Revenge of the Fae

by Carly Fall

  She ignored his question and shook the paper at him again. “What happened? Did you go to Spectral Prison? Human jail?”

  He crossed both arms over his chest and lifted his chin defiantly. “I’m not proud of what I did, of what I was at that time.”

  She sighed, wanting to throttle him. Why won’t he just answer the damned question? “What was your crime, Everett?” she asked, her tone barely short of rage.

  She heard the desperation in her voice. What if he was her guy? What would her next step be if he was a killer? How would she prove he’d murdered her mother?

  His shoulders slumped. He exhaled but didn’t meet her gaze. “I used to work in a pediatric hospital… the night shift, of course. A nurse caught me feeding from the patients.”

  Yuck.

  “I never killed anyone. I never even hurt anyone. I always put them into a trance before I drank from them and always erased their memories.”

  “I just… I just love the taste of young blood, but my actions could have led to the humans finding out about the paranormal entities living among them. I did go to prison for a short time, but I was then told to find a new job, one that didn’t involve working with children, or I would serve more time, which I didn’t want to do. Spectral Prison is not a nice place.”

  She glanced at his uniform again. “If you were relieved of duty, then why are you heading out to work wearing scrubs?”

  “It’s a long story, but I now work at a nursing home. I’ve found that old blood does not entice me. I don’t have the urges I did at the hospital.”

  Her shoulder’s sagged. This wasn’t her guy. Her gut told her Everett was relatively harmless, as far as vampires went. His attack on her had been outside his control—Fae bloodlust taking over and overwhelming good sense.

  All of his blisters had just about healed, as had the gash on his head. Avery felt an urgency to leave in case his desire to rip her throat out returned. She might not be so lucky if he attacked her again.

  “Thanks, Everett,” she said, sliding by him toward the front door. She didn’t dare take her eyes off him.

  “That’s it? That’s what you wanted to talk about?”

  She nodded as she placed a hand on the doorknob.

  “You never told me who you work for, or why you want to know about my past,” he said. “You never even told me how you got that information. I don’t want that stuff to get out. Like I said, I’m not proud of my actions.”

  She didn’t know whether to lie, or just play it cool. What she could do was reassure him that she had no intention of spreading the word about his past, nor did she even care about it. “No worries, Everett. Your secret’s safe with me.”

  After slipping out the door, she ran up the sidewalk leading to his apartment, then down the street.

  Peeking over her shoulder, she didn’t see Everett anywhere. Avery slowed as she caught her breath.

  She pulled out the paper and studied the next address. She’d already had one vampire want to suck her dry, but did she have the energy to meet up with another one tonight?

  12

  Avery stared out the window as the bus rumbled along, her heart fluttering, her stomach in knots, and her hands shaking.

  Somehow, some way, finding out what had happened to her mother had completely consumed her. She’d barely eaten in almost a week, hadn’t slept but a few hours, and ran on nothing but anxiety and adrenaline. The crash was coming. She could feel it. And when it hit, it would lay her flat, leaving her broken and battered. Of that, she was certain.

  But, she couldn’t stop. She wouldn’t stop until she had the truth, until she knew who’d murdered Melia.

  The bus pulled over, and she took a deep breath, then exited. She had a feeling she would need her Fae power tonight, and she tried to get her wits about her. Avery stuffed both hands into the large front sweatshirt pocket and fingered the plastic bag. There wasn’t much of her spice mixture left, but hopefully, she wouldn’t need it.

  When she checked the address again, she was certain she would.

  The hunt had taken her into an industrial part of town. Old warehouses lined the streets, and under the glow of the moon, it seemed as if most of them had been abandoned. Some had windows broken out, while others were boarded up. Most buildings desperately needed a new paint job. As she walked cautiously down the street, she heard random shouts echoing around the old buildings, reminding her she was not alone.

  A chill ran up her spine. Sweat dripped from her brow. She’d lived through a lot the past few days, but now, she wasn’t so certain she’d make it out alive. Every muscle in her body tensed while her mind screamed at her to leave the area.

  Yet, she kept walking, her legs heavy.

  When Avery reached her destination, she stared up at the building. Flames seemed to flicker behind windows on an upper floor, letting her know someone was definitely occupying the place.

  Is this the right address?

  She pulled the paper from her pocket and double-checked. The numbers on the building matched the scrawl on the paper. This was definitely the place.

  Avery glanced down the street the way she had come, then back up at the warehouse, once again doubting herself.

  All her answers might be in there. Of course, a vampire would be delivering them, but she’d handled the past two in honorable Fae fashion. Hopefully, she would be able to continue her lucky streak.

  Not following through wasn’t an option, and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself. Her mother had always said that living a life full of “what ifs” was no way to live. But then again, perhaps Avery should come back another night when she was armed with more of the vampire repellant. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to include Victoria in her plan either. At least she’d have protection from other vampires. Her potion would only distract one.

  Again, she shot down the idea. Victoria wouldn’t venture into this part of town and would beat Avery within an inch of her life if she knew she had.

