Fang Me

by Parker Blue

  "But why would he do that?" Shade asked.

  "Because he knows the Movement and the Underground both want the books, and he wanted to keep them offbalance, distracted," Marina explained."Plus he didn't want any competition in his bid for emperor of the world."

  Dang. I should have seen that—it made total sense. But we had to make sure he didn't do any more damage."Thanks, Marina. We really appreciate the call."

  "No problem. We owed you."

  "Not anymore," Shade said."This information wipes the slate clean. Thank you."

  We gobbled down our sandwiches and waited outside for the cab. Thank heavens it showed up right away. Holding Shade's hand so his swirls wouldn't freak out the young driver, I got into the cab."The Alamodome, please."

  The cabbie didn't even turn to look at us. He glanced in the rearview mirror. "Ain't nothin' goin' on there tonight, lady."

  With that accent, he had to be straight from the Big Apple. A New York cabbie in San Antonio? Well, I guess that wasn't the strangest thing in this city."Just take us there."

  "Wait," Shade said."I told Trevor we're meeting Dan there."

  "That's right. But he doesn't know we're on to him," I whispered."Maybe we should let him find them, then take them away from him."

  "How?"

  Good point. I had no idea how my lack of powers would work against a mage demon, fergawdsakes.

  "I ain't got all night," the cabbie said."Ya wanna ride or dontcha?"

  "Yes, we do," I snapped."Take us to . . . HemisFair Park." It was across the highway from the Alamodome, not far from where Dan had suggested.

  The cabbie turned around to grimace at us."Where? It's a big park, lady."

  "Uh, near the Institute of Texas Cultures?" It was in the Southern part of the park, closest to the Alamodome.

  "You got it." He glanced down at Fang who sat beside Shade."Hey, waitHey,. I don't allow no dogs in my cab."

  "This isn't an ordinary dog," I said.

  "Oh, yeah? He looks like a mutt to me."

  Fang growled. I'LL MUTT HIM.

  "That's it," the guy said as Fang bared his teeth."Everybody out."

  Dang. If only Fang had kept his muzzle shut."No, wait." I hesitated for a moment. I hated to leave Fang behind but there was no time to call another cab."We'll pay you extra."

  "Nope. No dogs. I'm allergic. And he looks like he sheds."

  "We have to go now," Shade whispered urgently."Trevor can sense the books if he gets within five hundred feet, remember?"

  Yeah, I did. And if the books were hidden somewhere in the center of the huge stadium or park, that might explain why he hadn't found them just driving around. But if he walked around those areas and the encyclopedia was hidden there . . . Damn. Still, I hesitated, not wanting to leave my best back-up.

  GO, Fang said. YOU DON'T NEED ME FOR THIS.

  Maybe. But I always wanted Fang, especially now that I was more vulnerable. I could use Lola to force the cabbie, but it was probably best to keep my trusty hellhound out of danger. Shade was my back-up now. Sighing, I kissed Fang on his fuzzy nose and let him leave.

  "Okay, the dog's gone. Let's go," I said.

  Good thing the cabbie didn't give me any more lip or I might've sicced Fang on him. But he set the car in motion, so I called Dan to let him know the change of plans.

  It seemed to take forever to get there, but we finally did. I paid the driver—with a lousy tip because of his attitude—and got out at the plaza where two dozen or so flags flew, honoring the nations of all the immigrants who made up Texas' diverse culture. Above the Institute loomed the Tower of the Americas, a giant spear of light against the night sky with what looked like a UFO stuck on top. This object wasn't unidentified, though, it was a revolving restaurant and observation deck.

  We found Dan in the far corner of the Institute's parking lot, leaning against the door of the SCU's Silver Dodge Ram.

  "Why the change of plans?" Dan asked when we reached him.

  I shrugged."Because we accidentally told Trevor we were meeting you at the Alamodome, and want to find the books before he does."

  Looking quizzical, Dan asked,"How do you do that accidentally?"

  "Never mind," I said, not wanting to explain the whole thing or embarrass Shade."Do you know where Andrew hid the books?"

  "No, but I can narrow it down. We picked him up on cameras near Mood's house that day and followed the cameras until we saw him get off at an exit. I knew you'd want to see this, which is why I asked you to meet me." He opened the truck door and pulled something from behind the seat. Leaving the door open to provide more illumination, he showed us some grainy photos."This is from the traffic camera at I37 and Durango."

  I peered at them."Yep, that's his beater all right." Hope rose within me. We were finally getting somewhere!

  Dan nodded."It shows he got off at the exit, and this photo," he pointed to another one, "shows he didn't get back on until forty-five minutes later, at the same place. Time enough to park somewhere and hide the books."

  That was the exit we'd taken to get here. Feeling excited, I said, "Awesome. You did a great job."

  Shade's phone rang then and he checked the number. "It's Trevor. He probably wants to know where we are."

  "Don't answer that," I said quickly. "Let him wonder."

  "Right," Shade said and turned off the phone.

