Tempered (Et Lapis Sanguis Book 1)

by Dawn Ibanez

  “What do you want to know?” she asked.

  Lord Elijah went over to the chairs and gestured for her to join him. Gus pressed her lips together as she weighed the consequences of her situation. Ever since she and Mel left the South Sector, Gus made it a top priority to stay away from all vampires in authority. Now she had to play nice and calmly talk with one.

  And not just any simple Guard or Glaive but the vampire who controlled the Sector.

  The only thing that could make this worse would be if the gargoyle in charge showed up.

  Oh, and the little-known fact that she was the one that put the mysterious outlaw vampire in the hospital. He couldn’t find that out either. She would be sent to prison or executed if that became public knowledge.

  She went to the chair and sat. She needed to play nice.

  He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach. His dark eyes assessed her in a way she didn’t want to think about. “Can you give me an account of what happened tonight?” he asked.

  Gus nodded. “I was getting ready to leave work. My sister called me in a panic. She said there was someone following her and I told her to hide. Mel made it to the meat market before whoever attacked her caught up with her. They fought. I arrived, fought him, then I was sent through the window. When I got to my feet, he was gone, and Mel was bleeding out. Shawn and Henry followed me, and they called the Glaive in.”

  “How did you know where she was?”

  Her father taught them to map out every city they went to. They needed to have stashes and hideouts wherever they moved. Gus shrugged a shoulder. “I like to run. Sometimes, Mel would run with me. We learned a lot about the city just jogging around.”

  The expression he wore said he didn’t believe her. “How far away do you work from where your sister was found?”

  “About a mile. Maybe a little more.”

  “And you ran there?”

  “I like to run.”

  He smiled at her. It was full of fang but empty of humor. “I’m sure you do.” His dark eyes focused on her hands. “And you say you fought your sister’s attacker?”

  She shrugged. “My sister and I were taught how to fight by our father. I stayed in practice. Mel wasn’t into fighting as much and picked up other hobbies.” Gus knew the way most investigators for the Guard and Glaive were trained. If they weren’t given enough breadcrumbs, they would continue to question every little inconsequential detail. She doubted the vampire in front of her would be any different.

  He leaned forward and held out a perfectly manicured hand. “May I?” he asked.

  Gus frowned and curled her hands into fists. “I don’t see what my hands have to do with my sister being on an operating table right now.” She didn’t want to feel how soft his hands were compared to hers. It would do nothing more than shine a light on how alive she was, compared to him and any of the vampires in the sector.

  “Call it eliminating a possibility.” He looked at her and the corner of his mouth tilted up in a slight smile. “As they say, no stone unturned.”

  The more he tried to put her at ease, the more Gus wanted to run. She glanced at the door. There was no escape. Not now. She placed her hand into his and gasped.

  “Sorry. I forgot my gloves at the office.”

  She swallowed and stayed silent as he examined her right hand. Gus never expected such a cool touch from a Chevalier. Of course, any time she thought of being in front of one of The Four, their hands were never inspecting hers gently while trying to uncover a mystery. Their hands were usually around her throat or in her chest for breaking one of their many rules.

  “I frighten you,” he said quietly.

  An inelegant snort escaped her. “I would have thought you would be used to people being scared of you.”

  He nodded and rubbed his thumb over one of the smoothed callouses on her hand. “I am. But not like you.” He tapped the callous gently. “This looks like it came from handling a sword.”

  She pulled her hand away from his. He wanted to pay attention to her callouses. It would have only been a moment before he started on the faded scars on her hands and arms. Gus had to get this back on track. “What does this have to do with my sister?”

  “Were you armed when you fought the attacker?”

  Gus was usually always armed. Her dirks were hidden in Shawn’s trunk, and she never felt more vulnerable. “Carrying blades and not belonging to either the Glaive or Guard is illegal, isn’t it? Are you accusing me of a crime?”

