Out for Blood (6 page)

Her pretty face contorted with insolence. “Don’t use your powers on me, vampire. We’re warded against that. You think Dominic’s stupid?” With a snort, she twisted on her heel and stormed off, her previous coyness gone.

Well. That was interesting. Made sense Dominic would protect his comarré from vampire influence. Wouldn’t want any of them being persuaded to become someone’s pet for free. But fringe didn’t have the same powers nobles did, so who was he protecting them against? Tatiana’s return? Or the newly resired Katsumi? Either way, Dominic was smart. Shady. But smart.

Mal made his way to Dominic’s office. He sensed Dominic was alone. Good. He didn’t want an audience for the conversation he was about to have. He knocked and a few seconds later, Dominic bid him enter. Mal did and saw that he’d been wrong about Dominic being alone. Seated in front of Dominic’s desk was a leanly muscled, dark-haired vampire Mal didn’t recognize.

“Am I interrupting something?” He glanced at the other vampire. Definitely noble, not quite Dominic’s age but not a vampling either. How had Mal not sensed him?

“No, no,” Dominic assured him. “This is Luciano, my nephew. He’s come to help me run things here. Every night, Seven gets busier. It’s good to have family you can trust.”

“Luciano.” Mal nodded at the other vampire. “Are you St. Germain like your uncle?”

“No.” Luciano grinned. “I am House of Paole.”

That explained not being able to sense him. Paole vampires were undetectable to other vampires. Sneaky bastards.

Dominic leaned back in his desk chair. “Luciano is a
caedo
.”

A chill skittered down Mal’s spine at the word. He tensed, instantly on guard. He’d been hunted by
caedo
many years ago. Unsuccessfully, but hunted nonetheless.

Luciano threw his hands up. “
Zio, per favore
. Why would you tell him that?”

Dominic waved Luciano’s concerns away. “Malkolm is anathema. Like us. You worry for nothing.” He stood and walked out from behind his desk and laid his hand on Mal’s. “This man sacrificed his blood for mine. That is a debt I have not yet repaid. He will say nothing, will you, Malkolm?”

“No.” He kept his eyes on Luciano, who didn’t look quite convinced yet. “So long as you’re not here for me.”

Luciano frowned. “Why would I be here for you? I’m here because my uncle needs me. And because I grew tired of life as the nobility’s errand boy.”

Errand boy? How about killer?
Like you.
The
caedo
were an elite force of vampire assassins. They did the dirty work other nobles didn’t want to soil their hands with but were willing to empty their accounts to pay for. “Dominic said you were anathema like us. What did you do?”

Luciano’s eyes sparked silver. “I quit.”

No one quit the
caedo
. Except by death. That explained Luciano’s reluctance to have his profession revealed.

Dominic gestured toward a chair. “Sit, my friend. Let us share some wine to celebrate Luciano’s arrival.”

“Wine isn’t what I need.” Nor did he need to carry the weight of any more of Dominic’s family secrets.

“Ah, I see. There is something else I can help you with?”

“I need blood. From one of your comarrés.” Damnation, it pained him to say those words.

Dominic went back behind his desk and sat. “I would be happy to do this for you, except…” He stared at Mal expectantly, and when Mal didn’t say anything, he finished, “What about Chrysabelle?”

And there it was. The question he’d known would be asked. Mal sat, buying a little time to form an answer. “She’s still recovering. I don’t want to bother her.”

Dominic lifted his brows. “That hasn’t stopped you—or her—from the exchange in the past.” He shrugged and lifted his hands. “I don’t want to do something that might upset her. You know she’s like family to me.” He leaned toward Luciano. “She’s Maris’s daughter, the comarré I spoke of earlier.”

“Marissa?
Si
.” Luciano nodded.

What Mal knew was that Dominic wasn’t going to let it drop until he got a better answer. “I need to put some distance between us. Her wishes.”

