Death be Charmed

by Epstein, Katie

  The solemn barman placed the drinks in front of us, and then he took the note Bernard offered.

  “Stop feeling sorry for yourself, you old goat,” I teased. “There are plenty of women you can lie with when you wish to. Don’t act like you’re all heartbroken and shit. We both know it’s not true.”

  “Can’t blame me for trying.”

  “Have I ever?”

  “Never ever, dear Terra. So are you going to tell me what you need help with?”

  “Not here. And I will need you to sign a confidential agreement before I can tell you anything.” I hesitated. “Cole’s rule. Not mine.”

  “Ah. So it’s an agency matter.”

  “I told you it was about business. What else do you think I do in my spare time?”

  “I would have thought by now you had found yourself a life and became a Lady of the Night. That’s so much more fun compared to what you actually do.”

  “Catching the bad guys is my kinda fun. Don’t knock it.” I took the papers I’d stored on the inside of my jacket pocket and handed them to him. “So are you in?”

  Bernard reluctantly took the papers from me, skimming over them. Once he was done, he said, “I suppose I can check out of the hotel now, and you can drive us back seeing as I don’t have a car. But I won’t commit to anything until I know what’s going on. You’re lucky I’ve just finished a job.”

  I couldn’t help it. I jumped out of my seat and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. “I knew you’d help us, you big softie.”

  “Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

  “Yeah, I heard blah blah check out now, but I know you. You wouldn’t even get in the car with me if you were going to say no. And you’re too curious to let this one go.”

  “My terms still stand.”

  “Of course they do. But I know you too well.” My eyes lingered a little too long, and flirtation dared to eke its way into my voice. I’d forgotten how difficult it was to act neutral around him. Apparently, Bernard noticed it too as the corner of his lip tilted up. He touched my chin again, then turned away to knock back both of the drinks.

  Once the glasses were drained dry, he stood up and asked me, “Sure you don’t want to stay the night?”

  “I’m certain.”

  “You really know how to let a guy down easy, don’t you.” He grabbed his jacket from the vacant stool next to him and shrugged it on. “Promise to have a nightcap with me when we return home?”

  “We’ll see,” was all I said as he followed me out. “I suppose I could always stake you if you don’t behave yourself.”

  He chuckled at that, then from behind me he leaned low to whisper in my ear. “I bet I’ll be staking you before this night is over.” The innuendo was crass as he dared to probe at old feelings.

  “No one could ever accuse you of being a romantic, Bernard,” I told him with a shake of my head.

  “I’m a vampire,” he replied once we hit the quiet lobby. “I’m nothing if not romantic.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  TEN MINUTES LATER, Bernard had collected his things from the hotel room and I had a vampire in my car.

  “Do you still have your day ring?” I asked him as we drove away. He lifted his hand to show me a red ruby set in a gold band. It looked both gaudy and ancient at the same time.

  Bernard had once told me that Ramses Delray had given it to him many years ago when he had saved Ramses’ life. Ramses was the Head Vampire of the House of Osiris, and he was one of the oldest vampires in Darkwood. He could probably walk around without the aid of the ring considering he was on the higher side of three hundred, so Bernard had ended up with the prize.

  “You really need to try and get that thing modified into something smaller,” I told him. “You’re going to end up taking an eye out.”

  “Only if someone deserves it,” he retorted and he settled down into the passenger seat. “And don’t knock what I’m wearing when all you do is live in jeans and your leather jacket. Your body is craving for some style.”

  “Hey!”

  He grinned and patted my knee. “It’s true, darling, but I love you regardless. Many of us do what with your human charm. Now, change of subject. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  Seeing as he’d already signed the confidentiality papers, I let the insult drop and told him everything leading up to the prison escape. I finished on the twelve escaped prisoners and the fact it was a need-to-know request from the Consilium.

  “Twelve prisoners?” Bernard asked in surprise once I’d finished my verbal essay.

