Dealers of Light (12 page)

“So, our suspicions are
true? Someone or something is sucking the Light and life from people?” Her voice trembled as terror swept over her.

“Yes, of course
, and it’s happened many times in the past. You could do it if you desired. It’s just a reverse of the flow. The difference is, you would never dream of such an act. However, there are some who come to crave this deprivation.”

“Crave? You must be kidding.” Guilt crashed through her mind
as she remembered the night she’d almost drained the life from her old lover, Chris. But there had been no joy in such a horrible mistake—and certainly no desire to repeat it.

“The Takers absorb Light but also inflict pain on an individual
. Then they take in the Light, thrilling in the pain and agony soaked into the energy—a bizarre form of sadomasochism as addictive as heroin. It starts slowly, like any addiction. A dealer takes some tainted Light then craves it more and more until they are completely turned to evil and live only for the powerful sensation.”

Her stomach rolled at this hideous thought. It confirmed what had been happening with the dead bodies
and tortured individuals who’d shown up in the ER.
This is madness
. Dealers stealing pained Light. It couldn’t be true.

“I see from your eyes
you have some knowledge of this.” Rolf’s voice lowered.

Cara
gripped her hands together and sagged in the chair. She shivered despite the warmth from the fire beside her. Once, she’d taken Light by mistake, but there had been no pain involved. No enjoyment. How frightening. “You call them Takers?”

“Yes, there are
Givers and Takers. You’re a Giver, they are Takers. How many like you are in this city?” Rolf asked, eyes narrowed.

“Why?” She studied him.

“I’m intrigued
, as I said. It’s rare for people to realize the extent of this talent. It’s a pleasure to find like souls.”

“But
, from what you’ve said, you seem to be different.”

“True, I am different. I’
ve existed for thousands of years. There are other ancient ones like me scattered about. But I’ve made it my business through the centuries to act as guardian of this gift. Others don’t care so much if our kind causes harm or not. They focus on amassing great wealth and power.”

Thousands of years! She shuddered. He was ancient and yet they were both
Dealers. What were the differences between them?

“Are you cold?” He rose and
went to a gilded sofa against the wall to gather an elaborately embroidered throw. He returned to her side and draped it about her shoulders. “It’s likely you’re in shock.”

His hand brushed her cheek
and a rush of electric warmth coursed through her at the touch. She looked at him and he gazed back at her with brows drawn together. He held her gaze for a few seconds then broke contact. He pivoted to stride over to a side table set with several crystal decanters and goblets. He splashed a ruby liquid in one glass then handed it to her, his features back to neutral.

She sniffed
and the musty aroma of a burgundy filled her senses.

“It’s wine
.” He poured a glass for himself before returning to his seat.

“I’m not in shock
.” She swallowed the wine and savored the smooth, rich flavor.

“Oh?”

“I’m a nurse practitioner. I know what shock is. What I have is a bad headache from slamming my head against the wall.” She pressed a hand against the back of her skull, grimacing. “And a big case of disbelief in everything that’s going on. How have you have been alive for thousands of years? That’s impossible.”

He swirled his wine,
and took a drink. “Then you may also find it hard to believe I don’t really know.”

She expected
more, but he didn’t speak. “You don’t know? Seriously?”

“No
, I do not know. I simply continue to live and not die. Over the years, I’ve seen the Takers try again and again to gain power and take over small areas. I made it my mission to defeat them.”

“But you had to come from somewhere.”

“I hardly remember so long ago. But my earliest memories are of the area you now call Egypt.”

“
Egypt? Really. I hear blue eyes are very common there.”

One side of his mouth quirked up.
“A gift from the gods. I told you I’m different.”

This was impossible to fathom with her head misty from pain. She needed to get away from here and try to make sense of what he
’d told her. She glanced at her watch. Eleven o’clock. So late, and she worked tomorrow. Hopefully, her head would not be hurting this bad in the morning. She’d have to wear a scarf, her neck was sure to be bruised. She stood. “Well, thanks a bunch for saving my life. The guy wasn’t able to take any Light from me, but he probably could have beaten and killed me the old-fashioned way. So…thanks again.”

He
set his glass on the table beside him with a
clink
and some of the ruby liquid splashed over the rim. “What did you say? He was not able to take any Light?”

“Yes, h
e tried. It was kind of funny.” She chuckled, but pain seared through her head so she stopped. “You should have seen the look on his face when it didn’t work and your fist came out of nowhere. Pow!” A tingle of satisfaction accompanied that memory.

Rolf
put a hand over his mouth. After a couple seconds, he dropped it and stood to pace across the rug in front of the fireplace.

“What’s wrong?”
Her knees trembled.

“
Your description, while vastly entertaining, is also intriguing.”

“Wh
y?”

“He should have been able to take your Light the same
as anyone else.”

“Even though I’m a Dealer?”

“Takers develop powerful methods for taking the Light, even from Dealers. It is strange he couldn’t take yours.”

Cara didn’t know what to say. She
rubbed her temples with her fingertips. “Yes, it is very strange. But I have to go. I need to be at work in the morning at eight, and I’m exhausted.” She turned around, looking for her pocketbook. “Oh no, and my car.”

“Don’t worry about your car. I drove it when I brought you here.”
Rolf walked up to within a foot of her and she stepped back from his domineering height. He searched her eyes. “Your purse is still in it.”

