would. But not even he could stand up to Morgead's anger for long. The vampire's shrill screams and the sound of him gargling on his own blood, scared off a lot of his customers,
leaving the club almost empty.
"I'll ask you again," Morgead snarled, poising a wooden stake above the vampire's left eye. I watched with curiosity from the bar stool I'd occupied, tapping my fingers impatiently
against the counter. I'd fished the stake out of my pocket a while back, knowing that it cause more damage to the vampire than Morgead's strength alone would. However, it was all
Morgead's idea to try and gouge the bloke's eyes out with it. Having his soul mate taken away really had made Morgead into quite the savage.
"Who was here?" At the bar tender's hesitation, Morgead lowered the stake, raking it along the vampire's eyelid. Another scream pierced the air as a fountain of blood began to
spurt. I wiped away a drop that had spattered my cheek with distaste.
"A witch," Derrick squealed, causing me to perk up. "What witch?" I asked immediately, jumping up from my seat, towering over where he was pinned to the bar.
"I don't know," the vampire said, and I nodded at Morgead to continue. As the stake neared his eyeball, hovering only inches away, he shouted "Wait!" I raised my eyebrows,
listening for his answer. The vampire's scared eyes darted between the stake and me, whilst he opened his mouth to speak.
"I don't know who she is," he started, his low voice quivering slightly. I nodded my head, indicating for him to go on. At least we now knew the mystery person was both a witch,
and a she. It was a start.
"Like I said, she wasn't our usual type of customer. She was expensive looking, turned her nose up at everyone in here, she did."
"What did she want?" I asked, before he guy could set off on a rant about how everyone mistreated him and his customers. I didn't know how useful any of this information would
be, or how it could involve Jez in any way. It was beginning to look like we'd wasted our time trying to find answers.
"She was asking around the witches, seeing if they knew of some spell."
"What spell?" Morgead snapped, not even trying to disguise his impatience. Derrick flinched at Morgead's voice but answered anyway. "I don't what it was exactly. Some kind of
spell that would incapacitate someone. Someone strong. It sounded like ordinary ropes and binds wouldn't do."
I frowned. Could this girl somehow have Jez? I'd assumed that she'd just run off, but who was to say that she hadn't been kidnapped? That would open up an entire new ball game.
"Someone strong like a vampire?" I asked carefully although I knew it probably wasn't. There were easier, nonmagical ways to tie up a vampire. To confirm my suspicions the bar
tender shook his. "Nah, a good wooden cage or handcuffs would put a vampire out of commission. I don't know what the lass had that she needed to keep down, but whatever it is,
it's too strong for anything not magical."
I met Morgead's eyes across the bar, half filled with hope, and half filled with despair. Like a wild power. I sent the message to him telepathically, not wanting to clue in the bar
tender. Morgead's face turned grim as he nodded his head, releasing the vampire from his grip so that he could run his hands through his dark hair.
So they know she's a wild power. Morgead's voice sounded in my head, his voice matched his expression. Sounds like it, I returned, leaning back against the bar. I guessed it was
pretty much confirmed that Jez hadn't just run away. She'd been taken.
"What did the witch look like?" I snapped, giving the bar tender a fright. "Uh, young, about your age," he stuttered, clearly struggling to remember her exactly. "Dark hair, lots of it
too, all in curls. I'd place her as Spanish looking, dark eyes and tanned skin. Oh, and she had these red painted nails." I nodded my head, taking in the description. I didn't recognise
the girl he was describing, but it wasn't very specific, so it could have been any amount of people.
"Did the witch say where she was staying?" I asked Derrick, who still looked too scared to try and haul himself off of the bar. He shook his head furiously, his greasy hair falling in
his eyes. I believed him.
"Okay," I said, unsurprised by his answer. The cogs in my head were already roaring to life, spinning with all the information we had, and trying to get it to fit together. A whisper
of an idea began to form in my head, setting me on a path to follow.
"Thanks for the help," I told the bar tender, stalking out of the club.
"Where are we going?" Morgead asked once we were halfwaydown the street. "To pay a visit to someone I know," I replied, mentally bringing up a map of the city and pinpointing
the location we were headed to. I just hoped she hadn't moved since I'd last heard from her.
"Who? Do you think they know who this witch is?" Morgead asked, his pace speeding up with the knowledge that he might be able to find Jez. "I don't know," I said, turning a corner
into an alleyway that I knew was a short cut. "But if my suspicions are right, she might just be of some use."
"Your suspicions?" Morgead asked sceptically, raising an eyebrow in my direction. I nodded, hopping onto a dustbin and over a metal fence, landing neatly on the other side. Morgead followed my movements without question, lithely copying my actions.
"And pray tell, what are these suspicions of yours?" He asked.
"Well," I began. "This witch went to a dingy little Night World club to ask around for a spell she wanted, right?" Morgead nodded his head to show that he was following, but made
no contribution. "Well it got me wondering. Why didn't she just ask someone in her circle for help? I know a bit about how witches work, and they're into all that soul sisters bullshit.
Surely she could've gotten what she wanted from her other circle members instead of prowling around clubs, picking the brains of lone witches. Unless," I prompted, looking at
Morgead to see if he could see where I was heading.
