Chaos Burning (27 page)

HE
smiled to himself as she padded around his house, her fingers caressing the spine of a book, or the smooth edge of a table. She was curious about him. He liked that. He really, really liked the way they were in bed. Especially after the argument they’d had earlier.

He’d figured originally that they’d have good chemistry. But it was so much more. Much like the way she lived the rest of her life, she was uninhibited. Took what she needed, gave without hesitation. She had an unrestrained joy about her when it came to sex and her body. It was unbelievably hot and sexy.

His body still tingled from the last time and he wanted more. But she was already on the phone, talking a mile an hour with her father as she moved through his space. She had no idea but each touch she gave was her way of marking the house. She was everywhere and he heartily approved.

“Hell yes, I shot him. What the heck else would I have done? This is a mass murderer of our people.” The outrage in her voice made him smile. “Yes, we did. But we can’t take them all prisoner. And even if we could, why should we? They’ve declared war on us all.”

He’d enjoyed speaking with her mother, though he understood Lark’s reaction now with some sleep, sex and time between himself and the fight. He’d enjoyed Rain Jaansen and the way her voice softened when she spoke of her daughter.

The father was another thing entirely. Simon wasn’t sure about the way the man had set his daughters against each other. Making them both hunters would have naturally made their competitive streak worse. And that sister was down in Los Angeles and Lark was up in Seattle. Alone.

Not alone. Not anymore. He knew Meriel had offered her a place in the Hunter Corps permanently. And he’d be here, of course. Simon didn’t want her to return to Los Angeles. Even if he thought it was a good place for her, he’d be bugged. But he didn’t think that. In fact, he was more convinced by the day that he and Owen could give her the home she deserved. He got the need to be away from what you’d known as home to actually find your way.

The trip back to Lycia had proven that to him. He’d missed it. Could even think about coming back more often with her at his side, to be part of his pack the way he should. But he knew he’d never return permanently. This was his home now. And she was his safe place. His key.

“Yes. All right.” She continued speaking with her father. Setting up a conference call of all the hunters in U.S. clans. “Simon. Yes, I’m here. Yes, I met his family.”

Simon knew he shouldn’t be eavesdropping but he couldn’t help it. His hearing was good enough and he wanted to know.

“Don’t you think this is sudden? Less than two months ago you were down here and now you’re in Seattle thinking about relocating and you’ve got a boyfriend? You’re a little old for this sort of acting out, aren’t you?”

“Yes, as I’m known for my rash and sudden behavior, I can see why you can’t trust my choices.”

He laughed then. “Touché. You’re a smart woman. I don’t argue with that. It’s just that you’re far away and I can’t help.”

“I don’t need help with him. Well, he is sort of big and bossy, but not unreasonably so. Usually.” She laughed. “That’s the one thing I’m totally all right with. I can’t really put it
into words yet. I’m still processing, but of all people you should understand that, Dad.”

Her father sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “No one is ever going to be good enough for you. I’m your father; it’s my job to be disapproving of your boyfriends. The last one…”

She snorted. “I dumped him, didn’t I? I can take care of myself. Thank you for worrying. But really, like I said, that’s the one thing I believe totally. I can follow my gut. He’s the furthest thing from a boyfriend I could imagine. He’s a man, Dad. A full-grown man who doesn’t play games. He respects my job. He’s good. We’re good. But this other stuff…”

“You’re smart. You have experience. You can do this, Lark.”

“I hope so.”

“We all know so. We’re helping from down here and after our call today we can work some more out. All of us need to pull together. Helena has Research down here on it. They’re in contact with the Kellys up there.”

“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later. I need to go into work now.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” She hung up and he pretended he was looking at the screen of work in front of him.

“I’ve got a meet with the Vampires later tonight.” She said this to him as if she were relating the weather.

“I’ll be accompanying you.”

She turned. “I relayed that information to be courteous and to share some news. I don’t need an escort to do my job.”

