Drawing Down the Mist

by Sheri Lewis Wohl

  “They might be dumb as a box of rocks, but I’ve always maintained the boys have skills.”

  “Yes, they do.” And so do I, she thought. Two were down there somewhere in the darkness who were about to find out in an up-close-and-personal way what happened when they defied a vampire as powerful as Katrina. They would make that mistake only once. She allowed no second chances, and she’d waited a long time to impart that lesson to one of them.

  The world was going to learn as well. Yes, she had a personal agenda that she fully intended to see through to the end. At the same time, the bigger picture was finally going to come into view. No longer would she or her kind hide in the shadows. No longer would they pretend to be less than the humans who thought the universe was rightfully theirs. She intended to take what should have been hers all along: the world.

  Chapter Eight

  Laughter exploded in Sasha’s head as she pushed herself to her feet. It sent chills down her spine. It had been years since something like this had happened, and in her heart, she’d hoped it never would again. It had taken her a very long time to sever the ties with her maker and keep her mind her own. It rarely happened in her world, and it had taken every ounce of drive and determination she’d ever possessed.

  Her heart might have hoped for the same disconnection, except it didn’t work that way. She was always intelligent, and that’s why this came as no surprise. Despite her confidence that she’d done it, she supposed she’d never truly severed the ties that were part of what made her preternatural. The connection between a maker and a vampire were always there, beginning to end. Her thoughts were her own, but her heart would always sense the one who had taken her to the dark side.

  The blast had stunned her, and it took a couple of minutes to climb back to her feet. Dirt and debris were stuck in her hair and sprinkled all over her car. Staring at what had been an impressive piece of architecture that now had blown-out windows and flames shooting from the roof, she felt her heart sink. So much for keeping a foot in both camps. It had begun, and the message sent to her was loud and clear. She was no longer part of the family, and as such, they would be out for more than just the destruction of her business.

  Given her beginnings in life as the pampered daughter of royalty, it would have been easy to fall back on the attitude of privilege. She’d learned what false security that birthright was before her twentieth birthday. Still, despite hard-won knowledge and experience, she’d always possessed a bit of arrogance, and she knew it. She’d believed that the world she’d created was safe and impenetrable. Believed she could play both sides in order to secure a win. That bit of arrogance had just bitten her in the ass.

  Blowing out a long breath, she shook her head to clear the cobwebs, as well as the bits of debris from her hair, and patted the bag that remained on her body despite the force of the blast. At least she’d had one bit of good fortune. She hadn’t landed on the bag; it had landed on her. If nothing else went well from here on forward, and she suspected it would not, the egg was safe. She slipped her hand inside the bag and stroked it. The simple gesture gave her strength, for she felt as though her family were reaching out to her through the small, beautiful work of art that had once made them all smile. How could she fail with their spirits holding her up?

  But where to go from here? Walking into that empty office told her the betrayal of those around her appeared to be far deeper than the two Rodney had uncovered. If that weren’t the case, the building that was burning to the ground would have had more people—correction—vampires in it at the time of the explosion. The fact that it appeared to be completely empty was frightening on several fronts. If others were in there, something had happened to them. If they weren’t? It meant she was in this alone.

  The train had left the station, and now she had to stop it. She couldn’t achieve her goals by herself, even with the power and might she’d developed over the last century. She had Rodney, but he was only a human. Brains and ingenuity he possessed. The might of a preternatural, not a drop. There were too many of them, and they were determined. Nothing new. They had been as long as she’d known of them.

  Like everything, it was a matter of timing. She’d learned this lesson from her father, and while he’d been defeated in the most horrible way possible, he had possessed great knowledge that he’d shared with her. Publicly he’d talked of his sadness that his progeny consisted mostly of girls. What might not have been as publicly known was that he had still loved and cherished his daughters. He had not neglected their education, either traditional or political. Sadly, in the years since, she’d realized that having knowledge and using it wisely were two different things. She hoped to do better than her father.

  At least her car was undamaged. Small favors and all that. The last thing she wanted was to be here when the fire department and law enforcement arrived. What would she be able to tell them? That a coup was in the making and a cadre of vampires was orchestrating it? She could almost feel the cold steel of the handcuffs around her wrists. So few humans knew about the existence of vampires that the reality of making them believe her or marshaling any kind of meaningful help from them in any significant number was low. With the exception of Rodney and Prima, that is.

  First things first. She had to get out of here. She despised handcuffs. Her tires squealed as she turned the car around and drove away from the building. The debris littering the parking lot was dangerous, and she swerved like a drunk as she made her way to the highway. She also didn’t need a flat tire. In less than five minutes she was clear and on her way in the opposite direction of the lights and sirens coming from all the nearby fire stations. That wasn’t a big surprise, considering the size of her building. The colonial-looking structure had in its former life been a large real-estate operation. The subsequent arrest and imprisonment of its original owners for fraud had put it on the market for a price she couldn’t say no to. All of that coincided perfectly with her timing. Every decade or so, she moved the corporate headquarters to a new city in a new state. Easier to move undetected when she didn’t put down permanent roots. That strategy had been working for years.

