Flirting With Disaster

by Kendra Ashe

  He looked familiar. It was the same guy who’d sat at my table at the Undertaker.

  Icy fear twisted around my heart but I was determined. “Are you Mr. Axl Welby?”

  His lips spread into a sinister smile. “That depends on who’s doing the asking?” He spoke with a thick British accent.

  He had to be Axl.

  There was no turning back now. Here I was on a dark street with a strange vampire. I’d made a mistake by coming here alone, but I had to put on my big girl panties and push forward.

  “My name is Claire Benolt. I remember you from the Underground. I know you’re a vampire,” I rushed to get the words out. Although I was tempted to give in to fear and run away, I stood my ground.

  Pulling back his lips in a snarl, he flew at me.

  I had to think fast, so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I belong to Mason Romero!”

  He stopped abruptly, but his eyes were still glowing with deadly hunger. “You’re lying! You don’t smell like a feeder.”

  “I’ve come here to ask about your website,” I told him, hoping he wouldn’t sense that I was lying about Mason.

  He backed off but there was still suspicion in his eyes.

  I had the advantage, at least for the moment. It wouldn’t last long. That was okay. It would only take a minute to say what I had to say. “I saw your website and I need to ask you about it.”

  As soon as I felt the pain blossom behind my eyes, I knew he was trying to get into my head. It lasted only a minute before disappearing. I assumed that meant he’d given up. According to Wren, I wasn’t easy to read. I would have to remember to thank Miss Avalon for her spiked food gifts.

  “What do you want to know?” he asked, his voice back to normal.

  “Do you want to stand out here and talk or can we go inside? I assume this is your place?” I smiled, hoping to bring some sanity to the situation, if possible.

  Ax shook his head in disbelief. “What part of vampire don’t you understand? It isn’t a good idea for you to be out here in the first place, and now you want a vampire to invite you in? Are you daft?”

  “No, and I resent someone talking to me like that,” I told him.

  “Oh, Little Red Riding Hood resents being talked to like that,” he laughed. “You are daft.”

  “This is just really important,” I said.

  “It must be important if you are volunteering to go into the lion’s den,” he said, again shaking his head. “You know New Orleans has a ripper out and about, right?”

  “That’s partly why I’m here.”

  Ax had pulled some keys from his pocket but stopped suddenly. “Wait a bloody minute! Are you here to accuse me of being the ripper? I assure you, I’m not.”

  “No. Not at all.”

  Ax stepped over to the door and unlocked it. Standing aside, he held the door open so I could enter before following me in. A moment later, the lights came on.

  “I don’t need the light,” he said. “But I guess you do. Oh, and sorry about frightening you. I thought you might be one of them pesky vampire slayers.”

  “What did you mean about a place where vampires can be out of the coffin?” I asked, getting straight to the point.

  “It is a figment of my imagination,” he laughed.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  He shrugged. “Why are you so interested in vampire business?”

  Tired of standing, I sat in the black recliner that I assumed he used for doing tattoos.

  “What do you know about Shadow Valley?”

  “Oh please, why don’t you just make yourself at home?” he said sarcastically while waving his hand at the tattoo chair.

  I gave him a sweet smile. “Why, thank you. I think I will.”

  “I know nothing,” he stated, flatly.

  “My friend is in trouble. Kieran has him. I need to find out as much as I can about Kieran and his people. I am also interested in what you know about Shadow Valley.”

  “Well, if Kieran has your friend it is curtains for him,” Ax said, a cryptic note to his voice.

  Tossing him a sour look, I folded my arms. “I won’t accept that. Look at you, a big bad vampire afraid of some washed-up old bloodsucker.”

  “Excuse me, Miss Sassy Mouth,” he said, glaring at me. “Kieran is not your ordinary, everyday vampire.”

  I wasn’t sure there was such a thing as an everyday vampire, at least not in my world, but at least I’d broken through his façade.

  “So what if he isn’t. He has my friend.”

  “It’s useless,” he assured me. “That’s all I can tell you.”

  I was still convinced he knew more than what he was letting on, so I pushed him. “But fighting this vampire can’t be impossible. After all, if Shadow Valley exists, he doesn’t want others to know. Why? Maybe you could recruit help.”

  Shaking his head, Ax folded his arms across his chest. “Most vampires are content with the darkness. They don’t care. There are only a few of us that want more. At any rate, no one believes.”

  “I believe,” I told him.

  One minute, Ax was standing a few feet away, and the next, he had my arm in his grasp, my wrist just inches from his mouth. He’d moved so fast that it was as if he could materialize and disappear at will.

  Startled, my heart jumped into my throat and I tried to pull away.

  “Do you mind if I have just a little taste?” he asked, his fangs fully visible.

  “Yes, I mind,” I told him, swallowing the fear that had lodged in my throat. “And Mason will too.”

  He dropped my arm.

  “Seriously? You’re still using that story?” he laughed.

  “I really do know him,” I said with a scowl.

  “So, you’re one of his groupies.” Ax obviously found my situation amusing.

  “No, he’s just a friend.”

