She turned away from the baby, and went back to packing. There wasn’t much she could take — she was limited to what she could carry and what she could tie to Betty. And most of that would be cloths and blankets for the baby. And spare leather for teats. And her meagre supply of honey. And fire-making items...
“I guess I won’t be taking many clothes with me,” Hannah said, more to practice speaking than anything else. Her voice was still hoarse from disuse.
She opened the storage box where she kept clothing — vests, jackets and pants made from leather she had cured after her few hunting trips on the Old Mother. Cloth she made on her own loom, from wool bought down in the valley, and fashioned into underthings and shirts. She fingered the pale material, grateful that no memories lingered in the shirts. If only she had known about the Trsetti sooner, about what they were really like. She would have...
What?
Done nothing? Hidden on the slopes of the Old Mother? Maybe complained to her mother, when the older vampire dropped by during the year?
Sighing, Hannah drew out three shirts and two sets of leather trousers. She was pathetic. What could she really have done? Clearly the villagers feared everyone other than themselves, and if they had discovered she was a vampire, they may have attacked her. After all, they already considered her an eccentric, if one who was solitary. Safe. Harmless.
Weak.
“I am not weak.”
Shoving her clothing into her satchel, she growled to herself. Clearly, so much ‘alone time’ was not good for her mental wellbeing. She had talked herself into being a coward. And while her life had no space for heroism — another word for stupidity, according to her mother — she did have room to grow a backbone.
“I am not a coward,” she said. And she’d prove it. When morning came, they would leave. Her, Betty and the baby.
The little girl made fussing noises. Hannah looked over at the small, scrunched face. “You are not alone, little one.” Reaching down, she picked up the infant and held her close. The baby sighed and curled her fists up tight under her chin.
“We are no longer alone.”
Chapter 11
Pinton City
Killing was easy.
From all the things he’d heard, it wasn’t meant to be, not if you were human. For vampires and weres, it was part of life. But for humans, killing each other was supposed to be anathema. Sometimes, he thought the idea had been bred into humans by the weres and vampires, so that their food source didn’t wipe itself out. But killing was as much a part of human nature as it was for any predator; they just pretended that their violence was limited to animals, to food. But that wasn’t true. The strong hunted the weak, even in their own kind. Animals regularly destroyed the weakest members of their packs. Why should humans do any different?
The humans he’d talked with had answers, but he found them hard to believe. They seemed to think that by killing someone, you were destroying something precious, unique. Something irreplaceable. After all, taking someone’s life was taking their potential: their future, their lineage, their legacy.
Except so few humans actually had anything to offer.
Then again, he didn’t think many vampires — or weres, not that he knew that many — possessed many worthwhile traits or skills, either. They were there to offset the truly remarkable individuals. The ones worth preserving, like himself. He was a gardener, cultivating the growth and bloom of society.
And he had some pruning to do.
Chapter 12
Pinton City
“Did you see the way that ass filled those pants?”
Alice turned from the window and looked at her best friend. Talan’s eyes were wide open and watching something — or more accurately, someone — on the street. Her black hair was swept up in a neat bun, and her pearlescent skin glowed in the candlelight. Whoever was out there didn’t know what they were missing out on.
Tal was as bad as Kyle. Maybe she should set them up? Alice thought about it for a few moments. No, Tal would eat Kyle for breakfast. And not in a good way. Poor guy.
Tal was staring at her, expecting an answer. Alice realized she’d been quiet a little too long. “No, I didn’t,” Alice said. “But should I care?”
She fiddled with her fork, which had been laid without precision on her cloth napkin. She straightened it. Then she tried to discreetly re-arrange the other utensils and glassware until they had some kind of order. Tal watched her with an amused expression.
