Contingency (11 page)

Lesson number one: A vampire in the middle of dinner probably won’t appreciate being interrupted.

My anguished cry gave me away as I lunged and thrust my dirk toward her chest, my heart nearly stopped when I was swatted away like nothing more than a pesky fly. I scrambled off the ground only to be back handed back down again. I shook off the feeling of déjà vu and tried to tap into my newly acquired inner power, surely all those combat classes weren’t for nothing.

I sure as hell wasn’t going down without a fight, and if I could, I’d make the parasitic blood sucker paid for what she’d done. I felt a calm settle over me more intensely than I’d ever felt before as I slowly adjusted my grip on the sgian dubh. My whole body felt alive as an intense vibration hummed through my veins. I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and called on my powers just enough to be standing directly in front of the vampire before she could blink. The look on her face was priceless, her pupils completely dilated, and the red ring around her irises almost swallowed the color of her eyes whole.

I took advantage of her bewilderment and head butted her directly on the bridge of her nose, I felt a glow of satisfaction when I heard the crunching sound. By the look on the vampire’s face and the blood pouring from her nose I gathered she wasn’t in her happy place. She kicked me in the stomach with such force that it was nothing short of a miracle that I still had my spine intact as I went flying across the lawn.

“Who are you?” the vampire demanded. “What are you?” she amended in a hiss, her eyes narrowed dangerously at me as I slowly got to my feet and plastered a sneer on my face.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, leech,” I spat.

With the promise of murder in her eyes, the vampire bared her fangs and lunged just as I warped forward, with my dirk ready. I hurtled to the right at the last possible nanosecond and put all my forward momentum, strength, and Warper energy into a single swing of my dirk. I landed a few feet away and swung around just in time to see the vampire’s head land at her feet. The vampire’s body fell next to her head almost as an after thought. I stood there in stunned silence surveying the gruesome scene before me as if I were an outside spectator.

With my ears feeling like they had been stuffed with cotton and my breathing escaping in rugged gasps, I staggered over to the body of the male victim and dropped to my knees next to him to check for a pulse on the unravaged side of his neck. He was dead. He was dead and I had been too late. I don’t know how long I knelt there, it could have been minutes or hours. Who’s to say? A sound close by had me on my feet and in a defense stance quicker than any normal human should have been able to move.

“Sage? Dear God, are you hurt?” Some sane part of my brain registered the voice as someone I knew so I lowered my dirk a fraction and focused on the person standing a few feet away from me. Elaine stood there, one hand on her chest, the other raised slightly palm out, as if to appease a wild beast. I looked around myself at the carnage and down at the dirt and blood splatters on my arms and dress. My hair had come undone and hung around my shoulders and in my face. I must have looked like an insane asylum escapee. My body felt all wrong so I sat back down on the ground next to the man I hadn’t saved as a single tear tracked down my cheek.

Somewhere close by I heard Elaine saying something, but I had no idea what it was. I couldn’t bring myself to really care.

I swept my eyes over the back garden, feeling as though someone was watching me, but I could only hear my own raspy breathing. Aldwin and Travis then burst through the back door. Travis stopped just outside the door and surveyed the scene grimly. They made plans to clean up the mess as Aldwin walked over to me and held out a hand. I looked up into his understanding eyes and grasped his hand, allowing him to pull me up off the ground and into his embrace. The daze I had found myself in melted away and all the sounds around me came rushing back as if someone had flipped a switch and unmuted the world.

Aldwin threw a black velvet hooded cape over me, tied it under my chin and grasped one of my arms to lead me across the lawn and avoided the decapitated body of the vampire. Unfortunately he couldn’t shield me from remembering those now sightless, red-rimmed eyes. He exchanged a few quiet words with the others and then led me along the back of Mrs. Sebast’s home. The carriage was waiting on the side of the house with Zachary in the driver’s seat. Aldwin helped me into the carriage and before the night’s events could sink in, we were entering the townhouse through the back door.

