Often it was left to the bounty hunters like Halo and the cleanup teams led by other righteous e-vamps to keep them under control. But it wasn’t easy. The sycophants were organized like a crime syndicate or gangs, running in groups. It was rare to find a solitary phant like this one had been. But he was grateful the phant had been alone. Rafe was powerful and capable, but even he was subject to the math of many versus one.
Rafe shook his head. He was also grateful the phant had waited until he was alone to attack him. Yet, it also unnerved him. How long had the phant been tailing him? How long had he gone being so unaware of his surroundings that…
He shook his head again. No sense giving himself recriminating lectures now. The problem was dealt with. The phant was history and Renee was safe at home. He would simply have to be more vigilant in the future.
For now he had to get to Simone and give her an accounting of the action he had taken against the phant. If phants were following those of the upper echelon, it must be reported. Sure, this could be an isolated incident, but there was no need to take any chances. He also had to report the fact that he hadn’t made any real headway in tracking the investigation by the human police into the phant killing on Park Avenue.
Rafe turned down the quiet street and headed into the city.
With traffic virtually nonexistent, he made good time into the city and into the parking garage beneath the building that housed the energy vampires’ ruling class and central government. The building acted as both the business headquarters, with large offices taking up more than half of the skyscraper, and residences occupying the top part of the skyscraper. The building had recently been retrofitted to meet all the needs a modern vampire could have and it was an honest pleasure to work and live there. The windows were wide and large, allowing as much sunlight in as possible. Unlike the vampires of mythology, e-vamps thrived on solar energy. The more the better. The only problem was that the energy of the sun was not sufficient to keep them sated and alive. And even in a building with so much glass and so many windows, the center of the building was dark and windowless. True, the building was designed to allow light from the windows all the way to the elevator banks, but it was still darker toward the center of the building. Thus, every few months workers were rotated so that sun-filled desks were circulated to those who had been in relative darkness. Of course, offices like his were not a part of that rotation and were light-filled all year-round, give or take bad weather.
The residences were equally dynamic. With broad walls of glass and views of the city that were incomparable, living there was a pleasure and a privilege. Not all of the e-vamps could claim a residence there. Many were scattered throughout the city and the five boroughs, but the higher echelon lived in that building and enjoyed the luxury that went with it. The penthouse was reserved for their queen, but the rest of the upper building was broken up into luxurious apartments occupied by their government and its most important workers.
Rafe parked and made his way to the elevators. He rode the elevator up to the fortieth floor where he had to switch to a second elevator that took him up the rest of the way. He didn’t go straight to his residence, opting instead to go to the penthouse apartment where the queen would be at this time of night—provided she was in and not hunting. But he seemed to recall her having hunted last night and she shouldn’t have a need to hunt for a few days in that event. With the storm brewing outside, it made sense to expect her to be in. As he got closer to the penthouse floor, his sixth sense told him he was right and she was very much at home. In fact, she was entertaining, and he recognized the energy signatures of many others of the higher government order.
The elevator doors opened out onto a short corridor, at the end of which was a set of carved-wood double doors. Rafe walked up and rang the bell.
In short order the door was answered by Darcy, the queen’s live-in maid.
“Oh, hello, Mr. Rafe,” she said, giving him a sunny smile that warmed her youthful features. She was a bit young to be caring for the day-to-day needs of the queen, but she did her job admirably well and Simone liked her a great deal.
“Rafe! What are you doing here on this cold, wintry night?” Simone herself greeted him as she breezed into the anteroom from the living area.
Simone, the queen of the energy vampires, was a sophisticate of the highest order. She was about five feet ten, had long, beautiful legs and a slim carriage which was held in a very correct posture. She had curves that were right for her build, and long, glorious red hair that went halfway down her back. This was one of the rare occasions when she was wearing it down. She wore light makeup, just enough to accent without overdoing it, giving her a fresh-faced appearance. She looked young, in her late twenties, yet was old enough in her airs to be taken seriously. Rafe had learned long ago not to underestimate her. Though her ocean green eyes were often smiling, she could become stern and serious at the drop of a hat.
“Simone,” he greeted her, taking her outstretched hands in his and kissing her on both of her smooth porcelain cheeks. Hers was a china white beauty, set off by the flame of her hair. There was nary a freckle to be found. “How are you?”
“I am very well,” she said with a winning smile. “I love the snow, even if it does make hunting more difficult.”
“Winter makes hunting more difficult,” he corrected her. “It’s hard to get past all those clothing layers to find the back of the neck.”
“Don’t I know it. Come. Come inside. I was just discussing you with Tomas and—”
“I really shouldn’t stay. I was only coming to report to you before heading to bed.”
“Heading to bed? Fresh off a hunt? It’ll take you hours to wind down. Come spend the evening with us.”
She had a point. Feeding provided a high of sorts, and it would be quite some time before he would come down from it. With a smile he nodded, and she gave him an expression of satisfaction in return. Darcy was taking his coat the next instant and he made his way into the penthouse’s enormous living area. The penthouse took up the entire top floor, the space a piece of premium real estate worth millions in the Manhattan housing market. The living area was nestled in the northwest corner of the building, providing two walls of glass windows looking down onto the Manhattan skyline, the lights twinkling both near and far. On a clear day you could see the rivers and Central Park from these windows. Now all you could see was darkness, lights, and falling snow.
