by Karen Lynch
Erik let out a low whistle. “Tristan’s granddaughter? I’m surprised he’s not here already.”
“I made him see it would be better if he let us handle this. Chris and I are going to split our time between watching over her and dealing with the vampire problem.”
Erik gave me a look much like the one Chris had given me earlier. “You’re going to work with an orphan?”
I shrugged, ignoring Chris’s knowing smile. “This is a special case.”
A red-haired warrior named Carl entered the room. “We picked up some activity at an abandoned apartment building on Franklin. Could be demons, or it might be vamps.”
Chris, Erik, and I stood at the same time. Erik went to his duffle bags, and I grabbed my jacket and sword that were lying on the dining room table. I checked my inside pockets for knives as I turned to the others.
“Let’s go hunting.”
* * *
I stood in the shadows between the two buildings across the road from St. Patrick High School and watched students spill through the front doors. It wasn’t until the last few trickled out that I saw the face I was looking for.
Sara walked slowly down the front steps of the school with her eyes downcast. She could have been alone for all she seemed to notice the people hurrying around her.
Someone called her name as she walked toward the street, but she didn’t seem to notice. She looked tired. What was wrong with her? Was she ill?
A movement behind her caught my eye, and my body tensed when I saw someone running toward her. I relaxed when I recognized her werewolf friend, Roland.
He caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm. I wasn’t prepared for the jealousy that burned in my stomach, and I took a step toward them before I came to my senses.
I exhaled slowly and wondered for the hundredth time if it was in my best interest for me to be here checking up on her. Chris had offered to come, but I’d wanted to see for myself she was okay. Or maybe I just wanted to see her.
Roland said something to Sara, and she shook her head. He frowned and gestured toward the school. She shrugged and answered him, but whatever she said only made his brows draw together more.
I wanted to know what they were talking about, but I wouldn’t listen in. It was one thing to watch over her, and another to invade her privacy.
Sara resumed walking, and Roland stared after her, worry creasing his brow.
I waited for him to turn toward the parking lot before I followed Sara at a distance. I wasn’t surprised when she went straight home. On Tuesday when I’d been here, she’d done the same.
She disappeared into her building, and I found a spot across the waterfront where I could see her apartment. A few minutes later, curtains on the third floor moved as a window opened. Sara appeared in the window, staring at the bay for a long moment before she turned away.
I stayed for two hours, and then I walked to where I’d left my bike on the next street over. There was no need to stick around here all night. My time was better served in Portland, helping the others in the hunt for Eli.
* * *
When my phone vibrated, I knew who it was before I looked at the screen. “What’s up, Chris?”
“The male vampire finally cracked,” Chris said. “He told us about two places where Eli could be hiding out. I thought you might want to be there when we check them out. How soon can you get here?”
“About an hour.”
“Ah. How’s our girl?”
“The same.” I watched the lone figure walking on the wharf, the wind tossing her dark hair around her face. Even from a distance, my demon-enhanced eyesight could see how pale she was, and the way her shoulders hunched. An aura of loneliness surrounded her, and she looked like someone who had lost her best friend.
This was my third visit to New Hastings since I’d talked to Sara on Monday, and each time she looked no better than the last. Had learning what she was really affected her that deeply, or had something else happened to douse the fire in her eyes? Her pain called to me across the invisible thread that stretched between us, and each time I saw her, it got harder not to go to her. Chris was right. Staying away from her was going to be an impossible task.
My fingers tightened around the phone. “I hate seeing her this way.”
“Nikolas, eventually she was going to realize she was different, and she would have had no idea what was going on. That would have been a lot more frightening than what she is going through now.”
My grip on the phone eased. “You’re right.”
He laughed. “I’m always right. Now are you going to spend all weekend there, or do you want to help us take down that vampire?”
I cast one last look at the girl on the wharf and turned toward my bike that was parked out of sight around the corner. “I’m on my way.”
It took me less than an hour to reach Portland. Chris and Erik were waiting for me, and the first place we hit was an apartment in South Portland. There were signs someone had been there recently, but it looked like it had been empty for several days. We left it undisturbed except for several surveillance cameras we installed behind the ceiling fixtures.
We had better luck at the second location, a house in Westbrook.
“Look at this,” Chris called from the master bedroom.
I entered the room where he’d spread out a bunch of photos on top of the dresser. In every photo was a blonde teenage girl, and there was a name and address on the back. A quick computer search revealed four of the photos were of the missing girls. The other three girls were alive and well.
“Looks like we interrupted Eli before he could get to all the girls on his list,” Chris said.
I studied the photos. “I wish I knew why he singled out these particular girls.”
The other vampire with Eli had said he preferred brunettes like Sara. So why were all the girls in these pictures blonde? Understanding Eli’s motive for being in Portland would make it a lot easier to hunt him. The fact that he’d taken time to make a list of females was troubling. It was premeditated behavior instead of impulsive, and a vampire with that kind of patience was a very dangerous one.
