Wilder, J. C. - Shadow Dweller 5

by Sins-Flesh(lit)

  Sunni shivered as she pulled the phone from her pocket and tried Alexandre once more, the insistent buzzing causing her to scowl at the offending instrument. Cursing silently, she shoved it back into her pocket and hurried after Miles, stopping only when she'd reached the store.

  Like so many others in the area, the windows were dark, the display area thick with dust. Over the door hung a weathered sign, faded gold lettering proclaiming:

  Mambo Cecile

  Love Potions, Charms, Cures and Hexes

  Made to Order.

  Established 1904.

  New Orleans was filled with charlatans who claimed to be able to bring about a life change with the purchase of a smelly bag filled with dried chicken bones, pungent herbs and a few goat hairs. While voodun was a popular back-street religion in the superstitious south, most of those who advertised were only out for a buck in Sunni's opinion.

  Hesitant, she stepped up onto the worn stair, taking care to avoid the small piles of cigars, candies and coins left as a thank you to the voodun Mambo. Mambo Cecile must be doing something correct to warrant such a pile of goods left for her.

  Sunni stepped through the open door and inside. For a split second, the store looked empty, a thick layer of dust coating everything. Only a single trail of footprints revealed that someone had been there recently. She blinked and, all at once, the room was flooded with light.

  What the...

  It was as if someone had thrown a switch and the shop had come to life. The shop was tiny, half the size of her own business. Shelves lined three walls of the room and in the center of the far wall was an open doorway covered with strands of hanging wooden beads to form a curtain. They swayed from the passage of someone; their hollow clacking reminding Sunni of the sound of dried bones. A strange scent, like that of old coffee and something floral swirled about her, making her dizzy with its fragrance.

  "Who do you seek?" The soft tones of a woman sounded, startling her.

  She turned her head to see a small woman seated beside a table with a variety of bottles and bags scattered across the surface. She was tiny and delicate, her skin the creamy brown of an octoroon. She was young, maybe early twenties, and her hair was hidden beneath a brightly colored turban. Her dress was white and gauzy, covering her from neck to toes. Her gaze direct from liquid dark eyes.

  "A man," Sunni replied.

  The woman's brow arched. "Many women come seeking a man."

  "I seek only one."

  A soft smile curved her mouth. "You is a smart one."

  "No, I seek the man who entered here just a few seconds ago."

  The woman's smile faded as she selected a square of red silk and spread it out on the table. "I see." She picked up a small bowl and extracted a dried twig. "I thought maybe you sought the one who needs you most." She crumbled the twig into the center of the material.

  Sunni blinked, trying hard to concentrate on what she was saying. The scent in the shop was making her lightheaded. "Who are you talking about?"

  The woman rummaged through the contents on the table until she located a bag of small bones. Dropping one into a mortar, she began grinding the bone with the pestle. Then she raised her head, her gaze dark and piercing. "You know of whom I speak, vampire."

  She started. Mortals almost never knew she was a vampire. Their minds wouldn't allow them to accept the truth even on the rare occasion that she told them. In several instances, she'd met a mortal with the gift of recognition and it appeared this woman was one of them. People with that ability made her distinctly uneasy, as if the stranger could see inside her very skin.

  "Who are you?" Sunni asked.

  "I am Cecile and this is my place." She added the now-powdered bone to her concoction.

  "And I'm Sunni. I'm in search of the man who just came in here." She gestured toward the beads, now still. "Did he go through there?"

  Cecile nodded, her gaze solemn. "He is not the one you seek for he's not your destiny." She selected strands of hair from a small jar and added to the growing pile on the red satin. "Know that he shall be an instrument in the destruction of many."

  Sunni didn't believe in voodun mumbo jumbo, but there was something about the woman's voice that sent a shiver of foreboding down her spine. Was there something that Alexandre had neglected to tell her about Miles? Should she turn back and get Sinjin or Alexandre?

  He'll get away.

  And Alexandre would miss him. Damn. She turned and headed for the bead-covered door, her sandals making little sound on the dusty ancient wooden floor.

