“Would you mind if we took a detour first?”
“As long as you don’t suggest schoolwork.” I was going to have a very hard time concentrating on classes until all this was settled. My grades were up to some slacking. I should be able to dig myself back out of any hole I put myself in with a little effort.
“I wanted to check out the place where you were being held yesterday. See if there’s any new information we can pick up.”
“Why not? Beats going to my last class.” I laughed aloud at Kristair’s surge of consternation. “Relax, love. I’ve been a good boy all semester. Coach hasn’t had to ride my ass about my grades either, so I can afford to miss one day.” Or a week or so.
“You’ll miss more than a day if you go to Rome, and that is sure to piss off your coach. You may be benched for the time being, but I’m sure he still expects you to go to practice.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you nag, Kristair?” I said acidly. He went still with indignation. “I’ll call Coach from the air, tell him it’s a family emergency or something.”
He didn’t respond and I sighed. Nothing like having a sulking two-thousand-year-old vampire haunting your head. Guilt struck immediately after that snide thought. He was worried about me and we had such little time. Why were we arguing again?
“I’m not sulking, impudent brat.” Then Kristair sighed and gave me a mental kiss. “Can’t you understand I don’t like it because I’m worried about you?”
“I can handle myself.”
“It’s not about you handling yourself. I know you can.” That comment surprised me, the warmth of it chasing away my irritation. I really needed to stop trying to prove myself to everyone. Only I wasn’t sure how to after all this time. “And you won’t be taking them on alone, either. I’ll be there as well as Ussier and whoever he brings along.”
“Then why are you so upset?”
Kristair was silent again, but this time it seemed more like he was trying to gather his thoughts, so I let him as I walked through the cold afternoon. “You don’t want this life. You’re not a warrior, though you’re capable of defending yourself or those you choose to defend. In reality, you’d rather be left in peace. You don’t go out seeking fights. Maybe on occasion when you have your temper up, but for the most part you’re not a violent man. You didn’t want to change, remember? But you have. When I left, you’d never killed before, and now you have. After the first time, it gets easier.”
I remembered Montrose with an uneasy stirring in my gut and that god-awful momentary shock I had after I looked down at his destroyed body. That horror had been missing yesterday in the fight down in the tunnels. Uneasiness stirred before I pushed it away. There was nothing I could do about that. I needed to see this through.
“Okay, I get your point. You understand, though, why I changed my mind about going?” I asked.
“Your loyalty has always been one of your strongest traits.”
I snorted. “You wouldn’t say that if you’d seen what happened after you disappeared.”
There was a long pause, and when Kristair spoke again his voice was so gentle, a burning ache rose in my chest. “I did see, when you were torturing yourself the other night, mo chroí. You stood with Tony when he came back, even though it would be easier to continue to be his enemy. I’m not saying to forget about what happened the night he vanished, but remember how you defended him too.”
“So what were you hoping to see at the house?” I asked, grateful when Kristair let me change the subject without comment. The whole situation with Tony was still a sore subject, though it was getting better.
“I’m not sure, but I want to take a look at it anyway. I want to get more information on this girl, the one who grabbed a hold of you psychically. She concerns me.”
“I don’t think she was at the house. She was hurt making me get into the car.”
“Good. I’m not sorry you hurt her. She attacked you.” Kristair’s voice was grim. “You didn’t kill the men you fought with and the police didn’t find them, so we should be able to track them back to where they ran to and make sure they aren’t a threat to you or Kayla in the future.”
“Wouldn’t the Syndicate have gotten back at them for failing?”
“You watch too many movies. It’s possible, but it’s hard to find people who are willing to be a vampire’s eyes and ears during the day, ones who can be trusted. Especially ones with her little gift. Chances are they’re still alive.”
I thought they’d be dead for sure. “You’re not planning on us, well, you know….” Killing vamps in the heat of battle was one thing; killing humans in cold blood, even if they were asses, was another.