“Thanks,
that’s really swell of you. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t shown up when you did. Just like the cavalry. Can you talk to my friends? Maybe we can help you. Or you can help us or—something—” Her head spun.
Maybe I am in shock
.

Rolf
grasped her shoulders to steady her. “Cara, you can’t go home tonight.”

Just like
that. No: “I don’t think you should” or “Maybe you shouldn’t.” Flat out: “You can’t go home.”

“I
have
to go home. I’m fine. Excellent. Super, in fact. I have Dusty to take care of, and—and…” God, if she could just sit down and think maybe she would make sense.

“If you go home, you will likely not live to see t
he morning.”

Chapter
Eleven

Cara stared at Rolf, unable to speak past the sudden constriction in her throat. Her vision blurred and cleared several times. The room closed in around her as her knees shook. If only her head would stop pounding so she could think.

Placing a hand under her elbow, he
led her to the chaise—lucky, because her knees gave out about then. She plopped onto the soft cushion with a small “
Oof
.” He sat beside her, still holding her elbow, concern wrinkling his brow.

“
Wh—what do you mean I won’t live to see the morning?”

“The Takers know you saw
one of them. They will discover who you are and eliminate you.”

“Why would they be so determined to find me? I can’t stop them by myself and no one would believe my story if I went to the police.”

“Whatever it is they hope to accomplish in this area will only be possible if people are unaware of their methods. If anyone threatens that, they will be eliminated. Period. Trust me. I’ve seen it happen time and time again.” He rose, strode to the door and leaned out. “Sean, can you come here?”

A muscular young man in black pants and white shirt entered.
“Yes, sir?”

“I need some food for our canine friend here. Can you find bowls for water and food and bring them in?
We’re having overnight guests.” Rolf motioned to her and Dusty.

Sean nodded. “Will you be
eating in the dining room this evening, Sir?”

“No, set up a table by the fire
, and bring some aspirin for Cara.” He strolled back to her after Sean left. “You’ll stay here tonight. I can protect you.”

“W
hat about tomorrow? I have to go to work. People depend on me. I save lives.” She stood, finding the strength had returned to her limbs after the initial shock of his words retreated. “In a couple days can I go back home?”

He
moved up close to her so fast she gasped. “Do you think I’m joking about this?” He spoke in a low voice but it resonated with power, and his gaze bore into hers like icy steel. “I’m deadly serious, and you need to be, too. Otherwise, your life will be over all too soon.”

His fingers
clamped around her upper arm, the fingertips biting into her skin hard enough to send a flash of fear through her, but she was determined not to let him see it. Her breath came in short bursts. Dusty let out a short bark. She met Rolf’s glare and a flush of anger surged through her. She punched him in the chest with her free hand. “Let go.”

He released his grip and let out a harsh breath. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to hurt you. But
, you must understand, I’ve been fighting them for centuries, and I know what they’re capable of.”

She rubbed her arm where the red marks from his fingers
bloomed. “Don’t take it out on me, okay?”

He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. “I’m trying to protect you.”
When he opened his eyes, the harshness was replaced with a charming twinkle, melting her boiling anger.

She puffed out a breath.
“Okay, what are we going to do?”

“I plan to continue
doing what I came here for. I will hunt them down and destroy them.” He paced back to his chair and sat, retrieving his wine glass.

“
What about me?” She followed him, standing with her hands on her hips before his chair. “I can’t hide out here forever.”

“You will stay here tonight. I
can take you to work in the morning and, if you don’t wish to stay here longer, you may find a friend where you can stay. But on no account should you go home or be anywhere alone until this is over.”

“I can’t believe it
.” She sat across from him and put her head in her hands. Dusty settled in front of her and rested his head on her knees. In a matter of hours, her life had become completely disrupted. Disoriented and vulnerable, she had no choice but to trust Rolf. She’d helped him but now she knew his secret and might be a danger to him. Something he’d have to control.

Sean entered the room
, carrying two bowls, one filled with water and the other some type of dried dog food. He set them on the floor beside Cara’s chair. Dusty trotted over and started lapping up water. Sean handed Cara a bottle of aspirin and she took two with the remaining wine in her glass.

“Sir, I have two messages for you.” He handed slips of pape
r to Rolf. “I’ll bring dinner in a moment.”

“Thank you, Sean. After
that you can work on the police reports.”

“Very good,
Sir.” Sean gave a small nod and left.

Rolf
skimmed the papers briefly then stuffed them in his jacket pocket. “Cara, if you need to freshen up there’s a bathroom down the hall on the left. We’ll have something to eat shortly. Is there anything else I can do to make your stay more pleasant?”

“I’d like to use the telephone to call my friends. They’ll be worried about me.”

“There’s one on the desk over there.” He pointed to an antique desk with spindly legs in a corner opposite the fireplace. “I have some business to attend to, but I’ll rejoin you shortly.”

Rolf left the room and Cara bolted off the chair. Five quick steps carried her to the desk. Trembling fingers punched her best friend’s number on the keypad.
She gave Amber a quick summary of the night’s activities.

“Cara, my God,
how horrible. Are you sure you’re okay, honey?” Amber’s voice squeaked with concern. “When Tor told me you remembered seeing the tattoo on one of your patients I was sure you were going to do something dangerous.”