Page 1 of The Blood Shadows (The Rose Vampire Coven #5)

“C ity Hall is sending someone to investigate our licenses at the Blood Rose. Apparently there was a complaint as to the validity of our right of sale in regard to various products.” Leon, who manages the accounts for all of Rose's holdings, stood before the Master. "The complaint is bogus, but the BACP will still have to investigate, and they may find other things that are not particularly up to code, so to speak."

"Do we know where the complaint originated?" The Master asked.

“Yes, and they have been dealt with, but the complaint is still working its way through the system."

"Contact Drakon and ask him to send Nox to the office handling the complaint. Then, have him erase the evidence and wipe the minds of those involved." The Master ordered, and Leon nodded and left his office. Those handling the complaint were simple civil servants, and there was no need to kill them over a licensing issue.

The Rose Coven had varied methods of crafting their desired outcomes and death was not always a requirement. Nox had the skill to move in and out of places and people unnoticed and soon the complaint will have ceased to exist.

This assignment was not something Nox would normally be called in to handle, but his ability to travel through shadows made entering the office building and gaining access to the paperwork and the employee very simple. Others would have to explain themselves, whereas Nox fades in and out without detection.

His last job was in the darkest regions of the south side. He was sent to eliminate a faction of humans who had gathered together to take over a portion of that business district. Unfortunately for them, it was also where the Rose Coven did business, so they had to go. The faction was cold-blooded and vicious with no redeeming qualities, so Nox was sent. He had the ability to match any evil that came his way.

Nox could turn a person’s worst traits against them. Nox Samara was a treasure being half vampire and half demon he had skills that went far and beyond the average vampire. He possessed none of that pesky empathy or understanding that could often get in the way of getting a job done clean and on time.

“Ian, you worthless piece of shit, get the fuck in here and clean the kitchen." Ian was getting ready for work, but his uncle would try to stop him from leaving the house until the kitchen was cleaned. He always seemed to come up with chores for him to complete just as he was getting ready to leave. That way, he had cause in his mind to get angry and abuse him on his way out the door. It was a common ritual, and Ian had gotten used to it.

He had no time to clean the kitchen besides he’d already cleaned it but most likely his Uncle Ron had deliberately made a mess in preparation for this fight. “I don’t have time I have to get to work.” He said and headed for the door.

"Get your ass back here and clean the kitchen, or don't bother coming home tonight." Ian worked overnight as a custodian at City Hall, so he wouldn't be home tonight anyway. When he got home in the morning, Ron would be fast asleep. The man rarely got up before late afternoon.

Ian had been living with his Uncle Ron for the past four years, ever since his mother went out to buy milk and never came home. She texted Ian and told him to make the best of it because she needed to find herself. She wasn't a stellar parent, to begin with, but at least she'd kept a roof over their heads. He moved in with Ron when the social worker placed him there and paid Ron a monthly stipend. That ended when Ian turned eighteen, but Ron kept him around because Ian was paying the bills.

Ron was abusive but he wasn’t very strong so Ian took a few hits over the years, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle or so he thought. He was sure others had it worse and he would rather stay and get his ducks in order than be living on the streets. Ian was paying Ron’s bills, but he was also saving and soon he’d have enough money to rent a small place of his own. In the meantime, he’d put up with Uncle Ron.

Ron rushed him as Ian opened the door to leave and started swinging, hitting him in the back and shoulders and kicking at his shins. Ron had been drinking most of the day, so his balance was severely compromised. It wasn't long before he was on his back, cursing as Ian closed the door and headed for the train.

He worked eleven to seven on the fourth floor and worked mostly alone but would sometime have his breaks with other custodians in the break room on the second floor. Not being a people person, he would often find a corner on the fourth floor and read for his half hour break.

He had a half-hour break at two and another at four, and at one fifty-five, he got his coffee thermos and headed to the turnout by the elevators. It was a nice place to sit by the windows and read. It gave him the opportunity to disconnect from work for thirty minutes and lose himself in a good book. Other than a few security checks, the elevators were unused during the night, so the little turnout with the bench and the lamp was a perfect place to relax.

When Nox received the assignment it became clear why he was chosen. It was the covert nocturnal aspect of the job that spoke to his particular talents. He first paid a visit to the home of the investigator clearing his mind about the complaint and all associated information. Now he would make the data, and any paperwork disappear. That required a visit to his office at City Hall.

He could move silently and unseen through the dark, traveling in shadows and bending like smoke with the air currents. It was one of the perks of his demon parentage. Nox never knew his father and never desired to. His mother, a young vampire, had been duped and led to believe that the man cared for her when, in actuality, his father was incapable of care or concern, which was the nature of demons.

The demon disappeared suddenly and completely one day leaving his mother pregnant and alone. Without a better option she hid herself in the mountains of their homeland and raised her son as best she could. She taught him the ways of the vampire and explained what she could of the demon culture.

