First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World #1)(54)
Author: Jeaniene Frost

Which was why he had sent Denise half an hour ago to the docks. She’d wanted to go with them, insisting her presence was necessary because she was the only one who knew what Nathanial looked like. Spade countered that should there be more than one Dragon-blooded bloke inside, they’d grab him, too, but it made no sense for Denise to storm the house just to make an identification. He didn’t want to scare her by stressing how dangerous this was for them, strong vampires all, to attack a Master vampire’s well-guarded home. For all they knew, Web might have fortified his house with booby traps. So have Denise, still mostly human, go with them? She’d be killed or get him killed protecting her. Or both.

Spade sought to soothe her by saying he’d need her to man the escape boat they’d rendezvous to, but Denise saw through the lie, because she’d turned away in frustration. Selfishly, Spade hoped this was another reason Denise would welcome changing over once her brands were off. Being a vampire did have some drawbacks, but those were vastly overshadowed by the benefits, in his opinion.

"Fabian’s presence will be priceless for searches and warnings, but if things get dicey, Cat, that new pyrokinesis power of yours will be quite useful, too," Spade said, strapping on a final knife.

She grimaced. "Yeah, about that…I don’t have it anymore."

Ian’s brows rose. "Only a few months ago, you exploded an entire house and a Master vampire’s head right off his shoulders. You’re saying that ability’s gone?"

Cat looked at her hands and sighed. "Because I was a half-breed before changing over, Fate thought it was funny to make me feed off vampire blood instead of human blood. I absorb power from undead blood whenever I drink – and sometimes, that means any special powers the vampire has, too. Kinda like normal vampires absorb life from human blood when they drink. But just as vampires need to keep feeding regularly to sustain the life in them, the power I absorb feeding from vampires fades with time. So the pyrokinesis I absorbed after drinking from Vlad was only temporary. All my hands are good for now is throwing knives. Or doubling as sparklers."

Spade digested that. "If that’s not common knowledge, we might still be able to use it to our advantage. The threat of you being pyrokinetic might be enough to sway matters, even if you’re not any longer."

"You want me to bluff if things get dicey?" she asked in disbelief.

He shrugged. "If we’re in that much trouble, what’s to lose by trying?"

Crispin snorted grimly. "Let’s hope we don’t find ourselves in that much trouble, mate."

"Agreed," Ian muttered.

Spade glanced at the clock. Almost three A.M. It was time.

"Remember, the human has to be taken alive," he said. Then his voice hardened. "But everyone else can die."

Denise grumbled under her breath as she, Bootleg, and another vampire named Lyceum reached the Fontvieille pier. How stupid did Spade think she was? Oh sure, he was counting on her to have the boat at the proper coordinates of the Mediterranean. That was why he’d sent two other vampires along with her.

"You smell angry," Bootleg remarked conversationally.

"How stupid does he think I am?" Denise blurted, out loud this time. "Oh sure, I’m so necessary here. Except for the part where I don’t even know how to drive a boat!"

Lyceum didn’t quite stifle his laugh. "I don’t know what they’re doing, cheri, and if Spade didn’t tell me, it’s dangerous. You didn’t really expect him to bring you? You’re a human."

The vampire said it in the same way he might have said with the word moron. Denise’s fists clenched. Vampire elitism when it came to humans was as rampant as it was infuriating.

"Humanity doesn’t equal inferiority," she got out. "And you don’t leave your only witness behind when you’re looking for the perpetrator."

"You do if there might be danger," Bootleg said with a shrug. "Especially since it’s you."

Denise glanced at him with curiosity and annoyance. Was she considered extra helpless as a human female, or had Spade told Bootleg what was in her blood? "Why especially me?"

"Because of Giselda," Bootleg replied.

"So true," Lyceum chimed in.

Denise felt like they were speaking another language. "Who or what is Giselda?"

The two vampires exchanged a look that stopped Denise in her tracks. "Don’t you even think of holding back, or I’ll…I’ll tell Spade you let me get away from you," she improvised. "And that I got mugged," she added for good measure.

Cries of "Mon Dieu!" and "That’s not fair!" echoed immediately from the two vampires.

"I’m a crazy human female, you know I’ll do it," Denise warned them, her internal alert system telling her that this was important.

Lyceum gave Bootleg a dirty look. "You brought her up. You tell her."

Something like a sigh came out of Bootleg. "Giselda was Spade’s lover during the Franco-Prussian war. He intended to marry her, except she was still human. You have to be a vampire to be married as one, and Giselda resisted changing over."

Lyceum muttered something in French that made Bootleg nod. Denise didn’t need it translated to guess it was something derogatory about Giselda’s choice.

"And?" she prompted, premonition sliding up her spine.

"Spade was called away by his sire to assist in some dispute. He didn’t take Giselda in case war broke out between his sire and the other Master. She was to stay in her chateau. But weeks later, when Spade sent word that all was well and he’d be returning soon, Giselda decided to go to him instead. She sent a messenger ahead to announce her arrival."

Bootleg cast a sideways glance at Denise that made her want to smack him in impatience. "Go on," she said.

"On the way, her carriage had a mishap or it was attacked, I don’t know which. I do know Giselda was gang-raped by a group of French deserters – either before or after they killed her," Bootleg summarized bluntly. "Spade went looking for her when she didn’t arrive at the time her message described. He found her body in the woods."

Denise felt ill even as several things clicked into place. Why did you have to kill him? she’d asked Spade months ago, standing over the body of her attacker in the parking lot. Because of what he intended to do. No one deserves to live after that. And Ian’s comment, I haven’t seen Charles this attentive with a human in almost a hundred and fifty years…Hasn’t he told you about her yet? Then last week in Nevada, You have no idea how much I do understand…

Spade did know the horror of discovering the broken body of someone he loved, just as she did. It was the worst, most helpless, most heartbreaking, rage-inducing feeling in the world.