by Nina Walker
“Well, the sun’s not up yet,” the third guy continues in his levelheaded way. “We can place those stakes later because whoever sired that vampire is probably close by.”
I thought I was afraid before, but now the consequences of my actions creep over my skin like tiny spiders as I realize what I’ve done. Killing a vampire isn’t just killing a vampire. It’s not one and done, and be done with it. Vamps don’t work like that. They’re connected. They feel each other through their blood bonds and are ruthlessly protective of their creepy little families. The woman I just obliterated hadn’t become a vampire all on her own, someone had chosen her, had fed on her, offered their own blood, and then had buried her. This was all planned. Maybe she woke up early, maybe she woke up late, but either way, whoever made her would be coming back. And that someone might not be pleased to find me standing over her ashes with a bloody stake in my fist.
“We’re leaving.” I point the silver tip toward Felix. “And you’re riding back in my car.”
“You mean Ayla’s car?” he quips.
“Felix!”
He shrugs. “Fine, but I don’t have to answer your questions.”
Oh, he knows me so well.
I raise an eyebrow at the boy I grew up with who is apparently someone else entirely. I’d be on the verge of laughing if I wasn’t so freaked out. “Umm––you can answer all my questions, and you will answer all my questions.”
He smirks. How can he smirk at a time like this? “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”
Chapter 6
“Give me the keys,” Felix says, sliding into the driver’s seat. I’m a little too shaken up to drive after having just killed a vampire and all, so I have no problem passing over Ayla’s keys. I retrieve a hoodie from her backseat and put it on, slipping the stake into the front pocket, and then get in the front seat.
“What do you want to know?” His voice is strained.
“How about everything?”
He nods once but his mouth turns down. “Well, I’m sworn to secrecy on most of it.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve already figured out you’re a vampire hunter. What group are you with?” There’s several that have been talked about over the years, each trying to prove they’re better than the last.
His lips twist. “I can’t say.”
“So that’s how it is, huh?”
“We’re all under twenty-five if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Yeah, I sort of guessed that considering your buddies look about your age, but that wasn’t what I asked.”
“It’s not a group you would have heard of.”
I lean back against the heated leather seat and sigh. “Now I’m even more curious.”
Maybe it’s good that I haven’t heard of them considering most of the hunter groups I have heard of only came to light after everyone in them had been killed. Vampires live openly in society and have rights now, which means you can’t just hunt them down without repercussions, especially when the world leaders and everyday people can be easily compelled. Yeah, we have treaties in place, compulsion was made illegal, and we live our human lives with a semblance of normalcy, but at the end of the day, the vampires have the most power and everyone knows it.
When we turn right and the guys driving Felix’s black SUV turn left, I have to ask where we are going.
“I’m taking you home,” Felix deadpans. “Obviously.”
That doesn’t sit well with me. I wanted to know more, not to go home. Even though I was still shaken up, my mind was also whirling with opportunity.
“Take me to your leader,” I say.
“E.T. phone home?” Felix rolls his eyes. He’s trying to make me laugh and lighten the tension. He can be aloof at times, but he’s not a broody person and knows how to crack a good joke; however, right now, I don’t want to hear it.
“No, I’m serious, Felix,” I continue, passion sparking like a firework. “I want to be a vampire hunter, too.” It makes the most sense for me to pursue this. I hate vampires. I want to help humans. Win-win.
The car grows quiet as he flexes white-knuckled fingers over the steering wheel. “That’s not a good idea, Eva.”
“It’s a brilliant idea!”
“Why?”
“Why?”
“Yes, why on earth would you want to hunt something so dangerous? Most of us end up dead.”
Okay, that was pretty rich coming from him. “Obviously, I’m willing to risk my life if it means getting rid of the vampires. I hate them. I hate them more than you could ever understand.”
“Oh, I think I could understand.”
I wonder what the vamps ever did to Felix. His family is so perfect and have managed to stay far away from the suckers. Not like me. “So why do you hunt them? You know I have to ask.”
