Twelve Shades of Midnight:

by Liliana Hart

  I was hopeful that underneath all the show was still the sweet girl from two summers past who’d cheerfully given away free homemade lemonade and colorful hand-drawn happy faces.

  One look at the babysitter and Anara froze. “I don’t think you should invite her in.”

  It was fairly ironic our sitter looked like a caricature of a vampire when we were going to go save Sage from the real things.

  Granted, it had been a while since I’d seen Alexis, but we couldn’t afford to be picky now. “She’s fine.” I nodded at the violin case. “What’s in there?”

  “A violin,” she said like I was an idiot. “I have to practice. I’m lead violin for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra.”

  Scary, but talented. “See, Anara? Crazy people don’t play the violin.”

  Anara came along side me and whispered, still staring at the girl, “You should have met Vivaldi.”

  “You knew Vivaldi?” Ryan asked. How old was she?

  Beau appeared at the top of the stairs and gave the girl who stood unimpressed on our front porch a quick once over. “I see the new and improved Alexis has come out to play.”

  He’d just come from his bedroom, or the place I liked to call the armory. He carried a bag full of all sorts of gadgetry he’d been dying to try, from glass cutters to lock picking tools to rappelling harnesses and ropes. He was a walking Boy Scout with a heart of bitter rage when it came to the vamps and their pets. No one could fault him though. Once he committed himself to a job, he threw himself into the endeavor.

  “It’s Lexi now, Jarhead.”

  Her flat tone and the imitation of a death ray coming from her eyes didn’t even make Beau pause as he descended the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he slammed a loaded clip into his gun and stashed it in his side holster. “That’s Mr. Jarhead, sweetpea.” He glanced at me. “Attitude is a five and heading south. That might be a good thing.”

  I had to agree. She was five steps left of a full blown teenage meltdown. If trouble knocked, she’d call on her teenage mutant ninja powers of disenchantment and loathing to fight back.

  “But look at her,” Anara said, waving her hand up and down to indicate the direction Lexi chose to show her independence. “She looks—”

  “It’s still kind of raining. Are you going to let me in or not?” No emotion crossed Lexi’s face. She looked bored and ready to leave.

  Anara leaned forward and sniffed, drawing back quickly. “Not.” She turned to me. “She smells funny.”

  “In,” I countered and pulled the girl inside, giving her a quick sniff. She smelled a bit too home grown, but what teenager didn’t these days?

  “Do you pray to God?” Anara asked her.

  “What?” Lexi slanted her gaze at me. “I thought I was babysitting, not leading a Bible study.”

  I placed myself between Lexi and Anara. “You’re babysitting, except our baby isn’t exactly a baby. She’s six—”

  “And three quarters,” Anara injected.

  “Our Baby is a bit…high strung.” I forced a smile on my face.

  The girl heaved a sigh. “Is that a euphemism for she’s going to be a huge pain in my ass?”

  “Absolutely. She acts out worse than you.”

  “I charge double for brats.”

  Anara took a threatening step forward, and I stopped her mid-advance. She swung her head toward me, her lips tight. “We can’t leave Baby with this girl.”

  I whispered back so as not to scare off Lexi, “It’s a little late to change our minds. We don’t have a choice.”

  “Let me handle this.” Beau stepped forward. “I know all about you,” he said as he glared at Lexi. He leaned in threateningly. “I know who your friends are, where you hang out and what you all do there. Do your job right and I won’t tell your parents. Screw up and I won’t just tell them, I’ll tell the cops.”

  “Snitch,” she said under her breath.

  A very real, disturbing smile flickered across Beau’s face. “In a heartbeat, cupcake. I take care of my own and consequences be damned. Understand me?” He plopped down a wad of cash on the table by the door. “We got a deal?”

  She grabbed the money and pulled her thumb through it. Looking up she said in a deadpan voice, “Where’s the little princess? I can’t wait to meet her.”

  Beau nodded toward the staircase. “We have her locked up in a bedroom upstairs.”

