Dark Heir

“Without ongoing negotiations,” I said, “there’s no warning when they might arrive.”

“Correct.”

“Unless your mole is still active?” Leo had a spy in Europe, a high-placed one, who sent him information as often as possible. As often as was safe.

“I have received no word. I may assume a variety of things about the silence: our association is at an end because of Santana; my associate is unable to get word due to heightened security; my associate has been caught and is now dead. I have heard from other sources that several of my friends from centuries ago are prisoned or deceased, simply due to an ancient acquaintance; in one case it was a relationship that ended long ago, in enmity. I am operating in a vacuum. We need Santana caught and shackled quickly. No games, Jane. He cannot be killed. I need him alive as a bargaining chip.”

I glanced at Eli, my reaction evident in my expression. “Politics. They always suck,” my partner said.

It wasn’t what I wanted, and I figured this could be the nail in the coffin of my desire to behead the Son of Darkness. But I was still taking his heart. “Fine. But I can’t defeat Santana without help.” Before Leo could reply I asked, “What have you learned about Santana while searching HQ? The Council Chambers,” I amended.

“There are records and a small objet de magie in a safe, though where the safe was placed after the fire that destroyed my home is not yet known. There are sub-basements here and storage units off premises. I have people looking. You will be contacted when it is discovered. It was my uncle’s private safe and its contents might prove helpful in your search. Meanwhile, another safe of similar design, purchased at the same time, has been located on sub-four. It contains deeds that might assist you in searching for sleeping lairs.” Leo opened a desk drawer and handed me a ring of keys and a scrap of paper with numbers on it. “This will open the safe.”

“We’ll head there now.” I started to stand and Leo lifted a hand.

“Jane.” I stopped. “The Son of Darkness is strong. Far stronger than any Mithran or Naturaleza you have yet encountered. I offer you my blood to give you and your second strength and faster healing.” He extended his left hand, the wrist exposed.

I had no idea what to say. No way was I drinking Leo’s blood unless I was dying and couldn’t shift. My eyes went to Eli, who said, “We decline for the moment. But if we are in danger or injured, we will remember the generosity offered by the Master of the City of New Orleans.”

I nearly fell off the low stool in shock at Eli’s words. Diplomatic. My “shoot first and figure out who was guilty second” partner had just been diplomatic. Leo took it as his due. “You may proceed with your search,” Leo said, with that gracious tone that the old royals used. “You are dismissed.”

Eli smiled, a genuine smile, the kind he reserves for his honeybunch. “Thanks, boss,” he said. I stood and we left the room.

“Boss?” I asked as we moved through vamp central.

“Yeah. Why not?” Eli said. “You get away with unruly behavior all the time. This is his battle. I’m just the hired hand. And my master will never come out of my mouth.”

As we entered the elevator, Eli asked, “Where are we going?”

“Right now for coffee. Then to sub-four to check the safe Leo mentioned. Also, since this conspiracy to free Santana keeps widening, I want to take a look again at Adrianna’s room here, and again at her room at Mearkanis Clan Home. Maybe we missed something.”

“You’re going to drink coffee?”

“Odd how you picked that out of the really good stuff that I just said.”

“I heard it all. The only weird part was you drinking coffee.”

“Yeah, well, my bones are tired.” I stretched, feeling the stiffness of muscles and joints. My spine popped when I twisted, and I blew out a deep breath, exhaling some of the tension that had accumulated in my flesh. “My skin is tired. Even my hair is tired.” I dropped my arms. “I need to mainline caffeine if I’m going to make another couple hours. Coffee is faster than tea. Espresso is faster than regular coffee, and I got the chef to set up a Keurig for the green room. But sometime soon, we both need some sleep.”

“Copy that.”

We stopped off in the green room just off the main entry in vamp HQ. After the last time I crashed in there, I had updated the room. It now had a Keurig with a full selection of everything caffeinated, a full-sized refrigerator kept stocked with fresh food in see-through plastic containers, colas, water, and various bottled green teas. There was a large microwave, and cabinets filled with canned and dried foodstuffs. The room also had a nice table and chairs and comfy, upholstered furniture. And a three-paneled screen in front of the wall that showed a sealed-over entry to the no-longer-secret elevator close to Leo’s office. I might need it someday and I didn’t want it to be easily identifiable.

I made a cup of espresso, passed it to Eli, and made another for myself. As I worked I said, “Did you ever get photos of sub-four?”

“I got part of it. Alex has the pics.”

“And did you find the safe Leo mentioned? Is it already open?”

Eli’s lips twitched. “Yes. And not yet. I thought about blowing it up, but it might make a mess of the room.”

I chuckled and felt odd as the laughter moved through my body, as if I should be grieving or furious instead, and the laughter was a betrayal of the dead and dying in that city. Nodding, I took my own cup, setting the Keurig to start a third cup, this one of chai. I opened the freezer and dropped three ice cubes into the espresso, swirled the ice in the cup and tossed it back. The whole cup of espresso hit my stomach like I’d swallowed a bowling ball. I struggled to not throw it back up. “Holy crap,” I managed. “How do you drink this swill?”

“Slowly. Sipping it. Like a gentleman.”

I rubbed my stomach while adding cream and sugar to the chai. “That sounds yuckers.”

Eli chuckled. “Sipping espresso or being a gentleman?”

“Sylvia has ruined you,” I griped, referring to his girlfriend.

“I’ll be sure to tell her so,” he said mildly.

The coffee’s caffeine hit my nervous system and I took a deep breath. “Holy cow. That feels better.”

“For now,” Eli agreed, while at the same time disagreeing.