Courted by the Vampire (26 page)

“What is
he?” The man inside the case beat the glass with an angry fist, complete with yellowed, broken fingernails. He bared his teeth. Hannah could definitely see pointed fangs. The fog occupying her brain temporarily cleared.
I know the creature’s name.
“Duncan?”

“That’s right, my dear. The bounty hunter’s quarry, but as you can see, I
found him first.” He made a small, mocking bow to the paranormal and laughed as the vamp flew into a rage within his glass prison. “He is full of life, as you can see. I look forward to tapping into that power.”

“But, he’s not—”

Andre held her gaze once again, and another dollop of thick, murky white numbed her brain. “What did you mean to say, my dear?”

“You must be very brave to capture such a beast.” Hannah took another
sip of her wine and shivered as her eyes strayed back to the vampire.

“If you’d like, we can adjourn to one of the rooms upstairs, for a
private… chat. Intimate conversation.” He traced a finger along the décolletage of her gown. “We can get to know each other better without these distractions.”

“I’m not sure—” Chaos interrupted her speech.

Shrieks echoed throughout the room. Glass tinkled against the floor. The crowd of people immediately around them parted. Warm weight crashed into her chest, throwing her to the floor. She struggled to suck air into her lungs. “Get off.” She wheezed as her lungs burned. “Ow!” She rubbed the back of her head, annoyed when her fingers traced the small swell of a bump. “What the hell?” She blinked in confusion at the enormous wolf perched on top of her chest, his blond hackles raised. Hannah’s eyes filled with tears at the pain exploding through her head. Still befuddled, she gasped for breath and stared into the snarling face of the animal. “Your breath smells like road kill.”

He growled.

She tried to shove the canine off her body, but he wouldn’t budge. Awareness crept over her skin like ants. Peering into the bright citrine eyes, the fog cleared from her brain, and she remembered where she was and why. “Xavier, what are you doing?”

Andre assisted Hannah to her feet. “Are you all right, my dear?” He
glared daggers at the wolf. “Someone call security to get this mangy beast out of here.”

Xavier leaped between Andre and Hannah, growling low in his throat.

She laid a hand on his head. Her fingertips tingled when she felt the barely restrained rage within the beast. Hastily attempting to resurrect her mental shields, she ignored the rising hysteria. “Andre, I’m afraid I have been remiss in my intentions this evening. I wasn’t myself for a bit, but now I am quite lucid.” Stickiness coated the palm of her free hand. Hannah looked down in some surprise to find it cut and bleeding, most likely from the champagne flute, which broke during the fall.

“Come, Hannah. We have much to discuss.” His voice was hard.

“Where’s Edwin?” He could heal the injury. She glared at the man before her, in awe at the unadulterated hatred reflected in his chocolate brown eyes. “Where are you holding him?”

The party guests clustered around the edges of the room, giving Xavier a
wide berth. A handful of serving staff positioned themselves near the glass display cases, waiting.

Andre smiled. The predatory gleam in his eye matched the arrogant
stance of his body. “All will be revealed in good time.” He slipped a sleek silver headset over one ear, adjusting the small mouthpiece on his cheek.

“Tell me now.” She gnawed the inside of her lip and twisted her fingers
into Xavier’s fur. Electronic static hissed over loudspeakers, but Hannah’s anger continued to grow.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the display cases
throughout the room. You have the rare opportunity to see the private collection of Andre Valkaret.” He nodded at someone at the back of the room. The black velvet curtains tumbled to the floor with a soft plop.

As Andre collected praise and adoration, Hannah bent to whisper into the
wolf’s ear. “Find Edwin. We need to make our move soon.” She patted his head.

He loped through the crowded room, screams and shouts trailing in his wake.

Softly lit display cases captured her attention, and just like in her dream, she drifted toward them in fascination.

“You can’t help yourself, can you, Hannah?” Andre asked quietly. He
gripped the soft skin of her upper arm with one hand. “You’re drawn to the abnormal, the unique, and the odd. Is it because you sympathize with their plight? Is it because you yourself are not quite common?” He held her gaze as he spoke into the microphone. “Please feel free to look your fill. These creatures will be on display for one night. After that, they will be added to my private collection and will be seen by invitation only—unless they don’t survive life in captivity.” Andre handed the headset to a waiting lackey. “I’m the one who brought this exhibit together because I care about these poor, unfortunate beings.”

“Yeah, right, you care.” She protested as he propelled her toward the
center aisle.

As they passed
them, Hannah glanced into the display cases, paused for one second to admire the beautiful shimmering green scales on a mermaid’s tail. At the last moment, she remembered Andre essentially held the fish prisoner. Annoyance burned a path through her chest in outrage. “Why are you doing this? Why collect living, breathing beings and hold them against their will?” Red starfish clung to her mossy hair and a necklace of clamshells hung about her neck, floating gently in the water. The mermaid’s saddened gaze tugged at Hannah’s heart.

“I learned long ago that various beings in the world held special powers.
Being a telepath, I realized I could tap into that power. It was a rush, and I fed on it. Like with any drug, I wanted more.” He glanced at Hannah, his eyes flat and cold. “I traveled the world, listening to the old tales and hunted out these heretofore mythical beings. When I found the first one, my confidence grew. Many people don’t believe these creatures exist outside of legends and stories. I set out to prove them wrong.” He waved a hand to indicate the cases. “No one else in the world has such a collection. Do you realize how much money I could accumulate on admission if I chose to do so?”

“Surely controlled admission to a highly eclectic museum
isn’t the reason you spent the better part of your life collecting these creatures? What do you hide behind?” She caught a quick glimpse of an elf before Andre pulled her down another aisle.

