Bite the Bullet (Bitten Book 5) (17 page)

I could feel Rhys’ amusement. It was almost condescending and it was pissing me off. What sort of being was he that he wasn’t the least bit intimidated by one of the most powerful vampires I’d ever met?

“I’m the twin of Cornelius the Slayer, Rhys the Dark.” He concluded his introduction with a strange, stiff half-bow, almost as though he were performing some ritual greeting. “I’m here, Asher Leroux, to ask for your Council’s help in killing my brother.”

“You want to kill your brother?” Asher asked.

I suddenly realized why Rhys’ powers carried so much weight. Kerry had explained what Cornelius was. A soul eater. He’d lived for thousands of years, surviving off the souls of not only humans, but vampires, werewolves, and witches alike. He was the bogeyman of the supernatural world.

And Rhys was his twin.

“Yes. He’s become obsessed with the idea of gaining the ultimate power. Complete immortality. If he succeeds, he will be unstoppable.”

I shivered at the thought of such a wicked being having the power to control the world indefinitely, with no way to kill him.

To his credit, Asher played it cool. “I’ll tell the Council about your request for aid. How will I contact you?”

Rhys handed him a slip of paper. “Be at this address tomorrow, 10 p.m.”

Asher was in profile, but I could see his eyebrows lift. “No cell number?”

Rhys chuckled darkly. “I’m afraid that beings such as myself render electronic devices useless.”

Asher frowned at him.

“Look at your phone,” Rhys suggested.

I watched as Asher pulled out the burner he’d recently been using. His frown deepened. “What in the hell?”

“I’m afraid that I can’t use a phone or a computer. Just meet me at the address tomorrow. 10 p.m.”

“Alone?” Asher asked drily.

Rhys shrugged. “Bring whomever you like. I’m no danger to you.”

Whatever the soul eater was up to, he wasn’t lying. I could feel the sincerity of his words.

Duncan and I watched as he backed away from Asher. When he reached the edge of the road, he turned and disappeared into the trees. It seemed as though he dematerialized, vanishing so quickly and completely that I couldn’t even track him with my enhanced vision.

Asher watched Rhys’ departure as well, waiting until he’d been gone for a minute or so before he returned to the car.

As soon as he climbed in the driver’s seat, Asher buckled up and put the car in gear.

“I don’t understand,” Duncan said, “How can the car still be running if he ruins electronic devices?”

I’d been so distracted by Rhys’ words and his presence, that it hadn’t occurred to me to ask the same question.

“I think he needs to be within a close proximity of them. He was almost ten feet from the vehicle.” Asher paused. “I wonder if his brother has the same problem.”

“But we were able to track Kerry’s phone when she was kidnapped,” I stated. “From what she said, Cornelius was within touching distance.”

“But it could explain why the Faction isn’t using technology to their advantage,” Duncan suggested.

It certainly did, but it was something to mull over later.

“He was sincere,” I told Asher. “Everything he said was the truth.”

“I know,” he replied.

“So, are we going to meet him tomorrow?” I asked.

“No,
we
aren’t. Finn, Conner, and I will meet him. You’ll stay at the house.”

“Excuse me?”

Duncan looked pointedly out the passenger window, obviously trying to distance himself from the conversation.

“Shannon, it’s not safe.”

I leaned forward in my seat. “He asked
me
for help, Asher. He came to me with a purpose.”

His eyes flicked back to me in the rearview mirror. “No.”

“I’m going.” For a hysterical moment, I realized we sounded just like Ricki and Calder and almost laughed.

Asher must have realized it as well because he sighed heavily. “We’ll talk about it when we get back to the house.”

Duncan grunted, then cleared his throat, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. I could sense that he found this entire situation hilarious.

The ride back to Conner’s was silent. I could feel Asher’s anger and his worry. Duncan had his mental shields firmly in place, so I had no idea what he was thinking.

As for me, I leaned my head back against the seat and let the visions I’d had during my change play through my mind, looking for any clues that might tip me off on how we killed Cornelius. I could see snippets of the battle, feel the adrenaline and the fear, and saw the end result, but that was it. I knew more than I would have without the visions, but not enough to create a definitive plan based on them.

I should have tried to analyze those visions before now, but the last couple of days had been hectic, made worse by the intense longing my connection with Asher created. He and Conner hadn’t been exaggerating when they said that the connection between a maker and a new vampire was strong. I wanted to touch him constantly, to be close to him.

Even now when I was annoyed with him and his bossy attitude.

As we drove through the dark, I put those thoughts out of my mind and focused on the minute details. My father often used to say that the Devil was in the details, and I’d discovered over the years that he was right. Missions were aborted or successful based on small details. Though this one was personal, it didn’t mean I could let that cloud my judgment any more than it already had.

T
he next day
was a long one.

Calder arrived at Conner’s, already disgruntled. Nothing seemed to soothe him.

We gathered in the study to discuss strategy. The longer we talked, the more intense the males became. We achieved very little before Finn suggested we stop for the day so ideas could be mulled over for when we reconvened tomorrow.

The rest of the afternoon, I trained with Conner’s men in an effort to discern how effective my newfound strength would be in combat. I think everyone in the room was surprised when I took Luca down, including me. When I was human, that never would have happened. As a vampire, it wasn’t easy, but it was possible. I wondered what else I would be capable of as I grew stronger.

When the training session was finished, I cleaned up and got dressed before heading downstairs to help Conner make dinner. He was teaching me how to cook chile rellenos, one of my favorite dishes. I enjoyed our time cooking together and the atmosphere was pleasant. It wasn’t until we sat down to eat that tension began to build. I knew that everyone was focused on what was to come later that evening. Rhys was an unknown entity and tonight could end badly if we weren’t on our game.

