by Parker Blue
“A few months,” one of the women said, and the rest agreed.
Coincidence? Not.
The dark-haired woman with the shredded tissue stood up, looking determined. “We’ve got to get it away from her. Smash that thing to smithereens.”
“We’ll take care of that,” I said firmly.
“When?” Beth asked, and the others looked hopeful.
“Tonight, right after sundown,” I told them. “We have the help of some female vampires to take her then. They won’t be swayed by her, and we’ll make sure they get her crystal.”
They appeared doubtful, and Micah added, “Val’s right. The local vein of vampires has just as much incentive to want her stopped as we do.”
Yeah. No more Dina, no more chupacabras. And they could move on with their legislation.
“Will they kill her?” one hard-faced woman asked.
That idea even took me aback. “Uh, I don’t know. Depends on whether she resists or not, I guess.” Though it would solve some problems if they did ensure she never saw the light of day again. Wonder if I could plant a tiny suggestion in their ears.
THAT WOULD TEACH HER FOR STEALING YOUR BOYFRIEND, Fang said with amusement.
Oh, shut up. I wasn’t going to do that, and he knew it.
“What about the men under her control?” Annie asked. “The vampires won’t hurt them, will they?”
“I’ll ask them not to,” I promised. Though I couldn’t swear it wouldn’t happen, not if Dina forced them to attack the vampires on her behalf. I turned to Micah. “What happens to the men if Dina dies? Will the stone still control them?”
“I’m not sure, but let’s hope her control would end with her death.”
Yes. Then Shade could return to his senses. I hoped.
“Why aren’t you helping the vampires with Dina?” Beth asked.
“There’s a rogue mage demon in town who has kidnapped one of our people. We set up a Naming Ritual tonight to lure him in.” I explained the situation to them. “You’re welcome to come, but if you do, be aware there may be danger.”
“I’ll help,” Beth said instantly. “It’s the least I can do after what you’ve promised to do for us.”
“Thank you.” A fire demon might come in handy.
“Me, too,” Annie said.
“Are you sure that’s wise?” I asked. The soothsayer looked like she’d break in two if someone looked at her.
“I’m sure,” she said firmly. “Where is it?”
Micah glanced at me. “Tessa was going to text you and David on where we’re holding it.”
I pulled out my phone. She had. “She reserved a pavilion in Mountain View Park in the Spicewood Springs area. She sent a map.” I opened it and showed it to them.
“Yes,” Annie said. “I recognize the area. Just north of the Bull Creek greenbelt.”
“Good,” Micah said. “We set the time for an hour after sunset. The weather is supposed to be a little warmer than normal, with no rain. We expect the attack to come then.”
“We’ll be there,” Beth promised.
“Thank you,” Micah said. “Now, we’ll leave you to your tea.”
It was probably cold by now, but I’m sure they didn’t care. Not when success was within their reach.
As I drove back to the blood bank, Micah asked, “Are you sure it’s wise to have those women attend? They could get hurt.”
“It’s their choice, and I gave them the option to stay home,” I reminded him. “You know, some of us frail womenfolk like to have a little more control over our destiny. We don’t always want to leave it to you big, strong men to take care of us.” I batted my eyes at him.
He grimaced. “That’s not what I meant. You’re trained and they’re not. Aren’t you worried about having to protect them?”
“Not really. We’ll way outnumber Asmodeus and Lilith. The women will be fine.”
“Ever heard that saying, ‘No battle plan survives contact with the enemy’?” Micah muttered.
“Don’t be such a negative nelly. Our plan will work.”
It had to. I couldn’t live with any other option.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Micah glanced at Val, who was concentrating on her driving. She might be completely certain everything was going to work out just the way they’d planned, but Micah wasn’t so sure. Something was bound to go wrong.
“You don’t have to go,” Val said. “You can stay at the blood bank if you like.”
What was that? Some kind of dig?
NO, IT WAS A GENUINE OFFER, Fang told him. VAL KNOWS YOU’RE MORE OF A LOVER THAN A FIGHTER.
Micah firmed his jaw. Maybe that was part of the problem. Maybe that’s what he needed to change. “I need to be there,” he said with finality. With luck, no one would get killed.
