The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo(19)

"No!" She stepped back, turning pale. "I-I can't do that."

"I dinna mean to frighten you-"

"It's not you. I-I'm afraid of boats. I always think they're going to sink. I know it's silly."

He stiffened. A memory flashed through his mind. A storm on the Yangtze River almost three hundred years ago. A boat capsizing and his desperate attempt to keep Li Lei from drowning.

"I'm sorry." Leah gave him a sympathetic look. "I know you want to date me, and I-I'm really flattered. But I can't do it right now. I'm sorry." She rushed off to get in line with Abby.

Rejected. His heart squeezed in his chest. He would have to honor her feelings and leave her alone. But there was still hope. She might change her mind eventually.

He glanced over at her. Afraid of boats? That wasn't something he'd expected.

He trudged back to the office. The first time he saw Leah from behind, she had reminded him of Li Lei. Something about the way she moved and the tilt of her head. But he'd quickly realized that Leah was different. Vibrant and beautiful. He'd admired her strength and courage when her safe world had been stripped away. The pain and loneliness she'd endured over the years reminded him of his own suffering and made him long to comfort and protect her. He'd become so intrigued with Leah that Li Lei hadn't even crossed his mind since that first night. He'd completely forgotten about her.

But now he wondered-could Li Lei's soul have found a way to return to him? For almost three hundred years, he'd felt regret and shame for failing her. In his heart, he had begged for forgiveness. If Li Lei had come back, did that mean she wanted to forgive him?

His heart swelled at the thought. If it was true, it would mean he could finally put his painful past behind him. Lay the ghost of Li Lei to rest and move on with his life.

He could be with Leah. He wanted Leah. This time, he vowed, this time I will not lose the woman I love. I will protect her no matter what.

His tattoo itched, and he rubbed his shoulder where the scars remained from having a slave brand burned into his skin. It had been Li Lei's idea to cover his mark of shame with a symbol of power. She'd claimed the dragon would give him the strength to endure. And he had. For centuries.

Now it was time to move on. If only he could convince Leah to give him a chance.                       
       
           



       Chapter Eleven





The following night at five thirty, Dougal met Abby in her office.

"I started developing this drug six months ago," Abby said, showing him a vial containing an ominous green liquid. "It's designed to help the Vamps defeat bad vampires by simply taking over their minds. You wouldn't have to fight them if you could order them to lay down their weapons and surrender."

Dougal nodded. "A good idea." He wouldn't have lost his hand four years ago if he had been able to order those five Malcontents to stop.

"We're still working on it," Abby continued. "But it occurred to me that a diluted version might help you. If we boost your mind-control ability, then we could increase your control of the prosthesis. Do you want to try it?"

"Do I really need to? My hand worked perfectly well last night."

"But it malfunctioned for two nights before that." She held up the green vial. "This could help you. Are you willing to test it for us?"

He frowned. "Are ye saying it has never been tested?"

"No, afraid not." She gave him a wry look. "We don't keep any vampire lab mice here. But if it makes you ill, you'll recover during your death-sleep, right?"

"Ye're no' a verra good salesman, are ye?"

She smiled. "Just trying to be honest. And I honestly do think this will increase your mind control and help you control your hand."

He hesitated.

"If it works, I can approve you for fieldwork and have Angus put you on the mission roster," she added.

Now that was a better sales pitch. "Ye've diluted it?"

"Yes. We don't want you controlling all the Vamps in the vicinity, just your hand."

He still hesitated.

Abby propped her elbows on the desk and leaned toward him. "As far as I can tell, the prosthesis works fine. The problem is your control, and it's being affected by your emotional state. If you prefer, I could have you talk to our psychologist, Olivia-"

"I'll take the drug." There was no way he would discuss his emotions with Robby's wife. His feelings were personal. His past was private. He didn't share it with anyone.

"All right." Abby filled a syringe with the greenish liquid. "It will take some time before you'll feel the effect. Twenty or thirty minutes." She gave him a wry smile. "Do you want to roll up a sleeve or lift your kilt?"

