Dealers of Light

by Lara Nance

  It was his destiny to be alone.

  Chapter Twelve

  Cara blinked to clear the fog from her eyes as she drove to work. A dull ache in her temple reminded her of the attack. Rolf sat in the passenger seat, quietly fidgeting with the buckle of his seatbelt. They traveled in silence except for occasional episodes of panting from Dusty in the back seat.

  “Are you okay?” Rolf looked over at her as she maneuvered the car into an empty space. Sean pulled into the lot behind them in a black Mercedes.

  She turned the key and sat for a moment staring out the windshield. Words seemed inadequate to express her feelings. Her life had completely changed since yesterday, and she wasn’t sure where today would lead. She only knew she had to keep going. “I’ll be all right. What are you going to do?”

  “I plan to spend time gathering information to see what’s going on in other cities.”

  Her fingers squeezed the steering wheel, releasing her pent-up anxiety. Bad enough to think the victims were just a few unlucky individuals who ran into renegade BD’s on the prowl. To think of an organized invasion of Takers terrified her.

  Cara turned to him. “Thanks for last night. Really.”

  His face was a taut mask, revealing nothing of his feelings.

  “How can I get in touch with you in case we find out anything you need to know?”

  He didn’t move for a moment until his jaw twitched.

  “Rolf?”

  “I’ll give you my cell phone number for emergencies. But, I have to say, I’m hesitant to involve you and your friends. It’s dangerous.”

  Anger flooded through her fear. “I think I’m already involved, don’t you? I can’t go back home, and you say my life is in danger. So, seems I’m very involved.”

  “I see your point.” He wrote his number on a piece of paper from his pocket then handed it to her. “Call me tonight. Find out all you can from your friends and let me know.”

  Cara took the paper and slipped it into her purse. “Okay. Good. I will.” Dusty jumped out when she opened the rear door, and Rolf exited his side. What the hell was the matter with Rolf today—so stiff and formal? She’d just gotten used to mysterious, ancient, and deadly, then he had to get all moody on her.

  He walked around the car and stood beside her. “Be careful today, Cara.”

  She gazed into his cool stare and wondered what thoughts really ran through his mind. He had done so much to help her last night, but did he really care anything for her as a person? This mission seemed to matter most to him, and she might be expendable. But, deep in his eyes, she thought she saw something more—at least, she hoped. “I will be careful. Take care yourself.”

  Cara put a hand on his forearm. The ice in his eyes thawed, and he leaned toward her, holding her gaze. Heat flamed her cheeks. He was going to kiss her. Her heart flip-flopped. But he closed his eyes, the muscles in his jaw tightened, and he stepped back. Her arm fell to her side, and blood drained from her face.

  Without a backward glance, he strode away and slipped into the passenger seat of the Mercedes. Determined not to show her hurt, she drew in a deep breath and headed for the clinic. She walked across the parking lot and paused at the front door. Being at the clinic brought memories of Emmie’s death, flooding her soul in a cloud of sorrow. The old dear’s words echoed again inside her mind: “You’re gonna need my help with that ol’ evil.”

  She fought down the lump in her throat. Emmie. Why couldn’t you tell me more about the gift?

  Putting grief and fear aside, she strode through the front door. There were others who needed her now. Already the waiting room overflowed with people perched anxiously on the edges of their chairs. Sickness didn’t wait on crazy, evil Light-takers. People here needed help they couldn’t get anywhere else because they had no insurance and no money.

  She greeted those patients she knew by name. Everyone wanted to pet Dusty. He’d visited her work before, and some patients knew him well.

  “How’s the schedule?” she asked Rosa as she passed the receptionist’s desk.

  “You’re slammed. Good luck.”

  Cara strode to her office and filled Dusty’s office bowls with water and food. He looked up at her, cocking his head to one side, and she rubbed his ears. “We have a rough road ahead of us. But we’ll stick together, okay?”

  Dusty’s brown eyes held a wealth of trust and understanding. He offered her so much comfort, especially with the news Rolf had given her about dogs being able to sense the presence of BD’s. I just hope I never have to face one of those creeps again.

