by Kendra Ashe
It didn’t take long for me to realize that Wren wasn’t your average private investigator. He worked closely with the police and was always closed-mouthed about those cases.
There was no doubt that Wren’s jobs were strange, which was exactly why I was worried that he thought it necessary to meet Mason at a cemetery.
Wren was standing outside the car with his arms folded. This meant he was getting impatient.
Sighing, I got out of the car and followed him to the gate. “They lock these gates before dark. How are we supposed to get in?”
Taking a quick glanced up and down the street, Wren put on a big dumb smile and pushed the gate open.
My mouth fell open. “How?”
Wren shrugged. “I know someone who works here. He leaves it open for us.”
After we slipped inside, Wren shut the gate so that nothing would appear to have been disturbed. Without saying a word, he motioned for me to follow.
As we walked through the cemetery with only moonlight to guide us, the shadows seemed to be reaching out, as if to pull us into one of the crypts.
I was officially creeped out.
Normally, cemeteries didn’t bother me, but then again, I also didn’t hang out in cemeteries, especially at night.
I kept my eyes focused on the ground so I wouldn’t trip over a piece of cracked cement. The path had bulging cement coming up everywhere.
I stopped abruptly when I heard a noise nearby. It seemed to be coming from one of the crumbling crypts.
Who’d even want to be creeping around an old graveyard, other than us?
The cemetery was closed and there shouldn’t have been anyone else around.
There it was again, but this time, the rustling noise was accompanied by a whisper.
Chapter Six
Holding my breath, I listened for more whispering, but there was only silence.
“Claire,” Wren called in a hushed voice, diverting my attention.
When I looked up, I saw that he was well ahead of me. Since I wasn’t exactly kosher with roaming around an old cemetery at night, especially one as spooky as the Lafayette Cemetery, I ran to catch up.
It seemed as if we were wandering aimlessly through the narrow crypt-lined lanes, but I assumed Wren must know where he was going.
Finally, he stopped in front of a massive white tomb with marble columns. The carvings on the tomb were beautiful, attesting to the status of whoever rested within. On top of the tomb, there was an angel with outspread arms, welcoming the deceased to the afterlife.
In spite of the warm breeze, I felt a sudden chill.
A gate of wrought iron protected the door to the tomb. My heart skipped a beat when Wren reached up and pulled the gate open. He didn’t stop there. Next, he pushed the inner door until it creaked open.
“What are you doing?” I gasped.
Instead of giving me an answer, he motioned for me to follow.
I tried, but I couldn’t move. My feet were rooted to the ground. When he noticed I wasn’t behind him, he turned back.
“Hurry,” he urged.
I was in one of those positions again. It was either do what the boss wanted or possibly lose my job. Living under a bridge wasn’t an option so I forced my legs to move.
Stepping from the hot humid air of the New Orleans night into the dank and moldy domain of the dead was a shock to my respiratory system. I was torn between the urge to gulp in more oxygen and holding my breath. It didn’t take long to decide that a little mold was probably better than passing out from lack of oxygen.
It was completely dark, except for the faint glow of a streetlight spilling through the partially open door. All I could make out were shadows.
Sensing movement nearby, I grabbed Wren’s arm. “What the hell was that?”
Wren chuckled as he was pushing the heavy door shut. “You can go ahead and flip on that flashlight now.”
When I did, I found myself in some kind of entrance chamber. There was an arched doorway that led to the main crypt. On each side of the doorway, there were black marble statues of winged reapers.
They were beautiful but chilling. Pulling my eyes from the reapers, I noticed flickering light beyond the doorway. That light hadn’t been there a moment ago. I was sure of it.
When I glanced at Wren, there must have been questions in my eyes. He held up his hand. “You’ll understand soon.”
Wren stepped through the doorway and into the inner chamber of the crypt. It was too late to turn back now so I took the plunge and followed my boss.
The crypt was large enough for multiple burials but I only saw one tomb, and Mason Romero was sitting on top of it.
What a strange place to have a meeting!
Not only did he have weird taste in his choice of rendezvous spots, but the egotistical Romero had some nerve to be sitting on someone’s tomb.
Just being in a place like this had my stomach in knots. Death was a subject I just couldn’t handle. I would never again be able to look at a coffin or a grave without remembering the one person I couldn’t bear to think about.
Forcing the thought aside, I focused on Mason and immediately regretted it. I should have shifted my attention to something else. Anything else.
Why did he have to be so damn sexy?
Mason wasn’t just strange; he was exotic. It was as if he existed apart from everyone around him, like some kind of dark god. Before I had a chance to look away, his eyes locked with mine and once again I found myself drowning in their icy blue depths.
The spell was broken when he turned his attention to Wren. “Well, if it isn’t the one who’s out to save all the creatures of the night.” Mason’s voice practically dripped sarcasm.
Wren was good-natured, so it didn’t surprise me when he met Mason’s sarcasm with a smile.
“It’s good to see you again, Mason.”
There was no smile in return. I wasn’t sure if it was anger or irritation that I sensed. Either way, Mason didn’t seem too happy to see Wren.
