But even I couldn’t move fast enough to stop her—and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
Alice grabbed Devin’s dad by his hair and, exposing his neck, sank her fangs into him.
He collapsed on the floor. She hadn’t drunk much of his blood, but it wasn’t uncommon for humans to faint when bitten by vampires.
Alice dropped her victim’s body on the floor. Then she turned and slowly stared at the second man. “You’ve finally got your chance. Do you think you have what it takes?”
The second man, his hand clenched around a stake, went for her chest.
Alice dodged to the side.
I wasn’t sure what to do. Whose side was I on, anyway?
Before I could react, a wooden stake burst through the front of her chest. Devin had stabbed her from behind.
“Devin!” I shouted.
Alice’s body went limb like a rag doll, and she collapsed at my feet.
“Get out of here, Nick,” Devin said. “Thank you for the distraction, but what I said before still stands.”
I stared at Devin for a second. I wanted to say something. Did he realize what he was doing? Had he heard the things Alice had said? I didn’t have a clue. But there wasn’t anything I could say…
So I nodded in understanding.
Devin returned his attentions to Alice’s staked body. Kneeling, he took her in his arms. The second shrouded man picked up Devin’s dad, threw him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, and they left through the door.
I immediately dove after them. After all this time, Alice was there… staked… her heart ready for the tanking.
But Devin raised his hand. “I’m sorry. But don’t.”
I cocked my head. “But…”
“Just don’t.”
I don’t know why I listened. I mean, Devin had rejected me. But for some reason I couldn’t… this was his chance to get into the Order’s inner circle. They had their ritual. How could he ever explain simply allowing me to have her heart?
I was left standing there in silence. I was stunned.
If I was going to get Alice’s heart, it had to be in a way that wouldn’t compromise Devin’s… aspirations. Even if I thought the Order was wrong for him, even if they hated his truth, it was what he wanted. At least what he thought he wanted. I had to respect that.
I didn’t know how… I’d have to get Alice from them before the ritual, but when Devin wasn’t nearby, overseeing her staked corpse.
I looked around the room. Not much to look at. A lot of books. Pictures of different caskets with prices affixed to them. The sort of things people might look at when planning a funeral. Her desk.
I shook my head to try and bring myself back to my senses. I had to look. Maybe there’d be something here I could use.
I opened her drawers. Most of them were completely empty, minus a few pens with different business names on them.
And a crucifix. Not unlike the one Devin’s dad had used…
I touched it. Some kind of magic coursed through it. I didn’t know what it was or how to use it, but I grabbed it.
Then I stepped out into the hall.
Staked vampire corpses. Everywhere.
I counted them. Twelve…
“Brucie?” I asked. “You here?”
Brucie appeared a split second later. “Hard to believe.”
I nodded. “I didn’t expect that those two would actually be able to hold their own against twelve.”
“It was something,” Brucie said. “The way they moved, it was impressive.”
I nodded. “I underestimated them.”
“I know what you’re thinking,” Brucie said. “What Alice told you, I can hear it running through your mind.”
I nodded. “I don’t know if what she said is true or not, but I feel like Alice was about to tell me something important.”
“If you don’t get her back from the Order,” Brucie said, “you’ll never be able to go back.”
I sighed. “But how am I going to get to them? I don’t even know where the inner circle of the Order holds their rituals.”
“Perhaps Wolfgang could tell you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t even know how to find him. By the time he’d find me, it would probably be too late. And since I hadn’t included him in this… since he wouldn’t be the one to present her body to the Order…”
“He probably won’t be inclined to help,” Brucie said.
“It’s over, Brucie,” I said. “This was my chance, and I blew it. I let her get in my head. I questioned my resolve.”
“And perhaps she was right,” Brucie said.
“That look on Devin’s face when I first came in… it was like he was in a trance. If Alice didn’t do it to him, then someone else in the Order did.”
“What was it that they did to him, exactly?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t the slightest idea.”
“There’s one other thing you could try.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, the vamps in the hallway,” Brucie said. “They were staked, but that’s all.”
I took a deep breath. “I could revive them.”
“They might know something that would help,” Brucie said. “But I’d suggest starting with one at a time. You know, in case they aren’t exactly pleased to see you when they come back to their bodies.”
“Brilliant.” I ran to the first one I could find. If I had the time, I’d have tied him up. I’d have interrogated him like I had other vampires in the past.
But as I reached to grab the bolts in their chests, I noticed they were warm to the touch. “This doesn’t make sense,” I said as I pulled one of the bolts from a vampire’s chest. And when I did, something like sunlight emanated from the tip. “What the hell…”
“Those bolts,” Brucie said. “They must be enchanted.”
I shook my head. “It’s no use. They weren’t just staked—these bolts burned out their hearts the moment they struck.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
A motorcycle ride is usually freeing. It’s an escape. The wind in my face, fluttering through my hair. But this time was different.
The farther I got from the funeral home, the more it felt like I was driving away from my last chance to get my life back, to get my abilities back… to end all of this.
