Burning Both Ends (4 page)

According to Andreas’s notes, Sebastian’s compound was dug under the basement of the former garment factory behind the defunct clothing outlet. Although Ari didn’t see any signs of life right away, she knew the area would be heavily guarded. Andreas’s status as the visiting representative from another vampire court was the only thing that would get their group beyond the front door. They watched the adjacent buildings in the area for the next half hour.

“Sniper,” Ari said, nodding toward a building on the left.

“Yeah,” Russell acknowledged. “There’s a second one behind the building with the girlie sign.”

“I see him. They’re both wolves.”

They waited another ten minutes. Finally satisfied she’d seen all there was to see and that they’d successfully whittled down two hours of waiting time, Ari motioned to Russell. They exited into the alley behind them and returned to their hotel.

* * *

Andreas appeared by mid-afternoon, strolling in, wearing his usual Armani casuals—black T-shirt, black jeans. The slight flush to his skin indicated that he’d already had his bag of blood for the day. He smiled when she told him about the surveillance trip.

“Sebastian knows we are here. I called him before dawn. We are invited to his compound at eight o’clock.”

She told him about the snipers.

“Not surprising. There will be more tonight.” He didn’t seem to think it was significant.

Ari wished the meet was earlier. Her whole body was tense, and she wanted to get on with it. Russell had resorted to some shoot-’em-up game on the laptop. Lilith had caught their edginess and was cleaning her guns. For the third time. They all knew the dangers of walking into any unfamiliar vampire court, especially one with a prince noted for his unpredictable violence.

Ari kept thinking of her prior visit. Sebastian had turned his vampiric power on her and attempted to destroy her mental defenses. At the last moment, her magic had formed an inner firewall, stopping the invasion, but it had been close and not an experience she wanted to repeat.

Sitting and waiting added to the tension.

By 7:00, they’d given up any pretense of normal activities, like reading or eating or watching TV, and were merely killing time. Lilith had been filing her nails for the last half hour. The vamps were up, darkness had fallen outside, and still they waited. The other vampires had dined on bottled blood they’d brought with them, a hassle to get through airport security, but easier than dealing with the hotel kitchen. Russell and Lilith had utilized room service. The greasy smell of their cheeseburgers and fries was tempting, but Ari was too keyed up to eat. Her stomach growled; she ignored it. Her outfit wouldn’t look good with telltale grease spots on the front.

At Andreas’s urging, Lilith and Ari were in feminine attire, considered proper for a court appearance. Lilith had dressed in dark blue: short skirt, boots, silk blouse. Ari chose a long, loose black skirt, with concealed pockets, and matching boots, white low-necked top and a black ribbon around her throat. Regular party girls, except for the weapons and magic potions. Ari had concealed most of her normal arsenal—derringer with two silver bullets, knife, potions, magic dust—in her pockets but left the charm bracelet with its protective trinkets on conspicuous display. Lilith’s weapons were in plain sight by design. Sebastian would expect them to be accompanied by armed bodyguards.

Strung too tightly to sit for long, Ari wandered restlessly around the room, looking at the pictures on the walls, watching her companions, thinking about the night ahead. An hour ago, Andreas had changed into elegant, black leather with a black silk T-shirt under his jacket, no doubt custom-made by his favorite designer. Oliver and Marcus sported jeans with brown leather jackets; Russell had favored all denim. Like Lilith, Russell displayed his weapons: an eight-inch knife in a sheath and a sawed-off shotgun slung over his shoulder.

Ari shot a quick peek at Andreas’s still form. He had been standing at the window at least twenty minutes, staring out over the darkened city. The man had nerves of steel. What did he see? Even though the moon was almost full, a dense cloud cover blocked its glow, and only the city lights provided any illumination in the darkness. Ari was glad she had viewed their destination earlier in the day.

“Will you please sit down?” Andreas said quietly without turning around.