  “Yep. Twelve. And because of the Consilium’s reluctance to bring us in on it sooner, they’ve had time to go underground. That’s why Kaleb suggested hunting the escaped vampire first, and why I decided to bring you in on this.”

  “Why start with the vampire?”

  “The vampire is the only one who could have someone to reach out to. There might be someone at Darkwood who knows something about him.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Romeo Lovejoy.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “Not about the vampire, or the name. Why? Do you know him?”

  “I never knew him personally. But Ramses asked me to aid him in the consultation of what to do with Romeo, as he often did on some of the Head of House meetings. Another vampire hunter brought Romeo in, but that was only after your dear Portiside City Agency caught wind of it. It meant the vampires couldn’t deal with it their own way and sweep it under the rug. I was the one who suggested they put Romeo in the prison rather than allow him to receive punishment in Darkwood, and I finally managed to convince the others.”

  “See? I knew having you on board would be useful. But why the prison? Was it a kindness?”

  “It depends on how you look at it.” He paused. “Many of the vampires wanted him to serve his punishment in Darkwood and go through the Pedeapsa XXI trials instead. That way, they would save face and not have one of their own imprisoned. They felt it served as an embarrassment to the vampires by sticking him in there. Worried it would send a message that they can’t control their people.”

  “What’s the Pedeapsa XXI trials?” I asked, not pronouncing it anywhere near as sophisticated as he had done.

  “It’s a vampire punishment originally from Europe on Earthside. One that became popular over here in the sixteen hundreds. It’s Romanian and translates to punishment. There are several stages to it lasting twenty-one days. Hence the XXI.”

  “What kind of stages?” I dared to ask.

  “The vampire is punished and starved for seven days. Then they have to survive only on animal blood for another seven days while fighting a member of the house on the final day of that stage. After that, they’re chained up on the outskirts when daylight hits, until their skin blisters, before being brought back into Darkwood to heal. The next day, they’re taken out again. And again, the next. All for another seven days. Then they’re brought back to repent and apologize for their wrongdoings. It tends to put vampires off the idea of crossing the line in the first place.”

  “I don’t get it. If they wanted to punish Romeo that way, then surely that would have been worse than him being assessed in prison?”

  “Maybe so, but after the Pedeapsa trials comes to a close, they are allowed to return back to their normal lives. Not many vampires would reoffend after enduring that. I suppose you could say it’s the vampire’s method of prisoner reform.”

  “And you didn’t want to risk that with Romeo?” I guessed as I began to understand his reasoning.

  “That’s right. In my opinion, he was unstable, and something deeper had driven him to harm those women. He wasn’t following his basic instincts, and he wasn’t doing it because he was emotionally scarred. From the reports I read about him, I genuinely believe he got off on it and would murder again. That’s why it was safer for everyone if he went to the prison for the Evolvers to determine if and when he was ready to be placed back into society.”r />
  “Or receive a death sentence if he failed to be reformed?”

  “At least he wouldn’t be a danger to anyone should that be the outcome. And, thankfully, they swayed toward the prison route after Marco Perduto’s speech.

  “Marco Perduto?”

  “The Head of House for the House of Atlantis. He told them that the murders were publicly known at that point, and could not be covered up. The citizens would want justice, and they would want to believe that the killer hadn’t been given preferential treatment just because he is a vampire. He then went on to say that the reputation of Darkwood was more important than any one vampire. That helped to cement their decision.”

  “It should have been an easy enough decision to make,” I scoffed. “What the hell is wrong with them?”

  “You need to understand that many vampires feel controlled by the laws of Portiside, even if they understand the need for them. Many believe that it’s our right to hunt and feed, and we shouldn’t be neutered by the likes of the Consilium.”

  “But I don’t get it. They aren’t neutered, are they? Don’t they have human blood donors and the dhampirs to suck on as and when they want to? It’s not like they have to drink it out of a blood bag all the time.”

