Nightwalker

Twenty-Three

A scream erupted from my throat as my eyes snapped open. Machu Picchu rose up around me and Nerian stood close with knife in hand. This time I had been lying on Intihuatana as he prepared to remove my heart. It took a moment for my vision to clear. Blinking again, I found Michael standing before me, his warm hands cradling my face. I pulled away, moving out of his grasp, and pressed my back into the cold stone wall. The weight of Sadira’s worried gaze pushed down on my tense shoulders. I couldn’t blame her for her fears. I was supposed to protect her, and I was slowly being driven mad by nightmares that I shouldn’t have had in the first place.

“I thought you had escaped the nightmares,” she said, her voice a soft caress that reminded me vaguely of flannel pajamas. She was standing near the door. Tristan hovered close by, his arm around her slim shoulders. His body and face had become as still and stiff as a marble statue as he tried to mentally remove himself from Sadira, but I saw a flicker of concern flash through his eyes before he could squash it.

“They’re back.” I was only mildly surprised that she’d asked Jabari about me. I jumped down from my resting spot on top of the crates, wincing at the movement. My body was mostly healed, but I was still sore. “It’s nothing. It will pass. What time is it?”

“Two hours past sunset.”

I barely stifled the curse that had risen to my lips. I was a late sleeper, but I’d never slept that late. The nightmares combined with the injuries were draining me, forcing me to sleep later into the night. That left me vulnerable not only to humans and naturi, but also to other nightwalkers.

“Let’s get out of here.” I held my hand up and Gabriel tossed me the key. He looked rumpled and a little weary, but otherwise fine. Michael wasn’t wearing his homemade sling and seemed to move a bit easier. Both of my angels had also regained their color from my previous feedings. I unlocked the door and pushed it easily open, the metal hinges groaning in the silence. My little band trooped across the basement and up the stairs, where James met us. I was surprised to find him wearing a pair of jeans and a hunter green T-shirt. It was a little disconcerting to see him looking so casual, even though his hair was still perfectly arranged and his shirt neatly tucked into his pants. His brown belt even matched his dark brown shoes.

“Nice outfit,” I said with a half smile.

James flushed, his hand absently reaching for a tie that wasn’t there. “I had a feeling I was a bit overdressed for assisting you.”

“No doubt.”

“Are you leaving now?”

“Soon. Where’s Danaus?”

“Resting, I believe. He stood guard in the basement all day.” My stomach muscles twisted and knotted at the thought of him sitting outside my door while I lay helpless. Yet, instead of fear gripping me, I was surprised to feel my cheeks flush. I felt important…almost cherished. I hadn’t expected the hunter to stay all day.

“Do we need him anymore?” Sadira asked from behind me, shaking me from my thoughts and reminding me that she was the valuable commodity here, not me. I was just part of a game Rowe was playing.

I turned my head so I could see her out of the corner of my eye. “No, I guess not,” I said, disappointment threading itself through each syllable. I had become accustomed to having him there, someone protecting my back—even though he meant to stick a knife in it the first chance he got. “We need to find Jabari and a replacement for Tabor. We might as well stay while you search.”

“And then where?” Sadira’s soft voice was edged with fear and doubt.

“Back to London. My jet is still there, and we can take it to the Coven. If Jabari is not there, one of the other Elders will be. It’s also the safest place I can think of. You can stay there while I fetch Tabor’s replacement or search for the location of the next sacrifice.”

“I will show you to a comfortable room you may use,” James said, leading us down the hall. He opened the door and my two guardians entered first, sweeping the room, one hand always on the butt of one of their guns. They were good at what they did and I felt a small swell of pride as I watched them. I entered only after Gabriel gave a single nod, indicating that it was clear.

Sadira settled in an ornate chair in one corner of the room, allowing her to survey the entire room and keep her back to the wall. We hadn’t survived this long without learning to be cautious. Of course, in my case it also helped to be lucky.

