A Kiss of Blood: A Vamp City Novel (9 page)

“The Blackstone brothers will have to be involved,” Arturo told them. “They were there when their father renewed the magic the first time after attempting to spring the trap and destroy us all. Sheridan is the only one who remembers the ritual.”

“Can they be trusted?” Neo asked, his expression making it clear he doubted it.

“I do not know,” Arturo admitted. “They have no love for Cristoff, but the hold he has over them is prodigious. It is impossible to know whether they will help Quinn without being forced.” He lifted a brow. “But I am happy to force.”

“It may be a moot point if we can’t free the sorceress’s magic,” Neo countered. “And we have little time. The equinox is only a few days away, and it’s unlikely Vamp City’s magic will last until the winter solstice. The next strong power day,” he added for Quinn’s benefit. He glanced at her. “I would read your magic for myself, sorceress.”

“What do you mean ‘read’?”

Arturo’s hand covered her arm, squeezing lightly. “Where I taste magic, Neo feels it through touch.”

“I’ll barely touch you, Quinn,” Neo assured her. “And only your face.”

God, she was tired of having to trust vampires. But when Neo reached her chair and motioned her to stand, she complied, turning to face him. He was a tall man, a couple of inches taller than Arturo, and smelled pleasantly of Mediterranean spices and warm climates. As he reached for her face, she instinctively tensed, then forced herself to relax. The last thing she wanted to do was call up her power in this place filled with humans. Zack wasn’t the only one she might injure.

Taking a deep breath, she eyed Neo. “Tell me what you’re going to do.”

His blue eyes were kind. “I will touch your face, Quinn. Just that. Through my fingertips, I’ll be able to read your magic. Yes?”

She’d never been comfortable with strangers touching her. Or friends, for that matter. It wasn’t in her nature. And there was no telling what a powerful vampire could do with a touch. Micah had changed her entire appearance. But she needed to understand her magic.

“Yes. Do it.”

Neo watched her a moment longer, as if he were as cautious about touching a sorceress as she was about being touched. Finally, he lifted his hands again and pressed his fingers lightly against her cheekbones, his thumbs resting on her chin. Dark lashes dropped, hiding those incongruously blue eyes. After a moment, his lashes rose again.

Releasing her, he stepped back, his brows drawing together. “You have power, sorceress. And yet . . . I don’t know. There’s something odd about it. As if it’s been caged.”

“Kassius said the same,” Arturo told him.

“I know of someone who may be able to tell you more,” Mukdalla said. “A fae by the name of Tarellia. Do you know her?” she asked Arturo.

“We’ve met, but I’ve not seen her in decades. Tell me where she lives, and I’ll fetch her.”

Mukdalla shook her head. “She’ll not leave her house—you’ll have to take the sorceress to her—but she lives in the Nod, not far from here. It’s a safe enough journey.”

“There are no safe journeys, my friend. You know that. Quinn will remain here. I’ll bring the fae to her.”

“You will go to the fae, Arturo,” Neo said, his tone brooking no argument.

Arturo smiled a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as his voice turned Obi-Wan. “It will be fine, Neo.”

But Neo only shook his head. “You’ll not sway me, Arturo. You bring too many to my home. You’ll compromise all our safety. No more. You must go to the fae. There is too much at stake.”

Arturo’s jaw hardened, but to Quinn’s surprise, he didn’t argue further or attempt any more mind control. “We’ll go tomorrow. I do not wish to run across York’s vampires again. Not with Quinn.”

Neo nodded. “We are in agreement, then.” He motioned to the platters of food. “Eat. Enjoy. Now that the sorceress is here, we have a chance. This is cause for celebration. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do upstairs.”

Once Neo left, Micah and Arturo moved off to one side of the room to talk in private. While Zack refilled his plate, Quinn placed a couple of finger sandwiches on one of her own, then joined the vampires. She was through being left out of discussions.

