Deadly Liaisons (17 page)

“I don’t understand.”

Daemon shrugged. “Vampires as a class are not accepted by many so we tend to be…clannish. When a human is turned who is not mated for life with a vampire, they are considered outsiders. Occasional y, a vampire loses a mate and wil accept an outsider for his or her own. But this rarely happens. The practice of turning humans for monetary gain or some other form of consideration and not taking them for mates isn’t wel received. We…have rules we abide by. When humans are changed who don’t become part of our society, they avoid being governed by our rules and often become rogues.”

“So if they’re outsiders and vampires don’t want them, why couldn’t I be one of those? From what you’re saying, an ancient wouldn’t be interested in me.” Sounded like the best scenario to her. She wouldn’t be ruled by anyone then, and everyone would leave her alone. She’d have some new abilities that would give her some advantages, if she avoided thinking about the consequences. She could save her sister and—

Daemon let out his breath. “Hunters or huntresses rarely choose to become vampires, but in every known case, they’ve been selected as mates. You would not be considered an outsider because you’re a huntress, and a rogue ancient could very wel desire you, Tezra.”

She was certain he wasn’t tel ing her the whole truth, but she didn’t know enough about this aspect of their society to know for sure what he
wasn’t
saying. “Al right, so what happened when you turned a woman?”

His eyes burned with a flicker of flame, but then his gaze shifted to her fingers trailing down his shirt. “They
wished
to be turned, not the same as you. They each
desired
to be my mate.”

“They?”

He looked up at her. “Three. Three times I chanced taking a human mate. Three times it led to disaster.”

She let out her breath and touched his cheek with a tender stroke. “Maybe changing someone like me who doesn’t fit your perfect profile wil work better. I won’t become a bad mate, because I won’t be yours anyway.”

He growled and caught her hand. “You’re not listening to me, Tezra. I wouldn’t change you, then al ow you to roam freely without my protection.”

“Add
controlling
to your growing list of undesirable traits, up at the top with arrogant and impatient.”

He gave her a sinister smile.

“So, what happened to the others?” she asked, not wanting to hear she might have to fight a former mate of Daemon’s if she learned he changed Tezra and didn’t like it.

“Those of us who were turned by the plague centuries ago learned to live with the changes, or died trying. But vampire-turned humans sometimes become power hungry. Sometimes they turn into rogues.”

Her mouth dropped. She couldn’t imagine anyone Daemon had loved turning renegade. “The three women you changed?”

He nodded. “It doesn’t always work out.”

“You think I would be like that?” Her words were threaded with disbelief. Wel , not that she was perfect but…

“You have a history of…disobedience.”

She narrowed her eyes, instantly undoing her attempt at placating him.

“You would have to obey me, and I know you wouldn’t.”

She clenched her teeth against saying anything that would make him change his mind, but the memories of living in the home under strict rules rushed back to her al at once. Obeying Daemon, being ruled by him, didn’t appeal, and she wasn’t about to al ow it.

He lifted his gaze from her sweater to her eyes. “I wouldn’t take you for my mate.”

“Not your mate?” she asked, her voice elevating too much. She didn’t want to be his forever, but the notion he’d changed three women he wanted to live with for an eternity but wouldn’t change her hurt—putting it mildly. Which was crazy because she shouldn’t have cared one iota.

He shook his head. “I vowed never to take another.”

“What happened to the other three?”

“Dead. Rogues are terminated. Either by hunters or vampires. Though in the case of newly turned vampires, the one expected to do the job is the one who turned them.”

“You did it?” she asked, half whispering the question.

“I should have realized they couldn’t handle the change. I should never have turned them.”

Reaching up, she untied the leather strap holding his hair back. The satiny strands fel free and caressed his shoulders like she wanted to. “I won’t become a rogue.”

His eyes darkened. “You want to kil Krustalus with or without proof he’s the murderer.”

She combed her fingers through Daemon’s dark hair, and his eyes clouded with desire. “I’m not like the other women,” she mouthed against his lips. “I don’t want power, or immortality or anything but to help my sister.”

“You’re already a borderline rogue, Tezra.” He rose to his feet, placed his hands on her shoulder and kissed her throat, stealing her breath. “Everything about you warns me to take a step back and keep my distance.” He pul ed away, his eyes clouded with lust. “We’re going to have to find another way.”

