by Cheree Alsop
“You’ve said that before,” Aleric told Dartan as he followed the vampire through another dark alley.
Edge City had plenty of deep, dusky, muck-layered alleys to traverse. Aleric checked the corners, layers, and heights with his senses straining until he was so tense he felt like he would explode. It didn’t help that the vampire he followed kept making the same droll statements over and over.
“We haven’t found any carnage,” Lilian pointed out yet again.
“We’ll know it when we see it,” Dartan repeated himself for the hundredth time. “It’s hard to miss the lair of such a blood-thirsty fiend.”
Aleric sighed. “You’re going with ‘fiend’,” he repeated, his weariness showing in his tone. “You’d think after so many centuries of life, vampires would come up with a better vocabulary.”
Dartan snorted as he stepped over a pile of refuse.
The squeaks of several rats sounded; Lilian went around the rubble instead. Aleric followed, his gaze on the pile in case a lacuda appeared. He knew the huge snakes were only in Blays, but habits wrought through hard-earned experience died just as hard.
“I could say she’s an unforgiving mistress of consummate wretchedness and villainy,” Dartan suggested.
Lilian gave him a sideways glance. “How about a soul-sucking wench filled with abhorrent and abysmal vileness?”
Dartan cracked a smile and elbowed Aleric. “I like her. She can stay.”
“Where?” Aleric asked. “In this alley? Now you just sound creepy. I don’t understand how so many women are attracted to you.”
Lilian tripped over a bottle in the dark alley. Before Aleric could react, Dartan was there to catch her and right her with a vampire’s grace.
“Centuries of practice,” Dartan said with a wink at Lilian before he let go of her hand. “It’s not really fair to you, Wolfie. You’ve a mere twentyish years when I’ve had lifetimes to perfect the art of wooing.”
Lilian smirked. “I’ll bet if you call it wooing to their faces, the women would laugh.”
Aleric grinned.
Dartan gave her an appalled stare. “You dare mock me after I practically saved your life there?”
“I tripped,” Lilian said dryly. “I think I would have survived.”
“With your clothes stained by who knows what kind of rubbish fills these vacant streets,” Dartan pointed out. “Are you saying my charms fail to impress someone as delicate and graceful as you?”
Lilian gave an unfeminine snort that endeared Aleric to her all the more. “I grew up mopping the hospital floors and cooking for Dad and me when I was six. I’m far from delicate. And as for graceful—”
Aleric was watching her closely, and this time when she tripped, he was ready to catch her arm before the vampire could so much as blink. The action caused a jolt through his shoulder, but he didn’t let it show. The approving and surprised expression on Dartan’s face was enough to make him grin, while the warmth in Lilian’s eyes made the pain far worth it.
“You have your own kind of grace,” Aleric told her. He made sure she was steady before he let go of her hand.
“Thank you,” she replied with a touch of red to her cheeks.
Dartan’s eyebrows rose. “You’re smooth, for a werewolf.”
Lilian laughed. “You sound surprised. I thought you were friends.”
“We are,” Aleric replied. “It’s just that Dartan seems to take wooing, as he calls it, as a personal challenge to spite me.”
Dartan opened his mouth in mock horror and put a pale hand to his chest. “It’s not a challenge when one is as skilled at it as I.”
“You’ll have to step up your game if you want to impress me,” Lilian said. “I have a thing for brown-eyed, handsome werewolves.”
She shot Aleric a teasing look and a thrill of warmth ran across his skin.
Dartan shook his head and led the way to the next alley. “If you think this werewolf is like any other of his race, you would be sorely mistaken. I fear he has corrupted your way of thinking about his Ashstock species. They’re vile creatures, filled with fleas and ideas about pack above country and all that. I’m afraid he represents his race about as much as a faun represents the upper half of the caprid family.”
Lilian glanced at Aleric. He shrugged his shoulders. “They’re half-goat from only the waist-down, so I guess not well.”
Dartan led the way into the next alley, still speaking over his shoulder. “Werewolves will never be fully human, no matter how hard they try to pretend not to want to sniff the closest lamp post or—”
“Stop!”
