Eternal Seduction (29 page)

“Some do. However, she,” he removed the Spanish woman resting in Logan’s palm and placed her back in the shared space, “does not. She is but a Fledgling, and far too young to know the Nelek name.” A proud smile crossed his face. “But I have great faith in her, much as I do in you. She’s faced adversity, but where you chose to embrace the darkness inside you, she clings to her humanity, wielding her refusal to accept the beast as a weapon to regain all she’s lost.”

Logan gave the board a long, hard look before she focused back on him. “Do my strings lead back to you like theirs do?”

“No.” He turned and made his way back to his chair, stopping only to retrieve Syn’s forgotten bone before he climbed the stairs and sat down. “I stopped manipulating the circumstances of humans long ago. To mimic Odin’s very modern and crude manner of speech, it’s just not fair.” His face hardened again as a chorus of laughter drifted into the stone chamber. With a sharp swipe of his mailed hand, the chessboard and pedestal vanished. “Drake, what brings you to my home this evening?”

Logan wheeled around as the laughter lightened. Trinity, looking a little worse for wear, Odin, whose eyes weren’t glassy anymore, and a large, mountain of a man with long dark hair and golden skin, walked across the floor and stopped at the foot of Stefan’s stairs.

The man she assumed was Drake flashed a wide grin just as lopsided as Odin’s. “I popped in to see if Odin wanted to get a drink with me, but the fucker was all crazy eyed and he punched me. I wanna know what you’re gonna do about it?” He clutched a hand to his massive chest. “He’s offended me greatly.”

Stefan’s face softened, rather remarkably. “Thank you for not ending my Child where he stood?”

“I told you,” Odin laughed as he smacked the back of Drake’s shoulder. “You’ll get no reparations from the old man. He’s stingy as all hell.”

“I’m just glad you showed up, Drake,” Trinity said, casting a glance over Odin. “I wasn’t sure I could hold him any longer.” She shot Stefan a playful glare. “Thanks, Dad. Your favorite almost tore my arm off.”

The faint clank of metal against metal sounded as Stefan shrugged. “I was engaged with Logan. We were discussing the beast and Odin’s successful failure in regards to provoking hers. However, if nothing else, I believe both of you are now painfully aware of how much you have in common, including your concern for Kerestyan.”

When Odin gave Logan the come hither finger, she hesitated. She agreed with Stefan, it was more obvious than ever that Kerestyan meant something to both of them, but she wasn’t about to walk right into the arms of the enemy.

“Christ, woman, I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry. The whole point was to get you pissed off so you could meet your beast.” He raised an arm and rubbed the back of his neck. “I just didn’t expect you’d fire back and get to meet mine.”

She offered him a small smile. She could go the rest of her life without meeting his again. “I’m sorry you flipped out. I wasn’t trying to make you…it just…happened. It was like all of a sudden I knew exactly what to say.”

Odin sighed. “That you did. I just wish I could’ve gotten you to go.”

“She did succumb to her beast,” Stefan interjected. “But due to her nature, as she is not a physically combative person, her attack was fueled by her keen perceptions and discerning mental acumen.”

Logan smiled and pointed at Odin. “Yeah, what he said.”

Another chorus of laughter erupted in the chamber.

“All right,” Drake said, looking up at Stefan. “I just stopped by to say hi. It’d be rude to come into your home and not acknowledge your presence.” He stepped over to Logan and extended a huge hand, attached to a muscular arm littered with tattoos and jagged scars. “Logan, I’m Drake. I’ve heard a lot about you. Keep up the good work.” He winked one of his bright, sapphire blue eyes. “Keep getting under Odin’s skin, the bastard needs it. I’d stay and get to know you a little better, but I need beer.” He let go of her hand and turned to face Odin. “You coming or not?”

“Hell yes, I’m coming.”

Drake dropped a kiss on Trinity’s cheek, saluted Stefan, waved at her, and then walked away with Odin closely behind him.

“Would you like to get some dinner with me?” Trinity asked. She wagged her eyebrows and sang the words, “Alfred is making lasagna.”

Logan rubbed a hand over her stomach when it growled at the mention of food. Alfred was a hell of a good cook, and the man was determined to add five pounds to her frame before her training was over. “Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Trinity nodded before she turned and headed for the doors.