  "Do you need me to distract the guy or something?" Dan asked.

  I thought for a moment, but I didn't know what a mage demon could do and didn't want to embroil Dan in more Underground business. He'd helped enough. "No, we'll take it from here. Thanks a lot, Dan. We really appreciate it."

  "No problem."

  I suddenly remembered something."Oh, and we found out who was inciting the vigilantes taking down the vamps. Don't worry, we'll take care of it."

  "You're not going to tell me who it was?" Dan asked, sounding exasperated.

  "No, sorry, I can't. Underground business. I have to let Micah know first, and if he wants to tell you . . ."

  Dan rolled his eyes, but nodded. He respected Micah and knew the fine line the demon leader had to walk."Okay. Give me a holler if you need a ride or something."

  Oh, yeah, we might. "Thanks. We'll do that."

  He got in his truck and left, and Shade said,"The park and Alamodome are both huge." He pulled his deep hoodie forward to hide his face from any passersby, then stuck his hands in his pockets."Any idea where the books might be?"

  "No, I don't, except maybe somewhere central." I shook my head."Why would Andrew hide them here? There's lots of traffic through both areas."

  "What does it matter?" Shade asked, sounding harried."Can you sense them? If we look in the wrong place and Trevor finds the books before you do . . ."

  "No, but I haven't tried. Let me find somewhere quiet." The traffic noise was a little distracting. Not to mention the Christmas lights everywhere which seemed sooo out of place with what I was feeling right now.

  Shade followed me into the park on one of the concrete pathways."Can we afford to take the time?"

  "Can we afford not to?" I snapped back as I hurried along the path, then immediately felt bad. "Sorry, didn't mean to bite your head off. I'm feeling a bit stressed here."

  "Ditto," Shade said grimly."And I feel useless. I wish I could do more."

  "You're not useless," I assured him as I continued looking for a quiet spot."You're going to watch over me while I try to contact that voice."

  I spotted one of the many fountains that dotted the park, one with a waterfall cascading over stone steps. No bum sleeping on the bench nearby, so I sat down, let the soothing sounds calm me and went deep into myself I dredged up all my self-control and forced myself into calm, reminding myself to be patient.

  After a short while, I felt as if someone was straining to reach me. I don't know how I knew that, but I did. I concentrated harder and opened myself up as wide as I could. Where are you? I sent out into the universe. There isn't much time.

>   Nothing. And this was taking way too long. Sighing, I opened my eyes and glanced to the heavens for help. There, filling my vision, was the Tower of the Americas blazing against the darkness.

  That's it! It had to be. Holy crap. The voice hadn't wanted me to look up something on a computer. It wanted me to look up."Any idea how tall that tower is?" I asked Shade eagerly.

  "Seven hundred and fifty feet to the top mast." He shrugged."Sometimes trivia sticks in my brain."

  "And to the bottom level of the restaurant?"

  "I don't know . . . maybe six hundred feet. Why?"

  "There," I said with excitement."The books are there—in the tower. Out of Trevor's range."

  "Are you sure?" Shade asked.

  "Absolutely." I didn't know how I was sure, but for the first time, this felt really right."Let's go."

  "Not so fast," came a voice from behind me.

  I jumped up off the bench and whirled around, my heart beating like a tom-tom. But it wasn't Trevor, just two baby vamps looking for a bit of fun. How did I know that? Because the pimplyfaced idiots had flashed their fangs and made the mistake of trying to control my mind, so I could read theirs. And that, thank goodness, was not one of the powers I'd lost.

  But I had lost my strength and probably the healing, too. Lola was still recovering, so I needed to get rid of them with the least amount of trouble. I grinned at them, which took them aback. "Seriously? You're trying to control me? Sorry, Benny and Fredo, isn't it? You may not realize it, but you're messing with the wrong people."

  Shade threw back his hoodie and let his face show in all its swirly glory.

  Benny and Fredo each took an involuntary step backward and, though I could read in their minds that they were frightened, they tried to hide it."What are you?" Fredo asked.

  My grin widened."I'm the Slayer and this guy is a shadow demon. You know what will happen if you chow down a demon, don't you?"

  "Or mess with the Slayer," Shade added, deepening his voice so it sounded more menacing.

  From their appalled expressions and thoughts, it was obvious they did know, so I pulled two stakes out of my back waistband."Your choice. Would you rather go mad from drinking our blood, or get staked in your black little hearts, hmm?"

  They seemed rooted in place, not knowing what to do.

  Shade took a step forward, flung his arms wide and yelled, "Boo!"

  They ran.

  I couldn't keep from laughing. "Boy, that was easier than I thought." Maybe I could still pull off being the Slayer without my powers.

  "Yeah," Shade said, chuckling as well. "Now, let's go."

  He grabbed my hand and we ran the short distance to the tower, which wasn't very far away. We had to pay to get in, then wait in line for the elevator. After what seemed like forever, we squeezed our way on, making sure Shade remained looking human, and the glass elevator started upward.

