Amnesia Bites (Shady Arcade Book 1)

by Sharon Stevenson

  “Enticing,” he murmured. “So can I still eat real food?”

  She shook her head. “You’re on a liquid diet now.”

  His kitchen was a typical single guy’s dumping ground. She eyed the pile of unwashed dishes.

  “I was going to do those later,” he defended himself, clamping the lid down on the dirty washing basket as he passed.

  She smiled. The basket was full. He was probably wearing the only clean clothes he had left. She put the bag down on his newspaper-covered table. “Okay, so you can heat these in the microwave or you can drink it cold. I’ve heard it tastes better warm.”

  “Can you try it with me?”

  “Uh, no,” she said, realising he was as grossed out by thought as she was.

  “Why? Don’t you…” he trailed off as his eyes lit with understanding. “Oh! You don’t drink the animal stuff, then?”

  “Of course not. Wait. What do you mean?”`

  “Well, you’re a vampire, too, right? That’s why you know all this stuff.”

  She took a breath. “I’m not a vampire. I know this stuff because I’m a necromancer. I can control the dead.”

  He stared at her. “So how did I become a vampire if you didn’t bite me?”

  “A vampire bit you. He’s dust now. You’re on your own. I came to find you because the vampire who bit you left your keys in the arcade.”

  “What was he doing at the arcade? Did he try to hurt you?”

  “No. It’s a long story.”

  It would be a mistake to tell him about Zack. She couldn’t be sure another vampire wouldn’t show up and claim Larry as theirs. If he knew about Zack, he could be a danger to him. She’d tried to make herself bring a stake back instead of blood, but she hadn’t been able to face killing her friend. Larry hadn’t become one of the undead on purpose. He’d been made. He didn’t deserve to have his existence cut short.

  “So which is which?” He poked at the bag.

  She took out the bags of blood. Tiny little bits of bone and other gross-looking shit floated in the red liquid. She fought a shudder and asked if he had a strainer. He started searching his cupboards. By the time they’d heated up some pig’s blood for him to try, she was swearing off meat for life.

  “Bottoms up,” he said and then picked up the mug and took a sip.

  She expected him to blanch, but after that first taste hit his tongue, he seemed reluctant to put the mug back down. She watched him drain it and then lick at the inside of the mug. If he hadn’t been so cute, it might have been creepy, especially when he put it down and she saw the little slashes of blood at either side of his mouth.

  “I need more,” he said, picking up the mug of cold cow’s blood and draining it at the same speed. “Hot is better.” He shrugged, his tongue flicking out to catch the blood staining the corners of his mouth. “But fuck me, that was good.”

  “Glad you liked it. I’ll get more. You’ll need to drink about the same amount every day.”

  She was glad he’d actually enjoyed it. It would be easier to keep him from wanting to try human blood. Not that she’d be the one to keep him in line. She bit at her lip. Kenny would road-block her, as usual, if she tried to go through him. It would be best if he didn’t know.

  “Damn,” she whispered, knowing what it meant. She’d have to be Larry’s guardian until she turned thirty. She’d be deemed fully trained by then. She’d have the chance to call the Council herself.

  “Any kind,” Larry said, looking at the other bags. “They’re different, but in a good way.”

  She nodded. “There are a few things you’ll need to know to get by.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, for one thing, you won’t want to spend too much time in the sun,” she said, then seeing understanding light up his expression.

  “Oh. Oh, right. I’m a vampire.”

  “Yeah, so, good points include instant hotness, super strength and speed, and immortality. Bad points include an aversion to direct sunlight, holy objects, and the possibility of being tracked down by the clan who made you. There aren’t many rogue vampires out there. Most of them join the FBU—”

  “The FBU?”

  “It’s kind of like the vampire police,” she said with a shrug.

  He grinned. “Cool! How do I sign up?”

  “That’s going to have to wait,” she told him, wondering what the hell she was doing. “You need to be proved stable by your guardian before they’ll let you in.”