“Don’t get testy, Wolfie,” Dartan continued. “I’m just clarifying a few—”
Aleric grabbed Dartan’s shoulder and pulled him roughly backwards. The scent was so strong in his nose he had to open his mouth to breathe. “Lacuda.”
Dartan stared at him as if he had sprouted two heads. “They’re a myth.”
“What’s a lacuda?” Lilian asked.
“They’re not a myth,” Aleric replied. “I’ve seen one in Drake City.”
“Giant children-eating snakes?” Dartan argued. “They’re what mothers use to get their children to come inside at night. I’ve always wondered what sort of woman has to threaten their children with nightmares. It’s a story; a wives’ tale.”
“Speaking of tails,” Aleric said quietly.
He pointed. Dartan and Lilian followed his finger. Dartan swore quietly under his breath.
The sight of the unmistakable black and gold pattern across the scales made Aleric’s heart race. He moved Lilian behind him.
“The tail is wider around than I am,” she said in a horrified whisper. “What do we do?”
“Get as far away from here as possible,” Dartan replied, pushing past them.
Aleric grabbed the vampire’s arm. “We can’t leave it here.”
“We very well can,” Dartan said, jerking his arm free. “We can pretend we didn’t see it the same way I saw a woman in front of the hospital let her dog leave its excrement on the sidewalk and then walk away as though she had no idea of what it had done. Nurse Eastwick wasn’t thrilled when the said excrement covered the bottom of her shoe later. I would have warned her, but as you know, I have a severe allergy to the sun and didn’t want to risk it over excrement.”
Aleric had never heard the vampire babble before. He looked closer at his friend. Dartan’s face was paler than usual, which was saying a lot considering he was a vampire. He drummed his fingers on his thigh in a quick outer fingers-inner fingers pattern. He kept glancing behind them as if making sure the snake hadn’t moved to block their path to safety.
“You’re afraid of snakes.” Aleric said the statement in a flat tone.
“Terrified,” Dartan replied immediately. “If only my father could see me now. He’d be so proud.” He kept his gaze on the snake’s tail when he said, “He used to hide his pet lacuda under my covers. To this day, I can’t sleep with blankets.”
“So you knew they existed,” Aleric pointed out.
Dartan nodded. “His was not yet fully grown. Thank you for fulfilling the worst of my fears with the knowledge that they do indeed eat small children.”
“It could probably eat large adults, given the size of the snake,” Lilian said.
Dartan gave her a horrified look. “Are you some sort of devil or something? Why do you torment me?”
The tightness of Lilian’s voice revealed her fear when she said, “I’m terrified as well, but I never thought I’d see a vampire reduced to a puddle at the sight of a few scales.”
“A few?” Dartan sputtered. “A few?” He swung his pale hand around to point it accusingly at the snake’s tail. “If that is any indication, we’d have enough skin to make a house, if that made any sense at all.” He shook his head and grabbed both of their hands in an uncharacteristically forward manner. “Come on. I told myself the vampiress would be the death of me, now I find myself hoping so. Let’s hunt her and forget a
bout the coils of doom that lay beneath that rubbish.”
Lilian allowed herself to be led away, but Aleric pulled his hand free. “What if someone else comes down this alley?”
Dartan’s shoulders tensed. His footsteps slowed. He finally stopped near the street, but refused to look at Aleric.
“No one would know what to do,” Aleric said. “It could stay here gorging on people and pets for years. Imagine how many lives would suffer because you walked away.”
Aleric was terrified of the creature as well, but the sight of the vampire so filled with fear for some reason pushed him to be the strong one. He didn’t know how to take care of the problem any more than they did, but he refused to allow one more person to suffer from the aftermath of the Rift if he could help it.
Silence filled the air. Lilian looked from Dartan to Aleric.
“I hate you,” Dartan finally said.
“I know,” Aleric replied. He smiled when the vampire came back with Lilian close behind.
“Wipe that smug grin off your face,” Dartan demanded. He passed Aleric and paused at the same place as before. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “So what do you propose we do?”
