Always the Vampire

by Nancy Haddock

  “You’re certain this mad wizard isn’t after us?”

  I sidestepped again and instead steered her toward the living room. “If he were after you, we’d have a sign by now, but I’ll take more precautions. I know a sorceress who is going to spell you and Neil, and this property, and the entire neighborhood with enough protection to deflect a bomb.”

  “Really?”

  “I swear. I’ll die before I let you or Neil be harmed.”

  “Well, don’t go that far or I’m out my maid of honor.” She patted my cheek in a motherly gesture. “Go on back to bed, Cesca. I’ll be home the rest of the day, so I’ll keep an eye out for trouble.”

  “No diva client today?”

  “She canceled. Besides, I want to hunt for the Listers’ RSVP.”

  We hugged, and Maggie opened the front door. Then at the threshold, she turned and titled her head at me.

  “A sorceress?”

  I smiled. “Yep.”

  “You do know the most interesting people.”

  I watched her cross the yard to her own back door, bracing for the mound of guilt that should heap on my head at any moment. Yes, I’d hated ducking her questions about potential danger, but, really, what did I know for certain about Starrack? Not very frickin’ much, because why would he go after the homeless couple with Maggie and Neil at home and handy? Wouldn’t they have been easier targets?

  Sure they would have been, if Starrack was watching me. And he had to have been spying on me last night to connect me with the homeless couple. A realization that made my stomach clench so hard, I was glad I hadn’t had my daily shot of Starbloods yet.

  As little sleep as I’d had, I should’ve been a zombie. I wasn’t. The odd, cooling energy that had infused me an hour ago still flowed like a river current, strong and steady. The sensation puzzled me, but I’d examine it later.

  I couldn’t talk to Saber right now, but I could take control of my next steps. Change out of the terry cover-up, place calls, and make lists.

  Minutes later, wearing shorts and a bra-top cami, I grabbed a note pad and pen from my desk, the cordless phone from the coffee table, and marched into the kitchen. Snowball crept from her carrier and meowed at her empty bowl.

  Okay, one detour to feed the cat. Then another when I smelled something funky in the laundry room. Snowball’s doing? No. I sniffed the air and wrinkled my nose at the faint odor of eau de mildew. Damn. With Saber living here, it seemed I always had clothes and sheets and towels to wash. I must’ve run a load that never made it to the dryer. I opened the washer lid to confirm my suspicion. Geez, how many days had this load languished in laundry limbo? If I couldn’t recall, it was too long.

  Well, hell. A woman who couldn’t do her laundry from start to finish couldn’t kick butt. I would not be that woman.

  I set the washer to run through another entire cycle, and set the egg timer so I wouldn’t forget again.

  My next order of business, phone Lia about increasing the protection spells, and hope the wards didn’t block the call.

  She answered on the second ring, and I launched into my questions.

  “Have you talked with Saber or Triton today?”

  “Cesca. You are awake.”

  “Lia, the guys. Have to talked to them?”

  “Twice. We found a strong trace of Starrack this morning, and I called Saber with the location at nine thirty.”

  “The bodies at the Alligator Farm.”

  “Yes, Saber called back to confirm that, but how did you—” I felt Lia in my head, seeing my thoughts. “Oh, Cesca, I’m sorry.”

  “Your spell didn’t show Starrack at my cottage?”

  “Merde, no. I would have alerted Saber immediately.”

  I bit back a sigh and forged on. “Listen, Lia, I don’t know what else you have in your magical arsenal but I need it. Can you lay a mondo protection spell on Maggie and Neil?”

  “And on your neighbors and friends. I’ll start right away, and Cosmil will help. We’ve already covered Lynn’s foster mother and roommates. And all of us, of course.”

  “How is Lynn?”

  “She could rest more, but she is well enough.”

  “Well enough to move her if we can find a safe place?”

  “I believe so.”

  “Then I’ll talk with the guys. Keep the locator spell running.”

  “Done. We must also continue training tonight.”

