by Raven Steele
“What are you going to do with the body?” Lucien asked.
“I’ll insist that I take the body to the morgue myself, and somewhere along the way, I’ll finish the job you started.”
“But won’t people become suspicious when a body doesn’t turn up?”
He was quiet for a second, then, “I'll take care of it. It's got to be good though. People are angry. We lost two good officers today.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner,” Lucien said.
“It’s my fault. I should’ve called you the moment I saw the footage of him killing the drunk, but I just couldn’t believe it. I convinced myself that he’d killed the man some other way.”
Lucien glanced down at his watch. He still had time before he had to be back at the Deific. “Listen, why don’t you let me take the body? I’ve got a little time and it would be less suspicious if I take him than if you did. I can pretend to be a criminal pathologist or something”
John looked down at the body then back at Lucien. “Okay. I’ll come up with a story to tell the guys. You wait here. I’ll have a gurney brought up in a minute.”
Twenty minutes later, a skinny officer wheeled in a gurney. He stopped in front of Lucien. “So how’d this guy die?”
“I'm not sure.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You are the pathologist, right?”
Lucien raised his eyebrows. “Right. That’s me. I won’t be able to tell how he died until I run some tests, but it looks like an overdose of some kind.”
The officer nodded his head. “I heard he was shot three times and was still a fighting machine.”
“Nope, no bullet wounds. They must’ve missed him. You want to help me out?”
Lucien bent over and picked up the top half of Bill’s body. The officer picked up the bottom half and together they heaved it onto the table. The officer unfolded a white sheet and draped it over the body.
“What about them?” the officer asked, nodding his head toward the two officers and the white drunk.
“John said something about examining the crime scene,” Lucien quickly lied.
He pushed the gurney out the doors and into the main hall of the police station. Several officers watched as he passed by; one officer spit on the white sheet. When Lucien walked by John, John nodded his head, his eyes full of gratitude.
Outside, Lucien appeared natural, as if it was a normal procedure, wheeling a dead body through a parking lot. Luckily, there were few bystanders to question him. He pushed the gurney to his car and, after opening the back of his Hummer, folded the legs of the narrow table and pushed it in.
He drove a few blocks before turning behind a department store. After scanning the area, he slid the body from the back. It hit the pavement with a loud thud. He quickly stepped on Bill’s chest, forcing the stake deep into his heart. Bill imploded into dust, which meant he was also a newer vampire. An older one would’ve melted into fat and gristle.
Lucien stepped over the decayed ashes and back into his car. He had thirty minutes to change and get back to the Deific to tell Eve what he had learned. At least they knew who wanted her now, but the biggest question still remained.
Why?
Chapter 22
“You’re looking good,” Julie said to him when Lucien exited the elevator at the Deific.
He glanced down at his black suit. “Too much?”
“Depends on if we’re in my bedroom or not.” She smiled and winked. “You must be here for Eve.”
Lucien glanced around the office. Only a few people were still working. “Yeah. Is she in back?”
“You just missed her.” She chewed on a pen, eyeing him up and down.
“She left?” He tried to keep his voice from rising.
“A couple of minutes ago. She said to tell you she’d meet you at the Mayor’s Ball. If you give me about ten minutes, I can go with you.” The pen twisted in her mouth.
“No, thanks.”
He left the building as quickly as possible. Without being too obvious, he strode through the crowds of people, weaving his way in and out of the masses. The crowd scurried about like rats stuck in a maze. Lucien was always amazed by how busy humans seemed. Maybe it was better that way. If people stopped to see the truth around them, they might be terrified by what they discovered.
Several teenagers, dressed up as the seven dwarfs, shoved each other in front of him. Lucien moved around the rowdy boys. He didn’t care for holidays and never celebrated them. As far as he was concerned, holidays were created as one more distraction to keep humans in the dark. Somehow, having an event to celebrate made people feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
After several blocks, Lucien finally picked up her scent. She was close. He stepped into an alley. With human eyes no longer on him, he raced through to the other side and up behind the buildings. He should be able to cut her off in a matter of seconds.
Coming around to another alley, Lucien stopped abruptly when an angel gowned in all white with white butterfly-like wings passed by the opening. The image startled at him and, for a brief moment, he wondered if it was in fact a real angel. But then he smelled lilacs.
Lucien fell in step behind Eve, taken in by her appearance.
She wore a long, white, strapless satin gown with folds of silk all around her. Her hair was completely straight and fell to the middle of her back, and a diamond crown graced the top of her head. He couldn’t bring himself to go forward to be with her, afraid he would tarnish her perfect image. Instead, he walked a safe distance behind, never taking his eyes off her.
At the doors to the hotel, she turned around and looked out. Lucien didn’t hide. He stood opposite the street, hands at his side.
“Lucien,” she whispered. The wind carried his name to be heard only by him.
He nodded once in acknowledgment and crossed the road. He kept his eyes locked with hers, unable to look away.
Before he could say anything, she said, “I’m sorry I left. I wasn’t sure if you’d be back.”
