This was the third barrier island I’d been to in the past month. However, it was the only one with an actual gate, and that made this job even more crucial. I typed a few notes and began my report. I couldn’t afford to make another mistake. I’d underestimated the vamps’ influence on Mon Luis Island, and that had cost a siren her sanity and her life. After torture and deprivation, she naturally became a rage—and then the vampire bit her. She became a monster, which left me with no choice. I put her down with flame. I did not think I would live through it, but I had been favored. This time. Now the Order wanted to know who was responsible for this offense. Why would the vampires need such monsters? What were they planning? They had the power to turn humans and were allowed to add an annual quota if they needed to shore up their numbers. All with the Order’s permission, of course. Why take this extreme measure and disobey the Order? I typed the last paragraphs of my report:
Antoinette of Persia died by my hand. No others were involved in the execution of the pitiful creature. Neera of Spain, and lately of Mon Luis, has been missing for four days, and I have found no sign of her. However, I feel it is only a matter of time before I face off with her or another of these hybrid creatures. Fire has proved to be a very effective tool, but these hybrids are fast, faster than even an eloi. If possible, please send Aeon’s Fire. I will return the artifact when my assignment is complete.
May I inform the Sirens Gate guardians, old and new, about the approaching incursion by the vampires? I understand that secrecy is paramount, but I believe the sirens here need to know about the impending danger.
All respect,
Liliana of Greece, Siren
I submitted the report, and a scroll appeared in the air almost immediately. I retrieved it, nodded my thanks to the Invisible Messenger and opened it:
Yes, Liliana. You may inform the Sirens Gate guardians and the Island Council about the vampires’ unauthorized behavior. The artifact is on the way. Agrios brings it now. Please immediately send him back to us.
Thessalonike came into the kitchen, dressed for work in blue jean shorts, a “Shipwreck Souvenirs” pink t-shirt and canvas tennis shoes. She’d piled her light brown hair on top of her head in a messy bun, which really suited her. Discreetly I shoved the scroll in my book bag. Thessalonike appeared as if she belonged in this age, this time. It wasn’t always so for supernatural creatures. Some were known to sleep through long ages until they would fit into the culture again. This appeared to be Thessalonike’s perfect moment. She had the look of a young, angsty magazine model with a slender body and an exquisite face. My favorite age of late had been the 1800s—such a time of exploration! Such freedom! Except for the ridiculous gowns, yet even those had a particular charm.
“I must call a town meeting with the Island Council for tonight with the leaders of all the races. Who should I call first?”
“Before I tell you, I want to know why you’ve come. Please tell me Nemesis isn’t winging her way here.”
She took the coffee cup that Ramara left behind for her and sipped from it. Hmm…very cozy indeed. I pretended I didn’t see her close her eyes and breathe in his scent. He did have a seductive scent. I noticed that too. No, surely it was the coffee she enjoyed. Yeah, right.
“Vampires are in the area, and they have an eye on the sirens. They’ve been to Frenchman Bay and Mon Luis, and they have returned to Dauphin Island. And thanks to your amazing performance last night at the Shark’s Tooth, they know who you are.”
“Why would they care?”
“Your turn to answer my question now. Who do I call for a town meeting with the supes?”
Thessalonike furrowed her brow and said, “I can’t remember. That is so odd.” She looked embarrassed. “You want some coffee?”
“I thought you’d never ask. Yes, please. Black is fine.” She poured me a cup and slid it carefully in front of me. “Thanks.” She sat across from me and stared into her cup as if the answers would be there. I couldn’t help myself. I felt sympathy for her. “Something must have gone wrong with your Awakening, Thessalonike. You should remember everything by now. It’s been a couple of days, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, it has. My mermaid friend Meri would have helped me with her healing magic, but she has gone through the gate and hasn’t returned. I don’t have anyone else, except Heliope, and who knows if she’ll come back?” She sipped the coffee and added with a smile, “And I don’t think I’d trust her magical ability, even if she did.”
