Free Captured Sun by Shari Richardson

fumbled around until he found the switch which flooded the room with light. "I hate talking to vamps in the dark," he said. "What's going on here, leech?"
    "I have been forbidden by my maker to reveal her location, kitty. I cannot speak the words, no matter that I would if I could." He looked at me. "If it were in my power to help you bring him home, do you believe I would withhold that information?"
    I ground my teeth. "I don't know what to believe of you, Alfred," I said. "I watched you betray me under the guise of saving him, but I also know you love him."
    "Whether he believes that or no, you are right."
    "So we're just supposed to stand here and let Mathias go to hell with the bitch who made you?" Xavier said. I was shocked to hear such a degree of anger in Xavier's voice. I hadn't thought Xavier cared enough about Mathias to worry for his safety.
    Alfred nodded. His sad eyes found mine and I glared at him.
    "You betrayed me and you betrayed him," I said. "You told her about me knowing she would use it against Mathias. How could you not have foreseen what he would do?"
    "Would you prefer she had killed him in the alley and left him like so much trash? I could not allow that to happen."
    Xavier growled and I could see his aura beginning to pulse. "Xavier, please. I need you clear headed if we're going to figure this out."
    Kerry wrapped her arms around Xavier's shoulders and I could see him breathing deeply. His aura smoothed out and began to blend with Kerry's. When he'd regained his control he asked, "So what do we do?"
    I sat in the chair across from Alfred. There had to be a way around this order from Serina. "If we figure it out, can you tell us if we're right? Can you help us at all?"
    Alfred swallowed hard. "I think so," he said. "The bond, the connection Serina had with me is not as strong as it once was. Her betrayal and her joy in hurting me has weakened the bond significantly. I think there may be enough give in it that I can give you confirmations."
    I nodded and leaned back. I tried to remember what Alfred had said about Serina at Xavier's house yesterday. He'd mentioned something about where she came from...some place she rarely left. Where was it?
    "England!" I exclaimed. "You said she rarely left England. Has she gone home with Mathias?"
    Alfred's expression was pained, but he nodded.
    "But you didn't tell me where in England she lived. Dammit." The elation from getting one clue was quickly quelled when it became obvious that was the only clue I could pull out of my own memory.
    "Maybe they haven't left yet, Mairin," Xavier said. "Let me call some of the boys and get them out there to track them."
    "I don't know where they should start," I said, feeling defeated. "There weren't any defining features in the alley I saw in my dream." I put my head in my hands and tried to force a clearer image from my dream. I'd been so focused on Mathias that I hadn't noticed anything else.
    Alfred coughed. When I looked up, I could see he was struggling to say something. "Green," he finally choked out.
    Xavier's head swiveled to face Alfred. Xavier's eyes lit with expectation. "Green Street and what, leech?"
    Alfred pounded on the table beside him. The wood cracked beneath his hands. I shook my head. Alfred taking his frustration out on Mathias' furniture was not going to help us find him.
    "Pine," Kerry said, making the connection I hadn't. "Green and Pine cross near that ugly bar where the second victim was found."
    Alfred was nodding again, and Xavier turned his back to flip open his cell phone. He shouted a couple of orders to whomever answered and then snapped it shut.
    "OK, leech. The boys will track them from that alley. If they're already gone, we need to know where we're going next."
    I looked at Kerry and Xavier and shook my head. "Not we," I said. "Xavier, you have to take Kerry back to our house and watch over the family. Serina knows about me, it wouldn't take much for her to figure out I have family. Mathias