by Sean Hayden
"Could it be because Vic wasn't a real vampire anymore? Because I made her into whatever I am?" Horror crept into my voice as panic seized me. If she were suffering more because of me…
He grabbed both of my hands, nearly spilling both of our mugs. "I do not think so. In fact, I am almost certain of it. Do not worry."
"But it might be?"
"It could be something as equally unlikely. The alignment of the planets. The placement of the moon. A rogue god. Worry about facts, not speculation."
I breathed in. "Okay."
"Good. Would you mind if I stayed with you instead of a hotel? I should like to see this apparition."
"Sure. I have a third bedroom."
"You have someone else here." It wasn't a question. He could probably tell, but Mel hadn't come up in conversation yet.
"Yes. I just got a roommate. She's sleeping in my room until her furniture gets delivered."
"I'm sorry, I'm inconveniencing you…"
"No! You're more than welcome to stay here! I'm going to have to run and pick up a futon or something. Sorry. I cleared all the furniture out of the house. I was planning on doing some remodeling."
"Is this other room going to be a guest room?"
I nodded. "I was going to make it into an office, but that's kind of unnecessary. Now that I have a roomie, I think I will make it a guest room. I can always put a desk in my room. Why?"
"Then, as a housewarming gift, allow me to furnish it for you."
"Daren…"
"I insist. Consider it a gift for lodging me, then."
"You, my teacher, are always welcome."
"Quit arguing with me, child."
"I'm not! Furnish away," I said with a laugh.
"Sorry I slept in, Ash," a groggy Mel said as she walked out of my bedroom in her underwear and a T-shirt. Without missing a beat, she headed into the kitchen and put a cup of coffee up to brew.
Daren and I kind of watched her the whole time. It didn't seem like she noticed we had company yet. The Keurig hissed angrily, and the water pump hummed. She grabbed her coffee, stirred in some sugar, and headed over to the table.
"What are we talking about?"
That's the moment she noticed Daren.
It almost became a scene out of a comedy. Her eyes widened, she glanced down at her lack of clothing, she almost dropped her coffee, barely managing to plop it down on the table clumsily. She dropped down to the ground on her knee and bowed her head in front of him.
"My lord, my most sincere apologies. Had I noticed your presence…"
"My lord?" I asked, confused.
He held up his hand and rolled his eyes.
"Child, we are in the mortal realm. I do not stand on such ceremonies here."
She looked up at him and looked like she wanted to cry. She seemed almost fearful.
He sighed and stood and held out his hand. She gratefully took it and pressed her forehead to his knuckles before lightly kissing them. She scrambled to her feet and ran into her room and shut the door, probably to put on some clothing.
"What the hell was that?"
"Thousands of years of conditioning and response," he replied sadly. "It is one of the reasons I hesitate returning Underhill."
"You're a lord?"
He nodded. "Seventh Lord of the Land of Twilight, Protector of the Veil," he replied automatically.
"That sounds important."
"Not as much as you think in this day and age. Changing times have been slowly finding their way into Faerie. Some still cling to titles like a drowning man to a life-vest. Only the True King of Faerie wields any power anymore. The rest of us just follow orders." His face darkened and then he shook his head, dismissing his thoughts.
"Who is the king?"
He gave me a shocked look and cocked an eyebrow. "Surely you know? Search your memories."
I thought about it for a moment. The only elven kings I had ever heard of was Oberon from Shakespeare and Elrond from Lord of the Rings. "Nope. The only ones I know are fictional. Elrond and Oberon."
"Yes! I knew you had the answer inside you."
"Who? Elrond?"
"No. Oberon, you dolt. He and William Shakespeare were quite good friends. Well, as good as a human and elf could be at the time, but Shakespeare had been a changeling. Lady Titania rescued him as an infant, raised him, and released him back into the human realm incredibly talented."
"Neat," was all I could say.
Thankfully Mel's door opened, and she strode out in a green, floor-length dress, hair and makeup done to perfection. I suspected she used magic. It was that quick. She silently slid into her chair and sipped her coffee, staring at the table and flashing me sidelong glances.
"Please be at ease, young one," he said trying to calm her nerves.
"Sorry, m'lord."
I chuckled. She'd be hearing about this for a long time to come. "Relax, Mel. Daren is going to be staying with us for a little while.
She kicked me under the table. "We are unworthy to play host to Lord Darenthalis."
"Wait. You know him?"
She nodded. "Not personally, I am unworthy, but we of Faerie know all of the Lords and Ladies of the Realm." She bowed her head again.
I shook my head, missing the point and looked at Daren for an explanation.
"It is a different world," he said and narrowed his eyes for a moment. "Or is it?"
"Huh?"
"Think of it this way. Maybe it will help. Picture an elven lord being the equivalent of a Master of a City and the Council being Oberon. All the little vampires treat them like royalty, for they gain their power from them. It is the same Underhill."
"Huh. Nobody ever bowed to me."
"You have not been back to California. You may find you enjoy the power."
"Oh, fuck that. I think I'd throw up if somebody kowtowed to me."
