by Pond, Simone
We soared across the city, over the towering buildings of light. The city grid below was a luminescent patchwork of radiant colors. Drake steered us toward Wall Street and swooped the copter between the narrow buildings. A few pedestrians looked up to the sky, checking out the enormous machine cutting between the maze of towers. We soared up and over to the building for IP Montgomery, then hovered over the roof.
“You ready?” Rocco shouted over the noisy propellers.
“For what?” I yelled back, hoping against hope that he wasn’t going to say jump.
He didn’t say it, he just did it, leaping from the helicopter and using a combination of his shield and boots to surf his way down.
Julian gawked. “Dude! That’s badass!” Without another word, he jumped out, following Rocco as though he were riding waves in the Pacific.
I couldn’t move. Not that I was afraid of heights, though it was a pretty far drop. No, I was afraid of splatting into a puddle on the rooftop. The guys had made it look so easy, surfing through the air to a safe landing. And now they stood on the roof waving me down, but fear gripped my heart.
“You joining them or what? I ain’t got all night, lady!” Drake yelled.
I had gone surfing once and failed utterly. Keeping balance and control was something I could do in life, but not in the water. Or in the air! Surely, I’d meet my death.
Drake started to pull away, rising higher.
“No! Wait!” I shouted.
“You got five seconds, otherwise you’re coming back to Albany with me. I gotta get this bird back to her nest.”
“Okay. Fine.”
He gave me a wry grin. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“I could die?”
He laughed, lifting his helmet to reveal the right side of his face that looked as though it had been burned by acid. “Eh, there are worse things that can happen. You’re a friggin’ Protector of Light. Act like one.”
And with that, I leapt from the helicopter, holding my shield above my head like Mary freaking Poppins floating from the sky with her black umbrella. I didn’t care if I looked ridiculous, it worked. I landed with a thump next to Rocco, who lifted me to my feet.
“Let’s go!” he yelled, running toward the only door on the roof.
He used his sword to cut through the thick metal. Such precision and control. It must’ve taken years to get that good. The three of us made it into the stairwell and down the flight of stairs to Diamond’s floor. Again, Rocco pulled out his sword to cut through the door, but this time it wasn’t working.
“Help,” he ordered.
Julian and I called on our swords and joined Rocco at the door, our three blades creating a hail of glittering white light. Sweat trickled down my forehead, my wrists felt like they’d break in half and my legs burned. Rocco grunted, moving in closer.
“The Logos,” I said. “Let’s see if that helps.”
The three of us began to recite the ancient words, over and over until at last the door blasted from its hinges. We tore down the hallway toward Lucius’ office. I expected another painful barricade, but instead the door was wide open, and Lucius sat behind his desk, motioning for us to enter. The whole suite had a potent scent of anise and licorice. Lucius was operating on a higher level of magic.
“Was all that necessary?” Rocco growled.
“Just some fun and games.” Lucius adjusted one of his various monitors on his desk.
“You sonofa—”
I tugged on Rocco’s arm, reminding him to remain calm. We’d need to keep cool heads going into these negotiations. I didn’t want a single chink in our Armor. Otherwise the head vampire would dominate the conversation and bind us up in one of his spells.
Lucius gestured for us to sit, then addressed Rocco. “Your superiors aren’t going to be too happy about this unwarranted visit.”
“You don’t got any pull with my real boss, so fuck off.”
“Language, Detective,” Lucius said casually.
“I’ll use whateva language I want, you no good, snaggletoothed sonofabitch!”
“Come now, Detective. We’re all civilized.”
Clearly, the two New Yorkers had been going at it over the years. I was afraid the vitriol would turn into an all-out boxing match, and while that would’ve been a sight to see, I wanted to find out where my best friend was hiding and hopefully get to the missing Scroll. “Gentlemen, let’s get down to business, okay?”
Both men, completely different in nature and appearance, nodded cordially.
“First, what was with the tornado of demon-bats?” I asked.
“What are you talking about?” Lucius stared at me, his pale green eyes doing their best to pull me in. He was a gorgeous creature. No doubt.
I brushed away his charm as it curled around my shoulders, then activated my shield. “You’re wasting your time trying to allure me, Diamond.”
“She already has a beau,” Julian added. “And he kicks some serious ass.”
I couldn’t help but grin just a little bit thinking about Asher. I missed him.
“Miss Farrow?” Lucius interrupted my musings.
“I’m talking about the mini-vampire throng you sent to attack me right after I left your office this morning. Little demon-bats with fangs and scorpion tails? Ring any bells?”
Lucius kept a steady gaze, unfettered by my accusation. “I did no such thing.”
“Like hell you didn’t.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Farrow. But this is the second time you’ve come into my office accusing me of something I had no involvement with. First the Southwest murders and now this attack. This isn’t my style.” He looked over at Rocco, who was gnawing on a matchstick. “Tell her, Detective. I’m much more … refined with my influence.”
Rocco shook his head, his cheeks red with frustration. “I’d have to agree with the smug bastard on that one.”