“What’s so important that you had to contact me, regardless of the fact that I told you to never do that?” Mason asked.
Wren’s smile vanished. “We’ve had three murders in the Quarter. My partner was one of those victims. They all had their throats ripped out. They’ve managed to keep it out of the news but these kills have vampire written all over them.”
I was so stunned that I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. It sounded like he said, vampire.
Had Wren totally lost his mind?
“I’m sorry to hear about Lynn, but what do you want from me? Mason asked.
“I need you to find out if any of your people are behind these murders. This can’t be happening. The peace we have with the locals is uneasy at best. Not only that but we’ll have vampire hunters all over the place,” Wren warned.
Neither of them was paying me any mind. That was a good thing, seeing I probably looked pretty silly with my mouth hanging open.
Mason’s smile was so dark that it was almost sadistic. “You can’t seriously believe I can do something about every wayward vampire that steps over the line?”
I’d heard enough. Now it was time to say something. “Are you both crazy or just freebasing?”
My gaze traveled from Wren to Mason. “Vampires? Get real already! I might be able to handle the idea of voodoo and ghosts, but this is too much. It’s physically impossible to come back from the dead as a vampire. There might be some psycho out there who thinks he’s a vampire, so he’s killing people. I’ll give you that, but now I’m hearing about vampire hunters. You can’t seriously think you’re dealing with real vampires.”
Mason laughed. “I take it your pretty little assistant doesn’t have a clue to your true nature.”
My eyes strayed to the door. Maybe it was time to get away from these guys. It was obvious they’d completely lost it.
Frowning, Wren shook his head. “I haven’t gotten around to telling her yet.”
Sliding off
the tomb, Mason sauntered over to where I stood. “Well let me have the honor of instructing her on the nature of true darkness.”
I took a step back. This gave Wren just enough room to step between Mason and me.
“I wanted to let her down gently.” Alarmed, Wren blocked Mason from getting near me.
Every nerve in my body felt as if it were connected to a live wire.
What the hell was I doing here?
I couldn’t believe I was having a meeting in a cemetery with two guys who believed that vampires were real. This was a long way from ringing up coffee and donuts at a convenience store.
“I think I’ll wait outside,” I murmured.
“That’s not a good idea.” Mason stepped in front of the door to block my escape.
“Excuse me?” I lifted one brow. His arrogance continued to surprise me.
“A dark cemetery,” he said as if it should have been obvious. “There are all sorts of dangers lurking in these old cemeteries after dark. Haven’t you heard all the warnings to stay out of the New Orleans cemeteries at night?”
“Wren!” I cried, looking to him for help. Mason’s behavior was beyond strange. It was truly frightening.
How was it he could draw me in one minute and scare the hell out of me the next?
“Mason, I’ll explain the situation to her later, but right now there’s something you need to know.”
Mason turned his attention back to Wren. “And that is?”
“Someone came to see me just before Lynn was killed. He gave me some interesting information,” Wren paused.
“Go on,” Mason urged.
“He said Kieran has always known how to fight the curse. He has kept the knowledge hidden.”
Mason waved away Wren’s words. “These are just stories, that’s all. There is no secret. We are what we are.”
“Yeah.” Wren nodded. “That seems to be the prevalent opinion, but Mason, this guy was a wolf. He also claims that Kieran is gathering an army. He intends to take control of New Orleans, and then Shadow Lands.”
Now Wren had Mason’s full attention.
“Is that so?” Mason smiled. “I didn’t think there were that many wolves left.”
As I listened, I suddenly felt I was in a nightmare that I couldn’t wake from.
“That isn’t all. Kieran also knows how vampires can live in the light,” Wren explained.
Mason’s laughter echoed through the tomb. “Even if there is any truth to these claims, I doubt we are going to convince Kieran to share this information.”
“There is supposed to be something that will prove he’s kept the truth hidden,” Wren replied.
Once again, the two of them were so caught up in their conversation it was like I wasn’t even there. If Mason hadn’t been standing in front of the door, it would have been the perfect opportunity to sneak out, but he gave no indication he was ready to move.
“What if Kieran does hold the secret and has kept it hidden?”
“Now I see.” Mason stepped away from the doorway and placed his arm around Wren’s shoulder. “You are trying to entice me into joining The Seekers.”
I had no idea who this Kieran character was and I’d never even heard of The Seekers.
What I did know was that it was none of my business and I had the feeling that the less I knew, the better.
Mason was no longer blocking the doorway, which meant I might be able to make a run for it.
Exhaling loudly, Wren shook his head in obvious frustration, “You can get close to him. We can’t.”
Digging my teeth into my bottom lip, I glanced at the door, wondering if I did make it out of the crypt, what the odds were of escaping these two crazy guys.
Before I could even complete the thought, Mason turned to look at me. It was as if he’d sensed my intention.
Our gaze locked. As much as I wanted to look away, it was impossible.
“Why is she involved in this? Does she have a death wish?” Mason’s sinister smile added an extra layer of darkness to his words.
