by Karen Lynch
“What do you care about a couple of dead demons?” asked the red-headed vampire still kneeling over the mox demon. He rose slowly to his feet, and I saw his eyes flit between Jordan and me, assessing who was the bigger threat.
Jordan raised her sword. “We don’t care about dead demons. We do, however, have a problem with live blood suckers.”
The redhead’s attention shifted back to me and instead of fear I felt a flash of annoyance. Why did everyone assume I was the weak one? I looked at Jordan’s sword and listened to the two growling werewolves behind me. Okay, maybe this time they were right.
“I think he likes you,” Jordan said, laughter in her voice.
The blond vampire yelled at his friend who was still making a God-awful racket as he tried to remove my arrow. “Shut up, Trevor!”
“I can shut him up for you,” Jordan said sweetly. “Wouldn’t take more than a second.”
“You can have her,” snarled the redhead. “I want the little one. “
Roland let out a deep growl that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I put my hand back and touched his furry snout.
Jordan scoffed. “Sorry, guys, you aren’t really our types.”
The blond vampire sniffed the air. “Mohiri children out walking their pets. I wonder if your blood is as sweet as they say it is.”
I loaded another arrow into the crossbow. At the same time, I opened my power, relishing the comforting heat spreading through me. The way they moved told me they weren’t mature vampires, but they weren’t new, either. My eyes went to the blue-haired girl who was crouched in a defensive stance between her demon friend and the vampires.
“You guys need some new material,” Jordan quipped. “Sara, what was the name of the last sucker who thought you smelled good? You know the one you killed in Albuquerque?”
“Stefan Price.”
Both vampires stared at me. “You killed Stefan Price? Impossible,” declared the redhead.
Jordan brandished her sword. “Why don’t you come over here and find out for yourself?”
Trevor, who had finally managed to extricate the arrow from his back, strutted over to stand beside his friends. He looked a lot cockier when he wasn’t jumping around and screeching his head off. “What are we standing around for? Let’s take care of these bitches and their pups.” He pointed a clawed finger at me. “That one is mine.”
“Sorry, I’m already taken.” I swung the crossbow up and aimed it, earning a laugh from him.
He bared his fangs at me. “You took me by surprise the first time. Do you really think you can hit me in the heart with that thing before I get to –?”
Trevor let out an earsplitting shriek and doubled over, clutching at the arrow protruding from his smoking crotch.
“I wasn’t aiming for your heart.”
Jordan whistled. “Damn, girl, you do have an evil streak after all.”
“If he can’t walk, he can’t attack.”
Roland growled impatiently. The other two vampires took a step back.
“Right, let’s get this over with. Jordan and I will take the redhead, and you guys handle the other two.” It seemed like a fair fight since Trevor was now trying to crawl away. The alley was a dead end, so I wasn’t sure where he thought he was going.
I couldn’t help but compare this to the first time I ended up in an alley with a vampire. I had been so terrified of Eli I could barely move. Back then, I could never imagine me willingly going after a vampire, let alone three of them. So much had changed since that night in Portland. The irony of it all was that vampires were responsible for a lot of it.
The vampires realized playtime was over when the four of us split into pairs. They crouched side-by-side and bared their fangs and claws at us. Tendrils of fear curled in my stomach and adrenaline spiked through me even though we had them outnumbered. I welcomed it. Fear keeps you alive.
Roland and Peter moved first. Snarling, they ran toward the blond vampire. I saw the vampire’s face contort in fear a second before he spun and fled deeper into the alley with the werewolves on his heels. I heard growls and screams, but the dumpster was blocking my view.
The redhead’s lips curled as Jordan and I advanced on him. “You shouldn’t have let your guard dogs run off. Now it’s just us.”
I reloaded the crossbow and pulled out the dagger I had stuck in the waistband of my pants. “Can you take him?” I asked Jordan, knowing she was itching for a vampire kill. But he wasn’t as young as most of the vampires she had killed.
