{"id":4750,"date":"2014-05-05T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2014-05-05T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/?page_id=4750"},"modified":"2017-05-23T22:18:58","modified_gmt":"2017-05-24T03:18:58","slug":"blood-games-the-first-chapter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/?page_id=4750","title":{"rendered":"Blood Games – The First Chapter"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHAPTER ONE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Life in the Fast Lane<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Early March<\/em>
\n Chicago, Illinois<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Blood_Games\"He stood beside me as cameras flashed, a man with a long and lean body, deeply green eyes, and golden hair. He wore shorts, sneakers, and a long-sleeved shirt that snugged against the tight muscles of his torso. His hair, which normally brushed his shoulders, was pulled back in a queue, and around his neck glinted the silver pendant that marked him as a Cadogan vampire.<\/p>\n

But he wasn\u2019t just a vampire. Ethan Sullivan was Master of Cadogan House.<\/p>\n

Even in running shoes, hands on his hips as he stood beneath the yellow arch that marked the starting line, a clock counting down to zero a few feet away, his Masterdom was undeniable. He looked nothing less than a leader of his people.<\/p>\n

He glanced at me, an eyebrow arched in his usual imperious expression. \u201cSentinel. You appear to be enjoying this a little too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

I pulled my long dark hair into a ponytail using the elastic on my wrist, my long bangs across my forehead. I was also dressed in running attire\u2014a Cadogan House Track shirt, midcalf running tights, and shoes in eye-searing neon orange that made me smile when I looked at them. But the apparel wasn\u2019t just fun; it was functional. It had to be if I was going to achieve my goal: beating Ethan Sullivan to the finish line.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not every day I get the chance to best you in front of an audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan snorted, a glint of amusement in his eyes. \u201cI don\u2019t plan to let you best me, Sentinel. But I\u2019m prepared to make it interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was heat in his eyes that nearly made me blush. But since we had an audience, I held it in. \u201cHow interesting?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDinner. Of the winner\u2019s choosing.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a lover of food, I didn\u2019t hesitate. \u201cDone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t finished,\u201d he said with a sly smile. \u201cDinner of the winner\u2019s choosing\u2014in the apparel of the winner\u2019s choosing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do enjoy seeing you in jeans,\u201d I countered. He generally preferred fancy to casual, but even he couldn\u2019t run in a refined French suit and Italian loafers. But if the look in his eyes was any indication, he hadn\u2019t intended denim, leather, or wool.<\/p>\n

He only snorted in response.<\/p>\n

It was March in Chicago, and the air still carried the chill of winter. But spring had nearly broken winter\u2019s hold, and a thousand people stood on the sidelines to watch the Cadogan Dash, a race we\u2019d organized to raise money for Chicago\u2019s food bank.<\/p>\n

I was the House\u2019s social chair, and I\u2019d been reminded recently about the importance of giving back. So I decided a charity event was just the thing, which was why we were standing in Grant Park on a brisk spring night, preparing to run three miles with a few hundred friends. While Malik, the second-in-command of the House, stayed behind (and separate from Ethan for succession purposes), others gathered in their running gear for a little friendly competition. Luc, the Cadogan guard captain, with his dark blond locks. Connor, a young vampire of my class with the easygoing personality of casual wealth. Brody, a new Cadogan guard with mile-long legs that were probably going to come in handy tonight.<\/p>\n

But that didn\u2019t mean the race was just fun and games.<\/p>\n

Times had been tough for Chicago\u2019s supernaturals, but humans\u2019 attitudes had seemed to improve over the last few weeks. Ethan had been cleared of charges he\u2019d killed a vampire in cold blood; it had been obvious self-defense, since we\u2019d been attacked at Cadogan House. My grandfather, Chuck Merit, was once again the city\u2019s official Supernatural Ombudsman, helping vampires, shifters, River nymphs, and the like with their various problems. And once again, the fickle pendulum of human emotion had swung to love. Sure, there were vampire detractors. Vampire haters. Vampire conspiracy theorists. But there were also members of the Ethan Sullivan fan club.<\/p>\n

Most of the human spectators who\u2019d crowded behind the barrier wore T-shirts bearing Ethan\u2019s image and i heart ethan buttons. But much to my surprise, Ethan wasn\u2019t the only Cadogan vamp with fans in the audience. There were a few fans carrying hand-painted i heart merit signs and wearing #1 sentinel T-shirts, which was cool, if a little unnerving.<\/p>\n

A woman on the other side of the barricade held out a glossy eight-by-ten photograph and a permanent marker. \u201cEthan! Ethan! Can I have your autograph?\u201d Her face was flushed with excitement, her eyes wide with promise.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour fans await,\u201d I said with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re my favorite fan,\u201d he said, and in full view of the cameras, spectators, and news vans, he kissed me.<\/p>\n

