by Greco, Karen
"How can this be about me?" I retorted.
"Because you hate your family." Max didn't miss a beat. "And you are afraid of losing your best friend to Tavio's son."
"Well aren't you both Doctors Freud and Jung?" I scoffed at both of them, but inwardly cringed. They weren't completely wrong.
"Nina, we don't have much of a choice. We need Darcy to stop wailing, and Matty's the only vampire who can go near her. Unless...we could send Tavio."
That didn't sit well with me either.
"Fine," I gave in. "We'll do the damn love spell. But if this backfires, it's on both of you."
"Agreed," said Max. "I'll call Matty and figure out a way to get him to Darcy without frying him in the sun while you guys cook up a spell. Can you get it done within an hour?"
Casper was ricocheting around my head in excitement. "Yes we can, oh yes we can!"
"Yes," I said in a monotone, squinting against Casper's enthusiasm in my head.
"Better get cooking then," Max said. He headed downstairs to the bar, and I gave him the finger behind his back.
"Real mature, Nina," Casper scolded.
"Fuck you too, Ghost," I responded.
He actually laughed at me. "I’mma make you love spelling someday, I swear."
"Shut it," I growled.
That only made him laugh harder.
"Cut the crap, Casper. You're giving me a migraine and I have to concentrate on this shit."
"You're right. Sorry." But I could still feel him enjoying himself way too much.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"This is a love potion?" Max uncorked the test tube and sniffed. His eyes watered.
The shit-brown colored love potion didn't inspire much confidence. Even Casper had trepidations about using it. But since Matty was the one that had to drink it, I wasn't too worried. It wasn't like it'd kill him. He was already dead.
That was probably why the potion turned a shade of fecal and smelled like rancid onions. Since Matty was a vampire, Casper tweaked the recipe. I thought we should err on the side of caution and make it the proper way. But since Casper completely outclassed me in the witch department, he had the final say.
"Casper insists that it's fine," I told Max, putting the onus on the ghost.
"How are you going to get him to take this? It reeks."
"There's a reason why I told you to bring him to the bar." I grinned deviously and grabbed the martini shaker. I filled it with ice and then poured out a measure of Bombay Sapphire, hoping a good gin would dilute the funky smell of the potion.
I snatched the test tube from Max when I heard Matty struggling with the ladder under the trap door behind the bar. It led to the basement fridge, where we kept the kegs. I pulled the half-blood weakling bullshit and put him to work dragging two new kegs of beer down there so I could show Max the potion.
Max brought Matty here under the pretext that I needed some logistical information before working the Killing Haley show. Since it was still light out, Max smuggled Matty out of the Biltmore Hotel under a shroud of thick black velvet theater curtains. Given Matty's hypochondria, I expected him to come in screaming murder. But he seemed kind of elated by the whole adventure. Either he grew a pair of balls overnight, or he was trying to get away from Kittie. I expected it was the latter. He wasn't a candy-ass because he was a Beta. He was insufferable because he was a rock star.
I slipped some dry vermouth into the shaker, and then added the contents of the potion and capped it.
Matty shut the trap door with enough force to make the floor shake. "Kegs are heavier than I thought," he said. "I'm not surprised you couldn't carry them, cuz."
I sighed. "Yeah, it's tough being a single gal without her best vampire."
Max covered his mouth and coughed, stifling a laugh.
"Speaking of being without Frankie, he used to taste test all of our new drinks," I continued. "Would you be a doll and fill in for him on that, too?"
Matty's grin was wide. "Now that's a job I don't mind!"
"No one ever seems to mind that one," I said as I smiled sweetly, giving the martini a violent shake. Then I poured it out in a martini glass and added five pearl onions and slid it in front of him.
He looked at it oddly. "Dirty martini?"
It was indeed dirty. The potion gave the normally clear drink a brownish tinge, like water from rusty pipes.
"With onions, it's a Gibson martini."
He gave it a sniff. "Phew, those onions are strong. Good thing it's not garlic."
