by Laken Cane
Surprised, I nodded. “A baby hunter,” I admitted. “That’s what they say.”
“Your supernaturals? The group with whom you work and now…” He gestured. “With whom you appear to live?”
“The Bay Town supernaturals,” I said. “Yes.”
He sighed. “We watch them, you know. The supernaturals of our city. They’re accepted, to a point. The Bay Town supernaturals—at least some of them—I consider almost…friends.”
I said nothing, unsure what he was getting at.
“Rhys Graver vouches for you.”
“Okay.” I tilted my head. “That’s…nice of him.”
“We need a hunter,” he said darkly.
He, or the police department, or the city—I wasn’t sure who the ‘we’ was—needed me. And I was hoping that would be the thing to save me. To save the supernaturals, the night, the work we needed to do to end the vampires.
Jail loomed as a frightening possibility, but maybe my status and the captain’s need would earn me a get out of jail free card. Before I even got there.
“Okay,” I repeated.
“From what little I know, special hunters can track. They’re like bloodhounds.” His stare seemed to darken as he kept his stare pinned to my face. “Certain rare—very rare—people are more than just hunters. They’re called bloodhunters. Is that you, Ms. Sinclair?”
I stared at him with wide eyes, and suddenly I knew what the trails were.
“Rhys Graver seems to think that might be you,” he continued, as I could only stare, wide-eyed and a little stunned. “Can you see the trails?”
I shuddered. “Yes,” I whispered. “Yes, I can see the trails.”
And finally, finally, I knew.
Obviously, I wasn’t the only one who knew about the trails.
The fog was what the vampires left behind. If I followed one, I would track the vampire who left it until dawn arrived. The tracks disappeared in the sun.
I was a bloodhunter.
And that was why I saw the trails.
Deep in my soul, there came a sigh of relief, and a whisper drifted through my mind. “Finally…”
I lifted my chin. Shane Copas might look down on me and my inexperience, but not even he was a bloodhunter. I don’t know how I knew that, but I did. He didn’t see the trails. If I ever met another of my kind, I would recognize him or her.
I smiled, my pain and weariness and fear temporarily buried beneath the wonder.
Bloodhunter.
I stood. “Captain Crawford, I’m going to use the restroom, and I’d like you to bring someone in to look over my injuries.”
He opened his mouth but said nothing. And he had the grace to look ashamed. He nodded.
“After that,” I continued, “We can sit down someplace a little more comfortable and a little more private, and you can tell me what you need from me. Okay?” I waited.
He nodded and gave me a tiny smile. “Okay, Ms. Sinclair.”
He led me from the room, his grip gentle on my arm. “I want to see my supernaturals,” I told him, as we walked down the hall. “Have they called?”
He hooted, drawing several surprised looks from the cops walking by us. “They’ve been here since we brought you in. They’ve threatened to tear the building apart to find you. We had to arrest Stark for punching an officer in the face. That man has got to start controlling his temper before he gets into real trouble.” He glanced at me. “After you use the facilities, I’ll bring them back so you can show them that you’re not being tortured. That good enough, Ms. Sinclair?”
With a lighter heart and a little more hope, I grinned at him. “Please. Call me Trinity.”
They hadn’t abandoned me, despite the trouble I’d surely brought not only to them but to the city. They hadn’t left me in the clutches of the human police and gone home to Bay Town as though what happened to me didn’t concern them.
They hadn’t abandoned me, despite the fact that I deserved it.
I was one of them, and they would not desert me.
I was a bloodhunter.
And I was a supernatural.
Chapter Sixteen
Things were different from that moment on because the captain wanted something from me.
“I met a bloodhunter once before,” he told me, as a nurse patched me up. “She became a good friend.”
“Where is she now?” I asked. “I’d like to meet another person like me.”
He looked away. “She’s dead.”
“Oh,” I said, then flinched when the nurse squeezed my shoulder. She grasped my wrist and lifted my arm. “It’s moving more freely now,” she noted.
I nodded. “It doesn’t hurt as much.” And that was a huge relief.
“You should be in the emergency department.” She threw a frown the captain’s way.
“I’m okay,” I told her. “Are we finished here? I really need to see my friends.”
“Come,” the captain said. “They’re waiting for you. I put them in my office.”
“Thanks, Captain.”
“Frank,” he offered, gruffly.
He led me down the hall, through a large, busy room, and finally, pushed open the door to his office. “I’ll give you a few minutes,” he said. “Then we need to talk.”
Before I could say a word, the supernats converged upon me, and the captain—Frank—backed out of the room and closed the door.
“What happened?” Miriam grasped my arms and stared up at me, frowning. “You look like hell.”
“I’m fine.” I glanced around at the three of them. They were all there with the exception of Angus—who was still in a cell—and Shane Copas. “The captain wants to hire me, so we’re good. We’re okay.”
“What do you mean, hire you?” Clayton asked.
I glanced at Rhys, who leaned against the captain’s desk. He offered me a smile, which I returned.
“Rhys told him I was a hunter,” I said. “And he wants to hire me to catch vampires.”
“You could have told us you’d talked to him,” Miriam grouched, frowning at Rhys.