Val shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
They spent the rest of the trip back to the blood bank in silence. Micah had been given a lot of time to think in that basement, to ponder on what a good leader should be. His father had been charismatic and beloved, praised for bringing the Underground into the twenty-first century, for setting up the watcher system, and for creating positive relationships with the New Blood Movement and the Special Crimes Unit.
Micah had carried on with his father’s legacy, following in his footsteps to strengthen the ties among demons and relationships with the outside world. He hadn’t wanted to mess with what worked.
BUT IT DIDN’T WORK FOR EVERYONE, Fang said, obviously talking so only Micah could hear. SHARING WARM FUZZIES WITH BLOODSUCKERS IS OKAY, BUT WHAT GOOD IS IT IF YOUR PEOPLE DON’T FEEL SECURE?
Micah was beginning to believe Fang was right.
YOUR FATHER WAS A GOOD MAN, BUT HE GLOSSED OVER THAT PART OF HIS RESPONSIBILITIES.
Why didn’t you tell me this before? he asked the hellhound.
I TRIED TO, BUT YOU WOULDN’T LISTEN. YOU WEREN’T READY TO… UNTIL NOW.
Yeah, the past few days had brought it home to him. Micah hadn’t been able to keep the club profitable, hadn’t been able to prevent the mage demon from kidnapping and enslaving Gwen, hadn’t even been able to keep himself safe.
Fang snorted. YOUR FATHER WAS NO BUSINESS GENIUS, AND HE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP HIMSELF OR GWEN SAFE EITHER.
What do you mean? Hadn’t his father done an excellent job of running things?
SOMETIMES. BUT IF YOUR FATHER WASN’T GOOD AT SOMETHING, HE IGNORED IT OR PRETENDED EVERYTHING WAS HUNKY-DORY. THE CLUB DIDN’T DO AS WELL UNDER HIS GUIDANCE AS YOU THINK. OR THE UNDERGROUND.
Well, that was a revelation. Micah had always thought his father was the perfect leader. Why had no one told him this before?
NO ONE WANTS TO SPEAK ILL OF THE DEAD… ESPECIALLY TO HIS SON.
Except David and Pia. They’d tried to pound some sense into Micah’s thick head and Micah had ignored them. Hadn’t wanted to accept that his father hadn’t been a visionary, because that meant he’d wasted his life in service to an ideal that hurt the people who trusted him.
YOU ARE YOUR FATHER’S SON, BUT YOU HAVE YOUR OWN STRENGTHS. LIKE COMPASSION, HONESTY, INTEGRITY, AND COURAGE. NOT TO MENTION A WILLINGNESS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS AND LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES.
Maybe. Micah appreciated the pep talk, but he wasn’t convinced. Trust wasn’t easily earned after you’d lost it. The hell of it was, he hadn’t been ready to be a real leader the first time he was named. And now that he was ready, now that he understood the job, the Naming Ritual would confirm his suspicions that he’d waited too long to see the future. It was time for a new vision, a new leader. He’d accept whatever the decision would be.
WE’LL HOLD YOU TO THAT, Fang said.
They arrived back at the blood bank and Austin’s suite in time to make the rendezvous, meeting Dan at the elevator. David, Pia, the Memory Eater and Ludwig had already arrived, and Tessa had come up from San Antonio as well. Once everyone settled in Austin’s suite, Val told them what they’d learned.
> Austin nodded and dug his phone out of a pocket. “I’ll let Lisette know about the crystal and ask her not to harm the men. I’ll be right back.”
Dan glanced at Tessa. “Where are we going?”
Tessa pulled out a map and some pictures. Laying them on the coffee table, she said, “Mountain View is a small neighborhood park, but I chose it for the ritual because it’s sheltered by trees from the surrounding houses and has a covered pavilion.”
“Why outside?” Dan asked. “Why not reserve a space indoors?”
“Because rituals are traditionally held outdoors,” Micah explained. “If we held it indoors, Asmodeus would be suspicious.”
Dan sighed. “It’ll make it harder to defend. What about light?”
“I brought some torches,” Tessa said. “And I’ve arranged for members of the Underground to bring refreshments for afterward.”
