Bittersweet Blood (The Order #1)

Tara frowned at the command, but decided now was not the time to exert her independence. She sat on one of the leather and steel chairs in front of Piers’s desk.

“I want one of the witches to have a look at her talisman,” Christian explained. “Maybe they can identify who worked the charm.”

“What do you think it’s doing? And why’s a human wearing such a charm?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

“Okay, but you’re going to wipe her memory of all this, aren’t you?”

Across the room, Tara stared at the floor, hands clasped tight on her lap. As though she sensed his attention she glanced up and smiled, and something shifted inside him. Something he had never expected to feel. Certainly not for a human.

“Perhaps. When this is over.”

“You need to mark her, Christian.”

“I’m not sure she’ll agree.”

Piers stared at him in total amazement. “If I explain what will happen if she doesn’t agree—she’ll agree.”

Christian stilled. His eyes narrowed and his gums ached as his fangs elongated. “Don’t touch her,” he growled.

“Perhaps you should explain then. It’s the one safeguard we have against the humans turning on us. There can be no exceptions.”

Piers spoke the truth, but the time was coming to an end when they could live in secret among humans. They should plan how to move forward when that time came rather than cling to the old rules. It was an argument he had had with Piers many times.

“I’ll talk to her, but alone.”

Piers nodded. “I’ll go speak with Ella.”

…

Tara wasn’t going to admit it, but she was terrified. Had been since they walked out of the elevator and she realized she was deep underground, surrounded by the undead, and all that stood between her and a horrible end was another undead.

She watched as the two men, or rather two vampires, spoke. Their voices were pitched too low to hear, but the exchange didn’t seem friendly. Despite the difference in coloring, they were curiously alike. Both tall, pale skinned, and stunningly gorgeous. She wondered whether it was because they only chose tall, handsome men to change into vampires or if something happened during the change.

She knew, by the way they frequently glanced her way, that Piers and Christian were discussing her. Piers appeared angry—Christian must have broken a few rules to bring her here. Then again, he didn’t strike her as the sort of person who bothered with rules. Ever.

Unlike herself, who had lived the first twenty-two years following a set of rules given to her by a dead woman. At the thought of rules, her hand went to her locket. She’d broken Rule Number Three, and it hadn’t turned out any better than number two. What had Christian seen that was so bad? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“Tara.” Christian held out a hand to her. She stood and walked toward him. As his fingers wrapped around hers, she instantly felt better.

“I’ll leave you two to talk,” Piers said.

Christian nodded. “Thanks, Piers.”

He left the room.

Christian pulled her toward the desk then pushed her shoulder until she sank into the chair.

Alarm flickered through her. “I’m going to need to sit for this?”

He took the seat opposite and sat for a moment, watching her closely.

“What?” she asked.

“Vampires have remained secret among humans for thousands of years only by following a strict set of rules. One of the Order’s jobs is to ensure that everyone upholds those rules.”

“I guess you broke a few by bringing me tonight.”

“A few. I thought it was worth it to get the information we need, but perhaps we should have had this conversation before I brought you here.”

“What difference would it have made?”

“We have two ways of dealing with humans who discover our secret. The ones that survive the experience, that is. The first is to erase their memories.”

“You can do that?”

“Short-term memories are easy. The longer the memory is in the mind the harder it becomes, and the more likely we are to cause some sort of permanent damage, so we try to do it as soon as possible. It’s how we deal with those humans we feed from.”

“Have you ever done it to me?”

He shook his head. “Sometimes I hunt, but I don’t need to feed with much frequency any more. Most vampires have humans who they feed from regularly.”

“Like you and Graham?”

He nodded. “Those we feed from more than once, we bind to us by the second method.”

“And that is?”

“We mark them.”

“Mark them with what?”

“It’s not a physical mark. It’s a” —he thought for a moment— “psychic mark.”

“You mark their brains?” Tara shuddered. She didn’t like the thought of anyone doing anything in her brain. Christian watched her closely, and she realized where this was going. “You want to mark my brain, don’t you?”

“I don’t want to, but I have no choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

“You’re right, but perhaps I should set the choices out before you.”