After dinner, I have a mostly clear head, so I login to my account on the V-boards on Carl’s computer.
Anyone know anything about the Progenitor?
They’re going to think I’m crazy asking about a fairytale. Hell, I feel crazy typing the question. But if Meghan tells me to find him, I have to follow up in every avenue that I can. I’m getting desperate.
I send Graeme a text message that I’ll be late again tonight and to not wait up for me. Whether that means he’ll spend another night in the recliner or not, I have no idea. I hope not. Guilt eats at me with the thought of it. I send another text telling him to hug Amelia for me.
I head downtown.
Thankfully, the headache is fully gone by the time I park my beat up Lancer in a spot in a back alley by ten o’clock. Another dark night, another dark alley. I’m reminded of the night before in Rice Village and shiver at the memory.
I head towards East Sixth Street and the too-obviously-named Twin Fangs, which is a popular nightspot for vampires and their willing victims. I’ve been there several times, although I’m never what you’d call “welcome” there. When you’re the Harker, they don’t exactly roll out the red carpet for you. In fact, you’re met with as much hostility as a Longhorns fan walking into a Sooners bar.
A few blocks away from Twin Fangs, I start getting the jitters. I’m going to go into an already dangerous situation and ask if the boogeyman exists. I’ll either be laughed out the door or I’ll have my shoulder dislocated again.
Where is Jude anyways? I’m not really in the mood for his games tonight. I know that he does it to make a heavy situation lighter, but I want to get this over with. It makes my cheeks flush in anger to think that he’s probably mucking around somewhere else. Or waiting to see how long until I crack without him.
I wish that Austin would change their smoking laws so I could light up. It could really help with the nerves. I’ve tried electronic cigarettes; it’s just not the same.
“Dammit, Jude,” I say under my breath. Once again, he’s probably hiding.
“Edie? What are you doing here?”
I freeze. It’s a voice that I’ve heard a million times before, one that’s whispered scandalous secrets about my first crush and gossiped about school. I’ve spent countless hours on the phone with it through the different phases of my life.
I turn around, dreading what comes next.
“Sam?”
My best friend is standing two yards away from me, dressed in a skintight skater dress with a skull pattern and heels. There’s a guy I don’t recognize on her arm and a small crowd of people behind her. I only know about half of them. Thankfully, Mike isn’t among them, or else I would lose all semblance of keeping it together.
As it is, they all look at me like I’m some sort of weird specimen to be dissected and examined. Probably because I’m walking around by myself looking slightly like death with a slightly bruised cheek, a hoodie on in May, and a tangled mass of hair.
“I thought you were at Jay’s tonight,” I say lamely. Out of all the places in Austin they could have gone to, they decided to go out tonight near a vampire bar?
Sam offers me a smile, but it’s a bit forced, like she’s regretting calling my attention. My heart shatters that much more in my chest.
“We decided to go out to dinner and then hit the bars after.” She hesitates and I see the question pass between her and the guy she’s with. They’re already that close? When did that happen? Her life has been moving forward without me for the first time in ten years. This is what I wanted. Right?
“Do you want to come with us?” Sam asks.
The dreaded question. My past self and my present self are en route for a collision that I can’t stop.
“I…can’t…” I say in a strangled voice. Every fiber of my being wants to, but I know that pushing her away, not getting too close is the only way she won’t get hurt, either as collateral damage from my own battles or from losing her friends.
Sam’s face falls, and I know that I’ve hurt her. I shouldn’t care, but I do.
“I see,” she says. “Well, uhm…”
“She’s meeting me for a date.”
I stifle a cringe when I feel the well-muscled arm drape around my shoulder, both a protective and a possessive gesture. Out of all the time to be pulling something like this… He must have been waiting for an opportunity to embarrass me. I’d been so caught off guard by Sam’s unexpected appearance, that I didn’t even notice my vampy sense ping.
