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“Yes.” I didn’t elaborate.
Ensley’s gaze bore into the side of my face, but I refused to meet his eyes. A cemetery held potential, provided the ground wasn’t consecrated. Valerius wouldn’t risk killing Iulian. Prolonged exposure to consecrated ground would be a death sentence. A nondenominational, municipal cemetery, however, would be an ideal location. It would be quiet, infrequently populated, and provide the level of security required to hold an elder. In the absence of bunkers or abandoned warehouses, a mausoleum might be our best bet.
“I’m not sure,” he said.
“Can we discover what type of cemeteries they are?”
Ensley withdrew his phone and spent a minute searching. “According to my trusty friend Google, Greenwood is owned by the city, so it’s open to any denomination. St. Mary’s is Catholic.”
“I assumed. There seem to be a lot of parks in your city. Any chance of remote buildings there in?”
“None that I can think of. What about a sewer?”
“Not likely. Too many access points.”
“Oh! Wait. I’ve got it.” Ensley spun the map and stabbed a location. “Mill Dam. It’s perfect. Not only is it semi-secluded, but there’s a whole concrete structure underneath the falls. The powerhouse or hydroelectric generator or whatever the fuck they call it.”
The hair on my nape prickled. A contained concrete structure, likely with one entry point. Noisy falls to mask any unwarranted sounds made by an angry elder. Flowing water to destabilize him should he become unruly. Even without being in its presence, a sense of spiritual dread enveloped me.
“That’s it,” I breathed. “Ensley, you’re a genius.”
A trace of apprehension dampened the usual sunny qualities of his smile. “Now what?”
“Now I find out if you’re right. What time is it?” I sensed the continued presence of daylight beyond the heavily covered window and knew subconsciously that nightfall was still a way off.
Ensley frowned at the thick drapes before tapping his phone screen. “Twenty after four. Is it still raining?”
“Yes. Can’t you hear it?”
He stilled, cocking an ear, and it was then I realized the light drizzle was too quiet for his human hearing.
I studied the map as I considered my next step. “I’ll investigate after sundown. If I find evidence that it’s the correct location, I’ll need to survey for a time to determine the best approach and what I’m up against before I attempt extraction. Either way, you can’t join me.”
Silence.
The weight of Ensley’s gaze held me captive. I wouldn’t tamper with his mind. Not yet. Not until I knew for sure I wouldn’t need his assistance again.
Not until…
My gaze slipped to his mouth, to the pulsing artery in his neck, to his sad hazel eyes and crinkled brow. Oh, these selfish desires. I was a fool to take it further. To tease myself with something I couldn’t have.
“Mordecai?”
My name on his lips was sweet honey. Hunger bloomed in my belly, but whether it was the need to feed or the desire to satisfy another craving, I couldn’t be sure. Containing and controlling my loneliness was a chore, and I was weak.
Tonight wasn’t the night to erase myself from his life. Tonight, I wanted nothing more than to cherish his still-beating heart, feel the warmth in his veins, and entwine myself into his soul, so for a moment in time, I could pretend we were the same.
I wanted one memory to carry me through the centuries.
11
Ensley
Tiny flames of lust burned behind his burgundy eyes. My heart skipped a beat. I had a thousand questions about this mysterious man and his missing uncle, but not one of them mattered. They would wait. Mordecai said he would investigate at night, and night was hours away.
He approached, moving to stand between my legs. I hadn’t retied my hair after our rainy adventure outdoors, and Mordecai threaded his fingers through the damp strands as he tilted my face to meet his.
Something in his presence commanded the moment, and I would willingly surrender to anything he asked. His slightly parted ruby lips offered a peek at those pronounced eyeteeth I couldn’t help obsessing over.
