Blade on the Hunt (9 page)

“Give her the data,” Recht said with a scowl.

“This is my ground. I am Scion here. I make the decisions regarding this sort of situation,” Warren faced Rowan when he spoke, but it was clear he meant his reply for Recht.

Rowan threw her hands up in the air. “You see, this is why I fought the idea of a team with the Nation to start with. This stupid, pointless display of feathers and power game nonsense. I don’t have anything to prove to you, Warren. I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Hunter Corp. I’m going to find her and kill her. I’d like the help but it’s going to happen regardless of your feelings on the matter. Killing Vampires, contrary to whatever you have in your head, is a huge pain in my ass. There’s paperwork. If I wanted to scamper about the planet gleefully lopping off heads and stabbing Vampires to death, I’d be doing it and I wouldn’t need a map from you, or a paid position from Hunter Corp. to make it happen.”

Clive pushed away from the wall. “Enough. Rowan, you’ll get the data. There’s no reason to hie off on your own.”

“There’s a reason right here.” She flicked a hand at Warren. “We’ve known from the start that to get hunting we’d be in someone’s territory. One of you Scions would be dealing with a hunt on your ground and the others in the group would have to suck it up that they weren’t in charge at the same level. You all repeatedly assured me this was not going to be a problem and yet, it totally is.”

“Rowan, will you excuse us for a moment?” Clive asked. He thought they’d handled this but apparently not. “Five minutes. Alice, please get her the data she’s requested.”

Warren didn’t argue.

“You have six minutes. If this issue still exists when I walk back in here? I’m done with every fucking one of you. Well, not you.” She looked to Clive. “But this hunt.”

She left, David at her heels. Alice nodded at him crisply and he was sure would handle this as well as she did everything else.

Recht held his hand up. “Scion, if I might.”

Clive waved a hand.

“She’s not yours.” Recht tossed this at Warren hard enough to bring both Clive and Warren’s attention snapping into place.

“What are you talking about?”

“I understand. She’s exceptional. But she’s made her choice and her choice is Clive. She’s had enough to manage, I won’t allow you to make this worse. We need her and she needs her focus. Her focus is this hunt.”

Well. That was unexpected.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. This is my land. Of course I take control here. And she’s not with Clive. She fucks him.”

Before Clive even thought it through, he’d rushed the room, grabbed Warren by the throat, lifted and thrust up into the wall hard enough to knock things down. Cold, detached rage seemed to ice through his veins. That part of him that would never be close to human surged to the fore to protect what was his. “Think upon your next words very carefully.
She is mine
and I will not tolerate your speaking of her in such a way.”

“You haven’t claimed her.”

Clive squeezed tighter. “Stop struggling because you need to hear me and also get as much oxygen as you can to stay alive.”

Recht sat, watching but not intervening.

“I don’t need to mark Rowan so
you
can see it. It’s enough that
she
sees it. Which is why a Vampire like you doesn’t have her and I do. You should also understand I would do anything to protect her, because, as I just told you, she’s mine. Your feelings are irrelevant but for one point, you need to accept right this moment that you have no chance. None. You’re making a fool out of yourself, you’re making her job harder—which displeases me—and you’re still not going to have her.”

Clive let him go, stepping back but not turning around.

“One last thing. I will kill anyone who is a threat to her.”

Warren glared as he straightened. “She’d be angry you didn’t trust her to take care of her own business.”

“You can’t bait me, Warren. Get yourself in order and stop acting like your incisors just descended. I’m going now, I’ll meet you all in the foyer in ten minutes so we can get to the meet early and size the area up.”

Then Clive turned his back and left the room.

Chapter Ten

As they came up the sidewalk heading to the wine bar, Clive slowed as he realized the sounds of evening had stopped. The silence hanging in the air was ominous. Hesitant and afraid. The street was deserted and the hair on the back of his neck pricked up as his incisors elongated, readying.

Something was wrong and in another breath, that was underlined as the sticky-sweet stench of death blood hit Clive’s senses.

