A Fall of Silver (2 page)

H
e bolted over. Gasping in pain, Kathy fell back, hands pressed against her chest.

Jason
landed lightly in the abandoned lot beyond the flimsy barrier. Poised in a half-crouch, he glanced over his shoulder at Quicksilver.

Pulse thundering,
she sped up. The air seemed too thin to fill her straining lungs. Pushing herself faster, she hit the fence just as Kathy turned.

“Who
—” Kathy started to ask, her eyes wide with confusion.

“Go back to the home
, now!” Quicksilver panted. Her pulse pounded in her ears.

“
Don’t hurt him! Stop!” Kathy tried to grab her, but she skirted the girl.

M
oving almost as fast as the vampire, Quicksilver scrambled over the fence. She landed with a thud on the cracked blacktop. Through the wire diamonds of the chain links, she caught Kathy’s gaze for a split second. “Go home.”

“
Leave him alone! I—”

“Go!”
She turned and sprinted after the vampire.

The
vacant parking lot stretched before her, cracked and overgrown with sprawling weeds. Dark brick building crowded around the asphalt on three sides, blocking out lights from the street. No doors provided escape from the expanse of crumbling blacktop. No way out for her or the desperate creature she pursued. Even if there were doors, he couldn’t use them uninvited.

O
nly one avenue existed, straight ahead into the mouth of another dark alley.

Thundering
over the uneven pavement, Quicksilver raced past crumpled fast food bags and beer bottles. The litter swirled in her wake. Her lungs burned with the metallic smell of old car exhaust.

T
he narrow lane was empty.

She
stumbled to a stop at the edge of an intersecting sidewalk. The well-lit entrance to an inn, The Orchard Hotel and Conference Center, beckoned from across the street. A doorman held open the door as visitors passed, bidding them a good evening and inviting guests to enter.

A hotel?
She hesitated and glanced over her shoulder. She pressed a hand against her breastbone as she caught her breath, thinking about Jason’s kick hitting the center of Kathy’s chest.

Had
the girl been hurt? He could easily have cracked her ribs. Should she go back?

She took a step forward. H
e hadn’t bitten Kathy. Perhaps she was safe, assuming Quicksilver could find Jason before he caught Kathy again.

She edged toward the street, stepping around a laughing couple
clinging to each other and smelling of metabolized alcohol and garlic.

Her
stomach rumbled, but her gaze remained focused on the hotel.

In the golden glow from the lighted port
e-cochere, she caught a glimpse of a sleek, dark blond head. A pale, masculine face glanced in her direction, eyes burning red. Then he spun through the revolving door into the lobby, invited inside by the warm welcome of the uniformed doorman.

Heedless of traffic,
she darted into the street. She held up her hand in apology amidst the honking horns and squealing tires. Ignoring the shouted curses, she calmly refolded her whip, trying to assume a pleasant expression as she approached the lighted entrance, repressing her fury.

Pretend you’re Theresa. Calm. Confident.

The Orchard Hotel catered to business travelers and families. She didn’t want to create panic or to see anyone harmed by a creature they didn’t even know existed, but she was awkward and overly conscious of her inability to fit into such a wholesome atmosphere. She was damaged, bitter, and too angry to be normal, but at least she could ensure others didn’t lose their innocence or smiling confidence in their safety.

H
er cheeks warmed as she caught the gaze of a woman handing her young daughter a bottle of water.

Nodding reassuringly,
Quicksilver smiled and gave small wave to the child. The woman blanched and turned away, taking care to shield her daughter with her body. When she glanced over her shoulder at Quicksilver, her mouth compressed into a tight line and she hunched over her daughter as she caught her gaze.

Quicksilver
hurried forward. Someone was bound to call Security if she scared too many people. Security meant delays and awkward explanations. There was no way to explain the three whips tucked into the back of her belt.

She had to find
the vampire.

Pulling her leather jacket down to hide the handles, she
walked through the lobby. She moved quickly, trying not to run while striving to look like she belonged. A normal guest, a weary traveler on her way to her room.

She glanced around, senses humming as she searched for
Jason. She felt him. The cold void of his presence was unmistakable. He was here somewhere.

Quicksilver
hesitated near the registration desk where she studied the clusters of people, searching for the gleaming blond hair of the vampire. Most of the guests wore somber business suits in shades of black, navy, and gray, lending an elegant, monochromatic air to the subdued décor of the hotel.

Opposite the door, a large paneled alcove arched around the
massive wooden registration desk. Two corridors branched out from either side of the counter, providing two avenues for escape.

Which way?
If she guessed wrong, he’d escape and possibly circle back to Kathy. A moment of panic flared. She rocked on the balls of her feet, indecisive. Had she made a fatal mistake? Should she have stayed with Kathy instead of chasing Jason?

No
. She was going to end this, tonight. Then and only then would Kathy be safe.

Gambling,
Quicksilver took the left corridor. Head held high, she walked as if she owned the place, past the desk, past the curious glances, and past the certainty that she didn’t belong in a room with normal humans any more than a tiger made a good nanny for a two year old child.

N
o one stopped her, although a few men stared. The hotel staff ignored her as they fumbled around in an effort to register a noisy group of suits.

The corridor bowed in an arc
with brass signage indicating apple orchard-related names for the conference rooms: Macintosh, Winesap, Granny Smith, Gala. Somewhere past the bend in the hallway, the soft click of a door closing whispered.