It felt like I was literally riding into a dead end, a life destined to be like I was. Trapped in this body. Conflicted about my existence. And now, without any hope of returning.
Thankfully, Devin had staked Alice with a regular stake; I saw it come through the other side of her chest. It wasn’t enchanted like the bolts.
That meant, more than likely, Alice was being given the “last rites” by the inner circle. And since Devin had done the staking, he’d surely be there. He’d finally have what he thought he wanted—a place in the upper echelon of the Order of the Morning Dawn.
I screamed as loud as I could into the wind as I rode down the interstate. There were so many unanswered questions. I mean, what if what Alice was saying was true? What if the Order had become something more, something worse than I ever imagined? And Devin was now caught up in it…
Whatever Alice had been talking about, I was pretty sure Devin didn’t know what it was.
And whatever state he was in before his father and the other hunter came bursting through the room, could he even hear the conversation I was having with Alice? Did he know that something insidious was at work within the Order?
I could interrogate the quilters in the morning. But would they break? Not likely. Despite appearances, they were well-seasoned members of the Order. And I couldn’t exactly bring myself to torture little old ladies. It just wasn’t right. And hell, maybe they were as much victims of whatever was happening as the rest. I doubted it. I mean, they weren’t exactly bundles of joy. The last time I’d seen them they’d vandalized my bike and flipped me off. But still… they were old ladies. Even I had my limits.
But what other o
ptions did I have? I had to find out where the inner circle conducted their rituals. And I didn’t expect that they’d wait long to do it. But since the ladies didn’t meet until the morning at dawn, there was a chance that even if I went after them, it would be too late.
I was grasping at straws. And none of the options I had gave me any real chance.
I walked back into my apartment with my head hung low.
“You’re back!” Donnie said, enthusiastically at first. And then she saw my face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I failed.”
“Alice got away?”
I shook my head. “The Order got her. But I don’t know where they took her body. It’s over, Donnie.”
Donnie paused the television. She’d been watching Supergirl. One of our favorite shows—if only because they’d recently introduced a transgender heroine on the show. It was a source of inspiration for us.
“I know it’s probably not what you want to hear right now,” Donnie said. “But it’s not the end of the world.”
I shook my head. “You’re right. That’s not what I want to hear.”
“Is being a trans woman for the rest of your life really that awful a prospect?”
I sighed. “No, it isn’t. But that’s not what this was ever about.”
“Isn’t it?” Donnie asked. “Recovering your old abilities, being able to shift into something else… into a cis woman’s body? I mean, if I could do that, if it was an option rather than hormone therapies and surgeries, I can’t say I wouldn’t consider it.”
I nodded. “I know. But it’s a fantasy. And for me, it’s one I think I have to put to rest.” I plopped down on the couch next to Donnie and rested my head on her shoulder. “I just don’t know if I’m ready to move on. To accept this.”
Donnie stroked my hair. “I understand. And in my own way, I can relate. I mean, accepting yourself as you are, when the world looks at you and tells you that you’re unacceptable.”
I started to cry. At first, just a few tears. And then I let it flow. I hadn’t cried much as a human. But since I was a water elemental, I knew I’d never run out of tears. And I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to stop crying.
Our doorbell rang.
“You expecting someone?” I asked.
“Not at all,” Donnie said as she stood up and went to the door.
I didn’t even bother looking at who it was. I just stared at the television. Donnie had paused it as Melissia Benoist, the actress who played Supergirl, was mid-sentence. If I wasn’t so upset, I would have laughed at the awkward pause.
“Nicky?” Donnie asked. “It’s for you.”
I looked at the door.
There stood Devin’s dad. Apparently he’d recovered from Alice’s bite pretty quickly. I mean, she’d barely bitten him, and had hardly drained him of any blood. So I guess it was to be expected.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I suppose I should formally introduce myself,” Devin’s dad said. “My name’s Tom Miller.”
I nodded. I didn’t even know Devin’s last name until now. I stood up and looked at him curiously. “What are you doing here, Tom?”
“Do you have a moment to talk?”
I shrugged. “I suppose I have all the time in the world.”
“Mind if I take a seat?”
“Be my guest,” I said, gesturing to the couch.
He sat down on one end. I sat on the other.
“I’ll leave you two to chat,” Donnie said. “I have to freshen up, anyway. Will you be okay, Nicky?”
“I’ll be fine, Donnie,” I said. “Go ahead.”
Donne stepped into the bathroom. Aside from one of the bedrooms, I suppose, it was the only place she could go where we’d be left with any semblance of privacy.
“I’ve always believed in redemption,” Tom said. “And while your lifestyle is not… typical for a member of the Order, our success today… We never could have done it if you hadn’t been there.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know what I did. I didn’t even stake a single vampire.”
“But you alerted us to the threat. If you hadn’t, they’d have probably wiped us out.”
I nodded. “I suppose that’s true.”
