Out for Blood

“I can find my own way there.”

Her head dropped again. “As you wish. Have a pleasant evening.” She curtseyed and began to leave.

The voices whined at the loss of the blood, cursing him in every language they spoke. “What’s your name?”

She looked up, hope brightening her face. “Alice.”

He bent slightly, peered into her eyes, and added a touch of persuasion to his voice. “Go home, Alice. Forget this place exists. Go back to school and do something meaningful with your life.”

Her pretty face contorted with insolence. “Don’t use your powers on me, vampire. We’re warded against that. You think Dominic’s stupid?” With a snort, she twisted on her heel and stormed off, her previous coyness gone.

Well. That was interesting. Made sense Dominic would protect his comarré from vampire influence. Wouldn’t want any of them being persuaded to become someone’s pet for free. But fringe didn’t have the same powers nobles did, so who was he protecting them against? Tatiana’s return? Or the newly resired Katsumi? Either way, Dominic was smart. Shady. But smart.

Mal made his way to Dominic’s office. He sensed Dominic was alone. Good. He didn’t want an audience for the conversation he was about to have. He knocked and a few seconds later, Dominic bid him enter. Mal did and saw that he’d been wrong about Dominic being alone. Seated in front of Dominic’s desk was a leanly muscled, dark-haired vampire Mal didn’t recognize.

“Am I interrupting something?” He glanced at the other vampire. Definitely noble, not quite Dominic’s age but not a vampling either. How had Mal not sensed him?

“No, no,” Dominic assured him. “This is Luciano, my nephew. He’s come to help me run things here. Every night, Seven gets busier. It’s good to have family you can trust.”

“Luciano.” Mal nodded at the other vampire. “Are you St. Germain like your uncle?”

“No.” Luciano grinned. “I am House of Paole.”

That explained not being able to sense him. Paole vampires were undetectable to other vampires. Sneaky bastards.

Dominic leaned back in his desk chair. “Luciano is a caedo.”

A chill skittered down Mal’s spine at the word. He tensed, instantly on guard. He’d been hunted by caedo many years ago. Unsuccessfully, but hunted nonetheless.

Luciano threw his hands up. “Zio, per favore. Why would you tell him that?”

Dominic waved Luciano’s concerns away. “Malkolm is anathema. Like us. You worry for nothing.” He stood and walked out from behind his desk and laid his hand on Mal’s. “This man sacrificed his blood for mine. That is a debt I have not yet repaid. He will say nothing, will you, Malkolm?”

“No.” He kept his eyes on Luciano, who didn’t look quite convinced yet. “So long as you’re not here for me.”

Luciano frowned. “Why would I be here for you? I’m here because my uncle needs me. And because I grew tired of life as the nobility’s errand boy.”

Errand boy? How about killer? Like you. The caedo were an elite force of vampire assassins. They did the dirty work other nobles didn’t want to soil their hands with but were willing to empty their accounts to pay for. “Dominic said you were anathema like us. What did you do?”

Luciano’s eyes sparked silver. “I quit.”

No one quit the caedo. Except by death. That explained Luciano’s reluctance to have his profession revealed.

Dominic gestured toward a chair. “Sit, my friend. Let us share some wine to celebrate Luciano’s arrival.”

“Wine isn’t what I need.” Nor did he need to carry the weight of any more of Dominic’s family secrets.

“Ah, I see. There is something else I can help you with?”

“I need blood. From one of your comarrés.” Damnation, it pained him to say those words.

Dominic went back behind his desk and sat. “I would be happy to do this for you, except…” He stared at Mal expectantly, and when Mal didn’t say anything, he finished, “What about Chrysabelle?”

And there it was. The question he’d known would be asked. Mal sat, buying a little time to form an answer. “She’s still recovering. I don’t want to bother her.”

Dominic lifted his brows. “That hasn’t stopped you—or her—from the exchange in the past.” He shrugged and lifted his hands. “I don’t want to do something that might upset her. You know she’s like family to me.” He leaned toward Luciano. “She’s Maris’s daughter, the comarré I spoke of earlier.”

“Marissa? Si.” Luciano nodded.

What Mal knew was that Dominic wasn’t going to let it drop until he got a better answer. “I need to put some distance between us. Her wishes.”

“Ah.” Dominic absently tapped his fingers on the desk. “She is just like her mother, that one.” His hand went still. “Any time you need blood, you have only to come to me. As I’m sure you would extend yourself to me, should I need anything.”

So a favor for a favor. Fine. He should have known Dominic wouldn’t give without getting something in exchange. Mal had no desire to return to pig’s blood. “Haven’t I proven that in the past?”

“You have.” Dominic pressed the intercom on his desk. “Send one of the best comarré up.”

“Yes, sir,” a female voice answered.