My Wicked Vampire (7 page)

Cinn was standing staring up at the darkening sky, her hair lifting in the light breeze. She’d come out without her coat, and even though it wasn’t freezing in Galveston, it was cold enough. She’d clasped her arms around herself, but she was still shivering.

Without analyzing the right or wrong of it, Dacian made his decision. “Let’s go down to my room and talk about it.”

She looked puzzled. “What’s to talk about?” But she let him guide her back into the castle.

Once in his room, she glanced around. “No windows. Doesn’t this place give you claustrophobia?”

He laughed. And if it was a little bitter, so be it. “You have no idea what claustrophobic feels like.”

Her interest in finding out shone in her eyes, but now wasn’t the time to talk about him. “Vince sent me a message after he was taken.”

That bombshell sat between them for a full five seconds before exploding.

“A message? What do you mean? Why didn’t you tell me? What did he say?” With each question, her anger level rose.

Dacian held up his hands. “If you’ll be quiet, I’ll tell you what I know.”

Her silence sizzled with impatience and fury.

“The first time I met Vince, I talked to him. You heard me. When we were on our way out of the greenhouse, he answered me.” He tapped his head. “Up here. He only said two words, but it was an answer.”

Cinn couldn’t contain herself. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

He exhaled deeply. “Exactly because of the expression I see in your eyes now. He should’ve spoken to you, not me. I didn’t want you to feel bad, so I decided to keep it to myself. It didn’t really mean anything. He
didn’t say anything important.” He shrugged. “Probably just felt more at ease talking to a male first. Someone like him.” That sounded lame even to Dacian.

“Like him?” Her expression said she was trying to decide what class of plants Dacian belonged in. Most likely something in the turnip family.

“I figured he’d eventually talk with you, too. By that time I’d be gone, and you’d never have to know he spoke with me first.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You’d be gone. Are you planning on leaving soon?”

Oh
,
shit.
He searched for an explanation that would appease her. “Who knows? But you won’t be here long. Sparkle said you only planned to stay two weeks.”

Cinn looked uncertain and then nodded. “I’m ticked at you for not telling me this before, but my anger isn’t important now. What did Vince say after he was kidnapped?”

Dacian didn’t know if it was healthy to assign terms like “kidnapped” to a plant. But then he thought about Vince’s words and decided that yes, the plant was a sentient being. No way around it.

“His vocabulary’s limited, but he said three words: help, cold, and box. That’s it. I don’t have a clue what it means.”

“
Help
shows that he wasn’t taken by anyone he considered a friend.
Cold
could mean he’s in a fridge or freezer or somewhere outside.
Box
must mean that he’s not sitting out in a field somewhere. Vince doesn’t have many experiences to draw from, so any container with a lid would be a box to him.” She seemed to have forgotten to be mad at him as she tried to figure out Vince’s message.

Dacian stood. “Okay, we start by checking out fridges and freezers.”

Cinn was glad to be
doing
something instead of sitting around talking. Action kept her from feeling just a little betrayed because Vince had chosen to say his first words to someone else. Action also kept thoughts of Dacian at a minimum. Right now she was floating across the emotional pool that was her response to him and that
kiss.
But given time to think and analyze, she could find herself sinking into deep water.

When they pushed into the hustle and bustle of dinner preparation in the castle restaurant, the chef was
not
a happy man.

“You will remove yourselves from my kitchen. Immediately.” He wasn’t a tall man, but he imbued his words with all the authority of an emperor.

“We just need to take a quick look in your fridge and freezers.” Cinn fought to keep her tone calm and reasonable. Going ballistic wouldn’t get her what she wanted.

“Absolutely not. No one enters my kitchen and disturbs dinner preparations.” He planted himself firmly in front of them. “I told Sparkle that I’d allow you to pass through the kitchen to get to your greenhouse, but that’s all.”

Cinn had opened her mouth to launch a verbal blast that would blow his chef’s hat right off his self-important head, when Dacian put his finger over her lips.

The shock of his touch kept her quiet for just a moment.

Dacian caught the chef’s gaze and held it. “Tell me your name.”

