by Jenna Black
She knew just how she could do it, too. The position he sat in drew his pants tightly against his groin. Something caused a slight bulge there, but she was quite sure it wasn’t any male equipment. Too bad taunting him about it as she’d like wasn’t an option.
“Now you know what we will do when we find Gabriel,” Bartolomeo said, and Camille forced herself to focus. “But first we have to find him. Do you have any suggestions?”
In truth, she hadn’t given the matter a great deal of thought. She was much more concerned about how she was going to deliver that nasty injection to Eli. His unwillingness to leave his house would prove quite the impediment.
But if she didn’t give Gabriel to Bartolomeo, that would become a moot point. One problem at a time.
Happily, an idea came to her with gratifying speed. “Gabriel created a fledgling a few months ago. He sent her ahead to Eli. He never explained exactly what he planned to do with her, but I’m sure he’s using her as a spy. If we find her, we can use her against him.” She made a face. “My son is anything but stupid, but he is capable of being strangely sentimental. If we had his fledgling, he might take foolish risks in order to get her back.”
“And how would we acquire this fledgling?”
Camille smiled. “Why, we keep a watch on Eli’s house, of course. She’s sure to come and go from there on a regular basis.” Her smile faded. “Although Eli would sense it if a vampire were lurking near enough his house to see her leave.”
Bartolomeo shrugged. “So we send a mortal to keep watch instead. He can follow her until she’s out of Eli’s range, and one of my fledglings can take her from there.”
“It might work,” she conceded. “But the mortal would experience some difficulties around Eli’s house. The glamour that surrounds it is impressive. Even knowing the house is there, I doubt a mortal could see it, unless Eli wanted him to.”
“But my mortal doesn’t need to see the house. He just needs to see the fledgling. If you can give him a fair description, I’m sure he’ll manage admirably.”
Camille nodded her agreement. She hadn’t seen Jezebel in three months, but she had a clear enough image in her head that she felt sure she’d be able to describe the little wench.
Soon, she told herself. Soon she would have her revenge on the man who’d shattered her life. And after that, she could return to her true home and start anew. And when she did, she might even consider that Gabriel had done her a favor when he’d betrayed her and shown his true nature, because if he hadn’t, she might never have seen her homeland again.
JEZ SAT CROSS-LEGGED ON the super-comfy leather couch in Eli’s library, tucking her skirt in carefully around the edges so as not to flash him. It was something of a nervous gesture, and she forced herself to stop fussing.
When she looked up, Eli was staring at her with that intense, knowing look of his, and it was all she could do not to squirm. She suspected she looked guilty as all hell.
“You’re sure you’re all right?” Eli asked gently, and his concern made the guilt spike.
She let out a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little shaken up.”
“What did Gabriel want from you?”
Apparently there was to be no small talk, and no beating about the bush. She’d been thinking furiously about how she’d answer that question all through the cab ride here. Unfortunately, it was far too short a ride, and she was stuck mostly winging it.
“I’m not entirely sure,” she said, looking down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap. “You called before he got around to doing much other than stomp around and look scary.”
“I’m surprised he let you answer the phone.”
She was pretty sure she heard a hint of suspicion in his voice, but maybe that was her own guilty conscience talking. “Wouldn’t it have been suspicious if he hadn’t? He made sure I understood that there would be dire consequences if I wasn’t careful about what I said.” She shrugged. “Maybe he just guessed it was you and wanted a chance to tell you what he thought of you.”
“Hmm. And afterward, he just … left?”
She nodded. “He threw the phone at the wall. Then the next thing I knew, he was gone. Smoke and mirrors stuff, you know?”
Eli took his time considering what she’d said, watching her carefully.
“Why did you want to know the names of Gabriel’s latest victims?” he asked, out of the blue.
“Morbid curiosity.”
But of course, he wasn’t buying that. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands over his belly. “I got to wondering after you’d asked, so I got on the Internet to see what I could find out about them.”
Jez’s eyes widened. She probably looked pretty silly.
Eli smiled. “Yes, I know how to use a computer. One does not reach my advanced age without becoming adept at adapting to the times.”
That made sense. “And what did you find?” she asked, but of course she already knew what he’d found.
The piercing look again. “Same thing you found, I’d expect.”
She didn’t bother with a denial. He looked far too sure. So much for all her angst about whether she should share her findings or not. She met Eli’s eyes, trying to gauge what he’d made of the stories. Unfortunately, his eyes gave nothing away.
When she didn’t speak, Eli continued.
“What I’d really like to know is what made you think of looking.”
Obviously, she couldn’t tell him the whole truth. But there was part of the truth she could tell. She looked down at her hands once again. “I didn’t have a good home life,” she said. “I was raised by my grandmother, and she didn’t like anything about me. I used to do all kinds of things just to piss her off. And a lot of times, I told her I did things I didn’t do. My teenaged version of psychological torture.
“Gabriel didn’t kill Carolyn when he had the chance. Instead, he went out and found someone else. I wondered why, and it got me to wondering if he and I had something in common. So I looked the victims up and found they both may have gotten away with murder.”
