Don't Kill Dinner (The Rules Trilogy)

by Martinez, Jennifer

  Chapter16

  I sauntered in the door to find the library finally vacant. I could smell Arthur training downstairs so that’s where I headed. I stopped halfway down the stairs and took in the view. He was obviously frustrated and trying to relieve that stress the same way I had tried. I could see he already busted one bag and had hung a second to keep going. Finally, I cleared my throat to get his attention. He jumped in alarm before grabbing his chest in a mocking tone.

  “Holy shit Kenna. When did you get so stealthy? You scared the crap out of me!” I just smiled coyly before finishing my descent down the stairs. “So what did everyone decide?” I asked as my hands trailed his chiseled stomach stopping for a rest at the top of his shorts. He grabbed my wrists and placed me behind the punching bag as he continued to hit and talk.

  “We decided we are sending out the sentinels. We need to find out who did this and quick. There can’t be any more deaths or things will be out of our control, one we can hide, but a massacre? Even humans aren’t that stupid.” I giggled as he worked out. His eyebrow cocked and he looked to my side of the bag to see me barely holding it. “How are you barely holding the bag? I am punching full force and its not moving.” I rolled my eyes before scoffing and replying “Its called channeling, doll. I channeled my anger of being treated like a fucking child into the strength to prove you wrong.”

  I could tell my statement hurt his feelings when his head dropped and his chin rested on his heaving chest. “Kenna,” he started looking at me with eyes filled with love and sorrow, “we can’t let you fight this. You were lucky with Destin, he was still a baby but if you were… if there was an adult… I couldn’t live with losing you. I made a promise and I will never break it. No matter what.”

  I felt a sheepish smile creep onto my face and pulled him into a strong hug. “You will never lose me Arthur. I am stronger than even you know,” I whispered into his ear before placing a light kiss on his earlobe. His head lifted up and our lips met crashing into each other filled with love, passion and fear. As my fingers began to entwine in his dark brown hair the door to the basement flew open and Timothy came running in panting, “Another body. They found, another body, on Tchoupitoulas. Fuck! We gotta go.” I rolled my eyes as Arthur grabbed my hand and said “Quick, lets change and get there.” A grin worthy of Christmas morning plastered my face and we sprinted to our room to change.

  Chapter17

  Within five minutes we arrived at the alley I had just left a few hours ago. I had hoped it would take at least six hours to find the body but with the sentinels out I guess I would have to be a little more careful. Ihrin wasn’t there but Aurel was. We walked through the glamour on the alley and it felt like spider webs were stuck to my entire body. I hated the feeling but understood the need for privacy.

  As I looked down on dragon lady, Aurel came up behind me and asked “Kenna, this is your first human death, what do you notice?” Knowing this was just another stupid test I kept my cool and replied, “No signs of a struggle so it wasn’t human. Skin is very pale, it looks like hypovolemic shock, she was probably drained. No neck wounds, suggesting it wasn’t a vamp or wolf. Chest is crushed.” Pause for dramatic effect, “ Fuck, it’s the Siren’s isn’t it? They are trying to use the humans against us.” I looked over my shoulder seeking Aurel’s approval. It’s nice to see the years of acting classes finally pay off, I thought to myself while searching his face for approval. “He patted me on the back and said proudly, “Good job, that’s exactly what it looks like. Once we find out just how much blood was drained we will be able to determine if it really was a Siren or if it was a frame job.”

  As the sentinels packed up the body for transport back to the coven morgue; Tim, Arthur, Aurel and I discussed what the two murders in twenty-four hours meant for the coven.

  While the seer looked at the body the four of us joined Ihrin in the strategy room. Two murders in twenty-four hours was not something to be taken lightly. As we all poured over the two crime scenes we realized something wasn’t right. There had to be a reason for the deaths. We couldn’t know for sure until we got the seers results back but we were pretty sure it was the Sirens trying to run the other groups out of New Orleans.

  An hour later the seers results came back inconclusive and she transported the body to the human morgue for the traditional autopsy. Turns out dragon lady wasn’t a human after all, well in the true sense. She was a griffin Halfling. It was dormant, she probably never knew it, but because of the magic they could not tell the true cause of death. This brought a whole new line of questioning to the group, were they targeting halflings. Four hours and countless heated discussions later we finally had a plan.

  Chapter18

  I had to lay low. Sentinels were everywhere and every vampire was all vigilante on the human killer. I was still super me but I couldn’t feel everything like I used to. Now instead of directed pinpricks from different people I felt a general hum. I did not like it and knew I was going to have to eat a good meal again soon. Arthur and I still fed together but I had to become detached so I wouldn’t go too far.

  He noticed the change in my eating habits and I assured him I was simply being careful, which, was not a lie. I though he may have suspected something but I was not about to spaz out on him. I still loved Arthur but I knew he wouldn’t understand that I was only killing bad people. I was like those two brothers from the Boondock Saints, killing evil and stupid people to make the world a better place.