The man blinked and then stared into Dacian’s eyes. “Chef Phil.”

Dacian’s smile was warm and encouraging. “We think you have some tainted food in your kitchen, Chef Phil. We’re going to check the fridges and freezer.”

Chef Phil nodded, still never looking away from Dacian’s eyes.

“Good. You’ll stand right here to make sure no one interrupts us.”

“I’ll stand right here.”

As Cinn slipped past the chef, she stared at Dacian. “You said you couldn’t glamour people.”

“I lied.”

“What else have you lied about?”

Dacian shrugged and then pulled open the door to the walk-in freezer. “Think of it as a continuing road of discovery.” He waved her away from the door. “Don’t come in. It’s too cold. The cold won’t bother me.”

“I’m coming in.” Left unsaid, but she was sure he understood, was the fact that she didn’t trust him.

His expression said he was okay with that.

A short time later, they were on their way out of the kitchen. No Vince. Dacian stopped in front of the chef. “You’ll only remember that you willingly gave us permission to look around your kitchen because of reports of contaminated food. We found nothing wrong. You’re relieved.”

“Relieved.” He nodded.

Once outside the restaurant, they stopped to discuss their next move.

Dacian injected the voice of reason. “Before we go running off in another direction, we need to tell Sparkle and Ganymede what Vince said. With their powers, they may have skills to help find Vince that we don’t.”

Cinn felt stupid for not thinking about that sooner. “Where do you think Sparkle is? I don’t have her cell number.”

“I don’t need her number.”

He looked grim as he grew still, that scary quiet that screamed, “Hey, not human here.”

“What are you doing?”

“Tapping into her thoughts.”

“You didn’t say you could do that.”

“Everything’s on a need-to-know basis, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart?
Who’d given him permission to call her
sweetheart
? That was a word she didn’t use lightly. She’d never call him sweetheart unless she meant it. And he’d be long in the fang before she threw anything that loving his way.

She kept quiet for the short time it evidently took him to fill Sparkle in on the latest news. When he looked as though he was finished, she continued her train of thought. “So I assume you don’t really need a phone at all.”

“I use a cell all the time. A human mind is an easy-enter, but getting into a nonhuman mind is hard work. It drains my power. And a vampire with no power is a dead vampire. Permanently dead.”

“
What’s happened? Everyone’s running around. I’ve been out all afternoon. Did I miss something?
“

Asima’s voice in her head drew Cinn’s gaze down. The blue-point Siamese gazed up at her with those spectacular blue eyes. If you could get past her annoyance factor, she was really a beautiful animal.

“
Thank you for the compliment
,
but I’m only borrowing a cat’s form. As I should
,
since I’m the messenger of the goddess of all cats. And I have no idea why you’d think I was annoying.
“

Okay, this had to stop right now. “Get out of my head, cat. No one gave you permission to root around in my thoughts.” She cast Dacian a meaningful glare so he’d realize this was aimed at him, too.

Asima managed to put a puzzled expression on her cat face. “
Why would I need permission? You wouldn’t even know I was there if I didn’t tell you.
“ She paused to think things through. “
Although over time you’ll learn to feel the
light brush of my mind against yours. It’s very subtle though, because I’m so powerful.
“

Cinn was shocked. “You mean you’re still going to read my mind?”

Asima blinked. “
Of course. How else will I find out what I want to know?
“

“Heard this before.” Cinn knew that talking to herself didn’t bode well for her mental health, but Asima had that effect on her.

Dacian stepped into the breach as Cinn tried to think of a way to reason with a being that didn’t think in a human way. A good thing, too, because she was almost at the point of abandoning reason and resorting to throwing things.

“Someone stole a plant from Cinn’s room. The plant is very important to her. We’re trying to find him while there’s still a chance that he’s alive.”

Asima looked fascinated. “
You called the plant a he. Why?
“

Cinn decided now wasn’t the time to keep secrets. If there was a chance Asima could help in the hunt, she had to know what was at stake. “I enhance plants, Asima. I make them more than they otherwise would be. Vince is sentient. He feels emotions, and—” she glanced at Dacian—“can evidently talk. He’s alive. And I don’t want him to die cold and alone.” Oh, boy. She blinked madly.
Not going to cry
,
not going to cry.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
Damn.

