House of Shadows

by Morgan Hawke

  Rowan watched the colorful webbing around the vampire suddenly dissipate. That ought to make things interesting. With a grin, she quickly ducked under the bar, then peeked out.

  The vampire took a deep breath and abruptly realized that his binding was gone. His eyes ignited into pools of flame and he smiled, baring long and inhuman fangs.

  Rowan’s eyes opened wide. Great Mother, that is definitely not a human—he is a real vampire!

  The vampire lunged for the surprised sorcerer’s throat with both hands, his long coat flying out like a cape. The sorcerer roared and they went over together, hitting the floor with the furious vampire on top.

  Pandemonium ensued. Screams and shouts erupted all over the bar. People jostled each other in their rush to get out of range. The fight quickly escalated, with furniture being thrown. Bodies pressed for the front and back exits.

  Fortuneteller two points, creatures of darkness still at zero... Rowan chuckled, crawling along the underside the bar as fast as she could. Darting away to her corner, she grabbed her satchel, then dashed under the bar to slip out the side door with the escaping employees.

  - Three -

  Copper Kiss

  Rowan trotted down the alley behind the club. The alley itself was dark and narrow, but short, and led straight to the brightly lit main street. The whistling late autumn wind was sharp and cold, biting right through her light coat. Her waist-length copper mane and her flared coat sailed behind her. A growing urgency skittered with warning along her senses. She had learned long ago to listen to her instincts.

  Her satchel tucked over her shoulder, Rowan stepped from the dank alley, then walked briskly across the city street. Luckily traffic was light, so she didn’t have to dodge cars. She stepped up on the sidewalk that ran by the small, fenced churchyard diagonally across from the club. She strode quickly along the fence surrounding the church graveyard, headed for the parking lot behind it and her car. Her booted heels clicked sharply on the cement.

  Something big exploded behind her with a loud roar and the crash of glass. The ground shook under her feet and a hot wind shoved at her back, pushing her forward. Car alarms screeched from all over the place and sirens suddenly wailed in the streets around her.

  She whirled to look and winced.

  The Goth club was in flames.

  I guess I’ll have to find a new club to work in. Rowan smiled sourly. Looks like the vampire took out the sorcerer, forcibly releasing the demon. Vampire one point, sorcerer; still at nothing. She turned around to continue on to her car.

  The vampire stepped out of a pool of deep shadow, tall, elegant and slightly singed, but still heartbreakingly handsome in his long and somewhat tattered coat. His long hair, loosened from its neat tail, spread over his shoulders in a soft cloak of darkness. He was a lot taller than she had originally thought. The top of her head was barely even with his shoulder. He turned and stared straight at her.

  Piss and firewater...Rowan shouldered her bag, pinned a smile on her lips and moved to walk around him. Very deliberately, he stepped into her path, blocking her. She’d have to walk into traffic to get around him. Stay calm. Don’t panic. She raised a brow at him. “Can I help you?”

  “Do you normally take on demons?” His voice was deep and rich, with a slightly clipped German accent.

  Rowan shrugged nonchalantly and looked pointedly past him. “No, not normally. If you’ll excuse me?”

  “How did you figure out what it was? Hell, what I really want to know is how you knew what to do about it?”

  Rowan shrugged. “Just one of the hazards of being a fortune-teller. The rest of it sort of comes with the territory.” She snuck a quick peek at his face. She swallowed and felt her heart rate kick up a notch. Gods, he’s cute up close. No wonder Jennifer kicked up a fuss when I made her go home.

  He frowned. “Weren’t you afraid that it would come after you and kill you?”

  Rowan shook her head. “I’m a pagan--reincarnation and all that. If I die, I come right back.”

  He raised a skeptical brow. “You’re sure?”

  Rowan nodded firmly. “Oh, yeah, I’m sure.” She tapped her temple with a finger. “Got the memories to prove it, too.”

  “I see…” He gave her a lop-sided smile. “Well, thank you for releasing me. You saved my life.”

