by E. S. Moore
I hurried out of the house, down the driveway, to my Honda. The fresh air did me some good, cleared my head, but it did nothing to stop the anger that came bubbling forth.
Mikael had to have known this was going to happen. It was the only thing that made sense. Why else wouldn’t he have told me everything he knew?
I started up my motorcycle and sped away from the house. Everyone was dead inside, even the Purebloods. Whoever had done this was just as dangerous as Telia had been. They had to be stopped.
And I was going to be the one to stop them.
2
The Bloody Stake parking lot was full when I arrived, forcing me to park just off the road instead. Patrons were coming in and out of the door in streams, most of them supes, but a few Purebloods here and there. It was busier than usual, and I wondered what could possibly be going on tonight of all nights.
It wasn’t until I was inside that I remembered.
Just because The Bloody Stake catered to vampires and werewolves, as well as Purebloods willing to risk their neck for a drink, didn’t mean it wasn’t any less a bar. Hell, the sign out front of a woman repeatedly staking an overdressed vampire probably brought in more customers than it turned away.
But being a bar meant Bart, the owner and only bartender, had to make money. And tonight was one of those nights when The Bloody Stake became something different, something I would never have set foot into if the guy I wanted to see wasn’t inside.
Tonight was singles’ night.
Bart wasn’t a big fan of turning his bar into a singles’ hangout, but it’s hard to say no to quadrupling your nightly take. He rarely held special events like this, preferring the normal dangers of serving monsters to the risks of bringing in the desperate. The last singles’ night took place five months ago after a pretty bad fight left him with a hearty repair bill. I wondered what disaster prompted this one.
I frowned at the crowd, wishing they would all just go away. Quite a few of the people there would die that very night. There were still a lot of people who didn’t quite realize how dangerous taking a vampire or werewolf home to bed with them really was. You were less likely to find your heart’s desire than you would be to find your heart sitting atop your chest by night’s end.
I pushed past a group of women leaving with a guy who looked too drunk to stand. I wasn’t sure which were the supes and didn’t care. It was their choice whom they left with, and if someone ended up dead, it wasn’t on my hands. As long as they did their business away from the bar, Bart wouldn’t interfere either.
Music blared over the speakers, drowning out the shouts and screams of the people dancing and fondling each other. The Bloody Stake was packed nearly wall to wall, and all the tables that usually adorned the middle of the room were pushed to the side, leaving a large, empty space for the singles to dance.
Bart stood at the bar, watching everything carefully. His shotgun was in front of him, just under the counter. If anyone got a little too frisky in his bar, they’d be leaving without their head. The scar on his face and his limp were clear evidence that The Bloody Stake had its fair share of violent outbreaks.
I gave him the briefest of nods as his eyes passed over me. He looked surprised to see me there but returned the nod anyway. He turned back to his patrons, a grimace on his face.
I worked my way around the edge of the room until I spotted Mikael in his usual booth. There were four girls intertwined around him, which wasn’t much of a surprise. He always had girls hanging all over him. I had no idea why. He wasn’t much to look at.
Two of the girls were pressed so close to him they might as well have been part of his attire. His slicked-back hair shone in the dim lights of the bar and despite the girls plastered against him, it wasn’t mussed. Only the backs of the other two girls were visible. Their heads were beneath the table somewhere, doing something I didn’t even want to think about.
I turned away, disgusted. Mikael wasn’t the most pleasant of people, but I counted him amongst my friends for some strange reason. His taste in women was pretty wide, though usually they were all young and pretty. How he managed to attract them was beyond me. Maybe there was more to him than appearances. Money probably had something to do with it.
But even though I was used to it by now, it didn’t mean I wanted to watch. I scanned the bar instead, allowing the girls time to finish their business so I could have a little sit-down with him.
I didn’t like it being so busy. I was pretty sure there was more than one person in the bar who would have loved to know who I was. There was a pretty big bounty on my head, although no one but those I trusted knew what I looked like or knew my real name. I made sure of that.
It was hard to make out much of anything in the mass of twisting bodies. There were just too many people gyrating against each other for me to get a good look at any one face. And thanks to the loose atmosphere, there were quite a few people who seemed to have lost a few articles of clothing. It was actually pretty distracting.
A girl just a few feet away was down to her bra and panties, and if she kept rubbing up against everyone like that, I was sure she wouldn’t have even that before long. She looked high on something. Her eyes were glazed; her mouth hung open as if she couldn’t figure out how to close it. She was prime pickings for anyone looking for an easy lay.
Or snack.
It was almost too much. Usually, The Bloody Stake was a place I went to in order to relax. I’d never been to singles’ night before and I planned on never being there for one again. If I’d known it was this bad, I would have waited until tomorrow night to confront Mikael.
But I was here now and I wanted to get it over with. I glanced back over the table and found that the two girls were sitting back up. One was kissing him, and even from where I was standing, I could see his tongue probing her mouth.
Ew.
I started toward his table. I was so ready to get out of there.
