Darkness Rises(75)

“Tell them it’s something in the water.”
“I did. They didn’t buy it.”
“Coincidence?”
“They didn’t buy that either.”
“Too smart for their own good.”
“It doesn’t take a lot of smarts. Word gets around. First Roland found a gifted one, then Bastien and Richart. They all think Marcus has found one, too.”
David nodded, his eyes still on his coveted book. “This love thing is becoming an epidemic.”
“And everyone wants to be infected.”
“Can you blame them?”
Seth sighed. “No. Happily ever after, when you live as long as we do, sounds . . .”
“Phenomenal.”
“Yes.” He motioned to his phone. “You see? Another immortal requesting a transfer to North Carolina. They know something is up.”
“How long do you think it will take them to connect the unusually high gifted one population to the presence of a network headquarters?”
“I don’t know, but once they figure out we guide gifted ones to all areas that boast a network headquarters—”
“There will be hell to pay.”
Seth nodded. “They’ll think I’m playing matchmaker.”
“And playing favorites.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Exactly. Everyone knows I’m your favorite and yet I remain distressingly unattached.”
Seth grinned. “Angling for me to set you up on a blind date?”
“Hell, no.”
Laughing, Seth shook his head. “I don’t blame you. My record as a matchmaker sucks.”
“Bethany had a long, happy life.”
“And Marcus was miserable for centuries.”
“Marcus wouldn’t have found Ami if you hadn’t inadvertently denied him Bethany.”
“You’re giving me a headache.”
David smiled.
Seth swore. “I have to go. Friedrich needs me.”
David looked up from his book. “Be safe.”
“As always.”
Seth vanished.
 

 

Sean watched Krysta and Étienne arm themselves. Last night had been both informative and nerve wracking. He felt reasonably sure now that the immortals were on their side and truly were different from vampires. He was a little less sure that Étienne wasn’t messing with Krysta’s head.
The man was telepathic and clearly attracted to her. How easy would it be for him to manipulate her thoughts and plant an interest in himself?
Because she was clearly interested. Sean hadn’t seen Krysta this captivated by a man since before she had taken up vampire hunting.
Even when she had returned home from their hunt wounded last night, she had been unable to drag her gaze away from the Frenchman.
She laughed at something Étienne said.
She seemed to laugh a lot around him, too. Though it worried him, Sean had to admit it was good to see her in such high spirits.
Absently he rubbed his hip, where it still ached from healing her.
Cam had patiently answered all of Sean’s questions while they had waited for the hunting duo to return. He had encouraged Sean to get some rest, but Sean had been unwilling to turn in until he had seen for himself that Krysta was okay.
He had healed her wounds without complaint, grateful as usual that they weren’t fatal. Her eyes had sparkled with excitement as she had recounted their battle with five vampires.
She laughed again.
She really was taken with Étienne. Sean could understand her being grateful to the man for saving her life, but . . . was she really considering pursuing something romantic with him?
Hell. He supposed he couldn’t blame her. The life they had led for the past six—seven—years had been a lonely one. Krysta hadn’t been willing to give up or even cut back on her vampire hunting in order to date. And he hadn’t been able to date while he was watching her back and racing to her rescue every night. Even when he had lucked out and found a woman who hadn’t minded the weird-ass hours or the emergency calls that had interrupted their dates, he had had difficulty concocting plausible explanations for the wounds that had opened on his body when he had healed Krysta’s. So he had dated as little as Krysta.
He just wished Krysta would have fallen for Cam or one of the other Seconds instead of an immortal. That was a little hard to stomach.
Cam caught his eye. “You about ready?”
He nodded.
Krysta raised her eyebrows. “Ready for what?”
Sean straightened away from the doorjamb he had been propping up and entered. “Cam is taking me to network headquarters. I’m going to be working with Dr. Lipton tonight.”
“She’s the pretty brunet from the meeting, isn’t she? The one married to Bastien?”
Étienne nodded. “She’s as fierce a fighter as you are, but doesn’t hunt. She’s been too valuable in the lab, searching for a cure for the virus. She’s the one who developed the antidote to the tranquilizer the mercenaries use against us.” He met Sean’s gaze as he slid one last dagger into the sheaths sewn into the lining of his coat. “She’ll be able to answer all of your questions regarding the virus, immortals, and vampires. Gifted ones, too.”