Born in Fire (Demon Days, Vampire Nights World Book 1)(21)

“What luck, that we find ourselves in need of a bounty hunter such as yourself. I’ve been told that you not only move quickly and with great skill, but you have a working knowledge of magic. Is this true?”

I frowned, because they wouldn’t have seen much of my powers on display last night. I didn’t like the idea of vampires spying on me, even if they’d just looked at my records from the office. “Yes.”

“Might I also assume that you work entirely for yourself, and do not sell information to third parties?”

“To be honest, I’ve never been in the position to sell information, so I really have no idea.”

“Ah, but you have.” He smiled again, a thing of perfection. It almost made Darius look plain.

I squinted, trying to parse his remark. I’d dealt with a lot of sensitive cases, but none of them had imparted useful information. Often, the marks babbled about how they could enrich my life until I knocked them unconscious for some peace and quiet. I delivered them, signed some papers, and went about my day.

“I see,” he said, taking my silence as an answer. The vampire took a few graceful steps and lowered himself into one of the secondary thrones. His choice of a seat of lesser height and grandeur did nothing to diminish his regal appearance. Darius was sitting higher physically, but for reasons I couldn’t pinpoint, I knew he was lower in hierarchy. “We have a sensitive matter you might be able to help us with. But first, I must know. What is the smell, Reagan Somerset, which reaches many of the vampires in this vast chamber?” He looked around those gathered. “Strangely, the young ones are not affected similarly. Those of us who are older, however…” His gaze flicked into the shadows. I followed his look, but saw only empty space.

I needed to get me one of those sheets!

“Male and female alike, we are driven half mad with desire.” The vampire’s dark gaze hit me again, intelligence and fire. “You know your effect; I can see that. Tell me, what is it? I must know.”

“Perspiration and a little deodorant.” Or, in this case, a lot of deodorant working very hard.

A smile lifted his shapely lips. “You have secrets, Reagan, do you not?”

“All girls have secrets.”

“And so they do.” His manicured nails tapped the armrest. “You are filled to the brim with extremely potent magic. I can feel it, tickling my skin in the most pleasing of ways.”

“That’s swell,” I replied dryly.

“You are aroused. I can see it in your enlarged pupils. Smell it oozing off your body.”

“Ew. All due respect, please stop.”

“You will not act on it; I can see that. Does our nature repulse you, Reagan?”

I could tell he was playing games, trying to see what made me tick. It was starting to get on my nerves. If he wanted my sassiness to come out and play, I’d just cut right to it.

“Your nature annoys me.” I adjusted my sword. “Look, your…friend stole ten grand out of my hands last night, then added insult to injury by posting a job he knew I had to take. That’s some bullshit right there. Don’t further aggravate me by dancing around with sexual crap and asking stupid questions. While I wouldn’t make it out of here alive, I’d make sure you didn’t, either. If you don’t believe me, lob me a challenge.”

A feral sort of smile curled his lips. It was predatory, ruthless, and blood-chilling. Fangs were bared all around me, and the quiver of shifting forms crowded the room. Fear I couldn’t help iced my spine. I breathed through it, keeping my blood rich with oxygen. I’d move faster that way. Hit harder.

One thing was certain—this vampire was extremely important to their hierarchy, and they didn’t like me talking smack to him. That was good to know.

He stared at me in a way that made my bones wobble and knees threaten to knock. I stared back, trying to keep those issues from showing on my face.

He leaned back slowly.

As though someone had snapped their fingers, the intense pressure that had been squeezing me released from the room. Apparently I wouldn’t be dying today.

I barely kept from sighing in relief.

“What is it you need from me?” I asked in a loud, clear voice, amazingly not shaking.

“Why, your services, of course.” The vampire’s smile was back to pleasant, as though his joke was funny. He didn’t seem to mind that no one laughed. “We have a sensitive issue that requires the aid of a magical person.

While we could enlist a number of mages, certain issues render us hesitant to do so.”

“Meaning, you have no idea who you can trust?”

His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Just so. You would be required to work with one of ours”—he nodded toward Darius—“and to visit an area of the Realm not many walk away from. The knowledge of such a place is only entrusted to a very few. Once you have seen it, you are tied to us, forever. If we ever suspect that you are not loyal, we will bleed you dry.”

He paused. The large chamber fell into silence.

I closed my mouth with a click. Despite this vampire’s unreal beauty, he wasn’t rainbows and sunshine.

“So…” I began, trying to formulate words around my desire to turn around and walk away. “Once I see this place, I’ll be watched by you, forever. Any hint of my not being a team player, including a small, drunken slip-up that would only mean something to you, would result in a pleasurable sort of death?”