Bound to Shadows (17 page)

But angel-like creatures
had
existed, and they’d been called the
Aedh. Quinn’s father had been a priest of the Aedh, and while Quinn might not have gotten the
wings, he did have many of their abilities. Although just how many—and what they were—was
something he’d never really explained.
Still, no surprise there. He might have opened up a whole lot more in recent months, but my sexy
old vampire still had many, many secrets.
“Which is why I needed to talk to you,” Dia said.
“Me?” I glanced up as the waitress appeared at our table. Once we’d placed our orders, I added,
“I don’t know a whole lot about men with wings, I’m afraid.”
She smiled. “You know more than me, though. Or, rather, Quinn does.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So Risa’s father was an Aedh?”
“If that’s what you call one of those men with wings, then yes.”
“I didn’t even know they still existed,” I murmured. “How the hell did you meet him?”
She smiled again, but suddenly there was something haunted in her eyes. “Sometimes there are
personal bonuses when you talk to the spirit world.”
“And personal costs?” I said softly.
“Yeah.” She grimaced. “I might have gotten my daughter, but I saw my death. It’s not
pretty.”
“But you have the Fravardin to protect you.”
“There are some things that not even the Fravardin can conquer.”
As evidenced by the fact that Misha—Dia’s clone brother—had been murdered despite the protection
of his own Fravardin.
I studied her for a moment, concerned. “It’s not going to be soon, is it?”
“No. Risa will be well grown by the time it happens.”
“At least that’s something.” Although it would be hell to live with that knowledge. Personally,
I’d rather not know. “So how does one go about meeting one of the elusive Aedh?”
“I met mine in a bar.” She shrugged. “One night, and I was pregnant.”
“And you haven’t seen him since?”
“No, but Risa’s talents are growing at an extraordinary rate. She needs more guidance than I can
give her.”
“Which is where Quinn comes in.”
“Yes.” Her gaze swept my face. “Do you think he will mind?”
I didn’t think kids were on Quinn’s list of top ten things to experience, but he hadn’t actually
been adverse to the idea of my kid coming into his life, so maybe my vampire was getting
accustomed to the idea. “I’ll ask and find out.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed my hand, and some of the tension riding her shoulders seemed to
dissipate. “Now, how can I help you?”
Now that the moment had arrived to talk about Kye, I suddenly found myself reluctant to do so. As
if
keeping him secret would make the situation any better. With a wry
smile at my own stupid avoidance, I said, “You know about the beheadings?”
“I think you’d have to be living in a sealed box not to know about them.” She crossed her arms on
the table. “That’s the case you’re investigating?”
“Yes, unfortunately.” I smiled a thank-you up at the waitress as she deposited our drinks and
banana cake.
Risa appeared from nowhere, clambering over her mother in her haste to get to her Coke. With the
straw in her mouth and her chubby cheeks glowing, she looked a picture of bliss as she downed her
drink.
I spooned a mouthful of the luscious cake and probably had a similar look of bliss on my face.
“We really haven’t got a lot to go on, but we need to get this case solved—and fast.”
“Before the vampires and the humans start taking aim at one another, no doubt.”
“Preferably, yes. Although it’s not actually humans doing the killing but another
vampire.”
Dia raised a pale eyebrow. “Really? That’s not what the papers are saying.”
“Which is why you should never believe everything you read.”
She frowned. “Why hasn’t the information been released? It would surely diffuse the
situation.”
“We only just discovered it. I daresay Jack will make a press conference his next
priority.”
“But you still need a quick solve, just in case the public decides not to believe what is
printed?”
“Exactly.” I took another bite of cake. “Right now, I have no concrete clues and I’m willing to
give anything a try.”
Surprise flitted through her bright eyes. “Meaning you’re willing to let me give you a
reading?”
I hesitated. I might be discussing the case, but I’d really come here to sound her out about Kye.
And letting her do a reading just might reveal a whole lot more about my soul mate than I really
wanted to know. And yet, what choice did I have? If she could find something useful to stop these
murders, then uncovering more about Kye was a small price to pay. “Usual restrictions apply. I do
not want to know what the future holds.”
“You know I can’t always control where the visions go.”
“I know. I just don’t want to hear the nitty-gritty details of just what might happen to my love
life in my future.” I waved the spoon at her. “I’d rather muddle along at my own
speed.”
