ERA
''You're...m-mortal,'' I finally stammered. I knew Lucy liked to think all vampires had this suave quality, but I so didn't, and not just because I wasn't technically a vampire yet. She was the one with the beaded velvet scarves, and I was the one with the pottery clay dried on my pants. Plus I was totally gaping at him. He was a hunter and he worked for an organization devoted to wiping us out. The sun tattoo was proof enough of that, underscored by his expression: righteous anger.
Great.
''I don't get it,'' Lucy whispered to me. ''Who is he?''
''Not one of us,'' I whispered back, my gaze never leaving his. I didn't know what I was reading there, but it was complicated, whatever it was. I'd heard of the cologne some hunters wore; it mimicked vampire pheromones, to take a potential enemy off guard. We'd believed it completely out in the garden, until he'd had to fight my mother, who would have killed him if my Dad hadn't been so adamant about having someone to question.
Nicholas half stepped in front of us, annoyingly overprotective as always. he didn't like surprises and unanswered questions and we'd just had our fill of both. I'd been trained just like they had, but none of my brothers could get it in their thick that I wasn't delicate or defenseless.
The Helios-Ra agent was wearing black nose plugs, which just proved he knew more about us than we knew about him. I reached over and yanked them out.
''What are you doing here?'' I could tell he was trying to hold his breath. I could've told him that strategy never worked for long. He glared at me mutinously.
''Tracking,'' he finally answered on a sharp exhale.
''Let me guess,'' I said, disgusted. Because I'm just so beautiful and you don't know why but you just have to be with me?'' I was really starting to hate this whole pheromone thing.
He blinked, nearly smiled. ''Not exactly.''
I blinked back. ''Oh.'' Damn it, he was even more attractive when he didn't seem particularly affected by my questionable charms. ''Well, who are you then?''
''Helios-Ra,'' he answered, his tone clipped.
''Yeah, we got that.''
''Your name?'' Dad scowled.
''Kieran Black.''
''Since when has Helios-Ra been on our trail? Last time I checked, we had a treaty. We don't eat humans, so you don't bother us and we don't bother you.''
My Mom snorted. She hated the treaty. She preferred fighting, being much more skilled with weapons that tact, but my Dad was all about practicality and the long view. He'd made the treaty before my oldest brother was born, determined to give his children a chance. He didn't want us being harassed and followed about by the league just because we're vampires. After all vampires aren't all good or all bad, any more than humans are. But try telling that to the Helios-Ra. They only recently admitted that being a vampire wasn't a good enough reason to be killed on sight. Still old traditions die hard with them, almost as hard as with us.
But our family, at least, had a good reputation. We mostly drink animal blood, only resorting to human blood if it's consensual or if we're ill and can't heal without it. If that fails a quick break-in at the blood bank works well enough. We've never gone feral; the disease has been in our bloodline too many centuries for that, and every generation is born stronger than the last. It's not easy dying, even if you know you're going to wake up afterward. And it's even harder controlling the bloodthirst. Still, hardly any of us go mad anymore during the turning. I had to remind myself of that little fact every time I looked at the calendar to see my birthday edging closer and closer. Lucy nudged me.
''You're looking morose,'' she said under the breath. ''You're thinking about it again.''
I turned my attention back to the matter at hand. I couldn't afford to get sidetracked with self-pity or by the fact that this particular Helios-Ra agent was really good-looking, with his dark eyes and strong cheekbones.
''Things change,'' he said, ''You should know. You broke the treaty.''
Mom's eyes narrowed dangerously.
''I beg your pardon?'' she said, soft as a mouse near a sleeping cat.
Uh-oh. Mom was big on that whole honor thing.
''Big mistake,'' Lucy said pleasantly. She was a lot more bloodthirsty than I was, ironically enough. She would have made a better vampire than me. I shot her a look.
''What?'' she asked innocently. ''He was after you, he deserves it.''
Nicholas barely turned his head. ''Do you two mind?''
''Yeah, yeah,'' she muttered.
Mom stepped up close enough that Kieran was sweating a little and breathing as shallowly as he could. Our pheromones when we were distracting mortals to drink was nothing compared with the pheromones when we were angry. His entire body was probably flooding with adrenaline, trying to decide between fight or flight. I couldn't sense it yet, but soon enough I'd be able to taste it on my tongue like champagne bubbles. It wasn't a particularly comforting thought.
''Are you accusing us of breaking an oath?'' Mom's voice was like broken glass- glittery and dangerous. Beside her, Sebastian bared his teeth. His fangs were retracted, but still, there was something too sharp about his teeth. He barely spoke, even to us, and his silence was terrifying to those who didn't know him.
''It's common knowledge.''
''Is it?''
''Drakes,'' he spat. ''I know better than to trust any of you.''
Byron, one of the dogs, growled. Quinn smiled.
''Let me talk to him,'' he suggested. There was always something slightly violent about his smiles. Dad held up his hand. Quinn subsided but barely.
Mornings were always quiet in the Drake household, even with nearly twenty people stuffed into its tiny rooms and narrow halls. Sunlight sparkled at the windows, made of some sort of treated glass. Ancient vampires can stand sunlight though they never really love it, but it dangerously weakens the younger ones, who haven't a chance to build up an immunity. I never took sunlight for granted now, or my ability to eat every meal with cutlery. Through, aside form the whole blood thing, the Drakes were very civilized. They used glasses and goblets, not plastic blood bags.
