"Two, definitely," Xander answered. "One of them is in custody and the other got away with a little silver embedded in his back."
"Ouch." I cringed. "That's going to be painful."
"He won't make it through the night," Lucien said calmly.
I went to Lucien and looked him over. He didn't have a scratch on him, which was unusual after being in a fight. The vampire on the ground was covered in blood and bites and I met Lucien's gaze.
"He didn't want to fight?"
"At first, yes. But he gave up a quarter of the way through it."
"So you just beat him for the hell of it?"
Lucien shrugged. "Yes."
Xander and I exchanged an awkward glance. That wasn't Lucien. He wasn't one for gratuitous violence unless someone that he cared for or felt responsible for was in danger. Sure, this vampire had likely been involved in the murder of people back at the club, but still&
Xander took his cell phone from his pocket and began to step away. "I'll call for the truck."
Chapter Ten
"Peter?"
I felt like I was suspended in mud, the thick sludge hindering my movement. It was difficult to open my eyes, and I realized I'd felt sensations like this before . only with pain involved.
"Come on, open your eyes." I groaned and forced them open. Everything was blurry, but it began to fade almost immediately. Simon caressed my cheek, a nervous smile on his face. "There we go. How'd I do this time?"
"You've got to stop waking me up like this."
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "But it's important this time."
"Last time was important, too." I stretched and went to sit up, but he pushed me back and wrapped his body around mine. I raised a brow. "Oh, don't tell me you woke me up for."
"Shhh&just relax. I'm going to try to show you something, but it works best if we're touching."
Before I could say another word, the room around me morphed. I suddenly saw the hallway outside my bedroom door, drifting along the marbled floor until we came to a stop in front of Lucien's bedroom. I wanted to ask what was going on, but there was a subtle push in my mind for me to stay quiet.
The door didn't open; we just seemed to drift right through it.
The television was on a news channel. Lucien sat at the desk in the bedroom doing paperwork and Sabaan was perched on the edge of the desk, laughing about something. They seemed to trade a few jabs, and soon both were laughing.
I wasn't sure what to make of the situation or the surroundings. I didn't get a chance to ponder on them too much, because I was suddenly swept back the way I came. The sensations were disorienting, at the very least, and I flailed in response.
"Don't talk, don't talk," Simon whispered. "Take a minute and settle back."
"How.?"
"One of the few powers I have left. Do you know what I showed you?"
"Lucien and Sabaan?"
"That was just a quick trip into Lucien's bedroom. He's awake. Right now."
I knew the sun was still high in the sky, though I wasn't sure of the exact time. Either way, Lucien should have still been dead to the world. "That's not possible."
"Apparently, it is."
"How long has this been going on?"
Simon shrugged. "I don't know. I just walked past the room and heard them talking. It's a little after ten in the morning, way too early for vampires to be up and about . even the powerful ones."
Had this been what Lucien was hiding from me? What he was dealing with but not ready to talk about? Surely, not& Surely this was just&
I started getting out of bed, and Simon caught my hand before I could get up. "Where are you going?"
"I want to know what the hell is going on."
"It could be a one-time thing, Peter."
I stepped away from the bed and grabbed my robe. "And if it isn't?"
"Then we'll deal with it." He got off the bed and took me by the shoulders. "I didn't tell you this to start trouble. I just&It doesn't set well with me, and I wanted you to see it for yourself."
"What? In case he denied it?"
He nodded.
"Damn it, Simon."
"I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around me and sighed. "I really didn't want to start trouble."
"It's fine. I'm actually glad you showed me." I pushed him back so I could see his face. "Do me a favor and see if this continues. If it does, I want to know about it."
Feeling weak, I pulled away from him and sat on the edge of the bed. Simon knelt in front of me, examining me closely. "You feel okay?"