A shiver made its way down my back.
How could he see what was buried so deeply inside of me that most of the time, I didn’t even know it was there?
How could he be aware of my desire to know what lies beyond the last breath – the last beat of one’s heart?
“Claire can help us. There’s something about her that’s different,” Wren explained. “I sensed it from the first time I met her, and you sense it too, Mason. Admit it.”
“You forget, friend, I am not a Seeker. It doesn’t matter to me if she is the elusive savior you’ve been searching for.”
Wren rolled his eyes, which meant he was losing patience. “I don’t believe you.”
“Do not come looking for me again,” Mason said. There was now an icy edge to his voice. “It’s too dangerous for both of us. Kieran knows that your loyalty isn’t with him, and he knows what you are.”
Suddenly, Mason turned to look at me and I felt the air rush from my lungs. His arctic eyes were pulling me. There was an instantaneous pain inside my head that was so intense that it was almost blinding.
Was this what it felt like to have your brain dissected?
As quickly as the pain started, it was gone.
Without warning, Mason closed the distance between us. Wrapping one arm around my waist, he bent his head until I could feel his cool breath against my face. Before I could struggle free, his lips brushed mine with a feather-light kiss.
Although the kiss was brief, as soon as our lips made contact, I was again bombarded with images of sleek, naked bodies coming together.
I froze.
Even if I’d tried, I couldn’t have moved a single muscle. By the time my brain was working again, Mason was gone.
It was as if he’d simply vanished.
Chapter Seven
A silence fell over the crypt. It was so still that I could hear the beating of my own heart.
I stared at Wren and had to wonder if I really knew him at all. The Wren I’d seen tonight was not the same man I’d been working with for the last few months.
A faint smile touched his lips. “I see that you have questions.”
“You think?” I made no effort to keep the sarcasm from my voice. “What the hell was that about?”
Wren motioned toward the door. “Let’s get out of here. I’m sure you find this place as distasteful as I do.”
I didn’t have to be told twice. Wren lingered long enough to extinguish the candles before following me outside.
We made the walk back to the car in silence. I sensed Wren’s unease and his struggle to find the right words.
In the distance, sirens shattered the heavy silence. New Orleans had a dark side and I was getting an intimate taste of just how dark it could be.
There would always be those who lurked in the shadows, waiting to snatch your purse when you were least expecting it or the gangs that stalked each other, never giving a second thought to the blood they spilled.
I’d lived in New Orleans all my life so I was well acquainted with the kind of darkness that seemed to be a permanent fixture of most cities. Like everyone, I knew it was there so I’d always done my best to avoid risky situations.
But maybe there was another brand of darkness that no one knew about. If there was any truth to what I’d heard tonight, the city streets were a hell of a lot more dangerous than I’d imagined. The night creatures would be deadlier than any criminal could be.
If there was even a crumb of truth to this talk of vampires, then they could easily get away with murder. Ignorance of their existence could be used to their advantage.
When we reached the car, Wren turned to me.
“Claire, I know you don’t believe in vampires, but they are very real. You couldn’t even begin to imagine the creatures that are a part of our world.”
Leaning against Wren’s car, I shook my head in disbelief. “You’re right. The idea of vampires is a little much to swallow. So
why don’t you tell me about it?”
Folding his arms, Wren peered at me, his expression a mixture of amusement and sadness. “It happened about ten years ago. I was still in college. I was walking home one night after a late class,” he paused as if he wasn’t sure if he should continue.
“I wouldn’t make something like this up. I swear!” he said, placing his hand over his heart.
I didn’t think Wren was lying to me on purpose. I just thought he and Mason might have lost touch with reality.
When I didn’t say anything, he continued. “Well, I wasn’t too far from home when this guy stopped me. He was different; not like the usual riffraff. I mean, this dude was beyond Goth and really took that shit seriously. He wore black and his face was so pale that at first, I thought he was wearing makeup.
Wren stopped suddenly. I figured the doubt I saw in his eyes meant that he was having second thoughts about confiding in me.
“Go on,” I urged. By this time I was pretty damn curious.
“He was a vampire. He’d followed me when I left the campus. I would have died that night if Mason hadn’t shown up.”
“Really? I’m a little confused. I take it from the conversation I just overheard that you believe Mason is a vampire. Why would he save you?” I was skeptical and with good reason.
Vampires couldn’t be real!
There was no way Wren could be serious about this.
Ghosts and witches were one thing, but the dead couldn’t reanimate. If I were going to believe in vampires, I would also have to consider the possibility that zombies might be real too. There was no way in hell that I was going there.
“Mason saved me because he is one of the unfortunate few to still retain a flicker of his humanity.”
Now that was something I wasn’t sure I believed. Mason seemed dark and cold, except for when I was too close to him. Then he was pretty damn hot.
Although it seemed way too bizarre to be real, I decided to hear him out. I owed him that much. “So if Mason is a vampire, why would humanity be a bad thing?”
“When you’re a predator, having human traits can be a little troubling.”