Logan shifted her gaze back to Stefan once Trinity’s footfalls faded. “Why did you take away the board when they came in? Is it a secret?”

“Not to any who bear the Nelek name.”

She arched a brow. “You didn’t want Drake to see it?”

His face took on a dark and very serious countenance. “Once again, while each of us may be surrounded by diamond threads, I assure you not a single one of Drake Black’s strings lead back to me…nor will they ever.” When he punctuated his sentence by waving her towards the doors, Logan vacated his chamber without another word.

The whole “strings” concept made her uncomfortable. She didn’t like the thought of being manipulated at every turn, especially by someone who most likely had their own best interests in mind. But the thought left her, and the goblin in her belly, with one pressing question…

Who the hell did her strings lead back to?

The Estate

New York City

Manhattan, Midtown

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

Kerestyan scowled down at Craig, who simply shrugged his leather clad shoulder in response to Raze’s question. “A member of this city, in good standing, claims you killed two of her
Servios
last night. I suggest you find your tongue.”

Craig pushed his shaggy blond hair out of his eyes and shrugged again. “She don’t have no proof it was me. Besides, it ain’t against your rules to kill a Puppet.” He sat forward in his chair and made a strange backwards nodding gesture. “Did somebody get it on camera? Cell phone video? Anybody call the cops? Was the Veil broke?” He sat back. “I didn’t think so.”

Kerestyan drew in a breath, calling forth as much patience as he possibly could. In situations like this he agreed with Vouclade’s comments about the ignorance of Fledglings, especially those turned in the last decade. And the watery, metallic tang rolling off of Craig’s skin told him the Child wasn’t more than a few years old.

“Your idiotic exploits have the humans asking questions, Craig!” Raze shrieked. “Half the God damn patron’s at
Fetish
think you’ve had porcelain fangs permanently affixed to your disgusting little face. You may not have broken the Veil last night when you waxed Stacey’s
Servios
, but in my opinion, you break it every single time you walk out your front door with your fangs openly showing!”

Craig rolled his eyes and sneered at her. “When was the last time you was down at the clubs? I ain’t the only one sportin’ fangs. The humans wear ‘em, too. You gonna starting charging them with breakin’ the Veil? You an your crazy hair gonna make ‘em take ‘em out?” He blew out a loud breath through the side of his mouth. “Puh-leeze.”

Kerestyan slammed his hand down on the table in front of Craig. “Enough with the street slang!” He stepped around the table and sat down opposite the irritating youth. “You aren’t from the streets. You were born in Manhattan, into a rather affluent family. You received the best education money could buy. You can speak proper English.”

Disgust twisted with disbelief on Craig’s narrow face. “Alright, you want proper English,” he sat up straight and pulled at the lapels of his black biker jacket, “I’ll give you proper English. The only rule you’ve instituted in this city is the Veil. Even if I did kill Stacey’s Puppets, which I don’t admit to doing, there’s nothing you can do about it.” He narrowed his eyes. “They weren’t the first Puppets to get killed by a vampire in this city. It’s happened before.” He motioned to Raze. “You didn’t send your colorful Head of Enforcement out to kill or question Stacey when she killed one of my people. So why am I here?”

Raze smacked him in the back of the head with her sheathed blade. “You’re here because you’re a fucking idiot.” Her violet eyes landed on Kerestyan, but her words echoed in his mind.
“Can I just kill him? Please? I’m using telepathy…that has to show you just how bad I want to run my sword through his stupid ass.”

As much as Kerestyan wanted to let her, and as difficult as it was to deny he wanted to do the very same, he had no choice but to give the answer.
“No.”

“But why?”

“Because as much as I hate to admit, he’s correct. Neither of us lifted a finger when his servant was killed, as I have no rules concerning the destruction of vampires or
Servios
. If we take action against him, it will be seen by the youth as heavy handed and unjustified.”

Craig cleared his throat rather loudly. “I know you two are talking with your minds. Don’t you think that’s a little rude in front of a guest?”

“Who cares? You know damn well it’s just a matter of time before the little ass-hat breaks the Veil. How much slack are you going to give him?”

