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CHAPTER NINETEEN
INTERESTED, INTERESTED
On the way back I got a call from Corbin. I wasn’t even sure how he’d gotten my number, but I recognized who was calling with the first thing out of his mouth.
“Did you know they brought me a necromancer?” his excited voice asked over the line.
“Henri?” My tone was sardonic. “They brought him just for you, huh?”
“A necromancer is a rare treat for a vampire slayer, as I’m sure you’re well aware. I’m planning to coax him into staying and partnering with me long-term. He says he used to date you. Will you tell me some of his weaknesses so I can use them against him?” He paused. “That sounded bad. I just want to know what tempts him.”
“Did he explain how long ago it was that we dated?”
I felt Dom’s attention, already on me in the limited confines of the car, gain laser focus.
“No. But some things transcend time. You must have some clue about what he likes, about his character. I’m clearly not pretty enough for him if you’re his type, so I need some tricks here. Help me out and I’ll owe you.”
That surprised me, I don’t know why. I hadn’t realized he was interested, interested. I’d thought he was just trying for a working partnership. For some reason it made me more inclined to help him.
I thought about it for a moment while Corbin waited patiently on the other end. “Try working together with him toward a common goal, something that utilizes both of your skills,” I instructed. “If he sees how useful he can be with your powers to complement his, he’ll like that. He likes to be useful. Also, let him paint you. Offer, at least.”
“I doubt he wants to paint me.”
“You have an interesting, expressive face. That’s what draws his inspiration out more than anything, and if you’re his muse, he won’t want to be far from your side. In fact, once you’re his muse it will be hard to shake him.”
“So hard you have to fake your own death,” Dom said ruefully.
I shot him a look. It wasn’t friendly. He just smiled warmly at me. I immediately warmed. That was his power over me.
“What’s he mean by that?” Corbin asked, clearly having heard the other man.
“Nothing important.”
“Did he say you faked your own death? To get away from Henri?”
“That’s a gross exaggeration,” I said and even I thought it sounded unconvincing.”
Corbin had the nerve to laugh richly. “Oh, now some of the unflattering things he’s said about you are starting to make sense.”
Dom took the phone from my hand and put it to his ear. “Tell Henri to keep Jillian’s name out of his mouth or he’ll answer to me. This is his last warning.”
He handed the phone back.
Oookaaay.
“Did you have anything else to ask me?” I asked impatiently. “I’m not going to stay on the line for this.”
“No, I think I’m good,” he said, laughter still in his voice, “I think you gave me enough. Thanks. I owe you.” Without further ado, he hung up.
Huh.
It felt as I had said the words to Corbin that I was setting something in motion, and less than a day later I was proven right in my own hunch. He’d followed my advice with Henri. The two men had worked together and found an abandoned casino full of multiple vampire kisses.
It was at the edge of town, a property scheduled for implosion, though not soon enough.
Necromancers are quite useful, and Henri is a very talented one. I’ve yet to see his equal in the craft. He’d managed to find an area with mass dead bodies, new ones, and from there Corbin had found one of the vampire familiars and used whatever scary vampire hunter skills he had to make the creature talk.
They really did make a good team.
