Hunting Season (Aurora Sky (19 page)

I stopped resisting and allowed my guard to escort me past the living room. We entered a narrow hallway off the far side of the townhouse. It wasn't far to the music room. The door was open. Fane's guard pushed him inside. Mine was right behind them. He gave me a shove in behind Fane, who had whirled around and stood arms crossed tightly over his chest. He glared with venom through the entry. I'd barely regained my footing when my guard closed the door on us. The lock clicked into place from the other side. Fane and I were trapped inside the music room.

I'd failed Dante yet again. How was I supposed to free him when I was now a prisoner locked securely inside the palace?

The door of the music room wasn't budging, no matter how hard I stared at the hunk of wood. I pivoted, turning my back in frustration.

“God, I hate this room.”

My eyes darted from one wall to the next. I didn't want to remember what happened here nearly seven months ago. I continued gazing at the door even knowing I couldn't stare at it all night. Locked inside the music room, wrists bound. How was I supposed to stay calm?

Fane kicked the wall. “Way to go, Henry.”

“What happened, anyway?” I asked. “When did he turn on us?”

Fane pulled on the hair at the top of his head. “Everything was going fine. Joss and I picked Henry up and met his friends here before the party started. I didn't mention the change in plan. I figured Henry was on edge enough already. In the end it didn't matter, anyway. Valerie never showed up. We opened the doors and had ourselves a tribute party. Then, about an hour ago, I saw Henry take a call. He started acting funny after that. He went around whispering to his friends. When I confronted him, he said he needed to talk to me in private right away.” Fane flicked his fingers in the air. “We went upstairs into a room. They pulled a gun on me.” Fane snorted. “Like I was going anywhere. They took my phone and here we are.”

The last place I wanted to be.

Fane crossed his arms over his chest. “I take it your mission was a success if all Diederick's guests and associates are now dead.”

“Getting caught doesn't quite count as a success. But I did get Jared.” My teeth jammed together when I smiled. Despite being trapped, fooling the mighty vamp still made me smile.

Fane inclined his head. “What do you mean you ‘got Jared?'”

My smile widened. “I invited him in for a drink after he drove me home. He came in, and I drugged his rum and Coke.”

Fane didn't smile back. If anything, his frown deepened. “That was reckless even for you.”

My smile dropped. Way to put a damper on my moment of triumph. “Well it worked, didn't it?”

Fane's arms dropped to his sides. “No, it didn't. Look where we are.” He groaned. His frustration echoed off the walls.

My eyes narrowed. “You don't need to remind me. I'm very familiar with this room.”

I turned away from Fane and looked around. The room was the size of a small office and empty besides one massive stereo system and two giant speakers. The walls were covered in grayish white padding. Nothing had changed. It was exactly as I remembered it.

My gaze drifted down to the floor, the exact spot where Marcus had fallen to his death after I stabbed him. I stared so long my eyes went out of focus.

I lifted both hands and pointed at the floor. “There. That's where Marcus died.”

Fane glanced down.

“He bit me first, but it did no good. I mean, he got the shakes, but it didn't knock him out. He came after me.” I nodded at the speakers. “He played Alice in Chains. 'We Die Young.'”

I never wanted to hear that song again. I circled the center of the room. “He grabbed me by the neck. He squeezed so hard I thought the end had come, but then I took out my knife and stabbed him in the thigh. After that, the heart. Then he went down. There,” I said nodding once more at the spot on the floor. “Strangulation isn't pleasant,” I continued. “I had to strangle a vampire to death for my final test at boot camp.”

I looked at Fane, searching his face for a reaction. His eyebrows furrowed. He frowned.

“Your hand was forced,” Fane said.

“Not anymore,” I said. “I completed Melcher's mission like he wanted. He said we'd get Dante back afterwards. I'm making sure that happens. I called Noel before I left the house. She was on her way. She'll secure Jared.” I nodded my head. “She will.”

Fane's eyes flicked toward the door. “Why didn't you tell Diederick you had Jared?”

I inclined my head. “The man you saw with him is an agency informant.”

Fane's eyes expanded. “Oh, shit.”

I nodded. “When he showed up at my house he wanted to know where Jared was. They followed his car to my place from the hillside. I said he'd escaped out back.”

