by Ashley McLeo
Lily thought back to the snippets of news she’d watched this morning. Celestine was right, none of the dead were over thirty, and three of the four had been attractive blondes, the other a green-eyed brunette. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who the twins wished they were hunting.
Well, I want to hunt them, too. Especially Amon.
“I’ll go,” Lily stepped forward.
“Me, too,” Sara said, locking arms with Lily.
“As much as I hate to admit, it has to be you two,” Brigit said. “Four women in their mid-forties going into a hot club would attract attention and we don’t want to be noticed.” She paused and gave the group a once over. “I wish Selma had been feeling up to it. This would be the perfect job for a siren. Or even Alfred. He wouldn’t stick out and I’m sure he’d love this.”
Sara cough-giggled, “Oh I’m sure he would, too,” she said, and Lily shot her a look.
“Aoife, you’re the best ceremens. You should go inside. Celestine are you up for going inside?” Brigit asked.
The vampire nodded.
Jane held out a duffle she’d brought. “Clothes are inside. Borrowed them from my daughters’ closets. I guessed on the sizes but they should be close enough since most of the items are spandex heavy.”
Aoife, Celestine, Lily, and Sara picked out outfits, threw their jackets next to the duffle, and changed while Jane and Mary guarded the alley entrance and Gwenn pulled up a map of the club Celestine had her google on her phone.
“And you’ll be needing a wee bit of this if you’re to be believable,” Brigit said eyeing Aoife, now dressed in tight faux leather leggings, a chic black top, and wedges. She pulled a tube of mascara and lipstick from her jacket pocket and aimed them at her sister’s lashes and lips.
Sara and Lily smirked at their aunt’s deep discomfort. The woman can battle with the best of them, but confront her with mascara and she nearly cries, Lily thought holding back a giggle as Aoife’s ginger and pepper aroma intensified with her frustration.
“Jane will be the ears outside, so try and listen for her mind, Aoife. I hope you four don’t have trouble getting in,” Brigit said stepping away from Aoife to reveal a woman Lily had never seen before. The touches of makeup had transformed her face from oddly pretty to gorgeous.
Lily whistled. “We shouldn’t have any trouble getting in with Aoife looking like that! Do me, too.”
A blush ran over Aoife’s cheeks, though Lily thought she looked pleased.
“You four look like you’re ready for a grand night on the town,” Mary said with a nostalgic sigh. “I bet you have no trouble at all getting to the front of the line.”
“Something I could have used magic for anyhow,” Aoife grumbled, pulling her top up to hide her cleavage.
“Use magic only when you need to speak with us, at least until you find the twins,” Brigit warned, her face stern. “Remember, Celestine told us vampires can sense when magic is being used. Use it too soon and you may scare Empusa and Amon off before you even find them.”
“Magic will not be necessary for getting in anyhow—at least not witching magic,” Celestine said, touching up her lipstick.
“Here’s the map of the club.” Gwenn swiped past several photos on her phone. “If Empusa and Amon are in there, try to corral them toward this back door.” She pointed to a spot on the basic emergency exit map the club provided on their website. “We’ll be waiting in the alley it empties into. Hopefully, we can end this there and avoid chasing them around this city. I doubt you four would make it far in those getups. Even Lily would have trouble and she’s the best runner we have.”
Gwenn was right. There was no way in hell Lily was running fast or far in her borrowed stilettos.
“Keep the duffel just in case,” Lily said, pointing to the bag that carried their regular clothes.
“Do you think we’re daft? Aoife will kill us if we leave it anywhere and she has to walk around a second longer than necessary looking like that,” Gwenn said, her face splitting into a grin.
“I think we’re ready. Let’s head to the club. I’ll lead,” Celestine said strutting down the alley.
Holy hell. Lily’s head whipped around as she took in the multitude of sensory information the club used to convince people they were having fun. Flashing lights, pounding music, shiny and beautiful people flitting about, all things that would make it difficult to find a vampire. At least getting in was easy. The crowd in front of the club had parted as if they were rock stars and the bouncer let them in without a word.
