“See why I don’t want to be roommates with Noel?”
Dante veered over to the couch and sunk into a sofa cushion, eyes on mine. “I can’t picture you with that guy. You’re so sweet and he looks like riffraff.”
“Riffraff?” I repeated and laughed. “I guess you could say that. We went out right after my accident. I suppose I was feeling dark at the time.”
Dante nodded as though that made perfect sense. But it was more than that. Going out with Fane hadn’t been an act of rebellion so much as a grasp at sanity. He’d been my beacon of light during a dark time. Salvation came in the most unlikely guise.
But Dante didn’t need to know that.
“Did you two ever…”
“No!” I exclaimed before Dante could finish his sentence. “We only went out for a couple weeks.”
Dante grinned. “That’s my girl—make ’em wait. I almost forgot that you’re a virgin.”
“I’m not a virgin.”
“Oh, really,” Dante said, smiling wider.
“No, now how about that ride to school?”
Dante patted the cushion beside him. “Or we could play hooky.”
“Not on my first day.” I frowned.
Sometimes, I felt like Dante didn’t see me at all—like I was just a concept inside his head. I knew he cared about me, but it would be nice if he took life a little more seriously.
Fane cared about me, too, and even when he screwed up, I did believe it was for some greater purpose—at least in his mind.
Why did he have to show up at the doorstep now? Why did he have to show up at all?
If he’d wanted to try and make amends he should have tried six months ago.
Oh right, he had… before my mom sent him packing.
Didn’t matter. I’d gone to boot camp to bury the past and reinvent myself. Life was an open road with only one direction. Forward.
6
Extra Credit
Most courses at UAA followed a Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday schedule, which left me with Fridays off and the house all to myself… in theory.
That first Friday, I didn’t turn up the stereo and dance around the house, nor did I draw myself a nice warm bubble bath in the Jacuzzi, or even spread my books over the dining table and get a head start on my assignments.
I invited Valerie Ward over.
We’d kept in touch by text, and she was also enrolled at UAA, but this was the first I’d seen her since we parted ways in the Juneau airport.
She arrived in cutoff jean shorts and a tank top, pushing her sunglasses over her head after I let her inside. Without so much as a hello, Valerie made her way through the kitchen and dining room, flip flops slapping against the back of her heels.
“Is this your place?” she demanded.
Yeah, I invited you here. I caught up to her in the living room, where she spun around taking everything in. Her eyes landed on me. She frowned. “You suck!”
“Where do you live?”
“With one of the unit’s staffers.” Valerie scowled. “I was supposed to move in with a real roommate, but then I took off. Back on probation.” She sighed. Her face lit up a second later. “But now I have a place to hang out. Make me a copy of your key. It will be perfect. I can come over and study during the long gaps I have between classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.” She eyed the couch. “Beats the hell out of the library.”
I chewed on my lower lip.
“What’s the problem?” Valerie demanded.
The problem was I had to think a moment. If Valerie suddenly started hanging out, I’d be the one stuck studying at the library just to have some peace and quiet. And what if, god forbid, Fane showed up again?
“If I gave you a key, what’s to stop you from bringing guys over all the time?”
I could see it now, Valerie’s after school brothel, no silver bats to prevent me from walking in on the flavor of the week—or worse,flavors.
“The only guy I’d invite over is Gavin,” Valerie said.
Sure, invite a vampire over into a house full of informants and assassins. At least she’d moved on from Fane.
“You’re still with Gavin?” I asked.
Valerie’s spine straightened. “I am capable of a long term relationship. I was with Fane for almost five months before you came along. All-time record. Almost made it to our half year anniversary until you turned all morbid and moody and put on your doomsday show. Fane’s a sucker for the macabre.”
“Well, I’m not with him now,” I said tersely.
Remind me why I had invited the vixen over? Oh, right. The matter of Jared—Melcher’s unorthodox recruiter. Vampire. Murderer. The man responsible for bringing Valerie and me to the brink of death and turning us into government slaves.
Time to cut to the chase.
“Where’s Jared?”
Valerie leaned back against the kitchen counter, grinning. “I offed him while you were at your extended sleepover. Kidding. The leech has gone into hiding.”
“You haven’t seen him at all?”
“Not since I shot him in Sitka. This is your fault by the way. You should have finished him off when you had the chance or let me do it.”
“I had no idea who he really was.”
Valerie sniffed. “Doesn’t matter. He tried to kill us… a second time.”
He wasn’t much of a recruiter if his habit was to take down team members less than a year after forcing them into service. Something told me Jared had little regard for life. People were his playthings, and when they didn’t do what he wanted, he either forced their hand or wiped them out completely. He killed his own family for deserting him in Paris.
Like it was their fault he murdered people, got caught, and thrown in prison.
If only he’d stayed behind bars, or better yet, gone the way of the guillotine. Off with his head! I wouldn’t have any blood on my hands and would be blissfully in the dark about vampires.
Blaming me for anything to do with Jared wasn’t very cool, either.
“Sorry,” I said, not masking the aggravation in my voice. “I’m still new to the whole killing thing.”
Hey, I was human. Hesitating to murder a person, even an undead one, counted as a strength in my opinion.
