Blood Lust (Fallen Angels Book 3)

by Judith Post

  Voronika laughed at Ulrich's reaction. "For a vampire who's had his share of women, you're going to have your hands full."

  Lucinda stepped in front of him and looked directly at Crystal. "Back off. He's mine."

  Crystal hissed, but looked away.

  Ulrich turned to Lucinda, surprised.

  Lucinda raised a copper eyebrow. "You don't know it yet, but I've claimed you. It's just a matter of time."

  Angel stared, surprised. Could Lucinda talk to Ulrich like that? He was a general.

  Ulrich shook his head. "You're too new. You shouldn't make decisions that will affect you for decades to come."

  Lucinda's hands went to her hips. "Decades? You live longer than that, don't you?"

  "But you haven't met any other vampires yet…."

  She stopped listening and started to the kitchen. "You'll be mine until someone stakes you, even if it's me."

  Voronika threw back her head and laughed. "You've met your match, Viking!"

  Angel wanted to clap her hands. Wow, what a show! But if she made noise, the adults would remember she was there. When she grew up, she wanted to be like Lucinda and Voronika.

  Ulrich stared at Enoch, unsure of himself. But Enoch looked confused, too. Crystal kept sending him meaningful glances. Enoch moved closer to Voronika, but she waved him away.

  "Man up, angel. You look like sex on a stick to her."

  "Hiss or something like Lucinda did, then she'll leave me alone."

  "It'll pass. If she can't drool over you, she'll find someone else."

  "Lance." Ulrich scowled, and Enoch looked worried.

  Crystal's eyes turned yellow when she heard his name.

  Angel crossed her arms and hugged herself. Why had Ulrich mentioned Lance? Angel didn't like him. He treated her and Crystal like dirt. He was smart, but in a mean way. Crystal could never keep her eyes off him. And when Enoch looked worried, it scared her.

  Chapter 25

  Enoch pulled and locked the grid to the balcony before Danny came for him on Saturday. He'd worried about leaving Angel alone in the apartment, but she was plopped in front of the TV, watching her favorite morning shows while she played on the computer in her lap.

  "Typical," Danny told him on their way down in the elevator. "My nephews and nieces never budge during Saturday morning cartoons and Xbox games."

  Once settled in the car, Enoch said, "Where to first?"

  "Seth Heyerly's place is in New Towne, east of here. It's a bit of a drive." Danny turned onto Washington. Enoch rarely went in that direction, so studied his surroundings with interest. They passed a section of houses that had seen better days, then came to a local, technical school.

  "What does it specialize in?" Enoch asked.

  "Engineering and science. Brainy stuff." Danny motioned to a large, fenced cemetery on the opposite corner. "One of my great-uncles is buried there."

  It was an old cemetery, the kind that interested Enoch. The city must have grown around it. He glanced down a street and saw a tavern across from it farther down. He chuckled. A small, technical college and a bar and a cemetery all nestled together. A unique juxtaposition.

  The fringes of Three Rivers bled into the edges of New Towne. They passed small businesses and subdivisions before entering New Towne proper. Old-school, tall, narrow, brick buildings lined both sides of the main street—a small town at its best—well cared for and used.

  Danny drove past the last shop and kept going. Yards became larger. Enoch watched as people worked outside, raking leaves and finishing off garden beds to get ready for winter. Mums bloomed while summer flowers faded. Red sedum blossomed and burning bushes blazed with color.

  They'd gone a few miles when Danny slowed to pull into the driveway of a ranch house on a narrow strip of property with farm fields behind it. The yard was mowed, but plain. No flower beds. One tree. No bushes. White siding gave the house a clean appearance, but again, no embellishments graced it. No shutters. No catchy trims. Everything neat and white. Sterile.

  Danny and Enoch walked to the black, front door and knocked. Enoch listened. No dog barking. No voices. Silence. Maybe no one was home. But soon, the door opened, and a man stood before them.

  Seth Heyerly was in his pajamas and robe.

  "Did we wake you?" Enoch asked. "Sorry."

  Seth shook his head. "No, I don't get dressed most days anymore. No reason to."

