“Because the Other Sider can cross over with the third ritual.”
Renee looked at me, blankly, for a moment. “Cross. Over.”
“Wait, why couldn't it in the first place?”
“I don't know that. I mean, I could be on the Other Side perfectly fine. I did it once. Maybe it works differently for Other Siders. If our killer can bring one of them over...” I shook my head. “Don't want to think about that. We need to stop this pronto.”
“So, what do we do?” Serena asked.
“We tell this to Ishmael.” I looked back to Renee. “I need you to see if there are any other journals that talk about the Other Side. I need to know why our killer needs an Other Sider.”
“I'll see what I can find,” Renee said.
“Great.” I looked back to Serena. “Let's go.”
We rolled on up to the Last Bite at around two in the morning. Still prime vamp time. We headed in through the back door as I briefed Serena. “Okay, basic vampire nobility rules. First of all, address Ishmael as Count. Or Lord Ishmael. Don't wise-crack, and wait your turn to speak, if you have anything to add. Vampire nobles are very touchy.”
Serena nodded as she grabbed the back door for me. I grumbled under my breath, and she shot me a look. “Oh, don't play gentleman with a wounded ego.” She snorted. “You're terrible, Eric.”
“Am not,” I protested. “I got raised properly, that's all.”
“Raised properly.” Serena huffed. “Come on, let's go deal with some bigwigs.”
We headed up the stairs to the private rooms and Ishmael's presiding room. Serena knocked, and I heard Teresa call “Enter!” This time Serena opened the door for me, and she shot me a funny glance, daring me to comment on it. I didn't. I have my moments of brilliance.
The room already had visitors in it. The first was Baroness Yukiko. She was dressed in a gray suit, and was seated in one of the many chairs of the little court. I didn't recognize the other man. He was a Latino man, with dark hair pulled back into a loose pony tail. He wore an immaculate blue suit, and his chestnut eyes scanned over me, sizing me up instantly.
“I assume this is our esteemed Knight.” The man said. He had a crisp tone, seasoned with local accent. “Baron Vela,” he said with a quick nod of his head.
“A pleasure, Baron. I'm Eric Carpenter, and this is Serena Laurent.” I gestured to Serena when I introduced her. Serena gave a curt nod. She looked between the two Barons, and the other two vampires in the room.
Ishmael and Teresa were in their usual spots. Ishmael was in his usual chair, and Teresa stood to his right, holding a tablet. “We are all assembled, then. Shall we begin?”
Yukiko cast her gaze towards Serena, looking her over. “I'm not sure about her, though. She's a vampire, but...”
I cut in. “Serena's working with me on the case. Whatever you say, you can say to her as well.”
Vela smiled. “That's perfectly fine. Let us get underway.”
I took a seat, as did Serena. We waited for Teresa to begin. “We don't usually gather all the nobility of the region together, but this is important. Someone is targeting vampires across the Bay.”
“A double homicide led you to this conclusion?” Yukiko asked. “I thought there was just the Oteros.”
“There was a new murder tonight,” I said. “A vampire was killed in a San Jose parking lot. Same MO, with some minor differences.”
“A new murder?” Yukiko frowned, and looked to Ishmael. “This is serious.”
Ishmael nodded, a growing frown on his face. “Indeed. I want you to advise your subjects, put out a warning that there is someone targeting vampires.”
“A woman,” I added.
“What?” Everyone apart from Serena turned to look at me.
I paused a moment before continuing. “Our killer is a woman. She's also in touch with the Arcane.”
Vela frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“I think she's a magic-user of some sort.” I explained. “The scenes have shown some residue of magic on the bodies. It looks like she's been using the killings for some sort of spell.”
Both barons stared at me for a long moment. Vampires didn't blink much. One of their more creepy traits. “A spell. What kind of spell?”
“We think that our killer is trying to make contact with someone or something using the murders as fuel. I've been consulting with a local expert, and from what we've been able to find, that's our best guess.” I didn't feel comfortable discussing the Other Sider in public.
“Can we expect more murders?” Vela asked.