I could see the wheels spinning in his head, putting things together, just as I had done. "Unless she's not part of a circle," he finished, voice thoughtful.
"And bingo was his namo," I said, delighted that he'd caught on. Streetlights flickered to life around us and I had to appreciate the timing, as we twisted down more side streets.
I could see the fluorescent glow of the casinos up ahead, the noise of tourists and slot machines making its way to my sensitive ears. Looking up to the night sky, I could hardly see
the stars that I knew were there, their shine dimmed out by all of the light pollution. MaryLynnette must hate it here, I thought distantly.
"So how does this witch not being part of a circle help us?" Morgead asked after a few moments of thinking things over. I knew what he was thinking: that surely she would be
easier to track if she was in a circle, so that we could ask around and get her location. It was a good job I had the contacts I did. If she lived in Vegas and wasn't in Circle
Daybreak, Twilight or Midnight, my contact would know who she was and where to find her.
It didn't take long for us to reach the place I was looking for. A little tattoo parlour with the lights ablaze and customers spilling out the door. I supposed the weekend would be their
busiest time, especially at night with so many drunk, unsuspecting tourists. A big sign saying 'RAZOR' announced the name of the shop in LED lights.
I led the way, bypassing the queuing customers who groaned and complained about us jumping the queue. I didn't care; I wasn't here for a tattoo anyway.
A guy looked up at our arrival, smiling before turning back to the man he was currently tattooing. "Ash," he said, the smile not disappearing. "It's been a while. I wasn't expecting
you."
I laughed and smiled back, clapping the man on his heavily tattooed shoulder. "It's good to see you too, Dex. This is Mor
gead by the way, he's a friend of mine." Morgead nodded
his head in recognition, but otherwise stayed silent, scanning the parlour around us. It was just your usual city tattoo shop, art on the walls, benches scattering the room.
"It's nice to meet you," Dex said without looking up from his work. I looked over to see what he was working on. I wasn't sure whether I should laugh or feel sorry for the guy who
was getting the tattoo, who would undoubtedly wake up in the morning with a wicked hangover and a very sore butt cheek. The tattoo was of an evil looking shark eating an ice
cream whilst wearing a top hat, adorned on the left cheek of the guy's butt.
"It's looking good," I told Dex, trying and failing to hold back a laugh. He grinned mischievously, clearly proud of his work, no matter how ridiculous it was. "Hell yeah," he said,
wiping off some specks of blood with a tissue. With a swish of his hand the tissue burst into flames, the ash disappearing midair. Who said guys couldn't make awesome witches?
"What are we doing here?" Morgead hissed in my ear, glaring at a pair of giggling girls getting matching heart tattoos. "Chill," I hissed back. "I know what I'm doing."
"I take it you two aren't here to get inked then," Dex said, shooting us a sidelong look. I shook my, holding up my hands. "Sorry, not this time. But I'll be sure to get that design the
next time I come," I said, indicating the butt cheek tattoo. I could imagine MaryLynnette's face when she saw it, a mix of horror and hysteria. It would be nothing compared to how
Jade would react.
"I'll hold you to that," Dex replied, an evil grin splitting his face, and I knew he would. I made a mental note to leave it a while before I came back.
"She's upstairs if you want to see her. But like I told Thea, she isn't much one for visitors," Dex said, guessing my reasons for being here.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," I replied, moving towards the set of stairs at the back of the shop, indicating for Morgead to follow.
The stairs brought us to a door that I knew closed off a small apartment. I tried the handle, knowing even as I did so that I'd find it locked. The occupant wasn't the sort of person to
just let people wander into her place. Still, it was worth a try, seeing as there was no guarantee she'd answer in the first place. But today she had too. Jez's life could depend on it.
I banged on the door with my fist, hard enough to send vibrations through the door and into the apartment. "Open up," I shouted. Morgead and I both listened for movement from
within with baited breath. There was no answer and the girl inside made no move to open the door.
"I can hear a heart beat," Morgead said, looking to me for confirmation. I nodded my head, needing no reassurance that she was inside. Dex had already said she was up here, and
I knew that she rarely left anyway. It was a miracle that she even had the information we wanted, but I guessed having contacts all over the city meant that you could get any
information you needed from the comfort of your own home.
"Yeah, she's in there alright," I said, raising my fist to knock again. "We know you're in there," I called, frustration colouring my voice. I really didn't have time to deal with her
attitude today. "Dex told us you're here and I can hear you breathing." In fact I also smelt the distinct scent of stale alcohol. I just hoped she wasn't passed out drunk.
"For the sake of the goddess, open the freaking door. We just want a word with you and then you can go back to being a hermit for all your heart's content." From inside I heard a
grumble, that with my sensitive hearing sounded like, "Bloody Redfern." I smiled victoriously, pleased that I'd gotten a reaction.
"Who is this girl by the way?" Morgead grumbled under his breath as the sound of footsteps neared the door. "Family. Sort of." He grunted but didn't say anything else. I could tell
by his fidgeting that he was getting antsy over Jez.