  “It’s not the same as hunting your prey, believe me. And dhampirs don’t taste the same as a human. They’re more of a necessity than a juicy diet.”

  “Must be their vampire half then,” I said, a little angry by what he’d just said. The vampires treated the half-vamp, half-human dhampirs like servants. To put them down when they did so much for the vampire community went to show how arrogant the vampires were. Or most of them were. I really needed to stop generalizing.

  “Turn the dial down a little,” Bernard chuckled. “It’s been the vampire way since they hit Portiside. You need to be thankful that they abide by the laws—most of the time. Many vampires teeter very close to the edge of them.”

  “They’re not the only species to do that, I suppose,” I said on a sigh as I thought of the shifters. “But it’s just another thing that makes governing everyone pretty difficult. Everywhere I turn lately, we’re walking into one set of politics or another. That’s another reason for bringing you on board.”

  “Politics?”

  “Yep. Cole didn’t want me and Kaleb heading off to Darkwood to question people without the acceptance of a request order. He said the vampires would all clam up and tell us nothing if we didn’t go about this the right way, and then we would be back to square one.”

  “He’s right. If accused or backed into a corner the vampires will keep their mouths shut upon principle. They will pull their own law keepers into the case and shut the door on you where possible, so to speak. The request order is a way of saying we need to talk to you, then giving them the required time to reply.”

  “Time to cover things up you mean?”

  “Maybe,” he smirked, humor coating his words.

  “But you’re going to help us?”

  “What’s your plan?” he asked, acting non-committal.

  “I have no clue, aside from the part where I ask you to try and get us into Darkwood without the request order. Maybe you can smooth any ruffled feathers when we enter, or give me some suggestions on how else to tackle this.”

  “Do you want me to catch all the prisoners for you, too?” he asked sarcastically.

  “I could hire you to hunt Romeo down, seeing as that’s your job,” I retorted. “But then we all know you’re still in the Darkwood vampires’ back pockets. Even if you like to think of yourself as independent.”

  “Now, now, Terra. Put those claws away. I, of course, will help where I can. But I can’t help you so directly. Not with this. We need a plan.”

  “So you are on board?” I asked, risking a glance in his direction. He had a smug grin on his face. “Of course you are. You just wanted to make me suffer a little first.”

  “And why not.” He rested his hand on my leg. “Suffering is the best kind of foreplay.”

  I threw his hand off mine and pressed my lips together. “You’d better show how useful you’re going to be on this soon. Otherwise, you’re going to wish you had bat capabilities when I throw you out of this car.”

  “Now this kind of foreplay I’m liking. But back to business. I have an idea, but I’m not sure if you’re going to like it.”

  “Fire away. It’s better than the nothing we have at this point.”

  “Very well. Then I suggest we do something that will get you into Darkwood undercover. But at the same time, doing so without hiding the fact you’re an Enforcer Field Agent.”

  “And how the hell do you plan to do that?”

  “It’s a genius idea when you think about it. I surprise myself sometimes”

  “Bernard …” I said through gritted teeth and he chuckled once more.

  “It’s quite simple, my darling. We make an announcement as soon as we get back to Portiside, and you’ll be invited to dine at Darkwood within a matter of hours.”

  “What kind of announcement?” I asked warily, and he paused for effect. Bernard was all about the drama.

  “That we’ve just gotten married, of course. What other kind of announcement is there?”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “YOU’RE WHAT!” COLE roared from inside his office when Bernard told him the good news.

  “We’re not really married,” I rushed on after glaring at Bernard for blurting it out. “But we’re going to pretend that we married in Vegas before returning here. It’s a good cover.”

  “A cover for what?” Cole demanded as his blue eyes darkened amber with anger. The golden color was a sure sign that we’d just pissed off a shifter.

