Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch #1)

CHAPTER Thirty-One

Despite the abrupt beginning, the rest of the day on Sunday was quiet. Even the warehouse district shut down for the Sabbath, and the surveillance cameras only showed an occasional dog sniffing around, watering the dried weeds near the building. A couple of squirrels scampered across the roof and set off the sensors mid-afternoon. That caused a momentary stir until Mike pinpointed the culprits on camera seven.

Shortly after five o’clock, Carmella strolled into the room with two well-armed male vamps. Normally Ari might have been surprised to see the vamps this early, but Riverdale had switched to standard time, the regular ‘fall back.’ It got dark earlier. What did surprise her was Carmella’s presence instead of Andreas’s.

“You can all go do whatever you do now,” Carmella said. “They,” she indicated the two male vamps, “will take over for the night, and you have to clear this room. I understand you’re staying in the compound, but keep out of their way.”

Carmella had such a charming way about her. For a moment Ari thought Lilith was going to say something, then she shrugged. Good decision. Irritating old vamps was not a wise idea. Carmella didn’t hang around for long, and the other two vampire guards kept to themselves in the surveillance room.

That left the team in possession of the TV and the kitchen. Mike poked around in the refrigerator, and Russell recruited players for a poker game. Prince Daron and his court came through the hidden door about 6:15. As usual, they had little to say and headed straight toward The Blue Room, where the prince often conducted court business. Andreas still didn’t appear.

Another hour passed. Ari rubbed the back of her neck, her tension growing with Andreas’s continued absence. He finally strode through the door, his stride brisk, all business. He nodded to Ari before disappearing into The Blue Room. He wasn’t gone long. When he returned, he stopped in the doorway. “Ready?”

He hustled her down the hall and opened the tunnel that led to Club Dintero.

“Has something happened? First you’re late, now the tunnel?” When he didn’t answer, she peered inside. “Are there spiders?”

That brought a faint smile to his face. “I will go first.”

Ari followed, keeping away from the walls. “Why so late?”

“Business,” was his terse reply.

“Ours or yours?”

He ignored that, turned on a large Maglite, and started down the tunnel. Ari hurried to catch him. For the first two or three minutes, the passage was a simple wood-framed hallway, wide enough to accommodate two people walking abreast. As they angled downward, the floor turned to dirt, and rock replaced the wood walls. On occasion Andreas ducked to avoid overhead rocky protrusions. The air was stale, stuffy, and the number of spider webs Andreas swept down with the Maglite spoke of the tunnel’s long disuse. Ari watched for the web spinners, hoping to avoid any close encounters. The floor tilted upward again, the air freshened, and they arrived at the trap door in Andreas’s office. The entire trip had taken no more than ten minutes.

“Now that’s over, will you tell me what’s going on?” Ari said as she brushed dust from her clothes. “It’s obvious something’s wrong.”

“As soon as I return,” he promised. “Just a few minutes.”

Ari protested, but it was too late. Andreas had already disappeared.

With time on her hands, she cleaned up in the nearby bathroom, chose a fresh blouse from the bag she’d brought from her apartment, and even ran a comb through her hair. She checked her watch. Six minutes had passed. Now what?

Too restless to sit and wait, Ari wandered the room, absently letting her fingers trail over the surprisingly modern paintings composed in an array of jewel-tone colours. Her mind tossed around possible reasons for Andreas’s mood. Some club problem? No. He would have said so. Some vampire issue unrelated to recent events? Maybe. But no, that couldn’t be it. He said he’d tell her. And in spite of how much he’d recently shared, Andreas wasn’t about to divulge vampire business unless he had to. So it must be connected to Sebastian or the wolves. Had he found the spy? Had someone else been killed? Why all the mystery?

* * *

She’d about run out of speculations when Andreas returned. He’d changed into a black sports jacket, and he was smiling. She didn’t know how to interpret that.

“I would wager you are starved,” he said. “A table awaits us.”

“Us? You’re joining me?” He didn’t do that often. In fact, the only time they’d spent more than a few minutes together in the dining room was the night of Victor’s interview. How long ago that seemed.

“If you do not object to my company.” He held out an arm.

Ari flashed him a smile and walked by, ignoring the arm. She wasn’t particularly fashion conscious, but she drew the line at a man in Armani escorting her in stonewashed jeans. He chuckled and followed her into the dining room. They were given a cozy corner table. As soon as they were seated, drinks appeared. Cabernet for her, Chianti for him. She sipped her drink and watched him. Andreas was pensive tonight.