“Probably,” she replied without her usual cockiness.
“Go for it. I’ve got your back.”
She smiled and started forward. “I know you do.”
The vampire didn’t wait for her to reach him. He rushed at her, claws outstretched. He was fast, but Jordan was faster. She leapt to one side and whirled in a lithe movement to slice the sword across his back. He screamed and spun, lashing out at her. I heard a soft grunt as his claws scored her bare arm, but she didn’t falter. The sword came up again and this time it severed the hand that had injured her. Blood splattered across the front of the new top she’d bought for tonight. She was going to be pissed about that.
He let out a screech and ran at her again. One thing I’d learned over the last few months was that immortality did not equal intelligence. No person in their right mind would attack someone who looked as fierce as Jordan did in that moment, especially if that someone was holding a big ass sword. Her movements when she met his attack were easy and graceful like the steps in a deadly dance. She reminded me of Nikolas.
Jordan’s sword opened a gaping gash in the vampire’s stomach. He stumbled back in shock and grabbed his gut. Like a predator, she advanced. Metal glinted. The vampire’s next scream was cut off as his head separated from his body.
We looked at each other over the vampire’s body. Her chest rose and fell sharply, but I knew it was from excitement, not exertion. She lifted the bloody sword and smiled. “I told you this sword was made for me.”
I started to reply but stopped when I realized I no longer heard any sounds of fighting from the end of the alley. My stomach twisted in fear. “Roland? Peter?”
Their big wolf forms appeared around the dumpster, bloody in places but otherwise looking okay. Roland looked at the dead vampire at Jordan’s feet then nodded to let us know the other two were dead as well.
A whimper drew my attention to the blue-haired girl and her friend, and I rushed over to help them. I couldn’t touch the vrell demon, so I laid a hand on the girl’s bare arm to comfort her. I’m not sure which of us was more shocked when my power flared and lashed out at her. I’d gotten pretty good at keeping it under control, but I was a bit worked up and not expecting her to be a demon. I yanked my hand away. “Shit, you’re a demon.”
She leaned protectively over her friend, who moaned softly. “Please, don’t hurt us.”
No one had ever looked at me with that much fear in their eyes, and it felt like someone had socked me in the gut. I moved back to give her some space. “No one is going to hurt you or your friend.”
She stared at my hands, and I rested them on my thighs. “I’m sorry about zapping you. It was an accident.”
“This one’s gone,” Jordan called, and I looked over my shoulder to where she was checking the mox demon for signs of life.
The vrell demon opened his eyes. “Nell?” he rasped, looking up at the blue-haired demon.
“Aiden!” She kissed his forehead. He tried to move, and she helped him into a sitting position until they were both facing me. She clung to his hand as if it was a lifeline.
“Who are you?” Aiden asked warily, covering his bleeding head with a hand.
“My name is Sara and this is my friend, Jordan. The werewolves over there are my friends, Roland and Peter. We heard screams and came to help. I’m sorry. We were too late to save your friend.”
“You killed them all?”
“My friends did.”
&nbs
p; He stared at the vampire’s body. “You are Mohiri, aren’t you? Why would you help us?”
I fought to hold back the scowl that threatened. The Mohiri were supposed to be the good guys, but every demon we encountered acted like we were the boogeymen. I didn’t like having to defend myself over and over.
“The Mohiri kill vampires, but we don’t hurt innocent people. You’re safe with us.”
Aiden’s eyes grew round and he hugged Nell close, whispering to her in demon tongue.
I stood and walked a few feet away because it was obvious my closeness was distressing Nell. “We probably shouldn’t stay here much longer. Can you walk, or do you need help?”
“I am well enough to walk.” Aiden got to his feet with Nell’s help. He looked at Jordan and me. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” Jordan said. “Just stay away from alleys at night from now on.”
Aiden gave her a pained smile. “Sound advice.” He laid an arm over Nell’s shoulders and looked sadly at the dead mox demon. “Let’s go home. We have to call Moira’s family so they can collect her body.”
