Chapter 17
Vixen was afraid Reaper would stop at the first suitable place he found, but she was relieved to find she'd been wrong. He passed by several abandoned houses and barns without even giving them a second glance. She sensed Seth's frustration coming from the van that followed behind them, but she knew Reaper was making the wise decision. You didn't elude a predator by hiding in the first place he would search. You had to put distance between yourself and him. Distance meant safety.
"I wanted you to ride with me, Vixen, so that we could talk a bit in private. "
"I know. "
Reaper looked at her, and his eyes were narrow, observant and wise from experience. "Will you tell me the secret you're keeping?"
She only blinked at him.
"You've made it quite clear-not just to me, but to everyone now-that you're hiding something from us. Something major, something about yourself and your. . . nature, I think. For you to be so certain you could get back into Gregor's lair without being detected or caught-and then to actually do it-while refusing to tell us how-"
"It's my secret to keep. "
"Yes, I know that. I agree with you, it's just that. . . you're a part of this team now. "
"It's not a team. I heard you tell the others so. "
He lowered his chin slightly, not taking his eyes off the road. "This nature of yours could be an asset to us. "
"It is. It was tonight. It was an asset to you without you needing to know how or why. If it can be again, I promise you, it will. "
He licked his lips. "Your logic is tough to argue with. "
"Then don't argue with it. " She faced him and smiled at the frustration on his face.
To her surprise, he smiled back. "That's the first time you've seemed at ease in my presence. "
She nodded. "That's true enough. I'm nervous around you. "
"Why is that, Vixen?"
She felt her expression turn serious. "You know why. You're dangerous. You're capable of causing harm and even death to those around you, whether they deserve it or not. I don't understand how or why that's your nature-just as you don't understand the details of mine. But I do sense it, and I always trust my instincts. "
He was silent for a moment, driving and, apparently, thinking, his brow furrowed. "If I reveal my secret to the others, will you reveal yours?"
"No. But you should. "
"That's hardly a fair trade. "
"Isn't it? You could harm them, maybe more so if they don't know your secret. I could help them, whether they know my secret or not. Which seems to you to be more important to reveal?"
He lowered his gaze, and in the tension of his jaw and in his aura, she sensed a hint of anger. "I've told them I could be dangerous to them. They all carry a tranquilizer weapon that will render me harmless should I turn into a threat. "
"It's beyond your control, then? Your nature?"
"Yes. I'm afraid so. "
She thought about that for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I'm better off, I suppose. At least I only change when I want to. "
"Change?"
She met his eyes, then shook her head slowly from side to side. "Can we switch vehicles now? I'm eager to be with Seth. "
"Just one more thing, and then we'll pull over. I'm not entirely comfortable with Roxy and Seth trying to handle Briar, anyway. "
"All right. One more thing, then. "
He nodded. "It's Seth. He's. . . falling in love with you, I think. "
She frowned, and searched his face. "I know about love, of course, but I can't say that I understand it. Is it bad? For him to feel that way toward me?"
"Well, that depends on whether you feel the same way toward him. "
"I don't understand. "
He sighed, and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "I'm not good at this, being male. But. . . if you love someone and they love you back, it's the best feeling in the world. The best, most satisfying thing you could imagine. But if you love someone and they don't love you-Well, I don't think there are too many situations more painful-emotionally painful, that is, not physically. Do you understand?"
"Emotionally painful. Like being sad, you mean. "
"Yes, being so terribly sad it feels as if your heart is broken. "
"That is very sad. "
He smiled a little, and she wasn't sure why. "When you do love someone, you tell them things. Things you don't tell anyone else. "
Tipping her head to one side, she said, "Are you saying this to convince me to tell Seth my secret, so that he can tell you?"
"If he loves you, he will never repeat your secret to anyone. "
She opened her mouth, closed it again, searched the ether with her eyes and finally gave up. "There are too many rules in this love thing. "
"They're not rules. They're human nature. Instinctive. "
"Not to me. My instinct is to mate and leave it at that. " He seemed to have something caught in his throat for a moment, and while he coughed and tried to clear it, she added, "Besides, we're not human. "
"Doesn't matter, it all applies. If anything, vampires feel love and sadness and every other emotion even more keenly than humans do. Just the way we feel physical sensations more keenly. "
She pursed her lips, nodded. "What if knowing my secret makes him stop loving me?"
"I don't think that could happen, Vixen. I really don't. He's not a shallow person. He's actually pretty damn deep. "
"Shallow, deep. It doesn't matter. He would change his mind. I know he would. "
"I guess you have to trust your gut on that, then. But for the record, I disagree. "
She sighed, thought some more. "How does a person know if what they feel for someone is love? Are there rules for that, too?"
"I think it's probably different for different people. And with you and Seth, there are added complications that make it even harder. "
She looked at him, frowning.
Reaper shrugged. "Well, there was already a bond between you. A natural connection that's probably embedded in your DNA. But beyond that, you've, uh, well, you've shared blood. That makes the bond even stronger. "
"Oh," she said, nodding. "I see. "
"But some things about being in love seem to be pretty universal," he went on. "You'd rather spend time with that person than anyone else. You care more for them than anyone else. You want to see them happy, to make them happy, and it becomes as important to you as your own happiness, even intertwined with your own. You know?"
