Splintered Nights

by Veronica Del Rosa

  A sigh, so faint I would’ve missed it if I weren’t paying attention, came from the right side of the tunnel. The intruder hid from my sight since my back was against the right wall. If I shifted, would the person hear me?

  Creative curses exploded in my mind.

  Two choices: wait and keep my advantage, or move and lose my advantage. My impatience screamed at me to rush and emerge the victor. It’d save me from wasting half my night when I could be sleeping.

  But what if I hurt an innocent? I had no proof the person meant me any harm, just my paranoia. Better sleeplessness than stabbing a random passerby.

  A humanoid shape appeared at the mouth and I squinted, trying to make out any features. Enemy or not? I couldn’t tell.

  “Pearle, are you in here?”

  I jackknifed upright, too shocked to control my movements. Jacy? What in the hell? The knife stayed in my hand, pointed towards my friend because I didn’t fully trust my senses. Why would she be out here?

  I grabbed a pocket flashlight from the side pouch of my knapsack and flicked it on, shining the LED into her face. She flinched and shielded her eyes.

  “Jacy? What are you doing here? How’d you find me?” I flicked off the light, irritated with her. She’d almost given me a heart attack, lurking out there like one of the monsters.

  She hesitated and glanced over her shoulder. With a small shake of her head, she focused on me again and entered the cave until she squatted next to me. “I followed you. And I was worried. Michelle isn’t a nice person and I thought . . .”

  “What? That she’d hurt me?” I asked when she trailed off. “Well, as you can see, I’m fine. You can go now.”

  The vampires would be out in full force and I wanted her home safe behind her threshold. I’d never visited her place, since it meant I’d have to invite her to my nonexistent home, but she’d spoken about her large family, which meant a strong threshold to protect her.

  Unless she’d walked here. I couldn’t let her wander the city in the dark. The vampires would scent her in a second.

  “Why are you in this tunnel?” Jacy glanced around, her shoulders hunched. One harsh word from me would break her bravado. Asking uncomfortable questions wasn’t her forte.

  I couldn’t do it. Concern for me had overridden her natural inclinations and I’d be a lousy friend if I took advantage of her nature to spare my pride. While I was many things, I tried damn hard to be a good friend to Jacy. She was so sweet and kind, everything I wasn’t, and it made me feel worthwhile that she’d chosen me, like I wasn’t tainted.

  “Because I don’t have anywhere else to stay.” I avoided saying “homeless,” since it conjured up stereotypes in people’s minds and I didn’t want Jacy thinking badly of me. I worked hard, I paid my taxes, I didn’t steal, and I took pride in myself. I chose to remain without a permanent residence. No one was safe with me as a neighbour.

  “Oh Pearle, you should’ve told me. You can stay with me. We have a lot of empty rooms and—”

  “No, not happening.” While I appreciated her offer, I couldn’t drag my troubles to her doorstep. “I’m fine. Nothing’s changed since you saw me this afternoon. I don’t need you worrying about me.”

  “How can you be fine? You’re living in a tunnel!” She smacked a hand over her mouth, then whispered around her fingers, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It was rude. Forget I said anything.”

  “Jacy, you’re my friend.” I peeled her hand from her mouth. “You’re allowed to worry over me and to question something you think is harmful or wrong. I won’t ever think badly of you for it. However, I’m fine. I’m used to this. The shelter’s usually full.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t know. Why wasn’t I told?” Hurt crept into her voice and she dropped to the ground. She grabbed my wrist and lowered the knife. Oh shit, I’d forgotten all about it. “Is that why you were prepared for battle? Because you’re ‘safe’ out here?”

  “This world’s going to hell,” I said with a shrug, “and it’s better to be ready. I’ve never had to bloody my blade, if that makes you feel better.”

  Lying by omission still counted as lying, but how could I tell my friend I used wooden stakes on my enemies, not my knife? She’d either freak the fuck out or question my sanity. Both options sucked, so I kept the truth to myself.

