by Megan Hawke
I just wanted to protect her so much.
"I'll talk to Gabe." Dane was Gabe's best friend. In truth, I think Gabe's only real friends were all members of my little vamp family. "Sometimes he doesn't think consequences through."
I stroked his shoulder.
"You think?" I said. I took a deep, steadying breath. "I'm not Sabrina's babysitter, as she so loves to point out. She's slept with worse men than Gabe. Besides, you know Sabrina, the more I try to push her away from a guy the harder she'll try to get to him."
I might've slammed the door when I got out of the Jeep. Part of that was the wind's fault. The front door was unlocked, and I stomped in. Dane followed.
"Hello. Been having fun?" I said.
Gabe sat on the couch in nothing but his jeans. Sabrina sat next to him, in mini skirt, tank top and heels. It was a pretty sedate outfit by her standards. Going to class wear.
"Loads," Sabrina said without missing a beat. "Where have you two been?"
"Shooting werewolves," I said. "Killing vampires. The usual."
"Did you really kill a vampire?" Gabe said, eyes lighting up.
"Three," Dane said. "We got attacked by that gang of vamps killing wolves."
"Oh, man. I miss all the fun," Gabe said.
I glanced at Sabrina, who smirked at me. "Not all the fun."
"What now?" Sabrina said. "My homework is all done. I have the entire weekend free, and you will not deny me. Gabe's been teaching me."
"Teaching you?" Dane said.
"Yeah."
"Guns. Knives," Gabe said. "How to fight. How to stake vamps. Lots of vampire slaying stuff."
"I bet," I said. Gabe's heart rate ramped. He understood now. Sabrina knew, and was happy and contented. Bitch. "Fine. Change into something more appropriate for hunting."
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing? You dress sexy."
"You're not a vampire with ankles like steel bands," I said, maybe a bit more hotly than I wanted. "You can't run, much less fight in those heels. I can. I have perfect balance, and super strength. Plus I'm a lot harder to kill."
"Put on jeans, your butt-kicking boots, and a t-shirt," Gabe said. "Something you don't mind being saturated in blood."
Sabrina vanished into the basement. That meant she was raiding my closet. Irritating to say the least. I gave Gabe a look that sent him scrambling for his clothes.
"I’m going to try and get a meeting with Council tonight," I said.
"Cool. I've always wanted to go to a Council meeting."
I powered up my laptop and dialed a number on my phone. It was Tara Voorhies' number. Tara was a member of Council. She wasn't the most powerful, either politically or supernaturally, but she was a force to be reckoned with. She demanded and received respect from all members of Council.
"Hello, Sable," Tara's no-nonsense voice said.
"I need to speak to Council."
She laughed. I didn't expect that.
"You're a fool. Council doesn't want to speak to you. Council wants something from you, but it doesn't involve listening to you."
"Really? You want to get into my panties, too?"
"If it were only so simple."
"True. So, will you call Council together so I can speak to them?"
"I have too many problems to take on another," Tara said. "I'll not sponsor you. Try someone else."
"I'm going after the band of vamps killing werewolves," I said. She was silent. "I killed three of them last night. I have names. All were known thralls. If someone doesn't help me find them, then it will be war with the wolves. Are you prepared for all the repercussions of that?"
The older, settled vampires despised everything that brought anything about vampires to the attention of the media and the general population. They wanted to stay in the shadows. They liked the status quo.
"Who did you kill?"
"Zane Drake, Chanah Weinlaub, and Levi Barton," I said. She actually grunted when I said Chanah's name. "Any of those ring a bell."
"I'll call Council together tonight. Midnight. SMU," she said, and hung up.
"We're in," I said.
"Why am I not excited?" Dane said.
"Because you're smarter than the rest of us," Gabe said.
"Who's smarter?" Sabrina said as she bound back into the room. She was so damn excited to be playing with the big boys. Momma was going to kill me.
"We're going to a Council meeting," Gabe said.
Sabrina stiffened, cutting a look at me. "Vampire Council?"
