“I take it the older, the stronger?”
She nodded.
“Just like wolves.”
Agent Rose slipped out of the auto and went to the back. I followed her. She opened the boot to reveal an arsenal. Guns, bombs, knives, and every other imaginable device of destruction were stashed inside.
“Hell’s bells,” I whispered. “I think we just became best friends.”
Agent Rose grinned. “Lots to choose from, but I was out of consecrated stakes,” she said, tapping her belt.
“These are nice,” I said, touching a set of knucklebusters.
“Take them. They’re silver-plated,” she said, untying the knuckles and handing them to me.
I slipped them on. “I do believe we’re engaged, Agent Rose.”
She laughed. “Sorry, Louvel. I’m already married. Let’s go,” she said, closing the boot with a click.
“Wait, what?”
Agent Rose smirked but didn’t answer me.
We headed toward the theater. Of course, the front door is never the way to go. I eyed the entrances. There was an entrance underground at the side of the building, but underground and vampires seemed like a terrible idea. A ladder led to the roof above.
“There,” I said, pointing.
Agent Rose nodded, and we headed to the side of the building. Jumping, Agent Rose caught the bottom rung of the ladder and pulled herself up. I followed along behind her.
As we climbed up, my scalp got a strange, tingly feeling and my palms began to itch. Oh yeah, something was definitely off here.
We slipped onto the roof then looked around. A door led to the attic. Agent Rose motioned to me, and we headed to it. Slipping my blade into the doorframe, I popped the lock, and Agent Rose and I headed inside.
When Agent Rose pulled her wooden stake dagger, I did the same.
I was suddenly missing my furry friends.
“How’s Quinn?” Agent Rose asked. Soft morning light shone in through the dusty attic windows. The wood on the walls, floors, and even ceiling were a pale ash color. Trunks were stacked in one corner, a row of costumes covered in inches of dust on the other side. Stage props made of decaying paper-mâché stunk of must and looked like the rats had been working on them.
“Better. Recovering still. I’ll be seeing him soon,” I whispered, wondering if it really was the best time for conversation. Didn’t fangs have enhanced hearing like wolves? Maybe it didn’t matter if they were sleeping. But mention of my plans to go to Twickenham filled my stomach with nervous excitement. I had invited Edwin to come with me. Quinn had met Edwin only briefly when Edwin was in charge of Shadow Watch. This time, I’d be introducing my former partner and friend to my beau.
“Tell him I send my greetings. I thought they landed you with Harper.”
“She’s on rotation. Wouldn’t mind having her back though.”
Agent Rose huffed a little laugh. “Good to have someone watching your back, I guess,” she said but didn’t add anything else. My brow furrowed as I considered her words. Her manner suggested she preferred working the job alone, but I also knew that she and Agent Reid had been close. Agent Rose was a puzzle.
We reached the door on the other side of the attic and headed downstairs.
There was a soft breeze as the air in the theater blew up the steps. I listened for the sound of anything, but it was deadly silent. We exited the steps to find ourselves in the backstage area. Working quietly, we headed down a hall until we found ourselves front and center on the old stage.
The stage looked out at rows of seats upholstered in red velvet. There was a balcony at the back of the theater. There were large, arched windows along the walls. Heavy drapes covered them, shutting out the light. Only one window, where the fabric had ripped at the top, allowed in some sunshine. Motes of dust danced through the air as a single beam of light shown down on the theater aisle.
But the most interesting fixture in the room was the eight coffins that lined the stage.
Hell’s bells.
Grinning, Agent Rose turned and look back at me. She pulled a wooden dagger from her belt and gave it a flip. “Ready for some fun?”
Agent Rose approached the coffins slowly. “Look at the designs,” she whispered. “These are the oldest,” she said, pointing to the wooden boxes. I could see what she meant. While the wood on some of the coffins looked relatively new, the older coffins had older, expensive looking wood that was more elaborately carved.
“Okay, Penelope, where are you? Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,” Agent Rose whispered, her finger bouncing as she stood behind two newer looking coffins. Ending the rhyme, she motioned to a coffin made of fresh-cut lumber.
