Loup Garous. When that had proven successful, he and his cousins had used the same technique to protect the Chenilles in the Louis I Cemetery, then here in the catacombs under St. John’s Cathedral. The waning of power here concerned him greatly. Whatever hunting was needed must be done quickly and with specific directives so they wouldn’t be chasing their tails as he felt they had been doing for the last day or two.
As Lucien considered a game plan, he noticed that Evee had moved closer and was now standing between him and Ronan.
“I know we have to look for the missing,” Evee said. “But I want to apologize for zeroing out on the two of you earlier. All of the Nosferatu are my charge. You are here to help, which is much appreciated, and I had no business zoning out on you the way I did.”
Lucien put a hand on Evee’s shoulder and felt his pulse quicken when he touched her. Although Evee was dressed casually in jeans and a light blue T-shirt, she might as well have been dressed in a ball gown and tiara for all he cared. She was astonishingly beautiful no matter what she wore, and the simple act of touching her made his insides quiver.
“Don’t beat yourself up over that,” he said to her. “With all that’s going on, I think you’re handling yourself quite well. We just need to keep our heads about us.” He gave her a soft smile. “For all you know, I might be the next one to ‘zero out,’ like you said, so I’ll have to count on you and Ronan reining me back in.” He squeezed her shoulder gently. “Don’t worry, if you go to la-la land again, I promise to be there to bring you back.”
He saw a flash of gratitude in Evee’s eyes, and he felt his smile broaden. He forced himself to look away from her and down at his watch. “Time’s pushing. If we’re going to do any hunting for missing Nosferatu before feeding time, we’d better get started.”
Evee nodded, took a step back and squared her shoulders. “If we’re going to get this done,” she said, “we’ll need to split up. I know the two of you are here to protect me and my Originals, but look at what we’re dealing with now. Too many missing Nosferatu, and humans, innocent humans, unwittingly waiting to be an Original’s next meal. The closer we get to feeding time, the hungrier the Nosferatu will become. Humans will definitely be their target. So splitting up and hitting different directions only makes sense.”
Lucien held up a hand. “No way are we splitting up.”
“That would put you in too much danger,” Ronan said, the frown on his face deepening.
“That would make us utterly irresponsible in our task to protect and defend,” Lucien said.
Evee’s eyes narrowed. “So are you saying that going off on your own, knowing there are loose Nosferatu, Loup Garous and Chenilles, any of which could slaughter you within seconds, is irresponsible?” she asked Lucien.
“Yes,” Lucien said defiantly. “The bottom line is splitting more than we already have is ludicrous. We’d be asking for disaster.”
“Yes,” Ronan said. “Like we don’t have enough to deal with now. I think we should stick together.”
“Of course,” Evee said. “Any wuss would want to play the safe card. Look, if the two of you would just stop yammering and get to searching, we might actually get the job done.”
Lucien had to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep from laughing. If anything, Evee was not short on piss and vinegar once she had her mind set on something.
Ronan, on the other hand, evidently felt different. Appearing dumbstruck, he looked away, his cheeks turning a shade of pink.
“Look,” Evee said to Lucien and Ronan. “I didn’t mean for that to come out so...bitchy. I apologize.”
Lucien looked up at her with a stoic expression. “Apology accepted.”
With a sigh of relief, Evee looked from Ronan to Lucien. “We have to be levelheaded about this. I know what to look for where my Nosferatu are concerned. And believe me, as far as rifts are concerned, if I see so much as a deformed cloud in the sky, I’ll be running to find you guys quicker than you can blink.”
Lucien blew out a breath and glanced from Evee to Ronan. In his mind, Lucien knew Evee was right. They’d be able to cover much more ground if they separated. But his heart refused to let the words out of his mouth. He feared for her life and couldn’t stand the thought of Evee heading anywhere alone.
Finally, Ronan said, “I hate to admit it, but what she’s saying makes sense. I can head north into the Quarter and search there.” He looked at Evee. “You’ll have to tell me what to look for, though. Since it’s already dark out, the Originals will have taken human form to blend in. They certainly won’t have bald heads with thick veins and sharp fangs like the ones here. How do I tell what human is truly Nosferatu?”
“Good question,” Evee said. “You can typically spot them easily if you know what you’re looking for. I can usually locate a Nosferatu by scent. In your and Lucien’s case, look for anyone standing about simply watching people, either an individual or a small crowd. If interest sparks, the Nosferatu will start following that person or crowd, keeping tabs on their every move. Also their skin will be much paler than the average human’s. Some have eyes that are extremely light-sensitive, so they’ll be wearing sunglasses inside buildings, even at night.”
“What about clothing?” Lucien asked.
“No different than anyone else around them. Remember, they’re trying to fit in and go unnoticed so they can scout out their next victim. And remember, too, the both of you are in as much danger as any human out there. I’m the only one who can control the Nosferatu. Don’t confront them head-on or you might wind up being a meal. Should you find one, you need to come and get me or call for me. You can’t fight them alone. They’re too strong.”
“This is sounding worse by the moment,” Ronan said, sweeping his hands through his hair. “I’ve changed my mind. I really don’t like the idea about splitting up.”
“I know,” Evee said. “And I agree that this plan is putting us a bit out there, raising the stakes and ratcheting up the danger, but think of what might happen if we don’t do it. Let’s at least give it a try. We can go in separate directions, hunt for half an hour, then meet back here in front of St. John’s. That way we can report on what we’ve seen, then go our own ways again, each of us taking a different direction. At least that way we won’t be apart for hours at a time. Thirty minutes, not that long, and if one of us doesn’t show up, the others will know the direction to head to look for him...or her.”
Lucien bit his bottom lip, rubbed a hand across his chin. “I don’t think what I have to say about the plan matters. You’re going to do what you want to do, right?”
Evee gave him a lopsided grin. “Pretty much.”
“I figured as much,” Ronan said.
“Fine, Ms. François, we’ll do it your way,” Lucien said with a half smile, which was the best he had to offer. He still thought the entire plan was a mistake. “Let’s get it done and over with, then. Ronan, you head north to the Quarter. I’ll take the riverbank west.”
“Guess that leaves me with the east riverbank,” Evee said.
“All right,” Lucien said. “But what if something comes up and one of us needs help? We don’t carry cell phones because they interfere with your spells and our scabiors.