She tilted her head, thinking she felt all those things for Seth, but hesitant to admit to any of them. "I'll give the idea some thought. A lot of thought," she told him. Then she turned to him and smiled. "Thank you. You can be. . . very kind. "
"Yeah, well. . . don't spread it around. "
"So can we stop now?"
He nodded. "Yes. I'm pulling over right now. "
He angled the car toward the side of the road and slowed down. Within a few seconds they were coming to a gradual stop, and Vixen turned to look behind them, then watched as the van came to a halt, as well.
She opened her door and got out, and Reaper got out his side. They met in the back and walked side by side toward the van. She glanced up at him. "It was wise of you to pass by all those places where we might have holed up. You're right to put distance between us and our enemies. "
"I'm glad you approve. "
She paused. "If you think I can help you with your. . . problem-you know, the one you won't explain-I hope you'll tell me. I. . . I'd like to help you, if I could. "
"I'm afraid it's beyond even your powers, Vixen. But thank you for the sentiment. "
She lowered her head, then lifted it again, and quickly snapped her arms around his neck and hugged him hard. "I'm glad we talked. I like you better now that I know you don't mean to be evil. "
He seemed too stunned to react, and even before he could have, she pulled away and ran to the van
.
When Reaper opened the door and reached for her, Briar hissed like a cat about to lash out. It was enough to make him stop with his hand a few inches from her shoulder. Then he shot a look toward the middle row of seats, where Seth sat. "Why isn't she still unconscious?"
"Because I figured if you wanted to kill her, she'd have been dead by now," Seth said. "You said yourself, no one knows how much of that shit a vampire can handle. So when she started to come around this time, I let it be. " He shrugged. "She's been drifting in and out. Mostly quiet, so far. "
"Only because. . . I don't have the strength to. . . to take on all of you at once," Briar said. Her voice was soft and deep, and it had a raspy quality to it like silk on velvet. It was the first time she'd spoken since they'd taken her, other than to scream, swear, threaten and demand. "Yet. "
"Can you walk?" Reaper asked.
She looked at him from the corners of her half-lidded eyes. "I can if you're. . . taking me back to Gregor. "
"I'm only taking you over there. " He helped her into a sitting position and pointed. She turned to face front and looked through the windshield at the Mustang, with its running lights glowing in the night. "You're riding with me. "
"Afraid I'll kill your. . . misfits?"
"Afraid you'll force them to drug you again. And as Seth pointed out, we have no idea how much more of that your body can handle. " He closed the distance between his hand and her arm. She jerked away from his touch. "Come with me, Briar. I don't have time to play games with you. You're getting into that Mustang one way or the other, and we both know it. I won't hesitate to drug you again if you force the issue. I don't have half the ethical issues my friend Seth has. "
"I don't want your hands on me. "
He tipped his head a little in acknowledgement and sent her a single thought. Liar. Her eyes widened slightly, and he knew she'd heard him. Aloud, he only said, "Then they won't be. Let's go. "
"Bastard," she muttered, gripping the sides of the van to pull herself out and down to the pavement. He moved aside to let her, then followed, fully expecting her to break into a run at any moment.
She didn't. He saw her looking for markers, though, probably so that she could broadcast her thoughts to Gregor, telling him where they were.
"I chose a spot without a road sign in sight, Briar. You're not going to be able to tell him where we are that way. Besides, you probably can't get through to Gregor anyway. "
"Of course I can. "
"No. He's put some kind of a field around the mansion. From what I've observed, it blocks psychic communication, both incoming and outgoing. "
She frowned. "He doesn't know how to do anything like that. If the mansion is a dead zone, it's always been that way. Some natural phenomenon or other. "
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because if Gregor knew how to do that sort of thing, he would have told me. "
"Really. " The skepticism in his voice was obvious. They reached the car, and he opened the passenger door for her. She glared at him, but got in. Leaning in over her, he flipped open the glove compartment and pulled out a blindfold-one of those Roxy had brought along. It was black on one side, leopard print on the other, and bore a tag with the brand name Slap & Tickle and its logo, a whip crossed with a feather. He didn't even want to think about what Roxy had been doing in that particular shop, or whether this blindfold had seen a lot of use.
Briar drew back. "I'll just take it off. "
"Then I'll inject you. Your call. " And without waiting, he slid the elastic band over her face, print side in, because he didn't want to have to look at it. His fingers brushed through her hair, and he tried to ignore its silken texture as he settled the blindfold in place, then closed her door. He went around to the driver's side, got in and drove.
Roxy pulled out onto the road behind him.
"So Gregor tells you everything, then?" Reaper asked, picking up the thread of their earlier conversation.
"Important things, yes. "
"Then you know how he created that army of drones?"
She pursed her lips. He didn't like not being able to see her eyes, trying to read them, but it was necessary. "I wouldn't tell you if I did. "
"I didn't ask you to tell me. I asked you if you knew. "
She didn't answer.