“I’m going to have to report to Cristoff in the morning, first thing,” Arturo said, as she approached. He met her gaze, apology in his eyes. “It’s been several days, and he’ll have someone out looking for me if I don’t.”

The thought of him with Cristoff curled her stomach.

He either felt her uneasiness or saw it in her face, for he said, “It will help us not at all for Cristoff to know I’m his traitor. He’ll send his troops after me to get to you. And he might well succeed.”

“I know.” And she did, logically. It didn’t mean she had to like it. “When will we visit the fae, then?”

“Afterward. My visit with Cristoff will be short.”

“I’m staying here,” Micah added. He cocked his head at her, a smile lifting his mouth, a kind Mike smile. “You look . . . lighter, Quinn. Like the weight of the world is no longer weighing you down. I’m glad. It’s Zack, isn’t it?”

It amazed her that, despite all the revelations—that he was a vampire, that he’d been spying on her—he was still Mike. He was still her friend. Either he was a heck of an actor or he’d never acted with her at all. She was inclined to believe the latter.

She found a smile for him. “I was worried about him. I still am, but far less now that he’s threatening to eat Neo out of house and home.”

Micah grinned, then gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze and turned to walk away.

Quinn glanced at Arturo as she picked up one of the finger sandwiches. “I need a word with you.” She took a bite, the sandwich melting in her mouth.

A gleam entered his eyes. “You can have whatever you want of me,
cara,
you know that.”

She snorted. “You say that so glibly.”

His mouth quirked up. “It was, perhaps, meant to be suggestive rather than glib.”

She chose to ignore that. “I want to take Zack with us to see the fae tomorrow.”

“It is too dangerous.”

Her spine stiffened. “Your only interest might be in my magic, but my primary concern is his health. I need to know why my magic’s hurting him and if there’s some other way to help him.”

He reached for her, lifting a lock of her hair, studying it as if the glamoured color fascinated him. His gaze slowly lifted to hers. “We will put the question to Tarellia. Perhaps she will sense the connection as Kassius did. If we are fortunate, she’ll understand what she senses as Kassius did not. If she wants to see Zack, then we will take him to her. But it will be far safer for both of you if we don’t have to do that. Your brother will be fine here.”

She didn’t like the idea of leaving Zack behind. But the last thing she wanted was for Cristoff to figure out he was her brother. Cristoff already knew she had one and had threatened to hurt Zack in order to force her hand.

Quinn set down her plate on a nearby table. “All right. He’ll stay here.” She turned to him. “What about Lily?”

He frowned. “Freeing her will not be easy,
cara.
”

“Vampire . . .”

“I did not say I cannot free her,
cara.
I simply said it will not be easy. The master of Castle Smithson, Lazzarus Nica, is no friend of Cristoff’s. We have no diplomatic ties with that kovena whatsoever. I cannot step foot on his land. Nor can any member of Cristoff’s kovena or those in alliance with him, which eliminates Neo, before you ask. I have already sent word to Kassius. He will enlist the aid of an ally in another kovena.”

“He won’t know what she looks like.”

“Her name is Lily. She is young. She will know of you and Zack. If she is there, and he can get in, he will find her.”

“How long will it take?” She’d come to realize things took time in this place without cell phones or public transportation, where most travel of any kind was fraught with danger.

“I hope no more than a few days.” His gaze deepened. “I will find her,
cara.
I promise you.” He lifted his hand, stroking her cheek briefly with his knuckles. “And then, perhaps, you will begin to trust me.”

Chapter Eight

T
he sound of fighting and a chorus of cheers carried from deeper in the basement of Neo’s safe house. Quinn glanced at Arturo warily, but he seemed unconcerned as he motioned her to follow.

“What’s going on?” he asked, as they approached the table where Mukdalla and Amanda sat sipping coffee and chatting. Across from them, Zack continued to eat though more slowly than before.

To Quinn’s surprise, Amanda smiled. “Training. Mukdalla’s husband and a few of the others are working with the escapees, teaching them to defend themselves in case we can’t get them out cleanly. There’s little they can do against vampires, but with proper training, they can learn to fend off Traders.”