He ignored her. “One vampire in particular. The one who killed his niece.”
“We haven’t spoken about particulars yet,” I said.
“You didn’t mention the foam or the attack, did you?” Miriam asked.
“Of course not. I’m not an idiot.”
“You were bitten,” Clayton said. “You need to go to the hospital.”
I glanced his way. It was hard to meet his stare because I saw myself wrapped around his body with my tongue in his mouth every time I looked at him. “I was patched up. I’m okay.”
“Angus has been arrested.” Miriam pursed her lips. “Not that you asked.”
“Because I already know,” I said. “Captain Crawford told me. I’ll bargain for his release.”
The captain opened the door and stuck his head in. “Ready?”
“Yes,” I said. “Come in.”
I reached out to squeeze Miriam’s arm, then turned to give Rhys a nod of thanks. Finally, I swallowed hard and with my stare on his chin, I smiled at Clayton. “Thank you all for being here. It means…everything to me.”
“Of course we’re here,” Miriam told me. “You’re family, darling.”
I glanced at Clayton and felt my face heat. Maybe not family, exactly.
“Don’t keep her long.” Rhys shook the captain’s hand. “She’s worn out.”
Frank gave him a quick nod. “I only need a few minutes.”
“We’ll be just outside,” Miriam said.
“You two go on home,” Rhys told Miriam and Clayton. “I’ll drive her back to Ang’s place when Frank’s done with her.”
They continued debating as they stepped out of the room and closed the door, but I had no doubt that at least one of them would be waiting for me when I left the captain’s office.
“You’re looking misty-eyed.” Frank motioned me into a chair in front of his desk.
I shrugged. “Th
ey’re all I have.” I sat down. “Rhys said you want me to find your niece.”
“My niece is dead,” he said, flatly. “I want you to find her killer. My family is offering a lot of cash for his head.”
“Okay.” I hesitated. “How do I…” I hated to admit I was so ignorant of my own abilities, but there it was.
“I’ll give you something of his,” he said. “Something he touched. Something he gave to my niece. Her name was Lucy, by the way.”
“So I really am like a bloodhound,” I realized. “I’ll take a sniff of his belongings and then…”
He shrugged. “Latch onto his scent. You’ll know when it happens, I expect.” He opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out a small plastic bag. “This was his shirt. Lucy slept in it, my sister said. Never laundered it. Take it with you.”
“First,” I said, “I have three requests. You give me what I want and I’ll help take out the vampires killing the women. I’ll find the vampire who murdered your niece.” I met his stare. “And I will kill him. I’ll kill them all.” I leaned toward him. “I’ll be the hunter this city needs, Captain.”
He clasped his fingers atop his desk and stared down at them, not shaken by my bloodthirsty hatred. “Can you bring him to me alive? We’ll pay extra for that.”
“I can try. If Shane Copas will help me, I can try to capture him for you.”
He nodded. “What do you want in return?”
“Release Angus Stark.”
He shook his head. “Ask for something else. He assaulted one of my men.”
I shrugged. “His temper sometimes gets the best of him, but he was worried about me. And I sincerely doubt your men are completely blameless. I was manhandled by a couple of them myself. Release him.”
“Trinity—”
“Make it go away, Captain.”
He sighed. “All right. What else?”
“I want my…knife back.”
He nodded. “That’s easy enough. And number three?”
I grinned. “I want a badge.”
He tilted his head. “Pardon?”
“A badge, captain. And an ID designating me as an official bloodhunter, employed by the RVPD. I want to be able to show the badge to cops who might get in my face, and civilians who might try to kick my ass.” I sat back and crossed my legs. “I want to be a registered law enforcement agent, and I want a badge.”
He pursed his lips, then nodded slowly. “And how about a gun, Trinity. Would you like me to issue you a gun, and maybe a car, as well?” He waved his hand around the room. “Perhaps an office would suit your needs. Oh, and by all means, let’s give you a title. How does, “Super Sergeant Sinclair sound?”
I lifted an eyebrow. “I can see that you don’t care for the idea.”
He glared at me. “How very astute of you. You’re a sharp one.”
“Captain—”
He stood and leaned forward, his palms on his desk. “I will release your friend, and when you bring me the target, I will cut you a check. Now get out of here before I change my mind.”
I practically ran from his office.
I’d wear him down, eventually. A badge was the least important of my requests, but I sincerely did want to have some sort of official standing behind my new job.
Besides, it would be cool to have a badge to flash.
Rhys was waiting for me by the elevators. “They’re bringing Angus,” he said. He leaned against the wall, his legs crossed at the ankle, his hands in his pockets. His smile was lazy, his eyes heavily-lidded, and he looked like he knew exactly how sexy he was.
I cleared my throat. “Thanks for waiting for me.”
“Absolutely my pleasure, Trinity.”
Was he flirting? I had no idea. I wasn’t exactly an expert when it came to men and their weird ways.
“How do you feel?” he asked. “Have the effects of the lotion gone completely?”
“Um,” I said. Smooth, that was me. “I think so.”
“Wilder was quite the gentleman when describing the events, but I know what the Foam of Aphrodite can do.”
