by Susan Illene
Their answers gave me the sinking suspicion that the vamps in the area were using their mesmerization skills to wipe the memories of any humans who might have seen them. The only reason Matt remembered seeing her was because he’d been out of the room when everyone else's memories were wiped. That led me to believe a vampire might have taken her. It would make my search and rescue a lot more difficult, even if my sensor abilities could help.
Focusing my attention on my witness, I continued my questioning. "What were they doing when you saw them?"
He shrugged. "Sitting at a table having a drink. There may have been someone else with them, but it was crowded that night and not easy to tell."
"What did he look like?"
Matt rubbed his chin. "I think he had dark hair, maybe a couple inches long. His skin was pale too, but that’s the norm for this place.”
Considering Matt's own skin still had a golden tan, I doubted he’d been stationed here long. The description he gave fit what I remembered from a picture of Philip that Aniya had shown me before coming up here, but I needed more details to be sure.
"How about the man's size?"
He shook his head. "I’m not sure. Maybe not that big, though, or I might have remembered. Like I said, it was crowded that night and I only saw him for a second. Wouldn't have noticed the guy at all if it weren't for the girl. So, why all the questions?"
"It’s a personal matter.” I waved my hand away. "Nothing to concern yourself with.”
He leaned forward and spoke in a low tone. "Is she in trouble?"
My head jerked up. My senses had just sparked a warning. Two werewolves and a vampire were headed straight for the bar. Shit. I needed to get out of here. I did not want to be drawing any supernatural attention if I didn’t have to.
"Look, I'm sorry to cut this off, but I gotta go,” I said, getting up. "Thanks for your help.”
"Wait...” Matt called out. I ignored him and hurried for the door, darting between drunken patrons as I went.
I didn’t make it outside in time. The sups pulled a late-model, black BMW into an empty parking spot right in front of the bar. My SUV sat three spaces past it. I kept walking.
Please don’t let them notice me.
“Hey, pretty lady,” the driver said. The only vamp in the group had to be the one to notice me. He stepped right into my path.
Avoid the eyes or he’ll know.
I stared at a small stain on the collar of his brown suede jacket. Dried blood?
The two werewolves snickered. “You can take that one for yourself, man. We’re going inside.”
Rock music spilled out as they opened the bar door. I didn’t look back. The vamp in front of me held all of my attention. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, but was actually closer to thirty. He’d been undead for about five years. I could take him…probably.
My hand itched for my gun, but I remembered Wanda’s words from long ago. “Melena, don’t ever bring a gun to a vampire fight. You’ll get one shot off before they kill you.”
Okay, fine, plan B.
I put my hands in my pockets. “You wanna get out of my way?”
“Why don’t you look at me, pretty lady?” Yeah, because that would be such a good idea. He was too young to compel me with his voice. In another few years he’d have that skill, but not yet. He had to use the eyes for now.
I continued to stare at the stain on his jacket. He had hurt an innocent human. For all I knew it could have been Aniya. I clinched my fingers around my pocket knife. This guy had to be handled very carefully.
“Get out of my way,” I said through clinched teeth. “I’m not interested.”
His hand shot out to wrap around my throat. I flinched, but his grip wasn’t so tight I couldn’t breathe. Dead prey made bad meals for vampires.
“Look. At. Me.” He forced my head up, but I kept my eyes averted. In my hand, I flipped open my knife—the same one I’d used on Noreen—and pressed it hard against the bulge in his pants. The tip didn’t go through, but the threat was clear. He loosened his grip on my throat enough so I could speak.
“Back the fuck off,” I said, “or else this is really going to hurt.” Some people think the bigger the knife, the better. If used properly, a three inch blade could be every bit as effective.
He backed off.
“Bitch,” he spat.
I smiled and held up my weapon. “Go inside before I change my mind and use this anyway.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. I thanked God he was too young to be a real threat. He hesitated a moment longer before making a move to pass me. I stepped aside, giving him plenty of room. My knife stayed up where he could see it.
He tried to catch my eyes one more time. He kept going when it didn’t work. I’d had years of practice keeping my eyes averted when vamps were around. It had kept me alive, though I preferred to avoid them altogether. One day, I’d run into a vampire who wouldn’t forget he could heal from a knife wound—even if it was pointed at his genitals.
Chapter Four
The next morning, cool and crisp air hit me as I stepped outside. My tank top and shorts didn’t give me much protection from the cold morning temperatures of Fairbanks, but I’d warm up after a mile. Driving around town yesterday gave me a basic feel for the area, but it hadn’t been enough. Fast travel usually resulted in my senses being overloaded with too much information at once. A morning run would give me a better mental picture of the demographics and what I might be dealing with. I needed the exercise, anyway.
After taking a few minutes to stretch, I took off down the road, staying parallel to the street. The muscles in my legs protested at first, but as my feet found a steady rhythm the tightness faded away. Not many cars were out yet, making the run more pleasant. I hated choking on exhaust fumes.
