Blaze: I do not own the Cassandra Palmer series, I do own the heart breaker and the children who reside with Radu.
Prologue: seven months before
All was quiet around the Senate headquarters, it was midmorning and everyone was sleeping or getting to sleep. No one sensed the threat that walked through the halls. The shadow walked passed the first door on the hall to find Cassandra fast asleep in the arms of Tomas, who guarded her even in slumber. He chuckled softly before returning to his work.
The next set of rooms he came to were those of Lord Mircea who also was asleep in a magnificent looking four-poster bed. The shadow paused for a second, spotting a younger looking man nearly identical to the Chief Negotiator and grinned. It was none other than little Radu with whom he'd had the pleasure of playing with. But he had no time to reminisce on fond memories so he simply stepped close and caressed that perfect face before vanishing once again to the halls.
With each new set of rooms he found a Senate member and his or her closest servants fast asleep or completely unaware of him. Finally he came to the set of rooms he'd been searching for. He moved gracefully through the drawing room to the master bedroom, passing through the door as he'd been doing with the others. He stopped in his tracks at the sight laid out before him.
'If we'd known he was this beautiful the master most definitely wouldn't have required payment.' He admired his prey. He stood there as his gaze fell over auburn curls that framed an angelic face, a face he burned to touch. 'But not yet master said, not until I bring him back'. His gaze fell to the red satin robe that covered part of his prey's sleeping form, exposing his pale collar and long, slender legs. He wouldn't have long, he had to hurry, there would be time to admire when he returned.
He knew the easiest way to get him home to the master but the master wanted him to make sure they knew he'd been taken and by whom. He placed a quick charm on his prey so he would not wake yet, taking out a pocket knife and cut a heart with an arrow through it into the nightstand. Removing the charm he woke his prey, holding him to the bed with strength that baffled his angel who struggled helplessly, as if he were human and not a first-level master vampire.
"Scream for me, pretty, and maybe I'll be gentle later." He used his power to cause the bones in his prey's leg to shatter as if he'd been hit by a truck or fallen from a building as a mortal. The Frenchman's cry echoed through the halls, waking all who heard it. Radu snapped up from the sofa he'd fallen asleep on, "Louis?" he got up and scrambled from his brother's chambers, passing several puzzled faces along the way, rushing to the aid of his only child.
It wasn't long until his brother and the rest of the Senate were following him. When he arrived he slammed through the locked door of the master bedroom to find blood on the bed and the carving in the nightstand. Within seconds he became hysterical, trying to find him through their bond and found nothing but emptiness. Without a care as to who saw him, he let out a sob and let all of his emotions loose, leaving very little in the room intact.
"Master," a little girl came in and took his hand, "we will find him master. They can't take him away from us too. We won't let them."
"You're right, Molly, we won't." Radu lifted the child into his arms, "Thank you so much."
"We'll find him papa, I promise."
The little girl turned to Mircea as he moved to hold his brother, her eyes glowed as she scanned the building. She saw Dracula moving through the halls and coming toward his brothers. Thomas and Cassie were two doors down on their way to investigate.
"Whoever took him left nothing behind, I can't sense anything." She inhaled as her powers returned to her.
"What about scent?" Dracula asked.
"Nothing, I smell everyone here but otherwise all I smell is burnt wood." She crinkled her nose.
"Did you say burnt wood?" Cassie asked.
"Yeah, can't you smell it? It's all over the walls, the bed, and the halls."
"Cedar Ash, I smell it too." Thomas inhaled.
"Isn't that used to mask scent?" Cassie puzzled.
"It is, can't we track that smell to the source".
Louis-
"Who's there?" the auburn vampire struggled at his bonds, the silver stinging his wrists.
"Only us my pretty." A voice laughed, a tall pale demonic man appeared. His black hair was slicked back and his dress clothes perfect, black slacks and black dress shirt perfectly pressed.
"What do you want?" Louis growled, trying to cover the fear that threatened to consume him.
"You."