“Oh, yes. Leman are priceless, my Leila.” He lingered over her name, tasting it with that strange extra syllable. “If another sanguinant discovers your existence, they will seek to acquire you. If by some chance I am killed, the one proved stronger in combat will immediately bite and claim you for bonding.”
“Wait. Just hold on one cotton-pickin’ minute.”I sound like Meemaw. “Kill you? And…”Claimher? Like she was a piece of lost luggage? Layla sagged against the bed, glad of something solid to lean on.
The idea of screaming and running away was incredibly attractive, if she could just figure out which direction to go.
“You need not be troubled,” Max-the-vampire said patiently. Another twitch went through his strong, tanned fingers, slight tapping motions—apparently even two thousand plus years of being allergic to sunshine didn’t bleach a biter, which was a completely useless detail to fasten on but Layla couldn’t help herself. “I am possessed of more than enough savagery to protect what is mine. You may in time come to…resign yourself to your new status. Once I have dealt with matters in this territory we may go wherever you like, and I will endeavor to make your captivity tolerable.”
Territory. Captivity. New status. “Do I get any say in this whatsoever?” Go figure, even with the flood of purely physical wellness plus strangely sharpened senses—if they really were, if she wasn’t just imagining it—she still felt distinctly wobbly. The urge to leap up and just start running was overwhelming.
Nowhere to go, but she had to get out of this room. Justhadto.
“We will travel wherever you like, live as you please. I will feed you, I will tend to your needs, and I will not demand affection. Only a certain resignation, which I am prepared to enforce. But we may speak upon that later.” Broad shoulders rolled, settling—a preparatory movement, one she’d seen other guys perform. On him it was the elegant shrug of a cat waking up, deciding to take a stroll through the garden and see what birds were available for snacking. “It is past dusk and I must find the battlefield. You will stay here, where it is safe.”
“Wait.” Layla stared as he rose, unfolding just as gracefully as he’d settled. The conversation had taken adistinctturn, and the sense of the world slipping into madness was more pronounced than ever. “Hold up, you’re just going to…” Her face felt stiff, her lips numb, and the rest of her lingered in the ‘woozy’ category.
Was he serious about leaving her here?
There were no windows; maybe she could pick a door-lock or two. If she was really infected with vampirism, though, busting through walls like the Kool-Aid Man might be an option.
Figuring out what to do afterward was the real problem. She didn’t even know where she was, except maybe still in the city.
The vampire bent, offered his hand. When she didn’t move, he simply leaned a little further, clasped her arms, and drew her upward. Once more, the truly horrible thing wasn’t how strong he was—more than likely she’d develop superstrength too, that was a heckuva thought—but howcontrolled.
How careful.
Vampire Max held her upright, still wearing that faint smile. “This is a saferoom; while I live it will remain sealed, and bar the entry of any sanguinant or mortal. Even should the structure above be breached and collapse, you will be unharmed. I will return before dawn to feed you.”
“You’re just… leaving me here?”There’s not even a television, for Chrissake.Layla couldn’t help it; she shot a glance at the chifforobe.
“Only for a short while.” He set her carefully on the bed before he left, sure.
He also took the weapons with him, slinging both rifles with quick habitual movements, checking the pistols before sliding them into shoulder-harness holsters he also shrugged over one arm, and making the knife disappear under his sweater. It was like seeing Shawn’s guys suit up, complete with the tiny clicks and metallic sounds.
Worst of all, he didn’t use the door, just walked up to it and blinked out of sight. A soft sound, a puff of warm breeze, and her vampire kidnapper vanished.
CHAPTER 16
That went well.Or so Maximus hoped.
Naturally his prize was stunned; how much she truly understood of their parley was an open question. Yet how painfully delightful were her determined attempts; she had a most fetching habit of frowning slightly while absorbing a piece of new information, pursing her lips so temptingly it took concerted effortnotto take a kiss.
Or the rest of her, in entirety. Though she had stared at the mortal weaponry with something approaching longing, and he was forcefully reminded of another danger to leman—the despair of delicate, intuitive creatures held in captivity, no matter how cushioned.
Self-harm was a distinct risk, to be treated with all seriousness. He had carefully inventoried the saferoom before taking his own variety of rest, attempting to make certain nothing within it could be improperly used by his new prize.
The deeper changes of the Gift were proceeding apace; she was already somewhat more durable than a mortal. Still, he had combed the entire space thrice as she slept, then upon his exit simply removed the mortal weapons to a space outside the seals—having no need of them, for his own claws more than sufficed—and was reasonably satisfied.
To lapse into healing near-somnolence without the risk of killing sleep, to surface from soft restorative haze and find sweet fragrant Leila awake, regarding him shyly from the tumbled bed… those were wonders enough. Her inquisitiveness, the sight of her in clothing meant for his own use, her apparent distress at being parted from her new protector, were far deeper pleasures.
Of course the last could be simple fear of the cage. He did not like leaving her in such a state, even temporarily.
His instincts, however, proved correct the moment he slipped from the sealed saferoom into darkened hallways, and sharpened further as he plunged into a humid, scent-crowded mortal night. The old habit of leaving any lair near-undetectably—a skill learned almost before his first fledgling glut—once again stood a soldier in good stead.
This outpost was being watched. The sense of unfriendly attention was immediate, prickling the fine hairs if he had been in anything other than mistform; Maximus drifted in darkness as the surrounding rows of oil pumps bobbed their ungainly heads.
Hunters sent by Father, or suitors come to call? Both?
Troubling indeed. William’s behavior had been somewhat strange, pausing to show himself in challenge instead of simply, efficiently striking from thin air. Not at all how the young fellow had been taught to handle efficient removal of a target, and furthermore, the other sanguinant had been most obliging in Maximus’s efforts to keep the battle from drawing too near the newly acquired mortal chariot—no,car, he must use the modern tongue whenever possible now—and its precious cargo.
