Darkness Unbound (Dark Angels 1)

“Yeah, it is,” I said. “I have to work today, and I really do not want to sit here listening to half-truths. When you feel like telling me what you’re actually planning, contact me. Until then, don’t bother.”

I expected the cold rush of anger, but instead she merely leaned back in her chair and gave me a small smile. “You really are your mother’s daughter.”

“No, I’m not,” I bit back, barely managing to control the anger that flared deep inside. “I won’t let you use me like you do her.”

Her smile grew, warm on the outside, calculating within. I had a bad, bad feeling that I’d managed to intrigue her further.

“Your mother helps us because we saved your life. Which means, technically, you owe us your existence.”

“The only person I owe existence to is my father. If he ever bothers to contact me, I’ll let you know. Until then, good-bye.”

I walked away. Her gaze burned into my spine, the sensation like a knife, cold and sharp.

“We’ll meet again soon, Risa,” she said, her voice soft and yet carrying through the noise as clearly as a shout. “That I promise you.”

Goose bumps ran across my skin. I slammed open the door and walked out into the night, taking several deep breaths to ease the hammering of my heart.

Damn, she was scary. And yet she’d been the epitome of politeness. I ran a hand through my hair, then called Uncle Quinn to let him know I was safe before heading home. Not surprisingly, Tao and Ilianna were waiting for me.

I flopped down onto the sofa and blew out a relieved breath. “Well, that was exciting.”

Tao handed me a large glass of Coke, then parked his butt on the coffee table in front of me. “Were you right about what she wanted?”

I nodded, then scooped up my abandoned cake and began munching my way through the thick, gooey mess, filling them in on events in between mouthfuls.

Ilianna grimaced when I’d finished. “It’s a damn shame no one seems to believe that he hasn’t contacted you yet.”

“Yeah.” I dumped the empty plate beside Tao. “I wish there was some way we could find him. I’d love to know what he’s really up to.”

Ilianna said, “You don’t believe either the reaper or the Director?”

I met her gaze. “Right now, I’m not sure what to believe. But I find it curious that everyone seems to know what he is up to, and yet no one seems to know where he is. I get the feeling there’s a whole lot of information we’re not being told.”

“You could always ask your Aedh if he’s heard anything,” Tao said.

“His name is Lucian, and he’s not my anything.” Not yet, anyway. “And all I really know about my father is his first name—Hieu. That’s probably not helpful.”

“But you can describe him,” Ilianna said. “And you have his necklace. Your mom gave you that much, at least.”

“True.” I drank my Coke in several long gulps, then placed the empty glass on the table and glanced at the clock. “I need to go to bed, or I’ll screw up the accounts tomorrow.”

Tao rose, then offered me a hand and hauled me up with ease. He dropped a kiss on my cheek and said, “Stane’s hunting up the nanowires. He said they’ll be expensive, but I told him cost was no object. We just need the best.”

“You really think Hunter would try to invade our thoughts?” Ilianna said, doubt in her voice and expression. “She’s Directorate. They have all sorts of checks and balances in place—”

“The trouble,” I cut in, “is not the fact that she’s Directorate, but that she’s also vampire high council. Those bastards are a law unto themselves, no matter what appearances suggest. And I got the distinct feeling she was here just as much as their representative as the Directorate’s.”

“Meaning the vampire council wants to get control of the gates?” Tao said, voice incredulous. “Why on earth would they want a power like that?”

“I don’t know,” I said grimly. “But Hunter said the Directorate was interested in using the gates—and hell—as an alternative to killing. Maybe the council is thinking along the same lines.”

After all, the council didn’t exactly sit on their hands and let the Directorate catch all the bad guys. They had the Cazadors—their very own, highly specialized squad of hit men. But the little of them I knew from Uncle Quinn suggested they were an extremely small unit. I guess hell provided an easier option—as long as you weren’t worried about the whole human-race-becoming-vegetables scenario.

Ilianna snorted. “Yeah, like them controlling the gates wouldn’t end up spewing trouble over the rest of us.”

I glanced at her. “I did point out that playing with hell wasn’t really a good idea, but I don’t think she believed me.”

“She’s a vampire,” Tao muttered. “They always think they know better than the rest of us.”