by Parker Blue
“Probably because they’d find the bodies in the park,” Austin said, his distaste obvious.
“So,” Ivy said, “what did they say would happen to you if you didn’t pass the test?”
Pure panic crossed Chris’s face, and the other two didn’t look much better. “They didn’t say,” Chris said and visibly swallowed. “You think they’ll . . . do something to us?”
“Well, if you flunked the test, you can’t be their flunkies,” I said. “Would that piss them off? Or would they just give you up as a lost cause?”
They exchanged frantic, clueless looks. “Are we in danger?” Carlos asked, his voice quavering.
“Maybe,” Austin said. “I don’t know how the rogues operate, but they have attacked some members of the Movement. Right now, you’re our best lead for finding and stopping them.”
“But we don’t know anything,” Chris whined. “What if they come after us?”
“Didn’t Tracy explain that you can live at one of our houses or blood banks?”
“Yes,” Charlie said, “but we didn’t want to give up our apartment. It’s so close to the school.”
I snorted. “Do you really think you’ll be able to continue going to school? How many classes are actually at night?”
I could tell they had just begun to think about that. “Tell you what,” I said. “Why don’t you move in with Austin?” I glanced at him. “Which blood bank are you moving to?”
He thought for a moment. “The one downtown—it’s bigger and has the best clinic.”
I nodded. He might need a bigger house if his followers decided to move out of the mansion and in with him to show their support. And Gwen and Elspeth spent a lot of time there. Austin had taken on their protection as his pet project.
“Can you think of anything else that might help us find Alexander?” I asked. “Anything at all?”
They thought furiously, brows furrowed. Evidently, now that their undead lives were at stake, they were eager to help.
“No,” Charlie said, “but he’ll probably have another recruiting meeting—we got the impression ours wasn’t the first or last. Check the bulletin board in the physics building.”
“It’s not open this time of night,” Chris said. “But you can go there tomorrow.” He gave us directions.
Austin nodded. “Thank you, you’ve been very helpful. Now, go immediately to the blood bank and settle in—you’ll be safer there.”
“What about our stuff?” Carlos asked.
“We’ll send a crew to help you pick up what you need tomorrow night.”
Chris and Carlos glanced at Charlie, who nodded decisively. “Okay. Will you be there? You promised to teach us how to fight.”
“I’ll be there later,” Austin promised. “Now go.”
They didn’t need any further encouragement as they peeked out the door and rushed to their car.
I smiled. “Looks like you have some new assets in your fight with Luis.”
Shaking his head, Austin said, “More like liabilities.”
“So, are we going to break into the physics building so we can take a look at the bulletin boards?” Ivy asked.
I glanced at her in surprise. And here I’d thought she was a goody-goody.
YOU’RE CORRUPTING HER.
“Tomorrow is soon enough,” Austin said. “I doubt they’ll have a meeting this late at night. We can check it out right after sunset tomorrow.”
“Why wait?” Ivy asked. “Val and I can check it out during the day. No breaking in required.”
Austin frowned, but before he could say anything, I said, “Ivy’s right. It’ll save time. It’s not like they’re going to have a recruiting meeting during the day. The earliest it could be is tomorrow night.”
Ivy nodded. “Then Val and I can attend the meeting as prospective converts.” She raised an eyebrow at Austin. “I think Alexander would figure out what you are right away.”
He gave her a sharp glance. “Yes, but do you think it’s wise for the two of you to go?”
“Better than having a real human do it—it’d be more dangerous for them,” I reminded him. “Besides, if he tries to suck demon blood, it’ll make him crazy. And I can defend myself against any man.”
Austin thought for a moment. “It’s too risky. I can’t let you do that for us.”
“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “And how do you propose to stop us?”
WOO-HOO, Fang exclaimed. THAT PUT HIM IN HIS PLACE!
Chapter Ten
Val
AUSTIN LOOKED sheepish. “I stand corrected.”