Ari came to a halt, realizing she’d been pacing the hotel room like a caged animal. It probably wasn’t helping anyone else. She plopped in a chair, picked up a magazine and began leafing through it. The turning of pages was the only sound in the room.

She looked up in time to see Andreas turn to look at her. His eyes widened, and he threw back his head with a laugh. “
Today’s Bride
?”

Ari looked at the magazine she held but was obviously not reading. Sure enough,
Today’s Bride
. She blushed, dropping it on the coffee table. “Isn’t it time to go?”

“Patience, madam witch. I intend to be late. They will expect it, and they will be late as well. The trick is to time it so everyone arrives together and no one gains an advantage or loses face.”

“Wouldn’t it be simpler if both sides stuck to the original time?” she said.

“Yes, but that is not the point.” He returned to staring out the window.

So what was the point? Ari didn’t know whether this was a guy thing or a vampire thing. She looked at Lilith, and the lioness shook her head. No one else seemed bothered by this waiting game, not even Russell. Must be a guy thing. Testosterone based.

“So-o, when do we go?” Ari ventured. “I mean, how do we decide when it’s time?”

When no one else spoke, Oliver, the older of the two vamp guards, said, “Andreas will sense when Sebastian is ready to move.”

“Um, I don’t understand. Are we talking telepathy?” Was it the same thing she and Andreas shared?

“Not exactly.” Andreas spoke this time. “Master level vampires can read other vampires, pick up on impressions and feelings. It requires constant blocking to prevent readable leaks, even in the oldest vampires. Sebastian is so arrogant, he is careless in guarding his thoughts.”

“How will he read you? You wouldn’t be that sloppy.”

“He is more powerful.” Showing no discomfort with this admission, Andreas turned his attention back to the view outside the window.

Ari’s gut clenched at his words, her fear meter bouncing wildly upward. Maybe it was his matter-of-fact tone, his easy acceptance of Sebastian’s superior power. Andreas was always so confident; Ari was used to thinking of him as nearly invincible. In her head she knew that Sebastian was much older, but she hadn’t considered how that might play out in a contest of wills. If Andreas thought they were out-gunned, they should be running for the hills. But what options did they have?

She didn’t know much about the inner workings of the secretive vamp community. Much of their life—especially court maneuverings—was hidden from the rest of the world. Take tonight, for example; none of her education and training had prepared Ari for what might happen when two master vampires met under the current circumstances. If it turned into a fight, would they use weapons? Hand-to-hand combat with strength and teeth? She didn’t think it would be that simple, and not knowing what would happen next gave her goose bumps.

She studied Andreas’s rigid back. He was different tonight, unapproachable, remote. The indefinable, mystical link between them barely flickered. Andreas was blocking her out. A part of her, a very small part, wished she’d stayed home in Riverdale.

Ari stood and joined his eerie watch at the window. The moon chose that moment to pop from behind the clouds. “The Hunter’s Moon!” she said, startled she hadn’t remembered before now. The coincidence made her uneasy. This was the night when hunters of the past had killed the meat for the long winter. Also known as the killing moon, it boded a night of terror for prey. Otherworlders of all kinds, including vampires, were attuned to the ancient call of this night.

“Yes, a night to be wary,” Andreas said without inflection. “I could wish our timing was better, but it cannot be helped. Our errand is urgent.”

She studied his profile. Was he worried? Her witch blood stirred sending tiny barbs across her neck.

Another half hour passed.

At last Andreas turned away from the window. “It is time to go.”

Chapter Three

The clouds had covered the moon again and left the area outside Sebastian’s headquarters in total darkness. The storefront seemed as deserted as before, but Andreas didn’t hesitate. He strode to the door, tapped once and announced his name. It opened immediately, a werewolf beckoned to them, and the delegation from Riverdale filed inside.

Andreas halted at the sight of a dozen heavily armed vampires and werewolves. A large, black-haired vamp detached himself from the group. “I am Francois. Your servants will remain here.”

The big guy looked impressive, but he was no more than a hundred years old. Ari sensed his limited power.