“Add pig-headed to your list of foibles,” she growled, glowering at him.

He studied her, his face expressionless.

“Fine, just fine. Take me back to see my sister. I’l visit with her for another hour like I normal y do, and then…wel , then we’re going to discuss this some more. Just because you have some mating phobia, when I’ve already said I don’t want to be your mate, wel , that’s your problem. And dammit al , I’m not a rogue, and I wouldn’t become a rogue. Wel , sometimes I get pretty pissed off, but doesn’t everybody? Hel , of course everyone does occasional y. It doesn’t mean—”

Daemon took her hand and pul ed her close, his touch tender. Her eyes moistened. His mouth covered hers, and she leaned into his kiss, cherished the feel of his silky skin against hers, the heat of his body, the arousal she’d stirred.

“I’m sorry, Tezra,” he said.

Before she could react to his making her feel smal and unwanted, he transported her to Redding Hospital.

The blackness dissipated, and she was momentarily disoriented, her stomach stil reeling with the vampiric travel, then she realized she stood before her sister’s door. Voltan stood behind them, ever on guard. Letting out her breath and stil peeved with Daemon, Tezra grabbed the knob and opened the door.

She expected to see her sister staring into space as she usual y did when Tezra visited her in the evenings before one of the staff put Katie to bed, New Age music softly playing on her CD player. When Tezra found the sitting room empty and deathly quiet, panic seized her. She dashed into the adjoining bedroom, but found no sign of Katie. Nothing was out of place. The snow white bedcover was undisturbed. The white petal roses tinged with a hint of pink she’d brought Katie the day before fluttered under the heating vent, perfuming the air with their tea-scented fragrance. The plastic chair stil sat next to the bed where Tezra often read to Katie at bedtime. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Only Katie’s absence.

A new trickle of dread wormed its way down Tezra’s spine. Attempting to squash the chil spreading through her, she hoped that maybe one of the staff had taken Katie to the common room to be with other residents. But Katie cringed in crowds, and Tezra was certain her sister’s behavior hadn’t miraculously changed within a couple of hours.

Tezra ran out of the room and into the hal , trying to sense if she could feel her sister’s presence anywhere. Daemon shadowed her, and Voltan’s heavy footfal wasn’t far behind.

“What’s wrong, Tezra?” Daemon reached for her hand.

She wiped away tears, hating herself for getting emotional, likely over nothing. She couldn’t sense Katie anywhere. “I’m afraid Katie’s left the building. I’l die if Krustalus has taken her.”

She grabbed Daemon’s hand and hauled him with her, maneuvering down the labyrinth of hal s past a tennis court-sized cafeteria fil ed with white plastic chairs and laminated tables.

She pul ed him into a large room, where several residents sat playing cards or watched television from a half ring of white vinyl couches. Katie wasn’t among them.

Tezra’s head pounded. “Nobody else would have taken her.” Whipping around, she headed for the administrative office to speak to the woman in charge, Mrs. Wither, an unsmiling middle-aged woman who Tezra felt should have retired years ago.

Ready to tear anyone apart who had al owed someone to remove her sister from the facility, Tezra harbored a shred of hope Katie was stil in the building. “What if Krustalus knew or suspected what we were up to? What if he figured out that I might be able to reach her mind and find proof he was the kil er?”

“I should have taken her to my house into protective custody,” Daemon said with dark regret.

“Damn, I can’t believe I put my sister in further peril.” She vowed with al her heart to set things right with Katie, if she could only reach her in time.

Voltan interjected, “What do you wish me to do, my prince?” His voice was shaded in anger, and she figured if someone had taken her sister, whoever did so wouldn’t stand a chance against the giant. And she’d be there to back him up.

“Stay with us for now.”

Tezra stormed into the administrative office. Mrs. Wither, tal and thin with bulging black eyes, choppy brown hair and an exaggerated under-bite, nearly dropped her cup of coffee. She reminded Tezra of a startled Pekingese.

“What are you doing in here?” the woman snapped.

Tezra’s emotions were tied to her with barely a thread. One last tug and she’d lose control. “Where’s Katie Campbel ?” she asked in a fairly reserved manner, though her blood boiled.