After dinner, Asher and I headed upstairs to get ready for the meeting with Rhys.

I’d won the argument with Asher, but only because I told him that I would find a way to follow him, regardless. It also didn’t hurt that Kerry was coming with Finn. That had put an end to his argument that none of the females would be there.

I knew he was seriously unhappy with the situation, but he sucked it up, especially when Conner briefed me as he did the other vampires in his employ. I realized that because I was his mate and his first instinct was to protect me, Asher sometimes forgot that I was trained and fully capable of taking care of myself.

As irritable as it might make me, I couldn’t fault him for it because I felt the same toward him. If something were to happen tonight, my first instinct would be to protect him.

We were silent as we loaded up into the vehicles. Kerry, Finn, Asher and I were in one SUV while Conner and his men, including Duncan and Luca, rode in another.

As Finn drove, he explained, “Conner’s group will check the perimeter and the house before we enter. As soon as he gives the all clear, we’ll go inside.”

“He’s the only one in there,” Kerry interrupted.

Finn glanced at her. “What?”

“I can feel him. He’s the only one in there.” She shook her head. “Damn, those soul eaters are glutted on power. Makes my head hurt.”

“Fine, but Conner and the others will still check it out.”

Kerry shrugged. “Suit yourself. Better to be safe than sorry, anyway.”

I didn’t say it, but I completely agreed with Finn’s statement. Even if we thought we knew what was happening, it was best to confirm it before we revealed ourselves.

I saw the house as we drove past, a small dwelling in a subdivision of older homes. It was the kind of neighborhood that wasn’t bad now, but would be in another ten years.

Finn turned right at the next street and his phone beeped. He pulled over and removed it from his pocket.

“Conner gave the all clear.”

He circled the block and pulled the SUV up in front of the house, parking on the street rather than in the driveway. Conner’s vehicle was nowhere to be seen, but I knew they were inside because Luca and another vampire were standing out front, acting as though they were having a casual chat and a beer.

I smiled at the image. Luca definitely wasn’t the kind of male who would drink a beer and shoot the shit. He was more of the type to drink a bottle of Scotch alone in front of the fire and be perfectly content with that.

I nodded to him as we walked up the sidewalk to the front door. He acknowledged me with a small tilt of his head, but that was it. I wondered if he was upset that Asher had been the one to turn me.

The touch of Asher’s hand on mine brought me back from my thoughts. I looked up at him to find his gaze on Luca.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

He blinked and stared down at me. “Fine.”

I didn’t have a chance to say anything else because Conner opened the front door and gestured for us to hurry inside.

As soon as we entered the little house, I was acutely aware how tiny the living room was, mostly because with Conner, Asher, Finn, Duncan, and another of Conner’s men crammed inside, there was very little room for Kerry and I.

Rhys was seated in a chair facing the front door, looking utterly relaxed and carefree. Of course, with his powers and age, I doubted he had much to fear, even though he was outnumbered. I hesitated momentarily when his eyes met mine, endless onyx pits with no expression.

“Please have a seat,” he offered, a smile curving his lips. Somehow, it didn’t make him look any less dangerous.

There was only a tiny couch and chair shoved close together inside the room, so there was a bit of a shuffle. Kerry and I ended up on the sofa and Conner sat in the chair facing Rhys. Everyone else stood. It was cramped and uncomfortable.

Rhys chuckled once we were all settled, looking at Asher. “I know I said bring whomever you’d like, but I didn’t think you’d have this many friends with you.”

Asher clasped one hand over his wrist, letting his arms hang in front of him. “You’re an unknown entity.”

Rhys nodded. “Very true. I am unknown. And from what you’ve seen of my brother, I don’t blame you for your distrust.” He leaned forward in his chair. “What you need to understand is that I lived under my brother’s thumb for centuries, being forced to follow his orders, only escaping a few hundred years ago when he went to ground and hibernated. Now that I’ve experience true freedom, I want to keep it. The only way that will happen is if you help me kill him.”

“We’re working on a plan to do that ourselves,” Conner answered. “Why do you need to be involved?”

His laugh in response was humorless. “This isn’t some vampire you can shoot or stab. He’s incredibly powerful, stronger than even me. There’s a ritual to killing an
animavore
.” His eyes moved to Kerry. “Even with your witch, you won’t be able to defeat him without me.”

So that’s what they were called,
animavore
. The way Rhys pronounced it, the word sounded nearly poetic rather than evil. The title of soul eater was much more fitting for the evil that Cornelius carried inside him.

Conner glanced at me and I immediately understood he was asking for confirmation that Rhys was being honest. I gave a single dip of my head in an affirmative response. Rhys wasn’t lying. Then his eyes jumped to Kerry, who also nodded and I noticed that she was fingering the bracelet on her wrist. I assumed it was a truth amulet.

Then I understood why Conner and Finn wanted Kerry there, and why Conner agreed that I should come as well. We were here to verify whatever Rhys said.

Rhys and Conner stared at each other for a long moment, and I knew that Conner was taking measure.

Finally he stated, “Tomorrow. Come to my home. I’ll send a car for you.”

Rhys shook his head. “No car.”

“Why?”

“Electronic devices malfunction when I get within a foot or so of them. Phones, computers, cars, they stop working,” Rhys answered.

Looking a bit perturbed, Conner pulled a small pad of paper from his pocket and wrote on the first page, ripping it free.

He held it out to Rhys. “Come to this address tomorrow at 1 p.m. I’m afraid I can’t offer the same level of hospitality you’ve extended us. Come alone.”

Rhys nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I understand.”

Conner got to his feet and gestured for Kerry and I to stand. I guess our visit was over. Before we could leave, Rhys met my eyes.