As Dawn Breaks Read online

  David nodded and tugged once more at the clothing he wore. “We’d best meet them, then. I want lists, bios, and details on my desk tonight by five.” He turned and headed for the bus.

  He’d only been partially trained as his father’s successor and struggled more than he’d ever expected at the intricacies of the role. The rules to be followed and privileges owed to the nest masters and councillors. Xavier came to mind. He’d only been in the House of Tudor for several months when Hope returned.

  Xavier hadn’t demanded or pandered. He’d been even-handed with everyone he dealt with. Javed was no different. And Daniel, his cousin who’d been his predecessor here in the new nest, had been personable. Charming and exceptional at the role. It made David’s more “stuffy” way of doing things less desirable.

  Unsatisfactory.

  It was a term he hated with a passion.

  He watched as the nestlings filed from the bus. His people would greet them. House them.

  David turned away. The office called. With papers to read, decisions to make, and staff to employ, he couldn’t afford the time to meet with the weary travellers. That gnawed at him until only one word remained in his mind.

  Unsatisfactory.

  Chapter 1

  Genny prowled the townhouse she’d moved into. It wasn’t big or luxurious. It wasn’t owned by a nest, so the security wasn’t as tight as she’d grown up with. But it was hers. Somewhere she could be herself without the concern that anyone would realise what she was.

  Dragging the jacket and restrictive uniform shirt off, Genny sighed and flexed aching shoulders.

  Her body was still recuperating from the last altercation she’d taken part in. Her chest bore the scars. The ridged lines caught her attention in the mirror, and she traced them. Six long score marks where his nails had dug deep, tearing flesh.

  Even now the scent lingered in her memory. Ripe. Coppery.

  Her gums ached, and she blinked rapidly, hoping to keep the flash of gold and green in her eyes from flaring.

  “Stop it, Genny.” It wasn’t enough. Her core itched as the beast within demanded release.

  One nail elongated, the shimmering pink polish rippling. Genny concentrated and pushed back the urgent demand of the creature. “No. Not tonight.”

  Soon.

  Turning away, Genny headed to the fridge and had only just pulled the door open when her cell pealed. “Genny Fernly.”

  “Genevieve, ma petite fille. You are home, finally.” Her mother’s voice filled the air, and Genny closed her eyes.

  “Bonjour, Maman. Yes, I just finished my shift.” Her fingers curled around the handle, and the blast of cold air soothed the raging fire that threatened to overcome her.

  “You should stop playing with the humans, my dear. You’re not one of them.”

  Genny silently counted to five, trying to avoid the argument that always arose when her mother started down this line. “No I’m not. But I’m doing something useful with my life. I’m in control, and—”

  “You should ask Luca Thorne to forgive you, even though it’s all his fault, bebe. You should be home, raising little—”

  “No, Maman. I want to be here. I wanted to become an officer, and I’m good at it. No matter that it doesn’t meet with your approval, I will continue. I can help those who aren’t humans and those who are. If they know and trust us—”

  Her mother snorted. “Last time someone tried this, there were pitchforks, bebe. You don’t remember because you and your brother weren’t yet born. They killed and maimed. They will do so again. Living under the radar is the best for us and our kind. Bah! I was ringing because your brother has finally found a mate and plans to settle down. You are required to attend the Joining Ceremony.”

  Genny’s gut clenched hard. “A mate? Anyone I know?” How hadn’t she known her twin had found someone?

  Once, long ago, she’d had hopes. Had met Julien and they’d planned—

  Cutting off that train of thought, she shook her head and concentrated on the conversation.

  “No, you don’t know her because you never come home. Tomorrow evening we’re holding a meeting of the clan. You should attend.”

  Releasing the fridge door, she watched as it clanked shut and then rubbed her finger over her aching brow. “I can’t, Maman. Send me the details for the Joining and I’ll request a day off.”