I laughed. “Nobody trusts Heliope’s magic. Did you hear she once turned Agrios into a pig? She claimed it was an accident, but I don’t think that’s quite the case. Now here’s what we can do, I’ll sing over you. Only one song, and then we’ll obviously have to be apart the rest of the day. But we should be okay by tonight. I can make the meeting for late, say about 9 p.m. Where’s a good place to hold it?”
“The Isle of Dauphine Golf Club is the place we’ve used in the past.” She seemed pleased that she remembered at least that.
“We’ve got a major problem, though,” I warned her. “These vamps aren’t out looking for a summer vacation place. Nothing is holding you now; you could leave for a little while.” I knew she’d get defensive. If I were her, I would too.
“What do you mean, Liliana? Is this some sort of joke—or ploy?” I could feel her territorial attitude rising to the surface.
Shaking my head, I countered, “I don’t want your crummy swimming hole, Thessalonike. I’m here because the Order sent me to see why rages are dying. All I know at this point is that vampires are flipping sirens to rages and then turning those rages into vamps. They’re creating monsters—uncontrollable, incredibly strong monsters. That’s what happened on Mon Luis Island last week. Antoinette, the siren of Mon Luis, is dead.”
Thessalonike gasped at my confession. “Truly dead?”
I debated telling her this right now because I needed her as an ally, not an enemy. “I found her in a vampire-rage state, and I killed her because she had turned. There is no turning back for us. And now another siren is missing—Neera from Frenchman Bay. Make no mistake, Thessalonike, these vamps want you and me, and they want to turn us for some reason that’s beyond me.”
“Why sirens? Why not some other race?”
“Like I said, I don’t know the reason for that yet. I need you fully awake. Are you ready? You know this might be a bit emotional. Especially if you’ve lost someone recently. All those feelings will be intensified.”
“I’m ready to remember it all.”
“We always think that, don’t we?”
She sat in the chair, her hands in her lap, her face composed and calm. I closed the doors and windows and turned on the radio on the kitchen counter. The human music would create a weak shield between my song and the neighbors. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.
I sang a song without words. I whispered the notes and watched as Thessalonike’s lovely eyes began to glow. It was subtle at first, then the gray color became fierce and bright. I saw her breathing change as I hummed and whispered—it became deeper, slower. I squatted before her, holding her hands. As I sang, tears began to stream down her face and mine, and she sighed and swayed under the power of my restorative song. It didn’t take long to bring her complete memory back. I was happy I could do this for her, but I knew I wasn’t really doing her any favors.
When the song ended she slumped on my shoulder and I held her, rubbing her back for a few seconds. My compassion for her softened my heart, but I pushed her away before the desire to harm her grew. With one last squeeze, I released her and asked, “Who should I call, Thessalonike?”
“Start with Morgan. He owns a little store on the East End,” she said brokenly. “East End Bait Shop.”
“Are you going to be all right?”
She laid her arms and head on the small round kitchen table. “Yes,” she said between sobs. “Please go.”
With a nod, I grabbed my book bag and walked out the back door. I paused outside the window and listened
to her cry for a few seconds before getting into my car.
Maybe I shouldn’t have run off the eloi. She could use a pair of big strong arms right now.
Chapter Three—Cruise
Alabama Dreaming
“Chief Castille, the new recruit is in your office. I told her to wait out here, but she insisted on catching up on the open cases on your desk. I told her that wasn’t protocol. You want me to drag her out of there?” Molly seemed agitated, even ticked off, which wasn’t like her at all. Nothing stirred her up, not the relentless phone calls from the local papers after Belloc’s arrest. Not the constant barrage of calls from John Lidecker about the late-night parties at the rental house next door to him. She didn’t lose it even when Spinner’s got our lunch orders wrong all the time. But today she looked like a rubber band in a kid’s gun, pulled back and ready to fly. I wondered who would feel the shot.
“What new recruit? I don’t remember getting a call about a newbie.” I removed my hat and raincoat and hung them on the wooden coatrack before walking through the half-door into the secretary’s station.
