by Parker Blue
I glanced at his long legs. He’d probably fit in the front, but that meant I’d have to squeeze into the miniscule back seat. “Fair enough. Want to take one of yours?”
He nodded. “And when it comes to buying a car, I’ll help you.”
My eyebrows rose. Seemed like cars were a guy thing no matter how old they were. But since I really had no idea what to look for, I’d welcome his help.
Austin turned to open one of Alejandro’s dark luxury cars while I leaned down to Ivy’s window. “We’re taking one of the vampmobiles,” I informed her. “So we can all fit. You can leave your car here—it’ll be fine. Unless you want to go back to the townhouse?”
She didn’t even hesitate. “I’m coming with you,” she said firmly and moved her car off to the side.
By that time, Austin had a vampmobile ready and waiting to go, so Ivy, Fang, and I climbed in. We drove to Erica’s, and, though she looked startled at seeing so many of us at her door, she graciously invited us in, now visibly pregnant.
After I introduced everyone, and she settled us down at the dining room table, she asked, “What is it you’re trying to find?”
“It’s not a what, it’s a who,” I told her. “We need to find Alejandro. I remember you said it’s easier to find a man with something he owns and touches a lot, or someone who knows him, so I brought Austin and this.” I nodded at the bust.
Erica took the bust and spread a map of San Antonio on the table, then brought out a chain with a spear of amethyst shaped like a chunky hexagon at the top and tapering to a point at the end.
Ivy smiled. “May I?” she asked, nodding at the pendulum.
“She’s a gemstone whisperer,” I explained.
Looking curious, Erica handed it to her.
Ivy stroked the thing and smiled. “It is a good stone. Happy to have such an important job, and it likes being with you. You might want to keep it in a silk pouch to keep it from retaining any negative feelings from your clients between readings. It will serve you better.”
Erica’s eyebrows rose, but she said, “Thank you. I will.” She placed her left hand on the bust and held the pendulum lightly between her thumb and forefinger over the map, swinging it in a wide circle. I remembered that the amethyst would slowly spin in smaller, tighter circles until it stopped and landed on Alejandro’s location.
I watched eagerly, but the pendulum continued to swing in wide revolutions, without zeroing in on the vampire leader’s location.
Erica frowned. “Perhaps he is not in San Antonio,” she said. “Let’s widen the area.”
She spread another map across the table, this one of the whole world. Sheesh—I sure hoped he was at least still in Texas.
Still, no luck.
WELL, HECK. IT’S NOT LIKE HE’S IN OUTER SPACE, Fang said. YOU THINK HER PREGNANCY IS INTERFERING WITH HER FINDING?
I don’t know.
“You are certain this object is closely associated with him?” Erica asked.
“Positive,” Austin said.
“Let’s try using you instead,” Erica suggested. “You know him well.”
She held Austin’s hand and told him to think of Alejandro, but there was still no luck. Crap. I didn’t want to think about the implications.
“Maybe it doesn’t work on vampires?” Ivy suggested.
“It should,” Erica said doubtfully. Still holding Austin’s hand, she said, “Think of another vampire, one whose location you know.”
She held the pendulum over the map of San Antonio, and this time the pendulum swung in tighter and tighter circles until it suddenly jerked to a stop and fell on the map, pointing to the west side blood bank.
Austin nodded. “Yes, that’s where Luis usually is.”
Crap. That blew the pregnancy interfering idea. I decided to point out the elephant in the room. “Is it possible that you couldn’t find him because he’s . . . dead?”
Erica frowned. “No, if he’s dead, it should find his body.”
“Even if he’s . . . ash?” I asked, wincing at the thought.
Erica looked stricken. “I’m sorry, I don’t know.”
Austin’s face went blank, and Ivy touched Erica’s hand gently. “Is it possible that there’s something or someone deliberately interfering with your ability to find him? Like a spell?”
Good question—and one I hadn’t thought of.
“I don’t know,” Erica admitted. “I suppose it’s possible, though I’ve never had it happen before.”
Well, at least that gave us some hope. Austin’s face was so rigid, I hoped, for his sake, that Alejandro was still alive. “I’ll check the encyclopedia,” I promised. “See if I can figure out something.”
Austin nodded curtly, and we thanked Erica and left with the bust.
Once we were seated in the car, Ivy said, “Okay, assuming Alejandro isn’t dead, what other leads do we have?” She sounded as if she had the utmost confidence in our ability to find him.
SHE DOES, Fang confirmed.
“We need to follow up on Mike and Ike,” Austin said. “They must be involved.”
My thoughts exactly. “Any idea how to find them?”
He glanced at Erica’s front door, then must have realized we didn’t know them well enough for her to find them. “No—we don’t have any idea where the rogues are headquartered . . . if they even have a headquarters.”
“What about the three Cs?” I asked. At Austin’s confused look, I added, “Those three newbies at the park—they were recently turned by the rogues. Think they might know?”
He nodded, his expression lightening. “Good idea. And if they visited a blood bank like I told them to, we might be able to find them.”