  “I’ll be there after my ghost tour. And, Lia, we need that sketch of Starrack pronto.”

  “You’ll have it.”

  I broke the connection and tapped my pen on the pad while I organized my thoughts. Jim Balch’s questions had crystallized how lost we were when it came to Starrack. We didn’t know what motivated him, where he was hiding, or what he might do next. So what facts did we have?

  First, the Void was real. A thought form brought to a zombielike state of being, according to Cosmil. Whether the oily fog was the Void itself or its residue, it was terrifyingly tangible.

  Second, Cosmil was 99 percent certain that Starrack had created the Void. Why he’d done it, what he was accomplishing, those details were blank.

  Third, Starrack was spying on me—maybe on all of us—and he was nipping at our heels. Cosmil had been injured in the Veil. Triton had been assaulted at his apartment. Lynn had taken ill after she’d hooked up with Triton. And now four humans were dead for no good reason.

  Bottom line, we were floundering like mullet on the beach. Time to find facts and formulate a plan.

  In cop shows and mystery novels, the good guys investigate suspects by looking at phone, financial, and employment records. They look at family and known associates. They visit locations where suspects hang out. I doubted there was a wizard’s bar and grill that Starrack haunted, and maybe he didn’t leave a paper trail of bills or bank statements or income tax payments. But had anyone looked?

  I jotted questions to ask Saber and Cosmil, and Lia, too. The COA had to keep records, however archaic they might be. Presuming that Starrack was behind the magical bomb that had hit their headquarters, it was in their best interest to help us, and perhaps Lia could use her clout. For that matter, we hadn’t grilled Cosmil about Starrack’s younger years when the brothers had been in touch, and we hadn’t pinned Lia down about her dealings with the mad wizard. Any little tidbit of information, any old habit they remembered might lead to a real clue.

  Next on my list was the question of where to stash Lynn. My little voice offered the same suggestion it had last night, so I turned it over in my head. There were gaps in the plan, hulking whale-sized holes, to be honest. Then again, nothing ventured. It just might work.

  I rummaged in my closet to find a certain business card then snagged the phone book off my desk. The first call ended up being easy. The second? Let’s just say I’d done some heavy hinting and abject begging to get a meeting. Closing the deal might be riskier than playing tag with a shark, but I was pretty sure I knew what buttons to push.

  Selling the idea to Saber and Triton, and to Lynn herself, would be another hurdle, but one challenge at a time.

  Saber came in the cottage door at two forty-five, just as I’d finished putting my laundry away. He didn’t sneak in, but obviously made the effort to be quiet. So he wouldn’t wake me, I supposed.

  He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw me at the bedroom door.

  “Hey, you’re up.”

  Don’t you love it when men have a good grasp of the obvious?

  “Yes, dear, I’ve been awake for a while, and I heard you had some excitement this morning.”

  Guilt flashed across his face, deepening worry lines I hadn’t noticed yesterday.

  “You know about the bodies dumped at the Alligator Farm?”

  “In the parking lot. I do. Detective Jim Balch was here.”

  “To verify my alibi?”

  “No, to interview me about the bodies dumped on my porch.”

  “What?” He had me in his arms in an in
stant. “Are you all right?”

  I held him tightly, took comfort in his warmth, and breathed his unique Saber scent. And my heart broke all over again.

  “They were barely more than teens, Saber, and they’re dead.”

  “Who, honey?”

  “The homeless couple I met last night.”

  “The ones you fed?”

  I nodded against his chest. “I couldn’t tell Jim their names, so I don’t know if they’ll be identified.”

  “I’m so sorry, Cesca. When did this happen?”

  “The alarm went off about noon.”

  “Balch didn’t say a word to me.”

  “I asked Jim not to tell you. He said you were at the station.”

  “Yeah, but Triton and I left at one thirty. I would’ve come right home if I’d known.”

  “Jim said the department will see the murders as the work of a serial killer.”

  “What did you say when he questioned you?”

