by Lisa Olsen
“You can stay here under my protection for as long as I’m here,” I allowed. “After that… my life is a little up in the air right now. I don’t know if I’ll be getting a place in London or going home or what. But, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, you’ll have to move to the East wing with the rest of the humans. You might have to bunk with Bridget, I don’t know what the arrangements are like over there.” I couldn’t imagine I rated an entire suite of rooms for my growing entourage.
“Oh thank you, so much!” Maggie fell to her knees, pressing her forehead to my hand as I stared down at her, slack jawed.
“Hey, you don’t have to do that,” I tugged my hand free. “Maggie, I’ll protect you, but I don’t own you. You don’t have to bow and scrape for me or any of the things Jasper made you do before. I’d like to be your friend, and nothing more.”
Maggie sat back on her heels, her head tilting to one side. “You’re not like any other vampire I’ve ever met.”
“You’re not wrong there,” I muttered. I was beginning to think I was the only vampire in the world who gave a damn about people anymore. Except for whoever had done the world a favor by taking out Jasper. Maybe my blonde admirer and I did have a few things in common at that.
*
I admit, I was skittish about showing my face in the hall, but no one treated me any differently for having supposedly killed Jasper. Thomas and Felix were sequestered away with Corley, hammering out the details of their deal so they could wrap up the visit and go home, and I gave Rob the night off to go do whatever since Bishop had arranged for Fisher to stick to me like a shadow.
I liked the young Scotsman. His speech was soothing to the ear, and he reminded me quite a bit of Evan. I was all set to spend a melancholy night thinking about past regrets when Bridget came bouncing in.
“There you are. I was afraid you’d be locked up with Felix and them in a boring meeting all night.”
“Why would I be in the meeting with them?”
“I dunno, I figured whatever the least fun option was for the night, you’d be doing it. Lucky for you I’m here and I’m prepared to save you from yourself.”
“Oh you are, are you?” I couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. “I’m almost afraid to ask…”
“Come on, Anja. We’ve been here for days and we haven’t gotten to do anything fun together.”
“Sure we have. We went to that forties club together, that was fun.”
“Yeah, for like five minutes and then you had to get all up in that guy’s business. You should have stayed out with us for the rest of the night, we had a blast,” she said, her eyes flashing with excitement.
“I had to get Maggie home safely. Speaking of which, it’s probably not safe for us to go out there on our own.”
“But we’re not alone, are we?” She gave an arch smile to Fisher who’d been watching our conversation with avid interest. “We’ve got a big, strong Order man at our beck and call.”
“He’s not at our beck and call…” I objected, but Fisher didn’t seem troubled by it.
“Actually, I am at your disposal,” he grinned. “If ya wanted to go out for the evening, I’d have no choice but to accompany ya.”
“See, it’s all settled,” Bridget beamed. “So go ahead, Anja, beck already and let’s live a little for once.”
“Okay, but we stay away from vampire bars,” I agreed with that stipulation. If the hunter was after vamps, he’d never find us if we stuck to touristy spots and crowded shops. “Let’s go.”
“Sweet, I’ve got a wad of cash burning a hole in my bra.”
I stopped to wait for an explanation to that one and she shrugged. “Felix gave me some mad money to buy myself something pretty.”
It didn’t take long for Fisher to sign out one of the cars, and then we were rocketing down the sleepy country roads, the lights of the city beckoning in the distance. With Fisher as our tour guide, we crammed in as much nightlife as we could. I insisted on a tour of the British Museum before it closed, and Bridget wanted to go to a real pub, so we settled on the Dog & Duck (though I found all the mirrors inside unsettling).
We checked out Hyde Park and stopped to listen to a guy ranting about the upcoming zombie apocalypse in Speaker’s Corner. It would have been funny if there hadn’t been easily fifty people standing there with rapt attention, drinking in every word the nutbar had to say.
