Night's Honor (20 page)

“Probably Evenfall,” Xavier said. “I think we'll need to enlist Julian's help.”

The other man frowned. “I don't like the thought of you staying at Evenfall for any length of time without some kind of backup.”

Xavier shook his head. “I've told you countless times before, I can take care of myself.”

“But this isn't about just you now, is it?” Raoul's gaze turned keen. “What if you need to meet with Julian—or anyone else—alone? What happens with Tess in the meantime? Xavier, Evenfall is not the safest or most secure place, especially when dangerous visitors are in residence. Also, if you're gone for too long, you might need blood. Either let me come, or at the very least take Diego.”

The other man had a point. He didn't know what he might have to do, and he didn't feel good about leaving Tess alone, not with the level of fear she had yet to overcome. Evenfall was filled with predators, and while Julian had good guards, a Vampyre with enough senior standing could overpower them.

“Fine,” he said. “It's a good idea. I'll take Diego. I know he's been restless.”

Raoul still looked frustrated, but he said, “Good enough. Thank you.”

“I'll be in touch soon, and give you updates as I can.” Xavier touched his arm and left.

Outside, the night was deceptively serene. Waves lapped at the shore gently, and the breeze that blew off the water was cool and refreshing. Nothing in the scenery hinted at the storm that was coming.

He strode across the lawn to the parking lot, where Diego had brought the SUV. As he reached it, Diego came out of the house carrying the overnight bag he always kept packed.

When the younger man reached him, he said, “Go get your bag. You're coming too.”

Diego's eyes sparked with surprise. “I'll be right back.” He sprinted away.

While Xavier waited, he called Julian, who picked up on the first ring. “I need your help with a tricky situation,” he told Julian.

The Nightkind King said, “I'll help you any way I can, but now's not a good time. Justine's up my ass again, trying to claim those trade proposals that you and Melly agreed to in New York aren't valid.”

“You're kidding,” Xavier said. “What happened to good faith and common sense?”

“They got run over by a bus. Legally, she has a point. You weren't authorized by the council to strike those deals. Instead of letting it slide, Justine is insisting that either Melly has to come back and strike an agreement with me personally, or the council has to pass a motion that gives you the authority in retrospect to cover the talks you had in New York with Melly.” Julian's deep, powerful voice sounded like it was filled with ground glass. “So either Melly has to come back to Evenfall, or the whole council needs to reconvene.”

Xavier swore. If the council had to reconvene to pass such a motion, it would be another damning piece of evidence against Julian's effectiveness.

“I'm Sisyphus, Xavier,” Julian growled. “I'm a Vampyre Sisyphus stuck in hell, damned to push the same fucking rock up the same hill for all eternity. One of these days I'm going to separate Justine's head from her shoulders.”

He took a deep breath and said, “The thing is, this tricky situation I've got . . . Julian, it can't wait.”

Silence spooled out between them. “Okay,” Julian said. “We'll just have to fucking deal with all of it. What do you need? What's going on?”

“We shouldn't discuss it over the phone,” Xavier told him. “We need to talk about it in person.”

A short silence. He knew what Julian was thinking. He almost never asked for assistance with anything, and the fact that he thought they needed to meet in person brought home the urgency of his request.

Julian asked, “When are you coming?”

“Half an hour, tops,” Xavier replied.

“Find me when you get here.” Julian disconnected without a good-bye.

Xavier tucked his phone into his pocket.

Malphas, on the hunt for Tess. Justine, in residence at Evenfall.

This night kept getting better and better.

•   •   •

I
n her room, Tess changed into jeans and an old cable-knit, soft heather sweater. She stuffed other clothes into a gray canvas carry-on—another pair of jeans, two more sweaters, a couple of T-shirts, the flat black shoes she had worn at the Vampyre's Ball, toiletries, underwear and her hairbrush.

She barely noticed what she grabbed. None of her old street clothes fit right any longer. They all hung a bit loose on her frame.

It wasn't like it mattered what she looked like anyway. Nobody cared, least of all herself. She wasn't going to pause to put on makeup or a nice outfit for a confrontation with Malphas.

A confrontation with Malphas. The words echoed in her head. Her hands were shaking, while her mind raced in circles like a panicked jackrabbit.

Trust me, Xavier had said. And he was right. He had earned it.

She didn't even know what had happened, or when, but something fundamental had changed. Like the continuous stream of decisions and actions that had brought her to this place, maybe what had happened wasn't one single thing but a series of events that culminated into something far different from anything she could have imagined.

She had seen Xavier angry more than once. They had talked, argued, even laughed together. And when she had broken down to confess everything about Eathan and his father, instead of losing his temper or attacking her for possibly endangering people on the estate, he had pulled her into his arms and held her.