  Instead of boring us with music, the elevator speakers droned on about the attractions here at the tower. Originally built in 1968 for the World's Fair, the tower now housed a 4D ride, restaurants, gift shops, and a magnificent view from the observation deck.

  San Antonio spread out below us like a twinkling carpet of lights as we travelled high above the city. About halfway up, I somehow knew, without knowing how, exactly where the books were above me. The ride seemed to take forever, but couldn't have been more than a minute. I tried to enjoy the view—I hadn't been up here since I was a kid—but I was too anxious to get this over with. I promised myself to come back at some point and enjoy it when I had more time.

  Finally, the elevator stopped and opened, and we followed the crowd to the glassed-in observation deck on the third level. That's where my senses—my homing beacon—were leading us.

  Shade leaned close, whispering,"Do you know where they are?"

  "Yeah. I'm heading directly for them." The slight pull on my senses led me away from the windows and toward three banquet rooms built inside the deck.

  Two of them had noise coming from them—raucous holiday parties—but the third was quiet. With any luck, the books would be in the empty room. I didn't fancy the idea of braving a roomful of strangers to peek under chairs and tables. "Try that door," I said in a low voice, pointing to the quiet room.

  Shade pulled on the handle. "Locked."

  Well, shoot. I'd hoped this would be as easy as scaring off those baby vamps. As Shade leaned down to peer at the lock, I glanced around, looking for a waitress or someone in charge."Maybe I can say I lost an earring and get someone to open the door."

  "No need," Shade said, and I looked around to see something shiny disappear into his pocket as he turned the handle and opened the door a crack.

  "You picked the lock? My, my, you have all kinds of talents, don't you?" I said with a grin.

  "You have no idea." He grabbed my hand and maneuvered me so I blocked the door."Look at me as if we're having a serious conversation. When no one's looking . . . Now, go."

  We slipped through the door, and Shade closed it behind us."Where did you learn this stuff?" I asked in the dim room. It was lit only by the lights from outside the panoramic window, but the strains of Jingle Bell Rock made it seem festive.

  He shrugged."Part of being a Watcher for Micah." When I reached to flip the lights on, he added,"Uh, maybe we should leave the lights off."

  "No problem. We're in luck. I can feel the books on the far side of the room."

  We made our way over there, and found a portable bar against the wall. Groping underneath, I found a lump the right size and shape. Smiling, I pulled it out and set it on the bar, careful not to knock over the glasses and decanter. The large lump had been shrouded in a dark tablecloth to keep it hidden in the depths of the bar. Pulling the cloth off as fast as I could, I saw my familiar backpack.

  Finally . . . .

  I reached inside and touched the books, to make sure they were real."Wow," I whispered."We really found them." It was sorta anticlimactic. I'd more than half expected to have to battle my way through a legion of the undead or something. But no, here they were, lying innocently—and quietly—under my hand.

  "Great," Shade said."Can you feel the dark magicks in them?"

  "No, they feel the same as always."

  Shade laid his fingers on them, then frowned."I feel . . . something. Not sure what. Like dark whispers in my head." He jerked his fingers away."Those things are dangerous. What are we going to do with them?"

  I froze."I don't know. I didn't think that far ahead."

  "We have to take them somewhere Trevor won't find them."

  "I know, but where?"

  "Out of town somewhere. We should leave now, take them far away."

  "Okay." I slung the backpack over my shoulder and started toward the door, then stopped. Deflated, I turned to face Shade."We have a problem. Once we get downstairs, if Trevor is anywhere near, he'll sense them and be able to follow us."

  "Maybe he's still at the Alamodome," Shade said in a hopeful voice.

  "I doubt it. He probably left when we didn't show up." Something else occurred to me."What if he realized Marina and Erica were able to read him?"

  Shade slumped down on a chair."He has to know. And he's probably figured out that they've told us everything they know."

  Uhoh."You think they're in danger?" I asked.

  "No. He knows Dan narrowed down the books' hiding place to somewhere near the Alamodome. I think he's searching for them as fast as he can. And it's probably only a matter of time before he looks up and makes the same connection you did."

  The lights overhead suddenly flashed on, blinding me.

  "He did," a voice said from the doorway.

  I blinked. Oh, crap. It was Trevor, and he was pointing a gun . . . right at my head.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Run! the voice yelled.

  It chose now to wake up? Too late. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Tell me something useful, I shot back.

  I stared at the weapon in Trevor's hand, no
ticing that he had a silencer screwed on to the end. With the noise of the parties and the tourists on the observation deck, no one would hear if he shot us. I ran through my options. My powers were gone, Fang wasn't here to distract him, Lola couldn't affect Trevor . . .

  Damn it, I felt helpless. I hated it. I'd always said I wanted to be normal, but now that I was, I had to admit it totally sucked.

  Now would be a really good time for some help, I sent to the voice, which definitely sounded like it came from the books.

  Wait, it said, sounding strained.