Darkness Unbound (13 page)

I might not be trained, but I sure as hell was more capable than
him
when it came to sensing soul stealers. I wisely kept the words inside, though. Taking
that
particular tack wouldn’t gain me anything more than his fury. And he was angry enough as it was.

“Go home, Ris,” he said, slapping the car with his palms. “I’ll contact you when we have any news.”

He stepped back. I glanced at Tao, who grimaced but shoved the car into gear and left.

“Well, that went surprisingly well,” I commented once we were out of earshot.

Tao gave me an incredulous look. “The man was barely resisting the urge to rip you out of the car and spank you!”

“Ah, but he didn’t, so I consider that a win for our side.”

“It’s hardly us and them. You’re on the same side, remember?”

“Yeah, but they won’t let me help.”

“With good reason, I’d say. They’re the professionals, not us.”

“I promised Mom I’d investigate this.” Which wasn’t exactly the truth. All I’d really promised was to see the little girl and advise the parents as to her state. But after seeing her, after feeling what she’d gone through, I couldn’t let the matter drop. Her death haunted me, and her pain wouldn’t ease until I knew who—or what—had caused it.

And stopped them.

“Then what’s our next course of action?”

I smiled at his use of
our
. Whether I liked it or not, he was going to help, and that was both scary and comforting. “We need to stop and get Ilianna her ice cream.”

He waved a hand dismissively. “I know
that.
”

I smiled. “Azriel said—”

“Azriel?” Tao interrupted. “As in the reaper? You spoke to him in there?”

“I called him. Apparently he’s tuned to my Chi or something.”

“Oh, that has to be fun,” he muttered darkly. “You have a reaper at your beck and call.”

“Trust me, this is one reaper you would
not
want to play with.”

He snorted softly. “I can’t see a good reason to be playing with
any
of them.”

“It’s not like I actually have a choice in this.” And to be fair, neither did he, apparently.

“I guess.” He half shrugged. “Go on.”

“He said there was blood magic involved—that it was used to transport the thing that did this into the house, and to also hide its form. Handberry’s last memories showed little more than a vague, smoky mass.”

“So we have a dark practitioner at large.” He flicked on the turn signal and turned onto Hoddle Street. “Do you think Ilianna will know if there’s one active in Melbourne?”

“It’s worth asking.” Neither Ilianna nor Mirri was a member of a coven, preferring to practice individually, but both had some serious contacts in the witch world. If there was a Charna active, those contacts might have heard whispers. Or at least felt the wisps of his or her evil.

“And if she hasn’t heard anything?”

I scrubbed a hand across my eyes. “I don’t know.”

Tao was silent for a moment, then said, “What about looking for the connection between the little girl and Handberry? If blood magic was involved, then it surely couldn’t be a random attack.”

“That would involve running a complete background check on both victims. Neither you nor I have the skills for that sort of hacking.” And I couldn’t ask Uncle Rhoan. He’d kill me. Or lecture me, which was usually worse.

“But Stane
has
. And he loves a challenge.”

I frowned. “I don’t know. This situation could get very dangerous. It’s bad enough that I’ve involved you and Ilianna.”

“Stane is more than able to take care of himself—”

“Not against something that is transported by magic and can steal souls.”

He made a frustrated growl, then said, “Do you want this solved or not?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then you need outside help. Stane will do it. And surely Ilianna can magic up something that will repel evil?”

I nodded reluctantly. “She can do wards—that might help protect him if he gets a little too close to the source.”

“Then that’s what we do.” He glanced at me, blue contacts catching the passing lights and gleaming brightly in the darkness. “You are not doing this alone, Ris. End of story.”

I knew that tone. He would not be dissuaded. I drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. But it didn’t do much to ease the frustration flowing through me.

“Contact him tomorrow,” I said. “Right now we all need to get some sleep.”

Or the damn paperwork was not going to make
any
sense.

“You’d better shift shape and clothes,” he said. “Just in case those men are still watching the house.”