He had moved so far beyond the term “monster” in her mind, he might actually be the finest man she had ever met.

Trust me, he had said, and the look in his eyes had been . . . vulnerable. It had mattered to him that she did. He was usually so poised, so self-contained, the expression had jolted her out of her old habits and mind-set.

She zipped up her bag. For a moment, she simply stood and looked around her plain, peaceful room. She said in the empty air, “I think we're going on a fool's errand.”

Wherever that was.

But he had said trust me, so she would. He had connections, an entire network of people—creatures—that she could know nothing about, and centuries' more knowledge and experience. That had to count for something. It should count for a lot.

Honestly, she didn't know if that was a reasonable assessment, or if she was falling prey to a fool's hope too.

She slipped on her jean jacket, slung her bag onto her shoulder, turned off the light and left the room.

As she neared the front door, she met Diego. He wore a black leather jacket and had a bag slung over his shoulder too. She stopped. “Where are you going?”

He shrugged. “I assume I'm going the same place you are, chica.”

“God, I hope not,” she muttered. “I wouldn't wish where I'm going on my worst enemy.”

He grinned and opened the door. “I guess we'll find out, won't we?”

They walked outside together. Across the lawn, she saw Xavier standing by his Lexus, clearly waiting for them.

She and Diego approached, and when they neared, Xavier said to Diego, “Please drive.”

“Sure thing.” Diego slipped into the driver's seat, while she and Xavier climbed into the back.

The interior smelled of expensive leather and the faint scent of a masculine aftershave that she recognized as Xavier's. Instead of tensing with nerves, she found herself relaxing. She was beginning to associate his scent with comfort and safety.

He lounged beside her, perfectly calm and comfortable within himself like a lean hunting cat. In the dim illumination from the dashboard, his eyes glittered, sharp with intelligence.

As she snapped on her seat belt, Diego adjusted the rearview mirror and looked into it at Xavier. “Where to?”

“Evenfall,” said Xavier.

Diego nodded, reversed the vehicle and drove to the front gates, while her gut clenched, and briefly, she closed her eyes. They were going into a stronghold filled with Vampyres, into the very heart of the Nightkind demesne. She'd been right—she wouldn't wish this trip on her worst enemy.

Xavier's hand closed over the fist she pressed against her thigh, and she jumped. She opened her eyes to look at him, and he gave her a sidelong, crooked smile.

“Think of something positive,
querida
,” he told her. “Always think of something positive. It will calm your heart rate and clear your mind.”

In the angled rearview mirror, she saw Diego give them both a sharp, frowning glance. He looked unsettled, and she wondered why.

Xavier's grip on her fist was steady and as gentle as he always was with her. She breathed evenly, focusing on his relaxed, alert presence instead of her own jumbled mass of nerves, and rather to her own surprise, she found herself calming almost immediately.

She whispered, “You really think everything is going to be okay.”

“I really do,” he replied, just as quietly. “We can find a way to go through this and reach the other side.”

Her clenched fist unlocked, and she turned her hand over to lace her fingers through his. His crooked smile widened into real warmth. He squeezed her fingers.

They spent the rest of the twenty-minute trip in silence, until Evenfall loomed ahead of them like a hulking leviathan that had crawled out of the sea.

Soon, Diego turned off onto a narrow gravel road that brought them closer to the shoreline. They approached the castle from a wide, open area bare of trees or any other obstruction. All that was visible were tall grasses, a tumble of rocky ground and the ocean, and she felt sure none of that was by accident.

They pulled up to an anonymous-looking set of garage doors, set into the foot of the castle wall, and stopped. She had just enough time to notice the security cameras when the metal doors rose, opening like a giant mouth.

Diego drove inside, and Evenfall swallowed them whole.

FOURTEEN

I
nside was an entirely normal underground parking garage. After passing a security gate, Diego drove down a ramp and into a parking space that said
RESERVED
.

When he cut the engine, Xavier told him, “Please take our bags to my rooms and wait there until you hear further instructions.”

Tess slipped her hand out of Xavier's as Diego twisted in his seat to frown at both of them.

“You just want me to wait in your rooms?”

“You're here as backup,” Xavier said. “If I need to act alone or take care of something unforeseen, you will guard Tess. We're here to complete a task that is going to be—unpredictable. Also, if we're here for longer than the night, I might require blood.”

Diego said, without expression, “So I'm here to act as a babysitter and a wet bar.”

Xavier's own expression went still. With immense courtesy, he replied, “That is what I require from you at this point in time, yes.”

After a moment, Diego said, “Just checking, boss. Hey, at least it's good to get out of the house now and then, right?”

