Blood Sin (34 page)

“I think you’re right,” Elizabeth said ruefully.

Mihaela glanced at her. “You’re looking well.”

“Am I?” Elizabeth laughed. “Not sure how—I feel as if I haven’t slept in the last week. Apart from on the plane over here.”

Mihaela smiled faintly, sloshing milk into a jug and placing it on the tray beside the coffee and the cups. “I don’t suppose that’s because you and Josh . . . ?”

“Oh, no,” Elizabeth said, and yet she felt herself blushing, because Mihaela had guessed so much of the truth, just with the wrong partner. “What about you?” she asked lightly. “Discovered any sexy lovers in between hunting expeditions?”

Mihaela wrinkled her nose. “No one I’d care to introduce to my grandmother. Or even to you.” She tossed a packet of biscuits to Elizabeth, who caught it in one hand and raised her eyebrows quizzically until Mihaela sighed and let go of the tray she’d been about to lift. “I think I only go after unsuitable men so I don’t feel bad about being unable to form a relationship with them. Who wants a bastard for a boyfriend?”

“There’s a definite attraction in unattainability,” Elizabeth agreed, feeling for the understated pain Mihaela didn’t usually reveal at all. “To say nothing about badness.” She raised the biscuit packet in a mock toast. “Here’s to unsuitable lovers.”

Mihaela laughed, her eyes just a little lighter for the understanding, and picked up the tray. Elizabeth followed her back into the living room.

Sitting down and waving at everyone to help themselves, Mihaela said, “We’ve been checking up on Dante too. Incidentally, I think we know now what his secret mission was the other night. His volunteer team remained pretty tight-lipped—presumably under instruction—but they came in the next morning well beaten-up.”

“How?” Elizabeth asked in quick distress.

“Dmitriu,” Mihaela said dryly. “Dante must have taken them to try to capture Dmitriu, taking along Saloman’s sword for extra protection. Obviously it didn’t work, because you say Dmitriu took the sword from him.”

Elizabeth frowned. “But if he couldn’t capture Dmitriu before, how come he can now?”

“We don’t know that he has,” Konrad pointed out. “You’re just assuming it because you believe Dante came here for that purpose. Dmitriu could be anywhere; he could have taken himself back to Transylvania, or be trailing after Saloman somewhere else entirely.”

Elizabeth opened her mouth to say that Saloman was definitely here in Budapest, and without Dmitriu, but, perhaps fortunately, Mihaela answered her original question.

“Perhaps because he’s been studying enchantments.”

“Don’t be daft,” István said, leaning forward from the sofa to pick up a cup. “Enchantments don’t really work.”

“Yes, they do,” Elizabeth said, at exactly the same time as Mihaela said, “You don’t know that.”

Elizabeth waved her hand to give Mihaela the floor, and her friend took a sardonic bow.

“We only
think
enchantments are bunkum,” Mihaela said, “because we never studied the material. I’ve noticed it on the shelves but we were never shown the books, never trained in it. What if it’s a skill that’s been lost to hunters in a more scientific age? What if vampires still use it? Besides,” she added, by way of a clincher after she’d knocked back her coffee like medicine, “we all accept that our headquarters building is safe. How can it be, without enchantments? Have you ever heard an alarm go off, or any vampire detector in the building? We say it’s masked, as if it’s disguised as something else, but come on, guys, would a sign saying, ‘State Pensions Office,’ or something really fool a vampire?”

István grunted, clearly unconvinced.

“István, we’ve had vampire prisoners in there! We’ve had visiting victims, sought-after descendants, even an Awakener!” Mihaela flung her hand out at Elizabeth. “No attacks, nothing. The vampires know we exist, just not where to find us.”

“Vampires do use enchantments,” Elizabeth volunteered. “And they use the word ‘mask.’ They can mask themselves or objects they choose to hide. I’m sure that’s why you’ve never found Saloman’s pal—lair,” she corrected herself hurriedly, well aware that the other reason was that she herself had never chosen to take them there. “And I think there’s some kind of mask on the Angel Club too.”

