by Al K. Line
"I'll have it brought along." Ivan spoke quietly to a goon and he nodded. Reluctantly, but not wanting to have an argument as we hadn't seen each other more than once or twice since an incident with a book that saw me abruptly stop obtaining artifacts for the vamps, I handed my keys to the goon.
Inside the cool interior of the sedan, the tinted windows and bulletproof glass making me feel like I was in a luxurious coffin, Ivan and I settled down as we were driven away.
For several minutes neither of us said a word, then I broke the silence. "What was with those noobs? They jumped me, tried to eat me. This isn't the first time, either. There have been a couple of other incidents I've heard about. You losing control?"
Ivan grimaced but didn't try to avoid answering. "Mikalus tried to increase our numbers, which has worked well, but there's a limit, and some of the, ah, more recently turned find it hard not to turn a few of their own. They become wild, disconnected from the rest of us, set adrift if you like, unable to rein in the urges. It's complicated, hard to explain, but they were the last."
"I bloody hope so. It doesn't help your reputation. Bad for you, bad for Mikalus, bad for everyone."
"Tell me about it. This is a complicated business, Arthur. Being changed, turned, is no easy thing, so I recommended caution, but Mikalus is keen to... Let's just say that a few new to the fold got carried away, turned those that should not have been turned, but now it's over."
"Good. Now, about why I wanted to see you."
"Don't tell me, it's about Vicky. About the house?"
"Yeah, damn straight it is. What were you thinking? She can't live somewhere like that."
"Have you seen it?" he asked, staring at me really hard.
"Nope, not yet. She said she wanted it to be perfect. But it'll cause problems, set her up for a world of hurt."
"I don't see how. She needed a clean break, after, er..."
"After she murdered her husband in the drive because he scared her children and was a waste of fucking space?"
"Yes, exactly."
"So why not help her out with a normal house, not a bloody mansion? She'll be lost in a place that size. I've heard all about it and it will not end well. Trust me."
"Arthur, I really don't understand what you're saying. Why shouldn't my sister and my nieces have the best? They deserve it."
I sighed and tried to explain this as best I could. "I know they deserve the best. I know the girls should have everything they ever desire, but Vicky, she's complicated. She gets stressed, has issues. Giving her this much responsibility will drive her nuts, make her manic, send her spiraling. We both already know what happens when she gets wild."
"She is rather a willful one," mused Ivan.
"So you bought her a fucking mansion?"
"I thought it would be good for her, a way to have closure. I think you're overreacting. It'll be nice for us to spend more time together."
Then it hit, and I understood. Shit, this was worse than I'd thought, much worse. Vicky had been a handful and then some these last nine months, and more trouble than usual since she discovered her and Ivan were brother and sister, sharing the ability to transform monthly into scary-ass wolf-cum-dog type beasts. It didn't help that after a particularly bloody incident her reputation amongst the shifters had grown, and was now almost mythical.
After she did away with hubby, a.k.a. the Slug, she was sullen and quiet for a few weeks, focused on her girls, then became increasingly manic until she had what I guess was a full mental breakdown. She emerged several months later being prone to excessive violence, more impulsive than ever, and way too edgy.
We only did a couple of jobs then I called a halt to it all as she was a danger to herself and me. Since then, almost six months, I hadn't done a single job and had mostly kept out of trouble.
So what was Ivan's solution to his sister's woes? If my hunch was correct then he'd only gone and bought her a massive house so he could keep an eye on her and the kids by surrounding them with fucking vampires.
"Are you out of your frigging mind? What, you living there too? You got your people watching them?"
"What I do with my life is none of your concern, but yes, I have a room there. I use it only once, maybe twice a month. Mostly I visit, spend time with the girls, and yes, my people are there to keep an eye on them and to protect them."
"They're vampires," I said flatly.
"I know."
Ivan and I stared hard at each other, neither of us willing to back down. Our locked gaze was only broken when I heard a squeaky voice say, "Hello? Can you hear me?"
