Blood Leverage (Bloodstone Chronicles Book 1) (8 page)

My hysteria accomplished what my earlier efforts hadn’t come close to—the vampire lifted his hands in a defensive gesture and backed away. He clearly thought I’d lost my mind and it obviously unnerved him.

Of course, that made me laugh even harder because, well, for one thing I couldn’t stop, but also because the idea of my patron backing away in fear was
legitimately
hilarious. What could I do, crazy him to death?

Shrieking with laughter, I collapsed onto the sofa while the vampire stared incredulously. Finally he shook off his disbelief and rushed to the kitchen.

He returned in seconds, most of which he’d clearly used to fill the glass of water he set on the low table in front of the sofa. Then he darted a few steps back to observe from a safe distance.

After another minute my laughter subsided to sporadic giggles, punctuated by the odd hiccup or two. Doing my damnedest to look normal, I straightened from my slump and calmly sipped the water as if this sort of thing happened every day.  

  The vampire looked relieved and after another minute he determined it safe to sit, though he sat as far away on the sofa as possible.

I wasn’t sure if that was for his comfort or mine. Possibly both?

“Are you finished now?” His wary tone nearly set me off again, but I caught myself.

I hadn’t anticipated my hysteria, but my bizarre behavior had disarmed the vampire in a way nothing else could have done. He no longer appeared threatening, but simply curious. Maybe even the tiniest bit concerned.

“My apologies. Sometimes humans laugh in times of stress. I promise I haven’t lost my mind.”

“I’m relieved to hear that. Your loss of sanity would hamper an already unfortunate situation.”

His matter-of-fact statement returned me to reality with a thud. Nicky was missing and injured, possibly dead, and I was trapped here. I was far from home and even if I found the truck—assuming I could
drive
the truck—I had no idea where Nicky was and didn’t know how to get home. Or anywhere else for that matter.

And
that
assumed my patron would allow me to leave in the first place.

A new set of worries filled my head. What if my patron decided to keep me and drink from the source? What was that old saying—something about not buying a cow if you can get free milk anyway?

Not a very reassuring thought for a cow.

CHAPTER
NINE

DESPITE my earlier determination to
charge out and look for Nicky, the recognition of my own precarious position left me at a loss regarding what to do. When my patron indicated we should leave the room, I didn’t argue. Not only did I have no desire to stare at the puddle Nicky had left behind, I had no better ideas.

We exited through the previously forbidden doorway—which had remained open—only to pass through multiple empty rooms, each with multiple doorways. At each selected doorway, my patron would place a finger against the box to unlatch the door. I trotted along obediently, but as we entered the fifth room I stopped short. He’d led me to a bedroom.

The room was elaborately decorated in rich green with touches of gold and I recognized the same attention to detail I’d admired in the living room. There were breathtaking paintings with golden gilt frames, oddly enclosed in glass.

The largest bed I’d ever seen stood against one wall, carved on every inch of wood with rich green velvet curtains caught back to the bedposts with golden cords. I’d never seen anything like it and when my patron made a permissive gesture, I moved in closer.

He had no problem with my scrutiny and when I raised a tentative hand to the carvings he didn’t object. For a moment he appeared to take pleasure in my admiration. Then he began tearing the bed apart, tossing pillows to the floor.

“What on
earth
?” Even though the pillow projectiles were flying in the opposite direction, I stepped back. As the drawer in the nightstand and the chairs in front of the fireplace underwent a similar overhaul, I realized my patron was searching for something and began cleaning up in his wake.

After replacing the bedding, I straightened the chair cushions by the fireplace while my new acquaintance moved
on to a bookcase. At first glance the fireplace blended in with the walls, but on closer inspection it had been covered with a mosaic of tiny green tiles that appeared seamless from a distance. My experience with gemstones was limited, but they resembled a dark jade. Then the fireplace flared to life and I jumped.

My patron laughed. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. It’s only technology.” He proceeded to point out the switch that caused the gas fire to light on command. As he gestured, I noticed an object in his hand.

“Did you find what you were looking for? Hey wait, is that a cell phone? Does it work?” I moved in for a better look. Nicky and his father had
crates
of old cell phones, but cell coverage outside the cities was extremely limited and the companies providing it were vampire controlled.

He neatly sidestepped my advance. “It does work, and there’s someone I’m hoping to speak with about Dominic. If you’ll sit and wait by the fire, I’ll be back shortly.”

