At Blade's Edge - Lauren Dane Page 0,1

and then I called Clive. He convinced them to drive me and the bags to the house. I promised I’d be in contact with you.”

“I’m sure he’ll ask me about it.” And bitch at her for ducking out on his guards. But she needed to sneak around a bit on her own. Needed to settle in to London on her terms.

And she’d wanted to poke at Wesslyian to see what he had to defend himself with.

Not much, she didn’t think.

“I’m pleased the spell worked.”

It was easy enough—second nature really—to handle surveillance and intelligence gathering. But London was a city with a lot of cameras in a lot of places. So she’d managed to procure a very good spell that scrambled her facial features to fool security protocols.

Money well spent.

“I figured since everyone else was buying stuff on the magical black market I should get in on the action too.” She stood. “I’m hungry now. Let’s go look at Clive’s house. Is it insane? Will it make me nervous?”

David led the way, heading east a bit before cutting over a few blocks north.

“It’s a very nice home owned by an affluent, powerful man with a great deal of face to keep.”

“That sounds like a lot of words to tell me it’s fancy.”

David wisely held his tongue. Which might have been why Rowan didn’t notice the sketchy-ass barely turned Vamp who’d been following them for a few blocks until he’d gotten close enough to touch.

And when he tried to, she had his arm bent back, popping it out of the shoulder joint as she pressed his face into the brick façade of the building they stood near.

He struggled against her hold so she pushed his face harder. Making sure it abraded his skin.

“Pay attention now, or I’ll end you,” she whispered in his ear. He tried to snarl so she used her free hand to cuff his other ear. “Who do you belong to?”

All she wanted to do was have a quiet evening, but no. Of course she had to get jumped by this jittery moron.

“I’m a Vampire!” he shouted this as if it meant anything to her.

“Barely. Who made you? I can pop that shoulder out of joint for hours and hours. Every time you get it healed, I’ll start over. I’m in a crappy mood now, so that’s my idea of stress relief.”

“Perhaps you should just kill him and be done. I’m hungry,” David said from his place keeping watch.

Rowan shrugged. “Me too. Okay then, Sketch, talk or die. Time’s up apparently. He’s a growing boy.”

“I’m not a boy.” A little exasperation in his tone, but he was still patient.

“He’s getting what the kids today call hangry. Hungry and angry. It’s not cute. Don’t make me have to put him on a time out for his attitude,” Rowan told the Vampire. “You’re not eating right. That’s why you’re twitchy and not feeling well. But you can’t go trying to eat tourists. That will get you executed. And here’s such a funny coincidence! I’m a Hunter and thereby legally entitled to kill you right here and now.”

“Why do they always make you explain?” David asked.

“It’s my vain hope they listen so I can avoid getting Vampire ash all over my clothes. I just washed my hair this morning, I don’t want to have to do it again. But I’m a giver, David. I’m trying to afford this Vampire a learning opportunity.”

“You’re quite the humanitarian, Ms. Summerwaite.”

“How do you know? About eating and Vampires?” Sketch asked her.

“I’m a Hunter. It’s my job to know. Also, I grew up in a Vampire household. I know a few things about you. Like how when a human is Made, the maker needs to educate the fledgling. The Vampire who made you isn’t doing right. Who is it?”

“I don’t know. Some woman. We met at a nightclub. We went back to my flat. Had a one-night stand. She bit me. And bit me more. And then she left. I thought I was going to die. But this happened instead.”

“Are you shitting me, Sketch?” Rowan didn’t loosen her hold. She wanted to believe him, but he’d have to prove himself more before she did.

“No! I wish I was.”

Rowan sighed.

“Name’s Trevor. Not Sketch,” he mumbled.

“I’m going to make a call. If you try to run or give me any trouble, I’m going to have to kill you. You’re breaking some serious rules. You need to be taken care of so you can survive.”

She reached into her pocket and