Page 26 of Smolder (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 29)

“Powerful, like ancient vampire powerful. Shit, my father just called. He and the rest of my family are flying in next week.”

“I’m glad your father decided to walk you down the aisle after all,” Dolph said.

“No, it’s not like that. He’s finally willing to meet Jean-Claude, but he still wants me to give him up and definitely not marry a vampire.”

“Then why come at all?” he asked.

“Because if he doesn’t get fitted for the bespoke clothes now, the suit will never be ready in time. I told Dad that if he didn’t come for the early fitting then he’d made his choice and I’d find someone else to give me away. He’s coming to be fitted, and he’s agreed to meet Jean-Claude, but everything else is up in the air. I honestly don’t think my very Catholic father is going to come around to attending the wedding let alone walking me down the aisle.”

“Lucille and I can meet with him while he’s here, tell him about how we’ve worked things out with Darren and Erica.”

“Thanks, Dolph, if Dad gets to come to town before the wedding that would be great.”

“What do you mean, if?” McKinnon asked.

“I can’t let my very human, very non-cop family come to town if we are under major vampire attack. If this master vamp can roll me my family won’t have a chance; hell, most of the people I love who are supernatural won’t have a chance. I have more natural immunity to vampire powers than most of them.”

“Don’t cancel your family coming in, Blake.”

“I have no choice, McKinnon.”

“You do, actually.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The oversight committee is experimenting with some magical protection protocols.”

“Pete,” Dolph said, “did you just do something to one of my officers?”

“I didn’t mean to affect Blake with it. I was told to try it out in the field gently if the chance arose.”

Dolph suddenly loomed over the other man, as if the extra inches had grown. He asked with each word enunciated almost painfully,as if losing control of his voice would be the precursor to losing control of other things. “What-did-you-do-to-Anita?”

McKinnon spread his hands out like he was showing himself unarmed. Neither Dolph nor I was buying it. “What the fuck did you do to me, McKinnon?”

“We have a coven of witches working with us. It’s supposed to be a spell to strip a vampire of its control over us, so it can’t work mind tricks. It wasn’t supposed to strip you of your control and make the vampire more powerful.”

“That was damn near gibberish,” I said.

“Agreed,” Dolph said.

“Try again, slowly and clearly,” I said.

McKinnon looked from one to the other of us, his arms a little more raised as if we’d asked to see his hands; that worked for me right now. “The witches said that the charm, or spell, I’m honestly not sure which is the correct term and since Blake does more magic than I do, I just want to be clear up front that I’m not up on the latest and greatest magical vocabulary.”

“Fine, the spell, or charm, is supposed to do what exactly?”

“Protect whoever is wearing it from vampires.”

“So will a holy item,” I said.

“Only if you’re a believer; you’d be surprised how many agnostics and atheists go into government work.”

“Not surprised,” I said.

“Keep talking, Pete.”

He looked up at one of his oldest friends as if he hadn’t expected Dolph to be on my side. Pete should have double-checked that before he invited himself to Dolph’s crime scene. “It was supposed to strip the vampire of their powers.”

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