Lucifer (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 11) Page 2

  “I know you agree on the need for a coordinated effort,” he said. “And I’m sure you’d rather head up the search for your mate, but—”

  “You’re wrong,” she interrupted, even though she wanted to agree with him. With every beat of her heart, her need for Colin grew. She wanted nothing more than to hunt down his captors and paint the walls with their blood, and then to hold him close so that this could never happen again.

  She wasn’t going to do any of those things. Well, maybe she’d paint a few walls, but only after she’d defeated and killed the vampire who was truly responsible for all of this. Not Colin’s kidnappers—though they would pay for what they’d done. But it was a European vampire lord who thought he could waltz in and seize her territory. The asshole who thought that because she was a woman, she’d be an easy mark, that he could kidnap her mate, and reduce her to a weeping mess of uselessness.

  It infuriated her that her own allies thought the same thing, that Raphael assumed he’d have to persuade her to defend her own territory. Sophia glanced over and found Cyn eyeing her curiously, judging her, waiting to see what she’d do. Sophia raised a single brow, and Cyn’s eyebrows arched in return, her lips pursed in a mocking smile.

  Raphael might not understand, but his mate certainly did. She knew what it was like to be judged on her beauty and femininity, rather than her courage and her brain. Not to mention her willingness to kill to defend what mattered to her, what she believed in. Sophia had heard the stories. She knew what Cyn had done to secure Raphael’s release in Hawaii, and what she’d done even before that in Texas.

  Cyn might be the only person in this room who understood that, while Sophia wanted more than anything to drop everything else and devote herself to finding Colin, she knew that others could pursue the search just as well. While only she could protect her people by hunting down and killing the vampire behind this plot.

  “Don’t misunderstand me,” Sophia continued, her gaze raking the room to include all three vampire lords. “I want my mate returned safe and sound, but he is somewhere in the city of Montreal, and if I’m to keep all of my people secure and defend what’s mine, I must return to Vancouver. I’ve asked you here not to defend my territory for me, but to find Colin.”

  “You say he’s in Montreal,” Aden said, and Sophia would swear that there was a newfound respect in his gaze. “The mate bond won’t narrow it any closer than that?”

  Sophia’s jaw clenched. It pained her to admit that her enemies had succeeded in weakening her connection to Colin. It shouldn’t have been possible, and maybe it wouldn’t have been if they’d been bonded longer. If she hadn’t wasted—she cut off that train of thought immediately. Now was not the time to rehash ancient history.

  “Every night after they—” She had to swallow the bile that rose up at the thought of what they were doing to Colin and why. “—torture him, they’re feeding him some other master’s blood, so that he will heal, and so they—” She drew a fortifying breath. “—so they can torment him again, night after night.”

  “Bastards,” Cynthia muttered.

  Sophia forced herself to continue. She wouldn’t let them see the agony grinding at her soul at the thought of Colin and what he was enduring. “I’m certain they’re holding him far underground, a sub-basement perhaps. I can sense the weight of the earth surrounding him.”

  “The underground city?” Rajmund asked, but Sophia shook her head.

  “Too civilized. His prison is crude, its walls roughly made. It’s damp and cold, with the earth pressing close.”

  “Do you have people in Montreal?” Aden asked.

  She frowned. “Lucien’s former lieutenant, Darren Yamanaka, who is Master to Montreal, along with Toronto and Quebec, is my main representative there. Unfortunately, we know for a fact that someone betrayed Colin to his captors, and I don’t know who it was yet. That means I don’t know whom to trust among my own people. I need someone from outside the territory, someone strong enough to demand respect from my vampires. Someone who I can be assured is actually looking for Colin, not helping his captors torture him.”

  The truth of this frustrated Sophia. Canada was a large territory, with its people spread out across the continent, but mostly congregated in several larger cities. This meant her vampires were similarly dispersed. Unfortunately, the distance between her headquarters in Vancouver on the west coast, and the other major cities eastward, made it impossible for her alone to keep close tabs on all of her vampires. She had to trust her subordinates to handle some of it for her, and to depend on their loyalty to her personally.

