Chapter 12

Her heart thundered as she stared down the vampire across the brick expanse. Moonlight caught the hints of red and bronze in his hair, and she begrudgingly had to acknowledge that he was very handsome, at least as murderous vampires went.

She knew what he had done, so why was something in her whispering trust him. He's telling the truth. Why did she want to touch him the way she had in all those dreams?

His dark green eyes never left hers as he spoke, his voice low and rasping. "You were born over two hundred years ago. Your name was Brigitte Maria Haas, and you were born in Zurich. Your parents were Peter and Johanna, and you grew up well-loved, if not wealthy. You had a little sister named Monika who thought you painted the stars in the sky. And in 1844, I met you in a park in Zurich, and I fell in love with you at first sight."

"That's impossible," she said. Clearly, he was not only homicidal, but insane. And yet…he sounded so sincere. A faint smile curled at his lips as he evoked his delusion. He believed it.

He shook his head. "I told you that you wouldn't believe me. I fell in love with you, and you gave me one dance that turned into hours, and within a few days, you were mine. We had just over two years together. You married me in a little church in Vienna, and I promised that you would always have someone to dance with, and I would hold the loom so you could weave your dreams into existence," he said, his eyes welling over.

Before she could protest, he continued. "And because I angered Armina Voss, she cursed you. You died in my arms not long after our wedding, just after your twenty-ninth birthday."

"No," she breathed.

"And you were born again and again. I know that your mother was twenty-nine when she died, and that you were born in 1991. I know that you have a birthmark on your neck that everyone can see, and you have another at the small of your back that looks like Orion's Belt," he said.

Her hand drifted to her back. "How do you know that?"

"Because I know you. Because back then, I loved you more than anything in this universe," he said. "And she took you from me. She has punished you because of me. And if I could take on all your suffering, I would. I am trying to save you from the same fate, but I can't force you."

He strode closer, but Scarlett pulled her gun, keeping it down by her side. "Stop right there."

"If you don't believe anything else I say, please believe this. Your birthday is in a week, and unless she has changed her pattern, you will die within a week of turning twenty-nine," he said. "Kova was trying to tell you to get away because he knows we would help you if we could find you. He was cursed by Armina Voss too, and he went to her begging to spare the woman he loved. And she tricked him into slavery."

Her throat went dry at the thought of Kova begging for mercy. And she had left him there, alone and caged. With her mind on Kova, she was too slow to react. In a heartbeat, he was on her, grabbing her wrist. She went to pull away, but he pressed her hand close to his chest, aiming her gun right into the base of his jaw.

"What are you?—"

"Pull the trigger. If you could remember, you'd know I'm not a creative man. I could not weave a lie this outlandish if I tried. If you want to kill me and be done with it, then go ahead. I am exhausted, and I can't watch you die again," he said.

"But my mother…" she said.

God, he was so close that she couldn't see past him, couldn't smell anything but that rich, masculine scent. Why didn't she just pull the trigger and end this? One bullet, and this would all be over. This was all she'd wanted for the last ten years and he was serving himself to her on a silver platter, so why couldn't she pull the damn trigger?

He just stared down at her with a sad smile on his face. "I don't know who she was. For all we know, she's still alive out there. But based on what Kova told us…the woman you think was your mother was actually you. Because Armina Voss is twisted. The last time, she killed someone close to you and convinced you to take revenge by hunting vampires. You weren't nearly as good at it last time, though."

"This sounds insane," she said.

"I know. But it's all true."

She should have been fleeing. The smell of him should have been a warning to prey, telling her to run for her life. And instead, she breathed deep and stayed there under his intense stare. "What did you do to Armina to make her so angry?"

He was quiet for a while. His eyes closed, as if he remembered something painful. Then he stared at her evenly. "I killed the man she loved. Her husband, maybe her soulmate. He commanded a group of vampire hunters who were killing my people in cold blood. I allowed my subordinates to interrogate him, and then I killed him so he couldn't go and warn them we were coming," he said. "And if she had simply killed me in revenge, it would be fair and just. But she targeted you instead to make sure I suffered like she did."

Suddenly, Julian's head snapped to one side, and he put his arms around her, spinning quickly. His voice was louder as he said, "I'm fine. Stand down."

She tried to shove at his chest, but he was so damned strong. "Let me go!" she protested. Both his arms encircled her head now, and she was keenly aware that he could snap her neck as easily as she breathed.