  “I confirmed what you told him. That the murders are connected to a case you’re working, and that the killer is a supernatural being. I didn’t say what kind. It was just too hard to explain.”

  We stood there, clinging to each other for long minutes. Saber sent waves of sympathy to me, and I sent them on to the spirits of the dead.

  When Snowball interrupted our moment with a plaintive meow, I eased out of Saber’s arms.

  “Go get her a treat. We’ll talk in the kitchen.”

  He shot me a wary glance but went for the treat box, then took a new catnip toy from the cabinet. I folded my hands over my notepad and waited for him to sit.

  “First, have you pumped Cosmil for information about Starrack?”

  “Asked, yes. Pumped, no. Did their spell pick up Starrack here?”

  “No, just at the Alligator Farm, but these murders have upped the stakes. It’s one thing if Starrack used those criminals to attack Triton, then tied up the lose ends by killing them. It’s plain pathological to kill those homeless people for no reason.”

  “You were with them, which means he was watching you.”

  “I’ve already tumbled to that, but I don’t think he’s constantly tailing us.”

  “Why not?”

  “Partly a gut feeling, partly because shadowing all of us would be work. The man Lia and Cosmil have described is basically lazy. He could’ve learned I was on the tour schedule with a simple phone call and decided to check me out.”

  “And then decided to kill those kids?”

  The rhetorical question made me shudder. “Do you think Cosmil’s compound is still secure?”

  “I think if Starrack wanted to hit it and had the ability to break through the wards, he would.”

  “So he could attack us directly at any time.”

  “Except that Cosmil and Lia have protection spells on us.”

  “Still, we’re putting out fires instead of making progress. I’m over it. We need to investigate Starrack in the mundane way. You found Lynn after all.”

  “Because she had a driver’s license and had been arrested.”

  “Understood, but the COA must have records of some kind, even if they’re on scrolls. And Cosmil is a blood relative, for heaven’s sake. He has to remember some details about Starrack’s likes, dislikes, habits. Interview him as you would a witness. Lia, too.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Good. Interview both of them together. Maybe they’ll spark each other’s memories. We can’t have less to go on than we do now.”

  “Agreed. It’s also critical to find a safe place for Lynn to stay until this is over. I considered asking Candy Crushman, but sending Lynn to Atlanta doesn’t make good logistical sense.”

  “I have an idea that might work, and I’ve already put out feelers to the people who’d be involved in helping us.”

  “You put out feelers. On your own.”

  He wasn’t wild about me taking the initiative. I caught that undercurrent in his measured tone, but that cool sensation spread through me and I stood my ground.

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Want to enlighten me?”

  Just as I opened my mouth, the doorbell rang three times in quick succession. Then the knocking started. Make that pounding.

  “Hey, vampire, I know you’re in there. Open up.”

  Great gull droppings. Victor Gorman was on my doorstep.

  EIGHTEEN

  “What the hell is Gorman doing here?”

  Saber thrust his chair back so fast that it crashed to the floor. His fierce expression alarmed me, but the subtle darkening of his skin made my stomach churn with dread. Triton’s skin hue had changed when the Void sickness had flared.

  I did what my gut told me. I rose slowly, laid a hand on his chest, and imagined waves of calm, peaceful energy passing from me to him.

  “Honey, it’s okay. Gorman is part of my idea for protecting Lynn.”

  “You want to stick her with him? Are you insane?”

  “Probably, but he’s not a sure thing yet. Just follow my lead. Please.”

  Saber’s anger downshifted a notch. I felt the difference as I brushed a kiss on his rigid jaw and left the kitchen. He stomped behind me to the living room, not happy but not murderous, either.

  The bell rang again. I braced myself and opened the door to Gorman’s perpetual jalapeno breath. In his signature black-ops-wannabe outfit, he glanced from me to Saber with a ferocious scowl.

  “Is this a trap?”

  His gravelly voice grated, but I put on a smile.

  “Now how can it be a trap, Gorman? We set this meeting for tonight. After my ghost tour.”

