Influential Magic (8 page)

Son of a…How many times before had he reached out to guide me? Before, when he hadn’t been a vampire. When the gesture seemed natural. I forced myself to meet his eyes and immediately regretted it. Something very close to pain flickered through them before they turned cold with that uncaring expression vampires were known for. I swallowed. Why did that upset me so much?

“Sorry. It won’t happen again.” He clasped his hands behind his back.

“It’s not…” What could I say?
It’s not you, it’s me?
It was him and the fact that he’d turned vampire. I couldn’t bear his touch, no matter how gentle. Memories of what used to be filled my mind, making my heart break again.

“Let’s go,” he said, his tone matching his expressionless features.

“David.” I held out a hand, intending to catch his arm, but snatched it back at the last moment.

He stared at my hand, then met my eyes in an unflinching gaze.

“I’m sorry. It’s not you. I mean not you, personally. It’s…”
Gods, can I ever finish a sentence?

“Forget it. Follow me.” He opened a door I hadn’t noticed, revealing a steep set of stairs, and started to climb.

Guilt made me drag my feet up the wooden steps. My rejection of even a small touch must have made me seem petty. Prejudiced, even. I took a deep breath and focused. He couldn’t have thought I’d just accept his new identity. I mean, faeries and vamps don’t mix. Ever.

I stared at David’s long legs and realized something was off. Well, more off than the fact I was headed into a vamp lair. His energy was back in full force, clinging to me like static, but I still couldn’t feel any other vamps. Who exactly was I meeting? A corporate lackey? Now I was irritated. All the drama of a written invitation and an ominous phone call and I didn’t even rate a face-to-face with the boss.

David rapped twice on the lacquered oak door. After a few moments it swung open. No one stood on the other side. It had to be magic. How else would the door open on its own? Vampires didn’t possess the type of power to produce spells, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have a witch on staff. I wished there was some way to warn Phoebe.

David stepped aside. “Ladies first.”

Every nerve in my body screamed to stay put, my feet as heavy as cement blocks. The last thing I wanted to do was turn my back on a vampire, even David. But I couldn’t bear to see his cold, dead stare when he realized I didn’t trust him.

I flashed a smile, praying it looked sincere, and forced myself to walk into the room. The vampire energy swirled so strong my lungs seized in protest. My knees buckled. I clutched the back of a velvet settee and steadied myself. Either my gift was way the hell off, or the vamps had found a way to conceal their energy.

Panic coiled in my stomach. What if my power was malfunctioning? And right after I’d caught the attention of the most powerful vamp corporation within five hundred miles.

Worst. Timing. Ever.

No. They had to be using a concealment charm. Their energy weighed me down like a two-ton anchor. But why? Did they know I could sense them? My wings twitched, ready for flight. It took every ounce of self-control to not spread them in a display of weakness.

A teenage male wearing a custom suit rose from behind the mahogany desk and moved to stand in front of the behemoth mass of gleaming wood. He leaned back, oozing confidence and casual grace. The boy…no, not a boy at all. He was a vampire. An old one, judging by the way he commanded the attention of everyone in the room. He held his hand out in greeting. “Ms. Rhoswen. I am delighted you were able to accommodate my late invitation.”

Amused. If I had to choose one word to describe his demeanor, it would be amused. As if I’d been summoned for sheer entertainment in a game of predator versus prey.

I’d be damned if I was going to let him intimidate me. Boldly, I reached out and clasped his hand. A mind-blowing, icy numbness snaked up my arm. I ground my teeth together and forced myself not to flinch. Not even when he bent and pressed his cold, hard lips to my fingers.

“What a pleasure it is to meet New Orleans’ most-prized faery,” he said.

Prized? Since when?

I gently withdrew my hand from his grip. I was desperate to clutch it to my chest but let it fall helplessly to my side. How long until the frostbite wore off? I tilted my head, considering him. “I’m sorry. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.”

A knowing laugh escaped his wide, angular mouth. “Of course. Pardon my lack of manners.” He held out an arm to a gorgeous blonde, who slid easily into his grasp. “This is Pandora, and those two over there are Carter and Tanner.” The blonde nodded a hello, her attention barely wavering from her man. The other two vampires continued to stare at me, saying nothing.

“And of course you already know Davidson.” His lips twitched. “I understand you two have history.”

I raised my eyebrows but said nothing.

He laughed. “Of course, that isn’t
my
business.” His tone implied it was very much his business. And just like that, the amusement faded, and his true colors shone in full spectrum: domineering, impatient, dangerous.

David stepped forward. “Willow, this is my boss and maker, Eadric Allcot.” He gave a slight nod and stepped back.

“You have nothing to fear, Ms. Rhoswen. You’re an invited guest. No harm will come to you this night,” Allcot drawled.

This night. What the hell am I doing here?
“That’s good, since I’m not really fit for consumption, as you probably already know.”

The room went silent as my words sank in. It wasn’t exactly a secret I was the creator of Sunshine, a drink I’d created to discourage vampire bites. The potion made faery blood impossibly bitter and unappetizing. Too bad it didn’t work for humans; it might have saved David. Or not, since he’d asked to be turned. Allcot held my gaze. The intensity made my skin crawl and one wing twitched involuntarily.

