Bella Flores Urban Fantasy Collection

by R D Martin

  "That was an interesting way to find a vampire," Wallace said, walking over to the rolltop desk. He picked up a decanter and poured himself a small dose of the amber liquid inside.

  "But you didn't have any trouble, did you?" Part of their plan hinged on getting Charles out of his chambers without causing a disturbance. If they couldn’t, either Darius would hear about it and put a stop to them, or they'd have to kill vampires to escape. Neither was a good option, since their plan required the Imperium to be seen as the victim, and that would already be hard without adding more blood to its hands.

  "Not a bit. I was almost disappointed. Made it to the residence section and used a small glamour to slip in." He took a drink from his glass and sighed. "The common room was just as you described it, with a lot more broken furniture. Empty, though, just like we thought. This close to assembly, every vampire in this place would be running about. Got the wrong bedroom first, though. That's what took us so long." Wallace frowned for a second before gesturing at Charles with his glass. "He wasn't happy, though. Not happy at all. Luckily, Amalga can be, uh, persuasive."

  At the sound of the woman's name, Charles shifted enough to look at her. If Bella had thought he was cowed before, the look on his face was enough to change her mind. She shook her head, chiding herself. As human as they looked and acted, she kept forgetting that they were killers whose first solution to any problem was to rip out its throat and bathe in a spray of blood. If Charles was acting like a scared child, it was only to make his captors feel safe around him until he could figure out a way to kill them all.

  Bella didn't even think before she moved. Two strides brought her close enough to the vampire to lash out with her foot. There was a meaty thump as her shoe slammed into his forehead and snapped his head back. Dropping to a knee next to him, she grabbed his dirty hair and slammed her fist into his face as hard as she could. Pain lanced up her arm as she made contact, though she tried not to wince. For her, the blow had as much power as she could put behind it. For the vampire, though, it probably felt as though a fly had hit him.

  "Bella. What are you doing?" Wallace asked, shock plain in his voice. "Stop that, it's—"

  Whatever else he'd been about to say cut off with the look Bella shot at him. Raising his glass to his lips, he mumbled into it as he took another sip.

  "Do I have your attention now? Good." She almost spat the words in Charles's face. Wallace was right, and this was most definitely not like her, but she needed him to believe she would kill him without a second thought if he didn't obey. Everything hinged on this.

  Bella put her hand around his throat and opened herself to magic. As the power flooded through her, she channeled it to create an electric ring around the vampire’s neck. His form stiffened as the electricity ran through him and his eyes squeezed shut. Vampires were immune to most magic, but what she was doing was something even they couldn't resist. Lines of red and gold spread across his stiff form, running back and forth like he was a living racetrack until it seemed as if they covered his entire body at once. The glow from the spell was enough to make her squint and Wallace to shade his eyes.

  When the spell ran its course, and the glow disappeared, Charles's body slackened and after a moment, his eyes opened. Bella reached for the gag, untying and removing it.

  Spitting dirt from his mouth, the vampire glared at her for a moment before speaking.

  "What did you do to me, witch?" There was anger in his voice, but there was also fear, and she needed him more afraid than angry.

  "That is an old spell. Something I learned, thanks to Wallace. For the next hour, our lives are bound. Whatever happens to me will happen to, well, you."

  "Do you think I'm a fool? Your magic has no effect on me. I'm a vampire and—"

  Bella barely saw the flash of light off steel as a knife arced down toward her. Bella's mind screamed at her, gibbering that Amalga had gone mad and was trying to murder her, but she didn't have time to flinch before the knife touched her. Its razor-sharp blade grazed her skin just deep enough to cut a two-inch shallow gash in her arm, and her mind didn't have time to register it before Charles screamed. A gash had opened on his arm in the same place as hers. The only difference was the wound in his arm began seeping blood while the one in hers wasn't.

  Bella stared up at Amalga as the hive creature stepped back. Her face was still dour, but there was a gleam in her eye that, Bella imagined, almost shouted how much the creature enjoyed doing that.

  "He wasn't listening," Amalga said, shrugging. The knife in her hand disappeared behind her back, stowed away in whatever way the creature hid its weapons. Bella strangled the urge to ask where she kept them all.

  Turning her attention back to the vampire, Bella started to speak but stopped. Charles wasn't paying her any attention as he stared at the wound on his arm. It still bled, and trails of the ruby-red liquid traveled down his arm until they dripped off, creating a small red pool on the floor in front of him.

  "It's not healing," he said in a whisper. Turning his head, he looked at her. "Why is it not healing? What have you done to me?" They weren't questions, they were demands.

  "What happens to me will happen to you. I don't heal like that, and until this wears off, neither will you. That should help keep your... instincts under control."

  The vampire stared at her a moment longer before dropping his head to the floor, where he seemed to sink into himself, as though all the air filling him had found an exit and was rushing to escape while it could. Even his eyes seemed to lose focus.

  "What do you want from me? Isn't it enough that you burn me alive and bury me in stone? Now you're making me mortal as well? What have I done to you?"

  "We, uh, I need your help."