  Still, she was a little sad. The building and the home she’d created on the top floor were one of the best. From both her office and her apartment she had a fantastic view of Mt. Spokane and could often watch small planes take off and land at the regional airport a mile or so away. She had a Cessna Skycatcher there and a pilot on call twenty-four seven. Easy access in and out was perfect for her needs. There was nothing about the place to dislike. Now, it was all gone.

  After taking the back roads to avoid the emergency and police response to the explosion, she cut over to Highway 2 and pulled into a big-box-store parking lot right off the highway. Before she got out of the car, she punched in the number of her oldest and most trusted friend. The phone rang and rang. No one answered. A little concerning, although it could just mean that she was out or her cell phone was dead. She tried another number. Another friend. By the fourth call, a terrible truth settled into the pit of her stomach. She stared down at the phone in her hands and wanted to scream. One vampire friend not answering wasn’t a concern. All of them unavailable was a disaster. It meant only one thing. They were after her and anyone who affiliated themselves with her. The unanswered calls meant she truly was alone, and for a second, she allowed the panic to rip at her. It truly had begun.

  Only for a moment, and then sitting up in her seat, she punched in a joint text message to two she knew would receive it before tossing the phone onto the passenger seat. The way it looked right now, she was alone except for a human who had been her ally for years, and another who had been her friend. Both were worth their weight in gold. Sounded corny. Was true nonetheless. As she turned the key in the ignition, the car roared to life. She maneuvered a one-eighty with her car and retraced her earlier journey to that place deep in the woods.

  ***

  Before either of them could delve into explanations of how these creatures liv
ed among unsuspecting humans like Dee, something large and bright flashed across one of the screens.

  Rodney’s head snapped up and to the right. “Motherfucker. What was that?”

  “What just happened?’ Prima was leaning over him, one hand on his shoulder while staring at the same screen.

  Dee took up her post on the other side of Rodney. It appeared that a building was engulfed in a massive fire. “I don’t recognize the area,” she said as she peered closely at the screen. A shadowy figure was rising from the ground and after a moment ran to a car.

  “Son of a bitch. I do. Imperial Investigations just blew to the moon, and that looks like Sasha who just got up. Somebody’s got a death wish.”

  Still didn’t resonate with her. She’d never heard of Imperial. “Okay, so you recognize the place, but why would that mean a death wish?”

  Prima straightened and looked at her with eyes wide. “It’s messed up because Imperial Investigations is the company that Sasha runs, and I for one don’t believe it was an accident. She must have just gotten out of there or she’d be in pieces right now.”

  “The so-called vampire?”

  “No so-called about it. She’s a vampire, and her world-class business just blew to the moon.” Prima looked down at Rodney. “You think it was an accident?”

  “No fucking way. They were trying to kill her.”

  “See, we’re both on the same page. Somebody is working hard to get to Sasha.” She turned and looked at Dee. “You caught on to something, and from what I’m seeing here, it’s the tip of the iceberg. If they’re going after Sasha, something is happening out there.”

  Rodney sat up and whirled in his chair. “What are you talking about? What has Dee uncovered?”

  It occurred to Dee then that Prima had been so caught up in proving to her that vampires existed that neither of them had yet told Rodney what she’d uncovered. She explained about her research and then told him about the threat that had come in last night.

  “What are the names you came up with?”

  “Imre Thurzo and Katrina Petrin.”

  “Holy shit, girl. You latched on to pretty much the king and the queen of the vampire empire. Well, if the king and queen hated each other, that is.”

  “I can’t be the only one who figured out the two have been around forever.”

  “No. But you’re probably the only one still alive. Besides me, that is, and that’s only because Sasha’s had my back on that front. They don’t know that I know.”

  Chills raced down her arms, and her gaze flicked back to the burning building on Rodney’s monitor. “Are they going to blow me up too?”

  He shrugged. “Either that or kill you. The kill thing is pretty much their standard MO.”

  Prima lightly swatted the back of Rodney’s head. “Way to scare the crap out of her.”

  “Sorry, but honestly those two are dangerous, and if one of them sent you that message, you’re gonna want to watch your back. They kinda have a take-no-prisoners philosophy when it comes to the human race.”

  As much as what he was saying scared her, a thought occurred to her that brought her back around to the vampire. She pointed to the screen. “Why are you monitoring Sasha’s business? Why would you have cameras out there?”

  He was shaking his head. “I don’t have special equipment anywhere other than on my own property. I don’t have to. It’s easy for me to hack into what’s already out there. Hence, this big brother is watching everything the other big brother is doing. I’m pretty proud of the irony of it.”

  “Again, why monitor Sasha? If she’s a world-class investigations firm like you say, she wouldn’t need a babysitter, right?”

  “No.” He laughed. “If anyone does not need a keeper, it’s Sasha. The thing is, I keep eyes on my friends when I can. It’s not babysitting. It’s caring. Besides, we’ve been expecting some kind of move. We just didn’t know when or where. Apparently, it’s tonight, and clearly it’s her home base.”

