Bloodcraft (14 page)

“Something like that,” she evaded.

Satisfied with his own deductions, Pan didn’t push the matter as they drove the rest of the way to Aliya’s house, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. Slowing at the top of Aliya’s driveway, Pan whistled, breaking the silence and looking in his rear view mirror.

“Whose car is
that
?” he said.

Victoria spun around and noticed the sleek, black Lamborghini that was pulling in behind them. On cue, she felt the familiar brush on her senses. It had been far too long. She melted into it.

I missed you.
Her heart skipped a beat and she couldn’t stop the warm blush that colored her cheeks.
I thought we could go to dinner. I already spoke with Aliya.

“Now what’s the matter with you?” Pan said as he parked in front of the garage. Trust Pan’s attention to detail not to miss a thing. “You’ve gone all blotchy.”

“Nothing,” she said, smoothing her hair and trying to sneak a glance in the mirror before getting out.

Pan arched an eyebrow. “Why are you preening? Do you know whoever owns that sex machine?”

“Sex what?” Victoria sputtered, but Pan had already stepped out of the car. She opened her passenger door and got out.

“Oh. My. Goddess,” Pan’s stage whisper was loud in the silence. “Who is
that
?”

Victoria turned in slow motion and braced herself. She hadn’t seen Christian in three weeks, even though they’d spoken often. With her daily training and his evening hours with the Council, it’d b
een impossible to get together. All the bones deserted her body in the second that their eyes connected, and her breath disappeared altogether as he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She grasped his arm for support, the touch of his body making her fingers tingle and burn.

Conscious of Pan, Victoria found her voice. “Pan, this is Christian, my … ah … boyfriend. Christian, this is Pan, my mentor at Belles Fontaines.”

“Very nice to meet you.” Christian’s cultured baritone was warm and courteous. “Tori has told me a lot about you.”

“And me, you … um … she’s told me a lot about you, too.” Pan’s voice was breathy. Victoria had never seen him act so oddly, like a lovesick puppy, and suddenly she had a delayed epiphany—Pan liked boys, and, well, Christian was …
Christian
. She glanced at Pan with a smirk. She wondered whether he’d guessed that Christian was a vampire and whether his opinion would change then.

“You can come inside if you’re finished gawking, Pan,” she said under her breath in his direction. He could only open and close his mouth and Victoria had to laugh. In Christian’s presence, she felt exactly the same way.

Christian, for his part, didn’t seem affected by Pan’s look of adulation, and watched as they walked into the foyer. He did not follow them and waited outside. Victoria glanced at him inquiringly. His answering look was meaningful and she immediately understood.

I thought that was a myth. About being invited, I mean,
she said mentally.

It is. This is just common courtesy.

She rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him.
No need to be snarky about it. I’ll get Aliya.

Aliya came to the door, a curious smile on her face. “Your Grace, what an unexpected pleasure.”

“May I come in?” he asked politely. She looked taken aback, but smiled at his consideration and nodded for him to do so. Aliya would of course know that vampires didn’t need permission to enter someone’s home. Christian was being polite and making a point at the same time that he was aware they considered him an enemy.

“Can I get you some refreshment?” she asked. “Cognac, if I recall?”

Christian nodded his thanks. Victoria trailed behind them, heading to where Pan was waiting in the living room. He wore the same beatific expression on his face and she nearly laughed out loud.

Sorry about Pan
, she said.

He is harmless.

“So … cool car,” Pan said, interrupting their silent conversation.

“Thank you,” Christian said, taking a seat opposite them. “How is the training going?” Pan leapt at the chance to enter into conversation with him just so he could stare at Christian openly instead of hiding his furtive glances.

“Good, although Tori knocked me on my butt today with an amazing spell. I don’t even know where she pulled it from, but it was fantastic. She protected me from it at the same time, which in itself, was also extremely advanced.” His words came out in a wild, breathless rush. Christian raised an eyebrow, a polite smile curving his lips.

“Advanced, was it?” he said. Victoria could feel his glance settling upon her and, this time, her whole body tingled. She was sure that everyone would be able to see right through her. The thought of having dinner alone with Christian made her giddy. She hadn’t realized how much she’d taken him and his company for granted, and she’d missed him dreadfully in the last few weeks.

She excused herself from the room to get changed, deciding on a simple black dress. She dressed quickly, conscious of Pan’s escalating level of adoration. No doubt by the time she got back, he’d have evolved into a stage five clinger. Checking herself one last time in the mirror, she took a deep breath before finger combing her hair into a simple updo and returning to the living room. Pan was still babbling about her performance, the divine adoration on his face making her stifle a giggle.

“Tori clammed up like a vise after I asked her about it. My guess is that she’s some sort of prodigy that they’re grooming for some important role.” Pan paused and shrugged. “I feel pretty honored they chose me, but I’m sure she could teach
me
a few things.”

A clear voice interrupted them as Aliya returned with the drinks. “Who could teach you?” she said.

“Tori could.” Pan’s voice trailed off as he saw Victoria standing there. He gave her a sly wink and a furtive thumbs up.

Victoria’s insides warmed at the frank appreciation in Christian’s eyes. She sat beside him this time, conscious of the lean stretch of his thigh inches from hers. The fifteen minutes it took for him to finish his drink felt like hours. She let Pan prattle on and nodded her head at appropriate moments, but she was intensely focused on the man at her side. The slant of his fingers curving around his glass. His slow measured exhales. The way he, too, was intimately conscious of her.

“Ready?” he said as he drained the last sip, turning the full force of those silver eyes on her.

Her insides combusted. “Yes.”

“Have a good time, Tori,” Aliya said. A slight frown creased her forehead, but it smoothed out as a smile took its place. “Nice to see you again, Your Grace.”

