by Tijan
Her phone was on the nightstand.
She grabbed it, and she was heading for the door. She had asked me to finish, and now was so distracted that it was insulting, “Then what?”
She reached for the door, but I was there.
I slapped a hand on it, knowing my eyes were hard when her head snapped up.
I spoke through my gritted teeth, “We stay in on Halloween. I left Jay. I’m your number one, and you’re worked up about going to work, on a night you never work, and you know Benji would let you off.” Benji was Bass’ night manager, and he loved me. Well, he loved my cousin, but he adored me in a doting sort of way. He’d melt if I told him about Jay. “There’s a rumor that a Big Bad is coming to town tonight.”
I said town, but I meant city. We weren’t too far from downtown Minneapolis.
And I wasn’t lying about the Big Bad, but I was lying about the rumor.
I knew there was someone big and powerful coming to town. I’d been feeling his energy. Or her. I didn’t discriminate except this energy felt masculine. Very, very masculine. Whoever it was had massive powerful energy that was already spreading to where we were. It was in the air.
“There’s also a rumor that the new owner of Bass is making a visit tonight too. That got anything to do with you going to work on a night when we’ve made sure we don’t work since we’ve both been born?”
I wasn’t lying about that rumor. I heard it three days ago at a family picnic. The previous owner was a demon that got dead so Bass was sold, but no one knew who it was sold to. Everyone wanted to know who. Vamps. Werewolves. Witches. Demons. Other beings like me…well, except not me. I hadn’t given two fucks who the new owner was.
That all changed now.
It’s the only thing that made sense, and as soon as I said those words, that dark, swirly energy around her spiked. It doubled in size, and it was swinging around her head in a frenzied way.
I hoped that I’d been wrong. The evidence before me was telling me that I wasn’t.
Nikki didn’t answer. She closed her eyes, and I saw all her energy morphing and starting to swirl around her, almost in a protective way.
She was going to teleport.
Away from me.
Me!
This was not like Nikki, not at all. Something was definitely off.
What the hell?
So…
Well.
I did something.
I had to.
I had done it once. The results had been disastrous, so I never did it again.
But I had no choice right now.
So I did what I did.
I grabbed her energy and I took hold.
She started to teleport, and—well, if I’d taken enough and held on, I would’ve too.
I only took a little, enough to ground her so she couldn’t teleport. That, and she wasn’t strong enough to teleport with me yet either.
When she didn’t go anywhere, she sucked in her breath. Her head twisted to me. Her eyes flashed black, and she shoved me away from her.
She hissed, “This is a demon thing. Stay in your lane.”
I relented and let her go, and she was off…but I knew three things.
One, that wasn’t my best friend. Or that wasn’t the best friend I loved.
Two, I should’ve been way more active in doing whatever I could’ve when she started working there.
And three, I didn’t give a rat’s ass about her lane, my lane. We were on this trip together.
I was going to Bass.
I looked around the room, seeing she’d left her glass untouched, and I headed over.
I might need a little something something to soften the edge because damn, humans on Halloween were annoying.
I drank hers. Mine.
I grabbed the rest of the bottle and headed out.
3
Thank You. Jeez
I was walking down the highway when my Uber pulled up.
The front window rolled down, and the driver leaned over. “You can’t bring that in here.” His bald head was shinier than normal, and the cross he was wearing swung toward me. It fell out of his sweatsuit, and not just any sweatsuit. This driver was wearing a red velvet sweatsuit.
Someone had aspirations to be a pimp. I wasn’t stereotyping pimps. He’d actually told me this was his goal in life on another day when I had almost a full bourbon bottle with me.
I looked at my current bottle. There was a third left.
We non-humans could put the booze away and still function quite efficiently. I believe it’s what you all call a high-tolerance level. Ours was epic.
I held it up and leaned down to look at the driver. “Come on, Ralph.”
He shook his head. “Can’t do it. I got my boss breathing down my neck as it is—”
“Take me to Bass,” and I shook the bottle and its contents at him, “and what’s left of it is yours—”
“Why are you still standing out there? Get in, Caley Girl!”
That was easy.
I slid in the back, and groaned when I smelled what I smelled. That stuff was not legal in Minnesota. “Really? You bust my balls over my booze?”
He shrugged, lifting up his joint for a drag. “Don’t tell on me.”
I groaned, leaning back as he took off into traffic.
Normally, this was bad. Very bad. Normally, I’d never allow myself or a driver under the influence to drive, but Ralph was different. I was different (well, I was being responsible. I ordered the Uber.) I knew Ralph toked up daily, so that was like him popping a cough drop. If he didn’t, his throat would start getting scratchy.
“Why you going to Bass?”
“Nik’s working.”
He looked at me in the rearview mirror. “Why you going to Bass tonight?”
“’Cause Nik’s working.”
He was staring at me.
I was staring back.
Good thing we were at a red light.
That’s when I knew.
