“You know I can’t come with you,” Piers said. “It would be a declaration of war.”
“I don’t want you to come with me.” Christian finished the drink and put down the glass. “I want you to wait until you hear from me, but if I don’t get back by an hour before dawn, take Jonas and go to my place. Do the spell.” He took an envelope from his pocket. “Give this to Tara. It explains everything.”
Piers nodded.
Christian rose to his feet. He clasped hands with Piers briefly, then vanished.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Christian loved her.
She should be radiantly happy. Instead, Tara couldn’t rid her mind of the fear that something was terribly wrong.
Finally, she got up, pulled on her clothes, clipped the gun holster onto her belt, and went up to reception.
It was quiet, just Graham sitting behind the counter, and next to him, Smokey. They both watched her as she crossed the floor.
“I’m going crazy,” she said.
“He’ll be back soon,” Graham replied.
“Don’t try and sooth me. I don’t want to be soothed, and I have a gun.”
“Yeah, but you can’t hit anything, so I think we’re safe.”
“Ha, ha.”
She looked at her watch again. Another ten minutes had passed.
“Why don’t you go through the back and make us all a coffee?” Graham said.
“You’re trying to sooth me again.”
“Yes, but I would like a coffee.”
Tara shrugged. “Okay.” She turned to Smokey. “Do you want one?”
“Your cat drinks coffee?”
Tara glanced between the two of them. “I thought you two were getting pretty matey.” She came round the back of the counter and stroked her hand along Smokey’s back. “Why don’t you think about telling him your secret, while I’m making the coffee?”
Smokey jumped off the counter and followed her through into the small kitchen behind the reception area, weaving between her legs. Tara put the coffee on and leaned down to stroke him. “You can tell him, you know. He likes you.”
“Meow.”
“Yes, well. I suppose that’s up to you, but I want to talk to you anyway, so you can’t stay like that forever.”
She puttered around putting milk in the cups. She was pouring the coffee when something snapped in her head and she cried out. The coffee jug fell to the floor and smashed, hot liquid splashing up over her legs. Tara collapsed to her knees as Graham burst in through the door.
“Tara!” He came down beside her. “What is it?”
“He’s gone.”
“What do you mean, he’s gone?”
“I can’t feel him. He was there in my head, and now he’s gone.”
Graham reached out to help her up, but stopped abruptly as Jamie appeared out of nowhere.
“What the fuck!”
“Shapeshifter,” Jamie said and went down on his knees beside Tara.
“You’re the cat?”
Jamie nodded. He pulled Tara against him. “Come on, Tara. It’s probably nothing.”
“No.” Panic clawed at her insides. “Christian’s not there, it’s like he’s vanished. He’s dead, I know he is.”
“Tara, he can’t be dead,” Graham said.
“How can you be sure?”
“Because I’m still alive. I know Christian’s explained about the vampire marks. Christian dies and I die. And do I look dead?”
She shook her head, trying to drag herself back from the edge of despair. Glancing around her, she realized she was sitting in a puddle of cooling coffee and broken glass.
Graham reached out a hand to her. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet. “Come on, sit down. I’ll make more coffee, and we’ll try and work out what’s happened.”
Tara didn’t argue as he pushed her down into the chair. She remembered what Christian had told her about the marks. She bit her lip to stop the trembling. “Okay.”
Jamie cleaned up the floor while Graham made the coffee.
“We can try his cell phone,” Graham said, handing her a mug.
Tara watched as he phoned. Jamie stood behind her his hands on her shoulders. She knew there would be no answer.
“I’ll try Piers. Christian left with him. Maybe they’re still together.” Graham punched another number. “Piers? It’s Graham. Is Christian still with you?”
Tara strained to hear the reply, but couldn’t.
“Okay, well thanks.”
As Graham started to put the phone down, Tara ran forward and snatched the receiver from him. “Piers, it’s Tara.”
“Tara, how lovely to hear from you, but I don’t know where Christian is.”
“When did you last see him?”
“Tara, I’m not his keeper. I’m sure he’ll be back to see you when he’s ready.” He hung up on her.
She stared at the receiver for a moment then threw it down and glared at it through narrowed eyes. “He knows where Christian is.”
“He says he doesn’t.”
“He’s lying.”
Graham raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything further.
“I’m going over there,” she said.
“Over where?”
“To the Order.”
“You can’t. Christian said not to leave the building without him.”
“Christian’s not here, is he?”