story.”
“I’m really sorry,” Rohan’s attacker shouted as
they hauled him out of the lobby.
“I think you’re right. I think he was used,”
Rohan said.
67
Amber Kell
Harris scanned the crowd. The theatergoers
were beginning to thin now that the excitement
had faded and the lights were flickering for them
to return to their seats. One minor attack with no
injuries wouldn’t stop them from their play,
especially when the attacker had been captured.
The incident would merely give them something
to whisper about over late-night coffee.
“I’ll have one of my vamps go spring him. I’ll
send Madeleine; she can wipe the arresting
officers’ minds so they don’t remember the arrest.
We can then interrogate him for answers.”
“No.” Harris shook his head. “What if the point
is to bring him in the middle of the vampire
enclave? I’ll ask Carey to pick him up. You can
still send vamps to do the mind wipe, but my
friends can interrogate him and let us know what
they learn.”
“You trust them to find out the truth?” Rohan
opened the outer door to let Harris through.
“Yes.” Harris stepped outside then scanned the
area around them, searching the night for any
hidden dangers. “Carey will find out what the
attacker knows if he knows anything.”
Harris sniffed. The whiff of something unusual,
something that didn’t belong, reached him.
“Something wrong?” Rohan asked.
“I thought I smelled ash.”
68
To Bite a Bear
“Could be a wood-burning stove or someone’s
hibachi,” Rohan said. “I called for our driver while
I was cleaning up. He should be here soon.”
“Good.” A quick scan of the buildings around
them didn’t reveal any balconies where a barbecue
could be placed. Instead, a sea of office buildings
met his gaze.
“I don’t see anything,” Rohan replied, but
Harris noticed the vampire continued to examine
the surrounding area as they waited for their
driver.
“Something’s coming.” Harris didn’t bother to
mention what. He didn’t know, but it tickled at
the edge of his mind as if trying to gain entrance.
“Crap, I think it’s a sorcerer.”
Rohan’s frowned. “How do you know?”
“I can smell him,” Harris said. “I think he’s
trying to spell me.”
The tingling sensation of someone trying to
access his brain went from light to more heavy-
handed, still a useless endeavor but more
uncomfortable.
“He can’t be that far away if he’s trying to
control you, but I don’t see anything,” Rohan said.
“I thought they’d gone away?” Harris had
hoped they were gone for now.
“No.” Rohan shook his head. “It would take
more than burning down their home to make
them leave. They hate vampires. They want our
69
Amber Kell
territory, and I’m sure now that their hideout has
been discovered, they will want our land more
than ever.”
“I don’t know why you guys can’t get along. If
you overlook their evil mind-wiping tendencies
and soul-sucking control, sorcerers aren’t that
bad,” Harris teased.
“We’ve been fighting for hundreds of years.
Just because there are more humans here now
doesn’t mean we’ll give up our fighting ways,”
Rohan explained.
“I know, but there is enough room for
everyone. Why does there have to be a fight? Why
are sorcerers so determined to wipe everyone
out?”
70
To Bite a Bear
Chapter Five
ohan raised his right eyebrow at Harris.
R “Aren’t you one of the people who almost
eliminated a werewolf pack?” He’d heard some
wild stories about the four men who lived in the
Queen Anne mansion even before he’d met
Harris. He’d wondered how many of them were
true until he’d been part of a party to rescue Eaton
from the sorcerers. The four men didn’t take any
prisoners. If Eaton hadn’t walked out on his own,
they would’ve razed the building to the ground
and possibly salted the earth afterward for
“I’m really sorry,” Rohan’s attacker shouted as
they hauled him out of the lobby.
“I think you’re right. I think he was used,”
Rohan said.
67
Amber Kell
Harris scanned the crowd. The theatergoers
were beginning to thin now that the excitement
had faded and the lights were flickering for them
to return to their seats. One minor attack with no
injuries wouldn’t stop them from their play,
especially when the attacker had been captured.
The incident would merely give them something
to whisper about over late-night coffee.
“I’ll have one of my vamps go spring him. I’ll
send Madeleine; she can wipe the arresting
officers’ minds so they don’t remember the arrest.
We can then interrogate him for answers.”
“No.” Harris shook his head. “What if the point
is to bring him in the middle of the vampire
enclave? I’ll ask Carey to pick him up. You can
still send vamps to do the mind wipe, but my
friends can interrogate him and let us know what
they learn.”
“You trust them to find out the truth?” Rohan
opened the outer door to let Harris through.
“Yes.” Harris stepped outside then scanned the
area around them, searching the night for any
hidden dangers. “Carey will find out what the
attacker knows if he knows anything.”
Harris sniffed. The whiff of something unusual,
something that didn’t belong, reached him.
“Something wrong?” Rohan asked.
“I thought I smelled ash.”
68
To Bite a Bear
“Could be a wood-burning stove or someone’s
hibachi,” Rohan said. “I called for our driver while
I was cleaning up. He should be here soon.”
“Good.” A quick scan of the buildings around
them didn’t reveal any balconies where a barbecue
could be placed. Instead, a sea of office buildings
met his gaze.
“I don’t see anything,” Rohan replied, but
Harris noticed the vampire continued to examine
the surrounding area as they waited for their
driver.
“Something’s coming.” Harris didn’t bother to
mention what. He didn’t know, but it tickled at
the edge of his mind as if trying to gain entrance.
“Crap, I think it’s a sorcerer.”
Rohan’s frowned. “How do you know?”
“I can smell him,” Harris said. “I think he’s
trying to spell me.”
The tingling sensation of someone trying to
access his brain went from light to more heavy-
handed, still a useless endeavor but more
uncomfortable.
“He can’t be that far away if he’s trying to
control you, but I don’t see anything,” Rohan said.
“I thought they’d gone away?” Harris had
hoped they were gone for now.
“No.” Rohan shook his head. “It would take
more than burning down their home to make
them leave. They hate vampires. They want our
69
Amber Kell
territory, and I’m sure now that their hideout has
been discovered, they will want our land more
than ever.”
“I don’t know why you guys can’t get along. If
you overlook their evil mind-wiping tendencies
and soul-sucking control, sorcerers aren’t that
bad,” Harris teased.
“We’ve been fighting for hundreds of years.
Just because there are more humans here now
doesn’t mean we’ll give up our fighting ways,”
Rohan explained.
“I know, but there is enough room for
everyone. Why does there have to be a fight? Why
are sorcerers so determined to wipe everyone
out?”
70
To Bite a Bear
Chapter Five
ohan raised his right eyebrow at Harris.
R “Aren’t you one of the people who almost
eliminated a werewolf pack?” He’d heard some
wild stories about the four men who lived in the
Queen Anne mansion even before he’d met
Harris. He’d wondered how many of them were
true until he’d been part of a party to rescue Eaton
from the sorcerers. The four men didn’t take any
prisoners. If Eaton hadn’t walked out on his own,
they would’ve razed the building to the ground
and possibly salted the earth afterward for
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