Caleb (33 page)

Vincent
inclined his head. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You
know this yahoo?” Caleb growled.

“We
dated once or twice.” Way back when in her unsuccessful straight-laced phase.
She’d hired on as a temp at an investment firm. He’d been one of the boy
wonders. The relationship had ended when she’d begun treating him like a human
being rather than a god.

Another
growl from Caleb, followed quickly by an order. “Come here, Allie.”

She
ignored Caleb’s order and held out her hand to Vincent. “I didn’t know you were
the one who sent the invitation.”

His
smile was benign. “I wasn’t sure how you’d take the revelation that I was a
vampire.”

“Well,
at least it explains why you always insisted on late-night dinners.” He
returned her smile, but there was something wrong with his gaze. Or maybe it
was his energy. “This is my friend—”

Beast-man
hit the ground with a thud. Caleb stepped to her side and, with a bloody hand
on her shoulder, put her none too gently behind him. “Husband.”

Good
God, Caleb was almost a caveman. She glanced over her shoulder. Beast-man was
lying unnaturally still. Had Caleb killed him? “This is Caleb Johnson.”

“Allie
. . .”

The
growl in Caleb’s voice raised Vincent’s eyebrows. The gesture was at least
familiar.

“I’ve
heard of the Johnson brothers. They’re rather a local legend.”

He
didn’t make it sound like a good thing. Even though she knew how irritating the
brothers could be, it irritated her that Vincent felt so free to point it out
to her with Caleb standing there.

“They’re
a bit eccentric, but they grow on you.”

Caleb
looked toward them, from whatever he was doing with beast-man. “You’re pushing
me, Allie.”

She
ignored his command to come to his side. She was not going to heel like a
puppy. Especially in front of an acquaintance. “That’s only fair. You’re
annoying me.”

“I’ve
heard it’s not a good idea,” Vincent offered.

Allie
shrugged. “I’ve gotten used to his bite.”

Vincent’s
gaze sharpened. “He’s bitten you?”

“Why
sound so shocked? It is a vampire thing after all.”

“True.
And one to which you seem to be adapting well.” The dip of his head was a
charming affectation she didn’t remember. It was almost like he was two men.
The one in her memory and the one before her. Of course, the man she’d met the
year she’d lived in California might not have been who she thought he was,
which bore remembering.

“Were
you a vampire when I met you before?”

“Yes,”
Caleb said, coming up beside her. “He’s a very old vampire.”

She
glanced up. “How do you know?”

Caleb
caught her hand in his, keeping her put. “You can feel it in his energy. Which
only begs the question, why was he sniffing around you?”

“Well,
gee. Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Vincent’s
expression went haughty in the blink of an eye. That she did remember. “I was probably
attracted to her for the same reason you were. Allie is a very attractive
woman.”

To
vampires at least. Not a comforting thought. “Thank you, Vincent.”

Caleb
snorted. She ignored him. Vincent nodded to the beast-man moaning on the
ground. “I’m sorry about your welcome. We’ve had some trouble lately, and a few
of the members have become very protective of our privacy.”

“Which
would explain your kill-and-don’t-tell policy,” Caleb drawled.

“It’s
not our policy, but I’m afraid Daniel had a bad experience with humans before.”

Caleb
bared his fangs. “I’m not human.”

“I’m
aware of that and can’t apologize enough.” A graceful wave of his hand
indicated Allie’s coat. “Are you well?”

“I’m
fine, why do you ask?”

“Most
vampires don’t feel the cold.”

Caleb
tucked her into his side.

“My
wife’s not like most.” There was a world of possession in the word “wife.”

“I’m
sure.” Vincent motioned to the gate. “Won’t you come in?”

Allie
hugged her arms to her chest and eyed Caleb for any sudden moves. “We would love
to.”

Beast-man
grunted and propped himself up on his elbows. Caleb lifted his lip. Beast-man
dropped back down.

“Behave,”
she whispered under her breath.

“I
am.”

“Well,
do me a favor and try not to be so eighteen sixties once we get inside. We need
answers, and we’re not going to get them if you rip out the hearts of everyone
we meet.”

He
shrugged, the golden swirls very prevalent in his eyes. “It’s a habit.”

“Oh
for goodness sake.” He was determined to be difficult.

Vincent
took a step toward the gate. “Shall we go in where you can be warm while we
talk?”

Her
instinct wobbled between staying outside and going in. Caleb was no help. He
just raised an eyebrow at her. Now he had to go all egalitarian?

She
studied the gate and the compound beyond. Neither looked particularly
impressive. She bet Caleb could clear the fence with the aid of that floaty
thing he did, and beyond were just the dark shapes of normal-looking
structures. There was nothing to cause the unease creeping under her skin.
Forcing a smile she nodded to Vincent. “Absolutely.”

Vincent
waved them ahead, the gesture reestablishing the sense of familiarity. Still
she was glad for Caleb’s nearness. When she touched his hand, his fingers
curled around hers, warm and strong. Allie held on tightly. There was an
undercurrent to the place she didn’t trust.

Caleb’s
energy stroked along her in a definite “I told you so.”

“Was
there a particular reason you decided to accept our invitation?” Vincent asked
as they reached the gate.

At
least she wasn’t going to have to hunt for an opening to the subject she wanted
to broach. “Yes. I have some questions about conversion.”

Caleb
released her hand as she stepped through.

“For
yourself or someone you want to bless?”

She
blinked. For someone she wanted to bless? “That’s an interesting way to look at
it.”

“We
here at Sanctuary feel vampirism is a richer way of life. One where the few
select recipients are elevated to a higher plane through their gifts.” He waved
them through an archway ahead. “Not everyone can be converted, you know.”