“This isn’t something we normally do,” Tom said. “But I’d like to invite you to tonight’s ritual. I’d like to give you a chance to join us in the inner circle.”
I cocked my head. “But I’m… Like you said, I’m not the kind that the Order typically accepts.”
Tom shook his head. “Perhaps it’s time for the Order to rethink some of its outdated values. Alice was a major win for us, but there are other threats. Vampires just as dangerous, if not moreso. And we could really use someone with your skills.”
I took a deep breath. It wasn’t the time to confide in him what Alice had told me. If I did, he might rescind his offer. And this was like a gift from heaven—a chance to be there before Alice was killed. I didn’t exactly intend to follow through. I wasn’t about to join the Order, and I didn’t believe for a second that Tom was genuine about the Order changing their views for my sake.
But when opportunity knocks…
Still, I didn’t want to sound too eager.
“How much time do I have to consider?” I asked.
“The ritual will begin at midnight.” Tom reached into his pocket and handed me a card. “Bring this with you to the address printed on the back. I hope you’ll consider joining us. But if you don’t, I understand.”
I nodded. “Thank you, but Devin made it pretty clear he didn’t want to see me again.”
“Let me worry about my son,” Tom said. “He was just, shall I say, taken off guard by what you are.”
“As a trans woman?”
Tom laughed. “No, as something other than human.”
I nodded. “I guess that’s a lot for anyone to wrap their mind around.”
Tom stood up from the couch. “I really hope I’ll see you later tonight.”
I nodded. “Like I said, I’ll think about it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I sat there, my arms folded across my chest, as Donnie emerged from the bathroom. She looked amazing. Her makeup was on point. I’d always envied her implants; surgery had never been an option for me. And the way she was flashing her cleavage through her low-cut shirt was eye-catching, to say the least.
“You went to the bathroom,” I said. “You did all that in the bathroom?”
Donnie shrugged. “I was getting ready when you arrived. Everything was already in there. I have a date.”
I smiled. “Good for you. Anyone I know?”
“Probably not. I mean, you might have seen him at the pharmacy. But he’s new. Just graduated pharmacy school.”
“A name?”
“Caleb,” Donnie said. “But enough about me. What did that guy want? He was this Devin guy’s dad?”
I nodded. But I was still thinking about Donnie’s date. “This guy knows about you, right?”
Donnie nodded. “Of course. It’s not the first time I’ve had a date, Nicky. Why are you so interested in this one?”
I shook my head. “How do you find men who accept you like you are? I mean, apart from showing your cleavage…”
Donnie laughed. “That has very little to do with it, Nicky. Attraction is just the start. You need to have conversations. You need to be up front about what you want. You need to be honest. Not just with a person you intend to date, but more importantly, with yourself.”
I nodded. “That’s how I screwed it up with Devin. I didn’t respect where he was at in his… journey of self-exploration. And I didn’t tell him the truth about me.”
“You had a reason, Nicky,” Donnie said. “I don’t know this Devin, but if he’s a half-decent man, and he has some time to think about it, he’ll realize you only did what you had to do.”
“I just didn’t expect that I’d be so… captivated by one guy. I mean, in all my
years of human existence, I haven’t met anyone…”
“In all your years?” Donnie raised her eyebrows to emphasize her incredulity. “It’s only been five years. Not much longer than most humans are in high school. Most of us have the advantage of getting over our various romantic issues—and embarrassing ourselves along the way—during school. And even then, a lot of people spend half their twenties going from one awkward relationship to another. This isn’t a process you can rush, Nicky.”
“Maybe not,” I said. “But there’s something going on with the Order. And whether he and I are meant to be or not, he’s getting involved in something that I have a feeling he’ll regret later.”
Donnie nodded. “And his dad came to see you… why, exactly?”
“He invited me to join Devin in tonight’s initiation to the Order’s inner circle.”
Donnie furrowed her brow. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “I can’t believe he was genuine about what he told me. He said it’s time the Order changed its views. But Devin told me if his dad knew he was gay—or at the very least curious and had experimented with other men—he would kill him.”
“So you think it’s a trap?”
I nodded. “I think. But why? I mean, it’s not like I’m a major threat to the Order.”
Donnie shrugged. “Maye they’re desperate for help. If they used vampires to kill vampires, and they hate vampires more than anything else, surely they can overlook a transgender woman doing their dirty work.”
I sighed. “That’s the thing. If they wanted to use me as a hunter, they wouldn’t have to initiate me into their inner circle. They could just string me along with contracts.”
“So what are you going to do?”
I shook my head. “Do I really have a choice?”
“There’s always a choice, Nicky,” Donnie said. “But if there’s a chance you can still get your abilities back, and if you think Devin is in real danger…”
“Yes, and yes,” I said. “But do you think I’m being selfish? Like, not every trans woman has a chance to actually become a cis woman.”
Scared Shiftless: An Ex-Shifter turned Vampire Hunter Urban Fantasy (The Legend of Nyx Book 1) Page 17
