The Den of Shadows Quartet - Amelia Atwater-Rhodes [43]
He tilted Shannon’s head back to expose the artery, which was covered by nothing more than a thin layer of skin. His canines, which looked normal enough most of the time, extended to razor-sharp points. These fangs pierced the skin of her throat quickly and precisely, and within moments he was lost in the sensation of the rich human blood that ran over his tongue and quenched his thirst.
CHAPTER 12
CARYN HAD SENSED Aubrey’s presence even before she saw Shannon leave the party with a dazed look on her face. She had felt the pressure of his mind on Shannon’s.
Caryn had no idea what she would do once she encountered Aubrey, but she felt compelled to follow Shannon anyway. A group of boys had bunched together at the door, and Caryn was delayed for a few minutes as she tried to slip through the throng. Once she was finally outside, it took her only a short moment to find the vampire and his prey She could easily sense Aubrey’s aura, which was like a shadow flickering just outside the normal spectrum of vision. She could feel his power slither across her skin.
This ability was her line’s gift — or curse, as some would say. Though her family the Smoke line, had always been healers, most witches were vampire hunters. Caryn had a witch’s blood, which was sweeter and stronger than a human’s, and a witch’s knowledge, which made her dangerous to the vampires. But she did not have the ability to fight. She had always known herself to be easy prey and had tried out of self-protection to avoid their kind, unless doing so meant risking an innocent person’s life.
Throughout her childhood, Caryn had been taught to respect life, and to protect it whatever the cost. She knew Aubrey too well to look the other way while he cast his lure.
“Aubrey!” she called as soon as she had found him.
The vampire was standing several yards into the woods, holding Shannon, who was motionless. Aubrey had an arm around her waist to keep her from falling, and his other hand cradled the back of her neck. His lips were at her throat. Shannon was pale but still breathing.
Aubrey!” Caryn shouted again when he didn’t respond.
Aubrey glanced up and glared at her as he continued to feed. What do you want? he growled.
Caryn jumped at the intrusion into her mind but somehow managed to find her voice. “Let her go, Aubrey.”
“Is that a threat?” Scorn laced his voice as he dropped Shannon. He mockingly licked a trace of blood from his lips.
Caryn hurried to Shannon’s side. She was unconscious but would live.
“How many people have you murdered like this?” Caryn demanded, her voice wavering.
“I don’t think you really want to know,” Aubrey answered coolly.
“Don’t you have any conscience at all?”
“Not that I know of,” he said with nonchalance. “Now, much as I love your company, I really do prefer to dine alone.”
He was enjoying this, Caryn realized. He could easily have avoided the argument by disappearing and finding prey elsewhere, but instead he was playing with her.
“You’ll kill her,” Caryn protested.
“So?” Aubrey responded, sounding amused, as he took a step toward her. Caryn flinched but did not move away from Shannon. If he was determined to kill tonight, she had no hope of preventing it, but her conscience would not allow her to leave. “Are you planning to stop me?” he mocked. “If you were one of your cousins, I might at least pretend to be worried … though probably not. As it is, I know you’d never fight me even if you had the strength.”
He was speaking the truth. No one in her line had harmed another creature since Evelyn Smoke, the first of the Smoke line, had stopped hunting vampires.
“Please, Aubrey,” Caryn entreated, beginning to despair.
“Caryn, go away. You’re beginning to bore me.”
“Let her go,” Caryn persisted, though her tone was hardly commanding. She was sickened by his game, and worse, she worried what would happen when he reached the end of his patience.
“That would accomplish very little,