Kerestyan smiled at Craig, who may have sensed the use of telepathy but had no idea what was being said.
“As much as it takes for the Child to hang himself. Then his death will be justified, within my laws, and you’re welcome to him.”

“Why are you smiling at me?” Craig turned and looked behind him at the French doors then back to Kerestyan. “What, you think I’m pretty or something?”

“So you’re going to wait until he actually breaks the Veil?”

“Yes.”
Kerestyan raised an eyebrow for Craig’s benefit. “No.”

“Then what the hell are you smiling at me for?”

“What the fuck, Kerestyan?”
Raze smacked Craig with her blade again. “Don’t curse at the Lord of New York. Show some damn respect, Leechling.”

Craig bared his fangs at her and hissed, as though he’d seen far too many modern movies. “If you hit me with that thing again, I’m going to respect the hell out of
you
.” He snapped his teeth together. “Lay off, Angel.”

Raze stiffened and stared down at Craig as golden flecks burst around her, knocking him and his chair over. “You know what I am?” She drew her blade and leveled it at him. “You know what I am, and you dare tempt me?”

“Raze, don’t you dare make an action against him. Under no circumstances do I wish to demean your authority in front of him, but I will if you force my hand.”

Craig crawled to his feet and took a few steps back, his lips curled. “I know what you are. Like Lord Kerestyan said, I received a good education…and not just in high school.”

“Your education obviously wasn’t thorough enough.” She lowered her blade and slid it back into the scabbard. “I suggest you go back to your Sire and request more training.”

Kerestyan stood placed himself between the young vampire and the very angry Paladin. “Craig, I suggest you mind your future actions. Making enemies with the Head of Enforcement is never a wise decision.”

He leaned to the side and glared at Raze again before he laughed. “In this city it is. She can’t do anything unless I break the only rule.”

Kerestyan growled as the beast uncoiled and his fangs broke free. “Considering her words carry more weight in this city than yours, should she come to me and admit she ended your life because she witnessed you feeding in plain view at
Fetish
, I will believe her.”

Fangs gone, Craig rolled his shoulders and attempted to hide the fear ebbing from his body. “So it’s gonna be like that now?”

“It has been like that for ages!” Kerestyan roared. “Perhaps you should tuck your tail and run back to your weigh-blooded Sire. You were obviously absent the night she chose to teach the intricacies of vampiric politics.” He raised an arm and pointed at the doors. “Leave my sight.”

To the Fledglings credit, he did exactly as instructed.

Kerestyan returned to his chair and sank into the dark leather. “Why do they do that? Why can’t they just behave?”

“I try to tell myself it’s because they don’t know any better,” Raze offered as she walked over and righted Craig’s overturned chair. “But I think it has more to do with the fact that this new breed of modern Fledgling just doesn’t care. They think they’re the top of the food chain. They seem to forget their Sire’s all came from somewhere.”

He motioned to the door again. “He has enough education to know you exist.”

She dropped into the chair across from him. “I know. He caught me off guard for a second there.” She tilted her head and twisted her fingers around a neon blue spike of hair. “But I suppose, as much as I’d like to think otherwise, most vampires, even the dumb ones, pass on to their Children that Paladins exist.” She flashed an evil smile. “After all, we do live to kill them.”

“So does Vouclade, but I don’t hear his name echoing through the hallowed halls of courts the world over.”

She laughed, her whisky voice filling the large room. “That’s because Vookie doesn’t let anyone, regardless of age, live long enough to share.”

As he joined her in laughter, Kerestyan felt his fangs retract. “So what exactly would you like to do with Craig?”

Her lips pursed in a disapproving manner. “Forget him for a minute, what am I going to do with you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, Fangs. What the hell is up with you?” She kicked her unnecessarily bright, lime green boots onto the table. “You’ve been quick to go primal all week. What’s up?”

He considered her five inch spike heels for a moment, which he was sure not only doubled as a weapon but put her only inches from standing as tall as he did. “You have a very strange array of footwear.”

She wiggled herself straight and smoothed the front of her black t-shirt, which had the German words “Das Ich” scrawled across it in letters the same color as her boots. “And you’re really bad at changing the subject.” She bounced her right leg on top of her left as she beamed a prying smile. “Is it Logan? Is she why you’ve been all pissy? Do you miss her? Do you
looooove
her?”