Lost Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans #6.5) Read Free Page A

further along in her transformation. Her skin should have been flawless, yet everything about her was flawed.
    Sydney reached for a t-shirt and tugged it over her head. She slipped into a prairie skirt, and stole a glance at the woman she didn’t recognize. The tight fabric constricted her torso, showing her ribs. The weight loss only reminded her of how weak she was. She needed to drink more in order to recover.
    Sydney rummaged through her purse, looking for her keys. As she did so, she was reminded that she no longer had a badge or gun. Her superiors had told her she’d been placed on sick leave but she knew it was just a matter of time before they fired her. Only humans worked on the police force. Supernaturals worked for P-CAP: Paranormal City Alternative Police, an organization she’d grown to tolerate but hadn’t quite accepted. When she’d lived in Philadelphia, she and Anthony had worked with them on occasion on cases where human and supernatural crimes crossed paths.
    As a police officer, she’d never gone out without a weapon. She thought it ironic that as a vampire she should be stronger than any human, yet she was the most vulnerable she’d ever been in her life. She closed her bag, resigned to the fact that she’d have to go without protection. At this point, it mattered little. The only thing she needed where she was going was cash. As she made her way to the car, sneaking by Kade, she knew what she had to do, and the only way she could do it was alone.

    Sydney took a deep breath as she stepped onto the sidewalk. Gas lamps flickered overhead, their flames dancing to the bass that bled out into the street. The shuttered doors had been held back by brass hooks and eyes attached to the brick outer wall. Laughter spilled from a young couple exiting through the blue satin drapes that hung in the vestibule. A black wooden sign carved with gold calligraphy greeted patrons with a single word, Embo .
    It wasn’t as if Sydney hadn’t been to clubs that catered to humans and supernaturals, places that allowed them to share blood and sex. Both Philadelphia and New Orleans hosted establishments that fostered the symbiotic relationship. But Embo was special. It was the only place she knew that had been restricted to vampires and humans only. No other supernaturals were allowed entrance. Of greater interest to Sydney was the purist nature of the feeding arrangements. Every human who stepped foot inside had unequivocally given their consent as a donor. And every vampire knew it. More importantly for Sydney, it was the only place in New Orleans where they provided the kind of food she sought.
    Sydney grasped the curtain and pulled it aside. Her heart pounded against her ribs, the scent of incense in the air. A tall man dressed in a black suit fiddled with a reservation list, busily checking off names. She steeled her nerves as the maître d turned his attention to her.
    “Good evening, detective,” he said from behind a podium, not making a move to unchain the red velvet rope that stood in her way.
    “No detective here. You see a badge?” Sydney opened her arms wide.
    “Really, Miss Willows, then please tell me why you’re here,” he asked, a snobbish tone to his voice.
    “The same reason everyone else comes here.” Sydney resisted the urge to punch the arrogant ass as he rolled his eyes.
    “This is no place for someone like you. Unless you have official police business, I suggest you return to your car. I’d be happy to have someone escort you.”
    “I just want a drink. Nothing more, nothing less.”
    “No offense, but I’m aware you’re bonded to Mister Issacson. All of New Orleans is aware, as a matter of fact. There’s no way your fiancé would allow you to come here by yourself. Besides, all humans who come to our club are donors. You and I both know that you cannot be a donor to another vampire. Anyone who looks at you is as good as dead.”
    “Do you want me to call him? I’m sure he’d love