Hope and Vengeance (Saa Thalarr, book 1): Saa Thalarr, book 1 (23 page)

"No. I know what happens," she said. I blinked—I should have been roaring my jealousy. I didn't feel a thing.

"Then come to the back deck with us," Griffin said.

"No. I want to make sure she isn't hurt," I said.

"You think I'd hurt her?" Merrill's piercing blue eyes bored into mine.

"Stop arguing. Is this necessary?" Kiarra turned to Griffin.

"From what I can see, yes."

"Fine. Let's get it over with." She stepped around the end of the island.

"Sit here." I rose to offer her my seat. Merrill rose as well. Stepping back, I allowed him to stand next to her. He kissed her. Griffin tapped me on the shoulder when I thought to curtail prolonged contact.

Then, his head lowered, he placed a kiss on her throat. "I will never harm you," he promised softly before delivering the bite. She gasped and writhed against him. Her head was in the palm of one hand, her body gripped tightly against his with the other as he drank.

"Enough," Griffin said. Merrill reluctantly disengaged. Kiarra was already unconscious from the climax; Merrill lifted her easily and followed Griffin from the kitchen. I trailed behind them, feeling angry and confused.

* * *

"I'll do this," I pushed Merrill aside after he'd laid Kiarra on our bed. Griffin pulled Merrill out of the room while I patted her cheek, attempting to wake her.

* * *

"This is as much as I can do," Griffin hissed as Merrill's eyes went red in anger. "Don't push her. Give her time to adjust. Your day will come."

"I grow tired of waiting." Merrill stalked away, leaving Griffin standing in the hall not far from Kiarra's bedroom door.

* * *

"If vampires were for sale, every woman on the planet would have one," Kiarra mumbled when she opened her eyes.

"Like those climaxes, do you?" I teased gently.

"I guess I do. Not that it isn't fucking embarrassing or anything."

"There is nothing shameful about sex. It is as natural as breathing; it just doesn't occur as often."

"I don't think I could handle it as often as that," she said.

"Sex can be draining, although I've heard it's excellent exercise. Gets your heart rate up."

"I've noticed—at least when I'm conscious, I've noticed."

"Come downstairs; we haven't had breakfast yet," I pointed out. "Have to keep your strength up, you know."

We walked downstairs together, while I kept a steadying hand on her elbow.  Donating blood—even a cupful, can make the donor feel tired. Joey and Bearcat served our breakfast when we got back to the island, and Joey, grinning, pushed a protein drink in Kiarra's direction.

Griffin, who once again sat beside Merrill at the island, flipped on the television hanging below a kitchen counter opposite the island. Kiarra's fork clattered to her plate and she gasped—Rita's photograph was displayed on the screen, as the journalist described how she and her brother Rick had been found murdered at a home on the western edge of Corpus Christi.

Chapter 12
 

"This is the way to get her attention," Saxom snapped at Xavier.

"We risk drawing the attention of Wlodek and the Council," Xavier growled. "I have no care that I killed the woman and her brother, but I don't wish to jeopardize my position as a trusted advisor to the Council, and I certainly have no desire to be branded a rogue and face Gavin if he comes."

"We have the attention of Wlodek and the Council," Saxom laughed. "You're a rogue already. Let me worry about Gavin Montegue and the others, if they come."

* * *

"This is a way for the enemy to draw you out," Dragon said. Kiarra sat alone on a chair, arms crossed tightly over her chest and refusing to speak to any of us. "You know what the stakes are, and what their game plan is. If we befriend anyone, they can become a target. It couldn't be helped this time. You know that."

"She has children," Kiarra muttered, refusing to look Dragon in the eye.

"I know. I hear Rita's mother has them, now."

"Is there a way to ensure their safety?"

"I have wolves patrolling the neighborhood," Daniel offered. "With Shirley's blessing. She knows you're willing to help with the rogue problem, so this is her way of saying thanks."

"I have an assignment for you, Griffin," Kiarra stood and turned in his direction.

"Anything," he agreed with a shrug.

"Let me know if that household goes blank. I want to be alone for a while."

Stay here
. Dragon's hand landed heavily on my shoulder.

"What does she mean—if that household goes blank?" Joey asked.

"When—or if—I can't see it by
Looking
," Griffin explained. "I'm the most talented in that area," he shrugged. "And it's something I can do while I'm nursing an injury."

"Like the other blank spots?" I asked. I still wanted to go after Kiarra. Dragon's hand remained on my shoulder.

"Yes. The ones that shouldn't be there," Griffin agreed. "If that house or the people in it go blank, it's a good indication that the enemy may be there, with or without the kapirus and whatever is causing these blank spots."