  What an ego! Rowan turned her head and pinned him with an angry stare. “I didn’t do it to save you, I did it to keep everyone else from dying. The sorcerer intended to suck you dry, then use your power to slaughter everyone else. I figured if I released you from his spell, that a fight between you two would be scary enough to clear the bar of innocent people.”

  He blinked. “You know what I am.”

  “Yes.” Rowan smiled coldly. You blood-sucking parasite…

  “It was you that sent Jennifer home early.” His look was accusatory.

  “Of course I sent her home,” Rowan snapped. “Once I saw what was in her cards, what else was I supposed to do? Let her get killed?”

  “Look, I don’t kill them.” He crossed his arms defensively across his broad chest. “I’m the one that usually calls the ambulance after…”

  Is that guilt I’m sensing? Rowan frowned, then jabbed a finger at him. “It was you that put a few of my other friends in the hospital for blood loss and shock.” She narrowed her eyes. “Two of them are in the psych ward for extreme paranoia.” She raised a sarcastic brow. “For some reason, they think that the shadows are going to get them.”

  He winced. “Sometimes the hypnotic trance doesn’t take completely.”

  “Oops? Your bad?” she said with venom.

  “Hey, take it easy.” He frowned. “I haven’t killed anyone.” He gave her a slight smirk. “Well, until tonight, but that sorcerer had it coming…”

  “You just drink them dry enough to put them in the hospital instead?” Rowan rolled her eyes. “Oh, that’s so much better.”

  He rolled his eyes then made another face. “Lately I haven’t found much value in what I have been drinking. The quality of their essence, spirit, soul, whatever, is so poor that it takes a lot of blood to get anything out of it, though I have gotten a few interesting buzzes.” He gave her a lopsided smile while she continued to stare angrily at him. He shrugged.

  Rowan raised a sarcastic brow. “I feel so bad for you,” she said in complete deadpan. “Can’t you drink from animals instead of people?”

  “Hell no, that stuff’s nasty.” He made a sour face.

  “Not at all?” She tilted her head in curiosity. “Blood is blood… ”

  He shook his head and sighed. “Not exactly. I can drink from animals to keep from dropping dead, but there is literally nothing in it for me. Animals don’t have the quintessence or vitality that humans have.” He made a face. “That humans are supposed to have, anyway.”

  “If you were truly grateful for your life, you would find another town to hunt in.”

  He smiled and nodded. “Very well, then. I’ll hunt in another town.”

  Her eyes opened wide. “Just like that?”

  “Sure.” He nodded again. “However, I only have four hours to be settled for the daylight hours. ”

  “Then you’d better hurry.”

  “I intend to.” He raised a brow and gave her a tight smile. “But I need to feed before I can leave.” He took a casual step toward her. “And since you chased off my original quarry...”

  “What?” Rowan took a startled half step back, then jabbed a finger at him. “Hey, I saved your undead ass from that demon!”

  “Which is why I agreed to hunt elsewhere.” He shrugged and casually stepped closer. “After tonight.” His smile grew sharp and pointed.

  Rowan took a step back. “Didn’t you snack on the sorcerer?”

  He made a face. “Hell, no, that would have been pure sewage.” He took another casual step toward her. “And I’m starved.”

  Rowan started backing away in alarm. He followed her with long slow strides. “You ar
e so not feeding on me.” His approaching steps were unnervingly silent.

  “Stop me.” His eyes kindled and blazed like coals.

  Shit! She turned to bolt. Faster than she could see, he reached out and captured her upper arm. She was jerked to a halt and whirled to face him. She twisted to break his grip, but his hand was wrapped around her arm like steel.

  “Don’t try to fight, you’ll only bruise yourself.” His voice was soft but firm. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Then let go…” She twisted to swing the large bag in her hand, but his other hand closed on the strap and jerked it. The bag dropped to the ground.

  “Look at me,” he said softly.

  Rowan averted her eyes from his glowing orbs. “I need,” she whispered under her breath and wracked her brain. The Powers That Be were usually very swift in answer to her needs, but she had to ask out loud before they would deliver. For some strange reason, that was how her magic worked.