Daren laughed, and Mel looked like she was about ready to give birth to a litter of puppies. She mouthed the word, language, and glanced over at Daren.
I decided to change the subject. "So, what did you find digging around in my noggin."
"Some dust and cobwebs, but I see what your problem is."
"Are you referring to the cause of my stupidity or the reasons I'm getting sucked dry by the little vamplings?"
"You're tied to them, but you're blocking their attempt to give you power. It should be a mutual exchange. You heighten their powers while they heighten yours."
"I don't get it. How am I blocking anything? I really have to dig inside me to even feel the link. I have no control over it."
"Think of it like a hydraulic pump. You have two hoses, a supply and return. You give them power over the supply line and you get power back over the return. Except the valve on your return is shut off and in a locked control box. I suspect that you threw away the key subconsciously because you didn't want the link to begin with."
"That's a pretty in-depth explanation. I get it now. But, why do you know anything about hydraulic pumps?"
"Human technology fascinates me."
"Neato. So how do I fix it, or do I just wait until we cut the hoses permanently?"
"That is up to you. I could probably force the lock open if you desire. You would have a lot of power to do whatever you could imagine with."
"Oh, hell no. I'll just keep feeding extra until we can get rid of it. I don't need it or want it. It's hard enough being plain old Ashlyn."
He nodded, thoughtfully, before frowning a little.
"You okay?"
"Yes," he said but drew out the answer.
"What is it?" I wasn't buying it.
"Just… Honestly, I am never not amazed by you, young one. If anyone else your age was offered nearly limitless power, they wouldn't hesitate to grab it and use it."
"Yeah, well, not me. I don't even want the power I do have naturally. I didn't ask to be what I am and if I were offered the choice, I'd give it up in a heartbeat, too."
"I understand," he said and there was
a hint of resolve in his voice. Like he had made a difficult choice. I had no clue what it could have been, and I doubted he'd tell me what it was even if I asked.
"So, do you know how to sever the connection?"
"Yes, but I will warn you. It poses a risk not only to you, but to all the vampires tied to you."
"Maybe Cosmo has come up with something," I said thoughtfully. "I'm not so worried about myself. If the risk were just to me, I'd be all for it. But, I can't handle another person getting hurt because of me."
"I assume this Cosmo is the mage friend of your vampire friend?"
I nodded. "He's a little strange, but pretty smart."
"Maybe we can come up with some beneficial tweaks if we work together. Do you know where he can be reached?"
"No. But Marc does. Mel," I said to her and she jumped a little. "Could you call him and see if he can arrange a meeting?"
"Tonight?"
"If at all possible, but tomorrow is fine if he cannot," Daren answered.
"He's human, so you could even meet during the day if you want," I told him.
"That sounds good."
"Yes, m'lord," Mel said and left to return to her room to make the call.
"I have a feeling she's never going to relax around you."
"Do not blame her. Her people have not always had an easy existence because of people in positions of power like me. They are not, and have never been, treated as equals. Those who do not resent the high elves fear them," he said and sighed wistfully.
"Not only is that sad, that is way too common."
"True as well."
Mel strode back into the room and handed me the phone. "He would like to speak with you."
I took the phone and held it up to my ear. "Hi, Marc."
"Greetings, little one."
"What's up?"
"Do you trust him?"
"Who?" I asked confused.
"The elf."
"With my soul," I said without hesitation.
"Good. Because he will most likely have access to it. Be sure before you invite his help."
He scared me a little, but one look at Daren sipping his tea at my dining room table quelled that. "I am," I answered one last time.
"Good. I will have Cosmo contact your elven friend this evening. They can hash out the details and more than likely come up with a solution more quickly. I suggest you pack."
"Will do. Thanks, Marc."
"My pleasure," he said, and the line went silent.
"So how did you do it?"
I looked over at Thompson in the driver's seat. "Do what?"
"Fool the doctor into thinking you were well enough to return to work."
"I didn't. He knows I'm fucked up. It's one of the reasons for the 'limited' duty."
"So, what exactly does that mean?"
"Fuck if I know. I assume it's the reason for our little meeting. I wasn't expecting to get called into work tonight."
"Me neither. Thanks for fucking up my vacation."
"You're welcome. And don't give me shit. You were probably stuck painting the house and doing dishes. You should be thanking me."
"I just did."
I laughed and let him focus on the road. He'd called me on the way to my house to let me know about the meeting as soon as the sun had set. I really hadn't wanted to leave. Daren had met with Cosmo and I wanted to hear all the details. I'd left before he got back.
We pulled into the parking garage, got out, and made it to the elevators in silence. The horrible music pumping out of the speaker over our heads killed it.
"They really need to change the station," I broke into conversation.
"Been here twenty years. I think it's been the same song since I started. Doubt they gonna change it for a whiney blood sucker."
"Bite me Lion-O."
He chuckled, and the elevator dinged. The door slid open and we walked to Reese's office. Thompson went in first and when his bulk shifted out of the way, Sanders sat in Reese's chair and Reese stood next to him.
"Deputy Director," Thompson said by way of greeting.
