Sanctuary

Chapter 9

Jaynah

Luke turned away from me to check the oven, then grabbed a bowl and mixed ingredients to make bread. Something of what he was feeling came through the bond but because it wasn't complete, I couldn't be sure of what it was. It felt like remorse, or guilt. But that couldn't be right, could it?

"Luke. Look at me." He took a few seconds to lift his head. His eyes met mine and my brows furrowed at what I saw I their depths. As I had thought. There were hints of guilt and self doubt in his eyes. "Don't. There is no way you could have known what would happen. You didn't even know you had a daughter until a few days ago. Give yourself a break. You're immortal, not omniscient. You can't know everything."

He gave me a weak smile and curiosity replaced the guilt in his eyes. "So what brings you to my door? We're not known for seeking each other out, or even encouraging each other."

I walked over to the coffee table and pulled a folder out of my bag. "Something's bothering me about the case. When you've finished beating up that dough, come and join me in the lounge area. I have pictures for you to look at." He raised an eyebrow and I could see a hint of mischief creep into his eyes. "Forget it. There may be a bond between us, but you are not getting pictures of me in a bikini."

Luke laughed and placed the ball of dough in the bowl. He covered the bowl with a cloth and placed it in a warm spot. Just as he was about to leave the kitchen, the timer on the oven went off. The enticing smell of fresh chocolate muffins wafted through the room. "They smell fantastic."

"Thanks. This was my mother's recipe. I used to love coming back to these after class. Kelly and I would run into the big kitchen and Mum would have a plate with one of these and a glass of apple juice waiting for us." He brought over two plates, each with a muffin and placed them on the coffee table. "Now I'm an adult, I can have more grown up drinks. But if I need to keep a clear mind, I better stick to coffee. What would you like to drink?"

"Coffee. Mocha if you can make it. Otherwise plain white with a single teaspoon of sugar."

"Coming up. The muffin will still be hot, so give it a few minutes to cool down before you eat it.." He glanced down at the pictures and frowned. Some pictures were of the body from two nights ago. Others were of men killed in France, and others of the men killed between France and Australia. "I'll put the coffee on, and you can tell me why you have these pictures with you."

"I can divide these photos into two distinct groups. That shouldn't be possible to if they're the same vampire. The difference is small. I missed it at first. It's too good for a copy cat."

"The same maker?"

I nodded. "It's possible. But before I look further into it, I'd like a second opinion. We may disagree on a lot of things, but even I can't dispute your ability to spot details." My eyes flicked down to the pictures. The dividing line was the time in Paris. "What happened in Paris Luke? How did you come to see her when I didn't?"

Luke carried the mugs of coffee over to the lounge and sat in a chair opposite me. He seemed to stop for a moment as he thought about whether to answer me. The question resolved in his mind, he gave a deep sigh and looked down at the photos. "You're not one to go off on your own so when I someone that looked like you heading for the bar, I followed. As I got closer, I could see her face and realised it wasn't you."

"So you only saw her from behind until that point?"

"Yes."

I dug out the photo I had shown the briefing. "Was it her?"