Try Me

by Parker Blue

  Fear thrilled through me. My God, it was broad daylight. They'd never been this bold before. “I'm on it.” Fang bounded into the room, looking ready for anything. But I wasn't so sure about Shade, who'd followed the hellhound in. “You up for this?” I asked him.

  He nodded sharply. “Gotta learn sometime. Let's go."

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  Chapter Seven

  Shade had his own motorcycle, a sweet blue Ducati that was practically a piece of art. He quickly pulled on gloves, leathers, and a black helmet with a dark-tinted visor. No wonder he rode a bike—he looked quite normal with all of his skin hidden.

  I tried to help Fang with his goggles, but he said, NO TIME. LET'S ROCK AND ROLL, BABE.

  Ooookay. I saw Micah jump into his car somewhere behind us but we left him in a nanosecond as we took off. We weaved in and out of traffic, Shade having no problem keeping up with me. I normally wouldn't take the risk—it was the other drivers I was worried about, not me—but the fact that vamps were attacking during the daytime scared the crap out of me. What did it mean? Nothing good, I was sure.

  We arrived together at the blood bank. Fang jumped off and Shade did, too, not bothering to take off any of his gear as he headed for the door.

  Not good. He wasn't trained. I swung off the bike and caught up to him at the hotel-turned-blood-bank. Grabbing his arm, I said, “Stay out of the way. You don't know how to deal with them yet."

  "I can help,” Shade insisted. “If only as a healer."

  No time to argue. “Okay, but don't fight. I don't want to have to worry about protecting you.” Or having him lose his temper, though come to think of it, Micah had never actually explained why.

  "Got it,” he said.

  I opened the door to a madhouse. Normally, the waiting area was quiet, with people patiently waiting their turn to donate. But now, there was total mayhem. There were about a dozen people in the room, most of them screaming as blood stained the white tiled floors. Talk about sensory overload. I had to pause to assess the situation.

  One vamp was down and staked, and two more were causing major problems as people tried either to shield them or kill them. The rivalry made sense. If the vampires had gone crazy and someone had tried to stop them by staking a bloodsucker or two, now the suckees were trying to protect the other vamps. Vampires tend to enthrall their willing meal tickets.

  My eyes swiveled as a handsome and familiar form stepped into view. Good God, Dan was here. How'd he get here so fast? He was off-duty; he worked nights, like me. He, along with a demon who must be one of Micah's informants, were trying to flank a female vamp over by the cookies and orange juice without stepping on the humans passed out and bleeding on the floor.

  In another group near me, I saw someone—Nicole—trying to get hysterical humans out the door.

  "Help her,” I told Shade.

  On the other side of the lobby, a male vamp was crouched down on the floor, mad-eyed and glaring like a cornered animal, his fangs sunk into the neck of a limp teen girl.

  Fang me! The girl was one of the blood bank's fresh-faced human volunteers, Brittany. I was shocked into immobility, shocked that I knew both the victim and the vamp. The vamp was Lorenzo—the one who had invited Dan and me to play in his fantasy woodland bower at the blood bank. What the hell was the matter with him?

  Fury shone through his eyes as he held her like a broken doll. Her arms and legs splayed awkwardly, and blood dripped down her neck as he continued to suck.

  "Lorenzo, stop!” I yelled. I was afraid to approach too closely, sick at the thought that he might tear her throat out. Brittany thought the New Blood Movement was all noble and courageous. Wonder what she thought now . . .

  If she could think. Was she even still alive?

  Lorenzo scrabbled back into a corner with his prize, like a lion guarding its prey.

  "Wait, Lorenzo,” I pleaded, following cautiously. “Think about what you're doing.” He was supposed to be one of the good guys. “You don't want this. Alejandro wouldn't like it."

  THERE'S NO REASONING WITH HIM, Fang said. LORENZO'S NOT HOME ANYMORE.

  "What do you mean?"

  HE'S STARK, STARING BONKERS. A WHOLE SIX PACK SHY OF A CASE.

  "Okay, buddy, if you want something to bite, bite me.” I beckoned him with both hands, but he ignored me. I took a step forward and he clutched Brittany tighter.