They were in a small restaurant that specialized in not having a specialty. It was the kind of thing that Tal loved: something new every time. For Alice, it meant perusing the menu, trying to find something familiar and therefore potentially edible. It wasn’t that the food wasn’t nice; it was just that Alice was a meat-and-three-veggie kind of gal. She didn’t need fancy new culinary experiences to make her week. Tal, however, did, although she hadn’t even bothered to read the menu like any other normal person would in a fancy establishment. No, Tal was eyeing off the meat outside.
Alice did have to admit they had great seats. Their table was tucked in the front corner, with a view overlooking the cobblestone street and the ornate metal lamps slowly glowing to yellow life. It was a nice part of town, so the sidewalks were swept clean of dirt, and stone buildings soared toward the sky, their decorative masonry catching the golden sunset. Bright canvases overhung street vendors, who sold wares from exotic fruit to silk shawls, spicy meats to glittering silver jewelry. As it was dusk, the vampires were just starting to head out for their day. Or evening. However it worked. The men were dressed just as finely as the women, with lace, silks and satins, and even some velvet, with gems glittering in the light.
Suddenly, Alice’s joy in the sights dimmed. All that wealth, paraded by the aristos, made her feel slightly nauseated. While she made a decent living, there were a lot of humans in Pinton who didn’t. The clothes these aristos wore could feed a family for a year, if converted to gold and wages.
Tal leaned forward, her gray eyes glinting with mischief. “You should care about that ass, Ally. When was the last time you got laid?”
Alice picked up the menu and opened it with a flick. “None of your business.” If she ignored Tal, would that make her and this stupid conversation disappear?
“It’s not healthy, I tell you. A young woman as pretty as you shouldn’t be acting like a dying old spinster.”
She lowered the menu. “Dying old spinster?”
“Look at you. I had to practically beg you to come out with me, a month in advance.” Tal stabbed a finger on the tablecloth.
“That’s how long it took for this restaurant to have an opening. It is ‘the place to eat’, you know.” Alice rolled her eyes.
Tal waved a dismissive hand. “Meaningless details.”
“You know I’m not an adventurous eater.”
“You’re not an adventurous anything.”
“Just cos I don’t have to be out every moment I’m not working—”
“That’s not what I’m referring to at all, and you know it. And when are you not working?”
Someone tapped on the window. Alice, Tal and the other people sitting at the front of the restaurant turned to look. With a feeling close to relief, Alice recognized the black cap of a City Guard messenger.
“I will be right back.” Alice slid from her chair.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Tal demanded.
Alice pointed at the young girl, who stood outside hopping from foot to foot.
“Ignore her. We’re here for dinner.”
Alice dodged away from the table and Tal’s glare. “It could be important.”
“More important than enjoying a nice meal with your best friend?” Tal’s gray eyes narrowed menacingly.
“Leave the guilt trip until we know whether or not I have to stand you up.”
Tal humphed and picked up the menu.
Alice hurried outside. �
��Are you looking for me?” she asked the messenger.
The young girl — probably no more than ten years of age — nodded her head. “Yes, ma’am. They found another one.” Dirty blonde hair escaped from underneath the black cap, and the girl tugged on it absently. She had smudges on her cheeks, but otherwise appeared clean enough. Alice could feel the people inside the restaurant, watching their interaction.
She turned her back to the window. “Another what?”
“Body, ma’am.”
“There are plenty of those. Can’t it wait for me at the morgue?” Sometimes new guards called her out for every corpse they encountered. Alice had learned to only go to the scene when it was murder, potential murder, or suicide.
The girl leaned forward, making Alice bend down. “It’s one of them,” the girl whispered and jerked her head at the other side of the street, where vampires were climbing into a carriage. The tethered horses neighed in protest.
“Right.” Alice’s blood began to tingle. Two dead vampires in almost as many days; what were the odds?
“So are you coming, ma’am?”
Alice looked down at her dress and heels. She’d even put on some makeup. “I don’t have my bag.”
“They said someone is getting your spare one from the Guard House.”