  “Bebe…”

  “I really can’t, Maman. There're things happening. Bad things, and I need to do my part.” Genny tried to inject the urgency into her words, willing her mother to understand. She doubted the woman ever would. Her mother been loyal to the clan, even during the time she’d been banished and nest-placed. That blind fealty had allowed her and her children to return to the clan when the usurper had been removed. But the scars remained, even if they hid in her psyche.

  “I have to go. I need to eat and rest. Je t’aime, Maman.” Pressing the red button to end the call, Genny sighed, reached for the fridge door, and opened it once more. Peering inside, she spied a large piece of steak. Her stomach rumbled as she pulled it from the fridge, taking care to close the door behind her.

  Hunger roared, and she closed her eyes. Normally she’d have partly cooked it—a choice she’d practiced until it became close to second nature—but today the craving was bone deep. Genny allowed the incisors in her mouth to elongate and then tore into the flesh, licking her lips to capture the last drips of blood before following up with her fingers.

  Turning, she slipped the plate it had rested on into the dishwasher and stood there, glancing out the tiny window that looked out over the city.

  Her mother’s words echoed in her mind. She wasn’t human. She wasn’t anything except a hybrid. One who didn’t belong anywhere.

  Bastien had found a mate. He was fully cat, so the taint didn’t revolt others like it did with her. Didn’t mark him as unsuitable for mating. The cold in the centre of her belly settled like a weight.

  “Learn to live with it, Genny.” But as with the millions of times she’d said it before, it didn’t make her feel better.

  David alighted from the car. The summons by Cressida was unwelcome but unsurprising. Daniel met him at the door. Since he’d become Cressida’s life mate, he’d grown in confidence and charisma. The red of his irises was still a surprise to David, who’d known the man his entire life. Yet he appeared settled too.

  “Daniel. There’s a problem?”

  Daniel shook his head. “Not exactly. Cressida heard you had a surprise visit from a police officer last night.”

  David nodded. “Yes, Genevieve Fernly. Uptight and asking questions I’m not at liberty to answer.”

  Daniel scowled. “Cressida won’t be happy to hear that. There was a human some rogue vampire attacked. Not by Attar, but one of those he turned. I doubt they belong to a nest.”

  “Fernly wanted to know numbers. Details.”

  The door opened behind him, and he swept a deep obeisance to the woman his cousin had pledged his life to.

  “David, please come in. Daniel too.”

  He followed Cressida, not for the first time wondering how the woman exuded such power yet still appeared young and untouched. They settled into ornate seats, and he waited for Cressida to speak. “You were telling Daniel about a police officer’s enquiries. Genevieve Fernly? I’m aware she’s wanting to know numbers. I’ve heard she’s driven and wants only the best for the humans and others. The Council has agreed we should bring her into the fold. Not tell her everything, because that would be dangerous, but as much as is safe to divulge. She grew up in a nest, at least for part of her formative years, I’ve discovered, so she’s not unaware of the restrictions.”

  David nodded his agreement and waited, sure there was more to this meeting than simply talking about what he could disclose to the Liaison Division.

  “But I wanted to talk to you about the nest. How you’re acclimating.”

  He groaned inwardly. How did he explain he felt like an ill-fitt
ing jacket? “Things are… fine.”

  She quirked her brow. “Fine. What an interesting word. What it doesn’t do is explain if you feel compromised. Hope, Celina, and Daniel are all vampires, and you’re the last of your line, and you’ve moved into a nest that has—” She coughed and glanced to Daniel, who smiled ruefully. “—a fluid outlook on governance.”

  David blinked. “I’m sure, with time, I can come to terms with the way Javed sees the nest progressing.” He waited. Unless Javed had said something to Cressida? Raised a concern David was unaware of? He’d been taught a Yeux Secondes never questioned their leadership. It was a position they came to attain and hold through willpower and hard work.

  “I worry that you’re feeling discomforted. You were hard to read as a child, and under the mentorship of your father…” Cressida shrugged. “I’m also aware of your personal circumstances. The situation with Alexa has proved fraught, and you’ve had a lot to come to terms with over the last year or so. We’ll support you, David. Not least because you're family.”