I could hear the locks being twisted on the door, and shifted on my feet as it opened. Morgead sucked in a breath from beside me, no doubt stunned by the girl in front of us. I
couldn't blame him for his awe, because standing before us in all of her glory, was Blaise Harman.
"I'm not becoming a damned Daybreaker," she grumbled, beginning to slam the door in our faces. I stuck my foot out, preventing her from closing it. She scowled at it with such
ferocity that I was worried it would burst into flames right there. "Look, that's not why we're here."
"Then what do you want, Ash?" She snapped, and I saw her eyes roam over Morgead and his stony demeanour. I couldn't tell from her look what she thought of my companion, but
her gaze ravaged him. It wouldn't surprise me if he became the latest victim to her charms. I knew that that wouldn't end well for either of them.
"We need your help," I said, drawing her attention back to me. She raised two perfect eyebrows, weighing up my words. "With what?" She asked, her eyes scanning over Morgead
and I suspiciously. I shook my head. "Not here," I said in a low tone. I didn't think anyone would hear us, but I couldn't take the chance that someone else would find out that Jez
was missing. I was even a little wary about telling Blaise, but I felt sure that I could count on her loyalty. She may be a lot of things, but she always looked out for those she cared
about. "Can we come inside?"
She frowned in confusion but stood to the side, gesturing us to pass her. "Sure, right this way."
As I walked through the small apartment, I took in the place, ignoring the stench of alcohol that was burning my nostrils. "Jeez, it's a nice place you've got here, Blaise," I said, making my way to what I thought was the living room. Empty bottles littered the floor around the sofa, as well as a half full bottle of wine leaning precariously on the armrest of a
chair. The place, although nice in design, was crowded with food packaging, magazines and other mess. A bottle of blood red nail varnish had been tipped over on the coffee table,
leaving a stain on the wood. Thick curtains covered the windows, plunging the room into darkness without the lights of the city shining in. A row of candles provided the only source
of light as they threw shadows on the walls. With my vampire eyes I could see without a problem, but I wondered how Blaise managed in the dark.
"Thanks," Blaise answered sarcastically, plonking herself down on the sofa and grabbing a worn blanket that was draped over the back. "I do my best to keep the place tidy," she
said, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders.
I nodded my head, taking a seat on the armrest of the sofa. "I can see that." Morgead leant against the doorframe across the room, looking around the apartment distastefully. I
tried hard to keep the same look off my own face, knowing it wouldn't get us anywhere with Blaise. She never used to be this much of a mess, but Thea leaving had really hit her
hard.
"So," Blaise started, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "What kind of help could you possibly need from me?" Her eyes flickered between the two vampires in front
of her, her brow furrowing as she tried to figure out what we could need.
"We need you to help us find someone," I began, my eyes meeting Morgead's across the room. "Well, two people actually. But for now we'll settle for just the one."
"Who is it?" Blaise asked, curiosity evident in her tone. I gritted my teeth uneasily, wondering whether I should tell her about Jez now, or only if the need came up where it was
absolutely necessary. Maybe she didn't need to know that Jez was missing in order for her to help us.
"A witch," I said, fully aware of how vague that sounded. "A female witch. We believe that she's not part of a circle." Blaise nodded her head, taking in my information, no doubt
scanning her brain for someone who fit the description. She gave me an expectant look. "What else?" She asked.
I shrugged my shoulders, looking t
o Morgead for help. He mirrored my actions; giving me a look that said, "don't ask me." Turning back to Blaise, I gave her a sheepish smile.
"Well, that's it really."
She stared at me in wideeyed disbelief, throwing her hands up in the air. "Goddess, Ash. You're not giving me a lot to go on, are you? If you want me to find this chick you've got
to give me more than that. A name, a relative, anything. There're no shortages of female witches without a circle. Hell, you just described me."
I ran a hand down my face, knowing what she was saying was true. Even if Blaise did have tabs on most witches in Vegas, she'd need more information than I'd just given her.
"The bar tender said she looked kind of Spanish. He also said she was around our age, with dark curly hair, ring any bells?" Morgead prompted, my eyes snapping to where he was.
I knew the description was sketchy and pretty vague, but I hoped that Blaise would be able to put a name to our mystery witch.
"That's not exactly very specific," Blaise said, leaning back against the sofa cushions and shutting her eyes. For a second I thought she'd go to sleep, but then she spoke again. "Is
there anything else you know about her? Any defining features that could identify her, like a tattoo or scar of some sort." I shook my head, and then realising that she had her eyes
closed said, "No."
She let out an exasperated sigh, holding a hand to her forehead as if trying to quell a headache. It was no doubt the start of a hangover from all the alcohol she'd consumed. Which
judging by the amount of empty bottles on the floor, was a lot.
"You do realise that I can't help you if you don't give me more information," she said, cracking an eye open to stare at me. I let out a breath, growing more frustrated by the
second. What could help us find this girl?
I thought back to what the bartender had said. Was there anything else he'd said about the witch's appearance? I looked around the apartment, deep in thought, not really seeing
anything as I pressed my mind for more details. My eyes brushed over the coffee table and the stained would. "She was wearing red nail polish," I said suddenly, my head snapping
Replacement Page 25