I hadn’t gone a handful of steps before someone pressed up against me from behind. Bone-thin arms wrapped across my chest and warm breath blew across my ear.
“Hey, beautiful,” the girl said. She stank of alcohol and sweat. “How ’bout you slip out of that coat and we see what you have to offer.”
She reached for the edge of my coat, fingers tiptoeing across the leather. My hand shot up and I grabbed her by the wrist a little too hard. She cried out as I twisted.
I could almost feel Bart’s eyes on me, so I let her go before I got myself into trouble. The girl backed away, blue eyes wide. She wouldn’t have been too bad to look at if she wasn’t so damn skinny. The guy next to her didn’t seem to mind, however. As soon as she was close, he grabbed her around the waist and licked the side of her neck.
I turned away and continued on to Mikael without glancing at Bart. There was a good chance he might ask me to leave if I acknowledged him. He didn’t like violence in his bar even though he catered to the most violent of monsters. Most people respected his limits. I was usually one of them.
Dancers moved out of my way as I stalked across the room. They’d seen what I had done to the girl and didn’t want to have any part of it. The look on my face probably kept those that liked it from making advances of their own.
Mikael saw me coming and pulled away from his company. He whispered something into each of their ears, which caused them all to giggle, and they slid out of his booth one by one. He made sure to give each a nice pat on the ass as they passed.
I was sure the disapproval was clear on my face, because his smile widened as I sat down across from him.
“I’m surprised you are here on this wonderful evening, my sweet,” he said, his thick accent slurring his words. He sounded as slimy as he looked.
“You seem to be enjoying it.”
“Of course.” His grin widened. “How best to sample the quality America has to offer than to taste the youth? It is quite refreshing.”
“I’m sure it is,” I said, trying not to think about him t
asting anything, especially after what I had seen. The music was so loud I was forced to lean across the table to hear him, and I could smell him. He smelled like sex.
“Why have you come to me tonight? Is there more I can do to be of service to you?” He winked. “Perhaps you are ready to sample a taste of Sweden.” He waggled his eyebrows.
I knew he was joking, but the thought made my stomach flip anyway. I had to clench my fists and bite the inside of my lip to keep from saying something nasty. As much as I liked what Mikael did for me, he could be trying at times.
“Who else did you tell about House Telia?” I asked. I spoke just loud enough for him to hear, not wanting anyone else in the room to catch wind of our conversation. Who knew who might be lurking in the shadows, waiting for someone to say the wrong thing.
Of course, Mikael had chosen The Bloody Stake to do his business for a reason. Anyone who wanted to keep their life wouldn’t even think about eavesdropping on anyone else’s conversation. It was just too damn dangerous.
“What do you mean?” he asked, frowning. “I give only information that is asked and paid for.”
“But House Telia? You couldn’t tell me everything I wanted to know.”
His smile returned. “But that would have no bearing on your business,” he said. “Only you have asked about Countess Telia and her new House. I gave you all I could under the circumstances.”
I stared at him long and hard, wondering what those circumstances might be. I knew he was telling the truth, that he had told me everything he was able, yet I felt that there should have been more. He should have warned me.
I hated the fact that Mikael had basically worked out who I was. He’d always suspected, and it wasn’t until recently he was certain I was Lady Death. I never came out and actually admitted it, choosing instead to pretend I might know her, but he knew. He was smart that way.
Normally, I would have killed him for that knowledge. I didn’t go around spouting it freely, and anyone I didn’t want to know about it ended up dead pretty fast. It was the only way I could keep doing what I did without having people hunting me left and right.
“She’s dead,” I said, figuring it best not to belabor the point any longer. He knew who I was, why beat around the bush?
His brow crinkled. “I figured she would be soon enough, but why are you telling me this, my sweet?”
“Because it wasn’t clean.”
He looked at me like I was speaking some sort of foreign language. “I don’t understand.”
I took a deep breath. Even though I knew he knew, it was still hard to just come out and say it. It would be admitting something I didn’t want anyone else to know. Doing that didn’t come easy.
“I didn’t kill her,” I said, finally. It felt sort of good to say it. I really didn’t talk to too many people about what I did for a living.
Still, my fingers flittered near my belt and I had to ball them even tighter to keep from drawing a knife and sticking it in Mikael’s throat. Old habits die hard.
He simply nodded and leaned forward, all business. “How did it happen?”
“They were dead when I got there.”
He blinked. “And?”
“And I was wondering if you knew who did it. I don’t like walking into something like this without knowing the whole story. If you knew someone was coming after her, you should have told me.”
His face didn’t change, but I could tell he knew something.
“What?”
“How did they die?” he asked. He glanced around the room before his gaze resettled on me.
“It looked like a werewolf with a sword,” I said. “Many of the bodies were torn up pretty bad and it looked like they were fed upon.”
“The sword was not of silver?”
“I don’t think so. If I were to guess, I would say the thing hadn’t been sharpened in a few years. Whoever did it had to work at it.”
