Elegant Black

by M. L. Bullock

  “Levi, I want you to meet my friends Alice and Tobias. They also witnessed your performance and insisted on meeting you. Shake their hands.” Rex sounded like he was talking to a child, but I obeyed him.

  “Okay.” I reached my hand out to the woman first. She seemed like the friendlier of the two, but I was wrong. As I looked more closely at her, I could see that her perfect beauty was marred by long fangs that sprang from her mouth, and she bit my hand like a rabid dog. I screamed in horror and snatched my hand away swearing and bleeding.

  “What the hell? Are you out of your mind?” I gripped my wound in an attempt to stop the blood from flowing.

  “This is the one, Rex. You made an excellent selection. I can taste the quality. He is the one we’ve been looking for.”

  The tall man stood in front of me, appraising me like someone who was thinking of buying a horse or dog—or something else. He silently sized me up and nodded to Rex, who immediately led me away.

  “You’ll be okay,” Rex soothed me. “In fact, I think if you check you will see that you are not injured at all.”

  I stopped and turned on him. “What is going on? Just look at my hand!” I held it up to him, but there was no wound there, only a tiny scar and a little bit of dried blood. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  “I have one question for you, Levi Wallace, just one. What are you willing to do to be a real star?”

  “Well, I’m not willing to be bit. That lady is crazy, and I know she bit me.” I rubbed my hand and stared at it. Even the scar was disappearing! What was happening here? More hallucinations?

  “Last chance, Levi. I’m offering you the opportunity to be something great, to be someone special. You can help me in ways that few would understand. I need you. I need your talent.”

  “Why me? I still think this is all a mistake.”

  “No mistake. Success is in your blood, if you will pardon the expression. All you have to do is say yes. Say yes and I will give you everything you have ever dreamed of. Money, fame, status. You’ll be a star. A real star on the highest stage in the world. Beside me.” I stepped back, feeling kind of dizzy at the ferocity of his words. He didn’t seem to notice and kept talking. “You’ll perform for hundreds—no, thousands—and you will always be by my side. Just say you’ll do it.” He gripped my shoulders and looked into my eyes. This guy wasn’t joking. He was offering me the world.

  “What about Lisa? I can’t go without her.” Forget the band. They would understand, but Lisa…I couldn’t leave her. What would it matter if I gained the whole world and lost my soul? Hey, where had I heard that before?

  “It’s a dangerous world I offer you. You want to bring such a flower?”

  “I can’t go without her. I won’t,” I said stubbornly.

  He grinned gleefully. “Then we have a deal. Both you and the lovely Lisa will be mine. Part of my entourage, so to speak.” He offered me his hand.

  “How can I say no to Rex Teaser?”

  “How can you?”

  I didn’t. Lisa and I woke up a few hours later. We were together in the grassy field behind the now-empty stage area. Had everyone left us? Good thing I drove my car. We didn’t talk about what happened, and by the time I got home I’d forgotten all about it.

  As if I was supposed to. Until now.

  Now I remembered everything.

  Chapter Twenty-One—Charles

  “I think we’re in luck. I know that guy. That’s Logan Michigan. Used to be a wrestler back in the day, but he’s been known to work a bar or two. Just keep quiet,” Jackson warned me.

  Keeping quiet wasn’t my strong suit, but I was on the edge of a major story. I was about to find out what was really happening here at Crush. Even to me it seemed that it must be a mistake. Could this all be a dream? Fat chance.

  Jackson held Naomi’s hand and she held mine as we pushed through a sea of people. Thankfully, we didn’t get bumped out of line or stabbed for our trouble. Jackson’s friend immediately recognized him and invited him to the door. After a brief yet friendly exchange, we were inside the club without having to cough up even a cover charge. Good for me because I didn’t have my wallet on me, but it all felt a little too easy.

