Marked (Shadow City Book 1)

by C M Blackwood

  “These are star-blades,” Sonya said, pointing to a collection of what looked like hooked throwing stars. “I designed a little leather pouch with individual dividers to keep them in that attaches to the belt. They’re designed to pierce through to the heart. And these,” she indicated lengths of grey, tough-looking material, “are silver nooses. They wrap like rope around the neck, tightening until the head is removed.”

  “Nice,” I said in genuine admiration.

  “Neither of those would be much good to you,” she went on, “because you’d have to have a vampire’s speed and strength to use them properly. But these. These are a whole different story.”

  She gestured to the guns. There was an assortment of pistols and rifles, all different sizes and styles.

  “I designed most of these myself,” she said, her voice a little proud. And damn it – she should have been. These were gorgeous weapons. I could’ve put a skirt on one of ‘em and taken it out to dinner.

  “Really?” I said, making sure it was clear that I was impressed. “You’ve got a lot of talent.”

  “Thanks,” she said with a grin. “It’s a hobby and – well, it’s kind of an obsession. Guess I’m just gun-crazy.”

  “Nothing wrong with that,” I said with a knowing smirk.

  “I figured you’d get it,” she said, laughing a little. She pulled down one of the pistols and passed it to me. It was a lot bigger than a normal pistol, bulky and heavy. But I’d have no trouble operating it.

  “The size is due to the unusual shape of the round,” she told me. She provided one of the projectiles for my scrutiny, passing it over to me. Its body was thick, longer than a normal bullet, and its head was triangular in shape, consisting of three metal prongs. It was kind of like a miniature arrow.

  You’d better watch your ass, Robin Hood. Dani Ford was coming to Sherwood Forest – and she was packing heat.

  “The prongs are intended to keep the victim from digging the round loose,” Sonya said. “Once it’s embedded in the heart – it’s goodnight, sweet prince.”

  “Epic,” I remarked. “I freaking love it.”

  “I hoped you would,” Sonya said. “It’s bad enough that you’re stuck down here with four vampires you barely know. And, to sweeten the pot – I’ve even got a shooting range in the back.”

  “Oh my gosh,” I said in a high-pitched sing-song voice. “You sooooo just made my night.”

  She laughed, then took down one of the rifles and a box of magazines. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go shoot.”

  Damn straight, let’s go shoot! The boys could keep their stupid stinky football. I wanted to annihilate something.

  Chapter 9

  There were two for-real bedrooms in the warehouse, and one belonged to Risa. The other was Sonya’s. Jed and Dirk slept on roll-out cots, and Morgan crashed on the couch. Judging by the heavy smell of pot that hung in the air when Sonya and I came back from the range, I figured the guy could have slept anywhere and been comfortable.

  Sonya showed me to Risa’s room, which had a little bathroom attached to it. She gave me a toothbrush (a very normal thing to do, I thought – you know, for a vampire) and said goodnight. Then she shut the door, and I was alone.

  I would have liked a drink before I tried to sleep, but I hadn’t wanted to ask and look like an alcoholic or something. So I just brushed my teeth and looked around for something to wear to bed. It wasn’t all that hard, because right on the bed, I found a crumpled Nirvana T-shirt that smelled like Risa. I closed my eyes and held it against my face, inhaling her scent like a hungry wolf. I’d never thought I could miss someone this much. My heart was almost sore.

  I stripped off my clothes, and I was about to put the shirt on, but then I realized that I hadn’t showered in a while. I was starting to feel a little scuzzy, and there was a bathroom right there. So I set the T-shirt down like a holy sacrament, then went into the bathroom and turned on the hot water in the shower.

  Damn, it felt so good against my tired muscles and joints. I leaned my shoulder against the wall, letting the water beat down on the top of my head and run all down my body. I had a tightness at my center, like a pulled-back rubber band or a tautly-wound ball of string. It was a feeling I got often, a feeling I sated by going to clubs and picking up strangers.

  I was horny. I was really flipping horny, and the tension was building in my core. Shooting that cool gun of Sonya’s might have had something to do with it.