“What is it with you and vampires? I’m one, remember, or has that little fact slipped your mind unless you want me to bite you?”
“Correction: You were a vampire, and I’ve never claimed to be consistent.”
It didn’t take long to walk to the house. When I got there it was quiet. Still Kristair made me scope the place out before he let me enter through the same back door I’d escaped from the day before. The house was deserted, but someone had done a thorough job of cleaning up. I glanced in the basement room where they’d held me, but it was empty except for the busted-up chair sitting all alone in the middle of the room with one of the rungs bent out of shape. But there were no syringes and drugs, just like the cop had said. I started wandering around, seeing if I could pick up a scent to trail that would lead us in the right direction.
“I don’t think we’re going to find much here,” I muttered, after searching outside before coming back in for one last sweep of the place. “I followed the trail like you showed me, but you saw it ended on the street. They had to have had a car. Wait, they did have a car. I’m an idiot. The one they took me in.”
“What do you remember about it?”
I shook my head. “Not much. I was distracted when I was fighting. It was dark; some sort of four-door sedan. Beyond that, my brain seems to have shut down.”
“You were fighting off a psychic attack and drugged. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Did you get any details after they shoved you into the car?”
“No, the drugs hit quick. Last thing I remember was the girl screaming.”
“Talking to yourself and trespassing? Not a good record you’ve got there, punk,” a nasal voice said from behind me.
A shout lodged in my throat as I spun around. Kristair hissed in my mind. Just my freaking luck. The two cops who knew me better than the sheriff in my hometown stood framed in the doorway. “Hey, guys. What are you doing here?”
“Could ask you the same.” Detective Kuykedal’s eyes were hard on me as he came into the room, looking just as thuggish as ever in his sweats and ratty T-shirt. If he hadn’t been with his partner, it would look like he was breaking and entering too.
“Just thought I’d look around, since you guys weren’t too keen on doing anything.”
“Scram, kid,” Detective Aderson said. “Unless you have something new to tell us. Anything else happen after we talked yesterday?”
“Only running a rampage through the tunnels,” Kristair said in such a bland tone I almost snickered. “Who are these guys?”
“Just some cops I ran into when Tony and Steve were in the hospital. They’ve taken a liking to me.”
“I can see that.”
“Nothing with them.” I walked over to the chair where I’d been bound and gestured to it. “You might want to check this. One of the dudes clocked his friend with it when I ducked. After clearing out the rest of their things, I don’t think they came back.”
“Stop playing Frank Hardy and get out of here, before I haul you in,” Detective Kuykedal said, stepping to the side so I could leave. “Don’t let me catch you snooping around here again.”
“You read the Hardy Boys?” Detective Aderson murmured.
“Yeah, and Tom Swift and Nancy fucking Drew. Got a problem with that?”
“That’s so white bred
of you.”
“You can only read Roots so many times, you racist motherfucker. Now can we get back to the case?”
The two of them reminded me so much of Steve and me that I had to bite back a laugh. “Sweet little moment there, guys. Really. I think I’ll be going now and leave you two alone.”
“Aren’t you a mouthy one.” Kuykedal glared. “We’ll give you a call if we have any questions.” He shook his head and muttered under his breath, “Stupid punk is going to get himself killed.”
“He isn’t dead yet,” Aderson replied as I edged past them, heading for the door.
“Well that was a waste of time. What now?” I asked Kristair as my stomach growled.
“Now you eat before you get cranky, and we’ll figure it out.”
Kristair could be as bad as my Ma sometimes with his fussing. I couldn’t bring myself to mind it, though. I listened to him think as I made my way to find food. I could just picture the serious expression on his face, the faint furrow in his brow as he ran through options. As much as I loved having him one with me, I missed being able to see him.
I almost groaned in pleasure as Originals Hot Dog, better known as “The O,” appeared down the street. It was near packed all twenty-three hours they were open. It was the best place in Pittsburgh to grab a quick, cheap bite to eat, and the food rocked.