A mixture of businesses and homes appeared along the way, each of them in varying conditions. Some people took care of their houses by giving them regular paint jobs and having manicured lawns with beautiful gardens. Others spent a lot less time maintaining their places and had trash and junk spread all around, much like the “shack” I’d visited the day before.
My pace slowed as I neared downtown so I could take everything in. The landscaping was colorful near the Chena River with an assortment of flower beds set in key places for aesthetics. Multistory buildings rose up to contrast with the flowing water running alongside my path.
I felt a vile presence up ahead. The sensation of the troll it represented made my stomach want to revolt. I could’ve taken a longer route around, but I didn’t think it would be worth the effort. He’d cast a look away spell, which I sensed as I neared him, and he didn’t appear to want trouble. It would disrupt fishing with the fancy pole he used. Curiosity made me take a second glance before averting my gaze. Wanda had shown me pictures before, but this was the first one I’d seen up close. They weren’t that common in cities. Few of the fae races were, except pixies.
The troll was an ugly, squat creature with hairy arms and legs. He had a bulbous nose that could be used to sniff out prey. His kind didn’t like anyone paying attention to them, and if they caught you looking, things would get nasty quick. A small number of young children could see them. They often disappeared if the troll caught them staring. An adult could be taken as well. I did not want to risk him noticing me. Trolls were carnivores and not picky about what kind of meat they ate.
I veered off in another direction and headed into downtown. When I reached 2nd Avenue, there were a number of gift shops, restaurants, and bars lining the street. With the light foot traffic, I was able to get a brief glimpse into places that caught my eye. One was a bakery with the sweet-smelling aroma of fruit pastries wafting from it. The scent almost made me stop my run. I’d always been a sucker for baked goods.
This was no time to linger, though. I forced myself to keep going and headed back into the residential areas. Other than the troll, there hadn’t been any other sups around.
A short while later my sen
ses picked up something I hadn’t expected. A warm and tingly sensation ran over me with familiarity. It had been a long time since I’d felt anything like it. The shock hit me hard enough I almost stumbled over a street curb. A female sensor was a little south of me. We were such a rare breed that this was the first one I’d encountered since Wanda’s death. I let my senses guide me to her. Anticipation thrummed through my veins at the opportunity to meet another of my kind.
Within minutes, her home came into view and the condition of it almost brought me to a halt. I slowed to a walk, not liking the scene. It was a dilapidated place that might have been decent a couple decades ago, but didn’t look so great now. The decorative shutters hung loose with chips in their green paint visible even from a distance. White siding lined the outer walls; it was discolored and falling apart.
I made my way to the front where a sagging metal fence, tangled with weeds, surrounded the yard. The gate was missing with broken hinges left as the only clue it ever existed. I took cautious steps past it while trying not to trip on the numerous cracks in the sidewalk leading up to the entrance.
Part of me hadn’t known what to expect, coming here without a plan. It turned out the sensor I was searching for sat on the sloped cement porch appearing forlorn and lost. She had to be about fourteen years old. Her head was bowed down while she poked at a large rock with one of her bare feet. A ponytail kept most of her brown hair off her pale face, but uneven bangs prevented me from seeing her eyes. The clothes she wore told much of the same story as the house. Whoever took care of this girl didn’t do a good job of it. She wore faded jeans with numerous holes in them and a stained, yellow t-shirt.
I cleared my throat to get her attention. She lifted her head to reveal a pretty face and stark blue eyes. Surprise flickered in them briefly, making me think most people ignored her when they passed by. Not knowing what else to do, I said the first thing that came to mind.
“Hi, I’m Melena.”
She continued to stare at me. I’d thought I was guarded at that age, but she had me beat by a long shot.
“Is your mother home?”
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“Is she always gone this early?”
The girl shrugged. “More like she’s always out this late.”
“So you expect her back soon?”
She kicked the rock away from her. “She won’t be back before dark.”
What kind of mother left her young daughter alone all night and day? I frowned. “Do you have someone else who watches over you?”
The girl narrowed her eyes. “Who are you? Child protective services or something?”
“Um, no.” I shook my head. “Nothing like that, but I do think you know we have something in common. Do you mind if I take a seat?” I waved at a spot about four feet from her on the other side of the steps.
Her brows furrowed as she looked at the empty expanse of porch. A long moment passed before she shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah, sure.”
“So do you know what I’m talking about? How we are alike?”
“You feel…familiar,” she said, as if surprised by the conclusion.
I nodded. “Yep, how long have you been sensing things?” It couldn’t have been long, based on her age. It always started around puberty.
She stared at her hands, as if contemplating whether or not to answer.
“A few months,” she whispered.
“Did you tell your mom?” She had to have inherited the ability from somewhere. Wanda had told me it could come from either parent, and could even skip generations.
“No way. She wouldn’t want to hear about it and…I’m too scared to tell her.”
“So your mom isn’t like you?”
She returned her attention to her hands again, and started picking at her already short nails.