“Good thinking,” Fane said.

And good to hear he agreed with one thing I'd done that night.

“It was at the time, but God knows what he's thinking now.” My wrists chaffed where the informant had bound them. First duct tape, and now zip ties. The glamorous life of a vampire hunter.

Fane looked paler than usual. “What's he going to think of my story about hiring you to spy at parties?”

A calm wave washed over me. “It doesn't matter what he thinks. Valerie's on her way to the palace to get Henry as we speak. If he attempts to stop her, he's dead. And in order to maintain his cover, he'll have to take action.”

“How do you know Valerie's coming?” Fane asked, taking a step toward me.

“She made an unscheduled appearance at the lodge. She's already shot two agents tonight. She would have shot Jared, but then he told her she's a vampire.”

Fane sucked in a breath. “Valerie knows she's undead?”

I met his eye. “She does now.”

“Porca vacca! Cazzo!”
Fane yelled, suddenly sounding very Italian… and very angry. His jaw tightened, and his shoulders tensed. Fane rushed to the door and pounded on it.

“What are you doing?” I cried, coming up behind him.

“We have to warn them. She could kill Joss.” Fane beat at the door with his fist.

I fought to free my own wrists, straining against the ties. They cut into my skin and stung. How could such a thin piece of plastic hold firm?

When no one answered Fane's incessant pounding, he threw his shoulder into the door. It smacked hard, but still no one came.

“Dammit,” Fane said, jamming his back against the door. “Why didn't you say something earlier?”

I frowned. “Everything happened so quickly. I had no idea they'd throw us in here.”

Everything had happened so fast and now, thanks to me, we were locked inside the music room. No, not me, the agency. Once more they'd screwed me over. They'd been screwing with Fane before I was ever turned into a vampire hunter.

Valerie never would have set her sights on Fane if Melcher hadn't assigned her to get close to him. I hadn't required any such instruction. I'd been drawn to Fane's darkness all on my own. The more I got to know him, the more I saw his dark exterior for what it was: a disguise hiding the goodness inside.

“She has no reason to kill him,” I said, hoping to ease Fane's mind. “Those other two agents tried to attack her. Somehow I have trouble picturing Joss charging her.”

“No, he wouldn't,” Fane said. “But if she sees Joss, she'll know I'm here somewhere, and she'll want to know where.”

My heart jerked like a football being dropkicked. I hadn't thought about that part. Joss might hold out, but Henry wouldn't. He had no loyalty toward us. And when Valerie found us, we'd be like sitting ducks.

15

I fought the plastic tie, attempting to pull my wrists apart and break it in the process. It bit into my wrists. The right one stung. A trickle of blood inked its way down the inside of my arm. With a cry of pain, I stopped. The only thing I'd broken through was skin.

Fane moved to me swiftly. He lifted my hands and inspected the tie. “It's not coming off without scissors or a knife.”

Fane released my hands, walked to the stereo, and stopped in front of it.

I stared at his tall, dark, lean form. Fane stayed that way, back to me, taking keen interest in the giant speaker.

“Are you thinking we should blow out her eardrums when she walks in?” I asked. At this point, the only thing I had to work with was humor.

“Actually, I was thinking I could throw this speaker at her when she opens the door.” Fane turned around and grinned for one brief second. “There are two of us and one of her.”

“More like one and a half,” I said lifting my wrists. “And she's got a gun.”

Fane's eyes roved the room. “Never underestimate a cornered animal. When will she be here?”

“I don't know. I punctured her tire on the hillside to slow her down.”

Fane's lips twitched right before he laughed. It was the best sound I'd heard all night.

“You slashed her tires?” he asked, voice lifting.

A smile broke over my lips. “One of them.”

Fane smirked. “The princess doesn't know how to change a tire. We could be waiting all night.” He paced the wall by the door.

“Maybe they'll leave before then,” I said nodding at the door. “Maybe one of Henry's friends will drive Joss home.”

Fane stopped pacing and frowned. “They won't leave until they've made a decision about us.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “Maybe they'll sleep on it.”

Fane shook his head. “Diederick isn't going into a peaceful slumber anytime soon—not after what happened tonight.”

“Well, maybe he'll come in to question us, at which time we can warn him about Valerie.”

