A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series) (12 page)

The others took the hint, and everyone's attention switched back to Alexander.  He quit the pensive chewing of his lower lip and addressed Gabi.  "I was just saying that Caspian's talents with Werewolves are somewhat limited.  He's not as powerful as Julius and Dantè.  He can only control a few Werewolves at one time, three or four at the most, and then only for a limited time: to our knowledge, for no longer than fifteen or twenty minutes, depending on what he's trying to make them do.  I doubt he'd have the strength to force one to kill himself or to kill someone they didn't want to kill." 

Gabi already knew that Dantè had been capable of controlling dozens of Demons, though he had also made use of one of the more powerful Demons and forced him to control some of the Demon Horde, a clever tactic.  She also knew that Julius could force Vampires to stab themselves in the heart, or kill their own loved ones if he was so inclined, though she had no idea how many Vampires he could control at one time or for how long.  She knew his telekinesis was restricted by size and weight, but she'd never questioned his power over other Vampires.  It seemed so immense that she'd never considered he might have his limitations. 

"Why is he so different to you and Dantè?" she asked Julius, reaching for a box of fries.  "You said that Simone created him as well.  It doesn't seem to fit.  Are you sure about your information?  Perhaps he's stronger than he's letting on." 

"Yes, our information is sound," Julius replied.  "Caspian wouldn't be grovelling at the mercy of the court if he had enough power to become a Master.  He was Simone's first attempt to Turn anyone.  Perhaps that is what affected his abilities, or perhaps it has more to do with the human qualities he had before being Turned."  Julius dropped his eyes from hers and returned to his pacing.  "I haven't been completely forthcoming with any of you, though I had my reasons.  Current events are forcing my hand, and now I feel I must tell you what I've been keeping hidden.  It goes without saying that what I am about to reveal is not to be repeated, under any circumstances."  He pinned each member of his Clan with a look that brooked no disagreement. 

Each of them stood to attention and pounded fist to heart: acknowledgment, assent, respect.  Gabi had stopped eating and had to remind herself to breathe.

"Legend has it that by drinking blood from a Dhampir, a Vampire can increase their strength, endurance and any extra talent they may have, even exhibit new talents.  The effect is reciprocal; if the Dhampir drinks from a Master Vampire, their strength, healing and longevity increases.  Of course, in many cases legend isn't necessarily based in truth."  He stilled and turned to face them.  "In this case, legend seems to have got it right.  Gabi's blood is like an elixir.  Exactly as the legends describe.  If Caspian were to drink from her, he would undoubtedly become powerful enough to gain the level of Master.  Anyone with access to her blood will soon outstrip any of their peers.  If this information were to get out, if the wrong people learned the truth, it would be the beginning of a war the likes of which has never been seen before."

"We have to keep her away from the Princeps," Nathan stated, "at all costs."

"It's not a practical solution," Alexander disagreed.  "We can't hide her forever.  We'd have to be on full alert every day and night, and eventually something would have to give."

"Alexander has the right o' it," Fergus rumbled from his corner of the room.  "We need a plan, a permanent solution to this. 
Lookin' over yer shoulder forever is no way te live."

"I've been keeping tabs on events at Court for several weeks now," Julius said.  "I have a loyal contact in a key position of the Princeps' Court," he put in for Gabi and Kyle's benefit. "Unfortunately my contact isn’t always privy to what is said in closed
Princep meetings.  It’s possible Caspian will know more than I do."

"We
cannae risk lettin' Caspian go back to them," Fergus said with a finality in his voice.  "If he be lettin' te secret oot, she's nothin' but trooble fer them, and they'll know she's makin' ye moor powerful by te day.  They'd order 'er execution fer sure." 

"Can't you just use your Vamp mind control thing to make sure he doesn't tell anyone?" Kyle asked Julius.

Julius shook his head.  "The Princeps have some powerful Magi working for them.  I know of at least one mind-bender.  They would rip the information directly from his mind the moment they knew he was privy to the secret." 

