"I always did appreciate a good 'lean'," he said, amusement in his voice. "But she's grown stronger since our last visit, and since she thinks she knows exactly what I'm capable of, she will be less tractable."
"Even I don't know exactly what you're capable of," I said wryly, "So she's a fool if she thinks she knows all there is to know."
And Vinny was many things, but a fool wasn't one of them.
My phone beeped as a message came in, and I dug it out of my pocket and glanced down. My heart skipped several beats when I saw it was from Kye.
Lunch is cancelled, it said. Have meeting with a client, Will contact you later.
Hope surged. Maybe last night—and my decision to stop fighting and give him what he wanted—was already beginning to pay off. With the challenge gone, maybe—just maybe—he'd pack up and move on.
It was a slim hope, but one I had to cling to nonetheless.
"Anything important?" Quinn asked, his voice nonchalant.
I glanced at him, noting the sudden remoteness in his expression.
He knew.
"Just a cancelled lunch meeting." I shoved my phone away. "Nothing important."
"Uh-huh," he said, voice still noncommittal.
I wanted to reach out and catch his hand in mine, but that would only confirm his fears. And even though those fears were very real, I didn't want to cause him any more pain than I already had.
We walked though the doors of Vinny's high rise and began to climb the stairs. A rumble of excitement began to touch the air, growing stronger the higher we climbed. I pressed the com-link, making sure it was on.
"Vinny knows we're here," Quinn said, the amusement back in his voice. "She is excited about it."
I glanced back at him. "Is that why the air feels so charged?"
"Yep. Our mistress of emotions is planning to challenge our authority."
"Then she's a damn fool."
He smiled, but this time there was nothing warm about it. "All youngsters challenge authority at some point in their lives. But most chose their targets more wisely."
We reached the top floor. A different girl guarded the door, but like the previous one, she was dressed casually and had a suspicious bulge on her right hip. Unlike the previous guard, this girl looked arrogant. Confident.
If the fledglings were taking their lead from their master, then Quinn was right. Vinny had grown overly confident. So why the sudden change? There'd been little evidence of this attitude when I'd talked to her a few days ago.
Did the man who'd visited her last night have anything to do with it? If so, it was more important than ever that we find him. And that she help us.
"We're here to see Vinny," I said, stopping little more than a foot away from the guard.
"You may go in, but the old one stays here—"
"His name is Quinn and he accompanies me or I will bust Vinny's ass and drag her down to the Directorate." I raised my voice a little. "So call off your dog, Vinny."
The guard's gaze went blank for a moment, then she said, her voice several octaves lower than it had been moments ago, "She does not wish problems with the Directorate, but she does not wish the old one inside her sanctuary."
"The old one can rip your precious little world apart whether he is inside or outside, Vincenta." Though Quinn's voice was still decidedly mild, there was a hint of steel underneath that was warning enough to anyone with sense. "But perhaps a demonstration is in order?"
The wash of power that suddenly burned across my senses was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It was dark, dangerous, and somehow unholy, and it sent chills racing across my flesh. My gaze jumped to Quinn, and for a moment he didn't really seem whole or real, but rather a creature of shadow and imagination.
And somewhere deep inside of me, a memory twitched. I'd seen him do that once before, but that time he'd done it to save my life.
From within the room, there was a weird ripping, popping sound, then the screaming began. High, terrible screaming.
God, I said telepathically, what the hell did you just do?
I showed them just what an old one is capable of. I do not believe Vincenta will cause you any more problems.
Did you have to kill one of them to do it? But even as I said that, I knew it was a stupid question. If Vinny was beginning to test the Directorate's authority and control, then yeah, something drastic had to be done. And whether I liked to admit it or not, the Directorate maintained authority in this city—and others—by the knowledge that they would do whatever it took to hunt down those who went against the rules.
Vinny was an emo vampire, and her methods of rebellion were far subtler—and possibly more dangerous—than regular blood vampires. We couldn't afford to have her flexing her muscles when the city was already in turmoil.
I killed the one armed with silver who was standing in the shadows of the wall curtains. It wasn't one of her main concubines.
I'm sure Vinny will appreciate that consideration.
The sarcasm in my mental voice had his lips briefly twitching, but there was little amusement in his tone as he glanced at the somewhat paler guard and said, "Open the door, or I will do it for you."
The guard stepped back and opened the door. Quinn held out his hand and added, "Give me the gun and the extra bullets."
The note of command was in his voice and the girl obeyed without question. Those bullets were silver. I felt the burn of them as Quinn pocketed both them and the weapon.
I stepped inside the warm room, my gaze sweeping the velvet lushness before stopping at what could only be described as an explosion of flesh, blood, and gore. There was no bones, no body parts, just an oozing, awful mess.
He'd vaporized her.
God.
Just…
God.
How on Earth could you do that to another living being? I flicked my gaze across to Vinny and her cozy little set up down the far end of the room. If I was shocked, then Vinny and her entourage were positively scared shitless.
And with good reason.
Damn it, Quinn, just how long have you been concealing this little ability from me?
I was born with it. It is a gift—he paused, then added darkly—or a curse of my Aedh heritage. I do not use it much, because it has severe consequences.
Yeah. I was looking at the dripping remains of them. And yet… I've seen you do something like this before?
He hesitated. Yes. A while ago, when you first started dating Kellen. One of the chameleons from Starke's underground labs came after you.
Chameleons were a rare breed of non humans who could take on any background and literally become a part of it. They were also ferocious flesh-eaters and extremely hard to kill.
How come I've only just remembered it? Or is that a stupid question?
Our relationship was still very tenuous, he said gently, I did not wish to scare you away.
I told you to keep out of my head.
And I have. As I said, this was a while ago. Before you civilized me.
I snorted softly. As if there was ever a hope of civilizing this particular vampire. He might have an urbane and polished front, but underneath he was still very much a powder keg—and just as dangerous if handled the wrong way.
And yet I felt safer with him than I ever would with Kye.
I kept striding forward. Vinny was attended by her usual passel of toga-clad teenagers, but this time the clothing of those nearest the curtain bore the splattered remains of what had once been human. Or non-human. Their faces were positively green, and I guessed it was only Vinny's influence that was keeping them in the room. There was no caressing of their master's skin, no languid eyes or secretive little smiles. It had all been annihilated by the show of Quinn's power.