Some Harker I am. Good thing Jude is a good guy (I think) or else I’d be dead.
“My name is Jude,” the vampire says, flashing them a fangless smile. “And you are?”
I can see it in the group, the change that happens at Jude’s arrival. Sam and the two other girls look a little starry-eyed at his appearance. The guys change their stances ever-so-slightly to look that much more intimidating. I know posturing when I see it.
Jude has that effect on people. He’s not even glamouring them and he has them in the palm of his hand.
“This is Sam,” I say, trying to shoulder myself out from underneath the weight of his arm. He squeezes it tighter and I’m stuck. He’s enjoying this.
“Ah, Sam,” he says, holding his hand out. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
He actually hasn’t. I’ve worked so hard to keep various aspects of my life separate; I’ve never mentioned her to him.
She takes his hand and he squeezes it back. “I…I…”
Jude rumbles a chuckle and kisses my forehead in a playful gesture that makes me squirm. I don’t want this, even if he’s trying to save me from the pain of pushing my friend away yet again with half-baked answers. Still, I close my eyes, inhale his scent, feel the closeness of him, and I can almost imagine he’s human.
Almost.
“Any other night, and we could definitely join you,” Jude explains. “But we have reservations. Didn’t you notice that I’m wearing something cute, Edie?”
To my utter horror, I already have. Dressed in a distressed pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that stretches too tight across his biceps, he looks good. It’s ludicrous, because I’m not wearing anything remotely sexy for a date, but the group nods in understanding.
“Okay. I’ll call you, Edie,” Sam says distractedly as the group continues their trek in the opposite direction. It’s not quite a goodbye, but not quite committed either. Probably the best outcome for now.
“You’re welcome,” Jude breathes in my ear, snapping me back to the present.
I reel out of Jude’s grasp, free of the others’ scrutiny. “For what? Coming up and making yourself look like you’re my current warm body?”
He raises an amused eyebrow. “Figured that text didn’t come from you.”
“Welcome to my cousin’s warped sense of humor,” I say dryly. “And I have to push Sam away. It’s too dangerous for her to be my friend. I don’t want her to get hurt.”
“She’s already hurting, Harker.”
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore. We should get going.”
“Why are we going?”
“I got some information,” I say. I see his hesitation, his sharp intake of breath. “What?”
“I got some more information too,” he says. “After you left Houston last night.”
“Oh.”
He actually seems nervous about this. “Tell me what yours is and why you want to go to Twin Fangs.”
“Have you heard of the Progenitor? I’m going to ask if anyone knows of his whereabouts.”
At my words he gets really still. At first, I think he’s trying to figure out what the Progenitor is. After all, he’s an amnesiac, and whatever initiation new vampires have with their masters is lost upon him. I know for a fact that the Progenitor is as much of a boogeyman to young vampires as he is to young hunters.
Then Jude bursts out laughing.
“What?” I ask, confused.
He runs a hand through his dar
k hair, rumbling a full belly laugh. I’ve known Jude for five months and I’ve known plenty of vampires before that, but I’ve never seen one laugh so hard before. He nearly has tears in his eyes.
He’s the weirdest vampire. That’s what makes him so different. In any other circumstance, his laughter would be welcome and genuine. Tonight, he’s only perplexing me more.
“What?” I ask again.
It takes him a little longer to compose himself. “We got the same information,” he says.
“H-how do you mean?”
“Last night, an old acquaintance sought me out when I got dinner.”
I blanch at that, not wanting to know if he did something I wouldn’t approve last night. Feeding is a very intimate act. For some reason, the thought of him with some drugged out floosy in his lap bothers me just as much as the thought of him drinking blood. I manage to hide my disdain. I think.
“He told me about some news he’s heard,” Jude continues. “About the Progenitor.”
“What about the Progenitor?”
“That Anthony is trying to find where he is.”
I blink. “That’s…more information than I got. A…friend…told me that I should find the Progenitor for a possible cure.”
