He opened his mouth to say something, obviously changed his mind, and sighed impatiently. “Please. Put on your dress and shoes. I do not wish to transport you nude, but I will if necessary.”
Okay. He’s still bossy, but at least he didn’t just zap us out of the room whether I liked it or not. Is that progress?
I simmered, studying him for a moment, trying to figure out why he was so spooked. It would have been easy for me to launch into the next verse of our familiar song about his domineering attitude, but the stern expression on his face and his taut body language made it clear I wasn’t going to win this one. I had the uncomfortable feeling that my relationship with Devereux wasn’t so different from the situations I discussed with the clients at my volunteer shift at the Battered Women’s Shelter. Maybe their mates weren’t nightwalkers, but the power imbalance felt the same.
“Okay,” I said, sliding my dress over my head. “I’ll let you take me to my townhouse, since that was my destination anyway, but when we get there, we’re going to talk.”
He gave a quick nod, then without waiting for me to put my shoes on, he wrapped his arm around my waist and we rode the vampire express.
We materialized in my living room and I swayed gently when he let go. It usually took me a moment to feel steady on my legs. The experience reminded me of roller-skating when I was a kid. After wearing the skates for so many hours, navigating flat surfaces felt weird. My depth perception was out of whack, and I felt dizzy. That’s what it was like to travel through thought.
I padded over to the couch and flopped into the cushions.
Devereux followed me, hands on his hips. He cocked his head and gave me an annoyed glare. “What are you doing? We must return to my penthouse. You should gather your clothing.”
I pasted on my best bland expression and spoke conversationally. “I told you. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on. Why does this Hallow upset you? Who is he? You might as well sit down and tell me, because nothing else is going to happen until you do.”
He scorched me with his gaze for a few seconds, then raised one perfect eyebrow. He sighed theatrically, and sat next to me.
Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.
“Dog?”
“Never mind.” I imitated the dismissive gesture he’d used earlier. “Tell me about Hallow.”
He held up his hand, palm toward me, his voice cold. “You must stop saying his name. In the magical world, speaking someone’s name is an invitation. It is especially important for you not to, since he has already accessed your thoughts and influenced your behavior. You must discipline yourself to avoid even thinking it.”
“But why?” I asked, genuinely perplexed. Wouldn’t I know if someone had influenced my behavior?
“Were you aware of my influence on you when we first met?” he answered, in response to my unvoiced question. “Did you realize that your heightened interest in sex and your increased awareness of men in general were caused by dormant desires I had awakened in you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“At the time, you said you found yourself attracted to several men. In fact, you judged yourself harshly because of it.”
“Are you saying you did something to me? You caused my reactions?” My fists clenched.
“Yes.” He nodded. “But not intentionally. I simply enhanced your … repressed … sexuality.”
I had thought it was odd that I attracted so much male attention back then. How irritating that he hadn’t told me.
“You could’ve said something, you know, instead of letting me beat myself up about it.”
“Yes.” He shrugged. “I suppose I should have, but there never seemed to be an appropriate moment.”
“Never an appropriate moment? But you have plenty of time to warn me about this Hallow guy?”
Devereux closed his eyes for a few seconds, probably mentally counting to ten, or whatever vampires did to calm themselves, then he refocused on mine. “This individual is the oldest vampire on the planet. So old that I cannot even imagine the mind of such a creature. Something seems to happen when one lives so extraordinarily long. A change occurs. Time itself begins to distort the brain cells, causing a stronger reliance on the old brain—the primitive mechanisms.
“Humans are predators, of course, and vampires even more so. In this ancient’s case, the predatory instinct has been heightened beyond all known limits. The thinking part of his brain continues to evolve and expand, but it is governed by a dark, evil nature. He is, in essence, a perfect killing machine. As the centuries wore on, he became more violently sadistic. It no longer satisfies him to merely destroy his human food. He now requires ever-greater stimulus, so he has turned to killing his own kind. He takes great pleasure in torture and misery. He has a stable of female slaves to serve his needs, which he adds to frequently.”
He paused briefly before speaking, his eyes blazing murderously. “I believe he plans to add you.”
My mouth fell open and goose bumps crawled up my arms. I hugged myself to ward off the psychic chill. “Add me? Why would you think that? Hal … that guy hasn’t even seen me. What possible reason could he have for wanting me? Is it because of you?”
“Perhaps partially. You must not underestimate your notoriety in the vampire world. You are well known. It is possible that he is simply curious about you. Taking you from me would be icing on the cake, as they say. He would see you as a toy, a temporary distraction. Of course, by the time he had finished with you, there would not be much of you left.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, my mouth dry, afraid I already knew more than I wanted to.
“I have seen the empty shells of the women Hallow leaves in his wake.” Devereux jumped up and paced, his hands clasped behind his back. “Their minds are useless and their bodies wasted. They have described their captivity in ways that sound like human he**in addiction: pleasure beyond belief followed by an aching need that never ends. Apparently, he can create such ecstasy in the women that they would rather die than leave him. Inevitably, their bodies begin to deteriorate as he depletes their life force and thrusts them into madness.” He returned to the couch, expression solemn. “That is why I became so upset when you said he had contacted you.” He tipped his head in a slow bow. “I apologize if I resorted to caveman tactics.”
I patted his hand and gazed into his sincere eyes. “Apology accepted. So, let’s say the energy sucker does intend to add me to his harem. Are you seriously suggesting that I hide out in your penthouse indefinitely? That I never leave the building?” I spoke with a playful tone, because it was simply beyond the realm of possibility that Devereux would propose something so ludicrous.
“Yes.” He nodded, eagerly. “That is the only way for you to remain safe. Your office is merely an elevator ride away, so there is no real reason for you to go anywhere else. I do not wish to curtail your freedom, but it is necessary. I must insist that you follow my guidance.”
