Page 14 of Tanglewood Legacy (The Three Sisters 3)
He sighed, growing serious. “Perhaps in the French countryside. But here, in the wilds, the darkness is far more dangerous.”
“I doubt an alligator will reach me this far from the water.”
His gaze traced along the length of her neck. “Alligators are not what concerns me. Isis, you must know what a rare beauty you are. The men here are as wild and untamed as the land. Hasn’t anyone warned you about traveling unchaperoned?”
Heat traveled along her neck at the way he looked at her. She’d seen that intensity before between men and women, just never directed at her. “You flatter me, Pierre, and I will take it under advisement. I’m new here, and it appears I’ve underestimated the risk.”
He bowed his head. “In any case, for tonight, you needn’t worry. You’re safe with me.”
Just as she planned. Shadows rose within her, and before she could check herself, she looked at him through her lashes and whispered, “I hope not overly safe. A little danger can be exciting, don’t you think?”
He let out a soft grunt, his throat bobbing on a swallow, and offered her his hand. A predatory glint replaced the smile in his eyes. “Leave it to me. I know ways to make your heart race that won’t cause you any pain.”
A tingle traveled through her, his nearness causing her heart to gallop. The ways he alluded to were no mystery. All he had to do was look at her with that intense gray stare and her pulse pounded in her veins. Without even thinking, she placed her hand in his, but when he attempted to help her onto the bench of his wagon, she balked.
“Oh, I have a horse,” she said, gesturing to where Sunset was secured to a post. “I’ll follow you.”
Only minutes later, she found herself riding toward the gate of a home on the corner of Dumaine and Chartres Streets near the heart of the Vieux Carré. Over the wall, Isis made out a house, two stories tall, with open-air alcoves on the second floor. Something glinted in those inlets of darkness, and she was immediately curious about the architecture and what it might be used for.
“What is it exactly that you do, Monsieur Baron?” she whispered under her breath. He was too far away to hear her. He’d hopped down to unlock and open the massive gate before reseating himself and driving the wagon inside. She followed.
A boy came running from a smaller building which she now understood was a stable. He helped her off her horse.
“Take the horses to the stables, Henri, but remain on hand.”
“Oui,monsieur.” The boy led Sunset toward the stable.
Isis forced herself to focus on the task that had brought her there. She needed to know more about Delphine and her husband. “Now that we’re alone…you were saying about Monsieur Laurent?”
He strode toward the house, gesturing for her to follow. “When I said this place was dangerous, unfortunately I was speaking from direct observation. Guillaume Laurent was found dead this afternoon. His cause of death is unknown, but he was completely drained of blood.”
Ice formed in her belly. She’d suspected this, given Delphine’s earlier strange appearance, but hearing it still filled her with apprehension. She hadn’t known which man had won Delphine as his wife. Now she understood the man with the fleur-de-lis tattoo was Guillaume Laurent, Delphine’s husband—Delphine, whom she’d just seen at the tavern looking far too well for someone who was coughing up blood only weeks ago. Guillaume, a victim of a vampire, the man she’d found dead in a tree on her property. As impossible as it seemed, Delphine was almost surely the creature she was after.
Her discomfort must have shown on her face because Pierre placed a hand on her elbow. “I’m sorry if I’ve unsettled you. I was shocked as well to learn of the strange state of the body. Please, come in. It’s not good to discuss the dead in the open.”
Isis followed Pierre into a stunning structure, perhaps austere in its décor but avant-garde in design. Compared to the other buildings in the settlement, this one was light and airy, with large, open rooms and high ceilings. She stopped in the entryway to appreciate it as he closed the door behind her.
“When… I mean… How was the body found?”
“Today, on the banks of the Mississippi. Delphine was distraught. She’d been looking for him.”
He pointed toward a flight of stairs.
“Delphine was there? In the daylight?” The strange look Pierre shot her prompted her to restate her question. “What I mean is, did the poor woman see the state of the body?”
“I’m afraid so. In the full light of day. There was no hiding the horror of it.”
Goddess, that ruled out Delphine being the vampire. It didn’t make sense, though. Everything else fit. Unless vampires here were a different sort of creature than in Ouros. How could she get Pierre to tell her more?
“You said Guillaume was drained of his blood,” she began. “What or who would do such a thing?”
Both horror and curiosity flitted through his expression. “That’s just it. No one knows. Governor Perier suspects the Indians. They’ve been violent on occasion as our parish expands into their territory. It might have been meant as a warning. But I have other suspicions. Truthfully, Guillaume was not well-liked by many here. Any number of men might have inflicted such a death. I’ve heard he was overly rough with his slaves. Perhaps one found opportunity for revenge. Or an acquaintance might be to blame. Many of the inhabitants here are former prisoners. Foul play isn’t unheard of.”
“But you’re sure it was awhoand not awhat?” she asked. “Could it not have been done by some unknown creature native to the area?”
He grunted. “I’d considered a snake. It looked like a snake bite. But snakes don’t generally drink blood.”
There was more Isis needed to know, but she had to approach this delicately. He might react in a number of ways to what she was about to say. “I’ve heard stories in France about a creature called avampirethat drains the blood of men. The church says they are people who’ve been possessed by demons.”
