Conquer the Darkness Read online

  This morning, however, he barely noticed the rosy bloom of the sunrise as it spread over the pools. Instead he opened his laptop and hacked into the account of a local car rental service that specialized in luxury cars. He’d recognized the small decal in the back window of the Jag as it’d zoomed away. A few seconds later he had typed in the license number he’d memorized and was able to determine the exact location of the vehicle. He smiled. Thank the goddess for GPS.

  Then his smile abruptly faded. The car was parked just a few blocks away. Right in front of…

  The Viper’s Nest.

  His shock wasn’t a result of the fact that Brigette had chosen an establishment that catered to demons. If she was visiting Vegas, it was the most logical place for her to stay. No, it was at the specific choice of a club owned by a vampire. Most demon businesses were run by the fey, particularly imps who were capable of glamours, illusions, and spells designed to compel potential customers to return to their establishments over and over.

  But the Viper’s Nest was owned by Viper, the vampire clan chief of Chicago. And unlike the other establishments, it preferred sophisticated entertainment to primitive pleasures. Ulric had heard that it cost a small fortune just to walk through the front door, and that the current manager, a vampire named Javad, personally decided whether or not a guest could stay. Like a fancy country club, only with more fangs and less golf.

  He’d always assumed that the glitzy place was filled with vampires. The cold-blooded bastards considered themselves the top of the food chain and rarely bothered to hide their disdain for rubbing elbows with the riffraff.

  So why would Brigette choose that location?

  Unless…Could Brigette be mated to a vampire?

  The thought made Ulric’s stomach clench with horror. It didn’t matter that he was devoted to his master—who was a vampire. He didn’t want his only surviving family member to be in the clutches of a bloodsucker.

  Did that make him a hypocrite?

  He shrugged. Probably.

  He shoved himself to his feet and left his rooms, locking the door behind him.

  Once in the hallway he paused. There was an itchy sensation between his shoulder blades, as if hidden eyes were following him. Was he being watched?

  He glanced left and then right. Nothing.

  Dismissing the strange feeling, Ulric hurried toward the staircase and bounded down the steps in one leap. A few minutes later he was out the back door and crossing the parking lot. He probably should have let the day manager know that he was leaving, but he had his phone with him if an emergency came up, plus Rainn was available.

  A growl rumbled in his throat before he was fiercely shoving away the thought of the zephyr sprite. He’d already decided he wasn’t going to be distracted by the female. Or her warnings.

  Even if it meant he was waltzing into a trap…

  He gave another growl, sending a parking attendant fleeing for the nearest door. He was a cunning predator who could kill most creatures with his bare teeth. Or one swipe of his claws. If this was a trap, he was going to make the demon responsible very, very sorry.

  Of course, while he might be confident in his skills, he wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t going to blindly blunder into an ambush.

  With that thought in mind, he jogged a dozen blocks to the north, doubling back several times to ensure he wasn’t being followed, before circling back to his destination.

  Once he had the club in sight, he paused in the shadows of a nearby house, carefully surveying his surroundings.

  The area was nothing like the glittering Strip. Or even the aging glory of Fremont Street. This neighborhood was residential with a straight line of homes that had been built in the fifties. Once upon a time the lawns had been ruthlessly watered to keep them green and the picket fences had been painted white. Now an air of depression hung over the houses that had gone over the line of gracefully-fading to crumbling-into-oblivion.

  On the south side of the block was a large empty lot where several houses had been burned to the ground. All that remained were charred foundations, rusting cars, and bags of rotting trash. Or at least that’s what the casual observer would see. Ulric already knew that it was an illusion.

  And next to the curb was the Jag that had squealed away from his hotel.

  He peered around, looking for any hidden dangers. Nothing. Reassured that he was alone, he strolled forward, touching his fingers against the layer of magic that reflected a faint shimmer in the early morning sunlight.