“I can understand, given the future I’ve been shown.” She took a sip of coffee, then pushed it to
one side. “Give me your hand.”
She held out a hand, palm up. I took a large gulp of coffee to fortify myself, then placed my
hand in hers. Her eyes closed and her fingers wrapped around mine. Her skin was cool initially,
but electricity soon surged, jumping from her skin to mine and spreading up my arm like wildfire.
It made the hairs on my arms stand on end and my pulse race, and it felt like her essence was
somehow entwining around mine. It was a merging that was both metaphysical and ghostly, and
stronger than anything she’d done before. The wolf inside instinctively bared her teeth, ready to
fight against the intruder, but this was a force I’d invited in, and I couldn’t back away from it
now.
She shuddered. “I see the murders. The papers didn’t report half of it, did they?”
“No.” My reply was soft. I knew from experience that if I spoke too loudly, it seemed to jar her
out of the moment.
“There is a lot of hatred in those killings. And a fair bit of revenge.” She paused. “Look to the
vampire council, to old decisions. This began seven months ago. It is not a recent
thing.”
“You can’t tell who or what sparked this?”
“No.” She tilted her head slightly and added, “You need to be careful.”
“Dia, don’t—”
Her grip on my fingers tightened, even though I made no move to pull my hand from hers. “There is
a player in your life at the moment. He is more dangerous than you think or know.”
No prizes for guessing who
that
was. “I know—”
“No, you don’t,” she said, voice suddenly fierce. “He is a man without heart, without conscience,
and he threatens people you care about. He
will
kill. You need to
tread softly around him, and never,
ever
trust him.”
“I don’t. Believe me on that.”
Her bright gaze flew open and pinned me. “You need to walk away from him. Now, before it is too
late.”
She actually sounded scared, and that was scaring the
hell
out of me.
What on earth had she seen? I might have said I didn’t want to know, but was the not knowing any
better? Suddenly, I didn’t think so.
“I can’t, Dia. He’s my wolf soul mate.”
“Oh, God.” Her fingers were clasped tightly around mine now, this time free of energy beyond the
tension I could feel in her. “Fate really does have it in for you, doesn’t she?”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. I’d said it so often myself that it just sounded funny hearing it
on someone else’s lips. “Yeah, she really does.”
Dia’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Cling to what you have with Quinn. Use that link to
fight the wolf one. It will give you a strength most other wolves would not have in this
situation.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Are there actually other wolves out there who hate their soul
mates?”
“Not hate, perhaps, but there are certainly those who are disappointed.” She shrugged. “We all
have our dreams and desires, and fate doesn’t always deliver.”
As I’d discovered time and again. I hesitated, and then asked the question that I feared the
most. “Who does he kill?”
Her gaze darkened. “I didn’t see. You just need to be very careful around him. He is playing a
game, and while I can’t see his end goal, I sense it is a dangerous one for you.” Her fingers
crushed mine. “Please,
please
, be careful.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Good.” She squeezed my fingers a final time, then released them and picked up her coffee. It was
frightening to see her hand was still shaking in reaction to whatever she’d seen.
Meaning she’d seen a whole lot more than she’d ever admit.
I suddenly lost my appetite for cake and picked up my coffee. It didn’t do a whole lot to warm
the sudden chill.
Still, I’d known the moment I agreed to the reading that this could happen. And she warned me
often enough that she would not hold back on what she saw.
And yet she was, and that was the scariest thing of all.
I glanced at my watch and saw it was nearing six. Time for me to get going, or I’d be late for my
date with Quinn. I gulped down the rest of my coffee, scalding my insides for the second time
that day, then retrieved my credit card from my purse.
“I need to go,” I said, swiping the card through the slot and punching in our table number. “I’ve
got dinner with Quinn, so I’ll ask him about taking Risa under his wing.”
The little girl looked up at the sound of her name and gave me a cheeky smile. “Risa doesn’t
suck.”
Dia rolled her eyes. “Indeed not.”
I laughed and stood up. “Usual time next Thursday?”
“Yes. And this time, my treat. You pay enough, and I know it doesn’t always go on the Directorate
account.”
I shrugged and leaned across the table to give Risa a quick kiss on the top of the head. “Bye,
monkey.”