Quinn glanced at her brother. “Zack, why don’t you go have a look?”

He gave her a baleful look. “I’m tired.”

“Zack . . .”

“I said I’m tired,” her brother snapped, then pushed himself to his feet, shoved his hands in his pockets, and turned away.

Quinn stared at him in hurt surprise. Her once easygoing brother had changed during his captivity in Vamp City. And while she understood, his occasional harsh words toward her—so alien—still took her aback.

Amanda gave Quinn a sympathetic look as she rose. “I’ll show you to your rooms.” She walked toward one of half a dozen hallways that led off of the main room like spokes of a wheel.

Quinn waited for Zack, then followed as Arturo brought up the rear.

“Either the house is bigger than it looks, Dr. Morris, or you’ve built tunnels down here,” Quinn commented.

“Amanda, please. And yes, there are tunnels. An entire barracks, for that matter, with kitchens and living quarters. Most of the house is hidden underground.”

“This is where the escapees hide?”

“Yes. We accept only the freshly caught. Those who’ve turned Slava can never return to the real world and are therefore turned away.”

“Except you.”

She glanced back with a soft smile. “I’d not yet turned Slava when I arrived here.”

“So you could have escaped. Neo would have helped you.”

“He tried to, yes.” Her expression turned inward. “I decided I was needed here more than I was at home. Not everything can be cured with a vampire bite.”

“You fail to mention the main reason you stayed,” Arturo said, his voice almost teasing.

Amanda laughed. “Oh, him.”

Quinn smiled. “A man?”

“He’s my husband, now.”

“A vampire?”

“A Slava. He was already involved in helping Neo. Now we do it together.”

Quinn wondered at the depth of emotion that would make a woman give up life in her own world to remain in this place of perpetual dark. Especially when the object of that emotion could so easily die, leaving her trapped for eternity.

She couldn’t imagine ever feeling that strongly for anyone. Except Zack. What if renewing the magic didn’t work, and he had to stay here? Could she leave V.C., leave him behind in a perpetual battle for his life, while she flew to another part of the world, never to see him again?

No. And she prayed it never came to that.

The hallway Amanda led them down emptied into a living area where half a dozen people sat reading or playing chess by the light of several oil lamps. None were Traders or had the phosphorescent hair peculiar to Slavas, but whether they were humans or vampires, she couldn’t tell.

All six turned when they walked in, eyeing her and Zack curiously. One man eyed them warily, tensing as if he were preparing to run . . . or fight, if he had to. The word
traumatized
came to mind. A couple of them smiled, but none said anything, nor did Amanda speak to them as she led Zack and her through the room and down yet another hallway, this one lined with doors on either side. Some of the doors were open and Quinn saw one or two twin beds in each, a bedside table, and little more. Spartan, but clean, and since the occupants were free to come and go as they wished, and free from attack by vampires, a luxury hotel couldn’t be any more welcome to most who arrived here.

Several doors down, Amanda stopped, motioning to an open doorway on either side of the hall. “These are your rooms.” The doctor entered one, using a Bic to light an oil lamp on the bedside table. “The bathroom is at the far end of the hall. It’s a community bath, but there are several shower stalls, and the water is warm enough, if not as hot as you might like.”

Quinn glanced back the way they’d come. “Those people . . . Are they all escapees?”

“Yes. They’ll be out of V.C. by week’s end, if all goes as planned, with no memory of where they’ve been.”

Zack walked into the room and sat on the bed with a sigh. “I wish I had a computer.”

“You’re not tired,” Quinn murmured. That, at least, was a good sign. “Why don’t we go watch the training for a little bit?”

The self-loathing in Zack’s expression slew her. “Why? So I can add to the catalog of all the things I can’t do?”

To Quinn’s surprise, Arturo took a seat on the bed beside him. Zack glanced at him with suspicion, then turned to study his hands, where he’d clasped them between his knees.

