Demon in My View

She had stared him down. He couldn't help respecting her for it. Not to mention her all-but-suicidal challenge—

Not so suicidal, he reminded himself, interrupting his own thought. She won, after all.

Jessica was like a sand viper: beautiful, not apparently formidable, but fearless and deadly poisonous.

'Damn you, Fala,' he whispered as the vampire's taunt echoed in his head: If I didn't know better, I'd say you were attracted to her. 'Why aren't you ever wrong?'

Of course, there was more than the physical attraction Fala had speculated about. The actuality was far more dangerous both to his own position—as was any emotional attachment to a human—and to Jessica if any of his many enemies guessed the truth.

Furious with himself for letting this girl get under his skin, he went into Las Noches, where he was immediately intercepted by Fala herself. Apparently he wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep this morning.

'You didn't kill her,' Fala accused as soon as she saw him. 'She was strutting around our land as if she owned it, practically begging for death, and you didn't kill her.'

'No, I didn't,' he answered in a growl.

'Aubrey—'

'What is your obsession with killing this one human?' he snapped.

'She's a threat,' Fala answered calmly, obviously pleased by how close he was to losing his control. She looked almost amused, which made him wary. Fala was clever; she was the one most likely to figure out his feelings toward Jessica.

'And how is that?' he argued. 'Just because she writes about things that almost every vampire in the world already knows and most mortals disregard as fiction?'

'Most is the keyword there, Aubrey,' Fala chided. 'Have you forgotten those not- quite-insignificant mortals called vampire hunters? Kala is dead, Aubrey. Your blood sister, Ather's second fledgling. And she was run through by a witch practically on the front steps of Las Noches. That witch wouldn't even have known this place existed if it hadn't been for Ash Night.'

'Jessica had nothing to do with Dominique Vida's finding Las Noches,' Aubrey argued. 'And since when are you afraid of vampire hunters? '

Fala let out a half-curse, half-scream as she began to lose her temper. 'What is she going to write next, Aubrey? The only reason she's gotten this far is because you're protecting her. Fine, you've established your power. Now why don't you just kill her? '

He turned away from her, refusing to answer.

Behind him Fala snickered. 'It's true, isn't it? You're attracted to her. I was right all along.'

Aubrey reeled back around as her words hit him.

'She's a good-looking young woman, I'll admit,' Fala continued. 'But that isn't the issue, is it? You've — '

'Fala,' he warned, his voice dangerous.

'It isn't that unusual, you know,' she continued, sounding even more amused. 'It's our line's curse, you could say. Love.' She spat the word as if it was some kind of insect.

Finally Aubrey's voice returned. 'No truer than in your case. Isn't that curse, as you put it, why you're here? Isn't that why Jager changed you in the first place?' Jager and Fala had met while she'd been awaiting death in one of the sandy cells of ancient Egypt. He had changed her the same day. It was still obvious to any idiot how fond they were of each other.

Fala started to retaliate, but he continued. 'Not to mention Moira. It seems that the awful, infectious disease has hit you several times.' Fala's eyes narrowed at the mention of her beloved Moira.

Then she sighed. 'Look what she's done to you, Aubrey,' she said, her voice soft, almost sympathetic. 'Kill her … or change her. If you're really so fond of her, give her your blood. Do whatever you want with her, but stop her.' She paused, suddenly unnerved. 'You know, Silver once gave Jager this same advice—about Kaei.'

Aubrey remembered the argument, which had occurred shortly after Kaei had sliced open Silver's arm and shortly before she had set fire to most of Mayhem.

'I hardly think that's relevant,' Aubrey answered. 'Jessica certainly isn't going to — '

'I think it's very relevant,' Fala interrupted. 'Jager refused to kill her.'

CHAPTER 22

HASANA HAD INSISTED that Jessica go home with them, instead of staying with the police and the medical units. No matter what her personal feelings toward Jessica, Hasana was still a mother, and Jessica could see the motherly care in everything she did.

Jessica refused at first to go anywhere with the Smoke family, but she gave in when Hasana had Caryn go fetch her belongings— including her computer. At least they understood that she wouldn't go anywhere without a way to write.

Her anger over Anne's death had been replaced by a dismal apathy so overpowering that when she was confronted, the moment she stepped through the Rashidas' door, by Dominique Vida, she didn't even bother to make a biting response.

Dominique, despite her classic beauty, had all the social skills and warmth of an icicle. The air near her hummed with strictly controlled energy. Perhaps the apathy was helpful; otherwise, Jessica might have been tempted to kill Dominique on the spot.

Unlike the Smoke line, Jessica knew Dominique and her kin well. Dominique had murdered so many of the vampires that Jessica had known and cared for that the girl had developed a deep hatred for the witch before she had even met her.

Only when Caryn put a hand on her shoulder did Jessica realize that she was glaring death in Dominique's direction. The vampire hunter was fully returning the glare.

'What is she doing here?' Dominique demanded.

Caryn took the initiative to lead Jessica away and into a guest room while Hasana dealt with Dominique's questions.

'You should get some rest,' Caryn suggested, trying to pull Jessica out of her inner world of death and pain and hatred.

'Only if there's a way to make sure no one kills me in my sleep,' Jessica answered, looking out the door as if Dominique might walk down the hall any moment.

Caryn looked horrified. 'She wouldn't…' She trailed off. 'Why would she want to hurt you?'

Jessica shrugged. That question had an easy answer at least. 'Because I can't help hating her,' she answered truthfully. 'And because she knows I would rather be a vampire than risk being their prey.' Jessica thought back to poor Anne, who was just as dead no matter how many vampires Dominique and her kin had killed.

'I'll keep that in mind,' answered Dominique, who had just entered the room, with Hasana behind her. Caryn paled.

'No one is going to hurt anyone in my household,' Hasana said firmly. 'Jessica, you don't know what you're saying right now — '

'She knows,' Dominique interrupted. Turning to Jessica, she said bluntly, 'If you'd rather be with them, then go. I won't stop you. But if you choose their side, then I won't protect you, either.'

'I don't need your protection,' Jessica growled in answer.

'Jessica, please, get some rest,' Hasana coaxed. 'Dominique, leave the poor girl alone. Her mother was just murdered.' She ushered Dominique out of the room. The hunter went willingly; she had said all she needed to say.

Jessica had no desire to sleep, and she told Caryn as much.