  "You have a funny way of asking. Have you ever heard of the word please? I've been told it works like magic."

  "Magic works like magic too." Her lips pursed. She'd given him the stick, now it was time to give him the carrot. "How would you like to move up in society?"

  That got his attention. His eyes refocused on her, and his smooth brow creased. Vampire society was highly organized and rigid, and since vampires were immortal, social movement was nearly impossible. Younger vampires curried favor with older ones, hoping to gain some status, but that was always temporary.

  There were only three actual ways to advance, and none of them were nice. Younger vampires could split from the colony and create a new nest somewhere else. But no matter how high they stood in their new colony, they would always remain subject to their master.

  The second way was kill their master and take their place. It was hard to do, but the most common method. When the master died, everyone below rose to fill emptying positions.

  The third method was to have someone excised from society. Just like with killing a master, everyone below rose to fill vacated spots, but the excised vampire lived on. Not that it would be a real life according to vampire standards. Excised vampires were the lowest of the low, and even a thrall had the right to order them around. It was almost living with a delayed death sentence. If any excised vampires ever disobeyed an order or attacked another vampire, they would be hunted down and torn limb from limb, kept alive by their healing ability while experiencing being rent to shreds. Most excised vampires preferred immediate death.

  Every vampire wanted to advance, though. It was almost as much a part of their nature as drinking blood.

  "What do you mean?" His eyes focused on Bella and she had to swallow. He almost looked hungry as he asked, and Bella had to wonder if this was the way his victims saw him right before he sank his fangs into their neck.

  "It's simple. You help us and, I promise, in less than an hour, you'll be one step closer to being top dog, er, vampire."

  He scanned her face as she spoke, doubt written across his face. Bella could tell he still didn't believe her, but after he looked at both of her companions, each of whom nodded, he must have changed his mind because an enormous grin split his features. The hung
ry look remained in his bloodshot eyes, but the knots in Bella's shoulders and stomach loosened. Trust a vampire to follow its instincts.

  "So," Charles said, trying to wiggle his way to a seated position. He grunted with the effort, and frowned when no one made a move to help him, but got himself up. "As much fun as all this is, I still need to know one thing. Who are you going to kill?"

  While Bella explained what they planned, his eyes went wide in disbelief before closing enough to hide their bloodshot whites. When she finished, the silence seemed to stretch for an eternity before he spoke.

  "Do you really think you can do all that?"

  She nodded. If he was on board, there was a chance to succeed. Without him…

  "Okay," he said, lips pursing into a tight line. "What do you need me to do?"

  25

  The second gong sounded as Bella stood in Darius's waiting room. Getting in to see him had been less trouble than she'd thought. She hadn't even needed to sneak through the halls. Everyone she'd seen so far had been too busy to even notice her beyond giving a raised eyebrow or two for her outfit. She hadn't changed just yet and looked as though she'd walked through a war zone.

  In fact, the secretary had been the biggest obstacle. Bella supposed even undead secretaries had standards when acting as gatekeepers. Bella's questions had all been answered in short, crisp sentences. Yes, Lord Darius is still here. No, you cannot see him. It's impossible, he's not to be disturbed for any reason. I don't care who you think you are; I have my orders. It wasn't until Bella told her that she knew who murdered the Algonde that the secretary even so much as batted an eye.

  "And who do you think Darius will blame if he doesn't hear about this before he addresses the Conclave? Think of his embarrassment."

  Bella couldn't be sure the pale woman blanched at the thought, but her eyes widened, and she flitted from her seat and through the double doors leading into her lord's office so fast there wasn't even a blur.

  Bella tried to ignore the knot of tension building at the base of her skull as every doubt in her mind fought for attention. What if things went wrong? What if Darius didn't believe her? What if Wallace had been lying this whole time? Her mind drowned in questions she couldn't answer. Her heart pounded in her chest so hard it threatened to break ribs. What was she going to do? If anything went wrong, she could die where she stood. What if she was wrong about Darius? She hadn't really seen him in the Water Window. Maybe the signet he wore was common. He'd been on her side up to now. Was it possible she was wrong? Was she just wasting time and about to make an enemy she couldn't afford to have right now?

  The double doors swung open, and Darius strode out with his secretary trailing just behind him. "Prime? Forgive me. Bella. What are you doing here? How did you get here? My staff entered your apartments after the first bell and you were nowhere to be found. They're out there searching for you now. I—"

  "I found him," she interrupted.

  "Him? Who did you find? My secretary said you know who killed the Algonde. Is that who you found?"

  Bella shook her head. It was becoming harder to speak as her mind and nerves fought with each other. "The Finder. I found him."

  "The Moab? That's not possible. I—"

  "He's dying. We have to go now."

  "He's dying? Wait, I don't understand. You found him and he's dying?"

  Bella nodded again. It was like she was becoming a bobble head attached to the dash of a car. "We have to go now, though. I, I don't know how much longer he'll last. He says he knows who killed the Algonde and why. Please, we have to hurry." She didn't have to pretend to be desperate. She really was, though not in the way she probably looked.

