equivalent of a shrug. “Doesn’t matter since I felt the need to pass on the news of your little indiscretion to Hirsch, who then relayed it to the higher-ups. They are very displeased that a high-middle class such as yourself would give a vampire permission to invade her body. That displeasure graduated to anger when I informed them of the blood sharing as well.”
Oh please, no. No. No.
Teaghan grabbed Jeliyah’s hand in a firm grip to anchor her to the here and now. She clutched at him and stared at his profile. Tears rimmed her eyes. He knew she was holding it together by a thin thread of will. Images of the bleeding chamber raced through her mind. She was imagining herself in the place of the person she’d seen when she was young.
He told her through their link, I’ve got you, Jeliyah. Nothing’s going to happen.
Fredrick said, “Stop the car and give up. Make this easier for all of us.”
“Denied.” Teaghan released Jeliyah’s hand so he could snatch the phone off the dash and hit the end button.
Jeliyah asked, “What do we do? They want you dead and me—” Her words choked to a halt and she pulled in a shuddering breath. A single tear slipped down her cheek.
He retrieved her hand and squeezed it. “Easy there, necromancer. Don’t fall apart on me now.”
“Why? All you did was kill a rogue.”
“That’s why. It’s a changing of the guard. It happens every few centuries. Family infighting. They involve people from neighboring families who have been promised some little tidbit or other to help the wannabe head take power. It’s a story as old as the vampires. Seems you and I got in the way.”
Teaghan changed his destination. The enforcers probably knew which hotel they’d used by now and might be lying in wait. He steered the car back on the highway. If one family wanted him dead then his only protection was to seek refuge in another family’s territory.
While a risky proposition without petitioning for entrance first, the destination Teaghan had in mind came with a sponsor. He released Jeliyah’s hand once more to bring up a number he hadn’t called in years. He hoped it still worked.
“This is Mekhail. Who is this?”
“It’s Teaghan, Mekhail. I’m calling in my favor.” He tossed the phone back on the dash.
The man sighed into the phone in a resigned fashion. “What do you want?”
“Watch the tone. I want safe passage and a meeting with the family head to seek asylum for me and my necromancer.”
“The head doesn’t like necromancers.”
“He likes them well enough to have two as his bodyguards.”
“They are exceptions.”
“You know what? I don’t give a shit. I told you I’m calling in what’s owed me. Make it happen. We’ll be there in twenty hours or so.”
Mekhail sighed again. “Yes, sire. Safe passage and a meeting. Does that make us even?”
“Depends on if we get asylum or not.”
“I have no control over that.”
“You better get some then. Talk me up to the head or else your ass will be on the line to get us out of the territory and into the next safely. Get me?”
“Yes, sire. Call again when you near the border. I’ll have escorts to meet you.”
“Good.” Teaghan ended the call.
Jeliyah asked, “Who was that? What favor does he owe you that he would vouch for us like that?”
“Mekhail is my progeny. Long story short—I made him after he’d been left for dead. He begged me to give him eternal life and to kill the ones who’d wronged him. I told him it would cost him and he agreed.” He glanced at Jeliyah, meeting her haunted gaze. “He’s in good with the head of the next territory over. We’ll be safe.”
“The vampire head who bought two high-high class necromancers and caused all that controversy. How can he not like necromancers and have two working for him?”
“Ask him when we get there.” Teaghan pushed on the gas pedal, not worrying about cops. If he knew Fredrick and how the man operated, the local law
Oh please, no. No. No.
Teaghan grabbed Jeliyah’s hand in a firm grip to anchor her to the here and now. She clutched at him and stared at his profile. Tears rimmed her eyes. He knew she was holding it together by a thin thread of will. Images of the bleeding chamber raced through her mind. She was imagining herself in the place of the person she’d seen when she was young.
He told her through their link, I’ve got you, Jeliyah. Nothing’s going to happen.
Fredrick said, “Stop the car and give up. Make this easier for all of us.”
“Denied.” Teaghan released Jeliyah’s hand so he could snatch the phone off the dash and hit the end button.
Jeliyah asked, “What do we do? They want you dead and me—” Her words choked to a halt and she pulled in a shuddering breath. A single tear slipped down her cheek.
He retrieved her hand and squeezed it. “Easy there, necromancer. Don’t fall apart on me now.”
“Why? All you did was kill a rogue.”
“That’s why. It’s a changing of the guard. It happens every few centuries. Family infighting. They involve people from neighboring families who have been promised some little tidbit or other to help the wannabe head take power. It’s a story as old as the vampires. Seems you and I got in the way.”
Teaghan changed his destination. The enforcers probably knew which hotel they’d used by now and might be lying in wait. He steered the car back on the highway. If one family wanted him dead then his only protection was to seek refuge in another family’s territory.
While a risky proposition without petitioning for entrance first, the destination Teaghan had in mind came with a sponsor. He released Jeliyah’s hand once more to bring up a number he hadn’t called in years. He hoped it still worked.
“This is Mekhail. Who is this?”
“It’s Teaghan, Mekhail. I’m calling in my favor.” He tossed the phone back on the dash.
The man sighed into the phone in a resigned fashion. “What do you want?”
“Watch the tone. I want safe passage and a meeting with the family head to seek asylum for me and my necromancer.”
“The head doesn’t like necromancers.”
“He likes them well enough to have two as his bodyguards.”
“They are exceptions.”
“You know what? I don’t give a shit. I told you I’m calling in what’s owed me. Make it happen. We’ll be there in twenty hours or so.”
Mekhail sighed again. “Yes, sire. Safe passage and a meeting. Does that make us even?”
“Depends on if we get asylum or not.”
“I have no control over that.”
“You better get some then. Talk me up to the head or else your ass will be on the line to get us out of the territory and into the next safely. Get me?”
“Yes, sire. Call again when you near the border. I’ll have escorts to meet you.”
“Good.” Teaghan ended the call.
Jeliyah asked, “Who was that? What favor does he owe you that he would vouch for us like that?”
“Mekhail is my progeny. Long story short—I made him after he’d been left for dead. He begged me to give him eternal life and to kill the ones who’d wronged him. I told him it would cost him and he agreed.” He glanced at Jeliyah, meeting her haunted gaze. “He’s in good with the head of the next territory over. We’ll be safe.”
“The vampire head who bought two high-high class necromancers and caused all that controversy. How can he not like necromancers and have two working for him?”
“Ask him when we get there.” Teaghan pushed on the gas pedal, not worrying about cops. If he knew Fredrick and how the man operated, the local law
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