Mikael nodded as if it made perfect sense. “I told no one of your plans,” he said. “No one else asked about this House. The House I spoke of before is not involved in this in any way.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“But you know who might be?”
“Perhaps,” he said. He folded his hands and glanced down at the table in front of him.
I sighed. “I don’t have any money on me. I’ll have it the next time I see you.”
He studied me a moment before nodding. “You are good for it. I can trust you.”
I just stared at him.
“There have been some strange happenings as of late, much of it attributed to Lady Death.”
“Like what?” I shifted in my seat, uneasy. I didn’t like the sound of this at all. If people were blaming me for things I hadn’t done, it would only draw even more unwanted attention my way.
“Mostly rogues,” Mikael said. “They are found by others, torn up, heads separated. A few times families have died, killed in the same manner.” He gave me a look. “I did not believe it was you, but not many fight with a blade and hunt those of their kind.”
I ground my teeth together. “People are blaming me for this? You should know better.”
He shrugged. “It is hard to say. I thought perhaps you were practicing for something. These kills had your mark, even if they were sloppier.”
“But why haven’t I heard anything? You could have said something.”
“Perhaps you did not ask the right questions. I give only the information asked of me.” He waved a hand. “Besides, these were just rogues. Who cares about them anyway, yes? And it was all so new, if it is someone coming after your title, you would take care of them eventually.”
“Okay, but why kill Countess Telia? Could they have known I was coming for her and decided to show me up?”
“I do not know,” Mikael said. “But I think it is more likely a coincidence. House Telia was new and small. They would make an easy target for anyone looking to test the waters.”
I supposed that was true, but I didn’t like it. How long before testing the waters turned into coming after the competition? If someone was trying to copy me or take over my work, then what was to stop them from hunting me next?
“I would be careful on this,” he said. He glanced across the room again and I followed his gaze. If there was anything to see other than the dancers, I wasn’t seeing it. “If these killers are looking to replace you, you may be next on their list.”
Even though I just had the same thought, a chill ran up and down my spine upon hearing it from someone else’s lips. This was supposed to be a quick and easy run. Things were getting far too complicated.
“What can you tell me about who is doing this?” I asked. If the killer had me on their list, the best thing I could do would be to come after them first. The more I knew, the better prepared I would be.
“Very little,” Mikael admitted. “I wish I could tell you more, but there is not much to tell. I, like many others, assumed Lady Death had a hand in the deaths. Maybe you were training an apprentice, someone who could help you in your mission to rid the city of the filth.” He smiled a little at that, as if he thought the idea ridiculous.
“You assumed wrong,” I said.
“It appears so,” he said. “And I do not like it. I am rarely wrong.” He sighed and scratched his eyebrow. “It makes for dangerous times. Who is to say they will not come for someone here tonight, that they aren’t here themselves? I could be next. You could be.”
I couldn’t stop my gaze from traveling to the dancing crowd. What if the killers were here? Could they be watching me even now?
As far as I could tell, no one was looking our way. A few stray glances passed over us, but nothing that seemed to have any intent behind it.
“So you can’t tell me anything else?” I asked.
Mikael shook his head. “I am sorry,” he said. “Whoever is doing this is more dangerous than they appear. House Telia might have been a small House, but it was a vampire House
. You don’t become a House of your own, even a small one, without power.”
I ran my fingers through my hair and was surprised to see the slightest tremble to them. Someone was out there killing werewolves and vampires, hunting them, and it wasn’t me. Why did that bother me so much?
Of course I knew. Purebloods had died—people who might have been completely innocent of any crime. Someone who wanted to copy me would have known I never killed the innocent if I could help it. This had been nothing more than a slaughter. I couldn’t abide by that.
And there was the fact I was a vampire myself. If they were killing all supes, no matter who, then how long before someone came after me?
Thoughts of the Luna Cult Den drifted to my mind, but I pushed them away. I didn’t need to be thinking about them right then. They could take care of themselves.
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so I thanked Mikael for his time and rose. I had no idea how I was going to handle this. The best I could hope for was that the killer slipped up and got himself or herself killed.
I barely noticed the people bumping into me as I made for the door. I kept my hands close to my weapons out of habit, but would never draw them in The Bloody Stake. They were illegal here just as they were everywhere else. If someone were to catch wind that I was carrying silver in a bar full of vamps and wolves, I could be in for a long, bloody night.
I managed to get outside without incident. I breathed in the chill night air and made my way to my Honda. As much as I wanted to do something about the killer, I couldn’t do anything now. I didn’t have enough information to even think about starting a search.
It was still pretty early, but I’d already had enough of the night. The only thing I wanted to do now was go home and take a long, hot bath. Who knew? It might be the last one I’d ever get to take.
3
I hadn’t gone far when I noticed the truck following me. At first, I tried to dismiss it as my imagination working overtime. I wasn’t a stranger to paranoia. In my line of work, it’s almost a necessity. You never stopped looking over your shoulder if you wanted to live.