Page 28 of Silent Stalker
SEVEN
I am most stunning in crimson and black.
I wokeas the first hints of darkness touched the distant horizon, and I admired the sunset from Emerick’s office window. The treatments on the glass kept the sun’s rays at bay, and I wondered how many days he’d spent in the room with his attention focused on the outdoors rather than his work.
I needed to make sure any windows in my workspace were difficult to access, else I’d never get anything done. Not long after the last twinges of red made way for the indigo of early night, a yawning Emerick wearing his bathrobe wandered in.
I was willing to bet someone in the brood had witnessed him wander around the penthouse searching for me.
I chuckled at his sleep-disheveled appearance. “Not only did I escape, I did so without waking you.”
“Wicked wife. You about gave me a heart attack. I went to steal some snuggles and found my bed empty.”
Hmm. Emerick did enjoy his morning snuggles, which involved him pretending I was a particularly comfortable pillow he could wrap around to maintain his warmth. Most of the time, I remained asleep until the tail end of the morning snuggles, which led to blanket thieving to drive me out of the warmth of the bed. “I’m the best wife, apparently. I don’t steal the blankets when I make my escape.”
He chuckled, yawned again, and joined me in staring out the window. “I slept longer than normal. Interesting.”
“I was the dessert last night, and you went to nappy land after you had your fill. I even put myself to bed properly after drinking off two more bottles of the Wagyu. It’s not tasting as bad now,” I admitted.
“Good. That’s a sign you’re adapting to the changed diet. It will be at least six months before we even consider trying you on something other than Wagyu seriously.”
“Advice from your Japanese contacts?”
“Yes. They have a vested interest in your survival—or in the details of how you came to survive. While the difficulties you’re having with feeding are an issue, they have a significant problem with miscreants over there, and they never thought to put newly changed women out on the hunt. It’s the perfect solution to a lot of problems, really. Rather than keep them in satin prisons, we’ll arm them and let them take their frustrations out on those who would prey upon innocents.” Emerick stretched. “As the cat is truly out of the bag, Ben will drive us both to the location, where I will accompany you on the hunt. Kennwick seems to think us being attacked is likely, and I agree with him. More accurately, I will be attacked and you will be targeted for kidnapping. We will not be the only people in the brood hunting. Ben will be going to the next safehouse with our guests along with four other vampires after he splits from our team.”
“We’ll be in a group of five?” I asked.
“Yes. We will also be wearing trackers just in case something does happen. There will also be an SUV with a team monitoring our location. Until we have more information, we’re going to be flying blind. None of the other broods have any relevant information, either, although we have identified the other two guests. One is from Baltimore, and the other is from Detroit. Their brood masters will be visiting in two weeks. They are both younger broods, and on the larger size for their age. Had their vampires returned home, it is probable the bloodlust would have infected both broods. That tells me the individual behind this does know enough about vampires to be aware of the ways broods can be destabilized. This is not a risk for our brood, especially now that you’re here.”
While I made progress understanding brood dynamics, I struggled to figure out where I fit into the equation. “What do you mean?”
“It’s the brood magic. Because we’re bonding and our bond is strengthening, the older vampires in the brood are already aware of your presence in the brood. It shares the load. So, if I were to succumb to bloodlust for some reason, and you did not, the rest of our brood will be able to maintain stability because you are stable. As you have surprisingly resilience against bloodlust, and I have old age and skill helping me resist it, we will remain stable unless there is some serious other factor at play.”
“Like magic, you mean?” I asked.
Emerick nodded, turned from the window, and sat on his desk. “There are old magics that can trigger bloodlust in even old vampires. It’s considered to be taboo, because vampires who enter bloodlust through that magic benefit in many ways but lose hold of their sanity. They’re harder to kill, stronger, and faster than normal. They become better predators, although they’re controlled by that magic and forced to drink. Usually, the victim of the magic is killed, but sometimes not. Usually, the preternatural behind the magic is the one punished, but it’s difficult to break the magic controlling the vampire, so we typically have to kill them.”
I sighed, wondering what Emerick had endured in his long past, how many friends he had killed due to such dark magic, and if the world would change in such a way preternaturals would enjoy equal rights to normal mortals. Then again, I had not truly understood how much being labeled a preternatural changed life. “Is this magic common?”
“Not anymore, thankfully. It mostly stopped during the time of the witch trials. The witches who practiced such magic were killed, although too many innocents died in society’s efforts to rid the world of such dark magic. Some still practice the art, but the wise do not let anyone know what they have learned.”
“What am I wearing for the hunt tonight?”
“I have a new set of leathers for you. There is a thin layer of Kevlar in it, sufficient to stop most stakes, so I would appreciate you wearing it. There are two pieces. One is a corset, and there is a jacket that can be worn and zippered over it. Both are supple enough to allow you to move. It won’t stop bullets, but it will stop stakes.”
I raised a brow. “You got me a corset?”
“While I could have requested something a little less enjoyable for me, I opted to spend my money in a mutually beneficial fashion. You will be stunning in it, and it will protect you from being staked through the heart. I will likewise be wearing protective gear beneath my clothes to prevent unfortunate introductions of stakes and my heart. It is not anywhere near as visually appealing as your corset.”
“Do you realize all we’re doing right now is blatantly torturing each other?” I complained, heading for the door. “Show me where this corset is, and if we’re going to turn me into a goddess wearing leather, I’m going to need my choker and the sexiest stake holders I have. If I’m going to do this, I’ll do this right. Wear a suit for me, so I can be equally tortured. That’s assuming you can fight well in it.”
“I can. I have picked a crimson suit for your enjoyment, with black accenting. I am most stunning in crimson and black.”
I bet he was. “How long do you think we’re going to hold out if we keep doing this to each other, and which one do you think is going to snap first?”
“Does it matter which one of us snaps first? Once one snaps, as you say, we will both snap.”
“Pride, mostly. If I snap first, you will surely lord over me about it, with some justified strutting. Should you snap first, I will be able to indulge in some well-earned strutting over having bested the ancient vampire.”
