Page 6 of Silent Stalker
“I was more thinking that I wanted you to send a silent message in the bodies of the culprits. We have a bounty for the killer, but proof has to be collected. So, you would have to find the killer and acquire proof of wrongdoing. But, yes. I am asking you to help hunt this killer.”
Relief washed through me. While I enjoyed legal work, I missed the hunt for those who harmed others—and I wanted to get a hold of Jeremy Breckenan and wring the unlife out of him. “While I’m aware we are not technically dead, it makes me very happy thinking about throttling the unlife out of that man.”
“I’m not sure if Breckenan is the one behind these failed raising attempts, especially considering what we learned about you and your mother. The bodies started showing up the night after we met with your father.”
A chill swept through me. “Do you think they were experimented on?”
“I’m not sure what I think, which is why I need you to go out and see what you can find about this killer. You will not be going on this hunt alone, mind you. I will be shadowing you. In part, I will be recording what I can around you, and I do not want to leave you unprotected on a dangerous job. When you were turned, there were other women killed, but the dynamic has changed.”
“Because one of the women was pregnant?” I asked.
“Yes. Unborn life tends to be more sacred to vampires in some ways.”
“Please explain,” I requested.
“A vampire woman has to fight every day for the life of her child. A single mistake will kill the unborn child. A child to a vampire is nine months of sacrifice. From even before the child’s conception, the child must be planned for. If we were to have a child, you would begin to consume additional blood from willing human women, preparing for conception. This continues until delivery. A single day missed can kill the child. There is no such thing as an unwanted or unexpected child among vampires.”
I could understand the shifted perspective. “Right. I think you had told me about that.”
“Our women are educated about this reality before they’re turned, but with so many failures lately, the good masters won’t approve any attempts to turn a woman into a vampire. That my maker even tried with the wife of his vampire tells me she was already on death’s door and only had days to live.”
I nodded, as I had picked up on that implication. “Could it really be that simple? More blood and the assurance the woman has her choice of partner in the future?”
“I have my doubts, especially after what we learned about your mother—and you. I suspect that the woman just turned has consumed vampire blood over the years, even if it was a little here and there by accident.”
“Play biting might draw blood.”
“Or even just kissing a wound in comfort. And if their relationship is a little on the rowdier side, he might have bitten his own wrist to allow her to partake of the blood binding. I allow it in my brood, but only light scratches—never enough to accidentally start a turn, and I ask that they only indulge in that no more than once a month. But it’s a symbol for vampires if their beloved bites them as they often nip their mortal lovers.”
“Vampires will bite mortals when in bed?”
“Only with consent, but yes. Some elements of lovemaking extend to mortal women as much as it does to other vampires.” Emerick stabbed his piece of waffle, the tines of his fork clicking against the plate, and then he chomped on his food, taking his irritation out on it.
I glared at my bottle of Wagyu so I wouldn’t think about his mouth accented with maple syrup. I took a long swig of the blood. “I am willing to be experimented on if it means I can have waffles and bacon every morning. Or sausage. Or scrambled eggs—or anything that isn’t red and recently came from an animal or person.”
“After you have your next binge, we will begin doing just that. Giovanni suggested that we infuse your meals with magic to see if that will help you digest the food. If it works, that is something I can do. I have some forms of non-vampiric magic that I can use, so I would handle adjusting your breakfast so it is infused with the appropriate magic. His current theory is that because you consume magic as well as blood, the magic is sustaining your body, and your body only allows you to eat food on a limited basis when it can’t provide the appropriate nutrients in the quantity you need. It looks like your body tears through the nutrients you gain within five to eight days. You’ve been without a meal for about a week, but you’ve been getting a stable supply of blood. The blood I’ve been taking from you you’ve been replenishing from me, so you haven’t had a deficit.”
“Where you’re tired because I keep treating you like my personal blood bank.”
Emerick chuckled. “No, I’m tired because I keep getting up in the middle of the day trying to teach you how to dance, along with some other secrets, which I look forward to you discovering in time.”
Damn it. “While I’ve been naked?” Emerick was a sneaky, sneaky man. “Okay, I will acknowledge that I did not think before abandoning my pajamas this week. I am also impressed with your restraint and drive to make sure I will not shame you for the upcoming ball.”
“The past few days have been quite pleasant, but it’s a double-edged sword, for I am a man of my word. It has been very much look and no touch. I’ve been making you get dressed for our dancing activities, although I have been restoring you to a pristine state before tucking you back into bed.”
Tricky, tricky man. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“Your body is healing, you’re feeding well, and I’ve been keeping the exercises light and limited to no more than two hours. It was all muscle memory work on the basics, so you were simply getting in some practice. I hold some hope my feet may escape unscathed during your next conscious lesson.”
I laughed at the memory of my abysmal failure to preserve his feet the last time he’d tried to teach me how to waltz. “That’s fair. I wouldn’t want to get trampled, either. Is there anything else I should know about that you’ve been hiding?”
“Indeed, there is. But I shall keep my secrets for now. It is better for us both that way, until you can stay awake of your own accord during the day. Once you can, I won’t be able to take you over without waking you.”
I could think of several reasons why the brood master might toy with me, and the most probable involved trying to get me to resist the sun, something I struggled to do on a good day. At my best, I’d stayed awake for ten whole minutes after sunrise. “Am I holding the record for having the hardest time staying awake after sunrise?”
“Indeed.”
Damn. “On the upside, I have never slept better.”
