Bobcat was about to protest but thought again when he looked at the ash on the floor.
He stood. “Thank you, Master.” Then he bowed.
Master? Well, I was that ...
”Bobcat,” I said before he left. “If I hear that you have enslaved any of your prostitutes, I will send an emissary to kill you. No trial, no questions asked. Do you understand?”
Bobcat swallowed. He nodded and practically ran from the room. As soon as the door shut behind him, my shoulders sank, I lowered my head into my hands, and I covered my face. I was trembling all over. If the first was any indication of how the rest of the night would go, then it was truly going to be a deadly night.
The ladies remained quiet, leaving me to mourn my actions. I heard Tyler get up to get rid of Terrence’s remains.
”Leave it,” I said without raising my head. “It’ll be a deterrent for the next Vampire.” I stood to return my belt to my pants, but my hands shook so badly that Monica did it for me. I had Kat send in the next subjects.
Evidently the mood had changed in the waiting room when they had seen two go in but only one leave—and that one was running for dear life. When the next three came in, they were subdued although equally uncomfortable with the display of our crucifixes.
They remained quiet while I read their issue within the file, a dispute over who was the rightful owner of—surprise!—another prostitute. The prostitute in question was present. I studied her. She was really pretty. She didn’t look like a crack whore but like a high-class call girl.
”Who do you want to be with?” I asked.
She looked at an older vamp who was dressed conservatively. ”Marcus.”
The other spoke quickly. “He uses mind tricks to seduce her away from me. He takes my most beautiful women.”
”That’s a lie!” Marcus shouted.
I thought the two would come to blows so I stood until all eyes were on me. “Ladies, what do we do?”
“A human bespelled still speaks the truth,” Monica thought. “We can’t be controlled like zombies. Ask her if she has been bespelled, something Johan would never do.”
“She seems afraid to me,” Tyler thought. “We should find out if she’s a slave. We need a safe house.”
I looked at her and repeated her comment to everyone.
We all agreed. Mara said that Johan owned many homes, and if I was serious about ending forced slavery, then the homes would fill up fast.
”First things first,” I thought to each. “Tyler, take her to a private room and talk to her.” I thought Tyler was best for the job since she was still scarred by Johan. Hopefully, the prostitute would be inclined to open up to her.
Tyler stood and walked up to the woman. “Follow me, please.”
Both vamps looked confused. Marcus stood as if he would prevent her from going.
”She’ll be okay, don’t worry,” I said. I checked the file. “Mandy, Tyler won’t let anything happen to you.”
Tyler smiled.
When they were gone, I turned my eyes back on them. “By the way, I should tell you that we have a new policy. Forced slavery is now punishable by death. No trial, no explanation, no chances. If my assistant tells me that Mandy was enslaved by either of you two, neither of you will walk out of here alive.”
Marcus moved with such speed that the human eye would not have detected it. The girls didn’t even know he was no longer in his seat until I raised my forearm to block his attack and he howled in pain, crumpling to the floor. His hand smoked where he had grabbed my wrist.
The other vamp was still in his chair looking confused.
Marcus shook out his hand, and when he saw that it was still smoking, he screamed one bloodcurdling scream after another because my brand was burrowing through his flesh. He leaped up and tried to run out of the room.
I wouldn’t let him. I took hold of his arm and heard a loud crack, and a streak of fire leaped from his forearm.
Marcus dropped to the floor as if I had shot him.
I looked at the ladies.
Mara fingered her crucifix with a haunted look. ”You are a holy vessel.”
A what?
Marcus cowered against the wall, trying to keep me from touching him. I stood watching him with my hands on my hips.
”Kim, it’s not just your brands that can’t be touched by a Vampire,” Mara said. “It’s you!”
I can’t be touched by a Vampire…My mind swam with the idea that I was like the cross that had killed Antoine. I was a holy vessel. And Tony? What about our relationship?
The smell in the room was horrendous, but that wasn’t why I felt a headache coming on. What did any of it matter when I was planning to trade my life for Tige’s?
We stayed like that for ten minutes with Marcus being as quiet as anyone could with a melting hand.
Tyler came back into the room. Alone.
She looked at me. Marcus had enslaved all of his employees. The other vamp was no angel, but he hadn’t enslaved anyone. Mandy wanted to go to the safe house, and she knew many others who would like to go, too.
I nodded my thanks to Tyler, who didn’t take her seat. I repeated the news to everyone else along with my intent to behead Marcus with the chain.
”Please, Kim,” I heard Tyler ask. “Let me kill him.”
“Are you sure? It hurts to kill even an already dead, evil Vampire.”
”I know what he’s done to them,” Tyler said. “I need the release.”
Release. I nodded.
Tyler walked to the cabinet and removed a small pistol. When Marcus saw what she was doing he tried to leap up. Why he didn’t flash away I’ll never know. Perhaps he thought that his control on Mandy would be stronger and running would make him a Rogue—which was certain death. It was his hesitation, however, that caused his death. Using more speed then I would think humanly possible, Tyler swung and fired the gun at him repeatedly. He was floored. One of those bullets had found its way into Marcus’ heart. He turned into a pile of ash not far from Terrence’s two piles.