“I’m really sorry about your friend,” I said as they limped past us.
“Well, our work here is done,” Jordan declared, watching the two demons leave. She wiped her blade on the dead vampire’s clothes. “We should get out of here, too. We’re less than a block from Blue Nyx and this might attract some attention.”
We ran across the road, thankful there was no traffic, and the boys went into the loading dock to change back and dress. Roland had a scratch on his chin and Peter was sporting a bruised eye. I was the only one among us who wasn’t wounded or bloody. I chuckled at that as we got into the car, and Jordan asked what was funny.
“This is the first time I’ve encountered a vampire and didn’t need a shower or medical attention after. I think my luck is improving.”
She looked down at her ruined top and made a face. “I wish my clothes could say the same. Hanging with you is a blast, but it’s murder on my wardrobe.”
“Sorry. Next time, I’ll kill the vampire.”
She started the car. “Not on your life.”
The three of them immediately started going over the fight and arguing over who had made the best kill. All I could do was shake my head and wonder when this crazy night would be over.
I still couldn’t believe Chris had been at the club. There was no way it could have been a coincidence. And if Chris was in Los Angeles then Nikolas was here too. But why wasn’t Nikolas with him tonight? If they’d had any reason to suspect I’d be at the club, I couldn’t see Nikolas not being there. My heart fluttered at the thought of Nikolas being somewhere in this city right now, and a pang of longing twisted my stomach.
Roland let out a whoop. “All night diner. I could really go for a burger with the works.”
“Me too!” Peter chimed in.
“You want to eat now?” Jordan asked, already putting on her signal to get into the other lane.
I chuckled. “Werewolves are always hungry. You should know that after almost a week with these two.”
As soon as we pulled up in front of the diner, Roland and Peter started to get out and I stopped them. “You guys have blood on you. I’d better go in.”
“Oh, yeah.” Roland sat again, and he and Peter told me what they wanted. I looked at Jordan, who shrugged and said that since we were here, she might as well get something too.
It was after midnight so the diner was pretty quiet. It was one of those fifties-style diners with a checkered tile floor and red vinyl seats. The young waitress at the counter wore a pink poodle skirt and looked none too happy about it. I ordered three burgers with the works, and she disappeared into the kitchen after she rang them up.
I couldn’t think about eating after what I’d seen in that alley. My stomach rolled every time I remembered those vampires ripping into that poor mox demon. If we’d gotten there just a few minutes earlier we could have saved her. I sighed wearily. We had saved two lives and there were three fewer vampires stalking the streets of Los Angeles. I should be happy with that.
The waitress brought me a large paper bag. I thanked her and headed back to the car. A man opened the door for me when I reached it, and I mumbled a thank-you to him, still lost in my thoughts.
“Sara?”
My breath caught. I knew that voice.
I spun and stared at the friend I hadn’t seen in months. “Greg?”
Chapter 6
Before I knew what was happening, Greg pulled me into his arms and swung me around as if I weighed nothing. The bag of food slipped from my hands and hit the ground as my arms went around his neck to hug him back.
“I can’t believe it’s you. What on earth are you doing in LA?” he asked when he finally set me back on my feet.
“I could ask the same of you.” I stared at him, reeling from the fact that he was standing in front of me. Greg was the last person I’d expected to run into in California. I hadn’t seen him since he’d graduated from school last spring, and he hadn’t changed much in that time. His dark blond hair hung in long, careless waves to his shoulders, and his brown eyes still had that intensity that used to make the boys back home give him a wide berth. He wore jeans and his old leather jacket on his six-foot frame, and he looked like he’d been working out more since he moved to Philly last spring. I looked around and sure enough, his motorcycle was a few feet away.
A few days after I got to Westhorne, I’d called Greg to let him know I wasn’t dead like the rest of the world believed I was. It had been a huge shock for him, especially after attending my memorial service two weeks before. We’d talked for an hour and I’d planned to tell him everything, but he’d been too shaken up to have all of that laid on him at once. So I told him I’d explain it all the next time we talked, and he’d sounded okay with that. I’d figured I could ease him into it over time. But he’d never called me back, and he’d stopped answering his phone and emails.