I face-shifted back to Kiera’s image—I was so tired, it seemed to take even more effort than usual—then stripped off Tao’s sweater and put my dress and Kiera’s coat back on. After changing shoes, I closed my eyes and leaned against the window, letting the rhythm lull me into a half sleep. It didn’t last very long—all too soon we were pulling up outside our apartment.

“Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty,” Tao said, altogether too cheerfully. “We’re home.”

I grumbled something unintelligible even to me and pushed away from the window, stretching my arms above my head in an attempt to wake up. He was already out the door and, a second later, my door was opened. He clasped my fingers and helped me out, his skin a furnace compared with mine.

He frowned. “You need to eat. You’ve obviously shifted too much.”

“What I need,” I murmured, keeping my voice low because we had no idea where those men might be or if they had listening devices with them, “is sleep. And lots of it.”

He grunted and looked into the scanner. It was only then that I realized he was holding a tub of ice cream in his other hand. He must have stopped when I was asleep. “I’ll make you a burger before you go to bed.”

I shuddered. “At this hour? I’ll never sleep.”

“Then grab some cake, at least.” He gave me a sideways look, a wry smile touching his lips. “Don’t try to tell me you can’t do chocolate cake, because I know for a fact that would be a lie.”

I grinned. “Chocolate cake can and should be eaten whatever the hour.”

The door opened. Ilianna was standing on the other side. Her glance ran from him to me and back again, then she sighed. “I’m so glad you’re both safe. I had a really bad feeling things had gone wrong.”

“They did,” I said grimly, walking past her as she stepped aside. “Just not for us.”

The door slammed closed behind us. I made my way to my bedroom and shifted back to own face. I felt even shittier as I stripped off my clothes and grabbed a T-shirt and jeans from my wardrobe. Tao was right—I needed to eat. Three seconds later I was heading for the kitchen.

“Where are Kiera and Rocky?” I asked over my shoulder, opening the fridge and pulling out the cake. It was six inches high and chock-full of cream, ganache, and strawberries.

“Asleep in the guest room,” Ilianna replied. “We weren’t sure what time you’d get back.”

“Don’t wake them.” Tao walked across to the coffee machine and pulled out three cups.

“I won’t.” Ilianna shoved her tub of ice cream away, then added, “So, what happened?”

“Handberry was killed by the soul stealer, meaning our two different cases might have collided.” I glanced at Tao. “You want a piece?”

He shook his head and started making coffee. I looked back at Ilianna. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard if there are any Charna active in the city?”

She raised her eyebrows. “And why would you be asking a question like that?”

“Because according to Azriel—”

“Hang on,” she said. “Who is Azriel?”

“The reaper who’s following me. According to him, the soul stealer is being transported and protected by blood magic. To me, that indicates either a Charna or possibly a Satanist.”

“If blood magic is involved, you’re more than likely right.” She frowned. “I haven’t heard anything, but I’m not a member of a coven, so that’s not unusual. I can ask around, if you’d like.”

“I’d like.” I dropped a big slab of cake onto a plate and headed into the living room. Tao followed with the coffees, handing them out once we’d sat down. “But be careful. We don’t want the wrong people aware that we’re asking any questions. That could get dangerous.”

And things were dangerous enough as it was.

She lightly blew on her coffee, then asked, “So have you any idea why Handberry was killed?”

“None whatsoever,” I said as the doorbell rang.

“Who the hell could that be at this hour?” Tao said, frowning as his gaze met mine.

“Well, I’m sure not expecting anybody—are you?”

He shook his head. Flames danced briefly across his fingertips, then were extinguished. “I’ll watch your back.”

I regretfully dumped my cake onto the table, then walked across to the door. A quick look at the monitor revealed a small, slender woman with dark hair and the most amazing green eyes. It wasn’t anyone I knew.

I pressed the intercom and said, “Can I help you?”

“I need to speak to Risa Jones rather urgently.”

“And who can I say is calling?”

“Madeline Hunter.”