  Lexi snorted. “Yeah, my parents tried that too. If she has two arms and two legs, she’ll climb out of there. Trust me.”

  “When we get back,” Anara snarled and pointed a finger in Lexi’s face, “she had better still have two arms and two legs.”

  “Okay…” The darkly outlined eyes swept Anara up and down, taking in her armor and swords and then looked at me. “Are you guys some of those video game cosplay freaks?”

  I jumped on the excuse. “Yeah. Anara’s into World of Dark Magic.” I flashed my gun, the wooden stake, and my sword stashed on my back. I lifted my hands and said, “I’m into the Death Maker. What do you think? Do I fit the part?”

  “That’s a vampire slaying game, right? I guess,” she said, totally unimpressed. “Aren’t you guys a little old to be playing dress-up?”

  Beau slipped past her, grabbed my assault bag I’d placed in the entry way and waved Anara and me out the door. “It’s getting late and we got monsters to slay.”

  I smiled at the girl. “We are, but that’s the fun part.” I stepped outside and started to close the door, then stopped. “Remember. Don’t invite anyone inside. No one. Keep the door shut and locked.”

  The heavily made up eyes widened and I closed the door, cutting off her question and her escape. I heard the bolt slam home. At least she’d listened to something I’d said.

  “I feel sick leaving her with that…girl,” Anara said.

  Beau shook his head. “You’d feel worse if we brought Baby along and she turned into a snack.” He headed to his car. “Lexi’s harmless. Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

  I grabbed Anara’s hand and pulled her toward my motorcycle. No way was I going to let her get in my brother’s beater again. Before I strapped the helmet on her, I pulled her close for a kiss. Her lips softened against mine and her fingers gripped my shirt, drawing me closer. When I pulled away, she asked breathlessly, “What was that for?”

  The porch light showed her cheeks were slightly flushed and her eyes were soft with desire. I did that to her and I couldn’t help the feeling of pride.

  “Do you know how you said I needed to feel needed? You need to know nothing’s changed. I deal with the strange and unusual and scary every day. What happened to you is strange and unusual, but it doesn’t scare me. Curses can be lifted.” I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “If that’s what you want, we’ll find a way.”

  The next thing I knew, she pressed herself against me, her lips on mine for a kiss that was sweet and fierce at the same time. When she pulled away, her gaze glistened, but she wasn’t crying. She wiped away the excess with the back of her hand and smiled. “I want that more than you know. Thank you.”

  I smiled back. “You’re welcome.” I secured her helmet and said, “I like your reward system. It’s a hell of a lot better than Beau’s.”

  Beau’s ugly little car spat an ugly sound as he leaned on the horn and stuck his head out the window. “Congratulations, if you live, you’ll probably get laid tonight. Now can we get this over with?”

  I climbed on my bike and glared at him as Anara settled in behind me. He just grinned, knowing he was being a jerk, and sped away.

  We followed him toward a house on Clarmont Park, a dimly lit street near the Five Horses Tavern, and parked close enough so we can see who went in and out, but far enough away that they wouldn’t take any notice of us. We huddled around the car and Beau popped the trunk.

  “I’ve been to that pub,” I said nodding my head to indicate the corner building down the street. “It’s nice. I can’t believe the vamps have b
een living right under our noses, and we never knew.”

  “Not the vamps. Their pets. They easily blend in. No one would guess them to be the murderers they are.” Beau checked his gun one more time and grabbed another clip from the bag he’d tossed in his trunk before slinging it over his shoulder. “This is going to get ugly really fast.”

  I grabbed a few more clips as well and stashed them in my pockets. Anara stared down the street. I had no idea what she was thinking. “Have you ever done this before?”

  “I fight vampires in back alleys mostly,” she said. “I’ve never followed one home.”

  “I meant their furry little friends. Have you ever fought one of them?”

  “Never.”

  I won’t lie. I kind of wished she’d said she had. I had to prepare her for what we were about to face. “What’s in that house is the top tier of our little petting zoo around these parts. They do a lot of the dirty work, stuff the vamps don’t want to do.”

