and the cheerfulness on his face was clearly artificial.
Ari dismissed him before she let his mood infect her. “Thank you for meeting us, Beppe. I won’t keep you from your other duties, but I’d like to talk with you later.” She turned to Samuel. “Can we see Andreas’s room now?”
They entered the spacious three-level home, crossed the tile floor and climbed the staircase. Unlike many vampires, Andreas did not prefer to be underground. He had kept the master suite on the second level, just as his ancestors had done, although certain changes had been made for security, including the alarmed and monitored steel door to his quarters. Samuel keyed in a code on the electronic door pad.
Before stepping inside, Ari scrutinized the door from top to bottom, but saw no evidence of pry marks or battering. No one had forced their way in. That narrowed the possibilities to someone Andreas invited in, an intruder with the key code, or an Otherworlder who had entered by magical means.
Samuel spoke from behind her. “When I hadn’t seen Andreas by 4:00 p.m., I pounded on his door, then went in when there was no response. I didn’t touch anything.”
The room was a mess. Even now, the metallic smell of blood filled the air. After Samuel’s description on the phone, Ari had prepared herself for the scene, but she couldn’t stop the chill racing through her at the sight of so much dried blood. How much of it belonged to Andreas? She pulled her fears up short. None of it. Even if Andreas had shed any blood, it would have disintegrated long ago. This was damage he’d done to warm-blooded attackers. So who were they? How had they overpowered him?
And why the hell hadn’t she felt anything when it happened? The only logical answer was Andreas had blocked her at the first sign of trouble, prevented her from realizing he was in danger or sharing the experience. But why?
She ignored the tug of panic and thought it through. He’d decided someone or something was too dangerous for her to handle. He’d tried to stop her from coming after him.
“Damn him,” she swore softly. She’d thought he was getting better at allowing her to make that kind of decision for herself. Apparently, he’d reverted to his alpha male instincts in a crisis. Closing the link would make him ten times harder to find, but it wouldn’t stop her.
She continued to swear under her breath as she strode around the room, and her companions gave her a wide berth. She finally glared at Lilith. “He’s blocking me out. Overprotective bloodsucker. Thinks I can’t handle it.”
“Can’t handle what? What’s he consider that dangerous?”
Ari’s fears and irritation spilled out. “The freaking O-Seven would be at the top of my list.” She stopped herself. “But the door is still secure, so they didn’t get in using vampiric strength. It would have to be some kind of dimensional transport or teleporting. Demons or sorcerers. And most demons leave a rotten egg stench of sulfur that isn’t here. Just a faint trace, more like someone evoking black magic.”
“Witches or wizards then? Could it be Sophistrina?” Lilith hadn’t exactly liked any of the German witches who only a few months ago had left Ari stranded in the desert to die. “I thought she said they owed you.”
“It wouldn’t be her, but maybe another coven like hers or a super powerful witch.” Even though Ari had been instrumental in getting the High Priestess and her black magic coven banished from the States six months ago, Sophistrina hadn’t been angry. It was her deceased predecessor who had caused all the problems, and Ari had seen to it that the rest had received leniency when she’d brought them before the Magic Counsel for their actions.
Ari scanned the room again for anything that might have been missed. She picked up a small black scarf—one of Andreas’s favorites—and ran her fingers over it. “Witches in this part of the world hate vampires. They’ve been at
Ari dismissed him before she let his mood infect her. “Thank you for meeting us, Beppe. I won’t keep you from your other duties, but I’d like to talk with you later.” She turned to Samuel. “Can we see Andreas’s room now?”
They entered the spacious three-level home, crossed the tile floor and climbed the staircase. Unlike many vampires, Andreas did not prefer to be underground. He had kept the master suite on the second level, just as his ancestors had done, although certain changes had been made for security, including the alarmed and monitored steel door to his quarters. Samuel keyed in a code on the electronic door pad.
Before stepping inside, Ari scrutinized the door from top to bottom, but saw no evidence of pry marks or battering. No one had forced their way in. That narrowed the possibilities to someone Andreas invited in, an intruder with the key code, or an Otherworlder who had entered by magical means.
Samuel spoke from behind her. “When I hadn’t seen Andreas by 4:00 p.m., I pounded on his door, then went in when there was no response. I didn’t touch anything.”
The room was a mess. Even now, the metallic smell of blood filled the air. After Samuel’s description on the phone, Ari had prepared herself for the scene, but she couldn’t stop the chill racing through her at the sight of so much dried blood. How much of it belonged to Andreas? She pulled her fears up short. None of it. Even if Andreas had shed any blood, it would have disintegrated long ago. This was damage he’d done to warm-blooded attackers. So who were they? How had they overpowered him?
And why the hell hadn’t she felt anything when it happened? The only logical answer was Andreas had blocked her at the first sign of trouble, prevented her from realizing he was in danger or sharing the experience. But why?
She ignored the tug of panic and thought it through. He’d decided someone or something was too dangerous for her to handle. He’d tried to stop her from coming after him.
“Damn him,” she swore softly. She’d thought he was getting better at allowing her to make that kind of decision for herself. Apparently, he’d reverted to his alpha male instincts in a crisis. Closing the link would make him ten times harder to find, but it wouldn’t stop her.
She continued to swear under her breath as she strode around the room, and her companions gave her a wide berth. She finally glared at Lilith. “He’s blocking me out. Overprotective bloodsucker. Thinks I can’t handle it.”
“Can’t handle what? What’s he consider that dangerous?”
Ari’s fears and irritation spilled out. “The freaking O-Seven would be at the top of my list.” She stopped herself. “But the door is still secure, so they didn’t get in using vampiric strength. It would have to be some kind of dimensional transport or teleporting. Demons or sorcerers. And most demons leave a rotten egg stench of sulfur that isn’t here. Just a faint trace, more like someone evoking black magic.”
“Witches or wizards then? Could it be Sophistrina?” Lilith hadn’t exactly liked any of the German witches who only a few months ago had left Ari stranded in the desert to die. “I thought she said they owed you.”
“It wouldn’t be her, but maybe another coven like hers or a super powerful witch.” Even though Ari had been instrumental in getting the High Priestess and her black magic coven banished from the States six months ago, Sophistrina hadn’t been angry. It was her deceased predecessor who had caused all the problems, and Ari had seen to it that the rest had received leniency when she’d brought them before the Magic Counsel for their actions.
Ari scanned the room again for anything that might have been missed. She picked up a small black scarf—one of Andreas’s favorites—and ran her fingers over it. “Witches in this part of the world hate vampires. They’ve been at
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