By the time he straightened again, my cheeks were pink and Ethan\u2019s admirers were screaming with gusto. Apparently it didn\u2019t matter whom the golden god kissed\u2014the sight of him kissing was enough to send them into a frenzy.<\/p>\n

Given the look of intensity in their eyes, I doubted they\u2019d have felt any compunction about kicking me out of the way to get a little closer to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead,\u201d I told him. \u201cGo see your admirers. Sign some autographs. It\u2019s good PR for the House.\u201d<\/p>\n

He slid me a glance, smiled. \u201cNot concerned one of the fans will try to sweep me away with words of love?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, they\u2019ll try to sweep,\u201d I said. \u201cBut I have no worries you\u2019ll come back to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

His smile was meltingly handsome. \u201cBecause I love you without measure?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

Also, I had the car keys.<\/p>\n

We needed the good PR while we could get it. I had a sinking suspicion the tide would turn again; humans always looked for scapegoats. Supernaturals made easy targets.<\/p>\n

Humans weren\u2019t our only problem. Cadogan House had recently left the Greenwich Presidium, the European council of vampires that ruled European and North American vampires\u2014but we hadn\u2019t left behind the drama. The GP was a hot mess. Some council members hated our House; others hated humans. It was an organization generally out of touch with the modern world.<\/p>\n

And Ethan, who\u2019d moved forward to commune with the crowd, was petitioning to take charge of it. He\u2019d filed the paperwork a week ago. Which was awkward, since the GP already had a leader\u2014Darius West, a powerful vampire whose unfortunate involvement with an American serial killer had stunted him emotionally, an impressive feat for an immortal. After ensuring the House and its finances were in order, Ethan announced his candidacy, and we\u2019d heard nothing in the interim.<\/p>\n

Darius had options. Vampires loved rules, and the Canon, the volumes of vampire law, laid out three official responses to Ethan\u2019s \u201cHonorable Challenge.\u201d (Vampires also liked capitalizing things.) According to the Canon, Darius could give back snarky words, a response \u201cby Wit,\u201d which I imagined would have been something like \u201cBring it\u201d or \u201cYou just got served.\u201d Darius could challenge Ethan to a duel, presumably by katana, since that was the favored vampire weapon, or by \u201caccount of All Houses,\u201d which basically meant that Darius could call out all the other vampire Houses to gang up on ours.<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t done any of those things yet, and the silence was more unnerving than an outright attack would have been. In the interim, Ethan called the Masters of the Houses that allied with Cadogan\u2014whose insignia were mounted above the Cadogan House door\u2014shoring up his support.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d decided to move forward with the race, but we were certainly, obviously keeping a close eye on Ethan. Because I was Sentinel of the House, his safety was one of my priorities. And I had allies in the crowd: my grandfather\u2019s employees\u2014Catcher Bell, a sorcerer, and Jeff Christopher, a shifter\u2014as well as the undercover members of the Red Guard, an organization of vampires created to keep watch on the GP and the twelve American vampire Masters.<\/p>\n

Catcher\u2019s girlfriend and my non-vampire best pal, Mallory Carmichael\u2014a sorceress in her own right\u2014stood with Jeff and Catcher, her blue ombr\u00e9 hair in a high topknot, a small Cadogan pennant in her hand. She waved the pennant at me, her blue eyes smiling, and gave me a very enthusiastic thumbs-up.<\/p>\n

The RG members wore Midnight High School T-shirts to indicate their affiliation. They included my tall, handsome, and auburn-haired RG partner, Jonah, who stood near a woman vigorously shaking her d\u00e9colletage at Ethan as he signed autographs. I gave the woman the stink eye, but her gaze skimmed right over me. I wasn\u2019t the object of her affection.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey just pretend we aren\u2019t here.\u201d<\/p>\n

I chuckled at the vampire beside me, a woman with a blond ponytail, hot pink shirt, and black running tights that skimmed her long legs. She was Lindsey, one of Cadogan\u2019s guards and Luc\u2019s sweetheart. And Luc had plenty of fans of his own, men and women who giggled each time he flipped his tousled curls out of his eyes. From the cheeky grin on his face, he didn\u2019t seem to mind the attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe humans or the vampires?\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

Lindsey snorted. \u201cGood question. I\u2019m not sure Luc could pick me out of a lineup right now. Especially not when she\u2019s showing off the kids.\u201d She nodded toward a woman with pendulous cleavage and luclicious tattooed in black script across her chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s never going to stop talking about that,\u201d I agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least you have your own fans. There\u2019s one very delectable man who hasn\u2019t taken his eyes off you. Your two o\u2019clock,\u201d she said, and I glanced casually over.<\/p>\n

He had dark skin and a shaved head, a sprinkling of goatee beneath his generous mouth. His eyes were wide set and deeply brown. There was a small crescent-shaped tattoo near the corner of his left eye.<\/p>\n

