Hearts in Darkness (Nikki & Michael 2)

Michael nodded and held out his hand. She wrapped her fingers in the heat of his, yet felt no safer for it. A chill crept down her back, spreading ice through her veins. The night air seemed suddenly heavy, thick with the scent of evil.

The same evil she'd sensed out in the field before the flame imps had attacked her.

"Something's here."

His gaze searched the darkness around them. “Yes. Come on, let's get inside and find Rachel." He hurried her across the street and into the bar. Heat and smoke hit them the minute they opened the door, so thick they could almost carve it. Music thumped, and people stomped in time, the noise so loud it seemed to vibrate through her entire being. She coughed, her eyes watering as she looked around. The place was crowded, and it was hard to move without brushing against someone. It wasn't going to be easy finding Rachel.

"Maybe we should split up.” She glanced up at Michael. He was frowning, staring at the darkness that hovered near the band. Fear thrust through her. “What's wrong?" He looked at her, his eyes midnight pools that held no emotion. Michael at his most dangerous. She rubbed her arms briskly, but the chill in her bones had seeped into her soul. It felt as if she'd never be warm again.

"There's a man cloaking himself with magic in the far corner of the room.” He squeezed her fingers, then let her go. “Stay here while I investigate."

"But what about—” She stopped. He had become one with the smoky darkness, and she was talking to nothing more than air. Cursing softly, she thrust a hand in her pocket and walked down the steps. Rachel was here somewhere. Someone had to stop her, and it might as well be her. A vampire who was little more than a fledgling she could cope with—hopefully.

The heat and noise seemed more intense on the dance floor. She pushed her way through the sweating mass of people, ignoring the curses or snide remarks, absently swiping away the hands that pinched or touched her.

In the middle of it all she saw a woman with strawberry blonde hair dancing with a tall, gangly young man. Rachel and her next victim. She was rubbing her pelvis against his, licking his neck and tasting his sweat, as she had with her last victim. Nikki's stomach turned. Death was a shadow grinning in anticipation over the young man's shoulder.

A hand grabbed hers, spinning her away. Nikki yelped and lashed out kinetically. A cowboy went flying, a surprised looked on his face.

"Hey, he only wanted to dance,” a woman wearing a floral shirt said. “You could have just said no."

"He could have asked first,” she muttered and spun around, looking for Rachel. The man was leading her toward a side exit.

She cursed and pushed through the dancers. Michael? He didn't respond. Maybe the link didn't work when he was little more than a shadow. She continued anyway, just in case he was listening but not answering. Rachel's heading out the side exit with her next victim. I'm going after her. Silence shimmered down the line. Frowning and wondering what he was doing, she bounded up the steps and out the side door.

Rachel and her next meal were heading around the back of the building. Nikki closed the door, then hurried after them. The wind slapped against her as she came out of the building's protection. She hesitated, scanning the darkness, until she found them. The young man was fiddling with his keys, trying to open the door of a white van. No time , she thought and broke into a run. Her footsteps echoed across the night. Rachel spun. Moonlight gleamed off her canines as she snarled. Nikki slid to a stop, energy dancing across her fingertips.

"Let him go, Rachel. You've had all you're going to get tonight, I'm afraid." Rachel looked her up and down, a slight sneer touching her blood red-lips. “Who do you think you are, telling us what we can do? We can break you as easily as a twig."

"I think you're overestimating your vampire abilities.” Nikki glanced at the gangly young man. His eyes were wide, his gaze flicking between the two of them, as if trying to decide whether he should be scared or not. “Run, while you still can."

"Crazy. Both of you.” He backed away several steps then turned and ran. Rachel leapt after him. Nikki hit her with kinetic energy, holding her still. She screamed in frustration, twisting and kicking in an effort to be free. Sweat trickled down Nikki's forehead, but her net held. Finally, Rachel stopped moving and contented herself with glaring. “You will pay for this." Nikki crossed her arms, trying to ward off a deepening chill. The scent of evil was beginning to saturate the night breeze again. It was coming here. Coming for Rachel. “No. You will. MacEwan sent me here, Rachel."

Surprise ran briefly through the other woman's eyes. “How did he know we were here?"

"That doesn't matter. What does is the fact he knows what you are. He knows what you are capable of. He will kill you if you continue down this path."

"He will never find us.” She shrugged. “And you will be dead the minute you release me." Nikki frowned. Surely such confidence was out of place in a vampire only a few months old. Something was wrong. “Who is the man you refer to as he in your thoughts?" Fear touched Rachel's expression, darkening her blue eyes. She licked her lips. “How do you know about him?"

"He's here, Rachel. Looking for you."

It was only a guess, but terror replaced the fear, contorting the young vampire's face.

"You have to let us go. Please. We can't stay with him. He makes us do things.” She wrung her hands, shifting from one foot to the other, her whole body quivering with the need to run. Nikki bit her lip, battling for the strength to keep the leash intact. An all too familiar ache began in her brain. Sweat trickled faster down her face. “Tell me about him, then."

"We can't."

She frowned. Why was Rachel continually referring to herself as we rather than I ? It was odd—especially given Ginger spoke in much the same manner ... Nikki stared at the young vampire in sudden realization. When she'd searched earlier this afternoon for Rachel, she felt heat, sorrow, and chains made of words. A flame imp had been bound in the young vampire's body. She shivered. What sort of monster cared so little for life that he destroyed two at a time?

"Then we wait for the man who comes,” Nikki warned, though it was the last thing she really wanted to do. Still, Rachel didn't know that.

"He's evil,” Rachel said, her voice little more than a desperate hiss.

"But does he have a name? What does he look like?"

"He is called Randolf Cordell. He is tall, with blonde hair and green eyes. Now let us go." It sounded like the man she'd seen in those first visions, the man who had turned Rachel. Was their magician also a vampire? “Why is he using the flame imps? Why is he forcing them into the bodies of others?"

Rachel spat. “We don't know, do we?"