I glanced around to find we had pulled up outside a set of huge wrought iron gates. The driver had his window down and was leaning out to speak into an intercom.
"Hello?" Is this thing on?" came Vicky's voice.
"Just let us in," I shouted, then slumped back and glared at Ivan.
"Time you had the grand tour," he said.
We continued staring at each other as we sped up a long drive to Vicky's new home.
Swanky
The driver pulled up at the front of the house; it was bloody huge. Not a mansion as such, but a very large property sitting in several acres. It had a stunning raked gravel drive, plenty of mature trees, high hedges, lawns like football pitches, and the building itself was a delight. Understated, but elegant, with an ancient gnarled wisteria covered in long trails of perfumed lilac flowers covering half the front wall, probably planted right after the house was built several hundred years ago.
I knew for a fact that Georgian properties like this were worth a bundle, the original features, high ceilings, massive windows, and quality craftsmanship at a premium as so many houses, large or small, lacked all of these trademark qualities.
Ivan and I stood beside each other staring at the building for a while. I turned to him, questioning, and he smiled and nodded. "Nice, isn't it?"
"Sure is. Must have cost a fortune. I know Vicky had plenty of money from our work, but nowhere near enough to cover this." How did I know this? Because I would be hard pushed to afford something like this. It would cost two million at least.
We stood there a while longer, listening to the birds and the bees, the gardener, or one of the gardeners, mowing the expansive lawns, and the sound of Vicky and her girls—Tweedledum and Tweedledee, as I liked to call them as I always got them mixed up—laughing and shouting from somewhere behind the house.
"What's this all about?" I asked Ivan, knowing this wasn't just out of brotherly love and concern and so he could have a crash pad once a month.
"She's my sister."
"Come on, level with me."
"She's been through a lot, more than she deserves."
"I know all that, and I've done what I can, but this is extreme. She needs simplicity in her life, not complications. Maids and gardeners, staff, a huge place to look after, it's not good for her. She'll get stressed, she is already stressed, and it won't make her better."
"It was what she wanted. I thought it would be what she needed. And you've said all this, no need to keep repeating yourself."
I saw the doubt in his eyes, a flicker of annoyance. Vicky had probably told him this was her dream home so he'd obliged, thinking it would also be a good place for him to rest up when needed. Maybe they planned on a monthly jaunt when they shifted. Sibling bonding or something. But I knew Vicky better than he did, and this was a terrible idea.
"Vicky says a lot of things, much of it is dramatic, what she thinks she should have so people won't look at her funny. She's always been about keeping up appearances for the sake of the girls, and she won't let that go."
"I know that now, but I didn't realize how, er, extreme she is." Ivan actually shuddered. Guess he really was getting to know his sister.
"Haha, okay, I get it. Let's just see how she gets on. But I'm warning you. Do not use this to your advantage. Do not use the people working here to interfere in her life. Leave her to do her own thing. And do not," I warned, "try to turn he
r."
Ivan took a step back, genuinely shocked. "You think I want that for her? I would never do that. Never. Or the girls. They are my family. Do you know how important that is to me?"
"I think I do. Probably as important as family is to me. And Vicky is my family, Ivan. You understand me?"
Ivan nodded then wandered off, crunching gravel, hiding underneath his umbrella as the sun beat down. I watched for a moment, wondering what he was up to, then jogged to catch up with him. Guess I'd find out soon enough. There was no way he didn't have an ulterior motive for all this.
He wandered around to the back of the house, which was more impressive than the front. There was a huge patio area with outdoor furniture, a barbecue that probably cost more than my kitchen, another massive lawn, and a proper tennis court, which was where everyone was, prancing about with rackets and balls, shouting and laughing.
Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.
Then I spied the topless, tanned young guy tending the flower beds, a face I'd seen before. It took a moment to recall where I'd seen him, then I remembered. He was one of the many beautiful young hopefuls that gave themselves to the vampires with the promise that after they had shown their devotion they would be turned.