  “No, that doesn’t make me feel better. You’re still in a tunnel. I can’t leave you here by yourself. Please come home with me.” She clasped my hands, her warmth welcome. The April night had turned cold and without my fuzzy blanket covering me completely, I felt the nip in the air.

  “We’re at an impasse because I can’t do that. I’m sorry.” I withdrew my hands from hers and shrugged my blanket around my shoulders. No explanation would justify my decision, so I didn’t offer her one.

  “You’re so damn stubborn,” she growled. “I’m staying the night, then. And don’t bother arguing with me because I don’t want to hear it.”

  Jacy stretched out on the ground, facing me. The crazy woman didn’t have a blanket, just a sweater, jeans, and sneakers. She’d freeze her ass off once the temperature dropped further.

  “Look who’s calling the kettle black,” I muttered.

  While my blanket wasn’t huge, it would cover both of us, and our shared body heat would make up for not tucking the edges under me. I settled on the ground, placing the knife above my head, and tossed half of the blanket over Jacy.

  “Thanks.” I couldn’t see her smile, but I heard it. “I still wish you’d told me.”

  “You’re my only friend and I liked being normal with you. I can’t do that if you know I’m homeless. Your attitude’s gonna change. Our whole relationship will shift and I’ll be a charity case.”

  “You think so little of me? That I’m shallow?” She snuggled into the blanket, though I suspected more to hide from me than to seek warmth. She radiated heat, keeping me toasty. “I thought you saw me.”

  My heart broke with her words. I’d seen how she acted around others, like they thought less of her, and after Michelle’s little tirade, I understood where her lack of self-worth came from. I wasn’t the only one clinging to our friendship for a sense of normalcy.

  “I do see you and I think you’re fantastic. Keeping my homelessness quiet was about my hang-ups, not about you. I’ve had others ditch me once they found out, like my lack was a disease they could catch. It’s made me wary of telling anyone.” Would I lose another friend? Was this the last time I’d see Jacy except in passing? My chest squeezed at the thought. I’d rather fight a hundred vampires than walk away from her.

  “I understand,” she said with a quiet sniff. “This doesn’t mean you’re getting out of our weekly lunches. I still expect you to show up.”

  A quiet, relieved giggle escaped me. “I promise to always show up. Let’s get some sleep.”

  Jacy’s breathing evened out and I settled deeper into sleep as the twilight hours fell around us. Her presence soothed me, though I remained conscious of her vulnerability. If a vampire attacked, she’d be easy prey, which meant I’d protect her with my life. No harm would come to her while I was around.

  I blinked and squinted against the pale light creeping into the tunnel. Facing east, I got a face full of the early morning sun. Lucky me. Tempted though I was, I didn’t huddle deeper into my blanket. Time to get up and start a new day.

  “Oh shit!” I sprang up, staring at the pinkening sky in horror. Sunrise meant I was late for work. Doug was gonna dock my pay. “No, no, no, no.”

  I stuffed the blanket into my knapsack and stopped dead. Where was Jacy? I touched the ground where she’d slept and it was cold. She’d left, but when? Or maybe she’d never shown up. Was my mind playing tricks on me? Hallucinations from lack of sleep?

  Honestly, either option was possible. Maybe I’d felt so damn lonely last night that I’d conjured her, which sounded sad and pathetic, even to me.

  And I didn’t have the time to dilly-dally. Doug would
rip me a new one for wasting a client’s time. If he didn’t just fire me instead.

  Chapter Six

  “I know, I’m so sorry,” I said, pre-empting Doug’s usual rant. The slightest mistake on my part set him off. One of these days, I’d find out why he hated me so much.

  Instead of yelling at me, he waved his hand. “Yeah, yeah, I don’t need to hear your excuses. Your first client was rescheduled with Zhi Ruo. Go to room 2B.”

  Anger flared in me. None of my clients went to that room, which meant Cole was interfering in my job again. Why was he bothering me? I thought I’d made myself clear to him I wanted nothing to do with his insanity. Humans against vampires? A sure disaster if the humans were novices. Then again, he wasn’t inexperienced, so why was I assuming the others were? I’d seen him fight and he moved liked his joints were made of liquid. His lack of flexibility didn’t hinder him in battle.

