Roaring Dawn: Macey Book 3 (The Gardella Vampire Hunters 10) by Colleen Gleason

reeling and the pit in her stomach was growing deeper. In her dream, Iscariot had been wearing something glowing green. But she’d never seen him in real life with it on. “What else? What’s he after with the Rings of Jubai? Tell me that and I’ll let you go—this one time. If you promise to leave the premises.”
    “There’s something in the pool—you know about the pool, I assume? The one the rings help access—right, well, there’s something in there that had been placed there centuries ago, around the time Vlad the Impaler made his contract with Lucifer. You don’t know about that? About the Dracule? Stars, Mace, I thought you were a librarian and knew everything. You always acted like—”
    “Enough commentary on my lack of education on the topic of vampire history. What’s in the pool?”
    Flora shrugged, and the stake shifted slightly. Macey tightened her grip; she wasn’t about to be taken off guard by her sly friend. “Rekk’s Pyramid is what it’s called. It’s not very big—that’s all I know, I swear it.”
    “You swear it? On what? The Bible? Don’t make me laugh.”
    Flora’s eyes flashed coal-burning red, then her lips twisted ruefully as her fury ebbed. “Guess I can’t blame you for speaking the truth. Look, Macey, really, truly…I do want your help. I…”
    Her attention had strayed to somewhere behind Macey, and she seemed to catch her breath and almost recoil, backing even further into the corner. “All right, I told you what you wanted to know. You said you’d let me go after I did.”
    Macey eyed her suspiciously, even as something itched behind her, as if she should turn and look at what caught Flora’s attention. Capone, perhaps?
    But she didn’t trust the woman enough to take the chance of removing her eyes from her, even for a second. And as the back of her neck wasn’t any more chilled or prickly than it had been a moment ago, she had no reason to fear an approaching undead.
    Unless, she supposed, Iscariot was here and he was wearing Rasputin’s amulet, safely cloaked from her notice by its power. Nausea pinched her belly. That sort of freedom made him all the more dangerous.
    “I’m going. Now. I really am,” Flora said, trying to edge away even as the stake continued to pin her lightly against the wall. “Do you think I’d stick around with this happening?” She gestured to the blossom of crimson in the center of her frock. “Talk about causing a commotion.”
    Macey was still undecided when she heard a voice—no, two voices—behind her that she recognized. Her cheeks warmed when she recognized Grady and Sabrina, and it sounded as if they were accompanied by others in a group as well.
    She glanced at Flora to see the vampire still looking more stricken than an undead had the right to be, considering the circumstances. “What’s wrong with you?”
    “Nothing. It’s just…well… Nothing.” Flora tried to edge away. Macey would have none of it, and she gripped her friend’s arm, still holding the stake in place.
    “What is it?”
    “You said you’d let me go if—All right, fine. You might as well know. Your man, that reporter Grady, with the very fine blood and delicious head of hair? Well, I suddenly have a strong aversion to him. So I would very much like to leave, and you can be certain I won’t be back as long as he’s here.” She was actually trembling and very nearly cowering at the same time.
    Macey stared at her, trying to determine whether the vampire was lying. But surely she wasn’t. “I’ll let you go—but listen to this: he’s not my man. Not anymore. We aren’t together, and he doesn’t even remember me anymore. His memory has been altered. He doesn’t know me, and he means nothing to me. Do you understand that?”
    “Right, right—whatever you say. Big mistake on your part, Mace. He’s very fine. Now let me leave .”
    Macey gaped at Flora in astonishment then stepped back to allow the woman to slip away even as she