Bad Blood (45 page)

Damian had his sacre out and resting on his shoulder. “I’ll be out here the whole time, too.”

“To keep me safe?” Daciana asked.

He shook his head. “To make sure you don’t try to escape.”

Fi had never seen a vampire cry. Daciana looked like she was about to change that. “Oh, get in already. We have things to do.”

Slowly, Daciana walked into the container. She stood in the center, her hands folded primly in front of her, eyes round and slightly weepy. “Please don’t take long.”

Doc and Damian shut the doors, then locked them and linked a thick length of chain through and padlocked that. Damian tucked his sacre back into its sheath. “See you when you get back.”

Doc tugged on the padlock. “You going to be all right here?”

The comar tipped his head toward the cooler of food Velimai had insisted he take. “I’ll be fine. I couldn’t eat all that in a week.”

“We won’t be gone that long,” Doc said. “As soon as we find Creek and get some confirmation, we’ll be back. After that, Fi and I will be here until Mal and Chrysabelle make the final decision as to what to do with her.”

“I’m good till whenever.”

“All right, bro. See you later.”

Fi waved. “Bye, Damian. Back soon.”

He returned her wave and sat down on the cooler, his back to the container’s doors, his body silhouetted by the LED lamp at his feet.

Fi floated alongside Doc as they headed back to the main deck and the car where Mortalis waited. “So spill.”

“Spill what?”

She moved in front of him, blocking his path through the corridor. “Don’t act like you don’t know. What’s going on? You told me something was up and that you’d tell me when we were alone. Well, we’re alone now.”

He sighed and rolled his head around like he needed a massage. Tough. She wasn’t laying a finger on him until he came clean. “Creek killed Aliza to break the hold her spell had on me.”

“I know that part.”

“I don’t know if it’s because Preacher turned her into a vampire—and you know he’s not exactly a normal vampire to begin with—or because her power is just that strong, or even if it’s because the spell had to be broken some other way, but I think some of her power attached itself to me.”

That sounded bad. She tried hard not to let the image
of her torn and bloody body show, but it was tricky when she got scared or worried or tired. “What is that supposed to mean? Attached itself how? What kind of power?”

He held his hand out. Nothing happened. “It’s not working. That’s the problem. I can’t control it.”

“Control what?”

With a snarl, he punched his fist into the metal wall, making her jump. His eyes flickered green-gold, the pupils slitting down to razor-thin slices.

Flames burst off his hands and forearms.

“That,” he said, splaying his fingers. The blue fire danced over his skin, mesmerizing her. Then she blinked and looked at him. His eyes, no longer leopard, held fear and anger.

“It’s okay,” she said. “Actually, it’s better than okay. It’s cool! You have a new power. What other varcolai can wield fire?”

The flames had begun to die but sprang to life again. “It’s not cool,” he growled, shaking his hand to kill the fire. “I can’t control it. When my emotions peak, the fire just shows up.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Not me.” He exhaled. “But the fire is very real.” The last wisp of blue disappeared off his fingers. He leaned against the wall he’d just punched and stared up at the ceiling. “I’m afraid to touch you, Fi.”

She drifted close enough to cup his face in her transparent hands and brush her mouth over his. “When I’m like this, nothing can hurt me.”

“But when you’re not? When we’re in bed together?” He shook his head and took a few steps away from her down the corridor. “That can’t happen. Until this is fixed.”

Her heart sank. She loved being curled up in bed with him. It was a safe place for her. Or had been. Worse, she had no real way to comfort him. And she hated that. “Who can fix it? Aliza and Evie are dead. Not that they’d help anyway.”

“Maybe it’ll play out.” He glanced at his hands. “That’s what I’m hoping.”

“And if it doesn’t? We have to talk to someone. Find somebody to help.”

“There might not be anybody to help.” He raised his head and met her gaze. “We just have to accept that.”

“What are you saying?” She charged forward until only inches separated them. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“Fi, you can’t look at it like that. This is for your own good. And my sanity. If I ever did anything to hurt you…” He turned away.

She went corporeal and dropped to the floor with a soft thud. As soon as her feet touched, she kicked him in the shin. “You are
not
breaking up with me over this. Do you understand me? Hell no.” She shoved past him and headed for the car. “I’ll tell you when we’re broken up, and it’s not now. Men. Unbelievable. Like a little fire is reason to break up. Seriously, I can’t even believe—”

“Fi.”

She stopped her march and looked back at him, hands on her hips. “What?”

He smiled and tiny flames wobbled on the tips of his ears. “I love you.”

“You better believe you love me. Now let’s grab some weapons and go find Creek so we can start working on the real problem.”

He caught up to her in a few strides. “The fire?”

“Yeah, I’m concerned it’s making you stupid.” She shot him a sideways look. “We’re going to figure this thing out, and then you’re going to ask me to marry you because I’m tired of waiting.”

His mouth opened, but he had sense enough not to say anything.

“Keep walking, kitty cat.”

T
atiana bounced Lilith on her knee while across the room Octavian went over some ledgers at the desk. It was shocking how quickly they’d become the happy little family. She watched him for a moment, his head bent, his concentration fixed on the pages of numbers that represented everything now under her control as Dominus.

He was a good man. Becoming a vampire had yet to change him. Maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe he would stay the way he was, without the harsh cynical edge that so many of her kind developed. Only the years would tell that.