  “Like kidnapping little girls,” she said, her face showing her hate.

  Beau stared down the street at the house. “I used to like werewolves,” he said with a hint of fondness. “When they aren’t around their masters, they’re laid back, always joking around, kind of like a bunch of college kids looking for the next party. Then I saw them in action. They’ll do anything to please the vamps. They are, hands down, the most disgusting, murderous creatures you’ll ever meet. They don’t give a damn about anyone or anything except their masters.” He turned and looked straight at Anara. “If you think vamps are bad tempered, wait until you fight one of their wolves.”

  Anara focused an assessing gaze on the house in the distance. She didn’t look at all scared, and that terrified me. Over confidence could get her killed. I put my hand on her arm. “Maybe you should let us handle this. You can keep watch out here.”

  She turned her intense gaze on me. “Are you going in there?”

  “You know I am.”

  “Then I’ll be right beside you.”

  Beau stuck his head between us. “I didn’t agree to come out here to stand in the dark. We all know what to do?”

  We’d discussed our entrance more than a dozen times. I nodded. “Let’s do this.”

  Beau grabbed me and we hugged. “Love ya, brother. Stay alive.”

  I squeezed him. “Love you too. Ashes to ashes.”

  “Dust to dust. God be with you.”

  We broke apart. “God be with you,” I repeated.

  “God be with us all,” Anara said. Beau nodded and trotted toward the house, keeping low and in the shadows. She turned her startling blue gaze on me.

  I leaned against the car, slipped my fingers in between hers and pulled her close. Her features were obscured by shadows. Though the clouds split and thinned around the moon, the trees lining the street kept its glow at bay. “You ready to take me on?”

  “I should be asking you that question.”

  “You’re like…perfect.” I kissed her and nuzzled her neck. “I’m lucky to breathe the same air as you.”

  I brought my lips to hers, felt the heat of her mouth, the sweetness of her. The longing. The more I kissed her, the more I wanted.

  She broke away and pressed her lips along my jaw to my ear. After a quick nip to my earlobe, she said breathlessly, “Shouldn’t we help your brother?”

  I picked her up, did a 180 and pressed her against the car, settling my hips against hers. “We are. We’re giving him time to get into position.” I gave her another kiss and said, “I’m all about multitasking.”

  A rock hit my back, making me wince, and I turned to see the faint shadow of Beau duck behind a car. No doubt he thought I was being irresponsible again. I grinned, turned back to Anara and kissed her once more, flipping him off as I did to needle him. Kissing Anara was a needed a distraction as well as a pleasure. If people happened to glance out their window, finding a couple kissing wouldn’t be unusual, especially with a pub so close. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d seen something far more active going on along this street. After a moment, we broke apart and I slid my arm around her as we watched him slip closer to the house until we couldn’t see him anymore.

  He needn’t worry. I was completely here for him. If not for Anara, I’d be right beside him, tackling the place from the bottom up. With Anara’s help, we would be able to take them by surprise, a rare moment for the wolves who felt totally secure in their den.

  I tried to shake the feeling of disgust at what we were about to do. Fighting the pets was way worse than the vamps for me. They looked human. Reacted human. Bled like humans. It was only when they turned into big, angry, flesh-tearing wolves they revealed what they really were. Until that time, fighting them was a nasty business. After they turned, it became a gorefest. I’d seen a few in their bloodlust attack each other for no other reason than they wanted the same victim. I slanted a glance at Anara. “This isn’t going to be pretty. We can’t just wound them. These guys can get hit by a Mack truck and keep fighting. That means we have to destroy them.”

  She stared into the night. “Over the centuries, I’ve seen the worst in man and beast. I’ve done things no one should. Nothing shocks me anymore…only that God still has hope for us.” She turned her face to me, so beautiful, yet a deadly gleam had entered her eyes. “I’ll make every hit count.”

  I nodded, disturbed she’d been placed in a curse that used her in a way that ate at her soul. We were the same. We did what we did to save others, yet I understood her despair. Did we really make a difference? I had to believe we did. If I let doubt rule me, I’d go insane.