After that it was shopping, and we couldn’t resist going to the famous Harrods (way too pricey for my tastes). I was dying to find Portabello Road, but sad to find most of the shops closed up tight at that hour. Bridget unerringly found the quirkiest little shops though, and I found a pair of cute vintage boots at a place called Hunky Dory (which made me smile, thinking about Bishop’s no hunks rule).
Poor Fisher had to play packhorse, but he didn’t seem to mind too badly. I had the idea he didn’t get out with girls much, which was strange, him being a cute vampire cop and all. He wasn’t visibly armed, but I imagined he had weapons on him somewhere. Open displays of firearms weren’t as easy to swallow in London as they were back home.
Fisher became all business after a tense phone call though, and I could guess who it was from. “Sorry ladies, I’m afraid this jaunt is at an end. Duty calls.”
“What kind of duty?”
“I’ve got to respond to a routine call in the area.”
“So Angel knows we’re with you and she sent you on a call anyway?” Was she trying to leave me without protection on purpose?
“Aye, she said to take ya with. Ya doona mind, do ya? Won’t take half a tick, but I’ll need to respond immediately.”
“So go respond,” Bridget shrugged. “We’ll be good here.”
“We can’t do that, I promised Bishop I’d stick with him. We have to go along.”
“You go ahead then. I didn’t promise anything like that.”
I could see Fisher fidgeting impatiently. “Just go with us and we’ll come back after he’s done.”
“Most of these shops are already closed, I’ve got an hour tops to check them out. Anja, I’ve been on my own for a long time. I’m pretty sure I can hack getting around by myself. Text me when you’re through and we’ll meet up somewhere.”
I could compel her to go back to the house, but she had a point. What danger would she be in as a human tourist in a crowded city? Nothing she couldn’t handle. “Alright, we’ll catch up to you later,” I reluctantly agreed. “Let’s go.”
Relieved, Fisher led the way back to the car, stowing away our packages and driving a short distance to a neighborhood I didn’t recognize (not that I recognized much of the city so far).
“What kind of call are we going on?” I asked once we pulled to a stop in front of a row of narrow houses all jammed in on top of each other.
“You’re to stay in the car once we get there, for your own safety.”
That sounded the opposite of safe to me and my Spidey senses started to tingle. “I thought you weren’t supposed to let me out of your sight?”
“It’s a routine call, but there’s always a chance for danger. It’s probably best if ya wait here.”
I looked up and down the deserted street. “Nope, I’m coming with you. Regardless of what Bishop says, I’m not completely helpless you know.”
“Nae, of course,” he choked, and I took it to mean he thought I’d killed Jasper like most others did.
“And I have been out on calls before with the Order back home.” Not that it was an experience I wanted to duplicate anytime soon.
“Ya have?” he brightened. “Well, that’s awright then. Stay close by ma side and let me handle everything.”
It was a more confident Fisher that I saw approaching the house, his eyes swiftly taking in the surroundings and judging it safe to enter the building. Producing a pistol from under his jacket, he ascended the stairs to the top floor with fluid stealth, hardly making a sound as I clomped along behind him in my chunky boots. Now I coul
d believe he was a member of the Order and not just a glorified security guard.
Once at the top of the stairs, he stopped before the door with the number two on it, gesturing for me to stand on the other side of it before he rapped loudly. Thanks to my enhanced hearing I could tell there was at least one person moving around inside, maybe two, as I thought I heard a woman’s voice, hushed with fear. We waited a few seconds longer, but I could tell from watching Fisher he didn’t expect them to answer.
Standing in front of the door, he held up three fingers, counting down in silence until he reached zero and his boot split the door in two with a resounding kick. Fisher was quick to follow, gun at the ready as he charged inside. I wasn’t sure whether to stay out in the hall or follow him in, but at hearing his cry of ballocks! I stuck my head in just in time to see him follow someone out the window and onto the fire escape outside.