“I will always come back.”
“Forgive me?” She batted her eyes at him angelically.
He reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. “How did you become so beautiful?”
He didn’t realize he’d said the words aloud until he saw her lips spread into a smile. “I take it I’m forgiven?”
He remained silent, unable to think of anything but Eve. It was a peaceful moment for him, standing opposite her, an angel fallen from heaven. Letting his barrier down, he took her small hand in his and traced the veins in her wrist.
“Lucien,” she said, her voice quiet. “Will you escort me in?”
He inhaled deeply, his gaze meeting hers. “I’m not really wearing a costume.”
“I hardly see how that’s a problem. You are a vampire, after all.” She reached up her free hand and brushed his lips with her thumb, as if remembering the fangs.
When he didn’t answer, she said, “I want you with me.”
If that was what she wanted, he would give it to her. He escorted her into the elegant hotel. Several heads turned in their direction, staring with mouths open. They must’ve made a fantastic-looking couple. Him dressed all in black, and her in white. The Devil and the Angel.
“People can’t stop staring at you,” she noticed. “But I’m not surprised. You look, dare I say, hot in that suit of yours.”
“I’ve never been called that before.”
“Then I’ll say it more often.”
Lucien led her toward the ballroom, weaving her through the crowded foyer. It made him nervous that so many people were wearing masks.
“So who called you?” Eve asked.
“John.” Lucien froze, remembering the last few hours. The sight of Eve had distracted him.
“Who?”
Lucien pulled her to the side of the room, away from the crowd. “I need to speak with you and Charlie right away. Can you call him and have him meet us out here?”
“O
f course. He’s probably already here.” She removed a cell phone from a small, white feather purse and dialed Charlie’s number.
A few minutes later, Charlie walked out of the ballroom and into the foyer where they were standing. He was dressed in green tights with a loose fitting, short sleeve shirt and a thick black belt wrapped around his waist. A small green hat with a feather sticking out the top sat upon his head. Lucien tried really hard not to say anything. Really hard.
When Charlie saw Eve, his mouth dropped. “Eve, you look incredible!”
He took both her hands and kissed her on the cheek.
She smiled warmly at him. “You look great, too.”
Charlie glanced at Lucien. “Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”
Lucien resisted the urge to punch him. “No. Two hours ago, I was in the police station killing a vampire.”
Charlie jerked like a plucked guitar string. “How did a vampire get put in jail?”
“He said he was shot with some kind of a strange weapon that blasted electricity into him. It made him confused and disoriented. The cops thought he was a human on drugs.”
Both Charlie and Eve looked at each other.
“You know what weapon I’m talking about, don’t you?” Lucien asked.
Charlie sighed. From behind his back, he withdrew a long pistol-like looking gun and handed to Lucien. “A year ago, the Ames de la Terra gave us a bunch of these to combat vampires.”
Lucien was familiar with the group. They operated out of Rouen and were run by supernaturals who believed in living peacefully with humans, from the shadows, of course. Samira, a vampire woman he’d met a few times over the centuries, had reached out to him once decades ago and asked him to join. He’d easily turned her down, preferring to go it alone.
Charlie kept explaining. “It’s a lot like a taser but shoots out a higher voltage of electricity. They found that a high amount of electricity messes up the make-up of vampires. However, the same blast of electricity will kill a human.” He paused, a growing look of concern spreading across his face. “As far as I know, none of my men were out last night.”
“It wasn’t a human who shot him, it was another vampire.”
Charlie shook his head. “That’s not possible. We keep a tight inventory on all these guns. We’d know if one was missing.”
“Then you’d better check again, because there’s a vampire out there who has one.”
“I’ll make a few calls now.” Charlie turned to leave but Lucien stopped him.
“What would happen if Eve was shot with one of these weapons?”
“Lucien?” Eve asked.
Charlie glanced at her. “What does Eve have to do with this?”
“Are you serious? This is all about Eve! This wasn’t a random act of vampire on vampire violence. They are here for her, and they’re going to keep coming until they have her. She needs to leave town.”
They were all silent. From inside the ballroom, an orchestra played a hauntingly beautiful tune.
Eve spoke first. “Fine, I’ll leave tomorrow, wherever you want, but give me tonight. Please?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Lucien said.
Charlie folded his arms. "That's what I've been saying."
“One night, you guys, and then tomorrow Charlie can ship me back to Coast City or maybe one of the other Deific offices. I have nowhere else to go.”
Lucien stared at her, surprised. “You act as if you’re going alone.”
“I will be, won’t I?”
“Never,” Lucien said. The thought of Eve by herself with a swarm of vampires hunting after her made him ill. He didn't care how much magic she knew. "I'll go with you, but we leave tonight after the ball."
"A few hours only," Charlie said. "No need to press our luck."
"Deal." She looped her arms through Lucien's and Charlie's and led them into the ball room.
A few hours was nothing and yet, Lucien couldn’t but feel that they’d made a horrible decision.