“Whether you got a call or not, she’s here. I suggest you find out why the county sent her and tell her we need that paperwork.” She tucked her long, straight salt-and-pepper hair up in a clip that she pulled out of her desk drawer and then answered the ringing phone, “Dauphin Island Police Department.”
“Sure thing, Molly.” Geesh, she seemed snappier than usual. I intended on staying out of her way as much as I could. I opened the door to my office and stood in the doorway, giving my uninvited guest my most disapproving look. She didn’t even look up from the manila folder she held. “May I help you, officer…?”
“Tragic. Kendra Tragic.” The young woman couldn’t have been older than twenty-one and didn’t appear to notice that she’d done anything out of order. She looked like a younger version of Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde. I was surprised to see that her neat ponytail had a perky ribbon in it. She was definitely the best-looking recruit I’d ever seen. This had to be some kind of mistake. Or maybe a joke.
“I see you’ve got the standard fare here, Chief. Lots of public intoxication, driving with no seat belts. Nothing exciting. Too bad I missed out on that murder a few weeks ago.”
I accepted the folder from her manicured hands, but before I could lambast her for her invasion of my privacy I started to sneeze. After the third blast I held my nose and reached across my desk for the box of tissues Molly had recently added to my workspace. I thought the crocheted box looked ridiculous, but I couldn’t refuse a homemade gift. My grandmother would never allow me to be so disrespectful. And although she was gone, I knew she could still see me. Somehow.
“Excuse me,” I said, wiping my nose with two or three tissues. Officer Tragic smiled and leaned back on her tennis shoes. God, she was perky. Kind of short, but she had plenty of curves.
“So where is my desk?”
I threw the tissues in the trash can next to my desk and stood with my hand on my hip. Seriously. This had to be the county deputies’ idea of a joke. The guys at the county sheriff’s office probably sent this girl to embarrass me. Yeah, that had to be it. “Okay, I give. Where’s your radio? I guess there’s a camera in here too?” I reached out and touched her badge, but she swatted my hand away. “Maybe in your hat or hidden behind that shield? How much did they pay you to do this?”
“Have you been in the sun too long today, Chief Castille?”
Chief Castille. That sounded good to my ears. Kendra Tragic, or whatever the stripper’s name was, was the first to use it. I liked hearing it, but I couldn’t let this go on. Whatever these guys were paying her wouldn’t be enough to compensate for the humiliation they would surely heap on me if I indulged.
“That’s enough, miss. Joke’s up. I think it’s…” I sneezed again, and this time it was so strong I almost fell backwards in my seat. “Why is there cat hair all over my office?”
It was her turn to stand with her hands on her hips. “I’m sure I don’t know, but if you ever talk to me like that again I’ll knock you on your keester, buddy! Chief or not! I am the new deputy, and I can assure you I have a four-star rating on the range and in the field. So get over yourself!” She stalked out of my office and let the door bang against the wall as she left.
Dang! That could have gone better.
“Hey! I didn’t know you were even coming!” I sneezed again, even more viciously, and trailed her out of the office. She didn’t wait for my apology but stormed into the bathroom and made sure I knew there was a door between us.
With black-rimmed glasses balanced daintily on her nose, Molly peered at me from over the service counter.
“Molly, please call the county office. Let’s get this straightened out. And for goodness’ sake, is there a cat in here?” I wiped my nose and searched for some allergy medication in my old desk. I found a few of the pink pills and shoved them in my pocket. Taking them would make me groggy, but there was no way I could do my job if my nose behaved like two runny sockets. I felt my eyes swelling already.
“I haven’t let any cats in, but there’s a big old rat lurking around. Broke into the crackers I had stashed in the break room. Should I call animal control?” Her expression was a mix of amusement and concern.
“No, never mind.” Way to screw up my official first day at the chief’s desk. “Just hold my calls for a few minutes while I air out my office.” I cranked the windows out and let some fresh ocean air in. I almost instantly felt better. Flipping on the ceiling fan, I popped one of the allergy pills and downed it with some stale coffee.