  Her day progressed from busy to hectic. At five-thirty, she sank into the chair behind her desk and began writing in the charts of patients she’d seen. Dusty curled up in a warm lump at her feet, snoozing.

  Her phone buzzed, and when she answered, Rosa’s voice sounded irritated. “Cara, there’s a patient out here demanding to see you. I can’t get her to leave.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Nicki Petrosky. Says she has to speak to you. She—she looks horrible.”

  “I’ll be right there.” Cara rushed to the front of the clinic where Nicki paced before the receptionist’s desk. A pale face and the dark circles under her eyes gave the girl’s already thin face a skeletal appearance.

  “Nicki, come here.” She opened the door to the waiting room and motioned the girl back to the exam area. Thankfully, no gang buddies accompanied her.

  “Are you okay?” she asked after ushering Nicki into an empty exam room and closing the door. Nicki’s sweat and fear mixed in a pungent aroma.

  “What happened last night?” Nicki put her hands on her hips. “That guy, was he going to kill me?”

  “Calm down.” When Cara grasped the girl’s thin arm, it quivered beneath her fingers. Cara scanned Nicki for signs of trauma. A violet bruise marked her upper left arm and more bruises circled her throat along with red scratches.

  “Miss Cara, what was that man?” Nicki grabbed Cara’s arm and her fingers bit into the skin like claws. Her breath came in rapid gasps and her eyes were dilated.

  “Relax, breathe slower. You’re hyperventilating.” She led Nicki to a chair and pushed her gently into it. Filling a paper cup of water from the small counter sink, she handed it to her. “Drink this.”

  Nicki sucked down the water in a gulp then crushed the empty cup in one hand. Her breaths still came in panting gulps through her mouth but the rate had slowed. Cara placed a hand on Nicki’s shoulder, rubbing the skin in soothing circles. She managed to keep a hand on Nicki’s shoulder while her first two fingers drifted down to her portal near the collar bone. A trickle of Light fed into the girl. Softly, slowly, so gentle she would never know Cara was healing her.

  Nicki’s shoulders dropped, and she sighed. Cara smiled and broke the contact. “Now, tell me. How did you meet the man that attacked you?”

  “He was at a club I go to. I thought he was a regular dude, a player. He bought me a drink, flashed some cash, and asked about going back to my place. He had an expensive ride, so I thought he was cool.” She swallowed. “But when I opened my door, he grabbed my arm and put his hand up here.” She pointed to her forehead and her face crinkled as tears filled her eyes. “I tried to hit him and get away but he punched me in the face and I fell down.” She gulped in air and brushed at her eyes. “That was about the time you came in. What the hell were you doing there?”

  Cara pulled over the rolling stool to sit on and rested a hand on Nicki’s bony knee. “Listen, the other day when you were here you asked me if I believed in vampires. Did you see this same thing happen to someone else?

  Nicki’s eyes widened and she hung her head. “Yeah, I seen something like that.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I don’t know if I should.” Her hands twisted together, a defiant glow in her eyes.

  “Nicki, people are dying. The man last night tried to kill you and he would have killed me, too. There are more like him out there. I want to stop these people
, but I need information. Whatever you tell me will only be used to catch him and his friends.” Frustration boiled inside her. Nicki didn’t recognize the danger she was in, even after being attacked and nearly killed. The street girl still wanted to protect her gang. “I’m not going to get your friends in trouble. I promise.”

  Nicki raised her head and glanced sideways at her, eyes narrowed. She sat straighter and crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay, but you should know this is the second time someone attacked me.”

  “What?” Cara sat back, stunned. What had this poor girl been through? “Nicki, start at the beginning. Tell me what you saw before you came in the other day and about your attacks.”

  Nicki twisted her hands together and let her head fall forward, unruly black hair obscuring her face. “It all happened at this same club. I was hanging with some friends. We had drunk a lot and I got ta feelin’ sick, like I was gonna puke, you know?”