  It was a total exaggeration but I figured being friends with Mason might hold back other vampires. Dropping Mason’s name seemed to keep the vamps from trying to feed on me. At least it worked with this one.

  “Do you make a habit of having vampires for friends?” he asked as he made his way to a mini-refrigerator at the back of the shop.

  It would seem that he’d already lost interest and didn’t really expect an answer. He was busy rummaging through the fridge. A moment later, he pulled out a clear bottle filled with red liquid.

  “You don’t mind do you?” he asked, though he didn’t bother waiting for an answer before lifting the bottle above his head and letting some of the liquid drain into his mouth.

  I was totally disgusted. It had to be blood. Just the thought had my stomach-churning.

  “What?” he asked, lifting his brows. “It is mixed with other proteins you know. It’s my own creation.”

  Whatever it was, he was obviously proud of the concoction.

  “So, Shadow Valley. Tell me about it,’ I prodded. It was time to change the subject before I really did get sick.

  “Now you may not believe this, but you see, I hang out with this biker gang sometimes. They call themselves the Seekers. That’s where I first heard about this secret. They believe that under the right circumstances, vampires and humans can coexist,” he explained.

  “Yeah, I gathered that much.” Leaning further back in the chair, I got comfortable. I had a feeling this would be a long story.

  Leaning against a wooden counter full of tattoo equipment, Ax continued. “Well we were out for a ride one night and we found this little midget dude walking along the highway.”

  Ax was so animated as he talked, I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Well, if you knew me, you’d know I have a bit of a tendency to overeat. That little man seemed like he could be a nice morsel to hold me over. I let the others go ahead and I stopped to talk to him.”

  There was no way to know how much of what he was saying was real, and how much was made up, but I continued to listen.

  “It was a funny thing. That
little guy knew exactly what I was as soon as he saw me.” Ax shook his head. “It was really strange. That midget told me that I didn’t have to feed on him. That’s when he handed me a crystal rock and said that if I closed my eyes, I would see that the are many layers of reality. He claimed that the reality we live in is not the only one. He told me that vampires are not cursed. We just have different biology.”

  Ax stopped his story and opened the fridge. “Sorry. I need a bit more.”

  “Isn’t that stuff awful?” I asked, turning my head so I wouldn’t have to see him drink it.

  “Not at all. With my recipe, it tastes just fine refrigerated. I’ve been trying to get the others to catch on to it.”

  “Anyway, you were saying,” I reminded him of his story as I glanced at the time. It was getting late and I wanted to catch up to Mason when I was finished talking with Ax. Hopefully, Mason had discovered something about Wren’s disappearance.

  “As I was in the middle of saying … when I closed my eyes, it was like I was somewhere else. It was daylight with lots of sunshine.”

  Ax paused a moment before continuing. “The little guy was there with me, in a way. It was like real magic. I asked where all the vampires were and he said that there were only a few vampires there. It has something to do with rogue vampires and a war.”

  “I wanted to know where we were and he said we were in a hidden valley. When I opened my eyes, that little dude had slipped right away from me. He’d just disappeared,” Ax said, snapping his fingers.

  “Ax, do vampires use drugs?” I asked, not entirely convinced he hadn’t been tripping on something.

  Ax threw his hands in the air. “You see! That’s why I don’t tell anyone.”

  “Well, you have to admit, it sounds a little far-fetched,” I told him, getting to my feet.

  “That’s my story. Take it or leave it.” He shrugged.

  “Where can I find Kieran?” I asked.

  Laughter bubbled up from his throat. He was laughing so hard that he was doubled over.

  Folding my arms, I waited for him to stop laughing. “Does that mean you know where he’s at?”

  “Oh please, tell me you are not thinking of going into Kieran’s nest. A little bit of a girl like you.” He started laughing again.

  “You know, you could help me if you wanted,” I said, offering him a half-smile.

  Finally, his giggling fit subsided but he was still wearing a smirk. “Well now, I’d love to help you, Miss Sassy Pants, but I have a lot of work to do.” He motioned to the chair I’d just vacated.

  “Ax, can I ask you a question?”

  “Guess that would depend on what it was.”

  “When did you turn?” I found Ax fascinating and wanted to know more about him.

  “I can’t remember a lot from before I turned,” he confessed. “But it was in the 1980s.”

  I was getting the feeling this was a subject he wasn’t comfortable with, so I asked a different question. “What’s it like to be a vampire?”

  His mood turned somber. “She wants to know what it’s like,” he muttered as he stared off into nothing. It was as if he could see something that was invisible to me.

  He smiled but it was a dark smile, with just a hint of danger in it. “You are cold – always so cold. And there is the constant hunger. For those of us that crave a normal existence, it is eternal hell.”

  “I’m sorry. You seem like you could have been a nice guy before you turned,” I added.

  “What do you mean before I turned?” He scowled. “Lots of people think I’m a nice guy now.”

  “Of course, I just figured since you feed on blood, something like that might be a bad mark.” I tried to lighten the mood.

  “Well there is that,” he admitted, his face twisting into a harsh grimace.