"Paris," Julian said in a warning tone. She didn't dare look around, but her skin crawled with the phantom sensation of being watched, of knowing there was probably a scope pointed at the back of her head.

He was protecting her, and that was not even close to the strangest thing she'd experienced tonight.

Finally, he released her and let her back away a few steps. Now his scent clung to her, doing unspeakable things to her brain. Struggling to regain her composure, she huffed and said, "I thought you were alone."

"My colleagues are waiting for me at a safe distance," he said mildly. "I am the Elder of my court after all."

"You said you didn't want to hurt me."

"I don't. If I wanted you dead, you would already be dead," he said."You know that."

Through their bizarre conversation, she had been floating in limbo, a sort of stunned disbelief as she took everything in. Now the reality was sinking in. She was in arm's reach—in fangs' reach— of an old, powerful vampire, and she was as exposed as she could be in the middle of a public park with God only knew how many vampires watching and waiting.

She took a big step back."I need to leave. I can't be here, I just?—"

He lunged and caught her wrist, and for some reason, she didn't resist. "Please don't run again. At least let me walk you back," he said.

She couldn't help laughing. "There's not a lot of people in this city who scare me. It seems a little strange to be escorted home by the only one who does."

"Is that a no?"

Her heart thrummed as she stared up at him. This was insane. This was her chance to kill him. She could lure him upstairs to the hotel and finish him there, easy as pie.

Or she could hear him out. She could look in his eyes in the light. And if he would help her save Kova, then perhaps she could trust him.

"Okay," she finally said.

The smile that spread on his face was not the toothy grin of a predator. It was soft, almost sweet, one that told her something she didn't yet know about herself. She hadto fight the urge to smile back out of instinct.

And that was how she found herself walking side-by-side with Julian Alcott down the dark streets of Atlanta. For a big city, the late night was quiet and strangely peaceful. A hazy yellow glow poured across the empty streets. His steps were light, and it was odd to be so close and not hear his heartbeat.

And there was the smell of him; he was older than Kova, with the same underlying smell of vampire that was richer somehow. But that smell didn't unsettle her; it was something pleasant, reminding her of the familiar warmth of wood smoke and pine. The strong, clean smell was reassuring, radiating to command the space he moved through.

His voice startled her from her thoughts. "It was clever to hide the tracker."

"I…" She sighed. "I don't know what I was hoping would happen."

He chuckled. "I left you my number, but I guess that's a moot point now."

"Yeah," she murmured.

Ahead of them, the glowing lights of the hotel lobby poured through glass doors. A single car idled near the valet stand. Her heart thumped as they approached, and she meant to tell him to leave well before they reached the doors. But her lips wouldn't move, because she was… Was she enjoying his company?

Before they walked inside, his callused fingers brushed across the back of her hand, and a shiver sparkled across her skin. She nearly grabbed his hand to feel it again. Turning to look at him, she found him frowning.

"I want you to know that I don't expect anything from you. This situation is strange for me, but it must be infinitely more difficult for you," he said. "Please don't be afraid that I'm going to…I don't know, force myself on you or demand your affection. I only want to see that you're safe."

"Oh. Good," she said. Vampires could have tortured her for days, and she would never admit to the feeling of disappointment that swept over her at the thought that Julian had no intention of touching her. Did that mean all her lovely, carnal dreams would just be dreams?

What the hell is wrong with me?

"Will you come back to our sanctuary?" he asked. "I can protect you there."

She swallowed, glanced at the glowing entry of the hotel, then back at him. Shaking her head, she said, "This is a lot to take in. Maybe too much."

"Regardless of all that came before, you have to believe me. Armina Voss means to kill you, and time is running out," he said firmly. "I just?—"

"I heard you," she said sharply. "And I need time to think. I haven't slept in nearly two days, and in that time, I've met the man I thought killed my family, learned that I've apparently been reincarnated and killed multiple times, and that the woman who raised me wants me dead to punish the man who widowed her before falling in love with me in a past life. It's a lot to process."

His lips pursed in a faint smile, as if he heard something funny. Finally, he nodded, and he said,"You're not wrong." He took a card from his wallet and handed it to her. Sleek and charcoal gray, it had just two phone numbers embossed in raised white letters. "Here's how you can get in touch with me. Use it."

