The Stage

by Catherine Russell

  “You love doing this, don’t you?” I asked, downing the glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice he offered me. “Thank you.”

  “Very much so, Ms. Megan—and you’re very welcome, as always. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to deliver. Cheerio.”

  Pepper and Tracy came in next, chatting a mile a minute. I blushed, realizing they’d been home. I was never one to share pillow talk, and I hoped they hadn’t been witness to last night.

  “Well, good morning,” Pepper said as I turned around.

  “Good morning,” I said, looking up from my cinnamon roll.

  “Good lord, child! What happened?” Tracy asked. I froze, thinking I’d forgotten my pants or something worse, like a blood stain on my shirt. I did a quick once over, completely clueless.

  “Megan… your eyes,” Pepper said, transfixed.

  Crap! Where are my glasses? I turned away, not sure what was happening.

  Geoffrey walked in, talking on his cell, but hung up after a quick look around. Tracy and Pepper stared at him, too, then turned us around to look in the mirror hanging by the door, and we quickly saw what they were looking at. Our irises were completely silver, save for a thin ring of blue around our pupils.

  “It’s happened,” Pepper said. “You’ve transitioned.”

  He looked at me, then at Pepper, clearly as confused as I was. “English, Pepper?”

  She ran to her desk and returned with a file. “I found this while you two were… well, that doesn’t matter. It says here that when the link takes on a human form, the myth becomes a reality. The evidence of the link is marked by silver eyes.”

  “What exactly does that mean, Pepper?”

  “It means that Megan is no longer human, but a vampire hybrid. Like the myth says, A mortal child will shadow an immortal, adapting to our strengths, our powers, and our instincts.”

  “But her heart still beats,” Tracy said, puzzling it through.

  “Look, I’m still me!” I said, feeling unnerved. “I haven’t changed. It’s not like I’m craving blood.” But as I said that, I realized that the cinnamon roll had no flavor. I ate it fast.

  Geoffrey took me by the shoulders and spun me around and looked into my eyes. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Megan.”

  “I know you won’t. Whatever this is, I’m still me. I won’t let it control who I am.” I wanted to change the topic like yesterday at this point, so Geoffrey turned to Mitch.

  “Mitch, what did your scan find? Do we have a trace on it?”

  “Actually it’s got a pretty impressive firewall, but don’t worry. It’s nothing we can’t handle. We’ll find him soon enough.”

  “The IP address was sent through several servers,” Robert added, “crisscrossing through Europe. We should have a location of the dispatch sometime today.”

  “What exactly are you guys doing?” I asked.

  “I asked Robert and Mitch to track a transmission that Serena gave me, to find out where it originated. I have a hunch about where it came from—and who it will lead us to.”

  “What are they looking for?” I asked, my fingers tapping on my leg in full twitch mode.

  “Rumors have been circulating in the vampire community that a link has been discovered. And Marco has a new pet who can sense relationships between people. We think that Marco will exploit that to get what he wants, so we’re trying to locate him as well.”

  “Let me guess—the guy who broke into my apartment, right?”

  They all stared at me silently, confirming my guess.

  “Let’s get this straight. I’m not going anywhere, and no one is going to make me do anything that I don’t want to do. I’ve been there, done that, got the damn tee shirt. I will not go back into that closet again.”

  Robert and Mitch looked at one another, then back at the two of us. “Damn, girl, you go,” Mitch chuckled. “Geoffrey, you’ve got your hands full.”

  I realized how stupid I probably sounded, but I meant it. I turned to Geoffrey. “I’m serious, Geoffrey! I’ve lived through someone controlling my every moment, torturing my existence. It won’t happen again. It’s my life, and no one else’s.”

  With Christmas behind us and the New Year right around the corner, I decided to stay at Geoffrey’s house, hoping to draw attention away from my apartment—and Chase and Ashleigh. I didn’t want to risk them seeing anything more of my strange new world—or worse, getting hurt by it. I told Ashleigh that the apartment was long overdo for a new paint job that the manager had ordered, so I would be staying with Geoffrey for a while.

  In the meantime, Pepper ordered blue contact lenses for Geoffrey and me to wear out in public. She thought it would be safer if both of my eyes were blue, to throw off anyone interested in the link mythology. There was no need for me to wear my dark glasses anymore. Even so, the silver in our irises shone through a bit,

  making our eyes look slightly iridescent.

  Two days before New Year’s Eve, Ashleigh finally called me on it. “What’s with the new contacts?” she asked.

  “Oh, I just wanted to try something fun for the holidays. What do you think?” I said, trying my best not to sweat on the spot.

  “Very interesting shade of blue—but both of you?” She eyed Geoffrey suspiciously. He was standing on stage with the rest of the band, adjusting their playlist for the huge New Year’s Eve party she had planned.

  God, I suck at lying! “It’s a couples thing,” I said, waving dismissively, but she let it slide for the moment.

  “Oh, one more thing, darling. The host for the event will be dropping by to train everyone on the special admission protocol for New Year’s Eve. Can you let the others know to be here by one o’clock? I’m off to meet up with Luke. He’s got something to ask me,” she said. She had a familiar sparkle in her eye—the twenty-four-carat kind of gleam.