“When I was sixteen,” Arturo said quietly, “I watched a vampire kill my mother.” He turned to study his own hands. “I didn’t even try to stop him. I did nothing, just stood there in shock as the blackguard drained her dry, then dumped her body onto the dirt floor of the shack where we lived.”

Quinn’s heart clenched with misery for him, for the teen he’d once been. She glanced at Amanda, who stood beside her, empathy and sorrow warm in the doctor’s eyes.

Zack looked at him, his brows drawn. “You were just a kid. There’s nothing you could have done.”

“I was the man of the house and nearly full-grown. And I have never forgiven myself for not trying to save her even though I know, now, that there was nothing I could have done. Not then. Not with the knowledge I’d lacked at that point in my life. Vampires can be killed by human hands, Zack. Learning how to battle them takes time, and skill. Even then, you must take your opponent by surprise if you are to have any chance of success. But the skills can be learned by anyone with the drive and the persistence to learn them.”

Zack glanced at him, a moment’s hope flaring in his eyes, then dying away. “I’m not a fighter. I’ve never been any kind of an athlete. I’m too skinny.”

“The best fighters have both strength and cleverness. Cleverness is a gift one is born with, but strength can be acquired. I suspect you are quite clever, Zack. If you wish, you can become a good fighter. But you’ll have to work hard. It will not happen overnight. Your Lily would be impressed, would she not?”

Zack’s gaze returned to his hands. “Are you going to rescue her?” His tone was stiff, but a thread of life wove through the words.

“Yes. It will not be easy, but the most important things in life rarely are.”

For long seconds, Zack said nothing. But finally he looked up and met Arturo’s gaze, a light in his green eyes that hadn’t been there moments before. “What do I have to do? To fight vampires?” The question was filled with more wariness than determination, but the words were the right ones.

“I will speak to Neo. He’s trained many a human, and some of those humans have remained with him. They’ll work with you if you wish.”

Zack licked his lips, his shoulders hunching as if preparing to be humiliated all over again. But he nodded. “Okay.”

Quinn felt a quick clash of emotions—pleasure at that admittedly small spark of life in Zack’s eyes but terror at the thought of him fighting at all, let alone bloodsuckers. This was right, though, and she knew it. This was what her brother needed, a reason to live, and the confidence that would come from being able to defend himself, at least against other humans.

“Arturo’s right, Zack. You’ve got the smarts to find your opponent’s weaknesses and exploit them.” She shrugged. “You can learn the rest.”

“Okay. But not tonight.”

“Not tonight,” Quinn agreed. “Get some sleep.”

Arturo rose and followed Quinn and Amanda out, pulling Zack’s door closed. When he looked up, Quinn met his gaze with a small smile.

“Thank you for that,” she said quietly. He’d given Zack an incredible gift—permission to be weak and a way to get stronger.

Arturo’s dark eyes turned as soft as a summer night. “You’re welcome.”

Amanda entered the other room to light the lamp, and Quinn followed her. “Tell me what’s really going on with Zack, Amanda.”

The doctor glanced at her. “I’ve told you the truth. I don’t know what’ll happen.”

“I saw the way you were frowning earlier. You know more than you’re saying.”

The doctor sighed and straightened, the lamplight flickering behind her. “I’ve only seen eyes like his once before, and I never figured out what caused them.”

“What happened to the other victim?”

Her mouth compressed, and she looked away.

“Amanda?”

Slowly she met Quinn’s gaze. “She died.”

“How long after you first saw the signs?”

“Three weeks. I’m sorry.”

Three weeks.
Quinn swayed. Arturo gripped her shoulders from behind, steadying her.

Amanda reached for Quinn’s hand. “It’s very possible that renewing the magic will save him. There’s no reason to panic. Not yet. But I don’t think it will benefit him to know this. The brain can be a powerful force in healing.”

Quinn took a deep breath, gathering her control, and pulled away from both of them. “I agree. Is there anything he should or shouldn’t do? Does he need to rest? To eat more food? Less food?”

