Chapter 1
New Orleans, Louisiana
Guitars screamed and drums pounded. Gyrating people filled every corner of the bar on Bourbon Street. The body heat generated by the dancing humans warmed the room better than any furnace, yet Joliette sat outside. The stone bench might as well have been a block of ice, for all the comfort it provided, but she couldn’t stand enclosed spaces.
Three centuries locked inside a box could do that to a woman.
Gia approached with a Styrofoam cup in each hand. “You looked cold. Hot tea?”
“Thanks. Did Blaise send you?” Joliette sipped her drink and curled her nose. Gia’s idea of hot tea included a shot or two of bourbon.
“No.” Gia frowned. “I was on my way home and sensed your energy.”
“Have you heard anything from Bianca about the baby?” She tugged at the hem of her miniskirt. How women of this age walked around in glorified bandages, she didn’t know.
“I spoke to her this morning. She plans to induce labor later this week if nature doesn’t take its course.” Gia pulled her coat tighter. “I doubt a serial killer would be in a crowded bar. Let’s walk.”
Joliette drained half her glass to avoid responding to Gia’s comment. Blaise had sent her out in hopes of finding the murderer, but he’d asked her not to mention it.
“Don’t look so guilty. It’s obvious what’s going on. I was doing some hunting of my own. We fit the victim’s profiles. Dark hair, light complexion, light eyes.” Gia motioned to Joliette’s skimpy dress and heels. “Blaise should have cleared this with me.”
“There are too many people counting on you now. Leaders don’t put themselves in unnecessary danger. If something went wrong, losing you would impact the safety of all of us. Losing me is far less risky.”
“I understand that.” Gia turned and walked to the exit. “The problem is, we have too many people calling the shots and too few consulting each other.”
Joliette nodded as she followed. Her brother had a habit of acting without considering the chain of command. He’d led for so long that he’d lost the ability to give up control. However, discussing Blaise with his future mate made her uneasy. “I’m worried about Nick.”
“Me too.” Gia leaned close and whispered into her ear. “I think we’re being followed.”
Joliette focused on the energy around them. “Whoever it is, they’re human. Should we lead him back to the townhouse?”
Gia slid her hand down Joliette’s back and guided her between two buildings. “No. Never shit where you eat.”
Shit where you eat? A grin tugged the corners of her mouth, despite the trailing human. The women of this age are extraordinary.
Gia pushed her against the wall and pressed her finger against Joliette’s lips.
The flash of light from the man’s aura gave his position away, but Joliette kept her gaze trained on the woman’s eyes. It had been a long time since Joliette had hunted. She trusted Gia to take the lead.
Pressing her face into Joliette’s neck, Gia whispered, “He’s probably armed. Let him get a few feet away, then compel him to drop his—”
A pop sounded from the mouth of the alley and Gia’s eyes widened. She blinked once and sagged against Joliette. A fletch attached to some sort of syringe hung from her shoulder.
Joliette caught movement from the corner of her eye. “Drop the weapon.”
The human male complied but continued moving in her direction.
“Stop walking!” Joliette waited until he stilled before she eased Gia to the ground. “What did you do to her?”
He peeled his lips back in a sneer.
“Answer me.” Joliette laced her words with compulsion.
“Tranq gun. She’ll wake up good as new.” The man gazed at Gia like she was the tastiest treat on the dessert tray.
Joliette had compelled enough humans to know that his lack of reaction was abnormal. She’d manipulated him three times, yet he acted like they were discussing the weather. Perhaps they’d found the killer. “Step over there beside the dumpster.”
“You two twins?” He marched toward the piles of garbage and shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Sleep.”
The man fell face-first onto the concrete.
Joliette knelt and pulled the dart from Gia’s shoulder. She pressed her hands to her face and pushed her energy, or aetherum, into the woman. Gia’s eyes flew open and her hand shot up to grasp Joliette’s neck.
“It’s me. You’re okay.”
Gia released her and groaned. “What the hell was that?”
“Tranq gun?” Joliette helped her to sit upright. “He’s over there.”
“Dead?” Gia glanced toward the human and narrowed her eyes.
“Sleeping. We need to read him.”
Gia stood, holding the wall for a moment. She swayed a bit as she made her way to the human.
Joliette followed. “Shall I wake him?”
“Not yet.” Gia pressed her fingertips to her temples. “Go ahead and read him. I’m still off kilter.”