  Not that I would ever get carded in this place. I soon realized that we were amongst the unusual and the strange creatures of the night. There were girls in fluorescent eyeshadow and some men in the same, and everyone wore high heels. It was like a scene out of…well, I couldn’t think what it was a scene out of. But it was dark in here. Not cheery and inviting like my favorite watering hole, Harvey’s Bar and Grill on Devon Street. This was not my scene at all, and I felt as if everyone here knew how uncomfortable I was…and they liked it.

  Jackson yelled at us over the music, “There, at the back. I see some stairs, and I just saw someone go down them. He’s got to be down there. Stay close.”

  His square jaw popped slightly, Naomi squeezed my hand again, and I continued to trail after them. As we descended deeper, I began to realize how accurate my initial assessment of the club attendees was. They were like some kind of demented crew with heavily painted eyes, wagging tongues and skimpy outfits. I was far from a prude, but some of this made me uncomfortable in ways I could not fully articulate. The farther we went, the more I believed that these were truly creatures and not just rambunctious kids out to have a good time. And they had unusual eyes, kind of like Debbie’s. There was a strange glow to some of them, or maybe that was just an illusion created by the black lights, but there were no black lights in this area. Hardly any lights at all except a flashing red light. We moved along until we stepped into almost pure darkness. Another set of steps sprawled out in front of us.

  “Exactly how big is this place?” I asked, but neither Naomi nor Jackson seemed to hear me. Naomi paused at the bottom of the stairs and fumbled in her pocket, pulling out the silver knife. As quick as lightning, she cut the inside of her palm.

  “What are you doing?” Jackson whispered.

  “Trust me. This will keep you safe.” Naomi had a kind of crazed look in her eyes. If we were really traveling through vampire country, why would she release the scent of blood into the air? Why in God’s name would she do that? And how were we getting so far into the place without anyone stopping us? We couldn’t be this lucky. At least I never could be. Something was badly wrong.

  “Naomi, what have you done?” Jackson reached for her hand, but she snatched it away and held it up so everyone could see it.

  “I want them to see it. I want them to smell me. It’s me, Jackie. It’s me they’ll want. I remember now. I remember what Virgil said. I know what it means. Let me lead the way.” Jackson couldn’t stop her, but then I began to realize the truth.

  We were walking into a trap. Before I could say so, before I could suggest it, I heard a man scream.

  “Levi!” Naomi shouted.

  She ran ahead of Jackson toward the sound of the scream. Someone was in agony. Could it be Levi, or was this another part of their sick trap? We chased her through an open door—an extremely large open door. A woman draped in purple came to challenge Naomi, but Naomi held up her hand and the purple-clad opponent faded away. As we stumbled around the candlelit room, my eyes fell on a new face. A beautiful, dead face. This woman was tall, taller than me, and she was dressed seductively in sheer black. She greeted me with a horrible leer, but as quick as a flash her smirk vanished.

  Not ten feet away, a scrawny man wrestled with Levi Wallace. The man spun around suddenly and launched himself from the ground in our direction. That creature was none other than Rex Teaser, lead singer of the Black Knights. With a scream, Naomi raced toward him, the knife raised high above her. Jackson was yelling and chasing her. That left me alone with the woman, who began to circle me. Her menacingly long fingernails scratched at the air around me, she flared her nostrils, and deep gurgling erupted from her throat. With oversized teeth glistening in the half-light, she stepped toward me. All I could do was use the only we
apon I had. My big mouth.

  Think, Charles! Think, damn it!

  “Now wait a minute. Don’t get carried away, lady. I’m Charles Coleman, I’m a reporter. You should know the cops are on their way.” That was the wrong thing to say. A wind blasted through the room, blowing out half of the flickering candles. The door slammed behind me, a sound that surprised the woman in black. To my left was a metal candlestick, which I grabbed with both hands and swung like a bat at her. I didn’t strike her, though, and she easily stepped out of the way. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the struggle beside me. Naomi had the knife in her hand, but Rex Teaser had Jackson on the floor; from the sound of it, Jackson had been bitten. Or something equally horrible.