I bit my lip. “I believe so. I think she needs more to complete the ritual or spell or whatever it is.”
Silence fell through the room for a long moment. Teresa broke the silence. “So, is there anything we can do?”
I shrugged. “If you know anyone with magical talent, ask around.” At a shake of her head, I continued. “We need to figure out who's even capable of doing this.”
“Beyond yourself, you mean.” Yukiko added, looking over at me.
“I don't like that tone, Baroness.” I shot back.
She arched one of her fine eyebrows. “Why? Because you are the only known practitioner of magic in the Bay, and because you are the only source of knowledge we have that this is Arcane.”
“Yes, because I'm going to kill three vamps and tell you how I did it.” I shot back. That drew a hiss from her.
“Let us behave civilly,” Ishmael said. “We also have the matter of the attack earlier today. Pro-human attackers in the middle of a press conference, during which you performed admirably.”
I shrugged, which caused a brief flare of pain from my shoulder. “Just doing my job, Count. Have the police found anything?”
“Not much,” Teresa sighed. “The attackers aren't talking. As to how they smuggled automatic weapons in and posted as a news crew, the police seem to be lacking answers for those.”
Vela snorted. “The humans don't care.”
“No, they certainly don't seem to.” Yukiko agreed. “It does seem odd, considering the amount of donations we raise for their charities.”
I felt the need to step in there. “They've had twelve hours. Give it a rest, Yukiko.”
The baroness glared at me. “The witch speaks out of turn.”
“Oh, you didn't.” Serena stood from her seat, her fangs bared and a rumbling growl rolling from her lips. Well, that was new.
The vampire baron didn't budge. “Save it, whelp,” She drawled.
Vela cleared his throat. “So, what do we do next?” He asked. Yukiko relaxed back after a moment, though Serena didn't sit.
“I'm tapping a few resources. There might be a connection to some deaths in San Diego a few years back.”
“San Diego?” Ishmael frowned. “That's mostly were territory these days.”
“At least since Count Ricard bit it.” Vela added.
Serena frowned. “I thought open warfare between Arcanes didn't happen.”
“It doesn't.” Ishmael's voice was quiet. “It was an assassination. Ricard proved incapable of protecting his subjects. Anarchy ensued.”
A silence hung around the room. I had learned early on in my dealings with the Arcanes, particularly vampires, that their near-immortality made death a touchy subject. This wasn't easy for them by any stretch, three of their own dead, coupled with an attack on their leader. Hell, I wasn't comfortable with it.
Teresa broke the silence. “Your attendance has been appreciated. Are there any other matters that require attention?”
“Nothing, beyond the request that we are kept in the loop.” Vela replied as he stood.
Ishmael nodded. “Of course, Vela, my friend.”
“Very well. Good evening, Count, Miss Crespo, Baron, sir Knight, Miss Laurent.” He nodded to each of us as he bid farewells. He then departed the suite, leaving with quiet, fluid movements.
Yukiko then stood, looked to me, then back to Ishmael. “My Lord, good evening,” She s
aid, and left just as quickly.
“A ray of sunshine, isn't she?” Serena grumbled after the Barons left.
“Unfortunately, not everybody can share our wonderful disposition.” I said. “So, I guess I'll chase down leads, and I'll also be getting the info on the San Diego cases hopefully.” I relaxed back into the chair. “All in a night's work, I guess.”
Ishmael looked over to Serena and I. “I think it's time we get properly introduced. I'm Count Ishmael, Serena.”
Serena nodded. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir.” She said. “I'm told it's customary for vampires to introduce themselves to the local nobility”
Ishmael nodded. He stood, and looked down towards Serena. “I am sorry for what happened to you. What Anselm Bauer did was unforgivable.”
She nodded. “I appreciate it, Count. But frankly, it's in the past, and I'm trying to get past it.” Serena looked over to me for a second, then back to Ishmael. “He wronged me. He killed me and didn't even have the courtesy to let me stay dead.” She shook her head. “And now he's dead, so I won't ever figure out why.”