Just then the smarmy vampire-hybrid from earlier that day entered the office. Cosby was his name. I’d recognize that sharp stink of bologna anywhere. He apologized for interrupting and set a briefcase next to Diamond’s desk, then scurried out of the office. I glanced down at the case, noticing it bore the same pentagram symbol as the Diamond Escorts business card.
I stood up. “Can you guys hold that thought? I have to run to the ladies’ room. Female emergency.”
All three of them looked away. Worked every single time.
I ran out of the office and chased Cosby down the hall and stepped into the elevator with him. Catching him off guard, I cornered him, pressing my forearm up against his throat. “You might’ve heard of me. Fiona Farrow—Protector of Light. Investigative journalist.”
He twitched his head to the right, squinting his eyes. “Maybe.”
“I’m here on business and you’re going to tell me where that case came from. I want the exact address of that escort service. And if you don’t give it to me, I’ll vanquish you right in this elevator. From what I’m guessing, nobody would care, hybrid.”
He furrowed his sweaty brow and eyeballed the camera looming overhead, then whispered, “Not here. Meet me at The Graveyard at 10 p.m. Alone.”
“The graveyard? Isn’t that a bit cliché?”
“It’s a club in the Meatpacking District. If you’re not alone, you can forget about getting any info. And don’t even think about using your Armor there, they’re not too fond of Protectors.”
The elevator doors opened, and Cosby disappeared into the crowd of bankers bustling about, yelling and shouting. I rode back up to the top floor and rejoined the conversation. Judging from the way Rocco was pacing around the office, knocking things over, things weren’t going so well. But I had an idea.
I sat down across from Diamond and smiled politely. “You know that we know about the escort service being a front for your pension fraud. So, we’re giving you a choice: give us the Scroll by 6 a.m., or I run the story. You’ve done pretty well for yourself here, and I’m guessing you don’t want to l
ose your credibility. You might be able to shroud your supernatural powers from the natural world, but you won’t be able to conceal this level of fraud you’ve committed. You saw what I did to Emmett Stone and his human trafficking operation, right?”
He had the gall to laugh. “Sweet girl, I own the media.”
“Not on the West Coast. Or the internet. And once the story hits, it’ll go viral. Even your controlled media won’t be able to spin it. Sure, you’ll survive, but your refined reputation will be a bit soiled, wouldn’t you say?”
I paused there, letting my words sink in. I was banking on Rocco’s earlier assessment of vampires being unbelievably vain. I figured the head vampire would have enough vanity to give the threat some weight, as absurd as it seemed.
Lucius folded his hands neatly on his desk. He assessed each one of us momentarily, and then smiled. “Let me consider your proposal. Let’s regroup in the lobby at 6 a.m.”
Rocco stood next to the door. “No. Not your turf. You can come to The Plaza.”
“Fine, Detective. The Palm Court room at 6 a.m.”
We left IP Montgomery and headed back to the hotel. I couldn’t help but think that went way too smoothly. Something in my gut didn’t feel right.
Back in our suite, Rocco stretched out on the couch, while Julian kicked back and turned on the television. And I had a secret meeting with a stinky hybrid in the Meatpacking District.
thirteen
When I stepped out into the brisk New York night, a chill brushed over me. I had lied to Julian and Rocco about going out to get some donuts to help with the annoying cramps I didn’t have. I didn’t like lying, but that hybrid douchebag Cosby had instructed me to show up alone. Sure, I was doing my own thing again, but I couldn’t just let my best friend be held prisoner in some high-end escort service. Who knew what her succubus sister was forcing her to do just so they could stay protected from Cagliostro? I swore if Lilith had compromised Charlotte in any way, I’d personally hand her over to Cagliostro.
The cabbie dropped me off in front of what looked more like a warehouse than a club. Scantily dressed people, demons, warlocks, and who knows what else, stood in a line that snaked around the entire building and down the block. Among the supernatural, there were “normals” sprinkled throughout. They might’ve been human, but judging from the miscreant vibe and icky scent I was getting, most of them had gone bad, like expired milk.
I wasn’t going to wait in that ridiculous line, so I tapped my helmet, cloaking myself, and slipped right past the hulking bouncers.
Inside The Graveyard, the cacophony of heavy metal blared at deafening levels, and everyone shouting over the music didn’t help. I still hadn’t mastered dialing down the sensory input on my helmet. This was going to be a bit more challenging than I was anticipating.
The venue’s massive structure held hundreds of clubbers, most thrash-dancing in the middle of the place. They had really gone all out with the graveyard theme, using headstones for chairs, and the VIP rooms along the periphery were actual mausoleums. Barren trees with sharp branches were dispersed about the space. And high above, there was a round white light illuminating the room like a full moon. On each of the tables sat antique candelabras. An eerie fog settled over the floor. They kept the place cold. Like meat locker cold.
Before de-cloaking myself, I scanned the place for Cosby. Lots of black leather and fishnet stockings, spiky heels and chains. Bodies pressed up against each other, gyrating to the music. I spotted the stumpy hybrid slouched at one of the bars in the corner farthest away from the door. No doubt intentionally. I’d have a long jaunt to the exit if anything were to go wrong. Even with my magical boots, who knew what these motley supernatural thrash goths were capable of? Also, I was slightly outnumbered.