  “To get into Darkwood,” I hurried on. “Bernard has already sent a notification to Darkwood telling them that we’ve gotten married. And they sent him a message inviting us to visit them as soon as possible. It’s the break we needed.”

  “By pretending to be married?”

  The way he was looking at me made me feel like I was about two feet tall. But I reminded myself that he was my boss, not my boyfriend.

  “May I be of assistance here?” Bernard interrupted, and I nodded, grateful for the reprieve.

  “Wonderful,” he looked at Cole. “I was the one who suggested it. It allows Terra to be open about her role with the agency. If I’d suggested she go undercover as a mere guest, someone would have had intel on her in five minutes. And vampires are suspicious at the best of times. If they discovered she was an Enforcer Field Agent and I hadn’t alerted them to that fact, then it would create a political nightmare. That also means taking her in as a girlfriend or friend won’t do. That would make them even more suspicious in relation to me and my reputation. But marriage. Marriage will shock them enough for their curiosity to be piqued. Proven already by the invite received. And by doing it this way, she can come with me exactly as she is. Only with a wedding ring on her finger.”

  “And you’re telling me that they’re going to believe you both fell in love and got married in less than twenty-four hours?” Cole sneered. And that’s when the redness hit my cheeks. Apparently, Cole was the only one who hadn’t gotten the memo that Bernard and I used to be thing.

  “Of course they’ll believe it,” Bernard replied as if he was enjoying every minute of this. “Terra and I were in a relationship a while back. And we’ve come together to scratch the odd itch every now and again, one could say.”

  Kaleb, who had been standing quietly in the corner, burst out laughing. He tried to compose himself but to no avail, and Bernard’s smile mirrored Kaleb’s mirth. Cole looked like he was about to jump over his desk and rip out Bernard’s throat, and I could see our opportunity to enter Darkwood disappearing before my very eyes. I really needed to get a control on this situation.

  “What Bernard meant to say is that the vampires may be aware of our previous, and very over, relationship,” I told him. “So much so that getting married in Vegas could be a viable st
ory. I will be able to enter Darkwood and, hopefully, be welcomed enough that I can access the area. I could make friends with a few people who might open up to me about Romeo and at least get a sense of what’s going on. It’s worth a try while Kaleb keeps trying to make headway here with the others.” I turned to Kaleb and silently pleaded with him. “Don’t you think so?”

  Kaleb tried hard to wipe the huge grin off his face. “I think it’s a great idea. The vampires love a good romance. They’ll welcome you with open arms.”

  “Oh, you’re no damn help,” I snapped, and I turned back toward Cole, who didn’t look any happier with the situation. Not that it should bother him. We’d only kissed once, and it was a great kiss. But it was still just a kiss. It wasn’t a commitment. He needed to get off his high horse and start focusing on the benefit of having Bernard on side. “There’s more to the plan if you would just hear us out?”

  Cole glared at me then threw the pen he’d been holding onto his desk. He sat down swiftly, his chair grating at the movement. “Be my guest …”

  Bernard grinned and winked at me, and Kaleb was still struggling to keep a straight face. I figured I was on my own. “We will go there and try to uncover more information. At the same time we can take a discreet look around to see if there is any sign of Romeo lurking about. I can also try and investigate who his allies are and see if I can pick something up using my gift. It’s better than doing nothing while we wait and see what comes from the request order. And if the order does come through while I’m still there, Kaleb can come in and question everyone.”

  Cole laughed humorlessly. “So, you’re telling me that instead of getting out and about to chase down leads on other potential escaped prisoners, you would rather go vacation with your ex-boyfriend? We don’t even know if Romeo was in contact with anyone at Darkwood, let alone hiding out there.”

  So it sounded like a weak plan when he said it like that. But we’d already explained that we had no other leads or anywhere else to start investigating the other prisoners. I bit down on my lip to stop myself from telling him he was being ridiculous and to get a clue. Instead, with incredible restraint, I fell back on my rationed supply of good graces.