I looked around the cozy room, taking in the pale yellow striped wallpaper and antique furniture with its slightly faded flower print. Lamps dotted the room, casting the area in a soft, warm glow while sweeping back the shadows to the far corners. There were a few landscape portraits and bookshelves set into the walls.

“Is there anything I can get you?” James inquired, drawing my attention back to him. He was so eager to be involved, to help in some fashion, even if it was only fetching food, that I wanted to smile. By the sheer fact that we hadn’t drained him dry yet, he was willing to give me and my kind a chance. I wished more humans could view us with the same open-mindedness.

“Do you have any more hunters lying around?” I asked, knowing Danaus couldn’t be the only hunter lurking around this rambling old house. “I’d like at least a pair at the door.”

“Of course.”

“And a meal for my companions.”

“Food for Michael and Gabriel will not be a problem, but…” He hedged nervously, his gaze darting to Sadira, who smiled. While she would never admit to it, she was enjoying James’s discomfort.

“Sadira and I will hunt outside of the Compound later this evening,” I said, then looked over at Tristan. He was still young and I had no doubt that last night’s confrontation had left him feeling like he could use a bite. I didn’t want a half-starved nightwalker on my hands when I was having trouble myself, particularly around this many humans. They were hell to control and extremely dangerous.

“I’ll feed later as well,” Tristan volunteered, his voice soft but firm.

“Very good,” James said with a quiet sigh of relief. “Anything else?”

“Yes, a shower.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Pushing him back out the door, I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. “I’m a vampire, James, not a self-cleaning oven,” I said. I turned my gaze to Sadira for a moment. “Find me another Tabor. I’ll be back soon.” Closing the door, I looked at James again, who was blushing.

“Forgive me, I just never thought…” he stammered, resettling his gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his narrow nose.

“Yeah, all us undead don’t need to bathe. Our magic keeps us clean.” Laying my hands on his shoulders, I gently turned him so he was pointed toward the main hall. “Find me a shower and then fetch the food. If you’re lucky, we’ll be out of your hair in less than an hour.”

James silently led me up the stairs to the second floor. Down the hall to the left, he opened the third door, revealing a beautiful bedroom decorated in mint green and gold. A large four-poster bed dominated the room, and a heavy walnut desk lounged against the far wall. The room was neat and clean, with its books properly arranged. I paused at the bureau to look at the row of pictures, all of smiling family and friends.

“This room belongs to Melanie Richards. She’s currently in the States visiting family,” James explained. “I would give you a spare room, but we’re a little crowded at the moment.”

“Had to call in reinforcements?” I teased. His mouth bobbed open and closed for a moment, but I had pity on him. There was something a little endearing about this poor human. Maybe it was just the fact that he didn’t resemble a librarian at the moment, like all the others. “I don’t blame you,” I whispered, with a secret little smile.

I turned my gaze back to the pictures, wondering if any of the females was the room’s owner. “I bet she’s going to be upset to discover she missed out on seeing the vampire circus sweep through.”

“That’s an understatement,” James muttered, earning a light chuckle from me.

“You’ll just have to tell her that I used her shower. Maybe that will placate her,” I said, feeling supremely absurd. I walked into the bathroom off the bedroom. It was small, with a set of green towels hanging on the towel rod. Most of the personal items had been removed, but I was relieved to find some shampoo and bath gel. I smelled of smoke and felt grimy, coated in a thick layer of my own blood.

“Is there anything else I can do?” he offered, his hand resting on the white marble sink.

“No, I can handle this, unless you want to stay and wash my back?”

This time James smiled and shook his head. I think he was beginning to catch on to my teasing. “I shall leave you and take care of the other items.” With that, he headed out of the room.

I closed the bathroom door and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like a nightmare. My red hair hung about my face in matted clumps, filled with dried blood, leaves, and dirt. My face and body were streaked with blood and dirt. I looked like the hideous, blood-sucking monster vampires were proclaimed to be. And yet none of my own fear was showing beneath the blood and dirt. The world couldn’t see that I didn’t have a clue about what I was doing. Most of my decisions were made on the fly, and the fact that I was still alive was a testament to my own stupid luck.