  She resigned herself to see it through alone and made her way to the side door. Placing a hand on the cold knob, she twisted it and pushed, expecting some sort of resistance. Instead, the door opened easily, as if someone wanted her to enter. She immediately dismissed the thought. This was probably a flophouse, and no one who was high would want the complication of a struggle to open the door.

  Slipping inside, she squinted into the darkness. Once her eyes fully adjusted, she realized the ground floor was completely empty. Her boots would have echoed on the old wooden floor if she hadn’t trod so lightly. She slowly made her way around, the hand in her sweatshirt pocket still gripping the plastic bag.

  In the far-right corner, she noticed something lying on the floor, and as she drew closer, she realized it was a person. The shoulder span told her it was most likely a man, his back to her. Avery’s first instinct was to run over and make sure he was okay, but she slowly backed away instead, remembering where she was. The fewer people she bothered, the better off she’d be.

  But, what if that is my guy? What if he is my mother’s murderer?

  She took careful strides over and lowered to her knees, laying a hand on his shoulder. Now that she was closer, she saw the short, dark hair and beard.

  Giving him a small shake, she asked, “Are you okay?”

  His eyes fluttered open, and he turned to her. Bright blue eyes stared up at her, and she gasped when he pulled back his upper lip, hissing and revealing fangs.

  She jumped away and ran to the other side of the room, checking for items she could use as weapons.

  Instead of chasing after her, he simply turned over and ignored her.

  What the hell? She’d been close enough that he should have smelled her blood. Did a vampire exist who didn’t love Fae blood?

  The outside door opened, and she spun around. Another man entered. He glanced in her direction but turned to the right and disappeared into the shadows.

  She hadn’t noticed anything that way, so she decided to f
ollow.

  About the time the darkness swallowed her up, a beam of light became visible, and she realized it came from upstairs.

  Placing one hand on the railing, she quietly climbed the staircase. As she approached the top, she heard voices. The closer she got to the landing, the louder they became.

  When Avery reached the second floor, she stepped closer to the wall and leaned against it, hoping she didn’t draw much attention to herself. After taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat from her brow with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, she took in the scene before her, not quite understanding what she was seeing.

  She counted about a dozen people lying around on mattresses, the room lit by candles strategically placed along the far wall. That explained the reddish-yellow glow she’d seen from the street, one that reminded her of fire.

  The room was very quiet, except for an occasional whisper. One man sat in the middle of the room on a metal chair. He paid little attention to the people around him, keeping his gaze focused on the staircase. After giving her a brief nod, he turned to a woman nearby. Some type of exchange happened between them, but she couldn’t see what. The woman disappeared around the other side of the wall, out of Avery’s sight.

  In one corner, a man and woman sat together on a mattress, the man had his head bent over the woman’s arm. In her gut, Avery believed it was a vampire drinking—she’d seen Victoria hunched over her own wrist in the exact same position many times. The woman raked her hand through black, greasy hair in an almost sensuous gesture resembling that of a purring cat… her head lolling to the side as her eyes closed. She collapsed onto the floor, her head thudding against the wood. The vampire released the woman’s hand and fell back against the mattress.

  Furrowing her brow, Avery tried to understand what was going on. Had the vampire killed the woman, or were they lovers?

  Footsteps sounded from below, and she pushed herself against the wall as two other women came into view.

  A beautiful blonde glanced at her, but quickly looked away. The redhead paid her no attention until they reached the landing. They both stopped less than a foot away from her.

  “Fae,” the redhead said, her fangs elongating as she inhaled deeply.

  Avery’s heart seemed to stop momentarily. She considered pushing one woman into the other and hoping they would both tumble down the stairs.

  She tried to hide her anxiety but knew it shone on her face. The sweat trickled down her cheek, and her whole body shook.

  As she met the redhead’s gaze, she tried to show strength, but in reality, she’d have much rather curled up on the floor and cried. Her lip trembled at the thought of trying to fight them both off.

  “Forget her,” the blonde said. “We’ve got better blood up here.”

  They marched right past her, and her shoulders sagged in relief.

  But wait. Better blood?

  Victoria had told her there was no finer blood than Fae, so what did they mean?

  The pair slinked through the room checking out the men and women lying on the mattresses, obviously in the super-high drug zone. Avery couldn’t hear what the women said, but every now and then they pointed to someone as if browsing shoes at the local department store.

  Finally, the redhead sank to her knees and grabbed a man’s limp arm. She pressed her lips to his wrist, and Avery saw a flash of fang in the low light right before they disappeared into his flesh.

  He didn’t fight her… Hell, the guy didn’t even flinch.

  After a moment, the vampire’s head fell to the side, and she lay down next to her donor, throwing an arm around his waist. They reminded Avery of two lovers cuddled after making love.

  The blonde repeated the redhead’s actions, and soon, everyone in Avery’s view rested peacefully.

  She’d apparently ended up in a drug den. The guy sitting on the chair had to be the dealer. It appeared the vampires were drinking human blood tainted with drugs, and not only getting fed, but also enjoying a high. She never knew such a thing existed, but it certainly seemed to be the case, and she made a mental note to ask Victoria about it.