His gaze was direct, curious, and focused on me.<\/p>\n

I looked back at Lindsey, mouth open. \u201cHe is stunning.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded. \u201cSee? Fans of your own. As long as Ethan doesn\u2019t see him and beat him to a bloody pulp for staring at you, we\u2019re good. And even if he does,\u201d Lindsey said with a grin, stretching out one calf, then the other, \u201cyour backup fan club is right over there.\u201d She gestured to the Ombuddies, as we called Jeff and Catcher.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey aren\u2019t fans; they\u2019re family.\u201d Maybe not genetically, but certainly in spirit. And considering Catcher\u2019s yes, i hate everybody T-shirt, despite their personality quirks.<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides. They\u2019re on the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking of, any twinges?\u201d<\/p>\n

Vampires preferred to fight with katanas, and my own weapon had been tempered with my blood, giving me the ability to sense other weapons nearby. I\u2019d mentally calibrated my senses to ignore the hidden blades carried by the RG members, and thus far, the crowd was clean.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope,\u201d I said, scanning the bystanders, who smiled and snapped pictures. \u201cAll\u2019s well so far. Hopefully it will stay that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindsey snorted. \u201cDarling, we\u2019re vampires. It will definitely not stay that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

An unfortunate but valid point.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, runners,\u201d said the race director through his bullhorn. \u201cWe\u2019re less than a minute away from the start. Please get ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood luck,\u201d Lindsey, said, squeezing my arm. \u201cWe\u2019ll be right behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded. \u201cYou, too. Keep a sharp eye.\u201d<\/p>\n

She winked. \u201cThe sharpest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan joined us, retying his hair with a bit of leather cord, and we moved to the front of the pack of runners, who were stretching their hamstrings and turning at the waist to loosen up.<\/p>\n

He smiled at me, and I pushed down a bolt of lust that speared through me\u2014and kicked up my heart rate better than any warm-up session.<\/p>\n

Ethan leaned forward, elbows and knees bent. \u201cReady, Sentinel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways,\u201d I said with my own cocky grin. I rolled my shoulders, mirrored his stance, and prepared to move.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet set!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDinner will be poulet \u00e0 la bretonne,\u201d Ethan said, an obvious threat that I think involved French chicken.<\/p>\n

\u201cHot wings,\u201d I countered, and Ethan shuddered.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo!\u201d said the race director, and the shrill blare of an air horn filled the air.<\/p>\n

I pulled up every ounce of strength I could manage and jumped off the line, inching out steps ahead of Ethan and trucking it down the street. Vampire strength varied. Some vamps were superstrong and superfast; others were barely stronger than humans. Fortunately, I was both. And so was Ethan.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d decided to make an aggressive start, to push out and try to get an early lead on him. I had to hope I could keep up the pace and wouldn\u2019t run out of steam before the finish line.<\/p>\n

Two blocks down the road, I realized that might have been wishful thinking. He was taller than me, with longer legs, and as strong and fast as they came. He matched my pace, sidling alongside me with determined eyes and an easy smile.<\/p>\n

Boeuf bourguignon, Ethan silently said, activating the mental link between us.<\/p>\n

Tater Tot casserole, I challenged. He wouldn\u2019t beat me at that game. I was tall and trim from years of ballet and my vampire metabolism, but I knew food the way Ethan knew investments and European shoes. I could match him threat for threat without breaking a sweat.<\/p>\n

A good thing, as the run was accomplishing that pretty well. We moved like machines, each joint and muscle moving precisely and so quickly our bodies blurred.<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t see the rest of the pack, but I could hear them behind me\u2014the frontrunners bunched a few yards behind us, apparently content to let Ethan and me battle for the lead.<\/p>\n

And battle we did. He wasn\u2019t going to give me this win, or submit to a dinner of chip-laden casseroles or meats on sticks. But he hadn\u2019t made a weak vampire; I wasn\u2019t one to give up, either. I glanced at him, saw the sweat that beaded on his forehead, tightened my core, and moved. Even as I scanned the dark street for threats, I pushed forward.<\/p>\n

As a pseudo member of the House\u2019s guard corps, I trained every day, and I was pushing to inch ahead. Centimeter by centimeter, I took the lead, my blood pumping and heart pounding. Two feet, then three.<\/p>\n

Members of the CPD perched on motorcycles blocked intersections, waving and whistling as we passed. The blocks sped by, the concrete and glass of downtown Chicago, the cafes and tourist shops. Humans lined the streets, some curious to get a look at us, and some with nastier signs that claimed our appearance signaled the end of the world. Since vampires had lived among humans since the dawn of time, the logic was disappointingly faulty.<\/p>\n