So, Ivan had his spies, just as he'd admitted. But was it just to watch out for his sister, or was there another motive? I dismissed it as just me being paranoid. But that didn't mean the buggers weren't out to get us.
They usually were.
Nice House
The girls came running over and gave us both a hug, jabbering away about how cool their new home was and did we want to play tennis? We both declined, as there is too much shame in being beaten by children when you're gangsters.
Vicky skipped across the lawn, smiling, her ponytail bouncing like a frisky puppy let off the leash for the first time.
"Isn't it a beautiful day?" she chirped, grinning and looking, I have to admit, absolutely amazing.
"Sure is. Sorry to turn up uninvited," I apologized, as I hated it when people did that. Although hardly anyone knew where I lived, I still had the odd guest appear. Angels, elves, demons, that kind of thing. Plus vampires, always vampires.
"Mi casa, su casa. Let's go get a drink and I can show you around." Vicky gave me a peck on the cheek then gave Ivan a massive hug and said, "Thank you so much, this is perfect. The girls love it and they've already made new friends with the neighbors."
"My pleasure," said Ivan, who smirked as Vicky bounced off, her tennis skirt showing off shapely legs, her tight vest revealing a trim, lithe, more rounded figure than I'd ever known.
"Okay, I admit it, she's looking great. Maybe you did the right thing."
"Maybe," said Ivan, suddenly serious.
"What?"
"You got me thinking, is all. What if this all goes wrong and everything falls apart? Comes crashing down around us?"
I slapped him on the back and said, "Don't worry, of course it will. This is life, dude, it always goes to shit."
With happiness in my heart, because Vicky and the kids were content for now, I laughed at Ivan's frown and we followed the mad mini-mom up the garden, through the French doors, and inside.
After a tour of the house that took way longer than I'd have liked, which was any time at all, as it was typical Vicky style and taste, meaning bad, with lots of shiny things seemingly bought by a blind child with dreams of becoming a princess one day, we finally settled in what Vicky called the day room. I called it too fucking big and badly decorated.
I sat on an armchair that almost swallowed me whole, only saved by the sheer quantity of cushions, whilst Ivan took his chances on the sofa next to Vicky. Brave man.
We chatted about the new place for a while, and about what we'd all been up to the last few weeks as we'd all been involved in our own lives and me and Vicky especially hadn't spent the time together we usually did. Not that I minded the peace, the chance to recover after her and the girls living with me and basically ruining my house and my life. Then things took a turn for the dark.
We talked of Cerberus, and how the new boss, Carmichael, had taken a rather aggressive approach to all things magical. I hadn't seen him once in the intervening months, but I'd heard all about how this new boss handled things. He took no prisoners, literally. He'd eliminated a number of less than adept thieves, along with several collectors who'd refused to hand over their artifacts when his Hounds had paid them a visit.
The underground was buzzing with stories of him and his very direct, very deathy approach, and I knew it was only a matter of time, probably when I took another job, before I met him again. We had a lot of unfinished business, but I was surprised that Cerberus hadn't been on my case already.
"Excuse me a minute," I interrupted, as I spied something outside, turning away quickly before anyone saw.
"You okay?" asked Vicky.
"Just need to stretch my legs. Hip's been playing up. Give me five?"
"Sure." Vicky was too caught up in her bubble of excitement to ask questions, like since when did I have a dodgy hip?
I exited through the French doors and glanced right where the bushes were just bouncing back into place. Checking the girls were still playing tennis, I walked hurriedly around the side of the house, whipped out the wand, and forced my will, with the deadliest intent, down into my most prized possession.
As the figure of a man in blue overalls, still holding a trowel in his hand, hurried away, head down, back exposed, I let loose with the magic and a silent jolt of searing heat, burning white-hot, shot in a straight line like I had laser sights and punctured a hole right through the back of the dude.