  The anger morphed to irritation. I could do without Cole’s attention, especially since my boss thought he was king shit and had to be obeyed. Save me from arrogant, presumptuous men.

  I stormed into the room and stopped short.

  In warrior pose, arms extended above his head while in a lunge, his shorts moulded to his ass, and his raised tank top gave me a glimpse of his lower back. And yet, the view didn’t excite me. I appreciated his beauty and that was it. Made it easier for me to tell him off—again.

  “Pearle, nice of you to join me. I had to start without you. Am I doing this right?” Cole didn’t turn to look at me and I didn’t want to talk to his back.

  My features settled into annoyance while I walked further into the room, the hinged door thudding shut. The mirror to Cole’s right reflected his grace and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Like I needed a double dose. One Cole was enough of a nuisance, and in a few moments he’d ruin whatever peace I had by opening his mouth again.

  I cast a critical eye over his pose, noting his back foot was correctly turned so he rested his weight on the inside arch and not the ball. His shoulders were down and relaxed while his hands reached upwards. Someone had been practicing.

  “You’re doing better than I expected. Flow into downward dog, rest for five breaths, then do the other side.”

  Cole didn’t question my instructions and the liquid movements of his body were fascinating. His struggle with flexibility wasn’t as great as he’d made it out to be. He’d lied. Why? Because of one nest of vampires? It didn’t make sense. He’d been on the periphery of my life since he’d saved it. So why now? What had changed?

  He held the pose for thirty seconds, then moved into downward dog. I admit, I checked out his ass. One didn’t pass by a work of art without spending some time admiring it, and Cole could easily grace a museum. Not that I’d tell the conceited jerk. His ego would need its own room if it grew any bigger.

  And then I felt like a bitch. Aside from this latest development, Cole had always treated me with respect, even when I snipped at him. It wasn’t his fault his pretty-boy looks put me on edge.

  “Why are you here?” I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and my reflection made me rearrange my face into a more neutral expression. Cranky wouldn’t win me any answers. “We both know it’s not for yoga. And I won’t be your bait.”

  Cole bounced to his feet and placed a hand on his chest. “Ouch. Is that what you think of me? I’ve seen you fight. You won’t be bait. I want you with us because you’ll give us an edge. We heard rumours this nest is bigger than usual. Fifteen vampires.”

  If I didn’t have the wall at my back, I would’ve stumbled. I’d never heard of so many vampires in one place. They preferred smaller numbers, around five or six. Too many led to discovery.

  “Are you sure?” A stupid question. Of course he was sure. While he said “rumour,” I knew he’d checked it out himself. Cole had the air of a control freak, someone who verified all the facts before he committed to a course of action.

  His smirk contained friendly mockery and a touch of self-derision. Yeah, his personality quirks weren’t a surprise to him. “Quite sure. Which is why we need you.”

  I snorted. An ego stroke wouldn’t convince me. “It’s all well and good for you to fight some vampires. You enjoy the thrill, and maybe you like pretending to be a hero or something. However, that’s not me. I wanna avoid the damn bloodsuckers.” I ran my fingers through my hair, lifting the strands off my neck. The room was stifling, and storming out sounded like a fantastic idea. Too bad Doug would fire me. “Look, knowing my luck, I’d end up with more of the bastards following me. I have enough problems with them.”

  Cole gave me a long stare, like I should infer a whole conversation from his narrowed gaze, yet I couldn’t understand a fucking word. As per usual, he knew more than I did and his lips remained silent. Why keep me in the dark? What good was I when I had only a smidgen of knowledge?

  Doug’s voice drifted through the door, his tone hushed and angry—a familiar tone to me, since he usually directed it my way. Huh, imagine that. Someone else had annoyed my boss as much as I did. I didn’t think it was possible. Would this person let me shake their hand?

  The door flung open and Doug stood in the entranceway, wringing his hands. Whoa, angry and distraught. Maybe he’d go home for the day and leave me in peace. Doubtful, but a girl could dream, right?