“When was the last time we just talked about bullshit, instead of all this life-and-death stuff?” I sighed with pleasure at my first bite of pizza. Damn, I’d been hungrier than I’d thought.
“It’s been too long.” Kristair’s interest was piqued by the pizza. “You really like that stuff?”
“One day I’ll introduce you to it. Tonight I’m making it a rule, when we’re back home and in bed we’re not gonna talk about the Syndicate or curses or hunting people down. Got it?”
“Sounds like a good idea to me, but until then, I’ve been thinking. How did you follow me to my tower the night after we initiated our bond?”
I considered it as I finished my first slice. “I dunno. It was kind of like following breadcrumbs in my head. I just knew where you’d been.”
“When the girl attacked your mind, she would’ve left a psychic trace. You might be able to do something similar with her.”
“You mean lock in on her, kind of like one of the GPS devices?” That might be handy for the moment. Not something I’d want all the time, though. “How many people am I going to get stuck in my head? You, I don’t mind, but I don’t want a whole platoon of characters running around up there. I’ve got enough to deal with.”
“It won’t be like that. Afterward, we can see about keeping her permanently out.”
Still, I hesitated and ran a hand through my hair. “Okay, just tell me first. What do you plan on doing with this chick if we do find her?”
“I promise you, I won’t ask you to kill her or to hurt her. I only want answers to a few questions.”
I didn’t like it, mostly because I knew Kristair wouldn’t be so kind if he’d had a choice. He didn’t like loose ends, especially ones that had been proven dangerous in the past. If I wasn’t standing between them and Kristair, he would be ruthless. At least in this case he’d given me his word and I knew he wouldn’t break it. I finished my soda and set it down. “Okay, sexy. What now?”
“That’s up to you, Jacob. You’re the one with the ability, not me. You came up with that one all on your own. It might help if you close your eyes and concentrate.”
“Lord, not here. I’d look like a freak.” I tossed my trash. “I’ll do better if I’m walking around anyway.”
I wandered down the street, letting my thoughts drift until I picked up on the taste of someone in my mind, a taste that was feminine. It wasn’t like what I had with Kristair. Even when I hadn’t understood it, it had been strong. This was different, more like the lingering scent of a burning wick long after the candle had been blown out.
“I think I’ve got it.”
“Good, good.” Kristair’s mental fingers brushed over the link. “She was very strong, wasn’t she? Let’s see where she leads us.”
Twenty minutes later, I stood outside an old apartment complex, one that was even rattier than the one I’d lived in with Tony and Steve. The front door sat atilt in the frame and a flickering bulb lit the dirty entryway. I glanced at the mailboxes. There were no nametags and one was busted open. I headed up the stairs until the trace stopped me at the fifth floor.
She was in the first apartment just off the stairs. I knew it in my bones. At least it meant she was still alive.
“There’s no reason to feel guilty if she wasn’t, Jacob.”
“I know that.” I still would have, and Kristair knew me well. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. When Russell opened the door, I almost groaned. It would have to be the big motherfucker.
He scowled, huge fists bunching. “What do you want?”
“I’m just here to talk. I don’t want any trouble.”
His face darkened further. I cussed under my breath as he grabbed my coat and yanked me into his shithole of an apartment, shoving me up against the door. “You’ve got trouble, asshole.” Russell was working himself up to a real good mad. His nostrils flared and his face was scrunched up and furrowed. I’d never seen anyone simmer with fury like that, building it slowly to a full boil. If it wasn’t directed at me, it would’ve been amusing. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to her?”
Kristair snarled, the sound rumbling in my head. He was ready to break loose and take over if I’d let him. “Relax. He’s not ready to beat my face in yet.”
“Why give him the opportunity? Strike first.”
