Mistwalker (15 page)

She frowned. “Yes?”

“You can transform any immortal into mist and take them with you.”

Her jaw dropped, and she gasped. Then she snapped her mouth shut before she looked like a fool. Incredulous, she asked, “That’s how Lars disappeared when we first met. Juliun went at the same time. Does it work on any immortal? You mean I can drop every creature in this place on a Siberian mountain top?”

He nodded, grinning. “I can see the idea appeals to you. You could take the entire group of goblins to the middle of the ocean and then fade back here.
An army of werewolves. Every immortal in this club and take them wherever you wished.” His gaze speared her. “Now you see why the mist is so dangerous. You could fade every immortal in town to the one place where they were likely to die. However, let’s make my life easier and go to the estate. Don’t you want to try out the power? It will help you move your friend when the time comes.”

She hesitated. “But Tammy’s human.”

Willem smiled. “Even so, why don’t you try?”

“I only know one room, and my memory of that place isn’t something I want to revisit.”

“Don’t worry. You can fade out the moment I’m there. It’ll be a good chance to turn another vampire. Trust me; it’s a skill you’ll want to perfect.”

His blue gaze steadied on hers. She could turn any immortal into mist. The thought was heady.
Astounding. She could make sure no one got near Tammy. Capture her mother’s killers on sight, if need be.

Was this how her principles would change, by a thin black thread of vengeance? As if might
equalled right. Maybe it had already started. How far was she willing to go?

“What other kinds of immortals are there?”

He laughed. “You’re better off hearing about all the species from the king. They have a book at Ravenkeep which has all the protocols for dealing with immortal species. I’m here to help you with the mist and give you some food. A newly risen’s hunger is dangerous if left unsatisfied.”

Simone heard the warning about feeding and dropped into Willem’s thoughts. If he didn’t like it, he could take it up with her gun. If he was setting a trap for her, she would disappear, but to her surprise, he
did
have work to do. Paperwork for Sanchez, and he was trying to help her. Help Juliun, too.

Willem had been told to ensure her safety. She didn’t want to press too hard into his thoughts.

What to do?
 

She didn’t want to be a coward, and this would be a good weapon to utilise with skill.
Something to help Tammy. “Let’s move somewhere darker.”

They walked over to the narrow corridor, and Willem stepped behind the bar, patted the servers on the back and entered a small dark room. He held open the door for her. “This is the back office. No cameras.”

“All the better to drink you dry.” The lights were off, and she couldn’t see anything flashing. She had the sudden idea that it was perfect she do this, that she needed every advantage in her arsenal.

“You’re funny.” He laughed. “Focus on me. Imagine taking me with you when you fade. I have trust in you. Being who you are, you cannot fail,” he said.

Her eyes burned. Stung fiercely. A familiar lightness rushed through her, and a prickle of heat fired in her veins before they teleported to where she’d been chained to a chair. She glared around the room, bristling in memory. “And it doesn’t work on humans?”

“Ah, no.
I—”

“Simone?” Juliun’s dark voice exploded from behind her in a massive sigh of relief. “You came back,” he said, his tone velvet passion encased in steel.

She stopped breathing, her heart up in her throat, and she spun around. “Don’t come any closer,” she warned tremulously, back-stepping slowly. “Stay right where you are.”

His eyes were aflame, surging shades of simmering grey, and he leapt over the desk. His long black hair tangled over his shoulders, the grey silk shirt buttoned all wrong. Parts of his ripped chest gleamed bleached ivory in the gaps. He raked his hands through his dark hair and let out another big sigh.

“I thought something happened to you,” he said, worriedly and took another deep breath in.

“Something
did
.” Her pointed gaze took in his dishevelled figure, falling from his dress pants to his bare feet.
Huh.
Her eyebrows rose. She’d never seen him look less than immaculate. Deep lines etched his forehead, the corners of his mouth and eyes. “
You
happened to me,” she tacked on, but her words lacked heat. Was he sick? Hungry?

He stepped toward her, and she gasped, turning the edges of her body turning to mist.

He stopped, holding himself unnaturally still, palms up. “You are safe here, poppet. I guarantee it.”

Just like in her dreams.
That dark, enticing aura breached the walls of her guard, and her heart thumped crazily. His voice was sinful. The dream world and reality merged into one, and her eyes widened. What did it mean? Asking him would forge their bond, she didn’t know how she knew that, but it was impossible to ignore her instincts. Even more so now that she was a vampire.

“I want to protect you, Simone,” he said. “It is who I am.
Who we are together. You are in great danger.”

“And who’s going to protect me from you?” she whispered.

Astonishingly, he shook his head, but he didn’t lower his gaze. “I doubt circumstances would be different if our meeting was repeated.” His cheeks paled further. “Lars is my friend and my subject. I cannot take back what I have done to you. I do not ask for your forgiveness, I know I will not get it. Only that you let me protect you from the rogues hunting you and from your hunger.”

“She has fed, Your Highness.”

Willem’s voice broke through the strange possession Juliun held over her senses, and her breathing slowed. She didn’t know what to say. She wanted to give in and ask for his help with Tammy, but she couldn’t trust him.

“I can’t trust you,” she blurted, her legs and stomach turning into
black mist. “I can’t stay.”

He turned back to the desk, stiff and jerky. “You have my deepest thanks, Willem.”

Willem left the room quietly, obviously dismissed, and then Juliun glanced back at her. His caressing voice filled the room. “Stay here one more moment, love. I wish to talk to you longer.”

“No.”

He turned back to the desk, hunched over slightly and said,

“And so she came,

Fierce and steady,

Inky depths of pain

To sustain,

A loneliness
vaster than a sea,

Heart dead to all else.”