Eli might have come to Portland looking for these girls, but he’d found Sara. And he wanted her. I’d seen it in his eyes. The chances of him finding her an hour away among the pack were slim, but not impossible. The vampire had proven to be more resourceful than most.
I shared my fears with Chris. “One of us should stay in New Hastings until this is over. I’d do it, but Sara will notice me if I’m there every day. I don’t think that will go over too well.”
Chris nodded. “We’ll alternate days. Don’t worry. We’ll keep her safe.”
* * *
On Wednesday, I went with Erik, Andrew, and Reese to check out two closed up buildings on the waterfront that were perfect for vampire nests. The first one we searched was clear, but we came across a couple of ranc demons hiding out in the second one.
The short, dark-skinned demons squeaked when four Mohiri warriors interrupted their meal, a small bucket of pig’s blood from one of the local butchers. One of the demons jumped to his feet, kicking the bucket and causing blood to slosh out onto the floor.
“We’ve hurt no one.” His catlike eyes glowed in the darkened room. “We’re just passing through.”
I barked a laugh. Ranc demons were mercenaries for hire, and they never went anywhere without a purpose. The odds of them just “passing through” Portland were slim, especially given the sudden increase in vampire activity. No, they were here for a reason.
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“It’s true,” the second demon said in a calmer voice. He waved his arm at the old office they had holed up in. “It’s just the two of us, and we’ll be off as soon as we finish our meal.”
“I see.” I strolled around the room. “Where are you two coming from?”
“Boston –”
“Canada –”
The two demons glared at each other
.
“Let’s try this again.” I crossed the room to tower over the diminutive demons, and they craned their necks to stare up at me. “Why are you in Portland? And if I don’t hear something that sounds like the truth, there will be two fewer demons in the world tonight.”
“We answered a call,” the nervous one blurted, ignoring the scorching look his friend gave him.
“What kind of call?” Erik asked.
“My brother and I are trackers,” the quieter demon replied. “We got word there’s a bounty on someone, but that’s all we know. We were supposed to get more information when we got here, but we haven’t been able to contact the one who sent out the call.”
“Who put out the call?” I demanded.
The demon shrugged. “Some vampire, that’s all we know. But you can bet we weren’t the only ones to get it.”
Coldness settled in my stomach. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was behind this. If Eli had called in trackers, he was serious about finding someone. And my gut told me it was Sara. It could be the bond making me overreact, but I wasn’t taking any chances either way.
I needed to call Chris and let him know what we’d learned. Pulling out my phone, I headed for the door, leaving Erik to decide what to do with the two demons. The phone vibrated before I could make the call, and my steps faltered when I saw Chris’s number. My first thought was that Sara was in trouble.
“What’s up, Chris?” I asked more calmly than I felt.
“Good question,” said an angry female voice.
I smiled as I walked outside. “I told Chris you’d recognize him if he got too close.”
“Great. You won the bet. Buy him a beer or whatever.” Her voice rose. “I thought we had an understanding when you left here last week.”
I leaned against the front of the building. “And what understanding would that be?”
She huffed. “The one where you go your way and I go mine, and we all live happily ever after.”
“I don’t recall that particular arrangement. I believe I told you I’d be seeing you again.” I knew my response would anger her. She’d made it clear she wanted nothing to do with us the last time I talked to her, which was why I’d told Chris not to let her see him. But I hadn’t told her I was leaving because that would have been a lie.
The line went silent, and I thought she’d hung up on me. “Sara?”
When she spoke again, her voice sounded strained instead of angry. “What do you want from me, Nikolas? I told you I just want to be left alone.”
I sighed and raked a hand through my hair. The last thing I wanted was to frighten her after all she’d been through, but she needed to know she could be in danger. “We got word of increased activity in Portland, and we have reason to believe the vampire might be searching for you.”
“I don’t know anyone in Portland, so there’s no way he can trace me here, right?” she asked, a hint of a tremor in her voice.
“There’s more than one way to track someone.” But they’ll have to go through me. “Don’t worry. We’ll keep you safe. Chris will stay close by until we handle this situation.”
“I don’t need a babysitter. I’m not a child.”
I pictured her fiery eyes and flushed cheeks. “No, you’re not.” Pushing away from the wall, I walked the length of the building. “But you are not a warrior either. It is our duty to protect you even if you don’t want our protection.”
I expected her to argue again. Instead she said, “How close is he planning to stay? He’s kind of conspicuous, and I can’t have my uncle or anyone else asking questions.”
I frowned. “Conspicuous?”
She sighed loudly. “If you guys wanted to blend in, you shouldn’t have sent Dimples here. The way some of the women are staring at him, I might end up having to protect him instead.”
The idea of her protecting my warrior friend from the ladies made me almost laugh out loud, but I didn’t think she would appreciate that in her current mood. “Ah, I’m sure Chris can take care of himself. He’ll be in town in case we suspect any trouble is coming that way.”