He glanced toward Rowan, whose expression told him she knew the same. With a few hand signals, they all fanned out.

Clive pushed everything from his mind but the moment. His senses rocketed out, heightened hearing, he could smell the fear, the death, the pain and anger still in the air. There had been other predators in the area and not very long ago.

The wine bar had been shuttered, but it was clear something had happened inside.

Recht held up a hand to stop them as he peered closely at the catch where the shutters had been hastily closed.

He shook his head. Traps were part and parcel of what they did so it wasn’t so hard to be wary when it came to opening those doors up.

From the corner of his vision he watched Rowan hop up on a tall stone wall, nimbly walking along the edge. Just as nimbly she leapt from there to the second floor balcony above the wine bar and disappeared inside.

In moments she’d showed up downstairs, pushing the front doors open. “It’s bad,” she murmured as they passed her and entered the wine bar.

She’d been right.

There was no other way to describe the scene but as a massacre. Blood spatters and bits of gore covered every conceivable surface including the ceiling and the underside of tables and chairs.

Limbs had been strewn around, torn from the human victims heaped here and there.

They hadn’t even fed really. This...destruction was wanton in the worst sort of way. It disgusted Clive to be associated with any being who’d do this.

He met Warren’s gaze as the other Scion cursed and took in the scene. “Looks like six human victims, given the various parts. Three scorch marks and some dust. Sound right to you?” Warren asked.

“That was my estimate as well,” Clive nodded.

Recht came in through the back. “Blood trail leading through the kitchen and out the rear door. There was a fairly crude booby trap but I handled it. I did a cursory sweep but found no more. There’s a three car lot back there. The blood leads to one of the spots and disappears.”

“So they flew or got in a car,” Rowan said.

“That would be my best guess. Once I’m done here, I’ll head off to see if I can pick up that blood scent anywhere else.”

Warren thanked Recht and pulled his phone from an inner pocket. “Let me call a team to clean this up.” He headed off to a corner while the rest of them checked the remaining bodies in the room for any identification.

The fury rolled from Rowan in waves so hot he sensed them from across the room. She took in the mess with a curled lip.

She put her toe on a scorch mark. “I hope the human who killed this one made it hurt. A lot.”

“Some of these might be my sources. They were good Vampires, Rowan. They wouldn’t have done this. Not to innocents and surely not in public. Prague is full of Vampires, yes, but older ones. Less emo as you claimed and more Byron and Keats. This is
sloppy.
Not their style at all. This is repugnant.” Warren waved a hand, disgusted.

She sighed. “You’re right. I apologize.”

One warrior to another as was appropriate. Warren nodded, accepting the apology and they moved on, getting back to work until the clean up crew arrived.

* * *

From there they headed back to the house. After a quick clean up, they re-convened in the ops room and worked until Recht arrived, wearing a dour expression.

“Why don’t we do an update on everyone’s status?” Warren asked and when they all agreed, he went first. “One of my people has handled the police. The owner of the bar was one of mine. His brother will take over tomorrow. He’s also promised to help in any way he can.”

Rowan nodded, pacing as she listened. “Did he have children?”

“Why?” Warren eyed her carefully.

“Because Hunter Corp. has a fund for the children of parents who’ve been slain in Vampire-related violence. This most assuredly was, wasn’t it? Even Vampire kids have to eat and need new clothes and stuff.”

“I’m the one who has to apologize now,” Warren said. “I misjudged you and your intentions.”

“It’s fine.” And it was or Rowan wouldn’t have said it. Like he’d said her name aloud, her gaze cut his way for a moment. Once they’d connected she put her attention back on the job. “Shitty night all around.” Rowan paused. “And I’m about to make it worse when I tell you it looks like your source was exposed so where’s the leak?”

Vampires killed one another all the time. They were a contentious group. The young were impetuous but powerful and the old got progressively disconnected with the rules and filters that kept one from pulling someone’s spine out over a minor offense.

