But she was someone we should probably talk to, and the sooner the better. If there was another vampire lurking, she’d know about it.
Righto, Belle said. We’ve been ushered into a private room, and Monty’s on door watch.
I swallowed to ease a suddenly dry throat and then said, “I’m ready when you are, Aiden.”
He nodded and stepped away from the bodies. “I’ll record events; just remember to state what you’re seeing.”
“If I see anything.”
I moved closer to the dead man; his emotions pressed harder against my shields, and my skin crawled. He’d definitely seen their attacker. Whether any memory of it remained was another matter entirely.
I lightly pressed my fingers to either side of his skull, his flesh cool against my skin. Fear surged, though I wasn’t entirely sure whether it was his or mine or a combination of both. I tried to ignore it as I closed my eyes and opened the psychic part of me.
For several seconds, nothing happened. His terror and disbelief washed through me, but that was a lingering emotional output rather than actual memory. At a surface level, his mind was utterly dark. Utterly dead.
I frowned and pushed a little deeper; nothing remained except the deepening chill of death.
Our only hope was the rear recesses of his memory, but even if some memories did linger, the likelihood of them being the ones we wanted weren’t great.
I sucked in air and dove into the deadness. It gathered around me, pushed into me, making my heart race even as its chill began to invade my body.
“Anything?” Aiden asked softly.
I shook my head and kept pushing. His mind—his memories—were cold… so damn cold.
Lizzie, you need to pull back.
I will… in a second.
Ice gathered within, and I shivered. Death’s fingers were now crawling from his flesh to mine, but there was something in the distance, a flicker that was a possible memory. I reached harder, drew closer. It was a fragment and as fragile as fog, but if it gave some clue as to what had done this, then I had to at least try to snare it.
My breathing became a harsh rasp, and the icy numbness crept from fingertips to my wrist and then crawled up my arm.
You need to pull out. Now. Or I’ll make you.
Just one second more…
“Lizzie,” Aiden said. “Stop. You’re starting to look like death warmed up.”
I ignored them both and, with a last desperate push, reached the fragment. It wasn’t the past—it was a tiny piece of the present… A face, a veil, half a body floating above us, her entrails slapping warmly against my stomach. A forked tongue, flickering out, cutting flesh—
The connection severed abruptly, and I fell backwards with a gasp. Aiden caught me before I hit the floor and then swept me into his arms, carrying me over to a nearby chair and placing me down gently.
I was shaking so hard my teeth chattered, and my heart pounded so fast that I couldn’t catch my breath. Aiden squatted in front of me and began rubbing my hands. I could barely feel it, my fingers were so damn cold.
Damn it, Lizzie, that was stupid—
Perhaps, but it was still worth it.
Given those fragments don’t make sense, the jury is out on that one. Her anger—and fear for me—ripped through her mental tones. What sort of demon has half a body and their entrails hanging out, for fuck’s sake? No living one, for sure.
Which means we might be dealing with some sort of ghoul.
Maybe, but that still doesn’t excuse going as deep as you did. Fuck it, Liz, you were so close to the edge this time that I had trouble pulling you out. You scared the hell out of me.
I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to. I hesitated. I had to try, though.
No, you actually didn’t. Not if it puts your life in danger. Next time I say stop, damn well stop.
I will.
Her snort echoed loudly. Say that with a little more conviction, and I might just believe you. I’ll leave you to Aiden’s tender ministrations. Yell if you need me.
Thanks, Belle.
Her thoughts left mine, and I became aware of the warmth creeping back into my fingers. It damn well hurt. Belle’s fear had certainly been justified—if the chill had crept any further up my arm—if it had reached my chest and my heart—I would have died.
I sucked in several deep breaths and then met Aiden’s gaze. His expression was grim, and his fear swam around me, a thick scent that filled my nostrils. “Damn it, Liz, you frightened the hell out of me. I could literally see death creeping up on you.”
“Belle said the same thing.” I kept my voice light, even though I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him and hold on tight. Against the cold that still had its hooks in me. Against the deeper danger that loomed on the not-so-distant horizon. “But I’m fine. Really, I am.”
He didn’t look convinced, and that wasn’t entirely surprising, given I still felt like shit warmed up and no doubt looked like it.
“Can I get you anything? Coffee? Whiskey? Woolen gloves?”
I laughed, as he’d no doubt intended. “If you have the latter two in that kit of yours, I’ll love you forever.”
Something flared in his eyes. Something so heated, deep, and real that it made my heart sing. No matter what this man said, there was at least some part of him that wished we could be so much more than temporary lovers.
“Unfortunately, I don’t,” he said. “But I can get Jaz to grab them if it’ll make you feel better.”
I smiled and kissed him. It was light but tender and made me want a whole lot more. But now was neither the time nor the place. “Thanks, but I’ll be just