Him being able to admit that made me like him all the more. Relaxing, I said, “You’re probably in more danger than we are. After all, they’ve kidnapped Alejandro and tried to take out Luis. Looks like the rogues—or someone—is trying to remove the leadership of the New Blood Movement. You might be next.”
“That had occurred to me,” Austin drawled.
“Then I should be the one to protect you,” I finished triumphantly. After all, the attackers so far had all been male, from what I could tell. And Lola could take care of them, no problem.
Austin gave me a slow grin. “Why, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were angling to spend more time with me . . . darlin’.”
My face flushed, and I searched for a witty comeback, but embarrassment and girly hormones made me totally witty-less.
MAKE THAT WITLESS, Fang said with a chuckle.
“Or that you were angling to spend more time with her,” Ivy told Austin. “After all, you suggested it first.”
Support from an unexpected direction. How nice.
I LIKE HER, Fang said suddenly.
Yeah, me too.
A look of pure amusement on his face, Austin said, “That’s no secret. Everyone knows I’m fond of Val.”
And again, my cheeks flamed even hotter. “I-I just meant you should have backup,” I stammered. “Make sure you’re not alone—don’t make yourself an easy target.”
Taking pity on my witless state, Austin said, “Agreed. Let’s head back to the mansion, and I’ll get some help to move to the blood bank. Will that work for you, darlin’?”
Was he making fun of me now?
MAYBE JUST A TAD.
Ignoring that, I said, “Okay, and while you do that, I’ll look in the encyclopedia to see if there’s a spell that could help us find Alejandro.”
Austin took us back to the mansion, but when I would have followed Ivy and Fang to her MINI, Austin stopped me with a hand on my arm. Softly, he said, “Hold on a moment.”
I looked at him with a question in my eyes, and he leaned down to press his lips against mine in a gentle kiss, a promise of things to come.
Pleasure thrilled through me, unexpected but very welcome. His soft kiss ignited Lola’s possessiveness, and I couldn’t help myself—I gave in to her. I grabbed his shirtfront in my fist and leaned in for more. The second kiss was even better. Lola’s lustful energy strands swirled through him, then back through me, catching us both in a feedback loop of pure pleasure. I wound my arms around his neck, and our kiss deepened until I felt he was plumbing my very depths. Lola ate up as much of his yummy sexual energy as she could get.
GET A ROOM, Fang said from the car, sounding both amused and disgusted at the same time. BEFORE HE STARTS HUMPING YOUR LEG.
I suddenly realized I was wrapped in Austin’s arms so tightly, you couldn’t get a molecule between the two of us. And that we had a very interested audience in Ivy, Fang, and a couple of vamps who had come outside to watch.
Mortified, I pulled away. “I’m so sorry,” I said breathlessly. “Lola—”
“No need to apologize,” Austin said, his eyes smoldering as he gazed down at me. “I definitely didn’t mind
, though I would prefer to continue this somewhere less public.”
Me, too, though now was not an option, darn it. “Some other time?” I suggested, feeling rather bold and daring.
“Darlin’, just name the time and the place.”
His slow grin promised a lot more delights where those came from, and I couldn’t help going all weak at the knees. I couldn’t tear myself away from his gaze.
COME ON, VAL, Fang urged. STOP ACTING LIKE A ROMANCE HEROINE SO WE CAN HIT THE ROAD.
All right, all right. Gimme a break.
Reluctantly, I pulled my gaze from Austin’s and walked over to Ivy’s car. As I got in, she said, “Wow, he’s really hot. So, why aren’t you hitting that yet?”
I glanced at her in surprise, not knowing what to say.
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK SHE ISN’T? Fang asked Ivy.
Ivy shrugged and steered the car toward the gates. “Body language mostly. Is it because he’s a vamp?”
I glanced at Austin—he was still standing beside the vampmobile, watching me with an intense look and a half smile. My heart leapt in response. Sheesh—could I be any more schoolgirlish?
“Sort of,” I muttered. “It’s complicated.”
NOT REALLY.