“Refreshments?” Dan repeated incredulously. “We don’t—”
“It’s tradition,” Micah said, interrupting him. One of the few his father had kept. “Again, we want to make everything look as normal as possible.” And if all went well, maybe they’d be able to conduct the ritual, get it over and done with. “Did you remember to bring robes?” he asked Tessa.
She nodded. “They’re in the car.”
Dan rolled his eyes. “Robes? Are they necessary?”
“It’s tradition, too,” Micah said, “representing our need to keep our true faces hidden from the rest of the world.”
Dan sighed. “How bulky are these things?”
“They tie at the neck,” Micah told him. “So they come off easily.”
Austin returned, letting them know Lisette had agreed to secure the crystal and not hurt the men. “They’re on their way to Dina’s house,” he told them. “In darkened vans driven by female human volunteers. Once the sun goes down, they’ll surround her house and bring her in for justice.”
Uneasily, Micah wondered what sort of “justice” the vampires had in mind, but decided not to ask. He was better off not knowing.
“What about… her?” Dan asked, nodding at the Memory Eater still huddled in the corner. “Is she traditional, too?”
Micah shook his head. “No, but we may need her to pry some information from Asmodeus to save your sister.”
They went over the plan one more time using the pictures and maps. “Remember,” Val said. “Don’t hurt Gwen and don’t kill Asmodeus. We need him alive to free Gwen.”
Everyone nodded, then headed out in twos and threes so as to not draw suspicion.
Princess insisted on coming along with Fang, so Micah rode in the car with the two dogs and Val. Austin used a cloak to cover up in the backseat until the sun went down, which should be any moment now.
“Turn left here,” Micah said, checking their location on the map app. “It should be right there.”
It was, and as promised, it was secluded enough from the houses surrounding it that people wouldn’t be able to see exactly what was happening.
Val parked in the small lot, and Princess stayed in the car at Fang’s order. So did Austin, and Micah noticed the Memory Eater was similarly cloaked against the sun in David’s car. As darkness fell, the two undead slipped silently away into the night, leaving the car doors slightly ajar so the noise wouldn’t attract attention. Austin went to canvas the area and left the Memory Eater under David’s control until she was needed. If at all.
The rest of them headed toward the pavilion. Ten or so demons had already arrived, and Tessa was organizing things, as she always did. That was one thing Micah would miss if someone else was named in the ritual. She was a great assistant.
She set up the altar in the center of the pavilion and showed Val where to put the torches, asked Annie to get some water, and directed the others where to put the refreshments. The plan was to make it look as much like a normal ritual as possible.
They figured Asmodeus would either go after Val, or go directly for the books. After he scouted the area, Austin would keep an eye on the books, which were hidden in the trunk of his car. Val would pretend to get a phone call right before the ritual started and wander off by herself, making herself a tempting target.
The plan was simple, as Dan insisted the best plans were, but Micah could think of too many things that could go wrong. Feeling uneasy, he scanned the area, trying to look nonchalant, but in reality searching for any signs of danger. His gaze slid past the parking lot, then his brain caught up with what he’d seen and he swiftly glanced back at the parking lot.
Had someone slipped behind Austin’s car? Micah caught a glimpse of a petite silhouette and realized it was the Austin soothsayer, Annie. He relaxed. She was probably getting something from her own car. But Austin’s trunk opened and Micah caught a glimpse of pink as Annie lifted out the backpack. What was she doing with the books? And where the hell was Austin?
Princess started barking and Micah took off running. “Stop her,” he yelled.
Annie heard him and took off like a flash, toward the trees. He reached out with his incubus powers to snag her. Better that than risk a foot race. The reaching tendrils slid right off her and Micah faltered for a moment. What the hell? Annie was no succubus.
Fang flashed by him. SHE’S ENTHRALLED BY A VAMPIRE, he yelled to everyone.
No wonder Micah’s powers wouldn’t work—Lilith had already taken over her mind and will. He continued running after her, the others close on his heels, when she ran into the arms of a shadowy figure who stepped out from behind a tree. He grabbed Annie and the backpack.
Asmodeus. And he was holding a gun to Annie’s head. Was it the dart gun, or a real one with a silencer?
