Red-Headed Stepchild

I stammered, trying to think of a way to hold her off. “Domina, surely—”



She slashed a pale hand through the hair. “Tomorrow.”



My stomach coiled. “I understand your urgency. However, I can’t just walk in there with guns blazing. His guards will kill me before the first shot hits home.”



She crossed her arms and skewered me with a look. “Losing your life for your race is an honor.”



In the ensuing silence, all of my thoughts took on crystal focus. Honor. The word haunted me my entire life. She’d drilled the concept into me from such a young age, it was practically my first word. Later, honor sealed my lips when she’d told me I couldn’t become an acolyte at the temple. Honor made me ignore my better judgment when she’d told me to kill David. And now, she expected me to accept a death sentence—all in the name of honor.



“I understand,” I said. She nodded, assuming I accepted the possibility of death. She didn’t get that I understood something else entirely.



I’d always believed my grandmother cared about me. She wasn’t warm or affectionate, and she drove me hard, but I figured that was just her way. If nothing else, our blood ties should be proof of some sort of connection. But her careless disregard for the possibility of my death showed me the truth. She saw me as a pawn—a means to an end. Well, this pawn wasn’t going to lie down and die.



“What of the mages at the vineyard?” I asked.



“Excuse me?” Lavinia’s eyes flashed with fire.



“What happens when the Hekate Council finds out what you’re doing?”



“You dare?” Her voice rose. “Do not forget your place, child.”



“Clovis isn’t the only one who knows. If word gets out—”



She waved my concern away with her hand. “War is inevitable. It’s only a matter of when. Your job is to kill Clovis before he can use the situation to stage a coup. If he manages to get into power, the Hekate Council will wipe out our entire race.”



Clovis. Someone else who saw me as a pawn. While my grandmother’s attitude left me feeling empty, Clovis had caused the death of two of my friends. He needed to be taken out of the equation.



“But why harvest the mage blood? It seems like an unnecessary risk.”



“When the war comes, the blood will give us a fighting chance against the Hekate Council. We will finally be able to fight fire with fire.”



My pride demanded I protest, but something else—something weak and needy—begged me to ignore my misgivings. I wasn’t proud of my need for her approval. Like a junkie, I rationalized my need, hoping one more hit would result in the high I craved.



“But you’ll only use it if it comes to war, right? You aren’t planning on forcing a war?”



Lavinia laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I intentionally try to start a war?”



I nodded and chewed on my lip as I thought it over. A memory of the mages at the vineyard threatened to test my conscience. But I shoved it away. They were mages. I was a vampire. Clovis was the enemy. My grandmother was family. Put that way, my choice was clear.



When this was all over, I’d have to do some serious thinking about my life choices. All this political maneuvering gave me heartburn. Maybe I just needed a vacation. Or maybe I’d strike out on my own for good, and leave the intrigue to my grandmother. The thought made my stomach cramp.



Now wasn’t the time for existential crisis. I pushed thoughts of the future aside and focused on the here and now. I’d forget what I saw at the vineyard and do my duty. “I understand, Domina.”



Her fangs flashed, making her look like a cobra ready to strike. “Excellent.”



I didn’t sleep well the next day. Despite the blackout curtains Vinca had installed in my room, I was aware of the progression of the sun. Each minute brought me one step closer to completing my mission.



I finally gave up on sleep about two in the afternoon. The cat slept on a pile of discarded clothes in the corner. Even in sleep, he seemed to feel the tension rolling off me in waves. His little paws jerked and his ears flicked occasionally, as if he was dreaming.



I used the time before sunset to come up with a plan. If I could get Clovis alone, I could do the deed and then get out of there before his body was discovered. I just had to figure out a way to get close enough without him suspecting my motives.



At around four o’clock, I got dressed and woke up the cat to tell him good-bye. He wanted to come with me, to help with the plan. I’d broken down the night before and admitted everything. I figured he’d seen enough to deserve the truth. But something told me to keep him out of this. If something happened to me, I couldn’t risk Giguhl getting caught.



At five, I arrived at the temple. The place seemed deserted except for mortal guards, since most of the disciples would just be waking up for the night. One of the guards called Clovis on the phone, alerting him to my presence. At his direction, I followed him to the office.



Clovis was already there, sitting, as usual, behind his desk, looking clean-cut in an expensive suit. I wondered if he ever slept, or if his mixed genetic code allowed him to be awake in the daylight like me.