  He looked at her. “Dominic never had that law in North America. But I am aware that De Leon down in Mexico had that particular law in place. Is that where you’re from Miss Vega?”

  She stood and paced around the small confines of the hospital room. She knew it was a nervous gesture, a telling one. “No. My sister and I were born in the Southern Sector. We heard a few women talk about the law when we were little, and I guess it stuck. I never looked into it.” She tucked her hair behind her ears. “What is taking them so long?” she asked in a hiss.

  The vampire stood and adjusted his coat. “I would like for you to accompany me to where your sister was attacked. We may be able to find something.”

  Her temper rose. Chevalier or not, he wasn’t going to order her away from Mel’s side. “I need to stay here. What if something happens?”

  “Miss. Vega, I control the Sector. Dr. Levy already knows that I am interested in what has happened to her and to you. If there is any news, she will contact me, and we can come straight back here.” He gestured to the door. “And I can assure you, you will have more use to her in the field than you would standing here doing nothing.”

  Gus ran her hands through her hair. She would have to do something about it soon. It was getting long enough to be a hinderance in a fight. And with the Chevalier watching her every move, she would need every advantage she could get. “Let me talk with Henry and Shawn first. Then, I’ll take you where you want to go.”

  He nodded and the door opened behind him. They both turned, and Elijah left the room first. Gus pressed her lips together as she followed. He knew she was a fighter, but he still gave her his back. She clenched her fists again. She needed to acquire that kind of strength for herself. It would be the only way she would be able to get out from under the thumb of the blood-soaked world they lived in.

  They walked down the hall to the main family waiting area. Gus saw Henry and Shawn talking quietly with the captain. “They don’t know anything,” she said.

  Lord Elijah looked over his shoulder and stopped walking. “They may know something they don’t realize.” He leaned in close to her ear and Gus had to fight her every instinct to attack. “Like your little knife carrying habit. There may be something useful hidden in plain sight.”

  The words slipped out before she could stop them. “My little knife carrying habit, as you call it, saved both me and Mel when your people slipped their leashed, my Lord.”

  The way he stared at her in the brightly lit hospital made her both fearful and bold. Gus also hadn’t realized his eyes were nearly a perfect brown. The vampires she usually came across had flecks of green, red or blue in their eyes. But Lord Elijah’s eyes matched the color of her favorite chocolate bar.

  His lips tilted up again. “You are going to be an interesting part of this investigation, Miss. Vega.”

  She didn’t think she could get used to her father’s name coming from a vampire’s mouth. “Stop, please. Just call me Gus.” When his face morphed into an expression of disgust, she shook her head. “What’s the problem?”

  “What kind of name is ‘Gus’ for a woman?” His tone was off. Like he wanted to say something different but decided against it. “It’s a primitive name for a man, never mind a young woman.”

  “I was named after my grandfather. My sister was named after our grandmother. Augustus and Esmeralda.” She shook her head and sighed heavily. “Augustina is a mouthful, so I go by Gus, and my sister goes by Mel for the same reason.
”

  He continued to look at her. Gus folded her arms over her chest as she stood in front of him. She wouldn’t let him think he had any sway on her name. She survived with her grandfather’s name her entire life. No vampire would disgrace the honor she had from carrying his name. Not again.

  “Augustina it is,” the lord said before turning to his captain.

  She blinked at him. Just as she was going to move behind him, Shawn and Henry came up to her. She would have to wait until they were alone again before finding out what he was thinking.

  “Gus, this is bad.” Shawn looked over her head before continuing. “That guy was asking all kinds of questions. Where you girls live, how long you’ve been working for me, and other stuff like that. He wanted to know if I knew where you came from. I think he’s trying to investigate you more than actually finding the sick fuck that did this.”

  She touched Shawn’s arm and nodded when he instantly calmed. “I’ll handle it.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m going to need you two to look after Mel for me though. Mr. High and Mighty wants me to take him to the meat market. He’ll probably want my blades too.”

