Kiss of the Vampire(16)

Nix’s heart stuttered. Was it possible? Could demons have officially been on a vampire hunt? No. She hadn’t heard anything, and she would have been informed if a blood feud had been called. Plus the scent of demon would have been much stronger at the scene. With a quick glance at the faces of the council members, she still couldn’t tell if they knew about that or not. For now, she’d take Tobias at his word and proceed as if the council was in the dark. She shook her head. “It wasn’t demons.” At their skeptical looks, she said, “If it had been a demon, we wouldn’t be standing around asking if it could have been one. The scent would have been unmistakable.”

Braithwaite finally entered the conversation. “Unless, perhaps, the suspect has learned how to mask its scent from other preternaturals.”

Nix wished he’d kept his mouth shut. He was just making her mad. “I don’t see how. Besides, it isn’t likely.” At the questioning looks sent her way, she added, “It’s not their nature.”

“Not their nature?” Deoul drummed his fingers on the table. “The nature of demons is to be deceptive, devious, and untrustworthy,” he said as he ticked off the list on his fingers. “This, it would seem to me, would be exactly the sort of thing a demon would do.”

“There has been no evidence at either scene to support your supposition that demons are behind this.” It wasn’t a lie, not exactly. A scent at the scene that might have been demon wasn’t evidence. “Demons see no need to disguise themselves from anyone, let alone other prets. They don’t care what anyone thinks of them. They’re like the British Redcoats during the Revolutionary War, loud, proud, and obvious,” Nix defended. That at least got a snort of amusement from Caladh. She went on, “Why else haven’t they protested the fact that there’s no representation of their sect on the council?”

More skepticism from the council members. Braithwaite flashed his fangs as his lip lifted in a sneer. He leaned back in his chair, eyes hard and glittering.

Maintaining her composure by the thinnest of threads, she ground out, “What exactly is it that I’ve done, or not done, to earn your distrust?”

“You’re part demon, girl.” Deoul’s voice was as flinty and unforgiving as the expression on his face. “The only reason we appointed you as liaison to the human community was because of your ties to the preternatural community and your partial humanity. But I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time before the demon in you overrides your humanity and you go mad.” His voice lowered. “You can’t deny your heritage.”

Nix couldn’t deny that her mother was a succubus. She couldn’t deny that being part demon enhanced every violent tendency she tried to keep hidden. She couldn’t deny that sometimes she herself thought if she didn’t have sex she’d die, and while a focused tai chi workout wasn’t nearly the same as an intense round of sex, it was safer and it worked.

She could deny that she was merely the sum of her parts. “I’m more than my genetics.”

“It’s in your blood.” Deep in those pale elvish eyes lurked a hatred of her kind. Of her.

She swallowed. Her brow puckered. How had she not seen that before?

Blowing out a breath, she tried to calm her thudding heart. “I’ve been doing my job to the best of my abilities for two years now. I’m damn good, you know that.” She stared at Deoul, hoping her anger was still hidden, and resisted the urge to scratch that itch beneath her bangs. If he saw her rubbing over her hidden horn buds, he’d know for sure he was getting to her. “If there’s something I can do differently, anything I can do to convince you that I’m more than, better than, a demon, that my humanity is still very much in control…please, let me know.” God, she was buying into the entire bias against demons, that somehow she should be better than a demon. Before she could retract her last statement, the council president leaned forward and put one fingertip on the table.

Deoul narrowed his eyes. “Watch your tone, Ms. de la Fuente.”

Tobias took a step forward. “Her tone was quite respectful, Deoul, and she asked a valid question. An answer I’m interested in hearing, too.”

Nix tried to ignore the surprise that went through her at him standing up for her.

She was stunned when Victoria piped up as well. “As would I.”

Braithwaite shot to his feet, hands on hips, and glared at all three liaisons. “We’re not required to explain ourselves to any of you.” He pointed at them. “You work for us, not the other way around.”