Turning away from the mirror in disgust, I turned on only the hot water and stripped out of my clothes. I climbed into the tub and sighed as the steaming hot water heated my cold flesh and turned my complexion pink. It was the quickest way to gain warmth without feeding. The feeling was always short-lived, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. Relaxed again, I washed my hair and scrubbed off last night’s encounters at the pub, in the alley with Rowe, and in the woods.

With my hands braced against the tile wall, I let the hot water pour down on my head and over my body, rinsing off the dirt and soap. I closed my eyes and stretched out my senses. I started on the first floor, pausing for a second. While I couldn’t feel Sadira, I could pick up the swell of power emanating from her. So much for hiding. Hell, let her blame it on me. Jabari had plenty to be angry with me for. Why not add one more thing? I had a few things I was eager to discuss with the Elder.

The members of Themis were still anxious, running about the large mansion like a hive of angry bees. There was a large group meeting at the opposite end of the second floor. I didn’t pause to hear what they were discussing. I didn’t care. We’d be gone soon and I’d never have to deal with these people again.

On the third floor, I located Danaus. He was so calm and at peace, I could only guess he was asleep. He was more difficult to read than humans and other nightwalkers. Much like most magic users, his powers seemed to muddy things. I could pick up on emotions but not specific thoughts. I lingered over him, soaking in his calm the same way I had soaked in the warmth of his powers. Reluctantly, I moved on and was about to pull away when I picked up on the other strong magic user in the house. He was on the third floor in what felt like a large room. He was calm as well, but there was a deeper sense of concern and anticipation curling around him. This had to be the illustrious Ryan.

With a shake of my head, I closed the connection and turned off the shower. Wiping off the excess water, I towel-dried my hair as best as I could. Reluctantly, I pulled on my pants, shoes, and bra. The shirt was ruined. I would have to borrow something from Miss Richards for now. If we had time, I hoped to stop at the hotel in London and pick up my things before we flew out. Locating a brush under the sink, I ran it through my hair, getting rid of the tangles as best as I could. When finished, I at least felt like I carried the semblance of average humanity.

Reaching for the doorknob, I suddenly stopped. Michael was waiting for me in the bedroom, his heart thudding fast in worry. I jerked open the door to find him pacing the room, clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides.

“What’s wrong?” I demanded in a harsh voice, making him jump.

“Nothing,” he quickly answered, his hand automatically reaching for his gun in his surprise. A spastic smile jumped across his lips as his hands returned to his sides.

“What are you doing up here?”

“I didn’t think you should be here unprotected.”

“I’m fine. Your job right now is to protect Sadira. I can manage,” I reassured him, running my fingers through my damp hair. Fear unknotted in my stomach, leaving the muscles trembling for a moment.

“Do you need anything?” His eyes were wide as he watched me.

“No, I’m fine.”

Something about him was making me ill at ease. He seemed nervous and extremely tense. I could only guess that it was the constant traveling and the threat of the naturi. While I’m not sure he completely understood the danger, he’d overheard enough conversations to catch a solid glimpse.

He walked over to me and placed a trembling hand on my cheek. “I’m worried about you. You nearly died last night and you’re still in danger here,” he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. “This place is wall-to-wall vampire hunters and God only knows what else. You know I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you, but…” His strong voice drifted off, suffocated by his doubts.

“But you and Gabriel are outgunned,” I finished, running my hands up his strong chest. Lacing my fingers behind his neck, I pulled him down so his forehead touched mine. Michael wrapped his arm around my waist, enveloping me his warmth. “Right now, these hunters are not the threat that concerns me. Besides, they seem to follow Danaus, and he needs me alive.”

He pulled away so that he could look me in the eye. “He tried to have you killed in Egypt,” he reminded me, with barely caged anger.

