Page 21 of Tanglewood Legacy (The Three Sisters 3)
“Oui. That is how I know what murdered those two men. Vampires exist where I come from, and they drain their victims of their blood, just like those men were drained.”
Seemingly agitated, Pierre stood from his chair and paced to the window where a fly battered against the magic that protected the room. Isis hated the way Pierre stared at that fly. That was the thing about the lower life forms on this world; the fly’s mind could not process magic, and so its impulses were caught on repeat, its wings beating fruitlessly against the force that kept it out until it grew exhausted and dropped to its death. Goddess, what was this experience doing to Pierre?
“I am trusting you with this, Pierre, because I can see you are an intellectual, a philosopher, a man of discovery. I am trusting you with my secret so we can move beyond it.” Couldn’t he see she’d practically placed her heart on a platter and handed it to him with his tea?
He whirled to face her. “Tell me this, Isis. Did the vampire follow you from your…realm?”
Her shoulders relaxed a little. That was a good question—a question by a logical, believing mind. “No. The way we came was guarded. We are the only ones to come through. I think this vampire is indigenous to this land. I was hoping you’d have heard legends among the people who were here before.”
“The Indians? I can’t claim to understand their language well, but I have known a few who have managed to learn French. I’ve never heard any story like that.”
“Hmm.” Isis sipped her tea, the hot, sweet liquid coursing down her throat. Delphine’s image popped into her head, young and beautiful again, when only days before she’d been so ill. Vampires where Isis came from were born and not made, but perhaps things worked differently here. “Tell me, Pierre, have you seen much of Mrs. Devereaux—I mean Laurent—since her husband was murdered?”
“I can’t say that I have. The last time I saw her was the day he was found dead.”
Delphine was still Isis’s primary suspect, but she needed more proof before she started accusing her, even to Pierre. “I’ll talk to her. Maybe she knows more about her husband’s death than she’s willing to tell men of authority.”
“Brilliant idea.” He finished what was in his cup.
“Was the man who was killed today married?”
“Oui. His wife, Lucienne, found his body.”
“Lucienne?” Where had she heard that name before?
He nodded.
A memory jarred loose, and she inhaled deeply. “Delphine’s sister.”
“Hmm?”
“Lucienne is Delphine’s sister. Their maiden name is Devereaux.”
Pierre seemed startled by this. “Now that you mention it, I noticed the resemblance. Do these vampires you know of tend to torment specific families?”
A vision of Delphine, flawless and otherworldly, in the tavern the night before came to mind, and Isis bristled. “Not usually, but I think creatures are different here.”
“These are strange times, indeed,” he mumbled.
“Pierre, can I count on you to keep my secret?” she asked again. “Others might not understand.”
He sat up straighter. “They wouldn’t understand. You must know that. There are those who believe even my telescope is an affront to God’s plan. But you have nothing to fear from me. What you’ve told me today, and what I’ve seen here, I will keep in confidence.”
“Thank you.”
“On one condition.”
She looked at him expectantly.
“You must return to my home for another visit and allow me to show you what was in those barrels.” He gave her a wolfish grin.
She quirked an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting your silence can only be bought with my company?”
A twinkle in his eye accompanied his answer. “For starters. I count myself among the lucky to have such leverage. Only a fool wouldn’t use it.”
“Only a fool would believe using it would gain my favor.” She laughed.
The room grew quiet. Pierre tapped his fingers on the table as if he were deliberating something. She was about to ask him if he was all right when he sprang from his chair, rounded the table, and abruptly yanked her up and into his arms. It was all too easy to mold her body to his when he looked at her like that, like he was in total control and knew exactly what he wanted, and that thing washer.