Holding her wooden dagger, she motioned to me.
I readied myself, holding the stake in front of me.
Moving quickly, Agent Rose slid the lid off the coffin.
There was a strange, screeching scream, and a moment later, a young woman leaped from the coffin and lunged at Agent Rose. The movement was so quick, it caught me off guard. The girl’s black hair was a long, tangled mess. Her face was white as milk, her nails long and sharp.
I moved to help Agent Rose but heard the sound of wood scraping behind me.
“Clemeny, look out,” Agent Rose called as she flung the vampiress who had attacked her to the ground. Agent Rose jumped on the vampire, pinning her to the ground.
I looked behind me to find a male vampire slipping out of his coffin. He was tall, lean, and had beautiful golden hair and the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. He tipped his head sideways as he looked at me.
He breathed in deeply then stared at me, his brow scrunching up like he was perplexed. “Like red roses,” he whispered. “Who are you?”
Behind me, the vampiress Agent Rose was wrestling screeched.
The male vampire looked around me at Agent Rose.
Not missing my chance, I gripped the wooden dagger and attacked, slamming the stake into the vampire’s chest.
The vampire looked from the stake in his chest to me.
“They call me Little Red,” I said with a grin.
The vampire’s eyes met mine, and a moment later, he exploded.
Literally, exploded.
Hell’s bells.
Blood, body parts, and unnamed everything splattered everywhere. In disbelief, I stood staring at the heap of blood and guts on the ground—and all over me.
Behind me, I heard a scream then a similar wet, popping sound.
Agent Rose sighed then joined me, looking down at the mess at my feet.
“That’s why I said to wait for breakfast,” Agent Rose said with a smirk as she wiped off her hands. I looked over my shoulder to see a pulpy mess on the floor where the female vampire had been.
“Not Penelope,” she said, motioning to what was left of the corpse of the female vampire. She paused a moment then picked a lump of something from my hair. “Sorry, should have warned you. They called that one Vincent,” she said, flicking the piece of Vincent to the ground. “He must have been a light sleeper,” she said then handed a pouch to me. “These will make it easier.”
I looked down at my clothes. “He got Fenton dirty,” I said, wiping a hunk of Vincent off the tuft of Fenton’s hide I wore on my belt.
At that, Agent Rose laughed.
Shaking off the gore, I opened the bag Agent Rose had given me. Inside were nails. “Nails?”
“Consecrated. One per coffin will work. Might wake them up though. You’ll want to be ready,” she said then headed over to the biggest and oldest coffin. Climbing on top, she set one of the nails on the coffin lid, and taking the butt of her gun, hammered it in.
I started work on another. I had just hammered the coffin lid closed when the coffin beside me began to open.
“Agent Rose,” I called.
Rose jumped from the coffin she was working on.
A moment later, the lid slid off the coffin and moving quickly, a man leaped from the coffin. His pale eyes flashed as he loo
ked from me to Agent Rose.
“Briar Rose,” he hissed.
Reaching inside her vest, Agent Rose grabbed something and threw it across the ground between us and the vampire. At first, I wasn’t sure what it was. All three of us stood looking at the shimmering substance lying there. A moment later, I realized it was sand.
“Now, that’s just dirty,” the vampire hissed. Bending down, I watched in fascination as the vampire began to slowly count the grains of sand.
“Where’s Penelope?” Agent Rose asked.
“Why would I tell you?”
Agent Rose reached into her pocket and sprinkled a little more sand onto the ground.
The vampire sighed loudly. “Rude.”
“Mind buttoning up the rest?” she asked, pointing to the remaining coffins.
I nodded.
“Who is she?” the vampire asked, looking at me.
“None of your business.”
Hammering in the next nail, my senses were alive as I listened for any sound of anything. The last thing I wanted was another exploding vampire. I looked down at my clothes. They were going to need a soak.
“And Penelope?” Agent Rose asked again.
“Dirty Red Cape. We know who you are.”
“And yet you still crossed paths with me,” Agent Rose retorted.