I rubbed my temples. "Vampires and garlic? Matty, that's a myth."
"Really?" Matty took a cautious sip, and his eyes lit up. "This doesn't taste as oniony as I thought it would."
"Oh good," I said, and then I caught myself. "New onion blend, said to use the juice in the martini. That's why it looks so, well, dirty.
"You mean Gibson!" He grinned and took a larger gulp.
"Right. Gibson." I snorted. Was he getting tipsy already?
"Damn, Nina. I cannot believe that we pulled this off," Casper squealed. His level of excitement rivaled my own.
"Want a taste?" Matty held the drink out towards Max.
"Nah, no thanks. Onions repeat on me." He pounded on his chest a few times to drive the heartburn point home.
I pulled the Narragansett tap and poured two pints, one for Max and one for me.
"Here." I slid a glass over to Max. "Cheers boys."
We all took pulls from their drinks while Casper danced excitedly in my head. Now that we’d plied him with the potion, it was time to activate the spell and ask him to go get Darcy out of her hidey-hole.
"Get ready," I muttered to Casper.
I placed the martini shaker in the bar sink and turned the faucet on full blast. While the water was running, I started chanting the activation spell, the strange Latin words awkwardly tripping off my tongue. Once Casper took hold of my body, the Latin flowed melodically.
By the time we were done and the water was off, both Max and Matty were gawking at me.
"That was beautiful," Matty sighed. "What was that? I could turn that into a song."
I laughed nervously. "No idea what I was singing. I just like to make up songs when I wash the dishes."
"It was nice," Max agreed. "I've never seen that side of you before. Almost...vulnerable."
"I was just doing the dishes." I repeated flatly, hoping Max could read the shut-up look I was throwing at him. "Matty, can I ask you one more favor?"
Matty shifted uncomfortably. "I think I need to go, Nina."
"It won't take that long." I gritted my teeth before adding, "Please."
He looked confused. "Nina, can't it wait? I need to find Darcy. And I am in a terrible hurry to do so."
I brightened. It was working. "That's exactly what I needed you to do. For you to get Darcy for me. For us."
"Get Darcy?" The spell did not make my cousin any smarter.
I sucked air in through my teeth, keeping my patience in check. "Matty, there's something I need to tell you. Darcy is a banshee. And right now, she's wailing."
"Yes, I know. She told me."
I harrumphed at the ease of her honesty.
"And I know she's wailing because of me," he continued. "Well, because of Kittie. That's why I have to find her. I want to make it right."
I practically pumped my fists right there. "Great. Perfect. Matty, you go get her, and you make her stop wailing."
He jumped up and yelled, "Yes! Hell, yes."
Nothing like a man on a mission.
"Wait?" He stopped, sinking down on the bar stool again. "How can I stop her from wailing?"
"You broke her heart, Matty. To stop the wailing, you need to mend it. Can you do that?"
His face brightened. "Yes, yes. I can do that. I love her and I can do that."
"Geeze, that wasn't dramatic at all," I muttered, rolling my eyes.
Matty bounced off the stool and skipped to the doorway. He stopped short suddenly, and turned to Max. "U
m, could you get me there? It's still light out."
Max winked at me, and I nodded, grinning like an idiot.
"Wait! Before you go! Max, I need stakes for tonight. While you are there, can you grab a bunch from Frankie's room? They should be on his workbench. He was doing something with them."
I wished Frankie were here to tell me what, exactly, I could expect from the weapon upgrade. We had no news, which was good news. Casper and I had time to get the potions sorted out. As long as Frankie was in control, we could move forward with Bertrand's plan. If Frankie vamped out and started attacking, all bets were off.
"Of course," Max said, giving me a 10,000-watt smile. "Anything you need, sweetheart."
Anything I need? Sweetheart? What the hell was wrong with him? Before I could ask, Max reached across the bar, grabbed my face and kissed me deeply.
It was quite a kiss, promising so much more than that one night we had a few months prior, before everything turned to shit. I stared dumbfounded as Max bundled up Matty in thick black fabric and shuttled him out the door. Max cast one smoldering look back at me before he left.