“You should sit.” Joliette took the man’s hand and opened a link between herself and his subconscious. His memories flashed through her mind in reverse order. “He was watching me at the bar.”
“Figures. You shouldn’t have been there alone.”
Joliette nodded as she rifled through his memories. She counted three murders before the images of him coming to New Orleans surfaced. “He killed three women, but he’s only been in town two weeks. He heard about the murders on the news and came.”
Gia frowned. “A copycat then. I’d hoped this would put an end to the killings.”
“Go ahead and drain him. You need the energy to heal.” She broke the link and stood.
“Wake him up. I want him to know he’s going to die.” Gia knelt beside the human.
Joliette understood the sentiment, but the cruel reality surprised her. She’d expected a softer touch from her brother’s future mate. “Wake.”
Gia grabbed the man’s face. “You like hurting women, you son of a bitch?”
The human stared as if in awe. His hand moved to the front of his jeans.
“You won’t be needing that.” Gia smirked and pulled the man’s prana, or mortal energy, from him.
“What are you—” He struggled to pull his head from her hands.
Gia tightened her grip and drew harder until he stopped fighting. As she fed, her skin took on a glow, casting dim light through the alley.
Joliette took a step back. She’d assumed the faint glow from the woman’s skin came from a rogue royal in her ancestry, but few purebloods could light up as brightly as Gia had.
Gia released the dead human. “Why’re you looking at me like that?”
“I knew you were Chassam’s daughter, but your mother was a mixed-blood. I had no idea how powerful you were until now. You’re glowing.”
She shrugged. “It happens sometimes when I feed.”
“Does Blaise know?” Joliette’s mouth went dry. Her brother was certain he’d found his mate—the Scion who would restore balance to the Aether. Yet, with the amount of immortal blood flowing in Gia’s veins, if they were mates, their attraction would be undeniable.
“No, and I’d like to keep it that way. He’ll start the prophecy bullshit again, and I don’t want to hear it.” Gia took Joliette’s hand and half dragged her from the alley.
“The prophecy is important. You don’t understand. The Aether is fading.”
Gia turned the corner and headed toward the townhouse. “Fading? How?”
Joliette hesitated. She’d already said more than she should have. “It’s a living thing that both feeds and feeds from the Anunnaki. The Church has killed so many of us, there aren’t enough left to sustain it.”
“How can one person change that?”
“The prophecy doesn’t say, but I think it has something to do with connecting the mixed-bloods with the Aether. The more who are brought into the powers, the more sustenance for the Aether.”
Gia stopped walking and stared. “Mixed-bloods don’t feed it now?”
“Not unless they’ve come into their powers, and too few have.”
“It’s a lot to take in.” Gia turned her face toward the sky as rain began to fall. “It’s unbearably dreary here. We should take a drive to the coast and visit Bianca.”
Joliette smiled. Even though the woman had changed the subject, she’d managed to get through to Gia. The rest would come in time. A few days away, maybe longer, would do her some good, but the idea of spending three hours in a car made Joliette’s skin crawl. “Or we could fly?”
“Perfect, then you can come and go as you wish. I’d like to stay until the baby comes. I miss Bianca, and Blaise is suffocating me.”
Joliette stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk. If Gia was Blaise’s second-half, would she be so eager to leave him? “Are you sure you want to be away that long with a possible serial killer in New Orleans?”
“I was shot with a tranquillizer dart. We’ve earned a break.” Gia laughed and wrapped her arm around Joliette’s shoulder. “Besides, I’ve searched the city for immortals and come up empty. Adrian and the guys can hunt down the real killer. We’re needed to help bring life into this world, and I for one am ready to focus on something other than death. Are you in?”
Joliette had come to like Gia and her modern attitude. The woman didn’t ask permission, nor did she shy away from admitting her mistakes and asking forgiveness. “Yes.”
Gia opened the garden gate and entered the courtyard. “You’ll need a cocktail dress. We should go out. I’ll teach you how to flirt.”
Color rushed to Joliette’s cheeks. Of all the things that had changed with time, the way women and men interacted would take the most getting used to. “I don’t think—”
“Honey, it’s the twenty-first century. There’s no harm in flirting.” Gia waved her hand. “I have several dresses. You can borrow mine.”
“What’s my sister borrowing that has her blushing?” Blaise met them at the door and smiled, though his voice lacked humor.
“None of your business.” Gia looked him over and shook her head. “How long did you expect Joliette to hang out in the bar trying to bait a killer?”