“You’re back.” He waved to the guards, dismissing them. “Did you have a nice trip?” His voice dripped with sarcasm. I didn’t have the patience to deal with wordplay.



“I saw them,” I said. “You were right.” I glanced to my right, where a window overlooked the courtyard. The place was deserted at this hour. Most vampires didn’t rouse until about seven, and the other acolytes were all in class.



“Of course I was right,” Clovis said. He rose and came around the desk. He perched in front of me, his leg touching mine.



Seeing my opportunity, I leaned forward. “I shouldn’t have doubted you. The Dominae need to be stopped.”



Clovis reached for my hand and pulled me up. I went willingly, allowing him to bring me between his thighs. “Have you given any more thought to my offer?” His voice was husky, seductive. I gritted my teeth, trying to resist the pull he had on me when we were close.



“Which offer is that?” I moved in closer, licking my lips.



His eyes flared at the blatant invitation. With one hand, he stroked my cheek. I closed my eyes and moved into the caress. With my right hand, I slowly reached under my leather jacket, feeling for my gun in my rear waistband.



“To share my bed,” he whispered.



I opened my eyes to meet his. His eyes were glowing again. I hesitated with my hand on the gun as a wave of arousal hit me. That’s when I realized he must be using some demon mojo on me, causing me to feel this synthetic arousal. The knowledge freed me somewhat from the haze threatening to distract me from my task.



Smiling, I leaned in further, placing my lips at his ear. Gripping the gun now, I said, “All I’m going to share with you is—”



A knock on the door interrupted. My heart skipped a beat and I jerked back a fraction, hiding the gun at my side. Frank stuck his head in. “Boss,” he said. “Oh, hey, Sabina.” He dismissed me and focused on Clovis. “We’ve got a problem.”



“What is it?” Clovis said in a clipped voice.



When Clovis stood, I fell back behind him in shock. My hand went damp as it gripped the butt of my gun. I stood behind Clovis, my heart still hammering against my ribs. It would be so easy to take my gun and place it against the back of his head. Before he or Frank would know what was happening, I could pull the trigger. Bang. Clovis is dead.



Only, if I did that, Frank would put a bullet between my eyes before I got to the window and freedom. I struggled, trying to figure out what to do. Clearly, if it were up to my grandmother, I’d forfeit my life to get the job done.



“… mancy was found trying to break into the compound.”



Frank’s words ended my internal struggle. Surely, Adam wasn’t that stupid.



“We’ve detained him in a holding room.”



“Has he talked?”



“Not yet, sir, but we’re working on it.” Frank’s gaze drifted toward me. “However, he did ask to see Sabina.”



I closed my eyes and prayed for patience. The gun slid easily into my rear waistband.



“Sabina, do you know anything about this?” Clovis asked. I opened my eyes to find both Clovis and Frank eyeing me with suspicion.



“Maybe,” I said. “Is he a tall guy with sandy hair?”



Frank nodded.



“Then, yeah, I think I know him. Stop beating him, please.”



Frank looked to Clovis for instruction. “Bring him in here.” Frank nodded and spoke into a walkie-talkie, telling the guard on the other end to bring in the prisoner.



Clovis looked at me again. “Want to tell me what this is all about?”



I heaved a big sigh. “It’s a long story.”



“Humor me.”



I gave Clovis the CliffsNotes version of my experience thus far with Adam, leaving out his claims about my mancy family sending him. I hoped Clovis wouldn’t notice my hands shaking as I talked. Adrenaline still gushed through me. Inside, I was berating myself for failing the Dominae. The truth was, even though the interruption wasn’t my fault, I still could have taken one for the team and accomplished my mission. But I’d been scared. I didn’t want to die.



Just as I wrapped up my story, another guard entered the room, pushing Adam ahead of him. The mage’s right eye was swelling shut and his arms were bound behind him with handcuffs. The cuffs must have been lined with brass, which flattens and grounds magical energy.



Adam wouldn’t meet my eyes as I stared him down. He was too busy having a one-eyed stare-off with Clovis.



“And who might you be?” Clovis’s tone was casual.



“Adam Lazarus,” he said. He stood straight with his shoulders back and his abraded face stubborn.



“Would you mind explaining to me why you were breaking into my sanctuary? Was the front door too obvious a choice?”



“This was the only way I knew to get in to see you,” Adam said. “And her.” His head jerked in my direction, but he still didn’t look at me. If he had, he probably would have rethought his little plan. I was pretty sure my eyes would have fried him on the spot.