“Ah.” Dominic absently tapped his fingers on the desk. “She is just like her mother, that one.” His hand went still. “Any time you need blood, you have only to come to me. As I’m sure you would extend yourself to me, should I need anything.”

So a favor for a favor. Fine. He should have known Dominic wouldn’t give without getting something in exchange. Mal had no desire to return to pig’s blood. “Haven’t I proven that in the past?”

“You have.” Dominic pressed the intercom on his desk. “Send one of the best comarré up.”

“Yes, sir,” a female voice answered.

Mal shifted. He hadn’t wanted to do this with an audience, but neither did he want to be alone with a human with an open vein. Chrysabelle could fight him off. One of Dominic’s comarrés could not.

“Do you wish privacy?” Dominic asked.

“No.” He forced himself to relax.

“Please.” Dominic held his hand toward a secluded corner of his office that held a chair, low table, and love seat. “I don’t care to be watched while I dine either.”

Without further argument, Mal got up and went to the seating area. A few minutes later, someone knocked.

“Come,” Dominic called.

The door opened. “You sent for me, master?”

Son of a priest. Of all the comarré Dominic had, Alice was the one who got sent up?

“Yes,” Dominic answered. He pulled a knife from a desk drawer and held it out to her. “Take this, get a glass from the bar, then fill it for my guest there.” He gestured toward Mal. She didn’t look, but Luciano watched with interest.

With a hesitant movement, she accepted the dagger. “May I ask why, master?”

Bloody hell. Mal growled softly, causing her to turn. “Because I can’t drink from the vein.”

“You,” she whispered. A flash of anger passed over her face, quickly disappearing into a mask of obedience. “As you wish.”

“Do you know each other?” Dominic asked.

“No,” Alice said.

“Yes.” Mal crossed his ankle over the opposite knee and leaned back. “I tried to use my powers of persuasion on her in the club. She didn’t care for it.”

Dominic laughed. “I’m sure she explained that my comarré are warded against that. Trying to get a replacement for Chrysabelle?”

“Something like that.” Mal held eye contact with Alice, challenging her to say otherwise. Tired of the games, he pointed to the chair next to him. “Sit.”

She did as he asked, setting the glass on the low table. “Now what?”

“Nick your vein and hold it over the glass.” How simple was she?

“Why not just bite me? It’s so much simpler.”

“I told you I can’t drink from the vein.”
Can and should.

Indignation rolled off her in waves. “Do you think I’m not worthy?”

Every muscle in his body tensed. He reminded himself he’d thought this a good idea. “I do
not
drink from the vein.”

“Alice,” Dominic barked. “Do as he asks without question. Do not make me speak to Katsumi about your training.”

“Yes, master.” Disgust in her eyes, she held out her arm and pricked her wrist with the dagger. She yelped, biting her lip. Red beaded up, perfuming the office with the coppery scent of faded roses. Human blood. She turned her wrist over and the glass began to fill.

Mal waited until the blood was an inch from the top. No point in not getting as much as he could if he had to endure this torture to get it. “Enough.”

“Like I could give you any more,” she whispered, pressing her fingers to her wrist and lifting her chin as if she’d just provided him with the finest vintage wine France had to offer.

He took the glass and chugged it without ceremony. The blood held none of Chrysabelle’s sweetness or power. There was no sharp burst of pleasurable pain as his body came to life, no beating heart, no need to draw breath. Just the sensation of being full and the numbing of the voices, something human blood had always done. He set the glass down and stood. Time to go home. Check on the comar and see about the vampiress being held captive in the freighter’s hold. “Dominic, my thanks.” He tipped his head at Luciano.

“Whenever you need it,” he reminded Mal. Luciano lifted his hand in farewell.

Alice stared up at him intently, obviously waiting for him to thank her as well. “Feel better?”

“Not much.” He hadn’t stopped thinking about Chrysabelle once. “I’ve had real comarré blood. This isn’t it.”

Chapter Six

P
rick me again and I’ll have your fingers cut off,” Tatiana snarled.