He had lightened his tone, but his cheerfulness rang false to Tess. She put her head in her hands and rubbed aching temples. With the sure knowledge that she would be facing Malphas soon enough, she didn't have any emotional room to spare for whatever might be bothering Diego.

Xavier touched her thigh. “Are you ready?”

No. No.

She lifted her head, straightened her shoulders and said, “Yes.”

“Come with me.”

She stepped out of the SUV as he did, and he came around to escort her through a metal reinforced security door to a concrete stairwell that soon gave way to stone walls and steps. Walking up the stairs felt like passing from the present day into a century in the far past.

“Why this?” she murmured. She had been talking to herself, but Xavier, who had taken the lead and was a step farther ahead, turned to look at her with one eyebrow raised in inquiry. She asked him, “Why a castle?”

“This demesne has a number of very old Vampyres who wield a great deal of financial and personal power. At the time, Julian and his sire, Carling, felt a structure that was so indicative of strength and age would strike the right note of authority with those Vampyres when they came to settle in California. Also, it's highly defensible, and there are a number of interior rooms that have no windows at all. The place is riddled with halls and private passages, so it can be a bit confusing until you get used to it. I suggest you do not get lost or wander off on your own.”

“You don't have to worry about that,” she muttered, even though she knew he could hear her quite clearly.

They continued up the stairs, and along a series of hallways that grew wider and more trafficked. Vampyres turned to look at them as they passed, their gazes lingering curiously on Tess.

She found she didn't have any emotional room to spare for them either. Walking by Xavier's side, she felt as safe as if they strolled down the beach back at the estate.

Maybe that was a positive image, or maybe she just knew in the marrow of her bones that he was more dangerous than anyone they passed, and he was on her side.

You gave me blood, he had said. I'm supposed to protect you.

And she trusted him.

They came to a set of massive mahogany doors guarded by two Vampyres, a man and a woman, dressed in thoroughly modern, dark gray suits.

The man had average features and gingery hair, but the tall, athletic-looking woman was striking, with dark brown skin and a smooth, sleek cap of black hair. As Xavier approached, she said, “Go right in, sir. He's expecting you.”

“Very good. Thank you, Yolanthe.” As they stepped aside, Xavier nodded to the man and ushered Tess into the Nightkind King's personal quarters.

Julian stood in front of a blazing fire in a large granite fireplace. The Nightkind King's arms were crossed, and he spoke into a Bluetooth headset. He wore faded jeans, old, scarred cowboy boots and a black T-shirt that stretched across a broad, muscled chest. While the expensive, elegant evening suit he had worn to the Vampyre's Ball had emphasized his rough looks, this outfit looked as if it suited him.

As they entered the room, Julian looked up. Still speaking, he raised a finger, and Xavier nodded.

While they waited for Julian to finish his call, Tess looked around curiously. Whatever she might have imagined, the reality of Julian's living space was not it. The place was austere, and gave almost no hint of the kind of wealth and power he must truly have.

Black leather couches were arranged in front of the fireplace, with a thick, heavy wool rug between them. Plain, sturdy wooden tables and a matching cabinet completed the furnishings. The only expression of extravagance was a massive landscape painting that dominated one stone wall, depicting a sun-drenched scene that appeared to be Italian, or at the very least European.

A laptop and a pile of papers were stacked on one end of the coffee table. Julian finished his phone call, tapped the Bluetooth device at his ear then tore it off and flung it at the table.

“Melly isn't answering her cell,” he said to Xavier. “Her publicist claims she's on location for a new shoot. And Tatiana is not inclined to waste Light Fae time and send another representative to redo proposals that have already been agreed upon. Goddammit.”

“Give me a moment.” Xavier pulled out his cell phone, dialed a number and a moment later said, “Hi, Melly, how are you?” He paused, giving Julian a wry glance. “Good for you. A skiing trip to Aspen sounds delightful.”

Julian's rough expression darkened with fury. Hand out, he strode forward, silently demanding the phone. Xavier stepped back and shook his head warningly.

Xavier said into his phone, “Listen, I have a favor to ask of you. Yes, it does have to do with why Julian's been calling and leaving messages. No, I promise, it doesn't require you coming back to Evenfall. All I want you to do is say, ‘Julian, I agree with all of the trade proposals that Xavier and I chatted about in New York.' Then Julian is going to say, ‘Melisande, I agree with all of the trade proposals that you and Xavier chatted about in New York.' You don't have to really talk to each other, just say the words. Meanwhile, I'm going to put you on speaker and record everything, all right? Thank you.”

As Tess watched in fascination, Julian's eyes flashed red. Lips peeling back in a silent snarl, he held up his hands, fingers curled, and pantomimed strangling an invisible person in front of him.

Xavier checked the screen of his phone. He said, “Melly, I've got you on speaker now. Can you hear me?”