I cocked my head, lifting a brow. "Is there another?"
She surprised me and smiled.
"Wow. That's sweet."
I think my jaw dropped.
"Was I that crazy when I first started?" I asked. Dane and Gabe looked at each other. I could see the answer in their eyes. "No way."
"About the same," Dane said. "Not as vocal as Sabrina, but you looked more excited."
"You were a lot more demanding, too," Gabe said. "You've never been good at taking no for an answer."
"She was born bossy," Sabrina said.
I had good reason to be more demanding. Vampires were hunting me at the time. Of course, like my little sister, I didn't know what I was truly getting myself into at the time.
"Do you have any weapons?" I asked Sabrina.
"I have a staking pack in my trunk. Gabe put it together for me."
I turned cool eyes on Gabe, who thought checking his pockets quite thoroughly all important at that moment. Shaking my head, I turned back to my computer.
"Good. We have a few hours to prepare," I said as I logged in to my e-mail account. Sergeant Longhouse's e-mail was waiting. I sent all of the attached pictures and documents to the printer. "The better prepared we are, the better chance we have of getting out of there alive."
We Googled each of the vampires. All of them had social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. They posted selfies and videos and commented on all of their favorite vampires. We looked for any mention of being Changed. Nothing.
"Between them all, they've slept with most of Council," Dane said. Besides me, he was the only other one of us to have been to a Council meeting. "If the wolves got that list of names, and are conducting the same Google searches, then they might believe this is enough to tie them to Council."
"I know. Scary."
"Then we have to assume the packs have that list of names?" Gabe said.
"Yes." I watched a short video on Levi's Instagram he posted of himself with Tara. They appeared to be having a wonderful time in a club somewhere. "I have to assume they have police connections, so have the same list."
"Getting uglier and uglier," Gabe said.
When it was time, we piled into my Mustang. No one was keeping me from driving. There was no reason for subtlety. We were armed for vamp. I wore a shoulder holster with a Glock under each arm. My baby Glock was holstered at the small of my back. Everyone else was similarly armed.
There were many different meeting places for Council. I only knew the location of one. It was under SMU, so whenever Council met with me they convened there. I gave them until a quarter after midnight, time to settle in and for Tara to advise them of my visit.
The Council's secret chamber was under Aristotle House, an arts building that I've since learned that four members of Council donated to the university. It was set as far off by itself as possible on the college campus, with lots of vegetation around to obscure the comings and goings of nocturnal creatures. There were four vampires guarding the entry.
"Hey boys, looking spiffy in your Men in Black outfits," I said. They didn't look amused. "Sable, party of four. I think we're expected."
"A wolf?" the tallest vamp said. He was a pretty one, all tall, dark and handsome. Clean cut, like a cop or a soldier.
"He's mine," I said. "Council knows who he is."
"Council is not exactly up on wolves right now."
"The packs aren't up on Council, either."
"If he causes t
rouble, it'll come out of your ass, Black Heart."
"Doesn't it always?" I said. I slanted a look over my shoulders at Gabe. He grinned and wagged his brows at me. "Be a good boy and Mommy will give you a doggie treat later."
The vamps just stared at me, like I wasn't even a little amusing. Tough crowd.
They ushered us through the door in silence. I led the way, with Sabrina close on my heels, followed by Gabe and then Dane. The vamps seemed more wary of Dane than Gabe. Of course, Council had dealt one-on-one with Dane before.
We headed down the long stairs into their subterranean lair. Red carpet now covered the wide marble stairs. I liked the way the marble looked, but the carpet made it easier for women in heels. Marble stairs and stilettos, not good.
"They didn't even search us," Sabrina said.
"It's not like we can carry anything in that will kill a vampire," I said.
"What about crosses?"
"An annoyance. Less so than being shot with blessed silver," I said. "But it'll keep a vamp off your throat. Are you wearing a cross?"
"Of course." She tapped her chest, indicating it rested deep in her cleavage. I noticed the chain it hung from.
