Out for Blood

“Yes?”

“It’s time you got off that freighter and found a real place to live.”

Some of the pleasure faded. “That is a real place to live.”

She glanced down at the cobblestones beneath them. “You know what I mean.”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t. I’m not exactly flush. It’s not like I can buy the house next to you.”

She dug her toe into the space between one of the cobblestones and the large grate covering one of the square’s storm drains. “I’m not very good at this.”

“At what?” He rolled his shoulders like he’d suddenly become uncomfortable.

“I’m going to buy a new boat to replace the one Tatiana torched. I want you to move into it. After it’s been helioglazed and everything. Then you wouldn’t be so far away. I mean, I have that huge house and it’s just Velimai and me. You could, I don’t know, train with me sometimes maybe or just hang out in the house if you wanted. There’s plenty of room and—”

“Chrysabelle.”

She took a breath. “If you don’t want to, I understand. I know you’re not a people person. You’ve told me that before, so I—”

“Chrysabelle.” He said her name a little louder this time.

She glanced up.

“Can I talk now?” His gaze had a glimmer of emotion unlike anything she’d seen before.

“Yes, of course, you can talk.”

“The idea of moving that close to you—and let’s be honest, to a wysper—scares me more than anything I’ve faced in a long time.”

The tenuous joy she’d just felt receded like a fast moving tide. “I understand.”

“I’m not an easy person to live with, or near, by any stretch of the imagination.”

She nodded, staring at her hands. “I know.” Maybe she could disappear down that storm drain and away from this embarrassing moment. What had made her think this was a good idea?

“I’m moody—”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“Argumentative—”

“Also not surprising.”

“And there’s the issue of the voices and the beast I deal with on a nightly basis.”

She toed a loose stone into the storm drain. “I’m fully aware how much they like me.”

“But if you’re willing, so am I.”

“I knew it was a bad idea when I—” She looked up. “Did you just say yes?”

He nodded. “It’s not going to be easy having me as your nearest neighbor.”

“And life with you these past few months has been?”

Remembering the cameras were watching, she leaned in to kiss him again, whispering, “Thank you,” before her ample hood hid both their faces.

“You’re welcome,” he answered as they came apart. He flexed his hands, swinging his arms a little. “This is a hell of a lot better than the last time I was chained up by a woman.”

That he could joke about his past gave her hope, lightening her spirits like the coming dawn lightened the sky. With a start, she stared over his shoulder and into what had once been a very dark sky. “Something’s wrong.”

“What?”

Unwilling to alarm him any more than she already had, she said, “Actually, I don’t think it’s anything, but give me just a second, okay?” She held up a finger. “I’ll be right back.”

Without waiting for his response, she ran back through the muddle of wires and equipment. Most of the camera crews seemed to be focused on their reporters now, all of whom were giving updates. Beyond the harsh lights, the sky was even brighter. She searched for Luke but he was nowhere to be found. She checked her watch.

It was ten after six. How had the time gone so fast?

She grabbed a passing police officer. “What’s going on? He was supposed to be released at six a.m.”

“Not anymore. The mayor made a statement about new crimes coming to light and her new zero-tolerance policy. The vampire’s not going to be released.”

Unadulterated fear sucked the air from her lungs. Her knees almost buckled. “What? The sun’s coming up. It’ll kill him.”

The cop nodded. “That’s the point.”

“She can’t do this.” Chrysabelle’s entire body trembled uncontrollably. “Where’s Luke Havoc?”

“He’s gone back to the mayor’s. You want me to call him?”

“No.” There was no time. She shoved past the cop and ran back to Mal. She grabbed the placket of his shirt, holding on to keep herself from collapsing. “You can scatter, right? Tell me you can scatter.”

“You’ve asked me that before. The answer hasn’t changed.”

“Could you ever scatter? When you were at full power?”

“What does it matter?”

“Answer me,” she snapped, shaking him.

With a look of surprise, he did. “Not since I stopped drinking from the vein.”

“That’s about to change.” She let go of him and unzipped her jacket, pulling it off her shoulders as her hood fell back, panic making her movements jerky.

“What are you doing?” He pulled against the chains. “What’s going on?”

“The mayor isn’t releasing you and sunrise is only a few minutes away.”

He glanced skyward. His mouth came open slightly as he saw past the bright lights. “Dawn,” he said softly. He closed his eyes and turned his head away. “I’m so sorry,” he muttered. “Go home. I don’t want you to see this.”