  He reeled her in by her sleeve. “It’ll be better for you if you let me put you under hypnosis.” His voice was deep and soothing.

  Better for me? Rowan looked everywhere but at his face. I’ll just bet. He was incredibly strong. Her boot-heels skidded unpleasantly on the cement walk. He released her sleeve, then captured her wrist with a motion that only took a split second. He pressed her hand over his heart.

  He’s warm? She felt a thump under her palm. He has a heartbeat?

  “I can make it very pleasurable for you.” The Germanic lilt to his words shimmered down her spine with the shadowy brush of dark velvet.

  “No, thank you.” Jeeze, his voice is turning me on. She bit her lip. What the hell do I need? What will hold off a vampire? Oh, wait…

  “I need a holy item or a religious symbol.” Rowan barely breathed the words, then felt a pinch at her neck. A religious symbol... She pulled her silver chain from under her coat. Her pentacle popped out and blazed like a miniature sun.

  “Shit,” he hissed. He flinched back, but didn’t release her wrist. He growled and held up a hand to block the small blaze of light from his eyes. “Something that small isn’t going to do you much good, but it is pissing me off. Get rid of it.”

  Wait a minute, I’m a high priestess; technically my whole body is sacred. Rowan pressed her free hand over her heart and lifted her eyes to the vampire. “My Lady,” she whispered. There was a curious tingling and warm sensation in her blood. She watched the veins in her captured hand suddenly ignite with a tracery of blue-white light that brightened until it blazed from her hand.

  “Shit, that hurts!” He released her and lunged away.

  Light radiated from under her coat, enough to seemingly reverse shadows like a photograph negative. Whoa, cool. I didn’t know I could do this! She smiled and picked up her bag. Wow, this feels good, really good The parking lot was just beyond the graveyard, and he was standing in her path. Rowan took a step toward him and it was his turn to back away. Her coat and long hair floated out behind her, floating on the soft wind of power. She took another step, and then another.

  He backed away from her. “What the Hell is that?” The light from her face and limbs was bright enough that he cast a shadow.

  “I guess I forgot to tell you.” She felt like she was walking on air, she could barely feel the ground. “I’m a practicing witch. That makes me clergy.” Of a sort... Rowan’s thoughts were getting decidedly light and floaty. She couldn’t stop smiling. Oops, can’t keep this up long or I won’t be able to drive. She laughed softly. No, really, officer, I’m high on my religion.

  The vampire was driven back by her radiance and frustration marked his face. “Damn it!” The vampire turned and fled, his long coat flying out like wings. With incredible speed, he was gone from sight.

  “Thank you, my Lady,” she whispered to her deity. The light faded from her skin. Well, that is a handy trick to have. Fortuneteller three points, creatures of darkness, still at zero... She took a step and almost stumbled. Her body felt heavy and off balance, like she had just climbed out of a swimming pool.

  Placing her feet carefully, she continued past the graveyard to the parking lot. Slowly the feeling of heaviness wore off, but exhaustion quickly took its place. Uh oh… I’m probably gonna have to pay big for this magical expenditure…

  The broad, well-lit parking lot was empty of cars except for hers. Rowan unlocked her back door of her black Saturn, and dropped her satchel on the floorboard. She closed the back door and the pentacle blazed to sudden life. Alarmed, she whirled around.

  Rowan was shoved hard against the side of her car. She gasped. Her chain was grabbed and yanked painfully from her neck. Her pentacle went spinning off into the darkness like a shooting star.

  The vampire’s eyes gleamed Hell-yellow bright from only inches away. “You’re not glowing anymore.” A hand cupped under her chin, roughly tilting her head back and exposing her throat.

  “Lady,” she choked out and brought her hands up. Light blazed from her palms. Her arms bloomed with an inner explosion of spreading light until her entire body was suffused and glowing.

  “Ow, shit, ” he spat, releasing her. He lunged away from her with an incredible leap. “Damn it, that hurts.”

  Rowan bared her teeth in a feral grin. “Get it through your thick, undead skull; I’m not on the menu.” She coughed and rubbed at her throat. I’m going to have a bruise, I think.