The exchanges continued back and forth, but the words just flowed over Gabi, not penetrating her conscious mind.  She'd stopped eating, the food suddenly tasting like dust.  She'd never felt like a liability to anyone before, and now she was suddenly the biggest liability in the history of Vampire-kind.  A Pandora's
box that once opened would release pain and suffering on the world.  A secret that needed to be contained and guarded for the protection of everyone.  She stood suddenly, jerky and uncoordinated.

"Excuse me," she said faintly.  "I need some fresh air."  She left the room in a daze, not exactly sure where she was heading, only knowing that she needed space to think and to come to terms with her new reality. 

CHAPTER 7

Julius had given Gabi some time to collect herself before leaving the office.  It took him several minutes to find her.  Her scent was so strong all around the estate that it had been difficult to find the freshest trail.  She was, of all places, up a tree.  A huge, hundred-year-old oak, with great, sprawling branches and thick, green foliage.  A pair of them overlooked the front gate, majestic sentinels.  As soon as he got close enough to see her, sitting thirty feet up with her back to the broad trunk and her legs stretched out in front of her on a thick branch, he realised why she'd chosen this as her refuge.  A squirrel was sitting on her shoulder, chittering into her ear, an acorn husk clutched in its tiny front paws.  One side of her mouth was turned up in a tiny half smile at something the little creature was communicating to her.  Two owls sat perched on a branch less than a foot from her head, and appeared to be fighting over who got to sit closest to her. 

He kicked off his shoes and shrugged out of his jacket, wondering how many years it had been since he'd last climbed a tree.  He'd done it so very often as a boy growing up on his father's estate, dropping seed pods or twigs on the servants and giggling when they scolded him.  He'd tried to make friends with the squirrels and birds in those trees, but without any real success. 

He jumped lightly up to one of the lower branches and then climbed the rest of the way, pulling himself up using branches and the main trunk.  He went slowly and cautiously, not wanting to startle the critters around her.  The branch she was sitting on was as thick as her waist, sturdy enough for both of them, so he pulled his weight smoothly onto it and then sat with both of his legs dangling off one side, balancing his weight without thought. 

She'd watched his progress up to her without speaking, and now the tiny squirrel began to chatter at him.  It sounded like an angry scolding.  The owls moved further along the branch away from him.

"Let me guess; they'd prefer I left," he said into the quiet night air. 

"Ah, yes," Gabi agreed, reaching up to scratch one of the owls behind it's little feathered horn.  The other one hooted at her, pushing closer, obviously upset at not getting her attention first.

"Would
you
prefer I left?" he asked, trying to keep his tone mild, unconcerned. 

She was silent for several long seconds, but just as he started to shift his weight in preparation to jump to the ground, she spoke.  "No, you can stay," she said.  "I'm just not sure I'm ready to talk, or even listen.  I'm probably not very good company."

"We don't have to talk," he told her.  "I just don't want you to feel like you're alone."  A bone-deep sadness was seeping from her, though she was trying to block the link between them.  He didn't know why she felt such sadness; he wanted to understand. 

Again she was quiet.  He desperately wanted to know what was going through her mind, but instinctively knew pushing would only make her clam up further, so instead he reached up and picked an acorn from the tree; then as slowly and smoothly as he could, he stretched his hand towards the squirrel, the acorn balanced on his palm.  The animal quit its scolding and stared at the offering, cocking its little head at him, assessing.  A tiny whisper of power brushed against his senses, like a warm breath caressing his arm, and the squirrel tentatively climbed down from her shoulder and crept across the branch towards him.  When it reached him, it put its tiny paws on the edge of his fingertips and stretched its body until it could reach the acorn.  It froze and looked at him again, reassessing the
situation, and then quick as a flash grabbed the acorn and sped back to the safety of Gabi's shoulder. 