  "Wait, vampire, you will need this." She turned to see Cecile tying a knot in the top of the small red bag and attaching a black cord. "It will aid you in your journey. You'll need to keep this with you until the darkness has passed."

  Sunni cringed at the thought of putting the bag near her skin as she'd seen what the woman had put inside it. "No, thanks." She parted the beads and stepped into the back room.

  "It's your funeral," the woman crooned in a singsong tone. "And I shall wear red to it. Ah, vampire, trust no one..."

  Sunni let the beads fall back into place, their eerie wooden clacking loud in the stillness. The tiny backroom was filled to overflowing with dusty boxes, most closed, some opened and spilling their macabre contents onto the floor. Stepping over what looked like a bag of dried chicken feet, she headed for the open back door to another narrow alley.

  Senses alert, she exited the shop. The stench of rotting food swirled around her, clearing her muddied senses. Whatever Cecile had had in there, Sunni didn't want to experience any more of it.

  "Welcome, Sunni. I'm so pleased you could join me."

  Busted...

  She turned to see Miles. He stood in the shadows, leaning against the building on the opposite side of the alley. He shoved away from the wall and stepped into the faint light from Cecile's door.

  "An invitation would have been nice. At least then I'd have known how to dress." She gestured to her simple gauze skirt and top. "I fear I'm overdressed." She nodded toward the debris in the alley.

  His smile was cold, his gaze flat. "You'll do for what I have in mind."

  "And that would be?"

  "I have something for you to do."

  "What is it?"

  He extracted a small envelope from his pocket. "You need to deliver this to Alexandre. It's very important and I know I can trust you to carry it without reading it."

  "I have a news flash for you. There's a modern invention called a courier whom you can pay to deliver items. If that isn't speedy enough, there is something called a fax."

  He ignored her sarcasm. "The preternatural world is in an uproar and we're not sure whom we can trust. There are enemies all around us."

  A thrill of excitement raced through her. "Who is us?"

  "Cassiopeia and I."

  Aha! She is in town. Now to discover her lair.

  "What is she doing here?"

  "She's come to the city in order to discuss terms with the head of the Council." He waggled the envelope. "That's what this missive is about. She's arranging a meeting with him." He offered her the packet again. "In here is the key to a peaceful future for those who dwell in the shadows."

  Her gaze locked on the white envelope. Finally, she could prove to Alexandre that she was useful and could take care of herself. She reached for the offering.

  Miles snatched it away, out of her reach. "Remember, trust no one. The future of the preternaturals depends upon you."

  She frowned, wasn't that what Cecile had said? As he held out the missive once more, she moved forward to take it.

  As her fingers brushed the heavy vellum, something moved in the darkness behind her. Before she made a sound, strong arms caught her around the torso, pinning one arm to her side. Another figure came in from the left and grabbed her other arm. Trapped, Sunni snarled at her captors, dismayed to find that she was held by two male vampires, both much older than herself. How had they managed to sneak up on her like this? She stru
ggled only to find that she couldn't move at all. She was well and truly trapped.

  Miles crumpled the envelope and dropped it, a sharp smile curving his mouth. "Now, now, didn't I warn you not to trust anyone?" He shook his head as he withdrew a small leather pouch from his other pocket. I was included in that, of course."

  "What do you want?" she snapped, fear threatening to choke her.

  "Well, let's see, I'm already immortal, so I don't need that. I'm rich beyond my wildest dreams, so I don't need money." He raised his hand and stepped toward her, drawing a fingertip down her cheek. "However, I do need you."

  Revulsion crawled along her skin at the thought of this man touching her. "Not on your life."

  He laughed and stepped away to open the pouch. "Don't worry, little vampire, I won't touch you." He withdrew a small vial and a hypodermic needle. "Knowing that Alexandre has been there before me would be enough to cool my desire."

  Sunni eyed the bright orange fluid in the bottle. "What is that?"

