Lenny didn't attack, and the temperature rose yet another notch.
"Another three degrees and I'm stopping it,” Camille commented. “We'll be risking everyone's safety otherwise."
Maybe it's not so much Lenny as the wedding, Seline commented. Maybe she's decided she doesn't want to marry such an old man after all.
This old man will track you down and box your ears, if you're not very careful Seline's sigh was a cool breeze through his mind. You're annoyed because I won't tell you where I am. No. I'm annoyed because you won't tell me why you won't tell me where you are. He crossed his arms, watching Nikki duck around a box. Though Lenny had circled around behind her earlier, he now stood near the window, so she still had some breathing space before he attacked. Remember that vision I had when you and Nikki were in San Francisco?
The one about someone coming after me in revenge for what I did to his brother?
Nikki took another step. Two boxes and shadows were all that stood between her and Lenny now. Yes. It appears the vision was slightly off. He had a go at me first. What?
He almost shouted the word out loud, and Seline's wince slithered down the lines between them. I'm fine, as evidenced by the fact I'm still here talking to you. Why didn't you tell anyone?
Because I fear the Circle has been infiltrated by our foe.
Nikki had passed the first box. One box, lengthening shadows, and Lenny were all that stood between her, the window, and the end of the test. But she'd stopped again. Her fear swamped him, so strong it left a bitter taste at the back of his mouth. It was definitely Lenny she feared, though why was still unclear. It wouldn't be the first time the Circle has been infiltrated. No. But this time it was cleverly done, and it almost caught me. Remember Nadia?
He frowned. She is a young vamp we recruited about five years ago, isn't she?
Yes. I promoted her to my personal staff last year. Last week she tried to kill me in my sleep. Then she didn't know you as well as she thought. Or she'd have known Seline never slept without at least two protection spells being active.
Few people know that. Most think I set only one spell, and I prefer to keep it that way. It was the second spell that caught her. She'd gotten past the first.
How? Nadine wasn't a witch, and few on your staff know much about magic. Only Camille, and as acidic and annoying as the colorful crone could sometimes be, Michael trusted her—not only with Seline's safety, but Nikki's. Which is why Camille was here supervising Nikki's training rather than the usual trainers.
Someone obviously taught her enough to pass common protection spells. So did she say why she wanted to kill you?
No. And interrogation proved useless. Whoever sent her made sure they'd erased that section of her memories.
Then you still have no idea who is behind the attack?
No. Seline hesitated. But I've had more visions, and I'm more than certain my suspicions are correct.
And those suspicions are? In the room below, Nikki took another step. Michael found himself clenching his fists again, and he flexed them, trying to relax. Which was hard to do when her fear was all but smothering.
He was tempted, so very tempted, to stop the test, run down there, and ask what the hell was wrong. Only the knowledge that she'd be furious, that she'd think he was still trying to prevent her from joining him on his missions, stopped him.
Remember Hartwood? Seline asked.
Of course. We watched it burn together, remember.
Then you remember Emmett Dunleavy?
He smiled grimly. How could he forget him? The bastard had killed Christine, one of the few people Michael had cared about in those dark years, a woman he'd spent ten years loving. Worse still, Emmett had turned her into one of the living dead.
He'd spent twenty years hunting Emmett down and a week making him pay. I killed him, then I burned him, and then I consigned his soul back to the hell it came from . All of which Seline knew, because she'd been by his side during the hunt in Hartwood. What neither of us knew at the time was that Emmett had a twin—Weylin. Emmett died just over a hundred years ago. Surely if Weylin Dunleavy intended revenge over his brother's death, he would have done something before now.
I fear revenge is not his only intention.
"Temperature has jumped again,” Jake said, voice edged with concern. “If Nikki's doing this, something is wrong down there."
Camille glanced at Michael. “One more degree to go, and then I'm stopping it, whether you like it or not."