She took it, fought down the urge to say come inside and tell me more, and nodded to him. "Thanks for not killing me."

"The same to you," he said, a wry smile pulling at his lips. Then he put out his hand. "We never officially met."

"We met at Underground Atlanta."

"Shooting at me doesn't count," he said, still holding out that big hand. "Julian Alcott."

The smile fought its way past her better judgment. She put out her hand and said, "Scarlett Ward." He flinched slightly, but gave her a firm handshake. Making contact with him made her feel like she'd been punched in the chest, driving the air from her lungs.

Staring up at him, she saw him fragmented through kaleidoscope vision; a version of him with longer hair and an odd hat, another with short-cropped hair, another with a fine velvet jacket. Every one of them looked anguished, and she had the distinct impression that he was looking down at her, with the moon high in the sky above him.

As if she lay dying and stared up at him in her final moments.

With a gasp, she yanked her hand back. "Good night, Julian," she said, hurrying inside. As she walked across the tiled lobby, still holding that card, a familiar, dangerous smell stopped her dead in her tracks.

Vampire.

Old.

And the cold-decay smell of Tante Mina's power, but not her aunt. One of the apprentices, wearing a strong perfume that masked her scent but not her magic.

Scarlett whirled on her heel just in time to see Carrigan Shea sidle up to her, one firm hand closing on her arm, hard enough to bruise. "Your mistress is very worried about you," he said in a mocking tone. The sleeves of his dark gray shirt were pushed up, revealing the blood-red marks drawn on his forearms and up his skin, disappearing beneath the fabric.

"Let go of me, or I will kill you in front of all these people," she said, already shoving her right hand into her pocket for the needle full of concentrated wood poison.

He clicked his tongue and said, "No need for that."His eyes lifted, and she saw the blonde-haired apprentice approaching. Lux, the aspiring puppetmaster.

One hand was at her side, fingers curled around something slender and cylindrical. "Dear, it's time to go home," Lux said.

She looked around, then twisted in Shea's grasp. "Let go of me!" she screamed. She stomped on his foot, then slammed one fist into his face. He snarled and reached for her, but the markings on his arms flared bright, holding back his murderous instinct.

This late, there were only a few night owls drinking at the bar, but she saw heads snap up at the sound of her voice. A radio chirped with static, and she saw a man in a crisp white shirt start running toward her.

No, no, no.

If he got in Shea's path, he was dead. Instead, she shoved Shea toward the lobby doors, then bolted past him, hoping he'd take the bait and run outside. Adrenaline spiked in her veins, and she shoved through the damnably slow revolving door.

Four steps past the door, she nearly barreled over a now-welcome sight. Julian was already jogging up the sidewalk toward the doors.His green eyes had gone brilliant ruby red as he saw the vampire and the witch chasing her.

He grabbed her hand and said, "Come on. I can carry you."

"I can run," she snapped back. Then he let out a low growl and shoved her out of the way. As her protest slipped out,Carrigan Shea's scent bowled her over. She whirled to see the older vampire grab Julian, then tosshim across the street like he was nothing more than a crumpled bit of trash.

Her heart sank.

Shea couldn't hurt her, but Julian had no such protection. Ducked behind the valet stand, Lux was already weaving some nasty spell, hands working through the air, fingers wrapped in gray-black threads. When she looked back, Julian was gone, and then she turned again to see him pouncing on Shea. With a roar of fury, he slammed the other man into a concrete retaining wall,shattering it to pieces. It was satisfying to see him go down, but he was already on his feet, giving Julian a good fight. God, they were both fast and unbelievably strong.

She was frozen, not knowing what to do. Here was the man she was supposed to kill, fighting with bloody, bone-cracking blows against an evil vampire bound to the woman who might be planning to kill her. Neither one seemed like the right side, and she could only watch as her mind tore at itself.

"We haven't had the pleasure," Shea growled.

"Still haven't," Julian replied, neatly dodging the man's blow and slinging him around. He recoiled suddenly, prying at his face as black, vein-like marks slithered over his skin. His back arched and he let out a single clipped shout, reaching awkwardly back as if something was biting into his back.

Seeing him struggle broke Scarlett out of her inaction. She bolted for the valet stand. Scarlett slapped Lux's arm, then punched her in the small of her back, prompting a shriek of pain as her magic faltered. It was probably unnecessary, but she threw a second punch into the woman's side, knocking the wind out of her.