I leaned forward, folding my arms over my knees and tucking my chin on the shoulder rest of the passenger seat. “You been feeling it too, haven’t you?”
He pffted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The light turned green, and he started forward, breaking our stare-off.
But I knew, and now he knew that I knew that he knew.
“What do you know, Ralph?”
We non-humans liked to use services from other non-humans. Because of this, our circle wasn’t actually that small, but it felt small. Hence why I had called Ralph of all the drivers I knew, and I knew a lot. I mean, I grew up here.
I also knew Ralph knew because Ralph was like me. Except he wasn’t.
It’s confusing, I know.
“I don’t know anything, Micaela.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t use my full name, Ralphianetterson.”
Yes. That was his full name.
He stiffened.
“Tell me.”
He cursed, hitting the turn signal and easing into the exit lane. “You shouldn’t be going to Bass tonight, Caley Girl.”
I relaxed. I really didn’t like when someone used my full name.
I said quietly, “Why, Ralph?”
A small sigh from him as he eased into the right turning lane. “Does there have to be a reason? It’s Hallo-fucking-ween tonight. That shit’s enough.”
“Why you driving?”
“Because I’m being selective tonight.”
Meaning he was only picking up females. He had to pick me up. Cousins.
I tried again, “What do you know? Just tell me.”
“I know what you know.”
“And that’s what? I just sense a Big Bad in town.”
His eyes flicked up to mine. “And yet you’re still going to Bass?”
Enough said.
Ralph and I were both energy sensors. That also meant we were energy magnets. Where we went, whoever’s energy was around us, some of it stuck to
us. Good and bad energy. I actively fought against that. I never wanted to take someone’s energy. Too much and that was a drunk level that I never wanted to feel the hangover from. Some energy sensors never came back from it. They got addicted to it…and liked to keep rolling and rolling. Scary shit could take you over if you let it.
The other problem with that is that we were like drugs to other beings.
They liked to snack on us, in whatever way their species called for them to do, and they got a buzz from us. Blood. Sex. Just sniffing. Other ways. So we were like walking cocaine to some. To most not, but it was enough of a problem that we knew how to watch our backs.
This was another reason why I kept as little energy on me as I could. Self-preservation.
And going to where a Big Bad was going to be, not a smart move on my part.
“Nik’s caught up in something.”
“That’s Nik’s problem.”
“Ralph.”
“Caley Girl.”
Have I mentioned that we’re related? No? We are. See our similarities.
I sighed, looking out the window. We were nearing Bass. I didn’t need to see the downtown section. I could feel the guy’s energy. It was filling every alley we passed, covering every sidewalk. Humans were happily walking through it, not a clue what was sweltering around them.
As we drew nearer to Bass, I felt a tickling inside of me.
It started at the base of my spine.
It was light, but there. It was almost grazing against me, softly. Sensually.
I didn’t like that.
The Big Bad felt me coming; he was welcoming me.
“Cale, I really don’t like you going there.”
Ralph wasn’t looking at me anymore. The traffic was almost bumper to bumper and we had slowed to a snail’s pace. Humans in costumes were walking up and down the streets, but he wasn’t looking at them either.
He was seeing the energy. It was like a black mist that blanketed everything. Black with a tint of shiny metallic blue to it, and it was moving just as slowly as we were.
As we inched forward, it went with us.
Then it was moving toward us.
Then circling the car.
Ralph swore. “That’s it. I’m not taking you. Can’t even see to drive.” He leaned forward, his hands clenching the steering wheel. “Move! She can’t come if I can’t see!”
The energy parted, but it moved up and over the car.
There was a whole rolling movement under the energy, and the blue mist’s spark was even shinier beneath.
I swallowed over a lump in my throat. “You ever see something like that?”
Ralph had ten years on me. He was the elder and had seen a helluva lot more weird shit in his years than I had.
I wasn’t sure that meant he was the smarter one...
He replied, just as in awe, but not a good awe, “No. I don’t like that either.”
“Me neither.”
But I was still going to Bass even if I had to walk there.
Best-friend-combat ready, here I am.
Bass’ entire building was shrouded over by the black energy mist. It was thick, and strong. Ralph pulled up to the front and leaned over to get a better view of it, and said under his breath, “That’s pretty damn intense.”
It was. Not in a good way.
He glanced back at me. “You sure I can’t drive you away? Drop you off at your mom’s and you can spend the night safe?”
I gave him a grim look, my insides just as grim and locked tight. “I gotta go in, Ralphie—”
“Don’t call me Ralphie.”
“—I gotta do it. For Nik.”
We stared at each other again.
He nodded.
I nodded.
He said, “Don’t do it for Nik.”
“I hear you. I’m going in. For Nik.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying—”
I was already out of the car.
“Hey!”
Right. I forgot.
I turned back and handed him the leftover whiskey.
“Thank you. Jeez.”
Now I was off.
4
Squeak, Splash
Ralph zoomed off, and I turned to face the entrance to Bass.