Andreas arched a brow. “I think not. Surely, this is not how Sebastian treats a visiting court.” Andreas was at his most commanding and arrogant. He allowed a hint of his power to leak over everyone in the room. “These are members of our delegation. I am sure you do not intend to disrespect them. Take us to your prince.”

The other vamp took a step back but remained adamant. “My orders do not include your party.”

“If you do not have the necessary authority to admit them, then find someone who does. We will wait.”

The younger vamp hesitated this time. “You can ask Jerome. Follow me.”

Round one to Andreas. The group was in, but it had been a shallow victory. The vamp sent to meet them was so low level his presence was an insult. Sebastian would not expect him to stand up to Andreas’s greater authority. Their host was being pissy. Not a good start.

Andreas moved forward, and the others followed, crossing an open space to the back of the original store and down the stairs into a basement area. A wall panel slid open on the right. Stone steps descended into man-made, or vampire-made, subterranean tunnels. Branches spiraled in all directions, similar to Prince Daron’s compound in Olde Town, except much older. As the area had not been modernized with electricity, their escorts took torches from the walls. Two of Sebastian’s party went ahead; the others, more heavily armed, followed behind.

A gradual upward slant in the path preceded their arrival at the inner chambers. They entered a small, nondescript room of bare stone and concrete walls. Two giant werewolves guarded the massive, iron, double doors at the other end. Although both wolves were in human form, they didn’t look or act human. Their eyes were the distinctive, golden-brown common among their kind, and one of them had furry tuffs on the back of his hands. To retain such wolfish features, the men had to have been infected by lycanthropy, not been natural born, and spent way too much time in wolf form. Both had the physiques of weight lifters, and their faces betrayed a feral look.

The furry-handed guy glared at their escort. “Why are the others here? Your orders were clear.”

“But Jerome, I…I mean, he…”

Andreas interrupted. “As a representative of a visiting court, I have the right to bring my delegation with me.”

Jerome looked them over, then ordered the big vamp back to his post. The wolf pointed at Ari but spoke to Andreas. “Why is this female wearing a holy item? It will do her no good and is an insult to the prince.”

Which item was he objecting to? The silver cross or the holy water? They weren’t big enough to do much damage. The amulets were much more powerful, but he hadn’t mentioned those. In any case, she wasn’t handing over the gift from her grandmother.

“It is mere jewelry,” Andreas responded in an even tone. “Surely the great Prince Sebastian would not be bothered by such a trifling thing. As you can see, I am not.”

“She must leave it behind,” the wolf insisted.

Ari tilted her head. “No, but I will take it off.” She looked at Andreas. “Perhaps you could keep it for me?”

“My pleasure.”

Ari unfastened the clasp and slipped the bracelet into a pocket of Andreas’s jacket. She had anticipated her bracelet would raise an objection. In fact, she’d counted on it to distract him from other possible weapons.

The giant werewolf wrinkled his nose with displeasure, and for a moment Ari thought he would try to confiscate the charms. She tried her best to look like a spoiled but helpless female. Not something she had much practice in, but her blonde hair and slender frame often conveyed that impression. She offered a slightly apologetic smile and dropped her lashes submissively. Argh. The wolf sniffed her once, sneered, and promptly lost interest.

“If this one is your chosen consort, she may come. Select one other. The rest will remain here.”

Ari kept her eyes down but was amazed they were allowing her to enter the court chambers without a thorough search. Had Sebastian’s court grown complacent, too sure of their power? Didn’t they know she was a cop and likely to be armed? Maybe the big wolf had so little respect for females that he didn’t think of her as a potential threat. Whatever the reason, it was a serious breach of security. Ari would have fired him on the spot.

That Jerome had mistaken her for a consort kind of rankled, because she didn’t like the implications of servitude tied to the word, but if the deception would get her inside Sebastian’s court, Ari was willing to play along. She waited to see what Andreas would say.