  “Thanks for your story. It was really interesting,” I told him before heading toward the door.

  The sound of his voice stopped me.

  “What was your name again?”

  “Claire.”

  “Claire, do yourself a favor and don’t go looking for Kieran. He will kill you without a second thought. Your friend can take care of himself much better than you can.”

  “Well, that’s a bit sexist, don’t you think?” I said, only half kidding.

  “Nothing to do with you being a girl. You’re not a vampire so you won’t stand a chance.”

  No doubt he was probably right, but I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. Not helping out a friend in need went against my nature.

  Even if that friend was a vampire.

  Chapter Fifteen

  It was time to check in with Mason, but to do that I would have to find him. I spent over an hour searching the streets of New Orleans, starting with the Underground.

  The other members of his band were there, but Mason wasn’t. Next, I found my way back to the house he’d taken me to in the Garden District. From what I could tell, it was completely deserted.

  Parking in front of his house to wait for him was an option. He’d be making his way back sunrise, but there was always the chance he’d go somewhere else. Waiting for him could be a waste of time.

  There was nothing left to do but go back to Wren’s office or home. I could call the police, but Detective Landry was the only one who’d believe me. Since it was so late, I was pretty sure he wouldn’t be on duty.

  Knowing Wren was in danger, I was too agitated to go home, so I headed back to the office.

  When I got there, a crowd had gathered in front of Rene’s Voodoo Emporium. The Emporium drew all kinds of people from tourists to serious voodoo practitioners. This time of year was especially bad for crowds in the Quarter.

  Having a voodoo shop next door was a real pain in the ass, especially during high season.

  As I made my way around the people, I felt a prickly sensation run up my back. Stopping, I examined the crowd a little closer. No one seemed to be watching me.

  Although I tried to shrug it off, the feeling persisted until I was inside. Drawing in a deep breath, I pulled the curtains aside to peer out at the people on the street.

  There were too many people to know for sure if one of them had been watching me. I could make out the muffled sounds of jazz music in the distance, but nothing seemed out of place.

  Dismissing the feeling as my overactive imagination, I decided that as long as I was in the office, I should probably look through Wren’s files. Maybe there was a clue that would help me find Kieran’s nest.

  If the vampire was as dangerous as everyone thought, I had no doubt Wren would have been tracking him.

  As soon as I turned to face the door, I stopped. A dim glow from the emergency lights crept from the open storage room door.

  I was positive it had been closed when I left.

  Could Mason be wrong about Wren?

  Maybe Wren had already been back to the office.

  Drawing in a deep breath, I pushed the door open a few more inches and peered inside. At first, all I could make out were long legs and a pair of boots propped on some boxes.

  Just as I was ready to flee, a voice stopped me. “Don’t leave without saying hello.”

  It was Mason’s voice.

  Relief washed over me, though I wasn’t sure why. He was a vampire after all.

  I pushed the door open.

  “It’s about time you showed up.” There was a critical note in his voice.

  “I’ve been looking for you,” I told him, wondering why I even felt the need to defend myself. “Why are you hiding in our storage room?”

  In a blink of an eye, he was standing next to me. “I can smell another vampire on you. Who have you been with?”

  I opened my mouth to say something, but no words would come out. Actually, I hadn’t even decided if I was going to tell Mason about Ax and what I’d discovered.

  Now he was even closer, so close that I had goosebumps.

  “Don’t deny it. I can smell him on you.” Mason’s eyes were g
lowing with hunger.

  My heart was racing as I imagined him sinking his fangs into my flesh. To my surprise, the thought was almost erotic. It seemed that whenever I was near him, carnal images slipped into my head.

  “I did talk to another vampire,” I admitted. “I had business to discuss with him.”

  “Are you crazy?” he thundered. “Does the word vampire not mean anything to you? Humans don’t keep company with vampires.”

  Stunned by his outburst, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say in response.

  The corners of his mouth dipped into a frown. Before I could stop him, he’d pulled me into his arms. His lips came down on my neck and I felt something akin to a jolt of electricity travel over every inch of my body.

  I had to focus!

  I had to think of Wren!

  Finally, I gathered enough willpower to pull away. “If I should stay away from vampires, then why are you here?” My voice trembled along with the rest of me.

  For a long time, he said nothing. When he did break his silence, he asked, “What is it about vampires that you find so compelling? It won’t do you any good to deny it. I feel the curiosity that draws you.”

  I didn’t know what to say. He was right. There was something about vampires that drew me, but I had no idea what it was.

  Was it my morbid curiosity about death?

  “You long to lie on a bed of satin, with the grave to blanket your sweet body, but why?” he asked.

  When his fangs scraped against my neck, I inhaled sharply. “That’s not true.”

  “I can feel it in you. It seeps from every pore. You fear us, not because you fear death, but because you fear immortality. You are afraid of never reaching that final climax that is death.

  Mason’s hand found its way into my shirt and beneath my bra. His touch was electrifying.

  “Mason,” I moaned.

  “What is it about Shadow Valley that so interests you?” he asked while continuing to caress my breast.