The others gazed at her in some surprise, clearly thinking about it. Elizabeth looked at Mihaela. “What sort of enchantments has Dante been studying?”

“Powerful masking. Whatever that is. I got only a glimpse at his book pile before we got the emergency call to the mountains yesterday.”

“The more powerful the vampire,” Elizabeth said slowly, “the more powerful a mask would have to be to hide from him. He must be trying to hide from Saloman.”

“Don’t blame him,” Konrad said with feeling. “If he’s got the sword and Dmitriu, then Saloman’s going to be in a towering rage. The question here is, do we want either Dante or Saloman to do our dirty work for us by taking the other out?”

“No!” Elizabeth said with spontaneous revulsion, and when everyone looked slightly taken aback by her vehemence, she managed to say by way of explanation, “Josh. Where would he come in any battle between Dante and Saloman? It seems to me our best hope is to find Josh and Dante before Saloman does. Rescue Josh and take the sword into safety at headquarters. About Dante himself, if we catch him before he’s turned, simply grassing him up across the world hunter networks should clip his wings enough. On the paranormal front.”

From her handbag, her phone made its out-of-charge bleep. Elizabeth bent to rummage for it and the charger.

“It might be enough,” Konrad allowed. Elizabeth pulled her phone out, together with the charger that she wanted, plus a comb and her passport, which she didn’t. They tumbled onto the floor and her forgotten American newspaper came too, springing free onto the carpet and unfolding itself at the picture of “Adam Simon.”

Elizabeth dropped the phone to stuff everything quickly back in. But Mihaela’s hand was before hers on the paper, and Elizabeth straightened, watching Mihaela’s face.

“So that’s the connection we’ve been looking for,” Mihaela said slowly. “There’s no hold over Adam Simon. He
is
Adam Simon.” Her dark gaze lifted to Elizabeth. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“There’s been no time,” Elizabeth exclaimed. “I’ve been distracted with the sword and Josh’s disappearance!” It was true, and yet she deserved all her uncomfortable feelings of guilt, for her instinct had been to cover up the paper before the hunters saw the photograph. In order to protect Saloman. She wondered when she would have told them—if she ever would.

Mihaela’s gaze fell. “You’re right, of course. And now that we know, we’ll have more chance of dealing with him. Once we’ve dealt with Dante.”

“Which is the issue,” Elizabeth agreed. “How the hell do we find him?”

Chapter Seventeen

F
inding him turned out to be easy. Thanks to the hunters’ connections, they were given access to all the city’s hotel registers. The only Dantes they discovered there were a visiting Italian family from Milan, but they did find an American “Grayson” at the Hilton in Buda.

Konrad went in alone to ask and was informed that Mr. Grayson wasn’t in his room. However, since Konrad had managed to see the room number the receptionist contacted, Elizabeth and István wandered in next and walked straight up to room 242.

“It’s true,” Elizabeth murmured, after they’d both listened at the door for some time. “There’s no one in there.”

“Watch for me,” István said, and to her amazement he picked the lock with a pin from his pocket and a credit card.

“How the . . . ?” she began as the door swung open.

István grinned. “Misspent youth. Go and look, but make it fast.”

It was a single room, pretty modest by Dante’s standards. The bed was neatly made up. Some tourist brochures about the castle and several unwritten postcards lay on the desk, promoting his cover, presumably. But otherwise, there was no clue as to his intentions or his whereabouts. After looking through every drawer and cupboard and checking the bathroom, Elizabeth crept out again. István closed the door just as an elderly couple came out of the room across the hall, and they walked smartly back toward the lift.

“Nothing,” Elizabeth said ruefully. “He’s using it as a base, nothing more. He might not even sleep there, for all I know.”

“But it is your Dante?”

“Oh, yes. His passport’s in there. It’s in the name of Grayson, but the photograph is him.”

“That guy must have some dodgy acquaintances for a senator.”

“For anyone. Now what do we do?”

