Prince of Shadows (7 page)

Christos had half a mind to grab the next train and try to track the Paladin and the woman to their destination. Finish the job he'd started with the Paladin's parents, then take the null and see if she couldn't be of some use. It would have to wait though. He'd gotten the impression from the way they'd quickly altered their course back in the park that this subway station had not been their original destination, making him think the null's home must be closer to his present location than anywhere the rattling box of metal might take them. Besides, now that he knew she was out there, all he had to do was keep a mental eye out for the lack of an energy signal and he could find her again. If he was doubly lucky the Paladin would still be with her when he did.

With a smile on his face, Christos turned and stepped onto the escalator that brought him back to street level. To the blaring orchestra of car horns and screeching brakes, he spilled out onto the sidewalk and into the midst of anonymous humanity and car-corroded air. Ah, to breathe again. To feel the morning sun radiating down upon his face. It was the former he'd missed the most while his soul had been trapped in the burning fires of hell, possibly because it was freshest in his memories. But the latter…that was going to be what took him from the demigod status of his past life to godlike. He was reborn. And this new body held all of the perks and none of the hindrances of the last. The skill and speed of the vampire, the seductive powers of his mother, Lilith, and this time, no tells to give either away. He could go out in the sun, and because over half the souls Lucifer had used to resurrect his own were merker, he'd inherited their constitution too.

He couldn't wait to meet Roland again. Let him try and kill him now. But first? It was time to rattle the status quo and oust the imposter who'd been sitting in
his
seat at his father's right side. And after that? Well, he had a mind to see to his disobedient daughter before teaching any more impertinent Paladin their place. Family
was
the most important thing, after all, and like his mother before him, he wasn't above lying, stealing, cheating, or killing to ensure his family's deference to his will.

With a smile on his face and a spring in his step, he stepped out to the curb, whistling for the next available taxi.

“Damn it, Valin. Do you have to follow me everywhere?” Gabby snapped, not caring that her voice was loud enough to turn heads. On top of everything else this morning, dealing with Valin was not what she wanted to do. But he'd been there hovering in the hall outside Jacob's offices the moment she stepped out of the impromptu meeting. Which, to be truthful, was the source of her real frustration: Jacob was on the warpath. Annie was missing—again—and since Gabby seemed to have a knack for spotting the vacuum bubble of non-magic that always surrounded her, Gabby was going to have to find her, despite the fact that it was barely past ten a.m.

Why couldn't Annie at least wait until after noon to slip her collar?

Valin smiled, not exactly friendly, more of a bite-me kind of smile, and said, “Get used to it, cookie. Consider me your shadow.”

Gabby growled, pushing past him and marching toward the front doors. She was not at all surprised when he fell into step less than a length behind her. His metaphor was apt. He
was
like her fucking shadow. She couldn't turn around without him being there. Oh, he'd been smart enough to get his own room—one door down from hers in a barely big-enough janitor's closet…that he left the door open to…and slept with his head in the opening so he'd immediately sense any movement in the hall—but he was making a pure nuisance of himself the rest of the time. He was worse than Aaron. Not only did Valin show up anywhere and everywhere she was or planned to be—including her damn dreams—but he wouldn't let things rest, either. Aaron at least had brains enough to not ask her more questions after being given a blatant shutdown. But Valin's current favorite topic of discussion was her feeding habits, which
so
wasn't happening.

Gabby had managed to feed the other night before Valin found her, but the moment they'd run into each other he'd been all over her the whole way back to base. Demanding to know why she'd run, whether she'd fed,
who
she'd fed from, etc., etc., etc…He'd sounded like a damn jealous boyfriend. So she'd blatantly ignored him, slamming the door to her room in his face when he looked like he might follow her in. She'd thought for sure he'd either jimmy the lock or just plain ghost in, but he hadn't.

And she hadn't been at all disappointed over that fact. Nope, not at all.

“So, do you have any idea where Annie might have gone?” Valin asked, proving he'd been eavesdropping too. Why was she not surprised?

Gabby ignored him and pushed out the front doors, the sun greeting them with her warm rays. Gabby couldn't stop herself from taking a huge breath. Until four months ago, she'd forgotten how much the sun could warm the air, even on these shortening fall days.

“You think she'd come out here?”

“Probably out for coffee,” she said and started down the steps, leaving a surprised Valin at the top.

“For coffee.” Valin double-timed it to catch up with her. “Are you kidding me?”

“That or a slushee or a milkshake or some chai tea.” She sighed. “As long as she gets her fix of oxygen, she doesn't much care what the beverage is.”