“Is that the whole story?” Eli asked, in a voice that clearly indicated he didn’t think it was.
“It’s as much of the story as I’m willing to give you.”
“Jezebel, if you have some kind of connection to Gabriel, then you have to help us stop him before he kills again.”
She raised her chin. “Even if I had a connection to him, I wouldn’t be eager to help you kill him. Considering how angry he is with you, I think he’s shown a hell of a lot of restraint.”
“But he’s been here less than a week, and already he’s killed two people.”
“Two people who, it seems, deserved to die.”
The Founder’s eyes hardened. “That is not Gabriel’s decision to make.”
Jez’s temper stirred. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. It’s all right for you to decide who gets to live or die, but it’s not all right for him?”
The temperature in the room dropped, a sure sign of Eli’s anger. “It isn’t like that.”
“Yes it is!” The air temperature continued to plummet, but though she figured persisting was probably dangerously stupid, she wasn’t going to back down now.
“Why is it okay for your Guardians to kill Killers?” she demanded. Eli opened his mouth to answer, but she interrupted before he had the chance. “Because they’re bad guys who murder innocent victims, so it’s okay for you and the Guardians to do the whole judge, jury, and executioner thing, right?”
“That’s not the same thing!” he said indignantly.
“All right, then why haven’t you killed Drake?” She saw her barb hit home. “He’s a Killer, Eli. If being a Killer is an automatic death sentence, then why is Drake still alive?”
Eli visibly struggled for an answer, and Jez rammed the point home. “You haven’t killed him because the people he chooses to kill are scumbags. If that’s okay for him, why isn’t it okay for Gabriel?”
&n
bsp; “I made my bargain with Drake because the Guardians need his power. And, yes, because he doesn’t kill the innocent. But—”
“Don’t you think Gabriel’s power would be an asset to the Guardians?”
Eli laughed. He sounded genuinely amused, but the expression on his face was brittle. “Somehow, I don’t think joining the Guardians is quite what my son has in mind.”
“Maybe if you invited him, if you gave him some scrap—”
But Eli shook his head. “No, Jezebel. I’m not inviting Gabriel to join the Guardians. Even if I could actually contact him to ask. Even if I thought there was a chance he might accept. He was born vampire, and he’s … unstable.” A hint of sadness crossed his face. “Maybe it isn’t his fault. Maybe it’s just the circumstances of his birth. I’ve heard rumors that born vampires tend to be mentally unbalanced, but I’ve never known one other than my son.”
“He’s not crazy.”
“If you don’t know him, then how can you say that?”
“Because if he were crazy, he would have just killed Carolyn. And me, for that matter. He’s shown mercy, and that’s not the sign of a crazy man.”
“Enough,” Eli said, making a slashing gesture with his hand. He’d put on his impassive face, but the expression was far from perfect. “This subject is not open to debate. Now, since Gabriel knows where you live, and since despite your assertions he may very well be crazy, I suggest you stay in my guest room for the time being.”
The way he said it told Jez he expected her to argue. He was definitely on suspicion overload right about now, and she had no desire to make it worse. She tried to make herself look and sound relieved. Even though staying at Eli’s would mean there’d be no more seduction attempts in her near future.
“Thanks, Eli,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll feel much safer here. I think you’re wrong about him, but I’d hate to find out you’re right the hard way. Let me just dash home to pack an overnight bag. I should be back in an hour.”
She didn’t think her act did much to convince him, but it was the best she could do.
13
GABRIEL SAT ON THE river bank, staring out at nothing. It was peaceful out here this time of night. Very few cars, very little foot traffic. No need to use his glamour to keep the annoying mortals away. The lights of New Jersey shone across the river, reflecting on the water.
Yes, it was the perfect spot to find serenity. But Gabriel didn’t think he was going to find that rare commodity any time soon.
Had he scared Jezebel with his explosion? He hoped not. That was the last thing he wanted, though it was just as well Eli’s call had interrupted before he’d let himself do something unutterably rash.
There were so many reasons he should stay away from Jez he wasn’t even sure he could count them all. Most of them had very little to do with her inexperience in the bedroom.
He’d seen enough through her dreams and memories to know that she’d had a tough life. Getting entangled with someone like him was not at all what she needed.
Much as he hated to admit it, she needed someone like Eli, like the Guardians, to make her feel accepted for the first time in her life. But because of Gabriel, neither Eli nor his people would ever fully accept her. Not if they knew the truth.
He was sinking into self-pity, and he knew it. Perhaps another kill would turn his mind away from all this guilt-ridden emotional drama that always disgusted him when he saw it in others.
He tried to imagine hunting the streets once more, searching for that distinctive, tainted scent, tearing the throat out of a mortal who would otherwise never be punished for his crime. The prospect held no appeal.
If only he could talk to Jez before it got too close to dawn! If nothing else, he owed her an apology. He grimaced. And a new phone. But of course, she had run straight to Eli’s, and though Gabriel knew she was there, it wasn’t like he was going to go knock on the door.
No doubt Eli would insist she stay with him now that Gabriel had threatened her. Cutting off his only access to his fledgling. The nights were long enough now. What would they be like if he didn’t at least have a visit with her to look forward to?