Ignoring Fang, I said, “I like Austin, but sometimes it just feels . . . wrong, to have the hots for a bloodsucker.”
“Yeah, I get that, but after seeing the way those ‘bloodsuckers’ leapt in to help the humans, I understand why you say they’re the good guys. Gwen and Elspeth really seemed to care.”
“They do, but that could be because Gwen was just recently turned against her will—she was an ER nurse before that. In fact, she used to be my roommate.”
Ivy nodded. “Micah mentioned that. And Elspeth? You can’t tell me she was turned recently.”
“True,” I conceded. I wasn’t sure why I was saying this when I wanted Ivy to think they were the good guys.
“So, why not go after Austin with all barrels blazing?”
“I’m . . . new at this,” I admitted. At her incredulous look, I added, “Look, I may be part succubus, but I’ve spent most of my life suppressing my powers so I won’t accidentally suck men dry. It’s only been the past couple of months where I’ve learned to make peace with the demon inside me.” Then, before she could ask any more embarrassing questions, I asked one of my own. “So, who are you sucking face with?”
Fang snorted. YOU REALLY SURPRISED HER WITH THAT ONE.
Ivy sputtered out a laugh. “I guess I deserved that. But, the answer is, no one.”
“Why not?”
“The pickings in Sedona are pretty slim. That’s one of the reasons I came here for a long visit—seems like you have quite the thriving Demon Underground organization here in Texas.”
I shrugged. “I wouldn’t know—I’ve never been anywhere else.”
“Really? Well, you’ll have to come to Sedona sometime.”
I smiled at her. “Thanks—I’d like that.” It reminded me of my plans to grab Fang and just take off and drive through the Southwest . . . someday when there wasn’t a crisis to take care of.
THINK THAT’LL EVER HAPPEN? Fang asked wistfully.
I hope so, I responded mentally, though I was a little surprised Fang wanted to do something that didn’t involve chomping on the bad guys.
EVEN HELLHOUNDS AND PALADINS NEED A BREAK SOMETIME.
Amen to that. And maybe Ivy was right about Austin, too. I didn’t know when I might be dead . . . or he might be. Why not act on this attraction between us?
When we arrived back at the townhouse, the door was unlocked. What the heck? Because I kept the encyclopedia inside, I always locked the door.
Holding out my hand to keep Fang and Ivy back, I asked Fang mentally, Can you read anyone inside?
NOPE. MUST NOT BE DEMONS.
I glanced down at Fang and his noisy nails—the intruder would clearly hear them on the hard floor inside. Stay here until it’s okay to broadcast your presence. Tell Ivy I’m going in quietly to see why they’re here.
Fang rolled his eyes, but since it wasn’t like he could put slippers on, he agreed. Ivy nodded to me and followed me inside. Not exactly what I’d intended, but she might be useful as backup.
We tiptoed inside, and I heard a male voice murmuring from my bedroom. Crap. That’s where I kept the books.
Wanting to hear what he was saying, I crept closer and stood outside the door, listening. I couldn’t understand the words—just the tone, as if the guy had just asked a question. There was no answer, and after a minute or two, another question and more silence. Was he on the phone, maybe?
Curious, I peeked around the corner. Wait—I recognized that swirliness. Shade was sitting on my bed and had one of the books spread out in front of him. And since Fang couldn’t “hear” him anymore, that explained why Fang thought he wasn’t a demon. But I didn’t see a phone. Who was he talking to?
I thrust the door open fully. “What are you doing?” I demanded.
Shade jumped and probably looked guilty as hell, though I couldn’t see his expression. He slammed the book shut and scrambled off my bed. “Sorry. I was just . . . doing some research.”
Fang appeared by my side. GEE, THAT’S NOT SUSPICIOUS AT ALL.
Annoyed, I said, “You came into my place without asking?”
“I tried to call you,” Shade said. “But your phone went directly to voicemail.”
Well, I did tend to turn it off when hunting vamps. Even human ears could hear the buzz of a vibrating phone. I turned on my phone and checked it. Sure enough, there were a few missed calls from Shade.