  “Yeah, well, I figured that might be a trap, too.”

  I didn’t roll my eyes, but boy, I wanted to. Maybe I was insane to try this plan with a blockhead like Gorman, but I couldn’t turn him away now. Crazier ideas had worked, so I motioned him inside. He gave me a suspicious glare but edged past me into the living area.

  “Won’t you have a seat while I explain?”

  He looked like he’d rather be attacked by a swarm of mutant sand fleas, but he lowered himself into the armchair closest to the door. Saber hesitated then threw himself into the matching chair, arms folded across his chest, scowl on his face. He might not help me, but maybe he wouldn’t hinder me, either.

  I settled on the sofa, madly reconstructing the points of persuasion I’d listed on my notepad.

  “As I told you on the phone, we have a situation. A young woman is in mortal danger, and you’re the only person who can keep her safe.”

  Gorman’s ice blue eyes narrowed. “Danger from what?”

  I leaned forward, as if eager to spill state secrets.

  “From a rogue vampire. The nut job has already attacked her once.”

  “What’s the perp’s name?”

  “Name?” My gaze ping-ponged around the room, seeking inspiration. Then I spotted my book in progress on the end table. “Hess. His name is Hess.”

  “Never heard of ’im. This chick ain’t one of them blood bunnies, is she?”

  “Oh, no, not even close. She’s an innocent, but Hess is hounding her. He won’t leave her alone.”

  “Son of a bitch wants to Turn her, huh?”

  “Exactly. Saber is tracking him, but he’s hard to catch.”

  Gorman’s gaze swung to Saber’s stony expression then back to me. “You sure this chick ain’t jailbait? You ain’t gonna trick me into committin’ no crime.”

  Like he needed any help in that department. I bit my tongue and forged on. “She’s of age, and you’d only need to protect her during the day.”

  “Wait. If this dude is a vampire, why ain’t she safe in the day?”

  “Minions.” I blurted, but the lie seemed to take hold in his tiny mind. “The vampire has human minions, but I know they won’t get past you.”

  “Damn straight they won’t.” Gorman’s barrel chest puffed out. “I can take care of her day and night.”

  “Not at night.
It may take Saber a week to find this vamp. You won’t be effective if you don’t sleep, so I’ve arranged for vampire guards at night. Two Marines who were Turned against their will. They work for the VPA.”

  “Shit in a bucket, you gotta be kiddin’ me. I ain’t lettin’ any blood suckers in my house.”

  “They won’t guard her at your place, Gorman. They’ll pick her up when it’s full dark and take her to another location, then bring her back before dawn. You just send her out the door, and they’ll take care of the rest. You won’t have to see or speak to them.”

  “But they’ll know my name and where to frickin’ find me.”

  “We’ll give you a code name,” I improvised. “Tell them it’s just another safe house.”

  “I dunno.”

  I ground my teeth and reached for patience to continue the charade.

  “Please, Gorman. You’re our only hope to keep this girl safe. And did I mention we’ll compensate you?”

  Dollar signs instantly danced in his eyes.

  “How much?”

  “Fifteen a day,” Saber said out of the blue.

  I shot him a glance, struggling to keep a straight face at his sudden leap into the conversation.

  “Gov’ment has to pay better’n that. Make it thirty.”

  “Twenty.”

  “Twenty-five, and money for her board. Girl’s gotta eat, right?”

  Saber raised a brow at me. “Is that agreeable to you, Cesca?”

  “I’m sure we can get the VPA to approve the funds,” I replied, then eyed Gorman. “Do we have a deal?”

  “Not so fast,” Gorman said, still eyeing Saber. “I’ll need my weapons back. The ones you arranged to have confiscated.”

  Saber snorted. “The ones you’ve already replaced on the sly?”

  Gorman reddened and would’ve blustered his way out of the accusation, but thought better of it. Instead, he said, “Then you hafta okay me usin’ deadly force if it comes to that.”

  Saber gave him flat cop eyes. “Don’t let it come to that.”