Valerie drummed her nails on the counter before responding. “Now that you’ve been through boot camp, I can only hope you’re ready to take action.”
“I’m ready. I just don’t know how we find Jared.”
“All in good time,” Valerie said.
All in good time? Who was this redhead standing beside me? Valerie was not the patient type. It worried me just a little.
“And in the meantime?”
“Stick to the routine,” Valerie said. “Play the part. Don’t give Melcher any reason to be suspicious.”
“I haven’t seen Melcher yet.” And I had to say, I didn’t miss him. That was one perk of boot camp. No spur-of-the-moment missions and no Melcher.
“You will. He wants me, you, and Dante in on these Tastings.”
And there it was. Right back into the field. Active duty. Welcome home, Agent Sky!
I suppressed a sigh.
“How’d your interview with Diederick go?”
“It didn’t. Melcher called it off.” Valerie pulled at a loose string fraying from her cutoff jeans.
“Why?” I asked.
“Before the interview, I found out that Diederick required a blood sample. He tests for AB positive and negative blood—vampire blood. The guy doesn’t want any vampires or potential vampires working as wine girls.”
“Why not?”
Valerie shrugged. “I don’t know. They don’t like the aftertaste of our blood or something. I never knew there was such a thing as a picky blood sucker until now.”
I thought briefly of what Noel and Fane had said about testing her blood. Maybe there was something to that after all.
“What’s the plan?” I asked
“Melcher will go over it this weeke
nd with us. Dante got himself signed up as a vampire client.” Valerie snorted. “Dante a vampire… and I’m the Virgin Mary.”
I frowned. “Melcher hasn’t mentioned a meeting to me. How come he told you?”
“Because we’ve been in contact. You were gone for six months. Or have you forgotten?” Valerie’s phone chimed. She glanced at the screen, let out an exasperated breath, and pushed away from the counter.
“Gotta run.”
I followed her to the door.
Valerie paused in the entryway, staring at her phone before dropping it inside her purse.
“Stage three clinger,” she said with an eye roll.
“Who? Gavin?”
“Big time.” Valerie tossed her hair back. “He enrolled at UAA just to be near me. Speaking of… you should make two keys. One for me and one for Gavin.”
“Gavin can’t come over here.”
I wasn’t cold-hearted enough to do that to Noel.
“Why not?” Valerie demanded, her face changing from smug to scowl instantly.
“Noel lives here, too.”
That ought to be explanation enough. Noel would hate seeing Valerie around even more than Gavin. Too bad. Valerie and I might not have been friends, but we were teammates, and there were times when people simply had to rise above personality disorders.
Valerie’s lips formed a pout. “Melcher let Noel Harper live here?”
“Yeah, she was here first. I didn’t know until I moved in.” Much as I didn’t enjoy hearing from Melcher, a little heads up from time to time would be nice.
“Well, isn’t that just peachy? One never-ending slumber party. How do you spend your Friday nights? Taking quizzes and painting your nails, rocking out to Justin Bieber?” Valerie huffed.
Was it my imagination, or did Valerie sound jealous?
“I just moved in,” I said. “This is only my second Friday night.”
That earned me a full on glare right before Valerie turned on her heel and yanked open the door. “Well, don’t expect me to come by with my slippers. I have a life.” With that, she strutted down the driveway, flip flops slapping the pavement in her wake.
Valerie hadn’t been kidding about Melcher calling us in.
Dante picked me up Saturday afternoon, fifteen minutes before the appointed meeting.
“Did Melcher find a replacement for Agent Crist?” I asked as Dante zoomed towards the base.
As the light at the intersection ahead turned yellow, Dante punched the gas. My body jolted backward. I reached for the side of the door, fingers searching for something to grip. Now this was more like old times. Far less frightening on dry pavement.
“Not yet, but hopefully soon. He needs someone to counterbalance him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Now he has to play both good cop and bad cop. You’ll see.”
Valerie arrived at the meeting first. She always seemed to be there first, which surprised me. The vixen didn’t strike me as a kiss up. She could probably use the extra brownie points after wigging out in Sitka and jumping the first plane to the lower forty-eight. Then again, maybe it would help if she didn’t argue with Melcher.
The two of them were bickering over his desk when Dante and I walked in. Valerie jammed a finger in my direction.
“Aurora and Noel get their own place even though I have seniority.”
“We’ve already been over this,” Melcher said through clenched teeth. “For now you’re staying with Kennick.”
His cheeks flushed as his voice rose. Maybe Dante had a point.
“But I have to drive clear across town to get on campus,” Valerie whined.
“Enough!” Melcher bellowed.
Valerie plopped into the chair in front of his desk, arms folded, frowning. While Melcher’s attention was elsewhere, Dante shot me a quick “told you so” smirk.
“Hello, Dante. Aurora,” Melcher said, barely looking at us as he sat at his desk.
Though I’d been expecting more of a welcome, I didn’t mind the brush off. I didn’t need Melcher’s congratulations or mumbo jumbo about my value to the team. And maybe I’d hold off on complaining about my current roommate, at least until Crist’s replacement started. I never thought I’d miss the sour-faced woman.