“I assumed you wouldn’t mind,” Shade said. “And I still have a key from when I had to stay here.”
Okay, that seemed sort of reasonable, though I still felt irritated with him. “Who were you talking to? I don’t see your phone.”
Shade shrugged. “Just reading out loud. Don’t worry—I don’t say the final words to invoke the spells.”
Crap—I really wished Fang could still read his mind.
HE’S PROBABLY LYING, Fang said.
“Not lying exactly,” Ivy said. “Just not telling the whole truth.”
I gave her the raised eyebrow, and she tapped one of the many stones on her right ear. “My sodalite can sometimes tell.”
I glanced at Shade. “Want to elaborate on that answer?”
“Not really.”
“I could force you to, but neither one of us wants that,” I reminded him.
“Fine,” he snapped and snatched up the books. “But let’s do it in the other room.”
I moved aside so he could pass me, and as he brushed past Fang, Shade’s expression flickered briefly to show the annoyance on his face.
I sighed inwardly, wondering why dealing with people always had to be so difficult.
We followed him into the living room, where Shade set the book on the coffee table and plopped down on the couch. Fang jumped up next to him, nudging Shade to pet him so we could see the shadow demon’s face. Shade started to pull away but must have noticed Ivy’s relieved expression, because he laid his hand back on Fang’s head. Shade’s swirliness was a bit odd until you got used to it.
“So, you were going to explain?” I prompted Shade.
He nodded. “I was talking to the book.”
I glanced at Ivy who nodded. Shade was telling the truth, but getting it out of him was like pulling splinters from a staked vampire. “Why?”
“I was asking questions.”
“You mean you were asking it to give you a spell?” I thought it would only show spells to me, the Keeper of the Encyclopedia Magicka.
“Not exactly,” he hedged.
I didn’t need Ivy to tell me that wasn’t the
whole truth. “So, what then?” I said jokingly. “You were expecting it to talk back?” Not likely. Now that the mage demon who had inhabited the encyclopedia was gone, the books didn’t talk to me anymore.
Shade glanced at Ivy, his lips thinning. “Yes.”
AH, HELL, Fang said. LET’S CUT TO THE CHASE. THE TRUTH IS, HE CAN TALK TO THE BOOKS, AND THEY TALK BACK.
I stared at Fang, then Shade. “The books talk back to you?” I repeated for Shade and Ivy’s benefit.
Shade nodded, looking defiant.
I glared at Fang. “You knew this and didn’t tell me?”
“It was his suggestion,” Shade said, obviously pleased at being able to share my annoyance with the hellhound.
I DON’T TELL YOU EVERYTHING, Fang said. BESIDES, WHO CARES IF THE BOOKS TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE?
Obviously, I did, but I wasn’t sure why. “Who else are they talking to?”
Fang sighed. NO ONE BUT YOU AND SHADE, SO FAR AS I KNOW. BUT THE BOOKS WERE WORRIED ABOUT THE AMULET CONTROLLING YOU, SO THEY WANTED A BACKUP KEEPER AND CHOSE SHADE.
So that was why Fang hadn’t said anything—he’d been just as worried about the crystal. “You’re a backup keeper?” I asked Shade.
He nodded. “They told me not to tell you until the amulet was gone.”
Whoa. Stunned, I wasn’t sure how I felt about this at all. Had the crystal really been that dangerous? Before Fang could respond, I told him, Don’t answer that.
Ivy leaned forward. “What’s really important here is, what were you talking to the book about?”
He shrugged. “Actually, I was just telling it that I destroyed the amulet, and it no longer has to worry about Val doing her job as keeper.”
“But I also heard a question in your voice earlier. What did you ask it?” I persisted.
“I asked if it still wanted me to be an alternate keeper. It said yes.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I glanced at Ivy.
She nodded. “He’s leaving something out but telling the truth.”
Before I could ask, Shade said, “Some of it is research. The rest is none of your business.”