The dark energy shifted aside, clearing a path for me.
Again, I have to reiterate how not normal this was. Beings, non-human and human, weren’t aware of their own energy or their auras. I could see, feel, taste, touch, and smell all of that. It was like a guidemap of the person. (I’m being gracious with this use of the word.) I knew how they felt, what they were thinking, or an indicator of what they were thinking. I knew all their past struggles, their trauma, their after-life issues even. With non-human beings, I knew what they were. I knew their powers. I knew before they did a move, sometimes before they even thought about doing the move.
Course, I kept my mouth shut about all of this.
All energy sensors did. Not just because of the whole ‘drug’ thing we had going on, but because in the past, we were used as weapons in warfare. There was a huge vampire/werewolf war years ago, and our kind had almost been wiped out. One of the remaining kids decided to shut up about letting others know about our powers and what we could do, and that started a trend.
Shutting up.
Because of that, our kind started to grow again.
I came from a family of thirty family members in our local area. That wasn’t counting the extended family members, or the extended, extended family members.
Because of all of that, and our history, I did what my ancestors did.
I shut up, kept my head down, and trudged forward into Bass.
“Heya, Nadeem.”
I lifted my head up, giving a grunt as a greeting to Terath. He was one of the bouncers, and he was one of my cousins. He wasn’t a sensor, though. He married into the family, but he knew all the secrets.
“You sure you should be here?”
See.
Another grunt was my response, and him knowing how I was, he sighed and opened the door for me. “Don’t get dead.”
A third grunt. But it was so true.
Once inside, the energy was better.
I wasn’t even going to try to figure that out, because it should be thicker inside. Inside, I saw sexy goblins, sexy nurses, sexy vampires, sexy werewolves, sexy iguanas, sexy—everything. Wait. A girl had a cow costume on, with the udders hanging out in front of her, but the general costume wasn’t sexy. Just the udder part.
Moving on.
I veered over to the bar and grabbed the first open standing area I found.
Leaning over and looking from one end to the other, I saw two bartenders and I had to stifle a curse because they were bartenders I didn’t like. Both demons. And not Nik.
One saw me and came over, a mean glint in his eye. “Surprised you’re here tonight.” He reached for a glass.
I opened my mouth. I wasn’t here to drink.
He poured me a martini, and well, he was done before I could protest.
He slid it over, dark humor mingling with that mean glint.
The mean glint was always there, because he was a demon. I was trying not to let my hackles get worked up about it, but this was Trey and that was hard to do. He was a cocky asshole on a good day, which said a lot for him being a demon. That basically said he was a good guy.
“On the house if you drink it and leave when you’re done.”
There were so many loopholes with that one. I took it and looked around. “There’s a lot of humans in here.”
“We cater to humans too.”
I gave him a look. There were more than the normal amount they usually let in.
He indicated my drink. “Drink, then go.”
Yeah, yeah.
I would drink it, and when I was done with why I came here, then I would leave. Easy-peasy. Contract fulfilled.
Trey narrowed his eyes, suspicion pinching his eyebrows together a
s I took my drink and stepped backwards. I was hoping to vanish into the crowd, like actually vanish, but I didn’t have that type of power. Well, not without—never mind.
So, I had a drink. Point given.
I didn’t know where Nik was. Point taken away.
I moved through the club, keeping to humans. They were drunk and annoying, but they didn’t want to potentially use me—a guy’s hand fell to my ass at that moment and he curved his body around mine. His mouth came to my ear right as he squeezed me. “Hey, baby. How you doi—”
I switched my drink to my other hand, reached up, and grabbed his wrist.
I slid a thumb over his artery, and he paused. I felt his swift intake of breath, and saw the excitement spike in his energy.
I took a firm hold of his wrist and wrenched it.
A startled and strangled scream erupted from him, and his body fell away from me.
He went to his knees, cradling his arm, and he gaped at me with tears in his eyes. “You—you broke my wrist, you bitch!”
Ugh.
Maybe I wouldn’t hide among the humans after all.
I didn’t respond to him, just lifted my drink for a sip and kept on moving. He had two friends with him, so I was eyeing both, but they only went to his side. One jostled into his side, and a second scream came from him.
His buddies were drunk. One girl with their group was staring at the broken-wrist guy in shock. Her eyes were wide and blinking, before she transferred her gaze to me. More blinking. Eyes still just as big, and she shook her head before she went over to his side.
I moved farther away, slipping around another wave of humans. Then, a second.
I couldn’t see Nik anywhere on the first floor. I couldn’t sense her energy either. That meant she was in an upper level, and that meant more security.
Just as I was heading for one of the stairs, I felt a shift in the air and glanced back.
The broken-wrist guy was standing and pointing to me. Two of the security guards were with him. One I knew. He was a demon, and like Trey, he didn’t like me either. His eyes shuddered black for a bit.
Crap. That wasn’t a good sign.
Also, there were a lot of demons here too. I was seeing way more than the normal amount for them.