“Of course.” The Light Fae princess's warm voice sounded clearly in the room.

“Okay.” Xavier's thumb moved over the screen. “I'm recording you now. Go.”

Melisande said, “Julian, I agree with all of the trade proposals that Xavier and I chatted about in New York.”

Xavier pointed to Julian. The Nightkind King growled, “Melisande, I agree with all of the trade proposals that you and Xavier chatted about in New York. And would it have killed you to pick up the fucking phone just once?”

“You never know,” Melisande said. “It might have.”

“If I ever get my hands on you again,” he snapped, “I'm going to throttle you senseless.”

“Dream on,” she sneered. “You only wish you could get your hands on all of this awesomeness again, and that's one thing I promise is never going to happen.”

Xavier said rapidly, “Okay, thanks again.”

Melisande's voice changed drastically, and she said with obvious affection, “Any time, darling. 'Bye.”

Xavier signed off. For a moment, he and Julian looked at each other, and in spite of the severity of her own problems, Tess was hard put to keep from laughing. Struggling to keep her face straight, she put a hand over her mouth.

“It's not pretty or dignified,” Xavier said. “But it
is
a recording of an agreement between the two of you. Maybe it'll be enough to back Justine off, because you know the other members of the council won't take kindly to being called to reconvene over a technicality of law that appears to have been resolved already.”

“I'll take it,” Julian said. “I can back Justine off with this and boot her out of Evenfall, at least until next year's council sessions.”

Xavier paused. “Gavin can probably cut off the last bit, if you prefer to keep that part private.”

“Fine. Get me an abbreviated copy as soon as you can. Now, about your issue you couldn't discuss over the phone.” When Julian looked at Tess, the red in his gaze had faded. He said, “I remember you. You interviewed with Xavier at the Vampyre's Ball. You're the one who sent an email to everyone on the Evenfall server. Including me.”

Her humor died, and she nodded nervously.

For a few moments, Julian studied her with the same clinical dispassion that he had shown at the Ball. He turned to Xavier. “Tell me.”

“Have you heard of the pariah Djinn named Malphas?” Xavier asked.

Julian's dark gaze narrowed. “He's the one based in Las Vegas. Owns one of the largest casinos. What of him?”

Xavier said, “We have reason to believe Malphas may have murdered Senator Jackson's son in Florida.”

The disinterest vaporized from Julian's expression. “Why do you think that? Convince me.”

When Xavier glanced at Tess, she nodded and he began to explain. Julian's brows lowered into a scowl as he listened. After Xavier finished, the Nightkind King looked at Tess. He had been dispassionate before, but now his dark gaze had turned chilling.

He said, “You're the only one in the world making this claim.”

It was impossible to tell what Julian meant by that statement, but Xavier still looked calm and relaxed, and he gave her a reassuring smile. She swallowed hard. “I guess I am.”

“I want to hear you say it,” Julian said. “Tell me you believe this is true.”

She met the Nightkind King's piercing gaze and said in a clear, steady voice, “I was present in the casino when all of it happened. I watched Eathan dig a hole for himself by gambling more and more, and I saw Malphas seduce him into it. I called Senator Jackson's office and got through all of his gatekeepers until I spoke to him directly, and I told him Eathan was in trouble. I saw Senator Jackson and his staff of bodyguards arrive at the casino, and they left shortly afterward with Eathan.” She paused. “I believe Malphas killed Eathan.”

Julian's expression hadn't shifted. “Jackson's boy died at sea. Even if the exact location of his death could be pinpointed—which is highly unlikely—it's too late to have the area scanned by a forensic magic user. You can't prove anything.”

Her heart sank. Glancing at Xavier again, she said, “No, sir, I'm afraid I can't. But for me, the timing and manner of Eathan's death is too compelling.”

Julian sat on the couch, propped his booted feet on the table and crossed his arms. “While I hear the conviction in your voice, nobody cares whether or not you find it compelling or you believe it's true. It's a very serious allegation, and none of it can be corroborated. I've yet to hear anything about whether or not you're a credible witness. For all I know, you might also believe tinfoil hats keep aliens from invading your thoughts.”

Xavier stirred. “Julian.”

The Nightkind King gestured impatiently. “I'm making a point. What this whole thing comes down to is your word against a first-generation Djinn.”

If Malphas could make her disappear, it wouldn't even be that.

Despair tried to take over. Closing her eyes, she fought it off. She whispered, “I know.”

Something settled around her shoulders. Surprised, she opened her eyes again to find Xavier had joined her and put his arm around her shoulders. Comfort stole into her frozen heart. Unable to resist, she slipped an arm around his lean waist while Julian watched them both with that dark, piercing gaze.