I wanted to hold Tyler and rock her and soothe her, but she didn’t need it. She was strengthened.
I stared at the terrified remaining Vampire. ”Since Marcus is dead, my judgment is in your favor. In the matter of his assets, they will all revert to his workers. However, his territory now belongs to his second-in-command. You get nothing but your life. But Mandy ... she is her own and chooses neither of you.”
The young vamp had enough sense not to protest. He stood. “Yes, Master. Thank you.”
He hurried out of the room.
Kat rushed into the room soon after. “That’s our last appointment!”
”What do you mean?” Tyler asked. “There were fifty people out there.”
“They all left! All that screaming and then the shooting. They gave their apologies and settled everything amongst themselves.”
I collapsed into my chair laughing hysterically.
Mara took my wrists and examined them. “It may be many years before these heal, if they ever do.”
I nodded.
”You will not be able to...” Mara grimaced. “Kim, you can’t be with a Vampire while you’re a holy vessel.”
I felt bad I wasn’t telling them that I wouldn’t be a holy vessel for long. It would only cause a lot of drama.
”Tony will be angry,” Monica said.
”I don’t exist for Tony’s approval.” I smiled at them, hoping to ease the tension. “It’ll be okay. Trust me.” I dismissed the ladies, but Monica lingered.
”I don’t mean to pry,” Monica said, “but I think there’s something more going on here.”
”You’re right, there is,” I said. “Our lives are precarious. It makes me want to create a will.”
Monica nodded silently.
We sat together and created the will. Monica wasn’t convinced that this was my true issue but knew that I wasn’t giving anything up.
With a tickling at the back of my neck I felt Tony
’s arrival. I sent Monica to her suite of rooms with the rough draft of my will.
I strolled out of my office and met Tony in the front room.
He froze when he saw me and sniffed. ”You smell like death. What happened here?”
I had removed the silver chain but not the crucifix.
When Tony saw it he grimaced and turned away from me. ”What the hell is going on here?”
I was afraid for the first time that night. Not that Tony would hurt me. I was afraid of how badly I was about to hurt him.
”I had the first”—and apparently last—“of the territory meetings for my sector.”
”And you had to kill someone?” he asked, his face creased in discomfort. “Will you take that off?”
I did but placed it carefully in my pocket.
He made an angry move toward me, but I raised my arms and showed him my wrist.
He skidded to a halt.
Tony’s face took on a look of horror. It broke my heart. He couldn’t look at the crucifixes directly but couldn’t completely turn away from them either. ”Who did this to you, Kim?!”
”I did it.”
”What?” he roared. “Why would you do something like this?”
I could barely look into his eyes. “To become a weapon. And, baby, it gets worse. I don’t just have these on my wrists. Mara said that they’ve made me into a religious vessel.”
He shook his head. “That’s impossible. Vampires can’t—“He closed his eyes. “If that’s true, you can’t be touched now, not by another Vampire.” He opened his eyes.
”Tony, the crucifixes were my only intent. I wasn’t trying to be completely untouchable, but it doesn’t matter now.”
”Baby, what are you talking about? It doesn’t matter? I can’t touch you!”
”Then listen to what I’m telling you.” I swallowed my pain. “I found out how I can save Tige. I’m going to take his place.”
Tony’s mouth opened slightly. He stared past me without moving. His face turned dark, his body thickened, and his teeth ripped violently through his gums. With a roar he picked up Johan’s antique table and threw it so hard against the wall that it shattered as if it was made of glass.
I didn’t flinch at the sound, but I lowered my arms so he couldn’t see the crucifixes.
He glared at me. ”Who told you?” His voice didn’t even sound human.
”You were supposed to tell me, remember? ‘I don’t want to hold back the truth from you anymore.’”
His shoulders sank, and by slow degrees he returned to the Tony I recognized. “Baby, not this.” He shook his head. “Tige would not want this.“
I glanced at my wrists. “It’s a little late for second thoughts. Did you tell Alexis that I wanted to see him?”
Tony sighed. “He knows. He’ll see you now. I can’t take you.” He exhaled a long breath. “You’ll have to ... follow his trail. He should be open for you to follow his trail.”
I searched my mind for Alexis and felt his line. With a jolt I understood that I had always known where Tige was. His line was plain and clear within my mind as Paul’s and Tony’s were. Tige had never closed himself off from me.
“I am sorry, Tony. I do understand how you’re feeling. It’s a lot like how I felt when I wanted to save Tige.”
His eyes narrowed.
I disappeared before he could respond.
CHAPTER 14
When I stopped moving, I was in a meadow or a large garden, and it was dark.
Alexis was standing a few feet from me under the glow of the moon and stars. I looked longingly at the sky. I hadn’t stopped to enjoy the stars since being turned. I hadn’t had time.
”And you are the very one who said that being touched was a necessity for you. Now you have made it so that no Vampire can touch you without being injured.” He watched me with hands clasped in front of him. Tonight he wore black pants and a black shirt that flowed long over his hips and did nothing to hide his physique.