The doctor shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t know. Nothing my other patient did or didn’t do appeared to matter. I’d recommend he do whatever he feels like. Magic doesn’t attack the body in the same way a virus does. There’s no need to conserve energy to fight it. The equinox is just a few days away, Quinn. Let’s trust that renewing the magic will cure him, hmm?”

If she
could
renew the magic. A knot formed beneath her breastbone. He’d been acting so normal . . .

“I’ll leave you to get some rest,” Amanda said, her eyes full of apology.

“Zack will be fine once the magic is renewed,
cara.
”

Quinn swung around to face him, then grabbed the door and closed it, barely managing to keep from slamming it because . . .
dammit . . .

She turned on him. “You all keep forgetting that
I don’t know how.
I’ve
tried
renewing it with the ritual, with both Blackstone brothers right there. And I failed, Arturo. I
failed.
Why in the hell are you so convinced I’m going to succeed the next time?”

He stood by the wall, watching her with quiet eyes in such counterpoint to her turmoil. “Because we shall figure out what is hampering your magic.”

“And what if we can’t fix it . . .
in four days
? The equinox is almost here. What if it passes, and I don’t have the magic and never have enough power to renew the magic on a null day?” Her eyes began to burn, her chest caving. “He’s going to die, and I can’t stop it.”

She saw him move through the blur of her tears, felt gentle hands grip her shoulders.

“We shall not let him die.”

“I know he’s not well. His eyes are still silver. But he’s been acting so normal, I started to believe . . .” The tears began to fall in earnest, and she was helpless to stop them.
Three weeks.

Cool fingers stroked her hair. “I will not let him die.”

She blinked against the tears, searching his face. “Don’t pretend he matters to you.”

His hand gripped her jaw, his eyes almost harsh. “He matters to you. He is everything to you. And you matter to me.”

“The salvation of your city and your friends.”

“If that is all you were, my life would be so much simpler,
tesoro
. So much colder. And I would have remained blind to what has happened to my city and to my people.” His hands cupped her face, his thumbs wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I will not let him die,
cara mia.
I will not.”

He pulled her into his arms, and she let him, burying her face against his shoulder as the grief and the fear swept through her on the torrent of tears. He held her, stroking her back, her hair. All her life, she’d cried alone except for those times when Zack had snuck into her room and lain down beside her. He’d always known when she was hurting, he’d always come, even if just to curl up on the rug beside her bed and play his Gameboy.

She’d never wanted to need anyone. Perhaps because she’d never had anyone. Except for Zack. But Arturo’s strong arms and willing shoulder felt so damn good. So . . . right.

As her tears subsided, his lips brushed the curve of her ear, then pressed softly against her temple. For all of his faults, he could be the most gentle of males when he chose to be.

Slowly, she pulled back until she could see his face. Blinking back the last of the tears, she met his soft gaze and found herself pulling one hand from around his neck to stroke his cool cheek.

“Thank you.”

He kissed her forehead, then continued to watch her with eyes as dark and deep as the night sky and as warm as down. Her heart began to stir, to fill. Her pulse lifted. She’d never been able to remain unaffected by this male, no matter how hard she’d tried.

And right now, right here, she no longer cared to try.

Her gaze dipped to his mouth. Her breath caught. The hands at her back jerked slightly, then splayed, pulling her closer as his head dipped to find her lips.

She met him halfway.

Their lips brushed, cool to warm. Excitement shivered inside her as her body awoke, as it always had, to his touch. His scent wrapped around her, almonds and moonlight, drowning her in sensation. He kissed her, tasted her. As she parted her mouth, his tongue swept inside to stroke hers in a tangling, dueling caress.

Her arms snaked around his neck, her fingers burrowing into his soft hair as he pulled her tight against him, making a sound deep in his throat, a sound of pleasure and satisfaction. But not of wild need, though the need was there, beneath it all. The kiss remained tender and sweet, a gift of comfort, of pleasure. A silent plea to trust. A promise to take no advantage.