  Instantly the illusion of an abandoned lot disappeared, to be replaced by a five-story brick building with tinted windows. Ulric climbed the stairs and pushed open one of the heavy double doors.

  Once in the front lobby, Ulric rolled his eyes. Yep, it was just as posh as he’d expected. Lots of marble, with a dozen fluted columns soaring toward a ceiling painted with dragons emblazoned on a star-studded sky. There were a few leather sofas scattered through the long room, and in the center of the floor was a fountain with a golden statue of a male holding a massive sword over his head.

  Ulric swallowed a sudden urge to laugh. Was that supposed to be Styx, the new Anasso? He’d met the King of Vampires during the search for Tarak—Chiron’s former master. And while he couldn’t claim to be BFFs with the male, he was quite certain that Styx would be thoroughly pissed at the sight of himself immortalized in gold and standing in a pool of water for the tourists.

  Viper had a wicked sense of humor. Or a death wish.

  He’d started to take another step forward when there was a blur of movement and a vampire was suddenly standing directly in front of him.

  The female stood barely tall enough to reach his shoulders, with a delicate build. Her face was heart shaped and dominated by a pair of large brown eyes, while her blond hair had been cut short. She looked more like a pixie than a vampire, but Ulric didn’t miss the power that vibrated around her.

  His gaze briefly flicked over her slender body, which was covered in a little black dress that didn’t leave much to the imagination. Not that he was interested. His only concern was in the silver dagger she held in her hand.

  It was a weapon perfectly designed to kill a vampire. Or a Were.

  Flashing a smile that emphasized her fangs, the female held out her hand. “Your invitation.”

  He scowled down at her. “Invitation?”

  “This is a members-only club.”

  He curled his lips in disdain. The stench of leeches was thick in the air, making his wolf shudder in horror.

  “Thankfully I have no desire to be a member,” he told her.

  “Then why are you here?”

  “I’m looking for one of your guests.”

  The vampire narrowed her eyes. “We take the privacy of our guests very seriously.”

  “Understandable,” Ulric agreed. He would be suspicious if someone strolled in off the street wanting information on a guest at Dreamscape. “I just need to get a message to her.”

  The female wasn’t impressed. “Then call her.”

  “I don’t have her number.”

  A sneer twisted the vampire’s lips. “Trust me, if a woman wants to speak with you, she’ll find a way to contact you. There’s no need to hunt her down like a…” She deliberately paused. “Dog.”

  Ulric allowed a growl to rumble in his chest. He was trying to be polite. But he was going to find Brigette. Even if it meant tearing this damned place to the ground.

  Starting with the vampire in front of him.

  “If you won’t take a message to her, then find someone who will.”

  The female stepped toward him, not nearly as intimidated as she should have been. “No.”

  “I’m not leaving until I speak with her.”

  The vampire flashed her fangs. “That’s not your choice.”

  Ulric leaned down until they were
nose to nose. He had his own fangs. And they were bigger.

  “Run along, leech, and fetch your owner,” he commanded. “I don’t have time to waste arguing with you.”

  She hissed, her body tensing as she prepared to strike. But even as Ulric braced for battle, the temperature in the lobby dropped from cool to downright frigid.

  “I’ll deal with this, Candace.” The voice was low and smooth as silk.

  Ulric cautiously turned his head, his wolf rumbling inside him. The animal could sense danger even before the male walked through a nearby door.

  He was as tall as Ulric, although his muscles were more chiseled than bulky. His dark hair was curly as it fell to brush his shoulders and his features were hawkish, with a bold nose and heavy brow. His skin was tinted with copper, no doubt from long years spent in the desert sun before he’d been turned into a vampire. His eyes were as black as the pits of hell and smoldered with the sort of power that could topple cities.

  He strolled forward, and Ulric lowered his gaze to take in the male’s bare feet before skimming over the casual black slacks and silk tunic that fell to his knees. It wasn’t until the vampire turned his head that Ulric could see the intricate tattoo on the side of the male’s neck.