  "Just a little something for you, my dear." He filled the hypodermic-the liquid glowed as if lit from within. "I think you'll enjoy it. I know without a doubt that Alexandre will." He returned the vial to the pouch before returning it to his pocket.

  Sunni struggled in earnest as he advanced toward her, panic searing her skin. "Don't you dare." She bared her teeth.

  "Hold her," he directed her captors. "I don't want this creature biting me."

  She kicked out as Miles drew close. With a jolt of victory, her foot connected with his shin. She took pleasure as he winced.

  "Damn it! Get her down on the ground," he snapped.

  She shrieked as the two vampires knocked her to the ground, face down. The larger one pinned her by straddling her back while the other pulled her arm straight out from her body. She screamed as he leaned into her, his knee digging into her shoulder, thus keeping her immobile.

  She watched in horror as Miles approached once more, the needle glinting in the muted evening light. He dropped to a crouch and she howled as he plunged the needle into her exposed flesh. She strained against their hands as Miles pushed the plunger, shooting the liquid into her vein.

  A rushing sound filled her ears and instantly her body became raging hot. Fire moved through her veins, immobilizing her. Vaguely, she was aware of hands being removed and her vision wavered as she sluggishly rolled onto her back. Her three tormentors stood over her, watching as she tried to school her muscles to move, to run away.

  Miles reached into his pocket and pulled out the leather pouch once more.

  No more no more...

  Agony clawed at her skin as the vile liquid ate at her flesh. She felt as if she were dissolving. What was it that he'd shot into her? She struggled to breathe, her chest constricting as if she couldn't draw any air at all. Her eyes fluttered shut.

  I have to get up...

  She forced her eyes open. The men were gone and Cecile bent over her. The woman's face was concerned and in her hand she held the gris-gris, the red bag she'd offered Sunni earlier. Her lips moved and her words sounded hollow as if she were a great distance away.

  "I done tole you. You need to keep this with you, little vampire. It will keep you safe."

  Warm hands looped the bag around her neck, its weight oddly comforting as it settled between her breasts.

  "Come, you get up now."

  Mambo Cecile helped Sunni to her feet where she swayed, dizzy and sick to her stomach. She leaned against the building and tried to mumble her thanks, but her lips refused to move. Every nerve screaming, she tried to speak but nothing would come out.

  "Now go to him, little one," Cecile whispered. "He will save you."

  "C-can't...m-m-move."

  Cecile ran her hand over Sunni's eyes, shutting them. "You don't need to."

  In her mind, she reached for Alexandre...

  "I got her."

  Cass looked up from her research notes to smile at Miles. "Marvelous." She leaned forward. "Did she suffer much?"

  He shrugged. "No more than the others. She dropped faster and lost consciousness within two minutes. She's strong for her age. She'll be up and about within an hour or so."

  "Excellent." Cass flipped through a few pages of the book to make notes as Miles continued to supply details.

  Subject 01-105-female vampire, 5' 3" and approximately 105 pounds. She was a healthy 25 yr old human and has been a vampire for approximately sixty years. No known outstanding powers.

  Received dose at 10:20 P.M.-Subject received lot 4-a, 20cc via intravenous injection. Lost consciousness within 2 minutes and is expected to regain her equilibrium within an hour. Assistant will monitor her progress.

  Cass sat back, satisfied with the night's work. Their seventh and, hopefully, most successful experiment was now under way, Alexandre had confirmed that he'd meet with her tomorrow and she was well on her way to having the ultimate revenge.

  With Sunni out of the picture, Alexandre would be eating out of her hand instead. She bristled at the thought of the scrawny blonde vampire with her ex-lover. Alexandre was excellent in bed, if not a bit remote outside of it. That was fine with her as she considered emotions to be an unnecessary complication when it came to sex.

  She rose and dropped her pen onto the notebook. It was time to feed. Soon, Alexandre would be hers once more and all would be as it should. Humming a tune under her breath, Cass set about preparing for the hunt.

