Blood Double (God Wars #1)(13)

"How does he know that?" Kooper stared at Trevor.

"Mindspeech," Trevor took a drink from his bottle.

"I contacted my sire, who sent the message to Adam Chessman. He is watching over her carefully, as her first sire should have done," Flavio explained.

"Gavin should have been watching when she got away and went to The Line," Kooper growled.

"Not to worry," Flavio's smile was almost blinding. "Adam's blood will ensure that sunlight will no longer harm her."

"Must be pretty damn special, then," Kooper drank from his cup.

"It is," Flavio agreed. "Why is it that you need her help?"

"This." Kooper pulled a comp-vid from his pocket. "Teeg San Gerxon captured this one a few hours ago. They can't get him to talk, and that's unusual. Those warlocks Teeg has can convince just about anybody to talk."

"Teeg can convince them to talk," Trevor muttered. "Most of the time."

"How can Breanne help with this?" Flavio was extremely curious.

"She led me straight to Weren Kele and his partner, Shale Parc. I have a feeling she can tell these things, somehow, without asking any questions."

"That would be a useful talent," Flavio agreed. "Father?" Flavio said the last word to empty air. Wlodek appeared in a blink.

"What is it, child?" Wlodek asked.

"These two need to see Breanne, as soon as she wakes."

"She won't wake until tomorrow morning. That eliminates our vampire Sheriff from being there."

"No," Trevor shook his head. "I know about the blood thing. The Queen gave me hers years ago. Said I might need it to track scum on the light side of Le-Ath Veronis. I can go."

"How did you manage to keep that secret?" Flavio's dark eyes studied Trevor with guarded interest.

"Nobody important enough asked before." Trevor grinned as he rose from his seat. "When and where do you want me tomorrow morning? Kooper and I have a date with a sick friend."

"Meet here at eight bells. I'll take you," Wlodek said.

"Good enough. Thank you, Honored One." Trevor inclined his head respectfully to Wlodek.

*

"Has he said anything?" Teeg San Gerxon leaned against the wall opposite the prisoner's cell.

"Not a word, boss." Stellan Starr shook his head. He couldn't understand it, either. They had a rogue warlock sitting in the cell—they knew that much at least, but he refused to talk and neither Teeg's compulsion nor anything the Starr brothers had attempted could bring a word to this one's lips.

"If we hadn't intercepted that ship, we wouldn't have him, either. Any word on its destination?"

"No, boss. Just found drugs on board, and only a few boxes of that. I get the idea that information was the most important cargo they transported; that's why he won't—or can't—talk." Stellan nodded toward their prisoner.

Their captive didn't look capable of holding anything back; Stellan thought him rather weak as a warlock, otherwise he might have escaped his captors, who were regular CSD—Campiaan Security Detail. Instead, the agents had received a few burns from feeble fireblasts before they'd managed to knock him unconscious with a laser tazer. They'd hauled him to Campiaa for questioning afterward.

"We can hold him two days for questioning on the drugs, but we have to let him post bond after that," Teeg sighed. "Kooper Griff says he has somebody who might help, but tomorrow morning is the earliest they can arrive."

"I hope whomever he has can tell us something. There's a problem here, I can smell it," Stellan grumbled.

"Yeah. Me, too, Stell. Me, too."

*

Breanne's Journal

"Sweetheart, people are waiting for you to wake."

I blinked at the face hovering near mine. Oddly enough, Adam Chessman's gray eyes were filled with concern. I blinked a few more times, just to bring his face into focus. I knew all sorts of things about him when my vision finally cleared. Yes, he'd been vampire. Yes, he'd killed. And finally, yes, he was a kind soul. I wanted to weep at the last revelation. Not only was he a kind soul, but some of that kindness was pointed in my direction.

"Who's waiting?" I touched my forehead—my brain felt fragile for some reason. It hit me, then. Sunlight filtered through an unfamiliar window beside my bed and I wasn't frying. I remembered my suicide attempt in the sun on Le-Ath Veronis—I'd barely kept the screams of agony behind my teeth as natural light melted my skin.

Adam smiled gently at me. "Well, Trevor and Kooper say what they have can't wait, and then Kevis wants to speak with you when you're done with those two," Adam interrupted my thoughts. He was a handsome man—there was no doubt of that. He was also mated to a beautiful woman; I'd seen her in my reading of Adam. I even had her name and the names of her two other mates.

"I'll walk you to the kitchen so you can have breakfast and listen to what Kooper and Trevor have to say." Adam smiled gently at me as he helped me off the bed.

"How am I still alive in daylight?" I wobbled precariously as I stood.

"We had to perform a second turn last night, after you went to The Line," Adam said, slipping my hand through his elbow to steady me. "My blood has something extra in it." I already knew he was special, as were the others I'd seen in his reading.