  That statement, alone, broke Enoch's heart. If the man stayed in his pajamas because he was retired and he could, that would be fine, admirable. But the way Seth said it, the words felt sad, pathetic.

  Danny flashed his badge and said, "We'd like to ask you a few questions, if you have the time."

  Seth looked around him, as though looking for some excuse to be rid of them, but then, he shrugged and opened the door wider. "Am I in trouble?"

  He didn't sound as though he cared. Enoch studied him. "Are you all right?"

  Seth turned and walked toward the back of the house, toward his kitchen. "Not really."

  Danny and Enoch followed him. The front room was pristine—everything in its place—but covered with a layer of dust. In the kitchen, dirty dishes sat in piles in the sink, stacked so high, they might tumble over. Papers littered the kitchen table—newspapers, bills, and advertisements, all neglected. A railing separated the kitchen from the family room. Pizza boxes spilled off the coffee table. A flat-screen TV played above the fireplace mantel, but the sound was muted.

  Seth sank into a tan recliner and stared at them. They took seats across from him.

  Danny waited for him to say something. When he didn't, Danny asked, "We've heard that you visit a vampire club in Three Rivers?"

  Seth blinked. "I always thought they were make-believe. My wife loved the books and TV show True Blood. I teased her about it. Who knew they were real?"

  "Is your wife here now?" Danny looked hopeful, but Enoch knew he was grasping at straws.

  "Edie? She died two years ago." Seth leaned back in his chair, as though admitting that truth had worn him out.

  Enoch said, "I'm sorry to hear that."

  "Cancer," Seth said. "Took four years to claim her. Four, miserable years."

  Danny tried for something more upbeat. "You must be retired. Bet that's nice."

  Seth stared. "You think so? What are you supposed to do with all your time?"

  Enoch leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Is that why you're going to the club? To fill your time?"

  Seth blinked at him. "It feels good, doesn't it? I drink. I laugh. I'm not alone."

  "Why not go to a human nightclub or a Legion or Eagles?" Danny asked.

  Seth shrugged. "To sit at the bar with more lonely, old men like me? What good is that?"

  "Do you have a family?" Enoch asked.

  Seth sighed. "Two daughters. Both married. They have families of their own. Busy."

  "Are they in town?"

  "No, Beth moved to Florida. Always hated winters. And Belinda's in Minnesota. Cold as hell, but she loves it."

  "Do you visit them?" Enoch persisted.

  Seth frowned. "That's expensive."

  Enoch reached across and patted his hand. "Not as expensive as venom. Danny didn't tell you that you won a free trip, did he? You signed up at the club and won. You should call a daughter and fly to see her."

  Seth sat back in his chair, shook his head. "I never win anything."

  "You won this time. Where are you going to go?" Enoch asked.

  "Belinda's been wanting me to stay with them a while. Wants me to move there. Said I could babysit while she works, but neither of us had the money to make it work."

  Enoch didn't point out that if Seth didn't visit the club, he might come up with the cash. Instead he smiled. "Well, then, you won at the right time. Call Belinda and tell her you're on your way."

  Seth frowned. "You're sure? There's no mistake?"

  "I can pay for the ticket the minute you book your flight."

  Seth reached for the
phone. Danny and Enoch tried not to listen in, but it was obvious from Seth's side of the conversation that his daughter had been worried about him and that she wanted him to visit her.

  "Give me the information, and I'll book your flight," Enoch said. When Seth gave him the dates, he made the call and paid for the tickets.

  "You're set," Enoch said. "Your spending money will be sent to your daughter. You can pick it up there."

  Seth blinked. "But the flight's the day after tomorrow."

  Enoch glanced at Danny. Danny said, "It's a contest. It's take it or leave it."

  Seth smiled for the first time they'd met him. He pushed from his seat. "I'm taking it. I've never been on an airplane, never left here."

  "Then it's time you did." Danny stood and patted his shoulder. "Maybe it's time you try something new. Maybe it's time to move to Minnesota."

  Seth looked startled, then thoughtful. "I'm lonely here."

  "Then why stay?" Danny started for the door. "Good luck to you. Have a wonderful retirement. I'm looking forward to mine."