“I said not to use witching magic, but vampires have talents, too, particularly over humans,” Celestine explained, smiling down at Lily so seductively her head spun.
“Let’s start at the bar. It’s elevated so it will be easy to see over the crowd,” Aoife said pointing to a long, bustling wall of people vying for the attention of the bartenders.
“Four vodka tonics,” Celestine called out to a bartender who zeroed in on her the second Celestine approached the bar.
“I don’t like vodka,” Sara said.
“We won’t be drinking them anyhow.” Aoife spun to look out into the sea of people. “Alcohol dulls your senses, normal and magical. Use it as a prop.”
They searched the crowd while they were waiting for their drinks. Lily, not having ever been a clubgoer herself, was astounded by the flagrant displays of wealth and open sexual desire. Ninety-nine percent plastic women fawning over men they wouldn’t look twice at on the street. Men buying entire bottles of high-end booze to impress the table. And then there was the dancing. Maybe it was because she had gone to an all-girls college, but Lily had never seen anything like it: Hips grinding hard against other hips, women sandwiched between two men or the other way around, sweaty bodies grasping for other bodies in need. Lily found herself embarrassed for many of the people on the dance floor, though they didn’t seem to mind.
“On the house,” the bartender yelled over the pounding beat.
“What a surprise. Thank you,” Celestine said in a way that indicated she was anything but surprised. She flashed a dazzling smile at the bartender before turning from the bar. “Anyone spot them?”
Aoife, Sara, and Lily shook their heads.
“Well someone’s here. I can smell them, and they smell old and full of life. See those high partitions?” She pointed at the other side of the bar. “That’s the VIP area. I bet the twins are in there.”
That does seem like Empusa and Amon to separate themselves from the masses. If they have to be near humans for something other than feeding, only the richest, most beautiful humans will do.
“It looks smaller and more closed off than the main bar. Won’t they see us when we enter?” Sara asked.
Celestine nodded. “They’ll likely smell you first. Most witches’ scents are different from other humans, more herbal if you will. Once the twins figure out we’re searching for them, we must work covertly to corral them to the exit Gwenn pointed out. It should be easier from the VIP section. The front door is much farther away, but still one of us should block it off magically or physically once the twins make their move. Then their only option is the emergency exit.”
“If they split, then we'll do the same,” Aoife added, her calculating gaze sweeping the room. “Lily and I will take Empusa. Celestine and Sara, you take Amon. Sara, be precise if you use fire around Celestine. In fact, I’d suggest you not release it in here at all; keep it as a small threat in your hands. The vamps will be watching for it but humans may not notice with everything else happening in this place.”
“Yes. I’d appreciate it if you waited until we’re in the alley before you three break out the fire magic. I’m sure Jane would, too. I don’t think our coven could manage wiping the memories of everyone in here if magical fire broke loose,” Celestine said.
Lily barely heard the conversation. Aoife’s assignment of Empusa stung, though logically she understood it. Amon had too much on Lily. She’d proven herself susceptible to hi
s charms. Still that didn’t negate the fact that she wanted to be the one to kick his ass. Her fists clenched and mouth tightened. He changed Em into an unrecognizable monster and forced me to kill her. If I get the chance, I’m taking him down.
“Empusa had a hand in Em’s death too, Lil,” Aoife said reading Lily’s body language.
Lily nodded and kept her revenge mission to herself.
They made their way through the crowd in a wide circle around the bar, pausing only to deflect the advances of two men and one woman. Lily followed Aoife’s lead and deposited her drink on an empty table as they walked by to free her hands. Prop or not, a drink felt like a major obstruction of self-defense.
“Stop!” Celestine hissed and gripped Aoife’s shoulder. “Look at that woman. The one stumbling. Does she seem off to you?”
Lily followed Celestine’s finger to see a tall blonde in a bandage dress tripping across the dance floor. “She’s drunk as he—oh shit!” Lily exclaimed as the woman tossed her hair over her shoulder to reveal two circular marks on her neck, one of which was still bleeding. “How did you catch that?”