Lux had been helping Mina hurt Kova, and she was an asshole on her best days. She had it coming.

Julian groaned in relief, though the black marks still slithered across his skin. His eyes met hers as he put out his hand."Let's go!"

She nodded, meeting him and taking his hand. They ran into the night, and she focused on her feet, on the wind whipping her hair. With the curses and complaints behind her, she was glad for all those grueling midnight runs with Kova on her heels. Her feet flew, and she kept her focus on two things: staying with Julian and breathing. That was the only space her brain had right now.

As they ran, Julian spoke in French, but she didn't speak it well enough to understand.

"Your auntie is going to be very cross with you," a cruel male voice taunted. "Scarlett, you've been naughty."She didn't dare look back, but Shea's voice grew louder with each step.He was going to catch them, he was going to?—

"Just ahead," Julian said. A black SUV screeched to a halt just down the block, and they pushed faster. Suddenly, Julian went down, bones cracking as he bit out, "Keep running!"

Ahead of them, a vampire male jumped out of the SUV, beckoning wildly. Then his head lifted, and he snarled. "Scarlett, get in!" he barked. It was one of the men who'd been with Julian at Underground Atlanta.

But she hesitated, looking back just as Shea pounced on Julian. Tendrils of magic slithered across his back, tethering him down to the ground like a net. He was fighting, but he was helpless to the magic. Shea chuckled and raised his foot like he meant to stomp on his fallen prey.

She drew her gun andfired three shots in rapid succession. Shea recoiled, staring in disbelief at the craters in his chest. Three wounds, neatly clustered. While he was still reeling, she raised the gun and aimed for his face.

Boom.

He reeled, one hand clapped over his ear as blood streamed. The bastard moved as she fired again, barely dodging a shot that would have blown out the back of his head. She shifted to aim at Lux, who was kneeling down the block, eyes closed. Her shot went wide, but it kicked up shards of concrete and prompted a shriek from the witch.

While they were distracted, Scarlett lunged for Julian, stepping into that tangled mess of magic.A cold rush ran through her, ice water down her back and through her veins. When she reached down for him, the roiling threads snapped as if she'd sliced each of them. His head snapped up, eyes full of confusion.

"Brigitte?" he said in awe.

"Come on," she said.

Three more shots rang out, and she instinctively ducked. Shea went down, one hand clapped to his leg. She looked back to see the other vampire aiming down the sights, eyes glinting red."Let's go!" he shouted. "Allons-y, assholes!"

"Shea, to me," Lux barked.

The markings on the older vampire's arms flared bright as neon lights as he glared at Scarlett. Even with the bloody ruin of his chest, one ear pouring blood down his neck, he was leaning toward her like a barely restrained attack dog.

The other vampire fired again, and Shea suddenly snapped back, leaping to propel himself off the closest building, then landing near the witch. He grabbed herand disappeared around the block.

Julian put his arm around her and hustled her to the vehicle. She didn't have a chance to protest as he climbed in, pulling her with him. The other vampire got in, sandwiching her between them as he slammed the door. "For fuck's sake, drive," the blue-eyed vampire said.

A pretty red-haired woman sat in the driver's seat. Her red eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, and then she stomped the gas, lurching around the block. "I never get to do getaways," she said amiably. Without breaking her gaze from the road, she raised a hand. "Hey, sweetheart. You look good."

"Not now," Paris said irritably. He scrubbed at his messy hair and said,"Please tell me that was just another very old vampire that happens to look like Carrigan Shea and not the bastard himself."

"It's him," Scarlett said. "He works for Armina now."

"Lovely," the man said. He nudged her and put out his hand. "Paris Rossignol. We've met. You probably don't remember."

"Are you referring to when I gassed you two days ago or in a past life I don't remember?"

"Both," he said cheerfully. "I also shot you several months ago."

"You missed."

"I never miss. I aimed for the right side of your back so I wouldn't hit your heart," he said. "Didn't I?"

She scowled at him, brushing her fingers over the small scar. Months ago, she'd been about to kill one of the Auberon vampires when the searing pain exploded through her.

Parisreached across to Julian. "Are you injured?"

