by Deanna Chase
Moving in, I tried to nudge David again, but Link cut me off, blocking me from getting near the vampire.
He was right to be wary. I didn’t know when or how David would wake up. The sun was moments from setting. Did dusk act as some vampire internal alarm, or did they wake on their own when they were good and rested? He wouldn’t get the chance if I had anything to say about it.
It was eerie how still he was, lying there as if he was… well, dead. Creepy. Why would anyone choose to be turned after seeing that? Especially David. It was a concept I couldn’t wrap my head around. He’d never fit the profile of questing for eternal youth. He’d even talked about growing old, sitting on his front porch with grandkids at his feet. What had changed?
Maybe he fell for a vampire.
That’s why they all turned in the romance novels. Could a warm-blooded male be expected to resist the eternal beauty? Is that why he broke up with me? The thought made me want to punch him.
Whatever. He’d turned. I needed to get used to it.
“David. Nap time is over.”
His eyelids flickered and my internal vampire alarm went off, only this time the sensation brushed against me, light and airy.
That was different. For the first time I noticed I hadn’t been aware of him while he slept. I stopped mid-step and studied him. Was that always the case? In the few years since I’d developed my ability, I couldn’t remember sensing one during the day. But then I wasn’t out patrolling for them, either.
“What’s wrong?” he growled, leaping to his feet.
“We’re going out and you’re coming with us.”
***
According to the file, Lester Daniels, AKA the messenger, had worked for Cryrique for over two years. Even though he was only a lowly file clerk, I didn’t believe for one moment Allcot hadn’t known Lester worked for him. Vampires like him made a point of knowing everyone they employed, right down to their cleaning crew.
“Is this the one?” I pointed to the dark shotgun house in a rundown block of Lower Carrollton. The overgrown vegetation blocked most of the crumbling path leading to the front door.
David nodded and took the lead. Link followed with his nose to the ground.
I watched them go and took a moment to settle before reaching for my magic. If any other vampires were around, I wanted to know about it. A ball of energy in my core spread out, searching as I focused. David filled my senses. Acknowledging him, I stretched farther. Nothing. My vampire radar remained quiet. Good.
I hadn’t expected to find another, but after the night before, I had to check. It wasn’t known vampire territory. This area hadn’t been touched by Katrina and wasn’t anywhere near Frenchmen Street or Midtown, where the vast majority of their kind dwelled.
David and Link had disappeared. I traced their trail toward the distressed front porch. Peeling paint and rotting stairs greeted me. Neglected, just like so many other old houses in the city.
I scanned the overgrown yard, seeing nothing in the shadows. Maybe they were inside already. I raised my hand to knock. Link’s wolf howl echoed from inside the house. I froze. Then, without thought, I tore into the house, following the sound. “Link!”
“Back here,” David called.
A table crashed to the floor as I ran, dodging tattered furniture and piles of old magazines. A growl sounded from the next room. I skidded to a stop in the tiny kitchen at the back of the house. Link stood in the corner, hackles raised and teeth bared, hovering over a crumpled form on the floor.
I rounded on David. “What did you do?”
He pulled out his cell phone and tapped the screen.
“David!” I stared at his back as he retreated to the other room, his phone pressed to his ear.
“Bastard,” I muttered and crouched next to Link, getting a better view of the victim. The shock of red hair and pale face matched Lester’s Influence ID perfectly. With a shaking hand, I reached out to check for a pulse.
“Come on.” My sweaty fingers slipped off his cold, clammy skin. Panicked, I turned his head and leaned in to check his breathing. Then I saw the bite marks. Angry tears burned my eyes as I stood. David hadn’t done this. Lester had been dead for hours.
Link continued to guard the body, pacing back and forth as if to protect the man.
“Cool it, Link. There’s nothing we can do for him.”
Link whimpered and came to sit by my feet. I searched for my own phone and swore when I came up empty. It was probably among the clutter on my desk. Again.