  “Levi! Get up now!” A terrible sound of screaming and cursing exploded around me, and I swung the candlestick again, but the woman was gone. What the hell? I spun around and found her standing just a few inches behind me. How did she do that? Her fingernails dug into my face, and I swung the stick again; this time I landed a blow, but she merely laughed at my lucky strike.

  “Pitiful, pitiful man. You will die now.”

  I swung again but became keenly aware that we were not alone in this room. The walls had eyes. I thought earlier that it was glitter, but I could see now that it was eyes. Glittery, blue eyes watching us. Some of those eyes came to life, and black shadows stepped out of the inky walls. They were all around us. We were never going to escape. I glanced toward Naomi just in time to see the silver knife sliding in my direction. She had raised it again to stab Rex, who was clearly bleeding but defended the blow with his arm and sent the blade skittering across the ground.

  The woman’s eyes met mine, and we both glanced at the silver blade. I would only have one chance to go for it and then perhaps half a chance of actually delivering the blow that would kill her. If it worked. What were the odds that I’d get two lucky blows in one day?

  Slim and none, but it was the only chance I had.

  I heaved the heavy candlestick in her direction and flung myself toward the blade, gripping it with both hands as if it were a mighty sword and not just a flimsy silver knife. No matter how flimsy it was, the woman in black clearly feared it—no doubt because it was nearly pure silver. She squirmed away from me as she called on her protégé to do her bidding.

  “Rex! Kill him now! Kill him now, my beautiful Prince.”

  Naomi was sobbing and trying to drag Levi off the ground. Jackson was on his feet again but staggering like a drunk. There was no way we were all getting out of here alive, and now the two vampires— at least the two that weren’t lingering in the shadows—were both focused on me.

  At the far end of the room, I could see a small sliver of light. Someone had opened an unseen door. A few of the creatures streaked and moved away from the light, making pitiful sounds as they fled. The door didn’t open any farther, but it was open enough for me to see that this was the way out.

  And there was no chance in heaven or hell that I was going to make it.

  “Run! Run now!” I screamed at Naomi as Alice and Rex moved toward me with deadly speed. Rex’s eyes were completely glowing now; he was going to kill me slowly, he promised. I could hear his voice in my head, perfectly, even down to the British accent.

  I swung the blade and watched my own sad ending in slow motion. By some strange illusion, the blade left a trail of sparks behind it, but it never delivered the blow I hoped for. I intended to strike again but didn’t have the opportunity to put the thoughts together, to move my hand, to will it to happen.

  It would never happen now.

  Briefly, I saw Debbie Wallace beside me, her face sad.

  And then I didn’t see anything at all.

  Epilogue—Levi

  Naomi wouldn’t get out of the car, and I didn’t have it in me to push the issue. Her bandaged hands and scratched face tugged on my heart, despite my best efforts to feel nothing at all for anyone. Jackie eyed me from the rearview mirror and reminded me that we only had a few minutes. The sun would be going down in a few hours. It wouldn’t be safe here. I wasn’t sure that where we were going would be any safer. I always knew I would leave Eugene Springs, but I never thought it would be like this.

  Not without Debbie. Not without Lisa.

  Lisa, forgive me.

  I climbed out of the car and strolled toward the gravestone. I snagged a cluster of flowers off someone else’s marker and hurried toward Debbie’s final resting place. We’d been in seclusion for weeks at Jackie’s late grandfather’s fishing camp—we couldn’t even be here at the cemetery when Debbie was buried—but the Frenzied had found us. And they were coming for all of us. The red ribbon tied to the front door of the cabin was a sure sign. It had to be. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were watching us. Even now. I wasn’t sure that leaving would make any difference, but I had to try, at least for Naomi. But I had to say goodbye first. I had to.