“Smelled the blood and followed its trail to the drunkest-looking person in here. Someone took her blood recently.”
Their pace slowed as they continued through the mass of bodies around them, each witch now hyper alert.
A man even larger than the bouncer outside stood sentinel in front of the VIP section. “You got friends in there?” The man gripped the velvet rope before him and his eyes lingered on each of them a second too long for comfort.
“Yes,” Celestine purred, and the guard’s head swung to give her his full attention. “It’s a surprise gathering so you won’t have my friend’s name on a list. She’s tall, fit, with auburn hair, brilliant green eyes, and a slight French accent? It’s rare that people forget her.”
“She’s in there.” The bouncer pulled the rope to the side without taking his eyes off Celestine. “Have fun tonight, ladies.”
One quick glance told them that neither vampire was in the smaller, less-private booths near the front. Those spilled over with people drinking from bottles on ice, looking unconcerned with the fact that two notorious vampires might be in their midst.
Let’s hope it stays that way, Lily thought, following Celestine’s lead.
As they moved deeper into the VIP section, they discovered it was far smaller than the main club but boasted many more spots for people to sit and socialize, all of which were partially or completely partitioned off for maximum privacy.
“Vampire scent is everywhere in here,” Celestine murmured. “If I walk closer to the booths, I should able to pinpoint which one they’re in. You three stay here; your scents are too strong. We don’t want to tip them off.” Celestine strutted to the right side of the room.
Aoife, Sara, and Lily stood as still as possible without appearing unnatural. Their eyes tracked Celestine as she rounded the room methodically. Celestine was nearly halfway through investigating the booths on the right side when Lily heard a noise that raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
It was a noise apart from the thumping base, shrill giggles, and clank of glassware that surrounded them. It was a voice, high, arrogant, and vaguely French. Lily’s head swiveled, searching for the body belonging to the voice she knew and hated.
“Empusa’s over there,” Lily said pinpointing the location of a strangled sound followed by a particularly cruel laugh.
“Lil, wait for Celestine,” Aoife said as Lily marched forward twenty feet, cutting the distance between herself and the booth she knew Empusa to be hidden behind in half.
Celestine was at her side in seconds. “She’s there, isn’t she?” Her voice was low. Lily realized it was because it was possible Empusa could hear them, even with the loud music.
Lily nodded and glanced up at the fifteen-foot-high partitions that would make it impossible for them to sneak up on Empusa. They would have to enter the private booth as all partygoers did: through the tiny entrance that provided the privacy and security people in VIP paid for. We’ll be bottlenecked against one of the most vicious vampires of all time, Lily thought before turning and motioning Aoife and Sara over so they could discuss a new plan.
Then, the surrounding air shifted.
“Merde,” Celestine swore as Empusa soared over the partition with a malicious smile.
A blur of movement high in the air caught Lily’s peripheral vision, and she knew Amon had done the same a few booths down. As soon as their feet hit the floor, the twins sped out of the room.
Lily ran through the velvet ropes of VIP and stood on tiptoes to find Empusa’s bright auburn head in the crowd.
But Aoife and Sara, being closer to the VIP entrance and quicker to react, had beat Empusa out to the main bar and Lily glimpsed Aoife zooming around the perimeter of the club in a less-direct but also less-crowded route to the front door. The vampires, who had clearly hoped to lose the witches in the crowd, were a mere twenty feet from the front entrance when Aoife reached the door first, subverting their escape. Empusa and Amon pivoted on the spot, pointing themselves toward the next best escape route: the emergency exit.
They’re playing right into our hands! Lily whirled about to follow the vampires and ran right into a wall of human.
“Hey beautiful, how about a dance?” the wall asked, eyebrow raised and breath reeking of tequila.
“Out of my way!” Lily pushed him aside.
“Bitch!” the man yelled.
