Nightbound (28 page)

When he came at her again, Chris used all her strength to slam her fist into the side of his head. He staggered, releasing her, and she jumped to the other side of the bed. “I’m not a mortal anymore. Neither is Simone. Why come after us?”

Cristophe touched the side of his head, where his scalp burned away from a path of light.

A burning sensation made her look down at her hand, where flecks of molten gold were sinking into her skin. “What the hell?”

The smith raised his hand, and one of the tall iron candlesticks flew toward Chris, wrapping itself around her legs before she could evade it. She fell backward, and shrieked as Cristophe used his power over the metal to drag her body across the floor to him.

“You failed me,” he repeated. “Now you and your sister will do my bidding.”

“I can’t believe a mortal did this.” Alexandra Keller used her scope to inspect the neat, near-lethal wound in the Kyn male’s side. “Judging by your man’s condition, the blade came within a millimeter or two of piercing his heart. Did you recover the weapon?”

Jayr went to the storage cabinet and brought a dagger to her. “It was found near his body.”

Alex took the blade, sniffing the blood staining it before
she held it up and studied the length. “Yeah, this did the dirty work.”

“Will he die, Alex?” Jayr asked.

“Doubt it.” Absently she set aside the blade and began checking the pulse points on his limbs. “You followed to the letter the instructions I gave you over the phone, which diluted the poison in his blood but didn’t send him into thrall. That’s half the battle.” She combed her fingers through Farlae’s matted hair before she nodded and straightened. “He’s in the process of shedding the copper. He’ll be out of commission for a couple of weeks, but a few more carefully timed transfusions, a decent haircut, and he should make it.”

Jayr dropped into the chair beside Farlae’s bed and braced her head in her hands. “I cannot thank you enough.”

“You’re welcome, but it wasn’t anything I did.” She nodded toward the blade. “The killer mortal wasn’t much of a killer. He missed the heart. Or maybe he’s a very good killer. He knew exactly where to put the blade, and the correct angle to thrust, but he didn’t shove it all the way in. Or he could be bonkers. Who in his right mind would try to kill a Kyn and not finish the job? Where is this guy, anyway?”

“Byrne had him taken to the dungeons.” Jayr sighed and dropped her hands. “I have to go now to interrogate him, but I confess, Alex, I never wish to lay eyes on him again.”

“You’d rather Byrne do the honors?” Jayr’s appalled look made her smile grimly. “Didn’t think so. I bet the prisoner is immune to
l’attrait
, too.”

“What am I going to do?” Jayr spread her hands. “Leeds came here under false pretenses, and attacked Farlae without provocation. I have to know why.”

“This is why I never go for the position of absolute power. Being in charge sucks.” Alex took out a chart from her medical case and started making notes on it. “I can talk to the bad man later if you want. I don’t do torture, naturally, but I’m his generation and I have an excellent cell-side manner. He might open up to me.”

“No, this is my duty. However much it, as you say, sucks.” Jayr stood. “Christian and Simone are visiting us, and I know they will wish to see you. When you are finished here, perhaps you’ll join us in the main hall?”

“Sure.” Alex watched her go before she looked down at her patient. “It’s safe now. You can quit pretending to be unconscious.” As Farlae did, and revealed the nightmarish flaw in his eye, she made a face. “That’s not a very nice birth defect. Are you blind in it?”

“I was, until I changed.” His voice rasped with weariness. “So I hear I am to live.”

“I guess that’s why they made you the spy.” She took out her sample kit. “I need to draw some blood and run some tests. Don’t give me any grief, and I won’t tell Jayr you were eavesdropping.”

“You must keep her away from him, my lady.” Farlae managed to grab her wrist. “Leeds is a desperate man.”

“Take it easy.” She pried his hand off and placed it back at her side. “The guy is sitting in a dungeon with every vampire in the place pissed off at him. He’s not going anywhere.”

“I mean he is desperate for Jayr.” Farlae subsided with a groan. “Give me something to get me back on my feet.”

“Sadly, I didn’t bring a forklift with me.” She sat down on the edge of the bed. “Maybe you should tell me what the hell is going on here.”

Before Farlae could reply, the door to the infirmary swung open and Jayr came in, followed by two warriors carrying Chris and Simone.

Alex got to her feet. “What happened?”

“We found them on the floor in Simone’s chamber. We cannot rouse them.” Jayr directed the men to put the women down on two cots. “They show no sign of injury.”

Alex went to Chris, checking her pulse and her pupils before doing the same to Simone. “It looks like they’re in thrall.” She jerked up her head. “You find any unconscious, dying mortals lying around?”

“No. Our human staff remains on holiday,” Jayr said. “The only mortal here is Dr. Stuart, and she is with Beaumaris in his chambers.”

“Okay.” Alex took off her jacket and rolled up her sleeves. “Someone please call my lord and master and let him know I’m going to be here for a while. I could also use some nurses.” She met Jayr’s gaze. “You’d better go have a word with your traitor, and see if he’s somehow responsible for this. Right now.”

Beau left Alys in his chambers just before dawn.

“I must go and make my peace with Harlech.” He tucked the covers in around her. “Sleep.”

Alys smiled as she watched him go, and snuggled down into the sheets that smelled as darkly sweet as her lover. She still couldn’t quite believe all this was real; it felt like a dream and any moment she would wake up and find herself back at the site.

I don’t have a site anymore.
She fell back against the pillows and stared at the interlocking stonework that formed the ceiling.
The project is over.
Somehow she’d have to send word to her team that the dig was closed.

