Jess frowned. “Born a vampire? That’s not possible, is it?”
When he spread his hands, the ruby in his family ring sparkled in the lighting of the club. “It is a rare occurrence; it takes centuries for a baby vampire to become an adult. That doesn’t bode well for them since there aren’t many maternal female vampires.”
Jess shuddered, remembering Britt’s ex-wife stealing a baby and turning her into a vampire.
“But that can’t be what happened in your case, given that you and Morana are the same age. I understand you were taken at the age of twenty-nine?”
“You seem to know a lot about me, Mr. . . .?”
“Vlad.”
“Haven’t you got a last name?” She’d never heard Veronique mention it.
“No. Just Vlad. I had a last name centuries ago, but I dropped it. To be honest, I’m not sure I even remember it now.” The tone in his voice was rich and clear. Many of the women in their vicinity turned wistful gazes upon him.
Damnable idiot. He did that on purpose. He knew he had that effect on women, and he thrived on it.
A pregnant patron walked by with another woman and sat at a table near them. Jess stared at her for a moment. “Would it be possible for one of us to bear a child?” she asked, obviously too curious to care that her lack of vampire knowledge was showing.
“It doesn’t happen that way,” Vlad said. “For example, you can’t have a child because you’re a vampire. But a human who is bitten shortly before the birth may bear a child vampire. It happens, but like I said, very rarely. Maybe once in a millennia.”
“Doesn’t get much rarer than that,” Jess said.
Had she been disappointed? Did she want to have a child? She thought about Sephina. She’d been a baby and a vampire because Britt’s evil ex-wife had bitten the sweet little girl and made her that way. Thankfully, Britt had been able to save her tiny soul and make her human again.
“Does the human mother then become a vampire?” Jess asked, still ruminating on the possibilities.
Vlad made a clicking noise with his tongue, not trying to hide the fact that the topic bored him. “No, of course she dies.” He said it bluntly, no doubt hoping it to be the end of the conversation.
They’d been talking for ten minutes when Morana approached with her hands on her hips. “So, you know my sister?”
Did she have the hots for him, too?
“I do,” he said. “We met a while ago. And she’s been to my club a couple of times.” That was meant to either deliberately tease Morana or anger her. It did the latter. Her eyes turned to black coals while she eyed her sister with obvious distaste.
“You’d be wise to stay out of this one’s club,” she said, pointing at him with her thumb.
Vlad laughed and grabbed Morana’s hand, kissing the back of her wrist. His lips lingered long enough to make her pull her hand from his grasp. She almost seemed flustered. Usually everything she did was in anger.
But not this time—interesting.
“I’ve got to get back to work,” she said before marching off.
Vlad’s expression showed humor, and he winked at Jess. She saw Britt’s muscles tense. He probably wanted to punch Vlad in the chops for that not-so-subtle overture. It was a statement to his professionalism that he managed to hold himself in check.
Vlad tapped his long fingers on the table then rose from his chair, tipped his head in acknowledgement, and left them.
“Jerk!” Britt said. The word came out like steam escaping from a pressure pot. “He thinks he’s God’s gift to women.”
She touched his hand on top of the table. “Not to this woman, my love.”
“Why don’t we leave?” He pushed his chair back and stood without waiting for her answer.
On the way out, Jess spied Vlad in the corner speaking very seriously with Diesel. “Wonder what that’s about?”
Vlad caught them looking, and his expression showed irritation. He obviously didn’t like the fact that they’d caught him in an angry discussion. He said a few more words, then spun around and marched out of the club.
Diesel walked back to the bar, a worried expression on his face. He kept glancing at the tunnel that Vlad had just disappeared into.
And even more interesting, it wasn’t the tunnel most people used. That meant he knew his away around these tunnels. There had to be another exit from this place. Why hadn’t someone pointed that out already?
Chapter Nine
THE NEXT EVENING Jess paced back and forth, her hands knotted behind her back. “We certainly learned a lot yesterday. More than I expected.” She thought about the possibility of a baby being born a vampire. How would one raise a vampire child from birth? It would have to be done by human surrogate, surely? Vampires didn’t have any paternal or maternal instincts. None.
“Come to think of it, we haven’t heard from Regent or Sampson in a couple of days. I wonder what they’re doing?” Britt said, shifting his position on the sofa while he watched her continuous movement. “Silence probably means they’re involved in something. Otherwise, Regent would have called.”
Jess stopped suddenly. “Get your jacket.”
“It’s a warm evening. I think I’ll skip the jacket,” he said, humor in his voice. “We’re supposed to be tourists remember.”
Jess glanced down at her leathers. She’d donned them out of habit, forgetting that she needed to dress like the locals. “I probably should change my clothes, too.”
She ran back to her room and threw on a silk blouse and a pair of shorts. The temperature outside made no difference to her one way or another.
Britt eyed her up and down, getting that look in his eye that meant he’d rather whisk her down the hall for a romp.
She shook her head.
“I like,” he said.
“It’s only shorts.”
“It’s the legs that go on forever,” he said, starting toward her with an intensive gleam in his eyes.