David reappeared, stepping next to me. “We need to go.”
“Give me your phone.”
To my surprise, he handed it over without protest. I took a step sideways, giving myself some room, and then scrolled through his contacts, found the number, and hit send.
“Davidson, I didn’t expect to hear from you again so soon,” the vampire drawled.
David hissed in a breath and grabbed for the phone. Ready for him, I fluttered to the other side of the room, near the ceiling.
“It’s Willow.”
A pause, then Eadric chuckled. “Ah. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
“We need to talk.”
“Davidson is with you, I presume?’
“Yes.” I spared a glance at my partner and nearly winced at the fury vibrating through him. It didn’t help that Link had shifted and had him cornered.
“And did he not advise you against calling with such demands?”
“He didn’t have a choice.”
“I see.” A lilt of amusement touched his voice. “How could I pass up such a pleasant offer of your company? I’m at my club. I’ll be available for the next hour.”
“Fine.” I hung up and called the Arcane about the body. They’d want to investigate.
After giving the investigator the address, I slipped David’s phone in my pocket and landed beside my wolf. “Link, back off. David isn’t going to hurt me.”
I hoped.
Link retreated with his hackles still raised. The look on David’s face made me question my earlier statement. The scowl and the tension in his arms suggested he’d like nothing better than to rip my wings off at that very moment. Instead, he turned his back to me and stalked out of the house.
Chapter Nine
I sped down St. Charles Avenue with David fuming in the passenger seat and Link snarling in the back. Stomping on the gas, I willed the lights to stay green. If the tension got any thicker, one of them would snap. Then what? I couldn’t let David hurt my dog, even if he was only protecting himself. I rolled down the window, hoping some air would help.
It didn’t.
David’s growing agitation sent my internal vampire alarm into overdrive. Adrenaline filled my veins, making me shake. “Cool it, David. You’re worse than Link.”
David growled. Actually growled.
And that’s when Link lunged… in full-on wolf form. His gray and white mass filled the space between the seats as he twisted with his enormous jaws bared. David’s pale arm shot out, slamming the wolf into my side. Pain pierced my ribs. I sucked in a sharp breath, struggling to keep control of the wheel.
“Link, no,” I cried, but he let out a furious howl and lunged for the vampire again.
Snap! The seat crumpled backward. David scrambled into the back seat, kicking at Link.
I swerved to a stop, barely missing a large oak tree. “Stop it, both of you!” I threw my door open and jumped out to run to David’s side of the Jeep.
Neither paid any attention to my demands. David’s left hand clutched Link’s neck, pressing the wolf against the opposite door. One wrong move, and David’s arm would be wolf food. Horrified, I ran to the other side of the Jeep and yanked the door open.
“Link, David, stop!” I cried, unable to do anything but watch in horror as the pair tried to kill each other.
Link twisted free of his grip, simultaneously slashing with his razor-sharp claws. Bright red blood seeped from David’s shoulder. He roared, his vampire fangs
seeming to elongate, though I wasn’t at all sure that was possible. Link, being a wolf, lunged for the open wound. David countered the move and slammed him against the back window. Link yelped and shrank back before shimmering into puppy form. He fell into a heap, vampire blood dripping from his tiny Shih Tzu paws.
David tore from the Jeep, his image blurring past me. When he finally stopped, he stood half a block away, hidden in shadows.
Heart pounding, I started after him, then stopped and climbed into the car to check on Link. He lifted his head at the sound and whimpered.
“Ah, Link. What were you thinking?” I picked him up, cradling him in my arms. “Poor puppy, you just need time to learn to control your impulses. It isn’t your fault.”
He licked my hand and snuggled closer.
“You can come back now. He’s too weak to shift again,” I called.
David didn’t respond.
“Seriously, it’s safe.” I tucked Link back into the Jeep. Blood dripped from the broken passenger’s seat. How badly had Link wounded him? I used an old sweatshirt to wipe the blood from his paws and cleaned the seat as best I could before looking up.
