Well the kid caught me. What do I do now?
Vicki stepped up next to us. “I’ll bring Kieran back after the party. Then the two of you can go to work together, okay?”
“Okay! Have fun at your party!” Cassie smiled great big at the sudden compromise.
I hugged her then kissed her cheek. Vicki even gave her a hug and kiss as well. Then we were off down in the elevator.
“So I am really your girlfriend-girlfriend now?” she asked breaking the silence.
“Vicki, we share a bed, kiss, and even feel each other up to the point of orgasm. In some cultures that is the same as having sex, or even being married. Don’t you want to be my girlfriend?”
She gave me that sideways glance that said she didn’t believe me. “Will I be your exclusive girlfriend?”
“I’m not sleeping with any other girls am I?”
“What about sleeping with guys?”
Now I looked at her sideways. “What do you mean?”
She sighed. “Yes, I want to be your exclusive girlfriend. For us to just be with each other and that’s it. But . . . I am willing to compromise with you.”
“And what would that be?” I asked suspiciously.
“Honesty. Just be honest with me when you want to go out with a guy. And, tell me when you have sex with a guy. I want to know who all I’m sharing you with.”
“You said guy. What if I sleep with another girl?”
“Then I’ll just have to kill her, and you.” She grabbed my arm and poked me in the ribs as she teased. “I won’t stop you from dating guys on the side. As long as I am your one and only girl, and that you are honest with me about everything.”
“So, let me get this straight, you’re offering to be my steady girlfriend, and you’re giving me free range to date any guy I want as long as I tell you about it. Sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?”
“Only that I get honesty, and equal time. I would rather share you a little than lose you for good.”
I hugged her close to me. “You keep saying that you can’t believe how nice I am to you, then you pull something nice like this on me. Are you just trying to make me love you more?”
“Maybe.”
Then she kissed me.
* * *
The snow was still falling so hard you could barely see to drive. It took us longer to drive to Ash’s house in the suburbs because of the blizzard-like conditions. Visibility was almost nonexistent. When we arrived the cul-de-sac was filled with cars. It looked like everyone on the block was having a party at the same time, except that only one house had lights on. Vicki pulled the car into the driveway of a dark house.
“Is this the party?” I asked pointing at the dark windows of the house we’d pulled into.
“No. Ash’s house is the one down the street with the lights on and the music blaring. All her neighbors know that she’s a shifter and they’re okay with that. But the parties can get a little wild. Twice a year we gather at Ash’s to celebrate, once on her birthday and then again for Christmas. The neighbors usually just leave town or go to hotels for the night to let us have our party. They leave the porch light on if they will be coming back or are staying home, that way we don’t park in their driveways. Shall we go?”
Such nice, understanding neighbors. That is rare!
Vicki had a trunk-load full of gifts for the party. It took both of us to carry them all. We had to walk through the snow, so I used my shields to keep us warm on the long walk down the street. Music was blaring so loud it could be heard three houses away through the closed doors. The front door opened as we stepped up on the front steps suddenly amplifying the noise. Ash was dressed like an incredibly sexy female Santa, in her slinky outfit standing in the doorway. The fur-trimmed micromini barely covered her crotch and butt crack, leaving lecherous hints at both. To go with the scrap of a skirt, the long-sleeved, fur-collared, red shirt was tied together between her breasts so tightly that it covered just enough to be this side of legal. Six-inch-high black stiletto-heeled vinyl dominatrix boots were painted on, up to her mid-thigh. The outfit left little to the imagination as her femininely toned muscles rippled with each move to remind everyone just how strong the weretiger could be even in human form. Vicki gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. I just shook her hand once we handed off the armloads of gifts to others inside the at the party.
“You are kind of . . . underdressed you know,” she said giving me a look of light distaste.
“Sorry. I’ve got to go to work later.”
“Ah, I see. Can you come with me for a minute?”
“Sure,” I shrugged.
We left Vicki to mingle in the crowd that was shoulder-to-shoulder standing room only. Ash grabbed her coat and ushered me back out the front door to the snowing street.
“I hate to ask you like this, but I don’t want to ruin the evening for Vicki by bringing it up to her. Do you know what happened between her and her roommate? I called there earlier to make sure Vicki was still coming tonight, and Erin said that she ‘kicked that beast out’. Did something happen?”
“It’s not really my story to tell, but her roommate found out that Vicki is a shifter and had never told her. The girl and her boyfriend kicked her out. I think that she was more upset at the idea that Vicki hadn’t told her, than the fact that she actually is a shifter. Of course I’ve never met this Erin, so I don’t really know. Vicki showed up at my place as an emotional wreck late last night. I set up a room for her.”
“Damn. I wish I’d known. Are you sure Vicki is okay?”
“No. Honestly she’s not okay, regardless of what she says. The fight really shook her up, no matter how well she is hiding it. I offered her a room at my place to stay in until she sorts things out. Of course I’ll help her move, wherever and whenever she wants. I just want her to be happy.”
Ash cocked a suspicious eyebrow at me. “You want her happy, even if it means she leaves you?”
“If that’s what she wants I’ll support her, yes. She means a lot to me.”
