and stylish. All Hispanic, too.
"No," I said. "Hunt down and stake rogue vampires. I understand not all vampires are 'evil.' And I suspect even you agree rogue vampires need to be staked, and staked fast."
She leaned forward on her rather gaudy throne and looked me over intently a long moment. Finally, she locked eyes with me and a jolt of energy passed between us. We connected somehow, and it wasn't frightening like Antoinette's display of power. Strangely enough, I got the impression she might, possibly, like me. I know, strange.
"There are no rogue vampires in Dallas at this time," she said.
"You mean after I killed those two from out of town last night?" I said. I think the room became a bit chillier. "There will be more. I'm watching for them, and I'll be ready."
They all shared more ominous looks. What? Was I making another bad impression? Go figure. And as a mortal I was a great first impression person, too. Everyone loved me.
"You have a gift," Tara said. "A gift for endearing yourself to people."
I grinned. She had a sense of humor under that stern exterior. The big African-American vampire nodded with the slightest of grins, too.
"Thanks. I try."
"Hmm," she said, giving me a disapproving gaze. "Back to business. We know you aren't the one forcing vampires to commit suicide. We also know the person doing it is a werewolf. More importantly, we know how he is doing it."
"You said, 'he.' So you know who the werewolf is?"
"No. That was a generic he. The werewolf could just as easily be female," Tara said. "I suspect an alpha male, though. Alpha males are obsessed with proving dominance. They don't like the knowledge that vampires are above them in the food chain."
I shrugged. "Fascinating. Really, it is. But how does this concern me?"
"We want you to hunt down the werewolf responsible, kill him, and return the talisman to us," Antoinette said.
"You want what? I've never hunted werewolves. I don't know how. And what's this about a talisman? What talisman?"
"The Coeur de Sade," Tara said. "It is an ancient and powerful talisman. We want you to return it to us."
Now that was interesting. Of course, that conversation reminded me of how my evening ended at the mall. Had I crossed paths with the vampire killer? Was I only alive because I killed vampires, too?
"The werewolf stole it from you?" I said. They hesitated long enough to give me my answer. "Ah, you want the talisman to increase your power. I see. This isn't about saving vampires, it's about increasing your power."
"No, you foolish woman, you don't see," Antoinette said, coming to her feet and glaring at me. "The Coeur de Sade is a talisman used by vampire hunters to capture, control, and kill vampires. We must gain control of it before we are all destroyed by it."
I laid a wary look on her. Her eyes were fiery. I wondered if she was afraid, or lusted for power. I didn't trust vampires. Werewolves took the rap for being the most obsessed with domination and submission. Werewolf packs were all about the pecking order. But that didn't mean that vampires were immune to the desire to dominate.
"This Coeur de Sade...what is it? Where did it come from and what does it do?" I said, speaking to Tara, but keeping an eye on Antoinette. "And why should I care?"
"Apollonia?" Tara said, glancing at the pretty redhead to her right rear.
Apollonia nodded and
"No," I said. "Hunt down and stake rogue vampires. I understand not all vampires are 'evil.' And I suspect even you agree rogue vampires need to be staked, and staked fast."
She leaned forward on her rather gaudy throne and looked me over intently a long moment. Finally, she locked eyes with me and a jolt of energy passed between us. We connected somehow, and it wasn't frightening like Antoinette's display of power. Strangely enough, I got the impression she might, possibly, like me. I know, strange.
"There are no rogue vampires in Dallas at this time," she said.
"You mean after I killed those two from out of town last night?" I said. I think the room became a bit chillier. "There will be more. I'm watching for them, and I'll be ready."
They all shared more ominous looks. What? Was I making another bad impression? Go figure. And as a mortal I was a great first impression person, too. Everyone loved me.
"You have a gift," Tara said. "A gift for endearing yourself to people."
I grinned. She had a sense of humor under that stern exterior. The big African-American vampire nodded with the slightest of grins, too.
"Thanks. I try."
"Hmm," she said, giving me a disapproving gaze. "Back to business. We know you aren't the one forcing vampires to commit suicide. We also know the person doing it is a werewolf. More importantly, we know how he is doing it."
"You said, 'he.' So you know who the werewolf is?"
"No. That was a generic he. The werewolf could just as easily be female," Tara said. "I suspect an alpha male, though. Alpha males are obsessed with proving dominance. They don't like the knowledge that vampires are above them in the food chain."
I shrugged. "Fascinating. Really, it is. But how does this concern me?"
"We want you to hunt down the werewolf responsible, kill him, and return the talisman to us," Antoinette said.
"You want what? I've never hunted werewolves. I don't know how. And what's this about a talisman? What talisman?"
"The Coeur de Sade," Tara said. "It is an ancient and powerful talisman. We want you to return it to us."
Now that was interesting. Of course, that conversation reminded me of how my evening ended at the mall. Had I crossed paths with the vampire killer? Was I only alive because I killed vampires, too?
"The werewolf stole it from you?" I said. They hesitated long enough to give me my answer. "Ah, you want the talisman to increase your power. I see. This isn't about saving vampires, it's about increasing your power."
"No, you foolish woman, you don't see," Antoinette said, coming to her feet and glaring at me. "The Coeur de Sade is a talisman used by vampire hunters to capture, control, and kill vampires. We must gain control of it before we are all destroyed by it."
I laid a wary look on her. Her eyes were fiery. I wondered if she was afraid, or lusted for power. I didn't trust vampires. Werewolves took the rap for being the most obsessed with domination and submission. Werewolf packs were all about the pecking order. But that didn't mean that vampires were immune to the desire to dominate.
"This Coeur de Sade...what is it? Where did it come from and what does it do?" I said, speaking to Tara, but keeping an eye on Antoinette. "And why should I care?"
"Apollonia?" Tara said, glancing at the pretty redhead to her right rear.
Apollonia nodded and
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