Blaise held up his hands. “I was on my way to get her when I heard your voices.”
“I’ll give you two some privacy.” Joliette slipped past Blaise. If Gia mentioned the trip, he’d likely protest their leaving—or worse, invite himself along.
“Stay, please.” Blaise turned and motioned for her to sit. “They found two more bodies in the river tonight. Both victims were young women.”
For a moment, Joliette thought that Gia might change her mind about leaving the city. The woman seemed to be weighing her options. “Petite brunettes?”
Blaise nodded.
Joliette said, “We found a copycat killer tonight. He’s responsible for three of the murders.”
Blaise glanced between the women. “Are either of you injured?”
“Do we look injured?” Gia smirked. “I’m taking Joliette with me to Gulfport to help Bianca with the birth.”
“No, absolutely not. I need all hands here to find the murderer.” Blaise narrowed his eyes, seeming to dare her to argue.
“Have you found any reason to believe the real killer isn’t human?” Gia seated herself in a patio chair like she was holding court.
The way she looks at him, it’s like a cat with a mouse. Joliette turned her head to hide her grin.
“No.”
“Then you’re telling me that four immortal men can’t handle one human?”
He threw his hands up. “In a city with half a million people, finding a single human is a challenge.”
Joliette caught Gia’s wink and braced herself for the final round.
“His aura has to be black. You’d recognize him the moment you laid eyes on him.” She shrugged. “We did our part. Joliette and I are leaving in the morning. We must help Bianca deliver Nick’s child and ensure the staff at the facility don’t remember Cindy when everything is said and done. This is a greater threat to our safety.”
“Give me two days, and I’ll go with you. I have a plan, but I need Joliette to pull it off.” Blaise sat beside Gia. “We’ll stake out the river. He had to dump the bodies upstream.”
Joliette stood idle, listening to a conversation that involved her, but she might as well have been invisible. Did it cross their minds that I might have an opinion about this?
“You’ll not use her for bait again,” Gia said.
Blaise frowned.
“That’s what you did tonight, right? Joliette and I fit the profile of the victims. My answer is no. You will not have her walking around half-dressed, pretending to be drunk, or distraught, or anything else.” Gia stood. “She’s needed in Gulfport.”
Blaise stared as if he didn’t understand the language she spoke.
Gia folded her arms. “We both fit the profile. If it’s so important to you, I’ll stay behind tonight and find the killer while Joliette goes to Bianca.”
“No, it’s too dangerous.”
“You’re willing to throw your twin to the wolves. Why not me? I assure you, I can handle it.”
Blaise clasped his hands behind his back and stared at the sky. “I’m aware of your skills. I have no doubt you can handle the situation, Gia.”
Joliette stepped forward to remind them she hadn’t left. “Excuse me, but—”
A ringing phone interrupted the conversation.
“It’s Bianca.” Gia put the cell phone to her ear and walked toward the house. “Hi, Bi. What? When?”
Joliette debated following Gia inside, but the look on her brother’s face kept her grounded.
Blaise waited until the door closed. “Would you care to explain yourself?”
“I tried to come to your aid when she had you stewing in your own juices.”
He closed the distance between them. “You know we can’t risk Gia’s safety. Why didn’t you step in and volunteer?”
“The two of you didn’t give me a chance to speak.” She drew a breath and gathered her courage. “I question if Gia is the Scion. If she’s your mate, why is she so stand-offish? She lied to you earlier. Mates can’t lie to one another.”
“She’s recently lost the two men she has loved since becoming immortal. It will take time for her to acknowledge her feelings for me,” he whispered.
“Do you feel drawn to her? Her, not the idea of her being the Scion?”
Blaise squared his shoulders. “A mate should challenge and inspire you to be a better person. She does both. Besides, we know she’s the Scion. She’s the first of the age to come into her full powers. None of the others have—not completely.”
Joliette knew Blaise as well as she knew herself. She’d planted the seed. He would need to think he’d come up with the idea before he’d give it any weight. “I’ll speak to her while we are away. Perhaps I can help her to see you in a new light.”
Blaise drew her into a hug. “Thank you but leave my personal life to me. You don’t have much experience in affairs of the heart.”
Joliette stiffened and jerked away. First Gia thinks I can’t handle men, and now Blaise is treating me like a vestal virgin?
Gia called from the door. “Joliette, Cindy’s in labor. We have to go. Now.”
