After Dark

by Nancy A. Collins

  “Thank you, Your Excellency,” Baron Metzger said, bowing his head in gratitude.

  “This is outrageous!” Count de Laval sputtered. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing! I’m going to appeal this decision to the Lord Chamberlain himself!”

  “Just go ahead and do that,” Count Orlock replied icily.

  Count de Laval gathered himself up and marched out of the Naos. As Anton Mauvais turned to follow his liege, he fixed the Baron with an angry glare.

  “I wouldn’t get too attached to the brat if I were you, Metzger,” he whispered. “This is far from over.”

  CHAPTER 7

  “That’s okay, Edgar!” Cally shouted over her shoulder as she hurried past the butler to answer the buzzer. Having been raised without servants, undead or otherwise, she was far more comfortable doing things herself. “I’ll get it!”

  Edgar stopped in his tracks. “Yes, Miss Cally,” he replied before returning to wherever it was he lurked in between household tasks.

  “Thanks for coming by.” Cally smiled as she opened the door.

  “No problem,” Melinda Mauvais said, looking around as she entered apartment. “Wow! Nice place! But don’t you live in Williamsburg?”

  “Not anymore,” Cally replied vaguely, unwilling to go into any further detail for fear of stirring up emotions best left unseen. “This is where I’m staying now.”

  “My father said something about you being brought before the Synod. Is that true?”

  “Sorta.” Cally shrugged. “But everything worked out okay. Although I don’t think your dad likes me very much.”

  “My dad’s an asshole,” Melinda replied as she flopped down on the living room sofa. “After we got home from the Grand Ball, he gave me this lecture about how he doesn’t want me hanging out with you anymore because you’re half human.”

  “Aren’t you afraid of him getting mad when he finds out you’re still friends with me?” Cally asked.

  “I think my own thoughts and live my own life, thank you very much. But you know that already—you’ve met my friend from Chinatown, remember? Besides, are you worried about your father’s liege lord finding out about the Maledetto sisters?”

  “I see your point,” Cally said with a smile.

  “So, what do you want to do tonight?” Melinda asked. “We could go check out this club I heard about.”

  “I don’t feel like clubbing…. I was thinking we could go to Sister Midnight’s.”

  “I love shopping there!” Melinda exclaimed, her face brightening. “She always stocks the cutest shoes! Are you looking for a new outfit?”

  “Not exactly,” Cally replied. “I want to talk to her about carrying a line of clothes I’ve designed.”

  “Girl, you’re kidding me—right?” Melinda said excitedly.

  “No, I’m being totally straight.” Cally laughed, holding up Sister Midnight’s business card. “She really liked the evening gown I designed for the Grand Ball. See? She gave me this.”

  “Let me see!” Melinda squealed, snatching the embossed card out of her friend’s hand. “Ooohhh! This is so great! I can’t believe it!”

  “I just need to get a couple of samples to take with me,” Cally explained.

  “Hurry up and pick something, then!” Melinda said, shooing her friend out of the room.

  ***

  Unlike stores owned and operated by humans, which had bright lighting designed to show the merchandise off to its best advantage, the interior of Sister Midnight’s resembled a romantically lit restaurant. After all, the select clientele who browsed the aisles all had excellent night vision.

  Cally looked admiringly at the glossy black cabinetry and smoked glass counters of the sales floor, trying to picture one of her creations on the chic mannequin posed before the cosmetics counter.

  An undead salesclerk, her hair pulled up into a fashionably severe bun, stepped forward.

  “Welcome to Sister Midnight’s.” Her gaze dropped down to the garment bag draped over Cally’s arm. “Do you have a return?”

  “No, I’m here to see the owner. She gave me this.” Cally handed the salesclerk the business card she’d shown Melinda.

  “Wait right here. I’ll fetch the mistress.”

  “There’s no need—I’m already here,” Sister Midnight said, stepping out from behind a rack of cashmere dresses. “Cally, my dear!” she exclaimed, opening her arms in welcome. “I heard how you saved Victor Todd from that wretched Christopher Van Helsing! Your father must be so proud of you right now! It is an honor to have you in my shop!”

