Bella Flores Urban Fantasy Collection

by R D Martin

  "It's a lie," she heard someone scream. They sounded enraged and, maybe, afraid. That sent a flutter of warmth through her.

  There was a strangled cry, and it sounded like hundreds of people were shouting all at the same time. Through the haze filling her head, she wondered why people were mad and who they were mad at.

  The darkness closed in until there was nothing left but small pinpricks of light. Just as the darkness swallowed them, she heard something else.

  "I believe," said the voice, "today will be an interesting day."

  The words made her frown, or at least want to. Who needs an interesting day?

  28

  Bella dropped her bags and, after making room so Cat could squeeze by, let the door close behind her. For the first time since moving into her apartment, she noticed how luxurious it was. There was carpeting, white-painted walls, windows letting in natural light, and a couch. An overstuffed, well-worn, lumpy couch. Compared to the bed she'd been lying on for the past day and a half, even her lumpy couch would be heaven.

  Cat had taken the time to fill her in on what had happened at the Conclave after she passed out. Though, to hear him tell it, he was the hero of the day. His part of the plan, to locate and rescue the Finder, had gone off without a hitch. It had been a sure bet her boss was alive since no part of the complex had vaporized in a magical explosion. And since vampires can't cast spells, it was easy to assume Darius would keep the Finder hidden close by and trapped with some artifact. Every time Cat told the tale, the number of traps, pitfalls, and spells he had to bypass seemed to grow, but the result was him completing his part of the plan and bringing the Finder to the Conclave hall.

  He made her promise never to tell anyone how he'd let the inchworm ride his back like a cowboy.

  Bella flopped down on the couch, and shifting to find a comfortable position, she decided she would never get rid of the old piece of furniture. She closed her eyes and sighed, trying not to think of the past two days. Darius had been tried and found guilty by a unanimous vote of the Conclave, something the Finder insisted had only happened twice. Charles, Darius's boot-licking stooge, hadn't fared as bad. His punishment was to be buried alive for a century. Vampires had methods of punishing those flouting their laws that would keep them immobile, awake, and in pain for a long time. As far as she was concerned, he deserved more.

  After everything settled down, the vote had taken place. They voted down the motion to sever ties with the Imperium, and the Conclave moved on. After she'd felt well enough to move around, she'd tried to talk to Wallace, but he'd been too busy. During her wandering, she ran into a few delegates, but most of them gave her a very wide berth. She'd heard her father's name bantered about, but at that point, she hadn't cared. All she wanted to do was go home.

  Her phone buzzed in her back pocket, startling her. Now that they weren't ten stories belowground, technology seemed to be catching up to her. Pulling the phone out, she swiped it open and saw seven missed calls and four messages. Tapping the messages icon, she almost dropped the phone. Three of the messages were from Karina, no surprise there. The last one, though, was from William. As she played the message, a smile spread across her face that made her cheeks hurt. She listened to it again before putting the phone down. She'd call him back, but not today. Let him sweat for a while.

  "Bella," Cat called from the kitchen. "I don't see salmon here. Did you remember to buy any?" His tone was more accusatory than questioning, as though she purposefully forgot to add it to the shopping list.

  "Back to normal," she mumbled, pushing herself up and walking toward the kitchen.

  "And I think we need to add a few more things to the next list. And about that mice cage, I know you don't agree, but I rescued the inchworm, didn't I? Don't I deserve a reward for saving the day, not to mention your life? Don't forget, without me you'd be sitting in a cell somewhere waiting for the ax to drop."

  "Cat," she said, trying to interrupt, but the familiar was like a runaway train.

  "And another thing. You're spending too much time away from the apartment. I understand you have to go away for work from time to time, but you really should spend more time at home too. If you can't, though, would it kill you to take me with you? You obviously need someone to watch your back. Just make sure we have a nice hotel. Not one of those dingy, cheap ones either. One with room service and cable—"

  "Cat!"

  "What?"

  "Shut up."

  He looked up at her with wide green eyes, and the silence stretched. After a moment, his eyes narrowed and a grin spread across his feline face as his tail twitched.

  "That's my girl," he said, and purred.

  Wallace stood in the center of a dark room, lit only by a spotlight shining on him from overhead. It wasn't his first time in here, but every time he had to speak in front of the Authority, the ruling members of the Imperium, he felt as though he was on trial instead of giving a report. Who knows, maybe it is a kind of trial. But if it was, he'd always walked away from it before. This time, though, it was different. The Authority wasn't satisfied with just a simple report.

  "And you witnessed her cast the spell? Without walking the mists?"

  "As I have said, I was standing next to her the entire time." There were too many witnesses to deny it. But even the Imperium's strongest caster couldn't form a Water Window without entering the mist. And to make the Shadows of Time spell not only show the past, but speak as well should have been impossible.

  "She is her father's daughter," said a female voice in the darkness to Wallace's left.

  "That is what I'm afraid of," responded a male voice. "Perhaps we should remove her from the equation."

  "She's done nothing to warrant that," said another man. His voice carried a mix of authority and age. Wallace had a notion of who he might be, but had kept his mouth shut. That kind of knowledge could get him killed.

  "Either she'll work with us, or she'll work against us. There can be no other choice and time is running short."

  "Wallace," said the female voice in the dark, “you knew her father, and you warned us against working with him. Do you have the same warning for her?"

  Wallace took a moment to consider his answer before speaking. He was a career politician, and in that career, he'd learned the importance of being careful with his words.

  "I think… I think that if we approach her with open arms, she may be receptive to working with us."

  There was silence as the Authority considered his words, and Wallace felt a tension headache thrum behind his temples.

  "And do you think she'll betray us as her father did?"

  "I," he started, but paused. If he said the wrong thing, she would be dead. She might even die if he said the right thing. "I don't believe so. She has more power than him. More power than I've ever seen, but she doesn't have his experience or prejudices. She will work with us if we ask."

  More silence in the dark and Wallace waited. The Authority only had two options to choose from, but he wasn't privy to their conversation. A ward set up somewhere in the dark kept anything they didn't want heard from passing into the light.

  "Convince her, then. Bring her to us as one of us."

  The voice he thought he recognized was the one that spoke, and Wallace felt a ball of ice form in his stomach.

  "And if I can't?" He had to ask, though he knew the answer.

  "Then kill her. Either way, the question of Bella Flores will be answered."

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  About the Author

  R D Martin is the author of the breakout Bella Flores Urban Fantasy Series. I’m a writer, which should be obvious. You can find my online home at www.rdmartinwrites.com, and we can connect on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rdmartinwrites. If the fancy strikes you, feel free to send an email to RDM@rdmartinwrites.com. As for my real home, I enjoy spending time with my daughter, who is 10 going on 25, and my son who still thinks he’s a dinosaur. If you want to know where I live, I’ve left little Easter eggs in each book. Go ahead, check them out.