“Guess that didn’t go so well,” I murmured into an empty room.
A shuffling sound came from the bedroom, and I remembered the woman’s hushed voice. Would I find another vampire inside? Common sense told me to stay close to the door and an easy exit, but curiosity got the better of me and I edged deeper into the room.
Doing my best impression of Cagney (the kind that goes with Lacey, not Jimmy), I sidled up to the bedroom doorframe, ducking a quick look and back in case whoever was in there was the type to shoot first and ask questions later. Instead of a volley of bullets, all I caught was a whimper from the girl on the bed.
Dressed in denim shorts over black leggings and an oversized pink and black sweater, she looked to be in her late teens at the most. She was filthy, her long brown hair hung in wet clumps, sticking to her clothes and the bed coverings. The scent of fresh blood hit me like a wave and it was all I could do to clutch the doorframe to keep from lunging at her. It was blood matting her hair like that, blood that covered her face and neck, blood soaked into the sweater and stained the sheets. The girl was human and covered in blood.
No… not human… not anymore. As I watched, pain ripped through the girl and she let out a blood curdling scream. All at once I knew what was happening.
She was going through the transition, becoming a vampire.
Chapter Twenty
My memories of my own transition were hazy at best, but I knew it hurt like a mother; if not for Bishop, I don’t know how I would have gotten through it.
Bishop.
I couldn’t call him, there wasn’t time. He might not even care about trying to help her since it was a fair guess she was an unlicensed vamp, from the way her Sire bolted from the Order. As I watched her writhe on the bed in agony I had three choices before me. I could A — do nothing. Probably the smartest option I had at my disposal considering the fact that Fisher would likely be back at any moment and take care of the situation. I could B — put the girl out of her misery. I didn’t like to see anyone in such torture, and why should she suffer like that only to have Fisher execute her? Or C — I could help her.
Without making the conscious decision, my body was already moving, scooping her up into my arms, mindful of the way her skin felt hot to the touch like it burned with fever. I carried her into the bathroom to put her into the tub the way Bishop had with me, frowning when I saw there was only a stand up shower available. Her thrashing became more violent, and it was all I could do to wrangle her into the shower without getting scratched or bitten.
She fought like a feral animal until I turned the cold water on full blast and she opened her mouth to let out another scream. Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed a washcloth and shoved it into her mouth, folding her into my tight embrace to keep her from hurting me or herself. The water was icy cold, but I remembered how soothing it was when Bishop had held me, and I rocked her gently until she went limp in my arms.
After her heartbeat calmed to an impossibly slow beat, I let go of my firm hold on her, pulling the washcloth free. “Shhh,” I said softly, near her ear. “It’ll be alright. The worst part is over.”
“I didn’t mean to,” she croaked, her voice raw from screaming on the other side of the washcloth.
“Shhh, it’s okay.” I kept rocking her. After all the blood had washed away I could tell none of it was hers.
“I didn’t want to, but then the blood…” she sobbed, her hot tears rapidly cooling as they mingled with the spray of water from above.
“I know,” I soothed. I remembered that first taste of blood, the burning hunger.
“He said I wouldn’t have to kill if I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t stop.” Her head fell to one side weakly. “I couldn’t stop…”
I felt it the instant her heart shuddered to a stop and the last flicker of life drained from her body, like the murky water swirling at the bottom of the shower drain. Completely still, the only sound was the gurgle of the water and I reached up to turn off the faucet. I was still wondering how long it would take for her to open her eyes again, when she sat up straight and took in a great, gasping breath.
“Hey, it’s alright. You’re okay,” I assured her, letting go to give her more breathing room, so to speak. Her eyes were wide as saucers and I knew she was seeing the dingy bathroom for the first time with her enhanced senses. “You made it through the transition. What’s your name?”
“Ellie,” she replied, clearing her throat and trying the word out again. “Ellie. Ellie O’Brien.”