Oh my lord, is that really a unicorn?
She skittered to a halt in front of the large case, complete with a small landscaped forest. The beast’s smooth white fur glistened under the dimmed lights, its horn a pearly iridescent wonder. Pressing a palm against the glass, her fingertips tingled again as power surged through the restrictive barrier. What would his coat feel like?
Would he let me ride him?
Resentment stirred in her gut. She needed to set it free.

“Even you can’t resist the lure of the unknown.” Andre’s grin was wicked
and smug as his grip on her arm tightened. “Cast your lot with me, Hannah. You can share all of this.” He studied the unicorn. “I assembled this collection to draw from their power. If I take a little bit at a time, the beings remain alive long enough to regenerate that lost power, leaving me with a virtually infinite supply.”

“What do you hope to gain?” Out of the corner of her eye, colorful sparks of light
twinkled that she could only hope was the fairies. She turned her head, scanning the room, but couldn’t discern any sign of the magical beings.

Andre led her to another case. “I have enough energy within this room to
take over the White House. My aim is to become president, and make this country great again. Can you imagine how powerful the country will be with all of this behind it?” The broad sweep of his arms encompassed the whole collection. His attitude bordered on mania, his eyes lit with determination. “We will lead the world in military might supplemented by the strength of ogres, technology advances built on the cunning of the elves, knowledge increased by the minds of wizards. No more will we be slaves to the work forces of other countries. No more will we need to pussy foot around with diplomacy when we can bring foreign policy to its knees.”

“What then, Andre? World domination? That’s a lonely life.” She gaped at
him, tearing at the fingers that held her arm. “What will happen when there’s no one left for you to bully? What of the creatures you’ve imprisoned here? Surely away from their natural habitats and families they’ll die.” She glanced in appreciation at a phoenix. “It’s magnificent.” Hannah admired its bright plumage of orange and yellow. How had Andre managed to capture all of these beings?

“I have very loyal employees, my dear.”

She cringed.
Why can’t I remember he can read minds and how the hell does he keep slipping past my defenses?

Andre brushed her cheek with his fingers. “A small but powerful army of
telepaths. Between us I have a vast array of energies to call upon.” The finger dipped lower to trace her collarbone. “There’s always room for an Enhancer on my staff.” His hungry gaze slid down her body. “Such a powerful woman like you would enjoy so much more, though.”

“You’re crazy.” Her words were ragged. Every touch of his hand made
her shake as if she were tossed in a stormy sea, but the waves were full of electric power and sexual tension.

“Think of it
. You and I, ruling the world together, the most powerful couple the universe has ever seen. We can mold the globe into exactly what we want it to be. Think of the pleasures we could seek, the power we could hold, the discoveries we could make.” He leaned close to brush his lips along the column of her neck, laughed when she pulled away. “You could live among people and beings of your own kind. Never misunderstood or ridiculed. You would never again need to uproot your life, to move, to feel ashamed enough to hide.”

The smooth, oily words caressed her. A distracted part of her brain agreed
with him.
Why should I be ashamed to use my powers? If I joined Andre, I could use my power for the common good of everyone. I could freely talk about being an Enhancer.

“You said yourself the bounty hunter ditched you this evening. You can
be assured I would never treat you that way.” His words whispered along her skin. “Does Edwin indulge your every whim? Or does he order you about, expecting you to follow him around like a pup?”

“He’s a bit demanding
, but we’re working on it.” She ignored her fear long enough to listen to his argument. Had she been unfairly treated by the vamp? Did he have her best interests at heart?

“The bounty hunter brought you on his quest to fulfill
his
prophecy, but did he ever ask what
you
wanted out of life?”

The prophecy.
The words Edwin spoke that seemingly long ago day echoed in her mind. “…the one who wields the power of the Light will challenge the Dark and defeat it even beyond Death…” But what did it mean? Did it have anything remotely to do with her? Hannah swayed on her heels. She blinked, knowing Andre expected an answer. “No, he hasn’t. He just told me I needed to come with him, said he needed my powers.” Righteous indignation swept through her being at the thought. “He never explained exactly why.”

“You poor thing.” His low chuckle echoed off the glass. “It’s no secret
Edwin has played the field with any willing female being. Surely you have seen the evidence with your own eyes of his effect on them?” He trailed a path of tiny kisses on the back of her neck. “You have had doubts about his fidelity to you. I have felt it in my mind, and I’ve ached in sympathy.”

“No.” She shook her head, fighting against the passion-induced haze he
wove around her. “Edwin loves me.” Doubt crept into her mind, its thorny brown branches winding through the truth. “I believe him.”

“His is a limited love. His power wanes. I can give you so much more
because I understand what it feels like to be used for that power.” Andre propelled her to the back wall and the last of the display cases. “If you allow me to link our minds, we will be joined as one. Imagine the pleasure I can give you, the heights of ecstasy you can reach, all the desires of your heart met. People will jump to do your bidding, women will clamor to be your friends, and men will grovel at your feet for a second of your attention. It can all be yours.”

A fuzzy vapor muddled her brain as she listened to the low, intoxicating
timbre of his voice. She forgot the crowds as she gazed into his eyes. Was he right?
Will Edwin get bored with me and leave for his next conquest?
She teetered on a high precipice.
If I fell, who would catch me?
Still, something didn’t feel right. “I thought you intended to use your power to challenge the Immortals? Where would I fit into that plan?” She couldn’t afford to be sidetracked, but his promise of influence intrigued her.

“I can do nothing without you by my side.” Andre smiled. Putrid, slime-green arrogance streaked through her mind to blend with the
sticky, white fog. The mass formed a net around her consciousness to stifle her thoughts. “Ah, the Immortals. Once I safely have the world at my disposal, I can concentrate my abilities on them. I only wait on your acceptance of my offer. I need you to complete my plans.”