He lifted the other brow, as if in disbelief at Jerome’s impudence, then turned his back on the wolves. He spoke to his companions as if Sebastian’s people weren’t there. Andreas kept his voice bland, but his eyes glittered with mischief.

Ari suddenly realized he was enjoying this test of wills.

“I am afraid Sebastian is having some kind of security problem,” Andreas said. “Otherwise, they would not be restricting visitors. Under the circumstances, we will honor their request. Oliver, you will accompany us. Marcus and the werelions shall remain here, prepared to assist the wolves with this unknown peril.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “I would not want Sebastian to be endangered while his people are concerned with offering us their hospitality. Understood?” He waited until everyone nodded, then he flashed a brief smile and turned back toward the wolves. “We are ready to proceed.”

Jerome’s whole body bristled with suspicion. He glared at Andreas, clearly thinking he’d been insulted—but not quite sure. Andreas looked back at him with studied indifference. Finally the giant wolf mastered his temper and turned away, jerked his head at his partner, and together they pulled open the double doors.

Andreas wrapped his cool fingers around Ari’s left hand, and they entered the court chambers together. Oliver walked on Andreas’s left side.

Ari’s immediate impression was they had transported through time and space to a high school gymnasium, poorly decorated for a Roman or Grecian-themed school prom. Walls were draped with white cloths; white columns and statues stood here and there. If it was intended to be elegant, it had failed. Tacky came to mind. The Riverdale delegation crossed a wide polished wood floor and stopped in front of a raised platform at the far end. The stage was carpeted in black velvet with a white, pillowy couch placed in the center.

Lounging on the couch, as if posed for a photography shoot, was a squat figure clothed in a voluminous black robe, trimmed in vivid red. Sebastian, the vampire prince. Since Ari had seen him before, his comic appearance didn’t startle her, but she still had to stifle an urge to snicker. Maybe it was nerves.

Sebastian was short and thick, with a ridiculous mustache, reminiscent of the brushy appendage once favored by Hitler. In a further attempt at dramatic effect, he’d surrounded himself with bright red pillows. Larger pillows, matching in color, lay around the floor, occupied by four human females. Ari stiffened as she took a closer look at the women. Each girl—for they were very young—was dressed in a red, low-cut gown, displaying budding cleavage. Gold chains draped from their throats, ankles, and wrists. It was degrading, but Ari didn’t see any obvious sign of pain or discomfort in their placid expressions. On either side of the sofa, and behind it, stood eight vampires.

A bitchy-looking vampiress in black leather with a human male at her side stood closest to Sebastian and was probably his first lieutenant. The blond male next to them might have been good-looking if he’d lose the frown. He and an older male muscled like a wrestler gave off strong power vibes. Ari chalked off the two female vamps in short skirts and skimpy tops as decoration. Three additional males who looked so similar they were either brothers or clones had to be court guards. The entire group was unnaturally silent. No one spoke, smiled, or gave any indication of welcome.

Except Sebastian. His toothy grin spread from ear to ear in a chilling parody of the Cheshire cat. “Greetings, my friends! We are delighted to see you. We so rarely have guests, especially esteemed visitors from the United States of America.” After this grandiose greeting, the Toronto prince scooted off the couch and strutted toward them with his hands extended. Ari didn’t want him to touch her and fought the urge to back away.

Andreas dropped her hand and glided forward. “I bring you Prince Daron’s compliments,” he said, inclining his head a token amount. “Our goals are peaceful, and we ask for safe passage in your territory.”

“It is granted,” Sebastian said, sweeping his arms in a magnanimous gesture. “Come, Andreas, why so formal? Are we not old friends?”

“We are certainly old acquaintances.”

Sebastian paused at the implied difference. He heaved a dramatic sigh. “Do I detect a problem? Have you come on an unhappy errand, old friend?”

The two vampires stood almost ten feet apart, but tension rippled between them. They were surrounded by auras of power, invisible to most but with such substance it seemed as if Ari only had to put out her hand to touch the vibrating threads.

“Not so much unhappy as tedious.”

Sebastian tilted his head. “How so?”