I knew that name. It was a name that had been spoken in whispers by both Riley and Rhoan. This woman—this tiny presence standing outside my door—was one of the most powerful and feared vampires in Melbourne. And if it
was
her, she was rarely seen outside the halls of the Directorate.

So what the hell was she doing standing on my doorstep?

“Prove it.”

A smile flickered across her lips, but never made it to her eyes. The green depths remained cold and calculating. She pulled a small wallet out of her purse and opened it up. The ID inside said MADELINE HUNTER.

The woman in charge of the whole damn Directorate.

“N
OW MAY
I
COME IN
?”
SHE DRAWLED, PUTTING
the ID away.

“Not on your fucking life,” I muttered. I hit the
MUTE
button then, swung around, meeting Tao’s and Ilianna’s curious gazes. “Say nothing. Do
not
invite her in.”

“Why?” Ilianna asked, confusion crossing her features. “I saw her badge—she’s Directorate. She’s not about to hurt us.”

I snorted softly. “You need to listen to some of the stories Rhoan and Riley tell about the Directorate. Besides, she’s a vampire. If we invite her across the threshold, she can waltz in anytime she likes.”

“So what’s to stop her using her vamp mojo on us and forcing an invitation that way?” Tao asked.

“Because the invitation has to be freely given.” But that didn’t mean she couldn’t use her vamp telepathy skills to create other sorts of orders. I walked across the room, retrieved my phone from my purse, flicked it across to vid-screen, and said “Quinn.” I knew he’d be up. He might be half Aedh, but he was also a vamp and he rarely slept nights—even if he spent half of them in bed with Riley.

“Risa,” he said, the Irish lilt in his voice holding a hint of surprise. “Why are you calling at this hour? Is anything wrong?”

“I’m not entirely sure. Hang on.” I walked across to the door and pressed the control screen. As the door slid aside, I said into the phone, “There’s a woman outside my door claiming to be Director Hunter. Is this really her?”

I turned the phone around so he could see. Again, amusement flirted with Hunter’s lips—and again, the look in her eyes suggested she was anything but amused.

“Madeline,” Quinn said immediately, his voice cool and the soft lilt gone. “Do not try anything on her. Do not tamper with her mind. I’ll know.”

She snorted softly—almost elegantly—as her gaze moved to me. “You have some mighty powerful allies, Risa, but I’m no threat to you.”

Not yet
.

The unspoken words hung in the air between us. I turned the phone back around. Uncle Quinn’s dark eyes glittered like black diamonds in the small screen. “If you don’t call back within the hour, I’m coming after you.”

“Thanks.” I hung up, then slipped the phone into my jeans pocket. Uncle Quinn might be one step down the ladder from this woman in the vampire hierarchy, but he was something the older ones weren’t. He was part Aedh, and he’d once been an assassin for the vampire council. And they feared him. I knew that tidbit from Riley herself.

I looked Madeline Hunter square in the eyes. “What do you want?”

With a long, slender hand, she motioned past me to the apartment’s interior. “A bit of common courtesy would be a nice start.”

“If you want to talk to me, we can go elsewhere. McDonald’s is around the corner and open twenty-four hours.” I smiled tightly. “I’m sorry, but you’re not getting permission to waltz into my house.”

Her lip curled ever so slightly. Obviously, Director Hunter and McDonald’s were not compatible. Or maybe it was my attitude she wasn’t compatible with. After all, she’d been running the Directorate since its inception, and I doubted she’d heard the word
no
very often.

“If you insist,” she said flatly. “Let us go there now.”

“Just let me grab my coat.” I didn’t wait for her answer, just jogged to my bedroom to fetch my leather coat and shove on some shoes. “Azriel,” I said softly, “You might want to listen in on this conversation.”

There was no answer, but then I didn’t really expect any.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Ilianna whispered as she and Tao came into my bedroom. “I mean, why the hell would the Director be visiting you at this hour?”

I snorted softly. “Who’s betting it has something to do with my father?”

