Darkness Bred (11 page)

I
f Elin were the pouting kind, she would pout right now. Sean hadn’t said one word about last night. Well, a few words at the time, finishing with, “Perfect,” but nothing since he had hammered on her door just before five this morning telling her loudly that they had to leave for Gabriel’s. They had business to attend to before the place started to get busy.

So much for her plot to lure him to her bed and let him have his way with her.

Bundled in Phoebe’s coat, with Pokey deep in a pocket, and buffeted by wind and stinging sleet, Elin clung to Sean on the way to Gabriel’s. She shot off the bike the moment it was parked, but snatched some pleasure out of being gathered against Sean’s body under one viselike arm as they ran to get inside and out of the bitter weather.

At the door he pulled her to one side, under cover, and said, “You understand not to mention anything that happened last night?”

She opened her mouth to ask if he thought she was an idiot, but gave a sly smile instead. “I would never embarrass you, Sean. Some things are absolutely private. Only you and I know.”

His clear, gold eyes showed he knew exactly how funny she thought she was. “Good. What is it we’re here to do?”

“You tell me.” Now she was irritated.

“Elin—”

“You’d better be ready to learn absolutely nothing,” she told him shortly. Her teeth chattered together—she was so cold. “We can only listen and watch. We already discussed this, remember? And you don’t have to worry about Sally or Cliff. Sally will have warned him to pretend everything’s fine. Our best bet is that someone saw Molly before she was picked up near the gas station last night.”

“I’d give a lot to know how she got there,” Sean said.

“Ears open, mouths closed,” Elin said. She had never felt this cold.

“Right,” he said, and the corners of his mouth turned up a little. “Too bad you don’t have that incredible hearing like Leigh and Phoebe.”

She dug him in the middle with an elbow and yanked open the door. “If I don’t get close to the fireplace, my nose will fall off.”

The warmth she craved blasted to meet her. She was surprised to see Gabriel there throwing more logs onto the already huge fire. Elin turned to catch Sean’s eye.

He raised a brow and said quietly, “He gets in early but not usually this early. Something could be even more wrong than we already know.”

“As in he’s expecting Molly? Just don’t say anything about her.”

“No, ma’am,” Sean said. “Morning, Gabriel.”

The man stared at them and Elin realized they should have expected to be asked why they were there so early.

“Heat’s on the fritz at my—at Two Chimneys,” Sean said, and Elin noted that his ears turned pink. “I went over to try to fix it but Elin…” His voice trailed away. He was not a practiced liar.

“He needs parts and it was going to take too long for a fire to warm the place up enough, so we came here. Besides, my coffee is never as good as Sally’s.”

“Yeah,” Gabriel said.

He didn’t believe a word they’d said and knew perfectly well that two roaring fires would have kept the cottage warm enough.

Leigh and Niles came into the big bar from the back entrance with Leigh’s dog, Jazzy, dragging along behind. The dog had clearly been woken up before she was ready. Niles’s grim face didn’t cheer Elin up, but Jazzy’s excitement at seeing her did.

“Your heat gone out, too?” Gabriel said.

Leigh put a hand around Niles’s elbow. “I’m always early,” she said, too brightly.

“Not this early,” Gabriel told her. “Not since you let this great animal sweep you off your feet.”

Elin felt Sean stiffen and held her breath. She thought Gabriel had a good idea that the Team members were a lot more than they seemed to be, but the animal comment could annoy Niles.

“Sally’s coffee is better than mine,” Leigh said and looked askance at Gabriel, Elin, and Sean when they all started to laugh.

“I get it,” Gabriel said. “Or I don’t get it really. But you four want an early morning party here for some reason. I’ll go tell Sally she’s got customers.”

Pokey slid from the pocket of Elin’s coat and landed in front of Jazzy, who started to walk around her. The guinea pig would have none of it and all but glued herself to Jazzy’s side all the way to the fireplace, where Jazzy lay down and the guinea pig snuggled onto her folded paws. The look Jazzy shot at Leigh begged for permission to bat the critter into the next century. Leigh said, “You’re a good girl, Jazzy. You look after your little friend.”

Gabriel could obviously hardly wait to ask, “Didn’t happen to see a little green Fiat on your way, did you?”

Molly drove a green Fiat, but it hadn’t been around for several weeks since she took off on her own.

“No,” Elin said and felt inspired. “Are you talking about Molly’s car?” She didn’t check Sean’s reaction.

“Yeah.”

“We didn’t see it either,” Niles said.

Leigh cleared her throat. “Are you expecting her back, Gabriel?”

“Maybe.” He carried on to the kitchens.

“So much for ears open, mouths closed,” Sean muttered. “How come you didn’t let me know you were coming here, Niles?”