“Well, thank you for telling me. Sorry I put you on the spot like that. Are you coming to the party tomorrow night?”
“You’re having another party?”
“No. The Panther Queen always has a party for all the shifters on Christmas Eve. You made quite an impression at the last party. I’m sure there wouldn’t be a problem with you attending. If you want.”
“I’ll think about it. Christmas Eve was always my family time growing up. Let me ask my sisters and Vicki, then I’ll decide.”
“Good. I hope to see you there.”
Chapter 16
Vicki left the party early to bring me back to pick up Cassie with only a little reluctance. I hated that we’d cut her party short. Sometime I’ll have to make it up to her. Not that I have any idea how to do that though.
Cassie and I took the Hummer that the valets suggested would be good for the ever turning worse weather, the snow was piling up too deep for the McClaren. I loved the sports car, but it didn’t have the traction or the clearance of the four wheel drive monster. We met Ren at the Dark Towers, parking across the street from the black monolith of a skyscraper where Targ had almost killed me not but a couple weeks earlier. She was standing outside next to the prisoner transport van.
Cassie was dressed festively, wearing a little Christmas outfit. Red velvet skirt and coat with white faux-fur trim and black knee-high boots all topped off with a little santa hat. The snow was deep enough that it came up over the tops of her boots. In fact it came clear up to her skirt above her knees, and we were in the recently plowed street. We were in the middle of one of the worst snowfalls in the city’s history. It had snowed over four feet since morning already with no sign of letting up.
“Glad you could make it,” Ren called out as we crossed the almost vacant street. Everyone was staying indoors if they could.
A uniformed officer had opened the back of the transport van. He pulled out Douglas Adams by the silver-r
einforced shackles. The vampire looked up at the high-rises, focusing on something I couldn’t see. His face suddenly fell with a look of absolute horror.
He moved so fast, I could barely keep my eye on him. In less than a second he turned and bit the officer, ripping out his throat. As the officer fell to the ground gushing blood, Adams took off running.
Dammit! Why weren’t there more officers watching him?
I turned to cut him off. Cassie beat me to it.
She ran with graceful ease in the deep snow. It looked almost like she ran on top of the snow as she intercepted the vampire. When she reached him she launched herself into the air. As soon as her waist was at the level of his head she kicked out with a roundhouse. He was running full out as his face collided with her foot. She followed through the kickm the force of which threw Adams clear back across the street and literally into the side of the transport van. The van collapsed in around him like an empty soda can, trapping him in a cage of twisted metal.
Damn!
Cassie landed on her feet and smoothed down her skirt.
The kid just chased down a vampire, and kicked him so hard that he became imbedded into the side of the van! Now that’s impressive!
Ren and I both just stood there a second, then Cassie gave us a curtsey in her little elf-like Christmas outfit. If there wasn’t a dying police officer on the ground I would have taken the time and clapped.
Marsala emerged from the Towers with a medics in tow.
Why’s he here?
After my last visit to the Dark Towers, they’d built a small emergency clinic on one of the top floors. Something about the hundred or so people that had died – while they were trying to kill me mind you – when I was here last time had led to the decision to add the emergency clinic. The medics began working immediately to save the officer as an ambulance was en route.
Marsala pried Adams from the destroyed side of the van. His immense hand wrapped around the unconscious vampire like you would carry a small doll. After the ambulance had the officer stabilized enough for travel and was off to the hospital, we went upstairs.
The top floor was still the same two-story open hall with only the private elevator on the other side. This time though, there were Christmas decorations around the repaired elevators and rebuilt bathrooms, both of which had been slightly damaged during my last visit, through no real fault of my own. Honest. I had nothing to do with the doors being ripped out of the walls by hordes of homicidal vampires. Not really.
It was all tastefully decorated. Two oversized festively decorated trees flanked the personal elevator, twinkling on the other side of the hall. The windows had all been replaced and the hole in the floor had been fixed. I had destroyed both on my last visit as well, more or less. I’ll admit that I had a hand in destroying those. Well, the floor was my fault. All the blame for the windows really falls on the gargoyles that tried to eat me after crashing through them. But I got blamed for the damage anyway. The fifty foot oval hole in the ceiling had been replaced with a giant mirror. It made the large room look that much bigger.
It took two trips up the small elevator for us all to reach the penthouse. Marsala and Adams filled up the car on the first trip. Ren, Cassie, and I took the second car. The penthouse office had been restored since my last visit as well. At least I didn’t destroy the entire building. I should get some credit for that. Not that the idea hadn’t crossed my mind at the time. The office floor held the giant two-way mirror. You could spy on the floor below you from the penthouse office. It was a neat touch. Like the floor below, there were Christmas decorations spread throughout the room. The giant TV on the far wall had a video of a roaring fireplace burning on it.
Yuric was at a table against the wall halfway across the room. He poured two champagne flutes with bright red, thick liquid. Blood perhaps? Eeew! There were four other flutes filled with a golden bubbling liquid on the table. He picked up two of the golden flutes and glided over on unseen feet to us.
“Season’s Greetings to you all. Marsala, please dump that in the corner for now. Here, come and enjoy.”