I sat on the empty stool next to Cosby and tapped my helmet, de-cloaking. “Hey.”
He jumped a bit. “Don’t sneak up on people like that!”
“First of all, you’re no person. Second of all, only those who are hiding something think people are sneaking up on them.” I waved over the bartender and ordered a shot of vodka.
“I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,” he warned.
“It’s not for me. It’s for you.” I shoved the shot glass in front of him.
“I don’t drink,” he murmured.
“Look, can we get down to business? I want you to write the address of the escort service on that cocktail napkin, and I’ll be on my merry way.”
He stood up. “Not yet. I want you to see something.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you, shorty.”
Ignoring me, Cosby walked toward one of the sinister mausoleums and opened the door, staring back at me. I rolled my eyes, grabbed the cocktail napkin and joined him.
“You try to pull any vampire-demonic crap, I’ll cut you in half,” I warned him as we stepped into the small room.
The semi-circle booth made of shiny red leather took up half the space. Once my eyes adjusted to the scarce light coming off the candles, I noticed Charlotte hunched over in the booth. I squeezed into the seat and lifted her chin. Her brown puppy dog eyes were glazed over and not able to focus on anything. And she looked like shit. Her skin was ashen and she had deep shadows under her eyes.
“What did you do to her?” I yelled, sliding out of the booth and shoving Cosby up against the door, holding my sword against his throat.
“I didn’t do anything, Miss Farrow. Diamond has her under a spell, using the powers of the Sacred Scroll combined with an ancient vampiric incantation.”
“Why would he do that to Charlotte?”
“He’s using her as collateral to keep Lilith in check. In exchange for his protection, he’s commissioned Lilith to lure high-level players into the escort service. She draws them in, Diamond gets them to divulge trade secrets, and then he blackmails them. Sometimes he kills and bleeds them for sport.”
Charlotte looked vacant and hollow, as if her entire essence had been drained from her body. Lucius was sucking blood, money and souls. I needed to save my friend. I could’ve killed Lilith for getting her into this mess.
I pressed my sword harder into Cosby’s neck. “Let’s say this is true, why are you telling me this?”
“Diamond is doing a purge, getting rid of those he thinks oppose his ‘big plans’ to gain more power. My name’s on the list,” he said.
I laughed. “There’s a list?”
“A long one. He’s even murdered some of his most trusted escorts who were trying to get out of the business. Funny part is, I was on Diamond’s side. I was committed to him. But he’s gotten paranoid and dangerous. I don’t want to die, Miss Farrow.” He stared deep into my eyes. “I need you to capture him. He needs to be taught a lesson.”
“I have no incentive to help you, hybrid. So, I’m gonna go ahead and leave with my friend. Good luck with the whole boss revenge plot.”
I edged over to the booth and tried to pull Charlotte out, but she screeched like a bat and clawed at me, slicing a decent-sized gash across my cheek.
“Taking her with you isn’t a good idea,” Cosby said.
“Yeah, no shit. What’s this spell? Can you break it?”
“We can’t do anything without the Sacred Scroll.”
I could see where Cosby was going with this whole thing. “And I suppose you know where that is?”
“Perhaps …”
I was growing bored with the passive aggressive hybrid. “And let me guess, you’ll tell me where it is if I promise to capture Diamond for you?”
Cosby smirked, the reek of bologna growing stronger. The gloating prig had all the leverage now.
“That sounds about right,” he said. “After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“Let’s get one thing straight: we are not friends. We’ll never be friends. This girl right here, she’s my friend. You’re an evil nobody with a lame vendetta.”
“Fair enough. But if you want to help your friend, you’ll need to get tha
t Scroll, and I can tell you where it might be.”
I was beyond irritated, being forced into making a deal with a vampire-demon hybrid who smelled like bologna. I glanced over at Charlotte. “Fine. What’s next, then?”
“You capture Lucius Diamond, you’ll get the Scroll.”
“How’s that?”
“The Scroll is always on him. He never goes anywhere without it.”
“So, why wouldn’t I just capture him, take the Scroll and leave the city with Charlotte? Why do I need you?”
Once again with the evil smirk. “Diamond will never tell you how to break the spell. But I will.”
Touché.
I never would’ve guessed the smarmy hybrid had it in him, but he had me cornered with no wiggle room. “So you’re suggesting I just snatch up the king of the vampires and bring him to you? Can’t I just slay him for you and be done with it?”
Cosby shook his head almost frantically. “No. No. You must keep him alive.”
“Not my first choice, but if that’s what it will take to break the spell, fine by me. You can have the bastard. Any tips on how to capture the all-powerful vampire?”
“Silver,” he said.
fourteen
I made it back to The Plaza sometime after midnight. Julian and Rocco were still hanging out in the living room of the suite. Rocco was sipping a scotch on the rocks, and Julian was flipping through a fashion magazine.
“Look who’s back,” Rocco said.
I tossed a box of donuts onto the coffee table and plunked down on the couch. “Why are you still up? We have a big morning ahead of us.”