"I think he cracked my ribs, but I'm fine," Julian said. The black lines of Lux's magic were fading, leaving burn-like wounds across his exposed skin. But his cheeks were flushed,and he was smiling.

"Tell me you weren't having fun wrestling with that sociopathic ape," Paris complained.

"Do you want me to lie? This is what you get for declaring I have to stay inside all the time," Julian said with a laugh.

"I am not getting paid enough for this," Paris muttered. He fixed his incisive blue gaze on Scarlett. "How did Armina track you here? Is it magic or tech?"

"Neither. I had my phone turned off," she said. "Nothing in my bags that I know of. I packed them myself and she didn't know I was going."

"How did you get here?"

"I drove…Kova's car," she said as it dawned on her.

"Which Armina probably owns," Paris muttered.

Her stomach sank. "And I used his card to pay for the room. He told me I could." How had she been so naive?

"She probably has access to it," Paris said. "No more. We're going somewhere else to be safe. Are you playing a long game to infiltrate my home and kill the people I care about most?"

"No, but if I were, I don't imagine I'd tell you," she said.

He chuckled. "Such a smartass. I always liked you."

That casual quip shook the ground beneath her. Another vampire who somehow knew her. It felt more like a cruel joke than ever, as if the whole world was conspiring against stupid little Scarlett. Her stomach lurched, and she blurted, "Stop the car. I need to get out."

"No," Julian said. She instinctively clenched a fist, but he put up an open hand as if to say stop. "Do you want to go back to Armina Voss right now?"

She shook her head.

"Okay. Then stay with us. You're safer with us than wandering the streets of Atlanta," Julian said. "Take us to Infinity."

Paris reached across to tap the woman's shoulder. "Ignore that. Head for Marietta."

"Infinity is one of the safest places in the city, and Shea already knows where it is," Julian protested.

"And I don't want this one to twist up all of Shoshanna and Misha's magic and melt both of their brains by crossing the threshold," Paris said. He leaned across Scarlett, then nimbly climbed into the front seat. His fingers danced across the dashboard screen to enter a new address into the GPS.

"Where are we going?" Scarlett asked.

"Your Shieldsmen friends ran one of our allies out of her house a few months back," Paris said mildly. "You might remember her. You kidnapped her child. That's when I shot you. Remember?"

Her brow furrowed. "I do, and for what it's worth, that was a terrible plan. By the time I got here, they had already done it. I would never kidnap a child."

Paris glanced at her, then shook his head. As they drove, her stomach growled, and she realized that she hadn't eaten since before her attempt to take out Julian the night before. Her drugstore snack haul remained untouched in her overpriced hotel room.

"Do you need to eat?" Julian murmured.

She stared at him, confused. Then he tilted his head and pointed to her belly with a wry smile. "You heard that?"

He chuckled and leaned forward. "Safira, find us something that's open."

"You don't have to do that," Scarlett protested.

But fifteen minutes later, they were parked in a pool of hazy white light while their driver hurried inside with orders to pick up food. Paris looked back at her. "On a scale of one to I need hard drugs to cope, how strange is this?"

"Paris," Julian said sharply.

"Strong eight," Scarlett said. "Ask me again tomorrow."

He smirked.

"Sorry about trying to kill you," she said.

"You hit me with a poison dart, not a bullet," he reminded her. "Seems like you were pulling punches."

"Darts are better for long shots. More likely that you'll be down for decapitation," she said.

He was still smirking, but something shifted in his eyes. Maybe she should watch the vampire-hunting jokes. They both jumped a little in surprise when their driver returned, arms heavy laden with bags. Paris chuckled. "Did you buy the entire produce aisle?"

Safira managed to flip him off beneath her bags. As she handed them inside, she said, "I didn't know what you might like.And then I saw a bunch of things that I was curious about,and I think I wanted to live vicariously through you."

"Thank you," she said, wrapping her arms around the pile of grocery bags. This whole situation was so strange that the weirdness of a vampire woman buying her dinner didn't even register.

As the night blurred by, she wondered what the hell she was going to do. If she believed them, then everything Tante Mina had told her was a lie. Her life was built on fragile spun glass that was teetering off the shelves and into gravity's clutches.

And maybe they were lying. Maybe they were all in on a lie that was so strange it almost had to be true.

It was just after two in the morning. Sunrise would leave them all weak, and if she had to run, she'd go as soon as the sun was on her side.