”You can touch me,” I said.
”But I’m not just another Vampire,” Alexis said. “Still, there are other things that can love you besides Vampires if those things are to your liking.”
”Other things, besides humans, you mean?”
Alexis nodded.
”Why would I care about that now?”
“Indeed,” Alexis said. ”I know what you were thinking. You were thinking about the brands. What else is in your head that you would have me know?”
I rubbed my eyes. I stared at him. “I am going to—“
Alexis reached out, gripped my wrist, and the world moved around us. When we stopped—or the world stopped—I stumbled a few steps, but Alexis gripped me.
We were standing in a beautiful, palatial home filled with many Asian artifacts.
We were in Kaniji’s home.
Kaniji spun around at our arrival. She wore a robe, and her hair hung down over her shoulders. I could see why she always wore her hair up. She had a large bald spot on the top of her head.
”Master!” Kaniji cried. She bowed low.
Alexis released his tight hold on my wrist. His eyes were not black nor were they gold.
They were red.
”Please rise, Neco Kaniji San.” His voice was as calm and cool as his expression. But those red eyes let me know he was pissed.
Kaniji rose and looked back and forth between us.
”I would like to thank you, Kaniji, for assisting me with some Elder Council affairs.”
”She lies.” Kaniji had to be grasping at straws.
”She has not said anything to me about you,” Alexis said. “I went into her mind and picked her memories. It is you that tries to lie now, is it not?”
With a shaky voice, Kaniji said, “Yes, Master.”
Alexis made a small gesture with his hand, and Kaniji flipped onto her side. Blood gushed from her lips, and something went flying across the room. I heard a tortured but muffled scream as her hand was clasped over her mouth.
I stared at the bloody thing that had been flung from her mouth. Oh no! It was her tongue.
Kaniji’s Second materialized from nowhere. He took in the sight of his Master lying on the floor holding in her screams and wanted to assist her. But he also saw that Alexis was dishing out her punishment. He didn’t know what to do, so he stood there.
I mumbled “please don’t, please don’t, please don’t” until it became a mantra.
”I think I will have you as my pet.” Alexis’ voice was so calm. I begin trembling, her Second looked terror-stricken, and Kaniji’s eyes grew wide. She started shaking her head and sliding away from Alexis.
I touched his arm, and he looked at me with those terrible red eyes. ”Did she ... lie when she said that coming to you would mean I’d get the truth?”
He glared at me.
I wondered why I was trying to protect this bitch who out and out admitted that she wanted me dead. Everything she did always backfired on her like some damn Road Runner cartoon—though nothing as gruesome as having his tongue yanked out of his mouth ever happened to Wile E. Coyote!
Alexis shook his head, but he smiled and lost his red eyes. They were his normal black-no-whites.
”Her tongue will regenerate in a day or two,” he said inside my mind. “And regarding the matter of her punishment. She is the one who lied the moment she opened her mouth. She will be my pet because her pain pleases me. You please me as well. However, I have not determined if your pain will please me. Do not tempt me to find out.”
I pierced my lips together. If I wasn’t afraid that Alexis would be offended I would have motioned a key locking in front of my lips. I kept my mind blank because I suspected he had read my mind concerning that Wile E. Coyote thing.
A black leather leash appeared around Kaniji’s throat.
”Come, my et,” he addressed her in a crooning voice. “The hour grows late and I have much to do. Wait for me in my bedchambers. No need to clean up. There will be more blood.
”
If it was possible for Kaniji’s eyes to grow bigger, they did. She looked at me as if pleading for my help. I pierced my lips tighter. I was not going to lose my tongue in order to help her.
Alexis clasped his fingers around my wrist again, and until we began traveling.
This time I consciously paid attention to my surroundings however hard they were to understand. I saw flashes of white and felt objects streaking past me. I felt as if I could reach out and grab something ... and possibly lose my arm in the process!
When we stopped moving we were in a plain white room. The floor was white and the ceiling was white, but the lady standing in front of us was black.
She was drop-dead gorgeous and the first black female vamp I’d seen. She wore a white gown of some billowy substance, shimmery silver eye shadow, and silvery lipstick, and she didn’t look like some jacked-up Disco Queen from the 80’s, either. Sister looked good.
Alexis released his grip on my wrist.
I rubbed it because the new brands had not begun to heal and his constant contact had refreshed the pain.
He glided over to the female.
I felt fine staying right where I was.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I may have thought of Alexis as a love interest but not anymore. He was seriously scaring me, and I hadn’t even asked him the questions I needed to ask!
He and the female Vampire conferred without speaking. She glanced at me periodically, but Alexis did not.
They talked for so long that I had time to examine my surroundings. Somehow I didn’t think that I was in a room. I kept rubbing the toe of my shoe on the floor to see if it was solid and it was, but the room wasn’t quite real. I didn’t understand how it could be that way.
My neck began to prickle, and another Vampire materialized in the room. He was old and stooped and wore a long white robe like a monk would wear. Someone had to turn him when he was old. It seemed such a horrible thing to be trapped for all eternity in that decrepit body.