  Damn. What should I do? The screaming and jostling behind me scraped across my nerves. I jerked a vial of holy water out of my pocket, uncorked it and let it fly. The water hit the flesh on his arm and sizzled. He screamed, and Fang attacked his other arm, but the vamp still wouldn't let go of the girl.

  TURN LOLA LOOSE, Fang shouted in my mind.

  I hesitated only a moment then threw my arms out toward Lorenzo, trying with all my might to focus the succubus on him and only him. Since she'd fed earlier, it worked. I could feel her need slam into him, take total control of his body, and make him mine to command.

  "Stop,” I yelled. “Let Brittany go."

  Though I could feel the madness churning within Lorenzo, Lola had a lock on him that he couldn't break. He froze, released the girl, and waited for my next order. Good, Lorenzo was taken care of.

  But no time to worry about Brittany. First, I had to take care of the other vamp before more people were hurt. I spun around and saw that Dan and the demon had the female vamp cornered behind the refreshments table, but couldn't quite get to her. Or maybe the fact that she was female kept them from attacking.

  I'd never seen her before. She looked preppy and well-fed, not the typical grunge-vamp types I saw on the streets. She also looked confused, uncertain, fangs dripping blood on her sweater and pencil skirt. But her vulnerable appearance wouldn't stop me.

  "Need help?” I asked Dan, coming up beside him

  "No. I can handle this. Call for back-up."

  "I am back-up, you idiot."

  But as he turned to say something, she leapt over the table and took off like a bat out of hell, zipping past him and heading for the door at a dead run. I spun to follow her, but she bowled over a middle-aged woman like she wasn't even there. And when Nicole and Shade made the mistake of getting in the vamp's way, she grabbed a chair and jabbed it into them.

  Oh crap, they both went down. I couldn't stop to see how they were—I took off after her through the blood bank's lobby, afraid of how much more damage she could do. She was fast, but her high heels and her confusion slowed her down. Fang was faster. He scrabbled across the tile like mad then took a flying leap and hit her square in the back before she could make it out the front door. She went down and I was on top of her, pulling a stake.

  Dan caught up with me. “You should have let her go. It's daylight outside. She'd fry."

  "Something's wrong with these vamps. They should be holed up, far away from any possibility of coming into contact with a stray sunbeam."

  I glanced down at the vamp. She wasn't fighting back—it was more like she was clawing at something just in front of her face. Though I had her pinned, it was like she didn't even see me.

  Dan grabbed her head, the silver in his bracelet blistering the side of her face. “What are you waiting for? Stake her, or I'll drag her outside."

  I lifted a stake. The blood bank's main door burst open. “Slayer, hold!"

  I stopped. Not because of the command, but because of who it had come from. Alejandro stood there, looking menacing yet concerned with his cape draped over him to keep the sunlight at bay.

  "Why?"

  He took a graceful step to the side, out of the light, and lowered his cape. “Wait, please. She is one of mine."

  "She's sure not acting like it,” I snapped.

  "I can take care of her.” He knelt next to her and touched the tips of his fingers to her forehead. She relaxed and lay still, as if she had fainted.

  Dan and I let her go and rose to our feet. “How'd you do that?” I asked Alejandro.

  He waved a hand dism
issively. “She is one of mine, so she is under the command of my touch."

  WHOA, Fang said. YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY.

  Yep.

  "Did you order this massacre, bloodsucker?” Dan growled.

  Gently, Alejandro said, “I am not your enemy."

  "He's right,” I told Dan. “He's obviously trying to help."

  Dan made a sound of disgust. “Oh yeah? Tell them that.” His abrupt gesture encompassed the carnage in the room . . . the moans, the fallen, the blood.

  Alejandro glanced around, looking appalled. “What happened here?"

  Dan thrust an impatient hand through his hair. “Three of your minions—Roger, Lorenzo and the girl—"

  "Corina."

  "—came out of the elevator and started attacking people. They called the SCU, but no one's on shift yet. We've never had vampires attack humans during the daytime, before.” Dan looked at me. “How did you get here so fast?"

  "Micah,” I said, without explaining more. He knew Micah had demons working undercover at the blood banks. Dan nodded, and the watcher in question inclined his head at me then did his best to melt into the background to help with the wounded. “Why were you here?” I asked.