“He claims it was a misunderstanding. They were trying to rescue him.”

“And you believe him?”

“No.” I laughed, pulling his head down to capture his soft lips in a quick kiss that lasted a bit longer than I initially intended. Michael’s arms tightened, pressing me against his strong body. His skin was warm and his heart pounded against my breast, proclaiming his life and strength to my own cold form. I started to break off the kiss, telling myself that I had too many things to take care of, when Michael deepened it, running the tip of his tongue along the seam of my lips. My own body instantly responded, my mouth opening so his tongue could dart in, tasting me.

French kissing a vampire was an art form that Michael had mastered during our years together. He could kiss me without pricking his tongue on my fangs, but there was never anything hesitant or careful about it. He explored my mouth, opening up senses and feelings within me I hadn’t realized were laying dormant, waiting for him and his touch. In his hands, I felt almost human again.

I moaned softly against his mouth, my fingers threading through his hair. With a little pressure he guided me backward until I felt something pressing against the back of my knees. Running his hands up and down my back, he slowly pulled his mouth away and smiled down at me, his eyes sparkling with some kind of mischief. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what he was thinking when he gave my left shoulder a little shove, pushing me onto the bed.

“Make time stand still, Mira,” he murmured in a low, husky voice that sent a shimmer of warmth over my body. “Give us tonight.”

Parting my knees so he was standing between my leather-clad legs, I sat up and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. As I lay back down, Michael crawled onto the bed, placing his elbows on either side of my head as he leaned down and reclaimed my lips. My eyes fell shut as he wrung another moan out of me, my body instinctively arching against his. I wanted to feel all of him. I needed to feel all of his soft, warm skin pressed against the length of my body, but I would follow his lead. Michael was in control and I was enjoying every second of this escape while I could.

Moving his lips along my jaw, Michael shifted his weight onto his left arm, allowing him to slip his right hand between our bodies. His nimble fingers slid over my ribs and up to cup my breast, his thumb rubbing over my nipple through the rough lace of the bra.

“Have you missed me?” he asked in a harsh, breathless whisper, running his lips over mine.

“Very much.” My hands fumbled for a moment, searching for the edge of his shirt. I finally found it, allowing me to run my hands up his back. His muscles flexed and danced beneath my fingers. He kissed me again as his fingers pulled down the bra, freeing my breast for his teasing fingers.

“Not nearly enough, I think.” Changing directions, he ran the tip of his tongue along my flat stomach from my belly button, up along my ribs, skirting along the edge of the red scar left from last night’s wound before finally settling on my bare breast. His tongue swirled around my hardened nipple, his teeth grazing it.

My eyes fell shut again. My fingers dug into his blond locks, twisting to get a better hold. I arched against him, my heels digging into the edge of the bed. I needed to be closer, to become a part of him.

“You’re driving me mad.”

Michael chuckled, his hot breath dancing across my damp flesh from where his mouth had been just moments before. “That’s the point.” My angel moved back up to my lips, kissing me deeply.

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he rolled over onto his back, pulling me on top of him. “Bite me, Mira,” he said, moving his lips to kiss down my jaw to my neck.

“Not tonight, my angel,” I said, lifting my face so I could kiss his lips again, but he kept his head turned so his neck was before me. The main artery throbbed at me, beckoning. The darkness stirred inside me, but I struggled to push it back down again. I was still half starved, needed to gorge myself on blood not only to heal but to regain my full strength. But I wouldn’t feed off Michael. I had taken too much of his blood too often. His warmth and laughter kept any lingering pangs of hunger at bay.

“Please, Mira. Bite me. I need this.” His words escaped him with a harsh, desperate quality that sent a chill through me.

I sat up so I could look down at him, my desire suddenly cooling. “Please, don’t push me, my angel,” I said wearily. “I need you strong.”

“I can handle it.” His right hand cupped my cheek. He tried to pull me back down but I wouldn’t budge.