After all, almost everything else that had gone wrong so far did.

“You want me to come along?” Tao asked, flexing fingers that danced with little jets of flames.

“No.” I squeezed his arm in appreciation of the offer, then added, “But it might be handy to see if Stane can get us the latest in nanowires. If the Directorate is getting involved, we might just need them.”

He frowned. “Will they stop someone as powerful as Hunter?”

“Probably not—but they sure as hell will make reading or controlling our minds a bit more difficult.”

He nodded. “I’ll get on it right away.”

“Get three.”

“Ris—” Ilianna said.

I cut her off with a sharp movement of my hand. “You’re wearing one, Ilianna. I don’t care if it goes against some witch rule. I want you protected.”

She didn’t look happy, but she didn’t argue, either. I squeezed Tao’s arm again and headed out. Hunter was still standing where I’d left her. I guess it had been too much to hope that she’d given up and left.

I waved her forward. She turned around and walked down the stairs, her black stilettos making little sound on the metal stairs. A woman who walked so lightly in heels that high was, in my estimation, extremely dangerous. But then, the mere fact that she was the head of the Directorate suggested that. You couldn’t maintain control for as long as she had by being anything but.

“McDonald’s is one street over,” I said as we hit the pavement. “On the corner of Swan and Botherambo streets.”

She glanced at me. “Botherambo?”

“Yeah. Odd name.” I shrugged. “They do good coffee.”

Or rather, it was far better than the stuff the old bar they’d ripped down and replaced used to produce. The older folk in the area were still boycotting McDonald’s to protest losing their local watering hole, but I couldn’t see the point. Especially since those of us who liked to party late could get something to eat at all hours.

Hunter didn’t say anything else and neither did I. Her scent rolled across the night—a faint mix of jasmine, bergamot, and sandalwood that was surprisingly pleasant, even for a nose as sensitive as a werewolf’s. Or a half-were’s, as was the case.

The chrome-and-glass building that housed McDonald’s soon came into sight. The big golden
M
dominated the rooftop and spread warmth through the darkness. Nearby, Swan Street was surprisingly busy, especially considering the early hour and the fact it was a weekday morning. The constant rumble of noise was regularly punctuated by the clatter of trains scooting across the old brick bridge, the bright light coming from the carriage interiors creating crazed patterns on the streets below.

Hunter held the side door open by her fingertips until I was through.

“What would you like?” I asked.

She somehow managed to look down her nose at me, even though she was several inches shorter. “I’d like not to be here, but I suppose a skinny latte will do.”

A skinny latte? Since when did a vampire have to worry about her weight? I ordered—and got—both a skinny and a full-cream latte, then walked across to the table she’d selected in the corner.

I placed her cup in front of her then sat down opposite. After peeling off the plastic lid, I dumped three packets of sugar in and gave it a quick stir.

Hunter took hers as is—although the brief flicker of distaste that crossed her face once she’d taken a sip more than backed up her statement that she liked neither this place nor this coffee.

Tough.

I took a drink, tried not to think about the thick, gooey cake I’d left sitting at home, and said, “So why am I the lucky recipient of a personal visit from the woman in charge of the Directorate?”

She interlaced her fingers and stared at me blandly. “I’m here about your father.”

“Isn’t everyone,” I muttered, and wished I’d brought some alcohol with me. I had a feeling I was going to need it.

She raised a sculpted black eyebrow. “There have been others inquiring about your father’s whereabouts?”

“Yeah, but you already know that. Uncle Rhoan took one of the thugs in for questioning yesterday afternoon.”

“Ah yes,” she said, as if she’d forgotten, though we both knew she hadn’t. “Unfortunately, that man couldn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know.”

“And what do you already know?” I didn’t think she’d answer, but it was worth a shot.

She simply gave me one of those cool vampire smiles they all seemed to do so well. “Have you heard from your father?”

“No. And I don’t expect to, either.” I raised the cup, took another drink, then reached for another sugar packet. “Why is the Directorate suddenly so interested in whatever my father is up to? You hunt down bad vamps, not Aedh up to no good.”