"So there's another important thing he neglected to tell you. " He drew a breath, certain from her pursed lips that she wasn't going to say a word. "I've heard of vampires who make slaves for themselves. They drain their victims, then give them only a small amount of their own blood, rather than doing a full exchange. The result is a vampire very much like Gregor's drones, mentally. Physically, though, they're as weak as kittens. Gregor's drones are powerful. "
"He chooses powerful victims with less-than-average intelligence levels. "
"That alone wouldn't be enough to account for it, though," Reaper told her. She was young, he knew that. She probably didn't know a hell of a lot about her own nature. Possibly only what Gregor wanted her to know.
He spotted a sprawling warehouse in the distance, far off to the left, and sent out his senses to investigate. The place gave off no indication of human presence. Of course, it was the dead of night. Still, it was worth checking out. He picked out the winding shape of a side road that led to it, but couldn't see where that road connected with this one. So he kept driving until he found a road that went to the left, took it, and then another, until eventually, he located the place.
He pulled the Mustang to a stop and shut it off, looking around without yet getting out. There were rusty piles of scrap metal, old barrels, uneven stacks of wooden pallets. Some of the windows in the giant teal-colored steel building were broken. Others were boarded up. No Trespassing signs hung crookedly in two places along the front, their colors faded. A third sign lay on the ground, where weeds were growing in the doorway.
No one had been using the place for quite some time.
"Why have we stopped?" Briar asked, her tone impatient.
"Because we've found our place. "
"Good. I can start trying to contact Gregor, then. He'll home in on my position and destroy you all. "
He knew she would do just that, and that it was only a matter of time before Gregor stepped outside the walls of that radio-silenced mansion and heard her signal. "Gregor has offered to trade Topaz back to us in exchange for you and Vixen. And I'm considering it. But if he attacks before that, I'll never give you back to him, even if I have to kill you to ensure it. I promise you that. "
"If he attacks you, you won't survive. "
He reached to her, ignored the way she flinched away when his hands touched her head, but only until she realized he was taking off the blindfold. He removed it, and she blinked, rubbed her eyes and stared at the area around them.
"Do you have any idea who I am, Briar? Have you even heard of me? Has your beloved Gregor told you anything about me?"
She turned toward him, meeting his gaze.
"I'm an executioner. I am a professional killer. It's what I did in life, for the CIA. It's what I do now, for the undead. "
She narrowed her eyes on him. "You murder your own kind. And you're proud of that?"
"Only those who need killing, Briar, for the good of the rest of us. "
"Oh, and who gets to decide who needs killing? You?"
He frowned, searching her face, wondering just how little she could possibly know about her own kind. "Rogues need killing. There's no choice in that. " The confusion in her eyes told him that she didn't even understand what the term meant.
"Briar, vampires do not just go around killing mortals at will and leaving bodies to be found. It's forbidden among us. We feed from blood banks, mostly. Some prefer living blood, but there are ways to do that without committing murder. "
"Right. Take just a little and leave them to tell the tale. How is that preferable to leaving a body lying in the street to be found? A
t least the body can't talk. "
"You leave them with the memory of an erotic dream. Nothing more. They never know. "
"How?"
"With the power of your mind, Briar. You focus, you command them, and they obey. If you tell them to remember it as a dream, they do. "
She lowered her eyes. "And the marks in their throats?" Her question was a mere whisper.
"Vanish the moment they are touched by the sun. Gregor didn't teach you these things?"
She didn't confirm or deny it. "So other vampires. . . never kill?"
"Oh, some do. They take serial killers, rapists or child abusers. They're performing a service, really. But even they take care to dispose of the bodies where they will never be found. "
"Because if they're dead, then the marks in their throats don't heal?"
"Exactly. And because a body drained of its blood causes a lot of questions. We do not wish for the world of man to know about our existence. Some do already, and it's caused nothing but problems-they tend to want to hunt us down and exterminate us. "
"Humans are stupid. "
"Why would that be stupid? If they think we're all like Gregor and his band, it would be stupid of them not to try to eliminate our kind before we eliminate theirs. "
She turned, reached for her car door and opened it.
He got out his side, noticing at last that the others were already walking around the place, trying doors, checking things out. He joined Briar in front of the car, then walked beside her toward the abandoned warehouse.
"When a vampire kills at will, kills innocents, leaves evidence behind," he told her, "he is known among our kind as a rogue, and for the good of all of us, he is hunted down and destroyed. It's how we survive. "
"And Gregor is a rogue," she said softly.
"Gregor is the most dangerous, deadly rogue in the history of our kind, so far as I know it. "
She looked him squarely in the eye. "You're a very good liar, Reaper. But I'm not an idiot. "
"You don't believe me?"
She held his gaze steady, shaking her head side to side, very slowly. "We are predators. They are our prey. It's the natural order. And if you think I will believe that an entire race of predators, aside from a few so-called rogues, has made an agreement not to take the prey nature has provided out of some idiotic sense of morality, then you are wrong. But it was a lovely story, all the same. You should write fiction. "
And with that, she turned, lifted a foot and kicked in the white door of the warehouse. "You're vampires!" she shouted at the others. "If you want to go in, then stop messing around trying locks and just go in. "