“And they’ll be the same legs tomorrow night. Tonight, I need to find out what Regent’s up to. Besides, you’re the one who mentioned it. C’mon. Let’s go.” She liked the extra attention, though.
He sighed. “Whatever he’s doing must be absorbing.”
“Sampson, too,” she said. “He usually checks in daily. Let me call his cell phone.” She dialed. The phone rang and rang, with no answer. “I’ll try Regent’s cell phone.” Again, no answer.
Britt’s interest must’ve shifted to semi-concern because he nearly beat her to the door.
Upon nearing Regent’s apartment, her hackles went up. His place was in darkness too often these days. What was her brother up to at night? “Where could he be?” Jess asked.
Britt glanced at his watch. “It’s only ten o’clock. He might be at the café having dinner if he worked late tonight.”
“Let’s check.”
They walked without talking. When the café was visible, Jess said from a block away, “He’s not there.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him. I mean, what kind of detectives would we be if we couldn’t?”
He tried to lessen her concern, and she appreciated it. “What about Sampson’s lab? Maybe they’re there?”
“Maybe,” Britt said. “Sampson mentioned getting new equipment a while back. Has he got everything up and running in his new lab?”
“I haven’t had time to check.”
“Great vacation we’re on, isn’t it?”
For the first time, she regretted renting the lab in a shady part of Paris. She should have taken her time finding something closer, in a more residential area. Having her brother and Sampson walking home in the dark near vampire hangouts wasn’t a good idea—not that she’d known it when she’d rented the building. She needed to get Sampson’s lab up and running in her new building and quickly.
When they arrived, lights were on in the lab. “Thank God!”
The red door had an old-fashioned knocker shaped like a claw. It was an odd antique thing
that had long ago turned verdigris. At the time, she’d thought it unique and interesting and was part of the reason she’d picked the place. Maybe she’d let her vampire side choose? This neighborhood wasn’t for unwitting humans or for anyone who worked against vampires.
Sampson answered the door, his glasses perched on top of his bald head. His cheeks were unusually flushed. “Jess and Britt. Come in!” He sounded excited.
“Okay,” she said, slanting a curious glance at Britt on the way inside. “Is Regent here with you? We tried both of your phones and couldn’t get anyone.”
“Regent is here, along with his friend, Gaston. Sorry about the phones. I guess we left them in the other room and couldn’t hear them.”
Jess blew out an unnecessary breath that somehow made her feel better. Sampson never brought humans he didn’t know to his lab, and for good reason. He didn’t dare take the chance of exposing her.
As if reading her mind, Sampson said, “It’s okay. We trust him. We researched him thoroughly before asking for help.” He mounted four steps into the open loft area currently acting as his lab.
“Why wasn’t I told about the meeting?”
“It all happened quickly—within the last two days. Plus, your cell phone is out of service, and we figured either you forgot to charge it again, or you and Britt were busy.” He flushed a little.
They had been “busy” a lot lately.
Britt nudged her. And she never charged up her phone.
Regent and Gaston sat across from each other at a conference table with papers spread out all over it.
When Regent saw her, he jumped to his feet and hugged her. “Jess, I’m so glad you’re here. I was going to contact you tomorrow. You’ve met Gaston?”
She nodded. The last time she’d met Gaston, he had shaken her hand—and he hadn’t reacted to her touch. If he knew anything about vampires, he’d never said. Or maybe he was just oblivious. He always seemed to be absorbed with her brother’s quest though, and he might truly not have noticed.
“What’s going on here tonight?” Britt asked, glancing at the table. “Have you come up with something?”
“We sure have.” Regent pointed at the ancient leather-bound tome he’d pilfered from the Palais des Papes. It was opened to the last page, and there, at the bottom, was the drawing of a bird.
“What is that?” she asked. “A crow?”
“No. We think it’s a raven. In fact, Gaston has seen this very same silhouette of a bird somewhere in the Louvre. He’s going to try to locate it again. Problem is, he can’t ask anyone at the museum without making them suspicious. He actually believes he has seen this language before, too.”
Gaston nodded, his fluffy flyaway gray hair reminding her of Einstein’s. His nose was round at the end and red, and he had a wiry, waxed mustache that floated over barely visible lips. He rubbed his hands together in front of his face with excitement.
“I’m very pleased to be collaborating on this project,” he said.
“Why do you think the raven you saw at the Louvre is the same as this one?” Jess asked.
He pointed at the ink drawing that was very intricate. “See the feathers? Look very closely. They’re meticulously embedded with lettering. Very fine and nearly invisible to the naked eye. When I restore a painting, I get very close to it with a strong magnifying glass. I restored a painting at the Louvre some years back with the same raven symbol on it. I just don’t remember who the artist was or whether it was hung in the museum or put into storage.”
“Which means,” Regent said, “that it could take quite a while to find it.”
Gaston stared hard at the raven. “Unfortunately, with all of the artwork there, it could take years.”
Regent suddenly looked deflated. “That long? I only have a short time left in Paris. I’d hoped to solve this before I left.”
Gaston continued to regard the drawing. “Don’t worry, Father. If we all work together, maybe we’ll find it sooner. You and Sampson are going to help me search for the painting, no?”
