TangledHunger Page 5

  “Sydney disappeared two days after our wedding. She’d been happy and excited about our celebration, but I also felt her restlessness. Sydney wants to settle down, but I think part of her was scared. I wasn’t surprised when she took off. She needed to get the fear out of her system before she could calm down beside me for the rest of our lives.”

  Duncan’s arm slid off Tanasha’s shoulder and he no longer touched her skin.

  Villette actually looks like a nice guy. Maybe Nasha is wrong and his wife really took one last trip. The sunlight played through the crystal and threw reflections against the wall.

  His eyes wandered and for a moment he couldn’t remember why he was here.

  Tanasha put her hand under Duncan’s loose shirt, touching his naked back. Her touch shot through him. He stiffened for a second before leaning into her. She was like a fresh breeze that blew away the fog that had begun to cloud his mind. He’s got some serious magic juice.

  Duncan didn’t know why Tanasha’s touch shielded him from the power. He needed to find out, but right now he had to get a better idea of what kind of game Marius played.

  The Naema intensified his ring play, but the fog couldn’t get past Tanasha’s cool touch. Marius grew more and more tense and a wall of power built before Duncan.

  Uncertain how things would end if the other man continued to pile on the magic like this, Duncan jumped to his feet, his hand around Tanasha’s. “What made you go all modern in such an old-fashioned home?” He walked to the windows, never letting go of her hand.

  The wall of power at his back collapsed in on itself as if Marius had finally given up with Duncan turning his back on him.

  “I prefer more modern lines.” If a voice could drip ice, the Naema’s would have. “Sydney loves me enough to want to make me happy.”

  Duncan chuckled. “Ah, nothing lovelier than a woman who wants to make you happy.” He nuzzled Tanasha’s cheek. “What about you, babe? You want to make me happy?”

  She stroked a finger down his neck. “Maybe. It would depend on how distracted by worry I am.”

  He nearly swallowed his tongue. He hadn’t anticipated Tanasha in a flirty mood and he wanted more. With effort he dragged himself back to the here and now. They circled the room and twice more he attempted to touch the decorative crystals. Both times the stones shocked him before he could get close.

  He pulled back his power, focused it into one intense beam and hurled it at one of the crystals. It managed to cut through the surrounding field for a second, but then Duncan felt the backlash as if he’d been kicked in the face.

  He tasted blood in the back of his throat.

  The energy tingling between Duncan and her told Tanasha that the Vampire used his power as he ambled around the room asking about Sydney’s mood, their honeymoon plans and whether Sydney owned personal transport. The power grew and any moment she expected to see sparks flying. Instead sweat built on his upper lip. Suddenly his knees buckled for a second. She pushed closer, her shoulder under his, her arm around his waist, holding him upright. He caught himself, but they needed to get out of the house. Her instincts told her not to let Marius see any weakness.

  “Thank you for your indulgence, Marius. Hopefully Duncan will be able to track down details that will lead us to Sydney. She was so looking forward to your honeymoon. I cannot imagine she would miss it. You planned to leave today, but she hasn’t yet returned, which makes me worry even more.”

  Marius nodded, his eyes dropping to the ground, the edges of his mouth turned downward. “Yes, her not being here in time hurts. But I love her. I hope my heart will find what she’s looking for and will return to me safely and prepared to join for eternity. And Tanasha, if you feel sad or alone, please don’t hesitate to come to me. I’m always here for you.” He tried to caress her cheek, but once again Duncan managed to move her out of the way.

  “Thanks, kaveri. I’ll check on your wife’s finances. I can’t imagine that a rich woman like her would suddenly decide to go days without buying something. But don’t worry about little Tanasha here. I’ll take care of every need she may have.” With a salacious smile he turned her around, obviously patting her butt, and walked her to the door. “We’ll see ourselves out. Thanks again, kaveri.”

