Arthur held out his arm and I laid mine on top of his. As our energies entwined, we became one and glided down the stairs into the crowd of vampires (and some humans) welcoming me to the “community.” I laughed at the unspoken knowledge of what was really going on and let it fuel my fun for the evening.
After a bout of dancing, dinner was served. It was a wonderful surf and turf with filet mignon and lobster tail. After dinner we continued dancing to the entrancing sound of the 40-piece orchestra and accompanying rock band. The entire evening felt like a scene from a movie. I was dancing with my Prince Charming in a beautiful gown surrounded by people congratulating me.
The party finally stopped when we saw the sun rising through the large windows in the ballroom. The four of us decided to walk to the Café before we went home for some breakfast. It was wonderful seeing my old friends from Café du Monde and as we sat in Arthur’s old table it seemed like my life could never get any better.
Chapter12
When we got home Timothy and Brittany went upstairs to sleep and Arthur and I changed into our gym clothes and met in the library. The party was over and it was time to get down to business. We had to find out which paranoms were trying to invade our city. Thirty books and six hours later Arthur and I finally had a place to start.
We had narrowed it down to species that would flourish in our wet city and then looked at who would be big enough and dumb enough to try and take over. When Brittany walked down the stairs with Timothy she had that “girl we so need to talk face” and so did Tim. Arthur and I looked at each other and agreed it was time for another girls day slash boys day.
Brittany and I donned our jean shorts and tank tops and headed out to Margaritaville for some tequila and burgers. The conversation was generic and typical until our first sip of Off to see the Lizard, my favorite margarita. She finally broke down and told me about her night. Her and Tim had danced and enjoyed the meal then he had asked her to take a walk around the grounds. On their walk he started getting into the nitty gritty about her life in Los Angeles. He wanted a relationship with her. As I fought to keep my anger in check she laughed and said, “Kenna, calm down. I actually like it here a lot and Tim is a great guy. I’m not gonna move in with him or anything but how do you feel about me moving to Nola? We could be together again like high school… with Tequila Tuesday!”
How the hell was I supposed to explain to her she couldn’t fall for a vampire! She would get old and die and he would forever be a twenty five year old. Not to mention they could never have children and with the threat of whoever they were, this city was not safe for her, anyone else sure, but Brittany was the sister I never had and I would always protect her like family.
Finally I replied, “I think it would be awesome to have you here but if you do decide to come you have to move here for you, not for Tim. He has a lot of secrets Brittany and I don’t want to have to hide his body if he breaks your heart.” She punched me in the arm and said with a wink, “It’s ok, I know just the swamp. I will think about it.” That was the end of that conversation, Thank God! We spent the rest of the afternoon like any two normal girls in NOLA, shopping!
When it was finally time for Brittany to go back to LA Timothy drove her to the airport and Arthur and I went straight to the basement. I needed to talk to Tim but until I did, Arthur would have to do. He told me what I needed to hear: that Tim really was in love with her, still hadn’t bitten her and wanted to try a real relationship. Apparently, he was jealous of what Arthur and I had, but then again who wouldn’t be. He said he had no intentions of turning her and that he would approach Ihrin for permission to include her into our world if she decided to move here. After these revelations, I was in dire need for a workout. When Tim came back to our house I was much calmer. I reiterated the fact that I would still rip his throat out if he hurt her and that he better make Arthur look like an evil boyfriend if he really wanted to be with Brittany.
We continued our research on the different species for a couple hours before we had narrowed it down to three, then it was time to scout. We scouted the wraith hangouts first. They usually hung out near hospitals and the seedier parts of town and they were easy to track. Nothing new was going on there and we heard no whispers about anything being afoot with them.
Next were the Weres. We headed over to the old Blacksmith Shoppe which was actually a bar now. The Weres loved hanging out there. Thankfully we had a few friends in the Were community who we talked to while we were eavesdropping. They had also heard of a new group arriving in the city and assured us it wasn’t them. They liked things the way they were and didn’t want someone else creeping in on our home. With the wolves as our new allies we were onto the last group, the Sirens.
Sirens were evil. They preyed on everyone. They don’t care if you are good or evil and they are all about consumption. We need your blood to live but not all of it. Sirens took everything. Sucked your soul right out of your body. They were ferocious warriors and had the ability to turn anyone into their play toys. They liked being near the water so we headed for the docks.
Older vampires were able to resist the Siren’s song but young ones like me hadn’t mastered that skill yet. As the guys headed down the docks I decided to stop for a snack. About half way through my meal I felt someone watching me. I finished feeding and sent him home knowing something was lurking in the shadows. I turned around and scanned the area for who or what was staring at me. I could smell their scent. It smelled like cedar and cloves. It was yummy and I was smart enough to know the yummier the smell the worse the creature. I decided it was time for me to head back towards the quarter and the scent followed.