She wore a little white dress with red hearts on it. And thick leggings in red. And red cowboy boots. He must be going crazy because he sort of liked it. “They’re going to take one look at you and want a bite. You do resemble a cupcake today.”

She rolled her eyes. “I find it sort of amusing and also sort of offensive that you seem to think I just started this job yesterday or something. I’ve done my share of dealing with vampires. I know how to speak to them. And as it happens they’re quite respectful of me.”

“Oh, and how’s that then? Since they disdain just about everything on the planet.”

“I broke Toril Carson’s arm five years ago. I broke his arm and his nose in a fight.”

He paused, impressed himself. “You did?”

She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal to have broken the arm and nose of a vampire older than Simon was. A resilient, super-strong, old vampire who was powerful enough to hold an entire nest in southern California, the most contentious and largest population of vampires in the U.S. While she’d been twenty years old.

He should have been outraged, but he found it sexy.

“He’s fast, but he’s not a superhero. I just watched him until I figured out his tells and then when he taunted me into a fight I just straightaway did it. Stepped in, gave him two shots that broke the arm, followed up with the heel of my hand to the nose and when he dropped I turned my back and walked away.”

“You turned your back on an injured master vampire?” He stood up and began to pace. The sexy thoughts had burst apart in a shower of worry about how crazy his woman was. “I’m definitely coming with you tonight. Six hundred years isn’t nearly enough practice to be with you. You’re going to kill me.”

“I turned my back to let him know I wasn’t afraid of him. If I’d backed away and acted scared what would the point of the fight have been? I don’t want to go on a play date with them. I want them to give me support in this fight against the Magister. They keep records like no one else. They’re nosy. Which means if anyone has the info we need it’s likely to be them.”

“You didn’t know that when you broke his arm originally.”

“Well, of course not! But I still needed to earn their respect and very few Others respect blood like the Vampires do. Anyway, it’s saved me from many other fights over the years. He likes me, which goes a long way.”

Simon just bet Toril liked her. An old vamp like that would very likely find the same things attractive about Lark that Simon did.

“You don’t have any experience with the vampires here in Seattle.”

“You do?”

“In a matter of speaking. They’re in my club all the time too.”

“Oh, so because you banged some chick with fangs you think you know them?”

Busted.

“Why do you automatically assume that’s what I meant?”

“Because I’m not dumb. Also, Simon, hello. Look at you. Don’t you think females have come to me to let me know they shared some bodily fluids with you?” Annoying, that was.

“They have? Who? Who would disrespect you like that?”

“I really find it hard to reconcile how big and strong and business clever you are with your apparent utter lack of understanding of women. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you know parts of us.” She blushed and he barked a laugh. “But that’s not everything. You don’t seem to understand what makes us tick. Of course your former bedmates would get pissed that some new chick in town would not only be in their place but living in your house too.”

He moved to her and she allowed him to pull her to his body and kiss her soundly. “You’re not like any of them.”

“I know.” She quirked a grin and he stepped back.

“I still think you should let me come along. This is about more than just witches now. My people are threatened too. This is my town, my land in a way much like it’s yours. Plus”—he paused, licking his lips—“plus I can be with you if something bad happens.”

She smiled, all soft and sweet. “That’s so lovely. Really. But you have a club to run. I’ll check in if you like.”

“You should make me your partner. Or a consultant. Yes, a consultant. If not, I’ll worry and be nosy and bug you. It’s really the lesser of two evils.”

“You’re a pain. I have to go to work. I’ve got several conference calls and meetings. I hate that part of the job. In fact if I could agree to this partner thing and let you handle all that, I’d be really happy. But alas, I’m the boss. Remember that little fact?”

“I remember all right. Have dinner with me. Mid-shift for you. Come by Heart of Darkness and spend some time with me.”

“Don’t think I don’t know you’re just trying to keep tabs on me. It’s sweet, which is why I’ll play along.”

Maybe she’d let him go with her to the vampire nest too. He’d be sure to have all her favorite things on hand. He knew women better than she claimed he did. And this one could be lured into his way of thinking if he had Mexican food waiting.

