Crimson Dawn (6 page)

I try my damnedest to curb my own blood lust before it gets out of control, but the smell of Irulan's blood laid out like that could blow my control to hell.. Human blood sustains, but Extras blood inflames us. It's like pitting ground round against the rarest Kobe beef. The smell, the taste, the power laced throughout the blood. There is no comparison.

Shaking my head to refocus my thoughts, I looked down at Irulan, "Promise me you'll never do that again. You’re my best friend. I can’t feed on you like a common bagger.” Irulan made an unladylike snort in the back of her throat, and a soft breeze began lifting her up until she was eye to eye with me.

"Believe me sweetheart, nothing about me is common." Again, she pulled her hair to one side of her neck and again I tried to run, but this time she held me in place with an invisible barrier. "You need this if you’re going to have any hope of capturing Tristan with you unharmed. As much as I hate to admit it, your father is right. You'd be far stronger than you are if you'd take blood from me.” She brought a sharp manicured nail to her neck and drew it across, a swell of blood bubbled to the surface in its wake.

My fangs dropped, and I had closed the distance between us to a few millimeters before I snapped back into myself. "I can't, and if you make me, it's going to change things between us, Irulan, not in a good way either."

"Besides,” I added on pained breaths, "The power would be fleeting, it wouldn't last. Sidhe and Vampire blood-ties aren't strong enough for the power boost to be permanent."

I searched her face for some sign of what she was going to do. The silence that was hanging in the air was totally sickening by the time she released me from the hold she had on me.

She eased us both to the ground and didn't say a word as she loaded our bags into the trunk of my car giving me the time I needed to compose myself. After she set the alarm, she finally turned and motioned me to get in the car. "I thought you told that clod, Priest, that you were going to meet him at the CMS in two hours. That's clear across town. We’d better hurry."

I usually enjoy driving and take my time getting to work but considering the fact that I'd been to the center once today, and what just happened between Irulan and me, it's no wonder I made it in record time.

Priest was leaning against the side of a Ford Escape when I pulled in next to him. He had a goofy, lopsided sneer plastered to his face until he realized I wasn't in the car alone.

Irulan transferred our bags while Priest looked back and forth between the two of us. I tried to take the few moments of solitude to clear my head, but the clod's banging on my window killed that right quick. I rolled down the window with an exasperated sigh, "What gives, Priest? I'm here. We can get going in few. Gimme a sec, will you?"

He snatched open my door and pointed a thumb in Irulan's direction, "The hell I will. What gives with the broad? It's just supposed to be the two of us working this case. Is she even on the payroll? I've never seen her before."

Irulan was on Priest before I had a chance to respond. "It's bad business to talk about a woman like she's not even in the room.” The air crackled with power as the ground around Priest began to shake, and two ropes of metal flew out of the earth to wrap themselves around him dragging him down until he was up to his knees in the uprooted concrete and dirt.

The flow of profanity that ran out of his mouth didn't relent until Irulan ran her thumb across his lip. In an instant, his voice was gone, his face contorting into a mask of pure rage.

I had to admit to some confusion myself, "Ire I thought your powers were earth based. What gives with the silent treatment?"

With a wave of her wrist, Irulan released Priest from his bindings sans audio. "Ashes to ashes dust to dust, this man's obviously a Deadborn. It gives me some level of control over his faculties, Valeria.” She shrugged her shoulders and glanced at me... "And the earth is a vast place with infinite possibilities. Who knows what the limits to my powers are," she added before turning to Priest.

She looked down at him and winked. "I'm Sidhe, little man, royalty by blood, over three hundred years old, and never once have I been referred to as a 'broad'.” She eased down to rest on her haunches and patted him sarcastically on the side of his face. "If we were in Tir Na Nog I could have your tongue ripped from your head for that offence. Hell, maybe I should do it anyway just for fun."

Priest backed away from her touch and looked up at me for help. Against my better judgment, I grabbed Irulan by both arms and made a production of pulling her away from him, trying to keep from laughing my head off the entire time. "Irulan, be a good girl and give the nice man his voice back. We're going to be around each other until we take Tristan down, so try to get along."

I didn't wait around to see if she'd actually do it. Instead, I hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. A few seconds later, Irulan slid into the seat beside me, and Priest got into the back looking like he wanted to rip both our heads off. Oh well.

Fortunately, we got underway without any further delays. The three-hour plus drive was surprisingly productive. It gave us time to come up with a game plan for our arrival in Charleston. Irulan and Priest would check out some of the areas local occult chops and Extras clubs to try to get a feel for the Gullah root doctors that we would be trying to find, while I checked in with the local station to see what intel they had for us.

I also wanted to talk to the Sentinels that were currently incapacitated. Apparently, once the locals got wind of a possible location, they sent a team after Tristan - Weres, a few Bear Shifters, and two Lifeborns. Tristan and his brood handed them their asses on a platter. It was only by the grace of God that two of the team survived. I didn't intend on making the same mistakes that they had.

CHAPTER THREE

Irulan’s inclusion into the hunt didn't throw Marcus off his game one bit. Once we got to the hotel, we found a separate room for Priest already arranged. I wish that I could say the same for me, I felt completely off kilter. The ferocity of Irulan’s determination to keep me safe was scaring me. I never expected her to go this far.

It took us no time to check in and meet back in the lobby. No matter what else was going through my mind I had to get on point and deal with my objective. A quick glance at my watch showed 1:45 a.m., the perfect time for hunting. The three of us stepped out into the sultry southern air, eager to get under way.