Teresa looked to Ishmael, and I wondered if they had some telepathic thing going. That, or they just had been together for a long time. Ishmael nodded to us. “I'll take my leave. I'm still recovering from the gunshot wound.”
“Hurts like hell, doesn't it?” I lifted my arm in the sling, wincing. “I hope I'll have more info when I talk to you next.”
“As do I.” Ishmael said as he took his leave.
Once he was gone, Teresa smiled. “Well, finally. Serena, welcome to the Last Drop.”
Serena walked to the soundproof glass that overlooked the dance floor of the club. “Cliche much?” She asked.
Teresa gave a weary sigh. “Ishmael bought it in the Nineties. Owned it under a shell of some sort, I forget the name he was using, but since the turn of the century it's been a vampire nightclub. People just didn't notice it until Four-thirteen. It's a profitable venture, and Ishmael likes to hold court here.”
Serena smirked. “Ah, hey, uh, spur of the moment idea.” Her face lightened up a little. “I'm going to let you two be, I'm going to head down, go see if there's something alcoholic that takes the edge off of the hunger.”
“The bar staff knows about you, they know a few recipes to take the edge off the hunger.”
Serena smiled and she started for the door. “Thanks. You going to be alright, Eric?”
“I'll be fine.” I said, and I waved my good hand. “Now shoo. I want my alone time too.”
I heard Serena's snort as she left. I resisted the urge to toss something at her, the little punk. When the door closed, however, my attention shifted to Teresa. “The things it takes to get us alone,” Teresa murmured.
I moved to one of the chairs in the room and sat, groaning softly. “Yeah, we set a date and I get shot.”
Teresa smirked. “How's that going?” She walked over, and she leaned down. She sniffed the wound. “Looks like it healed well. Want some help with that, Eric?”
I frowned for a moment. “What do you mean?”
“Vampiric blood has medicinal properties, naturally. May I?”
I hesitated for a moment. I had been wary about sharing blood. There was a small chance that a vampire who took witch blood could end up with powers. I hadn't let any vampire near my blood since my first bite on the night I found out I was a witch. But receiving blood?
“Got something you can mix it in?” I asked.
A wan smile crossed her features. “I might just have something.” She walked over to a cabinet in one corner of the room, and retrieved a bottle of whiskey. She poured out the whiskey into two glasses and then nicked her finger on her fangs. She stirred the finger in one of the drinks for just a moment, then brought them over. She offered me the one that I'd seen her stir.
“That's pretty clever.” I said. “I sure hope that's not your usual practice for serving here. Health Inspector probably wouldn't let you do it.”
“Definitely not,” she chuckled. Teresa lifted her glass. “To us getting some time together.”
I tapped my glass against hers. “Amen.” I sighed. I took a sip of the whiskey. It was good stuff, with a good smokey taste. It went down smooth, and the effects of the blood became almost immediately apparent. The ache in my shoulder started to fade. Between Amy's healing power and the blood, it was starting to feel as good as new. That was...unbelievable. Could vampires heal that fast from feeding?
I leaned forward and set the glass on a table. “Wow, that's good.” I reached for the sling with my good hand, and wiggled my way out of it. I flexed my right arm, testing it. I grunted softly. “Feels good.” I murmured.
Teresa perched herself on the arm of the chair, looking down at me. “Feeling better?” she asked. At my nod, she smirked. “So, how's life with the young vampiress?”
“Serena's great. Really.” I said. “My thing, though, is that I want to find out why this happened. I need to ask a favor.”
She looked down into my eyes. “Name it.”
“I want to contact Anselm Bauer's maker. I want to find out what made him do this.”
Teresa nodded. “Absolutely. It'll take some time to ask around. But I hopefully should be able to get us into contact once Dumont gets his information.”
I smiled, and leaned up to kiss her. Our lips met for a moment. Her lips held the taste of the whiskey. She smelled of coffee and cinnamon, two of her habits. I sighed as I broke the kiss. “I owe you one.”
“Damn straight you do.” She smirked, and she slid from the arm down into my lap. I slid my arm around her, and she sighed.