“Everyone stop,” the demon yelled. “Or I shoot the girl.”
His heart suddenly in his throat, Micah stumbled to a halt, and so did almost everyone else.
But Val, stubborn as always, didn’t stop. So, the creep shot her.
Val spun around, then fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, unmoving.
Definitely a real gun, but louder than he expected of a silencer. Please, let her only be stunned. Please don’t let that bullet have found a spot not covered in Kevlar.
“As you can see, I’m serious,” Asmodeus shouted. “No one else move, or the girl is next.”
Everyone stopped, including Fang, who was snarling and growling so much, he didn’t hear Micah’s concern or broadcast an answer about Val’s condition.
The mage demon shoved his pistol up against Annie’s head and didn’t even have to hold onto her. Lilith, who must be somewhere close by, made sure she was nice and pliable.
Dan raised his hands above his head. “Don’t worry, pal. Let’s keep this civil, shall we, so no one else gets hurt?”
“Sure,” Asmodeus sneered. “All you gotta do is let me leave with the books without pulling any of the tricks I know you must have planned. I’ll keep the girl as a hostage until I’m sure you’re not following me.”
As Dan and Asmodeus negotiated, Micah seethed, his mind whirling. Val was down, and he was still leader, damn it. He had to take charge. Wait. Where the hell was Lilith? He had to find her. He might not be able to control her, but at least he could discover where she was hiding. The practice in the basement had helped, and Micah was able to thrust out his female-seeking strands of energy and quickly identify all the women in the area. There were only two he couldn’t get a hook into besides Val. One was Annie, so the other must be Lilith.
She was hiding in the women’s restroom. So that’s how she’d been able to enthrall Annie. Lilith had probably captured the soothsayer with her gaze when Annie went to get water for Tessa. Now, how could he get word to Austin so the vampire could secure her?
Asmodeus’s voice rose in anger and Micah glanced in that direction. Damn. It looked like negotiations were going south.
All of a sudden, a knife sprouted from the mage demon’s shoulder—Pia!
Someone else plunged from the branch above Asmodeus, kicked the gun away, and
fell on top of the mage demon. The cowboy hat gave him away.
“Lilith’s in the restroom,” Micah yelled at Austin and ran toward the small building on the other side of the park.
Austin was up in a flash and running as Dan and David leapt toward Asmodeus.
Lilith darted out of the restroom, intent on making a getaway. She was too fast for Micah, but Austin tackled her and they both ended up on the ground, Austin locking her arms behind her.
Micah glanced quickly toward Annie. She was free of Lilith’s control and had collapsed in David’s arms. Good—she’d be all right. David and Dan had managed to subdue Asmodeus and Dan locked cuffs on him.
Asmodeus started to mutter something and Micah yelled, “Don’t let him speak!” Thank heaven for a cop’s fast reactions. As Dan punched the guy in the mouth, Micah swerved to grab some duct tape Tessa had left on a table and ripped off a large piece to slap over the mage demon’s mouth. “So he can’t use his only power to possess someone else,” he explained. He didn’t know if the guy could control more than one person at a time, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
With that taken care of, Micah ran to Val and knelt beside her, checking frantically for blood.
SHE’S ALIVE, Fang told him, running over to snuffle into her hair and lick her face. THE BULLETPROOF VEST TOOK THE BRUNT OF THE IMPACT—THE BULLET HIT HER ON THE SIDE.
Val moaned and relief filled Micah. Thank God, she was alive.
“What’s that thing doing?” Dan yelled.
The urgency in his voice made Micah glance up. The Memory Eater stood in front of Asmodeus, her skeletal hands locked on both sides of his head. As his face contorted in pain, she intoned, “Guilty. Sentence, death.”
Her hands flew away from his head as if thrown by an explosion and Asmodeus fell to the ground, twitching.
Micah grabbed control of her with his incubus, but it was too late. The damage was done. He stared, stunned. Why the hell hadn’t David stopped her? That was the man’s one job in this mess.
“What happened?” Dan asked, staring down at the mage demon in bewilderment.
Micah stood and said grimly, “I believe she ripped all the memories out of him.” He glared at her, willing her to speak. “Is that right?”