  The words pierced him. Family. Could he claim any family these days with the betrayal of his father? The way he’d treated his sister after Alexa had planted seed after poisonous seed in his mind? The knowledge gnawed at him day and night.

  “I… Thank you, Councillor.” She watched him a moment longer, as if seeking a chink in the armour he gathered around himself. The knowledge that she questioned his state of mind irked him.

  “Thank you, David. While you’re out, could you deliver Jenna Downton to where she’ll be housed?”

  He rose and nodded, then was further surprised when she gathered him close and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek. “You’re a good man, David. You’ve just been taught poorly and treated shabbily, but time will give you the opportunity to overcome those things.”

  He withdrew from the room and headed to the hallway, banishing the myriad of competing emotions. There, waiting for him, stood a young lady of maybe eighteen or nineteen. Her wide green eyes shone in contrast to the pallor of her skin—startlingly bright. Her arm was bandaged, as was her neck.

  “Miss Downton?”

  She started at his words, and he couldn’t mistake the abject fear in her gaze. “Are you… one of them?” She shook like a quivering leaf. It tore at him. Was this how most saw vampires—as vicious attackers without a soul? Having grown up in a nest, he knew better.

  David shook his head. “Not at all. I’m as human as they come.”

  She deflated before him. “Where are you taking me?”

  “The Council has requested I guide you to the home of a senior nestling. He and his family will look after you while you recuperate, and we attempt to find your family.” He reached out a hand, and she took it, the embrace urgent and terrified based on the nails digging deep into the flesh.

  She bit her lip and glanced away, but not before he caught sight of the large tears rolling down her face. “They’re… dead. The vampires killed them.”

  “Then we’ll help you. Find you somewhere safe to live. The houses will assist.” He tugged her towards the door. “Come.”

  The exhaustion that battered Genny was a constant. Even as she rubbed her eyes, she knew the truth. Constantly gripping onto the beast inside took its toll. She’d been more than happy to pay and keep paying the price for the domination of her life.

  The claw marks reminded her daily that she had to control what lived inside.

  A clean uniform and polished boots waited. Her life revolved around the need to serve and protect; whether that was family, friends, or the greater community really didn’t matter.

  Rising with a grunt, she headed to the bathroom, showering and then ruthlessly taming her hair. Today would be difficult, she knew.

  Once dressed, Genny scooped up her keys, fastened her sidearm on her belt, and left the house. A quick drive-through coffee stop and she was ready.

  At the precinct, she headed through the secured entrance to the Liaison Division, inhaled deeply. Letting the scents, myriad and strangely calming, wrap themselves around her, she headed for the boss’s office. Knocking on the door of his office, she waited until a gruff “Come” echoed.

  “Boss?”

  “Genevieve. Take a seat.” He looked around fifty but, like her, wasn’t exactly human. Most of the crew never divulged exactly what they were. There was the odd human in the mix, but they were seriously outnumbered. Revealing their true natures was an unspoken need-to-know thing. Just as well, as her other side hadn’t ever really manifested.

  “I did something last night… uh, this morning, boss. I went to the new vamp nest. The House of al bin Habbad? The vampire attacks aren’t all the story, but they are increasing not just in regularity but also the viciousness.” Her heart raced madly in her chest, but the boss kept his face passive. It was always disconcerting trying to read his reactions.

  “And you pushed too hard. Yes, I’m aware of that, but our victims appear to trust you.” He reached for an old-fashioned folder on his desk. Flipped through it while Genny waited. “For what it’s worth, I agree with your summation. But tell me, why choose al bin Habbad?” He set the file back on the table.

  Genny marshalled her thoughts. “The house is new, and the staffing is iffy. I had more chance of getting in and meeting with the Yeux Secondes rather than, say, the House of Tudor.”