And, here we go again …
“You must insist?” I fisted my hands in my lap and scowled. “So, you’re only willing to restrain your chest-beating instincts when it suits you? You really don’t see me as an individual, do you? Someone with her own goals and needs and desires? No. You only see me as some fated extension of yourself. What about all the other times you forced me to rearrange my life and my work because you thought I was in danger? Nothing bad ever happened. Why should I listen now? How do I know this isn’t just another excuse for you to stroke your ego? Do you know for a fact that he’s interested in me? Nope. Sorry. I won’t allow anyone to make decisions for me.”
Whoa. What’s up with my short fuse today? It’s true that he’s being his usual bossy self, but since when can’t I handle it? What’s wrong with me? My anger is way over the top. Breathe, Kismet. Just breathe.
I leapt up from the couch and wandered aimlessly around the room. He followed me, grabbed my upper arms, and gave me a shot of vampire voodoo with his eyeballs.
“I am willing for you to be angry with me if it means you will remain unharmed. We can return for your things later. I am taking you to safety now.”
His gaze had produced the usual hazy, entranced feeling, but I could still feel the edge of my anger underneath the fuzz. In fact, my anger felt pretty good.
But why am I angry? My head feels funny.
He slid his arm around my waist, and I twisted away, pulling him off balance. The shock on his face was almost comical. The master simply wasn’t used to disobedience.
Stress is an amazing thing. All that adrenaline pumping and cortisol surging.
He reached for me again, and I pivoted, shoving him with my hip. He growled and lunged. We performed a sweaty little grapple for a few frantic seconds, he trying to hold onto me without hurting me, while I struggled to get away. I don’t know how we remained on our feet. At one point we each had handfuls of the other’s hair. Lots of snorting and grunting ensued.
“Ahem.” Luna, Devereux’s hostile, femme fatale assistant stood a couple of feet away, sneering. She had a habit of showing up uninvited and unannounced.
“Forgive me for interrupting your disgusting little mating ritual, but the master is needed. The truce between the covens has been breached, and they’re at each other’s throats again. If you don’t mind, I’ll just go and stake myself now, which is the only way I’ll be able to rid myself of the grotesque scene I just witnessed, since it’s burned into my brain.”
Devereux disentangled himself from me, straightening his clothing and hair. I leaned forward, braced my hands on my knees, and tried to catch my breath.
What the hell just happened? I’m not behaving like myself. I can’t believe I got so upset at Devereux. Since when do I deal with my problems physically? I’ve never done anything like that before. And where did all that muscle come from?
“We will go with you, Luna,” Devereux proclaimed.
He slid his arm around my waist again, preparing to transport us to his penthouse, and I screamed, “No!” I wanted to stay put and figure out my strange behavior. Of course, he paid no attention. But something weird happened. I felt the usual, hair-raising sensation always present when we blink from one place to another, but instead of landing in Devereux’s elegant living quarters, there was an itchy, tingling, pulling feeling along my back, and then we were standing in my living room again.
Whoa. I wasn’t an expert at undead transportation, but I didn’t think Devereux had planned that.
“How did you do that?” he demanded, turning to glare at me.
I’m sure I looked as confused as I felt. “Do what? I didn’t do anything.” Unless thinking I didn’t want to go and screaming “no” counted. But why would it, since it never had before?
He stepped closer, his eyes distant and cold. “You forced us to return. I felt it. How could you possibly know how to do that? Who have you been talking …” He growled low in his throat. “It was him. Somehow he has lent you his power—strengthened your mental capacity. He has already begun to exert his influence.” He made an obvious effort to calm himself and stroked his hand over my hair. “You can rest assured that I will not allow him to interfere in this way—to change you. But while I consider the best course of action, I would like you to come with me of your own free will. I can probably still force you to accompany me, but it would be highly unpleasant for both of us. Will you come?”
I reached up and took his face in my hands, staring into his eyes. “Devereux, I know you want to protect me. I know your actions are motivated by love. You don’t think I can take care of myself, and you’re probably right that I have a lot to learn about your world. But how will I learn about this weird reality if you don’t let me make my own mistakes and explore my abilities in my own way? If you try to hold me captive—even with love—I’ll come to resent you. Neither of us wants that. I want to stay here, in my own home, and make my own decisions.”
He wrapped his fingers around my wrists, brought my hands to his mouth, and kissed one palm then the other.
“For an intelligent woman, you are being incredibly obtuse.”
My mouth opened and closed in indignation. In the middle of my inadvertent fish imitation, I tried to form a coherent sentence and failed. I pulled my hands away.
Devereux stared down at me as if I were a naughty schoolgirl being reprimanded by the principal. “You have no idea what that lunatic can do. And instead of listening to me—someone who actually does know what the beast is capable of—you dig in your heels and resist. Your careless actions could cause both of us pain. Now, please. Be the sensible woman I know you are and come with me.”
“Being sensible is highly overrated.”
Where did that come from? I didn’t mean to say that. This is getting creepy.
As much as I objected to Devereux’s possessiveness, my bizarre personality shift was becoming frightening. I felt as if I’d been thrust into a terrifying, foreign landscape without a map or a mental compass. Was I truly going mad?
I backed away and slammed into a strange vampire who’d just materialized behind me. The visitor didn’t even react to my stomping on his feet.
Let’s see how many more vampires we can cram into this room.
“Master. You are desperately needed. Things have taken a turn for the worse. They are calling for you.”
Devereux snarled at the newcomer. “Yes, yes, I am coming. Tell them I am on my way.”
The messenger departed and I crossed my arms over my chest, clear body language that, as far as I was concerned, the discussion was over. I needed a time-out.