"Fine.” Nikki wouldn't like it, but Jon and Marcus were still in the room, and the heat was reaching levels that suggested Nikki didn't have it under control. And if it wasn't under control, then anyone in that room could become a target of the flames.
To Seline, he said, When we were in San Francisco, you had a vision that mentioned someone seeking revenge for what I did to his brother. You said he was a brother who had kissed the night good-bye. I take it this is Weylin Dunleavy? And that he's a vampire who can walk in the sun?
Yes. He's also a sorcerer, and he plans to make us pay for what we did—pay in pain, as that vision warned.
The shadows moved in on Nikki. She backed away, ducking Lenny's blows and throwing several of her own. The vampire might be little more than an indistinct blur, but she was just as fast. He's had a hundred years to plan, Seline continued, and now the time for action has come. The words seemed to echo through Michael's mind. On the monitors, Lenny backhanded Nikki, the force of the blow enough to send her staggering. Somehow, she kept her feet, and she wiped a hand across her mouth. That's when he saw the blood.
That's when her fear crystallized in his mind.
Lenny was another plant.
"Get that door open!” he shouted, and then he turned and ran for the stairs.
* * * *
Nikki hit the wooden box nose first. She grunted in pain, but she pushed quickly away, dropping to her knees as the scream of air warned of another blow. As his fist stirred the hairs on the top of her head, she lashed out with a foot, trying to hook his leg and bring him down. He jumped her leg, then pivoted, his heel smashing into her jaw. She flew backwards, hitting another box before sliding to the floor in an ungainly heap. The room whirled around her, and her face throbbed, the bitter taste of blood filling her mouth. She took a shuddering breath, but it did little to ease the sick churning in her stomach. Her heart raced so bad it hurt, and energy surged in response, the sheer force of it making every muscle shake. Or maybe that was fear. But across her trembling fingertips fire flickered, casting bright shadows through the dusky light.
It shouldn't be happening, not in this room.
She felt rather than saw movement, and she scrambled away on all fours. A hand twined through her hair, yanking her viciously back. She yelped, fighting fear, fighting the flames that burned brighter through her veins.
"Hey,” Jon said behind them, “I think that's enough."
"No, it's not,” the vampire snarled. He twisted the fistful of hair so tight she yelped again, and he dug what looked like a small crossbow out of his pocket.
"Look out,” she screamed, lashing backwards with a fist.
She hit his arm just as he pulled the trigger. There was a hiss of air, then Jon's harsh curse and the smell of burning flesh.
White ash, she thought. Had to be, because it was the only thing that could stop a shapeshifter. She knew then that this man didn't just intend to test her. He intended to kill her. And he'd come prepared to kill anyone else who got in his way. She twisted again and swung her fist, this time sinking it deep into his groin. He grunted, his grip on her hair relaxing enough to pull free. She scrambled to her feet and turned to face him, but suddenly there was another body between her and the vampire.
It was the first vampire, the one she'd defeated after Delphine.
"Enough, Lenny. You've drawn blood.” His voice was soft yet cold. “That is beyond the rules."
"Right now I don't give a shit about you or the rules." There was a soft twang, then a grunt, and the weight of her would-be protector hit her. She grabbed him reflexively, saw the wooden arrow sticking out of his chest and the fingers of flame beginning to spread from the wound. Dead for real this time. Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them quickly away. Now was not the time to do anything more than survive. Surely those in the control room had to realize by now that something was wrong. All she had to do was hang on until they got here. She dropped the vampire's body and retreated, saw Lenny raise the crossbow a third time. She swore and dove sideways, rolling past the cover of a box. There was a thud against the side of it, then a rush of air, and suddenly he was on her again.
His weight pinned her, his fists smashing towards her face. She blocked the blows one handed then reached up, splaying her free hand against his chest.
"Burn, you bastard,” she said, and reached for the flaming power that surged through her veins, imagining him burning but not dying.
Fire exploded through her, around her. The force of it ripped the vampire free and flung him across the room. His screams filled the room, his body a blazing comet as it hit the far wall and disappeared behind several boxes.
