“Pete,” Olivia said in the most authoritative tone she could muster. “Why don’t you go on home to Marianna and get some rest. Come to the club tonight after sundown, and we’ll go hunting for the rogue. We should probably get Shane’s help on this too.” He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off before he could say a word. “Now.”
“Okay.” Pete looked at her curiously and then to Millicent.
Olivia couldn’t even look at him. She rarely spoke to him like that, and never in front of other people, and even though she felt like a shit for doing it, she didn’t want him privy to the next conversation.
He bowed with a flourish. “Whatever you say, boss lady.”
In a gust of wind, he was gone.
Millicent eyed Olivia warily from behind her desk. “What’s going on with you, girl? I mean, aside from this crap.”
“You’ve been around about a thousand years, right?” Olivia folded her arms over her chest and paced the room.
“Yeah,” she said slowly. “Why?”
Olivia stopped pacing and turned to face her. “What do you know about the bloodmate legend?”
“Stories—rumors mostly.” She flicked her lighter off and on absently. “Most vamps think it’s a whole lot of bullshit.”
“Do you?”
“Off the record.” Millicent gestured to the chair by her desk, and Olivia, even though she felt too wound up to sit still, complied and forced herself to sit. “According to the legend, or at least the rumors I’ve heard, some vampires have a bloodmate, and if the two bond, then they both become daywalkers.” She stared at Olivia over the flame. “As far as the official records are concerned, there has never been any proof of bloodmates.” Her lips lifted at the corners, and the wrinkles around her eyes deepened.
“What about unofficial?” Olivia leaned both elbows on the massive desk and rested her chin on folded hands. “Would you be privy to any of that information?”
“When I was a sentry, I was ordered to put down two vamps that were supposedly making rogues and letting them run loose. They were accused of being a vampire Bonnie and Clyde. It was during the Civil War, and we had lots of problems with rogue vampires. Made a big damn mess.” She lit another cigarette. “Anyway, wasn’t unusual to get a contract like that.”
“I remember the stories. You used several during my sentry training.”
“Yeah, well, I left this one out.” She leveled a serious gaze at Olivia. “I went to a house where I heard the two were holing up. It was an abandoned plantation in the south. I’d planned on getting there well before sunrise, but I got sidetracked by a gang of five rogues and had to put them down. At any rate, by the time I got to the plantation, it was almost sunrise. I figured I’d get in there quick and dust them as they were going to ground.”
Riveted, Olivia leaned closer and gave Millicent her full attention.
“Didn’t exactly happen that way.” She let out a short laugh. “The sun was coming up as I flew into the house. I gotta be honest. I was a little antsy and wanted to get my old ass in the ground before I got singed. Couldn’t believe it. I found them sitting in the back parlor, right in front of the window, holding hands and watching the sunrise. I was mesmerized.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “They knew I was there, watching them. They knew I was in the hallway, and they simply waved me in.”
Olivia nodded and listened intently.
“Crawford, the fella, he said he knew I was there to kill them. Puzzled me, y’know? They didn’t try to fight me. There was no aggression. They told me that they were bloodmates, and as a result, both of ’em had turned into daywalkers. They said that they knew the czar in the southeastern territory put a contract out on them because he didn’t want word getting out about daywalking.”
“Who was the czar down there then?”
“Christian Edwards, but he’s dead now.” She tossed the lighter on the desk. “Guy was old as dirt and took a walk in the sun one day. I guess eternity is a bit too long for some. Anyway, they said the Presidium made up the story about the two creating rogues so that they’d have an excuse to put them down.”
“Why would the Presidium want to kill vamps that can daywalk?”
“Are you serious?” Millicent scoffed loudly. “Vamps that could daywalk would have all the power and easily overthrow the Presidium government if they wanted. All us nightwalkers would be exposed during the day and vulnerable. Hell, we’d be perceived as weaker than daywalkers, and you know what they say. It’s all about perception.”
Olivia nodded. It was true. If daywalkers were allowed to exist, then the czars, senators, and even the emperor would be lower on the proverbial food chain. The only reason they hadn’t killed Pete was because he was a liaison to the Amoveo, the shapeshifting clans his mate was from. If the Presidium killed him, then it would cause a war with the shifters.
“So, what happened?”
“Well, the sun was rising, so I told them to prove it.” She waved her arm. “Go walk in the sun, and prove it. Hey, I thought they were full of shit, and if they didn’t do it, then I’d dust ’em, or they’d go out and burn in the sun. I figured I’d get ’em either way.”
Olivia’s eyes widened, like a child hanging on the edge of a bedtime story. “They didn’t fry, did they?”
“Nope.” Millicent folded her hands in her lap. “I hung back in the darkest corner of the front hall and watched as the two walked hand in hand into the sun. Damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. Anyway, they just stood there, fangs bared, bathing in the sun like they were on a tropical holiday, and then they flew off.” She dropped her feet, rose from her chair, and started shutting down her equipment. “I never saw them again. It was the only time I’ve ever lied to a czar. I told him they were gone before I got there, and the trail was cold.”
“Unbelievable,” Olivia whispered. “How did the two of them figure out that they were bloodmates? How did they even find each other?”
“Not sure.” Millicent snagged another cigarette. “I’ve heard there’s some kind of imprinting that takes place during a blood exchange, and another rumor mentioned something about dream connections. Hell, I have no idea. Maybe it’s both, or maybe it depends on the vamps.”
“Dreams?” Olivia’s eyes flicked to Millicent’s, and her body stilled. “But—but vampires don’t dream.”
“No,” she said, hitting one last button, while staring intently at Olivia. “None do.” A smile cracked her wrinkled face. “At least, none that I know of. Why the sudden interest in bloodmates?”
“No reason.” Olivia shrugged and rose swiftly from her chair. “Thanks for the bedtime story. I always liked a good fairy tale, but I should get going. I’ve taken up enough of your time, and I’m sure we could both use some sleep.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Millicent made a face and shook her head. “Something tells me that your little blond progeny isn’t the only one playing with fire.” Millicent flew across the room, grabbed Olivia’s bicep, and pulled her close, dropping her voice to a barely audible level. “Do us both a favor, and don’t go asking anyone else about the bloodmate legend. Some legends are best left as that and nothing more. I’ve always liked you, and I’d hate to see you end up a pile of dust because you go stirring up trouble.”
Olivia said nothing but nodded her understanding and left the room before Millicent could say anything else. She had more questions, a hell of a lot more, but she didn’t want to drag her old friend any further into this whole mess.
As she breached the Presidium’s barriers and entered the sewer tunnels, all she could think about was getting back to her apartment and falling into the arms of sleep. Something told her that Doug would be waiting there to catch her.