“A cure? For…you?” He’s not hiding the hope in his voice.
I swallow thickly. “Maybe. I’m not sure.” I don’t want to get my hopes up. After so many dead ends, I can’t handle disappointment. “Then she had to leave.” I don’t want to mention seeing the ghost of my sister both in this plane and in the Void, and I can tell that Jude picks up on my reluctance.
Thankfully, he doesn’t push the matter. Instead, he gently says, “Every clue about the Progenitor’s whereabouts ends up only being a day or two cold. So Anthony is constantly following the Progenitor, but he’s too late. Meaning that if we can find the Progenitor, we can find Anthony.”
“I don’t know,” I say. “It all seems too convenient.”
“Why?”
“Because up until a few hours ago, I’d always believed that the Progenitor was a fairytale. It does seem too convenient. Too…easy. What if it’s a trap? Do you trust your source?”
He hesitates, which isn’t a good sign. “Do you trust yours?”
Yes.
“Usually, fairytales have some sort of basis in truth,” Jude says. “I mean, vampires are real.”
“So are vampire infections that eat you from the inside out.”
“We’ll try it,” he says. “Otherwise, I have no other leads at the moment. This story corroborates what your ‘friend’ told you earlier. And if there’s a cure…” He looks so handsome when he gets excited. “It’s worth a shot.”
I have only have a few more months left. I’m willing to try anything. I let out a breath.
“Okay,” I say. “Lead the way then.”
His face breaks into a brilliant smile and he holds out his arm for me to slip my own through the crook. I give him a skeptical look even though my insides are flipflopping from his grin.
“I’m wearing something cute,” he says again.
“I told you, my cousin sent that message.”
“I think you secretly like it.”
Dammit. No glamour and I’m still blushing like an idiot. I push past him, refusing to give in, and storm towards the direction of the bar. He follows with an exasperated sigh.
It’s going to be a long night.
12
Jude
Of course Edie doesn’t like the idea of waiting outside of the bar while I go in.
“Wait here,” I tell her again.
Her cheeks flush red, which makes her look cute. “What? I’m going in there. I’ve been in there plenty of times before.”
“To be a badass vampire hunter. Not for this. You shouldn’t be seen asking questions about the Progenitor or Anthony. It’s too dangerous.”
“Yeah, which means it’s just as dangerous for you.”
I can pretend like it’s concern for my own wellbeing because she feels the same way about me, but I’m not kidding myself. She only wants to be hands on with everything. I don’t want her to get herself killed. Not if I can help it.
She can take care of herself, but I still see the dark bags under her eyes and I know that she’s running on empty.
“Fifteen minutes,” I promise her.
“Then what?”
“We figure something else to do. It’s a bad idea if you go in there.”
She chews on her bottom lip and fuck if that isn’t doing something to my insides. She only does that when she’s primed and ready to stake a few vampires.
Finally, she relents.
“Fine,” she says grudgingly. “But if you’re not out in fifteen minutes, I’m coming in after you. And if you don’t get the information I want—”
“It’s obviously not the place to start.”
I leave her there, against my better judgment, but it’s better than taking her into a nest of vipers when everything is at such a fever pitch. A block away, she should be safe. A block away is far enough that no one can sense her.
The big bouncer at the door of Twin Fangs looks me up and down. “Jude?” he rumbles.
“Fred?” I ask in the same tone.
Fred’s a newish vampire who has unfortunately fallen into the dull eternal employment of being a bouncer for Twin Fangs. He looks brutish, but I instinctively know that he’s a pussy in a fight. He’s mainly there to keep unwitting humans from entering into a situation they know nothing about. He grumbles something and then steps aside, giving me access to the establishment within.
“Have a good night,” I say cheerily.
Fred glares at me.