  Duncan put quite a bit of weight on Tanasha’s shoulder, even though he pretended he only cuddled. She worried that Marius had done something to hurt her Vampire, but when she tried to find out he only shook his head. “Not here,” he whispered while nuzzling her cheek.

  Tanasha bit her tongue and supported him out the door. She felt Marius’ gaze like a weight on the back of her neck.

  What the Jade had gotten into him? Never before had he been so keen on touching her, on being alone with her. How could he behave like that out in the open when his wife was missing?

  They stepped out of the front door into pouring rain. Cursing, Tanasha pulled the collar of her smock up. Neither Duncan nor she wore a coat. Duncan made a small gesture with his right hand, as if to wave the rain away. He did it a couple more times, growing more and more forceful, until he stopped and rested more weight on her.

  They’d reached the small gate. She walked through, heaving a sigh of relief. The taxi transport still waited for them in the same space. Duncan climbed inside and slumped into the far corner seat. For a second Tanasha couldn’t decide if she wanted to sit beside or across from him. He ended her dithering by grabbing her hand and pulling her next to him.

  “That was interesting.” His eyes closed and his head dropped back against the seat.

  “Are you okay? You look gray.”

  He chuckled. “Nothing a pint won’t cure.”

  Tanasha froze, but to her surprise her stomach no longer revolted at the thought of him drinking blood. “What happened?”

  He opened his eyes and the intensity sparkling in them shot through her. Breathing became difficult.

  “Your best friend’s husband has strong magic.”

  Tanasha’s heartbeat increased and elation ran through her. “So he is using magic?”

  Duncan played with her fingers, wreaking havoc with her concentration. “Do you know what his Gift is?”

  She shook her head. “Sydney never came right out and said it. Is it important?”

  “I think his Gift is Influence.”

  “Have you been walking in outer space without a suit? That’s a rumor. There is no Gift for influencing people.”

  Duncan snorted. “Have you looked at the senators recently? Sure there is such a Gift, but most of them hide it behind charisma and public speaking. It wouldn’t help to tell the punters that the person they’re voting for took away their choice.”

  “And you think Marius has such a Gift?”

  He rubbed his chin. “I do, but I also believe it’s not solely Naema magic that he’s throwing around. There is something familiar about the increase in power.”

  She studied him for a moment. He looked as if he knew something he didn’t want to tell her. “We had a deal. Tell me what you’re thinking of.”

  Duncan raised her hand to his lips and sucked one finger into the inferno of his mouth. Tanasha’s body responded instantly. Her nipples hardened and her slit moistened. She swallowed. “Tell me,” she croaked.

  He twirled his tongue around her finger one last time before slowly pulling it from his mouth. Heat flared in his eyes. “He has Vampire magic supporting him.”

  She pulled her hand out of his grip and sat back. “That’s utterly impossible. He would never lower himself to work with a Vampire. Marius thinks he is the superior being and that Vampires barely deserve to breathe the same air as him.” She shook her head. “He would not work in conjunction with them.”

  When she looked back at him, Tanasha found him staring at her beating pulse. She swallowed. “Are you in need of sustenance? Shall we stop so you can buy some blood?”

  He blinked and averted his gaze. “That won’t be necessary. We’re nearly at your residence. Once I’ve dropped y
ou off, I’ll get a bite to eat and talk to some sources.”

  His words distracted Tanasha. She hadn’t been tempted to offer him her neck. No way the thought had popped into her head. “What sources?”

  “Anonymous ones,” he replied.

  “I will accompany you.”

  “You will not. The men I’m going to see are not the type you’d want to bump into in an alley, not even on a bright, sunny day.” He waved his hand at her. “And don’t pout. Isn’t this why you hired me?”

  She couldn’t think of a snappy comeback. He was right. She had hired him to find out what happened to Sydney, to ascertain what Marius was up to. That didn’t mean she had to be happy about him traipsing off to danger and her with no real idea what he was after.

  “I still don’t believe that Marius would work with Vampires.”

  “How wealthy was he when your friend first started going out with him?”

