by Avery Kloss
Maven reached out to touch me. “I can feel you, but I can’t see you. Oh, my God. That’s so wild! Wow! I can’t even see you.”
“I told you.”
“You can just do that at will?”
“Not always, but maybe if I practice I’ll be able to.”
“That’s incredible. You could like … walk into a bank and steal all their money.”
“I’m not using this gift to pursue a life of crime.”
“I just can’t believe it.”
“You said you found out something. Remember we talked about Suzie and the house. You’ve been hard to find lately. Why haven’t you been in school?”
“I was there. I’m just … laying low. I’m not feeling all that sociable lately. I did find out a little. There were a couple of deaths in 1978, Suzie being one of them.” She frowned. “This is too weird. Is there anyway you can come back to being Brie?”
“Yeah.” I twisted the ring around my finger, willing myself to be seen again. My arms began to appear and then fingers and legs and feet. “Is that better?”
“That’s just … so … unbelievable. I can’t get over it. You should keep that to yourself.”
“I know. I don’t want to be kidnapped by the government and used as a spy or whatever.” I sat on the bed. “Okay, so people died in 1978.”
“Um … some woman named Crystal Flake died too. They said it was an animal attack.”
“Unlikely.”
“Vampires.”
I nodded. “I saw someone in my yard over the weekend. She was wandering around pouring salt or something. I spoke to her. Her name’s Anna Flake. She said Crystal was her grandmother. She died pretty young, though, so I don’t know if they ever met.”
“Pouring salt?” She made a face. “Witchcraft.”
“Yeah.”
“You sure do attract all the … supernatural freaks. Each and every one of them.”
“Why is that? What the heck is going on?”
25
Doctor Walker picked mom up on Friday night, the two planning on dinner and a movie. I glanced out the window as his car disappeared down the drive, and then I sprang to action a moment later. Since it was nearly dark, I planned to embark on a somewhat dangerous mission—a mission of mercy for Maven. Using my newfound cloaking ability, I would go to the Bad Bone Biker Bar and enter in stealth so see what I could find out about Maven’s sister, Reese.
With that in mind, I hurried to get ready. I wore jeans and sneakers, with a sweater and jacket. Mom left the car keys on the table in the kitchen. I glanced at the golden ring on my finger and smiled.
“It’s you and me tonight. I hope you don’t fail me. It’ll be real awkward being seen by a pack of blood-hungry vampires. I hope there isn’t a time limit on this.” Something thumped over my head, the sound coming from my bedroom. “Is that you, Suzie?”
Not wanting to waste another moment, I grabbed a jacket in the entrance hall, and left the house a moment later. I planned to park near the bar and walk the rest of the way. Traffic was light at this time of the evening. A few trucks roared down the freeway, although I did not travel on it long, taking the appropriate off ramp. I parked a ways from the establishment, the last vestiges of sunset fading into darkness. Despite the chill, I felt damp under my arms, my nerves getting the better of me.
“You can do this, Brie.” I took a few deep breaths, debating whether or not I really wanted to put myself in danger again. I’d had a small taste of what it might be like to be eaten alive, worried now that even though I was invisible, they could still smell me. “One way to find out, I guess.” I withdrew the keys, and pocketed them. “Here we go.” I twisted the ring around my finger, thinking about not being seen. “I want to be invisible. Make me invisible.” A tingly sort of feeling rippled through me, which made the end of my nose numb. Glancing in the rear-view mirror, I could not see my face. “Wow. That’s so amazing. It worked!” Looking into my lap, I saw nothing other than the leather seat. “Time to get this show on the road.”
A few cars drove by at high speeds, the sounds of the highway an ever-present noise, louder than the crickets in the underbrush. A few yards away, I spied the lights of the bar through the branches of the trees, the parking lot filled with various vehicles. Two men smoked near the front door.
I prayed for courage, and held my breath, as I approached the door. A man there checked ID cards. He examined a woman’s driver’s license, just as I slipped in behind him, no one seeing me. Once inside, it took a moment to adjust to the dimness, the sound of music blaring from hidden speakers. People drank and played pool, while a woman laughed at the bar. I glanced at the patrons, particularly interested in the undead ones, determining who lived and who … was a vampire.
The bartender’s human. The guy at that table, not so much.
In a darkened environment, the vampires blended in well, their stark white skin not as noticeable through the haze of cigarette smoke. They dressed like everyone else, but, if you looked closely, they appeared a little too flawless. Vampires were almost model perfect, with redder lips, and … a sort of animal magnetism that rendered them more interesting than the average person.
No one noticed me, as I passed through the room, not one head turned in my direction. I caught various conversations, one woman admitting she was far too drunk to drive. I stood by the bar and eyed the room leisurely, entirely invisible.
“How bout another beer, Clive.”
The bartender looked at the man. “I thought you said you were done? We just closed your account.”
“Changed my mind. I’ll have another.”
“You want draft or bottle?”
“Draft, thanks.” He left a few bills on the polished concrete counter.