“How come you didn’t let me know you were coming?”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Leigh said. “Both of you. We all know why we’re here and we’ve already found out one thing. Molly was on her way here—I think so, anyway.”

“So why didn’t she want to be brought here when she was in such trouble?” Elin asked.

“You thought you’d find something out and keep it to yourself,” Niles said to Sean. “Did you think I’d be okay with that?”

“That’s what you—”

“I’ve asked you to stand in for me in most things,” Niles said. “That doesn’t mean I want to be cut out of the loop.”

“Something’s eating the pair of you,” Elin said. She couldn’t sit mute any longer. “This isn’t the place to talk about it. We’ll have that coffee, see if there’s anything else to find out here, then go where you can sort yourselves out in private.”

“Niles remains my alpha, Elin, even when he needs me to take a more important role than usual,” Sean said quietly.

She figured he had no intention of allowing Team pecking order to get in the way of his sneaking off to The Island, though.

Leigh took off her coat and tossed it over a chair. The rest followed suit, all except Elin, who kept on Phoebe’s heavy coat and took a seat at a table close to the fire. Jazzy promptly leaped on her lap, leaving Pokey on the hearth.

“Ask Sally about the Fiat,” Leigh said.

Trundling a loaded trolley, Sally came from the kitchen. She crossed the floor with her stiff gait and waved them all to take their seats.

They joined Elin at the table, and Sally parked herself and her trolley between them and the bar. She started unloading mugs, jugs of coffee, and plates of fragrant pastries still steaming from the oven.

“When you found Molly, where was her Fiat?” Sean said quickly. “Where is it now? We need to get it out of the way until it’s time to let Gabriel know what’s happened.”

“Oh, no.” Leigh put her face in her hands. “Poor Gabriel.”

“She was lying on the ground by the Dumpster,” Sally told them. “No sign of her car.”

“Did you know she’d contacted Gabriel?” Sean said.

“I didn’t think she had. She didn’t want to come here at all.”

“So why is Gabriel asking about the car?” Niles checked each of their faces. “He wouldn’t do that if he didn’t expect Molly.”

“We can’t keep Gabriel in the dark,” Elin said.

“Maybe he’s not so in the dark,” Niles said, then waved a hand as if to dismiss his comment.

 “Keeping quiet is wrong,” Elin went on. “What are you all thinking of? Sally, why were you so willing to let Saul take off with the body?”

“You’re full of questions,” Niles said, but he sounded thoughtful.

“We couldn’t have a better ally than Saul,” Sally said. She looked downward. “Some of you will fight that idea but I hope you don’t fight it to the death—your own, or his.”

“We made as good a peace as we can some months ago,” Niles said. “I haven’t forgotten.”

Taking advantage of the coat, Elin pulled up the hood and made sure it shadowed her face. She didn’t want anyone to see how terrified she was by this talk of the ones she loved destroying each other. Anything she said in argument would only make things worse. She gathered up Pokey and cuddled her close.

“Elin?” Sean said. “What’s the matter?”

So much for hiding her feelings. “I’m trying to think a few things through. And with my newfound coldness I have to bundle up whenever I can. How much colder do you suppose Tarhazian can make me?” Wow, that had just popped out without her really thinking about the question before. “Oh, ignore me. I’m just waffling on.”

Silence lasted too long.

When Elin made herself look up, four faces stared back with a variety of expressions ranging from thoughtful to horrified, with Sally taking the horrified prize.

“This is a change for you, that’s the only problem,” Sean said loudly, although his worried face didn’t support his words. “You’ll get used to feeling different temperatures.”

“Her lips are blue,” Sally said. “And her nose is so red it looks painful.”

“Sounds lovely,” Elin said with a weak laugh.

Sally poured coffee and said, without looking at anyone, “You can freeze to death.”

S
ilverware rattled and slid around on the trolley. Sean grabbed a plate before it could flip off.

Sally slammed a hand on the side of the trolley and held on. “Is this an earthquake?” she said, her liberally powdered face puckering.

“I don’t think so,” Niles said.

Beside Sean, a figure gradually took form. Diminutive but with regal bearing, Tarhazian fully appeared.

She wore a circlet of black diamonds on top of the black satin turban that hid her hair. Everything she wore was black lace or satin. Her face, perfect in an unearthly way, bore a dusting of glitter.

Elin screwed up her eyes to peer at the familiar face. “Tarhazian?” she said, as if she didn’t believe what she saw. “You said we would never meet again.”

“A mother’s love cannot be so easily extinguished.” Low and modulated, the Fae Queen’s voice softened as she looked at Elin.

“What do you want?” Elin glanced at Sean, who attempted to adjust his scowl. Elin would be afraid of his antagonizing Tarhazian. He would never forgive her for what she had done to Elin but he wasn’t reckless enough to forget that an attempt to punish the Queen could end in disaster.