  Assassin.

  This had to be Javad. The manager of the Viper’s Nest.

  “I can handle a hound,” Candace protested.

  The male kept his gaze on Ulric as he halted next to the female vampire.

  “I don’t doubt your ability, but this isn’t just another Were,” he said. “He belongs to Chiron.”

  Candace sniffed. “So?”

  “The Anasso has spread the word that the Rebels are being welcomed back into the fold,” the male explained, his expression mocking. “We’re supposed to play nice.”

  Ulric folded his arms over his chest. “Chiron doesn’t need your king.”

  Candace lifted her dagger, lunging forward. “Let me—”

  “Go down to the gaming rooms,” Javad interrupted. “I’m sure there’s someone there who needs to be stabbed.”

  His voice remained soft, but it halted Candace in her tracks.

  She sent him a sulky glance. “Promises, promises.”

  “Go.”

  Ignoring Ulric, the female vampire left the lobby, the icy scent of her anger trailing behind her.

  Ulric sent Javad a wry glance. “She’s feisty.”

  “Next time I won’t stop her,” the vampire warned in smooth tones. “Now tell me why you’re barging into my club and creating an unpleasant scene.”

  Ulric leashed his wolf, which snarled at being given orders by a leech. Yeah, yeah. The irony of having a vampire as a master and all that…

  “I’m searching for a female,” Ulric forced himself to admit.

  Javad lifted a dark brow. “I’m afraid this club doesn’t offer those services, but there are plenty of places that do. I can give you the addresses if you want.”

  Ulric’s fangs lengthened. Only the fact that he needed information from this aggravating vampire kept him from lunging at the male’s throat.

  Trying to keep you from doing something stupid. Rainn’s words floated through the back of his mind and Ulric grimaced. Maybe he did need a babysitter.

  “I’m looking for a specific female,” he clarified in stiff tones.

  “What makes you assume she’s here?”

  “The car she was riding in is parked in the street out front.”

  “Impossible,” Javad said without hesitation.

  Ulric frowned. Did the vampire assume he was lying? “Why impossible?”

  “My guests are warned that they’re to use our valet service. No exception.” A cold smile curved Javad’s lips. “Not unless they want to be locked in a room with Candace.”

  Ulric silently conceded that was a powerful incentive to follow the rules. He suspected Candace was a vampire who enjoyed causing pain. But Javad’s confidence in his enforcer didn’t change the fact that the Jag was sitting out front.

  “Maybe this guest didn’t get the memo.” Ulric shrugged. “Or more likely, she wasn’t afraid of your pet.”

  Javad paused, as if puzzled by Ulric’s refusal to back down. Ulric hid a smile. How many creatures were suicidal enough to challenge the powerful vampire in his own establishment?

  Ulric was going to guess: one. Him.

  “Who is the female?” the vampire at last demanded. “Did she cheat the casino? Walk out without paying her bill?”

  “My interest is personal.”

  “How personal?”

  Ulric made a sound of impatience. “That’s not your concern.”

  Javad simply stared at him, his expression inscrutable.

  Ulric heaved a rough sigh of frustration. Vampires. They were as stubborn as freaking mules. He resigned himself to revealing exactly why he was at the Viper’s Nest.

  “What do you know of my history?” he asked.

  Javad appeared surprised by the question. “Nothing more than the fact you’ve been Chiron’s most trusted guard for centuries.”

  “Ever since he rescued me from the slave pens of your Anasso,” Ulric said.

  “Former Anasso.” Javad was swift to correct Ulric, his black eyes shimmering with something that might have been disdain. “A dark time.”

  “Darker than you can ever imagine,” Ulric rasped. “Your king destroyed my entire clan.” His heart squeezed with a strange combination of joy and fear. As if he understood that Brigette might disappear as swiftly as she’d appeared. “Or at least that’s what I believed for over five hundred years.”