“Bye,” she said, enthusiastically waving for all of three seconds before she grabbed her straw
and began a final assault on her Coke.
I grinned and slid out of the booth. But I’d barely taken a step when Dia said softly, “Riley,
make sure that when you shoot, you shoot to kill.”
It was an echo of the warning Kye had given me, and it chilled me to the bone.
But I didn’t stop to ask why. I just got the hell out of there before she said anything
else.

Q
uinn was leaning against the side of a black Porsche when I
arrived at Essendon airport. He was dressed casually—in blue jeans and a white shirt with the
sleeves roughly rolled up—but casual on that man was as hot as hell.
But it meant we weren’t going anywhere flash, so it was just as well I’d opted for a smart but
casual look rather than a glam one.
I parked beside his car, then walked around to him. His arms wrapped around me and drew me close,
his kiss warm and welcoming.
“Hmmmm,” I said after a while. “That was nice.”
“It was,” he agreed, dark eyes shining down at me. “And you look very pretty.”
“Thanks.” I looked past him, studying the black rooftop. “What happened to the red Ferrari? I was
rather partial to that one.”
His sexy grin had my knees going all weak and funny. “Or partial to the things we did in
it?”
“Damn right.”
He laughed and let his grip slip down to my arm before entwining his fingers through mine. “The
six-month lease was up,” he said, leading me toward a waiting helicopter. “I decided a change was
in order so you didn’t get bored.”
“Not even I could get bored with making love in the seat of a red Ferrari.”
“Ah, but if you’ve never made love in the seat of a black Porsche, how do you know you won’t like
that better?”
I grinned. “And to think I used to believe you were a staid old vampire when it came to
sex.”
“Not staid. Just not too adventurous until I know and trust my partner.” He hesitated, and his
expression became a little more serious. “I talked to one of the councilors. He reluctantly
agreed to a meeting, but only under certain circumstances.”
Having to meet set conditions was annoying, but I guess I could understand his caution given
someone out there seemed intent on wiping out the Melbourne council. “And what might those
circumstances be?”
“That it happens tonight, and it takes place somewhere outside of Melbourne.”
Disappointment fluttered through me. But I could hardly complain about our dinner date being
compromised when I’d asked him to arrange this. “So why his rush?”
“Because many of the remaining councilors have decided to hightail it out of the state until this
has all been sorted out.”
But not Dante, I’d bet. He just didn’t seem the type who would flee at the first sign of trouble.
“A mass evacuation might only succeed in driving our killer underground.”
“A point I argued when it was mentioned. His retort was that he preferred his head remain
attached to his body.”
“What is the greater council saying about it?”
“I doubt they know just yet, but they wouldn’t approve.” His gaze swept me, a heat I felt rather
than saw. “You look tired.”
“I am a little,” I admitted. “It’s been a stressful few days.”
“Workwise? Or is there another reason you’re stressed?”
It was lightly said, but we both knew what he was really asking. Just as we both knew if I gave
him the answer he was seeking, it would spoil our evening.
“Working on two cases that have the potential to blow up in my face is reason enough to stress,”
I said honestly enough. “And you said you didn’t want to know how things might—or might not—be
progressing with Kye.”
His smile was rueful. “I’m discovering that not knowing is almost as hard as knowing. It appears
I have a very vivid imagination when it comes to you and that wolf.”
I stopped and swung him around to face me. “When I do something with Kye, it’ll be because I have
to, not because I want to. Fixate on that—and the fact that you have my heart—rather than
anything else.”
“Easy for you to say.” He leaned forward and kissed me again, softly and quickly. “I fell in love
with a werewolf once before, and she broke my heart when she met her soul mate.”
“But as you keep reminding me, I’m half vampire. The two halves of my soul have very different
needs.” I touched a hand to his face, letting my thumb brush lightly over his sun-warmed lips.
“And I don’t want to think about Kye any more than I need to, so can we please get into the
helicopter and get something to eat? I’m starved.”
He laughed, and the tension in him eased as suddenly as it had risen. He tugged me forward again.
“Just as well I ordered a large picnic basket, then.”
“So where are we going?” Not that I really cared, given that no matter where we ended up, I’d
still be in the company of a seriously sexy man.
“A friend of mine owns a large plot of land in the Mountain Bay area, and it has views right out
over Eildon Dam. It’s stunning at sunset, and perfect for a picnic.”