We turned onto State, sped toward the Chicago River and then across the bascule bridge that crossed the road. Ethan was only a step behind me, probably on purpose, drifting in my wake to make his effort easier.<\/p>\n

But I wasn\u2019t interested in making it easier for him.<\/p>\n

One mile passed, then two, in much the same way. My legs began to heavy and tire, but I ignored it, pressed on, pushed harder. Maybe it was wrong or childish, but I wanted to win. I loved and respected Ethan, but tonight I wanted to beat him. I wanted to blow past him at the finish, triumph in my victory, and celebrate with food so fried, battered, and processed that it was hardly recognizable.<\/p>\n

We made our final turn onto the straightaway that led to the finish.<\/p>\n

Eyes trained on the arch, I narrowed my gaze, using every muscle in my body to propel my feet along, faster, faster, faster.<\/p>\n

But then I heard them, the fans screaming at the finish line. \u201cEthan! Ethan! Ethan!\u201d They were cheering for him, hoping for him to win. Waiting for him to win. He was their superstar.<\/p>\n

I wanted to beat him\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. but not nearly as much as they wanted him to win. My winning would be fun for me. His winning would be fun for all of them.<\/p>\n

I gave myself a moment to grumble, to accept that what I wanted\u2014to beat him well and thoroughly and make him eat midwestern casseroles until ranch dressing oozed from his pores\u2014wasn\u2019t anything I had to have.<\/p>\n

I could give him this win, a victory for him and his admirers. A boost for his ego and a solidification of their fandom. Human fans weren\u2019t something to take for granted. Although I could live without the fan fiction.<\/p>\n

But, I thought with a grin, while I could give him the victory, I was sure as hell going to make him work for it.<\/p>\n

And work he did. I pushed faster, increasing the pace, my feet pounding so quickly my toes went nearly numb. I heard his footsteps behind me, his fierce and labored breathing, the scent of his cologne rising from his warm and nimble body.<\/p>\n

I waited until we were five feet away\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. then dropped back a step. That was enough.<\/p>\n

Ethan snapped through the royal blue ribbon at the finish with me only steps behind him. The crowd erupted, cheering like the Cubs had won the pennant.<\/p>\n

Chest heaving, Ethan glanced back at me, eyebrow arched, a grin pulling up one corner of his mouth. His body gleaming with sweat, he was quite a sight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe I won,\u201d he said, all but beaming as he moved toward me, frantic women screaming his name. They might have been screaming\u2014and offering to give him children and undergarments\u2014but he kept walking toward me. In the bigger scheme of things, I had won.<\/p>\n

He pressed a kiss to my forehead. \u201cWell done, Sentinel. It was a good effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did my best,\u201d I said, hoping my humility seemed genuine. Because inside I was reveling in the fact that I probably could have beaten him. And that was an accomplishment all its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now I get to eat fancy French food I can\u2019t pronounce.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never as bad as all that,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll ask Margot for suggestions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Margot was the House\u2019s chef. \u201cNo snails,\u201d I said. \u201cOr anything with more than four legs. And nothing that resembles a spider.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour list is as curious as your palate,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I\u2019m sure she can come up with something interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations!\u201d said the race director, pumping our hands energetically before offering the race medals. The silver medals were shaped like the outline of Cadogan House, the ribbons wide navy blue grosgrain. I dropped my head while he placed the medal around my neck, then watched as he did the same to Ethan.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmazing show,\u201d he said, but looked chagrined. \u201cDo vampires keep records? I\u2019d have done an official tabulation if I\u2019d known\u2014that was just so fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo worries,\u201d Ethan said, glancing at the board that marked our final time. \u201cWe were fast. But there are faster vampires.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, in any event, damned impressive.\u201d He pumped Ethan\u2019s hand with enthusiasm. \u201cIf you decide you\u2019d like to train, make a run at them, I\u2019d be happy to work with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate that,\u201d Ethan said, and the director disappeared to greet the others who\u2019d crossed the finish line.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when I felt it: the telltale tingle of metal\u2014of a gun\u2014moving near us.<\/p>\n

\"flourish\"<\/p>\n

Order BLOOD GAMES now at\u00a0Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Barnes & Noble<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Books-A-Million<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0IndieBound<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Tantor<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Audible<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Note: \u00a0I am an Amazon affiliate and may earn a commission if you\u00a0buy goods\u00a0at\u00a0Amazon through\u00a0one of my links.<\/em><\/h6>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CHAPTER ONE Life in the Fast Lane Early March Chicago, Illinois He stood beside me as cameras flashed, a man with a long and lean body, deeply green eyes, and golden hair. He wore shorts, sneakers, and a long-sleeved shirt that snugged against the tight muscles of his torso. His hair, which normally brushed his[…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3506,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4750","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4750"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7566,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4750\/revisions\/7566"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}