Gabriel followed her and examined the ground all around the back of the inn. “He left a trail, there. Nicola, you can’t confront him directly. He’ll attack you.”
“Here’s hoping.” She drew out her dagger as she followed the trenches up to the tree line. She saw one faint trail, and a duplicate with fresher tracks. “He wasn’t the only one hiking up here.” She crouched beside the tracks and glanced up at him. “What made these? Hunting dogs?”
He ran his fingertips over the rounded, flowery marks in the snow, and then peered ahead. “I don’t know.”
Nick’s jaw dropped. “I beg your pardon?”
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“Baby, you’ve been a tracker for seven hundred years. You know things about hunting that even God’s forgotten. And you’re telling me you don’t know what made these tracks?”
“I know it was an animal. A large one. Four-legged.” He followed the tracks a little farther into the forest and stopped. “Wait.” He turned around. “There should be blood.”
“And why should there be blood?”
“The tracks end here, where the human’s begin. A hunter intercepted the creature, perhaps.” He pointed to a distinct pattern of footprints, frowning again. “No boots.”
Nick saw the shape of the toes and heel, too. “What kind of hunter tramps around in the snow barefoot?”
“One who cannot be harmed by it.” He straightened and looked up the slope. “He went up there.”
Nick’s hands itched for her baseball bat, her weapon of choice in any conflict, but instead drew the copper dagger she carried on her belt. “Let’s go change his smell again.”
Ever protective, Gabriel insisted on going ahead of her, but for once Nick didn’t mind. The stillness of the forest and the strange vibe she was getting from the mountain grew stronger with every step she took. By the time they reached a cabin buried in brush, her skin crawled with nerves.
“Gabriel.” She couldn’t stop him from entering the cabin, and swore as she shoved her way through the branches to go after him.
Inside she found her lover standing in front of a fireplace and staring at an old bench. Other than some furnishings that looked like they belonged in a museum, the rest of the cabin was empty.
“They are not here,” he said absently.
“Oh, you think?” She sheathed her dagger. “I hope you’re not feeling suicidal again. ’Cause I’ll go and get the baseball bat out of the truck.”
“I am well.” He sat down in the middle of the bench, pressing his hands to the rough surface on either side of him. “She wept. I can still taste her tears in the air.” He breathed in. “He did not. He was filled with rage, regret. And … ” He got up slowly, his expression filled with disbelief as he stared at Nick. “Love. Nicola, he loves this woman.”
“That is highly unlikely, Lord Seran.”
Nick’s dagger was in her hand before she saw the human female leaning against the cabin door and bending over to remove snowshoes. “Who invited you to the party?”
“The tresoran council, my lady.” The woman bobbed at her and then Gabriel. “I am Valori Trovatella, at your service. Forgive me for not introducing myself in town, but I thought I should deal with the sheriff first.”
“And how did you do that?” Nick asked.
“Discreetly. Sheriff Jemmet will wake in a few hours with a mild headache. If I may?” When Gabriel inclined his head, she stepped forward, holding out her hand.
He took it and examined the charm bracelet she wore. “You’re an infiltrator.”
“You can tell that from her jewelry?” Nick asked.
“It is how they identify their operatives, like the black cameos our tresori wear.” Gabriel released her hand. “Miss Trovatella’s bracelet indicates that she is a very experienced field operative.”
That didn’t make much sense to Nick. “The Vampire King know about this?”
Valori looked puzzled. “My lady?”
“She means the high lord,” Gabriel said. To Nick, he said, “The tresoran council would have notified Richard when they sent Ms. Trovatella to America. In matters such as these, he prefers to have alternative measures in place.”
“So you’re Plan B.” Nick studied the other woman. “I don’t want to insult you, second string, but how, exactly, does a cute little spy take out a rogue?”
“I was first trained as a dispatcher, my lady. Since I am very familiar with America, I was happy to volunteer my services.” Her tone turned brisk. “The rogue has assumed the identity of a human soldier. Before I could deal with him, he and the female stole my vehicle and stranded me here. They are presently en route to Denver.”
Swearing wouldn’t bring them back, but Nick muttered a few choice words anyway.
“Why Denver?” Gabriel asked.