  It took a few weeks but things finally started getting back to normal. Since no one had been killed in three weeks everyone came to the conclusion that it was just a nomad passing through town. Ihrin still had sentinels patrolling the city but not nearly as many as right after the killings. I was proving my worth and continued my training daily. I was back to normal now and I hated it. No more Super Kenna. After about two weeks I couldn’t feel the blood anymore. I did manage to maintain my new stealth but I blame that on a lot of practice. If Arthur was busy before now he was a mad man. He was required to note everything about the killings into the tomes for the coven. He was stressed and exhausted, I wish I could tell him I knew a way to make it all better but he was too old school. It was a secret I had to keep to myself even if it killed me.

  I tried spending as much time as possible with him knowing that it was the only way I could not kill some other puny human who deserved to die. I read, a lot. Finally I couldn’t take it any more. Arthur couldn’t entertain me because he was too busy documenting my killings and I couldn’t sit in the house anymore. I donned my gym clothes and told him I was going out for a run.

  I ran through some of the seedier parts of town in my black shorts and pink tank hoping someone would be stupid enough to try something. Two boroughs and five miles later someone finally tried to get fresh. I stopped to wait for a walk sign and the guy grabbed me by the wrist. I could smell the lust in the air and tried my best to fake scared. When I felt the cold metal of the gun on my back it took all my power to stifle the laugh. I guess he took my shaking to be fear instead of laughing because he whispered into my ear, “Don’t be scared little girl, do exactly what I say and I may let you walk away when I’m finished with you.” I simply nodded as he led me down the alley where he intended to rape and probably kill me.

  Once he had picked the perfect spot for his own death, he shoved me. Instead of falling to the ground, I simply turned around my eyes glowing and my fangs peeking out over my bottom lip. I watched the color drain from his face as he pointed the gun at my heart. I was behind him in an instant with his own gun now pointing at his back proving to him I was in charge. When I saw him start to shake I whispered in his ear, “Don’t be scared little boy, do exactly what I say and I will make your death… less painful.” I stepped back in disgust as his bladder emptied into the alleyway. None of the people I had drained so far were this pathetic but then again you could always count on a man to overcompensate.

  After my revulsion subsided I was facing him again.
I shoved him back into the wall and with his gun in hand told him to strip to his skivvies. Now trembling in fear wearing nothing but his fruit of the looms he would get a taste of what he had done to other women. I squeezed the gun in my fist as I stalked up to him. I dropped the now mangled waste of metal on the ground before I put a hand on either side of his head. I leaned in close and I could smell the intoxicating aromas of fear and distress mixed with the smell of his blood pumping through his body.

  I wanted to take him right there, end his life and leave. He was a foul and loathsome creature who was stealing precious air from the people who deserved it. As much as I wanted him dead he hadn’t suffered enough. I used my fang to nip his throat and start the slow trickle of blood down his surprisingly well maintained chest. I dabbed the wound with my index finger coating it in blood.

  As I sat there licking his life on my finger I said, “Obviously you are a pathetic coward and a rapist. What other skeletons do you have in your closet?” Through the sobs now escaping his throat he said, “nothing.” I growled as I slammed my hands into the wall “I hate liars!” I screamed in his face while bits of brick and mortar began to rain down on his half naked body, then more calmly said, “Now be honest or it will hurt more.”

  He finally came clean that he was a con man who stole money from old ladies and he killed someone in a robbery once but his friend got the wrap for it. That was all I needed to know.

  This man was the scum of the scum. I grabbed his blonde hair and yanked his head to the side with just enough force not to kill him and began drinking. It was an amazing feeling to be able to drink as I pleased and not have to worry about stopping. I savored his death. The power returned to my veins almost immediately as his life started to leave his body. He was fighting a losing battle. Once his life was truly mine I let him sink to the floor.

  I had plans for this guy. He wasn’t just mean. He was filthy, vile and disgusting. I still had to hide my trail so I closed my wounds and grabbed a piece of glass from the ground as I slit his throat open I rolled him to the side to get the right amount of blood out of the wound. I then wrote the words Rapist and Con into his chest with the tip of the glass just enough to scratch. I wasn’t a psycho after all, I couldn’t go carving the man up even if he did those things. I had morals. Once I was happy with my cover up I dragged him to the mouth of the alley for all to see and used my vamp speed to get me back to the quarter for a delicious cheeseburger. His evil and vile blood left a bad taste in my mouth even if it brought the power to my veins.

  Chapter19

  When I walked into the house I heard a strange noise from the den. I walked in to find Arthur sprawled out on the couch watching the news. I tried to bury my excitement of a job well done as I plopped down next to him and snuggled into his strong, perfect chest. “What happened?” I asked while looking into the amazing sapphire pools that were his eyes.

  “A human went crazy on some rapist, slit his throat and carved rapist and con into his chest,” he responded deep in thought.

  “Well good for them,” I replied. “If it’s true he deserved it and they deserve a medal.” He looked at me slightly shocked but more confused. After a minute he asked, “Do you really think he deserved to die in his underwear in an alley? What if they had he wrong guy? Is human life that trivial to you?” I could see where this was going and I had to put a stop to it quick. I grabbed his face and kissed him lightly before responding, “Of course not Arthur, but what if they got it right? What if he was a murdering rapist and a con man. What if he raped the killer’s girlfriend and left her for dead in that same alley. You know how flawed the justice system is. What if he came after me. You would have done the same thing.” As our foreheads touched I knew I had won that argument. We spent the rest of the evening cuddled on the couch watching Harry Potter before we finally headed up to bed.

