Inside the store crowded with equipment and clothing, he’d be able to break their line of sight at last. If they lost him for only a moment, he’d be able to use his power. His brothers thought of it as simply disappearing. Well, they had until he’d pulled Bel into his gift in an experiment with his wolves a couple of months ago. Now his brothers were starting to understand the truth.
Winter didn’t become invisible; he parted the veil that separated this world from the world of the dead. The dead world was a mirror copy of the world of the living. But there, the living took on the appearance of ghosts and couldn’t see Winter. Couldn’t hear him. Couldn’t touch him. And according to Bel’s werewolves, they couldn’t smell him.
It was the perfect way to keep an eye on all the people who wished to hurt his family.
But there was a price that came with using his powers: The dead noticed him while he was in their world, and it seemed like the dead who drifted through the world of the living noticed him more when he made frequent trips past the veil.
Not that it mattered whether he used his gift or not. The dead always liked talking to him, as if he could do something about their plight.
But the dead were not his main concern at this moment. No, he was more worried about the three undead bastards chasing him. Someone had apparently noticed him nosing around Christopher Heller’s lair. The Ministry member had increased his security more than Winter had been anticipating, and someone had spotted him. Fuckers.
It had been only a matter of time, though. Christopher Heller and Paavo Wetzel had aligned themselves with Damon James, easily the most powerful vampire left on what had been the Ministry. But the ruling body of the vampire world was no more—they weren’t even going through the motions. Damon had all but declared himself emperor, king, and dictator of all vampires in the Americas, and no one was arguing with him yet.
For now, the Variks were gathering their army to stand against the ruthless monster, and part of Winter’s job was gathering intelligence on Damon’s confederates. They had to know what Damon’s resources were. The vampire wasn’t going to simply challenge Aiden to a duel. Damon was too much of a coward for that and, as Winter was quickly learning, his sire was much older than he’d previously let on. Damon was no match for Aiden, and he knew it.
That left the would-be king scrambling for some edge over the Variks, and Winter was determined to uncover what Damon had found.
But if he was going to do that, he needed to be far more careful.
Winter slowed his pace as he reached the automatic doors that soundlessly slid open at his approach. He paused in the entrance of the store, eyes sweeping over the line of cashiers to his right. In the middle of the store was a pair of escalators leading to and from the second floor. Racks and racks of clothes filled the first floor, but the clothing on the left ended in what looked to be the camping section at the rear of the store.
Smiling, Winter took off at a jog, heading for the taller rows filled with tents and other random gear—that area would have lots of fun toys he could use. As he moved, he looked over the store. He counted only three employees leisurely making the rounds, putting goods where they belonged and generally tidying things up before they closed. Two shoppers strolled among the sports equipment, and he could only assume similar numbers were up on the second floor.
If he worked quickly, no one would notice him.
Glancing over his shoulder, toward the entrance, he saw the three vampires run into the store and pause, but they had yet to see him. Excellent.
Walking farther down the aisle, Winter called on his power. It came so easy now after the long years, almost like flexing a muscle. Before him, a dark slit appeared in the air, running from about the top of his head to the ground. With a slight wave of his hand, the opening widened, and thick darkness poured out. There was no hesitation as Winter stepped inside and closed the slit behind him. The darkness retreated, and his eyes adjusted to the new world around him. This gift was one of his greatest