“No,” she mumbled. “I thought maybe something was wrong with me and that she might leave me for good if I told her.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” I said. “What about your father? Is he like you?”
Her thin body tensed at my question. “I never met my dad, he left after I was born.”
Okay, maybe it was time for a different topic. “What’s your name?”
“Emily.”
“Nice to meet you, Emily.” I smiled.
She returned it with a weaker version.
“Do you want to know what you are? I could help.” This wasn’t the time to be taking on lost little girls, but not offering might be worse. I really didn’t want to think of the danger she was in while living in this town.
“I don’t know.” She pulled at some loose threads on her pants. “My mom will get mad if she finds out I’m talking to you. She likes for us to keep private since we moved up here.” Her voice came out low and nervous.
I drew my knees up and leaned back against the post behind me. The move seemed to relax her. “Where did you come from before?”
Emily’s lips curved up, as if she had recalled a fond memory, but then her face hardened. “Dallas. We lived there my whole life until we moved here a year ago. I hate this place. My mom changed since coming here and I don’t like it.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “What do you think made her change?”
Anger filled her eyes. “That man she came up here for, Robert. He made her into something else. I knew she changed, but since these new….”
She paused, as if unable to find the word she wanted.
“Senses?” I supplied.
Emily nodded. “Yeah, senses. Since they started, I figured out she ain’t like other people. She’s like him.”
My fingernails dug into my palms. I suspected what she meant. Our kind tended to categorize anything inhuman as something else. Something different. We did it without thinking, as a sort of reflex.
“What do you mean by like him?”
She took a deep breath and blew it out, making the longer strands of her bangs fly up. She brushed them away. Her next words came out low.
“I never did like Robert or his friends. But when these senses came, I figured out my mom and those guys feel different from everyone else.”
“What do they feel like?”
“Cold, some more than others, and I feel scared to be around them. Like I know they don’t like me. There are other kinds too. They feel hot and…wild, maybe?”
I nodded. “Do you know what you are describing?”
“I think so,” she said in a small voice. “Are they what I think they are?”
“You tell me.”
She bit her lip. “Vampires and werewolves? I sense other kinds too. They feel different, but I can’t figure out what they are.”
I nodded. “You described how vampires and werewolves feel exactly. The others we can figure out together. For being on your own with no one to help you, you’re doing pretty good.”
She cocked her head to the side. “You think so?”
“Of course, though you have a lot more to learn. Do you have any plans this morning?”
She shook her head. I needed to get on with the hunt for Aniya, but giving Emily a couple hours of my time wouldn’t hurt my search too much. Most of the businesses I wanted to stop by wouldn’t be open for awhile yet, so it wouldn’t be too big of a sacrifice.
Besides, the girl needed to learn the basics and there was no one else to teach her except me. If her mom was in deep with the sups, Emily could get herself killed if she gave her abilities away. I’d hate myself if something happened to her because I didn’t help.
“Good.” I leaned forward. “Let’s start with any questions you have.”
She gave me a shy look and scooted a couple of feet closer to me. Her voice came out low when she spoke next. “Can you tell me what it was like for you when your senses first started?”
I held back a grimace. My senses awakening was a dark time, but then again, she could say the same. I needed to tell her something about myself to earn her trust.
“Well, I was about the
same age as you, so we have that in common.”
She nodded. “What was it like the first day?”
I snorted. “Sex and screaming witches.”
“Huh?”
My eyes drifted to the blue sky beyond the porch. “My parents were having sex in their room next to mine. I woke up to sensing waves of lust rolling off them. The faint squeaks of their bed pretty much told the rest of the story. At least it explained why they always slept in on Saturday mornings.”
Emily shuddered. “Glad my mom hasn’t done that to me.”
I shrugged. “Sometimes I’d get up and go outside so I wouldn’t have to sense them. At least you have to be really close to feel people’s emotions, especially humans.”
“Yeah.” Emily’s eyes lost their focus for a moment before her head snapped up. “Wait, didn’t you say something about screaming witches?”
“Oh, the screaming witches.” I paused to scrutinize the yard and street, as if spies might be nearby. Emily scooted a few inches closer. “A huge family of them lived next door. They got up early every morning. I could always sense their anger or excitement as they played around with each other. It felt like screaming in my head. Gave me awful migraines until I got used to it.”
“Did you have any problems with them?” she asked, keeping her voice low.
“Nah,” I shook my head. “Their oldest daughter, Kristen, was my age. Later we became good friends until I had to move away when my parents died.”
Emily’s eyes dropped down. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
I reached over and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry about it. As you can see, I survived.”
Her head lifted. “So what happened after that?”
“A sensor like us took me in. She taught me most everything I know about our kind. It wasn’t the kind of life I’d hoped for, but sometimes you have to go where life leads you.”
She sighed. “I figured that one out already.”
I started to ask another question, but a werewolf heading in our direction grabbed my attention. Emily’s eyes rounded at the same time. She stood up.