Chapter Six
Too Big for Words
I really had no idea what was going on with the vampires. I was as clueless as the humans. But if they believed that Shane, the supernaturals, and I could control the bloodsuckers and protect the city, then the Red Valley supernaturals would be as safe as I could make them.
I caught sight of Rhys and Leo heading toward Rhys’s car, and I held up a finger to let them know I’d be following them soon.
Rhys blew me a kiss and then he and Leo trotted down the already empty street and disappeared behind an ambulance.
No one had wasted time getting off the streets, and the dead humans had been loaded up and carted away. The silence and emptiness after such chaos was disorienting.
Clayton stood over a couple of dead vampires. I touched his back, then slid my hand down his arm and gripped his hand. “Hey.”
He turned his head slowly and met my quizzical stare. His eyes were a little wide and full of something I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen in Clayton. Pure joy, I thought, mixed in with a little dose of disbelief.
He pointed at the dead vampires with the blade he held in his right hand. “I did that.” His voice was hoarse. “Trinity, I did that.”
I tightened my grip on his hand. “What? Does that mean…”
“I’m a hunter. I’m back. I didn’t lose it, it was just…”
“It was buried beneath the horror of Miriam,” I said softly. “You’re a hunter.” And as soon as I said it, I felt it. He did, as well. He shuddered, and something electric ran from his hand to mine.
“Mine,” I breathed. “My hunter.”
He slid his blade back into its sheath, then pulled me into his embrace. He buried his mouth against the side of my neck and said nothing.
It was too big for words.
When he released me, Shane was there, watching both of us.
The two hunters stared at each other, then Shane held out his hand. Clayton grasped it and they did an almost not awkward bro hug sort of thing, and I couldn’t help but laugh even as tears sprang to my eyes.
They grinned, and then, hunters all, we walked to our cars. We should have been grim—humans had died there that night.
I wasn’t sure what it said about us that we could laugh. I suppose that was what happened when you saw enough horror.
When we pulled into the way station driveway, Angus’s truck wasn’t there. He divided his time between the way station and his house. I wouldn’t get upset about that—he had children who needed him—but I missed him when he wasn’t with me.
Jin caught me when I walked into the house. “I have a message for you from Angus.”
I hung my vest on the coatrack. “What’s the message?”
“He said to call him if you need him, and that you should find the vampire master.”
I nodded. I’d already planned on discussing the attack with Amias. I studied the Jikininki. “Jin, will you be here forever?”
A spark of fear flared in his eyes. “I will try.”
“If it’s up to me,” I told him, “you’re welcome to stay for as long as you want. This is your home.”
He opened his mouth, then closed it and crept from the room.
Jin didn’t look like a man, exactly. It was as though several different parts had been sewn together to create a suit of flesh for a very strange creature. At times his body wavered and I could almost see through it, as though he were more ghost than solid, tangible being.
One moment he might show sharp, crowded, bloody teeth, and the next there would be a bottomless black hole where his face should have been. Sometimes he was bald, sometimes his hair hung dark and tangled to his waist.
There were even times when he looked like a man—sharp nose, somewhat thin lips, and quick blue eyes. He attempted to wear that particular look the most, probably because it was the most acceptable.
The Jikininki really was eager to please. Wherever he’d come from, it must have been quite terrifying.
I headed toward the kitchen. My dinner had been interrupted and I was starving. The others were already in there—I could hear them laughing and the sound of silverware clinking on plates—and I was eager to join them. They’d abandoned the dining room for the kitchen and the big table there, and had likely pulled a hodgepodge of cold food from the fridge upon which to feast.
It wasn’t only the food that drew me to the kitchen. I craved being with those men more than I craved any food.
I’d eat, then I’d find Amias. He would be inside Willow-Wisp. Since he’d discovered the place—and the sun—he’d been reluctant to leave it.
It was as though he believed he might not be permitted back inside if he left. But he’d had two weeks to allow the sun to burn away the darkness. It was time for him to get back to being the master vampire of Red Valley, and I would need his help with the sudden invasion of healthy vampires.
When I entered the kitchen, I found Clayton eating colorful cereal from the largest bowl I’d ever seen, Leo with half a cooked chicken carcass in his hand, and Shane and Rhys arm wrestling.
“Oh my God,” I said, my hands on my hips. “You all are such…” I shook my head. “Such…”
“Men?” Rhys asked, helpfully.
“Yes. That’s exactly the word.” Smiling, I headed for the fridge to find myself some leftovers to heat up.
For a brief second, everything was nearly perfect.
“Trinity,” Leo said, pointing at a heaping plate of food on the table. “I warmed you a plate.”
I sat down beside him, a little surprised. “Thanks, Leo.” I smiled at him, my gaze lingering on his. He was the first to look away.
I felt my face heat for no apparent reason. Afraid the others would notice the sudden awkwardness and comment, I dropped my stare to my plate and dug into my food.
Rhys slammed Shane’s hand to the table, then took a long swig of his beer. “So, tonight.”
I nodded. “We can use this. We can force the mayor to ditch his insane new regulations.”
“We can try,” Rhys agreed. “But Trinity, something was different.”
“The question is,” I said, “why?”
“And what,” Leo said. “Those weren’t exactly vampires.”
I put my fork down. “They were immune to silver. Not even Silverlight’s arc hurt them.”
“Trinity,” Leo said, “if more of these vampires come, will you let the humans die to force the mayor’s hand?”
I stared down at the table and said nothing. I didn’t really know the answer. I wanted to. I meant to. But when it came down to it…
“Because people may have to die before the humans are willing to change,” Leo continued.
Clayton nodded. “There will be casualties.” He shoved his nearly empty bowl aside. “On both sides.”
“On three sides,” Shane said. “Us, the humans, and the assholes we killed tonight.”
“I’ll talk to Amias after I eat,” I told them. “He’ll know something.”
“How could he?” Shane asked. “He hasn’t left the graveyard.”
“He’ll know,” I said, a bit grimly. “Vampires have that whole mind connection thing. If Willow-Wisp is blocking his signal and he doesn’t know, I’m going to kick his ass out of there and make him find out.”
“Hurry back.” Clayton dropped his hot stare to my lips. “I want to touch you before the world goes crazy.”
I froze with my glass halfway to my mouth, then squirmed on my chair and took a sip of water to clear the sudden dryness from my throat. “I…okay.”
Clayton was embracing everything he’d been forced to suppress during Miriam’s cruel reign. He’d become insatiable. Voracious, fierce, emotional, and so very, very passionate.
And now that his hunter status was restored, I had a feeling we were about to climb to a whole new level.
Rhys gripped the table so hard it creaked.
Shane lifted an eyebrow. “Not wanting to be nosy, Rhys, but why haven’t you bonded with Trinity?”
“It’s not the right time,” Rhys murmured. “Not yet.”
I covered his hand with mine. “You never told me what I need to do to get ready for you.”
“Get ready for him.” Shane’s eyebrow went up another notch. “You have a monster cock, dude?”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. I’d thought the same thing.
But Rhys only sighed. “I’ll know when she’s ready, and when we finally do connect, the entire city will feel the power.”
“The power of your sex,” I whispered, remembering his words.
His smile flashed, and his eyes went dark with desire.
I shivered. My men were hot.
Every single one of them.
Especially Rhys.
But what the hell was he?