But for the most part, they killed one another clean. There were rules. That scene was an ultimate violation of everything the Vampire Nation stood for. The risk of exposure from a scene like that? The fact that it had happened in the presence of a Hunter alone brought Clive’s hands into fists of rage. Multiple Treaty violations bringing Hunter Corp. squarely into their business. And rightfully so.

“I’m not going to report this to Hunter Corp,” Rowan spoke at last.

All four Vampires looked to her, surprised.

“It serves nothing to report it. First, I’d have to deal with Roth the asshole. And he’s an asshole, as I said. Second, it would eat up time. I have little of it. Third, it won’t bring any of those humans back. Lastly? You need to understand I will kill each and every Vampire I find responsible for that unholy mess back there. I need no warrant. If you’re clear on that, I’m clear and we’re good.”

“I find no fault in that. Though if I find them first, I will kill them. This is my ground, this happened to Vampires under my protection,” Warren said.

Rowan shrugged at his words. “Dead is dead.”

Recht filled them all in on his activities. “I managed to track at least one of the fleeing Vampires to the front of the Four Seasons. He didn’t go inside. There’s a street car that runs out front as well as numerous busses, cabs and two metro stops within easy distance.”

“Let me set about getting the information as to what cabs were called from the bell desk at the Four Seasons.” David tapped Rowan’s arm and she nodded before he left the room.

“He’s awesome at getting people to do things he wants them to,” Rowan murmured as she looked at the papers on the table before her.

“We could call, but I think it’s better if we pay a visit to my source in person.” Warren looked down at the phone in his hand. “The one we were meeting at the wine bar was sent on orders of another. He’ll be skittish if he’s heard about this. You can cover me. We have to go in quiet. He’ll run if he sees us coming.”

Rowan took a deep breath. “I suppose that’s also a good sign she’s here. Or she was and they want to keep us here so she can leg it elsewhere. Whatever the case, her stench is all over this city. I can’t wait to find her one-eyed ass and kill her dead, dead, dead.”

Clive moved past her, breathing her in as he did, sipping her power. She gave him a look under her lashes and he smiled, just a brief one for her eyes only.

Bloodthirsty. Mmm.

* * *

A giant, black luxury SUV waited for them as they left the house. Rowan eyed it but said nothing, though it was laden with judgment.

Clive disagreed. This vehicle was big enough for all of them and it was clearly armored.

He came to Prague frequently enough that he knew, too, that SUVs like the one they were in dotted the city all the time these days so there was no reason not to be comfortable and safer too.

They headed away from the city center and toward the big blocks of apartments ringing it. Hundreds of thousands lived in these mini cities under communist control and even now nearly forty percent of residents of Prague still called them home. Plenty of lights were on all over the blocks. But after they parked and began to head into the heart of the jungle of buildings, it was fairly quiet.

Once Warren had them all come to a halt at the edge of a building, David handed a pair of binoculars to Rowan, who waved them away. “Don’t need them anymore.”

Clive sent her a raised brow but didn’t comment. He’d save it for when they were alone.

David watched through the scope in the high powered rifle he carried. Recht had taken position across the courtyard, perched on someone’s balcony. Clive passed Rowan to settle in south of her and the apartment Warren was headed to. Alice was back at the house, coordinating all the various arms of that night’s operation.

And suddenly Clive knew something was wrong. He sped from his place, keeping low, noting Rowan had left her place and was running across the small concrete courtyard, moonlight glinting off the edge of the sword she’d drawn.

He followed and knew Recht did the same as they burst into an attack in progress inside that flat.

Clive let the animal part of him take over, let the teeth tear from his gums, let his muscles take over to propel him into the room to tear a Vampire off Warren’s back.

“Thanks, mate. Don’t kill that one if you can help it,” Warren called out right before he ripped the throat of one of his attackers.

Rowan pinned their prisoner to the wall with her blade through the Vampire’s chest. “Don’t move or the blade will slice your heart and you’ll die.”