I fell into bed exhausted in body and mind. Aldwin stood outside by bedroom silently as I’d allowed Marie to help me wash wash off and change into clean clothing before bed. I knew that all I had to do was say the word and he would have held me and let me cry my eyes out on his shoulder.

I almost went to him, but I could barely stand myself at that moment and I truthfully didn’t want to be held, I didn’t deserve to be comforted, I wanted to be alone. Eventually I came out of my room clean and dressed for bed after I’d dismissed Marie for the night. I couldn’t bring myself to meet his worried gaze and when he started to speak to me, I cut him off with a quick slash of my hand.

I lay numbly in my bed wide awake most of the night. I don’t know if my lack of tears was because I was still in shock or because I had become heartless, but I would have given anything to cry. Instead, I just felt hollow.

Chapter Eighteen

The next day I had my important interview with the vampire, Soren, and my stomach churned at the thought of having to work in close contact with another vampire. I had been told that the majority of vampires were not as savage as the two I had dealt with, but I thought it more likely they only hid it better and didn’t make a public spectacle of themselves. I had already formed a prejudice after two unpleasant associations with the preternatural beings, and it was going to be hard to remain objective in my dealings with any vampire.

I dressed smartly in a dark brown skirt with tiny white pin stripes and a white shirtwaist blouse that buttoned up the front and sported quite a bit of see-through lace at the modest square neckline. I wore fashionable brown calf high leather boots with my dirk stashed safely inside. I also wore a small white velvet hat with a wide brown satin ribbon and a tulle train hanging down the back. I’d vetoed some of the more atrocious hats that had feathers and such, but hats were a huge part of fashion and I had to comply. A pair of white lace gloves and my butterfly cuff bracelet completed the ensemble.

I couldn’t quite bring myself to eat much, so I munched on toast and had a glass of tea before I had Zachary bring the carriage around to take me to the vampire’s home.

I expected a short drive through town, but I didn’t realize the vampire lived on the outskirts of the city nor did I take into consideration that travel took longer than I was used to. At least an hour later the carriage pulled up to a monstrosity of a home. Zachary opened the door to the carriage and handed me down. I thanked him and made sure he knew I wouldn’t be too long. I smoothed my skirts with only slightly shaking hands, felt for my thigh holster through my skirt for reassurance, took several deep breaths and then strode up the steps to the front door.

I gave the door knocker a few good raps and amused myself wondering if a bald hunchback or maybe a thin deathly pale grim reaper sort of person would answer the door. Much to my disappointment a very average, if not stiff and formal, butler answered. I handed him the calling card Elaine had had made for me. “Mrs. Sage Hannigan. I have an appointment with Sir Soren Blackwell.” I raised my eyebrow and purposely left off the vampire part of his title but couldn’t keep a tiny grin off my face when I thought of calling him Sir Soren Blackwell, Vampire Extaordinaire.

I was led into a sitting room to wait while
Sir Soren
was told of my arrival. I looked around the cheerful room decorated in shades of blue and rolled my eyes. This room was boring even for my taste, much less a vampire’s. Where was the black and red and the skulls? Maybe he reserved those for his torture chamber. I was grinning at my own clever self when the butler returned to fetch me to my, hopefully, soon-to-be employer.

The butler preceded me into another sitting room, this one a bit smaller and cozier. I scanned the room and noticed an adjoining door on the other side of the room behind a large desk.

“Sir Blackwell will be with you momentarily.” He poured a cup of tea, making it how I preferred and left me grasping the china cup. And sweat starting to trickle down the small of my back. I put my tea cup down and sat on a beautiful settee and closed my eyes to get a handle on my fears and to try and banish my self doubts for the time being. I felt a little more calm after a few moments and opened my eyes only to shriek like a little girl when I found myself looking up into the eyes of one Sir Soren Blackwell, vampire leader, and unfortunately, my annoying mystery vampire companion from the party the pervious night.