“Fine. But as soon as this is cleared up you guys have to go so I can try to have a somewhat normal life again.”
“Sara, I –”
There was a muffled sound, and then Chris chuckled. “I never thought I’d say this, but I think you’ve finally met your match, Nikolas.”
I was still smiling about her “Dimples” comment. “I think you may be right.”
“I can see why you asked Tristan to stay away. She really doesn’t want us around.”
“I wish I could give her more time to get used to us, but we’ve had a new development.” I filled him in on what we had learned from the ranc demons.
“Are you sure Eli’s looking for Sara? All the other girls were blond, even the three he didn’t take. Maybe it’s one of them he’s after.”
“I pray to God you’re right, but you didn’t see his face, Chris. He almost died trying to take her with him when he could have just run.” My hand tightened on the phone as I remembered Eli’s raw lust and hunger when he’d held Sara. “I can’t let him get near her again.”
“We’ll keep her safe,” he vowed. “She’s with one of her werewolf friends now, and I put a tracker on his truck so I can find him again.” There was a clicking sound and a short beep. “Looks like he’s driving her home.”
“We can’t let her out of our sight until we get this vampire,” I said.
“Other than school, she doesn’t go that far. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble keeping an eye on her.” I heard him shift position. “I’m on my way to her place now.”
“Okay.”
He laughed. “Don’t worry, Nikolas. I’ve waited a long time to see a female lead you on a merry chase, and no one is going to spoil my fun.”
Chapter 6
I pulled my bike in next to Chris’s and shut it off. Music and laughter filled the air, along with the crash of waves below the lighthouse. The party was in full swing, and a couple of boys stumbled as they approached the parking lot. One had car keys in his hand, and neither he nor his friend looked fit to drive. Why humans thought they could drink themselves into this state and still function correctly was beyond me.
I veered to intercept them. “Hold up, guys. You’re not planning to drive, are you?”
“Nah, just getting some beer from my buddy’s trunk,” said one of them. Judging by his slur, the last thing he needed was more alcohol.
I watched them grab a case of beer from a car and head back to the party. I followed them at a slower pace. When I’d talked to Chris earlier, I’d been surprised to learn he was at a party. Since the night at the club two weeks ago, Sara hadn’t left the house much, except for school. I was glad she’d recovered enough from the vampire attack to go out with her friends again.
There was no sign of Chris or Sara when I reached the party, but I knew they were there because I could sense her nearby. I saw her two werewolf friends standing with a group of teenagers, and I scanned the crowd for her face. A white van blocked my view, so I walked around it to stand near the lighthouse.
My chest rumbled in displeasure at the sight of Sara in another man’s arms. They were dancing and laughing together, and she smiled at the blond man in a way she had never smiled at me. I was still getting used to the intense protective urges she awoke in me. This surge of possessiveness was something new. I’d known the bond would grow the more I saw her, but I hadn’t expected this, at least not so soon.
Was the blond guy her date? The idea of her with someone else made my gut clench, but I knew it was a possibility. Sara was seventeen and beautiful, and she’d had a life before I found her. There was no reason why she wouldn’t date.
“Hi. Are you one of Dylan’s friends from Portland?”
I tore my eyes from Sara to look at the tall girl with short, dark hair who had walked up to me.
“No.” I had no idea who Dylan was, and I didn’t care,
unless he was the blond man dancing with Sara. My gaze went back to them.
“Oh.” The girl moved closer. “You want to get a drink or maybe dance?”
“No, thanks.”
I promptly forgot about the girl when Sara’s partner dipped her, making her laugh. My jaw tightened, and my Mori made angry noises, wanting me to go up to them and pull her away from the guy. There was nothing suggestive in their movements, but it was impossible not to see the man was interested in more than dancing.
As the song ended, her body tensed and she began to scan the crowd for someone. My pulse leapt. Was it possible she felt my presence the same way I sensed hers?
I got my answer when her eyes landed on me and she frowned. Then she pulled away from her dance partner and stalked off in the other direction with the blond man following her. They spoke, and he went to the white van while she stayed where she was. I approached her, and she turned to glower at me.
“What are you doing here?”
I smelled beer on her breath, and I glared after the man. If he returned with more beer for her, he and I were going to have a talk. My gaze returned to her, and I noticed she was flushed and slightly tipsy. We were very tolerant of human alcohol, and I wondered how much she had consumed to make her this way.
“Obviously protecting you from yourself,” I said. “Are you drunk?”
She drew herself up. “No, I’m not drunk! And even if I was, it would be none of your business.”
“You are my business. Whether you like it or not, you are one of us and we protect our own.” I protect my own.
Her eyes blazed. “First of all, I am nobody’s business, and I don’t belong to you or your people or anyone else. This bossy act might work on little kids, but it won’t work on me, and if I want to party with my friends or drink or do anything else, I will.”
She spun away, stumbling, and I grabbed her arm to keep her from falling.
“You are drunk.”
Before she could retort, her friend returned.