Bad Mouth(2)

Olen, his spine straight and his shoulders back, wore an autocratic air with apparent ease. Though barely half a foot taller than Val’s five-foot-seven inches, he seemed to peer several feet down his straight nose at her. Fine lines graced the corners of his eyes, although she’d never seen the vampire smile. His black hair had grayed prematurely at his temples before he’d turned.

Olen’s impact came from his eyes. Their dark red coloring didn’t impede the keen edge of intelligence that hit like armor-piercing bullets. She felt as if he could see into her soul. He tipped his head slightly toward her, sending a stab of ice down her spine.

Graham, the sociable one, normally would have been the first to extend a greeting, but he appeared struck dumb. She stood to address their hosts.

“Olen Rex, Domina Evangeline,” she said. “Thank you for seeing us. This is my associate, Graham Fischer. Graham joined the Vampire Liaison Office two months ago. He has prior experience working with the governor as an attorney and private consultant.”

“I recall we’ve spoken several times. Lovely to meet you in person, Mr. Fischer.” Evangeline’s voice swathed his name in a sexy rasp. “Welcome.”

The vamp’s ruby-eyed gaze fixed on Graham with too much interest for Val’s comfort. Evangeline’s sensuality cranked to high volume reduced her friend to a giant walking gland that would end up being useless to their cause. Perhaps that was the vampire’s intent. If he kept this up, she’d have to neuter him before he could come back again.

Evangeline’s red lips curved into a knowing smirk. The vampire most likely smelled Graham’s physical arousal, and Val wanted to jettison his traitorous body back to Seattle at Mach ten speed.

“What brings you to us in such dreadful weather?” Olen asked.

Of course he knew what brought her, but he liked to play games. After nearly two years, the game had become tiresome.

Val cut straight to the point. “There’s been a rash of bloodings.”

If the thought of depraved vampires rampantly sucking humans dry caused the vampires alarm, they hid it well.

Heartless. She caught her tongue between her teeth, fighting the bitter words aching to get loose. When they didn’t respond, she added, “And a sharp increase in derangements over the last two months.”

Deranged transformations were illegal, even among the Immortalis Legio, commonly known as the Legion. No self-respecting vampire would lower themselves to transform a human not approved by the Dominorum. A sudden increase could only mean the Dominorum hadn’t been enforcing the law and capturing the greedy vampires as they were supposed to.

“Unfortunate,” Olen replied. For all the concern he showed, he could have been talking about the Seahawks game last weekend. “We make every effort to curb unruly Legion citizens and prevent harm to humans. Are you certain the bloodings are authentic?”

Val’s eyes widened, shock and fury vying for domination. “Are you implying the VLO can’t tell the difference between a blooding and a copycat?”

“Certainly not,” Evangeline cut in, still smiling. Val hated that smile. Only a sociopath could sport that cat-with-warm-milk smile when they were talking about murder. “We only want to avoid pointing fingers at innocent citizens.”

There was nothing innocent about vampires. They shouldn’t even exist, although Val could never utter those words publicly and expect to keep her liaison position.

“No one wants to make false accusations,” Graham said, “but only a vampire could have caused these deaths.”

Ah, he speaks.

“So you come to us expecting the Dominorum to solve your homicide cases for you?” Olen arched a haughty brow.

“This problem isn’t ours to solve alone, Olen.” Val concentrated on smoothing the emotion from her face. There was no way in hell she’d let him know he was getting to her. “They were perpetrated by some of yours.”

“Or by a rogue. The Legion follows the dictates of the Dominorum.” Olen’s lips settled into a contemptuous smirk. If he were to acknowledge one of the Legion vampires as suspect, it would be a step closer to admitting transformation was a problem. If all transformations became illegal, the Immortalis would lose considerable power over human society. Transformations were their biggest commodity.

“Perhaps the Dominorum is losing control over the Legion.” Val kept her voice low and steady and her expression placid as she dug into his sense of pride. Her knees went weak at the risk of pushing him too far, but she’d be damned if she’d return to her seat while the vampires stood over her.

Olen’s eyes flared with inner light before he composed himself. She was glad she’d brought Graham, despite his earlier lapse in good taste. It wouldn’t be a stretch for her to disappear, the victim of a mysterious accident on the way back to Seattle.

Evangeline turned to Olen, her head tilted to the side. When Olen met his mate’s gaze, Val’s fine hairs stood on end. The air charged with restrained energy as the two vampires spoke telepathically. After a few silent, tense minutes, Olen’s attention settled on Val.

“It is in our interest to punish any Legion who may be violating Dominorum rule. In light of the possibility the murderer may not be a rogue but one of the Legion, we offer you a liaison to smooth over any…bumps you encounter with the Legion when questioning them.”

“A liaison? As in only one? You want to give us a desk jockey and no enforcement officers?”

This time Evangeline’s smile exuded wicked delight and grew broad enough to expose her fangs. Even Olen, the one who never smiled, had a look of smug amusement.

“You need someone with Immortalis jurisdiction to find the killer you’re looking for, even to eventually discover that the killer is simply a rogue,” he said.

There were too many derangements in such a short period of time to be caused by one rogue.

“Yes, Ms. Craig, we’ll give you one vampire. Once you meet him, you’ll see one could never speak his name and the word only in the same sentence.”

Something in his tone put those icy fingers back into her spine. “Do I know this vampire?”

“No. He’s not particularly inclined toward politics.” Olen’s strange inflection gave her the impression he’d made an inflated understatement.

“Who is he?”

“Kade Rollins.”

“A last name,” Val noted. “He’s young then. Will the Legion obey him?”

Evangeline laughed. “Oh, they’ll obey. He’s an adjuvant.”

Val’s face tightened. Adjuvants were the ultimate bane of her existence, the only vampires capable of turning humans and supercharged with extraordinary strength, speed, and abilities. No good could come of working with a creature like Kade Rollins.

“Find someone else.” Amazed she’d kept her voice steady, she willed Olen to rescind his choice.

He didn’t even blink. “Your liaison is Kade. By the time you reach Seattle, his contact information will be at your disposal. Keep in mind that he’s one of ours. He is not your minion.” He cocked his head in thought. “Although I doubt you’ll have any trouble remembering that.”

The pair turned in unison, walked out through the archway, and disappeared down the hall. Val and Graham had been dismissed.

As they started for the foyer, the walking corpse appeared on cue to lead the way. Val sensed the tension humming in Graham. At least he waited until the massive door boomed shut behind them before he spoke.

“Holy Christ!”

She sighed, wishing she wasn’t about to hear the veneration in his voice but knowing she would nonetheless. “Let’s go. I can’t get away from here soon enough.”

“Wow. They were something amazing. Did you feel that—their presence?”

“Graham.” She peered at him like a bug under glass. “Stop. What you’re doing, what you’re thinking. Just stop. They’re the bad guys you know.”

“But they don’t have to be.” He cupped her shoulders and held her at arm’s length. “I know you have a reason to hate them, but Will’s weakness isn’t their fault. Look, they’re willing to help out with the investigation. Doesn’t that count?”

“It’s calculated. This Rollins guy will be useless. They made it look like they’re helping, but instead they’ve given us a roadblock.”

“Maybe.” Graham’s semiagreement was grudging at best. She wanted to wipe the traces of reverence from his face. Forty-grit sandpaper would do nicely. “He could get the Immortalis to talk.”

“Did you miss the desk jockey part?”

“So are we. Now look at us, neck-deep in a murder investigation.”

“Because they pushed it this far and because…Just get in the damned car, Graham. There’s something you need to know.”