This all seems so unlike Yuric. Vampires aren’t supposed to be so Christmasy. Are they?
Yuric handed the flutes to Ren and I then gestured to the table. There were snack foods on the table on the other side of the drinks. Marsala went to the far end of the room next to the TV. He pulled out a thick linked chain from a hidden panel in the wall. Using it, he tied up the still out of it Adams, then joined us at the table. With practiced grace he carefully closed his giant fingers around one of the delicate red filled crystal flutes. The fragile glass disappeared in his hand without breaking.
Cassie picked up one of the golden filled flutes from the edge of the table like it had been left there just for her. Ren gasped.
“I can allow many things for our little Cassie, but not underage drinking,” she said reaching for Cassie’s glass.
Yuric’s hand stopped Ren in mid reach, accidentally brushing his elongated bony bare fingers against the naked skin between her gloves and sleeve. Ren shuddered, almost falling to her knees. Yuric kept her standing by holding on to her hand through her glove then. For a second Ren looked like she was going to shoot Yuric once she stopped shaking enough to draw her gun. Her eyes were wide from shock.
“It is only non-alcoholic sparkling cider,” Yuric spoke hastily as if he didn’t want the detective to bring any of the horrors her mind had seen to light.
What did she see when he touched her?
Ren pulled back her hand. Then she tried to be nonchalant as she wiped where Yuric had touched her against her jeans.
I guess she doesn’t like how he felt either. Not that I could blame her.
“A toast, to all that we have to celebrate, to friendship, and to living.” He raised his glass.
We all mirrored him, clinking our glasses together then sipping our drinks. The sparkling cider was fruity and tangy, but good. The bubbles tickled my nose. Yuric and Marsala both downed their bloody drinks in one gulp.
“Forgive me for asking Yuric, but why so festive?” I asked while trying to hide the suspicion in my voice.
“Do you not like my decorations? This is the Christmas season. A time of celebration. Is it wrong of me to celebrate?”
“No, not at all. I just had no idea you liked the holidays this much.”
“My child, there are many things that I enjoy. You will be able to learn much more about them all in the years to come.”
“Huh?” Now I was really confused.
“As I said before, when you killed Ahmed Targ, you also killed the Head Master Vampire of the Region. It left quite a power void. The Council had to find a suitable replacement. They have now decided that I am to be that replacement. I have been promoted and will be living here from now on.”
“Master Yuric that’s great!” Cassie congratulated him.
Well, at least I’ll know who’s in charge here.
“Yes, congratulations on your promotion Yuric.”
“Oh please, I should be thanking you Child. After all it is because of you that I am able to have this position. I am most grateful. Which reminds me, I brought you all Christmas gifts of a sort.”
Great, more gifts. I’ll never tire of receiving Yuric’s gifts. However, I hope I don’t get another partner. Cassie is enough of a handful. One child per lifetime thank you very much.
Yuric gave each of us a watch. A very fancy, very, very expensive watch that fit us each perfectly, and looked like it was designed by the same person that had designed his own. Up to that point, I’d never even noticed that Yuric wore a watch.
Maybe it’s new? He could’ve gotten his made when ours were. Well now, that was unexpected. Does this mean I have to get him something in return? Just what is the vampire etiquette on holiday gifts?
“I can’t accept this.” Ren handed him back the watch.
He took it then placed it on her wrist over her shirt sleeve, being careful not to touch her skin this ti
me. “Yes you can. You helped to remove Targ from power. You deserve it. Besides, it’s Christmas.”
“I’m sorry, but I am unable to accept gifts for performing my duties.”
“Detective, this is a personal gift from me. A thank you if you will. Please, take it.” Yuric did that trick with his voice again. Speaking normally, but his words holding a great deal of power in them. It was the same trick he pulled on me when he introduced Cassie. As if he willed me to accept her against my better judgment.
Fuckin’ vamp mind tricks! I still need to chew him out for that!
“Thank you,” Ren said with some confusion, not realizing she’d been vamped.
I snuck up behind her and rested my chin on her shoulder like I was looking over her shoulder at her watch. “What did you see in his touch?” I whispered the question as lightly as I could in her ear.
She turned her head to look into my eyes with a haunting glare. Her face was close enough to kiss her without moving anything more than my lips. The intimacy of our closeness was ruined by her softly whispered words. “Nothing I’ve ever seen in any victim or criminal comes close to what horrors I just saw in that . . . monster. But for some reason I just know you can trust him.”
Adams woke up, instantly screaming. Wordless noise filled the room. Then he saw Yuric. Gibberish suddenly flowed from his mouth too fast to understand even if I would’ve known what language he was speaking. He crawled on his knees towards the Master Vampire as far as the chain would allow. Bowing his head as he was chattering away.
“What’s he mumbling?” I asked.
“He is speaking in the old tongue. The secret language used by the vampires since the beginning. He is confessing to the rape and murder of some girl,” Marsala answered crossing to stand next to the chained vamp.
“Vampires have their own language?” Ren asked whispering in my ear.
Revenge's Web (Kieran Grey Psionic Hunter) Page 14