"Why were you so anxious about Caspian's arrival?"  Gabi whispered the question, catching his gaze in the dark and holding it. 

He drew in a breath as he wondered how to phrase his answer, how to convey his terror at the thought of losing her without scaring her.  Even though they had the mind link, he was aware that she had no idea of the depth of his feelings for her.  He was well practiced at keeping his emotions under control, and he had some experience at blocking inquisitive minds from reading his.  There were Magi and Vampires who could pick both thoughts and emotions from another's mind, and he’d learnt how to build walls of defence against those mental forays.  It served him well now, keeping Gabi from things he wasn't ready for her to see.  He looked away from her out towards the waxing moon glittering between the leaves, not wanting her to read things in his eyes.

"I wasn't sure how you would react towards him," he finally replied.  "Whether you would have an immediate connection, feel some kind of overpowering need to be with…him."  He didn't know how else to phrase it without making his fear and possessiveness clear.

"You mean you thought I might throw myself at him?  Leave you to be with him instead?"  She sounded incredulous, which both pleased him and ticked him off.  It was a legitimate concern. 

"I had no idea what effect he’d have on you.  He is technically your Sire, after all."  He could hear himself beginning to sound defensive, so consciously injected calm into his voice.  "That fact could mean everything to you, or his blood could call to yours.  I wasn't ready."  He paused.  "I wasn't sure I'd have the strength of character to let you go to him if that was your decision." 

Gabi let out a long breath, as though she'd been holding it.  She reached for the squirrel and placed it gently on the branch next to the owls.  It was bizarre to see predator and prey sitting so close to each other, entirely contrary to natural instinct.  The squirrel quickly scampered away up the main trunk of the tree, and the owls swivelled their heads to watch it go.  Gabi pulled herself upright and took the few steps across the branch towards him, perfectly balanced and graceful as always.  When she reached him, she dropped back down to sit straddling the branch, her face just inches from his.

"Even if his blood did call to me, I could never walk away from you," she said in a husky whisper.  "Not for something like that."

"But you could walk away from me?"  It was a question of sorts.

"If it was best for you and the Clan," she said the words steadily, but Julius could feel the wrench of pain inside her.  She wasn't just speaking hypothetically, he realised with a jolt. 

"No," he said adamantly, his voice harsh in the quiet night air.  "That I will not allow.  If you leave me because I make you unhappy or because I'm threatening your safety, I will let you go, but if you try to escape me for any other reason, I will hunt for you ceaselessly.  You will not evade me for long." 

She smiled a small enigmatic smile and didn't answer him.  She simply leaned in and captured his mouth with hers.  He couldn't help but respond to her as she pressed herself close to him, his body going hard, need for her obliterating conscious thought, but another, more rational part of his brain had just gone on high alert. 

Her head on Julius's chest, his arm wrapped securely around her much smaller body, Gabi fell asleep a couple of hours before dawn, mental and physical exhaustion taking their toll. 

When she woke, Julius wasn't in the bed with her, though her internal clock told her it was mid-morning.  She allowed herself the luxury of another quick shower before rifling through Julius's closet to find one of his shirts to wear.  He’d torn her spare one last night, too far gone to unbutton it when they made it back to his room.  Their lovemaking had continued in the vein of the past week: fervent, almost frenzied.  No subtlety, no finesse, just raw, desperate passion.  Luckily she still had another pair of pants, though she'd have to stop at a clothing store for more underwear soon.  He was going to cost her a fortune in the lingerie department if he didn't stop ripping them off her. 

She arrived downstairs in skinny jeans and a black cashmere sweater three sizes too big for her; at least it was easy to hide
Nex.  She found Julius in his office, a steaming cup of coffee waiting for her on his desk, next to a bag of what smelled like chocolate somethings.  She still wasn't used to being in a house with sun-blocking blinds throughout.  It was hard to wrap your mind around it being daytime while it felt like night inside.  The first sip of coffee was bliss.