Soul Taker (21 page)

Garran glanced down at Isabella. Her eyes
fluttered open. So beautiful—so fragile, she could have died
tonight and it would have been his fault. He let his guard down. He
shouldn't have let her open the door. "Are ye all right?"

She nodded and he put her down, but was
careful not to let her go until he knew she could stand on her
own.

Minutes later, Harrison was back. Not a good
sign.

Harrison shifted and walked over to them in
his human form. "He's a slippery one. I followed Alexander on a
merry chase and lost him two blocks over. It was like he simply
vanished."

Garran's brows furrowed. How could Alexander
simply disappear? All preternatural beings had a scent, a signature
even if they flitted. Harrison should have been able to pick up his
scent easily, especially in his wolf form.

"How do you know the
Soul Taker
?"
Isabella asked, her words accusing.

"He's Alexander MacLaurin, my cousin," Garran
said.

Harrison cursed. "You said he was from your
sept, you didn't say he was actually your cousin."

"I was hoping I was wrong since I believed I
killed him."

"Alexander…Alex…" Harrison's brows drew
together then he shook his head. "He's the wanker that betrayed
you. I thought you burned his arse. Since when do vampires rise
from the flames?"

Isabella waved her hand in front of their
faces. "I'm glad you're both enjoying your time down memory lane—as
horrific as it all sounds—but would you like to clue me in on why
your cousin is sucking the souls out of people? And…" She pinned
down Garran with her gaze. "What's this territory sanction mumbo
jumbo, and how did Alexander betray you?"

Garran shook his head and pursed his lips.
"Is there ever an end to yer questions?"

Harrison volunteered the info despite
Garran's grumbles. "Alexander led Garran to his death."

It took her a second to realize what Harrison
meant by his death. "You mean he made you a Grim Sith?"

"Fallon did the honors," Garran said.
"However, my cousin brought me to her. He betrayed me and others as
well."

"It makes sense then." She shook her
head.

Garran wanted to know what she meant, but
didn't have the time. He looked at Harrison. "Let's retrace
Alexander's steps once more. Perhaps, I'll have better luck
trackin' him."

"You're going to leave me here—all alone?"
Isabella's voice raised an octave by the time she finished her
question. She crossed her arms over her chest.

For all her bravery, she had to be terrified.
Surprisingly, Garran felt a protective instinct take hold. He
wanted to protect her and keep her safe, but to do so he needed her
as far away from him as possible.

He inhaled deeply before he looked at her
with feigned annoyance. If he could manage to piss her off, maybe
she would refuse to help them further. Harrison may balk at cutting
their ties with her, but he would have to deal with it.

They didn't need a Necromancer on their
team
. They survived before without a death charmer.
"Harrison, take care of yer human." He knew his dismissal would
ruffle her feathers. Better she was angry than frightened. He
strode away, thinking the conversation over.

"Why you—" She tried to follow him, but
Harrison held her back, but it, by all means, didn't stop her from
whipping him with her cutting words. "Stop acting like I'm a
nuisance. I was the one who helped you find the
Soul Taker
.
With all your wonderful superhuman powers, you couldn't flush him
out in the open. Sure, you suspected his identity. Heck, he was
even brazen enough to use his real name. Still, you couldn't find
him. If you weren't so busy thinking like a vampire, you might have
caught your cousin sooner." She didn't even take a breath as she
reamed him. "Alexander is vile, but he knows how to blend into the
human world. He talks to the women, puts them at ease, and gives
them what they want to hear. We have a chance to stop him if we
work together. You heard Alexander. He wants to make me like him.
You could use me as bait. You could be ready the next time and nab
him."

"Enough." He spun around to face her.
Dammit
. She looked good with temper flaring in her eyes and
coloring her cheeks. "There will be no next time," he bit out. "Are
ye truly that naïve or are ye a simpleton? He'll no' play this cat
and mouse game again. He'll strike and kill ye to get to me. Don't
ye realize I'm tryin' to protect ye?"

She blinked in surprise.