“No. You should go back downstairs.” I moved so I was now sitting beside him, my hip pressed against his.

“Please, Mira,” he said, his voice wavering. Something in his tone finally caught my attention and I stared into his eyes. They looked a little glassy, as if he was sick. Frowning, I pushed into his thoughts. Jumbled and fragmented, it took me a couple seconds to make sense out of them, but there was one repeating one; the need for the pleasure my bite brought him.

I pulled loose of the tangle of thoughts in his brain and smacked him hard enough to snap his head sideways. “Enough!” I was more frustrated with myself for letting this happen than at him. Michael had become addicted and come begging to me for his next fix. His interest in sex had nothing to do with me and everything to do with my feeding off of him.

He looked at me like a wounded puppy and I bit back a groan. “I need you to be focused. I can’t get Sadira out of here safely without you,” I continued in a soft but firm voice, resisting the urge to cup his cheeks with my hands. Pushing off the bed, I got to my feet and paced away from the bed, readjusting my bra so my breasts were covered again. A horrible, hollow ache throbbed in my chest. I had fooled myself into thinking that I’d held his interest.

When I turned back, Michael was standing beside the bed, straightening his clothes. His eyes still looked hurt, but he had pulled himself back together. At least for now. Maybe he wasn’t too far gone yet. It didn’t matter. I was done with him. When we reached the Coven meeting place, I was putting Michael and Gabriel on the next plane home. They would be of no real help after that, and keeping them at my side would only put them in unnecessary danger. I wouldn’t ruin what was left of Michael’s life.

“Go downstairs. I’ll be down in a minute,” I directed, forcing the words up my raw throat. Michael nodded again and left the room. I sat on the end of the bed and followed him with my mind. He did as he was told and went directly to the room that held Sadira and the others.

Putting my elbows on my knees, I leaned forward and rested my forehead in the palms of my hands. I was destroying Michael by being in his life. Why had Gabriel’s mind come through this so unscathed? He was always a solid rock at my back. I had fed from him in the past and yet his mind suffered none of the damage I apparently had wrought with Michael.

But there was no answer. Michael was crumbling before me and it was my fault. I’d thought I was someone important in his life. I would never be so foolish as to describe the emotion as love, but at least some emotion that would be used to describe a person. But to him, I was just the source of intense pleasure, like a drug.

Being addicted to the bite of a nightwalker was a common enough occurrence, but it was also easy to avoid. If you never fed from the same person more than once, or if you did and always wiped his memory, the problem was avoided. But eventually we all ended up with a human companion that we drifted back to for a long span of nights in the name of pleasure and companionship. In time we drained them. We drained them of more than just their blood, but their willpower, their dignity, and their lives.

My thoughts were scattered again when someone knocked on the door. I looked up at the mirror over the bureau to find my face blissfully blank. It was nice to look so unaffected when I felt like screaming.

“Come in,” I called, rising from the bed.

“Sorry to disturb you,” James said as he entered. A deep flush stained his cheeks when he saw me standing by the edge of the bed without a shirt. He quickly averted his eyes.

I walked over to the closet door and pulled it open. “I was just heading downstairs,” I said, riffling through the clothes I found hanging there until my eyes fell on a plain black button-up shirt.

“If you have a moment, Ryan has requested a meeting with you before you leave,” James said, obviously expecting me to turn down the invitation.

I paused in the act up buttoning up the shirt, grateful that Melanie and I were roughly the same size. “Just me? Not Sadira?” I was surprised. Sadira was the oldest of the trio of nightwalkers in the compound, making her the natural superior.

“He asked only for you.”

“I guess I can spare a few moments,” I said with an indifferent shrug as I attached the last two buttons. I was going to finally meet the big boss man. I wasn’t sure how much new information he would be able to provide, but so far Themis had been most helpful. Far more helpful than Jabari and Sadira, who were working very hard to keep me out of the loop, while someone was trying to kill me. And this time it didn’t appear to be a hunter.