Eternal Prey (10 page)

Lia held her breath as a low grumbling worked its way from deep in the earth. The tunnel walls seemed to vibrate, and a few cracks appeared. Oh crap. And then everything stilled. For the moment.

Adam’s mask was beginning to slip. He smiled, but his fangs ruined the effect. “Be careful, my fae friend. I summoned you, so you owe me your allegiance.” He made sure he didn’t look directly at the dark fairy.

Kione shook his head. “Adam, Adam, you really need to reread your unseelie handbook. We answer to no one. And we tend to be terribly disloyal. It’s a weakness.”

Adam dropped his mask completely. “I can send you back anytime I feel like it.”

Lia was impressed. Adam in full fury was a scary sight. She wondered how many bridges she’d burned tonight over a bathroom. Would she regret her stand? Probably. Would she do it again? You bet.

“No. You. Can’t.” Kione lifted his own mask.

Ohmigod! Lia raised her hands to shield her eyes from the blaze of shimmering light that was Kione. Wind whipped around the transformed fairy, scattering loose papers and overturning chairs. Not ordinary wind, but moving air filled with immense power and a feeling of dread that had no reasonable explanation. The murmur of distant voices drifted on that wind, and Lia somehow knew the voices held death. She clamped her hands over her ears.

He wasn’t facing her, but she could tell from the look of horror on Adam’s face that Kione was definitely making his case.

Then suddenly, it was over. Kione was once again the unseelie prince they all knew and sort of loved. Adam was making a real effort to look indifferent.

“This isn’t worth making a big deal over.” Adam shrugged. “Sleep wherever you want. Just make sure you keep looking for the vampire, and let me know as soon as you find anything.” His expression said that they were dismissed.

No one spoke as they retraced their steps out of the tunnel. Back in Jude’s car, Lia allowed herself to semi-relax. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out of the parking lot. She didn’t ask Kione what had just happened. Utah didn’t either. Once experienced, some things were better left alone.

“Adam is smarter than I gave him credit for.” Utah actually looked at her. “He was pissed, but he held it all together. You should’ve stayed out of it, though. Once we find his rogue vampire for him, he’ll be out for blood.”

Lia was torn. How to react? His concern warmed her. No use trying to deny it. On the other hand, he was assuming she was the most vulnerable. Because she was human? Because she was a woman?

“Because you’re under his leadership.” Utah held up his hand. “No, I can’t read your mind, but I
can
read your expression. Once this is over, he’ll try to use his authority to remove you from power. Then he thinks he can kill you at his leisure.”

“He’s wrong. I’ll make sure I’m vampire by then.” She tried to ignore his disapproving stare. More reason to resist any physical attraction. He’d hate her as vampire. “And I’ll find allies. Jude isn’t too happy with our glorious leader. If we all stick together, Adam won’t be able to gather a large enough force to defeat us.”

“Adam won’t play fair. He’s not the type.” Kione sounded a little weary. “He’ll hire assassins until one of them gets you. He’ll never do the dirty work himself if he can find someone else to do it. Not admirable, but pretty pragmatic of him.”

She’d had enough of discussing Adam. The only way she could function was to live in the moment and let the future take care of itself. “Where should we go to sleep? I think we should stick together and not go back to where we were staying. Just in case Adam decides before he goes to sleep that he wants to trade us in for more biddable minions. He has a bunch of efficient killers working for him. And not all of them sleep during the day.”

Kione didn’t look as though he cared one way or another. “Adam will have a tough time putting this genie back in the bottle.”

“I vote for Fin’s condo. At least we won’t have to sleep with one eye open. Adam wouldn’t try to take on Fin there.” Utah gazed out the window. “Once we get a few hours’ sleep, maybe we can think of a better way to find this rogue.”

No one had anything to say about that all the way to Fin’s parking garage and up to his penthouse suite. Strange, but just before she entered the garage, Lia thought she saw a man standing among the trees by the side of the building. Tall, blond hair. But when she looked again, he was gone. Probably her overactive imagination.