My butt hit the chair before he finished speaking, and he left through the doorway we’d entered. Five agonizing minutes later he returned and sat in the other chair. Oblivious to my apprehension he filled a tiny crystal wineglass with a dark red liquid. I doubted it was wine.

I didn’t know whether he’d intended to put me at ease or make me uncomfortable, but either way it was distracting to watch someone drink blood—presumably my own. My patience lasted an additional thirty seconds out of courtesy. “Well what happened?”

My words caught my patron mid-sip and he grimaced as he appeared to swallow wrong. “My apologies, Miss Aurora. I hadn’t eaten yet tonight and being in your presence has increased my appetite.”

Oh great.

“Don’t let me stop you, but I’d very much like to know what’s happening.”

He drained the glass and dabbed at his lips with a linen square. “I called someone to help us with our situation here.”
He raised a cautioning hand before I could rise to my feet and I reluctantly sat back down.

“He’s not in the area presently, but he’ll be here tomorrow night. He has some ideas on where to start.”

“Tomorrow?” Discouraged, I slumped into the chair. “What are we supposed to do in the meantime, wait here?”

The vampire frowned, an expression that looked somehow wrong until I realized his face, despite the muscles moving beneath it, showed none of the lines or wrinkles one normally associates with frowning. “Miss Aurora, our options are limited here. For your own safety you cannot leave this house. Nor can I leave you here alone even if I felt so inclined, which I freely admit I do not.”

Despite my frustration, I saw the logic in both statements. I was nothing but deadweight in this situation, a hindrance that prevented my patron from making a real effort on Nicky’s behalf. “If it makes a difference, I’m willing to take the risk if there’s anything you can do to help Nicky now. I understand why you don’t trust me, but surely you could command me to stay in one place. You could even lock me in an empty room where I could do no damage.”

With another small frown, the vampire shook his head. “I also have to consider what’s best for young Dominic.”

Agitated, I rose from my chair and began to pace. “How is it in his best interest to do
nothing
?”

Perhaps unwilling to look up at me, my patron stood as well. “Miss Aurora, no matter what his injuries, Nicky’s sole chance of survival depends on Eggplant’s willingness to keep him alive. There’s a possibility Nicky might survive if a vampire with sufficient strength commanded him to heal.”

I stopped in my tracks. “Are you serious?”

He held up a hand in warning. “I’m serious in the sense that what I said is possible. That doesn’t mean Eggplant will be inclined to make the attempt, or that she’s capable of succeeding even if she tried. That said, her behavior leaves me with many questions. Had she wanted Dominic dead, she could have snapped his neck instantly. If her goal was to feed,
she could have knocked Dominic unconscious and carried him away without wasting a drop of his blood.”

The vampire lifted a shoulder. “The fact that she took Dominic with her seems to suggest that he holds an unknown purpose for her, and that is the best hope your friend has. However, if Dominic
is
still alive, the quickest way to make him a burden to his captor is to broadcast his disappearance. The more people looking for him and asking questions, the more likely Eggplant is to get rid of him. And on top of that, if Dominic tells anyone in the cities of your patronage activities, things could go very badly for the both of you.”

I sank back onto my chair and the vampire followed suit. “I understand, but I’ll go crazy if I do nothing. At the very least there must be information I can give you.”

The vampire considered this. “I already have considerable knowledge of Dominic Carriero, having known his family for some time. However, if we’re to work together, perhaps we should get better acquainted. It has been many years since I’ve spent time with a human who knew me for what I am.”

My snort escaped before I could stop it. “You’re still far ahead of me. Unless I count Eggplant you’re the first vampire I’ve met.”

“Well then.” He seemed pleased. “You must have even more questions than I. On the principle of ladies first, would you like to begin?”

Like any human outside the cities, I’d spent hours speculating about vampires and how they lived. With more notice (and a bit more sleep) I’m sure I could have articulated an impressive and thought provoking question. Instead, circumstances being what they were, I blurted—almost accusingly—“Did you decorate this room to match your eyes?”

My patron stared and I wondered if there was even the tiniest chance I hadn’t spoken aloud. And then he started laughing.

It wasn’t the crazed laughter I’d exhibited earlier, but it came close. He all but gasped as he repeated my words.
“Did… I… match my… eyes!” It was clearly the funniest thing he’d heard in years and my cheeks began to burn with embarrassment.