István shrugged. “Look around the area. If this is his base, then presumably he won’t want to move too far away from it.”

It was a long and frustrating evening. As darkness fell, the clouds gathered too and it began to rain. Elizabeth and the hunters split up in order to cover more ground individually, but since they had no idea what they were looking for, Elizabeth began to think it was a waste of time. Concentrating on an item could break through the masking enchantment, and Elizabeth’s eyes and head ached from staring intently at everything from doorways to drain covers. All it took to miss something was one lapse at the wrong moment, and they could cover the entire city without finding what they were looking for.

“We’re doing it wrong,” Elizabeth said to Konrad. Sheltering in a café doorway, she held her phone to her ear and watched the passersby as she spoke. “This is just exhausting us. We need to watch his hotel and follow him when he leaves.”

“Taken care of,” Konrad said with just a trace of smugness. “And you’re right. We need to rest, so I’ve organized another team to watch the hotel for us until morning. I’ve sent the others home already. Do you want a lift back to Mihaela’s?”

“No, thanks, Konrad. I’ll get a taxi.”

Breaking the connection, she dropped the phone into her bag and stepped out into the rain, only to come face-to-face with Saloman.

He stood under the café light, dressed in black, with his hair loose around his shoulders, glistening with moisture. Raindrops trickled down his forehead, trembled on his full, sensual lips. Shadows lurked in the deep hollows of his cheeks. His opaque dark eyes held secrets she never wanted to learn. And many, so many, that she did.

“Saloman,” she whispered. “Have you found him?”

“No,” he said. “But I found you.”

Because she couldn’t help it, she let her forehead fall forward onto his damp shoulder. Tiredness consumed her, dragged at her limbs and her brain, and yet his arms around her gave her unreasoning hope and security. Whatever unacceptable powers the sword might give Saloman, she knew that Dante would certainly kill Josh, probably as his first undead meal. Another night was passing and Josh was in more danger with every minute.

“He’s been studying enchantments,” she blurted into Saloman’s coat. “Powerful masking. And he’s staying at the Hilton—the Castle Hilton. The hunters are watching it.”

“I know.”

She lifted her head to see if he meant it or if he was just making her feel better for revealing the hunters’ knowledge. His eyes seemed to glitter as they gazed down into hers.

“Panic is unnecessary,” he said mildly. “Dmitriu won’t turn him.”

“How can you be sure of that?”

“Because I told him not to.”

Laughter caught at her throat and was quashed down. “You can’t reach him, can you?”

“No. But I will. Go home to your hunter friend, and tomorrow we’ll talk.”

He kissed her mouth, a long, sweet kiss, thorough and sensual, but achingly gentle. Rain ran into her mouth; she could taste it on his lips, his tongue.

She didn’t even see the taxi approach, let alone Saloman’s summons, but when he released her, he simply handed her into the car and disappeared into the night.

Since the rain was obliging enough to keep going into the morning, Saloman found it easy to step out of his car under the protection of an umbrella and walk smartly around the corner to the Hilton entrance. He passed an oblivious hunter on the way in, but since the man was looking for Dante and not Saloman, masking was barely necessary.

Saloman let down his umbrella. He didn’t go near the long, busy reception desk, simply strolled toward the stairs and followed his nose to Dante’s room.

“Come in,” the senator called at once to his knock, and Saloman did.

Dante, wearing slacks and a polo shirt, paused in the process of hanging up a jacket. He looked almost ludicrously surprised. Perhaps he’d been expecting housekeeping.

“Good morning, Senator,” Saloman said smoothly. “I hope you don’t mind my dropping in unannounced.”

“Adam!” Dante recovered quickly, closing the wardrobe door and walking to meet him with hand outstretched. “Do you know I’d forgotten this was your home ground?” Saloman shook his hand, learning what he could.

Dante smelled of Travis. In fact, the scent of the American vampire lingered all over the room, as if he’d been here several times. But, more important, Dante had just come from his company, and that of several other vampires Saloman vaguely recalled from his brief visit to Travis in New York. Travis was here in force.