He goes still. “Nope. It’s personal.”
“You’re really not going to tell me?”
He sighs, “Maybe someday, I don’t know. Please, just drop it. Drop the whole thing. It’s a bad idea. You have too much going for you to get caught up in this shit.”
“Says the guy going to Tulane. You already know I graduated high school with no prospect of college. I thought maybe I’d go into law enforcement, but one trip to the police station . . . you know those guys are useless when it comes to vampires, right?”
He chuckles darkly. “I do know.”
“Right. The cop gave our claim over to the Vampire Enforcement Coalition, which is literally run by vampires. What a load of crap.”
“What claim?”
I wave him off and continue, “Nonsense to do with my mom, what else?”
His jaw tenses and his face turns into an unreadable mask.
“I need something meaningful to do with my life, Felix. You saw how fast I ran tonight, right? I did track forever, so I’m in shape. And I was good with the stake. I got that one on the first try, didn’t I?”
“You did,” he grumbles.
“So who do I need to talk to about recruitment?” I don’t think I’ve ever spoken so openly with Felix, but my entire body is thrumming with electric excitement right now and I can’t stop myself from going for this new opportunity.
“Eva, listen to me.” His voice is tight. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Well, they’ll train me. I’ll learn some fighting skills or something.”
“It’s too dangerous,” he repeats, this time emphasizing each word harshly. He turns to glower at me. “Do you have a death wish?”
“Hello pot, meet kettle,” I growl. “I’m already in danger. I killed a brand spankin’ new vampire sired by someone who’s not going to be happy about what I did. What if they can trace it back to me?”
“They can’t.”
“Don’t be so sure. Not to mention, are you ready to hear why I went to the police station to file a claim with the VEC?”
“Okay, why?”
I can tell he’s growing annoyed with me, but I can’t stop myself from pressing this. Now that I’ve killed one blood sucker, I need to kill another. They’re evil, vile, horrible, and need to go. I don’t care if it’s illegal and dangerous and maybe even a lot stupid because I could be part of something important. For the first time in ages, I actually feel like I’ve found some direction in my life. “Yesterday the casino messed with my mom and took way too much blood,” I confess.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” And he means it. Felix knows all about my mother’s vice. It seems like the adults have vices in one way or another, though I still haven’t figured out what his wholesome parents are up to in their free time. I’m pretty sure they’ve eluded the vampires all together. It’s not impossible, it’s not easy, but if anyone can do it it’s the Moreno family. Ayla and Felix’s grandparents fled Cuba to immigrate here and have worked dang hard to get to where they are today. They’ve since retired, and Mr. and Mrs. Moreno now run the furniture and interior design shop. Ayla plans to go to school for design so she can take over for her mom one day. Felix i
s doing business administration for the same reason. They’re good kids, living the American dream.
This guy is the one who has everything going for him, a perfect future all mapped out, and yet he’s still a hunter. How can he sit here and tell me I can’t do this? I have nothing, literally nothing, to lose.
“And,” I press on, going for the kill shot. “I pissed off a vampire prince yesterday.”
He whirls on me, slamming too hard on the brakes. The seat belt holds me back from a case of whiplash. “Felix!”
“You did what? Who?”
“Adrian Teresi.” I’m being smug about it even though I shouldn’t be.
Felix’s body freezes. The sun has crested the horizon so I can see his features better, and while he’s gone from weary to joking to angry during our conversation, now the man just looks afraid. I don’t think it’s an emotion I’ve ever seen him wear. It takes the wind right out of my sails, and my mind flashes back to the terror I felt when the newly sired vampire almost killed me tonight. That was child’s play compared to what a vampire prince could do to me.
“Please tell me you don’t know Adrianos Teresi.” Felix’s voice is tight.
“Well, I can explain… ” I go into detail about everything that happened at the casino, and by the end of it, Felix is bright red.