  Ian had returned to work again, but his ready smile was gone. It turned out that Dawn had walked in on him and his boyfriend—and needless to say, it hadn’t been good. In getting engaged, he had been trying to do what his family wanted, instead of what he wanted. After calling off the wedding, he had laid low for awhile—and then Dawn was murdered. He took more time off until the storm passed, and I didn’t blame him one bit.

  I asked if I could do anything for him, but he said no. “Thanks, Meg. I appreciate it, but I don’t think I deserve it. I should’ve been honest with her from the beginning, and now she’s dead, so…”

  “Well, you did the right thing in the end, for what it’s worth. I’m glad to see you back—we’ve missed your smile, big guy.”

  The next day at one o’clock we all gathered in the office for the training

  presentation. “Glad to see everyone made it through the week,” Ashleigh started, “but playtime is over. Tomorrow night is going to be our biggest night yet. This will be an invitation-only event, and a private corporation, Ravens, Inc., has decided to use The Stage as a launch platform for their new app with a ginormous New Year’s celebration. They have customers flying in from around the world.”

  As she talked, I remembered something from The Post Intelligencier web page about Ravens, Inc. being some new software company with a couple of hot apps. It was boring to me, but Geoffrey seemed very interested. I could feel his growing suspicion across the link, though his face was all business. He appeared to be hanging on Ashleigh’s every word, but underneath his mind was piecing together a mental puzzle.

  I let it go until we were alone. He couldn’t hide his uneasiness on the subject. “I’m worried about this Ravens, Inc. Serena told me that Marco has gone somewhat high-tech with his investments. Raven is a name that’s frequently used for new ventures by the Circle. I need to speak with her again about the possibility that this company isn’t what it appears to be.”

  “What would it be, then?”

  “A front company for Marco
—a money-maker to keep his region on top of the others. The last thing I want is to have them here. All of us were once involved with the Circle to varying degrees, and they won’t be happy to learn that we’re all in the same coven now.”

  “And?” I knew there was more.

  “And,” he emphasized, “Marco has bound his ‘specialist’ to him—and not in a pretty way, I might add.” A dark shadow of worry crossed his face for a split second, but then it was gone. “Having you so close to us could bring you to their attention.”

  “Well, it’s pretty obvious to me that I’ve already got their attention, considering what’s happened so far.” I tried not to think about Dawn.

  “For the moment, they’re only curious because to them, you’re human. They haven’t confirmed our link yet. They’re probably trying to find out why I’d have a pet.” His voice cringed on the term.

  “Well,” I said, looking him square in the eye, “if they do decide to show up, then we’ll be ready.”

  “Ready? With what?” he asked, crossing his arms skeptically.

  “With us. We’re a family now. If they think we’re just going to roll over and play dead, we’ve got more than a few surprises in store for them.”

  “I do believe you’re right about that,” he said, as he put his arm around me.

  Chapter 28

  The diamond stud earrings Tracy had let me borrow glimmered back at me from the mirror as I pulled my hair back into a sleek, tight bun. I put a layer of hair gel in place so it wouldn’t turn into a frizzy mess later. My new black slacks hung just right, the tailored black shirt looked professional, and the bracelet Geoffrey had given me finished off the polished look.

  It was exactly what Ashleigh had asked for.

  “I look pretty good,” I said to myself in shock as I stuck my black high-tops into my pack, just in case the high heels Pepper had loaned me didn’t work out.

  You always look good. His voice melted across the link, his eyes just a shade darker than normal.

  “You’re a little biased, though,” I said, turning to greet him.

  “Guilty as charged, madam.” He smiled and took my hand as I turned, grabbing my pack and keys.

  The low thudding of a bass line echoed through the wall from Chase’s apartment. I could feel the irritation he didn’t try to hide. “It’s a free country. He can play whatever he likes.”

  “True, but must we all have to hear it? I do believe that is why headphones were invented.”

  “Ignore it,” I teased as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me toward him. He nibbled on my ear, and his thoughts through the link turned calculating.

  Might I suggest an alternate choice for that? He inclined his head toward the wall.

  Without rolling my eyes I gave him a chance to finish his thought. “What is it?”

  “We have more than enough room at home. And you know Andrew would love to cook even more…”

  “I’m sure he would,” I quipped back as we headed out the door. I knew where he was going, but I wasn’t ready for it. “How about the others? What will they think?”

  “Tracy and Pepper would love it. They tend to feel outnumbered at times, I believe.”

  “Oh, do they?”

  “Oh, yes. But they’d never dream of bringing it up.”

  “Of course not,” I said as he opened the car door and helped me in. I waited until he got in and started the car before I finished. “And you?”

  “Me? Of course I’d love having you there with me—but it’s not my decision. It was only a suggestion.” He brushed it off, but I knew better.

  “Just a suggestion, eh? All right, I’ll take it under consideration, then.” I leaned my elbows on my knees as he wove in and out of traffic, made easier by the recent rain that had melted the last of the Christmas snow. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t already thought about it, though. Moving in with Geoffrey was the obvious next step, but I still had some doubts—not for him, of course, but for my own privacy and space. I was never one to have others around all the time.