  “And you’re okay with just handing them over?” Henry asked.

  “I’ll play along and get Mel treated. As soon as she’s safe, I’ll disappear.” When Shawn opened his mouth, she squeezed his arm. “How do you think I got here? I just have to run a little farther now. It’s old hat for me.”

  He didn’t like the idea of her leaving. It was written all over his face. He looked at Henry. “Talk some sense into her.”

  Henry reached into his pocket and gave her the keys to his car. “Do what you need to do. We’ll keep Mel safe, but if you need us, call.”

  Gus shook her head and gave him the keys back. “Thank you. But I got this.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

  “Mel is going to be hell to deal with. So, you have to keep yourself safe.”

  She nodded as she moved back. Her sister would be angry. Mel would even want to follow her. But if someone as powerful as a Chevalier was going to sentence her to death, it would be best to sever all ties with those she held dear. Gus looked at Shawn again. “Just look after her. Please.”

  Shawn reached into his pocket and pulled out her phone. “We’ll call if there’s any change.”

  Gus stepped forward and hugged him as well. “Our secrets may change your opinion of us,” she warned him.

  He kissed her cheek. “I knew it was you when Mel called out,” he whispered into her ear. When she looked at him, he smiled. “I’m not that stupid. I just wanted you to trust me.”

  She shrugged. “I’m trusting you with my sister. That should count for something.” She squeezed his arm once more before stepping away. “Make sure they contact Lord Elijah if there are any changes. And call me if they try to shut you out.”

  Shawn and Henry nodded as she walked away from them and approached the waiting Lord and Captain. She wanted to run in the opposite direction. It wouldn’t take long for them to figure out what she had done. Everything she had done. And to keep it all away from her sister, Gus knew she would have to leave Mel behind.

  A nurse approached the pair of vampires. “Lord Elijah, I have news about the vampire brought in last night,” she said. “He’s conscious and trying to talk.”

  Gus could feel her heart in her throat. She looked at Elijah and noticed him watching her. It was time for her to push her fear aside and perform like she used to. She pulled her shoulders back and approached him with her head held high. “I’m ready to go when you are,” she said.

  Elijah nodded. “I want to see what Warren has to say first. His attack may have been connected to the one on your sister.” He then looked at his captain. “Have Gabriel pull the car around.”

  The captain placed his fist over his heart as a salute before leaving them alone again. Gus saw the dark look he gave her before leaving. She took a breath and braced herself. This was a storm she couldn’t escape.

  Not when she was probably the cause of it.

  *****

  Elijah walked through the halls of the hospital with the Vega woman just behind him. He knew she was trying to find an out. At the first moment, she was going to run. He had the sinking feeling that if she ran, she would disappear.

  He didn’t want to think about why the thought sat ill with him.

  They rounded the corner and approached the corridor with private rooms for more dangerous vampires. “As much as it bothers me, I’m sure the rumors reached far and wide. A vampire was found beaten and left for dead last night. I need to find his attacker also.”

  She nodded. “He was found not too far from my job.”

  The woman in front of him was a mystery he wasn’t sure he wanted to solve. “I am seeing a dangerous lifestyle pattern for you, Augustina.”

  She bristled at the sound of her given name. She was probably used to being called Gus by everyone around her. “It’s not so bad,” she said. Her hands were shoved into her jeans pockets and Elijah was sure her fingers were itching for a blade. “I can usually handle any threats thrown at us. And Mel’s no slouch either.”

  But the younger sister could have given off the appearance of being a lone damsel ripe for the picking. Elijah frowned at the thought. He saw the two members of the Glaive he assigned to Warren’s room and touched her arm. “This may be difficult to sit through. Do you want to stay here? The Glaive can keep you company.”

  She shook her head. Her face was expressionless as she continued to walk forward. “Let’s get this over with,” she said over her shoulder.