"Don't pull it out unless they attack," I said.
"What are the chances of that?" Gabe said.
"I doubt they'll do anything," I said.
"Doubt?" Sabrina said, looking more nervous.
"They don't like us in general, and me in particular," I said. "But I think they need us, so that's what I'm betting keeps us alive."
Reaching the bottom, I saw they hadn't changed anything. Marble floor, wood paneled walls, crystal chandeliers, and lots of antiques. It was enough to make any nouveau riche celebrity megastar's heart go pitter patter.
"Is this some kind of underground Italian Renaissance mansion or something?" Gabe asked.
"No. Mostly Louis XIV," Sabrina said.
Gabe looked at me. I shrugged. Everything just looked old and expensive to me.
"Y'all want to stay out here while I go speak with Council?" I asked once we stood outside the tall, black lacquered double doors.
"What, and miss a Council meeting? Are you crazy?" Gabe said.
Everyone else smiled grimly and nodded. I threw the doors open and strode in. We went straight to the center of the large, round room and stopped.
"Who's leading Council tonight?" I said.
"Tara called this meeting," Viktor Vasilevich said.
Council arranged themselves in a large circle. Ten members once again. They always sat in the same place in relation to each other, no matter where they met. Two faces had changed since last I visited.
Between Viktor and Tara sat a tall, muscular Latino man. I had heard of him, but never met him. Xavier Campos took over the Latino faction after Vanessa Mancera was subjugated by Antoinette LaRue. He didn't win all of Vanessa's undead empire. A third of it followed Vanessa over to Antoinette, mostly out of fear or hatred of Xavier.
I was more surprised to see Jeff Howell's replacement on Council.
"I didn't know you joined Council, Henri," I said.
It annoyed me he never told me. Someone should've told me.
"Does Council normally advise you of their actions?" the ancient French vampire said.
He looked so damn smug in his elaborately carved chair, some of his family arrayed behind him. I noticed he only brought vamps, none of his wolves. They were all wearing expensive silk suits. He wore a burgundy tie, the rest wore blue ties. He looked all French sexy with his dark hair slicked back into a ponytail. Our shared gaze smoldered a long second.
"In a perfect world," I said. "How did you get your chair? Make them an offer they couldn't refuse?"
Henri smiled, but none of the others looked happy. Henri Trudeau was Vampire Mafia. He'd been vying for a seat on Council for decades. They, probably wisely, didn't want a gangster in their membership. He garnered more official government attention than all of the rest of them combined, and they so loved their secrecy.
He sat in Jeff's old spot, between the big African American vamp, Otis Glen and the Native American, Frank Moonwalker. Antoinette, the only other French vampire, was the other side of the old Apache warrior, Frank. Without a doubt, they were the two most gorgeous people in that room. Henri was older, by a hundred years, but I suspected Antoinette was more powerful, both politically and as a vampire.
"I guess Antoinette's happy," I said. Antoinette and Henri despised each other. "She's not the oldest on Council anymore."
Oddly enough, that didn't seem to annoy Antoinette at all. I must be slipping.
"Tara says you are trying to keep the peace, or something," Antoinette said. She sat upon her elaborate chair, really more like a throne, legs crossed and looking soul numbing gorgeous in a red gown that clung to her body in silken shimmer. Her ears, throat and wrists glittered with diamonds. Her family, including poor subjugated Vanessa, stood behind her in all of their silken finery. She glanced at Gabe, then back at me. "We're not afraid of wolves. You're wasting your time. You're wasting our time."
"If the wolves go to war, you'll be dragged into it whether you want to fight or not," I said.
"We'll win."
"Probably. But who will lose?"
"The packs, of course."
"No, you will lose. The vampire community will be exposed to rabid media attention. Reporters will start digging, and then you will lose control over them as they learn more and more of the very scary truth. People will get worried, maybe even terrified, when they learn just how many vamps live in this city," I said, giving them a stern look. "And maybe worse for you personally. The vampires that die will mostly be your supporters, your constituents. How will they feel about being slaughtered while you sit safe and bask in your undead glory? How will they feel about you ignoring their problem until large numbers of them die? Will they continue to support you after the war?"