“The sheriff has been conducting a discreet investigation. It seems the woman stole a mobile phone from the local doctor. According to the records from the service provider, which the sheriff obtained this morning, she used it to contact a wealthy antique dealer. He could be anything to her. A friend, a lover, or an accomplice.” She shrugged. “We won’t know until we catch up with them.”
Nick’s brows rose. “What’s this ‘we’? ”
“We are here for the same reason,” the other woman reminded her. “Your chances of successfully locating and eliminating the rogue are better if you allow me to accompany you and Lord Gabriel.”
The subtle change in the female’s scent told Nick that she wasn’t being entirely truthful. “What’s in it for you? And don’t bother lying—we can tell.”
“The GenHance employee who arranged the transport of the rogue to the States and the abduction of Lilah Devereaux is a tresora named Teresina Segreta,” Valori said. “She is now trying to recover them, and if she reaches them first, she will kill them both, and quite possibly expose the existence of the Darkyn to the human world.”
“A tresora who works for a biotech company, who would betray us?” Gabriel sounded as dubious as Nick felt.
“A former tresora, my lord. She was cast out many years ago for betraying her line, and now it seems she is set on taking revenge for that.” For the first time Valori’s mask slipped and Nick saw a glimmer of real grief. “Her brother was my mentor, and through him I knew her very well. I believe I can stop her before it is too late. I would appreciate the chance to at least try.”
“We could use some backup,” Nick said to Gabriel. “Especially if things go down during the day.”
“Very well, Miss Trovatella. You may join the hunt with us.” When she would have thanked him, he held up one hand. “We cannot permit this outcast tresora to endanger the Darkyn.”
“Once the rogue has been dispatched, I will take her back to Italy and turn her over to the council myself,” Valori promised. When she saw Nick’s face, she frowned. “My lady?”
“I didn’t get the whole dispatcher-dispatching thing, but now I do. You’re not a spy—you’re an assassin.” She glanced at Gabriel. “Any reason no one has ever mentioned to me that the tresoran council trains humans to kill Darkyn?”
“We do not dispatch those Darkyn who are loyal to the high lord, my lady,” Valori said quickly. “We are sent after only those who have chosen to betray or turn their backs on their lords.”
“It is considered a kindness, Nicola,” Gabriel said quietly. “Such rogues recognize and attack other Kyn. Often a dispatcher can get close without alarming their target.”
“We are trained to assure those we dispatch do not suffer, my lady,” Valori added.
“Why don’t you just call it what it is? Execution.” She realized she was practically defending the rogue. “In case I haven’t mentioned it in the last fifteen minutes, I hate being a vampire.”
“But, my lady, you are not … ” Valori trailed off as she saw Gabriel shake his head.
“It’s okay, sweetie. Whatever you want to call the fangs, I didn’t ask for them.” She thought for a minute. “There’s a civilian mixed up in this, and she probably thinks she’s in love with the demented bastard. So when we find them, Valori, your job is to get her out of the way, sit on her, and keep her alive while Gabriel and I finish the job. Are we clear?”
“I will see to it that she is not harmed, my lady.”
“Good. That’s all I care about.” Nick headed for the door. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Nathan moved away from the cabin’s back window, and gave a hand signal to the other men surrounding it. They moved as one, dispersing into the shadows as soundlessly as they’d emerged from them.
He’d nearly jumped the smiling little slut in town after he caught her coming out of the sheriff’s office with Ethan’s blood on her. But the mild ache in his head that had jolted him out of bed told him she hadn’t killed his brother, but had simply knocked him unconscious.
She was a resourceful and determined bitch, judging by the ease with which she’d helped herself to a pair of snowshoes on Annie’s porch, and the quick pace she’d used to follow the two new arrivals up the mountain. Their scent infuriated him almost as much as Valori’s, calling for the Fury, but years of painful lessons had taught him to wait before unleashing the mountain’s wrath on anyone.
Now after listening in on the conversation between Valori and the two strangers, he was glad he’d held back. They were leaving the pass, and that was better than killing them in it. As much as he still ached for the promise of the woman, it was not to be. In a way he was glad. He’d never admit it to Ethan, but his brother was right: The best way to handle trouble was to run it out of town.