The modiste jerked the pin away from the gown’s bodice. “I’m so sorry, my lady. I will be more careful.”

“Yes, you will be.” Nothing irritated Tatiana more than inactivity. Standing on this platform before these mirrors, being fitted for a gown to wear to the Dominus ball, was not the best use of her time. Not when she could be in New Florida hunting down that comarré whore and finally taking possession of the ring of sorrows. With that power, Tatiana would be utterly unstoppable, and protecting Lilith would be as easy as breathing. If Tatiana still breathed.

Octavian strolled in. His eyes silvered as he took her in. “You look glorious.” He stopped by Lilith’s crib, leaning down to coo soft words and tickle her belly. Pride swelled in Tatiana at how good he was with her. She’d been so right to turn him from the kine head of her household staff to her vampire paramour. “Sweet child,” he whispered. He kissed her tiny fist, then came to Tatiana’s side and kissed her cheek. “Hello, my love.”

“Octavian, don’t keep me waiting. How did her blood tests come out?”

“Everything’s fine. With the strains of vampirism in her system, the doctor doesn’t think any of the usual immunizations will be necessary.”

“Excellent.” Relieved, she glanced at Lilith’s crib. “I’d hate to subject her to that kine again.”

“He’s not such a bad fellow. But enough about him.” He took her hand and held her arm out. “I know nothing about women’s fashion, but you do wonders for this dress.” He winked at her as he released her hand.

She smiled and smoothed the skirt. “I do, don’t I?” She studied the gown. Deep purple silk corseted her torso with a heavy crusting of diamond embellishment purposefully designed to conceal two slender blades that could be whipped out at a moment’s notice. From her waist, the gown flared so that it flowed around her like water when she walked. Let Svetla’s pale blondness try to compete.

“You look like the queen you are.”

“I’m having a tiara made to match. Diamonds and amethyst.”

“As you should.” He glanced at Lilith. “And for our little one?”

“Lavender silk and a headband stitched with diamonds and amethyst as well.”

He nodded. “Like mother, like daughter.”

She glanced at the seamstress and her helpers, reluctant to talk about private matters in front of them but eager to find out if Octavian had news from Daciana. “Any word from our associate?”

“Unfortunately, no.” He grasped his hands behind his back and walked forward a few steps. He released his hands, clenching them into fists. “I have no clear way of making contact, despite our new advances.”

Since declaring computers and communication devices no longer off-limits in the House of Tepes, Tatiana had been frustrated by how few members seemed interested in using them. She was slowly learning to use them herself and understood these things took time, but how could anyone not want to take advantage of the technology? “That’s very disappointing. Do you think… all is still well? It’s been nearly five days.” And no word from Daciana. Anything could have happened to her. Tatiana swallowed down the building emotions. This was what came of allowing herself to care about others. She reached for the locket around her neck, comforted by its weight in her hand.

Octavian shook his head as if to dispel her thoughts. “I’m sure everything is fine. You know I’m willing to take care of this in person, if you wish. I can leave immediately. Just say the word.”

“I can’t spare you. With the ball approaching, I need you here with me. Especially when…” She studied the kine around her, looking for listening ears. “All of you, outside until I’ve called you back.”

“Yes, my lady.” The modiste motioned for her helpers to leave.

As soon as the doors closed, Tatiana stepped off the platform to face Octavian. “I’d love to have you check on Daciana, but I suspect the council has eyes on me.” She threw her hands up. “I hate that those pompous fools can affect me this way. After all I’ve been through with them, the way they fought me becoming Elder, the way they made me wait after Ivan’s death, the way they doubt me and question me at every turn—”

Octavian took her hands in his. “You’re Dominus now. One of the council yourself!” He held her gaze. “There’s
nothing
they can do against you.”

“Not openly, no. Just because they must accept me publicly doesn’t mean they won’t still try to tear me down in private. With the ancient ones so firmly on my side, I have no doubt jealousy will drive at least one of them to oppose me. More than one, I’m sure.”