Heck, he was startled at his display of
passion. How in the world did this woman reduce him to an emotional
wreck and all in a few days? He closed his eyes and took an
exaggerated breath. When he looked at her again, he had some
semblance of control. "Now stop yer natterin' and go inside like a
good
little girl
. We've wasted enough time tonight." Garran
whirled away, disappearing into the shadows.

Isabella hugged herself, her hands fisting
around her elbows.

"He may be uncouth with his delivery, but
he's correct on one thing," Harrison told her. "I was foolish to
bring you into this without proper training. I'm sorry. Please,
Isabella, go inside. Bolt your door. I'll come by later. Hopefully,
with good news."

Chapter Thirty-Six

"Where could he have gone?" Harrison shifted
back to his human form. "I'm not picking up his scent at all."

"Nor I." Garran didn't like it. No
preternatural being could disappear without some semblance of a
signature. So how did Alexander mask his?" Then it dawned on him
and he cursed for not thinking of it sooner. "Monette Garlen," he
muttered her name like a curse. He brushed a hand over his face,
frustrated and tired. "I knew Monette Garlen's visit meant
somethin' more." He met Harrison's questioning gaze. "I would bet
she's cloakin' Alexander with one of her spells. Monette hinted
about a threat and her wish for me to eliminate it."

"So why not just say it was Alexander and
give us the bugger's address?"

Garran rubbed his jaw. "Hmm… Alexander must
have somethin' on her to keep her lips sealed. Let's pay her a
visit, shall we, and find out what it is."

Harrison scoffed. "And you know where she is?
She left you a business card or something?

"Harrison, Harrison." He clicked his tongue.
"I'm surprised ye don't know. The Internet is a fountain of
information. Monette has a store on Third Street. By the comments
left, tourists are flockin' to it."

****

Surprise shone on Monette's face when Garran
and Harrison strode into her store, but she quickly masked it with
a look of indifference.

"What brings you to my humble abode?" She
bowed with mock reverence.

Garran lifted his brows and a small smile
curved his lips, amused more than annoyed. "Why don't we end these
false pretenses, shall we?"

"You're no fun, Garran." Her full lips pouted
in dismay.

"We know ye're cloakin' Alexander, and we
want ye to stop."

She must not have expected him to come right
out and accuse her. For a moment she lost her haughty composure.
Her eyes narrowed in on him and at the same time the room vibrated
with magic, threatening to be unleashed. "No one tells me what to
do?"

Garran wouldn't be played a fool. Monette
would choose a side tonight and if she chose the wrong vampire to
back, she'd pay for it with her life. "Is that so? It looks like
Alexander is pullin' yer strings."

With a wave of her hand, Monette sent Garran
flying. He crashed hard against the shelf standing against the
wall. Glass jars, books, and picture frames fell from their
perches.

Harrison stepped forward with a menacing
growl.

"Stand back, or I'll muzzle your snout,"
Monette warned him.

Garran stood and brushed off the sleeves of
his leather jacket, his lips sliding into a grin. "Riled ye, did I,
Monette?"

"What do you want?"

"Answers. What is Alexander up to?"

"I would think it would be obvious to
you."

"I lose patience. Ye came to me, remember?
What does Alexander want and why are ye helpin' him?"

"Fool. I have no wish to help the spawn of
Scottish nightmares. He…" She turned away from them, silencing her
words as if she had already revealed too much.

"Alexander manipulates, that's what he does
best," Garran said. He was not without sympathy. His cousin had
used him, led him to his death, all those centuries ago. Alexander
had also killed off what was left of their clan. Garran knew all
about evil and he had every intention of stopping Alexander for
good this time. "If ye don't tell me what he has on ye, we cannot
help."

She whirled on them then. "Help? You failed
to kill him the first time around." She waved her hand in dismissal
at Garran when he tried to object. "Alexander told me all about
your attempt."

"Did he tell ye how he escaped the fire?"

"His maker pulled him out of the flames
before they could do their job. He suffered severe burns, but
lived. Apparently it takes a lifetime to heal from such wounds,
gave his hatred for you time to fester. You preternatural beings
confound me. You want vengeance, but you take your sweet loving
time going about it."