They didn’t have a chance to ring the doorbell. The door was flung open and one of the Eleven stood there. Even though Fin had introduced them all last night, Lia couldn’t put names with faces yet. It had all been too rushed.

She controlled her instinct to step back. Barely. Wow. He was almost as tall as Fin with a wild tangle of dark hair, eerie pale eyes, and a surprisingly sensual mouth that didn’t do a thing to lower his scary index.

He dressed for impact. Sleeveless black T-shirt, torn jeans, and biker boots. Muscular and intimidating, he radiated bad attitude without saying a thing.

He glared at Utah. “I have better things to do than waiting around to jerk your ass out of the fire. I don’t do babysitting.”

“Go to hell.” Utah started to walk past him, but paused. “No, wait. Don’t go there. You’d like it too much.” He glanced at Kione. “This is Gig. No one’s ever seen him without his attitude.”

Gig transferred his glare to Kione and her. Mostly to Kione. “What’s he?”

Kione stepped forward. “
He
is a member of the unseelie court. And
he
doesn’t have to turn into a freaking prehistoric monster to drill your ass through that wall. And
he
is in a rotten mood, so back off.”

Lia glanced at Utah. He didn’t look too concerned. He’d probably love it if they tried to kill each other. Well, she couldn’t just stand here and do nothing.

Gig narrowed his eyes. He clenched his hands into fists. He took a step toward Kione.

She rushed into speech. “Gig’s an unusual name. And it’s short for . . . ?” Lia left the question hanging, hoping he’d pause to answer.

Gig looked as though he had to force his gaze from Kione. Lia figured he was getting hit by the dark fairy’s sensual club.

“Giganotosaurus.” He started to look away.

“Ohmigod.” She wasn’t faking her reaction. “I remember you. Back in Philly after I found out what the Eleven were I Googled dinosaurs. I was looking for the biggest and baddest. You were bigger than a T. rex. Fifty feet long.” His size froze her blood. “For God’s sake, don’t lose your temper. Your soul would knock out walls, bring the building down.” Okay, maybe not bring down the building. But eight tons of angry dinosaur would definitely get noticed by the neighbors.

Gig’s smile was evil, crazy, and terrifying all at the same time. “I. Don’t. Care.” His insane smile widened. “And after my beast gets through bouncing him off whatever walls are still standing, I’ll find out why he’s making me want to screw everyone in this room.”

Utah finally intervened. “Hold it, big guy. Kione’s a guest of Fin’s. You know what will happen if you attack a guest. Remember what happened to Al?”

Uncertainty touched Gig’s pale eyes. “The room.”

“Right. Think about it. Stuck in the containment room until Fin gets good and ready to release you. No stalking, no killing,
nothing
.”

“No one ever told me about a containment room.”

Utah answered Lia without taking his gaze from Gig. “A large reinforced room Fin has for any of the Eleven that lose themselves to their beasts. An in-house prison.”

The no-killing part seemed to settle Gig down. He exhaled deeply and slowly unclenched his fists. Lia could almost see his soul receding. She was impressed. She’d have to remember to invoke the containment room the next time she met a ticked-off member of the Eleven.

“Fin said you’d be sleeping here.” Gig still shot challenging glances Kione’s way.

“He was in my damn head again. Just because I leave the connection open doesn’t mean he has to use it.” Utah seemed to gather his calm around him. It didn’t look easy. “And I don’t need you on call to save my butt. Where is Fin anyway?”

“Fin’s busy giving Zero some mental static right now, so I’m supposed to show you to your rooms.” Gig’s expression said he’d rather be out somewhere killing and maiming. “Who’s the woman? I know Fin introduced her, but he didn’t give any details.”

Utah didn’t give Lia a chance to lay into Gig. “You know, you’d have a lot more friends if you didn’t treat everyone like dirt. Hey, here’s an original thought. Maybe you could even talk to a person when she’s standing right in front of you.”

Gig looked as though he was trying to decide if killing Utah was worth the effort. He finally turned to her. “Who’re you besides Lia who knows a lot about vampires?”

She returned his glare. “I lead the Northeast vampires. I’m helping you guys find Seven.” She left out her connection to Katherine.

