heard. With the roar of the rotors it was necessary for her to speak up.
‘I said I’m fine!’
He nodded, though he looked doubtful. ‘Not hungry? When was the last time you fed?’
Charlotte winced at the question.
Fed
, not
ate
. Like an animal. A beast on the prowl. It shouldn’t have surprised her to get this peek into the way Metzger saw her kind,
but thus far he had treated her fairly humanely, so it did shock her a little. And how was she supposed to answer that, anyway? Yes, it had been a while since the last time she had had human blood
to drink, but she would survive. She figured the most fundamental difference between the Shadows who lived in peace with humanity and those who chose to embrace the word ‘vampire’ was
self-control. She chose to ignore Metzger’s question, turning again to look out the window.
She didn’t hear him unsnap the rig that belted him into his seat, but she caught sight of the motion in the corner of her eye and turned back just as he grabbed hold of her wrist and
crouched beside her seat. Charlotte glanced at the others. Barbieri had nodded off, but the three soldiers were alert with tension, watching their CO closely.
‘Let’s be clear,’ Metzger said, squeezing her wrist for emphasis, gazing at her with those ice blue eyes. ‘I’m not just being hospitable. If you need blood, I will
see that you get it, not because I’m just that nice a guy but because I don’t want you losing control and trying to drain one of my people. You might hurt somebody, and then we’d
have to kill you. Octavian would be pissed and nobody wants that. I don’t want the guy turning me into a newt, right?’
He grinned as if this was a joke, but Charlotte could hear the truth in it.
‘You still haven’t told me why we’re doing this,’ she said. ‘Octavian sent me to you and now you’re bringing me back to him?’
Metzger gave a small shrug. ‘It’s Octavian’s business. You’ll learn soon enough. But I brought you along because he asked for you, and because I trust him. If I
didn’t trust him, I’d have to kill him, and I’m not quite sure how to go about it. So I don’t really have a choice – I have to trust him. Don’t get to thinking
that extends to you, though. The last time the commander of Task Force Victor trusted a vampire, it didn’t turn out too well.’
Charlotte scowled. Allison Vigeant had been a Bloodhound for Task Force Victor until its previous commander, Ray Henning, had gone kill-crazy and tried to take down every Shadow he saw, ally or
enemy. Allison had put him down like a rabid dog, which was fairly close to the truth.
‘What was it you were saying about blood?’ she asked, raising her voice over the chopper noise. She smiled and her fangs slid out.
Metzger hesitated, staring at her teeth. ‘I see the Medusa toxin is starting to wear off.’
Charlotte ran her tongue over the sharp tips of her fangs. ‘Sure looks like it.’
Metzger nodded slowly. ‘When we’re on the ground, I’ll make a call to local law enforcement and set up a volunteer. There’s always some freak who’s willing to
share.’
She didn’t rise to the bait of his disdain. After a second, Metzger slid back into his seat and buckled himself into his restraints. The chopper began to yaw and pitch a little, in
addition to the usual shuddering, and she glanced out the window to see the lights of the airport below, with trucks darting to and fro and the large H of a helipad looming closer.
They were landing. Octavian would be waiting with answers, but for the first time, Charlotte wasn’t sure she wanted them.
There were cops in the hotel lobby, keeping an eye on everyone who came and went. Two uniformed officers stood near the elevator bank and checked the identification of everyone
who went up or came down, keeping a log. Charlotte saw a pair of men in dark suits talking to a cop who looked like he must be a captain or a lieutenant or something, and figured
‘I said I’m fine!’
He nodded, though he looked doubtful. ‘Not hungry? When was the last time you fed?’
Charlotte winced at the question.
Fed
, not
ate
. Like an animal. A beast on the prowl. It shouldn’t have surprised her to get this peek into the way Metzger saw her kind,
but thus far he had treated her fairly humanely, so it did shock her a little. And how was she supposed to answer that, anyway? Yes, it had been a while since the last time she had had human blood
to drink, but she would survive. She figured the most fundamental difference between the Shadows who lived in peace with humanity and those who chose to embrace the word ‘vampire’ was
self-control. She chose to ignore Metzger’s question, turning again to look out the window.
She didn’t hear him unsnap the rig that belted him into his seat, but she caught sight of the motion in the corner of her eye and turned back just as he grabbed hold of her wrist and
crouched beside her seat. Charlotte glanced at the others. Barbieri had nodded off, but the three soldiers were alert with tension, watching their CO closely.
‘Let’s be clear,’ Metzger said, squeezing her wrist for emphasis, gazing at her with those ice blue eyes. ‘I’m not just being hospitable. If you need blood, I will
see that you get it, not because I’m just that nice a guy but because I don’t want you losing control and trying to drain one of my people. You might hurt somebody, and then we’d
have to kill you. Octavian would be pissed and nobody wants that. I don’t want the guy turning me into a newt, right?’
He grinned as if this was a joke, but Charlotte could hear the truth in it.
‘You still haven’t told me why we’re doing this,’ she said. ‘Octavian sent me to you and now you’re bringing me back to him?’
Metzger gave a small shrug. ‘It’s Octavian’s business. You’ll learn soon enough. But I brought you along because he asked for you, and because I trust him. If I
didn’t trust him, I’d have to kill him, and I’m not quite sure how to go about it. So I don’t really have a choice – I have to trust him. Don’t get to thinking
that extends to you, though. The last time the commander of Task Force Victor trusted a vampire, it didn’t turn out too well.’
Charlotte scowled. Allison Vigeant had been a Bloodhound for Task Force Victor until its previous commander, Ray Henning, had gone kill-crazy and tried to take down every Shadow he saw, ally or
enemy. Allison had put him down like a rabid dog, which was fairly close to the truth.
‘What was it you were saying about blood?’ she asked, raising her voice over the chopper noise. She smiled and her fangs slid out.
Metzger hesitated, staring at her teeth. ‘I see the Medusa toxin is starting to wear off.’
Charlotte ran her tongue over the sharp tips of her fangs. ‘Sure looks like it.’
Metzger nodded slowly. ‘When we’re on the ground, I’ll make a call to local law enforcement and set up a volunteer. There’s always some freak who’s willing to
share.’
She didn’t rise to the bait of his disdain. After a second, Metzger slid back into his seat and buckled himself into his restraints. The chopper began to yaw and pitch a little, in
addition to the usual shuddering, and she glanced out the window to see the lights of the airport below, with trucks darting to and fro and the large H of a helipad looming closer.
They were landing. Octavian would be waiting with answers, but for the first time, Charlotte wasn’t sure she wanted them.
There were cops in the hotel lobby, keeping an eye on everyone who came and went. Two uniformed officers stood near the elevator bank and checked the identification of everyone
who went up or came down, keeping a log. Charlotte saw a pair of men in dark suits talking to a cop who looked like he must be a captain or a lieutenant or something, and figured
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