again. And again.
“Hanzi.”
He held his hand to silence Feri. “I only fed from her once.”
Feri gasped. “Only once?”
“I am bringing her body back to her family.”
His friend walked toward him. “And then?”
“I will do what needs to be done.” As he always had since the moment he had stepped forward to act as the hunter. He had never shirked his responsibilities. Nothing would change.
“You have some of her memories don’t you? The strange gift you have to deliver memories gives you some at the same time.”
Feri nodded. “I’ll give them to you.”
“Thank you for not making me ask.”
“You have your own gifts, you know. I’ve never been the hunter. It always had to be you. All of the darkness you have seen and you remained good, a light amongst our people.”
“I am going to die soon, my brother. I don’t need you to send me off with platitudes and untruths.” And his patience was wearing thin. “You will all have to find a new hunter. When your bride wakes you will need to find some others and figure it out.”
Feri pointed to the ground. “On your knees. And thank you for saying she will wake. I am not as confident.”
“If she doesn’t, you can meet the sun. It’s a gift of my horror. At long last, I can choose to let eternity go. I feel nothing. I can do what needs to be done.”
“Good to know.”
Hanzi knelt, and Feri placed his hands on Hanzi’s temple. The memory process had always creeped him out. He manipulated some things himself—compel a human, calm her, seduce her if he needed to. On his own, he would have made Adrienne relax and told her his story. Feri’s strange gift to send a person into another’s memories was unique among vampires.
“I don’t know what memories I have of hers.”
“Whatever ones you have will work.” He needed something, anything to help him through the next days.
“And I’ll have to take something from you in the process. The exchange is the way it works.”
“Less talking, more action.”
He hardened his jaw when Feri’s hands pressed deeper into his skin. A heady sensation nearly overtook him; the room spun while he waited for something to happen.
“Usually, I put the person to sleep so they can process the new information. I don’t suppose you’re going to let me knock you out. Not ready for a nap?”
“No, I have to arrange for transport to fly Adrienne back to the States. I won’t have her simply vanish and not let anyone know what happened. I need a plane. There are arrangements to be made.”
“I’m sure Jerome can arrange things.”
“No.” He gritted his teeth. “Is it done?”
“It is. Without sleep, the memories will come when they feel ready to. I can’t predict when exactly.”
Hanzi stood. “Then they’d better decide to show in the next twenty-four hours. Those minutes are exactly how much time I have before I can’t think anything at all.”
****
T he private plane he travelled on zoomed over the Atlantic at faster speeds than he had ever fathomed when he was a young man. Even with the special glass to keep the sun out, he hated the experience. Given the chance, he preferred boats as a means of travel. But he had no time to waste.
Already, his jaw had hardened, and his need to do the right thing faded from him. Soon, he might not care about doing the right thing anymore.
He was hungry, and the flight attendant and pilots smelled as would a steak dinner to a human. Hanzi shook his leg. He wasn’t going to feed, not anymore. His last feeding would be Adrienne’s sweet blood. Her crimson life was the last memory he wanted.
Leaning back against the seat he tried to relax. Adrienne’s coffin was in the back of the plane. He couldn’t look at her. While her body cooled and stiffened inside the box, he felt her soul moving further and further away from him.
“Hey.” He jumped and whirled around as he realized he no longer sat on the plane.
“What the hell?” Where was he? He’d
“Hanzi.”
He held his hand to silence Feri. “I only fed from her once.”
Feri gasped. “Only once?”
“I am bringing her body back to her family.”
His friend walked toward him. “And then?”
“I will do what needs to be done.” As he always had since the moment he had stepped forward to act as the hunter. He had never shirked his responsibilities. Nothing would change.
“You have some of her memories don’t you? The strange gift you have to deliver memories gives you some at the same time.”
Feri nodded. “I’ll give them to you.”
“Thank you for not making me ask.”
“You have your own gifts, you know. I’ve never been the hunter. It always had to be you. All of the darkness you have seen and you remained good, a light amongst our people.”
“I am going to die soon, my brother. I don’t need you to send me off with platitudes and untruths.” And his patience was wearing thin. “You will all have to find a new hunter. When your bride wakes you will need to find some others and figure it out.”
Feri pointed to the ground. “On your knees. And thank you for saying she will wake. I am not as confident.”
“If she doesn’t, you can meet the sun. It’s a gift of my horror. At long last, I can choose to let eternity go. I feel nothing. I can do what needs to be done.”
“Good to know.”
Hanzi knelt, and Feri placed his hands on Hanzi’s temple. The memory process had always creeped him out. He manipulated some things himself—compel a human, calm her, seduce her if he needed to. On his own, he would have made Adrienne relax and told her his story. Feri’s strange gift to send a person into another’s memories was unique among vampires.
“I don’t know what memories I have of hers.”
“Whatever ones you have will work.” He needed something, anything to help him through the next days.
“And I’ll have to take something from you in the process. The exchange is the way it works.”
“Less talking, more action.”
He hardened his jaw when Feri’s hands pressed deeper into his skin. A heady sensation nearly overtook him; the room spun while he waited for something to happen.
“Usually, I put the person to sleep so they can process the new information. I don’t suppose you’re going to let me knock you out. Not ready for a nap?”
“No, I have to arrange for transport to fly Adrienne back to the States. I won’t have her simply vanish and not let anyone know what happened. I need a plane. There are arrangements to be made.”
“I’m sure Jerome can arrange things.”
“No.” He gritted his teeth. “Is it done?”
“It is. Without sleep, the memories will come when they feel ready to. I can’t predict when exactly.”
Hanzi stood. “Then they’d better decide to show in the next twenty-four hours. Those minutes are exactly how much time I have before I can’t think anything at all.”
****
T he private plane he travelled on zoomed over the Atlantic at faster speeds than he had ever fathomed when he was a young man. Even with the special glass to keep the sun out, he hated the experience. Given the chance, he preferred boats as a means of travel. But he had no time to waste.
Already, his jaw had hardened, and his need to do the right thing faded from him. Soon, he might not care about doing the right thing anymore.
He was hungry, and the flight attendant and pilots smelled as would a steak dinner to a human. Hanzi shook his leg. He wasn’t going to feed, not anymore. His last feeding would be Adrienne’s sweet blood. Her crimson life was the last memory he wanted.
Leaning back against the seat he tried to relax. Adrienne’s coffin was in the back of the plane. He couldn’t look at her. While her body cooled and stiffened inside the box, he felt her soul moving further and further away from him.
“Hey.” He jumped and whirled around as he realized he no longer sat on the plane.
“What the hell?” Where was he? He’d
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