Night Unbound
Dianne Duvall
Prologue
Bathed in the light of a full moon, Zach listened to the activity in the two-story house below him.
Gargoyle duty. Wasn’t that what Seth had called Zach’s propensity to perch upon rooftops and eavesdrop on or observe whatever happened beneath him?
He glanced around. Aside from the trees that towered over him and surrounded the house, his only companions were the shingles beneath his feet, the solar panels that reflected the moon like a tranquil pond, and an opossum trudging across the back lawn.
What the hell was he doing here? He had visited this particular house so often, he thought wryly, that his ass would soon leave a permanent imprint in the roof.
What drew him here?
The answer opened the front door and, offering her Second, or human guard, a “see you later,” crossed to the motorcycle parked in the circular drive.
Lisette d’Alençon, a very rare female Immortal Guardian.
As silent as the faint breeze, Zach flexed his wings and took to the sky, seeking refuge behind one of the thick evergreens.
Lisette donned her helmet and lifted her chin to fasten the strap. Her gaze, as it always did, went to the roof, wandering across the peak as though she expected to find something there.
Or someone.
Did she hope to find him there?
No. Of course not. He had only spoken to her twice. And one of those times had been when she and a couple of her fellow immortals had ambushed him, chained him up, and interrogated him.
She knew Seth, the leader of the Immortal Guardians, didn’t trust him.
And yet, Zach almost convinced himself that he saw disappointment in her pretty brown eyes before she climbed onto the back of her sleek black Hayabusa and took off.
He might as well be a kite connected to her with a string. That increasingly familiar compulsion to follow her sent him sailing through the night above her.
Wings spread, Zach rode the breeze, swooping and twirling as he raced the motorcycle that ate up the asphalt below.
The slender figure guiding it nearly scraped her knee on the pavement as she leaned into a curve, taking it far too fast. Her long, midnight braid flapped and danced in the wind, bouncing off the sheathed shoto swords strapped to her back. Garbed all in black, she didn’t wear her long coat tonight and, no doubt, would generate a great deal of attention if any other drivers on the road could keep up with her long enough to notice the multitude of weapons she bore.
And she knew how to use those weapons. He had seen her in action. Hunting insane vampires was a violent, bloody business. One made all the more so recently when mercenaries had gained knowledge of immortals, vampires, and the virus that infected them both.
Zach shook his head. Mankind was so predictable. Getting rich always triumphed over doing good. The mercenaries had seen the virus as a means of creating an army of supersoldiers they could hire out to the highest bidder. And their determination to understand why vampires were driven insane by the virus and immortals weren’t had nearly led to Lisette’s capture.
Slowing, the lovely immortal in question turned onto a private drive and stopped before a tall security gate.
Zach’s gaze lingered on her long legs, outlined nicely by fitted cargo pants, as she straddled the bike and typed in the code.
When the gate swung open, she shot forward once more.
Zach swept his wings down, propelling himself forward and following her progress through the breaks in the trees that formed a canopy between them. She headed for the home of David, the second oldest Immortal Guardian on the planet. Zach had first developed his fascination with Lisette by spending time perched upon the roof of this house, which he often thought of as the hub of the Immortal Guardians’ world here in the United States. David treated immortals, their Seconds, and the other humans who assisted them as family and welcomed any and all to visit whenever they wished to.
Any and all save Zach, who wasn’t part of their world.
Completely distracted, Zach nearly crashed into a large owl. Feathers flew as the owl panicked. Talons threatened. Zach banked, reversed, dodged, and lost sight of Lisette. By the time he caught up with her, she had stowed her helmet away and was striding up the walk to David’s front door.
Damn, he loved to watch her walk, loved those long, confident strides.
And damned if he didn’t envy those inside who were about to share her company.
He waited until she entered, then spread his wings and gently floated down to the rooftop.
A heavy weight slammed into his middle, knocking the breath from him, breaking several ribs, and lifting him from the roof.
North Carolina vanished, replaced by icy tundra being swept clean by a blizzard.
Zach grunted in pain as his back slammed down onto a glacial surface as hard as stone. Several bones in the wings he hadn’t had time to retract broke, snapping like twigs. Ice pellets peppered him, stinging like needles and abrading skin left bare save for his usual leather pants.