“It's a wonder her dad doesn't cuff her down in the boiler room.” He frowned. “Is there a boiler in the school's basement?”

Gabby shrugged. Didn't know or care. Nope, the only thing she cared about was the familiar redhead strolling down the street arm in arm with…damn, was that Bennett?

“Looks like your mate
found
her.” She quoted the air with her fingers. It hadn't escaped Gabby's notice that Annie had been spending a lot of time loitering in whatever area of the base that the blond warrior happened to be in—using the excuse of studying his shields, of course. Not that the Paladin could teach Annie anything beyond what Gabby could—which was close to nothing unless Annie could learn to completely check her gift—but hey, the Paladin, with his golden good looks, was probably more enticing than Gabby's own grumbly nature. The problem was Gabby didn't think Annie's interest had escaped Jacob's notice either. The Paladin might not know it, but he was holding a grenade in his hand, without the pin. One wrong move and the thing would blow up in his face.

Valin glanced over at her, brow raised. “Bennett wouldn't have helped Annie escape if that's what you're implying.”

“Maybe,” she conceded. “But they seem pretty chummy, don't they?”

“And you care that they're getting along because?”

Gabby gestured sharply at the cozy scene. “Because Jacob's going to be pissed if he sees them like that, that's why.”

“Ah…yes…because daughters, even grown ones, should never have any interest in a man. Especially one as ugly as that British bloke.”

Gabby blew out a breath that bellied her exasperation. “That's not what I meant. And Jacob wouldn't have anything against him being British.”

“Just a Paladin?”

Gabby didn't answer. Not because she wanted to spare Valin's—or Bennett's—feelings, but because the truth was she didn't know. She had to admit the impression she got from the gifteds at the base was that the Paladin had turned their back on them long ago, and thus they had no intention of going out of their way to make friends. But did they actually harbor resentment toward them? Gabby wasn't sure.

Feeling moody, she stomped the rest of the way down the stairs, and then, with her arms folded across her breasts, carefully scanned the street while she waited for Jacob's lost lamb to be shepherded home by Bennett. And that was what he was doing. Despite the fact that their arms were linked, there was a set scowl on his face that was punctuated with more than one worried glance over his shoulder. Valin noticed too that the knife, which Valin wore wherever the heck he went now, was loosened in its sheath, his knuckles tightening around the jewel-encrusted hilt.

Fucking Paladin blade. The thing was an early grave maker. “You better be careful if you have to draw that thing around me.”

He looked over at her. “I told you that you never had to worry about this blade being used to harm you.”

“Accidents happen.”

His mouth pulled up in a smug, lopsided smile. “Not unless I want them to, cookie.”

“Stop calling me that.”

And the other side of his mouth followed, forming a full-fledged grin that made her blood heat in her veins.

Damn the man. How did he get to her so easily?

“Were you followed?” Valin asked when Bennett and Annie got close enough, beating her to it.

“Don't think so. Though it's hard to tell around her.” Bennett jerked his head toward Annie.

“Hey!” Annie yanked her arm from his, her lips pulling into an offended pout before turning to Gabby. “If we were, we lost them. We played the subway game for a good half hour.”

“You better hope you did.” Gabby jerked her head toward the stairs. “Inside. Now. Before your father comes roaring out here.”

There was some mild grumbling, but Annie fell into step beside Gabby and the men behind them as they climbed. With each step, Gabby felt her frustration boil closer to the top. Annie pouted as if her foolishness wasn't the cause of this, Valin was watching her ass (she could feel his damn eyes skimming over her curves), and on top of all that she was tired again. Which meant, damn it, she was going to have to slip out from under his watch to feed again.

“Damn it, Annie. Do you have to pull this crap when I'm around?” Gabby snapped and then immediately felt guilty for taking out her frustrations on her. Not that Gabby should. It was Annie's fault she was up this early. Her fault too that Valin was here, since it was Annie and her cohorts who'd drawn the Paladins' attention.

“You make it sound like it's a personal affront to you,” Annie grumbled.

“Maybe not, but when you do it when I'm around, I have to deal with your father.” Gabby glanced up the stairs. “And, crap, there he is.”

Jacob was indeed pissed. And the moment Annie got within reach he took her by her elbow and walked her briskly down toward his office. It was a testament to how smart Annie actually was that she didn't give her dad any of the lip she normally gave Gabby. Still, Gabby just
knew
she was going to hear about this later.

Jacob was desperate to keep his daughter safe, and when the options he presented to Gabby had come down to either eliminating the two Paladin or keeping them close until their trustworthiness could be determined, Gabby had urged the latter. She might have wanted Valin gone, but that didn't mean she wanted him dead. Unless it was by her hand, that is, and right now she was severely tempted.

