Frozen Heart of Fire by Julie Kavanagh

Frozen Heart of Fire

    Chapter One

    “Boss, you’re gonna want to see this.”
    Noah moved stealthily toward the bank of television screens on the wall, showing several shots of the club on the floors below. He leaned forward, both hands resting on top of the wooden desk. Two other men looked up from the consoles they watched, their eyes curious. He glanced at them for a moment before returning to the dark-skinned man who’d called for his attention.
    “What is it?” Noah asked. He’d been pleased with how smoothly everything had gone in the club with his brother, Joshua, temporarily out of the picture. The business seemed to run itself. What could be wrong?
    “Watch the female on screen four,” the man in the chair pointed out the figure as he zoomed in on the internal camera. She was slight in build, average height for a woman, wearing tight, dark trousers and jacket with a skimpy, sequined top beneath. There was nothing exceptional about her, but he’d never known Brendan to overreact to anything.
    She stood in the Gallery, a long corridor leading from a dancing area to restrooms and stairs, and to other clubs in the building. They catered for all types of music lovers, but the woman on the screen didn’t appear to know what she wanted as she peered around her. Was she looking for someone?
    “So, what’s wrong with her?” Noah leaned further onto the desk, his serious eyes scanning the figure and decided that she was a cute little thing, although unremarkable otherwise. She looked like a hundred other woman who came there seeking companionship, fun and maybe a little romance. Her hair was pale, short and sticking out in every direction, revealing a pretty face with large expressive eyes and high cheekbones. He didn’t see anything wrong with her, but Brandon wouldn’t have called him without a bloody good reason. Checking the varied clientele frequenting their establishment was part of his job and he was very good at it. Brendan’s dark fingers moved skillfully over the keyboard as the Gallery’s ceiling lights on the screen began to filter out.
    “Now you see her, now you don’t,” he muttered, waving a hand at the screen. The shape of the unknown female disappeared when the ‘normal’ lights were switched off, although every other person on the screen could still be seen. By all rights, by all expectations and with this exceptional equipment, her body should have emitted enough energy to be detected. Her absence of an image wasn’t right and Noah knew instinctively Brendan was right to bring it to his notice. A soothing female voice could be heard calming the occupants of the club, assuring them that it was just a technical error and there was nothing to be alarmed about.
    “How the hell…?” Noah gasped. “What is she?”
    “That we don’t know. We’ve conducted several tests since she’s been here, but nothing shows up as it should. All we do know is, she isn’t human.”
    ****
    The woman looked up as the lights failed, pausing in her steps as a voice from the speakers above warned of a technical hitch. But to her mind, it meant something else. The atmosphere around her changed, but since none of the huge, hulking doormen ran toward her, offering hostility, she relaxed. No one knew she was here and no one expected her. Face it; no one knew she was alive so why would they be expecting her? It was just a glitch in the system and she should be safe. Only a moment passed before light and calm were restored and she flexed her hands, testing the icy cold emanating from her fingertips, before continuing on her way toward the restrooms and the prey she sought. He couldn’t have gotten far.
    ****
    “Better send someone to get Joshua,” Noah crossed his arms over his chest, an odd expression crossed his face.
    “Are you sure? I heard he wasn’t well.” Brendan looked up, a deep frown etched into the skin of his brow.
    “He’s fine,” Noah insisted, the tone of his voice harsher than the