“How are things on the work front? Really. Ishmael seems stressed lately.”
Teresa shook her head. “A vampire lord has to protect his people. People are starting to question things. The murders are too vicious to be ignored. Three deaths in a few days.” She looked away for a moment. “I want to find who this is and rip out their throats.”
I let myself pause for a moment. “Seriously?” I hadn't ever heard her express such a violent outlook.
“They're my brothers and sisters, my kin, and someone is killing them.” She looked back to me, and then took a long pull of her whiskey. “You will find them, and you will bring them to justice.”
I thought about that. “What if it's a witch?” I asked softly. “I'm the only one I know about, sure, but if it's another...They'd be too dangerous to keep in custody. Should I kill them?”
Teresa leaned her head down, and she kissed my jaw softly. “Eric, you've been a good Knight for several months. Whatever you do, Ishmael will support your decision. Catherine also likes you, so no matter the route, you'll have a majority support.”
I chuckled. “Good thing it's only two out of three immortal, immensely powerful creatures I have to keep happy. Finnegan is a dick.”
“From your mouth to anyone's who's listening.” Teresa placed her hand on my chest. “This whole ordeal is...confusing. Magic was dead by the time I had been turned by Ishmael. The witches were gone. Dead, hunted, simply extinct, I don't know.” She shook her head. “Your expedition into the Other Side was the first I'd heard about, other than the Fae.”
“I've still never met one of them.”
“Consider yourself lucky.” Teresa said, her voice quiet. “They are strange, alien creatures. They wear the masks of humans, but they are more interested in their own glamours and the Other Side than they are with us.”
I smirked. “No, I just have three strange races to take care of. Catherine and her Red Angels keep to themselves, at least.” I lifted my glass, and downed the rest of the whiskey. More of the blood touched my palate, giving more of its boost. As it did, I became even more acutely aware of Teresa's unique scent. “Were there any side effects you didn't tell me about?”
“Perhaps,” Teresa said, giving me an innocent enough look in her dark eyes. “It does get the blood pumping.” She ground herself against my lap, drawing a grunt of desire from me.
/>
I looked up at her, and I leaned my head forward. I nipped at her lip, and whispered. “You evil woman.”
Teresa kissed my jaw, and started to work her way up it, towards my ear. She nipped at the lobe, whispered. “Oh, what else am I?”
A hiss escaped my throat as she bit at my ear. Her fangs were in play, at least, and it sent every nerve of my body alive. “Wicked, clever, beautiful.”
“Keep going.” She whispered. “You're on a roll tonight, enchanter.”
I already had had her blood tonight. I wanted to share myself with her. I had to think about it, I wanted to word it right. “I want you. Could you promise not to bite me? I'm not ready for that, yet.” I didn't want to even think of her hopped up on my witch's blood.
“Absolutely.” She whispered. “Blood and sex aren't the same. They are both very intimate,” She kissed down my face towards my neck again. “But I can separate the two. I am willing to have whatever you will offer, Eric.”
I pulled back just slightly, and looked into her eyes. “God damn, that is the hottest thing I've ever heard.”
“Text Serena. She can get herself home tonight.”
I pulled my phone from my jacket. Texting with a vampire nibbling on me was a feat in itself.
Chapter 17
My phone was ringing. It was the standard ring tone, no personalizing or anything. Huh. I reached out and grabbed the blasted thing. “Carpenter,” I grumbled into the phone. I looked at the little clock. It was only seven. I probably hadn't been asleep too long. I sure didn't feel like it.
“Mister Carpenter? I'm John Foy.” A rich masculine voice answered. “Nick sent me. I'm out in front of your residence, and I'm here to pick you up for a job.”
I stirred, trying to find the glass of water I kept by my bedside. “You're kidding.”
“Nope. I thought you two had a deal.”
“Give me fifteen...” I looked at Teresa. Her arm was still draped over me. “No, thirty minutes.”
I heard his tongue click on the other end of the line. “I do have a schedule.”
Blood Sport (The American Arcane Book 2) Page 13
