Read Online Chilled to the Bone by Sindra van Yssel - Free Book Online Page B

his question, but it was something. “I don’t wish to harm her either.”
    Pemberton smiled. “An interesting protestation. But you see, we are at a standstill. I have information you want. Mr. Carlisle is being quite quiet because he’s focusing on making sure I can’t seize control of your mind. He doesn’t trust me. And I won’t be able to trust you unless Mr. Carlisle stops protecting you and lets me compel the truth. The elder undead do not trust, Mr. Keller. We verify, as one of your recent politicians said.”
    Actually, it was trust, but verify too, thought Charles, but he doubted the correction would be appreciated. And as for recent, he was in grade school when Reagan was president. “Do it, Kent. Stop shielding me.”
    “I don’t want to do that, Charles. Don’t ask me to.”
    “And that makes me wonder even more,” murmured Pemberton. “After all, you let me sift through his mind once before and remove his memories. And yet now you can’t trust me.”
    Kent’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t have a choice. You would have killed him.”
    Pemberton spread his arms wide, the wide sleeves of his coat drooping dramatically. “Not true. You wound me.”
    “You weren’t going to let him go with memories of seeing vampires,” Kent insisted.
    “No, I wasn’t. I would have killed you, Mr. Carlisle, and then fixed the others.” Pemberton smiled.
    “So it would have happened either way. Like I said, I didn’t have a choice.”
    “And you think you have a choice now?”
    “Yeah,” said Kent. “Yes I do.”
    “Seems this is a waste of time after all,” Pemberton said. “Very well, gentleman. You may go.”
    Charles watched the two. They were at a dead end. He had no idea where Doreen had gone. Or why. But he wasn’t going to abandon her. It wasn’t only because he felt responsibility for someone he’d taken on as a submissive, although that was part of it. She was a human being, even if, in some sense, she wasn’t. “Drop it. Drop the shields, or whatever they are. Let him find out what he needs to know.”
    “He’ll find out a lot more than you want to tell, Charles.”
    “Since I don’t know where Doreen is, or any of her weaknesses, he won’t find anything. Drop them, Kent. My mind. My decision.”
    Kent paused. “I hope you know what the hell you’re doing.”
    Charles almost laughed. With my memories wiped, how can I? He didn’t say it aloud though, because it was unfair. From what Pemberton said, Kent really hadn’t had much of a choice.
    He felt the weight of Pemberton’s mind on his as he locked gazes with the old vampire. There was nothing he could do to resist, or turn away. The entire universe narrowed to his eyes, gold flecked with a deep black center , like a well to fall into.
    At last, Pemberton let him go, and he physically reeled back. “Satisfactory. Now for the exchange. I know where she is. Sadly, she is beyond my grasp. We can neither enter the building, nor can we charm our way to an invitation. In a few hours, the building will burn to the ground, with all in it. The fire will be ruled an accident, after careful investigation, despite some evidence to the contrary. We clean up our messes, we vampires. It is how we survive.”
    You’ll burn her, because you can’t get to her? But why? “Is she there against her will?” asked Charles.
    “Oh, I’m sure she is. Whether her will is in control of her body is another matter, and the evidence is not conclusive.” Pemberton smiled and leaned over the pulpit with obvious interest. “Are you contemplating a rescue?”
    “Yeah. Yeah, I’m contemplating a rescue.”
    “Very well. Here is the address.” As if he had it ready all along, he produced a folded piece of paper and stretched it out. “No, Mr. Carlisle, you stay there. Mr. Keller can get it, if he likes, or I will have one of my guards deliver it.”
    Charles walked over and grabbed it. He opened it to see a paper with nothing but an address on it.