A Vampire's Soul by Carla Susan Smith

thought that everything I’d been through those past twenty-four hours now qualified me for an all-access pass to the world of vampires, I’d figured wrong. There were still some pretty big areas of uncharted territory. There was, however, one subject that had to be discussed, and if Gabriel thought it was off-limits, tough shit. I was prepared to go all pit bull on him.
    I looked at him; wanting to be sure I had his full attention before asking, “Why did you kill that woman? Please don’t tell me it was an accident,” I said, keeping my voice as level as I could. “I saw your face. You meant to take her life.”
    â€œYes, I did.” Matching my tone for evenness, he apologized, “And you will never know how much I wished you’d been spared having to see that.”
    Any remorse he felt had nothing to do with the woman or even his own participation in such a violent act. It was all focused on me. I had witnessed a side of him I wasn’t meant to see, and he regretted that. I wasn’t sure whether to be comforted or appalled by his concern, but if Gabriel showed no repentance for having taken a life, then he showed no pleasure in it either. And I knew exactly how I felt about this. Reassured.
    â€œWas she a vampire too?” I asked him.
    â€œNo, she was human.”
    Somehow I’d suspected as much. “So why did you kill her?”
    â€œIt was necessary.”
    The brevity of his explanation shocked me almost as much as its cold delivery. I waited for him to expound on his answer, but he remained silent, indifferent almost.
    â€œYou ripped her throat out!” I didn’t yell, but it was close.
    His eyes glittered with an inhuman light that sent skeletal fingers skittering down my spine. It crossed my mind that Gabriel was not in the habit of being asked to explain his actions. If I was determined to pursue this, I had best tread carefully.
    â€œYou’re exaggerating, Rowan,” he said, his tone still cold. “A wild animal rips out throats. What I did was use my skill to guarantee a quick death.”
    â€œIt was brutal—”
    â€œIt was better than she deserved!” The icy demeanor was quickly replaced by hot temper. I watched as he drew in a deep breath, his massive chest rising and falling with the effort to cool his rage. “This was not a random murder, Rowan. It was an execution—and it was necessary .”
    There was that word again. He said it like it was an answer in itself, and I shouldn’t need to ask anything else. But what gave Gabriel the right to be anyone’s judge, jury, and executioner?
    â€œWhat did she do?”
    At first I didn’t think he was going to answer me, but he must have sensed that if there was any chance of our going forward together, then I needed to know. No matter how awful the truth might be, if he didn’t tell me all of it, it would stand between us. Always.
    â€œShe was guilty of a great many things.” His voice changed again. It now became curiously resigned. “All of them forbidden by your legal system, but the offense I held her accountable for was the selling of children.”
    â€œA-are you s-sure?” I stammered.
    His eyes became hard, the bright blue turning a shade of gray I’d never seen before. It was how I imagined the sea would look during a violent winter storm.
    â€œI am always sure. Trust me, Rowan, she wasn’t trying to help troubled teens get their high school diplomas. She enjoyed the reputation of being able to procure any child for any purpose—a reputation she worked hard to maintain.” He sighed and ran his fingers through the thick white waterfall of hair that cascaded over his shoulders. It shimmered brightly, even in the pale glow from my bedside lamp. “In your talk with Aleksei, did he discuss our laws with you?”
    I recalled some remark about the superiority of all things vampire, including a form of checks