  “So you’re my guardian, right?”

  She nodded slowly, hoping she wasn’t going to regret the decision. Council rules dictated she should hand him over to Kenny to let the Elders decide his fate and his guardian, but he didn’t deserve to go through an unsympathetic guardian who wouldn’t speak up for him to the Elders, and she really didn’t want to have to call that arsehole if she didn’t absolutely need to.

  “Awesome.” He put his hands on his hips. “So, now that I’ve had blood…”

  “I’m not going to sleep with you.” She shook her head.

  He shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kenny lay back against the pillows, a satisfied smile spreading over his face. He wrapped his arms around Bridget, and she laid her head against his chest. The pounding of his heart made her hungry, even though he’d already let her taste his blood while they had fun. She was starting to salivate when she heard something louder and far more alarming. Her phone was ringing from her jacket pocket across the room. She moved, and Kenny tightened his grasp on her.

  “Hey,” she said. “I have to get that.”

  “You don’t have to do anything,” he whispered.

  She shivered as her body obeyed his command.

  “I have a job to do,” she reminded him. “I could be removed from this assignment if I mess it up.”

  He sighed and let her go. “I just want one full night with you. Is that so much to ask?”

  She moved away, leaving him to whine about the unfairness of it all as she picked up her phone and dress and left the room.

  “I just got word about the FBU’s visit,” Rick said, skipping pleasantries as she picked up his call.

  “Uh, I told you about that. We have a week.”

  “You have three days. They’re concerned. Someone started a rumour.”

  Her grip on the phone tightened. A rumour? “What are you talking about?”

  She wished he wouldn’t be so scant with his details. Stage-whispering everything he said was annoying enough.

  “I’m talking about Winter. The FBU received an anonymous tip that you joined their clan.”

  She frowned. “This had better be a joke. It’s not funny, Rick. You of all people should—”

  “It’s no joke,” he hissed.

  She swallowed. Someone was treading dangerously close to the truth. Her clan affiliations were well-hidden: she wasn’t marked by Midnight because she had to be beyond reproach by the FBU, and a clan branding would be an easy way to expose her. That didn’t mean her bosses couldn’t suspect her for being in a clan. If they suspected Winter, they thought she was part of that clan’s apparent plan to capture Zack. She cursed under her breath. Things were spiralling out of her control. “The plan needs to be accelerated, then.”

  “We need to skip ahead to Plan C.”

  “I’ve got three days?”

  “You should be timing your exit strategy a bit tighter than that.”

  “You want me to do this within the next forty-eight hours?”

  “I wouldn’t say no.”

  ***

  Chloe left Kenny a voicemail to get him to tell the Council she’d taken guardianship of a new vampire. She seriously doubted he would actually get back to her if he even listened to the message, but she’d at least have done her part to process the request. It hadn’t been an easy decision, but she figured she wouldn’t be breaking any rules if she at least left him that message. If he called her back, she could i
gnore the call. Considering how easily he usually ignored her, it seemed like the right choice.

  She sighed as she made her way back to the shop. The arcade would close soon. She wondered why she was even bothering as she walked into the building.

  Cassandra was locking up her cafe as she walked by. The woman turned.

  “Oh, Chloe! Have you seen Zack today? He wasn’t around when I brought his lunch, and it isn’t like him…”

  Chloe bit back a snarky retort. The woman was as innocent as they came. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes before she turned to face her. “He went home sick. I’m sure he’ll be back tomorrow.”

  She glanced at the bag in Cassandra’s hand as the woman proffered it. “Can you take this to him? I wouldn’t want it to go to waste.”

  Chloe took in her smile and snatched the bag out of her hand. Her fingers brushed Cassandra’s smooth skin, and she fought back a shiver. This was why she hated interacting with the woman. There was something off about her, something not quite human. She wasn’t a necromancer, and she wasn’t a vampire. Whatever she was, she always felt weird.

  “I suppose,” Chloe muttered.