Asima’s eyes grew wide. “
Alive? Like you and me?
“ She sounded horrified.

Dacian took up the explanation, giving Cinn a chance to pull her emotions together. Maybe that would count on the plus side when she finally added up all the minuses he’d racked up tonight.

“I’d say he’s at the child stage. He feels emotions and reacts to them, and he’s gaining a basic vocabulary. But yeah, he’s aware like you and me.”

“
Oh.
“ Asima seemed more shocked than the explanation seemed to warrant. “
I
…“

Cinn would never know what Asima would have said because Sparkle and Ganymede joined them. Ganymede had cookie crumbs in his whiskers, and he didn’t look too thrilled to be part of the search party. He must’ve seen her staring at the crumbs.

“
Searching for this plant is tough work. I have to keep my strength up. Besides
,
Sparkle baked cookies today. The real thing. No packaged crap. Maybe this depth and character thing isn’t so bad after all.
“

From Sparkle’s expression, Cinn hoped Ganymede wasn’t counting on another batch of cookies any time soon. And Sparkle was wearing what must be her version of roughing-it clothes: designer jeans with rhine-stones, clingy top that shouted expensive, a short leather jacket, and boots that Sparkle would never find in a discount store.

Sparkle wasn’t smiling. “I ruined three nails on those cookies. Not that I notice my nails anymore,” she hurried to assure everyone. “But the store stuff is just as good. Open the package, put the precut cookies on the pan, bake for ten minutes. Works for me.”

And before Cinn could even think about saying anything, Sparkle turned on her. “Yes, these are my old clothes. I couldn’t go searching for your plant naked, could I?”

Ganymede perked right up. “
Wouldn’t bother me
,
cuddle-bunny.
“

Sparkle ignored him. “Edge and Bain are on their way. Everyone will help search until it’s time for the
fantasies to start. Then they’ll have to take care of our customers.”

Fair enough. Cinn appreciated any help she could get.

“
I’ll help
,
too.
“ Asima’s words said one thing, but her tone said she wasn’t too excited about the whole thing.

Cinn wouldn’t blame her if she backed out of the search party. Since Dacian and she had looked into everything in the castle that would qualify as cold and a box, the next step was to search outside. Cinn didn’t figure Asima for a cold-weather cat.

Once Edge, Bain, and even Holgarth showed up, Dacian filled them in on Vince’s three last words. Even with all her worry, Cinn got some satisfaction from their shocked expressions. A plant could communicate. Let Holgarth call
that
unimportant.

They worked out a search plan and then separated. Dacian and Cinn stayed together and Asima tagged along with them.

After searching all the garbage bins on the park grounds and not hearing any encouraging words from the rest of the searchers, Cinn was almost ready to give up. If they didn’t find him soon it might be too late because the trash collectors would empty the bins in the morning and cart everything to the dump. And if she were honest, she’d have to admit that most likely he was already gone. Dacian hadn’t heard his voice again, and she hadn’t felt him brushing against her mind.

Asima had remained strangely silent. Not that Cinn didn’t appreciate the quiet, but it gave her too much time to think. About Vince, about Dacian, and about how her life seemed to be spiraling out of control. She was in the middle of wondering how she’d react if Dacian reverted to his vampire nature—whatever that was—when Asima finally spoke.

“
What will happen to your plant if he’s out in the cold?
“

“He’ll die.” Not exactly true. Vince could survive the cold, but if a lie would energize the search, then she’d lie her butt off.

Asima was silent for a little longer. “
Umm
,
maybe we should check some of the trash cans outside the park.
“

Distracted, Cinn didn’t pay much attention to her answer. “Where would we start? I bet there are a hundred trash cans outside the park walls. Besides, if someone was going to throw Vince in the trash, why not just heave him in one closer to the castle?”

“
Because this person knew that no one would bother checking outside the park?
“

Something in Asima’s voice caught Cinn’s attention. Squatting down, she peered into the cat’s eyes. “Do you know something, Asima?”