Dragon Blood

Chapter 31

She hadn't thought about that. She'd been so preoccupied with figuring out how to keep Constantine at bay, she hadn't once thought about Raphaël or the other rebel vampires. Crap. Maybe she should have asked Dáithí to protect her from vampires as a whole, not just Constantine. "I'm still human," she said slowly, thinking quickly. "There are still human laws that protect me. I would imagine fighting a human government is a whole different story."

"It is. But you also said you think you're some kind of half blood. If that's true and it can be proven, you're fucked. The humans treat us like Ancients and the Ancients treat us like humans. We're not protected by anyone and we're bound by both sets of laws."

"Nolan thinks so. Richard never would have taken me in if he thought I had any amount of magic in me."

"Are you sure? Maybe that's why he doesn't like you."

"Can we go back to the love bomb? I think I can do with some normal right now." She didn't need another person knowing about the heritage tests. "You would think someone who's been married as many times as he has that he would approach it a little more delicately than in the middle of sex."

"Or maybe he's just forgotten what it's like for someone on their first life." Ian's eyes narrowed, and she knew she wasn't going to get away with the change of topic for long. "So it's not a big deal for him. Or maybe he doesn't even remember saying it at all."

"How do you forget telling someone you love them for the first time."

"You said he said it just before he fed? If he got drunk or high enough, whatever you want to call it, he probably doesn't remember anything immediately before, during, or right after. Vampires aren't exactly reliable when the dinner bell goes off. I'm pretty sure that's why it's illegal for vampires to feed from the vein. That and the whole venom addiction."

Rhia snorted. "I'm pretty sure it's illegal because Constantine gets off on control."

"My ears are bleeding."

Rhia and Ian whirled around to see none other than the king of vampires standing at the curb, his hands casually tucked in his pockets of a perfectly tailored suit that probably cost more than either paramedic made in a month. "What are you doing here?" Rhia's voice cracked.

Constantine shrugged, his eyes flaring in excitement from her fear. "I wanted to talk with you. We haven't had the chance to be properly introduced. Constantine Moureaux."

He stepped forward and offered his hand. Rhia took a step back. "I know who you are. You know who I am. What the hell do you want? This is my work."

He looked to the basketball under Ian's arm and rose an eyebrow. "Taxpayer money hard at work, I see." His red eyes slid to Ian and he snarled. "Beat it, faeling."

Ian flinched, but didn't leave. "What do you want, Constantine?!" Rhia barked.

A dark chuckle rumbled in his throat. For the first time, Rhia noticed that the sun didn't seem to have any affect on Constantine. His skin was still paper white, the cracks around his eyes seemed to pulse black, and his eyes were still a glowing red. "Straight to the point, then." He relented, amusement saturating his voice. "I simply wanted to know if you have considered my offer?"

"Offer?"

"Yes," mocking concern crossed his face for a second. "I sent Kaila, Rasta, and Kain to give you a message. Poor Rasta never made it back, but Kaila was sure she passed it on."

"You set three vampires on me and you're worried that they didn't deliver your threat?"

"Not a threat, ma chére." He tsked. "A compromise."