unfinished. “Never mind,” she said. “Just, uh, give me a few minutes, okay?”
“When you’re ready, I’ll be in the foyer,” he replied.
Peter had already turned to go, flashing her a smile, when Nikki called his name.
“Hmm?”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked. “I mean, you saved my life, but that doesn’t make you responsible for me. There are a lot of people in this city who could use your help. So why . . . I guess, why me?”
Peter cocked his head slightly to one side. He stood with one hand on the door frame, about to leave. After a moment, he raised his eyebrows and looked over at her.
“I love your voice,” he said softly. “The way you sing, the way you talk. You have a kind of weary wisdom, a warmth and humor that somebody your age has no right to. It’s extremely . . . provocative. I hope you don’t mind my saying so.”
Nikki didn’t reply.
Peter shrugged a bit, his smile twisting further, a bit of irony there.
“You asked,” he said. Then he turned and left.
In the rush of confusion that filled her in his absence, Nikki was surprised to find herself blushing.
“We’re not going about this the right way,” Joe said suddenly.
He stood just outside the Café du Monde at the edge of Jackson Square. Kevin was there, and he reached out to rest his right hand on Joe’s shoulder then, trying to alleviate his lover’s frustration, or at least to share it. Joe offered a weak smile, but shook his head at the same time. He was at a loss.
They had searched all day, with a much larger group. After dark, they’d split up into teams of four, trying to scout the major tourist spots. It was only logical that Tsumi and any other of Hannibal’s clan who had arrived in New Orleans would hunt in the most highly populated areas.
“No, we’re using logic,” Stefan said. “It made sense that they’d hide out in the warehouse district during the day, and it makes sense to search for them in the Quarter now.”
Rachel shook her head. “No, I don’t think so,” she said.
Stefan glared at her. He didn’t like her at all, Joe knew that. She’d been a volunteer until a few weeks ago. She was the youngest shadow in the coven, and there were times when she did appear a bit too gung ho even for Joe. But she was smart, and fast, and reliable in a fight. Had been, even when she was still human. They needed more like Rachel, and Joe wasn’t about to let her overconfidence make him forget that.
“Go ahead, Rachel,” Joe prompted. “What do you think we’re missing?”
“Well,” she said, obviously enjoying the attention, “warehouses and the basements of abandoned buildings make a certain amount of sense. Even clubs, which are closed during the day, I can understand. But when you really think about it, with this obsession Hannibal has with the old myths, with the trappings of the legendary vampire, there’s one place we haven’t discussed. I suppose because it wouldn’t have occurred to any of us. ”
They looked at one another. Joe frowned, not understanding right away. Rachel smiled, waiting for them to get it, and for once Joe agreed with Stefan. Her cockiness was a bit annoying.
It was Kevin who got her point first.
“Of course!” he snapped, scowling instead of pleased. “We should have thought of it today. It won’t help us much now until morning.”
“What?” Stefan asked grumpily.
“Why, cemeteries, of course!” Kevin replied excitedly. “They’re laying around in coffins or crypts or some silly bullshit like that!”
At first, Joe wanted to shake his head, to say that was only one possibility. But the more he thought about it, the more he examined internally what he knew of Hannibal’s philosophy, the more sense it made.
“All right, then, smart girl,” he said, smiling at Rachel. “Which cemetery?”
“Well, where would you want to be if you were hunting?” she asked.
“Close to the action,” Stefan replied.
“St. Louis
“When you’re ready, I’ll be in the foyer,” he replied.
Peter had already turned to go, flashing her a smile, when Nikki called his name.
“Hmm?”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked. “I mean, you saved my life, but that doesn’t make you responsible for me. There are a lot of people in this city who could use your help. So why . . . I guess, why me?”
Peter cocked his head slightly to one side. He stood with one hand on the door frame, about to leave. After a moment, he raised his eyebrows and looked over at her.
“I love your voice,” he said softly. “The way you sing, the way you talk. You have a kind of weary wisdom, a warmth and humor that somebody your age has no right to. It’s extremely . . . provocative. I hope you don’t mind my saying so.”
Nikki didn’t reply.
Peter shrugged a bit, his smile twisting further, a bit of irony there.
“You asked,” he said. Then he turned and left.
In the rush of confusion that filled her in his absence, Nikki was surprised to find herself blushing.
“We’re not going about this the right way,” Joe said suddenly.
He stood just outside the Café du Monde at the edge of Jackson Square. Kevin was there, and he reached out to rest his right hand on Joe’s shoulder then, trying to alleviate his lover’s frustration, or at least to share it. Joe offered a weak smile, but shook his head at the same time. He was at a loss.
They had searched all day, with a much larger group. After dark, they’d split up into teams of four, trying to scout the major tourist spots. It was only logical that Tsumi and any other of Hannibal’s clan who had arrived in New Orleans would hunt in the most highly populated areas.
“No, we’re using logic,” Stefan said. “It made sense that they’d hide out in the warehouse district during the day, and it makes sense to search for them in the Quarter now.”
Rachel shook her head. “No, I don’t think so,” she said.
Stefan glared at her. He didn’t like her at all, Joe knew that. She’d been a volunteer until a few weeks ago. She was the youngest shadow in the coven, and there were times when she did appear a bit too gung ho even for Joe. But she was smart, and fast, and reliable in a fight. Had been, even when she was still human. They needed more like Rachel, and Joe wasn’t about to let her overconfidence make him forget that.
“Go ahead, Rachel,” Joe prompted. “What do you think we’re missing?”
“Well,” she said, obviously enjoying the attention, “warehouses and the basements of abandoned buildings make a certain amount of sense. Even clubs, which are closed during the day, I can understand. But when you really think about it, with this obsession Hannibal has with the old myths, with the trappings of the legendary vampire, there’s one place we haven’t discussed. I suppose because it wouldn’t have occurred to any of us. ”
They looked at one another. Joe frowned, not understanding right away. Rachel smiled, waiting for them to get it, and for once Joe agreed with Stefan. Her cockiness was a bit annoying.
It was Kevin who got her point first.
“Of course!” he snapped, scowling instead of pleased. “We should have thought of it today. It won’t help us much now until morning.”
“What?” Stefan asked grumpily.
“Why, cemeteries, of course!” Kevin replied excitedly. “They’re laying around in coffins or crypts or some silly bullshit like that!”
At first, Joe wanted to shake his head, to say that was only one possibility. But the more he thought about it, the more he examined internally what he knew of Hannibal’s philosophy, the more sense it made.
“All right, then, smart girl,” he said, smiling at Rachel. “Which cemetery?”
“Well, where would you want to be if you were hunting?” she asked.
“Close to the action,” Stefan replied.
“St. Louis
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