I narrowed my eyes at him but his devastatingly sexy grin only grew wider. “Mrs. Hannigan, how very nice to meet you.”

“Sir Blackwell, it seems I am at a disadvantage. I didn’t realize who you were last night and I see now that you knew the whole time who I was.” I raised my eyebrow, daring him to deny it. Of course he didn’t, he had no need to.

I stood up and before I could think, nearly stuck my foot down my own throat. “You knew I would be seeking your employment today and you were just playing games. Did you even plan on interviewing me at all or did you just want to see the look on my face when I realized who you were?” I could feel my blood pressure rising along with my anger.

“I wasn’t playing any games, Mrs. Hannigan, I wanted to see the real you before you went on your best behavior for this interview and I don’t apologize for it.” When he put it that way I felt like a teenage drama queen who was over reacting to the entire situation. The previous night must have affected my emotions more than I’d realized. I took a deep breath, “I’m sorry. Of course you are well within your rights to do so, I’m just a bit tired, I didn’t sleep well last night.” I put all the womanly charm I could muster into a smile as I gazed up at him through my lashes and felt pretty awesome when he sucked in a quick breath and his eyes dilated just slightly accentuating the unnatural golden ring around his irises. “Can we start over?” I asked as I held out my hand to him.

“Who could deny such a beautiful young woman?” he murmured as he kissed the back of my hand. Even though I had my lace gloves on I could still feel the unsettling way something fluttered deep in my stomach when his lips pressed against my hand. My heart was beating erratically and I nearly snatched it from his grip. Luckily, I was able to restrain myself. He looked at me like he could devour me, and I shivered at the thought. Frickin’ vampire.

I cleared my throat and took a tiny step back out of his personal space. He looked slightly amused at my retreat but motioned for me to take the seat in front of his desk. Of course instead of sitting behind the desk, he leaned on the corner of it only a foot from me. I tried really, really hard not to scowl at him.

“So, exactly what kind of position are you looking to fill, Sir Blackwell?” I asked, ready to get down to business. He didn’t answer right away and when I realized the mistake in my word choice, it was too late. My cheeks warmed, and that, of course, ratcheted up my aggravation meter. I thrust out my chin and narrowed my eyes at him, channeling Elaine’s teacher stare, daring him to mention my unintentional double entendre. The vampire wasn’t that stupid though--cookie points for him.

“I have a position that recently opened up that needs to be filled as soon as possible. I’m a busy man and I have some functions and other things that I cannot attend without a female escort. I would require you to attend parties, a few meetings, write letters for me, and indulge me in some harmless eccentricities.” I nearly snorted at that last, but reined myself in at the last second. I stood and walked slowly over to a large window. “I don’t understand why you need to have this position in the first place. You’re a good looking, wealthy man with many connections, why not just snap your finger so some young, beautiful girl will follow you around doing all those things for free?” Oh my God. Why did I just say that? He didn’t seem offended or even surprised that I’d ask though, so I didn’t freak out just yet.

“I am all those things and I could do just as you suggested.” I rolled my eyes at him since he couldn’t see my face. “But that would cause another whole set of problems that I have no desire to deal with.” I turned around to face the handsome vampire with a question on my face. “Those young women would have marriage on their minds and more than likely so would their mammas. I don’t want to deal with matchmakers and empty-headed young women gossiping about fashion and whatever else young women flitter on about.” He grimaced at his train of thought, and I found myself grinning at the powerful vampire who was cringing at the thought of dating a debutante.

“I get all that,” I said after a moment. “But, why would having me on your arm at different gatherings and such keep the match making mammas away?”  He looked a little surprised at my question and I wondered what I was missing. “Surely you are not so naïve?” he asked with an incredulous look on his handsome face. “Everyone will assume you are my mistress, darling.” My mouth popped open with a little ‘O’ and I wondered why Travis or Elaine hadn’t warned me. Of course that was his plan. I should have realized...