Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson #2)(23)
Author: Patricia Briggs

"You could have prevented that." There was no reproof in Stefan’s voice, but something told me that he was angry with Andre over Daniel’s condition.

Andre shrugged. "There was food for him. If he did not take it, I wasn’t going to force him. He’d have been driven to feed eventually."

Stefan handed me over to Warren and then bent to help Daniel to his feet. "Since you brought him over, it is your job to protect him-even from himself."

"You’ve been hanging around the werewolves too long, amico mio," Andre said. "Vampires are not so fragile. If you had wanted to bring him over, you had plenty of time to do it."

Stefan’s face was turned away from Andre’s as he steadied Daniel on his feet, but I could see the red glow stirring in the chocolate depths. "He was mine."

Andre shrugged. "That is an old argument-and I don’t believe I ever disagreed with you. It was an accident. I didn’t mean to turn him, but I had no choice other than to let him die. I believe I have apologized enough for it."

Stefan nodded. "I’m sorry I brought it up again." He didn’t sound it. "I will return Daniel to you when I have accomplished the Mistress’s will."

Andre didn’t walk out with us. I couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. Without normal body scents, the vampires were difficult for me to read.

Warren waited until we were standing by his truck before he spoke. "Stefan, I’d like to help you. I think that Adam would agree that a demon-riding vampire is not something to be taken lightly."

"And I," said Ben, unexpectedly. He saw my look and laughed. "Been right boring around here lately. Adam’s too much in the spotlight for now. He hasn’t let us do more than a Moon hunt once a month since the first of the year."

"Thank you," said Stefan, sounding as if he meant it.

I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Stefan put a cool finger across my lips.

"No," he said. "Samuel is right. I almost got you killed last night. If Littleton had had the faintest inkling of what you are, he’d never have let you live. You are too fragile-and I have no desire to start a war with Adam-or worse, the Marrok himself."

I rolled my eyes-as if I was important enough to the Marrok for him to take on the seethe while he was trying so hard to keep the werewolves looking good. Bran was too pragmatic for that. But Stefan was right; besides, there was nothing I could do that a pair of vampires and werewolves couldn’t do better.

"Get him for her," I told him. "For that maid and for the others who should be with their loved ones tonight and not buried in the cold ground."

Stefan took my hand and bowed low over it, touching his lips to the back. His elegant gesture made me conscious of how rough my skin was-mechanic work is not easy on hands.

"As my lady desires," he said, sounding utterly serious.

Chapter 5

"Hello?" Adam’s voice was brisk.

"It’s been nearly a week," I said. " Littleton ‘s not coming after me-he’s busy playing games with Warren and Stefan." Warren had kept me more or less updated on the hunt for the vampire-sorcerer, such as it was. Somehow Littleton was always a step ahead of them. "Call off the bodyguards."

There was a little silence on the other end of the phone line, then Adam said, "No. We’re not discussing this over the phone. If you want to talk to me, you come over and talk to me. Wear something to spar in, I’ll be working out in the garage." Then he hung up.

"How about some different bodyguards?" I asked the phone plaintively. "Someone I actually get along with shouldn’t be too much to ask."

I set the phone down and glared at it. "Fine. I’ll just deal with her."
* * *

When I got home from work the next day, I grimly put on my gi and called him again. "You win," I said.

"I’ll meet you in my garage." To his credit, he didn’t sound smug-proof that Adam is a man of tremendous self-control.

As I trudged across my back field, I told myself it was stupid to be so worried about talking to him. He was hardly likely to jump my bones without permission. All I had to do is keep this on a business setting.

I found Adam practicing high kicks on a sandbag in the dojo he’d made out of half of his garage, complete with a wall of mirrors, padded floor, and air-conditioning. His kicks were picture perfect-mine would be too if I’d been practicing them for thirty or forty years. Maybe.

He finished his reps, then came up to me and touched the side of my face. His scent, stronger for his exercise, enveloped me; I had to fight not to press my head against his hand.

"How’s the head?" he asked. The bruises had faded a bit, enough that customers didn’t look embarrassed when they saw me.

"Fine." This morning was the first time I’d woken up without a splitting headache.

"All right." He walked away from me, out to the middle of the padded floor. "Spar with me a bit."

I’d been taking karate at the dojo just over the railroad tracks from my shop for a few years, but even so, I was doubtful. I am nowhere near as strong as a werewolf. But, as it turned out, he was the perfect sparring partner.

My teacher, Sensei Johanson, doesn’t teach the "pretty" karate most Americans learn for exhibition and tournament. Shisei kai kan is an oddball form of karate Sensei likes to call "reach out and break someone." It was originally designed for soldiers who were facing more than one opponent. The idea is to get your attackers out of the fight as soon as possible and make sure they don’t come back. I was the only woman in my class.

The biggest problem I’ve had is slowing down enough not to raise questions, but not so much as to allow myself to get hurt. That wasn’t a problem when sparring with Adam. For the first time ever, I got to fight at full speed and I loved it.

"You’re using aikido?" I asked, backing away after a brisk exchange.

Aikido is a kinder, gentler method of fighting. It can be used to break people, too, but most of the moves have a milder version. So you can lock the elbow and immobilize your opponent, or put a little more force behind it and break the joint instead.

"Running a security business with a bunch of ex-soldiers, I’ve found it necessary to do a little sparring once in a while. Clears the air," he said. "Aikido lets me take them down without hurting them or-before this year-advertising that I’m not exactly human anymore."

He closed with me again, grinning as he caught my strike and guided it past his shoulder. I dropped down and swept his leg, forcing him to roll away from me before he could do anything nasty. When he regained his feet, I noticed he was panting, too. I took it for the compliment it was.