  Darius stared into her face for a moment, studying her like a scientist, his smooth features giving nothing away. After another moment, he leaned down to whisper into his secretary's ear. When he finished, the younger female flitted away, leaving Bella and Darius alone.

  Bella gulped. Was he sending his secretary off to let the Conclave know he would be late? Or did he just want privacy so he could eat in peace? The thought made her blood run cold. Would anyone ever even find her body if he decided she was worth more as a snack than a scapegoat?

  Darius cleared his throat, causing Bella to yip like a scared puppy. A flush began burning its way up her neck to settle in her cheeks. She hoped he didn't take it as a sign for dinner.

  "So, Bella. You said there wasn't much time to waste. Where is the Moab? I assume it's not in your apartment."

  "N-no. No, he's not there. I, I tracked him down, though."

  "Well? Where is he?"

  "He's in Imperium custody, in the Representative's chambers."

  For the first time since she'd arrived, Darius's expression changed. It happened so fast Bella would have missed it if she wasn't looking for it. She recognized the look from having seen it in her own mirror countless times. He’s worried about something.

  Darius rubbed his chin with one hand while clenching his other in a fist. The silence grew and Bella's nerves screamed at her, demanding she run, attack, or do anything other than just stand there. She felt almost as if she were dying bit by bit as she waited for his decision.

  "All right. Let's go."

  There wasn't any more preamble, no asking her to follow, nor did he even seem to take her feelings into consideration. The vampire Elder stooped, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her in tight. The move was so fast Bella didn't really have time to register it. One second she was on her feet, the next she was tight against him and they were moving.

  Every time a vampire had carried her as it flitted, the ride had felt as though the bloodsucker was moving normally. With Darius, it felt more like he was trying to hop or skip down the corridor. He still moved fast, faster than any other vampire she'd seen or met, but it was still odd. They passed other vampires in the hall as if they were standing still.

  Air rushed by them loud enough to sound like a hurricane, and Bella imagined it made her hair stream behind them like a short, dark banner. When she looked up, it was as though the same wind pulling at her refused to touch him. His outfit remained smooth and even the fine hair on his head hadn’t moved.

  If she'd thought to count the number of heartbeats it took to arrive at Wallace's chambers, she was sure it would have been less than twenty, though that count might have been a little off, since her heart was beating like a jackhammer.

  When Darius stopped in front of the Representative's door, he set Bella down, and she winced as she took a deep breath. Not that the vampire hadn't been gentle, far from it. Rather, it was the fact that being carried by him was like being sandwiched between a brick wall and an iron bar.

  He didn't give her time to do more than catch her breath before he reached up and rapped his knuckles on the door. The boom of his hand hitting the wood echoed down the hall and almost seemed to vibrate in her bones, and at that moment, Bella understood why all the doors were so thick. Darius, as an Elder vampire, was immensely strong and could probably rip through the door like tissue paper if he chose. By making the doors so thick, the builders were ensuring that accidental brushes and light knocks didn't leave doors in splinters all over the complex.

  Darius knocked again, though this time his light rap on the door left knuckle prints. Bella might have imagined it, but she would have sworn his hand trembled.

  As he reached up to knock for the third time, the door swung open. Bella looked down as something brushed her leg and caught sight of Cat slinking out the door and racing down the hall. She had to admire the feline. For all his lazy complaints, he could be fast when he wanted.

  "Ah, Representative," Darius said as he lowered his hand.

  "Lord Darius," Wallace panted. He had a wild-eyed look, as though watching for assassins to jump out of the shadows. "Quick, come in. I don't know how much time he has left."

  Wallace backed out of the doorway, leaving room for Bella and the vampire to enter. Darius hesitated, one foot in the air. Bella's brea
th caught in her throat. Was he reconsidering? Did he know what was going on? Her blood seemed to freeze in her veins in that moment. They were all dead.

  When he continued moving she would have gasped if she could have. Instead, she settled for following him into the room while trying to bring her racing pulse under control. Wallace led her over to the rolltop desk and, when they gathered, lifted the lid.

  Lying on a pad of yellow paper was a small, furry, caterpillar-like creature.

  "Finder?" Darius's voice quavered as he said the word. "But how—"

  "He's weak," Bella interrupted. "It's hard for him to speak. Most of his thoughts are just jumbles in my mind."

  "But how? I mean, how did he get here?"

  "It was Wallace's idea. He was able to use something called a Water Window to locate the Finder. We lost him for a minute when the spell faded with some interruption, but we found him again."

  "I know the spell, but you can't use it to move something living." There was a tremor in Darius's voice, something very much at odds with his normal confident tone.

  "The Imperium has its ways, Lord Darius." Wallace looked smug as he straightened his shoulders and stood upright, somehow seeming taller than he was.

  Bella frowned and had to stop herself from hissing at him. They needed to seem worried, and he was projecting anything but that.

  "Even you must smell all the magic in the room," Wallace continued, shrinking down as though he'd read her thoughts. "It wasn't easy, but we got him here."

  Darius nodded and reached out a single finger as if to poke the still caterpillar. The red stone in the center of his signet ring winked as it caught the light. "Old friend. Are, are you well?"