“What happened to you, Greg? We talked and then I didn’t hear from you again.” I fought to keep the hurt out of my voice.
He ran a hand through his hair and stared like he still couldn’t believe it was me. “Ah shit, I’m sorry, Sara. Things have been kind of crazy. My uncle Leo passed away last month, and I came out here to take care of things for my aunt and cousin.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Was he the musician?” I remembered Greg talking about him a few times.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“Greg?” Roland said from behind me.
“I should have known you two would be with her. What the hell brings you all to LA?” Greg frowned at me. “You told me you had to hide and pretend to be dead because someone was after you. What is going on, Sara?”
“It’s a long story.” One I wasn’t sure he was ready to hear.
“I have time if you do. In fact, why don’t you come back to –?” He stared at something behind me, and I looked back at Jordan who had joined us, still wearing her bloodstained clothes.
“Um...” I fumbled for something to say.
Greg fixed me with a hard stare. “Let me guess, long story?”
“Yes.” I waved at Jordan. “Greg, this is Jordan. Jordan, Greg is my friend from back home.”
He bent and picked up the greasy paper bag, handing it to me. “My uncle’s place is not far from here. Why don’t you guys come over and we’ll catch up there? Something tells me this is not the place for that talk.”
I looked at the others. Roland and Peter nodded and Jordan lifted a shoulder. “All right. We’ll follow you.”
Greg’s uncle’s place turned out to be a remodeled firehouse. The lower floor was used for storage and parking, and the upper floor had been converted into a very spacious and comfortable apartment. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom, a small recording studio, and an open area that served as the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Large windows gave us a great view of the busy city lights.
Greg offered Jordan a clean T-shi
rt so she could change out of her bloody top. Then he and I sat facing each other on the couch while the others ate their burgers in the kitchen.
“Talk,” he said in his gruff, no-nonsense tone.
“I don’t know where to start.”
“How about the beginning?”
I hesitated. This would have been so much easier over the phone.
He folded his arms. “Sara.”
“Okay, but I have to warn you, this is going to sound crazy. You probably won’t believe me.”
A shadow passed over his face. “You’d be amazed at what I’d believe.”
I took a deep breath. “It all started when my dad died.” As soon as the words began to pour from me, I couldn’t stop. I told him how my dad had really died, about my healing ability, and all the things I’d kept hidden from Nate and my friends for so many years. Shock registered on his face more than once, but he didn’t interrupt me. I was grateful for that because I was afraid if I stopped, I wouldn’t know how to continue.
The others joined us in the living room when I started to talk about the last few months, beginning with that fateful night in Portland. I paused when I remembered I couldn’t tell Greg the truth about Roland and Peter. It wasn’t my place to reveal their secret to anyone, even to someone I trusted as much as I did Greg.
I looked at Roland and he nodded. So I told Greg the story of that night, including the boys’ part in it. Roland and Peter joined in, helping me relate the rest of the events that had happened in Maine. I tried to gauge Greg’s thoughts as he listened to our story, but he had always been hard to read. He nodded grimly at times and said little. He had never been one to speak much, even when we used to sit together at lunch. Neither had I. It was probably one of the reasons we’d gotten along so well.
My body tensed when I told him about the Mohiri and the demon inside me. I’d come to accept and care for my Mori, but I remembered the fear and revulsion I’d felt when Nikolas had told me what I was. I couldn’t bear it if Greg looked at me that way.
He wore an expression of disbelief as he looked from me to Roland and Peter who smiled and nodded reassuringly. I waited for the truth to sink in and for him to recoil from me, not that I would blame him. I just hoped he would get used to the idea eventually and we could stay friends. That was why I’d wanted to ease him into this slowly. It was a lot for anyone to take in.