Her name was just as Irish as the cadence to her words. “Nice to meet you, Ellie. I’m Anja.”
“A pleasure.” Now that her hair was washed clean, I could see it was more auburn than brown, with streaks of pink in it, and several piercings in her ears. “I sound strange.” She cleared her throat again. “Do I sound strange to you?”
“I… don’t know, I didn’t hear you much before,” I admitted, handing her a towel to soak up the worst of her drenched clothes before wringing out my own. Ellie stared at the towel for a few seconds, as if she wasn’t sure what to do with it, but then force of habit kicked in and she stepped out of the shower to dry off. The sight of herself in the mirror absorbed her for a while though. She turned one way and then the other before letting out a broken laugh.
“I’m kind of a mess, aren’t I?”
I could imagine what I looked like too and the riot act Bishop would read me if he saw me like that. “I think we both are.”
“No, I mean on the inside,” she sighed, leaning against the counter to press the towel against her face. “What have I done?” she asked, dropping the towel to face me with tortured shame. “There’s a girl lying dead out there tonight because of me.”
Finally, someone I could understand in the world of vampires. “It’s not your fault, it’s your nature.” God, I sounded like Bishop. “But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can learn to control it, I promise.”
“That’s what Luca said, but he didn’t stop me.”
“Is that your Sire, Luca?” She nodded morosely, revisiting the feeding I imagined, but I was distracted by another problem. “Ellie, I hate to ask you this, but do you have your license and registration?”
“Are you with the Order?” Her eyes widened in fear.
“No, but that’s who I came here with. Why did Luca leave you all alone at a time like this, Ellie? Please tell me he had a license to make you.”
“He said wouldn’t nobody notice if another vampire turned up in town.” Ellie talked fast, edging away from me slowly. “That there’s plenty of licenses to be had for a few bob and alls he had to do was find the right palm to lay them in.”
“But you don’t actually have a license now.” I let out a long breath as her face confirmed it.
“Nae, she doesna have one.” Fisher appeared on the other end of the bathroom. “And the law is clear.”
It was happening all over again, just like Scotty and Marta, only this time I wasn’t about to let it go that far. Quick like anything, I put myself between Ellie and the gun Fisher had leveled at her chest. “I won’t let you kill her.
”
“Anja, this is Order business. Ya know I’ve no choice.”
“Put the gun down,” I ordered as sternly as I could manage and to my utter shock, he did. Not all at once, but slowly, the barrel shaking with the struggle as though an unseen arm pushed his hand down.
“How did ya do that?” Fisher all but wept, still trying to bring the gun back up again with no success.
Holy schnikes, had I somehow compelled him to put the gun down? Focusing my will on him, I felt it catch hold, not as easily as when I compelled a human, but it was there. “You will not kill her. You will report back to the Order that she’s dead, like her Sire. Do you understand?”
“Understand,” he answered woodenly.
It worked! “You won’t mention to Bishop that I came with you on this call at all, and after we leave this place you won’t ever talk about it again except to complete your report. Do you understand?”
“Understand.”
“I want you to forget I was able to compel you in the first place. No one must know about it. Now… go and sit in the living room, I need time to think.”
Without another word, Fisher left and I heard the scrape of the chair as he sat at the table in the other room. Ellie stared at me in a mixture of awe and fear, but I ignored her for the moment to pull out my phone, dialing the one person who might be able to dig me out of the hole I’d made for myself.
Rob answered on the third ring.
“Um, hi, it’s me. Remember how I said you could have the whole night off?”
*
It didn’t take long for Rob to get there. He took one look at the newbie vamp and Fisher sitting motionless at the table, then fixed me with a penetrating stare. The story spilled out in bits and pieces, Ellie’s shock wearing off to contribute here and there.
“And what did you want me to do?” he asked, sizing up the girl who’d changed into a short denim skirt and three or four shirts. I couldn’t tell how many layers she had on.