  “Yes, well, I remembered what you said about liking my dress,” Cally replied, blushing at the older woman’s praise.

  “Are these some more of your creations?” Sister Midnight asked, taking the garment bag out of Cally’s hands. “I trust you brought me something fabulous! Come—let’s go to my office, shall we?”

  “Can my friend join us?” Cally asked, taking Melinda’s hand in her own.

  “If it makes you happy, I don’t see why not.”

  Sister Midnight quickly ushered the girls into a room at the back of the store. She placed the garment bag on her desk and unzipped it. While she inspected the clothes, Cally and Melinda stared in awe at the wall of autographed photographs of famed designers and fashion models, all of them signed to Sis.

  “Did you really meet Coco Chanel?” Cally asked.

  “Meet her?” Sister Midnight laughed. “Darling, where do you think she got the idea for that little black dress? As for you, young lady, I really like the iridescent midnight blue wrap dress you have here—especially the way it puffs out below the waist. And this appliquéd denim skirt is absolutely precious! Did you do all this needlework by hand? Most impressive!

  “I’ve been steadily losing younger customers over the last few years to the human boutiques and brands, and I think this might be just what I need to bring them back into the shop. Would you be interested in presenting your collection here at the boutique?”

  “You mean a fashion show?” Cally gasped. “A real fashion show?”

  “You’ll need at least twelve looks,” Sister Midnight warned her. “Is that a problem?”

  “Not at all!” Cally replied, even though she knew she had nowhere near that many pieces ready to go.

  “Very good. I’ll keep these two outfits and have my seamstresses fit them to the runway models we’ll be using for the show. That’ll leave you with ten more.” She pulled a BlackBerry out of her jacket pocket. “How does two weeks from now sound?”

  “Great!” Cally smiled, trying not to panic.

  “This is going to be the event of the season, my dear!” Sister Midnight enthused. “I mean, you’ve already got serious buzz working for you! Slaying the head of the Van Helsing Institute? Sweetheart, you couldn’t buy that kind of PR even if you tried!”

  Cally’s smile evaporated. “You mean, the reason people are going to be interested in my fashion show is because I killed someone?”

  “Not just ‘someone,’ darling! It’s like you got rid of that Al-Qaeda fellow the clots are so upset about! Of course people are going to want to come and see you, Cally! You’re a hero!”

  “But I’m not a hero,” Cally protested. “I’m just me. I mean—I want them to like my designs for what they are, not what I’ve done.”

  “And they will, my sweet!” Sister Midnight said, draping an arm around Cally’s shoulders. “Curiosity will bring them in, but once they’re here, they’ll fall in love with your work, just as I have.”

  “You really think so, Sister Midnight?”

  “Darling, I know so,” she said reassuringly. “And call me Sis.”

  ***

  “I can’t believe what just happened!” Melinda shook her head in amazement. “Sister Midnight—the Sister Midnight—just offered to host your first collection!”

  “Yeah, I can’t believe it, either,” Cally replied, a dazed look on her face.

  “I can’t wait to tell Bella and Bette!
”

  “No!” Cally begged. “Please don’t.”

  Melinda frowned. “Why wouldn’t you want everyone to know about something as cool as this?”

  “I want them to know, but not right now, that’s all. It’s just that I’m afraid some of the girls at school might try and screw it up for me.”

  “You mean Lilith.” Melinda sighed. “Okay, I promise I’ll keep it on the down low, but you’ve got to give me something in return. How about making me one of the runway models? Pleeease?”

  “I don’t see why not.” Cally smiled. “I’ll talk to Sis about it.”

  “Yay!” Melinda clapped in delight. “I’m buying something to celebrate! Come with me?”

  “Thanks, but I’m going to head back to the Plaza. I need to unpack my sewing machine ASAP if I’m gonna have that many looks ready in two weeks.”