It was on her word that Valin and Bennett had been allowed the freedom Jacob had granted them. Jacob knew she had past dealings with some of the Paladin and had trusted her assessment that Bennett was too honorable to break a vow and Valin (whom she wouldn't put it past to break a vow) was simply too willing to thumb his nose at authority and wouldn't give them up to the wrath of the stuffy old council. How stupid had she been? There were only two reasons for Bennett to be outside at the same time Annie was, and despite what she might have implied to Valin, she knew it hadn't been as an accomplice.

“And you!” She rounded on the frowning Bennett, who stared down the hall after Jacob and Annie.

Bennett blinked, turning back to her. “Me what?”

“Who were you chatting with out there?”

“Chatting with?”

Gabby couldn't tell if he was being deliberately obtuse or not. “I could sense you reaching out across the miles. But once you tapped in I couldn't make out much of anything.”

Valin stepped closer, his gaze narrowed on her. “You're able to pick up shielded projected thoughts, by people who aren't even near you, and through the base's shields?”

“Shields I made,” she reminded him, then sighed when both men continued to stare at her. “Yes, okay?”

The men exchanged looks, which had her squirming. And how the heck had the tables been turned on her?

“What?” she snapped.

“Nothing, cookie. Just impressive for a merker.”

Her jaw dropped open, her breath momentarily hung up in her lungs. “Merker?” she finally managed to gasp out. “You think I'm a damn merker?”

She could feel her face heating. Her entire bloodstream was heating. How could Valin believe that? And if he really did believe her to be Ganelon's child, then why the hell didn't he use his damn knife on her?

“Or…uh…maybe just part merker.” He at least had the decency to look a little bit remorseful for saying it, but he still said it, damn him.

She glared at him, hard, and wondered why he didn't fall down and bleed out on the pavement. Probably his superhuman Paladin genes made him resistant to the daggers she was sending him out of her eyes. He did get all defensive though.

“Roland said once that your mother was pure succubus and, well, your daddy couldn't have been human if you can do what you say you can do.”

“If I say I can?” And now he thought she was a liar too? And, okay, she could maybe see why he might have come up with the conclusion he had. Succubus were nothing if not liars, using their seductive powers to imprint ideas in the heads of naïve fools across the globe. But they couldn't actually project or receive exact thoughts. Still, it pissed her off that his only conclusions were either the grand title of Liar or having Ganelon's blood in her veins. Not that her mommy's demon blood didn't make her heritage pretty questionable, but somehow being the daughter of a succubus seemed a lot better when she knew her real daddy had been a Paladin. Ergo she had no relation to Lucifer's right-hand bastard, the betrayer Ganelon.

“There are a lot of other possibilities besides human,” she told him in a dangerously quiet voice. “But whatever, you're going to think what you want.”

Valin started to open his mouth to speak, but she turned her back on him—she'd deal with him and his holier-than-thou thoughts later—and directed her gaze at Bennett. “Now that your matey here has gotten me even more pissed off, maybe you want to make nice and tell me who you were chatting with.”

“I told Annie, but if it eases your mind, I'll tell you also.”

“Thank you,” she ground from between her clenched teeth. Righteous bastards. Both of them. She'd let Jacob deal with Bennett after she determined the extent of his indiscretion, but Valin? Well, she hoped he had his will in order.

“We've been gone long enough I thought it best to check in with the council, else they might start wondering and searching.”

“You thought it best,” she sputtered. “Even though both Logan and his daddy could doubtlessly tell exactly where you were contacting them from?”

“I didn't contact either Calhoun.”

“No?”

“I contacted Karissa.”

She worked her jaw, not sure if that still pissed her off or not. Yes, Karissa might be able to figure out where Bennett had been—the woman's shields had certainly gotten better if Gabby hadn't been able to sense it was she whom Bennett had been speaking with—but Karissa was much less apt to pass that information along to her estranged father. She might tell her brother though, and she said as much to Bennett. “You don't think she'll tell Logan where you guys are? No offense to pretty boy, but I don't think he'd stand up long against his father if Senior really wanted the information.”

Both men shuffled uncomfortably, exchanging looks.

“What?”

“Gabby…” Valin reached out, taking her hand in a gesture that was not so alarming for the contact, but the fact that he felt the need to do so.

“What?” She stomped her foot.

Another set of exchanged glances, and then Valin cleared his throat. “Logan isn't, uh, in any sort of state to be speaking with Karissa right now. Or his father.”