“Do you know what you did?” he yells––yes, yells––through the car. “You put a target on your back! Adrian is the most powerful vampire in Louisiana and one of the most powerful in the country, maybe even the world, Eva, what were you thinking?”
“How bad can he really be?” My chest tightens.
“Are you seriously asking me that right now? We’ve been trying to take Adrian down for years, but the guy is untouchable. He’s got his fingers in all the worst vices, Eva. All of them. If you think gambling is bad, you have no idea what he’s a part of.”
My entire body goes cold and I try not to picture what that means.
“So all the better to recruit me to your hunter group.” I lean back in the seat, arms folded and mind made up. “Let me help you kill him.” I smirk. “I actually think he might like me.”
Felix shakes his head and doesn’t speak to me the rest of the drive home. He pulls up to my little duplex and stops the car. “My stuff is with Ayla.”
“I don’t care. You need to get out.”
“Felix––”
“I mean it. You can’t do this, Eva. You just can’t.”
I glare but get out of the car. Who is he to tell me what I can and can’t do? I slam the door and storm up my driveway. But soon realize I don’t even have my key. Screw this. I whirl around, but he’s already driven off, so I head toward Ayla’s place on foot. I’m going to get my stuff, at least. He can’t stop me from doing that. I need my key and I don’t want to wake up Mom to explain why I don’t have it.
When I get back to the Moreno’s, my bestie is still asleep, none the wiser to what I just went through. I want to shake her awake and tell her every little detail of the horror involved in killing a vampire, but my better judgement stops me. She’s leaving for college up north in three weeks. I’m going to miss her like crazy when she’s gone, but I also love her enough to want the best for her. Right now, she thinks her world is safe, and it probably is, especially in the small town where she’ll be attending college. I’m not going to be the person to take that away.
I quietly gather my things and send her a quick text on my way out the door. I woke up early and decided to head home. Let’s hang out later! Maybe shopping? I want to help you pick out a new bedspread for your dorm. Her phone is on silent so I know it won’t wake her. Offering to go shopping helps ease my guilt a little at keeping secrets. The girl loves shopping; I do not.
When I slip out the front door with my backpack loaded over one shoulder and my house key ring dangling from my index finger, I spot Felix climbing into his black SUV. So his friends came back for him. I run up to the window before I can stop myself.
His friend who had handed me the stake in the graveyard is still in the driver’s seat. The quieter one sits in the back so Felix can ride passenger.
Felix motions for them to drive away, but his friend just smirks and rolls down the window. “Good morning, Beautiful,” he says, his green eyes sparkling. He’s got a southern accent, the kind people don’t have when they grew up in the city. This is farmville-speak. I like it. It suits him. And damn, he’s gorgeous. Tall, dark, and handsome—has Ayla met him yet? She’s going to freak.
“Good morning to you, too.” I pop my hip and fold my arms over my chest. I meet his mischievous gaze, then Felix’s angry one, then nod to the guy in the back. “Tell your recruiter I want in.”
Tall, Dark, and Handsome smiles like the Cheshire Cat. “Excellent. I’ll do that.”
“No, you won’t,” Felix spits.
The guy only laughs and rolls up his window, driving off and leaving me alone on the sidewalk. I have a feeling that guy and I are going to become friends. A vampire hunter with a sense of humor seems like the kind of person I’d want to be friends with. I grin to myself. This is going to be fun.
I pull the bloodied stake from the front pocket of Ayla’s hoodie and look it over––the silver tip, the finely polished wood, the weight and length of it––all feel right in my hand. Replacing it back in the pocket, I walk home, a mixture of emotions rolling around in my gut. Am I a total idiot? Am I brave? Am I naive to think anything will even come of this? I don’t have the answers to those questions, but there is one thing I do know. I killed my first vampire, finally doing something of value with my life, and I’m not going to stop now.