  Personal loyalty was the due of every vampire lord, and she’d had no reason to doubt her people before this. Before Colin had disappeared in an instant. He hadn’t even had time to blast her a warning, to give her some clue as to the traitor’s identity. He was simply gone. It was almost as if his captors had known her routine, had known that on that particular night and at that particular time, she’d be immersed in contract negotiations for the new compound in the city of Vancouver.

  It was yet one more sign that she’d been betrayed, that Colin had been deceived by someone he’d trusted enough to allow close to him. It made her reluctant to rely on any of her own people in the search for her missing mate.

  Aden’s lieutenant, Bastien, leaned over and whispered something in his master’s ear. Aden listened thoughtfully, and then nodded. “I have someone,” he told her. “With your permission, of course. There is a younger vampire among my guards—young but powerful,” he clarified, when Sophia would have protested. “He’s particularly skilled in matters which require, shall we say, a delicate touch. He’s charming as hell and weirdly brilliant. There’s no formal education, of course; he’s a bastard from Sicily. But he remembers everything, and he sees patterns where no one else does. It all makes him a damn good investigator. He also happens to speak French, or a version of it anyway. Which will come in handy.”

  Sophia frowned. “A version of it?”

  “Cajun French,” Aden clarified. “It’s not Quebecois, of course. And they might pretend not to understand him, but he’ll understand them, which will be far more important.”

  Sophia almost smiled at that. Almost. “How many will come with him?”

  Aden shook his head. “He’ll bring his own guards, but he works alone.”

  “Alone. Is that wise in this situation?”

  “He’s more than powerful enough to defend himself, if necessary. I wouldn’t worry on that account.”

  “And it’s better that way,” Raphael said, drawing her attention. “It’s safe to assume that most of your people remain loyal. If we send in an entire team of searchers, especially vampires from another territory, we risk alienating your own loyalists. While a single, expert investigator can be far more discreet.”

  Sophia turned back to Aden. “And you’re sure your vampire won’t mind working alone?”

  Half of Aden’s mouth lifted in a cynical smile. “He’ll prefer it that way. Lucifer’s a bit of a loner.”

  “Lucifer,” Sophia repeated the unusual name. “That’s a potent name for even a vampire to choose. Does he live up to it?”

  “It’s the name his mother gave him,” Aden said. “And, yes, he does.”

  Chapter Two

  LUCIFER PACED BACK and forth, oblivious to the spectacular nighttime view visible only a few feet away through the wall of windows. He was alone in the elegant suite, his thoughts two floors below where negotiations among four powerful vampires were about to determine his future. He shook his head at the thought. Too dramatic. His future was bright either way. He’d drawn the personal attention of Lord Aden decades ago, back when Aden had still been the master of Kansas City, and Lucifer had been a gambler, working the riverboats up and down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

  Lucifer had been without a master for
several years before he met Aden, ever since he’d killed his own Sire. The bastard had been a weak master vampire, barely strong enough to turn new vamps to serve him. That weakness had made him insecure and cruel, especially to the female vampires among his children. Lucifer had been forced to wait until he was strong enough, to witness the long list of his Sire’s abuses and do nothing…until the moment when he could take it no longer, the moment he’d finally realized he was more powerful than his Sire and didn’t have to accept his casual cruelty anymore. Hell-bent on ending the asshole’s life, he hadn’t given much thought to what would happen next. Until it was over, and suddenly everyone was looking to him as their new master. He’d disabused them of that ridiculous idea right away. He’d finally been free. The last thing he wanted was a nest-load of needy vampires to take care of.