Priest took in a deep breath and smiled, "I'm scenting twelve different species in this general proximity alone. If this weren't a business trip, a guy like me could have fun in this city."

"Thirteen, one's lingering, maybe a few days old, but good try. You were only off by one.” I took another scent of the area and knew the second time around that a Deadborn had been through here with Tristan's blood in their veins. Funny, the things you remember even when you try to forget.

For a minute, I considered letting Priest know, but if Marcus's hunch was correct, and Priest was here to make sure I didn't take Tristan's head, I didn't want Priest tagging along just yet.

I filed the smell away and tossed Priest the car keys, "Time to get to work. I'm closer and I don't mind walking.” I checked my directions and gave Irulan a quick hug. Weird, who hugs their partner when they're on a manhunt? This is just not realistic.

Priest pulled his black gloves tighter onto his hands as he sneered, "This is nice, ladies. Are we gonna do the manis and pedis before or after Tristan takes down a few more innocent people?"

I was about to come back with a snide remark, but he looked a little flustered. He proved my instinct right when he tugged me away from the car casting an anxious look back at Irulan. "I know she's powerful Trumaine, but does she have the experience to watch my back if things go bad while we're in the field?"

To be honest, I was wondering the same thing myself, but I wasn't gonna tell him that. Being powerful and all was nice, but anyone could freeze in a fight if they don't have the proper training.

During the time that I've known her, Irulan's been a chef, a seamstress, and a teacher. Those professions don't exactly scream 'I’m capable of some awesome ass-kickery', but then again, my life was only a third of hers. When I was a child, she entertained me with tales of her life at court in Tir Na Nog, but that was decades ago and not one of those stories was a war story. Not wanting to put any further doubts in his mind, and not wanting to outright lie either, I gave him the best answer that I could think of. "Marcus wouldn't have agreed to let her work with us otherwise."

Priest accepted my answer and gave me a curt nod of his head. I don't know why he pulled me away from the car; a Sidhe's hearing is almost as keen as a Vampire’s is. Irulan was gonna give him hell when the two of them were alone.

"Text me with each location change. Call me if you come up with anything. I'll meet you as soon as I get done checking in with this Descantes." I waved at Ire, slapped Priest on the back, and started down the palm tree laden street.

Part of me wanted to draw the walk out and make it a nice leisurely stroll, so I could enjoy the sights and sounds of a new city. But my mind was already preparing itself for what lay ahead of me. A big part of what made me a successful Sentinel was my ability to get inside the head of my quarry and anticipate their moves. I had a gift for finding my target. Vampires are natural predators. Just because you could easily kill something, didn't automatically mean you were adept at tracking it down.

As much as I prided myself on my tracking abilities, I equally despised the trip down memory lane, but I knew it was unavoidable if I was to get a better take on Tristan.

I replayed arguments and conversations that we'd had about our dreams and aspirations. I recalled his reactions to specific events and his unease around his father at times. I painfully dredged up anything that might be of some use to me.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the local CMS. Thanks to the GPS on my phone that I somehow managed to pay attention to, I made it without getting lost. Upon first glance, I thought that I'd put the wrong address into my phone.

The house in front of me was a majestic, pre-civil war plantation house. There was nothing Extras about it. When I walked through the public entrance, I quickly changed my opinion.

Sitting behind a receptionist desk was a seven and a half foot tall Golem. Although I'd never actually seen a Golem before, I recognized him by the Sigilis that were inscribed on his head. The magical symbols were what gave him life.

The Golem looked up from his computer screen and took a quick assessment of me before pointing to a set of double doors off to the left side of his desk. He wiggled his fingers, as if shooing me away, then he promptly went back to his work.

I'd just been dismissed as if I were a gawking tourist trying to get a picture with a Were or something. This was so not the welcome I expected. I went to the desk and knocked on it as hard as I could without doing any damage, earning me a deadly gaze from the Golem whose nametag said 'Stephen'.

The Golem reluctantly pulled his head away from the screen and spoke in a voice that was surprisingly soft coming out of such a large body. "May Stephen help the rude little Vampire?"

Rude?! What? No, he didn't! I'm gonna get a complex if people don't stop it with the rude bit. I honestly didn't have a comeback for the Golem. I mean, it wasn't often I was criticized by a living marionette.

It took me a minute to find my voice, and when I finally told him my name and what I was there for, he looked at me as if I were the biggest moron on the face of the planet.

The Golem, Stephen, rose to his full height, and pulling his long brown hair back, leaned over to stare me in the face, "Stephen is well aware of who you are, daughter of Hadrian and Anya. I served your family for over five hundred years, but that is neither here nor there.”

He motioned his head toward the same set of doors again, "The commander is waiting for you. That is why Stephen pointed to the door in the first place. Are you not only rude but daft as well?"

My eyes blacked over, and I had Stephen by the scruff of his shirt in less than a second. Luckily for his face, the Sentinel Commander caught my fist before it made contact.

Unluckily for me, the commander just so happened to be an extremely irked Djin, if the tattooing down one side of his face was accurate. Well, hell's bells. I had to go and piss off one of the ancients. All just part of my charm I guess.

Before I could even fix my lips to utter an apology, the Djin spun me around and pointed towards the same door I assumed was his office, "That is the door that Stephen directed you to, Ms. Trumaine."