“A
human
woman leads a bunch of vampires?” Translation: a dust bunny leads the monsters under the bed?

“A prehistoric pinhead thinks he can save the world?” Fine, so she had a raging case of juvenile one-upmanship.

“Hmmph.” Gig started to turn away but then paused. He didn’t quite look at Kione. “Impressive weapon you have there. I’d like to talk to you sometime. Maybe find out what else you can do.” Then he walked off, leaving them to trail after him.

“Amazing.” Utah sounded amused. “Feel honored, Kione. I’ve never heard Gig tell anyone he’d like to talk to them. He’s mad at everyone 24/7, and he walks alone.”

“He wants something. They all do.”

His tone didn’t leave much doubt in Lia’s mind what he thought Gig wanted. She was horrified. How could he go through life thinking—?

Utah touched her arm. “You okay?” He sounded as though the words were being dragged from him.

She had been until he touched her. The sizzle and burn from that one touch seared a path straight through her confidence. She’d been so sure she could shut down any attraction to him. Uh-huh. That was working well. “Yeah. Fine.”

She met his gaze. Concern? He was confusing her. She’d had him safely packed inside a box labeled “Murderous Ancient Predator,” complete with a bloodred bow. Had she put him in the wrong box? She hoped not. She had to keep her prejudices strong. Because his one touch had raised a real problem.

She still thought he was hot. As in I-keep-forgetting-why-I-shouldn’t-want-you hot. She had to fight those feelings. His blue eyes might promise clear skies and happy times for all, a summer picnic scenario, but they lied. Instead, they were the calm waters of a lake just before the monster rose to eat everyone. Picnic canceled. His tangled blond hair framed a face that hid dangerous shadows even on a bright sunny day. He was not your all-American guy. Utah had scary things going on inside him. And to want him was to dance in the fast lane at rush hour. That was a bad thing, right?

Not that what she thought really mattered, because he sure wouldn’t want anything to do with someone who had “become vampire” penciled into her daily planner.

Lia watched his smooth stride as he followed Gig. She loved the way he moved, all coiled energy and fluid animal grace. Sexual. She didn’t get a chance to inventory anything else about him before they reached her room.

She stayed in her room exactly five minutes. That’s how long it took her to decide she didn’t want to be alone with her own thoughts and doubts. Besides, now that her adrenaline had stopped spiking, Lia realized she was starving.

Pulling on a change of clothes, she headed toward the kitchen . . . where she found Utah rooting around in the fridge. She joined him. “Anything interesting?”

“Some roast beef. I’ll make us a few sandwiches. Go relax. I’ll bring the stuff to the living room.” His words sounded normal, but tension thrummed beneath them.

Lia didn’t argue with him. Rubbing shoulders as they’d peered into the fridge had triggered thoughts about creating friction with other body parts. She started to leave.

“Wait. You never told me how you got that name from the vampire.” He held containers in both hands, so he shoved the door shut with his hip.

“I pricked my finger with a pin. He followed the blood scent. Then I played a drunk and stupid human who thought meeting a vampire was cool. I wouldn’t get into the car with him until he’d told me his leader’s name. He was so lost to the hunger that he got it out before the pain hit him.”

“Then?”

She shrugged. “I warned him to leave town and walked away.”

He was silent for a heartbeat. “Is this a my-way-is-better-than-your-way thing?”

“No. It’s about not having just one strategy to solve a problem.” She took a deep breath. May as well say it. “I never knew Katherine. She rejected me right after I was born. Wasn’t vampire enough. I think the idea that she’d given birth to a human horrified her. But I never gave up hoping I’d do something to make her proud, to make her
notice
me. So I worked twice as hard as everyone else. I learned to shoot and use a sword. But the most valuable thing I learned was to use my mind. I’d never be as powerful as her vampires, but I could be a lot smarter.”

His gaze softened. “I’ll admit it, I was worried about you tonight. But you saved my butt from Zero and got important info for us. I don’t need any other proof. Your mother missed knowing an amazing daughter. Her loss.”