I grinned.
Moving to put a nail in the next coffin, I discovered that the pine box was already nailed shut.
“Problem,” I said.
Agent Rose looked at me.
“Already closed.”
“Ah, that would be Penelope,” she said then turned and joined me. “Keep an eye on him. The sand should keep him entertained for the next several days but still.”
Pulling an iron from her bag, Agent Rose slowly worked on the coffin, removing the lid.
I eyed the vampire warily. There was cold hatred in his eyes as he stared at Agent Rose.
The lid of the coffin flew off with a clatter.
“Here we go. Penelope, my dear, you look dreadful,” Agent Rose said then leaned over the unseen body. After a moment, she leaned back up. “Dammit.”
“Too late?” I asked.
Agent Rose shook her head. “Infected, but not turned yet.”
“She’s a present,” the vampire said with a malicious smile.
“For whom?” Agent Rose asked.
He laughed. “Take a guess.”
Agent Rose frowned at him.
“Can she be saved?” I asked.
“Yes, but it will be long and painful,” Agent Rose said then turned back to the vampire counting the grains of sand. “I asked for who?” she said, kicking the fang over.
“Someone you know very well,” he said with a hissing laugh.
“Shite,” Agent Rose swore, her face screwing up with frustration. She pulled her dagger from her belt and without a second thought, she stabbed the vampire in the heart.
Turning in time, I shielded myself from the splatter.
Agent Rose sighed heavily then went to the last coffins and finished off sealing them with the consecrated nails.
I stared from the mess that had been the vampire to the open coffin. Moving carefully, I walked over and looked into the coffin wherein I saw one of the prettiest girls I’d ever seen in my life. Lying on a bed of silk and dressed in blue, her curly black hair framing her face, she looked like a porcelain doll.
Her breathing was shallow.
I stared at her. On her neck, I saw the distinct mark of a vampire bite.
Startling me, the girl took a raspy, shuttering breath. Her blue eyes opened wide. At first, they were the same icy blue as the vampire, Vincent, but they darkened to a stormy blue-green with flecks of brown.
“S-save me,” the girl whispered.
On hearing her, Agent Rose rushed across the room. Working carefully, she helped the girl out of the coffin.
“It’s all right, Miss Graham. We’re here to help. We’ll take you somewhere safe,” Agent Rose reassured her as she aided the girl to her feet. I was surprised to hear softness in Agent Rose’s voice.
“I was in Bath,” the girl said, her voice trembling. She slipped on some vampire gore as she stepped out. The girl looked back, a confused look on her face as she studied the blood on the ground. Her eyes went to the coffin. “Is that… Is that a casket?”
“No, no,” I lied. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Clemeny, can you take her to my auto?”
I eyed the bite mark on the girl’s neck. “Is she dangerous?”
Agent Rose shook her head. “No. She wasn’t turned, just infected.”
“You sure?”
Agent Rose smirked then looked away from me. “Very sure. Take her outside. I’ll settle things in here,” Agent Rose said.
I nodded. Helping the girl down the steps and off the stage, I led her through the theater.
Behind us, Agent Rose went to the windows and began tearing off the drapes. The old fabric ripped loudly, the material falling down in a dusty flutter. Sunlight shined into the theater.
“My eyes hurt,” Penelope whispered, wincing.
I reached into my bag, fishing around for my old goggles lying at the bottom. I hadn’t used them since before the accident. I kept meaning to take them out but never bothered. “Here,” I said, handing them to her.
She frowned at them a little then put them on.
I chuckled to myself. We’d just saved her from a nest of vampires, and she was turning her nose up at the fashion of my goggles? Figures.
I led the girl outside then helped Penelope into the auto. Agent Rose exited the theater a few minutes later. She paused to barricade the doors.
“Settled?” I asked.
She nodded. “I’ll send around a crew to mop up the mess then ship what’s left of this lot back home.”
I cast a glance at Penelope. “And her?”
Agent Rose sighed. “I’ll see to her.”
“Then I’ll find my way home from here.”
Agent Rose nodded. “Thanks for your help.”