I took the seat beside Valerie. Dante leaned against the wall.
Melcher placed his hands on his desk. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?” He narrowed his eyes at Valerie. “Although we had a big win last February with the death of Crist’s killer, Andre Morrel, we’re now dealing with something far worse. Tastings.” Melcher’s nose wrinkled as though swallowing stale milk.
I was more disgusted by Melcher and Jared’s conspiracy. So they were still pinning Crist’s death on Jared’s scapegoat, Andre.
Melcher cleared his throat. “Thanks to Dante and Noel, we are now aware of these exclusive tasting parties for vampires willing to pay top dollar to drink from girls who imbibe on wine.”
“Bottoms up,” Dante said.
“The way you like them,” Valerie said with a smirk.
That only made Dante’s grin widen.
Melcher took a moment to glare at both of them. Silence settled over the office. He cleared his throat and continued.
“Originally I hoped to instate Miss Ward as an undercover wine girl to report on what’s happening behind closed doors and who is going behind them. But Diederick’s screening process includes a blood sample, and he doesn’t allow anyone with AB negative or positive blood to work the private rooms.”
“Could we switch the samples?” Dante asked.
“He takes a direct sample,” Melcher said.
Valerie turned in her chair to look at Dante. “You do remember this is a vampire we’re dealing with, right? What do you think he’s going to do, allow applicants to bring in their own vial of personally labeled blood?”
“What’s wrong with AB blood?” I cut in.
Melcher clasped his hands together. “The infected aren’t fond of the aftertaste.”
I could still hear Marcus’ words after he bit me.
You taste like death.
Yet another important tidbit Melcher kept from us.
“How can you ask informants to get within biting distance of vampires if their blood is going to turn their subjects off?” I asked, waving a hand at Valerie.
She arched a brow at Melcher. “Yeah, what’s the deal, Melcher?”
How’s that for turning the tables? I kind of liked this gang up on Melcher scenario. His jaw tightened and lids lowered. Melcher leaned forward.
“Not all vampires are as particular as others, especially not the newer ones. They might not notice for several decades.”
“Fane wasn’t a new vampire!” Valerie cried. “You told me yourself, he’s been around almost as long as the Mona Lisa. Plenty of time to taste a difference in my blood.”
I forced myself to sit still and look neutral at the mention of Fane’s name. I whispered a silent prayer that Dante wouldn’t connect the name Fane with Francesco.
Valerie’s elbows were bent, palms pressed against the chair’s armrests as though preparing to launch herself at Melcher.
“Do you know what Fane thought the first time he bit me?” she demanded. “He thought I was a vampire!”
Dante snorted and leaned away from the wall. “Sounds real bright, this vamp you dated. Love the name. Totally inconspicuous.”
I pulled on the edge of my shirt collar, frowning. Was it getting hot in here?
Valerie glared at Dante. “Fane would crush you, grind you, and drink you for breakfast, little boy. He’s not trying to be inconspicuous. That’s how big his balls are.”
Definitely too hot.
Melcher slapped his desk suddenly, startling us all. “Enough of that! Need I remind all of you that you work for an elite division of the United States government?” His back straightened, stiff as a pole, expression as grave as a flag at half-mast. “The work we do here is of the highest importan
ce, and I expect you to take it seriously.”
Valerie slouched in her seat. Dante leaned back against the wall. The room quieted.
“Yes, Miss Ward,” Melcher continued. “We were aware of the possibility that vampires might detect your blood type.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” Valerie said under her breath, grumbling.
“Most of the infected know little about their condition. Those who have managed to piece together the connection between blood type and vampirism likely know it requires a deadly disease to complete the process.”
I wondered what would happen if I didn’t have the antidote. Would I experience a sudden change? Cravings for blood… Well, already had those, but maybe it would be worse. It wasn’t as if I’d have super strength or be able to fly. Vampirism was overrated, except maybe the part about eternal life. Not much of a super power if you asked me.
“Ours is an ever-evolving battle,” Melcher said. “We do everything in our power to stay one step ahead of the enemy, but we cannot prevent them from figuring things out as time passes. Statistically, most vampires will have never tasted AB negative or positive blood since less than one percent of the population has this type. Others who have been around long enough, unfortunately, are aware that a person with this blood type is either a vampire or has the potential to turn into a vampire.”
“Why not kill these vampires if they know so much?” Dante asked.
My heart dropped. No matter what happened, I’d sooner stop breathing than let Fane die.
“No,” Melcher said, surprising me. “They’re far more valuable to me alive. We’ve already lost track of dozens of vampires since Marcus’ departure.”
Well, excuse me! Why did everyone act like I’d taken down the pope?
“Diederick has vast connections to the underworld. For now, we need him to coax his underlings out of the shadows.”
King of the underworld. I doubted Diederick would be very happy if he knew our agency kept tabs on him in the interest of offing his so-called underlings.
“But we are getting off topic,” Melcher said. “Dante secured a place on Diederick’s VIP list when he attended one of these parties in Fairbanks last winter. We have paid his ticket for an all rooms access pass. He will be going undercover as a vampire.”
Bad Blood (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Vol. 3) Page 7