  Seth nodded. "I'm not tied here anymore, am I?"

  Enoch looked around the silent house. "By what?"

  "Exactly." Seth started toward the hallway. "I need to pack and get ready."

  Once Danny and Enoch were in the driveway, Danny turned to him. "That was a nice thing you did there."

  "He was lost," Enoch said. "Let's hope he finds some direction."

  "At least, he'll get out of town and away from Feral's club." Danny slid behind the steering wheel of his car. "I'd never picture him as someone who went there."

  "It's totally different, no reminders of the past."

  "We all need something to aim for. It gives us purpose." Danny took a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket and read a note he'd scribbled.

  Enoch fastened his seat belt. "Where to now?"

  "To visit the next face on your list—Macy Carlisle. Let's hope it goes as well as Seth did."

  But when they pulled in front of an apartment building, climbed the stairs to 4E, and Enoch saw a pentagram painted on the door, he had doubts.

  A girl with dyed black hair looked them up and down. "I don't know you."

  Danny produced his badge. "We've come to ask you a few questions."

  She narrowed her black-rimmed eyes. "Cops always harass witches."

  "That explains all the black. You're a witch? First I knew about it."

  She motioned them inside, closed the door and slid a half dozen bolts into place. She was dressed entirely in black. The walls of her living room were black, the ceiling too. An altar sat in one corner. Blood congealed on its formica surface. A good amount of blood.

  Danny turned to study Macy's wrists. "No cuts on you. What's the deal?"

  "I buy dogs at the shelters or from newspaper ads."

  Danny jerked, repulsed. "Our neighbor just got a dog from the shelter. It was so happy to have a home, its tail didn't stop wagging."

  "So what?" Macy went to her black futon and sat on it, tucking her legs under her. "If it makes you feel better, I pet them while I slit their throats."

  Danny's mouth pulled down in disgust. "You're a sick girl."

  "And you're a pathetic optimist. Wait till my master comes."

  Enoch sighed. "You do realize that Lucifer is trapped in the pit, don't you?"

  She glared at him. "The Evil One speaks to me."

  Danny's eyes went wide and he glanced at Enoch. Enoch shrugged. He looked around the apartment. A throw was tossed to one side on the futon. The apartment was chilly—no heat. A bottle of black fingernail polish, clippers, and files gathered on the coffee table beside an ashtray. A notebook sprawled, open, on the floor beside the couch. Enoch squinted. Pointy cursive writing filled a page in precise lines. "You're a writer?"

  "Poetry." She reached for a pack of cigarettes on the coffee table and lit one.

  "Bet it's all flowery and rhymes." At least the girl wasn't starting a spell book.

  She narrowed her eyes at him through the smoke she exhaled. "They're about Death, all of them."

  Big surprise. Enoch waved his hand to move the smoke away from him. "You know that cigarettes are hazardous to your health?"

  She snorted a laugh. "What do you want?"

  Enoch wanted to say a place to sit. But there were no other chairs to be seen.

  "We know that you've been frequenting the vampire club," Danny said.

  "It that against the law?"

  "No, but it might not be wise." Danny explained about Sal's overdose. "Venom is potent. We want to warn people about it."

  Macy shrugged. "I'm not going there because of the venom."

  "Then why are you going there?" Enoch asked.

  She stared at him. "You have an odd aura. Totally golden and huge."

  "You can see auras?" Enoch had met people before who could see them.

  "What are you?"

  Enoch debated about what to tell her and decided on the truth. She was rubbing elbows with vampires, wasn't she? It's not like she didn't believe in the supernatural. "I'm an archangel, sent to battle rogue vampires."

  She shrugged, unimpressed. "I don't care about your god. He's impotent and lazy. Either that, or stupid. What does he do to help people? If I can't have inspiration, I'll settle for power. That's why I'm interested in Lucifer."

  "You're wasting your time," Enoch said. "I saw him thrown into the pit. He's not going anywhere."

  She smiled. "So you think, but he talks to me and his followers. We'll sit at his right hand when you and your do-gooders rot in hell."

  Enoch gave her a look of pity. "Good luck with that."