I made three left turns and a right and then I was sure I was still being followed by my mystery creature and I was not going to play rat in a maze anymore… I made one more turn to get the wind blowing the right direction and once I had zeroed in on my prey, I pounced. My fangs stretched out of my gums and my eyes glowed as I grabbed the sexy man who had been following me by the throat. I had the element of surprise and took the time to take a whiff and make sure he was the creature I was after. He was, but I still didn’t know what he was. Finally, the swirls crawled up his neck confirming that he was a Siren.
I used our mental bond to reach out and tell Arthur I caught one, knowing I’d pay for it later. He was young, no older than fifty, and still very inexperienced. I felt him try to capture me with his song but I was easily able to block him. “Why are you following me?” I asked with a hiss. He replied with a cocky grin “I like my food to fight.” As I tightened my grip around his throat I whispered in his ear “I am no body’s food.”
Arthur and Tim arrived just in time. I had never wanted to kill anything so bad. How dare he think he could overpower and kill me. As I let the boys take over the interrogation, I started picking at my nails trying to figure out why they would be dumb enough to send a baby out on their own.
Sirens were able to reproduce naturally but their offspring didn’t develop their powers until they were fourty. They stopped aging before then and started working on their seduction before the actual need for essence became a requirement. This kid, who was apparently named Destin, was only fifty three. He still didn’t have full control over his powers but was apparently well bred because he was able to give us some information before we had to kill him.
Ok, I say we, but Arthur did the deed. I had never killed anyone and I hoped I never would. I respected life but understood that Destin needed to disappear and now that he knew the vampires were onto them he would go right back to their leader.
Chapter13
After we took care of business so to say, we went straight to Ihrin with what we learned. Once inside the compound we went to the strategies room. This room was very different from the Throne room. It had glossy black marble floors and a long cherry wood table in the center that was littered with maps and books. We obviously weren’t the only ones looking for the group threatening our home, but we were the first ones to figu
re out who it was.
As we stood around the table, Arthur told Ihrin about our research and the footwork we had done with the Wraiths and Weres before we decided to check on the sirens. He told her what they had found on their search before coming to interrogate Destin. What Destin had said was frightening to say the least. The sirens had scouted the city and wanted to take it over and eradicate the vampires. They were still amassing a following in the city but they planned to take every last one of us out.
This was not going to end well for them. You do not become the number one paranormal species by playing nice. We all talked about the best plan of attack and which members of the coven should go on the mission. This was a dangerous mission and only the best warriors were suited to attack their pod before they hit us. This was the moment I had been waiting for. It was my turn to protect the coven that gave me a new lease on life.
I knew quite a bit about strategy from my work with Arthur so I stepped in to help. The building the sirens were using had three main entrances and roof access if we sent in three teams we could corral the Sirens out the remaining door and lead the ambush into an environment more suited for us. Ihrin and Arthur loved the idea and started assigning teams, Arthur took team one: the roof squad, Aurel got control of team two, Gavril would be leading team three, Radu had four and Nicu took team five.
WHAT? I was the new Grande Viclean Razboinic and I didn’t get to lead a team. It was my idea to begin with. I thought I would be on Arthur’s team to learn more, ok, I didn’t like it but I got it. Nope! After the teams had been given their members I was still standing at the table completely dumbfounded. Trying hard not to lose my temper, I looked at Ihrin and asked, “What about me? Which team am I on?” Ihrin looked to Arthur who walked up to me and put his hand on my arm and said, “Sorry Kenna, its too dangerous. You haven’t built up an immunity to the Siren’s song yet. Going in there would do more harm than good.” I tried to control myself but I could feel my eyes beginning to glow.
With a low growl, I replied “Did you forget who caught him? Or how about that I am the new Grande? Don’t tell me I can’t do something because there is nothing, I repeat NOTHING I cannot do. How dare you Arthur, I thought you knew me.” I stormed out of the compound with a feeling I have never felt before.
I was so angry I could kill someone. As I stalked through the city trying to calm down nothing worked. I was still angry. I could feel the power from my anger flowing through my body like electricity. I had spent enough of my life being told I couldn’t do something. I was not going to spend my eternity being with someone who had the same ideas.
Chapter14
I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and much calmer. I didn’t remember how I got home but I assumed it was because of the amount of anger that had been coursing through my veins. I walked downstairs in my PJs for some coffee and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Ihrin, Aurel, Tim and Arthur deep in conversation in the library. Trying to get over what happened the day before, I walked in to see why the Sef was in our house.
When I walked in, the room got silent. “What’s up?” I asked like a perky cheerleader, “It looks like someone died.” Arthur stood up, grabbed my shoulders and let his hands slide down my bare arms until he was holding my hands when he finally said “Yes, someone did.”
I was shocked, all the air was stolen from my body. “Who would kill a vampire?” I asked in a hoarse whisper, the only noise I could make.
“It’s much worse than that,” Ihrin stood as she spoke “it was a human.”
Now I really lost it. Who would have the audacity to kill a human! What was to gain? “We have to find whoever was responsible. They need to pay. Do we know who did it?” Now I was pacing like a caged animal. If this was another group what could we really do? If it was a vampire the punishment is death, no questions asked. “We aren’t sure yet.” Tim answered, “It was a neck bite which leads us to believe vampire but it was savage, like a dog with rabies. It happened by Loyola and no groups have laid claim yet. I have a group already looking into who might have done it. We also have a group taking care of the cover up.”
