Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall

“I didn’t either. He was downwind.”

“And by the time I heard him…”

It was too late. The vamp was already on her.

If the vampire had been sitting around for however long, waiting for “Becca” to return, the only way he would’ve drawn Sean’s notice was if he had made little effort to hide, stood upwind, or chosen an area bereft of people, making his heartbeat stand out.

Since the bastard hadn’t done any of those things, he must not have been a vampire for very long and still retained most of his cognitive faculties.

Nevertheless, Sean cursed himself mentally for missing it. He should’ve parked his ass on campus and waited to see if anyone would show up instead of following Nicole and lingering outside the restaurant. But without knowing where the next attack might take place if there was one, he hadn’t wanted to let her out of his sight.

Seth reappeared, his hand on the shoulder of Imhotep, an ancient immortal warrior Sean didn’t know well.

Imhotep nodded to them and glanced around.

Seth pointed to the vampire. “See how far you can trace this one.”

Born with postcognitive abilities that allowed him to see recent events unfold as clearly as rewinding a video, Imhotep studied the scene for a few seconds and then took off, his dark skin helping him blend in with the shadows.

Multiple footsteps approached at a jog.

Now what?

Seth, Sean, and Tessa turned to face the group advancing toward them.

Sean frowned. Even though the newcomers were upwind, he couldn’t detect any of the usual scents humans carried. Soap. Deodorant. Body odor. Hair products. Flowery laundry detergent. Perfume. Cologne.

That was weird.

Three men and three women charged around the corner of a nearby building. All wore jeans, casual shirts, and jackets of various colors.

Were they students eager to snap pics of the “carnage” they could post online?

Ire rose.

One man touched a walkie on his shoulder that Sean hadn’t noticed. “Cancel the code 12. We’re on the scene with Seth and two other immortals.”

“Anyone injured?” Reordon asked over the walkie.

“Looks like Becca is injured, and one vamp has been tranqed,” the man answered.

Sean relaxed. Of course, Reordon would install special ops teams on campus.

Seth touched Sean’s shoulder as he addressed the soldiers. “Imhotep is here as well, retracing the vampire’s steps. Don’t shoot or tranq him when he returns.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once Seth reached out to clasp Tessa’s shoulder, the campus dissolved into darkness.





Chapter Six





Sean clutched Nicole tighter as the darkness gave way to network headquarters’ brightly lit infirmary on sublevel five.

Masculine laughter met his ears but shut off abruptly at their sudden appearance.

Several feet away, Melanie withdrew a syringe needle from Stuart’s arm and looked up. The vampire’s eyes blazed brightly, belying his worsening struggle with madness. But the glow began to fade as he glanced over at them.

She must have given him a mild dose of the sedative to calm him.

Brow furrowing, Melanie discarded the syringe in a hazardous waste bin and hurried forward. “What happened?”

“Nicole needs blood,” Seth said. “She lost quite a lot after a vampire tore open her carotid artery. She also suffered a severe concussion and several broken bones. I healed the broken bones and did what I could for the concussion.”

Did what he could? Sean’s alarm spiked as he tightened his hold on Nicole. “What does that mean? Will there be lasting damage?”

Seth patted his shoulder. “She may not remember the attack or the events that led up to it. Other than that… no.” Dropping his hand, he addressed Melanie. “I have to get back to Duke.” Seth vanished before she could respond.

Melanie motioned to a treatment bed. “Place her over there.”

Stuart followed them. “What happened?”

Miguel, another of the vampires who resided on sublevel five, tagged along. “Shit. Did Becca get attacked again?”

“This isn’t Becca.” Sean lowered her to the bed. “It’s Nicole.”

“What?” Miguel and Stuart crowded closer.

Stuart’s eyes lost their glow. “It is Nicole. I couldn’t see her face for her hair.” He drew in a deep breath. “And she smells different.”

Miguel nodded.

Jordan Moore and Liora Duran, two newly turned immortals who also lived at the network, joined them. Seth had sent the other immortal newbies who had been under Gershom’s influence to elder Immortal Guardians for training and mentoring.

Melanie shouldered her way through them all and started setting up an IV.

Sean repositioned Nicole so she lay more comfortably, then tugged the sheet at the foot of the bed up to her waist. “She’s been posing as Becca to help us determine if someone was targeting Becca, or if the last attack was random.”

Rapid footsteps drew his attention to the doorway.

The other vampires crowded inside.

“Nicole’s hurt?” one said.

Murmurs of concern flowed together as the vamps gathered around.

Sean hadn’t realized the guys knew Nicole so well. Studying with Melanie usually distracted him when he was there. But he supposed it shouldn’t surprise him. Nicole could befriend a badger. A few vampires prone to psychotic breaks wouldn’t have given her a moment’s pause.