  To make his point, he’d moved far away from his dead Sire’s home of Houston, traveling to New Orleans where he’d discovered the riverboats and put his natural talents to work. And the rest was history. He had the kind of memory that would get him kicked out of most modern-day casinos, but no one had worried about it back then. Aden had noticed, though, and he’d used Lucifer’s skills many times, before he’d finally taken over the Midwest and brought Lucifer into his Chicago household permanently. So, no matter what was decided in that conference room downstairs, Lucifer’s future was secure. He was sworn to Aden, and held him in the highest regard.

  On the other hand, this situation with Sophia did represent a unique opportunity, if only for the challenge. But it would also enhance his reputation and the reach of his power. As vampires counted such things, he was on the young side, but he also had power enough to be a vampire lord and rule his own territory someday. And one never knew where an opening might come up.

  This investigation was a chance to impress not only Lord Aden, but the others, too—Rajmund, whose territory neighbored Aden’s; Sophia, of course, since it was her territory he’d be working in; and most significantly of all . . . Raphael. It couldn’t hurt to leave a favorable impression on the most powerful fucking vampire on the whole damn planet, could it?

  Of course, making all of those favorable impressions depended on him performing well, which he would. Confidence had never been his problem. Actually, in this instance, he didn’t have a problem. All he needed was the go-ahead from the powers-that-be, and he’d be ready to get started . . . tonight. He’d already studied everything they had on Colin Murphy’s kidnapping, including the witness statements, although those were mostly useless since no one admitted to having seen the actual abduction. The only real witnesses were the vampires who’d been part of the plot against Sophia, and, predictably, they were nowhere to be found.

  He’d also seen the photos, and, most recently, a video of Colin Murphy, which had been sent to Sophia for the sole purpose of tormenting her. Lucifer wasn’t sure he was supposed to have seen those. Actually, he knew he wasn’t, since he’d acquired them by less than legitimate means. But they were fucking brutal. Those images had to be tearing Sophia apart. Lucifer knew what he’d be feeling if it were someone he loved being tortured like that. His thoughts stuttered to a halt. There was only one woman he’d ever loved that much, and she’d left him long ago.

  He very deliberately turned his thoughts back to the matter at hand. This was obviously an inside job, whose major purpose was to distract Sophia. It was the opening bid in the latest attack by the European vampires, who wanted North America for themselves. They looked at enormous expanse of this continent, saw that there were only eight lords to rule it, and decided it should be their new playground. Predictably, the North American lords, including Sophia, were not welcoming them with open arms.

  Lucifer realized he’d stopped pacing and had lifted his gaze to stare out the window. The night was clear, the nearly full moon riding high, limning the tall buildings with its liquid silver light. Here and there, he caught movement in nearby windows—humans working late. Really late.

  He spun around to eye the elaborate clock above the empty fireplace. Nearly one in the morning. They’d been going at it downstairs since eleven o’clock. What the hell was there to talk about? What alternative did they have? He was the best chance Colin Murphy had. Aden already thought so, but he’d have to make Sophia and the others see it.

  The door opened behind him, and he looked over just as Aden’s lieutenant, Bastien, entered the suite.

  “Well?” Lucifer demanded. He and Bastien had been working closely together for a while now, and, as improbable as it seemed, they’d bonded. Maybe it was their shared European backgrounds, or their mutual interest in military history. But, oddly enough, Lucifer considered the French vampire to be his closest friend.

  Bastien grinned. “You’ve got a new job, kid.”

  Lucifer shook his head at the “kid.” It was Bastien’s way of emphasizing their age difference. As if Lucifer’s seventy-six years of combined human and vampire life made him a babe in the woods. Granted Bastien had a good fifty years on him, but, come on, seventy-six years was a hell of a long time.

  “When do I start?” he asked. “And where’s Aden?”

  “The four lords are meeting privately. They kicked everyone else out. Shouldn’t be long, though. The details were worked out before I left the room.”

  “Details?” Lucifer repeated, suddenly suspicious. “What kind of details?”

  Bastien gave a carefully casual shrug, and Lucifer knew he wasn’t going to like whatever Aden’s lieutenant said next.