Ari wondered if it was the mysterious business that was bothering him. Hopefully he would tell her in time. She glanced around the room. Business was good; the club was packed. There was a new maitre’d at the door. “Where’s Victor?”

An emotion flickered across Andreas’s face that she couldn’t identify.

“An overnight buying trip to Chicago.”

“So who’s the host?”

Now Andreas smiled. “I am not surprised you failed to recognize him. The last time you saw Marcus was the night of his rescue.”

“Marcus!” She turned to look again. “He’s recovered completely. It’s amazing! What a difference. You must be a fabulous doctor.”

Andreas’s smile broadened. “He has little memory of what happened to him. Probably a blessing. It has made his recovery easier than Gordon’s. Marcus will make a fine head maitre d’ when the time comes.”

Ari look at the younger vampire again. With his dark good looks, Marcus would be quite a hit with the ladies. He greeted guests with a quiet formality that would someday match the elegance of the man seated across from her. Ari’s lips curved in a smile. It was easy to identify Marcus’s chosen role model.

She brought her thoughts back to the table. Andreas had returned to brooding, his shadowed gaze focused on the flame of their table candle.

“Are you ever going to clue me in?”

Andreas’s eyes popped up to hers, and the corners of his mouth curved. “Run out of patience, madam witch?” He steepled his long fingers. “I am sorry to be so inattentive tonight. This latest development has been particularly hard for me to comprehend. We intercepted a courier last night. A vampire running information back and forth between Riverdale and Sebastian in Toronto. Unfortunately he did not reveal his local contact.” Andreas’s jaw tightened. “But the courier was here, in my club. And I fear I know who the contact may be.”

“Who?” Ari leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Somebody on your staff? A member of the inner court?” Most of the vampire community hung out here from time to time, so she wasn’t surprised the contact had been in the club.

Andreas’s face clouded. “Forgive me, Arianna. But I hesitate to make such a serious accusation, even to you, until I am certain. Be patient for one more day. By tomorrow night my suspicions will be confirmed or refuted.”

Ari frowned at him, tempted to push for a better answer. But how could she fault him? The community was teeming with suspicion and a mob mentality. A false allegation overheard in the club could be lethal. If waiting a few hours made Andreas feel better, she’d go along—unless she got an opportunity to quiz him in private.

She shrugged in tacit acceptance. “And the courier, are you going to tell me what happened to him?”

“No, probably not.”

Better leave it alone, she thought. Vampires had their own idea of justice…and matching interrogation techniques. Someday she might try to change his mind. But to be honest, she didn’t have much interest in the fate of some traitorous thug. She was more curious about the suspect, who could be Sebastian’s candidate for the next Riverdale prince.

She studied her dinner companion. Now there was her candidate for prince. But he wouldn’t make Sebastian’s list. She almost smiled imagining Andreas as anyone’s puppet.

No, Sebastian’s choice would be someone weak, who only looked strong. She didn’t know a single vampire who fit that description. She’d like to suspect Lucien, simply because he was a prick, but he was too arrogant to let Sebastian take control.

“I can’t figure Sebastian out,” she said, thinking aloud. “If he has the wolves and some hand-picked prince on the scene, why the drugs and the mind-control experiments?”

“A tough question. One I have thought about for days.” He signaled the waiter to refill their wineglasses. When the young man was finished, Andreas continued. “Perhaps Sebastian hoped to keep us from seeing the bigger danger. Keeping the community in an uproar while he worked quietly behind the scenes. You have to admit it was effective.”

“Well, maybe.” She looked unconvinced.

“Or perhaps he fantasized about his own army of robot vampires. Whatever he envisioned, it is hard to believe even Sebastian would be foolhardy enough to want a drug perfected that controls vampires. A drug that could be turned against him.”

“A good reason for him to have the wizard killed. Maybe Dubrey was close to success, and Sebastian finally realized how dangerous it was. I wonder what Sebastian’s thinking now. Knowing we suspect him, what will he do?”

“Unpredictable. I am not even sure who is running the show. Master or puppet. Sebastian’s pet may have struck out on his own.” Andreas leaned back, picking up his wineglass. “Vampire ambitions have few boundaries.”

And what were Andreas’s ambitions? Ari wondered. When this was over, assuming they all survived, would he be content as a lieutenant forever? Somehow she doubted it.

* * *

Ari settled down to sleep early that evening. The short nights had taken a toll. She had a dull headache, and the wine had made her sleepy. As she waited to doze off, she tried to recapture those small things that kept nagging at her. The tattooed guy, something about Frederick’s friends… She drifted into a restless sleep.