  “It’s time.” I pushed away from the car and grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. “Beau should be in place.”

  We had to do this quick—no sound, no warning—if we intended to get away without the rest of the neighborhood knowing. Once guns started going off, the police would be on their way.

  Anara slipped to my back and wrapped her arms around my chest. A sudden whoosh sounded, and the tips of her wings extend into a glorious length. The feathers were truly beautiful, and I couldn’t quite wrap my brain around the fact she had wings coming out of her back. Wings so big and so strong she assured me she could fly while carrying me.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  A silly grin appeared on my face. “Can I just say, having wings has got to be the coolest thing ever.”

  A soft, feminine laugh sounded in my ear that gave me goosebumps and a wish we could play hookie like a couple of hormonal teenagers and make out in the car. Before I could say anything, we rocketed into the sky. The feeling of free flight was as amazing as I’d thought it would be. We flew high into the night far above the lights and sounds of Boston and circled a few moments before spiraling toward the house. The roof had been converted into a rooftop patio with a large grill area, bar and a massive hot tub. Anara pulled up short, her wings beating hard enough to stir the air and whisk up water from the puddles left by the evening’s rain until we landed without a sound.

  We broke apart, and as I ran forward, I drew my sword. Guns would be for later, when the fighting became too thick for anything else, though I hoped to avoid that part. Anara went in the other direction, freeing her swords for action. We made a sweep of the area and came together at a skylight set in the middle of the roof.

  The smell of dirty water mingled with the fresh scent of her. I touched her arm, drawing her eyes to me. I needed to say something I’d never said before, something I’d put it off since she’d awakened. It felt too soon, but it needed to be said before all hell broke loose. I swallowed hard. “This is going to sound crazy, but…I love you.”

  I thought saying it would make me cringe inside. Just the opposite happened. A strange lightness filled my heart. A confidence I’d never felt before swept through me. Staring into her pale blue eyes, I waited for her reply. She blinked, but other than that, she gave no sign of emotion, only saying, “Craziness does seem to run in your family.”

  I’d
just said the biggest thing I’d ever said IN MY LIFE, and that’s what I got in return? I watched her ease closer to the skylight and peer over.

  My heart dropped into my stomach. “What? That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say?”

  She slanted a quick glance my way and her mouth tipped into a mischievous smile. She leaned forward and pressed her soft lips to mine. Kissing her was like nothing I’d ever experienced. It was magical and completely real at the same time. She pulled away, her gaze locked onto mine and she said in a slow sexy voice, “What do you want to hear, that I love you so much, it scares me? It does. But I can’t help myself.”

  That was more like it. We sat there grinning stupidly at each other for a moment, like we were on a blanket at the beach instead of on the roof of the house harboring a group of killers.

  All too soon, a muffled sound came from below the skylight. We peered over the edge into a dark hallway. Quiet and empty with doors on each side. A few seconds later someone came into view carrying a woman gone limp in his arms. We pulled back, but not before I saw him pause and sniff. I was sweating so much, I had no doubt the air fairly reeked of me.

  I whispered close to Anara’s ear, “He knows we’re here.”

  Motioning to myself, I then pointed in the direction of a long bar and then pointed to her and then to the sky. She nodded. The next moment, she launched herself into the night. I dove behind the bar just as the guy came on the roof, his gun drawn and held confidently in front of him.

  I eased my bag from my shoulder and tucked it safely in the corner. It was only a matter of time before he found me. I listened to his steps, and when they got close enough, I rolled to the right and popped up, bringing my sword down on his wrists. Blood splattered the bartop and his eyes widened at the shock. Before he could scream, Anara swooped down and stabbed him through the heart. He collapsed at her feet, his body twisting in spasms before lying still. The thing about werewolves…they didn’t disappear in a convenient cloud of ash. They just toppled over dead, all messy and bloody for the police to find later on. Depending on the number of pets in the house, we could be in for a slaughter of epic proportions. I jumped over the bar, grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him out of sight.