Keri Arthur - Hearts In Darkness

"This way," she said, and led the way to the back parking lot and Rachel.

Michael squatted beside the prone vampire and lightly touched her cheek. She was hot, burning hot.

Like Nikki had been when the flame imps were in her. Like Elizabeth was this evening.

He met Nikki's gaze. "She has an imp in her?"

She nodded and crossed her arms, as if to ward off a chill. "Yes. And I think its controlling her fledgling desires, at least to some extent. It's given her control."

"And yet she still desires to eat." It meant the vampire urges were strong—maybe too strong to save her.

He glanced down at the young vampire. Rachel was awake, her blue eyes dark with fury. Do you want to live?

He filled the thought with cold anger. She blinked, and fear stirred in her thoughts. She nodded. We want to live.

He wasn't sure if it was the imp replying, or Rachel, or maybe even both. It didn't really matter, as long as they obeyed. If I release you, you will do as you're told? You will not try to escape?

Again she nodded.

Because if you do try…He left the thought hanging. Rachel knew what would happen if she tried. He could see the knowledge of death hovering in her mind. He took the car keys out of his pocket and handed them to Nikki. "Bring the car around. I'll contact Seline and see what we can arrange."

She spun away, her footsteps echoing across the night. He scanned the parking lot, then reached out with his mind.

About damn time, came Seline's grumble. I was beginning to worry.

If she were truly worried, she would have sent someone else out here to see what was going on . Got several problems for you, Seline. First up, is there anyone near Jackson Hole who could come and collect a package?

Package? Human or other?

Other. A young vampire who may be hosting another entity in her body. Nikki believes both can be saved.He didn't think so himself—not if the hunger in Rachel's mind was anything to go by.

Doyle's flying in from Utah. I can get him to divert immediately.Silence filled the line for several seconds. A friend of his owns the Triple T ranch off Moose-Wilson Road. Apparently it has a private air strip. As long as he can get the proper clearances, he'll be there in twenty minutes.

What's this other entity? Anything dangerous?

Nikki drove up. Michael began unwrapping the young vampire's feet. They apparently call themselves flame imps. They're some sort of fire creatures. I haven't seen them, but Nikki has. They can inhabit the bodies of others, controlling them.

Did Elizabeth have one in her? Was this magician's control over the imp in her the reason she couldn't leave?

Surprise whisked down the line. Flame imps? Haven't heard of them for ages. I didn't think there were any here in America.

Nikki climbed out of the car and walked toward them. She had a distracted look in her eyes, as if she were listening to something. Maybe she was, he thought, and snapped the link closed between them. She blinked, then glared at him. He smiled slightly and rose, pulling Rachel roughly to her feet.

Then you've heard of them?

There's mention of them dotted throughout ancient texts.

So what are they, exactly?

Michael thrust Rachel into the back seat then climbed in beside her. She might have promised to behave, but he wasn't about to trust her. Not with Nikki in the car with them. "Head toward Moose-Wilson

Road," he said, as Nikki climbed back into the driver's seat. "We're looking for the Triple T ranch."

She nodded and didn't ask the questions he could sense in her mind.

Seline's shrug shimmered down the line. The imps are energy spirits, basically. They're generally only seen during the lunar cycle's new moon phases. It is said they can find human form during that time, and that no human male who sees them can resist them.

If they can find human form, why were they being forced into people like Rachel—and maybe

Elizabeth? So they're some sort of energy siren?

Partially—they do not devour their prey, just suck the energy from them, leaving them drained but alive. And only during their mating cycles. I've never heard of them actually cohabiting within another's body.

It's something they appear to have no choice in. The man behind the kidnappings is apparently using magic to force them into the bodies of others—generally vampires, from what I've seen.

Probably because a vampire is the only being capable of withstanding the heat of the imp for any length of time. Humans would literally melt.

Nikki hadn't, but then, they weren't really in her that long. But the vampire at the airport had melted.

Maybe there were limits, even then.

I take it that you've encountered the man behind all this?

Yes. He's a vampire named Randolf Cordell. He's using a magic-induced shield to cover his appearance.Which should not have been necessary if the man was a vampire. Walking in shadows should have been cover enough.

I'll do a search and see what I come up with. In the meantime, be careful. Do not trust her, Michael.

Anger surged again. You could have told me Elizabeth was here, Seline. I didn't need to discover that myself. Particularly when Nikki had been there to witness it.

You needed the shock of her appearance to see her as she is, not as she lives in your memory. It worked, did it not?

Yes.Or maybe it hadn't been the shock of seeing Elizabeth, but rather the shock of seeing the hurt and anger in Nikki's eyes and suddenly realizing she meant a hell of a lot more to him than Elizabeth ever had.

He might have given up life for Elizabeth, but he would give up eternity for Nikki.

Amusement shimmered down the line. Always knew you had the makings of a romantic somewhere in that dark heart of yours.

And you, witch, know better than to intrude on my thoughts like that.

She chuckled. We ran that check on Lucas and Ginger Rodeman and came up with some interesting results.

He raised an eyebrow at the wisp of excitement in her mental tones. It usually meant she was on the verge of cracking a big case, and that certainly wasn't happening here. Not that his was the only case the

Circle had on their plate. Hell, Doyle had been in Utah sorting out some disaster there, and they had close to twenty other agents currently scattered throughout America and Europe.

What did you find?

For a start, that image you gave me came up as a match for three separate people—Michelle

Hannerman, reported missing by her husband some three months ago. Frances Baker, reported missing some two months ago by her husband, and Mary Gordon, who's car was found smashed into a tree some eight months ago.

Hannerman and Baker were two of the fifteen men who had been lost, then found, at the resort. Ginger had told Nikki she was a lure, and she obviously hadn't just meant Rodeman. Is Mary Gordon still missing? If she was, then maybe they'd found Ginger's true identity.

Yes, and police suspect foul play, as there was blood all over the car.

It wouldn't have taken a bright mind to reach that conclusion . There would be, if she'd just had a car accident.

Yes, but there was more blood than the accident would account for.

What about Ginger Rodeman? Any chance that she's really Mary Gordon?

According to the marriage license, Ginger's maiden name is Holemont. So far, we haven't been able to find her in any records. What we have discovered is that in recent months there's been some unusual cash transactions in all the abductee's accounts.