Death's Rival by Faith Hunter Read Free Book Online

of mind and the death of his supposed
     son wasn’t a subject I wanted to talk about, since I had killed the creature masquerading
     as Immanuel. “He’s now concerned about
you
.”
    Rosanne made a very Italian gesture, a slow throwing of her fingers, as if the subject
     was unimportant. “I was offered a Blood Challenge. I did not contest it. I have a
     master now.” She shook her head, and with the movements, her sick scent floated into
     the room. “It has been long since I was . . . mastered. It was difficult at first.
     But he has left me in control of my own hunting grounds. He has made me his heir of
     this land.”
    This part was the tricky part. To mention her diseased state might be considered insulting.
     I’d been warned that if I was attacked after entering and being welcomed, it would
     be when I brought up the obvious. But she had mentioned Leo’s illness, so maybe I
     had some leeway there too. “Leo is concerned that his old friend is not recovering
     as quickly as she should.”
    The tendrils of tension wrapped around me like the prickly webs of a spider, close
     and sticking. “I have been sent a treatment by my new master. However, there is only
     one, and I may not drink as often as I need.”
    I thought about that for a moment until I found the translation. The new master had
     sent her blood-servant or – slave who had the “treatment” in his blood, but if she
     drank too much he’d die. She had a human drug, a human antibiotic factory to feed
     on. She was getting enough to keep her alive, but not enough to heal totally. Talk
     about a way to control your subordinates. Her new master had probably been the one
     to make her sick and now only he had the power to heal, or at least to keep her alive.
     No way was she going to thwart him. “And his name?” I asked. When Rosanne didn’t respond,
     I clarified, “The name of your new master?”
    “I may not answer.”
    Without turning my head, I glanced at Nikki. His face was closed, as unyielding as
     a marble statue. No answer there either.
Well, crap
. “May I ask another question about your master, without giving offense?”
What I’d like to do is beat it out of you, but I have my orders.
    Ro chuckled, almost as if she had heard my thoughts. Vamps are as adept as any predator
     at reading body language and interpreting vocal tones as cues, so maybe in a way she
     had. “Do you know how you were infected?” I asked. “Is the disease associated with
     your new boss?”
    Ro said nothing, but Nikki laughed, and the tone was not happy. “This illness is a
     scourge upon all of us.”
    Which I took as a yes, but that didn’t really help me much. From my memory, I pulled
     up the formal words for my next request—which was the primary reason for my visit,
     and the biggest reason I might not walk out of here under my own power. “The Master
     of the City of New Orleans,” which was Leo’s less formal title, “has dependable and
     confidential physicians in his employ who might assist with finding a cure. He requests . . .”
     I took a steadying breath. This was the most dangerous part. “. . . that you allow
     me to draw a sample of your blood for testing.”
    Nikki stepped toward me, vamp fast. I stepped back, toward the door.
Beast does not run from predators.
The voice in my head reminded me that running from vamps activated the chase instinct.
     Not that it mattered. The opening was suddenly filled with a blood-servant—the big,
     bad, ugly guy who had held the door, all brawn and speed and no brains. The tension
     in the room shot up like a wildfire hitting a stand of dry pine.
    On reflex, I ducked right, backed into the corner of the room, pulled the nine-mil
     and a vamp-killer, the one I’d killed the blood-slave with. I knew the vamps would
     smell the fresh blood, even after the thorough cleaning I’d given the blade in the
     ladies’ room.
    Nikki-Babe followed so fast I didn’t see him move. He was so