Moon Sworn (Riley Jenson Guardian 9)

"Less than ten minutes," he replied. "Just enough to get you out of there and find somewhere to sit, really."

That somewhere was the bus stop. Just as well the bleeding had stopped. "We would have been more comfortable in your car."

"We would have, but my car wasn't here at the time. I travel faster out of it."

I looked at him, seeing again the little lines around his eyes and suddenly realizing they were from fatigue rather than worry. "That's why your skin is cooler. You used your Aedh form."

As an Aedh, he could become smoke and travel places the vampire couldn't go - not even a very old one. He could ride the wind and survive attacks few other vampires could. But like any ability, it had its drawbacks. In the case of his Aedh powers, it left him weak. The more he used it, the weaker he got.

"I also fed you energy," he said, and shrugged. "I'll be fine in a few hours."

"Good." I paused, then added, "You said before you could save me only by being beside me - what did you mean by that?"

"The Aedh are blood cousins of the Reapers. They are the dark to our light. We are the gatekeepers and they are the guides, but our powers are similar." He hesitated, his gaze sweeping mine, as if what he were admitting somehow alarmed him. "I could have - if I'd wished - stopped your soul from rising from your flesh and kept it bound until we removed the silver and had you breathing again."

I stared at him. Was I ever going to fully know all the facets of this man? Was I ever going to truly know just what he was capable of?

And did it matter?

The answer to that question was a decided no. I loved him, no matter what he was, no matter what he could do.

"That is as scary as hell."

"And the reason why there are so few of the Aedh around. Humans kill what they fear, and the Aedh can be killed as easily as any man if caught in human form."

The key being catching them in human form. A harder task than it seemed, given they could turn to smoke in the blink of an eye. "So if you could do all this, why didn't you drag me from unconsciousness when I was in hospital after Kye died? I mean, Death - or the Reaper, or whoever the hell that shadowy cloak figure waiting for me was - could have snatched me at any time. Why didn't you just pull me awake?"

"Because I can't, just as the Reapers can't." He hesitated. "Or in their cases, won't. The soul has to make the choice to leave the body before either of us can act."

Well, I guess that was a comforting thought.

Across the road, two ambulance officers appeared, with a stretcher between them. On it was a woman and, even from here, I could hear the ragged sound of her breathing. But she lived, and I guess that was something.

But I couldn't help wondering just how many others had died. Suddenly, I had to know. Besides, I needed to thank Cass, and make sure she was okay.

I blew out a breath and forced myself to get off his lap. He let me go but kept one hand close, and it was just as well because the street suddenly decided to do a drunken dance around me.

"Damn," I said, grabbing at his arm for support. "The silver has really drained me."

"You need to go home - "

"I will," I interrupted, "but after I talk to Cole."

"That's fine." He slipped his hand under my elbow. "We'll just go talk to him together. And then I'll drive you home."

"I thought you didn't come in your car?"

"I didn't." He gave me an amused glance as he escorted me across the street. "But it's not far away, either. And I'm quite capable of driving yours."

"You can't leave your car, because the local street kids will either redecorate or steal it. And I'm not leaving mine for the same reason." I patted his hand. "If you're that worried about me, you can follow me home."

He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. I could feel his annoyance through the link between us. And that wasn't surprising, given right now I felt as weak as a kitten, but it would pass soon enough.

We walked up the steps and into the building. The smell of blood, sex, and fear mingled with the scent of antiseptic, creating a cloying mix that stuck in my throat and made me cough. I dug out my badge and flashed it toward the crime scene recorder set up just above the doorway, then stepped over the blanketed figure lying between the main entrance and the waiting area. Frankie had obviously been one of the first killed. And if the bulge evident on the side of his hip was anything to go by, he hadn't even fully drawn his weapon before he'd been shot.

There were two more bodies in the waiting area, one woman and one man. Both had taken a shot to the head at close range. I moved through into the next room, and found Cole squatting beside yet another woman.

"Gunshot to the chest," he said unnecessarily. He glanced up, his expression as angry as I'd ever seen it. "It's times like this I'm glad the Directorate has kill orders. The bastards who did this deserve death."