  My gaze flicked to the woman beside him, shattering my amusement.

  Irritation wormed inside of me. Who was Michelle to Doug and why let her interrupt a training session? Why had she shown up here? Was she following me? No, not me. Ms. Hoity-Toity didn’t even glance my way.

  So many questions! I blamed Cole. Maybe if he didn’t stonewall me so much, I wouldn’t have an abundance of them buzzing in my brain.

  Cole pushed off from the wall, his stance loose and ready for a fight, though he hid it well. A casual observer would believe he had no cares in the world. I’d seen him in battle a few times and would never make that mistake. I tossed him a questioning glance. He ignored me.

  With a small shrug, I decided to hold up the wall and keep my mouth shut. No sense drawing attention to myself. She wasn’t one of my clients and I wasn’t the boss. If Doug couldn’t control the riff-raff, that was his issue, not mine.

  Michelle’s attention remained on Cole, a sneer on her elegantly made-up face, as she sauntered into the room, acting like she owned the entire place. Wait, did she own the place? No, I was pretty sure she didn’t.

  Cole grinned at Michelle, a razor’s edge to his expression. Happiness or politeness had nothing do with the stretching of his lips and I wanted to clap my hands in glee. Would he rip her a new one? Something about Michelle set me on edge—perhaps it was her attitude towards Jacy, or maybe it was because she acted like a snobby bitch.

  “Why are you here?” asked Cole.

  He crossed his arms and flicked a glance towards Doug. My boss cringed, a sight I never thought I would see. A giggle tickled my throat and I valiantly contained it, since the tension was so thick in the room I could choke on it. Plus I didn’t want to draw undue attention to myself. Let them have their staring contest and leave me the hell alone.

  “Well, I wanted to see what you were doing. I didn’t realize you were slumming.” Michelle gazed around the room, disdain written across her face, and she avoided touching anything as if she’d be contaminated. “Why are you here? This is beneath you.”

  My back stiffened, a glower contorting my face.

  How dare she? My palm itched. Had anyone ever given her a smackdown—verbal or otherwise? With her sense of entitlement, I doubted it. Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind being the first to give her one, except I wasn’t sure which one I preferred. Both would satisfy my burning desire to knock her off her pedestal.

  Doug coughed, a strangled note to the sound, and his face turned a lovely shade of red. Judging by the death glare he tossed Michelle, he agreed with me for once. Huh, imagine that. Usually he bent over backwards for clients, smoothing over any altercation, even ones be
tween them. Not once had he picked one client over another.

  “What I do is none of your business.” Cole’s cool tone sent a chill up my spine. Another first for me, since I’d only heard teasing from him. “And if you continue to insult my trainer, we’ll have words in a more private setting.”

  The low growl in his throat made his meaning clear. No flirtation for Michelle. Nope, she got thinly veiled threats.

  She paused, her gaze darting between Cole and Doug, ignoring me completely. Worry creased her brow before she smoothed it out and pasted on a pleasant smile.

  “I’m sorry, I meant no disrespect to you.” She tilted her head to the side, a gesture that exposed her neck and would get her chomped on if a vampire was around. “I was worried about your possible inattention. Part of my job is looking out for you.”

  Curiosity exploded in my chest and I stood stock still, hoping they’d forgotten about me and would spill a few secrets. I was a lowly trainer, someone not worth worrying about, right?

  Cole rolled his shoulders, whether to loosen his muscles after working out or from her words, I couldn’t tell. I hadn’t spent enough time in his company to read his expressions correctly. A blank mask fell across his features. Would he tell her off? Come on, put her in her place.

  Michelle’s deference towards Cole meant he could tear a strip from her and she’d feel it a hell of a lot more than if I did it. The gorgeous man, however, disappointed me.

  A polite smile stretched his lips. “I understand. And you will treat Pearle with respect as well. She’s important to me.”

  Doug’s face scrunched up like he’d smelled a horrible fart. Well, screw you, too, Doug. Michelle, however, hid her annoyance under a polite smile, though a tick pulled her cheek muscle. I was petty enough to enjoy their discomfort.