After he finished, he pressed a hand to his waist and I wondered if he truly had a stitch in his side or was merely remembering the sensation from his human life. Either way, he looked delighted. “That was such an excellent beginning I’ll let you ask the second question as well, Aurora.”

Well, well, well. I’d gone from
Miss
Aurora to Aurora. Emboldened, I shook my head. “I can’t ask a second question. You’ve yet to answer my first one.”

That set him off all over again and I congratulated myself. All of my current dilemmas could only benefit from this vampire’s cooperation. Far better for him to see me as a charming novelty than a burden requiring elimination.

Then he surprised me by answering. “No, I did not decorate the room to match my eyes. I brought the fireplace here and decorated the room around it. The fact that it matches is merely an aesthetically pleasing coincidence. However,” his eyes danced, “I will admit the craftsperson who constructed the fireplace did select the jade because of my eyes.”

It was genuine jade. Big surprise. “Do I still get a second question or is it your turn now?”

“I can’t imagine you topping the first one, but go ahead. But then I get two in a row,” he decided.

“A reasonable offer,” I said. “Okay, to facilitate a more productive dialogue, I’ll use my second question to ask what
you’d
like to be called.” His first name would put us on more even footing, but even if he ordered me to call him ‘sir’, it would still make for easier conversation.

He looked disappointed in my pedestrian question, but answered nonetheless. “Over my lifetime I’ve had many names, but you may call me Ian if I may address you as Aurora.”

I agreed and he continued. “My turn. Why are you here, Aurora?”

He waited intently as I attempted to frame my answer in a way that would keep Nicky in the best possible light. “Dominic is one of my oldest friends—”

“
Friends?
” he interrupted. I didn’t think he meant it in a lurid sense, but I took offense anyway and glared. So much for the best possible light.

“Yes! Friends! And you should know that better than anyone because you noticed the change in my blood from its previous delivery last week!”

He held up his hands. “I meant no offense, but that still doesn’t explain why Dominic brought you here.”

“Nicky wanted to take me scavenging and we stopped here on the way. I don’t know whether he’d thought of it before our parents left—”

“You two are brother and sister?!” The vampire looked revolted and I didn’t know whether to laugh or smack him. Then I remembered how ineffective smacking had been and opted for laughter with a healthy dose of exasperation.

“We are
not
brother and sister,” I said emphatically. “I meant ‘our’ parents, referring to
his
father and
my
mother. They recently went traveling together and my first day alone ended in disaster. Nicky thought scavenging might cheer me up.”

Ian considered that and then brightened. “His father and your mother… That would make you Eleanor Strong’s daughter. That explains a lot.” 

“Care to elaborate?” I was intrigued.

“Well, on top of explaining your continued requests for rare office equipment it explains a great deal about you—your education, your intelligence, your enthusiasm for learning, your curiosity. You must have had an extraordinary upbringing. There’s an amazing open-mindedness to you. It’s delectable.”

“Oh. Well, thanks, I guess.” I wasn’t used to my upbringing being praised, but the context was too damn weird to be flattering.

“At any rate, our visit was meant to be relaxing, but it’s gone rather drastically off track.” My voice cracked and I swallowed hard in an effort to ward back tears. Crying for Nicky wouldn’t do a damn thing for him now, but cooperation might. I could cry later, assuming I lived that long.

“So,” I said determinedly, attempting a small smile. “That was technically
three
questions, which means the next is mine.”

I asked who Eggplant was and how she’d entered without an invitation. (That should’ve counted as two questions, but he didn’t call me on it.) Ian explained that since he lived here, he required no invitation and that the rules of invitation didn’t apply to vampire occupied dwellings. However, I’d been right. Eggplant wouldn’t have been able to enter the guest bedroom as opposed to the common living room.

He claimed not to know Eggplant and I believed him. Not only had he appeared sincerely surprised, but it would be stupid to harm the son and heir of an important business associate—biting the veins that fed him, as it were. 

And so it went, back and forth.

He said he didn’t live in the cities because he found the restrictions stifling and annoying, and I told him the mandatory blood donations tempered any urge I had to experience city life.

He informed me he needed minimal blood to survive and that he’d lived exclusively on my contributions over the last few years. In return I told him I felt little guilt about being a blood benefactor.

“I began to help my mother, which balanced any guilt I felt. Besides, it’s not like I’ve ever been a pillar of the community.”

“Because of your mother’s book?”