When she passed, Nox went in search of a coven but there were none brave enough to accept a half demon. Master Rose was the first leader to look at him and see his worth and his value and gave him a chance. Nox swore his allegiance and his loyalty to Master Rose and had served him for many years.

He took one of the cars to City Hall and parked in a lot two blocks north. He didn’t need the car, but he liked to travel normally when he could. He’d simply traveled by shadows when entering the investigator’s neighborhood and gaining entrance to his home.

Nox didn't want to be seen in the guy's neighborhood, so he didn't use a car. Parking downtown was not an issue. Blending in was easy for someone like him. He wore a black suit and a black trench coat, which is something people see a million times a day.

The building was locked up for the night, but the cleaning crew was still on the premises. Buildings at night were filled with darkness and shadows, so Nox moved quickly and effortlessly to the fourth floor. He could hear the custodial staff talking and moving about, and they were easy to avoid. Finding the office was simple enough, and gaining access was also easy. He was in the process of clearing hard copies and all digital evidence when someone walked in.

Nox stepped back against the wall disappearing into the darkness and watched the man empty the trash and dust various surfaces. He was being far from thorough, but he was probably under a time constraint. The man was human and yet he was not reacting to Nox which was unusual. He had a presence which hung heavy in the air like a bad omen and should have had the young human scurrying away but instead he appeared unaffected.

After a quick vacuum of the carpet, he gathered his things and left the office. At the threshold, he stopped and looked back over his left shoulder to look around the room. He felt something, perhaps a presence at the very least. The young man took a deep breath and strangely enough looked right into the dark corner where Nox stood, but again there was no reaction at all.

Nox stared back and for a second his gaze connected with the human and then it was over. The human closed and locked the door before continuing on his way to the next office. His reaction or rather lack of reaction to Nox being in his proximity was curious.

Nox finished erasing all evidence of the complaint against the Blood Rose and then moved out into the hallway to observe. Several workers passed by him, and he recognized the familiar shudder and withdrawal as they hurried away. They weren't sure what they were feeling, but the dark vibe made them recoil and run.

The young man earlier did not hurry, nor did he give any sign of a need or desire to hurry. He sensed a presence, but it did not bother him; Nox did not affect him, and that was extremely unusual. He called in the completion of his assignment to Drakon and then went in search of the young man. This was a mystery to which he desired an answer.

He watched him go about his duties and continued to observe him while taking his break. The others gathered together to eat, rest, and socialize, but this man found a quiet corner to sit and read. Nox moved just a bit closer, testing the man to see if he still felt no fear with Nox close by. He looked up once and stared down the hallway toward Nox but then went back to his book.

His intuition is telling him something, but his conscious mind is dismissing it. Humans rarely used the gifts they were given in this life preferring to trust only their faulty eyes and ears. He noticed the young man flinch and look at his finger there was a small cut there perhaps a paper cut. Nox automatically took a step closer moving with the shadow of the wall. He was compelled to approach but held back fighting the push that he was feeling in his mind.

The scent of this man's blood touched the air, and he took a startled breath. The smell was sweet and full and overwhelming. Nox filled his lungs with the intoxicating aroma and released it on a slow breath. The effect was immediate and consuming.

He had an idea what this was, but it was unbelievable. No one like him had ever experienced a moment like this. His mother had told him that demons were not gifted forever like other paranormal beings. But she got all her information from the demon who betrayed her, so everything he said must be viewed as suspect.

Nox continued to stare at the young man his interest going from mild to extreme in a matter of seconds. Suddenly everything about him was magnified his presence was feeding Nox’s excitement and he had to get himself under control before he inadvertently outed himself to the human. He moved back further into the darkness but maintained a watchfulness.

The young man answered his phone, and his agitation touched Nox. The caller was yelling and demanding money for rent, for bills, for absurd things and he heard the name Ian. His human was named Ian, and the simple sound sent a surge of recognition through Nox. He knew this man somehow he knew him. Ian closed the call cutting off the belligerent caller. Good whoever he was he deserved to have more cut off than just this call.

Nox was absorbing Ian’s feeling of upset, and it felt odd. Feelings were pretty foreign to him, because he could not connect with people and things. He mourned his mother, and he celebrated his inclusion in the Rose Coven, but apart from that, simple feelings like being upset rarely touched him.

This man was something special and every minute he spent watching and following him Nox felt his heart and mind reaching and connecting. Ian was average height and average weight and probably to most people in this city would be considered average, but not to Nox.

Nox saw the soft waves of his light brown hair curling at his shoulders and longed to touch it. He noticed the sparkle in his hazel eyes, and it thrilled him. The lovely curves of his body sent shock waves through Nox. This was his beloved, and it would seem that Fate, in her infinite wisdom and generosity, had honored him with a bond, a match, and a connection. She gave him a young man named Ian.