“Lovely.”
“If everything goes according to plan, it should be.” He stopped next to the helicopter and
helped me in, then climbed in beside me. After making sure my belt was done up right and handing
me the ear protectors, he signaled for the pilot to take off.
I might still have my stupid fear of heights, but it was an exhilarating ride nonetheless—even if
I spent half of it with my eyes squeezed shut. And I was damn glad when we landed safely and I
was able to get out onto solid ground.
The view made it all worthwhile.
His friend’s property was situated on a hill, and had stunning views right across the water and
the mountains beyond. And the silence—it was almost eerie after having grown so used to the
constant hum of the city.
Quinn grabbed the picnic basket and a blanket from the back of the helicopter, then walked down
the hill a little. I took off my stilettos and followed him. As he spread the blanket over the
grass, the helicopter took off.
“It’s going to pick up Leon,” he said, obviously noticing my surprise. He glanced at his watch.
“We have just over an hour to eat and chat.”
Which is exactly what we did. I even remembered to ask him about Risa.
“Certainly.” His response was so quick I raised my eyebrows. He smiled. “I sensed her power the
very first time I saw her. She needs training, and there’s few enough of us around these days to
do it.”
“You told me the Aedh were extinct.”
“I lied.”
Surprise, surprise. “Bet you didn’t think it would come back to bite you on the butt.”
“The minute I saw Risa, I knew it would.” He shrugged, then gave me a cheeky smile that wiped
away the wisps of my annoyance. “The priests no longer exist. The Aedh do, however, although they
are scarce and scattered. But there have always been more males than females, so there are more
of us half-breeds than full-bloods.”
“So why don’t the fathers hang around to teach their offspring?”
His smile was almost cold. “Because the Aedh are not human in
any
sense of the word. Family is an alien concept to them. They sow their seed, then leave. It is
done out of necessity rather than desire.”
My eyebrows rose again. “Necessity?”
“When the Aedh’s life span is coming near its end, they become fertile and will breed. If there
is no female Aedh available, they find another source.”
Meaning anything female, human or nonhuman, obviously. “So if the dads don’t hang around, how do
their offspring learn? How did you?”
“The priests used to gather the offspring to raise and instruct. While they are no longer around,
there are still teachers. Most are half-breeds like myself.”
And yet his dad had been a priest, so he’d not only known him, but his sister. I frowned. “If
your dad was at the end of his life span when he conceived you and your sister, then how did he
teach you?”
“Because an Aedh’s life span can be measured in centuries, not mere years. I was ten when he
died. The other priests taught me after that.” He hesitated. “It is quite possible that Risa will
live for several hundred years, although the human part of her will ensure she ages normally
until she hits her mid to late twenties.”
Then Risa was one lucky girl. Imagine being naturally stuck at that age? Humans would kill for
that sort of DNA. “So why haven’t the Aedh teachers been in contact with Dia?”
“Because I’m here, and it falls to me.”
“Meaning Aedh don’t trespass on another’s patch?”
He hesitated. “There are other half-Aedh in this city—I believe there might even be a few
full-bloods. But I am the oldest, and I’ve trained as a priest. The task is mine.”
Huh. And here I was wondering how he’d cope with the possibility of a child in the house, and all
along
he’d
been waiting to step into Risa’s life to help raise—and
teach—her. “Will Dia ever find her Aedh? Or is he more than likely dead?”
“That I can’t tell you.” He motioned to the plates in front of us. “How about you concentrate on
eating rather than giving me the inquisition?”
I’d rather keep asking questions, but I knew him well enough to realize I wasn’t going to get any
more out of him right now. So I did as he asked. Once the food was gone, I filled my wineglass
and rested back against his chest, watching the sun fill the sky with ribbons of red and gold as
it set over the hills. It was one of the most peaceful and restful moments I’d had in
ages.
So, naturally, fate threw a spanner in the works.
The sharp ring of the sat phone made me jump. “Someone has less than perfect timing,” I muttered,
scooting away from Quinn so he could dig the phone out of his pocket.
He glanced at the number, then said, “It’s Jacques,” before answering it.
Jacques was the helicopter pilot. I frowned and glanced at my watch. It was nearly nine, so
ideally he and the helicopter should have been almost back here by now. Maybe our reluctant
councilor had decided to back out of the arrangement at the last moment.