Lady Natasha, by all accounts, was not civilized. She'd been Montmartre's second-in-command and his lover. When he'd tired of her, she allied herself with a powerful vampire family. She knew the customs of the vampires, the Hosts, and the Hounds, and she was determined to bring them all together under her leadership. Biases ran deeply though, and so far she hadn't managed to unite them. It wasn't for an altruistic motive like ending what was basically a civil war; it was all about the power for her. And possibly sticking it to Montmartre.
I'd seen the roses with his name on them.
They didn't bode well. He clearly wanted a Drake daughter to give him vampire babies- and the power of the council and the royal courts if Solange really did take them over. He wanted it all.
Lady Natasha, who wanted him as much as she wanted power, wouldn't be too keen on any part of that plan.
If only vampire politics were on high school history exams, I'd be all set.
Solange was still asleep, curled around the sunbeams falling on her pillow. I'd already noticed that she was sleeping later and later. I was starting to get nervous for her. Everyone else seemed to think it was a totally normal part of the change. I pulled a sweater on over my nightgown and added thick socks. It was always freezing in the Drake house, no matter the time of year. I went straight to the kitchen to make myself some tea and toast. No one else was awake. I ate my breakfast and then took my tea with me as I wandered through the house.
In my sleep-dazed state, I'd actually forgotten about Kieran, tied to a sturdy chair in one of the parlors. I froze, cup halfway to my mouth. His eyes were intent, curious, edgy. I might not like his attitude, but I guessed I'd be edgy too if I was tied up in a vampire's house. Especially if I was a brainwashed Helios-Ra agent. The gag was loose around his neck, lying next to his nose plugs. In daylight I noticed he was wearing black jeans and a black shirt, with bare straps where Helena had removed his weapons.
''You look like you belong in a bad comic book,'' I told him cheerfully.
He stared at me. ''You really aren't bothered by the whole vampire thing, are you?''
I shrugged. ''Whatever.'' It was obvious he didn't know what to make of me. I approached curiously. I'd never actually seen a Helios-Ra agent before. I wondered what the fuss was about. He was barely older than we were. His hands were lashed loosely at the wrists so he could move them a little, but his shoulders were tied tighter to the chair back. He wore steel-toed army boots, also attached tightly at the ankles. ''What did the Drakes do that's got you all pissy?''
''Pissy? Did you just call me pissy?''
''I call 'em how I see 'em.''
''You are the weirdest girl.''
''From the guy who thinks he's a secret agent man.''
''You should take the Helios-Ra more seriously,'' he warned me. I smiled at him with very little humor. ''I don't take direction well.'' I raised my eyebrows. ''So? What's with the vendetta?''
His jaw clenched. ''I told you.''
''I'm sorry your dad died. But you can't blame all vampires for the actions of one.'' I tried to sound reasonable, calming. My mom was a natural at that sort of thing. Me? Not so much. ''That's called racism.''
''They're not human.''
''That's so beside the point.''
He gaped at me. ''What?''
''And besides, the Drakes are human, or were mostly. And they've never gone all rogue and fangy on the general populace. Don't they teach you anything at that hotshot secret academy?''
''How did you know about the academy?'' He was trying not to look startled.
''Please. It's kind of obvious.''
''I understand exactly,'' I said.
''They've brainwashed you.''
''Hey, you're the one in some kind of hunter cult.''
He narrowed his eyes. ''This isn't a joke, Lucy. The Drakes killed my father.''
''They did not.''
''You don't even know who my father is.''
''I know you're an idiot.''
He looked at me for a long silent moment as if he was searching for something. Then he looked at my cup.
''Can I have a sip?'' he asked. ''I haven't had anything to drink all night.''
I didn't trust him, obviously. He'd scaled several fences and snuck onto a heavily guarded vampire land with less than polite intentions. Still, it was only tea. How dangerous could that be? I stepped closer. I lifted the cup to his lips and he drank gratefully.
''I'm sorry,'' he whispered, smiling sadly. He slipped his right hand under his left cuff and there was a small cracking sound and a puff that looked like powdered sugar from a vial sewn into his sleeve. The heavy scents of chocolate and lilies hung between us. It made me want to sneeze.
''I'm pretty much immune to vampire pheromones,'' I informed him loftily, crossing my arms.
He didn't look disappointed or defeated.
''You're not immune to this blend,'' he said.
''Yes, I am. I don't know what you think'' The room wavered slightly, like I was seeing it through heat waves coming off asphalt. ''What the hell?''
Another puff of powder.
''This is a special blend.'' He sounded briefly apologetic. ''No one can resist it for long.''
''You're not going to get away with this.'' All the colors looked weird, as if they were full of light. The red of the velvet drapes looked as if it were dripping blood. ''I'll scream.'' I opened my mouth.
''You will not scream,'' he said calmly.
I closed my mouth. The taste of cocoa and flowers made me gag. There was something else laced under the flavors, but I couldn't place it. Licorice, whiskey, something. I felt faint, befuddled. And underneath the vagueness, fiery anger.
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