I sat behind my desk for the first time ever and waited for my new deputy to return. She didn’t seem to be in any hurry. I hoped she didn’t cry. I hated seeing girls cry, especially ones who carried guns and drove police cars.
As always at 8:00 a.m. the phones began to ring. Naturally Edith Bannister lit up the line to complain about the cats loitering around her garbage cans. I made the obligatory notes and promised to drive by later. While Molly took one line, I took another.
“Dauphin Island Police Station, Chief Castille here.”
“So how bad do you hate me?” It was Nik, sounding like she had a full-blown hangover. Last night was the first time I’d seen her drunk, and it was pretty obvious she wasn’t too good at drinking. Not like Lucy, who could outdrink anyone. I hated that she’d left the island without even saying goodbye. I’d dreamed about her last night, but it was a nightmare. She’d sprung wings and dug her claws into me. My shoulder throbbed just thinking about it. I wondered how long it would take to recover from my car accident.
“Hey? You there? Not speaking to me?”
I had a choice, make Nik feel bad for chunking in my shoes or move on. I didn’t want to pick on her today. She’d been kind of down recently, and there was no need to add to it. I’d save the jokes for later.
“Not mad, but please promise you’ll never go karaoke-ing again. Buddy swears you destroyed his bar. I’d probably steer clear if I were you. Both you and your friend Ray.”
“Don’t worry. Slamming down shots is the last thing on my mind. How’s the first day going?”
Nik’s voice sounded overly cheery, which meant something was wrong. Beyond the fact that she’d gotten puke-drunk last night. “Better now. You stopping by for lunch?”
“Don’t know, Officer. I mean, Chief. Getting stocked for the Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo today, but I might be able to stop by with something. What are you in the mood for? I’m not sure I’m up for eating yet.”
She was deliberately flirting with me. I knew for a fact something was seriously wrong now. Still, I wasn’t the kind of guy to pass up a chance to flirt with a girl I was interested in. Before I could come up with anything amazing, I started sneezing again.
“Bless you! You getting sick?”
“No. It’s just these allergies. I swear I only sneeze this much when a cat is around. That, and I’m exhausted. I can’t remember the last time I g
ot a good night’s sleep.”
“Oh? Dreaming about me again?”
“I wish. I’ve been having nightmares, and I never do that.” My new deputy walked back in the office; she wasn’t crying, thank goodness, but she didn’t look too happy with me. “I’ve got to go, Nik. My new deputy arrived this morning.”
“Cool. So you’re officially the big kahuna now. What’s his name?”
“Um…” Darned if I could remember what her name was.
As if the pretty blonde could read my mind, she mouthed her name very precisely through her red lipstick: “Tragic, Kendra Tragic.”
“Officer Tragic. Well, I’ve got to go. See you at lunch, Nik.” I hung up the phone before I made more of a fool of myself.
“So what’s on the burner this morning? I guess they’ll get my paperwork straightened out? I’m ready to get started. Do I get a car of my own, or do we ride together?”
“There’s only one car and a bicycle. I’m pretty sure I’m not riding the bike. For now, we’ll ride together.” We’d have a second car again soon. I’d managed to total the last one in a car chase. “I didn’t mean that earlier, Officer Tragic.” She just shrugged. “And I’m sure Molly will get your paperwork straightened out soon. We’ll have your swearing-in later, if that’s all right. I think we should get started with our calls.”
“Great!” she said with a big smile. Her ponytail bobbed up and down as she practically skipped to the front door. “What’s our first call today? Someone double-parked? Maybe a break-in or a drug buy?”
I pulled the keys out of my pocket and looked at her like she was crazy. “Nope. It’s a loitering case.” I grinned at Molly. “We’ll be back soon. Holler at me on the box if you get anything.”
“Mm hmm…” she said with a caustic look at Officer Tragic as she used the tip of her pencil to dial a number.
“And if you don’t mind, could you run a broom over my office floor? That cat hair is going to kill me.”
She just stared at me like I had three heads. I hoped that was a yes.
Escape to Sirens Gate: Sirens Gate Books 1-3 Page 13