  His fingers lingered on my leg as we drove, and I caught myself watching him shift and brake. May I try something? I asked silently.

  Of course.

  I reached across the link to see the world through his eyes. The shifting of gears and the different vibrations with each gear was a bit disorienting at first, but within moments each sequence began making sense as he shifted down and around the corners. I could feel the acceleration as his feet worked between the pedals and clutch. His senses could take in many more details of movement than my own. Each passerby—the cyclist huffing and puffing up the incline, the downshifting sounds of the delivery truck next to us…

  I faded back into my own mind as he turned into the alley. “That was weird… but in a good way,” I said, stepping out into the soft drizzle.

  “You’re welcome—I think.” He shook his head, seeming confused. He tried to play it off, but I was already asking.

  “You all right?”

  “Yes. I’m just not accustomed to… sharing experiences in the present. That’s the best way I can explain it.”

  “Um, sorry then.”

  “You didn’t do anything.” He kissed me gently. “We’re learning together.”

  We walked into The Stage and found a high-tech expo taking over. Demo stations were set up at different intervals around the entire club, and the tables, which were all covered in black fabric, were already pulsating under the lights.

  “My goodness—twenty-first century, here we come,” he said, eyeing the hand-held scanners lined up at the entry. One of the reps from Ravens, Inc. was going over last-minute glitches.

  “Each invitee has a microchip embedded under the skin here,” the well-dressed geek explained. He pointed it at his own wrist, bringing up a barcode and his picture on the monitor. He showed the doorman how to handle it, then moved onto the other security personnel.

  Microchipping people like they were pets seemed creepy to me, though they seemed to think it was great. We left them to their security checks.

  I spotted Ian behind the bar stocking up. “I’ll catch up with you later, ’kay?” I kissed Geoffrey’s cheek.

  Until then, he said as he went to find the others.

  “Ian?”

  He looked up in the middle of pouring of some concoction. “Hey, Meg.” His voice was drawn, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

  “How ya doin’?” I asked, though I could already tell he still wasn’t a hundred percent.

  “I’m good.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  I wrapped my black apron around me. “Ready for tonight?”

  “Yeah, I guess. But this outfit—” he gestured to the long sleeves, “is gonna kill me. I’m already burning up. Good thing it’s only for tonight.”

  “You got plans after work?” I asked, grabbing my own stock for upstairs.

  “Yeah, we’re hitting a party on Lake Union.” He glazed over the “we” part.

  “We?” I pressed softly.

  “Ah… yeah… um,” he fumbled, clearly not used to talking about his boyfriend.

  “So, what’s the lucky guy’s name?” I asked with a cheeky smile, trying to put him at ease. His eyes brightened at my question.

  “Jason.” A smile spread across his cheeks.

  “Jason? Cool. Will I get to meet him?”

  “You probably already have.” A sneaky grin appeared.

  I raised my eyebrows in question.

  “He’s been coming in for a while.”

  “Oh. What does he look like?”

  “About five-ten, dark curly hair, and a great smile.”

  “Wait! Is he the really cute Italian guy with the diamond stud earrings? Orders a Virgin Bloody Mary?” I’d seen him around a lot, but I hadn’t put ­two and two together until no
w.

  “Yep, that’s him.” The smile kept growing.

  “Good taste.” I punched his shoulder. “He’d better treat you right or he’ll have to answer to me, understand?” I joked.

  “Oh, he does! Trust me.” His cheeks were getting a bit rosy.

  “Well, gotta go,” I said, turning. “Good luck tonight.”

  “You too—and thanks.”

  “For?”

  “Thanks for just asking.”

  “We’re cool.” I winked and headed out.

  Ash caught up with me as I started my rounds. “My, don’t you clean up well,” she said, eyeing my get-up.

  “Well, don’t get used to it. I brought my high-tops. My feet will be barking your name tomorrow.” Before she could ask about my holiday I threw her the first question. “So how was Christmas? And Luke?”

  “Just absolutely fabulous,” she gushed, then proceeded to spill the story with extra speed. She at least spared me the more intimate parts; I really didn’t need to know about her and Luke’s “fun.” She glanced at her Gucci watch, which tipped me off that it was close to opening. Soon we’d be flooded with mucky-mucks of the tech world. “Remember to tell the other girls this is an open bar event. Ravens, Inc. is picking up the entire tab, drinks and all.”

  Just then, one of the dozen or so caterers paged her downstairs. “Oh—gotta go. They got the wrong size prawns.” I was glad I wouldn’t be on the receiving end of that strangling. She pecked my cheek, then turned a perfect pirouette in her stilettos.

  It didn’t take long before the entire place was crawling with the upper crust of the computer crowd. Black ties and formal gowns were everywhere. Geoffrey’s music kept the crowd moving, yet never overpowered conversation.

  Champagne was flowing through the club when the CEO of Ravens, Inc. took center stage around eleven-thirty. Geoffrey found me while the CEO enlightened the crowd about this new gadget and this new app.