Finding Blood (City Underdark #1)

The Hound

Vampires didn't sleep.

At day, they fell into a torpor where they couldn't move. Unless they were gifted with exceptional power or old beyond reason, they could not fight the crushing influence of the sun. This was the price they paid for their powers and immortality, and this was why a vampire clan accepted the creation of imperfect half-blood to protect them.

Yet, although it was still night time, Barmond remained in a state of lethargy, after Jessica left, that lasted a few more hours - although he only realized that after the fact. At first, he didn't realize just how much time was passing, and then he did but he found himself unable to move and too tired to care.

And then the blood finally kicked in through his system, allowing him to think straight. Once he got the momentum going, he finally managed to shake off the spell she had put on him. And it was quite literally a spell.

If he would have had blood flowing in his veins, it would have run cold. Jessica was not human. She was a succubus. That was why he had felt preyed on when she looked at him: that's quite literally what she had been doing.

He sat up in his bed. There was no way she would have known that he was a vampire, right? Succubus didn't have the sense of smell needed to be able to tell. She had just targetted him because he was staring at her when she had come in and because he was alone. He would have done the same if he had been looking for blood. She wouldn't have isolated herself with a predator, not voluntarily at least.

But she was from Ranphoros' nest. She wouldn't be allowed in Gadrel if she wasn't. He couldn't take any risk; he needed to get out of here. Maybe not out of town, but to another inn if possible, and as soon as he could.

He got up and started to frantically pack his things up. His knives, his ropes, the few clothes he had, all went in a bag. Outside, he could see sky clearing. Something about the amount of time he had spent out of commissions worried him. It couldn't be that bad. He was only being overly cautious. Right?

He remembered the jar of ashes one of the older vampires of his clan had in their study. It was all that remained of one of her children that had had the misfortune of venturing into Gadrel without knowing about the vampire ban.

This wouldn't be his end. He'd fight tooth and nails if he had to.

Despite the fear that made him want to rush out of the inn as fast as he could he bid his time and lightened his steps. And, for once, he was lucky, because that meant that he could hear that there were voices downstairs.

He stilled in the stairway, his bag over his shoulder, listening.

"I'm afraid that now is not the time for a visit." That was the owner, the toothless old woman. "Everyone is still sleeping at this time. We serve breakfast earliest in one half an hour. If you pay to eat, you can stay and see whoever you want now."

"I was allowed up last night," said a female voice. He knew it quite well. She had been moaning in his ear but a few hours ago. "We're only interested in one man, we won't disturb any other guest."

Jessica was back. He could smell her flowery scent from where she was standing, and she was not alone. Once he had recognized the innkeeper and her nephew's scent among the remnants of last night's dinner and drinking, it was easy to isolate hers.

And there was another one, too.

The little hairs on Barmond's arms stood on end from the moment he focused on that scent. It was a male, that much he was sure, a man with healthy and powerful blood. There was no way he was human with a scent like that: musky, dark, with touches of earth and underground clinging to it. Barmond had an idea who that might be. With luck like his, there was no way that it could be anyone else.