  Melinda grabbed her friend’s hands and kissed the air beside her cheek. “Congratulations, Cally! I’m so happy for you!”

  “Thanks for coming with me, Melly,” Cally said. “It really meant a lot.”

  “No problem—see you at school!” With that, Melinda hurried off in search of the ever-elusive perfect shoe, platinum credit card in hand.

  As Cally entered the elevator, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Thinking it was Melinda, she said, “What’s the matter? Don’t they have any slingbacks that fit you?”

  “Probably not,” Lucky Maledetto replied with a smile.

  “What are you doing here?” Cally exclaimed.

  “You needn’t look so surprised to see me! Sister Midnight does have a men’s department, you know.” He chuckled, holding up a small glossy black shopping bag. “I needed a few ties.”

  “I’m glad to see you,” Cally admitted.

  “You are?” Lucky’s smile grew even wider.

  “Yes, I wanted to thank you for the other night. I had a great time before, uh, you know. I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

  “Same here. But aren’t you pretty far from home? Do you need a ride back to Williamsburg?”

  “No, that’s not necessary,” Cally said, her smile faltering. “I’m living with my father at the Plaza now.”

  “Really?” Lucky cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “The Upper East Side is a big step up from Williamsburg.”

  “Tell me about it!” She laughed, rolling her eyes.

  As the elevator doors opened, Lucky reached out and caught her by the elbow before she could step out into the lobby. “Hey—have you been to Central Park yet?”

  “I know it sounds dumb, but I guess when you’re a native New Yorker, you just don’t think of going to touristy places like that,” Cally admitted.

  “I bet you’ve never been to the Statue of Liberty, either.”

  “Guilty as charged.”

  “That’s okay—I’ve never been to the top of the Empire State Building. Look, we could stand around and compare all the places we’ve never been to or I can show you around the park. Which would you prefer?”

  “I’d love to! See the park, that is,” Cally replied.

  “There’s only one way to do the park after dark,” Lucky said, wrapping her hand around his arm. “Come with me—we’re going to go see a man about a horse.”

  ***

  Cally leaned back, staring up at the night sky as the horse-drawn carriage slowly made its way through the park, its hooves clopping rhythmically on the black pavement.

  “Thanks for suggesting this, Lucky. I can’t believe I waited so long to come here.” She sighed. “This place is amazing!”

  “I know what you mean,” he replied. “Nowhere else in the city can you lose all sense of where you are. If you go far enough inside the park, you can’t even hear the traffic or see the skyscrapers. It’s like you’re in your own world, thousands of miles away from your normal life.”

  Cally turned to look at him for a long moment, studying his profile against the glow of the old-fashioned streetlights that lined the pathways. “Can I ask you something, Lucky?”

  “Sure. Go ahead and shoot,” he said, flashing her a crooked smile.

  “Why are Victor Todd and your dad enemies?”

  Lucky shook his head. “Why do you want to know something like that? Besides, what difference does it make?”

  “Because Vinnie is your dad and Victor is…Victor is my father’s liege lord. I mean, by rights, we shouldn’t even be talking to each other.”

  “Well, if you really want to know, the truth is that Todd and my dad weren’t always enemies. Fact is, they used to be friends.”

  “They were friends?” Cally frowned. “When was this?”

  “Nearly a century ago. Like a lot of vampires, Todd immigrated to New York City in 1918. World War I and the Russian Revolution chased him out of Europe and into America. He came to the city looking for a new start. He and my dad hit it off, and Todd ended up running a string of speakeasies. He was pretty damn good at it, too. He was a top earner for the Strega.

  “Then, about fifty years ago, Todd gets the idea for HemoGlobe. It’s basically the same thing as the speakeasies, except instead of peddling laced product out of a club, he’s delivering it straight or laced right to your door for a monthly fee, just like the milkman.

  “My old man was hopping mad when he found out what Todd was up to. As he saw it, legit blood banking cut into his business. And since Todd got the idea for HemoGlobe from working the speakeasies, he figured Vic owed him a taste. But that’s not how Todd saw it, of course. So one thing led to another, bada-bing bada-boom, the next thing you know, it’s a matter of honor and they’re enemies.”