  Okay, okay, so I probably seem like a total weirdo, getting turned on by some freaky gun that shoots little arrows. The truth is, I get horny a lot, and I have a massive list of triggers. Alcohol, loud music, the sight of other people getting it on. I have an overactive sex drive, and I’m not all that proud of it. It’s just the way I’m wired.

  I clutched the soft, wet skin of my inner thigh, kneading the flesh there. I needed release. I needed to be free of this overpowering tension.

  My fingers drifted higher, ever so slightly tickling the lips of my sex. I wanted – I wanted so badly – to slide them inside.

  But there was something I wanted more. I wanted the next person who touched me to be Risa. Not myself.

  I let out a desperate groan of frustration, twisting the dial to turn off the shower head. I dried off quickly, then went back into the bedroom and smelled Risa’s T-shirt again. It helped to calm me.

  I put on the shirt and got into bed, pulling down one of the pillows to hold in my arms, hoping it would smell like her, too. And oh, God, it did. It smelled just like her. I closed my eyes and buried my face in it, wishing she was the one in my arms, and not some stupid fucking pillow.

  I’m here.

  I clutched the pillow more tightly. Her voice. In my head. Just like last night at the club.

  I’m always with you, she whispered. I felt her cool lips against mine, and I shivered with pleasure. You’re never alone.

  I felt her fingers in my hair, and the tension at my center began to ease. I felt her lips again, on my mouth, on my forehead, on both my cheeks. Sleep now, she said. I won’t be far.

  I took a deep breath, trying to relax. I knew it would be a while before I fell asleep, but at least I’d heard her voice. At least I’d felt her kiss.

  ***

  The next morning, we were surprised by an unexpected guest. We’d figured that Risa would bring any allies she gathered with her when she returned, but this person she sent on ahead of her. And we soon learned the reason why.

  The new arrival knocked on the metal door of the tunnel, and Sonya looked at it with a bewildered expression, drawing her gun and approaching it stealthily.

  “Backup,” she said.

  Dirk followed along behind her, wearing a fierce look. He might have been a complete asshole, but it was kinda starting to look like he was a good homie to have around when it came time to throw down.

  Sonya stopped in front of the door, and Dirk pulled up just behind her, looking ready for anything.

  “Who’s there?” Sonya asked loudly.

  “Michelle of the Third Coven,” a young woman’s voice replied. “Risa asked for my help.”

  Sonya gave a visible sigh of relief, lowering her gun to open the door. “Michelle,” she said welcomingly. “It’s been ages.”

  “Hi, Sonya,” the young woman said, stepping into the warehouse. She was a little taller than Sonya, with straight brown hair that hung down her back, and she was very pretty. She had a reservation about her, a quiet shyness that was kind of endearing. And I think you know by now – I don’t really find anything endearing.

  “Why did you come alone?” Sonya asked. “Where’s Risa?”

  The very question I’d been asking myself frantically from my place near the TV with Morgan and Jed. I kept expecting Risa to walk in behind Michelle, and I was practically biting my nails with anxiety.

  “She’s still searching for allies,” Michelle answered. “I’m the only one who’s agreed so far.”

  Everyone’s eyes widened in
shock. We’d all certainly been hoping for better, and this kid had just stuck a nice sharp pin in our metaphorical balloon. I might have been pissed with her if she hadn’t been so damned sweet.

  “Well,” Morgan said lightly, taking a drag off his joint and blowing smoke into the air. “Ain’t that a peach.”

  Jed rolled his eyes, pinching his temples with his middle finger and thumb. It was more than obvious that Morgan bugged the hell out of him. I wondered how he’d gone this long without ripping the guy’s head off.

  It was probably the Death Metal. They say it’s therapeutic.

  “You know the crew,” Sonya said to Michelle, “but we do have a newbie to introduce you to. Come on over here, Dani.”

  I got out of my chair and walked across the warehouse to meet the others. Michelle smiled sheepishly at me, and I smiled back. “Hi,” I said to her. “Name’s Dani Ford.”

  “It’s good to meet you,” Michelle replied. “Risa told me all about you.”

  “Did she, now?” I asked, my smile growing wider. I couldn’t help it – it made me feel good to know Risa had told Michelle about me. To know that I mattered enough to her to tell other people about.