  No way was I going empty-handed to visit Debbie, and she wouldn’t mind stolen flowers. In fact, if she were here on this side of the grass, she would think my offering was pretty darn funny. That’s how I had to remember her. Always smiling, forever laughing at my stupid antics. My eyes felt damp behind my sunglasses as the sun cast its rays on me. It was unseasonably warm today. I arrived at the gravestone too quickly because I didn’t have a clue what I was going to say to her. I love you? I’m sorry? None of those ridiculous, hokey expressions would be enough. I fell to my knees and arranged the yellow daisies on the ground. My fingers dug in the soil as the weight of it all hit me. Debbie would never smile again. My shoulders slumped forward, and my sunglasses fell in the dirt as I wept over my sister’s grave.

  “You didn’t deserve what happened to you. You didn’t deserve any of it, Deb. I wish it was me! I want it to be me!” I cried for what seemed like an eternity. Then soft footsteps came up behind me and an arm went around my shoulder. A small, frail arm. Naomi! She pulled my head toward her chest with her bandaged arm, and together the two of us cried.

  “We have to let her go, Levi. I know you don’t want to—neither do I—but I’m not going to lose you too. I can’t. Please, we have to go. I can’t protect you here, and they’ll wake up soon. All of them. We’ve been on borrowed time. Come away, Levi.”

  “I can’t leave her. It’s not right that we leave her.”

  “The Frenzied took her from us, but we’ll make them pay. I swear we will.” A sudden chilly wind blew around us, and then it faded as if it had never brushed our skin. Yes, they were close. “There is nothing they can do to her anymore—you can’t protect her now, Levi. She’s beyond our reach.”

  I wasn’t ready to leave yet, but Jackie’s automobile was easing up the gravel drive. Time was running out. Naomi took my hand and stood up. “We have to leave, Levi. We have to leave now.”

  “Lisa is still out there. She has to be. After all this, she has to be.”

  “As long as you are alive, as long as we are alive, we will go on looking for her. But if you die, she doesn’t have any hope at all.”

  “Do you think she’s alive? Is it possible?”

  “I do. I think they know how important she is to you. So they’ll keep her alive, for a little while.” Whether she believed those words or not, I was grateful for them. “Please, it’s time to go.” Naomi picked up one of the daisies and laid it on top of the granite marker. “I love you, baby girl. I will always love you.” With that she walked away and left me alone with Debbie.

  I still couldn’t think of anything remarkable to say, and I didn’t know if she could hear me anyway. But in case she could, I whispered, “I’ll see you soon, Chipmunk Cheeks. I love you, Deb.” I did the same thing as Naomi—I picked up a flower and placed it on the marker, then retrieved my sunglasses from the dirt and turned away.

  It was then that I caught the voice on the breeze. Don’t call me that…

  I paused and didn’t struggle against the surge of joy I felt. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was the cl
osest thing to peaceful I’d been in so long. I felt Debbie around me, beside me, laughing. Happy. Free. In that moment and for as long as it lasted, I couldn’t see the images that the Frenzied had burned into my brain. The mystery girl, Vanessa, vanishing into a sea of screaming shadows, Coleman’s desperate face as the door closed between us, Rex’s teeth in my throat. For a moment, the pain of it all left me. Debbie’s sweet fragrance surrounded me, and I stood in the sunshine and let the light wash over me.

  Run, Levi…

  And then she was gone, and along with her, the momentary peace.

  I grabbed at the air trying my best to recapture the love I felt, but it eluded me and Debbie vanished like a dried leaf on a windy day. Something, some power beyond me—a good one—carried her far away from me. I walked back to the car. Had I ever been so alone?

  Putting my glasses back on, I climbed in the car.

  Naomi was right. As long as I lived, there would be someone looking for Lisa. I would find her one day. I would find her and bring her home, and then maybe I would be worthy of the fleeting peace I felt. Maybe then I would get lost in it forever.

  Yeah, I was going to bring Lisa home.

  Or die trying.

  Read ELEGANT DEATH

  Book Two of THE VAMPIRES OF ROCK AND ROLL Series

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