Rafe shook his head. He was also grateful the phant had waited until he was alone to attack him. Yet, it also unnerved him. How long had the phant been tailing him? How long had he gone being so unaware of his surroundings that…
He shook his head again. No sense giving himself recriminating lectures now. The problem was dealt with. The phant was history and Renee was safe at home. He would simply have to be more vigilant in the future.
For now he had to get to Simone and give her an accounting of the action he had taken against the phant. If phants were following those of the upper echelon, it must be reported. Sure, this could be an isolated incident, but there was no need to take any chances. He also had to report the fact that he hadn’t made any real headway in tracking the investigation by the human police into the phant killing on Park Avenue.
Rafe turned down the quiet street and headed into the city.
With traffic virtually nonexistent, he made good time into the city and into the parking garage beneath the building that housed the energy vampires’ ruling class and central government. The building acted as both the business headquarters, with large offices taking up more than half of the skyscraper, and residences occupying the top part of the skyscraper. The building had recently been retrofitted to meet all the needs a modern vampire could have and it was an honest pleasure to work and live there. The windows were wide and large, allowing as much sunlight in as possible. Unlike the vampires of mythology, e-vamps thrived on solar energy. The more the better. The only problem was that the energy of the sun was not sufficient to keep them sated and alive. And even in a building with so much glass and so many windows, the center of the building was dark and windowless. True, the building was designed to allow light from the windows all the way to the elevator banks, but it was still darker toward the center of the building. Thus, every few months workers were rotated so that sun-filled desks were circulated to those who had been in relative darkness. Of course, offices like his were not a part of that rotation and were light-filled all year-round, give or take bad weather.
The residences were equally dynamic. With broad walls of glass and views of the city that were incomparable, living there was a pleasure and a privilege. Not all of the e-vamps could claim a residence there. Many were scattered throughout the city and the five boroughs, but the higher echelon lived in that building and enjoyed the luxury that went with it. The penthouse was reserved for their queen, but the rest of the upper building was broken up into luxurious apartments occupied by their government and its most important workers.
Rafe parked and made his way to the elevators. He rode the elevator up to the fortieth floor where he had to switch to a second elevator that took him up the rest of the way. He didn’t go straight to his residence, opting instead to go to the penthouse apartment where the queen would be at this time of night—provided she was in and not hunting. But he seemed to recall her having hunted last night and she shouldn’t have a need to hunt for a few days in that event. With the storm brewing outside, it made sense to expect her to be in. As he got closer to the penthouse floor, his sixth sense told him he was right and she was very much at home. In fact, she was entertaining, and he recognized the energy signatures of many others of the higher government order.
The elevator doors opened out onto a short corridor, at the end of which was a set of carved-wood double doors. Rafe walked up and rang the bell.
In short order the door was answered by Darcy, the queen’s live-in maid.
“Oh, hello, Mr. Rafe,” she said, giving him a sunny smile that warmed her youthful features. She was a bit young to be caring for the day-to-day needs of the queen, but she did her job admirably well and Simone liked her a great deal.
“Rafe! What are you doing here on this cold, wintry night?” Simone herself greeted him as she breezed into the anteroom from the living area.
Simone, the queen of the energy vampires, was a sophisticate of the highest order. She was about five feet ten, had long, beautiful legs and a slim carriage which was held in a very correct posture. She had curves that were right for her build, and long, glorious red hair that went halfway down her back. This was one of the rare occasions when she was wearing it down. She wore light makeup, just enough to accent without overdoing it, giving her a fresh-faced appearance. She looked young, in her late twenties, yet was old enough in her airs to be taken seriously. Rafe had learned long ago not to underestimate her. Though her ocean green eyes were often smiling, she could become stern and serious at the drop of a hat.
“Simone,” he greeted her, taking her outstretched hands in his and kissing her on both of her smooth porcelain cheeks. Hers was a china white beauty, set off by the flame of her hair. There was nary a freckle to be found. “How are you?”
“I am very well,” she said with a winning smile. “I love the snow, even if it does make hunting more difficult.”
“Winter makes hunting more difficult,” he corrected her. “It’s hard to get past all those clothing layers to find the back of the neck.”
“Don’t I know it. Come. Come inside. I was just discussing you with Tomas and—”
“I really shouldn’t stay. I was only coming to report to you before heading to bed.”
“Heading to bed? Fresh off a hunt? It’ll take you hours to wind down. Come spend the evening with us.”
She had a point. Feeding provided a high of sorts, and it would be quite some time before he would come down from it. With a smile he nodded, and she gave him an expression of satisfaction in return. Darcy was taking his coat the next instant and he made his way into the penthouse’s enormous living area. The penthouse took up the entire top floor, the space a piece of premium real estate worth millions in the Manhattan housing market. The living area was nestled in the northwest corner of the building, providing two walls of glass windows looking down onto the Manhattan skyline, the lights twinkling both near and far. On a clear day you could see the rivers and Central Park from these windows. Now all you could see was darkness, lights, and falling snow.