I spotted David a few feet away. “Are you all right?”
He glared. “You think I’m scared of your dog?”
“Well…”
“You have a lot to learn, Willow. Your wolf can do some damage, but he’ll never survive in a fair fight with a vampire. Learn to control your temper or you’re going to get him killed.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, meeting his steely gaze. “This is my fault? You’re the one who actually growled. You should’ve known it would set him off. Honestly, growling?”
He lowered his voice. “I’m not human anymore. Remember that next time you deliberately piss me off.”
Of course he wasn’t human. The evidence was overwhelming. But what the hell was he talking about? Piss him off? “What?”
“Using my phone to call Eadric. Do you have any idea how dangerous this game is you’re playing? He does not care for you. If you become a liability, he will have you eliminated. And I’ll be powerless to stop it.”
“Allcot’s not going to harm me. He knows I work for the Void and they’re investigating him. If I go missing, there will be hell to pay.” Right? Maude would make sure of it. She was a power-hungry, controlling, evil witch of a faery, but she wouldn’t stand for anyone offing her Influence-making niece. I was too valuable. That much I knew, but did Allcot?
David closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he leveled me with an intense stare. “So naïve. If Eadric wants you dead, it will happen, and the trail will never lead back to him. I know I’ve lost your trust, but on this, please, listen to me.”
Sadness formed a bubble around my heart as I shook my head. “How can I trust anything? A boy died today. One who worked for Cryrique and bought Influence yesterday. I can’t let that go. You know that. If there’s a connection, I have to know about it. The Arcane has to know, and my only lead is your boss. Are you going to help me?”
I held my breath and waited. I’d still go if he said no, but for some reason I really wanted him by my side. Why was that?
He frowned. “I committed to a job. I’ll see it through.”
It wasn’t exactly what I’d hoped to hear. Six months ago, David would have been outraged by the day’s events. He would have been the first one backing me up on my quest for justice. Instead, I was left with a cool, calculating, almost uncaring David.
Still, having him with me when I confronted Allcot was better than going alone. “Fine, but you’re driving. I want to make sure Link doesn’t wake up and attack again.”
***
Eadric lounged on the velvet settee with Pandora draped over his lap. Her mid-thigh-length red silk robe gaped open, showing round, ample cleavage usually only obtained by the copious help of a Wonderbra. Were perfect breasts a perk of turning vampire or had Pandora been blessed in life prior to her death? Maybe she’d been augmented. Were there any doctors who performed vampire breast implantation?
“Agent Rhoswen, how kind of you to join us this evening.” Eadric slid his hand along his companion’s thigh. “Shall we make room for you on the settee?”
Pandora giggled. It sounded ridiculous coming from the flawless-faced goddess.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, no… thank you.”
“How unfortunate for us.” He caught my eye and bent his head, grazing his teeth along the curve of Pandora’s breast. She shivered and pressed closer to him.
Heat crawled up my neck as I tried to focus. The altercation between Link and David had left me frazzled and the seduction scene wasn’t helping. I turned to David for support, but he stood frozen, his gaze locked on the couple in front of him.
Great. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but a situation has, uh, arisen that cannot wait.”
A low chuckle rumbled from Eadric’s throat. “I find myself in the very same predicament.” He cast a glance down Pandora’s robe before flashing a wicked smile.
More heat burned my face, and I fought for composure. Someone had died. I needed answers, not an introduction to vampire sex games. “You told me Lester Daniels didn’t work for you.”
Eadric didn’t look up from his exploration of Pandora’s now-naked upper half. “He doesn’t.”
I focused on the wall behind the couch, trying desperately to avoid watching the scene in front of me. “Was he working for you when he delivered the message to my shop yesterday?”
Eadric groaned. Involuntarily, my gaze locked on the couple, narrowing in on Pandora’s neck where Eadric had bitten her. His tongue darted out, licking a droplet of crimson staining his lips.