  "I was showing my new partner—” He broke off and looked around wildly then blanched when he saw her lying unmoving on the floor. “Nic!"

  Her shoulder was impaled on one leg of the chair. As Dan dropped beside her, the SCU pick-up unit came in, bringing medics with them. “Help her,” Dan ordered one of them then went to assist the other victims.

  "Check on Brittany, too,” I said, and pointed to the girl, who lay still and pale.

  I glanced around for Shade, my heart suddenly in my throat. He was sitting up against a wall, holding his helmeted head in his hands, the visor cracked from the force of the vamp's blow. Even a part-demon who seemed to be all shadow had a physical body that could bleed.

  HE'S ALL RIGHT, Fang assured me.

  Relieved, I turned back to Alejandro, who stepped over strewn bodies to look down at the vamp who'd been staked. “How could this have happened?” he asked wearily. “Roger was such an avid supporter of the Movement. As were Lorenzo and Corina."

  "That's what I'd like to know,” I said, my voice hard.

  Alejandro shook his head and moved over to stand beside Brittany and the medic. “Sorry, she's gone,” the medic said, then closed her eyes and glared at Alejandro.

  The vamp leader stared down at Brittany, looking extremely saddened. Taking a deep breath, he gestured at Lorenzo, who was staring at me as if I were a lake in the middle of a parched desert. “Do you have him enthralled?"

  "It seemed like the thing to do,” I drawled, trying not to sound defensive. Strange, though, I hadn't realized I was still controlling him.

  Alejandro knelt and placed his fingers against Lorenzo's forehead. He slumped like Corina had. Lola let him go without a peep. I turned to Alejandro. “What will you do with them?"

  "Confine them until we can learn what happened. They do not appear to be themselves."

  "Oh, yeah? Who are they, then? What have they turned into?"

  I don't know what I expected him to answer, but it wasn't with a thoughtful look and a murmured, “I don't know."

  As the SCU medics began loading up patients, I said, “Unless you want a whole lot of trouble from the general public, you might want to change the memories of the survivors."

  Alejandro nodded, concentrated a moment, then was done. Spooky how easy that had been for him.

  Dan followed the guys carrying Nic out the door. Dang, was it my fault she was hurt? If only I'd helped him train her, even a little—

  VAL, COME HERE, Fang said urgently. SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH SHADE.

  I whirled around and saw that Shade was on his hands and knees with his visor open, vomiting on the floor. I hurried over and blocked everyone else's view of his face. “Are you all right?"

  "Huh?” Shade asked.

  HE'S CONFUSED. HE MAY HAVE A CONCUSSION.

  One of the medics came over and said, “Let's get that helmet off him."

  Fang and I both moved to shield Shade and I said, “No, you can't.” I couldn't let him see Shade as he really was.

  Fang nudged me. YOU COULD HOLD HIS HAND AND HE'D LOOK NORMAL.

  Maybe, but only as long as I was holding it. As soon as I let go or they took off with him, his secret would be out.

  Surprised, the medic asked, “Why not?"

  Ah, hell. Which was worse . . . revealing his secret to the SCU guys or letting him go untreated with possible life-threatening injuries?

  Fang growled. I DON'T LIKE EITHER ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS. PICK DOOR NUMBER THREE.

  I agreed. “Trust me,” I told the medic. “I'll make sure he's taken care of.” But what else could I do? Oh yes, I knew—

  Micah strode in. “What happened?” he demanded of Alejandro. “Why did they attack?"

  The only clue to the vamp leader's reaction was the tightening of his lips. “I have no idea. But I shall get to the bottom of it.” He paused, then said deliberately, “Are you certain one of your people did not cause this?"

  Just what we needed—more testosterone. Micah bristled, but before he could sling his own accusation, I said, “Micah, Shade's hurt. Do you know of any doctors who can treat him?"

  Micah looked horrified as he studied Shade's hunched body. He lowered his voice so only I could hear. “No. Our only healer is . . . Shade himself."

  "Well, I know one more possibility,” I said.

  Without another glance at Alejandro or the rest of the mess, Micah and the demon informant got Shade to Micah's Lexus and laid him gently in the back seat. Fang and the demon crowded into the seat beside him. They promised to watch him closely and keep him comfortable.