  “Sophia didn’t like the idea of a foreign vampire—meaning you, since you’re Aden’s—roaming around her territory unsupervised.”

  “I thought that’s what she wanted. That was the whole reason she called this meeting, wasn’t it? To get outside help in hunting down her mate?”

  “It was. And you called that one, kid. You’re the only one of us who thought she’d hustle back to Vancouver to defend her territory instead of leading the search for Murphy.”

  Lucifer shrugged one shoulder. “You all judged her as a woman, not a vampire lord. She didn’t get where she is by being hormonal.”

  Bastien laughed. “From the mouths of babes. Hell, I think even Raphael was surprised, but his mate sure wasn’t. There was some serious womanly communication going on in that room.”

  “Womanly communication?”

  “It’s all done with the eyes,” Bastien intoned.

  “Yeah?” Lucifer pulled the lid down on his own eye with his middle finger. “Look into my eye, old man, and tell me what you see.”

  Bastien snorted a laugh. “Such impatience. You’re showing your youth.”

  “Thank God one of us is. Details. Talk.”

  “Sophia wants you to work with one of her own people. She thinks it’ll grant the imprimatur of her authority to your investigation, and people will be more willing to talk to you. It will also make it clear that she’s in charge.”

  Lucifer grimaced. He didn’t need a babysitter slowing him down. And he sure as hell didn’t need help in getting people to talk to him. It was a gift. He’d had it even as a human. It was the silver tongue that his mother had seen as proof of his evil origins. Once he’d been made a vampire . . . well, let’s just say that the vampire symbiote was generous with its gifts. All vampires had some telepathy, but Lucifer’s was off the chart. No human could resist his inquiries. Hell, most vampires were even susceptible, especially those lower on the power scale than he was. Which, let’s face it, included most vampires.

  “Whom is she sending?” Lucifer asked Bastien, dreading the answer. If it was some over-muscled security type, he could make it work for him. All those glowering muscles only made him seem more reasonable by comparison. What he couldn’t handle was another vamp who had his own ideas on how to run the investigation. If that happened, he’d have to waste time pretending to go along, while conducting his own paralle
l investigation on the side. Either that, or simply shut the other vamp down, which might anger Sophia.

  “A woman,” Bastien said, answering his question. “She’s Sophia’s closest bodyguard, and the lady seems to trust her completely. She apparently knows Murphy well, too, which could come in handy.”

  “Is she attractive?” Lucifer asked, thinking this might not be so bad, after all.

  “Ah. Good question,” Bastien said, grinning. “Unfortunately, I didn’t see her. She wasn’t in the conference room, and if she was in the hallway, I didn’t notice. Not that I was looking. My only thought was bringing the news to you.”

  “I’m touched,” Lucifer said dryly.

  “Yeah, about that. Sophia says Murphy’s being held in Montreal, and that the female vamp she’s sending speaks French.”

  “I speak French,” Lucifer protested. Well, he spoke Cajun French, which was close enough. He could make himself understood just fine.

  Bastien made a dismissive noise. “What you speak is not French, mon ami. And the Quebecers are very specific in defense of their language.”

  “I’ll get by. When do I meet the mystery lady?”

  “That’s under discussion. Sophia is returning to Vancouver tonight, and she wants to brief the female before she goes. Also, apparently, she needs time to shift her Vancouver security assignments around, so that she can be sure of having someone she trusts close by, now that the bodyguard will be working with you. And how fucked up is that? She can’t even trust her own security people.”

  “Blame Lucien,” came a deep voice that didn’t surprise either one of them. Aden was their lord and master. Hell, he was Bastien’s Sire, and a damn powerful vampire. When he entered a building—or a hotel suite—they felt it in their bones.

  “Lucien?” Lucifer repeated. “What does he have to do with it?” Lucien had been the Canadian Vampire Lord before Sophia took over. The specifics of that transition were blurry. Several versions existed, but they all agreed that Lucien had tapped Sophia as his heir before he died.