I ventured from there, but paused at a table of men, one of them a vampire. They spoke on a variety of topics, from politics to gun control, all of them agreeing the latter was a lousy idea. I waited patiently to hear a few keywords, like Maven’s sister’s name or if they might have a secret room here. When the conversation died, I worked my way back to the bar, and contemplated a trip down the hallway.
A man entered the establishment, several sets of eyes drifting to him. I recognized him at once, feeling an odd thrill at his appearance, although I knew he wasn’t human. Gabe had arrived for the evening. He strode past the tables, his dark eyes drifting over the room. Wearing a leather jacket and jeans, he appeared exactly like everyone else, but the beauty of his face betrayed him.
“How’s it going?” he asked, glancing at Clive.
“Busy, Boss. What can I get you?”
“A pretty brunette with long hair and blue eyes.”
“I’m afraid we don’t have that behind the bar, sir.”
He stood more than a foot away from me, and smiled at the bartender. In the smoky environment that smelled of cigarettes, beer, and leather, he did not seem to perceive my presence. I held my breath, terrified he would realize I stood there.
“No pretty brunettes?” A crooked smile made Gabe appear even younger. “I didn’t think you did, but it was worth a try.”
“Hello, Mr. Murray,” said a woman, her perfume heavy in the air. “How’s your night?”
“It’s just getting started.” He eyed her glass, with the wine sloshing around. It nearly spilled over the rim. “Would you like to sit down?”
I had to move quickly, lest she realize someone stood there. Inching along the wall, I felt something behind my head, a large framed mirror. I held deathly still, and hoped it did not fall to the floor.
The woman slid onto a stool. “Don’t mind if I do.” She eyed him expectantly. “Will you be joining me?”
“I’d love to, but I’ve some paperwork to catch up on. You enjoy your evening.” He glanced at Clive. “If you need me, you know where I am.”
“Yes, Boss.”
As he walked by me, he paused and sniffed. I feared he might realize I stood there, so I lowered to the floor and crawled on my hands
and knees, nearly bumping into a man. Terrified I had been found out, I sprang to my feet, running for the dance floor, mingling with strangers, while casting a worried glance over my shoulder. Gabe eyed the room judiciously, a hardened gleam in his eye. Sniffing again, he appeared confused for a moment, shaking his head. He left then, and headed for the hallway where his office and the bathrooms were.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I nearly collided with a dancing couple. I inched towards the bar again, where a man and woman arrived to get a drink. As I slipped into the hallway, laughter rang out from the partially open bathroom door. Worried now that Gabe knew I was here, I approached his office cautiously, the door ajar. Peering inside, I found him alone, although a man came forward, which startled me. I stepped aside in the nick of time, my back pressed to the wall, while he disappeared into the office.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Somebody needs to monitor Clive’s pour levels.” He glanced at the computer. “We’re blowin’ through booze like it’s New Years, and there’s an asteroid coming.”
The man snorted. “This is a bar. That’ll happen.”
“Not at that rate.” Slouching in the chair, Gabe appeared somewhat detached. “Eh, it doesn’t matter anyway.” He closed the laptop, and toyed with a pencil on the desk. “Need to do inventory tonight, but I don’t have the will.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Then there’s feeding our little pet. She’s awake, I presume?”
“She is.”
“All the things I hate about newborns.” He tossed the pencil aside, staring blandly at nothing in particular. “Find someone really drunk, for the obvious reasons.”
“I’m aware of what needs to be done, Gabe. Is something else bothering you?”
“I thought … I thought I smelled her.”
“Smelled who?”
“A lovely little distraction.”
“The girl at Ravon Manor? I thought you said you were letting this one go?”
“I should.” He appeared thoughtful. “There’s something I’ve neglected to mention, Miller. It’s about the girl, young woman would be more accurate, actually.”
“And what’s that?”
“She was here the other night. You were off getting our little dove a snack, while I discovered her in the bar.”
“Is she twenty-one?”
“No, but that’s not the issue.”
“An underage girl in a bar is a big issue, if you wish to keep your liquor license.”
He ignored that, saying, “You know how I saved her from certain death.”
“Which I thought was foolish, yes.”
“She’s encountered the ghost. Suzie’s meddling in her life for some reason. To make a long story short, she’s able to … disappear into thin air.”
“What?”
“Like the Invisible Man, disappear.”
Laughter filled the room. “That’s not possible. I’ve never—never in my three-hundred years of existence heard of something like that.”
“It’s true,” he said starkly. “I saw it with my own eyes, so did Dougray, Felix, and Sean. They saw it.”
“Mortals don’t have those powers.”
“She’s not … entirely human any longer.” His gaze remained fixed. “I’d give my eyeteeth to get into that house. That blasted witch put a spell on it.”
“And you think the answers are hidden somewhere in the manor?”
“That’s where Suzie is.”
“She’s no longer alive, Gabe. You need to let go of the past. I’ve told you this many times before. It’s like talking to a wall. Your obsession with the woman is disturbing.”
“She was the only one I … ever gave two straws about.”
“And look what that got her!”
He glared at the man. “Which is why I need to set things right.”
“It’s not possible. You said so yourself.”
“But Brie has this ability that we’ve not even begun to discover how to use effectively. The possibilities are promising.”
“And that’s your only interest in the girl?”