She took another sip of coffee, and it wasn’t a case of second time lucky. She took a handkerchief from her purse and gently patted her lips, as if to wipe away the flavor. I snorted softly. Okay, so it wasn’t top-shelf, but it wasn’t
that
bad, either.

“We are responsible for tracking down anything that is guilty of destroying human lives,” she said eventually. “And if the rumors about what your father is attempting are true, then he could potentially destroy millions. That makes it our business.”

“Only if he’s doing what everyone thinks he’s doing.” Not that I particularly wanted to defend the man, but hey, I owed him my existence. No one had actually brought me any proof that he was up to no good. “And you could have sent any of your subordinates here to ask about my absent parent, so why are you really here?”

Again the sculpted eyebrow rose, but the green eyes underneath gave nothing away. Then again, this was a woman who’d seen over fifteen hundred years. She’d be more than a little practiced at containing her emotions.

“I merely wish to ask you to contact me the moment you hear from your father.”

Contact
her
. Not the Directorate. Did that mean this wasn’t an official Directorate meeting? Was she here for reasons of her own?

My heart skipped a beat. Madeline Hunter wasn’t just the woman in charge of the Directorate, but also a top-ranking member of the vampire high council. And it was a scary thought that
they
might be getting involved in this.

I swallowed to ease the sudden dryness in my throat, and said, “Why?”

“Because I wish to speak to him.”

Again,
I
rather than
we
. “The Directorate doesn’t usually talk to people intent on destroying millions.”

“Unless,” she drawled softly, “they are involved in research that has interesting possibilities.”

Dread rippled through me. I stared at her for a moment, then leaned back in my chair. “What sort of interesting possibilities?”

“It occurs to us that a device designed to permanently close the gates could be re-engineered and used to open or close them at will.” She tapped a purple-painted nail against the plastic tabletop. “The ability to do that would be useful, and it would also provide us an interesting alternative.”

Something cold settled into the pit of my stomach. I took a long drink of coffee, but it didn’t do much to dislodge the ice. I licked my lips, then said, somewhat incredulously, “You want to use
hell
as your own private jail?”

Yet again that eyebrow rose. “You sound surprised.”

“It’s
hell
. You know, the place where all manner of demons, devils, and bad souls hang out. Playing around with the gates that protect us all is not a good idea.”

And I could just imagine what the reapers would make of it. They certainly wouldn’t be thrilled about the prospect of someone
else
gaining control over the light or dark pathways.

“Demons and devils enter this world all the time,” Hunter said, “so the gates are an insufficient means of protection.”

“The gates are not the problem. The magic that forces them open temporarily
is
. Stop the Charna, sorcerers, or Satanists responsible, and you’ll stop the dark ones from entering.”

She leaned forward a little, as if to convince me of her earnestness. All it did was make me suspect there was more to this than what she was saying. “But if we could learn what makes them work, then perhaps we can also make them stronger.”

“If it were possible for them to be strengthened, then I think the reapers would have done it by now.” I took another sip of coffee and tried to ignore the chills running down my spine. Tried to ignore the little voice in the back of my mind suggesting that Hunter’s plans involved me a whole lot more than she was admitting.

“Reapers?” A brief glimmer in her eyes suggested interest. Or maybe that was me reading far too much into the flicker of movement in her otherwise well-controlled features. “You can see them?”

“Whether I can or not is irrelevant to this conversation.”

“I disagree. If you can see the reapers, you can see the gates. And that is a talent we sorely lack.”

We
as in the Directorate, or the high council? I wasn’t entirely certain which one she meant. “I’ve never seen the gates,” I said. “I’ve never walked the gray fields.”

Of course, the latter part of that statement was a total fabrication, but I was betting she really didn’t know what I was capable of. Mom certainly wouldn’t have told her, and the only other people who knew were those who’d been in the hospital room when I’d pulled Aunt Riley from those fields so long ago.