Quinn made a few short sharp comments, then hung up.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, even though I had a fair idea from listening to his side of the
conversation.
“Leon just became the victim of a drive-by beheading.” His voice was grim. “Jacques saw the
attack and immediately called the Directorate, but it happened so fast he wasn’t able to help the
councilor out.”
I raised my eyebrows. “If it was a vampire who took him out, then we’re dealing with someone
fairly old. The sun isn’t fully down yet.”
“Jacques said it was definitely a vamp who killed Leon—his skin went pink when he opened the side
door of the van. There was someone else driving, but he couldn’t see who.” Quinn shoved the phone
back into his pocket. “From what I can gather, the vamp wasn’t in the sunlight for
long.”
“But hacking someone’s head off with a saw isn’t quick.”
“The killer used a sword, not a saw. Apparently Leon was walking toward the helicopter when the
van appeared. He jumped out of its way, but the van stopped. The next thing Jacques saw was Leon
on the ground and the sword swinging. Jacques got the plate number.”
Which was probably useless, given that the van would more than likely be stolen or rented. And
the renter would no doubt have used a false ID—unless he was a complete moron, but these killers
seemed way too intelligent. “If he was taken just before he climbed into the helicopter, that
suggests he was already being watched.”
“Or that they’re monitoring phone conversations and knew about the meet.” He drained his wine and
glanced at his watch. “Jacques is only five minutes away. I wouldn’t mind betting Jack will call
soon.”
That
was a bet I wasn’t about to take. The clatter of the approaching
helicopter began to invade the serenity. Quinn rose and offered me a hand. I clasped his fingers
and let him pull me to my feet.
“You know there’s no chance of any of the councilors agreeing to talk to you now,” he said,
tugging me closer then wrapping his arms around my waist. “I very much doubt they’ll even talk to
me after this.”
I knew one councilor who’d be
more
than willing to talk to me, but I
had a fair suspicion Dante would require payback of the sexual kind, and I really didn’t want to
indulge him that way. There was something about the man that irritated me. But maybe it was just
the fact that he used his sexual glamor without restrictions while we werewolves were threatened
with all sorts of punishments if we even
flirted
with the idea of
using our auras.
I wrapped my arms around Quinn’s neck and pressed even closer. His body was warm and hard against
mine, and despite my tiredness, a little part of me wished we’d done more than simply eat and
talk. “Why would the councilors refuse to talk to you? It’s not like you murdered Leon or
anything.”
“No, but the mere fact he took my call and then a few hours later wound up as the next victim
will spook the rest.”
“But how would they know about the call? And why would they think you’re involved anyway?” I
shook my head at the thought. “I guess, given the situation, that they’d be viewing molehills and
seeing mountains, but surely they’d realize a cazador could probably find less obvious ways of
killing.”
He smiled and pressed me a little closer, so that I could feel the smallest of muscle movements.
It was a very pleasant sensation. “Most of those on the Melbourne council don’t know my history.
Only those on the greater council do.”
The clatter of the helicopter was louder and, over his shoulder, a black speck was becoming
visible. My brief time of peace was coming to an end, and right now I resented that.
I hated the thought of having to go back to the long hours of investigation and the freaks who
killed. But most of all, I resented having to go back and face Kye.
Because I very much doubted he’d wait until tomorrow’s lunch to see me again.
I pushed the tremor that was part anger, part anticipation aside and said, “You’re not going to
get into trouble with the greater council for helping me out, are you?”
His smile was warm, yet there was something very cold in his gaze. It was a quick reminder that
my luscious, warmhearted vampire was a very old—and very dangerous—being. “There are only three
who would—or could—reprimand me. And given the situation, I doubt they would dare.”
I didn’t think it was the situation that would stop them. It was more likely the man. Or rather,
what he’d once been.
He leaned forward and kissed me, his lips still gentle. Like all the other kisses we’d shared
tonight, it was a sweet thing, yet oddly filled with emotion. And while it lacked the instant
burn of desire, that very fact was oddly comforting. We’d gone beyond mere lust, and these kisses
reflected that.
The helicopter landed, creating a whirl of wind that tore at our hair and clothes before the
blades slowed down. Quinn gathered the basket and blanket then escorted me to the bird.