’re feeling has nothing to do with me. You have to be looking at me for it to happen.”

  Without thinking, Lia glanced at Kione in her mirror and almost took out an innocent garbage can sitting by the curb. She gripped the steering wheel, trying to stay on the road, trying not to abandon her driving in favor of flinging herself onto Utah and . . . She stole a quick sideways glance at him that dropped, and dropped, and dropped until it reached . . . Hmm. Lia allowed herself a purely self-indulgent smile. Mr. Stoic wasn’t as detached as he looked. Body parts didn’t lie.

  She tore her gaze from Utah as the car wandered dangerously close to a streetlight. Then she took a few steadying breaths. “It must be hard for your friends not to be able to look at you.” Lia tried to process what Kione had said. He couldn’t be telling the truth.

  “Then maybe it’s lucky that I don’t have any friends.” There was no inflection in Kione’s voice.

  No friends? What good was immortality without someone to share it with? Lia tried to imagine a life with no family, no friends. She couldn’t. Maybe she needed to cut Kione some slack. You didn’t get much chance to practice your people skills when you were always alone.

  “Must be tough.” Utah kept his attention fixed straight ahead, but a strand of sympathy seemed to run through his comment.

  It amazed Lia that Utah could feel any sympathy for someone else when he was so focused on avenging his brother. And he’d actually spared Dan’s life. If she wasn’t careful, she might even start to believe he had a few normal human emotions other than anger.

  Kione’s laughter was a harsh rejection of Utah’s sympathy. “You think that no one ever looks at me? Think again, raptor. I have my own army of stalkers, beings that can only feel sexual excitement when they’re looking at me. I’m not always the user.” Bitterness laced his last sentence.

  Lia didn’t know what to say to that. Evidently, Utah didn’t either, because no one spoke again as they drew near Adam’s underground headquarters.

  During those final moments, she puzzled over why she reacted so strongly to Utah when she wasn’t looking at Kione. Sure, he was great-looking, but she’d been around beautiful men before, and her sex drive never drove her. Add to that the conflict-of-interest thing. Vampire lover versus vampire hater. Not a good mix.

  It had to be the power of suggestion. She’d expected to feel lust when she was around Kione. So, she’d felt what she expected. No big deal. Now that she knew better, the unwelcome emotions would go away.

  Lia parked Jude’s car in its original spot and climbed out. She considered whether to bother bringing in her bag, but decided against it. She refused to sleep in that tunnel surrounded by Adam’s vampires. Utah didn’t retrieve his stuff either. Good. Kione didn’t have anything.

  “Kione, did you bring clothes with you?” Stupid question. No one appeared in the middle of a summoning circle trailing a rolling garment bag. She joined the men as Reed detached himself from the shadows beside the door.

  “No. I’ll find something tomorrow.” Kione looked surprised that she’d asked.

  Now, that was just sad. Not that he didn’t have anything, but that he didn’t expect anyone to care.

  “I have a couple of changes of clothes if you need something to wear. Just take whatever fits you.” Utah seemed to be trying for casual a little too hard.

  The two of them were a lot more alike than they’d ever want to admit. Utah sounded uneasy with his own attempt at kindness. But then how much kindness had he experienced in his previous life? He must be struggling with all his shiny new human emotions. For maybe the first time, she stopped her headlong rush to be vampire long enough to appreciate being human.

  Kione paused as though searching for a response he’d long ago forgotten. “Thanks.”

  Something about Utah’s offer made Lia feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Uh-oh. It was hard enough to deny her sexual attraction to him without starting to like him as a person. She quickly dismissed the thought and turned her attention to Adam.

  Lia decided Reed wasn’t into exercising his vocal cords as he nodded and waved them into the building. They walked down the stairs and just like last time, someone opened the door to the tunnel before they could knock.

  This time it was one of Adam’s men. He simply stood aside for them to enter. Adam’s guys were a talkative bunch.

  She followed Utah until they reached Adam, and then she moved up to stand beside him. Kione stopped behind them. Adam still sat in the middle of the tunnel, but most of his people were missing. Probably out hunting. They’d be trickling back soon. Wouldn’t want to be caught by the dawn.

  “Any luck?” Adam didn’t invite them to sit down.

  Utah glanced at Lia.

  “Chris. That’s all I got.” She shrugged.

  Adam frowned. “Chris is a common name. No last name?”

  “You were right about the mind control. The vampire who gave me the name couldn’t get anything else out. He suffered for giving me that much.”

  Utah glanced around the area. “Where do you expect us to sleep?”

  Adam shrugged. “There’re plenty of cots. Choose one.”

  “It’s too cold here.” Lia shivered. “Call me wildly self-indulgent, but I want to sleep in a room with heat, a real bed, and a bathroom.” Definitely a bathroom.

  Adam didn’t look impressed. “You sleep down here. And I want to know how you intend to find the damn vampire who’s stealing my people.”

  “Since you didn’t give us any clues about where to find this vampire, we’ll just have to spend time canvassing the city until we come up with something that goes with Chris.” Utah narrowed his gaze. “And no, we’re not sleeping down here.”

