I follow Dria to the sleek black Mercedes they rented. She opens the back door for me to jump in. I angle my head at her to convey my disapproval over her suggestion, but jump inside when she clears her throat.
The back seat? Does she really think I’m going to sit here the whole trip? I drop the bag in the back, wait ’til she settles in the front, and then jump to the vacant passenger seat.
“Oh, all right. You can sit in the front.” Her tone is light, like all of this is one big game. “But don’t mess up the upholstery, this is a rental.”
Damn, this is weird. Maybe I should have changed into a wolf when we got there. I’m not used to interacting with people while in wolf form.
The stunning vampire next to me reaches out a hand and ruffles the fur at my neck. “Don’t you worry, we’ll be fine.” She smiles into the growing darkness while driving. “Until you learn to shield better, I don’t even have to try and pick up your thoughts. It’s like they are written in red neon over your head.”
I snort loudly, dipping my head toward the dash. Does that mean the other vampires can read my thoughts, too?
“Good job! That was a deliberate projection on your part, wasn’t it? The words came through loud and clear. If you want to tone down your internal musings so I can’t pick them up so easily you’d do much better around the other vamps. So—shall we talk about what’s going to go down when we get there?”
I concentrate on my agreement as “loudly” as I can, Yes.
“I’ve been to many blood brothels in the past. They haven’t been common for over a hundred years, so that tells me the guy running this setup is at least one hundred years undead. Not sure what prompted him to try something that’s been outlawed for so long. Maybe he thinks no one will find him here in Virginia.” She shakes her head. “Fool. He’s calling way too much attention to himself.”
She turns onto the highway and begins the short trip to Cecil’s mansion. “First off, we’re strolling right up like we own the place and deserve to be there. If I recognize anyone things will move faster than I’d like, meaning I will have to strike to end this mess and get out of there quickly. But if no one knows who I am, we should be good to mingle for a little bit and get a feel where all the wolves are so we can free them.”
Knows who you are?
“Yup. You, my dear sweet wolfman, sniffed out yourself an ex-enforcer.” At my lack of comment she continues. “I used to dole out justice for the Tribunal of Ancients, the vampire race’s governing body. Usually they’d send someone like me after a rogue vamp—a vampire who kills indiscriminately or puts our species in danger with his or her actions.”#p#分页标题#e#
And your husband is worried you might not come back?
“No, not really. He gets like that whenever he’s not by my side during a fight. Can’t blame him, I’d probably react the same way.” She glances at me sideways and then returns hers eyes to the road to take the next turn. “You do realize I’m going to have to kill Cecil tonight, right? There’s no way to cure someone this far gone.”
As long as we can save the wolves I don’t care how many vampires have to die.
“Present company excluded, of course, right?” She doesn’t even look at me on that one. “We’re not all as bad as he is, you know. Humans would hunt vampires down and kill us, like they almost did during the Spanish Inquisition. Poor witches got all the blame, but a lot of supernatural species were under fire during that crazy time.”
We turn down back roads, slowing our pace to follow the speed limit. “Now, what I’ll do with the visiting vampires who have called on Cecil while we’re there... that I haven’t decided yet.” The look on her face becomes distant. “Kill them all or alter their minds? I’ll have to see when I get there.”
The casual tone she uses to announce the imminent demise of her own kind chills me to the bone. Wolves kill to eat or defend their pack and den, not simply because it needs to be done. How do I feel about aligning myself with a cold blooded killer?
“Did I seem so cold blooded when you spied on me making love to my husband?” Quiet fills the space between us. “Or when I saved that child from falling into the wading pool? You know, when you thought I was going to eat the toddler?” I duck my head and glance out the window.
“I may not be a mindless beast, but I never walk away from what needs to be done—no matter how heartless I must become to finish the job.”
We travel in silence a few more minutes, apprehension filling my gut. What have I done by agreeing to serve this woman? Have I stepped into more than I can handle?