He snorted, then unbuttoned his cuff and rolled up his sleeve. She wiped his arm with antiseptic, then plunged the needle in.

"That's it." She fixed a Band-Aid over the spot. "Just go about your normal routine and let me know how it works. Oh, and let me know if you have any strange side effects."

"Now ye tell me about strange side effects?"

She grinned. "I have to get back to work now. Good luck!" She hurried from the room.

He stepped into the hallway, rolling his sleeve back down. His normal routine. That was easy enough. He checked the office, and Freemont was there, manning the desk, so Dougal offered to do a perimeter check.

He exited the building through the side entrance and strode around the parking lot. In a few hours, once all the mortals were gone, he would zoom about at vampire speed, but for now, he kept a normal pace. The mortals were starting to get off work, and some were returning to their cars.

He headed into the woods. The crisp autumn air felt refreshing against his face. It wouldn't be long before the first snow, and he looked forward to it. He hadn't seen snow at all during the four years he'd spent in Texas.

Was the drug taking effect? He curled his prosthetic hand into a fist, then relaxed it. There was no difference that he could tell. The real test would be if he could control it with Leah in the vicinity.

He headed back toward the building, walking past the gazebo, which was glittering with white Christmas lights. A sharp pain shot through his skull, surprising him with its intensity. He shook his head, and it cleared.

As he crossed the basketball court, another pain pierced his head, shooting from his temple to the base of his skull. He halted, squeezing his eyes shut. Damn. Was this one of the blasted side effects? If so, he wouldn't be taking the drug again.

He took deep breaths, waiting for the pain to ease.

When he opened his eyes, he spotted a group of female employees in the cafeteria. Mortals. Ten of them. He watched them through the window. Apparently they had stayed after work to have a party. A birthday party, from the looks of the big cake skewered with candles. Another table was covered with brightly colored gift bags. The sound of the women's laughter and chatter was so loud that he could hear it outside. There were times when superior hearing was not a blessing.

One of the ladies lit the candles, and just as they started singing the happy birthday song, another pain screeched across his brain.

"Och." He squeezed his eyes shut. Stop!

The singing stopped.

He opened his eyes and saw that the ladies were all staring at each other with confused looks on their faces.

Had he done that? Was this another side effect? The women continued to stare at each other while the small candles burned down, the flames sputtering in the icing. Blow them out!

All ten women leaned over the cake, huffing and blowing.

He winced. Abby had certainly managed to increase his mind control. With the flames blown out, the women stood in a circle around the cake, staring at it. Were they awaiting further orders?

Ye can cut the cake now.

All ten women made a grab for the cake slicer, but when one claimed it, the others grabbed plastic knives, and they all chopped away at the cake, hacking it into pieces.

He grimaced. What a bloody mess. Go on as ye normally would.

They stopped and looked aghast at the slaughtered cake.

He slipped inside, and they gave him a suspicious look. "Excuse me. Just passing through." He hurried through the cafeteria doors.

Halfway down the hall, he wondered how powerful his mind control was. How far could it reach?

Crow like a rooster.

His superior hearing caught the sound of crowing all over the facility.

Damn. The crowing continued. Stop it! Silence.

He headed for the lab. Maybe Abby could give him an antidote.

He strode into the room. Leah was there, seated next to Abby and Laszlo. His heart squeezed at the sight of her, and he wondered once again if she had read his note.

"Yes," she replied, then winced.

She had. His prosthetic hand clenched. Relax, he ordered it, and it opened. Then he noticed that Leah and Abby had sprawled in their chairs. They had relaxed!

With a small shock, he realized he could control Leah if he wanted to. He could order her to fling herself into his arms and kiss him.

When she jumped to her feet, he forced those thoughts to a screeching halt. Doona move. "Abby, there's something wrong."

"Tell me about it." Laszlo twisted a button. "Just a few seconds ago, they were both crowing like roosters. The whole building seemed to be crowing."