Mrs. Wither backed into her desk, her face as white as the crisp suit she wore.

“Where is she, and don’t make me ask again,” Tezra growled.

“Patrico Sargento signed the release papers and—”

“Patrico?” Tezra squeaked. Her knees buckled, but Daemon grabbed her by the waist and steered her to a chair.

“Patrico?” Daemon asked Tezra. “The SCU senior staff member that you said was murdered?”

“Yes, ten years ago.” Tezra’s voice was hol ow, and she felt sick to her stomach. Her thoughts swirled. “Patrico can’t just take her out of here. He has no authority. Besides, he’s supposed to be dead. ”

Mrs. Wither’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head. “Mr. Sargento had credentials.” She grabbed papers off her desk and shuffled through them. “Here. Power of attorney.” She looked perfectly pleased with herself. Al nice and official, as if she had done nothing wrong.

“I’m Katie’s only living relative. He can’t have gotten a power of attorney to take care of her. Hel , he’s dead!” And if he real y wasn’t, Tezra would strangle him once she got hold of him! Rubbing her temple, she massaged the colossal headache pooling there while she scanned the papers.

Daemon took Katie’s picture attached to the paperwork and handed it to Voltan. “Warn Maison what has happened.”

“Tel him what, my lord? That a dead hunter removed the huntress from the facility? Or that Krustalus has her?”

Daemon frowned at him. “That someone has taken her, but we can’t be sure where or who has done such a deed. Reproduce this and send word I want her located and returned to me at once. Arrest whoever has her.”

“Even if it is a hunter who holds her hostage?”

“Hunter, human, vampire, anyone.”

“Yes, my lord.” Voltan left the office and discreetly vanished.

Daemon ran his hand over Tezra’s shoulder and asked the administrator, “Where did Patrico take her?”

“He said the SCU wished to see her.”

“Didn’t you think this odd? She doesn’t communicate at al . Do they often send their people here to see her?” Daemon asked.

“He has visited her before on occasion.”

Tezra glowered at the woman. “Why did no one tel me?”

“I…wel , I…”

“What did he look like?” Daemon asked, his voice calm but low, like the rumble of thunder from far away, foreshadowing the appearance of a dangerous storm.

“Tal , short strawberry blond hair, scar on his right cheek.”

Tezra couldn’t stop the shiver tril ing down her spine. “It can’t be Patrico. He was murdered right after I told him how the vampire kil ed my parents.” Yet the description fit, and again she felt like she was going to throw up. “I have a photo of the senior staff at my apartment. Council members serve on the board for five years, but the headquarters issues a new group photo every year for the new members on the staff. I need you to take me to my apartment, Daemon. We’l bring the photo back here and see if Mrs. Wither recognizes him.” She took a deep breath, hating what she knew was an inevitable part of the job.
“Then we go after
his family. Hunters are extremely family oriented. He has to have had some contact with them.”

Though if he had, his family members could be protective to the point of being dangerous.

“What about the Council? Don’t you want to check with them first to see if Patrico was bringing Katie to them on the off chance he was tel ing the truth?”

“If they had anything to do with covering up Patrico’s death, what does that tel you about the Council? Do you think they would declare the hunter dead, then have this same hunter pick up my sister to meet with them when she can’t even communicate?”

“I respect your understanding of the Council and its members and abide by your decision, Tezra.” Facing Mrs. Wither, he said,

“We’l be back with the photo to see if you can identify him.”

The woman folded her arms. “My shift ends in half an hour. I’l be gone if you haven’t returned by then.”

“Wrong answer,” Tezra bit out. “You’l wait for us until we return. Do you understand?”

The administrator quickly nodded.

Daemon escorted Tezra into the hal . “We go to your place.” He hesitated and touched Tezra’s cheek. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, let’s hurry.” But she couldn’t get over the shock of Katie being gone, and her stomach hadn’t settled from traveling the last time. Every minute Katie was missing meant she could be traumatized al the more. Tezra couldn’t get rid of the feeling that she might already be too late.

Daemon pul ed Tezra close, then whisked her away to her two-story brick apartment complex. The lights were on in nearly every place but hers, making it appear as dead and deserted as she felt.