  Before Dee could ask, Prima jumped in. “Who’re we? They? Sounds like some kind of conspiracy.”

  Rodney leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Sasha and I are the we. We’ve been watching and waiting for this clear movement. They are what beyond the mist is known as the Consortium, a group of elder, powerful vampires whose entire mission is take over the world. They’re tired of living in the shadows, and they want everything the humans possess. Not just their blood. Everything. We knew they’d make a stand somehow, somewhere. I wasn’t really anticipating they’d go right for Sasha. That’s a pretty bold move.”

  Dee was intrigued now. “Why would anyone be after her? I mean, she’s one woman. Correction, vampire.” She felt silly saying the word.

  “Oh, she’s one vampire all right, and one with some pretty powerful secrets. There are some out there who don’t like that. Not to mention, she’s not a fan of the Consortium. She believes they’re arrogant and dangerous.”

  Now that made sense. Blowing up a building to make a point was ballsy, to say the least. “Given what she does for a living, I would think she holds a whole lot of secrets. It’s kind of the nature of the beast, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “True enough,” Rodney said. “And that kind of information would absolutely make her a target. It’s not what really put the bull’s-eye on her back, though.”

  “So what did?”

  He looked at her and in apparent seriousness declared, “I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

  “Are you serious?”

  His expression didn’t lighten. “Serious as a heart attack, baby. Serious as a heart attack.” He spun his chair back around, and his fingers resumed their lightning-fast movement across the keyboard.

  Prima was quiet as she studied the screens that were once again alive with various images. Her intake of breath was loud and her face pale as she turned to look at Dee.

  “Prima, what is it?” The sudden tension that seemed to flow over her friend was as strong as an incoming ocean tide.

  “Look,” she said as she pointed to another of Rodney’s screens. “It’s not only Imperial that blew up.”

  Dee stared over her shoulder, expecting to see the image of another business going up in flames. “Oh, hell, no.” The local news station was airing a bit of video clearly taken by someone’s smartphone. She recognized the neighborhood.

  Prima was standing close and staring at the same broadcast. “You get it now?”

  “Yeah, I get it.”

  Prima put an arm around her waist. “Did you notice that was your house burning down?”

  “Yeah, I noticed.”

  ***

  After the second explosion lit up the night sky, Katrina ordered the pilot to set down. A car was waiting, and they were away from the airport in a matter of minutes. She didn’t care to spend any more time than necessary on the west plains of the city, where it was flat and the wind always seemed to blow. She preferred the heart of the city, with lovely hotels, mountain views, and nourishment at every corner. It wasn’t hard to stay sated in this city.

  She was bothered by the knowledge that the one she sought had been here and undetected for longer than should have been possible. What kind of people did she employ? Imbeciles, obviously. Except perhaps for Eli. His quick mind had come up with the idea to infiltrate Imperial Investigations, and that, as it turned out, was a genius move. With the combination of his spies and taking over Imperial’s rival, she finally had her after all these years.

  Unfortunately, that wasn’t exactly true. They had narrowed down the search area but failed to corner their prey, despite the massive blow delivered less than an hour ago. The boys had been able to aptly deliver a physical blow to property, but the woman she sought wasn’t in her hands. Neither was the pesky writer. Someone needed to pay for those failures.

  The car pulled into the covered entrance to the Davenport Hotel. It was the best and most prestigious hotel in the area, which is why her rooms were waiting for her here. T
he sharply dressed doorman held open her car door. She ignored him as she got out, intent on getting to her room so she could begin work on the next phase of their attack. Sometimes relying on others wasn’t effective. Sometimes, she had to do the work herself.

  Behind her, the attractive flight attendant murmured a thank you to the doorman. Katrina frowned. She didn’t like the woman’s drawing attention to herself. “Come,” she spat out, and the woman hurried away from the uniformed man. “Don’t bother with the help.” Apparently she needed to school the woman on how to behave while in her company. Whoever had hired this one had dropped the ball when it came to instructions. She would deal with that as well.

  “I’m sorry.” She had her head down as she hurried to keep up with Katrina.

  Katrina didn’t look back. “Just keep your mouth shut unless I tell you differently.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  When they arrived in the suite, she sent the bellman away with a healthy tip. Not that she wanted to tip him. It was a matter of critical thinking. In other words, it made less of an impression if she followed local custom. She threw her jacket on the sofa and whirled to face the woman. “Take off your clothes.”

  A startled look crossed her pretty face. “What?”

  She raised a single eyebrow and said quietly, “I don’t believe I’m hard to understand. Take off your clothes.” Any accent she’d had from her beginnings in the motherland had been erased a long time ago. These days she sounded like any other West Coast American.

  Wisely, the woman didn’t question again. When Katrina used that low, slow voice, only the very unwise dared to challenge her. Though she took the time to lay her uniform neatly over the back of the chair, presumably because she thought she would be putting it back on again, it was only a minute or two before the woman was standing naked in the entryway of the spacious suite. She was stunning in the nude, just as Katrina had envisioned all the way from Seattle. Eli knew her tastes and planned accordingly.