He looked up, caught her watching him, and smiled. She smiled back. Did she love him? She might. It was hard to tell if the emotion was true or born out of the buoyant joy Lilith brought her. Either way, she liked having him as part of this new stage of her life, even if it scared her a little to have people close to her that she cared about. But being Dominus meant she needed that sacred inner circle more than ever. And now with Lilith to protect…

She kissed the sweet child in her arms, burying her face in the baby’s sweet-smelling skin. It wouldn’t take long for the other houses to find out about Lilith, to speculate
where the child had come from, what her powers were, what she meant for them and their future.

So many would want to hurt her. To possess her for their own. Use her in a way that would benefit them. The Castus had chosen wisely by bringing Lilith to Tatiana. They knew her past, understood that she would not allow another child to be taken from her.

A knock sounded at the door. “Come,” Tatiana called.

One of the servants entered, bowing. “My lady, Lord Edwin, Elder of the House of Bathory, is here to see you. Would you like to receive him here?”

Tatiana glanced at Octavian. His gaze came to rest on Lilith. “There’s no point in hiding her.” He closed the ledger and stood. “They will all know soon enough. And Lord Syler is an ally.”

“He’s as close to one as we have.” The Dominus of the House of Bathory and the Dominus of the House of Tepes had traditionally sided together, but she was not Ivan and had no clear idea of how Syler felt about her in the position of Dominus. Perhaps that was what she was about to learn. She nodded to the servant as Octavian moved to sit at her side. “Show Lord Edwin in.”

“Very good, my lady.” The servant exited, returning some minutes later with Lord Edwin.

He dipped his head in greeting and Tatiana responded in kind. His gaze skimmed the bundle in her arms but didn’t falter. “I bring greetings from the House of Bathory, Dominus Tatiana.”

The sound of her new title gave her no small thrill. “Thank you. Please, sit.” She gestured to the chair across from her. “Would you care for wine or brandy or blood?”

He sat where she indicated. “No, thank you, I’m fine.”
His gaze drifted again to Lilith, but he covered by brushing an invisible piece of lint off his trousers. “If you are amenable to it, Lord Syler would like to host a ball in your honor. There has not been a new Dominus in the House of Tepes for almost four hundred years, as you well know.”

“I do know.” She smiled. The alliance was alive and well, then. “That is very kind of you, and I am happy to accept your gracious offer.” It was the responsibility of one of the houses to host the ball and a relief that Syler had reached out and made the offer. She’d doubted any of the other houses would.

Alliance firm in her mind, she decided to take the next step. “It will be a wonderful opportunity to introduce all the families to my daughter, Lilith.” She turned slightly so Edwin could see Lilith’s face.

The expression on his was almost unnamable. Curiosity seemed the strongest. “Forgive me, I didn’t know you had a daughter. Congratulations.”

Whatever she said now, whatever information she gave him, would color what was said about Lilith and the opinions that were formed. She chose her words carefully. “The Castus have chosen me to be Lilith’s mother. They believe I am the best suited to raise her and teach her our ways. She is the
first
vampire child.”

Edwin nodded, his mouth opening slightly as if he’d almost spoken, then thought better of what he wanted to say. “So… Lilith is not your blood child?”

“Of course not. How could she be?” Idiot. “But she is now a child of my heart.”

A shimmer of understanding sparked in Edwin’s eyes. “Well, whoever turned her did it quite young. Astonishing, really.”

“No,” Octavian corrected him. “Lilith wasn’t turned. She was born vampire.”

Shaking his head, Edwin leaned back. “I confess, I don’t understand. How is that possible?”

Octavian looked to Tatiana, giving her the reins of the conversation. Lilith cooed and grabbed hold of Tatiana’s finger, causing Tatiana to smile. She kept her eyes on her daughter’s. “Lilith is a mystery of sorts, but all anyone needs to know is that she is a daughter of the House of Tepes, and with her, a new age of vampires has begun.” She raised her head to peer into Edwin’s eyes and make sure nothing she said was mistaken. “Anyone who tries to harm her will bring upon themselves the full rage of the ancient ones.”

Edwin nodded. “I understand. I will be sure to let Lord Syler know.”

Lilith pulled Tatiana’s finger into her mouth, her tiny fangs trying and failing to pierce her mother’s metal hand. Her face crumpled and a wail bellowed out of her. Cracks shot through the porcelain lamp on the side table.

Tatiana stood, causing Edwin and Octavian to rise also. “If you’ll excuse us, my daughter is hungry. I look forward to the ball. I’m sure Lord Syler will send more details when things are settled. Unless there is anything else he wishes to speak to me about before that.” Like a firmer alliance with the mother and guardian of the only vampire child ever known to exist. She flicked her gaze to Octavian and then the door, indicating she was ready to leave. “I’ll send a servant to see you out.”

Doc was glad to drive. It was a good distraction from his thoughts, something to focus on besides the weird power
he’d inherited. He glanced in the rearview mirror. Fi was sprawled out on the backseat, catching a few z’s. He’d thought about trying to make her stay with Damian, but after her speech in the freighter, he knew better than to even start that conversation.

“Where do you think Creek’s going to be?” Doc asked Mortalis, beside him in the passenger’s seat.

He had the window partially rolled down. The tangy smell of smoke occasionally drifted in. “Wherever the action is.”

“Looks like it’s already been here.” They’d passed burned-out cars, some still ablaze, buildings that looked like they’d had bites taken out of them, giant puddles of foul ooze, even a couple of bodies—none of which had looked human.