His laugh started as a chuckle, then blossomed as his companions joined in. “I knew I’d enjoy our meeting.”

Tired of the theatrics, I straightened my spine and got right to the point. “Why did you summon me here, Mr. Allcot?”

His smile disappeared as he narrowed his eyes. “Bored of me already?”

Shrugging one shoulder, I dug my nails into the velvet settee. “I could say I’m dying to know what you want from me, but we both know it isn’t true. Maybe we should just get down to business.”

David cleared his throat, shifting slightly so he ended up almost brushing my arm.

He always was protective.

“Relax, Davidson. Your girlfriend is safe,” Allcot said.

David nodded once, but didn’t move.

I opened my mouth to deny the association, but caught myself before I blew his cover.
Double agent, remember, Willow?

Allcot said something into his companion’s ear and gave her a slow, sensuous kiss, which she returned with vigor. With one last lick of her bottom lip, he sent her off toward the other two vampires, who’d been watching in rapture. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. The whole thing made me long for a hot shower.

“Very well.” Allcot turned his attention to me. “Since it appears the niceties are over, I won’t waste any more of your time. It has come to my attention that my young one here,” he said, nodding his head toward David, “is now working with the Void. And you in particular.”

My breath vanished, and I had trouble refilling my lungs. What. The. Hell? “What makes you think that?”

“He told me.”

Every muscle in my body ached to turn to David. To lash out and maim him. But what if the teenager vampire was bluffing? “Why would he do that?”

“Because he knows where his loyalties lie. Do you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Not everyone is as they seem. You’d be better served if you employed more caution with those you keep close.”

I clenched my fists to keep from slapping the righteous, self-important look from his face. “Are you being cryptic on purpose, or have you completely bought into the master of the universe persona you have going on?”

His eyes turned dark gray and he lowered his voice. “Be careful, faery. You’re here at my whim.”

“I am well aware of that fact, vampire. What do you want from me?”

Allcot picked up a glass paperweight and tossed it from hand to hand. I couldn’t help but wish it would drop and smash his toes. No such luck. He cast me a calculating look and replaced the art on his desk. “Information. It has come to my attention another vampire has turned his focus to you. I am aware Davidson has signed on to help you track him down. I want to be kept informed.”

“Why?” I asked, careful to keep any suspicion from my voice. It was highly unusual for vampires to care what happened to faeries. The two races tended to ignore each other.

“To eliminate them, of course.”

“Uh, okay, but why would you involve yourself in my affairs?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Orange Influence. And Davidson here has a fondness for you. He’s under my care. I’d like to keep him happy.” Allcot sent David a loving smile, making my stomach churn.

I moved from behind the settee and faced the master vampire. “Does the messenger who delivered the letter today work for you?”

David followed, taking up position beside me.

“No.” Eadric’s steady response left zero opening to judge if he was bluffing.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

David shifted uneasily again. I bet no one ever questioned Allcot. Well, there was a first time for everything.

“You don’t. We’ll have to learn to trust each other.”

“I don’t trust—”

“Vampires? What about the lovely Davidson here?” Allcot’s eyes gleamed as his gaze shifted back and forth between us.

“I was going to say easily. I don’t trust easily.”

He stood, his six-foot-two frame towering over me. “That makes two of us, Agent Rhoswen. We’ll have to see what we can do to overcome that.”

“I don’t understand why you’re helping me.” I studied him, trying to see through his layers of armor. “You know I don’t sell Influence to vampires and wouldn’t under any circumstances.”

“Of course.” His expression shifted from arrogant jackass to one of concern. “But if you’re captured and tortured, the knowledge of how to reproduce it could be obtained.”

I fought the urge to take a step back. Is that what this was all about? A power play to get the Influence recipe? It took more than ingredients to get the drug to work, but in the right hands…

A small shudder ran through me. There was a reason the narcotic was heavily regulated. Was he worried one of his enemies might get hold of it? “Why do you care so much?”

“I have my reasons.” He stepped closer, staring me straight in the eye. “Aside from information on what you find out about the rogue vampire, I’m offering my protection for free. It seems a fair trade, does it not?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “And what if I don’t agree?”

“You will.” The vampire retreated and relaxed against his desk, the amused expression once again transforming his face back into the young teenager I’d mistaken him for.

Stifling a sneer, I clenched my teeth. Arrogant son of a bitch. “How can you be so sure?”

“You wouldn’t want anything to happen to Davidson, would you?” He waved a careless hand in David’s direction.

“Are you threatening me?” Would he really hurt one of his own? Sick sociopath.

“A threat?” His eyes narrowed in a flash of anger. “My dear, if I was threatening you, you’d know it.”

And I did. The hard, uncaring look on his face told me he was capable of almost anything.

“I protect what’s mine. No one but me harms my property. If you don’t agree, I can’t let Davidson continue working with you. It’s your choice.”

This was my chance to get rid of David. I could refuse, and he would vanish from my life again. But if I did, would Eadric kill him, torture him, or simply send him away? I had no way of knowing. What I did know is Eadric wasn’t messing around. So what if he wanted info on a vampire? What was it to me? Especially if he was correct and the vamp was after Influence. I still wanted to understand his motivation, but he’d made it clear he wasn’t talking.