  As I lay in bed in the arms of my best friend and lover I contemplated what I was doing. Going against the very rules I was meant to uphold and lying to my soul mate about it. Something we promised never to do. It had to be done though. No one else was going to take control of this city and maybe, just maybe, if the Sirens saw someone taking a forced hand on the city they would leave. Finally convinced that I was doing what was best for my coven and my city I fell into a restless sleep.

  Two days later I knew for sure I got away scott free with the rapist. It was a human vigilante and all of the families of his victims were being investigated. I wasn’t worried because all of them were innocent but I still felt bad they had to have their time wasted. Arthur was becoming his normal fun loving self and I was beyond happy to have him back. I loved him so much, I knew I could never live without him. We spent our days walking around the city and enjoying the sights and sounds. Our nights were spent enjoying each others company. I tried to keep my killings down to a minimum but it seemed that the effects were wearing off much quicker than before. Thankfully there was no lack of scum in the city.

  Out weekly strategy meetings with the coven were going well. The sirens were still a real threat and we had to do something. I was happy that I was still involved in the strategy part even if I still wasn’t on the list for the raid. Don’t get me wrong, I was still pissed but I was trying to look at the glass half full.

  After strategy, I would work with Aurel on my immunity to the siren song. I hadn’t lost to him yet but he had come close to getting me a time or two so I still had work to be done. I had to learn how to close off my mind. Apparently one of Aurel’s talents was the ability to break into the mind of any creature, making him extremely valuable to the coven.

  As the weeks past, the lessons and the strategies continued. It’s amazing how the mind and body work. I was stronger even without the blood. It took the entire two months before the raid but I was finally granted permission to join Arthur’s team. I had finally and gloriously repelled Aurel and entered his mind instead, thank you pedo I drained the night before. With our mental bond Arthur and I were able to communicate silently which would be a necessity for this mission.

  We sent sentinels in to scout the place the night before the raid. In the last two months the number of sirens had doubled to at least one hundred. It was even better for our plan. With the added numbers the mass mentality would reign and they would be easier to subdue and conquer. It still baffled me that they thought a large group of them could take over and thrive in a single city. They would kill everyone in no time and that was not going to happen on our watch.

  Chapter 20

  The morning of the raid there was a tangible excitement in the air at the Harrison house. As we donned our black Kevlar shirts and black cargo pants the excitement continued to grow. We were both jumpy with the anticipation of the raid. I slipped my sai into their holsters on my thigh and my dagger into its rightful place in my boots and we were ready to go.

  When we arrived at mission control we split into our groups and prepped for go. Arthur and I were on the roof squad. There were no fire escapes so we had to jump onto the roof. One stumble or hard landing and our location would be compromised. We reviewed the plan with all of the teams and grabbed the rest of our gear from the white van bearing the name “Heartfelt Condolences and Flowers.”

  I couldn’t think of a more perfect van for the mission. There are only two ways to kill a Siren; beheading it or stabbing it through the heart with bronze. The ground teams gathered their guns and bronze ammo while the roof squad all grabbed blades. I don’t care who you are, jumping thirty feet in the air with a semi-automatic gun strapped to your back never ended well, but a blade could travel the distance with minimum discomfort. I grabbed a pair of bronze katana from the back of the van and tested them out while we waited for the rest of the groups to get into position.

  Chapter 21

  The five teams were set. Arthur and I with the rest of the Roof squad would go in first. Once we broke the windows the ground teams would enter forcing the Sirens to the one remaining door that led to their imminent demise. Every
one was in their places and it was go time. The six members of the roof team made the leap to the gravel filled roof of the old warehouse. We silently walked to the windows in the center of the roof and waited for the signal from Saber, the ops guy.

  He gave us the final go ahead, we broke the windows and were on our way down. The sirens immediately started their song but we were all immune. The world slowed as I grabbed my katana blades from across my back and started killing the trespassers. It reminded me of the instant replay on Call of Duty, where all the killings move in slow motion and you get to see the fear on the faces of the dying. It didn’t take long for the Sirens to notice the other two teams converging on their pod and they made the run for the only unguarded door. As they ran we continued to take them out. The Kevlar shirts the roof team wore kept us safe from the rainbow of bronze bullets piercing the crowd and taking out the sirens. I continued to plow through the Sirens headed for the door with my katanas acting as extensions of my arms. I loved my blades and it showed when it came time to fight.

  Once the last siren made it through the door and into the grasp of the final two teams it was up to us to run a sweep of the building. I replaced my katanas behind my back and prepped my sai for any surprises. It took a little over an hour to run the sweep of the warehouse with the sixteen vampires from in breach teams. We found nothing unusual, which was unusual in and of itself. As the last of the breach teams left the warehouse I felt the pull. There was something in the warehouse, we just didn’t find it.