Bete Noire (12 page)

Tristan said nothing, standing fixed in his spot feeling helpless and useless.

Ash sighed. “I have done a terrible thing.”

“What else could have happened? I mean, we need to get in there, Lucien’s in there, right?”

Ash just shook her head in dismay before leaning over the jikininki and whispering something to it. It grunted in answer and scampered off like a gorilla, getting lost to the dark.

“You’re letting it free?”

Ash shook her head as she stood, looking a little unsteady. Tristan wanted to go to her, but thought better of it. “No. He is going to feast on a dead deer in the woods.”

“And then what?”

Ash slowly lifted her eyes to meet with his. “I will take care of it.”

“Ash,” he started and then decided to keep his thoughts to himself, verbally anyway, as she pushed past him. His nose crinkled as the scent of rot wafted over him. It was a smell he knew all too well. He also knew she was in pain, physically and mentally. Berating her for raising a jikininki just to set it free was not what she needed right then. She could beat herself up enough on her own.

Tristan heaved a sigh and followed Ash towards the castle, feeling utterly exhausted. And he still had to meet this ancient Master and
beg
the vampire to give up another of its kind to Tristan’s kind.

The child vampire was waiting just inside the front door, smiling at the others
as they came in. “Julien, I’m Julien. Pleased to meet you.”

Tristan scowled, not giving a shit who the kid was, he just wanted to get on with the meet-n-greet, snag Lucien and get the hell out—in his own bed by this time tomorrow. The boy grinned up at the others as he shut the front door rather effortlessly and then they were being led down a wide hallway lined with honest torches.

“Why are you here?”

“I—” Ash started, but then was interrupted by Julien’s terse laugh.

Julien stopped and turned to look at the pair, smirking. “Not you, him. You are no valet.”

“I’m with her.” Tristan inclined his head towards Ash, ignoring the poke. He wasn’t about to tell anyone
what he was.

“Oh?” Julien flicked a wide, surprised eye to Ash and then back to him. “You two really are boyfriend and girlfriend then? That’s so weird.”

It sounded so juvenile, coming from someone barely over three feet tall. “Why’s that?” Tristan asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Julien’s stupid ass grin never faltered as he scratched at the melted skin hidden under the hair over his face. “We eat your kind, not fuck them.”

Tristan bristled. “How old are you, kid?”

“What, you rather have a little boy like me than an adult woman like her?”

Tristan flinched back, a disgusted noise slipping past his lips. “What? No. God…”

The boy just laughed and laughed as he turned away, leading the pair deeper into the castle.

“Tell me, Tristan,” the boy said and then shot Tristan a smirk over his shoulder. “You’re not human, are you?”

“Sure I am.”

Julien stopped and turned to face the pair. “Now we both know that’s not true. I may be a child, but you know I’m not. I can read your silly little non-human mind—have from the moment you arrived. I gave you the chance to fess up, but you’re a cautious one even if you’ve got a quick temper and foul mouth. Mind you, I don’t care for your lot, but, well it’s up to Master if he wants you to leave here or not. We have filled our bellies tonight, but there is always room for more.”

Ash moved in an instant, positioning herself against Tristan’s front, glaring at the boy.

“Oooh, so you are his protector? That’s a new one.” The boy turned away, waving a hand in the air. “Whatever, I don’t care for Uruwashi myself. Master on the other hand…”

Tristan tensed. In front of him, Ash mirrored his reaction. She hadn’t been able to read Julien’s mind since their meeting and was hoping he was unable to read theirs clearly. She knew the boy was a vanilla and older than her, but that was the extent of her knowledge of the child vampire. If he knew of the Uruwashi, that could mean trouble in leaving the home with Tristan alive.

“Oh please,” Julien said still marching off, “the only one of us you need to worry about is Master Audric. His home, his rules.”

The pair remained in their spot, watching the child vampire walk off. After a moment, Ash sighed and turned to face Tristan. “Are you okay?” she asked in a low voice.

He snorted a little laugh. “Shouldn’t I be the one asking that?” He lifted her left hand to look at the damage the jikininki left. But then, he knew there’d be nothing to see. There was nothing now to prove she’d ever opened her vein except for a few drops of blood staining her expensive blouse that had yet to flake away.

“I said I would take care of it.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“No, but you need not speak aloud.”

Tristan groaned. “Fine, yes. It bothers me, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Anyway, I’m too busy worrying about you.”

“I can take care of myself. You should be more concerned over your wellbeing.”

“You think? God, a head’s up on these people would have been nice.”

“I agree, however, I know as much as you do.”

“You can’t read his mind, can you?”

Ash looked affronted as her mouth gaped open at him. “I may not tell you full truths, but I am no liar.”

“Fair enough. Sorry. Yeah, anyway, let’s wrap this shit up and then get the hell out of Dodge. I’m getting gross vibes.”

Ash’s lips tightened for a moment and then she leaned in for a hug. He happily accepted her, even if there was a tiny voice screaming at the back of his mind telling him that she’d just used a lot of energy with nothing to support or
replace it. That he was a yummy smelling restorative elixir.

“
Mon Dieu
.” The strong, masculine voice echoed off the dense stone walls around them.

The pair jumped apart and Tristan’s hand automatically went for his gun as he sized up the newcomer. The man standing next to Julien with a hand on his shoulder was short, maybe even an inch or two shorter than Ash—like Sebastian short. But this guy was no faerie. Yuki’s brand of pale almost seemed tan on this guy. His hair was nearly translucent so that it absorbed the yellow light of the torches and shone slightly. And
his eyes, they held only the barest hint of tint to suggest that they’d once been blue. In fact the only color about the guy was his vibrant red silk shirt left with the tails left free and unbuttoned to show a smooth hairless chest, and a pair of dark chocolate dress slacks. And just like Yuki, he had no shoes. Maybe it was an aversion of the older kind? Ash still liked her shoes.