  The dealer rose from his chair and approached Avery, each footstep sounding like a cannon as it reverberated across the room. He towered over her, as just about everyone did, and she placed him at least six-foot-five. She inhaled deeply but didn’t smell anything except a hint of sweat and the remnants of bad cologne. Thankfully, the guy appeared to be a human and not a shifter.

  “You’ve been standing here a long time,” he said as he stroked his dark beard. “Did you come to play?”

  She shook her head. Having never tried drugs, she had no intention of starting now.

  “Then I suggest you leave. This isn’t a circus for you to watch. My clients. My building. Get out.”

  She glanced past him at the various strung-out people. How could she explain that she was searching for her mother’s killer?

  The man reached out and grabbed her chin, twisting her head so she had to look up at him.

  Cold metal met the underside of her jaw. She gasped as the click of the gun hammer was drawn back.

  “I told you to leave,” he whispered. “Unless you’re here to play, you don’t have no business. My clients. My building. Told you before. You ain’t gonna steal shit.”

  If the situation hadn’t been so dire, she would have laughed. He thought she was here to take something from him? His clients? His drugs?

  Anxiety had tied her tongue in knots, and her body shook uncontrollably. The room started to spin, and she feared she might actually pass out.

  He let go of her and pointed down the stairs. She nodded and gripped the railing, trying to get there without losing her balance. If she went toppling down them, she’d definitely break something. No one here would care or do anything to help her.

  Avery stopped in the middle of the staircase and tried to catch her breath. The steps seemed to have doubled, and maybe even tripled. She wasn’t sure which ones were real, and the illusion only made her more anxious.

  Slow steps. She was relieved to feel solid ground beneath her boots. Although she probably wasn’t leaving as fast as the dealer wanted her to, she hoped he would be satisfied.

  She caught a quick glance over her shoulder and noticed he had the weapon pointed at her. Tears sprang to her eyes and quickly tracked down her cheeks. She couldn’t die in such an awful place. Avery picked up the pace, but it wasn’t quick enough.

  She screamed when the gun went off.

  13

  The dealer’s laughter met her ears as she waited for excruciating pain to take over her body. When none came, she glanced back at her attacker again.

  “You’d best hurry your little ass out of here, or next time, I might not miss!”

  Hearing the gunshot had somehow focused her. Thankfully, her head stopped spinning and her eyes became fixated. A rush of adrenaline had her taking the stairs two at a time. She reached the bottom landing and ran toward the door. Before she could push her way out, a man stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

  McAllister.

  “I thought you’d show up here eventually,” he said as he grabbed her bicep.

  She struggled to pull away from him, but he held her with an iron grip.

  “There’s a man up there shooting at me!” she said through gritted teeth. “Why don’t you do your damned job and go arrest him?”

  He laughed and pulled her away from the door. “I’ve got more important things to worry about than a dealer.”

  As McAllister dragged her over to his tan, unmarked Malibu, she continued to struggle away from him.

  He slammed her up against the side of the car face-first and kicked her legs wide.

  “It took me hours to put my files back together after the mess you made,” he said looming over her and placing his mouth next to her ear. “At first, I felt sorry for you, Avery. But you’ve proven to be nothing but a huge pain in my ass.”

  The detective stepped closer behind her as he lean
ed his weight into her, trapping her between his body and the car. He still gripped her arm hard enough to leave a bruise.

  “I’m going to cuff you, and then we’re taking a trip to the prison.”

  Paranormal or human?

  She didn’t wait to find out. If he got her in the cuffs, she’d never find out who had killed her mother. Instead, she’d rot in jail. For how long, she had no idea, but she’d fight him until she had nothing left.

  With her free hand, she reached back and found his genitals, then squeezed as hard as she could.

  His screech almost deafened her as he tried to get away. She continued her assault until his knees buckled, and he released her.

  Avery sprinted down the street, her breath heaving in and out of her lungs. What in the world was I thinking? She’d just assaulted a police officer… again!

  She kept running blindly, unsure of where she was or where she was headed. She just needed to get away, to stay out of McAllister’s clutches. She wouldn’t go to jail, and after what she’d just pulled, she worried he would physically harm her. If the roles had been reversed, she’d be out for blood.

  When she took a right turn, she heard his footsteps echoing off the street not too far behind her. Her chest tightened as panic gripped her. She stopped and checked around for a place to hide, some place where she could lose him. Wedged between two warehouses, she quickly decided to go inside and take her chances on what she’d find there.

  She ran for the door and tried to yank it open. Crap! Solidly locked.

  “Avery!” McAllister boomed, his angry voice reverberating from one empty building to the next.

  Ignoring him, she rushed around the side of the warehouse and found the back door wide open. She knew she was entering someone’s domain but had no choice. Avery feared what McAllister would do if he caught her, but the unknown beyond the door also terrified her. What if another drug dealer had made the abandoned building his home? What if he didn’t just scare her like the other guy, but aimed to kill?

  McAllister drew closer and Avery decided she’d have to take her chances. She sprinted through the door.