  She stubbed out her cigarette on her arm and tossed the butt in the ashtray. "I've been studying the dark arts. Vampires love blood as much as I do. We have a lot in common."

  Enoch pressed his lips together in a tight line. Burn marks overlapped on her arm, so did cut marks.

  "You're a fan of anarchy?" Danny asked.

  She smiled. "You're cute. I like you. If you join us, I'll make you mine."

  Danny tried to hide his shock. Couldn't. "I'm a cop. All law and order."

  "A shame. You'd be fun to fuck." She looked at Enoch. "I can feel your worry. No need. I'm growing more and more powerful every day, and soon, vampires will do my bidding."

  He shook his head. "Vampires play with mortals. I saw a vision. If you keep going to the club, you'll be hooked on venom. Then you'll be dead. We came to warn you."

  She took the time to study him. "You're sincere. That's sweet, but you're wrong. When I rule Three Rivers, I'll remember you were nice to me."

  "My visions are never wrong. Keep going to Feral's club and you'll be dead."

  "Your vision, not mine." She reached out, grabbed her nail file, and leaned toward him. With a quick jab, she stabbed his hand. Then she bent her head and licked his blood. "I'll remember your taste. I won't let anyone harm you."

  Enoch didn't know what to say. He didn't think anything would change her mind. He glanced at Danny.

  Danny leaned forward, worried. "We're trying to save you."

  She licked his cheek. "I know, and I think it's adorable. I'll remember."

  Danny stood, stunned. He motioned to Enoch. They left the apartment, frustrated.

  On their way down the stairs, Danny said, "Did that really happen?"

  "Oh, yeah."

  Danny shook his head. "She's going to die."

  "Yup, I'd say that's a given."

  "How do we save her?"

  "I don't think we can." Enoch wasn't any happier about it than his friend.

  On the drive to Tindle Perry's house, the men sat silent for a while, going back through the conversations they'd had with Macy. "What in the hell makes her think she's a witch?" Danny asked.

  Enoch sighed. "Why does anyone believe what they believe? She wants it to be real."

  "Wait a minute." Danny frowned. "What are you saying? That none of us believes in anything real?"

  "Some peopl
e want Truth, some don't. Macy doesn't, because she wants to be special, set apart. She wants to practice dark arts. That's all she sees."

  Lost in thought, Danny sat through a green light until the person behind him honked. Then he started forward. "I ask questions."

  "Even when you don't like the answers." Enoch turned to him. "You're not very gullible. Don't worry about it."

  With a satisfied nod, Danny drove to the southwest side of the city and turned into an exclusive addition. A massive, brick house greeted them. But when they rang the doorbell, no one answered. Danny peeked inside one of the tall windows on either side of the arched, entry doors. "No one home."

  "What now?" Enoch asked.

  "Time to paint. We'll try Tindle later." Danny drove to his house. He pushed the garage door opener and entered through the inside door. "Ready to work up a sweat?"

  "No, but I don't think I have a choice."

  Danny laughed. "The smell makes Maggie sick, so I waited until she was working. Let's get this done before her shift ends."

  Maggie had already taped around the windows and wood trim. Enoch was surprised when Danny opened a can of butter-yellow paint.

  "Yellow? You know it's a girl."

  "We're not stopping at one." Danny poured a decent amount of paint into the pan for the roller. "This is the best room for a nursery. If the next one's a boy, yellow still works. So let's get to it."

  Enoch painted the edges, since he was tall enough to reach the top of the wall, and Danny filled in with a roller. It took them three, solid hours of work, but they got it done and opened all the windows to let the room air, before Maggie got home from work.

  She came in to look at it and burst out crying. Danny gave Enoch a look of apology.

  "Do you like it?" Danny asked.

  "It's beautiful." Maggie wiped at her eyes. "It's exactly what I wanted. I'm so happy."

  Enoch nodded. He got the idea. Happy or sad, Maggie cried these days.

  Danny hugged his wife. If ever a man loved a woman, Danny loved her.

  "I need to take Enoch home. I picked him up this morning. I'll be back soon."

  Maggie grabbed Enoch's hand. "You're coming for supper, aren't you? You and Voronika should bring Angel, too. There are tons of kids on our street she can meet."