He stopped dead in his tracks, turned to face me before his mind and body caught up with what had happened, staring from me to his chest in shock. The hit had been direct to his heart, and I could see Ivan's chauffeur through the gap in the guy's chest.
He keeled over and thudded into the neatly mown lawn.
The chauffeur ran over, saying nothing but raising an eyebrow.
"Give me a hand. Let's put him in the car."
He nodded, still silent. This was business as usual for the driver of a gangster-vampire overlord, and fair play to him, he was strong, fast, and discreet. With a nod once the body was hidden, the shorthand for so much in this gangster life, I wandered back inside, brushing a speck of blood off my jacket at the doors.
"You look better, almost glowing," said Vicky.
"Yep, all better now," I said, smiling.
Ivan stared at me curiously. His nostrils flared and he inched his head forward. I shook my head.
"So, get on with it," I said to Ivan.
"Get on with what?" asked Vicky.
"With whatever this is all about. He's hiding something, he's got an ulterior motive. He's up to something."
"Whatever makes you think that?" asked Ivan, crossing a leg to reveal black socks with Betty Boop pictures.
"Because I know you, and I know you want something. From both of us."
Vicky's eyes lit up, the thrill of danger almost brimming over.
Ivan wanted something all right, and I knew it would be epic.
I wasn't wrong.
Wiping the Slate Clean
"You owe me," said Ivan, and he meant it.
"I know." I was surprised it had taken him as long as it had to call in a favor I'd wondered if I could ever repay.
"I saved your daughter from being fed on by the vampires. Took her place, became one of them."
"Yeah, I know this. But let's not forget, you wanted this. You wanted to be part of their family. Before you knew you had a family of your own, that is."
"That changes nothing. I belong with them as much as with Vicky. But you still owe me."
"And even after all I've done for you, and for Mikalus, we still aren't even, right?"
"Right."
"Not even after I found your sister for you? All that madness that went down, the risks I took? I gave you a family, same as you kept mi
ne safe. That's not enough?"
"That was different, and you know it.
"But after this we are done?"
"This will wipe the slate clean. We'll be even. Quits. You will owe me nothing."
"What about me? What do I do?" asked Vicky, pouting about being left out.
"You stay here and lord it up in your mansion," I said, knowing it was futile but a wizard could live in hope.
"She's involved, very involved. You two are the only ones who can do this, nobody else. Mikalus himself has given me this order, or request, whatever you want to call it."
"So, what you're saying is the original vampire, the One, has told you to tell us, in no uncertain terms, that we are to do this?"
"Exactly."
There was a stony silence as we all let that sink in. I didn't like it one bit, but there wasn't much I could do about this. Vampires had a deep sense of obligation, I did too, and Mikalus knew as well as I did that I owed Ivan a lot, and Mikalus too, for he hadn't killed us all, asked anything of me yet. Now was the time to pay the piper, and there really wasn't a way to refuse without it being seen as a personal insult.
"Ask him then," squealed Vicky, acting like she had ants in her pants, wriggling and squirming on the sofa like she needed a wee. Maybe she did, but she was old enough to go without having to be told.
"Fine," I said with a sigh. Reluctantly, I looked at the boss of most criminal activity, at least the organized stuff, in the country, who I happened to owe a massive favor to, and for my sins I said, "Tell me."
So he did.
Selling My Soul
Half an hour later, with my head reeling, my knees feeling weak, my mind already devising devilish plans then rejecting them as I knew deep down nothing would work and this was a fool's errand, I slumped back into the chair, nearly disappearing under the weight of the cushions I'd piled all around me, probably in an attempt to get away from the madness, and said, "No fucking way."
"Remember, it will wipe the slate clean," said Ivan.
"You can let the slate stay dirty. You're out of your mind if you think this can be done. And besides, this is more than wiping the slate clean. This is a whole other level. If I did this, and I won't because I'm not a suicidal moron," I glared at Vicky as she was about to say something cheeky, "then it would mean we were way beyond even."