I looked around at the group ready to jump in and prove my worth. “So what do you need me to do?” I asked. Aurel responded this time “We’ve got it covered, don’t worry about it.” I let out an obvious sign of indignation and stalked out of the room.
Chapter15
When I went back up to my room I saw a text from Becca. She had had a rough week and wanted some girls time. I could definitely use it too so we decided to meet up for a couple drinks.
In true New Orleans fashion, Coops Place was well used. I could smell the remnants of hurricane Katrina mixed with the sweet smell of barley and hops. When Becca arrived we exchanged the normal pleasantries and a brief rundown of everything before getting into the nitty gritty. As soon as she started talking about the woman we affectionately referred to as the dragon lady I could feel her pulse quicken.
It was unusual that I could actually feel a heartbeat in the air. I took a second and started noticing other things around me, I could feel everyone's heart beat. If I concentrated I could even separate each heartbeat from each person. I didn't know where this power was coming from and I knew something had changed. I was snapped back into reality when Becca asked me if I was okay. I replied “Yeah, sorry. Just had a shitty day of my own.”
We talked about our days and how the dragon lady had rudely called her out without knowing the whole story at work and all of the fun things we would love to do to her. I could tell that Becca was unhappy but she refused to leave her job because she did not want it to look bad on the friend who had helped her get it. A few hours later we finally decided that it was time to leave the bar. We walked around town for a little bit and stopped at the café for some pralines before going our separate ways.
When I got home everyone was still there and I was not in the mood to deal with being told that I still couldn't do something. I decided to go down to the basement for a workout, punching the bag felt amazing. The coarse material on my knuckles made my heart sing. It felt so good to feel the pain.
After a while I noticed I was getting even more worked up being down there and decided to go for a run. Knowing that I could run forever, I decided to take the long trek. I ran down the main street to the lower ninth Ward and back up through Metarie before coming around to Tchoupitoulas. When I arrived back in the quarter, I took a water break. I looked over my shoulder and who did I see, the dragon lady.
I was still amped up from my conversation with Becca and knew that this lady was up to no good. I walked up behind her and lightly tapped her shoulder. I explained to her that I knew someone she worked with and that they needed her help. As I led her down the alley I could feel her fear mounting, it tasted like sautéed garlic in the air and I couldn't wait to pin her down and take what was rightfully mine. Once we finally got out of public view I heard her heart rate increase when she realized we were alone.
I turned around slowly looking over my shoulder before I smiled and said, “So I hear you’re a raging bitch on wheels. What do you have to say for yourself?” Her fight or flight response kicked in and I could smell the stink of fear permeating the air like a poison. After a few incoherent mumbles she screamed. My arm reached out and my hand enfolded her throat stopping the scream as soon as it started. I pushed her against the wall and politely explained to her that she would not scream again because if she did I would slice open her throat and rip out her vocal cords.
With her body stuck against the wall, I informed her that I knew all of the things she was saying. I knew how she was targeting employees and bullying them, how she was talking to the owners about things that didn’t concern her and slandering good honest employees. As the color drained from her face I could feel her blood calling to me like the song of the Sirens I should be hunting. It begged to be taken from her unworthy body. There was enough paranom scum in this world, the last thing humans needed was their own to be aga
inst them as well.
I was not breaking the rules, I was saving the people I loved. As my fangs elongated and pierced my lower lip, I glared at her and whispered into her ear “Didn’t your mother ever teach you if you can’t say anything nice, just die?” A small whimper escaped her lips and I finally gave in to my carnal urges.
I grabbed her hair and pulled her neck to the side. I eyeballed her throbbing jugular and gave her fear soaked blood one last whiff before I sunk my fangs into her throat. The instant her blood crashed into my mouth I could feel the euphoria I had felt this morning returning to my veins. It was me, I killed that human last night. That is why I could feel people’s life forces, because I had taken one. I became drunk with the power I now possessed and growled as I continued to suck every last ounce of that bitches blood out of her body. She hurt my friend and no one hurts someone I love and lives to tell about it. I had already gotten away with a murder once I could do it again. With my new powers I could prove once and for all that I was meant to be in this fight and that I would do whatever it took to succeed. In the last seconds of her life I could feel her soul escape and her last breath collapse out of her exhausted lungs.
The sizzle started in the base of my skull and travelled all the way down to my toes. I was one with my city, saving it from maliciousness. I was a modern day Robin Hood, ridding the rude so the kind could flourish. My senses were more heightened than I ever thought possible. Now time to hide the body. I licked the holes on her neck to remove my mark before crushing her chest, the true sign of a Siren’s kiss. Pleased with my work I left her hidden, more or less, behind the dumpster and finished my run. Not only had the blood heightened my senses but I could not wait to get home and lay claim to my man.
Don't Kill Dinner (The Rules Trilogy) Page 5