The man smirked. “Truly a night of wonders to start for sure… First an urgent letter from Japan, begging my lenience and admittance of two strangers and then this, in my very home none less—a vampire embracing
that
and not for food or vengeance. How very...
drôle
. But I must say, how lovely you both are, such a delicious mix of light and shadow.”

Tristan let go of the butt of his gun, wondering if he was the light or shadow. He felt like the shadow lately anyway, doing things he never thought he would or could.

Ash shot him a warning look as she pulled away and dropped to a knee, bowing her head in the same gesture she presented to Julien earlier. Her skirt was too short, but she managed it without flashing anyone her intimates. “Master Audric of Wind. I beg pardon. I did not mean to delay you, nor expect you to escort us personally—”

“
Arrêt
,” Audric commanded.

Ash’s jaw tightened as she scowled at the floor, hoping the older vampire wouldn’t notice it. She really hated vampire culture and their interpretation of proper and just. Really, she envied Tristan and his honest
y. He always said what he was thinking regardless of culture. Granted, it could be a dangerous thing to slap vampire social rules in the face like that, but he did it with his chin held high. Ash envied such honesty and wondered if she could ever be like that.

“There is no need to be so formal in my home. While I do appreciate
some level of propriety, I am not that princess, Yukihime.”

Ash couldn’t help but smirk even as Tristan had to hide a laugh with a fake cough. She stood giving the older vampire a soft nod. “
Merci,
le maître de maison.”

“Please, Audric.” He took a step forward, hand out, palm up. “And English is… tolerable.”

She went to the older man and placed her smaller hand into his. Ash was tan next to the ancient vampire.

“Ash of Earth.
Truly, it is an honor. Much has been heard of you over the years.” Audric smiled, brought her fingers to his lips, and kissed the ends lightly.

Feeling as uncomfortable as Ash looked, Tristan cleared his throat and stepped up behind her. Audric’s clear eyes fell on him, taking him in. It was the first time the old vamp even bothered
looking at him. Tristan wasn’t sure what the guy saw but it made him smile, showing off his own set of saber tooth fangs, the match to Yuki’s. Most impressive, most terrible.

“
Arriver
,” Audric beckoned and turned still holding Ash’s hand in his palm. Tristan was shocked to find the man’s hair was longer than it looked from the front, done up in a tight French braid that brushed the back of his knees. “The passage is nowhere for us to converse. Let’s talk somewhere more comfortable.”

Tristan was left to trail along behind. Not that he minded really. Julien brought up the rear, grinning at the American when Tristan’s blood whispered about vampires too close and he glanced back.

“If I do recall, you were once called Asta, no?”

Ash looked away quickly, down to her feet. She gave a single nod and whispered, “Master.”

He harrumphed and lifted Ash’s hand to his mouth again. “Ash is a lovely name as well.”

She looked up just as quickly as she had shied away earlier. She was playing modest, though Tristan wasn’t sure why. “Thank you.”

Trailing after the pair, Tristan shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed softly to himself. Audric was grinning at Ash, a wicked smile as if he knew something about her that Tristan didn’t. The guy probably did. Tristan was willing to bet he was the only one around Ash that knew nothing about her. Hell, even the kid vampire probably knew Ash much more intimately. Tristan had a fleeting thought that maybe he should drink her blood and see if his own called to her like he suspected it might, if he would see her memories. Because, he was starting to think he was more vampire than human these days…

Both vampires glanced back at him at the same time, Ash’s pale brows high. Audric tilted his head to the side for a moment, silver eyes studying him. By the look on their faces they had heard his last thought. Tristan stared back, uncaring. He was already found out as an Uruwashi and not dead yet.

Audric stopped, and turned enough to face Tristan. “Do not mistake my leniency for compassion. It is merely tolerance for greater things promised by your Master.”

Tristan flinched back.
Master?
His
Master? He looked to Ash. Her jaw was set hard, eyes fixed on Audric as he walked towards Tristan. Refusing to give in, Tristan held his ground as the vampire stopped inches from him. The man may have been nearly a foot shorter, but he held an air of menace, of imminent violence. Tristan gave a little gasp when he felt the old vampire in his blood and said a silent thanks that he didn’t moan at the power of it all.

The night he met Yuki, she tested him by pouring some of her
ancient energy into him and lit a fire in his veins. The vampire in him called to her, begged to have her, but it was more than blood this hunger wanted. The energy he felt now off this short Frenchmen was nothing compared to Ash or even Yuki. The Master vampire felt…
electric
.

Audric’s brow twitched as he
fought to hide his own emotions. “I was alive to see the end of your retched clan’s existence. I was too young a vampire then to kill the Uruwashi myself, though I would have gladly. Your people killed many beloved to me. Do not test the extent of my patience, boy. Favor to Yukihime or not, I will kill you given a reason.” He let out a hot, blood-laden breath. “And it does not need to be good reason. Do you understand?”

After a shocked moment, Tristan’s expression shifted into anger. “Oh yeah, I understand. I understand plenty.” He pulled his gun and thumbed off the safety.

“Tristan,” Ash warned.

The Master saw the show of violence but was too distracted
by something else. He leaned in close, nose almost pressed to Tristan, and gave him a good look up and down, considering and curious. “You smell of Desmond.”

Tristan made a small involuntary noise and stepped back. That’s not what he was expecting.

Audric flashed a smile full of very white teeth and two very big fangs. “I take it you’re lovers with the famed warrior of Crete too? Is that how this arrangement works?” He gave a tilt of his head towards Ash standing at his back.