  “And now?”

  “This morning I discovered the daughter of my father’s brother strolling through the casino.”

  “She survived the Anasso?”

  “No,” he firmly denied. “She wasn’t in the slave pens. I assumed she’d been slaughtered with the rest of the pack during the attack.”

  “Did she tell you what happened?”

  “When I approached her, she fled.”

  Javad’s eyes narrowed, his expression revealing the same suspicion that Rainn had tried to ram down his throat. “You’re certain it was your cousin?”

  “Yes, I’m certain,” Ulric snapped.

  Javad ignored the heat that bristled around Ulric. “Why would she run from you?”

  “That’s what I’m here to find out.”

  Javad considered this explanation before giving a small shrug. “And she was driving the car that you claim is outside my club?” he asked.

  “She wasn’t driving, but it’s the car she was in when she left the casino,” Ulric assured him.

  “Who was with her?”

  “I couldn’t see.”

  “Hmm.”

  The male’s suspicion only deepened, and Ulric’s limited patience reached its snapping point.

  “Are you going to let me speak with her or not?”

  “I can’t.” Javad lifted a hand as Ulric pulled back his lips to bare his lengthening teeth. “Easy, dog. I can’t let you speak with your female because she isn’t a guest at the club.”

  Ulric’s anger abruptly faltered. It’d never occurred to him that the car would randomly be parked in front of a demon club.

  “You’re sure?”

  Javad smoothed the cuffs of his embroidered tunic, a hint of arrogance etched on his hawkish features. “Our customers are carefully selected. If we had a female Were, I would know.”

  Ulric didn’t argue. Hadn’t Candace challenged him the second he’d walked through the doors? They clearly took the whole by-invitation-only thing seriously.

  “Then why would the car be here?” Ulric spoke more to himself than the vampire. “Maybe the driver is a guest.”

  Javad considered Ulric’s words before he slowly smiled. “I might have a
way to assist you.”

  Ulric didn’t need the warning that whispered through the back of his mind to know the male was plotting something. You didn’t run a successful chain of casinos without being able to read people. Even if they were vampires.

  “How can you help?” he forced himself to ask.

  “I’ll explain once we’ve negotiated a price,” the male drawled.

  “Price?”

  Javad lifted his hands, gesturing around the large lobby. “I’m a businessman. Nothing comes free.”

  Ah. Extortion. He should have been expecting it.

  “Are you related to Rainn?” Ulric demanded in dry tones.

  “The zephyr sprite?” Javad asked.

  Ulric jerked in surprise. This vampire was dangerously well-informed about Chiron and his various employees.

  Something he needed to pass on to Chiron.

  He squared his shoulders. He might not like being coerced, but Javad held the winning hand. If he was going to speak with Brigette, he had to pay the price. “What do you want?”

  “A favor.”

  Ulric gave a sharp shake of his head. “That’s too vague.”

  Javad considered. “Fine. It won’t include anything that’s harmful to your master, or against your morals.”

  “That’s still vague,” Ulric complained.

  Javad studied him with his cold, black gaze. “It’s as good as it’s going to get.”

  His inner wolf snarled at the sensation of being cornered, but Ulric gave a slow nod. It wasn’t unusual for demons to trade in favors rather than cash. When you lived for an eternity it was easy to accumulate money.

  “But I get one refusal,” Ulric insisted.

  “Done.”

  Shoving aside the thought of being in this male’s debt, he focused on Brigette. “How can you help?”

  “Come with me.”

  Javad moved across the floor to press his hand against the marble wall. A second later a hidden door slid open. Ulric followed the vampire into the long room that was clearly the security office.

  He glanced around, not surprised to find that it was even less high-tech than Dreamscape. Dealing with demons rarely entailed cameras or mundane alarms. It took magic and illusions and the occasional curse. Most of all, it took lethal guards who were willing to smash heads when necessary.