  But then again, I was the reason Serenity wanted her dead. It would have been kind of difficult to tell the story without dropping my name once or twice. This thought deflated my pride just a bit, though I tried not to let it show.

  “I heard only good things, I swear,” Michelle went on, her eyes twinkling with perfect innocence. God, this girl was a gem. She’d make the perfect host of a Saturday morning kids’ show.

  “Michelle is quite an interesting member of our community,” Sonya told me. “She’s a shifter – and I bet you twenty bucks you’ll never guess what her animal is.”

  “Whoa!” I said in surprise. “Vampires can shapeshift? I thought shifters were separate. You know – werewolves versus vamps and all that.”

  “Haven’t you ever read Dracula?” Dirk asked with a wry grin. “He turned into a bat.”

  Sonya chuckled. “Yeah – which is essentially useless. Come on, Dani, really. Try to guess what Michelle is.”

  Michelle laughed, shoving her hands into her jeans’ pockets. “You’re embarrassing me, Sonya,” she said.

  “Oh, psshht,” Sonya returned with a playful smile. “Guess, Dani.”

  “All right,” I said. “I’ll bite. I’m guessing not a wolf, ‘cause that’s way too obvious. I don’t really know anything about this sort of thing . . . but I’ve heard of werebears.” I grinned slyly at our newly arrived guest. “Are you a werebear, Michelle?”

  The shy young woman laughed again. “No,” she answered, her eyes twinkling in a perfectly adorable fashion. “I’m a vampire.”

  “Well,” I said, “that guy in Maleficent turned into a crow. Can you turn into a crow?”

  Another twinkle. “Nope.”

  I held up my hands in surrender. “I give up. I knew I wouldn’t get it. What can you turn into?”

  She leaned towards me and held up a hand in front of her mouth, feigning secrecy. “I’m a tiger,” she mock-whispered.

  “No fucking way!” I practically shouted. The classy lady I am not.

  Dirk snorted with laughter, and Sonya smirked. Michelle showed that bashful smile that was growing very familiar, nodding at me. “Yep,” she said simply.

  “You should see her in tiger form,” Sonya said, her eyes drifting almost involuntarily towards Michelle. “She’s gorgeous.”

  “Oh, hush up,” Michelle said with a little smile, peeking into Sonya’s face.

  Oh my gosh. These two had a thing for each other. It was so freaking adorable.

  “So you’re a tiger,” I said, trying to keep the grin off my lips. I didn’t know if anyone else realized that Sonya and Michelle were crushing on each other – probably not, since they were all guys – but I didn’t want to let the cat out of the bag.

  Ha ha. Cat out of the bag. Since Michelle was a tiger . . . Okay, bad joke. I’ve been known to make a few.

  “Can I see?” I asked shamelessly. It would be undeniably epic to watch a vampire transform into a tiger in front of my puny little human eyes. It would also make me forget how much I was missing Risa. Would make me forget the soreness in my heart. The ache in my loins, longing for her touch like a street junkie craves her fix. Because, for the first time in my life – not just any touch would do. It had to be Risa. It had to be her. Because I was falling in love . . .

  Well, fuck. Let’s not pretend. I’d already fallen. I was in love with Risa – and I was longing for her to come back to me. So it seemed pretty cool to occupy myself with watching a tiger shapeshifter transform.

  Michelle grinned meekly. I’d put her on the spot, and she was feeling the heat. But it also looked like she was going to try and stand up to the fire.

  “Soooo,” she drawled in a voice that was strangely seductive for her overtly self-effacing nature. I saw her eyes flick towards Sonya, and I beamed inwardly. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes. You guys are going to have to watch me get naked.”

  “No complaints on my end,” Sonya replied in a low voice. She was gazing at Michelle as if she were hungry for something. And I was pretty sure I knew what it was.

  Good grief. These two needed a private room – and they needed it pronto.

  Comical thoughts were quickly banished from my mind, however, when Michelle began to strip right in front of us. All of it. All of her clothes. Gone. Vanished. Nothing left but a shapely female with a pretty face and deep Bambi eyes.