  * * *

  Chapter 9

  It was a good thing she loved to swim, Sunni decided. She felt like she was underwater. She floated down the street, barely feeling the pavement beneath her shoes as she walked. The Bourbon Street crowd ebbed and flowed around her as she progressed, their laughter muffled. She giggled in delight as she stared at her beloved city through new eyes. It felt as if the world were brighter, more exciting, more...everything.

  A young man grabbed her by the wrist and placed a liquor-scented kiss on her cheek. "God, you're beautiful. Marry me?"

  She tipped her head back and laughed for the sheer joy of it. "Oh, but I cannot marry you today, kind sir, for I have a very important appointment."

  "I'll get on my knees and beg."

  Pulling away, she gave him a flirtatious smile. "I might enjoy that more than you'll ever know, however, I must decline." She moved again through the crowds, ignoring his pleas for her to return.

  The brightly colored lights of a store window caught her attention and she drifted toward it, pressing close as a child would to a colorful display of toys. Christmas lights outlined the display, intertwined with silk scarves, gaudy jewelry and body paints. She blinked several times; the swirling lights were beginning to give her a headache.

  Interesting. Did vampires get headaches? She'd certainly never had one in all of her years. As a matter of fact, she couldn't remember ever feeling like this before in her life. She turned away from the window as she rubbed between her eyes to ease the unfamiliar tension.

  Now, where was I going?

  Bewildered, she leaned against a lamppost to get her bearings. She was at the far end of Bourbon Street, quite a way from her shop. How did she end up here? She frowned, unable to recall anything between rising at dusk and now.

  She glanced around, unease growing. The bright lights and meandering pedestrians seemed more sinister now. She rubbed the tense spot between her eyes as panic mounted. What was she doing here? She caught sight of her palms and her eyes widened. They were dirty as if she'd been playing in the grime of the streets.

  What happened?

  She shoved away from her sanctuary. Heart pounding, she staggered down the street, jostling passersby until she darted down the first available alley. Her sandals slapped the pavement as she ran toward Dauphine. She darted out into the busy street, ignoring the blaring of horns as she ran.

  She continued her harried journey until she reached the next intersection where she was forced to pause, allowing a car to pass before running ever-farther north.

  Her
breath heaved in her chest as she finally slowed. Where was she going? What was she running from? She glanced behind her. Had she been followed? The hubbub of Bourbon Street was several blocks behind her and she was finally safe.

  Safe from what?

  She looked down at her scraped palms. Panic swamped her. She couldn't remember what had happened. Vague images materialized: a young black woman, a needle, a strange vampire...

  Miles.

  She straightened, needing to find Alexandre. Head spinning, she stepped into the street, directly into the path of an oncoming truck. As if in slow motion, she turned to see the truck bearing down.

  This is going to hurt...

  Heart in his throat, Alexandre grabbed Sunni from behind and plucked her from the street. His arm encircled her waist as he took the brunt of their fall, grunting as her elbow dug into his stomach. The driver screamed profanities in their direction as he raced off with a squeal of tires. For a second, he savored the solid weight of her body resting on his, her back to his front.

  "Alexandre?" Her voice was wobbly.

  "Damn it." He forcefully put her aside, setting her on the pavement before rolling to his feet. "Didn't you hear me shouting your name? Why didn't you answer me-" Then he saw her face.

  A small amount of dirt marred the curve of her left cheek and throat. Her lightweight dress was dirty as if she'd fallen into something he didn't want to name. The bodice was torn at the left shoulder, exposing the creamy curve, it, too, marred with dirt.

  "What happened to you?"

  "It is you," she breathed. A smile of perfection curved her mouth-his chest tightened. Even dirty and bedraggled, she was a beauty to behold. "I knew I'd find you." She held out her hands, silently asking him to help her rise.

  "Are you hurt?" He grasped her hands and pulled her upright, catching the wince that crossed her face. He turned her hands to see the dirt and the scrapes that marked her palms.

  "I'm okay now." She swayed toward him.

  "Did you fall?" He inspected her silky head for any sign of damage.