Thinking of Jez, he closed his eyes and breathed in deep, reminding himself for the thousandth time that she was supposed to be nothing but a tool.
Suddenly, his head felt … weird.
He frowned, his heart picking up speed for no reason he could understand. Soon, his brow was bathed in sweat, though he was doing nothing but sitting still.
The clamoring kept up until he finally realized what he was feeling. Fear.
He sprang to his feet, eyes popping open, scanning the area for any potential threat. But he saw nothing, nor did he feel anything with his vampire senses.
Gabriel, help me!
The voice was nothing but the faintest whisper in the back of his mind. He took a hesitant step forward even as he dedicated most of his concentration to following the elusive link that connected him to his fledgling.
He found the link, like a thin psychic tether that reached out from his chest toward the heart of the city. And he felt the link stretching, thinner and thinner.
He started to run, not thinking, just following the feeling, trying to strengthen the link. Still, it kept thinning. He had to get to her fast.
A lone car drove rather forlornly down Front Street. Gabriel leapt out in front of it.
The driver slammed on the brakes and leaned on the horn, but then Gabriel’s glamour seized him and he put the car in park and stepped out, eyes glazed.
Gabriel gave the man a shove onto the sidewalk where he wouldn’t get run over, then hopped into the car and floored it, barely remembering to close the door after himself.
The thread that connected him to Jez was so thin he could barely feel it anymore. Tires shrieked as he turned the car around, trying to keep enough of himself grounded in the physical world to avoid crashing while still searching with his otherworldly senses.
There! He felt the thread, growing stronger again. He screeched around a turn, sighing in relief as the connection solidified.
Once he was sure he was going in the right direction, he slowed down a little. He didn’t have enough concentration to drive, follow the trail, and use his glamour to keep the cops from noticing his creative interpretations of traffic law all at the same time.
“I’m coming, Jezebel,” he said under his breath, trying his hardest to send that thought through the psychic pipeline. He thought he might have felt a twinge of response from her, but he couldn’t be sure.
The thread grew firmer, more solid, and it no longer took so much effort to hold onto it. He swerved around a gaping pothole, then blew through a red light. And then, he was close enough to “feel” her, to feel the pale, unfinished aura of a new vampire.
And to feel that she was not alone, that she was in the presence of another vampire. A fairly young one—Gabriel guessed the age at around sixty—but easily old enough to overpower a fledgling Guardian.
Jezebel’s fear pounded through him, making his heart race and his palms clammy. What the hell was going on? Surely she wouldn’t be afraid of any of Eli’s Guardians. And there shouldn’t be any other vampires in this city. But there was no questioning her fear. He could practically taste it, a bitter flavor on the back of his tongue.
He ran another red light, and then he could see them, two small, indistinct figures three blocks away. He let go of the psychic thread that connected him to Jezebel and concentrated on wrapping himself in his own peculiar brand of glamour, the glamour that made other vampires unable to sense him at all.
As he drew closer, safe in his cocoon of psychic dead space, he tried to figure out exactly what was going on.
The vampire who was causing Jezebel such distress was a young blond male, dressed in fancy tailored pants and an impeccably pressed dress shirt. He had his fingers wrapped around Jezebel’s upper arm, but he didn’t seem to be physically forcing her to walk with him. There was no sign of resis
tance at all, and Gabriel realized she was under the influence of the vampire’s glamour.
Gabriel pulled his “borrowed” car into an illegal parking space and got out, leaving the keys on the seat. Jez and the hostile vampire were only a half block away, and he followed them at a brisk pace, eating up the distance between them.
A breeze blew down the street, carrying the smells of the city, and the scent of his prey. He tensed as he rolled that scent around his mind.
Tainted. Very, very tainted. This vamp smelled as bad as Camille’s fledglings. And he had Jezebel, was forcing her to come with him for some unknown reason.
Gabriel’s fangs descended, and his hands clenched into fists. The beast within him stretched and flexed its muscles, ready to play, and he made no attempt to contain it.
The strange vampire, unaware of his impending death, continued to guide Jezebel down the street, his long strides forcing the shorter woman to practically run to keep up. Gabriel was close enough now to smell her fear, and a monstrous rage rose up from inside him.
There were too many people on the street for Gabriel to kill the vampire here. But there was a subway entrance not too far ahead where no doubt they could find some privacy.
He reached out with his glamour and seized the vampire, who made a feeble, useless attempt to resist. His hand fell limply to his side, and Jezebel jerked away.
She turned slowly, and her eyes widened as Gabriel closed the short distance between them. Her attacker stood slack-jawed beside her, but terror shone in his eyes.
“Gabriel!” Jez cried, running to him and flinging her arms around him.
At any other time, he would have found the effusive greeting gratifying. But right now, the rage was too raw within him, the beast screaming for her attacker’s blood.
“Let go, Jezebel,” he said. He hated the coldness in his own voice, hated the twinge in his chest that told him he’d hurt her. But he couldn’t even look at her, his gaze instead focused on the enemy.