That caused a stir. Families started speaking among themselves.
Henri was the first to respond. "Maybe we should attack first. A preemptive strike, wipe out a couple packs, then maybe the rest will think better of taking us on."
"Ah, gotta love fangster logic." I shook my head woefully. "That will cause the packs to panic, and band together. They may be impulsive, but they're not stupid. You might be surprised how successful they can be against even the famed and feared vampire mafia."
Henri looked doubtful. His family members showed no sign of their thoughts.
"You have our attention," Tara said. "What are you suggesting we do? I'm assuming you want our help in some way."
I nodded to my friends. They spread out to give each Council member a large envelope with all the pictures and names of the vampire gang of killers. Sabrina handed out packets to Henry, Frank and Antoinette. All three vamps looked upon her with hungry eyes.
"You have pictures of all thirteen vampires responsible for the werewolf murders. Three of them were killed by us last night. Chanah, Levi, and Zane are dead. The rest are still loose." I watched them a moment as they looked through the pictures. "I need your help finding the survivors, so I can find out why they are committing all of these murders. I believe the vamp that Changed them is making them do it."
"If we agree to help you, then you'll owe us a favor," Antoinette said.
I so wanted to slap the smirk off her face. She had me there. Vampires lived on favors. They took favors owed seriously. A favored owed was a sacred duty to fulfill. I didn't like it, but I couldn't expect to receive favors if I didn't return them. So if I agreed, I would be bound.
Every member of Council looked at me. Dark eagerness filled their eyes. Some members of their families even smiled. Yeah, very unnerving.
"Really? You don't see stopping a war with the werewolves as a favor to you?"
"No. We're not asking you to do anything," Tara said. "You are asking for a favor from us, so that means you'll owe us, as Council, a favor."
"It's not worth it," Dane said.
"Yeah
. Give it time, and once they are hurting enough, they'll ask you for a favor," Gabe said.
The last thing I wanted was to owe another favor to a vampire. I owed too many already.
"Too many innocent people will die." I looked Tara in the eye, my displeasure for all to see. "I accept."
Dane, Gabe, and Sabrina groaned. Antoinette and Henri both smiled. I already owed each of them a favor. The favors each might ask scared the bejesus out of me. Neither one of them could be trusted.
"It's good to have you even further in my debt," Antoinette said. She stood and looked around. "We are in agreement? Good, then we'll help Sable and her little family of slayers. This meeting is adjourned." She looked at Sabrina, and then at me. "You already owe me a favor, Sable. I'll be calling it in soon."
All I could do was gawk. The others watched to see if I balked. Antoinette knew I was trapped. I was one scared vamp.
"I understand." Hey, I said it without stammering or any quaver in my voice. "I await your request with bated breath."
"As you should," she said, and her entire family all but winked out of sight.
Dane, Sabrina, and Gabe started. Displays of vampiric powers still surprised and awed them. Being a vampire, I saw that what really happened was Antoinette surged away at incredible speed, with her family surging after her. It was too fast for human eyes to discern. Not all vampires could surge, or even move that fast if they could. Antoinette was an uber vamp of the highest order.
"They're all gone," Sabrina said.
She was right. I was so obsessed with Antoinette that I didn't notice the others leave. Didn't matter.
"They're faster than Heidi," Dane said. "I only saw a few of them actually moving."
"Me, too," Gabe said. "Impressive, and scary."
"Very scary," I said. "Let's get out of here before one of them decides to come back."
I had a war to stop, and once again I found myself squarely in the sights of the most powerful vampire in Dallas. I had a bad feeling I wasn't going to be able to wiggle out of Antoinette's grasp this time. Antoinette would get her favor from me, and I was too afraid to even try to figure out what she'd want. All I could do was pray I managed to keep my friends and family from getting hurt by it.
