Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Colletion_ Books 11-15 - Laurell K. Hamilton [1040]
Edward and Olaf eased into the room. Edward hadn’t gone for a weapon. There was already one too many guns in this room. I had an idea.
“Dolph, this vampire messed with me while I wore a cross. She makes your feelings stronger. You hate vampires, and she’s feeding that feeling. Requiem is jealous of Jean-Claude, and she was feeding that.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Dolph said.
“You’re about to shoot an unarmed civilian,” Edward said, in his good-ol’-boy voice. “Is that a good thing, Lieutenant, or a bad thing?”
Dolph frowned, and the tip of the gun wavered. “He’s not a civilian.”
“Well, now,” Edward said, “I agree with you, but legally he’s a citizen with rights. You kill him, and you’re up on charges. If you’re going to go down for killing one of them, why not make it one that’s actually breaking the law? Lose your badge saving some innocent human from a bloodsucker about to munch on ’em. That’d be satisfyin’.” Edward’s down-home accent was growing thicker as he talked. He was also easing deeper into the room. He waved Olaf to stay near the door, then crept closer to Dolph.
Dolph didn’t seem to notice. He just stood there, frowning, as if he were listening to things I couldn’t hear. His cross kept up a steady white light. He shook his head as if trying to chase off some buzzing thing. His gun pointed at the floor, and he looked up. The cross faded, but it had never had the light it should have for such an attack. It was almost as if whatever Mercia’s powers were, they somehow didn’t set off holy objects as much as they should have. Dolph looked first at Edward. “I’m okay now, Marshal Forrester.”
Edward, with Ted’s smiling face, said, “If you don’t mind, Lieutenant, I’d feel better if you came out of the room.”
Dolph nodded, then put the safety on his gun and handed it butt first to Edward. Edward let his face show surprise. I didn’t try to hide the shock I felt. No cop gives up his gun voluntarily, least of all Dolph. Edward took the gun. “You still not feelin’ okay, Lieutenant Storr?”
“I’m okay at the moment, but if this vampire can get past my cross once, it can do it again. I almost shot him.” He jerked a thumb in Requiem’s direction. “I want to talk to Marshal Blake alone.”
Edward gave him all the doubt on his face, and said, “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea, Lieutenant.”
Dolph looked at me. “We need to talk.”
“Not alone,” Requiem said.
Dolph didn’t even look at him, but kept those dark, angry eyes on me. “Anita.”
“Dolph, this bad vamp wants me dead. Even unarmed you outmuscle me. I’d rather we had company for the talk.”
He pointed a finger at Requiem. “Not him.”
“Fine, but someone.”
He looked at Edward. “You seem to feel like I do about them.”
“They’re not my favorite thing,” Edward said, and the good ol’ boy was starting to fray around the edges.
“Fine, you stay.” He looked at Olaf and the people in the hallway beyond. “Just the marshals.”
Edward said something low to Olaf, who nodded. He started to close the door.
Dolph said, “No, the vampire leaves, too.”
“His name’s Requiem,” I said.
Requiem squeezed my hand and gave me one of his rare smiles. “I take no offense, my evening star; he hates what I am, many people do.” He raised my hand and gave it a kiss, then picked up his cloak from the floor and moved toward the door.
He stopped closer to the door and Edward, away from Dolph, but turned to the big man. “‘Darkling I listen; and, for many a time I have been half in love with easeful Death, Call’d him soft names in many a mused rhyme.’”
“Are you threatening me?” Dolph asked, in a voice gone cold.
“Not you,” I said. “I don’t think he was threatening you.”
“Then what did he mean by that?”
“He’s quoting Keats. ‘Ode to a Nightingale,’ I think,” I said.
Requiem looked back at me and nodded, making it almost a bow. He kept looking at