No one notices me as I enter through the dimly lit bar, which is how I like it. Unlike the slick and modern Houston hive last night, the Twin Fangs is a laid back, hole-in-the-wall establishment and still very Austin despite the massive expansion in recent years and the different clientele. There are vampires holed up on beat-up couches with humans who are in their full faculties. That’s why I prefer this bar to the hives; there’s less skeevy shit going on here even though it’s far more rundown.
I stride up to the far end of the bar and take a seat. The bartender tonight is a heavily-tattooed, Danny Trejo-like human, which is surprising. His scowl shows that he isn’t one to be messed with. Vampires know better than to stiff him or give him shit. With so many others around here, we police ourselves.
“Jude,” he grunts in greeting.
I tilt my head. “Gabriel.”
“What’ll it be?”
“O Positive. Ninety-eight degrees.” I feel sick every time I order that. Like humans are livestock and I’m looking at the different cuts of meat. I wish there was the equivalent of vegetarians for vampires. I’d love to drink tomato juice or something else instead.
Gabriel waits. I stick a wad of bills on the counter. It ain’t cheap being a monster either. The bartender takes it and turns his back to me, going to the incubators to pull out a pint of warm, red blood.
I hate that my mouth is already watering.
“O Positive, body temp,” Gabriel says, thunking it down in front of me. “Enjoy.”
I sip it, feeling the coppery liquid coat my mouth and go down my throat. It’s not as fresh as what I had last night, but it’s better than taking it from a human. It’s more convenient, easy, and humane.
“You’ve always got the best shit, Gabriel.”
The bartender grunts in answer. “You’re wanting information again, aren’t you?” He leans into me. “The usual drill?”
“Yep,” I say, licking my mustache of red from my upper lip.
“I wish you’d try a different bar. You’re scaring off a lot of patrons with asking about this you-know-who stuff. It especially doesn’t help when those who talk or are associated with him either end up dead or missing.”
Edie’s doing. It’s not her fault if they refuse to help her. I’m sure they were dickwads anyways if they had
anything to do with Anthony.
I realize that he suspects that I’m in cahoots with her. Again, I’m glad that she didn’t come in. I make a mental note to be a bit more secretive about everything before I get myself staked.
“I’m asking about someone else,” I say casually. “I’m looking for the Progenitor.”
To my surprise, Gabriel bursts out laughing.
“Looks like you’ve heard of him,” I say.
“You don’t own a vampire bar and not know about the Progenitor, Fang Boy,” the bartender tells me. “You’re getting really desperate if you’re asking about him.”
“So you don’t think he’s real.”
“I’m saying that no one’s heard of his whereabouts for years now.” Gabriel wipes the counter down near me. “You’re looking for a phantom.”
“A lonely phantom, apparently, if no one has talked to or heard from him. Mind if I ask around?”
Gabriel chuckles mirthlessly again and nods his head. I take one last chug of my drink before getting up.
I get much the same reaction from everyone I ask around the bar. It’s times like these that I appreciate not knowing everyone in the vampire world. If a random person comes up and asks what kind of shoes lobsters wear, you don’t think much of it, but you’re willing to guess or brush them off and forget about. If you know the person, you’re more likely to ask questions. And questions are a bad thing.
Fifteen minutes pass, which means that I need to leave or else Edie is going to come in here and get herself killed. I’m about to turn around to head out when I see a maroon-haired vampire waving me over to her table. Long, lithe, with everything proportionate, she’d stand about my height when she stood up. I’d have to give up my dick if I didn’t notice that she is stunning.
“Jude, is it?” she asks, flashing me a set of sharp white fangs. She plays with a straw in a water glass in front of her while her other hand holds a Bloody Mary.
“Yeah, but you have me at a disadvantage,” I say.
“I have you at a great many disadvantages,” she says enigmatically. “We’ve been watching you and a certain…friend…for a while now.”
I manage to keep my composure at that revelation. “Quite a few disadvantages, then.”
Legends of the Damned: A Collection of Edgy Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels Page 29