Magic Council once or twice before Lucien was assigned. Some of the members trust him.”
“So where’s he been? Why am I just hearing about him?”
Yana gave her a shrewd look. “And how many vampires do you know?”
Ari counted them off on her fingers. “Lucien, Rita. I’ve seen Prince Daron on TV and several on the streets. Not many, I guess. Never thought about it before. Was he the vampire rep when you met him?”
Yana shook her head. “No. Before Lucien became the official representative to the Magic Council, Andreas approached me on behalf of Prince Daron. He offered to deliver a renegade vampire who had killed four humans. I accepted his offer, and the rogue was tried and executed.”
“Why would he do that? Andreas, I mean. The vamps must have wanted something.”
“Yes, that’s what I thought, but when I asked, he said Prince Daron believed in a different kind of vampire society, less autocratic, more cooperative.” Yana gave a dainty snort. “Maybe that was true, but they’re still secretive.”
“So, Andreas is some kind of spokesman.”
“His authority has never been clear. But enough talk of vampires.” Yana picked up the plate of scones, offered her the last one. “Let’s finish up, and we’ll go for a walk in the garden.”
Ari grabbed the last pastry. She vowed to make tomorrow morning’s run twice as long. As Yana puttered around the kitchen, Ari nibbled and considered everything she’d heard. A more detailed picture of the mysterious vampire was emerging—a picture with numerous warning flags. No matter how sexy or interesting he might be, Ari vowed to stay out of his way.
Besides, she had a murder to keep her busy.
Chapter Six
By the time Ari left Yana’s, dusk had fallen. Olde Town was coming to life. As she approached the waterfront district, the excited voices of tourists and Gothic wannabes floated down the hill from the vampire bars and clubs. She began the climb in their direction. Time to hunt some vampires.
As Yana had pointed out, Ari didn’t have many contacts among the undead, but she did know Rita. She’d met the vampire a year ago when Rita was a newborn and abandoned by her sire. Rita was in a bad way, starved and desperate, hiding in an alley, fighting urges that were alien to her. While abandonment was rare and illegal under both state and vampire laws, it happened from time to time, and shelters had sprung up to meet the need.
Ari had taken her new charge to one of these vampire shelters, where staff provided for Rita and taught her to control her instinct to hunt. At the time, Ari was mostly concerned with protecting potential human victims, but her intervention had saved Rita from certain execution. While they weren’t best friends, Rita still spoke to her. Since Rita was a creature of habit, Ari knew where to find her.
Maurie’s was an undead hangout on State Street, an unassuming bar with one asset: pinball tables. Rita liked to play, and she liked to drink. Maurie’s had both. Ari read the sign on the front door advertising today’s 2-for-1 special. Bloody Marys. Go figure.
“Guardian, are you lost?” Rita threw out the challenge from a back table as soon as Ari entered the door. “Need someone to show you the way home?”
Rita always dressed like a hooker. Hell, maybe she was one, but a lot of vamps dressed in that come-hither way. Today she was all in red, from the spike heels to the silk blouse that dipped dangerously close to her navel and the matching leather skirt that barely covered her thighs if she tugged hard. She lounged in a chair, one long leg crossed over the other, revealing a good bit of skin. She sipped a tall, reddish drink that Ari assumed was a Bloody Mary, vampire style.
“Now, Rita, be nice,” Ari said without rancor. She felt the watchfulness of other vampires as she crossed the room. Ari swiveled a chair from Rita’s table and straddled the seat. “Maybe I’m here to see how you are. Chat with an old friend. You taking a drink break from your hard play at the machine?”
Rita snorted. “Yeah, sure. What do you want?”
So much for small talk. “Know a vamp named Vince or Victor?”
Rita frowned, uncrossed her legs, and squirmed in her seat. “Know lots of dudes. Why you askin’?”
“Just want to talk with him. About his girlfriend, Angela.”
“Don’t know Angela.”
“Didn’t ask you that. I’m looking for the dude.”
They wrangled back and forth awhile. First Rita