  Elijah was torn between being annoyed by her stoic nature and impressed by it. He could smell the fear coming off her in waves. Her pulse was erratic as he spoke to her about various issues. Her hands trembled when she was touched. And he could see she was holding herself back each time he entered her personal space.

  But if he were to simply looked at her, she would appear as cool as he was.

  The two Glaive saluted when they saw him. The smaller of the pair, a woman with her orange-red hair, spoke first. “Lord Elijah. The patient is awake. He tried to say something to me, but I couldn’t understand him.” Her dark eyes darted to the human woman in front of him. “His jaw is wired shut, and I’m not sure if a human can deal with the carnage.”

  Elijah placed his hand at the small of Augustina’s back. “She’ll be fine. Thank you.” They entered the room and Elijah saw the hesitation on her face. “I won’t force you to see him. Vampiric injuries can be hard to witness. Especially since we normally tend to heal quickly.”

  She stepped into the room and looked at the bed. Before Elijah could examine her expression, Warren hissed at her. Elijah frowned. “That is no way to treat my guest, Warren.”

  The vampire had the sense to look contrite, or at least as contrite as he could in nearly a full body cast with braces to keep his head still and his mouth wired shut. One of his fingers tapped restlessly against his bed.

  “Why is he doing that?”

  Elijah frowned at the false apologies Warren tapped out. The vampire still thought he had a chance to survive his transgression. Elijah shook his head and focused on Augustina. “Morse code. Some of the older vampires still use it to communicate when speech is not an option.” He glanced at Warren. “He wants me to know he’s sorry he came back into the Sector. He doesn’t know how he ended up in that alley.”

  She scoffed and leaned against the window. “Sure.”

  Warren continued to plead his case. Elijah easily translated his words. According to Warren, he left work and stopped to get gas on the way home. Then, he was jumped by no less than four vampires, all larger and older than he was. Beaten and then left for dead in the center of the city. It was one of the most absurd stories Elijah ever heard.

  “Warren, neither one of us is stupid. The last day you went to your job was nearly two weeks ago. From there, you have been seen making your way through the sector, which for you i
s forbidden.”

  More tapping against the mattress. He was sorry. Everything was a misunderstanding. He hadn’t meant to come back, but the sector was his home. Elijah wanted to get to the bottom of his attack, but not if it meant listening to the once powerful vampire grovel and try to weasel his way out of a punishment.

  “You will stay here until members of the Glaive come for you. From there, you will be escorted to the holding cells in the Tower. Your sentence will be passed down once your jaw has healed enough for you to speak and defend yourself.” Elijah saw the way his eyes darted to the woman standing quietly by the window. “Is there anything you remember about your attackers?”

  Warren’s lip curled as he turned his focus away from Augustina. He tapped out “no” on his bed and closed his eyes. Elijah nodded before holding his hand out toward the human woman. “Let’s leave him to his rest,” he said quietly.

  Her eyes were dark chips as she glared at Warren. She moved past the hospital bed and made it out of the door before her hands curled into fists.

  Elijah did his best to ignore the tremble of her hands. The woman in front of him was a fighter. The way her shoulders remained squared as she walked through the halls told him that she was the type that would accept any and all takers. “The Coliseums in Rome still accept challengers. The vampires there are always looking for more fighters.”

  “Don’t send that one in there if you value your reputation,” she said over her shoulder. Her tone was clipped. Even as she opened the front door, she held an air about her that was as dangerous as it was intriguing. “He looks like he couldn’t fight his way out of a bag.”

  He stepped beside her and motioned to where Gabriel was waiting behind the wheel of his car. “Warren was once a member of the Glaive. He’s more skilled than you think.”

  “Was. Meaning he’s probably lost some of that skill.” She stared at Gabriel as he opened the rear door. “I’m not going to sit in the back seat.” She then frowned at Gabriel’s confused expression. “And you’re like what? Twelve? Can you even drive?”