Where was the eye bleach? I literally could not tear my gaze from Pandora’s throat. Two bright pink puncture wounds stood out against her pale white skin, the bite marks already healed over. Did humans heal that fast when bitten? I doubted it.
“Would you like to find out?” Eadric asked.
“Huh?”
“What it’s like to be bitten.” His piercing stare burned into me as if I were the only person in the room. “You seem so… interested.”
Had he heard my thoughts? That myth wasn’t true was it? No, I screamed with my mind and waited. When he didn’t react, I shook my head. “My blood wouldn’t be tasty.”
He laughed. “True, but I can’t resist a woman in obvious rapture.”
I took a step back and crossed my arms. That was enough. “Look, Allcot. A man died and I’m here for some answers. Was Daniels working for you when he delivered your invitation?”
He sat up straighter, a trace of the hardness I’d sensed the night before returning. “Yes.”
I hissed in a sharp breath. “Our relationship isn’t going to work if you lie to me.”
“I didn’t lie. He was already dead by then.”
Silence hung in the air. When I found my voice it came out low and dangerous. “You had him killed. Why?”
“For you.”
“What?” Without thinking, I took two steps forward.
David cut me off. He’d been so quiet I’d almost forgotten about him. “You don’t want to do that,” he whispered to me.
“I think I do.”
“You don’t.” He reached out and pinned my arm next to him. I stifled a cry of pain as the limb went numb.
Allcot abandoned Pandora and stood. His white button-down shirt had lost its buttons and hung loose over his rumpled black slacks.
“Let go,” I said through clenched teeth.
David hesitated and when I sucked in a ragged breath, he released me.
“Don’t ever do that again,” I warned and then turned to Eadric. “Why would you do such a thing?”
For the first time, we had his undivided attention. His gaze shifted back and forth between me and David. “Isn’t that interesting?” he said in an amused tone. Then he met my eyes. “As I said before, you are under my protection. Lester was caught selling Influence to vampires.
He was eliminated.”
I gaped. “You can’t just kill people. We have laws. He could’ve been charged. Interrogated.”
Eadric shrugged one shoulder. “This way was less messy. He’s been taken care of. You’re welcome.”
“Wel…welcome?” I fought to regain control of my speech. “You arrogant son of a demon. How could you—”
“That’s enough.” David shifted, facing me as if to shield me from interacting with Eadric. “We came for answers, now you have them. It’s time to go.”
“Your girlfriend seems less than pleased,” Eadric drawled and sat down, pulling Pandora back into his lap. “How can we remedy the situation?”
“Don’t go killing anyone else, you sick—”
“Willow!” David stepped forward, forcing me back toward the door.
Movement blurred, and a moment later Eadric stood just behind David. The vampire’s eyes hardened. He stalked in a slow circle as if tracking his prey. I swallowed the last of the obscenities clogged in my throat.
“Goodnight, Father,” David said, his back still to Eadric. “We’ll leave you to your activities this evening.”
“We are not finished, my son.”
“Eadric, I’m bored of this.” Pandora stood and let her robe drop, every unflawed inch of her bared. “It’s always business all the time. You promised tonight you’d remind me of why I stay faithful to you.”
His unflinching stare finally broke, and he turned his attention to the sex goddess across the room. “Of course. My apologies, my love.” His voice turned low and dangerous. “Davidson, do not bring her here again without an invitation.”
I fumed silently as we wound our way through the blues club. My skin itched and my muscles ached after the constant exposure to vampires for forty-eight hours. Had Maude manipulated the whole situation just to torment me? Not the dead human part. She wouldn’t go that far. Would she? No, but she would partner me with David just for spite.
When we’d almost made it to the Jeep, my wings fluttered, and I rounded on David. I placed my hands on my hips, hovering a full foot taller than him. “What the hell is going on?”