Garran didn't bother pointing out they had
centuries
to take care of business. Time was not an
issue.

Harrison snorted. "And your part in all this?
You might as well tell us. You know Garran won't leave until he has
the answer."

Her nostrils flared as if she held back a
retort, but then her shoulders slumped and she let out a ragged
breath. "He has my daughter."

Garran hadn't known Monette had a daughter.
Surprises never ceased. "He's holding her hostage?"

She gave him a curt nod. "I'm to help him
stay cloaked until he kills you and secures the territory. Then
he'll let Frimrose go."

"Alexander isn't big on keepin' his
promises." Since the voodoo queen was forth coming with her
information, Garran wouldn't mince words either. "Ye do realize yer
daughter is dead, if we don't find her first."

"Do you think I'm a fool? Of course, I'm
aware. That's why I approached you. Alexander keeps Frimrose well
guarded. I have no problem going up against one, maybe two vamps,
but when there is more… I couldn't risk putting Frimrose in harm's
way."

Harrison glanced at Garran. "How do we know
this isn't a trick and a part of Alexander's sick game?"

Garran ignored Harrison's outburst and held
Monette's gaze. She didn't shy away. Her heartbeat fluttered in her
chest and sweat glistened on her brow. She reeked of fear, but not
because she feared they would find out she lied to them. She was
scared for other reasons, reasons he supposed only a mother would
have. She wanted her daughter back. He could only presume
preferably alive. "We'll help ye find Frimrose."

"Bloody hell," Harrison cursed.

"We'll find Frimrose," Garran repeated,
holding the voodoo queen's gaze. "And in return, ye'll help
us."

"I shall stop you there on your promises if
you believe I will defy Alexander and not cloak him. He'll know if
I do not." The sneer she managed to hide from her face was evident
in the tone of her voice, but Garran passed this off as fear for
her daughter's safety and let it slide without mention.

"Ye'll cloak us as well then. There's no
reason Alexander should be able to locate us at will."

She threw up her hands. "What will this
accomplish?"

"Just do it," Garran ordered. "Now, we'll
need to know more about yer daughter. Does she possess any of yer
lovely
charms
?"

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Isabella brewed a cup of chrysanthemum tea
flavored with jasmine flower. The blend was supposedly an ancient
longevity elixir. With her close call tonight, she may have lost a
few years. It wouldn't hurt to try and tack on a few. The tea also
calmed her nerves and sharpened her vision and hearing.

Tonight she chose the fairy cup from the
cupboard over the sink. She headed to the living room, taking a sip
of the hot liquid. She took out her mother's journal from her purse
and plopped down on the easy chair to read up on the undead. With
Nicholas in Orlando for the culinary conference, she didn't have to
worry about him stopping her.

She rolled her stiff shoulders back, her
tired limbs making themselves known. Her life had taken a different
path than she expected it to. Her best friend was in the hospital
and barely hung onto life, and she learned
Dracula
and the
Wolfman
were
alive and well and living among the humans. Oh, and let's not
forget the evil
Soul Taker
was sucking the souls out of
women and he vowed to come after her.

Her hand shook as she raised her cup to her
lips. The herbal liquid went down smooth, but her nerves were still
shot. She could have died—again. She didn't see a flash of her life
pass by as some believed happened on the brink of death. Heck, she
didn't see it the first go around, then again she hadn't truly
lived yet. …And this time? All she saw was a whirl of color and
warmth. Garran had saved her from the SUV slamming into her.

The vampire confounded her. He spoke to her
as if she were a nuisance he must put up with, but she'd seen his
glances, his gray, storm-filled eyes assessed her with… curiosity.
As if she were as much a mystery to him as he was to her. Sure, she
knew he was a vampire, a Grim Sith, but that was
what
he
was, not
who
he was.

Alexander had called Garran,
milaird
—how medieval of him. Just how old was Garran
MacLaurin? Had he once been a lord of a castle?

She placed her cup on the end table and
opened the book. Her mother had written about the
undead
and
briefly mentioned they were different as any human when it came to
personalities and behavior.