  Whoa. Lia was impressed. Utah was challenging Adam. Brave but incredibly dumb. Could she love this guy any more? Fine, so sarcasm wouldn’t help the situation.

  She jumped in to soften Utah’s declaration. “Think about it, Adam. You’re vampire. You don’t feel cold. But all of us do.” She didn’t know about Kione, but she included him anyway. “And I have to be near a bathroom.”

  Adam’s expression said he didn’t know why she couldn’t just pee in a corner somewhere. “And if I insist?”

  He sounded merely curious, but Lia suspected this was a defining moment in their relationship with Adam.

  “Then that would make me mad.” Utah didn’t even try faking regret. “And when I lose my temper, my beast isn’t too reasonable.” He glanced around. “I’d pretty much fill up th
is space.”

  Adam still didn’t look angry. “I’d be able to take you down before you could do anything.”

  Something in Utah seemed to grow and expand right in front of Lia’s eyes. His threat was the complete silence of the forest right before the predator struck, the eyes shining from the darkness, the low rumbling growl that froze all who heard it. He was death, and thinking that thought didn’t even seem over the top to Lia.

  “Don’t underestimate me or those who stand with me, vampire.”

  Utah’s voice had changed in ways Lia couldn’t pin down. Then she realized what it was. His voice had lost its humanity. She somehow knew she was listening to the voice of his beast. Not a comforting sound.

  Kione moved to the front of the pack. “I side with Utah and Lia. This might be a safe vampire haven, but it really sucks in the comfort category. Don’t try to make us stay. That would upset me. I do things when I’m upset. Like bringing the tunnels down around your head. No more hidey-hole, and the city won’t be happy when a bunch of their buildings fall down.”

  Lia held her breath as a low grumbling worked its way from deep in the earth. The tunnel walls seemed to vibrate, and a few cracks appeared. Oh crap. And then everything stilled. For the moment.

  Adam’s mask was beginning to slip. He smiled, but his fangs ruined the effect. “Be careful, my fae friend. I summoned you, so you owe me your allegiance.” He made sure he didn’t look directly at the dark fairy.

  Kione shook his head. “Adam, Adam, you really need to reread your unseelie handbook. We answer to no one. And we tend to be terribly disloyal. It’s a weakness.”

  Adam dropped his mask completely. “I can send you back anytime I feel like it.”

  Lia was impressed. Adam in full fury was a scary sight. She wondered how many bridges she’d burned tonight over a bathroom. Would she regret her stand? Probably. Would she do it again? You bet.

  “No. You. Can’t.” Kione lifted his own mask.

  Ohmigod! Lia raised her hands to shield her eyes from the blaze of shimmering light that was Kione. Wind whipped around the transformed fairy, scattering loose papers and overturning chairs. Not ordinary wind, but moving air filled with immense power and a feeling of dread that had no reasonable explanation. The murmur of distant voices drifted on that wind, and Lia somehow knew the voices held death. She clamped her hands over her ears.

  He wasn’t facing her, but she could tell from the look of horror on Adam’s face that Kione was definitely making his case.

  Then suddenly, it was over. Kione was once again the unseelie prince they all knew and sort of loved. Adam was making a real effort to look indifferent.

  “This isn’t worth making a big deal over.” Adam shrugged. “Sleep wherever you want. Just make sure you keep looking for the vampire, and let me know as soon as you find anything.” His expression said that they were dismissed.

  No one spoke as they retraced their steps out of the tunnel. Back in Jude’s car, Lia allowed herself to semi-relax. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out of the parking lot. She didn’t ask Kione what had just happened. Utah didn’t either. Once experienced, some things were better left alone.

  “Adam is smarter than I gave him credit for.” Utah actually looked at her. “He was pissed, but he held it all together. You should’ve stayed out of it, though. Once we find his rogue vampire for him, he’ll be out for blood.”

  Lia was torn. How to react? His concern warmed her. No use trying to deny it. On the other hand, he was assuming she was the most vulnerable. Because she was human? Because she was a woman?

  “Because you’re under his leadership.” Utah held up his hand. “No, I can’t read your mind, but I can read your expression. Once this is over, he’ll try to use his authority to remove you from power. Then he thinks he can kill you at his leisure.”

  “He’s wrong. I’ll make sure I’m vampire by then.” She tried to ignore his disapproving stare. More reason to resist any physical attraction. He’d hate her as vampire. “And I’ll find allies. Jude isn’t too happy with our glorious leader. If we all stick together, Adam won’t be able to gather a large enough force to defeat us.”

  “Adam won’t play fair. He’s not the type.” Kione sounded a little weary. “He’ll hire assassins until one of them gets you. He’ll never do the dirty work himself if he can find someone else to do it. Not admirable, but pretty pragmatic of him.”