  “How do you feel about him? Todd, I mean.”

  “Me? I got no grudge against Vic,” Lucky said with a shrug. “I can’t fault a guy for seeing a market and taking advantage of the situation. But still, family is family. You got to stick by them, no matter whether it makes sense to you or not. You know how it is.”

  “Yeah, I’m afraid I do.” Cally sighed, snuggling closer against Lucky as he slid a strong, comforting arm around her shoulders.

  CHAPTER 8

  “Is it okay if I sit here?” Carmen asked, standing at the foot of the table where Lilith regularly held court during the midnight meal.

  “Let’s see…” Lilith looked up from her conversation with Armida Aitken and tapped her chin in an exaggerated display of thoughtfulness. “You were fooling around behind my back with Jules for how long? Two? Three months? And now you want to know if it’s ‘okay’ for you to sit at my table? Hmm. Let me think about that for a second….” She paused for a second before flashing her fangs at the redhead. “The answer’s no! Go find your own table, slut!”

  Dejected, Carmen turned away, and the other vamps at the table—all her former friends—started talking. Carmen knew that they were saying mean things about her clothes, hair, and makeup, because that was what she would do if she was in their place.

  As nervous as a foot soldier stranded in the middle of a minefield, she glanced around at the other tables in the Bathory cafeteria. Throughout her academic career, she had always been among the anointed, those deemed “popular.” But now she found herself adrift in the most hostile territory imaginable—an all-girl prep school.

  Despite her constant attempts to imitate Lilith, even going so far as to sleep with her boyfriend, Carmen simply wasn’t an alpha type. She didn’t have what it took to draw others into her sphere. She wasn’t designed for striking out on her own. In fact, the very thought of being without a clique filled her with terror.

  The question she found herself faced with was, which faction could she attach herself to now that she had been cast out of Lilith’s inner circle? Or, more to the point, which one would be willing to accept her?

  The natural choice was to try and find a way into Cally’s clique, which was quickly evolving into a real contender in terms of popularity. After all, she and Melinda had once been close friends, and Melly was Cally’s second in command.

  But then again, Mel
inda was the one who told Lilith about her involvement with Jules. Carmen had too much pride to go crawling to the person responsible for her downfall. Besides, there was a very good chance Cally and the Maledetto twins had not forgotten all the mean things she’d said and done to them while she was riding high.

  That left two groups for her to try and work her way into: the Amazons and the Spods. And since she was nowhere jock enough to fit in with the Amazons…

  “Uh…is it okay if I sit here?”

  Annabelle Usher looked up from her bag of O poz to stare at Carmen. Although she was one of the brightest students on the rolls, Annabelle’s ragged bangs, poorly applied makeup, and badly laundered school uniform made her a frequent target of ridicule—especially Lilith’s.

  Annabelle studied Carmen for a moment and then glanced at the other girls gathered around the spod table, all of whom, like herself, had suffered at one time or another from Carmen’s acid tongue and catty remarks. “What’s in it for us?” she asked flatly. “What will you give us in exchange for letting you sit at our table?”

  Carmen blinked in surprise. “You actually expect me to pay you to sit down?”

  “Hey, you’re the one who asked,” Annabelle said with a shrug. “If you don’t like it, go somewhere else.”

  “I’ve got an iPod!” Carmen replied, hastily pulling the device from her blazer pocket. “It’s got a touch screen and can hold over seven thousand songs!”

  “Let me see,” Annabelle said, snatching up the offered gadget. She contemplated the digital goody for a moment and then slid it into her own pocket. “Okay. I guess that’s good enough. For now.” She nodded to the empty chair at the end of the table. “You can sit down.”

  Carmen heaved a sigh of relief. Although it was a serious step down from the Vamps to the Spods, at least she wasn’t sitting by herself. Without the chatter of others to distract her, she would have been forced to think.