The unsettling feeling of being watched prickles at the back of my neck. I turn but the street is empty. Nobody is there. Of course not, I’m just being paranoid. But as I walk home, that feeling only intensifies. I start to speed walk. The sun is up. This is irrational but I can’t shake the feeling…
A car engine revs and a black sedan rolls up next to me. It drives slowly, keeping pace. The windows are so tinted I can’t see inside. Can vampires ride in cars if they’re not directly exposed to the sun? It seems foolish for them to risk something like that but I don’t know the answer. I imagine a human thug jumping from the car and throwing me inside. That’s all I need to get thoroughly spooked.
I take off at a run, gripping the stake in my right hand to make sure whoever is in that car can see it. My feet pound against the pavement and my heartbeat thunders against my eardrums like a battle cry. The car speeds away with a screech of tires. When I get home, the scent of burning rubber lingers with me all day.
Chapter 7
The tangy scent of barbecue greets me as I hurry into work that afternoon. And thank goodness it’s strong enough to overpower the awful burning rubber smell that’s been haunting me. I’m a server at one of the city’s oldest and most popular restaurants downtown and I’m beyond grateful for this job. Pops would be a tourist trap if the locals didn’t love it so much, but they do and for good reason. We’re a greasy spoon kind of place known for authentic Southern food like spicy gumbo, traditional crawfish étouffée, world famous melt-in-your-mouth pecan pie, and so much more.
It’s no surprise that the line to get a table is around the block as I weave my way through the crowd to get inside. Serving here comes with excellent tips, I just wish I could get more shifts. I’m one of the newer employees, with only a few months of day shifts under my belt, and tonight is the first time I’ll really get to experience the dinner rush. Pops is the kind of restaurant where servers stay on the payroll for years, so I want to impress Eddie, the evening manager in charge of scheduling and my key to making more money.
I’m done counting on Mom to keep a roof over my head. She’s in a downward spiral, and even though I’ll do anything I can to save her, I refuse to become her collateral damage. New Orleans is probably the least safe place to be homeless in America. Everyone knows it’s got the most vampires of any city on the continent, or that’s what p
eople say anyway.
I can picture my life the way I want it to be, working the busy evening shifts at Pops, hunting blood suckers through the night with Felix, and sleeping away the day. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be able to get my own apartment. Except I have to look after Mom or else she will end up homeless or dead, so I should probably keep living in the duplex. Regardless, vampire hunting was a far-off possibility yesterday, but now that it’s in my thoughts, now that I’ve actually done it, I can focus on little else. I have five or six good years left before the vampires will be able to get to my brain, I might as well end as many of them as I can while I still have the chance.
“You’ve got section four,” Marla, the hostess, greets me. “I just sat table twelve.”
“Great.” I give her a friendly wink and bounce off to take care of my customers.
The shift is so busy that it flies by way faster than my daytime ones. We’re a half hour from closing when I’m given what will hopefully be my last table for the night. The men are at least twenty years older than me and definitely intoxicated, if the stench of alcohol and their beady bloodshot eyes are anything to judge them by. I put on an unaffected smile and stroll over to take their orders.
“What can I get for you tonight, gentlemen?”
One of them blatantly checks me out, eyes lingering on my bare legs. Pops’ servers wear black shorts and t-shirts, nothing too revealing, but this guy doesn’t care and isn’t being the least bit discreet. “Any secret menu items you can offer?” His voice is a low jeer and the other three guys chuckle at his sleazy antics. “I’ve got the money,” he continues, “so maybe you can offer a discount?”
What a perv.
I step back and glare. “I can’t offer you anything that’s not on our menu, but maybe you’d like to speak with my manager?” I motion to Eddie.
Eddie is a massive African American man who looks like a bouncer and is probably packing heat under his oversized clothing. There’s a reason he’s on the late shift. It’s no secret Pops has a lot of money coming in on the daily, and we’re right in the middle of the French Quarter, aka New Orleans Party Central. People can get desperate when they’re running low on funds.