“Enough!” Saintcrow said.
Reluctantly, his eyes red, his fangs still extended, the vampire backed away.
“You,” Saintcrow said, gesturing to the second male. “Come here.”
The second male was not as eager as the first until he got a taste of Saintcrow’s ancient blood, and then he buried his fangs deeper in Saintcrow’s wrist. He had been drinking only a few moments when he backed away, gagging, and then fell face down on the ground. Seconds later, the first male toppled over.
Well, damn, Saintcrow mused, looking from one to the other. There was no doubt about it. His blood wasn’t just toxic to himself. He glanced thoughtfully at the girl, who was staring at her companions in open-mouthed horror.
The girl shifted her gaze to Saintcrow. “Am I...will I....?
Saintcrow shook his head. “I don’t know, but I don’t think so. Go on home,” he said, releasing her from his spell. “And tell anyone else who intends to come here what just happened.”
A quick nod, and she was gone.
Saintcrow regarded the two bodies a moment, then covered them with a thin layer of dirt. The sunrise would disintegrate the bodies, clothes and all, leaving nothing behind.
He dragged a hand across his jaw. Apparently, his blood destroyed young males but not females. Why? And was that true for all young vampires? Dammit, if he just knew what was causing the anomaly in his blood. Was it something peculiar to vampires? A curse concocted by an old enemy? Some kind of slow-acting poison in his system? He barked a laugh. He was a thousand years old. Talk about slow-acting! And why hadElowynne appeared to Izabela? That was the greatest mystery of all.
There wasn’t much that surprised him anymore but he started when Alara suddenly appeared beside him. “What the hell!” he exclaimed. For a moment, he’d been sure he had seen some strange kind of reptile standing there.
“I came for their blood.” She quickly knelt beside the two bodies. He had expected her to collect some in bottles. Instead, she drank from both of them. Rising, she said, “I should have come before the female left.”
“So, what does their blood tell you?”
“I’m not sure. I think I’ll need a little more.”
“How did you know I was here, with them?”
She smiled a lazy smile. “I’m a powerful witch, remember?” Kneeling beside the bodies again, she filled two small bottles with their blood. An airy wave of her hand and she was gone in a glittering flash of green fire.
Saintcrow muttered an oath. Could things get any more bizarre?
~ * ~
Kadie frowned when he told about the incident. “What do you think it means?”
“I don’t have a clue. But that witch is the strangest creature I’ve ever met. I wish I knew who or what was urging fledglings to come here. It isn’t natural. Someone must be telling them to look for me, but why? Dammit! Someone has to be behind all this.”
“I don’t know how that could be. I mean, who could be powerful enough to cause this kind of change in your blood? And even if itwaspossible, who would want to? And why?”
“Damned if I know. But I sure as hell intend to find out!” Too restless to sit still, he paced the floor in front of the fireplace. There had to be an answer if he just knew where to look for it.
Kadie felt the tension in the room swell as Rylan’s frustration grew. How much longer could he go on like this before it drove him over the edge? She jumped when his cell phone rang.
Pulling it from his pocket, he barked, “What?”
“I may have found something,” Izabela said.
He glanced at Kadie. “I’ll be right there.”
“We’ll be right there,” Kadie said.
He didn’t waste time arguing, merely took her hand in his and transported them to New Orleans.
Izabela was waiting by the front door. One look at Saintcrow’s face and she unlocked it and welcomed them inside. Gesturing at the sofa, she invited them to have a seat. Kadie smiled her thanks and sat down. Saintcrow paced the floor.
“So, what have you found?” he growled.