  Cassandra thanked her and left the arcade. She shook her head as she walked to her shop, half a mind to toss the damn thing in the bin. The thought of Zack left alone with that vampire made her stop and re-think things. He’d been hurt. Bridget might take advantage of that.

  As much as she wanted to walk away and not look back, she knew she couldn’t do that. The sandwich gave her an excuse to visit him, to see if he was really okay after he’d been attacked.

  Every necromancer in town knew where Zack lived now that he’d been moved to a flat in the middle of Shady Pines. She headed out without giving it any more thought. Her nerves disappeared as her worry grew. Checking in on him would put her mind at rest.

  ***

  Zack got up and went to the bathroom. A glance into the living room showed him that Bridget had left. Panic began to swell in his chest. He couldn’t deal with being alone right now.

  He rushed to dress, hoping a walk outside would calm him. There was every chance he’d have one of his weird episodes if he went out alone and didn’t calm down, but it was a risk he was willing to take if there was even the slightest chance it might relax him. He shoved the sunglasses on once his shoes were laced.

  The knock on the door made him jump. What if this was it? What if they’d come for him?

  Don’t be stupid, he told himself. A vampire wouldn’t knock. That was far too polite. He didn’t usually get visitors, though. So who the hell was at the door?

  He moved forward slowly, not quite willing to take the sunglasses off. He didn’t want to make it easy for them. A second knock came as he put his gloved hand on the knob. He turned it and yanked it inwards.

  The girl from the shop where he’d bought the sunglasses was staring at him, a bag from Cassandra’s cafe in her hand. She smiled tightly.

  “Hi. Cassandra asked me to drop this off. She was worried since you weren’t around for lunch.”

  “Oh. Right. Thanks,” he said, wondering when he’d stopped being able to form proper sentences.

  “Are you okay?”

  He took the bag from her and took the sunglasses off with his other hand. He winced at the rustle of the bag as his gloved hand closed around it. The girl already thought he was off. Why did he have to be wearing sunglasses when he answered the door?

  He somehow managed to turn a grimace into a smile.

  “I was just going out, that’s why I was—”

  “It’s just started to rain,” she said, smiling in that way he knew was meant for humouring someone strange.

  “Oh. I hadn’t noticed. I don’t think I have an umbrella.”

  “Then maybe you should stay in. Bridget said you lost some blood earlier. You should rest.”

  “You know Bridget?”

  He winced as he said it. Of course, she knew Bridget. She worked in the arcade. It was the blood loss he should have asked about. Did knowing about that mean the girl was one of the necromancers Bridget had told him about?

  “I know a lot of people,” she said, folding her arms. “Anyway, I should get going.”

  “Wait,” he said. “You’re not wearing a jacket. Come in and wait out the rain.”

  He knew he sounded desperate. He just hoped he didn’t sound creepy. Being with a stranger wouldn’t be as bad as being alone.

  Surprise widened her eyes. “Uhm…”

  “I know we don’t know each other, but I don’t bite. I promise not to try anything inappropriate.”

  He was making things worse, so he shut his stupid mouth.

  She smiled, and it looked warm but wry. “Make me a cup of tea, and I’ll take my chances.”

  “Done,” he said, letting her in and closing the door behind her.

  He led the way to the kitchen, keeping his mouth shut to avoid saying anything else that might send her running for the exit.

  He put the sandwich into the fridge and put the kettle on as she settled into one of the hard wooden kitchen chairs. He watched her glance around the room, dark eyes curious under her long fringe as she took in the small space. A whisper of a smile passed across her face. He wondered what she was thinking, noticed he was staring and tried harder to keep his attention on making the tea.

  She cleared her throat and glanced his way. “So, have you lived here long?”

  “About six months.”

  He got mugs out of the cupboard, realising she was his second ever visitor, after Bridget. He wondered where Bridget had gone. It seemed odd that she’d leave after everything that had happened. She was probably coming back.

  “You like it here?”