"How was she and her brother murdered—do we know?" Joey asked. The journalist had little information to offer regarding how Rick and Rita died—only that the authorities were withholding the information.

"Throats slashed," Griffin sighed. "They want us to know a vampire did this."

"The Seer is behind this," Merrill said.

"Correct," Griffin agreed. "While he may not have done it himself, he ordered it done."

"Xavier," I growled.

"Likely," Griffin said.

Are we going to tell her?
Griffin sent mindspeech.

I want to hold back—she's upset enough as it is
, Lion responded.

Adam, stay out of this conversation
, Dragon ordered.
We can shield our mindspeech. You haven't learned, yet
. I turned from Griffin to Lion and then Dragon. Something was going on; I just didn't know what it was.
Yet
.

* * *

"Bearcat won't tell me," Joey said later. I'd waited until we were alone to ask. I had no idea why the others were keeping something from Kiarra—it made no sense. "What I do know is this, though," Joey sighed.

"What's that?"

We sat on the third-floor deck, just outside Joey and Bearcat's shared bedroom. The afternoon was bright and hot, with a breeze coming off the gulf waters and ruffling our hair as we spoke. "They don't go to every world to challenge the Ra'Ak when they attack," Joey said. He sounded uncomfortable, for some reason.

"How do they pick and choose, then?" I asked. Yes, I'd been curious ever since I'd heard that reference before.

"Planets are rated," Joey explained with a heavy sigh. "From one to six."

"What does that mean?"

"The highest rating is one, and they'll save those first. Those worlds are the ones that are peaceful and living generally in accord. The ones with a single government, no matter how many continents are involved. The ones rated two through four may have more than one government spread across the continents, but are generally at peace, and are worth saving in most cases, but the fours are studied carefully, to make sure things aren't deteriorating. Fives and sixes, well, those are considered not worth saving and they don't bother with them."

"How are we rated?" I asked. We had to fall somewhere in the three or four categories, I felt.

"Adam, we're a six," Joey said.

* * *

"I'm not complaining, but what the hell are you doing here?" I demanded. I'd found Lion in the media room, sorting through a collection of videos.

"Sit down," Lion said. "I'll try to explain so it'll make sense."

"Please," I responded, my voice gruff and demanding. It angered me enough that Earth was considered past saving, but why the hell did they come?

"At times," Lion began as he took a seat nearby, settling his large frame on the leather chair and making himself comfortable, "when a world is considered by the Liaison and his superior to be not worth saving, one of us can volunteer to go anyway. But there are generally rules concerning those expeditions."

"All right, explain that," I said. I still wasn't happy, and it showed in my voice and demeanor.

"The rules are that you go alone, with no assistance from the Liaison or anyone else, and you're pretty much on your own. You win, you get out and leave things as they are, hoping the world manages to correct its course. You lose, you either die or get the hell out before the Ra'Ak takes over or destroys the planet outright."

"So why are you here, then? Why are several of you here? It makes no sense, given what you just said."

"We've told you all along that this is unusual. This is Kee's home world, so she announced she was going to try for it. Just before she left, we got word from above. And when I say above, I mean
far
above what we usually get. Somehow, this world is important, and I can't say why that is. Either way, we're here and we're doing our best to make this come out right. It's like a dance. We both suspect our enemy is out there, but we can't prove anything, yet. The enemy has an interest in this world as well, and I can't help but believe the reasons are intertwined."

"This is more than confusing," I shook my head.

"Under normal circumstances, we'd have left this one to die."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," I said. "In case you were trying."

"Try to see the humor in it," Lion suggested.

"I fail to see any part of this as humorous."

"Yeah. Same here."

"What about," I began.

"We can't talk about it. Not yet," Lion held up a hand. "You'll have to trust me with this. We let the cat out of the bag, as your kind are fond of saying, and we'll be in trouble—on several levels. Whatever you do, don't let anything slip around Kee. You're vampire; that ought to be simple enough."

"This is important?"

"Extremely."

"All right."

"Good. Ready to hunt rogue werewolves tonight?"

"Absolutely. I was almost killed by rogue wolves. I wouldn't mind a bit of payback."

"This is Kee's version of payback. They kill one of ours; we hunt theirs. Since we know on some level that this world is important to the enemy, we figure we can get away with a few things without them blowing the planet to bits. And since it's not worth saving," Lion shrugged instead of finishing his statement.

"You're not very reassuring, you know."

"Never meant to be. Can't lie, remember?"