“No,
I didn’t know that.”

“It’s
true. More die than live through it.”

The
same as with the werewolves. She glanced back over her shoulder. Caleb was a
few steps behind, the gold swirls in his eyes still vivid. The shrug of his
shoulders let her know this was news to him, too. “I guess I should consider
myself fortunate.”

“Oh,
very. Especially if you were converted without advance knowledge.”

She
stopped dead two steps past the archway. All around her flowers and lights came
together with rock arches and angles to create a glistening, beautiful
wonderland that maximized the silver, gray, and white of her night vision. For
the first time ever, she enjoyed that aspect of her vampirism. “This is
stunning.”

“Thank
you. One of the things we found our members needed was that sense of harmony
with nature that was lost when they lost sunlight. Harmony with nature is one
of the prime foundations of our beliefs.”

Beliefs?
She glanced away from a shimmering, almost iridescent fern. The hairs on the
back of her neck prickled. Most people didn’t just drop a word like that into
the conversation. Not without reason. “I can see where harmony would be
important.”

Vincent
directed her down the path to the left where moonlight appeared whiter,
amplified. It had to be a trick. She squinted into the darkness beyond. A hand
touched her shoulder. She jumped and turned her head. Caleb stood just behind
her. She usually felt his energy before she saw him, so how had he snuck up on
her? “You startled me.”

“Sorry.”
He studied everything around them, paying particular attention to the dark
hole. It suddenly occurred to her that maybe he’d agreed to come for reasons
that had nothing to do with her. She slowed her steps, letting Vincent get ahead
and allowing Caleb to catch up. He rested his palm on her shoulder, his thumb
on her nape. She leaned into his hand and spoke to him mentally, shielding as
best she could.
This place is weird.

I
told you they were a few straws short of a bale.

Actually,
I think you harped more on their arrogance.

They
have that, too. Stay close.

I’ll
try.

His
fingers tightened.
Succeed
.

Ahead,
Vincent stopped and turned back, smiling as if just realizing she wasn’t
following. Something flickered in his eyes as he saw her with Caleb. Something
her gut didn’t like, but then it was gone and she was left wondering if it was
just an illusion of the weird lighting.

“Is
there a problem?”

“None
whatsoever.” Allie smiled, wondering if she’d seen what she’d thought she had,
or if Caleb’s suspicions were influencing her perceptions. She still hadn’t
quite managed this mind hook-up thing, and Caleb’s emotions tended to bleed
over.

“Caleb
and I were discussing the complexity of this environment.” It wasn’t completely
a lie. “How do you get the moonlight so bright in here?”

Vincent
bent down, his hand very gentle on an eerily beautiful fern. He moved it aside.
Behind it she could see a mirror. “We borrowed a bit of magic from the ancient
Egyptians.”

Bet
he uses smoke and mirrors elsewhere, too.

Caleb’s
mental comment was almost indistinguishable from the hum of insects and the
brush of night air across her cheek. Fatigue and her growing hunger must be
affecting her perception. Or else the shields she had up against Vincent were
bleeding over to Caleb. She rubbed her forehead. She wished she was better at
mental speak.

Vincent
straightened, the sigh of his silk clothing louder than any other sound. “Are
you not feeling well?”

The
soft squeeze of Caleb’s hand warned her to silence.

“My
wife is hungry.”

She
reached back and caught his wrist in her hand. The plan was for her to assess
whether she wanted to proceed, and he’d follow her lead. “I’m fine.”

“I’m
sure we can find her something that will suit her taste.”

That
was an interesting way to phrase things. Maybe he didn’t know she was
converted. “Um, I am a vampire.”

Vincent’s
expression didn’t change. “And a very charming one, too. Whom we would be more
than happy to provide for.”

He
rang a bell that was attached to a partition. Immediately, a man dressed in the
same robes as Vincent came forward. “Our guests are hungry. Please arrange a
meal for them.”

He
can’t mean what I think he means.

The
mental thought she sent to Caleb dead-ended at that annoying, buzzing sound
she’d previously thought to be insects. She shook her head. She took a step
closer to his side, taking comfort from the familiar touch. “That won’t be
necessary, but if you could spare us a few minutes of your time to answer some
questions, that would be great.”

Vincent
shook his head before she finished. “I wouldn’t hear of it. No one leaves
Sanctuary hungry for any kind of sustenance.”

If
he brings me blood in a cup, I’m puking.

Again,
no sign that her message got through to Caleb. The hollow sense of disconnection
grew. She waved away Vincent’s offer. “Really, I’ll be fine.”

“There’s
no need for sacrifice.” He motioned to the path that diverged from the one
they’d taken. “Our devoted are more than willing to serve.”

Three
men and three women, wearing flowing white robes that glowed with the same
silver as the ferns, approached, hands folded in front of them, their heads
down, perfect supplicants.

“Uh.”
She took a step back. She didn’t know how to finish the thought. Caleb had no
such problems.

“My
wife feeds only from me.”

For
once she didn’t correct him, glad for his support. She studied the humans. They
definitely weren’t right. “Are they drugged?”

Vincent
looked shocked. “Of course not.” And then, as if it explained everything,
“They’re hopefuls.”

She
blinked. “For what? Sanity?”

Vincent’s
smile became even gentler, more benevolent. Weirder. “There are many humans who
would like to enrich their lives with the blessing of vampirism. We provide
them with an opportunity for hope.”

“So
you’re really just providing a service.” And keeping a herd of whacked-out
humans convenient and at the ready.