"Casper?" I called out, my knees knocking together from the impact of the kiss. That kiss. Wow.
"What. Was. That?" Casper slammed forward in my head, a high-strung mix of shock and excitement.
I leaned against the bar and breathed deeply. My whole body quivered. "Um, I don't know. Could the spell backfire?"
"I don't think so. Matty drank the potion, not Max."
"But he smelled it. He sniffed the potion. Could that do it? Do you think we made it too strong?"
Casper went very still. "Maybe? I don't know."
"Shit," I groaned, realizing where we made the mistake. "And we didn't cast the circle, Casper. The spell could go anywhere."
Without casting the circle, a little bit of the spell must have worked on Max. Except he had eyes for me, not Darcy. Since he didn't drink the potion, he only got hit by the residual effects, so I assumed it was temporary. It had to be temporary. Double damn.
I grabbed the closest tequila bottle. It was the cheap stuff, but I didn't care, even though I'd pay for it later.
"Babe's gonna kill us," Casper sing-songed in my head, echoing my own thoughts.
"What are we going to do?" I was veering close to panic.
"What? This is good! Isn't it? You like him, don't you?"
"It's complicated." That was an understatement.
"Life's complicated. And you aren't Facebook," Casper said, full of 18-year-old wisdom.
I didn't even bother pouring out a shot and just took a swig straight from the bottle.
"Watch it," Casper admonished. "You have to work tonight."
"Just a nip, to calm my nerves."
Casper's rich laugh filled up my mind, and I smiled. I couldn't help myself. It was impossible to be agitated around this kid sometimes.
"You got the hots," he teased.
"Seriously, Casper, it's..."
"Complicated?"
"Difficult, yes. Loads of baggage." I took another swig from the bottle and then picked out a lime slice from the garnish holder.
"You talking about the Gigantor crap? Cause when you fang out, girl, you're even scarier than Mega Max. You should look in the mirror sometime while you're all vampiro on everyone's ass. You're all like..." Casper made a hissing noise and then went silent for a minute.
I sucked on the lime.
"Or are you talking about another sort of baggage that happens to be missing right now?" Casper asked softly.
I spit out the lime in the trash. "Nothing is going on between Frankie and me."
"Well, duh. I'd know if anything was going on," he said before stopping abruptly.
My heart stopped. "Casper, how would you know if anything was going on? Were you hovering when..."
"It's not like I meant to! It was an accident."
"Oh, God. So not cool, Casper!" I choked out, my face flushed.
"I left as soon as I figured out what was going on, I swear!" he insisted. "You mad? Please don't be mad."
"Mad? Am I mad? Of course I am mad."
"But it was months ago. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
"Damn right it won't. You stay out of my head, and my house, when I have a date. Got it? Oh God!" I groaned again, embarrassment engulfing me.
"I promise. I swear. I promise!"
"Then let's forget that ever happened." I took one more gulp from the tequila bottle. The news of Casper's indiscretion sobered me right up.
"So then what about Frankie?"
"I don't think I want to talk about my relationships with you. Peeping Tom."
"Come on, Nina. I thought we were forgetting that happened."
"I want to hold a grudge for one more minute, okay." Life with a ghost was so not easy.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The capacity crowd of mostly disaffected youth danced themselves into a small frenzy during the opening act, amping up the energy in the venue.
"You sure you can hear me over all this screaming?" I muttered to my chest. It wasn't my idea to wear a low cut V-neck tee, but Darcy insisted on a microphone placed in the middle of my cleavage.
"It's almost like I have vampire hearing," she responded.
I snorted. So much for my own vampire hearing. My earpiece was turned almost all the way up to hear over the noise of the crowd.
"I can't see you," Max's voice thundered in the earpiece.
"Can you flash something?" Darcy giggled at the 7th grade humor. I pulled out my Zippo and sparked it up for about 10 seconds. I caught a similar flicker across the room, and closed the lid quickly. We had visual contact.