  Tanasha fell silent for a brief moment. “She told me how much of a kick it was for her to go out with somebody less well off. She felt glamorous and as if she had a toy boy to play with. It helped that her father kept complaining about the fact as well.” She shook her head. “He’s working with them for money? Is that what you’re saying?”

  Duncan shrugged. “Money is one of the oldest motives. I’ll check into his financials. There are also a couple more rumors I have to run down.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and scribbled something on the back. “Here are my coordinates, just in case.”

  Realizing he wasn’t going to give her more details, Tanasha thrust the card in her pocket without looking at it and remained silent. They didn’t speak until the transport arrived outside her complex. “Contact me as soon as you have any new information,” she demanded and stomped out of the vehicle without a backward glance. She could have sworn she heard him chuckling in her head and felt the lightest touch on her cheek. Before she could change her mind and look back the transport started up again.

  He was gone.

  Tanasha shivered and rubbed her upper arms. The rain fell less heavy, but the breeze added to her damp clothes made her cold.

  She strode through the elaborate front yard. Usually the thick, shadow-filled greenery relaxed her, but tonight she only focused on the annoying Vampire.

  There was something connecting them, something she had never felt before. In that moment, when she’d had the option to stop all his teasing and flirting this something had dominated her mind. The idea that there would be no more warmth between them had struck down the worry of inviting closer contact with him.

  If he hadn’t had to see those sources, she knew she would have either invited him into her home or gone to his residence. She wanted him and for once in her life she wouldn’t worry and fret about the consequences before she’d even taken the first step.

  A dirty hand covered her mouth.

  Another grabbed her upper arm and pulled Tanasha back to the present with a vengeance.

  She struggled against her first attacker when a shadow moved. It stepped out from behind the thick hedge into the glow of one of the low solar lamps delivering ambient light along the path. A second man, tall, gaunt, unshaven and wearing a stained coat. He walked close enough for her to feel his breath against her face.

  He had blood-red eyes.

  He grinned.

  If Tanasha had any breath to spare, it would have stopped with that grin.

  The smile showed a set of gleaming fangs. The nails on the hand stroking across her cheek were long and sharp. “Looky, what have we got here? You’ve been a bad, bad little Naema.” He licked across her cheek. “You’ll be so delicious.” One hand grabbed her breast. “In more than one way.” He chuckled. A chill ran down her back and made her shiver. She backed away into her first captor.

  His grin widened.

  Ferals. She had no idea how the lawless Vampires had made it onto the planet, let alone into the District. If she wanted to live, she needed to get away. Tanasha shook. She’d never been in a situation where physical violence was a possibility. She had no training. Except for the few times she’d played in HoloWorld.

  Panic swirled through her.

  “W-what do you want?” she stuttered. Her mind raced through her options. There weren’t many. The Feral behind her gripped her tight, making movement difficult.

  The other continued to maul her breasts. She swallowed bile. Keep it together. She promised herself a full-blown panic attack later.

  Once she’d escaped.

  A big one.

  “What do I want?” The one manhandling her chuckled again. His breath reeked of blood and death. “I want to suck you dry while drilling into you like a laser.” He licked her other cheek. “That’s what I want.”

  Tanasha clung to her composure. She needed information. “How did you get here?”

  “A fallen one gave us a helping hand.” He nodded at the one behind her.

  Jade, time to go. She swallowed. You can do this.

  She threw her full weight against the Feral holding her. He stumbled back a couple of steps. She pulled her knees to her chest, her stomach muscles straining, and kicked the one in front of her in the balls. He hadn’t expected any resistance. He sank to his knees, holding his privates. Tanasha slammed her foot into his head, the kick echoing up her leg. With a groan, he slumped to the ground.

  She should have worn synth-steel boots.

  The exchange only lasted a few seconds, but the Feral holding her recovered quickly. He tightened his grip so much his nails dug into her flesh. Blood trickled down her arms. One hand grabbed her hair. He tore her head back, stretching her neck.