“Look, you guys jumped my ass, not the other way around, so back the fuck off, because if you think I was freaky badass yesterday, you haven’t seen me today.” Uncertainty appeared on Russell’s face, but his grip didn’t lighten. “Where is she? I might be able to help.”
“What can you do?” he growled.
“I’m the one who hurt her, aren’t I?” Rage leapt in his eyes. “If you knew anything about psychic mumbo-jumbo you’d have helped her already. Since she’s still hurt, I’m guessing not.” It was a gamble—one I wasn’t sure I could back up—but it was worth a shot.
Russell let go of me with a snort of disgust. “What’s your price?”
“Information.”
His jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Fine. She’s back here, but if you hurt her again I’ll break your scrawny neck.”
I didn’t dignify that with an answer.
Angie sat up on the unmade bed, wrapped up in a blanket with her arms around her knees. She stared straight ahead at nothing, but when I stepped through the door she flinched, then began rocking, tugging at her dark hair in agitation. She was barely more than a girl, fourteen or fifteen maybe.
“Holy hell, Kristair.”
I sat down on the bed and she continued to stare ahead. There was so much tension in her body, I was afraid she’d shatter. Russell shifted on his feet. “If you hurt her, I swear….”
“So you keep threatening.” I turned my head and glared up at him. “I won’t. I promise, okay? I didn’t want this either.”
“What do I do, Kristair? Where do I start?” I had done this to her, but I didn’t know how to fix the damaged I’d caused. “If the Ascended has limited my mojo, is that going to stop me from healing her?” My big mouth might just have promised more than I could deliver. Wouldn’t be the first time.
“She’s not completely catatonic; that’s a good sign. She’s at least aware that you’re here, so the damage should be reversible. And the Ascended didn’t touch this ability of yours. You’ve always been very strong minded and you caused the damage before I came back. It doesn’t follow under their rule of anything new. You should be able to help.” Kristair paused, concern creeping into his voice. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes,” I insisted.
“Then reach out like you did with Tony. Physic
al contact would make it easier, but I don’t know if your twitchy friend would like that. You’ll be vulnerable enough as it is.”
“Got it.” Her hair half-covered her face and I hunched over until I could see her features better. Her eyes cleared and focused on me as I caught her gaze. She made a small desperate sound of fear, her skin turning paper-white. Russell shifted closer and I held up a warning hand. “It’s okay, Angie. I won’t hurt you. I want to help.”
She didn’t move as I inched closer and touched my fingers to her temple. Pain struck with stunning force as I delved into her lacerated mind. It felt as if a grenade had gone off inside her brain, leaving behind shrapnel and still-bleeding wounds. I didn’t even know where to begin. I had done all this?
“She caused damage herself. It wasn’t just you. She could’ve let go when you started fighting back and saved herself, but she didn’t. It was her choice to fight you. Beating yourself up isn’t going to solve anything.”
I took a deep breath to ease my frustration and worry. Following Kristair’s instructions, I let the sound of his voice guide me as I eased the unnatural pressure in her mind and began knitting Angie’s psyche back together. Energy seemed to drain from me quicker the longer I worked and I lost all sense of where I was, which only added to Kristair’s uneasiness.
“You need to stop. You’ve done enough for her. She can do the rest on her own if she wishes a full recovery,” Kristair urged and gently nudged my will aside, taking control of my actions as my hand fell from Angie’s temple.
“What?” Even my mental voice sounded slow and slurred.
“You pour too much of your heart into things, Jacob. You don’t know how to hold back,” Kristair chided in exasperation and concern, lending me his strength so I didn’t fall on my face and embarrass myself.
It took a monumental effort for me to open my eyes, but when I finally did, I found Angie staring at me, her eyes stunned. They were a light brown with golden highlights and a slight almond cast. Color had returned to her smooth cheeks and the pinched look in her features had lessened as her pain faded. Russell sat down next to her on the bed. It struck me how similar they looked. Brother and sister, maybe, not that it mattered.
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