windows and grounds remained dark and empty as I reached the curving wall and darted beneath an archway, relieved to be out of the light.
Okay. Now what?
The faint tug, that subtle hint of knowing, was stronger than ever as I crept up the stairs and peeked through a curtained window. The strange, circular room beyond was surprisingly intact. A table stood in the center with several chairs around it, all thankfully deserted. Beyond that room was an empty hallway, and even more rooms beyond that.
I stifled a groan. Finding one comatose vampire in such a huge house was going to be a challenge. But I couldn’t give up.
The glass on the windows was shockingly unbroken, and the window itself was unlocked. I slid through the frame and dropped silently onto the hardwood floor, glancing warily about. Humans lived here, I realized, a lot of them. I could smell them on the air, the lingering scent of warm bodies and blood. I wondered why the scent didn’t knock me down the second I came into the room. If Sarren was here, he’d likely paint the walls in their blood.
But I didn’t run into any humans, alive or dead, as I made my way through the gigantic house, and that worried me. Especially since it was obvious this place was well taken care of. Nothing appeared broken. The walls and floor were clean and uncluttered, the furniture, though old, was sturdy and carefully arranged. The Prince who lived here either had a lot of servants to keep this place up and running, or he was incredibly dedicated to cleaning.
I continued to scan the shadows and the dozens of empty rooms, wary and alert, searching for movement. But the house remained dark and lifeless as I crept up a long flight of steps, down an equally long corridor, and stopped outside the thick wooden door at the end.
This is it.
Carefully, I grasped my sword and eased it out, being sure the metal didn’t scrape against the sheath. Getting here had been way too easy. Whoever was on the other side of that door knew I was coming. If Sarren was expecting me, I’d be ready, too. If Kanin was in there, I wasn’t leaving until I got him out safe.
Firmly grasping the door handle, I wrenched it to the side and flung the door open.
A figure stood at the back wall, waiting, as I’d feared. He wore a black leather duster, and his arms, crossed lazily over his chest, were empty of weapons. Thick, dark hair tumbled to his shoulders, and a pale, handsome face met mine over the room, lips curled into an evil smile.
“Hello, sister,” Jackal greeted, his gold eyes shining in the dim light. “It’s about time you showed up.”
CHAPTER 3
“Jackal,” I whispered, as the tall, lean vampire sauntered toward me. I remembered when I’d seen him last, the self-declared Prince of a flooded raider city, its residents as dangerous and ruthless as himself. He had gone through a lot of trouble to capture the humans I’d traveled with, three years of searching the roads, of having his men comb the countryside. And once Jackal had found them, he hadn’t been above sacrificing them, one by one, to get what he wanted. Zeke and I had managed to rescue our group from Jackal’s demented clutches, but several had died in the process, and the pain of that failure to save them still haunted me.
Why was Jackal here now? The last I’d seen of him, he had been shoved out of a thirty-story window—after, I remembered quite clearly, he’d jammed a wooden stake into my stomach. I didn’t have fond memories of the raider king, and I knew Jackal wasn’t terribly happy with me, either.
Then the implication hit me like a brick in the chest, and I stared at him in horror. Kanin was our sire, having Turned the both of us. The raider king was my “blood brother,” and blood called to blood. No wonder there had been two pulls. If Jackal was here, then he was the presence I’d been following. Not Kanin. Not Sarren. I’d chosen to track the wrong lead.
I gripped my sword so hard the hilt bit into my palm, and I would’ve snarled in frustration had Jackal not been twenty feet away. Who knew how far Sarren had extended his lead now? Months of searching, of trying to close the gap and find my sire, all for nothing! The psychotic vampire still had him and could be on the other side of the world for all I knew.
And here I was, trapped in this house with my brother, who probably wanted to kill me.
“I’ve been waiting for you, sister.” Jackal smiled as he approached, fangs gleaming. His duster billowed behind him, and I caught a glint of metal beneath. “You took your sweet time, didn’t you? And after the Prince of Old D.C. told all the guards and house staff to hide in the basement to let you through, just in case you were Hungry, you still had to skulk through the house like a common burglar. Didn’t it seem a bit odd, not running into anyone?”
Now I did snarl at him, baring my fangs. “What are you doing here, Jackal?”
“Visiting the Prince,” Jackal said mildly, and shrugged. “Waiting for you.” He continued to grin at me, smug and dangerous. “Oh, what’s the matter, sister? Did you not expect me? Were you hoping to run into someone else?”
“I was, actually,” I shot back, and took a step forward, raising my sword. “But I’ll take care of you before I go looking for him again. Let’s get on with it.”
“Let’s not,” said a low voice, and a new presence entered the room, closing the door behind her. A tall, statuesque woman gazed down at me with large black eyes. Full red lips stood out sharply against her dusky skin, and her hair floated around her face like a dark cloud. “If you and Jackal are going to fight,” she said in a throaty voice, “then wait until tonight and do it outside. I’d rather not have you throwing each other around and breaking furniture.”
“Azura.” Jackal smiled, waving a hand at me. “This is my lovely little sister.”
“I gathered that,” the vampiress said, not returning the smile. To me, she said, “Please put your weapon away. If you are going to remain in my house, you will do so on civil terms. I would hate to have you thrown out to face the sun.”
I felt trapped, staring them down. Two vampires, one of whom was still a Prince and probably a Master. I was all too happy to fight Jackal again, but I doubted I could take them both. The female had that same calm, cool air of another vampire I knew, another Master, and I could feel the power in that deceitfully slender form.
I sheathed my blade cautiously, still keeping a wary eye on Jackal, who looked far too pleased with this whole situation. “What’s going on?”
“Azura is an old … acquaintance of mine,” Jackal said, shooting the vampire woman a sultry look. Other than a raised eyebrow, she did not respond. “I thought, since I was passing through, I would her pay a visit. Of course, once I sensed you coming, I thought I’d stick around and wait for you.”
“If you’re looking for a fight, I’ll be glad to give you one.”
“Trust me, sister. Nothing would make me happier.” Jackal bared his fangs in an evil grin, and I tensed, ready to draw my sword again. “I would love to tear the head from your neck and stick it on the wall outside, but I promised Azura I would behave.” He jerked his head at the vampire woman, who continued to watch us both with detached amusement. “Besides,” Jackal continued, “I thought you might be interested to know what I discovered about Kanin and Sarren.”
That threw me. I narrowed my eyes, staring him down. “How do you know about that?”
“Oh,