Chapter 23
The ballroom had been decorated with old French décor; even the hotel staff were dressed as French courtiers of the seventeenth century. Candles adorned the room, and white and pink flowers hung from the walls and tables. In the front, a full orchestra band played in harmony, classic pieces to match the time period. It was enough to impress even Lucien who had attended some of the grandest balls in history.
Lucien followed Eve around the room as she stopped to speak with different people. She introduced him as her date. The whole affair felt strange and much too formal for his taste. He moved about with a forced smile, trying to be polite and charming. All the while his inner voice screamed to get away.
Very few of the humans he met seemed genuine. Their shifty eyes guarded their secrets well. And they did have secrets, dirty parts of their lives they wanted to keep hidden from others. It was evident by the way they talked themselves up as if they were greater than they really were.
Sitting at a table in the direction Eve was now heading, sat Charlie. Though Charlie annoyed Lucien, at least he was sincere and honest.
Charlie ended a call and stood as they approached.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get over how radiant you look, Eve.” He turned toward Lucien. “And I forgot to ask you earlier, what are you supposed to be?”
“One guess.” He sat down next to Eve who sat next to Charlie. “And you must be, what, the Jolly Green Giant?”
“Try Robin Hood.”
“Robin Hood was a thief,” said a woman across the table from them. She was dressed like a seductive cat. Next to her was an older man with slicked back gray hair wearing a Zorro mask.
The old man laughed. “Forgive my wife’s bluntness. I’m Arthur. I work in the governor’s office, and this is Olivia.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Charlie, this is Eve, and the man sitting next to her is a vampire.”
Eve jerked her head at Charlie who smirked back.
“And does the vampire have a name?” Olivia purred.
He groaned inwardly, hating every second of this. “Lucien.”
Olivia kept her eyes on him as if he were a yellow canary. Even when dinner arrived, she continued to eye him dangerously, like she might lick the skin from his body if given the chance. Eve seemed to enjoy his discomfort.
Half way through dinner and a terribly long political conversation, the music changed to a soft waltz. Lucien seized the opportunity.
“May I have this dance?” he asked Eve.
She smiled at him. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He guided her to the center of the room, maneuvering in and out of the many masked couples, and pulled her close to his chest. Even though it had been centuries since he’d danced last, he found it was like riding a bicycle. He expertly moved their bodies, matching every beat.
“Thank you for getting me away from the table. I can’t stand political talk.”
“You don’t belong with them anyway.” He twirled her around and then pulled her back to his chest.
“Where do I belong?” she whispered, but it was more an aloud thought than a direct question.
He stopped moving and stared down at her. “Tonight, you belong right here, with me.”
They danced for the next several hours, unaware of the time, neither taking their eyes off each other. Lucien was aware of her every touch, every sway of her hips, even the rise and fall of her chest. He tracked the movement of her lips while she spoke, reveled in her smile, and sunk deep within her intense gaze. He didn’t want to be anywhere else for as long as he lived.
Toward the end of the night, the music slowed and the crowd thinned out, candles burning low. His arm remained tight around Eve’s waist; beneath her sheer dress, her muscles flexed in time to the music.
Without warning, the pressure in the room changed as if a storm had approached. It raised the hairs on his arm. Lucien glanced around for the source of the change.
“What’s wrong?” Eve a
sked.
“Stay here.” He walked away from her, scanning the remaining guests. Dread continued to fill him.
Then, as if a shot had been fired, something evil entered the room. Lucien faced the left entrance where two vampires crossed the threshold into the ballroom. At the same time, two others entered from the right.
Lucien quickly locked eyes with Charlie, who was already standing with a grim expression and a cell phone to his ear. He, too, must have sensed something coming. Charlie said into the phone, “Get here as quickly as possible.”
Lucien glanced back at Eve whose eyes were closed as she listened to the music. She didn’t sense the impending danger.
His eyes darted back and forth to each set of vampires who stealthy moved toward Eve like predatory cats. He recognized Bill as one of them. Lucien walked quickly to Eve, hoping to get to her before they did.
In the corner of his vision, he saw Charlie pull the red lever of a fire alarm. A loud whistle exploded into the air. People everywhere frantically looked around as they decided if there was any immediate danger.
Charlie helped them along. “Fire! Everybody out!”
People jumped and rushed to the entrance all at once in a chaotic mess. In his haste, a man knocked Eve onto all fours. Lucien rushed to her, but Bill made it to her first.
Eve’s fearful gaze met Lucien’s just as Bill clamped his large hand around her neck, and with the other hand, he tore the wings from her costume where they fell in a crumpled heap. She turned and attempted to deck him, but he grabbed her fist and twisted her arm, making her wince in pain. His other hand gripped her throat. All this in under a second, much too fast for her to even think about using magic.
Lucien moved forward careful not to make any sudden moves, but his muscles remained coiled tight, ready for action. He knew Bill would snap her neck before he could get to her. Whether that would kill or not, he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want to find out.
The other vampires in the room eyed him dangerously through the crowds of rushing people. He slowly pushed the frenzied humans to the side as he walked closer to Eve in a non-threatening manner.