“I knew you’d do the right thing,” Aleric said. “I think this city is making you soft.”
Dartan shook his head, but didn’t take his gaze off the snake.
“How do you handle one of those?” Lilian asked.
Aleric admired the brave front she put on. He could smell the fear wafting from her and Dartan even through the musk of snake, yet she kept calm and it was obvious her cool façade affected even the vampire.
“As carefully as possible,” Aleric said. “The sooner we can get it back to Blays, the better.”
Dartan stared at him. “You want to send it back?”
“Yes,” Aleric replied, baffled. “What’s your plan?”
“Chop it into tiny pieces and hope to Blays we don’t find anyone inside its belly,” Dartan said.
To Aleric’s surprise, Lilian was nodding, too. “We can’t send it back if it really does eat children in alleyways. That’s just horrible. But we can’t kill it, either.”
“Yes, we can,” Dartan cut in. “And by ‘we’, I mean ‘Wolfie.’”
Lilian ignored him. “There has to be something else we can do.”
Aleric thought for a moment. “Do you have a phone?”
“In my car,” Lilian replied. “Why?”
“I think we should see if the Police Commissioner has any ideas,” Aleric said.
Dartan nodded emphatically. “I agree. It’s their city. We’ll let them deal with it.”
“We’ll help them deal with it,” Aleric said.
Lilian hurried back toward the vehicle.
“You know pretending to be the brave werewolf is pathetic,” Dartan said.
Aleric glanced at him. “I’m as scared of the snake as you are.”
“Right,” Dartan said in a derisive tone.
Aleric grinned. “You’re right. I’m not. Lilian nailed it when she said you turned into a puddle at the sight of it. I’ve never seen a vampire so scared.”
Dartan glared toward the snake. “I’d bite you if I didn’t think the lacuda would attack me the moment my back is turned.”
“I’ll consider myself grateful we stumbled upon it, then,” Aleric shot back. “To think I’m safer with that creature around.”
Dartan snorted. “The only way to be safe from a lacuda is if you were still carrying that minky with you.”
“I don’t get it,” Aleric replied. “What does that mean?”
“Surely you’ve heard the saying; it’s a schoolyard chant, for Blays’ sake. They swing the ropes and repeat the words to the rhythm….” Dartan waited for Aleric to nod. When the werewolf didn’t, he recited, “Frolic in the light of day. Use the sunlight for your play.” He paused for a moment, then said, “Something, something…in to stay, or you’ll meet the lacuda.” He glanced at Aleric. “Ring any bells?”
“I didn’t go to school,” Aleric said flatly.
“And yet they call you a doctor,” Dartan replied. He shook his head. “What is this world coming to?” He hummed a few bars, then recited, “Frolic in the light of day, use the sunlight for your play, after dark go in to stay, or you’ll meet the lacuda.”
“Morbid,” Aleric said.
Dartan ignored him and continued, “If in the alleys you should go, say bye to the friends you know, prepare you for the ground below, for you’ll meet the lacuda.”
“That’s what school children sing?” Aleric said, appalled. “It makes me grateful I didn’t go to school.”
“There’s more to it,” Dartan said. “Stop interrupting. Let me see if I can remember….” He fell silent, hummed a few more bars, then said, “If to the darkness you must go, take a minky for your foe, ensure that the gold eyes glow, and conquer the lacuda.”
Aleric waited, but the vampire had stopped speaking. “That’s it? Take a minky and you’ll be fine?”
“That’s how the song goes,” Dartan said.
“It sounds like something one person said, he took a minky with him to prove it, and was never heard from again,” Aleric pointed out.
Dartan shrugged. “As far as I know, we have a minky and no better idea. It couldn’t hurt to try.”
Aleric wasn’t able to argue the vampire’s logic. “Fine. I’ll go get the minky,” he gave in. “Wait here.”
He took several steps toward the mouth of the alley.
“Why do I have to wait here?” Dartan protested with a hint of fear in his voice. He looked between Aleric and the lacuda as if afraid to lose sight of either of them.
