Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Colletion_ Books 11-15 - Laurell K. Hamilton [839]
I looked back across the room at Auggie. “You agree with his assessment of the situation, Auggie?”
Auggie nodded. “Yes, but I’m not sure that Haven being your Rex is as certain as you and the other cats think. I’ve bound you with my power, Anita; what if your reaction to my lions is so strong because of that? Not just your beast, but my power helping make my lions more appealing.” It was the smartest thing he’d said in a while. It left me wondering which was the real Auggie, thoughtful-guy or sexist-idiot-guy?
I nodded. “Okay, maybe, how do we test this little theory?”
“Anita reacted to your lions before you rolled her,” Micah said.
“Shit,” I said, “Micah’s right. My initial reaction to Pierce and Haven was funky from the beginning, before we had our little power duel.”
Auggie nodded. “Then perhaps what your lioness is seeking is a dominant. Either way, the way you react to Pierce, as opposed to these two, will tell you something. Either my power has made it worse, or your power seeks stronger prey. Jean-Claude believes that your ardeur seeks stronger prey; why not your beast?”
I glanced at Jean-Claude. “Getting chatty, are we?”
“I am seeking answers, ma petite. Augustine may not be trustworthy in all things, but when he gives his word, he keeps it.”
“So you asked his opinion, after getting his word of honor he wouldn’t tell our secrets anywhere.”
Jean-Claude nodded.
I didn’t like it, but I had to trust that Jean-Claude knew what he was doing. Besides, we did need help figuring some of this out. The list of Masters of the City that he trusted at all was damn small. It might be smaller after this visit, if I could vote on the list.
“Please, Anita,” Travis said, “please, give me your beast. Feed on one of us. Don’t give that freak power over us.”
“I don’t need to give my beast up, and I don’t want to raise it on purpose. I don’t know how to stop it, once it starts.”
“Start it, and give it to me.”
“Travis, just shift.”
He shook his head stubbornly.
“Then feed the ardeur on me,” Noel said.
I looked into his face, those eyes behind his wire-framed glasses. He looked so sincere and so young. “You don’t know what you’re asking, Noel.”
“Just mark their necks,” Nathaniel said.
I looked at him. Usually, Nathaniel liked to be the only one that I marked up. He shared with Micah, but he didn’t like it when I marked anyone who was just food. “Usually you complain about that,” I said.
“The jolt of power with Pierce could happen with anyone who was a preternatural. But what happened with Haven when you tried to touch his neck, that was different. Try to do the vampire greeting thing on their necks, and see if you get a similar reaction.”
“Beauty and brains,” Auggie said. “Lucky you.”
I wasn’t sure who he was calling lucky—me, Jean-Claude, or Nathaniel. We all ignored him. “All right, Nathaniel, all right. I’ll try, but if this doesn’t work at all, Travis has to shift and heal that arm.” I looked at Travis as I said it.
Travis nodded. “If you try it on both of us, and nothing happens, okay.”
Requiem tucked his black cloak closer around him. The movement made me look at him. “You are master here, Jean-Claude, but before she uses the ardeur again, should we not talk?”
That made me look back at Jean-Claude. He nodded. “Yes, but perhaps our young lions could go back to Dr. Lillian for a time.”
Travis gave him a look that said, clearly, he wasn’t moving. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Are you refusing the direct order of the Master of the City?” Auggie asked.
I raised a hand, and said, “Don’t start that