The thought of her career self-destructing no longer frightened her; she’d hardly given her ambitions a single thought since making love with Beau. Not that they had ever been her ambitions—Robert had trained her like a performing chimp. She didn’t want to think about her guardian, not here, where her real life was finally beginning.
What will it be like, to be his wife, and spend the rest of my life with him?
She couldn’t see the future, but ever since walking into the castle, she’d felt as if she’d finally come home.

A commotion outside the chamber made her climb out of bed and peek out of the door. A group of warriors, visibly angry ones, stood arguing over someone named Leeds.

“I say we go to the dungeons and deal with him now,” one thin, stern-faced man snapped. “Whatever he meant to do, I will get it out of him.”

“He’s mortal, Lasander,” another said. “He’ll not live long enough to tell you.”

“Why should that be a problem for you, Revus?” Lasander demanded. “The coward attacked Farlae from behind, and now he has poisoned the ladies visiting. What more must he do before we put him to the blade?”

“We will take the matter to Harlech,” Revus said. “If he gives us leave, Lasander, I’ll be happy to stretch the mortal’s neck for you.”

As the men disappeared down the passage, Alys slipped out of the chamber and quietly went in the
opposite direction, retracing her steps until she reached the passage leading back to the main hall. There she hesitated until the scent of warm strawberries enveloped her, and a towheaded giant dressed in bright pink and green clothes came out of a side passage.

“Hello,” he said, smiling as he approached her. “You’re a mortal.”

“Yes. I’m Dr. Alys Stuart.” She held out her hand, and was charmed when he took it and bestowed a decidedly theatrical kiss on her knuckles. “Beaumaris brought me here. I needed a safe place to stay.”

“I have heard your name spoken. You are the new
kyara
everyone talks of. I am Rainer.” He bowed. “You must be the reason that Beau has not gone wenching of late.”

“So everyone knows about this wenching.” She’d have to discuss that with him.

“It is what the men do. I thought it most perverse of Beau to give it up, but now that I look upon you, I understand.” The big man pulled an enormous bunch of flowers out of his pocket and offered them to her. “I like women. Not in the way Beaumaris does, or used to, but you are lovely things, and you wear such pretty clothes.”

“Thank you.” Cautiously Alys accepted the bouquet, the flowers of which were made of thin silk and collapsing springs. “You’re a magician?”

“I am a fool,” he said, very seriously.

“Great.” Alys was beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed, too. “I was hoping to explore the castle a little on my own. I hope that’s okay.”

“You belong to Beau now, so you may do much as you wish. Do not take the next passage left,” Rain advised
her, “for that leads below, to the dungeons. We have a traitor down there, and he is an evil, cunning snake. You will not wish to meet him.”

“No, of course not.” Alys smiled. “Thank you for warning me.”

“You are welcome. I must go now. My lover is very sick and I must talk to him a great deal so that he does not die.” He bowed. “Until we meet again, my lady.”

Gay medieval vampires,
Alys thought as she watched him go.
Well, why not?

She took the next passage on the left, and the long staircase at the end of it to a deep underground level shrouded in darkness. If she was caught down here, she’d probably end up locked in a cell herself, but something kept pushing her on, as if everything depended on her talking to the assassin.

At the base of the steps she encountered two guards, both of whom eyed her but didn’t move or speak.

“I’m just going to say hello to the prisoner.” She watched their faces, but they didn’t twitch a muscle. “I’m guessing that’s okay with you.”

“They will not object,” a man’s voice said from the shadows. “Unless you try to release me, and then they will cut off your head.”

Alys touched her neck before she followed the voice to a cell occupied by an average-looking man wearing a bloodstained white shirt and dark trousers.

“Hello.” She surveyed the chains manacled to his wrists and ankles. “Did they hurt you?”

“An earlier accident.” His chains rattled as he showed her a new, wide pink scar on his wrist. “You’re Dr. Stuart, I presume.”

“Yes. They said your name is Leeds?” When he nodded, Alys glanced back at the guards and lowered her voice. “Why did you do this to them?”

“Why must you know my reasons?” he countered.

“There are a bunch of very angry men upstairs who want to torture and kill you,” she said. “I’d like to persuade them not to.”

“That’s very kind of you, but you assume I wish to live.” He drew back out of the light. “You should not be here.”

“I agree.” Jayr came to stand beside Alys.

“I’m sorry. I heard some of the men talking, and, well, I really don’t know why I’m here.” Alys looked at Leeds. “I suppose I thought I could talk to him, one mortal to another.”

“That was kind of you.” The suzeraina gave the prisoner a disgusted look before she said, “You should return to Beaumaris’s quarters now.”

Alys glanced at Leeds. “I think he wants you to kill him, my lady. Be careful.”

Leeds suddenly shot to his feet, jerking the chains that manacled him to the wall. “Attend to yourself, Dr. Stuart. You are not safe here, and you cannot trust the Kyn. Leave.”

“Why?” Alys asked. “What do you think they’re going to do to me? They’re protecting me.”

“You are a mortal, and there is nothing that will keep you safe in this place,” Leeds predicted. “Leave now, if you value your life.”

With Leeds still shouting after her, Alys fled for the stairs.

O
nce Alys had disappeared, Leeds stopped shouting and sat back on the floor of his cell. “She will not go, will she? She smells of Kyn. Of course. That is how he is manipulating her.” He spoke as if he was talking to himself.