“Lilian has to drive given both of our driving history, the minky trusts me, and you’re the only one left,” Aleric replied. He took several more steps. “I hope you aren’t eaten by the time I get back.”
“Have I mentioned that I hate you?” Dartan asked.
Aleric grinned and stepped out of the alley with a feeling of relief. He hurried to Lilian’s car. Joking aside, he was afraid he would find his friend eaten when he returned. Memories of his childhood haunted his mind. It wouldn’t hurt to hurry.
They found Police Commissioner Oaks and several officers waiting at the mouth of the alley when they returned. Officer Ling gave Aleric a friendly nod.
“Is a giant snake really a job for the police?” the Commissioner asked when Aleric climbed out of the car.
“This one is,” Aleric told him. “Did you bring the big truck?”
“One of my guys owns a moving company. He’s on his way,” the Commissioner replied.
Aleric stepped into the alley. His wolven eyesight adjusted quickly to the darkness. Behind him, the click of flashlights sounded and circles of light shone on the walls and alley floor. The high buildings around them cut out the light of the moon overhead.
“This place is creepy,” one of the officers said.
“You still here?” Aleric called out as he rounded the corner where he had left Dartan.
Dartan glared back at him. The vampire’s eyes shone red in the flashlight beams. Aleric heard the officers’ steps slow. Lilian caught up to Aleric and walked beside him.
“I can’t believe you left me here with it,” Dartan said in an accusing tone when Aleric drew near.
“You have fangs,” Aleric pointed out.
“I’m not going to bite a giant snake.”
“You would if it attacked you,” Aleric said.
Dartan muttered something with the word ‘hate’ in it and Aleric fought back another grin.
“Officer Ling, if you would be so kind as to shine your light in that direction,” Aleric directed.
The officer did as he was instructed. When the light fell on the gold and black scales visible between the torn bags of garbage, gasps went up through the officers.
“It’s huge!” Officer Ling exclaimed as he followed the path of the body through the alley.
Coils rose and fell
beneath and above the bags of trash. Aleric had no idea why garbage always seemed to amass in alleys like that one, huge stacks of black, white, and dark green bags whose smell combined to create a bouquet of stench that surpassed even that of the snake. The garbage gave the perfect place for a snake the size of the lacuda to hide.
“Snakes this big don’t exist,” one of the officers said.
“They do now,” Commissioner Oaks replied.
By the tightness of his tone, Aleric knew the Commissioner no long doubted why the werewolf had called him.
Aleric’s eyes followed the coils along the path of Officer Ling’s flashlight. The body curled around and around, its width in the middle nearly as wide as Lilith was tall.
“Oh no!” she said the moment the officer’s flashlight beam reached the head of the snake.
Its green eyes were open and it watched them from a distance of less than ten feet away.
“I’ve been standing here this close?” Dartan said, his voice tight.
Everyone took several steps back.
At their movement, the snake’s head rose. Lilith let out a little squeak of fear when it towered above them. Aleric’s heart thundered in his chest. He wondered if he had just brought all of the officers there to become a feast for the huge lacuda. He took a step forward.
“Aleric, what are you doing?” Lilith asked in a loud whisper.
The officers’ radios beeped. “The moving truck is here,” a female voice said.
Nobody answered.
Aleric swallowed the lump in his throat. “Easy,” he said in a low, soothing tone. “Just come with us.”
“It’s not like it understands what you’re saying,” Dartan pointed out, his voice tight with fear. “You sound like dinner to that creature.”
Aleric kept his gaze on the snake’s huge green eyes. The creature’s mouth opened and massive fangs longer than Aleric’s arm lowered from the roof of its mouth.
“Take it easy,” he repeated. “No one’s going to hurt you.”
“Head back to the car,” Dartan said to Lilith. “Slow movements. Get to safety.”
When Lilith took a step backwards, the snake moved. The undulating of the coils upset the garbage bags and more of its body was revealed. Aleric could hear the pounding of the officers’ hearts behind him. Breaths caught, footsteps shuffled backwards, and prayers and curses were whispered.