  Cara nodded, urging her on.

  “I head for the bathroom, but there was a line outside the girl’s room. I was about to hurl so I opened the door to go out back. See, it opens on this alley full of trash cans and dumpsters with just this one streetlight, so it was dark and hard to see.” She paused and licked her lips, eyes darting to the door then back to Cara.

  “I hurled up my guts against the wall and, after, I seen these two guys down the street a ways. They was both boys, so I figured it was just two gay guys gettin’ it on. But I noticed the one guy had a hand on the other guy’s chest and I knew that guy. He wasn’t gay and they wasn’t kissing or nothing. Just standing there, one guy with his back pressed against the wall with his head back, and the other guy with his hand on my friend’s chest. I can’t describe it, but it freaked me out.

  “I was in the shadows so I got a little closer to see what was goin’ down. I knew I had to help this guy if I could, he’s my homie, but I was scared. Finally, the one guy takes his hand away and the one against the wall just slides down and falls over in a heap. I knew he was dead. It was sorta like when vampires suck the blood out of you. I seen it in the movies. It was just like that…only he never bit him.” She swung her head back and forth. “Just had his hand on his chest.”

  “But now you know he was still sucking the life out of him, only it wasn’t blood,” Cara said.

  Nicki nodded and hung her head. “I didn’t help him. I ran and ran and fell down so many times I ended up banging myself up pretty bad. I came to see you the next morning.”

  “And you were attacked before the man last night?”

  “I was havin’ a drink at another bar before all that happened, and this dude came up. He was dressed real nice, like he didn’t belong there. Had a gold ring on his right hand with some kind of crest on it. I figured he might be slummin’, you know, slippin’ out on the wife. Hey, I didn’t mind if he bought me a few drinks, ya know? Anyways, he said he needed some air and I went outside with him. He started actin’ all squirrely and pushed me down an alley. Slapped me in the face and slammed me against the wall. But I got him good. Kneed him in the balls. I ran off and went to my regular club. Now these whack-o’s want to kill me. Why?”

  “Did the guy who got killed belong to the same gang you do?”

  Nicki’s head shot up and her gaze flew to Cara’s face. “What do you know about gangs?”

  “The tattoo you have on your lower back. It’s a gang tattoo. Some of the other people who’ve been killed had the same tattoo. We think this evil group is targeting gangs.”

  “Oh, God!” Nicki slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes crinkled up again.

  “The club, what’s the name of it?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  Frantic, Cara almost shook the girl. “You have to. It’s a link. Now they’ve targeted more than one person from it. There’s a good chance they’ll go there again, especially if it’s a hangout for gangs. Don’t you want to protect your friends?”

  Nicki’s eyes welled with tears, and she raked fingers through her hair. “You think they’re gonna come back for me?”

  “It’s a good possibility. Do you have someone you can stay with for a while? Preferably someone who’s not in a gang?”

  Nicki struggled to force away her tears, squeezing her lids together and biting her nails.

  Cara leaned forward and rested a hand on the girl’s arm. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay. Just let me help you.”

  “Blade,” Nicki murmured.

  “What?” Cara sat back.

  Nicki sniffed and ran her hand under her nose. “Blade. That’s the name of the club.”

  Blade? Ridiculous name, and yet these kids ate up the danger and edgy nightlife.

  “Okay. Okay.” Cara let go of her and stood. She snagged a tissue box from the counter and handed it to the sniffling girl. Nicki grabbed a handful and pressed the wad against her nose.

  Cara tossed the box on the counter. “Let me check you out and make sure you’re okay and then you need to stay away from the club and your apartment for a while. Where can you go? I’ll take you.”

  “I don’t know.” Nicki put her hands to her cheeks, gaze roaming about the room. “Wait, I’ll go stay with my friend Erin. She’s not in the gang, but we went to high school together. She’s in an apartment near ODU.”

  “I’ll take you there and give you some money to live on for a while. I want you safe.”

  Cara dropped Nicki at her friend’s apartment with a handful of cash, and then picked up some Cara and Dusty necessities before heading over to Essence of Amber.