  "Follow me,” I said, and took off on my Valkyrie as soon as Micah started his engine.

  I prayed like hell Gwen was as open-minded as she seemed. She was our only hope.

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  Chapter Eight

  When I got to the townhouse, I scanned the parking lot. Good—Gwen's car sat in its usual spot.

  Micah parked beside me and rolled down the window. “Why are we here?"

  "Gwen is a nurse at the ER,” I explained. “She can help."

  "She's human,” Micah protested, and the other demon looked a little skeptical.

  "Yes, but she's Dan's sister—she knows what I am, knows what Fang is, and has seen the results of the vamps’ attacks. She's cool."

  Micah glanced uncertainly at the other demon. Now that there was less going on, I registered that the watcher was young, with milky-white skin, short wavy dark hair, and fine features with piercing blue eyes . . . almost inhumanly pretty. I didn't remember seeing him before.

  Fang added, VAL'S RIGHT—GWEN'S COOL. AND WHAT OTHER CHOICE DO WE HAVE?

  "I guess one of us could keep skin contact with him, so she won't see him in his demon state,” Micah said.

  I shook my head. “Not sure that's such a good idea. She needs to know he's not entirely human to help him."

  "You could compel her,” Micah told his informant.

  Really? What kind of demon was he?

  A DREAM DEMON, Fang said. HE CAN ENTER PEOPLE'S DREAMS AND CHANGE THEM, OR MAKE THEM BELIEVE THAT A REAL EXPERIENCE WAS A DREAM. OH, AND HIS NAME IS KYLE.

  I quirked an eyebrow at my hellhound. Sometimes you're helpful to have around.

  MAKE THAT ALWAYS, AND I'LL AGREE WITH YOU.

  Micah thought for a moment. “All right, we'll chance your friend. Val, can you get the door?"

  "Sure."

  I opened the door of the townhouse and saw Gwen exercising along with a DVD, wearing loose yoga pants and a tank top.

  "Gwen, I need your help."

  She continued to exercise and turned toward me. “Can it wait—” She stopped when she saw Micah and Kyle helping Shade through the front door. “What's going on?"

  "This is a friend of mine,” I blur
ted out. “He was hit in the head and needs medical care.” I gestured the guys down the hall. “Take him to my room, first door on the right.” Fang led the way.

  Gwen turned off the DVD and followed us, looking confused and concerned. “If he's hurt, you should take him to the emergency room,” she said as the guys laid Shade down on my bed, his helmet and gloves still on.

  "Can't. He's . . . different."

  Gwen looked wary. “Different how?"

  "Don't worry, he won't hurt you. But he has special . . . abilities that make him . . . “ Ah, hell. How could I explain this? Forget it—let her see for herself. “Can you help him off with his helmet?” I asked Micah and Kyle.

  They started to do as I asked, but Gwen pushed Kyle aside. “No, let me look first.” She lifted up his cracked visor before we could stop her and gasped, then jumped backward away from the bed. “What the . . . ?"

  "It's okay,” I soothed her. I stripped off one of Shade's gloves and held his hand, skin to skin so the dark ribbons of light would stop pulsing across his face. “Look again."

  She moved forward cautiously and peered into the visor, sighing in relief when she could see his face. “What did you do?” she asked me, then shook her head. “Never mind."

  Gwen probed Shade's forehead carefully with her fingers then nodded at Micah and Kyle. “Take the helmet off, gently."

  They did as she asked. Shade looked totally pale, with a bruise and lump forming at the top of his forehead. She checked his eyes, checked him over for other injuries, and fired questions at him.

  Shade admitted he had lost consciousness for a short period of time and felt dizzy, nauseous and tired.

  At Fang's prompting, I added, “He threw up, too, and seems really confused."

  Gwen nodded decisively. “It looks like he has an MTBI."

  "A what?” Medical terminology was so not my thing.

  "Mild traumatic brain injury,” Gwen explained.

  Alarm rang through me and I jerked back.

  Some of my panic must have shown on my face, for Gwen shook her head and laid her hand reassuringly on mine. “Sorry for the jargon. It just means he has a mild concussion.” She glanced down at the bed where Shade had reverted to his swirly personality now that I was no longer holding his hand. “At least, that's what I'd say of a human."