  And you know what? It did absolutely nothing for me. This went against everything I had ever been, everything I had ever known about myself – but I still didn’t want anyone but Risa. This woman was stunning, she was gorgeous and ravishing in every way, you could have eaten her with a spoon . . . but not me. Maybe Sonya, though . . .

  Michelle stood there in front of us, and I had absolutely no idea what the hell I was about to see. I was excited, though, like a kid when you bring her to the circus for the first time. They had tigers there, too – but I had a feeling those jokers didn’t have anything on what was gonna go down here.

  Michelle took a deep breath, and all the muscles in her body began to shimmer and ripple. I could hear the sound of them sliding and taking new forms; the sound of bones breaking and regrouping. I wondered if it hurt, and in that moment, I was super glad that I was just a puny human and not an awesome vampire shifter.

  The whole process only took several seconds. In a few blinks, Michelle stood before us, far above Dirk’s waist in height, probably about four hundred pounds of supremely beautiful jungle cat. Her colors were so vivid: lustrous, pearly white and deep, rich black. Her eyes were a shining, vibrant blue that I imagined glowing in the dark.

  “That is so diesel,” Dirk remarked with a big grin.

  “Damn straight,” I agreed, looking at Michelle in admiration.

  It was nothing compared to the way Sonya was looking at her, though. Again, I knew that I was the only one who noticed, but her expression was filled with intense emotion as she watched Michelle. Michelle glanced up at her, and when their eyes met, I felt the spark. Wow. Somebody pass the popcorn. We could make reality TV out of this stuff.

  Michelle looked lazily around the warehouse, towards Morgan and Jed in the ghetto “living room” in the middle of the place to see if they were watching her. Of course they were. Who’d rather watch stupid TV than a magnificent quarter-ton tiger? She rolled her head with a nonchalant gesture, but then went completely still. And she roared.

  It shook the entire building, and I shivered from my head to my toes. It was a wild, primal sound, ancient and bestial. I felt like I was deep in some thick green rainforest, slicing my way through with a machete searching for buried treasure or something.

  “That is one cool cat,” Morgan observed with a chuckle, clearly impressed.

  Everyone seemed to agree – except for Jed. He was staring at Michelle nervously, eyeing her teeth wit
h a healthy measure of trepidation. Apparently, he wasn’t feeling the rainforest vibes. He seemed to be feeling more along the lines of “Is that tiger going to try to eat me if I piss her off?”-type vibes. Which I guess was a fair question. She did have really big teeth.

  ***

  After witnessing Michelle’s super-cool transformation from hot chick to tiger, I remembered that I’d forgotten to call Kent. I hadn’t seen or spoken with him since the day before yesterday, and he was probably close to having a panic attack. So I made getting in touch with him my first priority.

  He picked up on the first ring. “Goddamn it, girl!” he practically shouted. “Where in the hell have you been?”

  “Weeellll,” I drawled lightly, “that’s kind of a long story. I just wanted to let you know I’m all right. I’m following a lead on the case, and I’m going to be underground for a while.”

  I chuckled inwardly at this little pun.

  “That’s it?” he asked in disbelief. “That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

  I knew that this really sucked for him. Believe me, I wanted to tell him more. After all, he was my bro. But most of this information wasn’t mine to share. I couldn’t just go around telling people that I was hanging out with a bunch of vampires at some secret location that no one was supposed to know about, hiding from the leader of the city’s undead who wanted one of her own genuinely dead. Besides – would he even believe me? Kent was a pretty straightforward, no-nonsense guy. He’d laughed out loud at the SC Vamps’ gang name. So honestly, I didn’t think he’d react well to all this, anyway.

  “That’s all I can tell you,” I answered truthfully. “You’re just going to have to trust me, man. When have I ever bullshitted you?”

  He sighed unhappily. He clearly wasn’t digging this situation. “Never,” he answered reluctantly. “You’ve never bullshitted me, Dani.”

  “All right, then,” I said. “So you can believe me when I say I’m not bullshitting you now. I’d never lie to you, Kent. This is for the best – and I’ll meet up with you as soon as I can. Just sit tight till then.”