A Hunters Promise by Gwendolyn Cease Page B

They understand one another as well as each other’s inherent strengths and weaknesses. He has no concept so he cannot foresee how they will truly react.”
    “Wow,” Joelle said, breaking the silence. “You talk real pretty.”
    Quenton burst out laughing and gave her a bow. “My pleasure. My heart sings with the realization that I’ve impressed you.”
    It was Joelle’s turn to laugh. The knot in Kenshin’s stomach eased somewhat as he noticed the others smiling at their byplay. The addition of Joelle and Quenton added a dynamic he hadn’t anticipated. Instead of making things uncomfortable or unstable, they actually brought their own unique gifts to the table. Just because they didn’t run out and fight didn’t mean the two couldn’t or wouldn’t add valuable insight and a, much needed, mood-lightener.
    “How is this Ancient tied to the blood cult?” Reaper asked.
    “That’s an excellent question,” Quenton said with a nod. “But our first question should probably be is he tied to the blood cult?”
    “I think so,” Grimm said slowly. “I don’t know how or why, but it just fits right for me.”
    “That might be another reason why no one can identify him,” Styx suggested.
    “Why?” Joelle asked.
    “Sorry, Joelle, I don’t have all kinds of fancy words,” Charon said with a slight smile, “but vampires can’t enthrall one another. But an Ancient can, if the vampire is weak enough.”
    “Fuck, yeah,” Reaper said, “feed a vampire real blood, and it totally screws with the mind. Think back to Juan, Tomas’s brother, he had no memory of what went down. Hell, he still doesn’t. Any vampire would be easy to control once blood has gotten into their system.”
    “So, what’s the plan?” She asked.
    “For now,” Kenshin said, “we continue to do what we’ve been doing. Monitor all PIA transmissions and try to find one of the enthralled vampires. If we can find one, we can track it back to its master.”
     
    Aislinn paced restlessly around the large bedroom suite. Charon had dumped her and rushed off to do whatever the secret text was about. She’d showered and dressed in clean clothes after the intense training session in the gym. That had taken all of fifteen minutes. She’d then pretended to nap, but could only lay with her eyes closed for so long. Finally, she’d risen and spent the rest of the time pacing.
    She thought about leaving the room to explore, but the size of wherever she was daunted her. What if she got lost? She didn’t think anyone would find her if she did. So, she very well could die in some dark corridor before someone stumbled on her. Yeah, that wasn’t how she wanted any of this to end.
    She’d even resorted to turning the TV on and flipping channels, something she never did. For a while, she’d watched a channel devoted to home decoration and hunting for houses. That had occupied her for nearly an hour, until she’d gotten antsy. So again, she paced.
    Aislinn had kept the television on for company more than anything else. She wasn’t used to all the silence and being utterly alone. In the hospital, she’d been checked on constantly. There had been nowhere she could go to get any privacy. Now, she had all kinds, and it was unsettling and a bit scary.
    The door opened, and she spun to find Joelle. She couldn’t help the spurt of disappointment when it wasn’t Charon. Jeez, she needed to stop and get over it. He’s a vampire , she thought, he drinks blood. You’re scared of vampires . But thinking about him made her far from afraid. In fact, the thoughts of him made her hot and achy.
    “I’m here to take you to see Kenshin,” Joelle said. “If you forgot, he’s the director of the PIA.”
    “Right,” she said as she dropped into a chair to pull on her shoes. “Am I dressed okay?” She asked as she smoothed a hand down her heavy fleece sweatshirt.
    “Oh yeah, the first time I went to his office for a meeting, I was in jeans. He’s real laid