“It has been brought to my attention that Colin tried to harm you, daughter.”

Elin pressed her lips together.

“I wonder why that would have come to your attention,” Sean said. “Perhaps it was you who sent him. You have done all you can to make Elin’s life miserable. See how cold she is. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll reverse that.”

Elin visibly held her breath and Sally made a frightened little sound.

Unbelievably, Tarhazian smiled at Sean. “You do love her, don’t you? I assure you it was not I who sent Colin. Someone did but he won’t share that information with me and it would be foolish to retaliate against him without knowing who he serves. He has information we all want, I think. Do you know of anyone who might have the power to make a vampire do his bidding, Sean?”

Sean detested Tarhazian’s conversational tone with him. It was more ominous than reassuring.

Sean gave a slight shake of the head but she couldn’t miss the subtle change in his face. The One was involved in all of this.

His back stiffened. Could it have been on The Island that Saul encountered Aldo? It seemed unlikely but not impossible if the old werehound went there looking for a healing.

“No matter,” Tarhazian said. “I shall find out—I always find out what I want to know. Colin is to apologize for his behavior. That should be an end of it. He won’t make the same mistake again—regardless of who his true master is. I could make him very miserable.”

“Best keep that blood eater away,” Niles said. “We want nothing to do with him or his scourge.”

Leigh said something about forgiveness under her breath and caught her mate’s full attention. “Leigh’s too soft.” The moment he’d said it, he bowed over her and kissed her. Leigh put her arms around his neck.

Sally laughed and got a glare from Niles.

Leigh’s face was comical. She hovered between amusement and annoyance. “Your Highness,” she said, being careful not to meet any of her friends’ eyes. “We have met before. You are a reasonable woman. We would be very grateful if you would restore Elin’s usual body temperature.”

The Queen’s gaze settled on Elin. “I came with a message for you, my dear,” she said. “I know I am not welcome here but, as you well know, where I go and when is almost entirely in my hands.”

He would like to find out, Sean thought, what this creature couldn’t control. He wondered why she was so bent on bragging about her dominance if she took it for granted, as she was supposed to. Could she feel the need to remind Elin? Was Elin’s newfound independence making Tarhazian insecure?

Sally, who appeared to have lost the ability to move, suddenly shuddered, shaking the contents of her trolley.

“Will you make Elin as she was?” Leigh persisted.

“When she returns to me,” Tarhazian said. “I know I am not welcome here, but I’m sure you know I only come because of Elin.”

Pokey set up a sudden wild chirping and ran up Elin’s coat to sit on her shoulder. If Sean didn’t know better, he’d say the little animal glared at Tarhazian as if daring her to hurt Elin.

“At least this one seems to like me,” Tarhazian said, her smile showing perfect teeth. “I think you should agree with her assessment, Elin.”

When Elin didn’t respond, Sean saw how Tarhazian’s nostrils flared. “I regret my temper,” she said. “I was hurt. I am hurt. But I’m sorry for any misunderstandings and I miss my beloved daughter. Forgiveness heals, my child. I’m here to forgive you.”

Elin leaped up and stood beside Sean. “I am not a fool,” she said. “We are not fools. That is my only answer—except that I am not your daughter.”

Sighing, Sean caught her hand and jerked until she looked at him.
“Be careful.”
While he watched, her face registered that she’d heard him.

“I know you don’t mean that,” Tarhazian said. “You are in love with this one, this Sean. We can come to accommodate that but we need to talk, alone.”

He heard Leigh expel a hard breath and Sally mutter angrily. Niles was too controlled to allow his feelings to be obvious.

With Elin close to him, Sean smelled the scent of night jasmine that clung to her skin and his senses reeled. He must concentrate. Her violet eyes mesmerized him, and the soft, white skin of her neck took his breath away.

He had yet to see her completely naked. When he did, he was certain he wouldn’t be able to hold back. Not that he had much control left after last night. If he didn’t fear where the discussion would lead, he would already have questioned her about that very unusual skill of hers.

She kept looking at him.
“This is a trick. It backs up everything Niles, you, and the Team have said about Tarhazian planning to use me. She never forgives, Sean. Never.”

“So we will play her game,”
Sean said, watching to see if she heard his mindspeak again. She smiled at him and he continued,
“Carefully and much more cleverly than she could even imagine. But we’ll have to be prepared for whatever comes our way. Messing with your body temperature is bad enough.”

“Whatever you decide, I’ll do,”
Elin responded, reveling in their closeness.
“Unless I’m convinced it would be dangerous—for you.”

“Look at the love birds,” Tarhazian said, swaying her long, lace skirts. “How sweet they are.”