We headed to the nearest blood bank on the east side. I hadn’t been to this one before, but it was a converted hotel like the others, with the blood bank on the bottom floor and rooms upstairs for the Movement’s vamps. As Ivy looked around curiously, Austin spoke to the girl at the desk, describing Charlie, Chris, and Carlos.
“Sorry, I don’t remember them,” she said. “Do you know what school they go to? If they’re students, they probably went to one near their college.”
“I don’t know,” Austin said. “Did you get that from them?” he asked me.
I thought for a moment. “No, but I got the feeling they didn’t live far from the park. Brackenridge Park,” I clarified for the receptionist.
The girl nodded. “Then they probably went to the midtown blood bank.”
“Thanks,” Austin said. “We’ll check there.”
When we got back in the car, Ivy had all kinds of questions about the vampire blood banks and how they operated. I answered them as best I could while Austin took a phone call.
He interrupted us abruptly. “Change of plans. We’re going to a different blood bank, on the west side.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because Luis has been attacked there.”
Chapter Eight
Austin
WHILE AUSTIN WAS grateful to Gwen for the heads-up, he wasn’t sure why she’d called him. One part of him hoped Luis had been ganked permanently, but Austin knew he couldn’t be that lucky. Besides, a threat to Luis was also a threat to the organization Alejandro had built—the organization that had become the family Austin had never known. And you had to watch out for your family, even if they were bullies and jerks.
He shouldn’t let Luis get to him, but he did hate the “us versus them” attitude Luis was bringing into Alejandro’s family. It was unnecessary and not exactly healthy, either. The last time that had happened. . . . He smiled wryly.
“What’s so funny?” Val asked.
“I was just remembering the last time one of Alejandro’s lieutenants tried to take over.”
“Oh. That,” Val responded flatly.
“What happened?” the curious gemstone whisperer asked.
When Val didn’t respond, Austin said, “Val cut off her head.”
Fang looked up at him from his place in Val’s lap and snorted in what could only be canine amusement, but a glance in the rearview mirror showed Ivy’s horrified expression. She obviously didn’t get the humor.
“Gee, thanks,” Val muttered and jabbed her left fist playfully into his ribs. “I had to,” she told Ivy.
Val looked really annoyed, so Austin drawled, “Well, Lily did have it coming. She’d kidnapped Val’s sister and stepfather—and Fang.” Not to mention Val’s cop ex-boyfriend, who’d also been Lily’s former fiancé. “And Lily was about to kill all of them, then start on us and take over Alejandro’s organization. Val really had no choice. Killing Lily saved us all.”
“I see,” Ivy said faintly.
She did appear to understand, though Austin was sorry he’d brought it up since it seemed to bother Val.
“You said the last time . . . is someone else trying to take over now?” Ivy asked, looking worried that decapitation might be on tonight’s agenda.
“I hope not—Val didn’t bring her sword,” he drawled and blocked Val’s next blow to his ribs as Fang snorted again. “Seriously, Alejandro’s disappearance has thrown us into confusion. We have no clear line of succession—there are three lieutenants now—so one of the lieutenants is trying to force himself into the role.”
“Luis,” Val explained to Ivy. “The one who pulled off your hoodie.”
Ivy made a face. “Hate to see him in charge of anything or anyone.”
Ditto. “I don’t know what happened at the blood bank, though, or who attacked Luis—I hope it was the rogues.”
“Who else would it be?” Val asked in surprise as she petted Fang. “You don’t think Rosa would—”
“No, I don’t.” She wouldn’t do anything to admit Alejandro might be gone. Though, after the finder’s inability to locate the vamp leader, Austin was beginning to wonder if his own belief in Alejandro’s continued existence might be overoptimistic.
“Then who?”
“Misguided newbies who think they need to protect my honor.”
Val stopped stroking Fang’s ears. “Who in their right mind would follow Luis?” she asked incredulously.
“The old guard.”
Val snorted. “You’re not exactly a spring chicken. What are you? A hundred?”
Once again, he realized how ancient he must seem to her. “A bit more than that,” he admitted. “But we consider the old guard to be those who have been with Alejandro since he came over with Cortez. Mainly those who share Luis’s superior attitude.”
“Cortez?” Ivy repeated in surprise. “The Cortez who conquered Mexico and destroyed the Aztec civilization? The one in this bust?”
“Yep.”
“Wow,” Val said. “I didn’t realize they were that old.” She glanced at him thoughtfully. “So the old guard approves of Luis’s methods?” At his nod, she added, “What about your followers and Rosa’s?”
“I’ve trained most of the newly converted over the past hundred years, so they tend to side with me, though I never asked them to.” He shrugged. “Those who don’t choose sides or stay neutral are essentially following Rosa.”
“And you’re afraid some of your supporters may have picked a fight? Tried to take Luis out for you?”
Trust Val to get to the heart of the matter. Austin nodded curtly. But he didn’t need or want that, no matter what anyone might think.
They arrived at the blood bank, and though everything looked peaceful from the outside, Austin knew that appearances could be deceiving. Especially since the CLOSED sign hung on the door. He turned around to speak to Ivy. “You probably want to stay here. It might be dangerous in there.”
Ivy’s chin came up. “I can handle myself. Besides, my gemstones might be able to help.”