* * *

"Bearcat wants to go, so I'm going, too," Joey said. "He was a shapeshifter before, and he likes to join the battle, sometimes."

"Still have your fangs and claws?" I asked.

"When I need them," he nodded. "The nice thing is I don't have to if I don't want to. I feel amazing, Adam. Like I awoke from a bad dream."

"You're saying being a vampire was the bad dream?"

"Kind of. I never did like it much, except for the speed and a few other perks. That whole sleep of the dead thing during daylight bothered me a lot."

"Then dress carefully," I warned. "I don't want you bitten by any of those rogues."

"Hey, I saw what happened to you. No, thanks," Joey shook his head. "Do we know how many?" he added.

"I haven't heard numbers," I said. "Ready? The others are waiting downstairs."

* * *

"One of Shirley's wolves disappeared in the area," Daniel informed us as we climbed from two vehicles and looked about us. Empty land surrounded the SUV, with only a narrow track to drive on. If the area isn't plowed for agriculture, included in the yard around a home or located on a Gulf Coast beach, the land tends to be covered in brush and scrub over sandy soil.

That's where we were—on a side road south of Corpus Christi, with no houses in sight. Joey was taller (but not by much), than the brush lining both sides of the dirt and gravel road. "See this," Daniel pointed toward a narrow space between the growth. The path was barely wide enough for a wolf to have traveled through it.

Darkness had fallen; Lion and Dragon didn't want to call attention to the fact that we were out in numbers, so we'd waited for nightfall. Kiarra was with us, but she'd remained silent for the duration of the trip and I chose not to press her.

She did sit beside me in the SUV, however, and I'd kept an arm about her shoulders while Lion drove. "Do we follow, or split up?" Dragon asked.

"I say split up," Daniel said. "I'll go this way," he nodded toward the trail.

"I'll back you up," Lion offered, before turning into the black Lion. I realized that this was his smaller version, like the white mare was Kiarra's smaller animal. I wasn't sure I wanted to see the large, fighting Lion. Dragon?
Forget that
.

"Two more groups, and spread out," Dragon ordered. I followed Kiarra and Merrill, who went east of the trail Daniel and Lion followed. Dragon went westward, with Joey and Bearcat following him. If our luck held, Daniel would surprise the rogues, while the rest of us converged from different angles, attacking the makeshift Pack from behind.

Four miles in, I caught the noise. Merrill did as well, but Kiarra had already stopped still in front of us. The scent of a fire and cooking meat came moments later. Somebody was camping out, that much was evident. I was surprised the wolves bothered to cook at all. They merely had to change and eat their prey raw.

We stood amid shoulder-high brush and tall grasses, while Kiarra considered a course of action. Likely, she was alerting the others as well, but I'd been shut out of the conversation.

Are you hearing her mindspeech?
Merrill asked, shocking the hell out of me. He had it, too.

Through Griffin, when I received his blood
, Merrill explained before I could ask.
As deaf as a wall before that
, he added.

We've been shut out of the conversation
, I responded.
I suspect she knows something and she, Lion and Dragon are debating what to do.

You're probably correct
.

As unfortunate as that might be
, I agreed.

I'm concerned about the reason werewolves might cook meat. Especially since these are supposedly hiding
, he sent.

As am I
.

Get out of there
, Griffin's voice blasted into our minds at the same moment the area blew up around us.

* * *

Kiarra paced and cursed, in so many languages I failed to understand more than half of them. I was grateful she, Dragon and Lion had chosen to include the rest of us inside their personal shields. If they hadn't, we'd be dead. That's what their silent conversation had been about—the fact that they sensed danger ahead, and how they might protect the rest of us.

"We don't usually include anybody inside personal shields," Lion handed me a cup of tea. Kiarra's cursing had gone soft, so it was easier to hear Lion's words. "She did it twice—to heal you and Joey. The enemy would have been alerted by the power expenditure if she hadn't."

"What's the problem with doing that?" I asked before sipping tea. Lion had sweetened it and added milk, just as I preferred.

"It leaves us vulnerable," Lion said, gesturing for me to sit down. He took a seat on the sofa with me and drank his tea before continuing. "You could strike out at us while you're inside our shield, and we'd be in trouble," he added.

"That's frightening," I said.

"That's why we seldom do it. It takes a great deal of courage and trust to include someone in that tight bubble around us."

"What, exactly, blew up out there?" I asked. It was on the local news—the fact that a wide area of land was burning south of Corpus Christi. Many reported hearing an explosion, but nobody could assign a reason for it. Fortunately, our vehicles were parked far away, and Pheligar saw fit to move them with power, along with the rest of us.