  “I’ve never met anyone who could hold off a vampire.” He circled her just outside the circle of light “What the Hell are you?”

  Rowan shrugged. “I told you, I’m a witch.”

  He sneered. “I’ve met witches before and they couldn’t do anything like that.” He waved his hand at her pulsing glow.

  “I think it has to do with faith.” Rowan tucked her hands under her arms. It was cold and she was not dressed for standing around in it. Her radiance felt good, but far from warm.

  “Faith?” He gave her a disgusted look. “I’ve taken priests and they’ve never done anything like that, either.”

  “Don’t know what to tell you.” She frowned, working to keep her thoughts focused. The radiance was making her light-headed, only this time it was stronger. She could feel her thoughts trying to drift away. “So, are you ready to give up on me now? It’s cold and I want to go home.”

  “Do you have a card?”

  Rowan blinked at him. “What?” Her mind was definitely starting to drift. Shit, I’m going to have to sit here until I can think straight enough to drive.

  “Can I contact you?”

  She frowned. “What for?”

  “I run across weird shit, like that sorcerer, every now and again. I can use a good source of accurate occult information.” He shrugged. “Everyone at the club said that your readings were very reliable and that you knew your arcane shit.” He raised a sarcastic brow. “Apparently, they’re right.”

  “You were asking about me?” Rowan couldn’t tell if she was offended or flattered.

  “Sure.” His smile was slow and utterly sexy. “Technically you were my first choice, but I couldn’t get anywhere near you. You always had too many people around you.”

  Rowan made a tart face. “Just what I always wanted to be, first on the menu.”

  He frowned. “I like redheads, especially ones that look as good as you do in a corset.” He was staring at her chest, and then he smiled.

  Rowan felt her sex-drive sit up and take notice. Brain to libido: I don’t care how cute he is; he’s a vampire. Get over it.

  “Seriously, will you let me contact you?” He took a step closer to the car. “You’re the only fully functional witch I’ve ever met.”

  “Will you swear not to attack me again?”

  He grinned. “Sure.”

  “Good.” Rowan smiled right back. “I want you to spill some blood, then swear on it that you’ll never seek to harm me.”

  “What?” he looked at her, dumbfounded.

  “Do it.” Rowan raised a brow. “Spill your
own blood and I’ll believe you.”

  “Fuck,” he said softly.

  “If you’re going to get to the next town, you are running out of time.” Rowan smiled and shrugged. “I’m perfectly okay with not giving a vampire my contact information, so if you want it, you’d better hurry up and make up your mind.”

  “Bitch,” he said softly, then raised his hand to his mouth. He nipped a finger, then held up his hand. In the glow of her light the red of his blood sliding down his palm was very vivid. “What do you want me to swear?”

  “That you will never seek to harm me.” Rowan could feel her mind expanding within her skull. She was having a hard time concentrating. Hell, I’m running out of time, too. I have to stop radiating light real soon.

  “I so swear.” He raised a brow. “Will that do?”

  “Say the words.” A flicker of motion caught her eye. She could see movement in the graveyard behind the fence that bordered the parking lot. Ghosts. I’m looking at ghosts. There’s more to this radiance than I thought.

  She heard him growl and her eyes jerked back to his face. The blood was running down his upraised wrist. “Say it,” she repeated.

  “I swear never to seek to harm you,” he bit out, then closed his hand in a fist. “There.”

  “Accepted.” Her light winked out. She rocked on her feet and fell against the side of the car with exhaustion. Her eyes fluttered closed and she felt herself hit the nice, comfortable pavement.

  * * *

  Rowan opened her eyes to find herself cradled in the vampire’s arms, sprawled over his lap. He knelt on the tarmac with her head over his arm and her long hair spilling over them both. She blinked up at him. His eyes were no longer orbs of flame-lit copper but a normal, hazel brown. She could feel the cool brush of death and the subtle wrongness that marked him as a predator and a vampire, but she felt perfectly safe in his embrace. I don’t feel like I’ve been bitten…