by Nicky Graves
Larue hugged me. “Stay safe. I’ll go over and talk to Ranger.”
“Make sure Mom doesn’t hear you.”
“I’m not an idiot.”
“I know. Thank you. I’ll check in with you when it’s safe.”
I shifted instead of saying goodbye. I had hoped it would be years before I had to say goodbye to friends and family. But maybe this was it. Maybe this was my time to leave for good.
My stomach clenched as uncertainty racked me.
Shifting to a New York City sidewalk, I glanced up at a building’s dark windows. Lawson had brought me here. For whatever reason, he kept this studio even though he had a pod in the dead zone. And while his pod was filled with furniture and his personal items, the only thing in this apartment was a punching bag and ancient plumbing.
It never made sense to me why Lawson would keep it, but right now, I was relieved. If the elders were looking for me, they’d check my usual places first. I doubted they’d look here.
I might be safe for a day or two as I figured out what to do, but then I would need to move on. And, hopefully, I could leave a message for Lawson.
Shifting up to his apartment, I let my eyes adjust to the darkness. It was exactly as I remembered. Empty except for the punching bag.
Tossing my backpack on the floor, I lay down and propped my head up on the bag. It was uncomfortable, but so was the entire situation.
12
The next day I had a plan. Well, it wasn’t a well-thought-out plan. And it bordered on idiocy. But it was a plan. And it was better than hiding in an empty apartment all day. Still, I wondered at my chance of pulling it off.
Shifting from the studio, I went to a Chicago alley near the hospital. This was the place I had originally met Vance. I needed to find him. He had answers.
The alley’s stench was just as I remembered. Foul.
Several homeless people sat in the alley. I began asking around, trying to find anyone who might know Vance. No one did. I figured that was because the people who did meet Vance didn’t live long.
One person ran when I asked him if he knew Vance. I was about to follow him when I heard a door slam behind me. I glanced around to find a rusted metal door deep in the alleyway. Did someone just try to hide?
But why?
I hurried over to the door and yanked it open. Peering into the darkness, I listened for sounds. Something moved inside, and I had a flashback to the spider.
What lurked in the darkness?
I wished I had thought to bring a flashlight. Unless . . .
I held out my hand, thinking about the blue ball of light that Treble had once made. A spark ignited on my hand and then went out. With a calming breath, I tried again. This time the spark held and even grew into a flame. It wasn’t what I was going for, but it might work. However, every time I tried to make the flame larger, so I could see something beyond my hand, it fizzled.
If I was Azrael, this flame would burn bright. Then again, if I was Azrael, I wouldn’t be sneaking around in alleyways. I would have the elders cowering in fear for their actions against me. It wasn’t the first time I compared myself to Azrael and came up short.
The anger of my own shortcomings brewed inside of me, fueling the flame. The blue light grew stronger, and I could see inside.
But after my first glimpse of the interior, I wanted the flame to extinguish.
This was not a place that welcomed anyone, let alone intruders. The entry was filled with old leaves and caked-on dirt. Paint peeled off the walls in patches. The ceiling bowed, making me wonder, if I sneezed, would it collapse?
And what was that smell?
The stench had me gagging. It was rancid. Did something die in there? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to find out.
Hesitantly, I stepped in and walked slowly down the narrow corridor. The floorboards flexed like a sponge under each step. Like the stench, the floor was rotten as well.
I reached an interior door that was partially opened. Slowly, I nudged it open wide enough to let me sneak through into a living room that was in the same condition as the entryway.
The furniture was vintage Victorian and in rough shape. The fabric on the couches and chairs was shredded, spilling stuffing on the floor. Some were missing legs and were propped up by bricks and moldy books. Thick, dusty curtains hung on the window, blocking the light.
No sunlight and the stench of death. It seemed like I was in the right spot to look for vampires.
“I’m looking for Vance,” I said, not wanting to wander farther into the house. “Does anyone know where he is?”
When I didn’t get an answer right away, I feared I would have to continue my search. I had never been a fan of haunted houses, and this place had a creep factor a thousand times worse. The last thing I needed was a blood-hungry vampire jumping out at me.
“I’m only looking for Vance,” I said. “Just give me information and I’ll leave.”
“You smell like death,” a scratchy voice said.
I looked around for the source but didn’t see anyone. “You’re judging me on smells?” I asked.
“You’re not welcome here, reaper.”
“Right now, I’m not welcome in most places,” I said. “Do you know Vance?”
No answer.
“Listen, he set me up. All I’m looking for are a few answers.”
I turned in a circle, trying to find the source of the voice.
“He’s working with the demons,” I continued. “I’m pretty sure vampires and demons don’t get along.” I truly had no idea. But I assumed vampires and demons didn’t play nicely with anyone.
“Demons?” the voice asked.
“A guy named MacLean. But that might have been an alias.”
A sprinkle of plaster fell down on me. I looked up to find an impossibly thin man clinging to the ceiling. Long, oily dark hair clung to the side of his face and around his neck. Frayed yellowed cloth covered in dried blood draped around him.