Andreas seemed to ponder his answer. “A matter of protocol, I believe. Certain representatives of your court have visited Riverdale without presenting themselves to Prince Daron. In each case, their behavior has resulted in acts that might be interpreted as hostile. Even challenging. Of course, these incidents and the resulting need to eliminate some of your associates have caused Prince Daron great distress. I have come on his behalf to request your assistance in preventing further similar activities.” Andreas’s face remained bland throughout this formal speech, but no one listening could have missed the not-so-subtle warning.

Sebastian regarded him in stony silence. The bitchy-vampiress behind him snarled and took a step forward. Sebastian’s head snapped in her direction. “Quiet, Marta! Did I ask you to interfere? Keep your place.”

Marta made no verbal protest, but the minute Sebastian looked away, her jaw hardened.

The rest of the room waited.

Sebastian stepped over to one of the seated human girls and ran his fingers over her face. “I must admit, Andreas, you have surprised me.” He drew out his words as he leisurely bent forward to stroke the girl’s throat. When she dropped her gaze and sighed, Sebastian continued. “I was sure you were coming to me with an apology. We too have had unfortunate incidents, and I was almost certain I could smell Daron’s stench on the offenders.”

Ari barely breathed as she waited with everyone else to see where this ominous beginning would lead. Although Sebastian’s tone was mild, almost uninterested, with a singsong lilt, his eyes glowed with dark malice. Something truly evil lurked inside his somewhat silly façade.

Andreas gave a careless shrug. “Supposing that were true, would it not be all the more reason for us to clear up any misunderstandings, resolve potential conflicts?”

“Such diplomatic words. Is this the way of your new vampire community?” Sebastian sneered. “Flowery language with no substance? Come now, Andreas. The game grows tiresome. Daron owes me. He has been the offender.”

“Tiresome, maybe, but I disagree with your conclusion. In what way does Daron owe you? What exactly is your complaint?”

Hmm, this was getting interesting. The diplomacy in the room had grown thin. If the two vampires continued down this road, the Riverdale delegation would soon find itself in big trouble. Hadn’t Andreas said this was a peace mission? No fighting allowed.

Sebastian gave up caressing the girl and slowly turned his head toward Andreas, his mouth curling into a sneer. “Was I not plain? How remiss of me. I consider myself a plain-speaking man. I was accusing Prince Daron of sending saboteurs against my court. That would make you a hostile delegation. Not worthy of, or entitled to, hospitality.”

Sebastian drew the edge of his fingernail down the girl’s throat, and a small trickle of blood appeared. Eight pairs of eyes riveted on her throat as Sebastian’s vampires reacted to the sight.

Good Goddess. Ari’s throat tightened watching their response. Hadn’t they fed recently? Would Sebastian starve his own vampires just to gain an edge?

It was extremely painful for vampires to go without blood. And it made them vicious and even more unpredictable than usual. This was a bad sign. A very bad sign. Andreas stiffened beside her; he’d drawn the same conclusion. Sebastian had never intended to engage in peaceful negotiations.

Her witch blood began to stir, fingers tingling. If there was killing to be done, she silently vowed that Sebastian would be the first to go.

“Any actions by Prince Daron were the result of serious provocation, originating from this court.” Andreas’s eyes narrowed. “An assassination attempt, the murder of one of his lieutenants, attacks on others. Not to mention the demon.” His voice held an edge, a bare shadow of the tension cloaking the room.

In the stark silence that followed, Ari watched the Canadian vampires standing in back of the prince’s sofa. Marta looked ready to spring; the blond male watched Sebastian and Andreas with a deepening frown. The gloves had come off, and if it turned into a fight, she’d have to keep the rest of them busy while Andreas dealt with Sebastian. She slipped her hand into her pocket to find the hilt of the dagger. Until she was attacked, her oath denied the use of witch fire. Her fingers closed on the cold handle.

Then Sebastian giggled, a sound as inappropriate as unexpected, and his deceptive grin returned.