“Your
Grace
?” said Pan in a disbelieving whisper to Victoria. “That’s too delicious for words. Looks
and
a title, in this day and age, too.” She rolled her eyes at him. Playing into his overt teasing, she winked.

“I know. Every girl’s dream, right?” she said.

“Every boy’s dream, too.”

“I’m right here, you two,” Christian commented dryly. Pan and Victoria burst into laughter. “Time to go,” he said, firmly taking her shoulders and twisting her toward the door. He extended his hand to Pan. At the first touch, Pan’s eyes widened and he stepped back clutching his hand as if stung, looking from Christian’s suddenly stoic features to Victoria. Recovering his composure almost immediately, he said bluntly, “You’re a vampire.”

Christian returned his stare levelly, the barest hint of a smile playing about his lips. His eyes were mocking. “Yes.”

“That explains a lot … for me, I mean,” Pan said, blushing wildly. He looked from Christian to Victoria to Aliya and bit his lip. “Looks like I really put my foot in it, didn’t I?”

Victoria took pity on him and smiled reassuringly as Christian went out to the car, hugging him. “You’re fine, Pan. It’s okay, really.”

“I am going to wring your lovely little neck next week,” he muttered.

“For what?”

“For
what
, she asks! For not telling me that you’re dating a totally hot, totally steamy duke who happens to be a sexy as hell vampire, that’s what!” Pan shrieked in her ear. Christian’s lips twitched, even though he was on the other side of the driveway.

“It doesn’t bother you?” Victoria asked, curious. It was not a response she was accustomed to when people found out about her and Christian. Pan shot her a disparaging look.

“Why on earth would it bother
me
?” he said. At her blank look, he sighed and waggled his ears. “I’m gay. I’m one-quarter elf with a smidge of human blood in there somewhere. I’m a witch. I don’t judge.”

“Oh.”

“Now go. Prince Fang Charming is waiting.” Pan winked and shoved her out the door. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” he called after her as she slid into the car’s luxurious leather interior.

Christian drove slowly down the driveway and gave her a wicked smile that made her stomach do ridiculous somersaults. “So do
you
think I’m a ‘sexy as hell vampire’?”

Her gaze flew to his. “You heard that?”

“Super vampire hearing, remember?” He grinned at her discomfort. “So?”

“So, what?”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, you are sexy as hell. Happy now?”

“Very,” he said. He glanced at her shaking shoulders as she struggled to keep a straight face and then burst into laughter. “What’s so funny now?”

“Pan.” She chuckled. “Could he have been any more into you?”

“He seems like a nice young man,” Christian said.

“You’re only saying that because he worships the ground you walk on.” She poked him in his ribs. “You’re his super hot, super steamy vampire duke, remember?”

“I can’t help it if people fawn over me like besotted admirers, can I?” he said staring at her in a way that made it clear he was referring to her, not Pan.

“You wish,” she said giggling, punching him in the arm and wincing as her fist connected with solid muscle. “Ouch.” He grinned at her. Victoria rubbed her hand and twisted to face his chiseled profile, her expression suddenly turning serious. “This is wonderful. I haven’t felt so free in days, and I really, really,
really
missed you.”

Christian grasped the hand laying between them on the center console and kissed the backs of her fingers. “I know exactly what you mean,” he said with a slow breaking smile that turned every cell in her body into fire. She stifled her worries and vowed to enjoy the time with him, regardless of what was brewing between the Witch Clans and the vampires. Tonight would be theirs and theirs alone.

“By the way, I told Aliya that I would be staying with you tonight,” she said, her voice shaking slightly.

His hand tightened on hers. “Good, because there was no way I was going to let you go.”

NINE

Allegiances

“Kristos, where is this witch?” Lucian asked imperiously as they walked the darkened streets of Châtelet-Les-Halles, a not very savory area of Paris at night. Not that Lucian was worried. He
was
one of the unsavory elements that wandered the streets after dark, but he was getting irritated that this witch hunt had been largely unsuccessful thus far. Their search had led them from Montmartre all the way to Les Halles with no sign of the witch.

“Just up here, my lord, not far.”

Kristos disappeared around a shadowy corner and, suddenly, there was a guttural scream. Lucian dropped into a careful crouch and streaked across to a shadowed corner. His vampire senses on full alert, he peered around the corner of the building. Even with his vampire eyesight, it was strangely difficult to see in the gloom—something didn’t feel right about the air. It shimmered like heat off a hot road, making everything blurry. The haze was magical, he was sure of it. Lucian blinked and forced his eyes to focus. He could only make out indistinct shapes, but the smell of blood and fear was thick in the air. Another guttural groan slivered through the space toward him. Lucian slipped closer, keeping his back to the edge of the building, his footfalls quiet in the dark alley. He inched around the side.

The alley was empty.

Except for what looked like Kristos hanging splayed in mid air against a building at the far end. Lucian strained his senses forward but could discern no threat or movement, and he crept forward until he was a few feet away from the suspended body.

“Kristos? Are you all right?” Lucian’s whisper was harsh in the deathly quiet. There was no answer. Kristos’s face twisted, his mouth opening and closing with no sounds emerging. His eyes rolled back in his head and his body jerked spasmodically as if tied to an invisible string. The hair on the back of Lucian’s neck prickled and he glanced around, keeping his body low. He snarled, sensing movement behind him, and spun with inhuman speed towards the threat.

It was a young waif of a girl. She was barefoot and her long dark hair was a snare of tangled curls. She looked to be twelve or thirteen. She tipped her head to one side like she was listening to some silent voice in her head and watched him curiously.

“Who are you?” Her voice was bell-like and it sounded far younger than she looked. Lucian straightened.