Chapter Thirteen
A week passed and no more fledglings showed up at the bridge seeking Saintcrow’s blood.
“I wonder what happened,” Kadie said while idly surfing through the movie channels until she found one she’d been wanting to see. “Do you think it means they aren’t attracted to your blood anymore? That would be a good sign, wouldn’t it?”
“Perhaps,” Saintcrow said, with a shrug. “But I think it’s more likely that the female I sent away let it be known what happened to her two companions. The vampire community isn’t very big, you know. That kind of news would spread quickly.”
“I suppose so,” she agreed, her brow furrowing thoughtfully.
“Perhaps whatever was calling to them is no longer effective,” he remarked. “Maybe the curse or whatever the hell it was has worn off.”
“Strange that it only effected young males,” Kadie said.
“I have a feeling that Elowynne hates men.”
“Hates them? Why?”
He shrugged. “Maybe I’m not the only man who rejected her advances.”
“Maybe.” It made sense in a twisted sort of way.
“I heard from Izabela late last night while you were in the shower,” Saintcrow said after a moment. “Elowynne is going to meet me at Izabela’s house late tonight.”
“Oh? Why did you wait so long to tell me?”
He shrugged. “No particular reason.”
“You weren’t going to tell me, were you? Until after the meeting.”
“It crossed my mind.”
“You’re not thinking of making me stay home, are you?”
He grinned at the warning note in her voice. “It crossed my mind.”
“I knew it!” she exclaimed, and threw a sofa pillow at him.
He caught it and threw it back at her, then tugged her onto his lap and nuzzled her neck. “Let me?”
“Now? It’s almost time for the movie to start.”
“Just one quick drink?”
She sighed dramatically. “Have I ever denied you anything?”
“Should I name them in alphabetical order?”
“Never mind,” she said, pushing her hair out of the way. “That was a long time ago, before I knew how wonderful you are.”
“I adore you,” he said, and bit her ever so gently. And after that, he kissed her, his hands working their familiar magic as they played over her body, until she forgot all about the movie.
~ * ~
At midnight, they stood on Izabela’s porch.
The witch opened the door, asked the usual question, received the usual answer, and bid them enter. With a warning glance at Saintcrow, she settled in her rocker. The cat curled up on her lap, her fur puffed up as if for battle. There was no sign of the kittens.
A tall woman stood in front of the hearth.
Saintcrow recognized her immediately. How had he ever forgotten her?
True, it had been centuries and they had only crossed paths a few times, but he remembered her now.
Tall and blonde and coldly beautiful, with a slender figure and piercing black eyes.
The green dragon tattooed on the side of her neck seemed to move with each breath.
How had he not known that she was a vampire when they met?
The aura of preternatural power, common to all vampires, surrounded her.
Of course, most vampires shielded that power when in the presence of mortals.
Oddly, he had expected it to be stronger.
“Rylan.” Her voice was as cold as her beauty.
He inclined his head. “Elowynne. Why were you looking for me? And how did you know to contact Izabela?”
“I mesmerized you centuries ago. I took some of your blood and gave you some of mine.”
“No shit? Why the hell did you do that?”
She shrugged one elegant shoulder. “If you remember, I was quite taken with you at the time. I thought perhaps we might indulge in an affair.” Anger flared in her eyes and was quickly gone.
“But you had no interest at the time. I thought you might change your mind at a later date so I took a little of your blood and gave you a little of mine so that I would be able to find you. Unfortunately, the blood bond between us was broken when you were turned. And I had no idea what your surname name was.” She smiled faintly, pleased with her story, although she had left out the most important part.
“If you recall, you were only known as Rylan the Bold at court.”
“Rylan the Bold,” Kadie murmured. “Perfect.”
Elowynne smiled faintly. “Indeed.”
“So how did you find Izabela?” Saintcrow asked again.
“Quite by accident. I was seeing a witch about a recent problem, apparently at the same time your witch had opened a portal to the whims of the supernatural. I heard her mutter your name and my witch made the necessary magical connection.”
It sounded as unlikely as hell, Saintcrow mused. But here she was. “So what does your problem have to do with me?”
“I turned one that I dearly loved about the same time you were at court. He has come down with some mysterious ailment. I heard through Grigore that you were suffering a similar condition. I was wondering if you had found a cure.”