“And tell him what exactly?” Fane asked.

“That if he hadn't tied my hands, threatened me, and thrown me in here, I might have had a chance to warn him sooner.” My shoulder jerked. “I don't know.”

Fane's jaw tightened. “And if it's Valerie?”

“Like you said, there are two of us. Whoever opens that door has to answer to us both. Together until the end.” I lifted my chin.

Fane smiled briefly. “Together until the end,” he repeated. He took a step toward me. “This won't be our ending, Aurora Sky. We have the whole world outside that door waiting to be explored. We have each other.”

Tears swam in my eyes. I never felt them coming. Fane blurred before me. A warm wet line drew down my cheek. I swallowed.

Fane didn't step closer; his words and voice were comfort enough. It wasn't as if I could hug him back if he embraced me, anyway.

Fane wrapped his thumbs around his belt loops. “When this is all over, I think we should get out of town.”

“Oh, yeah?” I asked, blinking back my tears. I lifted both wrists to swipe the wet trail on my cheek.

Fane's eyes shone when I looked into them. “Wherever you want to go. I'll take you there.”

I raised my eyebrows. “The Eiffel Tower?”

“Done.”

“Taj Mahal?”

“Why not?”

“How about the Pyramids?”

“I hope you like camels.”

I laughed. “It would be nice to see something other than moose.”

Fane stared into my eyes. “Just say the word.”

“You're telling me Joss won't mind funding our world tour?”

Fane's chest expanded as he arched back. “I've got my own money.”

“So long as you didn't make it robbing graves,” I said. That's how Giselle and her family got their start. It completely creeped me out.

“I didn't make a dime of it,” he said. “Been in the family for generations. I've just gotten to enjoy it longer than my ancestors.” He laughed without humor.

I squinted at Fane. This was something he hadn't mentioned before. He'd led me to believe that Joss paid their bills with his online rare books business.

“Do you come from a wealthy family or something?” I asked.

Fane removed his thumbs from his belt loop and folded his arms. “Something like that,” he answered cryptically.

“So you inherited everything and, being unable to produce an heir, kept it for yourself?”

No wonder Fane handled vampirism so well. It would be a lot easier to come and go as he pleased if he was financially set for life.

“Not everything,” Fane said. “I had a younger brother. I've made sure to take care of each generation of his family.”

“Anonymously?”

“They know about me.”

My jaw dropped. “What? They know you're a vampire?”

Fane nodded once. “That's right.”

There was a lot I didn't know about Fane, but I hadn't expected this. Not only did he have a lot of friends, he had family—actual family, as opposed to a vampire family.

“And that doesn't freak them out?” I asked.

“Did Santa Claus freak you out when you were a kid?”

I tilted my head, not sure where he was going with this. “What do you mean?”

“Each new generation of Donados tells their children about me while they are still young. They believe in vampires the same way kids believe in Santa when their parents tell them he exists. Only in my case, it's true.”

“And they don't go running off to tell their friends?” I asked. It seemed way too risky to share with kids.

Fane shook his head. “They are sworn to secrecy. It's the Donado family secret.”

“Still seems like it would be tempting to brag to a friend,” I said.

“Family comes first.”

“Okay, so do you have a Christmas reunion or something with them every year?”

Fane's shoulders sagged. He broke eye contact, staring to the side of me.

“I haven't been back home in a while, but we keep in touch.”

Interesting. So he considered Italy home. I supposed it made sense—he was born there, but I'd sorta thought he'd made America his home. My insides ached at the thought of Fane jetting off to join his family in Europe. I didn't want him to leave me behind. He said he'd take me wherever I wanted to go, but until the exchange was made and Melcher was dealt with, I wasn't going anywhere. How long would Fane wait for me?

I swallowed. “I hope I can meet them some day.”

Just as long as we lived through the night. It was ironic thinking about staying alive when we were undead.

Fane crouched beside the stereo and looked over every square inch before straightening. He moved to the door and studied the hinges. He'd looked much more relaxed moments before when we were talking. At the moment we were trapped, but maybe I could distract him while we waited for the door to open.

“What was your life like before you turned? I asked.

Fane looked over his shoulder at me. “Let's save that story for another day.”