  She’d had enough of discussing Adam. The only way she could function was to live in the moment and let the future take care of itself. “Where should we go to sleep? I think we should stick together and not go back to where we were staying. Just in case Adam decides before he goes to sleep that he wants to trade us in for more biddable minions. He has a bunch of efficient killers working for him. And not all of them sleep during the day.”

  Kione didn’t look as though he cared one way or another. “Adam will have a tough time putting this genie back in the bottle.”

  “I vote for Fin’s condo. At least we won’t have to sleep with one eye open. Adam wouldn’t try to take on Fin there.” Utah gazed out the window. “Once we get a few hours’ sleep, maybe we can think of a better way to find this rogue.”

  No one had anything to say about that all the way to Fin’s parking garage and up to his penthouse suite. Strange, but just before she entered the garage, Lia thought she saw a man standing among the trees by the side of the building. Tall, blond hair. But when she looked again, he was gone. Probably her overactive imagination.

  They didn’t have a chance to ring the doorbell. The door was flung open and one of the Eleven stood there. Even though Fin had introduced them all last night, Lia couldn’t put names with faces yet. It had all been too rushed.

  She controlled her instinct to step back. Barely. Wow. He was almost as tall as Fin with a wild tangle of dark hair, eerie pale eyes, and a surprisingly sensual mouth that didn’t do a thing to lower his scary index.

  He dressed for impact. Sleeveless black T-shirt, torn jeans, and biker boots. Muscular and intimidating, he radiated bad attitude without saying a thing.

  He glared at Utah. “I have better things to do than waiting around to jerk your ass out of the fire. I don’t do babysitting.”

  “Go to hell.” Utah started to walk past him, but paused. “No, wait. Don’t go there. You’d like it too much.” He glanced at Kione. “This is Gig. No one’s ever seen him without his attitude.”

  Gig transferred his glare to Kione and her. Mostly to Kione. “What’s he?”

  Kione stepped forward. “He is a member of the unseelie court. And he doesn’t have to turn into a freaking prehistoric monster to drill your ass through that wall. And he is in a rotten mood, so back off.”

  Lia glanced at Utah. He didn’t look too concerned. He’d probably love it if they tried to kill each other. Well, she couldn’t just stand here and do nothing.

  Gig narrowed his eyes. He clenched his hands into fists. He took a step toward Kione.

  She rushed into speech. “Gig’s an unusual name. And it’s short for . . . ?” Lia left the question hanging, hoping he’d pause to answer.

  Gig looked as though he had to force his gaze from Kione. Lia figured he was getting hit by the dark fairy’s sensual club.

  “Giganotosaurus.” He started to look away.

  “Ohmigod.” She wasn’t faking her reaction. “I remember you. Back in Philly after I found out what the Eleven were I Googled dinosaurs. I was looking for the biggest and baddest. You were bigger than a T. rex. Fifty feet long.” His size froze her blood. “For God’s sake, don’t lose your temper. Your soul would knock out walls, bring the building down.” Okay, maybe not bring down the building. But eight tons of angry dinosaur would definitely get noticed by the neighbors.

  Gig’s smile was evil, crazy, and terrifying all at the same time. “I. Don’t. Care.” His insane smile widened. “And after my beast gets through bouncing him off whatever walls are still standing, I’ll find out why he’s making me want to
screw everyone in this room.”

  Utah finally intervened. “Hold it, big guy. Kione’s a guest of Fin’s. You know what will happen if you attack a guest. Remember what happened to Al?”

  Uncertainty touched Gig’s pale eyes. “The room.”

  “Right. Think about it. Stuck in the containment room until Fin gets good and ready to release you. No stalking, no killing, nothing.”

  “No one ever told me about a containment room.”

  Utah answered Lia without taking his gaze from Gig. “A large reinforced room Fin has for any of the Eleven that lose themselves to their beasts. An in-house prison.”

  The no-killing part seemed to settle Gig down. He exhaled deeply and slowly unclenched his fists. Lia could almost see his soul receding. She was impressed. She’d have to remember to invoke the containment room the next time she met a ticked-off member of the Eleven.

  “Fin said you’d be sleeping here.” Gig still shot challenging glances Kione’s way.

  “He was in my damn head again. Just because I leave the connection open doesn’t mean he has to use it.” Utah seemed to gather his calm around him. It didn’t look easy. “And I don’t need you on call to save my butt. Where is Fin anyway?”

  “Fin’s busy giving Zero some mental static right now, so I’m supposed to show you to your rooms.” Gig’s expression said he’d rather be out somewhere killing and maiming. “Who’s the woman? I know Fin introduced her, but he didn’t give any details.”

  Utah didn’t give Lia a chance to lay into Gig. “You know, you’d have a lot more friends if you didn’t treat everyone like dirt. Hey, here’s an original thought. Maybe you could even talk to a person when she’s standing right in front of you.”

  Gig looked as though he was trying to decide if killing Utah was worth the effort. He finally turned to her. “Who’re you besides Lia who knows a lot about vampires?”

  She returned his glare. “I lead the Northeast vampires. I’m helping you guys find Seven.” She left out her connection to Katherine.