She would have laughed if she weren’t so busy forcing her way through the flailing limbs on the dance floor. A flash of gold in the air caught her eye and Lily glanced up to see Celestine ahead, jumping over tables filled with partiers and martinis. Though she couldn’t hear them, Lily saw the collective gasps and screams on the faces of the young, beautiful, and drunk as Celestine flew above them.
She made to follow the flying vampire when Amon’s back appeared ten feet away through a slit in the thrashing bodies. This is my chance! Lily thought, making a beeline for the vampire who seemed momentarily frozen in place. Five steps, four, three, and then she was there, a long arm’s reach away. A small flame ignited in her palm and Lily envisioned herself tapping Amon on the back and the vampire bursting into ash in the middle of the club.
Her dream screeched to a halt when Amon spun to face her, fangs extended, and hissed.
A thin blonde beside Lily screamed, and she made to catch the woman as she fainted.
Amon bolted for the exit, bowling over those in his path.
“Take her,” Lily said shoving the girl’s body into another woman’s arms to chase after him.
The exit sign grew closer and closer as she ran. Go through the door, go through the door, Lily repeated the mantra in her head, willing Amon, who was weaving spastically through the crowd in an effort to lose Lily, to swerve toward the door behind which her mother, aunts, and Jane waited.
Her heart leapt when at the last second Amon veered off course and threw open the emergency exit door to disappear into the night.
Empusa stood, back against a brick wall, penned in by Brigit, Jane, Mary, and Gwenn. Amon was cornered between a dumpster, a building, and Celestine, who was flanked by Aoife and Sara, balls of fire blazing in both their hands.
“Serostium,” Lily whispered, locking the club door behind her before directing her hands at Amon ready to fire.
“I see this little operation was well planned. We did not account for spares when we decided to lure the witches out did we Brother?” Empusa’s French accent was thick, hinting at her agitation as she glanced at Celestine and then Jane.
Lure us out? All those murders were just a trap to get us out in the open? Anger bubbled in Lily as she thought of the dead girls’ faces splashed across the internet.
“Nothing we can’t handle,” Amon replied smoothly.
Empusa laughed, high and cold, “True. You witches are so predictable. We knew you would not be able to abide our choice of feeding. Though thi
s time it was surely justified. We gave so much to that weak excuse for a witch. She’d never have been able to survive without us. In fact, I think the McKays are in our debt. Perhaps that it why they are here?”
Lily’s face hardened.
Empusa noticed the micro movements and sneered. “Hmm. It is as simple as a mission to avenge the lives of those worthless humans then? How unfortunate to realize you did not catch us off guard. To be told that we desired to meet you once more and take the young ones back to our father. How does it feel to have played right into our hands witches?”
“How does it feel to be so out numbered?” Aoife’s growl elicited an unexpected smirk from Empusa.
“It’s true, our father did not want us out in the open without him or other Acolytes to act as our shield but we insisted. My brother and I are, after all, unequivocally his best fighters and most devoted generals. Generals, who have failed our father too many times recently and seek to redeem ourselves. I for one, would like nothing more than to bring him the creature that wounded him.” Her green eyes leveled with Lily’s.
Lily flexed her hands.
Empusa’s lips turned up. “A poor idea, witch. Even with your traitor friend here, you are outmatched.” Empusa’s gaze shifted to Celestine, pure loathing in her eyes.
“I doubt that! We’re going to make you suffer. Like you did to Em, Evelyn, and all those other girls.” The words left Lily’s mouth before she had a second to consider them.
“As we said before Lily love, if you would have brought Hypatia’s book, we’d have had no need to hurt Miss Emily. Speaking of the book, a little bird tells me you’ve found it? Is that why you’re here darling?” Amon’s eyes lit up and he grinned charmingly. “Are you bringing me a gift? Then submitting me to a little suffering?” Amon’s voice grew sultry as he toyed with Lily’s words and waggled his eyebrows.
“Why do you want that anyways? It’s nothing but a story,” Lily’s face flushed as her fury soared. How many people have to die over this damn book?