Nikki took a deep, shuddering breath, then climbed to her feet and walked the rest of the way to the window.
She'd passed their damn test.
Now they could explain what the hell was going on.
Chapter Two
Michael leapt over the banister and hit the floor with enough force to jar his spine. Grunting, he pushed upright, and saw that the door was still closed. He swore viciously and punched the intercom button on the side of the doorway.
"Camille, get this door open!"
"It's not responding. He must have jammed it from the inside."
"Then I'll just have to break it."
"Be careful. The spell—"
He released the button, cutting off the rest of her warning, then clenched his fist and hit the door with everything he had—physically and kinetically.
For too many seconds, nothing happened. Then, with a screech that sounded like a live thing dying, the door exploded inwards. Wood and metal fell around him as he ran inside. The smell of burning flesh hit him immediately. Lenny's screams pierced the muggy air, the beat of his heart loud and erratic. Beyond that, further down the room, two more heartbeats. Human heartbeats, suggesting Nikki and Jon. The slower beat of a second vampire's heart was nowhere to be heard. Obviously, Marcus was dead.
He swore under his breath and ran swiftly around the boxes, heading for those two beats. Nikki knelt next to Jon, her hand on his shoulder, pressing a T-shirt into his wound. She glanced up as he approached, a mix of anger, confusion, and fear warming her expressive amber eyes.
"What took you so damn long?” She grabbed Jon's free hand and placed it against her makeshift bandage, then stood, thrusting her bloody hands on her hips.
Her anger burned through his mind, and he almost laughed out loud in sheer relief and joy. There wasn't much wrong with her if her temper was this high.
"Surely you could see what was going on in here?” she continued tartly.
"We did.” He grabbed her, pulling her into a hug that was as fierce as it was loving. “And I'm sorry, but Lenny barred the door. It took a while to force my way through. Are you all right?"
"Yes,” she said, her words muffled against his chest and at odds with the trembling in her body. “It was Jon who got hurt and...” She hesitated, her voice catching. “The other vampire was killed." He held her away from him, his gaze sweeping the length of her then coming back to her face. Her left cheek was swollen and beginning to bruise. He gently brushed a tear away from her cheek. “Any loose teeth?"
"A couple,” she admitted.
He saw the blood on her teeth and knew she'd probably cut the inside of her mouth as well. He pulled her into his arms again, brushed a kiss across her mouth and glanced down at Jon.
"Thank you."
Jon nodded. Pain still lingered in his blue eyes, but Nikki had pulled the white ash out of his shoulder, and the healing process would have begun.
"Thank me by finding out how that bastard got a cross bow and white ash in here. I thought we had spells set in the foyer to detect such things?"
"We do, but all spells can be countered if you know how.” What they had to find out is how someone like Lenny, who had no apparent knowledge in magical law, had managed it. And what his connection to Nadia might be. Michael had no doubt that there would be a connection. Two attacks, both using magic to get around the spells interwoven in this building, and both performed by people with no talent in magic—that was more than just a coincidence.
"You need a hand up?” he added, offering Jon a hand.
Jon's good hand clasped his, and Michael hauled him to his feet. “You'd better head to medical for a checkup, just in case those arrows were tipped with something." Jon nodded and walked away. Michael pulled back from Nikki and brushed the sweaty strands of dark chestnut hair from her forehead. Her skin still burned with the heat of the flames she'd directed at Lenny.
“You'd better get down to medical, too."
She raised an eyebrow. “You're not coming with me?"
His smile was grim. “I have a vampire to question."
Surprise and relief flitted through her eyes. “Then he's not dead?"
"No.” And he was no longer screaming. Either he was unconscious or the flames had stopped eating his flesh—though this second option suggested that Nikki had retained some control over her fire. It had not been so when the flames had first appeared in the sewers of San Francisco. Then, they'd cindered all that they'd touched. “Did you mean to kill him?"