  “Cara!” Amber enveloped her in a warm embrace when she stepped in the door. “I’ve been so worried about you.” Dusty frisked around Amber, waiting for his turn at a greeting. “And you, too, Mr. Dusty.” Amber knelt and ruffled the fur of the dog’s neck, receiving a generous face lick in return.

  “Are you sure we’re not going to be a problem staying here?”

  “No. Absolutely not, sweetie. That’s what friends are for. Come on up. Tor will be here shortly.” She locked the shop’s front door and scanned the parking lot through the window before they went to the living quarters on the second floor.

  “Man, I’m tired.” Cara stopped at the top of the stairs where Amber’s living room spread out with its mismatched chintz covered couch and chairs. She absorbed the eclectic atmosphere of cluttered fairy statues Amber collected, thinking they looked like little guardian angels today. Sighing, she dropped her bags at her feet.

  Amber pointed to the sofa and Cara sank onto it, let her head fall back, and closed her eyes. God, I’m tired. The lingering smell of cinnamon from the shop soothed her with memories of Mom and apple pie.

  Amber gathered up a pile of magazines from the glass-topped coffee table and stowed them in a basket beside the couch. “I’ll go whip up something to snack on while we wait for Tor. I’m dying to hear all about Rolf.”

  She passed through an arch with a hanging bead curtain to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine, glasses, plus a tray laden with cheese and crackers, which she placed on the coffee table.

  “Rolf. Wow, I can’t believe how this turned out. I’ve been thinking about it all day.” Amber picked up the bag of dog food Cara had brought and poured some dried kibble in a bowl. She glanced at Cara under her lashes. “What’s he really like?”

  Cara sighed. At this point, she figured she’d only seen a glimpse of the real Rolf. “Well, he’s strong. You should have seen him punch the Taker last night. It sent that creep flying. But Rolf’s smart, too. Of course, I guess you can’t live for thousands of years and not pick up a thing or two. But I only scratched the surface of his complexity.”

  “You know, when he came in the store, the word that popped in my mind to describe him was supernatural. Is that weird?” Amber picked up the bottle of wine from the coffee table and poured them both a glass.

  “Strange, weird, mysterious.” Cara accepted the glass Amber handed her and sipped. “It’s all pretty accurate, I’d say
. The supernatural, ancient hunter of Light Takers. Yep. That’s him.”

  “Doesn’t this make you question a lot? I thought about our powers all last night after you called. What are Dealers really? And why do we die, but there are others like Rolf who don’t? Where did this ability come from?” Amber settled beside Cara on the couch.

  “I don’t know. I’m as puzzled by all this as you are. But I want to find out more, and I’m hoping Rolf will share some knowledge to help us understand.”

  The downstairs door creaked and the bells jingled.

  “It’s me,” Tor called.

  Dusty stood and wagged his tail. Tor pounded up the steps into the living room and stripped off his belt, which hung heavy with his gun and other police tools.

  “Hey, babe.” He leaned over and kissed Amber on the lips. Her furrowed brow eased and she smiled as she touched his cheek with her fingertips.

  Cara swallowed against the constriction in her throat, aching as she often did in the presence of these two and their obvious love for each other. It was magic. She glanced away to hide any envy that might show in her eyes.

  “Hey, Cara. I’ll go change and be back in a minute. I can’t wait to hear about this Rolf dude.” Tor gave her a wave.

  When he returned, he sat on the arm of the sofa beside Amber, and she handed him a glass of wine. Cara filled him in on the details.

  “So, that’s what he did with the crystals,” Amber said after Cara described the gold and crystal device. “Impressive. I wish I could see it.”

  “We sent a car by Nicki’s address last night, but she wasn’t there,” Tor said. “I’m not surprised. Man, if one of those BD’s came after me, I’d leave and never come back.”

  “She did come to the office right before I left, and I was able to get some information. She’s been attacked twice, believe it or not.” Then she told them about the club and the link to the BD’s.