  Tanasha rematerialized her wings.

  The Feral didn’t stand a chance and stumbled away. She flapped her wings, trapping him between them. The hard outer feathers and the strong wing bones vibrated as she knocked her opponent away from her. She whirled around to face him, no idea what else to do.

  With a growl he jumped toward her, fist raised. Tanasha ducked, taking the fist on her wing. Pain raced through her. The Feral shook his hand. She went with the one trick she knew would work and kicked him in the balls. Then she slammed her uninjured wing against his head.

  The Feral staggered and fell forward.

  She didn’t waste any time and ran. For a second she wished she’d continued flight training after passing basic training. Vertical takeoffs were a bitch and with her so out of shape the lush greenery around her added to the difficulties. As soon as she was back at the road she took a running leap and was airborne. Her muscles screamed and the injured wing didn’t carry her as well as the other.

  Tanasha panted and strained against the wind. She managed to contact the Guard. Anonymously. As annoying as they may have been, it was their job to protect the inhabitants of the District. Ferals definitely qualified as danger.

  Her lessons came back to her. She found her rhythm. The wing the Feral hit still ached, but overall her wing muscles warmed up and the strain eased somewhat. Tanasha climbed higher in an attempt to stay out of sight. It was bad form to show your wings. Actually flying was a whole ’nother kettle of fish.

  She aimed for the edge of the District. Crossing the border would set off an alarm. Tanasha touched down in a secluded green area and tottered for a few steps. Once she’d come to a standstill she just stood gasping. Her knees weakened and reaction set in.

  How did they know where she lived? How had they managed to get inside the District without anybody noticing?

  She called for a taxi transport and forced her wobbly legs to carry her to the road. Her thoughts tumbled around in her head, the feel and the scent of the Ferals dominating everything else.

  She could have died.

  Tanasha swallowed and staggered to the transport. Tucked inside, racing away from her home, she rubbed her arms, battling cold spreading into every part of her body. Where could she go? They knew where she lived. They had to know where her family lived. She prayed that everybody was fine.

 
She took a deep breath and pulled the card out. Her hand shook as she programmed her destination.

  He would know what to do.

  Chapter Four

  Things weren’t adding up. He had no trouble understanding why a Naema would betray his race and work with Vampires, but why would he do it so openly? Marius felt very safe. He had to have some sort of backup plan as security.

  Why the Jade would he kidnap his own wife? He rubbed his chin and in the back of his mind realized he needed a shave. Why would a con man like Marius choose such a high-profile target to get involved with?

  Duncan had no doubt that the Naema had planned to take over Sydney’s family well before he met her for the first time. With everybody believing him and nobody asking any questions, he had access to the family’s fortune, could use the family’s influence.

  Marius would finish his con soon. And at the moment only Tanasha stood in his way.

  He leaned back. Her image was burned into his mind. He only had to think her name. Her lovely face, her gorgeous curves and the chemistry between them that was volatile enough to create a black hole.

  The Naema without a Gift.

  Duncan no longer believed that to be true.

  He pulled out his handheld comp and started a number of searches. Luckily he’d hacked into the Naema Archives long ago, just for fun and to prove that he could. He liked to read and knowing one’s opponents’ history or weaknesses was never a mistake. Duncan vaguely remembered an article in a paper about the cleanup after the Human-Feral War. It had talked about a young man with a rare gift. He couldn’t remember the details and ordered the comp to find it.

  It took a few minutes, but finally the comp beeped. “Ah, here you are.” He flicked through the details.

  The man had been described as a Null. A Naema unaffected by magic, any kind of magic. After the war he’d helped to dismantle booby traps left behind by Ferals when they were killed or pushed off planet. The article didn’t go into much detail, but it speculated that the Naema sensed the Feral magic left behind and directed and assisted with the disassembly of the traps. His assistance reduced the death rate and humans celebrated him as a hero. The article didn’t mention why a Naema took the time to assist humans.