“Come on,” I said, looking around the room. “How else are we going to fill the time?” Not to mention if we waited, I might never get to hear it. I wanted to know about Fane before Alaska, before America, before vampirism. “I bet you were a troublemaker even back then.” I lifted my eyebrows in challenge.

Fane moved away from the door, past the stereo, and leaned against a speaker. “There's not much to tell,” he said slowly. “I was born into the nobili, an elite caste in Venice, kind of like the one percent as you call it in the states. I was privileged, but my entire future was planned out from the moment I was born, right down to the woman I would marry.”

My nose wrinkled. “Thank God for the plague.”

Fane shook his head solemnly. “You wouldn't say that if you'd seen the lives it claimed.”

I lowered my chin. Bad attempt at humor, but I was still grateful time had persevered Francesco Donado and led him to me.

“Tell me about your life before the plague,” I said. “What did children of the ruling class do for kicks back in the day?”

Fane stared at his combat boots.

“It's not particularly exciting.”

Then why didn't he want to share? Now I really had to know.

“Come on,” I coaxed. “I want to know all about your past.”

Fane walked back to the door and tried the handle. His fist moved from one side to the next, but the knob stayed in place. There was no escaping the past, not inside the music room.

My feet covered the ground. Within seconds I was beside Fane. It didn't take long in a room that small.

“Did you have to go off to battle?” I asked softly.

My knowledge of history was sadly lacking, but history and war went together like cigarettes and smoke. What atrocities had Fane witnessed in his time? What battles had he been forced into by duty and honor?

Fane turned suddenly, his face grim.

“You can tell me,” I said. “I know I'm a new vampire, but I've seen plenty—done plenty—already.”

Fane shook his head. “You have it all wrong. I was too young to be sent into battle or hold civic duty.” He pressed his lips together.

I leaned to one side. “Then what?”

Fane released a loud breath. “I was part of a stocking club, okay?”

“A what?”

Fane straightened. “You heard me. A stocking club.”

That didn't really help. I still had no idea what he was talking about. I'd heard the term blue stockings once, but I was pretty sure it referred to women readers in Britain. Fane wasn't a woman. I wasn't even sure he was bookish.

“I heard you,” I said, “but what's a stocking club? I assume you didn't hang out with a bunch of guys in tights.”

Fane closed his eyes briefly. “Well, sorta. They were theater clubs.”

I nearly laughed. On one hand it sounded impossibly funny, but on the other, yeah, I could see Fane in a theater club. He'd always had a dramatic flair about him even in the way he stood.

Fane cleared his throat. “We arranged banquets, plays, and mock battles for members, diplomatic embassies, and noble weddings.”

Mock battles. He really had been sheltered—merely playing at fight, not actually engaging in it. Thank God.

“The clubs all had different names. Mine was called the Eternal.” Fane turned his wrists up and looked at his pale arms. “At the time, I had no idea how fitting that word would become for me.”

No kidding. Now we were both members of the eternal club.

“We were patrons of the less dignified arts,” Fane continued. “Or so our fathers' believed. They preferred marble busts and gilded paintings to musicians and actors.”

“Thank goodness for the youth of Italy,” I said.

Fane leaned forward. “Thank God for the youth of today.” He paced the far side of the room. “I'm glad I didn't get old and oppressive, donning a black robe like my father in service to the republic. He was nothing more than a political monk sworn to duty.”

The black robe I could picture, but not the obedience that went with the position.

“I'm glad you didn't age,” I said. “Aside from the obvious reasons, I can't imagine you in some stuffy political chamber following strict rules. I'm sorry about the plague, though. I imagine some of your friends died.”

Well, all his friends died at some point, but it would have felt different back then.

“The plague killed nearly a third of the population,” Fane said.

I covered my mouth with both hands in dismay.

“Venice being a warm, humid seaport made it an ideal location for the disease's spread.” Fane sniffed. “Most people thought it was punishment from God.”

“When it didn't kill you, did you think it was an act of God?” I asked, more curious than ever.

Fane shook his head. “I never expected to survive. I can still hear the despair in my mother's sobs as she cried at my bedside. My body began shutting down, and the end was nigh. Everything came to a stop.” Fane stomped on the floor for emphasis.