Austin shrugged. He didn’t know what talking to gemstones would do to protect her or assist in this situation, but he wasn’t going to argue with her, either. “Suit yourself.” To be honest, the streets outside this blood bank weren’t all that safe, either.
Ivy, Val, and Fang followed Austin into the blood bank. It looked like a war zone, with chairs overturned, the juice bar smashed, blood splashed on the walls, and knots of people either sobbing quietly or bristling for a fight.
The sobbing ones were female humans who had come to donate and gotten more than they bargained for, along with a few men. Elspeth and Gwen, along with other vamps, were helping them, while five followers clustered protectively around Luis. He stood against one wall, disheveled and bruised, a bloody hole in his shirt.
One of Luis’s followers—the bearded Tobias—caught sight of the group at the door, scowled, and took a menacing step toward Austin. “You,” he said accusingly. “Did you do this?”
Austin raised an eyebrow. Logic was obviously not one of his strong suits. “I wasn’t even here,” he told the short, wiry man curtly.
Val and Fang came to stand beside him while Ivy slipped off, murmuring something about finding a way to help.
“You could have sent your minions after Luis,” Tobias accused. “To take him out so you could take over.”
Fang growled, and though Val shushed him, Austin was ridiculously pleased that the hellhound wanted to defend him. “Don’t be an idiot, Tobias. I’m not the one who wants to take over.”
One of Luis’s hangers-on brandished a bloody crossbow bolt. “They shot him! Barely missed his heart.”
Luis pushed his way through his minions, heedless of the hole in his chest—it would soon heal. “Someone needs to take charge, and you don’t want that someone to be me.”
Austin controlled his simmering anger. “Someone does not need to. We need to work together, not apart. We’ll have enough problems fighting the rogues now that they know of Alejandro’s disappearance—we don’t need to be fighting internally as well. Have you forgotten what happened during the Spanish-American War?” Alejandro’s men had split into violently opposed factions, one side supporting the United States, and the other insisting their native Spain was in the right. The resulting carnage had decimated their population until Alejandro was able to pull everyone back together under his neutral leadership. It had taken decades to recover their strength and cohesion. “Do you want a repeat of that?” Austin sure as hell didn’t.
Luis paused for a moment, then said more calmly, “This is nothing like that. This is you, wanting me to believe rogues were responsible for the attack.”
“Well, did you recognize any of your attackers? Were they members of the Movement? Truth, now.”
Luis scowled. “No, but how do I know you aren’t turning men in secret? Sending them to ambush me? You could have told them I was here, set me up.”
Looked like reason had taken a holiday. Austin wasn’t even sure how to defend against insanity.
Elspeth spoke up. “Do not be ridiculous, Luis. Everyone knows you come here every night at the same time. It would be easy for anyone to discover your habits.”
“You’d say that, wouldn’t you?” Luis asked. “You’re one of his.”
As Elspeth turned away, shaking her head, Val spoke to Luis. “I could force Austin to tell the truth. Would that convince you?”
Luis scowled at her. “You’re on his side, too. Why would I believe anything you have to say, anything you do?”
Val opened her mouth to reply, then, at a glance from Austin, shrugged and shut her mouth, muttering something about Teflon. Good choice.
Austin decided to take a different tack. “Look, if I were responsible for this, why would I come here immediately after the attack to help you?”
“Ha,” Luis said, as
if he’d caught him out in a lie. “To see the results of your perfidy, to gloat at my dead body, and to pretend you had nothing to do with it—like now.”
His followers looked as though they were believing this load of bull. “I didn’t do any of that,” Austin snarled, unable to fight the anger building within him. “I don’t want a repeat of the Spanish-American War—I want Alejandro back.”
“You’d say that, wouldn’t you?” Luis said, sneering. “Trying to be the hero, the savior of the Movement. Well, your lies won’t work on me. You just want Alejandro’s position for yourself.”
No, he just didn’t want Luis to have it. “I want Alejandro in Alejandro’s position,” Austin said. “What can I do to convince you of that?” Not that he wanted to placate Luis, but he did want this crap to be over.
“Meet me alone and tell me that.” Luis’s clenched fists and the pugnacious set to his jaw telegraphed exactly what he meant by that.
Austin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Was this what they were reduced to? Schoolyard brawls? “I don’t intend to fight you, Luis.” The older vampire was more experienced, but Austin was more agile. In a fair fight, he didn’t know who would win, and right now, he didn’t intend to find out. “We don’t need to show dissension in the ranks. Besides, you’re injured.” Blood still oozed from the hole in Luis’s chest.
“Afraid?” Luis thrust his face into Austin’s, obviously baiting him.
“No,” Austin bit out, not letting Luis intimidate him or force him into doing something stupid.
Rosa was suddenly between them—when had she arrived? “Stop this,” she ordered. “It will not help us find Alejandro.”
Austin noticed that neither Val nor Fang defended him against Rosa. Probably because she was right. Austin shrugged and backed away.
Luis shot Austin a murderous glance. “He probably kidnapped him or killed him.”
Rosa stomped her foot. “No, estúpido, I do not believe that, and neither do you.”