My face heated, and I said nothing.
He studied me, his expression serious. “Miriam gave him hell for his part in the attack.”
I frowned. “What do you mean? She hurt him because I...because the foam made me lose control?”
“She does whatever she wants to do to him. He’s hers to fuck with, Trinity. You need to remember that.”
“I don’t understand any of it. Why does he stay with her? Why does he let her treat him like that?”
“He doesn’t have a choice, kid.”
“But why not?” I hesitated, then rushed on. “Is he really a golem?”
“Sort of. She raised him from the dead.” He shook his head, then straightened and rubbed his arms. “She’s capable of many things, that one. Hardly any of them good. She filled him with something—I don’t know, magical, I suppose—and it is not possible for him to disobey her. He’s aware. He just can’t do anything about it. I’m nearly certain he would physically explode if he tried to break away from her.” He shuddered. “I feel for the poor bastard.”
“She hates him,” I murmured.
“Or she loves him. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference.”
“No,” I replied. “There’s no love there. Passion. But not love.”
He smiled, his full lips curling. “What would you know of love, Bloodhunter?”
I returned his smile, pleased with the title, if not the question. “Next to nothing,” I admitted. “But I know a lot about hate.”
He lost his smile. “Yes. I suppose you would.” Then he pointed his chin at something behind me. “Here comes the maddened bull you saved from jail. FYI, Trinity, Angus can’t resist a woman in red clothes.” He shrugged. “You never know when that might come in handy.”
“I’ll file that away in my drawer of useless information,” I retorted. “Thanks.”
He just grinned.
And Angus was mad. He strode toward us, past us, then stopped, turned around, and pointed at me. “Are you okay?” he practically shouted.
“I’m fine.” I’d been saying that a lot lately.
He glared at me, then turned that glare on Rhys. “Well? Let’s get out of this godforsaken wart of a place.”
“I have a lot to tell you,” I said, striding along beside him.
“Oh, I have no doubt of that,” he snarled. “And if you were mine, you’d be telling it to me bent across my knee.”
“Fuck you,” I said calmly and refused to speak to him all the way home.
Home to Bay Town.
Chapter Seventeen
“First of all,” Miriam said, “we have a tiny update on the foam situation. Let’s talk about that, then we’ll concentrate on our bloodhunter.” She smiled at me.
I couldn’t look at her the same way. Sure, she was nice to me—protective, even—but she was a monster to Clayton. Who could raise someone up from the dead and enslave them? There were no laws to protect him. As long as she pulled the mystical strings that bound him, he was her property.
The fact that I now felt protective of the man hadn’t escaped my notice. I was protective of all the supernaturals—but the others weren’t being subjugated by a cruel mistress.
“Trinity?”
I focused on the little knot of supernats gathered at a table in Stark’s Pizza. I was waiting for Shane Copas to arrive, and they’d decided to wait with me—just in case there were bad guys hiding under the tables, I suppose. Speaking of protective. Or overprotective, actually. “Yes?”
“You weren’t listening,” Miriam said. “Do you need to lie down?”
“No, I don’t need to lie down.” I frowned at her. “Obviously I’m stronger than I look, so stop with the delicate flower shit.”
They all laughed, though I wasn’t trying to be funny.
After Rhys had driven me home, I’d taken a long, hot shower, carried my covers into the closet, and then d
rifted immediately and into a deep, dreamless sleep. I slept until early the next morning when three of Angus’s children came screaming into the bedroom, converged upon the closet, and forced me to rise.
I was fine.
“Clayton.” Miriam’s voice became the crisp, cold, emotionless tone it always changed to when she addressed him. “Speak.”
“I spoke to a contact,” he said. “She told me there’ve been attacks with the Foam of Aphrodite in other cities, as well. Probably more than we know, because the foam dissipates relatively quickly and the victims would have been unable to tell their stories.”
I frowned. “Why couldn’t they tell their stories? Because he wiped their memories?”
“Because he killed them,” he replied.
“Oh,” I murmured. “I don’t see—”
Miriam gave me a stern look. “Trinity, we need to get on with this. Please let him talk before Shane arrives to take you out.”
I snorted. “You make it sound like we’re dating.”
Her bright smile broke through the sternness. “You never know.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I do know,” I replied. “Shane Copas doesn’t love me like you guys do.” I grinned. “And believe me, the feeling is mutual.”
“Give it time,” she said. “He won’t be able to resist your rather odd siren song for long.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but before I could ask, Angus huffed. “You said something about getting on with it?”
Miriam gave him an amused look, which he avoided. “Clayton,” she ordered.
Clayton placed his slice of pizza back on his plate and began speaking once more. “We think the attacker is making more foam from each of his victims, then using it to attack the next person.”
“And his victims?” Angus asked. “I assume they’re all human since the foam doesn’t affect us.”
“His victims are all humans.” Clayton glanced at me, then slid his gaze away, as though he didn’t want me to see what lay in his eyes. “And when he can find them, he’s killing hunters.”
Miriam reached across the table to take my hand. “We think he’s attracted to hunters, and when he entered our city, he immediately gravitated toward you.”
