New Order by Helen Harper Page B

you,’ he says. ‘Quite the contrary.’
    ‘Oh?’ I squeak.
    ‘You’ve left the Montserrat Family. I’m here to offer you a position with us instead.’
    I stare at him, not quite sure I heard him correctly. Is he looking for all-out war between the Families? Poaching other vampires is an absolute no-no.
    ‘I can assure you that I’m not breaking any rules,’ he says, as if he can tell what I’m thinking. ‘You are no longer of Montserrat.’
    The hackles on my spine are fully raised. ‘I didn’t leave because of Montserrat. I left because of me.’
    ‘You want freedom. I can give you that under the protection of my Family. You can live where you want, do what you want. You’ll just do it in the name of Medici, with our full blessing and with the benefit of all our resources.’
    I swallow down rage. This has nothing to do with me: it’s about getting one over on Montserrat. I’ve always known that relations between the Families are never more than icily cordial but Medici is over-stepping the line. There’s no way I’m going to become a pawn in a game of vampire one-upmanship. And there’s definitely no way I’m letting Medici do anything to make Montserrat appear weak.
    ‘That’s a really nice offer,’ I say with saccharine sweetness. I think I’ve overdone it but Medici smiles.
    ‘Excellent.’ He pulls out a one-page contract. ‘Just sign here and you’re safe. You’ll be one of us.’
    I take it from him and scan it. Actually, the terms are generous. Not that it makes any difference. ‘Unfortunately, you’ve approached me,’ I tell him, layering on disappointment. ‘And you’ve done it publicly.’
    His smile vanishes. ‘So?’
    ‘That’s the reason I used for leaving Montserrat. That by approaching me, rather than the other way around, my contract with them was null and void. If I join you in the same way, my lawyer assures me the original legal loophole will be closed. I’ll still be bound to Montserrat.’ D’Argneau had said nothing of the sort. I have no idea whether it’s true or not, but it sounds pretty good.
    Medici’s eyes narrow. ‘Are you hungry, Ms Blackman?’
    ‘Um…’
    ‘How long has it been? At least twenty-four hours, I imagine. It’s difficult when you’re still a fledgling. I remember once, when I was still very new myself, I came across a young girl in a park. She’d fallen over and was bleeding.’ His eyes gleam. ‘Not much, you understand, but then it only takes a drop of rich, salty blood for the scent to overwhelm. She was so young and so pure.’
    I feel sick and wonder whether he killed her outright. He certainly seems to be implying that he did. ‘That’s a nice memory,’ I force out.
    He licks his lips and presses a button on the armrest. ‘William, park the car and come in here.’
    We come to a smooth stop almost immediately and I start to worry about who William is. The passenger door is open and a man – William, I presume – climbs inside.
    ‘I prefer females,’ Medici says emotionlessly. ‘I think it’s because the act of drinking is so closely related to that of sexual intercourse.’ He turns in my direction and I see that his fangs are already in evidence, their brilliant white glaring against his dark skin. ‘William will happily provide that service too. If you so desire.’
    My nausea is growing. Medici nods in William’s direction and he begins to undo his shirt, revealing the skin underneath. I see the throb of his blood and almost forget to breathe. With one swift movement, Medici curves his head towards William’s neck. There’s a hiss of breath. At this point, I’m not sure whether it comes from the hapless human or from me. Medici drinks for a few seconds before pulling away. He dabs delicately at the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief thoughtfully provided by his own victim. I stare at the trickle of blood running down from the two small puncture wounds in William’s neck. Medici gestures towards