“Do you like it?”
Anna shrugged. She had chosen to enter law school only after a large corporation had purchased an entire block of low-rent apartments where she was living and happily tossed the elderly and poor onto the street so they could make a profit.
There would always be injustices in the world, but Anna was tired of sitting on the sidelines. She had decided that day it was past time to get into the game.
“I like it when I win,” she admitted with a rueful smile.
“That makes sense.”
There was a short silence as Darcy tilted her head and studied Anna with a strange intensity.
At last, Anna cleared her throat in discomfort. “You can ask whatever you want, Darcy,” she said, repeating her guest’s words.
“I was raised to believe I was human so this whole demon world is new to me,” she admitted, startling Anna. “I know you’re not a vampire or werewolf, but…”
Anna recalled Darcy mentioning that she had been genetically altered, which would explain why she hadn’t realized her heritage. It made Anna feel even closer to the woman. She wasn’t alone in this wild and wacky world. Darcy would understand her confusion.
“Actually, I don’t know what I am,” she confessed, feeling oddly relieved to unburden the secret that had kept her trapped and separated from the world for so long. It seemed that the truth really did set you free. “I hoped that Cezar could tell me.”
Darcy didn’t appear at all shocked. Actually she looked nothing more than curious.
“Why Cezar?”
Anna blinked at the unexpected question. “We knew each other long ago. Centuries ago. When I spotted his picture in the L.A. Times, which mentioned that he was in Chicago, I flew here to confront him. I thought…” She grimaced at her naïve assumptions. “I blamed Cezar all these years for making me different.”
“Why would you blame Cezar?” Darcy wondered, then as Anna blushed at the intimate memories, she offered an impish smile. “Ah, never mind.”
“I was a fool to come here.” Anna gave a shake of her head. “I came here for answers, but every time that vampire makes one of his cameo appearances in my life everything goes to hell.”
“You weren’t a fool, Anna.” Darcy reached out to lightly touch Anna’s arm. “As difficult as it might be to discover the truth, anything is better than wondering and fearing that there’s something wrong with you. Trust me, I know.”
“Yes.” Anna managed a weary smile. “You’re right.”
“And you can be certain that both Styx and I will do everything in our power to keep you safe.”
“You’re very kind.”
Darcy waved aside Anna’s sincere gratitude as she rose to her feet, a smile on her lips. “And you know, Cezar is rather fine even in the vampire world, where fine has a whole new definition. There’s no reason you can’t enjoy the view while you’re here.” She ignored Anna’s startled expression as she crossed to the door. “I’ll let you relax in peace and return later with something for you to sleep in. If you need anything just poke your head out the door and give a yell. I have excellent hearing.”
Anna couldn’t help but laugh. The woman was simply impossible not to like.
“A werewolf thing?” she teased.
“There are some good points to being special, although if you call me Cujo I won’t be happy.”
“Special?”
“That’s what we are, Anna, don’t ever believe otherwise.”
Special? Hmmm. Better than freak, but still a big, fat leap from normal.
“I’ll have to take your word for it.”
Cezar paced Styx’s private office with a restless impatience. Under normal circumstances he might have been delighted to have the opportunity to explore the rare scrolls that were carefully stored in a glass case, or the vast leather-bound tomes that lined the walls and detailed the history of vampires. Or even the stacks of petitions that were piled on the mahogany desk.
As the king of all vampires, Styx possessed the grueling burden of leadership, but he also was given access to the priceless treasures that had been collected over the millenniums.
Tonight, however, Cezar couldn’t appreciate his surroundings. Instead he battled the searing need to bolt from the room and find where Anna had been taken.