“Of course, we are,” Sampson said before Regent had a chance to answer.
“And the language . . .” Gaston stared at the book again, turning the pages carefully. “It’s familiar, so familiar, but I can’t place it. If I can find a reference to this ancient language, I might be able to decipher it.”
“Do you think the raven is the clue to finding the answer?” Jess asked.
Regent’s blue eyes sparkled, and his smile widened. “That’s exactly what we think. And the odds are good since Gaston has seen it somewhere. Just imagine—somewhere within the Louvre there’s a clue we need.”
“We’ll help with the search, too, won’t we, Britt?”
“Definitely,” he said, frowning at the intricately drawn raven on the page.
Jess leaned in for a closer look. The scrolled lettering inside the black bird reminded her of another art form. Maybe Celtic? She followed a spiral inside the drawing with her finger. She’d seen a similar bird on that coin in Vlad’s office. “What does it mean?”
“That symbol is a never-ending spiral, a symbol of eternal life,” Gaston said.
They were on the right track; she could feel it in her bones. This book was definitely something Regent was meant to find. She had no idea how he’d been led to it—but led to it, he was. The next question had to be, why was he supposed to find it? She could understand why Sampson was excited; even though he didn’t say it, the language appeared to be the lost language of the vampires. He’d found a treasure trove of vampire scrolls years ago and had been attempting to decipher them ever since. For all they knew, this little book could be the key. “It is the same language, isn’t it?”
Sampson nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling.
Gaston’s expression turned to instant curiosity. “What language are you speaking of?”
Jess pursed her lips. “It’s just that we’ve seen something similar before,” she said.
“Where? On what?” Gaston asked.
Damn it. “Just something obscure. I’m not sure we can ever find it again,” she lied. She wasn’t about to tell him they had vampire scrolls that were centuries old.
Sampson agreed quickly. “It was lost to us, unfortunately. But if we solve this language, it’ll be very exciting.”
“I see,” Gaston said. “If you recall where you saw the language, it might help us with this.”
If Gaston was any good at reading body language, he’d know the doctor was never going to share.
They discussed the raven for another hour, just rehashing the little bit they knew, over and over again.
“I wish you could tell me where you found this book,” Gaston said.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Regent said. “I’m sworn to secrecy.”
Gaston looked discouraged that they were holding back information while he tried to help them. He sighed. “It’s late, I should go. I’ll see you two tomorrow evening?” he said.
Regent walked him to the door. “This is going to be an adventure,” he shouted after the man. “You may be the man who solves this.”
“Think what the scientific world will say.” Gaston paused and stared off into space.
Too bad he didn’t know he’d never be able to tell the world. If he learned the truth about vampires, he’d see that for himself.
And if he wouldn’t keep their secret? They’d cross that bridge when they came to it. If he failed to cooperate, Jess would have to mess with his mind, and she hated that idea.
After Gaston left, Jess examined her brother’s features. He looked fresher and more excited than she’d seen him in years.
“Will you have time to search for the raven painting, given your duties for the Church?” she asked.
“If you call what I do, duties,” he said. “Even though we single-handedly stopped the demon uprising, they’ve sent me back to those dusty books again. I don’t understand it.”
“At least finding out what the raven mea
ns will give you something to look forward to at the end of a work day,” Britt said.
Regent rubbed his hands together in obvious delight. “You are so right, my son. It’s almost better not to be too busy, especially if I want time to do research on my own.”
“So the dusty books aren’t so bad anymore?” Jess asked, giving her brother a warm look that was out of character for her, but she didn’t care.
“Maybe I won’t complain just yet,” he said. “By the way, what were you two up to tonight? You looked like you had something to tell me when you came in here earlier—at least, until you saw Gaston.”
“You don’t miss a thing, Reej,” she said, and recounted what had happened at the soap factory. “We wouldn’t have gotten away if Britt hadn’t developed another ability—just when we needed it. He created some sort of dampening field, or smokescreen so they couldn’t track us.”
“Good thing you have your special bag of tricks,” Sampson said.
“Just wish I knew more about my skills,” Britt said, rubbing a slight growth of hair on his chin. “There’s got to be someone on this planet who can tell me more about what I am.”
Unfortunately, Britt knew that Uriel, the angel whom they’d saved from vampirism knew everything about him, but chose not to tell him. But there was more to it than even Britt realized—Uriel had warned Jess and Regent that Britt would have to learn his capabilities on his own. Whatever developed depended on his strength of character and his belief in himself and in the Big Guy.
Jess scuffed a foot across the floor and stared at the pockmarks in the cement. She didn’t make eye contact with Regent because she feared Britt might notice.
Luckily, before things got awkward, Britt’s phone rang on his hip. “John Brittain here,” he said.
Jess waited while he frowned and let out a sigh. “Damn.”
“Where did it happen this time?” she asked, after he hung up, and before he told her he had to go.
“Same place—in the tunnels near the club. I guess pulling the cops out of there let that sick bastard feel comfortable enough to start killing in his favorite place again.”
Silenced by the Grave Page 12