“Of course.”
“Be careful, Clemeny.”
“You too…Briar?”
She smirked then slipped into the driver’s seat. “I’m only a Briar to them,” she said then started the engine which hissed, a puff of steam streaming out into the morning air. “It’s Aurora.” Waving with a single finger, she turned and drove off.
I looked down at my clothes. I was suddenly very glad that I hadn’t eaten the blueberry scone after all. If I had, I’d be covered in scone and Vincent.
Sighing, I cast a glance around to get my bearings then headed home, hoping to catch a ride back across the river.
Chapter 6: What Missus Coleridge Doesn’t Know
Slipping in through the window of my flat at Missus Coleridge’s, I tiptoed across the floor, so the boards wouldn’t squeak. Thus far, Missus Coleridge hadn’t gotten wise to my new trick. I strongly suspected that if she knew I was scaling the nearby building, then using a plank to cross between the two structures and climbing into my window just to avoid questions, she might just turn me out. Part of me dreamed of the moment when I landed on Edwin’s doorstep with nowhere else to go. It would be a shame to have to spend a luxurious hour soaking in the claw-footed bathtub I imagined he owned. The bath would be followed, of course, by the rest of the morning spent under the sheets with that excellent man. But, alas. Thus far, I hadn’t gotten more than a kiss out of my new beau. And as for that bathtub…
I scanned my small flat. In the corner, water dripped from the ceiling into a bucket. I’d stopped asking where the water was coming from. It hardly mattered anymore. I was just here to wash off the muck and get some sleep. As soon as I got a little rest, I’d be back to tracking down Alodie.
I looked at my clothes. I really was a mess. No wonder I couldn’t even get the coal wagon to give me a ride.
I stripped off everything, surprised to find the gore had seeped down to my bodice and nickers. I�
��d always wondered about Agent Rose’s beat. Curiosity sated. She could keep her exploding fangs. I filled a bucket with soapy water and washed out my clothes, hanging them on a line stretched across the length of my small flat to dry. Quickly wiping off the armor, I reminded myself to polish the metal when I woke up. I gave my blade a sloppy clean then set it aside. I’d need to work on it later. I was so tired my eyes were closing. Pulling out a sponge, I washed my hair and gave myself a good scrub, rubbing my tired limbs with some gardenia lotion Grand-mère had given me three Christmases back. I couldn’t remember if I’d ever used it before. I grabbed the chemise I’d dug out of my wardrobe when I had considered, albeit briefly, wearing a dress to Quinn’s. Even though I’d already given up the idea, I hadn’t had time to pack the elegant ladies’ clothes back into the cupboard.
I lay down on my thin bed and closed my eyes. Thoughts of Edwin drifted through my mind. Suddenly, I envisioned him and me in that tub together, the warm water lapping around me, and Edwin’s arms embracing me.
I woke I don’t know how many hours later to the sound of a brush scrubbing metal. My head was hazy. At first, I thought the odd sound was coming from the hallway. It only took a moment to realize the noise was coming from inside my room. I moved to grab my pistol, which had been sitting beside my bed, only to find it was gone. I sat up with a start, ready to kill whatever had found me, only to find Lionheart sitting there.
He was working a brush across my vambrace, gingerly holding the silver armor with a gloved hand. He paused to rub the metal with oil. My dagger, pistols, and other weapons had already been cleaned and polished. He looked up at me from under a lock of blond hair.
“You should clean your gear before you sleep,” he said.
“I was tired.”
He lifted the vambrace, brushing off something red and sticky. “Anyone I know?”
I shook my head. “A fang.”
Lionheart grinned his wolfy half-smile that always evoked an inappropriate rush of energy through my body.
As if reading my thoughts, his eyes drifted toward me.
It slowly dawned on me that I was half-naked. I glanced down at my loose chemise. The pale apricot fabric did very little to hide what was underneath. My chest half hanging out, my breasts pressing against the sheer fabric, Lionheart had just gotten more of an eyeful than any man alive.
Bitches and Brawlers_A Steampunk Fairy Tale Page 3