H
er hand slipped under the hem of her jacket. Her cold fingers tingled. She gripped the handle of a whip as she strode forward. At the end of the corridor another black-lettered sign said, “Brandywine.” Her pulse kicked up. Despite the chilled stiffness of her hand, the door handle felt even colder, like a chunk of ice beneath her warm palm.

What if there were innocent people inside?
What if Jason wasn’t the one who so quietly closed the door?

Act first
, clean up later.
Don’t give him time to hurt anyone else. Any humans inside might be shocked when she dealt with Jason, might even be furious with her, but it was better than winding up dead, even if they didn’t realize it now.

She
took a deep breath and threw open the door.

“That’s her!
” Jason pivoted and pointed at her in a theatrical gesture. “She killed Tyler! She broke the truce!”

She
kicked the door shut. The musty scent of old vampires filled the room, reeking with the stale odor of dust, earth, and decay. The odor increased her tension, bringing with it unwanted memories. Her hands shook as she scanned the room.

Jason
stood in front of a large round table where five men sat. Three of them stood, focusing glittering eyes in her direction.

Vampires
!
Only vampires reacted so quickly or had eyes that gleamed red. Only ancient vampires smelled so foul.

Three
vampires. And Jason.
Four
. Her hands shook almost uncontrollably until she gripped the whip handles behind her back. The cool metal steadied her despite her racing heart.

Bad odds.
Her fear bolstered her anger until the volatile mixture of emotions flared, burning away any vestigial doubt. Her grip tightened around the handle of a whip.

Who should be first? The oldest and most dangerous…
.

T
wo men caught her attention. She hesitated, sensing that something wasn’t right.
Humans
? Vampire lovers or their handlers, it didn’t matter except they’d be slightly less quick. She had to assume they were tainted and therefore dangerous. And yet her gaze lingered on one of the seated men.

Something
about him….

No
distractions.
The humans could wait. Jason was the closest of the vampires, and he was young, stupid, which ironically made him more unpredictable. He had to be first. She jerked free a second whip—one for each hand.

“Stop!”
A seated man commanded in a deep voice. Pressing his fists against the table, he stood, unfolding until he towered over the other men in the room.

Her gaze flicked over
him. Stubborn chin, wide mouth, and dark, brooding eyes. An unfamiliar response curled in her belly, reacting to his presence. A feeling she didn’t need, or want, warmed her. She slowed.

Nerves
. Don’t let them distract you.

She
shifted, orienting again on Jason. As she raised a whip, her glance flickered once more to the tall man. She took a deep breath and forced herself to concentrate. The vampire was dangerous. Leave the humans for last.

“Do
n’t move, please.” He stepped in front of the three vampires flowing around the table to join Jason. Frowning, he lifted his hand in a gesture of command. “None of you move.”

T
he vampires froze. Even Jason stilled himself. Shocked, she barely noticed her whip sagging to the floor in an almost instinctive response to the large man’s order. She straightened and tensed her wrist, flicking the whip in her right hand.

The thin, silver lash
uncoiled through the air and encircled Jason’s neck. He stared at her, his pale eyes widening with terror. His golden lashes fluttered as his hands hovered around his neck.

“
Don’t, please!” Jason’s fingers pressed against his collarbone as if he thought he could hold his head in place. His frantic gaze flashed to one of the vampires. “Stop her! You’re my clan leader, Sutton. For God’s sake, do something! Help me!”

In
a burst of unexpected speed, the big man moved around the table. He gripped the lash.

Lose
your hand if you love vampires so much
! She bared her teeth in a wolfish smile. When he didn’t let go, she shifted her weight to her back leg and prepared to tighten the noose.

“Stop
. Now!” The man—and he was a human male judging by the spicy warm scent of his skin—tightened his hand when she gave the whip a small tug. A trickle of blood seeped through his fingers. He did not react.

A
small curl of fear tightened her belly.

The other
human half stood. “Kethan—”

“I’m all right, Joe.
Stay where you are.” He caught her gaze. “Let him go, Miss.”

“No
, he’s dangerous. He’s a vampire, and he almost killed a young girl.” If he didn’t let go, he’d lose half his hand. She stiffened in preparation.

“It was a mistake
. Wasn’t it, Jason?” the large man, Kethan, asked.

“I never touched her
, honest!” Jason’s voice rose sharply. “I wasn’t going to kill her—”

“Enough talk!
” she replied in clipped words, edging around to get a clear view of Jason.

“It
is
enough.” Kethan said calmly, keeping his eyes locked on her face. “You’re interrupting negotiations—”

“Negotiations?
What negotiations? You can’t negotiate with vampires! Or don’t you know what they are?” Blood pounded in her temples, deafening her as her fury thrust her into the past.

She’d tried negotiating with Carlos and Carol, once. The two vampires played her like a Stradivarius, promising escape and then…. She swallowed, forcing the pain back.

When she glanced up, his dark eyes caught her gaze. She didn’t notice his body tense until it was too late. He grabbed her wrist in a single, smooth movement, catching her off guard. The warm, human strength of his hand enveloping hers surprised her, delaying her recognition of the unrelenting strength of his grip.

“What are you doing?” S
he jerked her arm, but he didn’t release her. Instead, he pried the whip handle out of her hand. Then his brown eyes caught her gaze again and held it with the intensity of a master vampire.

Her eye
lids fluttered in an attempt to end the connection. She wanted to look away, she had to, but couldn’t force herself to drop her gaze. After a breathless moment, she stepped back. Her left hand tightened on her second whip. She had a spare—a third whip—and she wouldn’t be caught by surprise again.