myself up, remember that I bested him just minutes before, and let the walls fall away, the doors to my power fly open. It happens in a rush, fast and furious. The heat rises around us, the wind that comes with it rages. It would knock a lesser vampire off his feet. Kallistos stands tall, feet firmly planted on the floor. The hem of his leather coat whips out behind him.
“What do you plan to do to him?” I shout out over the din of the storm I’ve created.
“I’m going to give him blood. To stabilize him. To cure him. He will no longer need a hospital.”
“Why would you do this for a human you do not know?”
I imagine he finds me impertinent, perhaps even insulting. So be it. There are things at stake that are more important than smoothing the feathers of a self-appointed sovereign.
But if he’s insulted, he doesn’t show it. “Because I gave you my word. You said he wasn’t at fault and . . . you’re attached to him. Yes?”
I tilt my head, narrowing my eyes. “And when he is cured? What happens then?”
“My men will see him safely home. He’ll remember none of this. I have no more desire than you to risk exposure.” His tone is surprisingly calm and measured, with no hint of deceit.
Then he’s right in front of me, his hands on my shoulders, his eyes boring into mine. “Why hide who you are?” he whispers. “You could rule the world with your beauty, possess anything in it, anything but me.”
“That’s convenient,” I mutter with a roll of my eyes. “Since I don’t want you. Now, getting back to Dexter —”
My breath catches midsentence. Kallistos’ movements are a blur. One hand behind my neck, the other moves to cup the side of my face. For an instant our eyes lock. I feel my heart beat faster.
Then his mouth is on mine. Hard, hot, and demanding. His lips part, his tongue slides inside my mouth. Something ignites. I feel myself relent, feel my heart beat faster, feel my blood turn to fire. I want to return the kiss and for the briefest moment, before I come back to my senses, I do. Wantonly. Wickedly. With uncontrolled abandon.
“Stop.” I wrench control back, reeling in my power more swiftly than ever before. I swear the air is momentarily sucked out of the room. The surge is so strong I’m caught in it. I feel myself stagger back, light- headed, dizzy.
Kallistos doesn’t move.
I raise my hand, intent on slapping the smug look right off his face.
He thwarts me, grabbing hold of my wrist.
“Emma? Are you all right?” Zack’s voice through the door seems far away, distant.
I shake my head to clear it. Kallistos releases me. He makes no move to stop me as I turn to the door and fumble with the lock. But before I can open it, my legs momentarily give way. A strong arm encircles my waist and holds me steady.
“Breathe,” he says.
My cheek is pressed against something hard and cool.
Kallistos’ chest.
“It’s been far too long since you’ve so fully let it go.” His lips graze the top of my head. “You’ve grown unused to it. Just ride it out. You’ll be right as rain in a minute. Assure your wolfhound.”
“I’m fine, Zack.” The words fall unbidden from my lips. Kallistos is in my head. How can this be?
I move away, put distance between the vampire and myself until my head stops spinning. This time when I speak, it’s on my own. I face Kallistos. “Take care of Dexter.”
Then I turn my back on him, step again to the door. My hands are shaking, but when I try this time, the door opens. There’s a blast of cool air. Then Zack’s arms are around me. I lean into him.
“What happened?” Zack asks.
“He told the truth. He won’t harm Dexter.” My words sound hollow. I can’t meet Zack’s eyes.
Zack lifts my chin. “I meant what happened to you.”
One of Dexter’s monitors begins to beep. It’s been disconnected. His IV lines have also been pulled out. They’re draped over the bedside pole, contents from the bags drip onto the floor.
Kallistos holds his wrist to Dexter’s mouth. The smear of blood on his lower lip tells me he punctured his wrist with his own fangs. Dexter sucks hungrily at the blood, a reflex action over which he has no control. Kallistos strokes Dexter’s hair as he feeds, watching me.
When color returns to Dexter’s face, Kallistos calls out, “Tony!”
One of the two who came in with him comes to the door. “Yes, sir?”
“The data?” Kallistos asks.
“It’s all backed up on a server. Peter has control of it. There are a few handwritten notes. I have them boxed and ready to go.”
Dexter’s eyes are closed, but his throat is still working. Kallistos gently disengages Dexter’s mouth from his wrist, then passes a hand over Dexter’s face. Dexter falls back onto the pillows, his face relaxed in sleep. Kallistos’ wounds close instantly, but not before leaving several bright red dots on the clean white bedsheets.
Kallistos turns to Tony. “Use the van to take him home. Wait for him to come to, then make him forget what happened here.”
The minion nods and steps toward the bed.
Kallistos exits and walks past Zack and me. He stops in front of the sink Zack used earlier and washes the remnants of blood from his wrist. He’s talking over his shoulder. “Make sure you take the notes with you, Tony. Security is the priority. We don’t want any loose ends.”
“Understood,” Tony answers.
Tony and his crony go to work, following orders like good little soldiers. Within seconds they are heading out, one with Dexter wrapped in a sheet and thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, the other carrying a box.
Kallistos approaches, the paper towels he used to dry his hands now wadded into a tight little ball. Without breaking his stride he lobs it across the room and into a trash can. “We’ll clean the rest of this up. You’ve done enough.” He offers Zack his hand. Any animosity he felt toward Zack seems forgotten.
Zack’s animosity obviously isn’t.
“His intentions are honorable,” I tell Zack. I’d tasted the truth of Kallistos’ statement. And his power. The effect lingers like a shot of adrenaline. I try to push it out of my head. I look around. “We could use the help, Zack.”
Zack peers at me, but he knows how limited our options are. He’s frowning reluctantly, but he nods. The two men shake.
Then Kallistos kisses my hand.
The sensation of his mouth on my hand lingers, warm and wet.
Revulsion tightens the lines around Zack’s mouth. He takes a step forward.
I stay him with a look that conveys Kallistos isn’t worth it. We have our own loose ends to wrap up. Alan Pierce and Davis Mager. Mager can wait a bit, but Alan is still handcuffed to the radiator in his office. We need to get back and release him.
“We should get out of here,” I say.
“Go. I will deal with this,” Kallistos assures us.
Zack isn’t ready to let go of his anger. “How are you—”
But Kallistos has Zack locked in his gaze. “Go.”
Zack backs away. A rush of anger sends blood to my face. Kallistos is compelling Zack and he is powerless against it. At the same time, I know it’s useless to object. We have to get back to Alan.
We leave Kallistos kneeling by Dr. Pierce’s body.
Once outside, I breathe in the fresh air. It clears my head and stops the pounding of a heart still racing from the encounter with Kallistos. I may be the stronger one when it comes to mind games, but he left an imprint of his power etched deep in my psyche.
“Are you sure about him?” Zack asks me as we slide into the car.
“Yes,” I say. There’s no hesitation. Still . . .
Zack fires up the engine.
Before he can pull away, I put out a hand to stop him. “Wait a second.” Someone is emerging from the
