When a boat pulled up later at the same dock, seven priests and four guard thugs came off the boat searching for their escort. They turned this way and that, surprised that nobody was there to meet them. Except me, that is. The sailors and the other boat had left already, so there weren't any witnesses this time. The priests died; I then dumped them in the river half a mile away. Rushing back afterward, I went looking for the prisoners they'd brought with them.
A man, his wife, and their four and six-year-old children. Why were they attacking families? Was it to make everybody afraid? To tell the population that no one was safe, no life sacred? What kind of religion was this? "I don't know where to take you," I told them as I cut the ropes that bound them and took the gags from their mouths. They'd even gagged the kids. If I'd known that before, I might have shredded their kidnappers instead of decapitating them as I had.
"We have family here," the man said softly.
"Do you know where they are?" I didn't know one street from another—or the city's name. I also hadn't seen Dragon in two days, or the no-name guy. I didn't even know if they were still alive.
"We can find our way," the man said. "I don't know how you did this, but we thank you."
"Well, honey, I can't have you remembering me." I placed compulsion on all four of them to forget me. I told them that they'd been abandoned by the priests and gotten loose by themselves.
Dragon and no-name were both waiting on me when I returned to the apartment two hours before dawn. They stood at the hallway entrance, blocking the way to my bedroom.
I started to shoulder my way past them; I wanted a shower and a little more blood before going to bed. Hauling a van five miles to the ocean, even as mist, is harder than it sounds.
"Wait," Dragon dude said, reaching out a hand to stop me.
"What?" I didn't sound very friendly, honestly. But then they'd been less than receptive when Pheligar dumped me in the apartment and just took off. The only nice thing I could say about them is that at least they hadn't called me leech, bloodsucker or f**king vampire.
"I am Dragon," he held out his hand. He was introducing himself? That was a shock.
"You'll stoop to shake hands with a vampire?" I asked sarcastically.
"I deserve that," he said, still holding out his hand.
"Lissa," I said, and grasped his fingers with mine.
"Karzac," the other man held out his hand. "I am Dragon's healer and this is my home planet."
"Honey," I said, shaking Karzac's hand, "your planet has gone to the dogs. I've dumped a bunch priests and several of their thugs into the river, after they had their heads removed, of course. Another three were dropped in the street in front of the temple. Too bad they didn't know how to fly; they might have gotten away. Two vans are in the river and a third was dumped in front of the temple. If I had longer nights, I might be able to get more of them."
"You've done more damage than that; they're frightened and they have no idea who could do this sort of thing without our enemy feeling the power signature," Dragon almost smiled, his dark eyes lighting up a little.
"I'm just a force of nature, I guess," I said. "You say they can feel a power signature?"
"Our enemy, who is not Solar Red, can. That's why Karzac and I are so tightly shielded—to prevent him from locating us. He is allied with Solar Red, but we are not allowed to attack them. Our power to combat the enemy was given to us—it is not natural. Yours on the other hand, is. Attempting to detect you would be like searching for a single blade of grass among other blades of grass. We had no idea what Pheligar was doing when he dropped you in our apartment. Any other vampire would have been easily seen by Solar Red and would certainly be unable to do these things."
"I'm special," I grumbled.
"You don't sound pleased about it." Karzac examined me carefully. His eyes were a green-gold. He had nice eyes.
"Right now I'm pooped," I told him. "I'd really just like a bath and a little more blood before I pass out."
"Are your supplies adequate?" Dragon asked, standing aside and giving me a clear path to my bedroom.
"There's enough in there for two more vampires, I think," I said. "I'm glad I don't have to hunt for my dinner."
"If you have need of more, let me know. I will send mindspeech to Pheligar," Dragon offered.
"He can hear mindspeech? Wow. Maybe I'll send him mindspeech myself and let him know that as instructions go, his are non-existent. Goodnight." I started down the hall toward my bedroom.
"You have mindspeech?" Dragon was surprised again.
What do you think? I sent to him.
I think your voice comes through quite clearly, he replied. Pleasant dreams.
Would that it were possible, I returned, shutting the door of my bedroom behind me.
Chapter 3
I might have to ask Dragon and Karzac where they go while I'm asleep. They were never there when I woke. Not that I minded—it allowed me to drink my dinner while I watched the evening news before going out. Journalists were reporting that Solar Red was threatening the local police after their priests and thugs disappeared from the boat slip. The temple sent out a press release, saying the local authorities weren't doing their jobs, and then made an offer to the government of Refizan to provide their own security to the population. If that wasn't an offer from the fox to watch over the hen house, then I was still human and just about anybody would tell you I wasn't. It wasn't the local population that was in danger from attacks—except attacks from Solar Red, that is. The ones in the most danger were the priests of Solar Red and I was about to go out and put even more of them in danger.
Tonight was the night I decided to go back to the temple. Even though the doors were heavily guarded all around, that wouldn't keep me out. The temple was a tall octagonal building, nearly three stories high with eight wide double doors. Four of those doors were on the southern half going into the main temple itself; the other four on the north side opened into the priests' quarters, the refectory and the administrative offices. That would have made me snort if I still had lungs and breath to do it. What did they do or discuss inside those offices? Killings and sacrifices? I'd bet it wasn't prayer and feeding the hungry. No time like the present to slip inside and see if I could find out. Just to be on the safe side I slipped through a crack beneath one of the northern doors. I knew it wasn't the refectory—there would be a smell of food behind that door.