Her jaw clenched, and she allowed the mist to encroach.

“What does that mean?” She couldn’t hide her panic. She didn’t want to be left here, in this room, where for the first time her very being literally collapsed into tiny molecules. Even though she could escape anytime, that knowledge wasn’t enough. Could this place steal her soul—could he?

Juliun’s gaze locked on hers, and they stared at each other, a thousand thoughts flying through her mind, a mask with scorching eyes settling over his glorious face.

Mist ate her body.
Freedom. Independence.

Being alone meant no one could hurt her.

Chapter
Eighteen

Simone readied to turn into mist a block away from
The Python
, but nothing could ease the turmoil raging inside of her at her inexplicable and extremely erotic dreams of Juliun. She tried not to think about them, yet that only led to her dwelling on the image of his body sliding so sensuously over hers.

She couldn’t remember how he’d found her in the dreamscape. There had been a full moon, a river, tall trees at the edge of the bank and rolling hills that stretched forever. He appeared bare ass naked, and that was a sight to behold. His long
hair free flowing over his back, like a black silk curtain. The ripped muscles in his shoulders and back bulged with his forceful strokes upstream. Leaves swayed with the light breeze, and there was only the two of them. He’d exited the water, rivulets gliding down his muscled chest, lean hips and...

She’d lifted her gaze to his face, and he smiled. She blushed. In that moment, something arrested in her heart, and reality infused her dream. Just as the dream had become reality. He never said a word. He was hers, and she, his.

His lips tasted of life. Her blood ran hot at the touch of his lips, and she’d whimpered, her desperate hands clawing his body that radiated such a supernatural heat wrapped in cold water. His muscles were so slippery, hard and dominating. Her thighs parted, and he entered her with one powerful thrust. Only then she looked down and realised that she was naked. Her wet hair twined around the back of her arms and soft, fluffy grass padded her back which smelled faintly of fresh dew.

He lifted his head and gazed down at her with his wide smile, incisors glinting and grey eyes steady. Starlight circled in a celestial crown around his head. Even now she could feel his hard, penetrating thrusts, the silken steel of him, his overwhelming strength, sinking again and again into her, slow, deep and long.

The excitement built slow and increased into such an overwhelming ecstasy that her scream more resembled a crashing crescendo which ultimately resulted in her opening her eyes to the cupboard door in Vinnie’s spare bedroom. It had been so intense. She could honestly feel things. Damn, she was getting all flustered again thinking about it.

Deep breaths.
Deep breaths.
A few more and she materialised on top of a slender overhead rafter inside the club, wrapping her hands around the steel supports. She balanced on the balls of her feet in a low crouch. Faint snatches of conversation floated up to her, but she focused on words or thoughts concerning recent attacks. Twice that night she’d tried looking for Tammy in the hospital without luck.

It was ironic as hell the way karma worked: hunted became the hunter. She prayed she would gather information before she succumbed to bloodlust and indulged the beast inside of her that craved satisfaction.

The scent of spilled blood and acrid sweat rose in the air. Her nose could distinguish humans amongst the vampires, dopey looking cattle under the influence of hard liquor, recreational drugs and something else far more dangerous than any chemical. The effect of vampire glamour.

Hard rap pumped from massive speakers.
‘Yep. Yep. Yep. You’re gonna bleed, can’t escape my black deed. Hungry greed, bleed, bleed, bleed. A blade ain’t as sharp as my teeth, alone in the dark, you’ll know it’s me draining your heart. Yep. Yep. Yep. You’re gonna bleed, bleed.’

Six solidly-built males in black and red suits pushed their way forward through the entry. Couples wrapped up in each other jumped out of the way. The hard asses blanched, no longer lording up their corner of the club, looking keen to bolt. Except the vampires masquerading as doormen muttered into their walkie-talkies and looked ready to rip off heads if anyone coughed in the wrong direction.

Simone fought down the urge to laugh and released the support to grab the .44. But Lissanne walked through the crowd, regal in a simple ivory gown, and Simone almost fell off the damn rail. Juliun would never let his mother come to a place like this, would he? What was he thinking? Didn’t he realise this crowd was dangerous?

Juliun filled the doorway, every inch of him declaring to all they could take their chances if they wished to die. He stalked through the crowd with a powerful, leashed authority. The superb cut of his dark suit caressed his broad shoulders.

He turned his head, his deadly grey gaze inspecting the club, the faces, hunting and searching, and then she knew why he had come.

The rest of his entourage followed him into a luxurious room filled with low, modern chairs. The walls didn’t reach the ceiling, so she had a perfect view from her vantage point.

Sanchez, Vaughn, Klaus, Willem and an unfamiliar woman sat down as the bodyguards did a sortie through the room and then stood guard in each corner. Two of the guards in red and black protected either side of Lissanne. They drew their crossbows at the ready.

A rush for the exits couldn’t have been more obvious. There would be no information accidentally spoken or thought about with the prince of vampires in attendance. Simone sighed. She couldn’t escape the dreaded fact that this might be her only chance to save Tammy. If saving her meant dancing with the devil, Simone would do it. She’d vowed, and she never had that chance with her mother. The loss afterwards was unbearable.

The crowd merged, covering up the path, and the music resumed its brain shattering pulse. A waiter glided into the room, pouring glasses of blood from a wine bottle. It would be warmed, fresh.

She inhaled the sweet, rich aroma, and longing grew inside of her, swift and inescapable. She clenched her jaw to stave off the hunger, but the scent curled and teased. Utter despair bloomed in her chest knowing that she couldn’t escape without the nourishment she needed or without helping Tammy. She needed to do this.