"Hello, Special Agent. Agent Ashlyn. Good to see you."
"Hi, Deputy Director," I said and gave a meek little wave.
"You seem to be doing well. Better than I expected, honestly."
"Thanks," I said and fought the urge to roll my eyes. Let him believe what he wants, I told myself, forcing a small smile.
"You wanted to see us, sir?" Thompson tried to force him to get to the point.
"Yes! Thank you for coming so promptly. I know you are planning on heading to California to take care of Ashlyn's little problem. I have some work for you two to do while you are on location."
"Is this about the murders?"
"Yes," Sanders said and handed Thompson a manila folder. "Have a seat."
My partner sat and began flipping through the reports and photos. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a lot of red in the photos. That meant they weren't pretty. I sat next to him and waited for him to finish.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
I looked up at the Director of the FBI. "Sir?"
"Are you sure you want to turn away being the master of four cities. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure it has its downside, but Greer literally killed for that kind of power. Are you sure you want to give it up just like that?"
Reese coughed behind the director. He kind of knew the personal hell I'd been going through. I opened my mouth to give a scathing reply when my partner reached over slowly, and grabbed my knee, and gave it a little squeeze. I may not be the brightest bulb on the string, but I could take a hint.
"I'm sure, sir. I can't control the flow of power. I haven't been a vampire long enough. It's all give and no take, and unless I feed constantly, I slip into sort of a coma."
"That is bad. Okay. I just wanted to make sure you had looked at it from all angles. It's a shame you couldn't control it."
I just nodded and gave him the fakest smile I could muster. I saw Reese shoot me an apologetic look. The smile I gave him was a little more genuine.
"Jesus, that's a fucking mess," Thompson said next to me and passed me the folder.
I flipped open the cover and made a face at the first crime scene photo. Whatever it had been was indistinguishable now. It looked like someone had stuffed a corpse full of raw hamburger and then peeled the entire thing. I read the report. Most of the damage had been done while the victim, a curator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, was still alive. The only damage to the museum had been a glass case, and only one item had been reported as stolen. A two-thousand-year-old clay jar.
That's weird.
The second photo was gorier than the first. Nothing stolen, just a murder. A two-hundred-year-old vampire. The third was a thirty-year-old lycanthrope, wolf, that had been flayed and drained. From there each one got more creative and more brutal. No motive, no crime other than the murder. Just pure random torture. Every single one of them had been a supernatural being, except for the curator in the beginning of the spree.
I closed the folder and handed it back to my partner for safe keeping. It was our case now.
"What do you think, kid?"
"Serial killer with a taste for supernatural blood. Whatever it is, it has to be strong to do all that. The only thing that doesn't make sense is the human and theft at the beginning. What would this thing want with a vase? And why kill the human? It has to be something important and the curator was probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Well, whatever it is, catch it if you can, kill it if you can't. I want you two in L.A. before the next victim hits the ground."
"Well, the killings were three days apart, so the next one should be tomorrow night. We should be there by then," I said, and Thompson nodded.
"Good. There's one other thing, Agent Ashlyn. You are not to be anywhere alone. The doctor was quite adamant. I am placing one other restriction. You must be accompanied by your partner or Darent
halis. Marcel is not good enough. He is just a consultant and therefore cannot be held responsible for anything that could occur. That is the entire scope of your limited duty status. Do you understand?"
I nodded. I had been expecting worse, honestly. "Yes, sir."
"Do you understand, Thompson?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. You're both dismissed. Go catch this son of a bitch."
"Good luck," Reese added.
∞ ∞ ∞
Thompson pulled into my driveway and shifted into park. "You coming in?"
"Nah. Gonna go pack and spend some time with the wife."
"That's a good idea."
"Probably because it wasn't mine," he said and showed me the text from her telling him to get his ass home.
I laughed at him, opened the door, and left him to his fate. I heard the Suburban back out the driveway as I walked up to my front door and punched in the code. Opening the door, I reached in to flip on the porch light I had forgotten to turn on before I left.
"Mom, Dad, I'm hoooome," I called out jokingly out of habit.
"Welcome back, youngling," Daren said from my living room couch. He was sitting there in the dark not doing anything. Even the TV was off.
"Hey, Daren. So how did it go?" I turned on the standing lamp before plopping down on the opposite edge of the couch.
"As for a solution, we managed to expound upon my original plan and came up something exponentially better."
"That's good right?"
"Very."
"Then what's wrong? You've been sort of out of it lately."
"Nothing, youngling. While the human mage is quite brilliant, spending that much time with him grated upon my elven sensibilities."
"Yeah. He's smart, but nuts."
"Certifiably, I'm afraid."
"So, we're sure this is going to work?"
"In theory, yes. However, rarely do things go as well as planned."
"True story, bro."
"Bro?"
"It's human slang. Bear with it."
"I shall, my homie."
"Oh. Okay. Yeah. Don't do that."
"Bear with it?"
"No. Use human slang. So wrong on so many different levels," I said and giggled. He shrugged.
"Thompson and I need to be in L.A. tomorrow. Will the two of you be ready to do your hocus pocus by then?"