Page 31 of The Doctor and the Devil
“Remove your clothing,” I instructed, forcing him with my will. Alarm lit in the man’s eyes, but he did as I commanded. When he was naked and shivering from the frigid sea air, I released my hold on him.
“How does it feel to be so vulnerable?” I asked, pushing him back against the cold brick wall. “To be in the thrall of another being so much more powerful than you?”
“What the fuck are you?” he hissed, and I recognized the acrid scent of urine. The bastard had pissed himself. “Are you the devil?”
“Yes,” I rumbled, infusing my answer with the terror of Hell’s legions. I felt the man’s heartbeat stutter beneath my fingers, and I wasted no more time. I sank my fangs into his neck and drank deeply. The smooth, salty, coppery liquid ignited in my mouth, and I felt strength and energy returning to me. When I sensed his body dying and his soul departing, I dropped his lifeless form onto the ground. I cast Captain Lucien’s coat over the dead man, then donned my prey’s clothes. They were too large for my lean form, but they would be good enough for now. Hoisting the man easily over my shoulder, I hurried back to the docks and threw him in the black water. His blood had restored me, and his flesh would nourish the creatures in Poseidon’s realm.
“You walked a dark path in life,” I said. “May your death serve a greater purpose.”
“A fine sentiment from a creature born upon a dark path,” came a soft voice behind me.
I whirled around, poised to strike at whoever had managed to sneak up on me. I couldn’t remember a time when that had happened before—always hearing, smelling, sensing better than others. My shock intensified, however, when I stared into a pair of dark brown eyes that I knew all too well.
“Ah, so here you are. Hello, Marguerite,” I murmured.
11
MINA
April 23, 1768
Cimetière des Innocents
“I do not thinkthis is a good idea,” I said to Daphne as she adjusted her black domino mask over her face.
The beautiful blonde duchess peered at me with her piercing violet eyes and offered a sympathetic smile. Her vampire fangs glinted in the spare light of the moon peeking through the carriage windows.
“I know,chérie, but it cannot be helped. We must know what the Order knows. So far, they think Charlotte and I are ignorant about their activities regarding your abduction, and we must keep it that way to protect you. Would you feel comforted if we went over our plan once more?” she asked, placing her hands in mine.
“No,” I muttered grimly. “But we should go over the plan again, anyway.”
Charlotte fidgeted with the clasp on her jewel-encrustedchatelaine—a lovely broach she wore at her waist that featured several secret compartments. Hiding places, I knew, where she kept tools of her trade: a garrote, capsules of poisons and drugs, various keys, and God knew what else. She struggled to pin it to her bodice, and Daphne leaned forward to help.
“Daphne and I will attend the meeting in a few minutes,” Charlotte offered. “In order to learn what they know and keep up the appearance of our ignorance. Antoine and Étienne, who don’t often attend the meetings, will wait here in the carriage with you to ensure your safety. The Order would hardly expect you to be right outside! We’ll insist that we don’t know where you are and haven’t heard from you, of course. We’ll discuss our current and ongoing missions in the hope that we can figure out more of what the Order plans to do about you and Rafael. After the meeting, we’ll go back to mychâteau, have several large glasses of wine and some excellent food, and formulate a plan of attack forles DD.”
“You just want to skip to the wine part,” Daphne teased, finally fastening thechatelaineto the bright blue silk of Charlotte’s skirts.
“How dare you!” Charlotte responded with mock affront. “I’ll have you know I would prefer to skip to the food too. I’m positively ravenous. Let’s hope these pompous windbags don’t drone on for too long. I may just shift and eat some of them.”
I smiled at the cousins’ lighthearted attempts to cheer me, but reality settled back in too quickly. Before I could say anything more, Antoine and Étienne knocked softly on the carriage door and tugged it open.
“Our patrol of the area turned up nothing. No villains or beasties anywhere near,” Antoine rumbled, rocking the carriage slightly as he lifted his massive form in to sit next to Charlotte.
“Well, except for those inside this carriage,” Étienne said with a grin. “Daphne,mon amour. You look radiant. Must you waste such a lovely gown on those dusty old prats?”
She dropped a chaste kiss on the vampire rake’s knuckles.
“Yes,chéri, but you’re welcome to help me out of it when we return home,” she said with a wink.
Charlotte groaned and rolled her eyes, while I averted my gaze. I could hear Étienne’s seductive chuckle and was unprepared for the wave of guilt and jealousy that washed over me. How many times had I dreamt of Rafael and I teasing each other in the same way? Had I ruined my chances for any romantic future with him?
What future?The voice in my head asked insistently.The future where you cannot be together because of who he is—what he is—and who you are? Not only does a lowly physician have no place with a prince, but a human has no fate with a vampire who will walk the earth for eternity.
The thoughts soured my stomach, adding to the anxiety that I already felt about Daphne and Charlotte meeting with the Order and pretending like nothing was different. It was dark enough in the carriage that I had to strain my eyes to see them, but I could make out their silhouettes by the light of the moon. They were checking their weaponry—daggers sheathed in leather garters, pistols stuffed in the pockets of theirpanniers, garrotes disguised as bracelets, and stiletto knives hidden in their elaborate coiffures. Despite my concern and love for my friends, I knew they were more than capable of taking care of themselves.
Once they were satisfied with their armaments, they kissed their mates goodbye and squeezed my hands in comfort.
“All will be well, Mina,” Charlotte said as they alit from the carriage. “You’ll see.”