“You’ve caught me.”

“See you at nine.” She sailed out after a kiss and a wave.

SHE
smiled all the way in to Seattle as she drove his ridiculous car. She couldn’t even hear the engine. It drove like a dream
and
he’d filled the tank for her. He did stuff like that. Not because he thought she couldn’t, but because he seemed to love to take care of her. And how could she not grin about that?

Simon was amazing. Frustrating. But he made her happy so why would she pretend otherwise?

She grabbed a latte on her way up to the office and poked her head in down in Research to see if they’d found anything out.

They hadn’t so she went on up to her office where Gage had put a stack of things on her chair, including the tapes from her interrogations the night before. She watched them and took notes on what she missed and things to follow up on.

“Hey.”

She looked up to catch sight of Nell standing in her doorway.

“Hey yourself! Come in and sit. What are you doing here?”

“We had a doctor’s appointment and it was just a few miles away. Because we got to see an ultrasound of the baby and all is well, William was in a good mood and agreed to drive me here to visit. Tell me what’s new.”

“Not a lot since we spoke earlier. I imagine you got the interrogations to watch?”

“Yes. Gage sent me the videos this morning first thing. Nice job.” She paused. “I want to thank you for being brutal.”

Startled, Lark paused, not knowing how to take the comment.

“We need it here. For a long time we’ve held this land and been able to do so with a minimum of violence. I know it’s not always the same for Gennessee. Hell, it wasn’t always that way here either. We fought hard to gain this land, this power we have.”

Nell took a deep breath and then blew it out. “I was talking to William about the shooting last night. At first I admit I felt a little uncomfortable. And he said to me, these people are plotting your genocide. She gave them warning and they didn’t listen. He was right. They need to know we won’t take any more of their bullshit. We need you here. To help us be more brutal so we can make a point that we’re no one’s prey. So thank you for doing the hard thing.”

Lark relaxed as she understood. “I know this is a huge change of perspective. You’ve had peaceful territory for a very long time. It’s not a crime to view the world from a different perspective because of that.”

“It is now. Because they’ve declared war. We need to adjust that headspace and wage it right back.”

“Yes. Yes, you do. I was in Cyrus Pasqual’s head last night, Nell. He would kill every last one of us if he could. And he’s working for something who seems to be just fine with that as the outcome.”

“Gage told me about the weather-system thing. Good thinking.”

“So far they haven’t found anything unusual. So it may be a dead end.”

“It’s more than what we had yesterday. The more we know, even if it’s what
isn’t
involved, the better.”

Lark totally agreed. “The Magister wants us for something. But it’s not because it’s addicted like the mages.” Lark dug through the desk until she found a ponytail holder so she could twist her hair up and out of her face. “So what is it then? Why is it taking Others?”

“It’s building up power is the nearest I can guess.”

“Yes. Like a sponge maybe? Just draining Other after
Other like bags of chips? But why? What does it plan to do that it needs even more power?” Lark was driven by this question.

“Whatever it is, it can’t be good.”

“We need to know. So we can end it.”

“You’re meeting with the vamps tonight?”

“Yes. Simon will most likely come along.” She blushed. “He…”

Nell laughed and rubbed a hand over her belly. “I know. He’s a bossy one. I’m familiar with that kind of male. Not on your scale. I don’t know how you do it without going crazy. Then again, he must look insanely hot without clothes.”

Lark fanned her face. “Oh yes. He befuddles me. But he’s got connections here in town and he’s big. Big enough to be backup just for his size alone. He’s going to try to wheedle me into it when I go have dinner with him later. I doubt I’ll be resisting. He’s very convincing.”

Lark met with what seemed like a hundred different people, briefed the governance council and spoke with her father once more before she managed to escape the office to do some sweeps of the city.

Chapter 23

SHE
liked being outside. Liked using her othersight in the city. So many Others she never would have noticed otherwise. But their auras were clear to her this way. Weres, witches, vampires and that sort of magick she’d come to realize belonged to all those who came from the other side of the Veil.