Darkness Splintered

“My relationship with my family is not something we should be discussing now,” he continued softly. “The police are near. We should go.”

Even as he said that, the distant wail of sirens began to cut across the steady murmur of traffic moving past the building. I sighed and pushed to my feet. “No. I want to question the vampire first.”

He frowned. “I can pull whatever information you need from his mind.”

“But that won’t give us a record of confession, and I want to start protecting my ass against Hunter.”

That’s if he could incriminate her. She was a powerful telepath, and could easily have placed a block around the vampire’s thoughts, preventing him from ever mentioning her part in Jak’s death.

I glanced one more time at Jak’s motionless body, whispered a final good-bye, then dug out my phone and hit the Record button as I walked back to the foyer.

She has not placed a block on his thoughts, Azriel said, appearing by my side again. I can feel none of her taint in his mind.

I glanced at him. Which is odd. I know Hunter is head of the Directorate and therefore able to squash any investigation, but surely even she wouldn’t want the questions her involvement in Jak’s death would raise.

You accord her human thought processes, and that is something she long ago abandoned. Azriel’s mind voice was thick with contempt. Besides, she would not think us capable of catching her killer. He is not a Cazador, but he is very skilled in killing. Do not step too close or give him the opportunity to attack.

I wasn’t planning to. I took several photos of the vampire – noticing in the process that Amaya didn’t show up in any of them – then tucked my phone into the purse’s front pocket, out of sight, but still close enough to record everything said.

“Okay, mystery man,” I said, “unless you want some serious damage done to your back, you’d better stop faking unconsciousness and start talking.”

There was no response, which wasn’t really surprising. Hunter wouldn’t have sent a fool to do her dirty work.

Amaya, twist a little closer to his spine.

Her chuckle – which could be described only as both gleeful and bloodthirsty – ran across the back of my thoughts as her blade did a slow circle in his flesh. Blood spurted, and the vampire hissed – a venomous sound if I’d ever heard one. He looked at me, face bloody and eyes narrowed. There was no pain in those black depths, no fear. Just fury. And the promise of death should I make one careless move.

“One last chance to start answering my questions, then I’ll sever your damn spine.” My voice was cold and flat. One look at his expression – or lack thereof – was enough to tell me I could not show any sort of emotion to this man. He was the sort to take it as weakness.

“What do you want?” His voice was controlled, even. One tough vampire, obviously.

“Everything.” I crossed my arms. “Your name, and the name of the person who sent you here to kill Jak.”

“I wasn’t sent here to kill —”

He cut the rest of the sentence off as Amaya did a half turn. Sweat dotted his face, but his expression remained unchanged. Uncaring. Deadly.

“You’re lying and we both know it.” To Azriel, I said, What’s his name?

He hesitated, then said, Trent Fagan. He is a killer for hire. The Directorate had a death order on him, but Hunter had it removed on the proviso he work for her.

Why would she do that, when she has the Cazadors at her beck and call?

They do not work for her, but the council as a whole. Kill orders must be cleared through the council before they can be enforced. He studied me. She is gathering her own personal hit squad; you are one of them, Risa.

But I don’t —

Not yet, he agreed. But it is what she wants, nevertheless. You – and the remaining keys – would give her the ultimate command over not just the council, but the world.

I blinked. Even she’s not that crazy —

Oh, but she is. His mind tone was grim. She wants power. Hungers for it. And she will never be satisfied until all who live bow at her feet.

Wow. Just… wow. And yet it certainly made more sense than the council wanting the keys so they could use hell as their own private jail. Not that I’d ever really believed that particular statement – or, at the very least, I’d always suspected there was something more. I had no doubt that if Hunter did get the keys, then she would use hell. It would amuse her greatly to cast those who annoyed her into that place.

I returned my attention to the vampire. “Look, I know your name is Trent Fagan, and I know you’re a contract killer for hire. Tell me the truth about what happened here today, and I might just let you live.”

Surprise flickered briefly through his eyes, but he remained mute.

I sighed. “Fine. But consider this, the Directorate are on their way, and we both know they had a kill order out on you. It might have been rescinded, but do you honestly think you’ll be given such a chance a second time?”

He contemplated me for a moment, very obviously weighing options. “Living probably isn’t in my future, given capture was never part of the plan.”

“And what was the plan?”

Something flickered in his eyes. Annoyance or acceptance, I couldn’t tell which. But after a brief hesitation, he said, “To kill Jak Talbott.”

“Why gut him? Why not just drain him?”

“Because gutting is the more painful death.”

I clenched my fists. God, what I wouldn’t give for Amaya to be buried in Hunter’s flesh right now. “And who sent you here?”

Again he contemplated me. “What makes you think someone sent me here? That reporter has stepped on more than a few toes in his time.”

“He certainly has, but you’re not one of them. Besides, you don’t work for free, even on kills you desire.”

That last part was a guess, but I was betting it was a correct one.

A slight smile touched his lips. “If you know so much about me, then likely you’ll also know who sent me.”

“I suspect I do, but I nevertheless want it confirmed.”

“And if I tell you that, you’ll let me run?”

“If you can still run, then yes.” Even if he escaped the arriving police, he’d still have to face Hunter. She’d know in an instant I’d questioned her killer, but what she wouldn’t expect was me recording it. “But only if you’re honest with me. And I will know, trust me on that.”

He smiled, but it held little amusement. “The truth will do you no good, because my employer is beyond anyone’s reach. Even the Directorate’s.”

“She may be beyond the Directorate’s reach, but no one is beyond the reach of death.”

“Madeline Hunter is.”

He’d finally named her, but I felt no elation. I’d need a whole lot more than this confession alone to protect me from her. But it might go a ways toward convincing both her brother and the Directorate that there were extenuating circumstances if – god forbid – she and I ever came to blows and I managed to survive the encounter and she did not.

If you and Hunter came to blows, Azriel said, voice grim, she would not survive. And no one – not the Directorate, and certainly not her brother – would ever know of her death. Valdis would consume body and soul. There would be nothing left to find, and nothing left to move on.