  “It’s okay,” he said, shrugging as he put teabags into the cups. He knew the girl would find it weird that he was still wearing the gloves, but he couldn’t quite make himself take them off. “How long have you worked in the arcade?”

  “Eight years, give or take.”

  He poured the tea and got out the milk and sugar. “You like it here?”

  “I do,” she said, taking the mug he put in front of her and smiling at it.

  He’d left the teabag in there with a spoon. He put a tea-plate down and she fished the bag out and ditched it on there, watching him do the same before she poured milk into her mug.

  “You don’t like it sweet,” he said, memorising the way she took her tea.

  “I’m more of a bitter kind of person,” she said with a wry smile.

  “Life’s a bitch,” he said.

  “And then you die,” she added.

  He smiled. He was starting to feel better already.

  ***

  Bridget could hear Zack and Chloe talking when she finally left the comfort of Kenny’s flat. It was an unwelcome development, and one she hadn’t seen coming.

  She slipped her shoes on and considered her options. Rick was right; she had to move quickly or it would all be over for them. Six months of careful planning would go straight down the drain. The wait for the FBU to back off and leave her to guard Zack on her own had taken the longest time. Any hint of unprofessional behaviour would have had her removed. She’d stuck it out. She’d been left alone with him, and her plan had just started to roll out. And now? She’d be damned if she was going to let him get away.

  Collateral damage was inevitable. She had to move fast.

  She opened the door and went into his flat. “Zack?”

  “In here,” he called out from the kitchen.

  She walked in to find him sitting at his tiny kitchen table with his ex-girlfriend. She smiled sweetly at Chloe. The girl wasn’t getting to mess things up.

  “Chloe, how are you?”

  Chloe frowned at her. “Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing.”

  “I’m fine, and Zack needs to get his rest.”

  “I feel okay,” Zack said, shrugging.

  Bridget was glad Plan B was being bypassed. Seducing the guy wouldn’t
have been any fun. Taking him away from Chloe would be.

  She smiled. “All the same. Visiting hours are over.”

  Chloe got up and glanced back at Zack. “I need to talk to Bridget for a second.”

  Bridget folded her arms. She refused to move until Chloe commanded her to. The hallway wasn’t ideal, but Chloe hadn’t wanted Zack to hear what she had to say, clearly.

  “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you shouldn’t be here,” Bridget snapped once they were out of his earshot. “He’s unstable. Trying to make him remember will only—”

  Fire burned in Chloe’s eyes. “I’m not trying to make him remember anything.”

  “It’ll be your fault if he has a breakdown.”

  “You will not bite him,” Chloe commanded. “You won’t drink from him. You won’t hurt him in any way…”

  Bridget’s anger rose with each command. Her thirst for human blood became undeniable. She launched herself at the necromancer who stopped her with a single word command.

  “Stop.” Chloe glared at her. “You are not hungry. You will drink your usual allowance of animal blood, and that is all.”

  “You don’t own me,” she snapped.

  “Say goodnight to Zack for me.” Chloe stalked away down the stairwell.

  Bridget turned and punched the wall. The cracked concrete wasn’t nearly as satisfying as draining Chloe dry would be. She flexed her scraped fingers, watching them heal before she went inside.

  Chloe’s command would hinder the new plan. She would have to circle back around to Plan B.

  ***

  Zack cleared away the table, glad that he’d invited the girl in. He’d realised he hadn’t gotten her name when Bridget had said it out loud. Chloe. Softer than he’d have guessed for someone with such a spiky personality. Still, he’d liked her. And she hadn’t mentioned his gloves once.

  He got the distinct impression Bridget didn’t like her at all. He looked at the vampire as she came back into the room, alone.

  “Chloe had to go,” Bridget said, a tight smile fixed in place.

  He rolled his eyes as he loaded the dishwasher. “She wasn’t a threat.”

  “She isn’t a vampire,” Bridget told him. “That doesn’t mean she isn’t a threat.”