Apart from my low cut t-shirt, I was outfitted in my black bomber jacket, unzipped just enough to keep the microphone uncovered, and my combat blacks, including a knit skullcap in case the stage lights caught my copper-flecked highlights. A chain-mail choker kept my carotid artery safe from any hungry (or angry) vamps.
Surveying the crowd around me, I was glad I opted for "blend into the walls" rather than "blend into the crowd." These kids were exactly that, kids. Barely 18; maybe a sprinkling of 20-somethings. And while my half-vampire nature ages me more slowly than normal people, I felt like a damn granny next to them.
They were a strange bunch. The women wore leather skirts and halter-tops, the men skinny leather pants and tanks. I didn't fit in with this crowd. I was surrounded by a bunch of Kitties.
"Darcy, you look lovely this evening. Have I told you that?" Matty's voice boomed in my earpiece. "The black really brings out your...pale."
I gritted my teeth and punched impatiently at the black-painted brick wall beside me.
"Matty, that's a lovely thing to say to Darcy. But we really need to keep this channel open," I said calmly.
"It is open," he said. "I can hear you just fine."
"That's not what keeping the channel open means," I said, leaving off the words "you fuckwit." It was not my idea to give my moron cousin access to our communication system. Bertrand insisted, in case Matty needed us. "It means no talking on this frequency unless it has to do with the operation."
"It does have to do with the operation! It has to do with her looking all hot in her operational outfit."
Great. It took all my willpower not to storm backstage and kick the living crap out of my idiot cousin.
"Let it go, Nina," Max said. Based on his tone, he was annoyed too. At least I wasn't alone in my irritation.
I glanced over at him. There was no way Max blended into this crowd. Every guy had jet black, blue or purple hair spiked up into a style similar to Matty. When Matty pulled out an extra pair of skinny black leather pants from his luggage, Max actually paled at the threat of wearing them.
So like the chaperone at the high school dance, Max dressed up in the official Killing Haley security outfit. We knocked out one of Killing Haley's actual security guys in the alley behind the venue to acquire it. Kittie handpicked the security staff, and Matty didn't w
ant her to know one of us was backstage.
Kittie's hatred of Darcy made her a target. Backstage was a place of prestige and privilege, and it was Kittie's domain. So Darcy hid with the sound engineers at the back of the venue. With her laptop and other tech accouterments, she didn't look at all out of place next to the sound nerds.
A kid barely 18 years old crashed into me. He steadied himself by gripping my shoulder. After muttering his thanks, he licked my cheek before bouncing back into the crowd.
"Ugh. Nasty." I wiped at my cheek with the sleeve of my jacket.
"Did that guy just...?" Max's voice was tinged with jealousy. That'll teach us for spelling without casting the damn circle.
"We aren't discussing this," I said, still shuddering from the nasty lick. "We need to keep this channel clear."
The crowd was growing, flattening me against the back wall. There were so many bodies wedged between me and the entry to my left, I no longer felt the icy blasts every time the door opened.
"Hey guys, this crowd is crushing towards the stage. If shit hits towards the front, Max, you're probably on your own. I won't get through this crowd."
"Wow. I had no idea you were so popular, Matty," Darcy said, sounding a bit breathless.
I groaned audibly, and didn't give a shit who heard it.
"Everyone here is so..." Max stopped, giving Darcy room to jump in.
"Sexy. Seriously, everyone in here is really kind of oozing sex." Her voice was kind of husky.
"Because of us, Doll, because of us," Matty crowed.
I ground my teeth and kept my mouth shut. At least we knew the love potion was working on its intended targets.
"I was going to say 'young,'" Max sighed.
Tuning out their chatter, I scanned the now-capacity crowd. Sweat dripped down my neck, trickling in a salty stream down my spine. I unzipped my bomber jacket a few more inches, but couldn't risk much more than that. Stakes crisscrossed my chest in a specially made holster. Frankie etched them with some weird runes, making them look even more bizarre than carrying around just plain old stakes. Of course, given the crowd, my "look" wasn't all that weird.