Night Reigns by Dianne Duvall Read Free Book Online Page B

business.”
    “You aren’t alone,” she insisted.
    He emitted a derisive snort. Next she would remind him that he had friends who cared about him and who were there for him and wanted to help him, blah blah blah.
    Except ... she didn’t. She said, “I know what it is to grieve.”
    And there was something in her voice, as she continued, that made his steps slow, then halt altogether. Something that seemed to resonate in the dark, hollow void that now resided deep inside him.
    “I know what it is to lose your compass. To suddenly find yourself floundering without direction, far from the path you were treading. How ... exhausting it can be, knowing you’ll never find that path again, to just trudge forward anyway, forcing one foot in front of the other again and again in what feels like an utterly useless endeavor. I know what it is to live without hope.”
    He glanced over his shoulder.
    Her gaze avoided his. “What I’m trying to say is ...”
    A long moment of silence followed, during which he noticed for the first time the shadows beneath her eyes. Evidently staying up late to pester him and match his sleep schedule had left her as fatigued as it had him.
    A huff of annoyance escaped her. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say. Wait here for a moment, please.”
    As he stood, motionless, she headed into the kitchen.
    “Hi there, Slim,” she murmured as she left his sight. “What are you up to, you crazy kitty?”
    He liked the way she walked. Though small, she didn’t take mincing little steps. Nor did she engage in a lot of contrived hip swaying. No, with Ami there were only long, strong, purposeful strides that triggered some long dormant predatory desire in him to follow after her and pounce.
    Marcus frowned. Where the hell had that thought come from?
    She returned carrying a cloth cooler about the size of a child’s lunch box and held it out to him. “Here.”
    He took it. “What’s this?”
    “As far as I can tell, you haven’t been eating regularly, so I made you brunch.” Most immortals only ate two meals a night: the equivalent of brunch and dinner. “There’s a bag of blood, some green tea with ginseng, and a sandwich. Whole-grain bread. Meatless smoked turkey. Lettuce. Tomato. Red onion. Bell pepper and a few slices of jalapeño pepper. All organic. I didn’t know if that was to your taste, but Seth, David, and Darnell love it.”
    Marcus’s stomach rumbled hungrily in anticipation, earning him a faint smile.
    David was the second oldest immortal in existence. Darnell was his Second. How much time had Ami spent with them?
    The phone rang.
    Ami shrugged. “I hope the hunt goes well tonight.” Striding down the hallway to the study, she flicked on the lights and disappeared inside.
    Marcus heard her lift the receiver.
    “Hello?”
    “Hello, sweetheart,” a familiar, deep, accented voice spoke on the other end.
    “Seth!” she cried joyfully. “Where are you? Are you in North Carolina?”
    “No, I’m in Montreal, but thought I’d call and see how things are going.”
    Scowling, Marcus slipped outside and headed for his motorcycle.
    What exactly was Ami’s relationship with Seth? He hadn’t really thought about it before but ... there seemed to be a great deal of affection between them. More than he could recall seeing or hearing Seth express for any other woman. Not that he knew much—or anything—about Seth’s love life.
    Stashing his brunch in the underseat storage compartment, Marcus donned his helmet and straddled the bike, flipping the tail of his coat loose. He had had both the Suzuki Hayabusa and his helmet (originally dual colored) custom painted a sleek solid black to help him blend in better with the night.
    A cool breeze carried with it the typical sounds of North Carolina. The buzzing, trilling, and shushing of insects. The call of an owl. Bat wings fluttering overhead. The slow lumbering progress of an opossum and the sprightly steps of a raccoon deep within the