“In the young woman,” he corrected. “Beautiful young woman. There’s something so fresh and appealing about her. I’ve been working the bar too long, surrounded by drunks, morons, and women who … are not so pure of heart.”
“This is worse than I thought.”
Gabe got to his feet. “I don’t need you psychoanalyzing me. After 116 years on this earth, I’ve no interest in changing. You’d be wasting your time.” He patted the man on the shoulder. “We’ll discuss it further later. Let’s feed the little pet, shall we?”
“I’ll look for the drunkest patron,” he laughed.
“That should be easy.”
26
They brought forth a drunken man, Gabe and Miller escorting him to a door. I followed them into a storage room, with shelves that spanned the walls, filled with boxes and bottles of alcohol. Miller pulled on a shelf, which moved away, revealing a secret doorway. I never would have discovered this on my own.
“There we are,” said Gabe. “Please, after you.” He smiled, although it failed to reach his eyes.
“Is this the bathroom?” slurred the man. He had spilled something on his shirt, the material damp. “I gotta take a leak.”
“Oh, you will. Just a little detour first. It won’t take more than a second.” He all but shoved him through the doorway, shooting Miller an annoyed look. “Remind me never to do this again. It’s the most tedious thing.”
He chuckled, “You shouldn’t have let Serena feed on her.”
“She wasn’t supposed to drain her entirely. She’s been punished for her disobedience, but the damage has been done.”
Worried about being sniffed out, I waited for them to disappear, which they did a moment later. I approached the door with caution, and listened to the voices down the stairs. A pungent aroma filled my lungs, the smell like rotting meat. I need not worry about them sniffing me out, the stench overpowering. With a hand to my nose and mouth, I hurried after them, the stairs creaky beneath my feet.
The basement revealed more storage, with shelves against brick walls and a concrete floor. Furniture stood stacked in one corner, while an old jukebox occupied another. Crates and boxes littered the space, with several kegs of beer. The men disappeared into a room, where I listened at the door, my hand around the knob. Turning it carefully, I cracked it open a half an inch, and peered in. This was the source of the horrible stench.
“It’s supper time, my dear,” said Gabe. He held the drunken man with one hand, strong fingers wrapped around his neck. “You be a good girl and have a feed.”
Not seeing anything other than Gabe and the man, I pushed the door open a fraction more. Miller stood on the other side, while a woman suddenly came into view. I thought for a moment it might be Maven, the features so similar, but the differences made that impossible. Shorter than my friend, with long, dark hair and flashing eyes, the color unearthly, this person hissed then. She exposed two sharp teeth.
“You may feed, Reese. We haven’t all night.”
Miller stood with his legs apart and crossed his arms over his chest. “Go on.”
She snarled, which sounded like an animal, and flew into the air to attack the drunken man. Her teeth sank into his neck. The assault lasted less than a minute, until both men grasped her and pulled her free. Crying out in dismay, she fought their hold. She struggled and growled, her teeth dripping blood.
The man held his neck, and shouted, “What’s happening?”
“That’s a good girl. There you are.” Gabe grasped her securely, and nodded at Miller. “Get him a bandage and a drink.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Horrified at what I had just witnessed, I moved away from the door, just as the men approached. Leaning upon the wall for support, I took a few deep breaths. Miller helped the drunken man up the stairs, while Reese continued to hiss and protest, Gabe offering comfort.
“
There you are. You’ve fed enough, my dear. That’ll keep you for the night.”
“I want more!” she shouted. “More!”
“My savage little fiend. I’m afraid there’ll be no more tonight.”
“No!”
I peered into the room, seeing Gabe struggle with the vampire, working to secure her wrists and ankles with heavy chains, the metal around the wrists especially thick.
“You know the drill, Reese. This won’t be forever. Once you can control your thirst without killing everything in sight, you’ll know freedom again. You must have some patience.”
“Feed! Let me feed again, you bastard!” With tangled hair in her eyes, she hissed at him, baring sharp-looking teeth. “Let me go!”
“I’d love to, but you’ll expose us all. I’m afraid not.” He stepped away from her. “You … need a bath. This room needs a hosing down. I’ll send someone to do it later.”
“Let me go, Gabe!”
“In time.”
“I’m ready to be free now.” She pulled on the chains.
“You can’t rip them out, you know that.” He stared at her, a note of sympathy in his eyes. “I’m sorry. This wasn’t my doing. I … would never deliberately do this to someone. Serena knew it was against the rules, yet she defied me—again.”
“You bastard!” she snarled, trying to strike him.
“I’ll leave you now.”
He strode to the door, where I moved quickly, fearing he might see me, but that was impossible. With the flick of a wrist, he slammed it shut, and muttered something under his breath, but then he halted in mid-stride. I leaned against the wall, my heart pounding in my chest. I eyed his back with concern, the man in the middle of the room.
“Do you think I’m stupid?”
Who is he talking to?
“Brie? I know you’re here. I can smell you. I smelled you the moment I came tonight.”
Not having a response to that, I worried what he might do now. I watched him warily, afraid to speak. He pivoted on the back of a heel, a displeased frown hardening his features.
“Reveal yourself.”