  “Exploit their weakness. Find out what you could. And you learned…?” He steepled his fingers and waited.

  “Nothing. David Jardin came from the House of Tudor. He’d been understudy for his father and wasn’t as malleable as I’d hoped. I wasn’t so cautious with my wording, and he took offense and asked me to leave.”

  The boss—Belarmino—laughed. “Jardin. They’re not really in the best position to throw their weight around after the father was pursued for his actions against the Council. The younger one is in the middle of a divorce too. Yes, I can see how you came to the conclusion.” His eyes flashed silver. “Follow it up, Genevieve. Get me the intelligence, because something’s about to blow. I can feel it.” He rubbed his left shoulder, just as he always did when making a foretelling comment.

  Genny rose from the chair. “Boss?”

  “They’ve made no representations that you should be sanctioned. Go about your business, but be careful next time.” His voice boomed, echoing through Genny’s mind. Eerie and perturbing in the intensity, there was almost a hint of mental manipulation weaving through her system.

  Genny blinked, then nearly fled the office for the lunchroom.

  Escaped a bullet there.

  It was a common occurrence for the boss to explode. On more than one occasion, an officer had retreated, pale and shaking, from the office across the way. Today, Genny was thankful that wasn’t her.

  “Got roasted?” A tiny woman, Katya, sat at the table, sipping a cup of tea. Genny was almost sure she was a pixie or something similar. Even more important though, she was a whizz at research. If she didn’t know something, she knew someone who did. Or had the contacts to get it themselves.

  “Thankfully not too bad. Hey, what do you know about the House of Tudor?”

  Katya’s eyes grew round. “Big house. Established nearly two hundred years ago. Was Councillor Cressida’s until the daughter, Hope, was abducted. Been through upheaval recently since the Yeux Secondes was caught lining his own pockets, but reasonably stable even though they’ve had three masters this century and the son of the house left for al bin Habbad. The daughter is a recent turn to vampire and is the life partner of the master, Xavier.”

  “Wow, that was strangely encyclopaedic, Katya.” Her brain hurt at the information that rolled around in her head.

  “There’s more, but that’s the guts of it.” She sipped her tea. “Need anything else?”

  Genny shook her head and walked to the counter. A disposable cup already in hand, she fixed her coffee—half strength and white.

  David considered the young woman opposite him. Jenna Downton was terrified by the
concept of being touched by a vampire, yet the houses—the very central structures that determined vampires’ actions—would now shelter her.

  “So, Jenna, where were you when this happened?”

  The girl blinked. “In my bedroom. Mama and Daddy had just got home from the theatre. Sara and Lilly had gone to bed, and I’d not long got home from classes, so Lana, the babysitter, was still there.”

  She twined her hands together, and David wanted to reach out and offer support. His parents’ training stopped him short, though.

  “Then what?” He kept his voice low and unchallenging.

  “I heard the glass of the window. It crashed, and I came out onto the landing. Sara and Lilly were there too. Screams. Terrible—” Jenna gulped audibly. “—awful screams. Then a blur before me. Lilly and Sara.” She slid her hands around her body as if trying to hold in her soul. “They went up and down, and blood sprayed. Hot. It washed over me. Sticky. Lana came out of the bathroom and saw. She tried to stop it. I rang the line, you know the one on the television, and then I felt it. He laughed. Eyes red and blood coated him. He grabbed me, hurt me, but I remembered the rules. Hit hard. Aim for the head. I got him, but he ran away.”

  Jenna sobbed, and David moved forwards against his instincts. Gathered her close and felt the shudders that racked her frame.

  The car turned into a driveway. The house was just like any other suburban residence, except David knew the added security included metal shutters, guards, and more than one member who was highly trained in martial arts. Enough to hold off a vampire until help could arrive.

  As they drove up to the house, he wondered if perhaps the work of Officer Fernly was in fact necessary for every part of their democratic principles to work. Perhaps they were attacking the Liaison Division situation poorly?