She woke with her witch senses shrieking. A vampire was in the room. Not Andreas. Not his magic. Her hand closed over the dagger under the pillow. Heart racing, she forced herself to lie still until she could identify the enemy’s location. From the corner of one eye, she saw a dark shadow glide toward her. A citrusy scent drifted toward her, one she'd smelled before. Ari forced her breathing to remain even. As the figure bent toward her, she lunged against his legs, tumbling them both to the floor. The vampire let out a sharp hiss near her ear, and she slammed him with her fist, connecting on hard bone. Sharp fangs slashed open her arm, and Ari screamed. Striking blindly with the knife, she tried to roll away.

Pain seared her scalp as the vampire yanked her head back by her hair. She slashed upward with the knife, and the vamp reared back to avoid the blade. Ari wrenched free and scrambled away on all fours, knocking chairs out of her way. Surely the racket would bring someone soon. She heard her cell phone ring. An iron grip clamped onto her left ankle, pulling her toward her attacker.

In desperation, Ari snagged the wooden foot of the couch with her good arm and held on. The maneuver left her on her stomach, and when she tried to kick herself loose, she lacked leverage. She released the couch and flipped over to make another strike with the knife. Her elbow struck the floor, sending the blade flying to drop with a clatter.

The vampire laughed, low and mocking. Ari saw the flash of white fangs lowering toward her throat, and she head-butted him. A hard fist retaliated, making her ears pop. She finally heard voices in the distance. She groped along the floor, searching for a weapon, finding only her unzipped bag of clothes. As the fangs reared again, set to strike, Ari did the only thing she could. She dumped the bag over his head.

The door crashed and the lights came on. Victor’s body was ripped away and slammed against the wall. Andreas pinned the assailant by the collar of his shirt. Victor’s feet dangled in air, his face brought nose to nose with his furious boss. Victor’s eyes bulged, his throat close to being crushed.

“Wait,” Ari whispered. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Ask him about the wolves, where they’re hiding.”

Andreas hesitated, as if reluctant to allow Victor even a small reprieve. Finally, he said, “She has given you another few minutes of life. The longer you talk, the longer you survive.” He loosened his hold enough for the tips of Victor’s feet to touch the floor. “Begin talking now.”

“I’m not telling the bitch anything,” Victor gasped.

“Fine with me,” Andreas growled, tightening his hold again.

“Are you willing to die to protect them?” Ari demanded. Her head throbbed, and she was slow getting to her feet. Blood dripped from the gash on her forearm. “Or maybe you think you’re protecting Sebastian?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” was the sullen response.

Andreas shook him like a terrier with a rat.

“Don’t delude yourself,” Ari said. “Sebastian’s sitting safe in Toronto while you take all the risks.” She was on her feet now, next to Andreas’s shoulder. “He doesn’t care what happens to you. But you can help yourself. Tell us where Sheila is. Tell us their plan. And we’ll talk about sparing your life.”

“It is your only chance.” Andreas’s voice was harsh.

Victor hesitated. His eyes rolled toward Ari. He wanted to believe it. He focused on his former boss. “You’ll kill me anyway.”

“Perhaps,” Andreas admitted. “But I can make it less painful. What more do you have to lose?” Contempt crept into his voice. “You have betrayed your prince. Betrayed me. And for what? Sebastian used you.”

Victor struggled against the choking grip, his voice a ragged whisper. “You don’t know anything. Riverdale was supposed to be mine.”

Andreas’s laugh was ugly. “You would have nothing. Sebastian would always hold your chain.”

“Last chance,” Ari said. “Where’s Sheila? Tell me where I can find her.”

“Go to hell.”

“Oh, not me, buddy. But you have a nice trip. You’re not only a traitor, you’re a moron.” Ari backed away. Unless Andreas had some mind thingy up his sleeve, they weren’t getting anything from Victor. The would-be prince was at least smart enough to know he didn’t have a remote chance of surviving the night.

Andreas leaned forward and whispered in his ear. Victor’s body went rigid. Andreas released his grip, turning Victor over to the other staff now crowding into the room.

“Get rid of him,” Andreas ordered. “Make this his last sunrise.”

Victor didn’t resist as they hustled him out. The fight was gone; his face was blank once again.

“What’s that mean, his last sunrise?” Ari asked.

“Have you seen a vampire execution?”

She nodded. Andreas didn’t need to tell her any more. The condemned vampire had burst into flames as soon as sunlight touched his body. It was a quick but painful way to go.

“You are hurt,” he suddenly said.