“Sally thinks the Queen’s dominance over me may be fading,”
Elin told him.
“Even when she was showing me off like a pet monkey, she had to make sure everyone knew I would be nothing without her. It was as if she was jealous of me. It was some sort of competition.”

Clearing his throat, Niles speared Tarhazian with his blue eyes. “I would not sanction Elin returning to you,” he said. “Any more than Sean would, or any of us. If Elin chooses a meeting with you at a more appropriate time, she will not be coming alone. She won’t be coming at all if she doesn’t want to.”

Elin’s fingers tightened on Sean’s arm. She looked at Niles with gratitude. Sean needed to explain to her that whenever one of the Team, or someone important to them was threatened, they stood together.

“But—” Taking a step as if she might strike at someone, Tarhazian forgot she was being reasonable and all but snarled at Elin. “Only you need to be at the meeting. That’s the way it has to be and you know the Queen must be obeyed. If you defy me, I’ll, I’ll…”

“You’ll do more than strip away her warmth?” Sean said evenly.

Tarhazian managed to look bland again. Before their eyes, her face became a little rounder, her lips more bowed. She must think she looked more motherly. “We are friends. Friends don’t argue, they accommodate. Come with me, Elin, there’s a good girl. I promise you may return later—after our reunion.”

Elin gave Sean a warning poke, which he ignored. “Elin has been through a good deal, including your beating,” he said. “She needs a chance to get stronger again before she decides if she wants to discuss all of this with you.”

“In the meantime,” Elin said, standing straighter, “if you try to do me more harm, I won’t have anything else to do with you. Ever. This meeting should be over now.”

Sean felt Elin hold her breath as if she expected Tarhazian to call down awful retribution. Instead the woman bowed her head and said, “As you wish. I’ll be waiting and I’m patient.”

She faded more quickly than she had appeared.

“She has no patience,” Sally said, her mouth pinched. “I’m sure Saul’s told you about her alliance with the wolves and Colin’s lot. She probably thinks she can bribe them into helping her get more power.”

“How do you know about these things?” Niles asked baldly, propping his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together. “You’re a puzzle yourself, aren’t you?”

Sally frowned at him but slowly the furrows smoothed. “Like you, I’ve known evil, and I’ve known what it’s like to want something so badly you’d do anything to get it. I know what you want, but do you know what I want? You’ve made up your mind about me, but are you right? Have I done what I’ve done because I wanted to hold something over you? Will I ask for some awful favor in return for the little help I’ve given?”

Sean studied Niles. The man commanded attention wherever he went but he wasn’t only a dynamic physical presence. Niles was deeply intelligent and introspective.

“Perhaps there is a great deal Sean and I should discuss,” Niles said to Sally. “I admit that I’ve waited for the answer to at least one of your questions.”

Unexpectedly, Sean felt calm settle on them. They gathered as equals, very different one from the other, but each with needs and desires. And by chance their lives had become entwined.

The fire crackled and spat. Sean breathed in the scent of wood smoke. He felt warmth and peace, but with the lingering threat of upheaval shivering in the wings.

They were all still, but the appearance of Gabriel, striding toward the entrance, broke the spell. He threw open the door and spoke to someone outside.

“Did someone knock?” Leigh asked.

“I think so,” Sally murmured. “So quietly. How did Gabriel know they were there?”

Gabriel stood back and waved a man in. He wore his platinum hair in a long braid that reached his waist, and he walked with his head held high, looking in all directions, obviously expecting to be stared at. And he was.

“I don’t believe this,” Sean said. “Is he mad?”

“This is one of Tarhazian’s tests,” Elin muttered. “She wants to see if we attack him as she expects, as we probably should. Let’s disappoint her.”

Sean grinned a little and pulled her onto his lap. “I’ll do my best, oh, Oracle.”

The man halted when he saw them. Tall, leanly muscular and apparently sewn into his black leather vest and pants, he crossed his arms. A white silk shirt, open at the neck, flowed through its full sleeves. High cheekbones cast shadows and he had the mouth of a hungry sensualist.

Even Sean was fascinated, as much by the reactions he saw in the others as by the black-eyed man himself. They were all transfixed.

“Gabriel has some unexpected friends,” Elin said.

Sally, Sean realized, shook from head to toe. She met his eyes and said, “We need to ignore that one. He couldn’t come in here if Gabriel didn’t invite him, but I don’t know why he would.”

Raising his head, Sean sniffed the air, and locked gazes with Niles, who half rose but sank back into his chair when Sean shook his head. The scent of decay was hard to hide, even under expensive cologne.

Leigh gave a soft cry as if she was coming out of a trance. She stared at the tall, blond man who had begun to saunter in their direction.