teammate to keep an eye on me.
A sword was sheathed at one side and a dagger to the other as he knelt beside me. It seemed as though his complete attention was on the mouth of the alley, but I felt that he was as keenly aware of my presence as I was of his.
I leaned forward, and moonlight peeked through the cloud cover and brushed my skin. The moon’s glow highlighted my cobalt hair and the light amethyst of my skin. I wrinkled my nose at the rotten scent of garbage coming from the Dumpster.
“I hope our intel is good,” I murmured. “According to the Vamp whom Lawan and Max shook down earlier, we should see some action soon. At least if the Vamp was telling the truth and Vampires do meet up here.”
“They do.”
Those two simple words and the tone of his voice made hair prickle at my nape. His self-confidence and complete and utter arrogance were clear.
“How are you so sure?” I asked and then wished I hadn’t.
“I sense they have been coming here a long time.” Armand glanced at me. “And I smell them. I am never wrong on this.” He looked back at the alleyway. “There is no better Vampire hunter.” It came out as fact.
The urge to slap him upside the head was strong. Someone needed to take Mr. Ego down a rung or two.
Colin’s humbleness was the opposite of this guy’s demeanor. Both had amazing powers, and from what I heard about Armand and knew of Colin, each was every bit as talented a Dragon. They just had different skill sets. Armand had chosen to be a Vampire specialist, and Colin had so many versatile abilities.
“How long have you been a Vampire hunter?” I asked to fill the silence.
“Many years now.” Armand continued to stare into the night. “There is no one as good as I am.” He glanced at me. “It is my specialty. I’ve been doing this for over twenty-five years, not to mention the fact that I am a Dragon.”
More and more points in the I’m-not-too-sure-of-this-guy column.
“What made you decide to specialize in Vampires?” I was genuinely curious.
“Two of my closest friends were turned.” He moved his attention away from me. “I had to kill one of them.”
My stomach cramped at the thought of being faced with that dilemma. I couldn’t imagine it.
“It is dangerous for a once-bitten Tracker to actually be going after Vampires,” Armand said. “I have thought about taking you off this case.”
“Who do you think you are?” I scowled. “I have been laying my life on the line for a long time as a Tracker. If you think I’d back off this case now, you don’t know me well.
“I either go after Volod with your team,” I continued, “or I do it alone. I’ll worry about my personal risk. You don’t need to. I’ve gotten on just fine for years with my approach.”
“I worry what you could add to the other team if you are turned. If I become a Vamp,” he said, “I expect you to kill me. If you are turned, I will kill you.”
“I am clear what your position is.”
“I’m on a mission. If I had it my way I would not stop until every Vampire is dead. Because of the truce, of course, I can’t kill one until he crosses the line or I’d kill them all.”
“Where does that leave Volod’s bunch today?” I asked.
“Everyone on Volod’s team has crossed the line by my rules, so as far as I’m concerned they are dead.”
I looked at the shadows lying across the alleyway. “Is the Proctor Directorate going to have anyone talk with the Great Guardian?”
Armand was quiet for a moment. “There is no one,” he finally said.
I cut my gaze to him. “What do you mean?”
“Rodán and Monique were the only Light Elves with a connection to the Great Guardian,” Armand said. “The directorate never expected to lose either of them, much less both.”
That made my head spin. No liaisons to the GG? Someone would need to be.
My own senses kicked into gear at the same time Armand’s body tensed. Vampires—I caught their odor of old dirt and must.
“Six.” Armand stood, remaining behind the Dumpster, still close to me. He drew his sword, and the sharp edge glinted in the moonlight. “Vampires, not Vampire paranorms.”
The rush of blood in my ears intensified as I placed my hand on my buckler. I didn’t have that many sets of Vampire cuffs, and I didn’t