Free Heroes by Susan Sizemore Page A

it. Valentine felt those deaths and mourned them, each one the passing of a child she would never have. It brought her to one of those black times in every immortal life where she would have welcomed her own passing.
    Then she met Edward. He was a feudal lord with a retinue reduced to a handful by the Plague. She’d felt the magic in him as she approached the castle where he’d hidden himself away. He was light after so much darkness. A feeble light, but enough to make a companion. Enough light to save her from her own growing darkness.
    After several years of sharing bed and blood, she’d sent him out into the night a new-made vampire, to be nurtured in the nest of the White Lady, who released him into the night as soon as possible, Valentine heard. His transition into the underneath had not been one of Valentine’s success stories. He’d been a born user, a petty schemer, lived his life as a noble without any noble intentions as a mortal. He hadn’t gotten any better with time. That he’d ended up a neon junkie in Vegas didn’t surprise Valentine at all.
    She could feel him out there in the night, all grimy, greasy, and covered in fear sweat. She wondered what it was he had to be afraid of. She reminded herself it was none of her business. She also noticed that she was standing facing the closet, her back to the window and the outside world.
    So, what were her choices for the evening? She could stay here with the curtains closed and be perfectly content. She could put on a slinky black dress and attend the party Geoff had already ducked out on. She could check up on Eddie . . . but the idiot was an over-six-hundred-year-old grown man responsible for his own life.
    Of course, knowing Eddie, if he was in trouble, it was because he’d gotten someone else into even more trouble. She knew all about the Rasputin business, and some of the other scams he’d been involved in.
    He’s a neon junkie now, she told herself, not causing anyone trouble but himself. Then again, the atmosphere in this town was positively fraught with impending weirdness. She did not want to wonder what was up, but she did. And if anybody was going to be involved with nasty goings-on, it would be her old pal Eddie.
    Valentine’s conscience, and curiosity, nagged at her enough so that she took a seat on the edge of the bed, and closed her eyes. If any information flowed in out of the night, she’d absorb it. It wasn’t as if she was obligated to do anything about it.

Chapter 7
    “WE HAVE HIM.”
    There was more she wanted from him or she wouldn’t be here. “I don’t want to hear about this.” He wanted to put his hands over his ears, but then he’d miss the music. He liked the way the music blended with the lights, and it was about to start. He wanted to look up and live in the lights. He didn’t want to look at her. But she put her hands on his shoulders and shook him.
    “There are too many cattle here,” she said. “Come with me.”
    She took his arm and pulled him down the street, into the darkness of a parking garage. He could hear the music start in the distance. He whimpered, missing the lights. Needing them.
    “I want your help.”
    He glared at the tall woman. The power in her was almost visible, almost glowing. She didn’t have enough light to satisfy him, but he had no choice but to look at her now. “I’ve helped you.”
    “Not enough.”
    “It will never be enough for you.”
    “No,” she agreed. “We must all serve—until we are all free.”
    “Yeah, yeah.” Cynicism, and his own needs, were armor against her idealism. “I told you where he sleeps. That was enough.”
    “Having him isn’t enough. We need a place to keep him.”
    “You didn’t arrange that already?” Stupid woman. Stupid, plotting, plodding woman.
    “One thing at a time. We had to capture him first, make sure he could be held.” She put her hands on his shoulders, but at least she didn’t start shaking him again. Her touch was mild, her