shirt and ran my fingers through my hair a
few times to straighten it. Tapping one hand against my leg to the
beat, I made my way back to Sebastian, who was watching me with flat
eyes. I slid into my spot across from him, licking the corners of my
mouth to check for missed drops. None there.
“Finished?”
he asked, voice flat as well.
I shifted in my
spot and bit my lip. “Yeah, I’m good.”
He nodded
without speaking, staring at the dance floor. When he didn’t
talk at all, I tried to ignore him and watch the crowd, too.
Wondering if we’d even see the woman tonight, half-hoping we
didn’t, glad I had someone else here in case we did –
And there she
was. Dancing in a skimpy silver top that matched her eyes, blond hair
halfway down her back. Alone on the dance floor, moving to the music
as if she had nothing else to think about. I pressed myself back in
my seat.
“Sebastian!”
I couldn’t hear my own voice, but he glanced at me. I pointed.
“That’s her!”
C LUB
S ebastian
followed Ian’s pointed finger and saw a swarm of people.
“Which
one?”
“The one
in the silver top, with the blond hair to her ass. Her.” Ian’s
voice was high and panicky.
“Stay
here,” he told her, and stood.
Something didn’t
feel right. Why would the killer come here to dance? Returning should
have meant searching for Ian, stalking, tailing, trying to silence a
witness. Why would she act so casual in a place she herself could be
found?
I would, were
I her. To induce paranoia, to gloat. She might simply believe
herself that good.
His lips
quirked. Very well.
He stalked past
the dancers. They moved aside for him, as if to avoid being touched.
He reached her easily. Before she could move away, he grabbed her by
the shoulder. She jumped and cried out, offering only feeble
resistance. Her skin felt warm. Warmer than even a recently fed
vampire should feel.
A human girl?
Some sort of
vampire hunter, perhaps. It did happen from time to time.
“Come with
me.” He pulled her off the dance floor. She followed, stumbling
and protesting. No one paid heed.
When Sebastian
reached the front door the bouncer narrowed his eyes. “She’s
with me,” Sebastian told him, taking on the tone that convinced
them to listen carefully to what he said. The bouncer looked unsure,
then shrugged and let them by.
In the alley
behind the club Sebastian drew her around and let her go. With her
back to the wall she had nowhere to run, and no choice but to face
him.
“What do
you know about Kent?” he demanded, watching her cower. He
should have killed her immediately, would have once, when her life
and the end of it would have meant nothing to him. Now . . . now he
had sworn to take no life without reason, no matter how insignificant
that life might be. And this felt wrong. A human girl, where he had
expected another vampire. Human hunters did exist, and he wanted to
know whether this girl fell under that category. But he felt nearly
certain that Ian had made a mistake.
“I don’t
know anything!” the girl shrieked. “Let me go, please
don’t hurt me, I swear I don’t know!”
He drew his
sword and pointed it to her throat. She froze, wide eyes watching the
tip of the sword. “Tell me what you know about Kent,” he
repeated.
“I don’t
know anything,” the girl whimpered. She tried to back up and
bumped into the wall behind her. With a ridiculously startled
expression on her face, she began to weep.
Sebastian had
had quite enough of weeping. He sheathed his sword and crossed his
arms. Ian must not have seen clearly. He needed her to examine this
girl more closely. But as long as he had her here . . . he had not
fed the night before as he had planned.
“Come
here,” he told her. She left the wall, hesitantly, watching him
as she might watch a rabid dog. Stiffly, against her will, she came
forward.
“Don’t
hurt me,” she pleaded.
“I don’t
intend to hurt you. Give me your arm.”
She did. He took
her hand in
few times to straighten it. Tapping one hand against my leg to the
beat, I made my way back to Sebastian, who was watching me with flat
eyes. I slid into my spot across from him, licking the corners of my
mouth to check for missed drops. None there.
“Finished?”
he asked, voice flat as well.
I shifted in my
spot and bit my lip. “Yeah, I’m good.”
He nodded
without speaking, staring at the dance floor. When he didn’t
talk at all, I tried to ignore him and watch the crowd, too.
Wondering if we’d even see the woman tonight, half-hoping we
didn’t, glad I had someone else here in case we did –
And there she
was. Dancing in a skimpy silver top that matched her eyes, blond hair
halfway down her back. Alone on the dance floor, moving to the music
as if she had nothing else to think about. I pressed myself back in
my seat.
“Sebastian!”
I couldn’t hear my own voice, but he glanced at me. I pointed.
“That’s her!”
C LUB
S ebastian
followed Ian’s pointed finger and saw a swarm of people.
“Which
one?”
“The one
in the silver top, with the blond hair to her ass. Her.” Ian’s
voice was high and panicky.
“Stay
here,” he told her, and stood.
Something didn’t
feel right. Why would the killer come here to dance? Returning should
have meant searching for Ian, stalking, tailing, trying to silence a
witness. Why would she act so casual in a place she herself could be
found?
I would, were
I her. To induce paranoia, to gloat. She might simply believe
herself that good.
His lips
quirked. Very well.
He stalked past
the dancers. They moved aside for him, as if to avoid being touched.
He reached her easily. Before she could move away, he grabbed her by
the shoulder. She jumped and cried out, offering only feeble
resistance. Her skin felt warm. Warmer than even a recently fed
vampire should feel.
A human girl?
Some sort of
vampire hunter, perhaps. It did happen from time to time.
“Come with
me.” He pulled her off the dance floor. She followed, stumbling
and protesting. No one paid heed.
When Sebastian
reached the front door the bouncer narrowed his eyes. “She’s
with me,” Sebastian told him, taking on the tone that convinced
them to listen carefully to what he said. The bouncer looked unsure,
then shrugged and let them by.
In the alley
behind the club Sebastian drew her around and let her go. With her
back to the wall she had nowhere to run, and no choice but to face
him.
“What do
you know about Kent?” he demanded, watching her cower. He
should have killed her immediately, would have once, when her life
and the end of it would have meant nothing to him. Now . . . now he
had sworn to take no life without reason, no matter how insignificant
that life might be. And this felt wrong. A human girl, where he had
expected another vampire. Human hunters did exist, and he wanted to
know whether this girl fell under that category. But he felt nearly
certain that Ian had made a mistake.
“I don’t
know anything!” the girl shrieked. “Let me go, please
don’t hurt me, I swear I don’t know!”
He drew his
sword and pointed it to her throat. She froze, wide eyes watching the
tip of the sword. “Tell me what you know about Kent,” he
repeated.
“I don’t
know anything,” the girl whimpered. She tried to back up and
bumped into the wall behind her. With a ridiculously startled
expression on her face, she began to weep.
Sebastian had
had quite enough of weeping. He sheathed his sword and crossed his
arms. Ian must not have seen clearly. He needed her to examine this
girl more closely. But as long as he had her here . . . he had not
fed the night before as he had planned.
“Come
here,” he told her. She left the wall, hesitantly, watching him
as she might watch a rabid dog. Stiffly, against her will, she came
forward.
“Don’t
hurt me,” she pleaded.
“I don’t
intend to hurt you. Give me your arm.”
She did. He took
her hand in
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