She sighed. She’d been outmaneuvered by whoever had found the body. They knew she wouldn’t be able to pass up another dead vamp. “Let me say goodbye to my friend.”
“No need. Your friend is right here.”
Alice turned. Tal stood behind her, a shuttered look on her face. Alice hated to disappoint her, had probably done it twenty times too many because of her job. But this was a dead vampire...
“I have to go, Tal.”
“They’re dead, Ally.” Tal’s foot began tapping. “It’s not like you can save them.”
“No, but it’s one of them.”
A line formed between Tal’s perfectly arched black eyebrows. “One of who?”
The messenger rubbed her chin, her thumb pointing in the direction of the vampires in their carriage. “One of them.”
Tal’s eyes lit with understanding. “Really? Well, then. I’ll forgive you if you tell me all about it later.”
“You are the best!”
Tal hugged her. “We’re rescheduling; you’re going to pay.”
“You drive a hard bargain.”
“Now get gone.”
*
A whistle greeted her at the crime scene. Looking over at the source, Alice shook her head. Tall and muscular as any were, Kyle loomed under a streetlight, the lamp casting an absurd halo around him. In the shadows a way behind him, someone knelt beside what Alice assumed was the body, taking notes. The darkness obscured their identity, but it had to be another guard. The messenger ran over to Kyle, clearly awaiting payment.
“Alice, I like the new uniform,” Kyle said. “I could get behind the whole dress and heels thing for work. It really...works.”
Alice snorted. “Witty.”
Kyle opened his mouth, preparing another no doubt hilarious comment, only to jump a foot into the air as a pale hand slapped down on his shoulder.
“Seriously, Kyle? Was that the best you could come up with? No wonder why you’re still single.” The hand gave a squeeze.
Kyle cringed. “By the blood, Elle! Stop sneaking up like that. And don’t hit so hard.” He rubbed his shoulder.
Alice laughed at Kyle, whining like a baby at a little tap from his partner. Eleanor — Elle — Brown was one of only two vampire city guards in Pinton.
“Alice! Good to see you. I wasn’t sure the messenger I sent would find you.” Elle smiled, and it was slightly disconcerting. Her teeth were glow-in-the-dark white, with her canines just a little bit too long for comfort.
Alice swallowed. “Hey, Elle. I didn’t realize you were back on duty.”
They’d been friends of a sort, back when Elle had been human. They’d never caught up outside work, but there’d been an easy camaraderie between them. Alice had always thought they would get along if they ever did socialize outside the Guard House, but life hadn’t worked out that way. Elle had been killed — well, everyone had thought she’d been killed. They’d even had a funeral. Weeks later, word had spread that she was still alive and had been Chosen. And staked. And that she was engaged to a were.
It had been no secret that Elle was a racist; she’d been fiercely protective of her kid sister after a vampire had tried to abduct the little girl in a human store years ago. She’d understandably never had time for either weres or vamps. But the rumors had been true, and Elle was now firmly enmeshed with both non-human races. What’s more, it had been her own grandmother who’d been behind Elle’s staking. It boggled Alice’s mind — and the minds of most of the city guards — but Elle was Elle. She seemed to make her own rules.
“First week back on the job.” Elle rubbed the back of her neck and grinned. “I had a hard time convincing Mikael I still wanted to bash heads, now I’m an aristo fribble. And my fiancé, Clay, was being a pain in the ass about it. He’s still convinced someone wants to stake me again.”
“You think there are people who don’t want to stake you?” Kyle asked. “I swear, I could produce a list of about ten people off the top of my head who’d be happy to do the deed.”
“And I bet you’re on the top of the list,” Elle said. She narrowed her eyes at him. “I could break you like a twig.”
“I know.” Kyle grinned. He flicked a glance at Alice. “Is it wrong that I find that hot?”
Elle looked at her fingernails. “I’ll mention that to Clay. And by the way, that is gross. You’re like my brother. Come on, Alice, I’ll show you the body.”