Saintcrow shook his head. “No luck so far. There are only a few vampires still in existence who are older than I am and yet none of them has been affected by anything like this. I’m beginning to think it has nothing to do with age, although I don’t know what else it would be.
The only thing I’ve found that helps is the blood of one of the old ones.
Have you given your blood to your...friend? ”
“Of course,” she snapped. “It didn’t help.”
Saintcrow shrugged. “Then I don’t know what to tell you.”
“You will let me know if you find a cure?”
“Sure.”
Elowynne’s gaze moved over him. It was blatantly obvious that she still liked what she saw. And that, even after so many centuries, she still wanted him.
Beside him, Kadie’s fingers bit deep into his arm.
With a wry smile, Saintcrow shook his head. “Not then,” he said, with quiet conviction. “And not now.”
A look that might have been anger or hatred or both distorted Elowynne’s features for a moment and was gone. “I’ll be in touch,” she said, and with a wave of her hand, she disappeared.
“Well,” Izabela said. “That was interesting. Has she always had the hots for you?”
Saintcrow glared at her, then loosened Kadie’s grip on his arm. “There’s blood under your fingernails, darlin,” he remarked.
“What? Oh! I’m sorry. But she made me so mad! How dare that woman look at you like that when I’m in the room! If she does it again, I’ll...I’ll....”
“Calm down, love,” Saintcrow said, amused as always by her anger and her jealousy. “Like I said, I didn’t want her when I was mortal and I don’t want her now. There’s something evil about her that I find distasteful.”
“I have a feeling most everything she said was a lie,” Izabela remarked, lightly stroking the cat’s head.
“I think the only reason she came here was to see for herself how you’re getting along.
In fact, I’m convinced that she’s the catalyst behind your problem.
Did you know that besides being a vampire she’s also a practicing witch? ”
“What?” Saintcrow stared at Izabela. “What are you talking about?”
“A witch,” Izabela said. “A dark witch. I think she was skirting the truth the whole time she was here. I don’t believe she has an ailing lover any more than she’s been consulting some other witch.”
Saintcrow shook his head, not certain he understood the fine line between black witches and dark witches. “Why make up such a convoluted explanation?”
“Because she can’t tell you the truth,” Kadie said, her brow furrowed. “She wants something from you, all right. There’s no doubt about that. And I think we all know what it is.”
Saintcrow shook his head. “Come on, I know you think I’m the sexiest thing on two legs, but you can’t honestly believe she still has the hots for me after close to a thousand years!”
Kadie shrugged. “Time passes differently for vampires. You know that better than I do. Maybe she’s been busy with other men and none of them satisfied her.
Maybe she was bored and suddenly remembered the sexy human who refused her attention and is now a vampire.
Maybe she’s come for revenge because you wounded her pride. ”
Saintcrow shook his head again, then burst out laughing. “That’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever heard! Unrequited love that lasted a millennium? I don’t think so.”
“Perhaps Kadie’s right,” Izabela said, with a frown. “At least about the wounded pride part. Think about it. You’ve always assumed Elowynne was a lot older than you in vampire years, but maybe she isn’t as old as you think. Unless I’m mistaken, her power isn’t much stronger than yours.”
“I don’t follow you,” Saintcrow said. “You’re saying she’s jealous of my preternatural power? That makes less sense that her having the hots for me.”
“I think Izabela’s right,” Kadie said.
Izabela smiled at Kadie. “I think so, too.” Glancing at Saintcrow, Izabela said, You’ve been assuming that Elowynne was turned centuries before you were.
But maybe it was only a few decades. You were turned by an old vampire which gave you an enormous amount of power even when you were a fledgling.
And you’ve only grown stronger since then. ”
Eleni, Saintcrow thought. His sire. Dead by his hand. A shiver of unease ran down his spine as a new idea occurred to him. What if Elowynne wasn’t here to seduce him? What if she was here to avenge Eleni’s death? What if she was behind his problem?
He considered it a moment and then shook the thought aside. He had no proof that the two women had even known each other. But the thought lingered in his mind long after he and Kadie had returned home and retired for the night.
~ * ~
Alara contacted Saintcrow the following evening. After telling Kadie where he was going, Saintcrow got in touch with Kincaid and asked him to meet him at the witch’s tree house.
“I don’t know why I can’t go with you,” Kadie said.
“Because I don’t want you anywhere near that woman. I don’t trust her.”
“Then why are you going?”