His eyes glittered red.
He hissed.
I hurried out from under him and eyed him, trying not to let my fear show. But everything about this guy was high on the creep scale.
“I should go.”
He hissed again, showing not only his fangs but filed teeth as well. His entire mouth was like that of a shark. This guy wasn’t even a step up from a wild animal. And that made me wonder if he would even know Vance. Vance was a scoundrel, but at least he was clean and walked on two feet instead of clinging to the ceiling like a bat.
I suspected my blood wasn’t as repulsive to this guy as it was to Vance.
“You walked in here of your own free will,” he said with a grin that showed more pointy and rotten teeth. “Here you will remain.”
“Or you could just tell me where I can find Vance,” I said as I backed toward the door.
He tracked my movements, inching his way closer as I inched my way back.
The flame in my hand flickered. I glanced at it and wondered why it would do that. Maybe my concentration was divided between it, the repulsive creature, and escaping. But it flickered again, and I realized it wasn’t my concentration. I was growing fatigued from keeping the light burning.
But it was just a light. Surely I could handle it.
Then the light sputtered, nearly extinguishing.
The creature grinned wider.
I ran for it, making it to the door only to run into a solid object.
“Long way from home, little bite.”
I stepped back to find Vance blocking my path. His jaw was set in a hard line.
While I had come to Chicago with the mission of finding him, now was not the time. Not when my energy was draining. When my light sputtered again, he raised a brow.
“Once again, you’re in over your head,” he said.
The creature crawled above me. I was trapped between two vampires. And, of course, my light chose to go out right then. I attempted to start it again, but there was nothing but a halfhearted
spark.
13
Attempting to push Vance out of my way proved futile. My strength against Vance was as useful as a bicycle stopping a freight train.
It didn’t help that we were plunged into darkness. I couldn’t make out anything. But I could hear the sound of the creature as he let go of his hold on the ceiling and dropped behind me. His caustic breath gusted along my neck.
I surged forward, only to be stopped by Vance again.
“Let go!” I demanded.
“What did you expect to happen when you walked into a vampire’s home?” Vance asked.
Shoving forward, I tried to free myself, but his hands clamped on my arms.
The creature’s claws dug into my shoulder. I groaned in pain as the scent of metallic blood assaulted me.
Vance let go, releasing me to the creature.
The creature made a noise of delight right before it screamed in agony. His body crashed into mine. We tumbled to the floor, his body pinning me down.
And then the weight was gone.
What the hell was happening?
A beam of light hit me square in the eyes. I winced as I put up my hand to shield my face.
“Not fun getting blinded by light, is it?” Vance questioned.
He moved the light away so that I could see.
“Where did he go?” I asked, not seeing the creature.
Vance grabbed my arm and tugged me up. “Time to go.”
He opened the door and shoved me outside, then he slammed the door closed.
While I was thankful to be out of the building and away from the creature, I still wanted answers from Vance. But did I dare go back inside?
I tested the door to find it was locked.
Pounding on the door, I yelled, “Vance, open up! I need answers! Vance!” I listened for a moment, but I didn’t hear anything. “Vance, I need to know who hired MacLean to set me up. I can’t return home, and I can’t go to the dead zone. Treble is missing. I need answers!”
I stared at the door, willing it to open. Willing him to talk to me. Vance was my only hope at the moment.
“Vance! I’m not leaving until I get answers. You owe me that!”
The door whipped opened. “I don’t owe you anything. Get the hell out of here before you attract attention.”
“The homeless guy in this smelly alley is too drunk to care.”
“I don’t mean him.”
“Then who?”
“Go home.”
“I can’t, because of you. I have no home. Who hired MacLean and why?”
“Find your answers elsewhere.”
“Where? You’re my only link.”
“Not the only link. Your stepdaddy Ranger has ties to demons. Make him help.”
“I’m hoping he is helping, but I don’t know for sure. I can’t get in touch with anyone without putting everyone at risk.”
“So you came here and put me at risk.”
“You’re a vampire with no morals. So, yeah, I’m okay with putting you at risk.”
“Is this how you ask for a favor?”
He attempted to swing the door closed, but I blocked it with my foot. It bounced back, and he glared at me.
“Careful,” he warned. “Or I might think you want to come in here and let me finish where Bernard left off.”
“Bernard? That’s that creepy guy’s name?”
“He wasn’t always creepy. Now, for the last time, go—”
Vance stopped.
His gaze flashed to something behind me.
I glanced back to find three men standing in the shadows of the alley. Where did they come from?
Whoever they were, Vance didn’t like them. His eyes glittered red as he snaked his arm around me, pulling me inside.
“Mine,” he said in a threatening tone right before he slammed the door and locked it.
We were plunged back into darkness.
He let go of me and cursed. “I told you to go away. You should have listened to me.”
“Who were those guys?”
“Vampires who think they own the city,” he said, his voice moving away from me. “Are you coming or just going to stand there all day?”
“I can’t see anything.”
