by Lily Luchesi
In a split second, all of that ran through Danny’s head before he released Brighton’s hand. He noticed that Brighton’s expression never changed. Either he saw nothing when he touched Danny, or he had an amazing poker face. Danny was betting on the latter.
In the car, Brighton opened his jacket and took a pack of cigarettes from the inside pocket. “Do you mind? I hate flying, and haven’t had one in over ten hours.”
“Not at all,” Danny replied. “Just roll down the window.”
After he lit up, Brighton said, “So, you were a detective? Twenty years?”
Danny nodded, knowing that there was only one way Brighton had known that. “Yep. That’s why I’m good at what I do in the PID. Angelica told me you were a chemist?”
“I still am. And a software designer in my spare time outside of hunting. Just one of my hobbies.” He blew smoke out the window as they drove on the I-90 to get back to downtown. “I see your main hobby is similar to one of mine: shagging your boss.” He chuckled, and Danny nearly crashed the car.
“I thought you Brits were supposed to be polite?” he said, ignoring the angry honks from the other drivers.
Brighton laughed louder. “Usually I am. I just wanted to see your face.” He paused, looking at Danny curiously. “You’re not going to ask how I know so much about you? The old job, the girlfriend?”
“Nope.” Danny was hiding a smirk. Let’s see how he enjoys having his own game played on him. “Because I know just as much about you. You were once known as Benjamin Quinn, the coroner in London. You hunted with Mark, who was then known as Dr. Michael Finnigan, along with an American named Leander Price, and a man named Vincent Cross, who was also Angelica’s father. In this life, you’re considered a genius and the best hunter in England, and you’ve got a villa in a French village already picked out for yours and Mark’s honeymoon, a gift from the Detective Inspector who’s been working with Scotland Yard via the London PID, a longtime partner of yours from back then. He’s some kind of non-lethal immortal.”
Danny looked out the corner of his eye and was very satisfied when he saw Brighton’s face go slack with shock. The cigarette hung from the corner of his lips, and Danny hoped it wouldn’t drop and burn a hole in the black leather upholstery.
“You’ve got the same gift I do, don’t you?” Brighton asked, gathering himself. “I knew you were reincarnated, but I didn’t think you were psychic as well.”
“Technically, I’m not psychic,” Danny said. “I can see visions of the near present and the past, but I can’t see the future outside of a few rogue dreams I’ve had.”
“Yet. It will come, trust me,” Brighton said. “Anyway, the psychometry is a wonderful gift in and of itself. I’ve got people in London thinking I’m some sort of Sherlock Holmes.” He laughed. “Poor, stupid fools.”
“Wow, you’re a bastard, aren’t you?” Danny asked.
He shrugged. “Part of the reputation. Can’t be a hunter and have people thinking you’re a sweet little thing, can you?”
“Angelica would say that you can, just because you can then go and surprise your enemies by slitting their throats. So, aside from my relationship with Angelica and my profession, what else did you see when you touched me?” It was part personal curiosity that spawned that question.
“Nothing that Mark didn’t already tell me on the phone last night,” he replied. “You?”
Danny paused. “Nothing too secretive. You kissing Mark back in the past, you proposing to him in the present…he’s really the most important thing in your life now, isn’t he?”
“Isn’t Angelica the most important thing in yours?” Brighton countered.
“Touché.” Danny turned onto Lakeshore Drive and hit terrible traffic. “Tell me, why are you keeping Mark from knowing his past? From my limited experience, it seems that only you can Awaken him, and yet somehow you’ve managed to keep him dumb.”
Brighton visibly stiffened at that statement. “If you’ll excuse me, I don’t think that that is any of your business, Detective.”
“I’m only asking because it was Angelica who fully Awakened me, and she did so out of love. You obviously love Mark, so why haven’t you told him?” Danny wondered.
“Perhaps you didn’t quite understand me. Allow me to repeat what I said in a simpler manner: piss off.” Danny turned to see that Brighton’s eyes had darkened with anger. He knew he should lay off for now. Just like with perps, you needed to give them time to cool down before trying to get too much information out of them at once. Some perps needed to be sweated, interrogated vigorously, but most worked better when left alone for a while. He could tell that Brighton would be that type…not that he was a perp, of course.