“So romantic, darling.” Clive drew the curtains back over the broken out window. No one moved or made noise outside, but they could only hide it for so long, so they needed to get this wrapped up.

“I’d rather he moved and died.” Rowan shrugged. “But if I can’t kill him, I guess knowing he’s freaked is a little bit of a salve to my agitated nerves.” She leaned close to the Vampire she’d impaled. “What’s your story then? Didn’t get enough love as a kid? Mom never tucked you in? I can relate. My dad liked to whip me bloody. And I’m not a Vampire like you so it took me a long time to heal up. It’s the root cause of my general crankiness and dislike of Vampires. But I did something positive with all my rage. Look at you and your bad choices.”

He dropped to the ground with a pained grunt when she pulled her blade free, bending to wipe it on the Vampire’s shirt before returning it to the sheath.

Once that was done, Rowan grabbed the prisoner by the hair and hauled him behind her like a bag of laundry. Clive made sure the way was clear for her to get their captive back to the car, which she did remarkably fast.

He got in on her other side and she scowled.

“This is some real bullshit, Scion.” She pointed to the leather jacket she wore. “I really love this coat and now it’s covered in Vampire goo.” Her scowl turned into something else. Something dirty and his cock approved mightily.

“I’m sure there are papers you can fill out to get it cleaned at Nation expense. Or I can buy you a new one.”

“You sure know how to spoil a girl.” Rowan’s satisfied tone made him smile.

“I’ve got centuries of practice.”

She laughed and bumped the slow healing Vampire between them as she did. “He’s a card, that one, right? What’s your story? What’s your name? You should tell me or I’ll make one up and it won’t be nice. I should do that anyway because your friends made a mess with their internal organs all over my clothes.”

“Your name,” Warren barked. And as that Vampire lived in Warren’s territory, the compulsion to obey was too strong for any but the strongest to deny.

“Szabo.”

“Really?” Rowan snickered.

“That was my father’s name!”

Rowan shook her head. “You don’t get to be indignant with me, Szabo. That makes me cranky.
I
didn’t name you something weird. Blame the mom who never cut the crusts off your bread.”

He started babbling, this time Clive recognized Magyar.

Rowan cut him off. “Don’t care about your name really. What we do care about is why you were in that flat attacking Nation Vampires.”

Once back at the villa, they loaded the prisoner into the house. Clearly impatient, Rowan gave them all a censuring look. “This is your deal. Crack Szabo here so we can get moving.”

“Tell us what you were doing at Gabor’s flat.” Warren’s voice was smooth and calm, but the command in it was unmistakable. As Scion, Clive had the same hold on the Vampires who lived on his grounds in North America. But lone wolf Vampires were harder to crack because they never cleaved to any leadership.

Harder, but not impossible. Clive had his own range of skills and gifts that came from his line. One of them was the ability to go in and take whatever he wanted from a Vampire’s head. It was messy usually and quite often fatal so he rarely used it.

Clive gave Szabo a glare, rarely didn’t mean never. Fatal or not, they’d have answers.

* * *

Rowan pretended to be relaxed as Warren began to interrogate the Vampire but really, she was in a killing mood. Not that being in a killing mood was unusual for her, but it meant that she had to accept that this was more than Enyo, damn it.

This had conspiracy all over it. Conspiracies took a lot of time. People who plotted them were usually assholes she needed to kill or maim.

Rowan didn’t have the time for this to be a conspiracy.

Recht stood near the doorway, his presence scary and threatening. Even if Warren didn’t have the mojo to get Szabo to tell all, Recht could have done it in moments.

Clive as well. She knew he had a gift from Theo’s line. One that enabled him to reach into memories and take what he needed.

Szabo at least got the idea he should give the appearance of cooperation. “I got a text. It told me to go there.”

Warren slowly raised one brow and Rowan settled in.

“One of the things that irks me most, Szabo, is having to play semantics with my subjects to get them to obey me. I don’t like it. Describe exactly your purpose in going to Gabor’s flat,” Warren ordered.