Ari looked at her arm. She hadn’t noticed the blood dripping on the floor. “Yeah, sorry about the mess.” She grabbed a shirt from the clothes strewn on the floor and dabbed at the wounds. “Guess I could use a bandage.”

Someone found a first aid kit. Andreas cleaned and wrapped her arm. The blood was starting to clot and the gashes smarted, sure signs of healing.

“Was Victor the one you suspected?” Ari asked as he put the extra supplies back in the box.

His hands paused. “Yes. I regret not telling you. If I had thought…” He closed the first aid box with a snap. “After the failed raid, I hired a private firm to investigate my staff, including the four men who were with me. The background reports arrived last Monday, and Victor’s revealed he was born in Canada. That did not mean he had been a vampire in Canada or knew Sebastian, but it raised concerns. Since he came to us four years ago from South Carolina, we had no prior suspicion of any Canadian ties.” Andreas’s mouth formed a thin line. “He hid his ambitions well.”

“Four years is a long time to plan a coup.”

“Not in the life of a vampire.”

Well, damn. Ari kept forgetting their unique point of view. Vampires were bound to see time on a much bigger clock.

“So that’s all you had on him? That he was born in Canada?” No wonder Andreas had hesitated to share his suspicions.

“That, and an uneasy feeling. Now I see other small hints that didn’t mean much at the time. Like his failure to tell you Angela’s companion was a werewolf.”

“Yeah, I remember that one.”

“And his antipathy toward you. His frequent reminders you were a witch, an enemy to vampires, and already involved in two vampire deaths. It was Victor who reported he saw you with Marcus. He said much to poison my opinion of you.” Andreas’s eyes held regret. “I should not have listened.”

“You didn’t know me then.”

“A poor excuse.” Andreas set the first aid kit on his desk. “Victor must have warned the wolves of the raid.”

“Then he tried to talk Ryan out of searching the house. Afraid Gordon or Marcus would expose him.” Ari suddenly put together one of the elusive pieces that had nagged her for days. The tattooed guy from Toronto—she’d seen him talking with Victor in a bar one night. “I think we all missed a lot.”

Andreas grimaced. “Including his befriending of Frederick. I wonder if Victor intended from the beginning to have him murdered. Ironic, is it not? Betrayed by one of our own.”

“Why’d he attack me? And why tonight? I thought he was on a buying trip.”

“I thought so too. The trip was a way to keep him busy while we explored his Canadian activities. He must have figured that out, realized he was about to be exposed, and moved his plans forward.” Andreas’s gaze sought hers. “Removing you was his next step.”

Ari shivered, not so much from his words as from the raw emotion in his eyes. She broke the contact and began gathering the clothes scattered around the room. He watched for a moment before gliding forward. Taking the items from her hands, he tossed them on the couch, and his hands settled on her shoulders. An instant spark of awareness brought her gaze to meet his.

Andreas slid a hand down to touch her injured arm. “I am sorry I was not here to prevent this. I received a message to meet Daron, and I went, thinking Victor was out of town.”

Andreas’s eyes darkened, and Ari’s skin tingled where his hands touched her. Her witch magic hummed with pleasure. Magic or pure attraction, it was heady stuff.

“The minute Daron told me the message was a fake, I knew you were in danger. I called. When you didn’t answer, I feared I was too late.” He moved closer, both hands sliding to her elbows. “It was not a good moment.”

Ari breathed in the masculine, musky scent of him, the allure of his cologne. She titled her head upward in invitation, and Andreas’s mouth closed over hers. Gentle at first, the kiss became deeper and possessive as he pulled her into his arms, pressing their bodies together. Ari let the kiss take her under, full and sweet, a delicious moment. As she teetered on the brink of drowning in sensation, he drew back and gently, but firmly, set her away.

Ari stared at him, pulse pounding. Andreas had been like the forbidden apple, tempting but beyond possibility. Now he’d changed the rules of this game they’d been playing, and she wasn’t sure how to react.

“It is late, and regretfully, this is not the time,” he said. He retreated across the room, putting distance between them.

Why not? Ari wanted to demand. What better time? But something kept her from saying the words. Something that knew he was right.

She watched as he closed the open trap door. Victor’s point of entry. He shoved the file cabinet against the closet door. “Secure locks will be added tomorrow,” he muttered. Still not looking at her, he picked up the splintered door and examined the damage, as if the last five minutes had never happened. But a warm pulse lingered on her lips.

As Ari watched his dark head bend over the door, silent amusement bubbled in her throat. The ever-so-cool Mr. De Luca was acting as if he didn’t trust himself. Probably a good thing, she thought. Deep inside, she was feeling very smug.