“What? No!” Kyle said, following them. “You won’t say anything to Clay, will you?”
Elle ignored Kyle. Alice followed the vampire guard to where the corpse had been positioned in the center of a small park — nothing as grand as King’s Park, but still public and often frequented by vampire aristos. Someone had covered the cadaver with a shroud.
Alice knelt on the ground, silently apologizing to her dress and her stockings. This is why you can’t have nice things, she told herself. Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she pulled back the body’s covering. She jerked her chin in Kyle’s direction. “Is he having a panic attack?”
“Clay is his new best buddy,” Elle said. “Kyle threatened him the first time they met and now they get along great. But Clay is a bit...possessive.” She grinned.
Alice raised her eyebrows. “And you like that?” A more independent, headstrong woman Alice had never met, and she knew her aunt, Tal, and her friend, Billie. Those three women alone were scary and inspiring enough.
Elle’s smile turned softer. “Sometimes. And sometimes I want to kill him for it. But I’m just as bad.”
Now that, Alice could believe.
“What’s your take on the situation?” Alice asked as she examined the body. Prior to being Chosen, Elle had been good at doing quick crime scene analyses, and while Alice would love to find out more about Elle’s adventures — and meet the man who had captured the prickly woman’s heart — she did have a job to do.
“Staked through the back,” Elle said. “Body was quickly dressed. Recently dumped here — bruising is on the stomach, but the body was found on its back. Body is in rigor.”
Alice sat back on her heels, biting her bottom lip. “This is almost exactly the same as the last one. But in a slightly less public location.” She glanced up at Kyle. “Did you get an ID on the last body?”
Kyle nodded. “Gerard Thornewood, third or fourth cousin to Baron Sloughmere.”
Elle frowned. “Alice, stop biting your lip. I can smell your blood.”
Probably not the best course of action when you’re right next to the equivalent of a bloodhound. A blush burned Alice’s cheeks.
“Ooh, Elle wants to bite the coroner!”
Elle
glared at Kyle. “If you don’t shut up, I will take a bite out of you.”
Kyle’s mouth snapped shut.
Elle turned to Alice. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. But I was told to be on my best behavior, and your blood does smell tasty.” Elle pointed a long finger at Kyle. “If you make another smartass remark, I swear I will beat the ever-living shit out of you.”
Kyle held up both hands, palms forward. “I said nothing.”
Elle’s eyes narrowed. “You were thinking it.”
“Guy can’t help where his mind wanders.”
Elle snorted. “I’ll ask Dante’s sister if she knows of any political connections, dramas and so on, that Thornewood may have been involved in.”
Dante Kipling had Chosen Elle, and had recently married a human, which had been so much of a scandal even Alice had heard of it. The announcements had been published in the newspaper, along with a detailed account of the wedding. Dante’s sister was a viscountess. Just thinking of all the connections gave Alice a headache.
“You believe it’s political?” Alice asked, frowning.
“Who knows with vampires?” Elle shrugged. “He could have slept with the wrong person and this was payback. But that can be political, too.”
Alice wondered if Elle realized she still spoke of vampires as if they were something different to her. Something other.
“Let’s take some more notes and get him to the morgue,” Alice said. “I want to try and get an autopsy done before the vampire aristos descend.”
Chapter 13
Near the Trsetti village
Fin wasn’t in great shape. He’d had to be dosed up on laudanum for the past day so that he could sleep off the worst of the pain. Byrne thought that a bath might do him wonders, but the nearest town was a day’s journey away, even when he didn’t have an injured human bouncing around in the back of a wagon. The mountains were closer, and snow would be almost as good as a bath, but that would mean a detour and less shelter. Byrne may not have much of a choice in the matter, however; his direction depended on the heading the road took once it emerged from the forest. He had stuck mostly to the woodland since their arrival at the Trsetti village, and he wasn’t too sure about the road to the east.
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