Last Blood

Luciano sat back down and Dominic gestured toward the other chair in front of his desk. “Sit.”

Mortalis stayed by the door. Creek took the seat. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Dominic nodded. “You and I have never had problems.” He glanced at his nephew.

Creek smiled. “No, and I’d like to keep it that way. Which is why I’m here.” He shifted a little, choosing his words. “I understand you had a death here recently.”

“To be clear, a murder. Katsumi Tanaka. She was a good friend and a trusted employee.” Dominic’s mouth tightened. “What about this brings you here?”

“You have my sympathies.” Creek wasn’t an idiot. She was more than a good friend to Dominic. She’d been his lover. He’d cared for her enough to give her navitas and raise her from fringe to noble. “I know who killed her.”

Dominic’s face shifted from human to vampire. “I already know,” he growled. “Octavian. He used to be —”

“Tatiana’s consort,” Creek finished. “How do you know this already?”

“You think I am stupido? That I can’t find out who comes into my establishment? What they do here? Where they go? I know everything that happens here. Everything.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” Creek said. Damn it. This was going downhill fast.

Dominic’s eyes narrowed. “The question is, how do you know it was Octavian?”

“Because I got him to confess.”

“You have him? Where is he?”

Luciano jumped to his feet. “I’ll bring him back. Just tell me where he is.”

Creek popped his jaw to one side. “That’s the problem. I had him tied up, but the sedation wore off and he scattered and escaped so now I’m looking for him too. If we work together, we have a better chance of finding him.”

“Agreed.” Dominic’s face went back to human. “I never thought I’d see the day that a noble vampire and a Kubai Mata would join forces, but I never thought I’d end up anathema, either.” He smiled, but the expression held sadness. “I understand you spared my nephew’s life as well. For that, I am grateful.”

“There’s one more thing,” Creek said.

“Si?”

“I’m under orders to bring him in alive.”

Dominic rolled his tongue over his fangs, taking his time before he spoke. “Then I would suggest you find him first.”

Mal raced after Tatiana, but Lilith flew past them in a blur, laughing like a child playing games. When he skidded to a stop alongside Tatiana, Lilith already stood in the foyer, assessing the visitors. Son of a priest. What was the mayor doing here? And with Octavian? There was no way this was going to end well. The voices cheered.

“You’re dead,” Tatiana said. Her face was a frightening blank.

“No, I’m not, my darling.” He took a step toward her, but she retreated. “I can explain.”

She lifted her metal hand to point at him. “You betrayed me.”

Lilith studied the group, gaze flicking from face to face. “Who is this, Mother?”

The question brought a look of contempt to Tatiana’s face. “This is Octavian. The one who knew you as a baby. The one who betrayed… us.”

“As a baby?” Octavian turned toward Lilith, staring at her face. “It can’t be. Is this our child?”

Tatiana bent forward, screaming, “She’s not your child!”

The mayor shrank back into the corner, her anxious gaze pinned to Lilith. “It can’t be,” she muttered.

Lilith’s eyes went completely bloodred, swallowing up the white. “You.” She stalked toward Octavian. “Mother said you were a traitor. That you tried to give me to her enemies. That you’re the reason I was taken away from her.” Lilith hissed at him, spittle flying from her mouth. “You’re a bad vampire. I don’t like you.”

She grabbed him by his shirt and tossed him against one of the stone columns flanking the doors.

“No,” he yelled, but the impact silenced him, crumpling him to the ground in an unnatural heap.

Lilith picked him up again and shook him. “You hurt my mother.”

Blood trickled from Octavian’s mouth as he tried to lift his head, tried to protest.

Before he managed a word, Lilith opened her mouth and bit down on his limp neck. She yanked back, tearing a section of his throat out and spitting it onto the polished marble flooring.

She dropped his body as it went to ash, and then she turned to Tatiana, gore covering her mouth and chin. Her lower lip trembled. The white had returned to her eyes. “Was that wrong? Are you mad at me again?”

Tatiana looked like she’d gone into shock. She stood there, staring at the space Octavian had just occupied. Her eyes weren’t even silver, just hollow and round. “I…” She moved her mouth but no words came out.

Lilith howled, covering her face with her hands. “You are mad!” The light shifted with her wails, as if retreating from her. Shadows broke free from the corners of the room and surrounded Lilith in darkness. When they cleared, she was gone.

Tatiana swayed toward Mal, her body collapsing. Mal grabbed her before she hit the ground. Her head lolled back. She was out cold.

“Was that… creature my granddaughter?” the mayor whispered.

“Yes,” Mal answered. “What are you doing here? Never mind; you need to get out of here. Do you have a car outside?”

She nodded, arms wrapped around herself. “So you’re not dead and my granddaughter is a psychotic vampire. You have some explaining to do.”

“Later. Have the driver take you back to whatever hangar your plane is parked in and then get on it and go the hell home. Tell no one you came here, what you saw, or anything about me being here. Understand?”

Again, she nodded. Tatiana moaned softly.

“Now,” he told the mayor. “Go while you still can.”

“This isn’t over,” she hissed, but she slipped out the door and disappeared into the night. As soon as he heard the car drive away, he yelled for help. “Kosmina!”

Before long, the head of staff came running. “What’s wrong?” She gasped when she saw Tatiana in his arms. “What’s happened to my lady?”

“Octavian was here.” He gestured toward the ash. “But as you can see, Lilith took care of that.” And if Lilith was that quick to act, Tatiana was right. She had to be dealt with. He could only imagine what she’d do if she found out there was another vampire child on the way.

Chrysabelle found a spot in the recesses of the wine cellar and settled in. The stacks of crates and barrels hid her completely from anyone approaching. Now all she had to do was wait. She lay down, tucking one arm beneath her head as a pillow. Cold seeped up through the stone floor, making her wish Mal would hurry.

A low whistle opened her eyes. She sighed in frustration. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep.

Again, the whistle broke the deep silence of the wine cellar. She pushed to her feet, her body aching a little from lying on the cold ground. Mal had fed from her on the plane, strengthening her with the exchange, but the truth was, being pregnant was using up her reserves faster than normal. She whistled back, soft and low.

“Chrysabelle?” Mal’s voice came from farther away.

She slipped out from behind the barrels as he came around the stack of bottles in front of them. She smiled and held her arms out. “I’m so glad you’re here. I need you to kiss me.”

Without a word, he pulled her into his arms, bent his head, and covered her mouth with his.

Long seconds passed before she broke away. “Thank you. That’s already helping.”

He gave her a strange look. “Glad to know I can be of service.”

She poked him. “I was a little low on energy. Much better now.” And she was. One kiss and she felt revitalized. “What’s going on up there?”

“A lot. I’ve met Lilith. Tatiana wasn’t lying. She’s a nightmare from hell. The mayor and Octavian showed up—”

“Holy mother.”

“Indeed. Lilith figured out who he was. Apparently Tatiana told her that Octavian had betrayed them and