Vance cursed again. I heard a door open and close, and then a beam of light illuminated the dirty floor. “Here,” he said, handing me a flashlight. “Try not to blind me with it.”
He walked through the corridor and living room, then past a kitchen that didn’t have appliances but did have a ton of dried blood. I hurried out of there and followed Vance up a staircase. While I didn’t want to venture farther into this nightmare house, I did have questions for him. I also didn’t want to go back on the street to fend off three vampires.
So, I followed, hoping to buy myself time.
At the top of the worn stairs he pushed open a door. I was sure there would be more horrors lying beyond the claw-marked door, but it opened to a wide living room with gleaming wood floors. He flipped on a light, which bathed the room in a dim warm glow.
I turned off the flashlight and put it down on a small table near the door.
The comfortable furniture was new, not like the old broken stuff on the first floor. And there was no foul odor. In fact, it smelled clean.
Vance continued his path, turning on a light in a room beyond the living room. I followed him to find a large kitchen. There was no spot for a stove, but there was a double-wide refrigerator. I wondered why a vampire would need such a large refrigerator. I really hoped he didn’t store people in there.
I shivered.
He opened a pale wood drawer and pulled out a washcloth. He tossed it to me. “Clean your shoulder.”
I glanced at my shoulder to see it was bleeding. Since Vance’s eyes were still brown, I assumed my reaper blood still offended his delicate vampire palate.
As I walked over to the sink, he pulled out a glass and then opened the refrigerator. I didn’t hide the fact that I was spying on him and watched as he selected a pint-sized bag filled with red liquid. Blood. He tore it open and filled the glass.
No bodies.
After he took a full drink of it, he eyed me. “I only have water for you if you’re thirsty.”
“I’m fine. Where did you get all the blood?”
“Blood bank. I have a friend on the inside that I pay.”
“I saw that in a TV show once,” I said.
“Where do you think I got the idea?” he muttered. “Just clean up.”
He downed the rest of the glass.
I tried not to shudder, but the whole drinking blood thing was disgusting even though he was being civilized while doing so. Much better than the guy downstairs.
He glared at the washcloth still in my hands. “I’m serious. Clean up”
“Does my blood bother you?” I asked. “I thought I didn’t smell good.”
“It’s like eating cheeseburgers all of your life and then going to an ethnic buffet. It’s just different. And there are some who have acquired the taste.”
“I smell like a buffet?”
“Don’t be an idiot,” he said, and then he walked out.
I turned on the faucet and let the water dampen the washcloth. Slipping my shirt to the side, I inspected the gouge mark Bernard had made. It wasn’t horrible. But it did sting when I dabbed the blood away.
I held the washcloth down on my skin for a moment and then lifted it off. New blood didn’t pool up on the wound, so I figured I’d be okay. In fact, it looked as if the wound might already be getting smaller. Perhaps it was the accelerated healing. Lawson had healed rather quickly considering his heart had been ripped out. A small flesh wound like mine would be nothing compared to that.
While I didn’t want to take my chances with the vampires outside, I was still leery of Vance. He had turned on me a couple of times. But then he saved my butt with Bernard. I couldn’t get a good reading on him. And until I did, I’d make sure not to let my guard down.
Rin
sing out the washcloth, I placed it on the edge of the sink and returned to the living room. I found Vance sitting on the couch with his feet kicked up on the coffee table.
His surly gaze was directed at me.
“Is this your place?” I asked. “I thought you lived in the dead zone.”
“I have a place in both. But Lawson has been on my ass because of you, so I stay here most of the time recently. And don’t think you can hide out here.”
I laughed. “Do you seriously think I want to spend time with you? Just tell me what I want to know and I’m gone.”
“I don’t know anything.”
“Why did you help MacLean? Is that even his name?”
“I don’t know his name, but it’s not a secret I don’t like reapers. He asked for a favor in return for a stash of blood.”
“I was traded for blood?”
“I was running low. And had I known it was to lure you there, I would have never agreed.”
“Why?”
He groaned. “Don’t get any female ideas of chivalry. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Chivalry?”
“Girls always turn simple actions into some romantic idea. You’re Lawson’s headache. And he can bloody well keep you.”
“I can guarantee that I have no romantic notions running through my small female mind, especially for you. I was given a thousand-year prison sentence, and Treble is MIA. I want to know what’s going on.”
“I don’t know what’s going on. I keep my nose out of reaper politics. And for good reason.”
“What reason?” I said, sitting across from him on a chair. I crossed my arms, which he seemed to find amusing as the corners of his mouth kicked up into a small smile.
“First, there is the whole Grim Reaper thing. I’m not tangling with Azrael. Then there are the elders who gave a simpleton a life stone of immense power.”
“I’m not a simpleton.”
“Debatable. And now the demons are involved.”
“Why do you think they’re getting involved?”
“Demons only pick sides if there’s something in it for them.”
“Like what?”
He shrugged. “I have a theory.”
“And?” I asked. Seriously, it was like trying to pull information from Boomer.