“Okay, I’ll drop it,” Danny said. “I do have another question: Angelica has tried gathering as much information about reincarnated souls as possible since she encountered me, including the psychic gift that comes as a side-effect. Would you be willing to tell her your story for the case files?”
Brighton thought for a moment as Danny pulled into the private parking garage. “Sure, why not? I’m always willing to contribute to a case study.”
They went to the elevator, and Danny realized that it was so late, Angelica was already in her office, talking with Mark. Danny felt a twinge of jealousy that Angelica appeared to be confiding something in Mark, when she wouldn’t tell Danny why she was being so distant.
Brighton knocked on the doorframe. “Knock knock,” he said. “Your delicate shipment from London has arrived safely…a small miracle, considering how people in this city drive.”
“Hello, Brighton. Always so good to see you,” Angelica said, smiling as she watched Mark jump into his fiancé’s arms as if he hadn’t seen him in months instead of just two days. Danny’s jealousy only increased, as Angelica barely acknowledged his existence.
Danny went around the kissing couple and motioned for Angelica to come closer. She did, but reluctantly. “He remembers everything and is willing to participate in a study for your files. Just a word of caution: he’s keeping Mark dumb for a reason, and he gets very defensive about. I’ll get it out of him, don’t worry. Just don’t press the issue too much right now. Hopefully it’s the jetlag making him so irritable.”
“No, he’s kind of an ass all the time. Got it. Thanks, Danny.” She moved away from him quickly, as if he was infectious. She stood back behind her desk. “Hey, Mark, while I know you’re thrilled to be with Brighton again, I need to do some intake with him. Can you man the desk for a little while longer while we go to another room?”
Mark embarrassedly moved away from Brighton, wiping his lips. “Sure, boss. Whatever you need.” He cleared his throat, a warm blush spreading on his face.
She turned to Danny. “You can go home if you’d like.”
He shook his head. “Wouldn’t it be better if you had us both to compare stories?”
She sighed, running a hand through her hair. She was so beautiful. He thought about it every day, when he saw her anew. Today she was wearing a white button-down shirt almost the same color as her skin underneath a cropped black blazer. Her black pants were so tight he wondered if they hurt when she was getting them on. If it was possible, she was more beautiful after she had been turned. It was as if her fully Undead state unleashed all the ethereal beauty her mortal side had hidden.
“Fine. Come on.” She grabbed her cell phone and the same tape recorder Bart had used. She led them to a comfortable sitting room, decorated with Gothic furniture. Like many of the rooms in the PID, it had no windows.
“Why is that?” Danny asked, talking about the lack of windows. “Don’t want people to jump when they find out monsters aren’t just for TV anymore?”
Angelica sat in a high-backed chair and just gave him a look. “It’s to prevent spying from those we are trying to capture. Also, it keeps out the sunlight. Now, if you please…let’s get on with this.”
“Couldn’t they have just gotten curtains?” Danny muttered.
“I can hear you.”
He knew she could hear him, and had made the comment in hopes he’d get to see her smile. No such luck. She was as dour as ever, seated in that chair like royalty, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders and her legs crossed regally. All she needed was a scepter and a crown. His heart ached, wanting to touch her, but knowing it wouldn’t be welcome.
He sat down, careful not to sit on the edge of Brighton’s coat. It looked expensive as he slowly took it off and placed it next to him.
“Brighton, why did you never tell me about your powers; your past?” Angelica asked, already turning on the tape recorder.
He brushed an errant curl from his face. “I don’t know. I suppose I didn’t think it was relevant to what we do.”
“It is an entirely different level of the supernatural,” she said. “Whether you think it was God or some other deity, it is unnatural. Danny, what do you think it is? Why do you think that you, Brighton, and Mark were given this rare chance at a second life?”
“Well, I think it’s because we all lost something in our past lives. I saw in a vision that Mark was killed, Brighton. He was shot. I assume he died before you did?” Brighton nodded, his face ashen. “I died so young, Angie. We all lost our chance at the greatest thing life has to offer.”
Angelica looked confused. “And what’s that?” she asked, at the same time as Brighton.
Danny was aghast. Were they related or something? They were both so intelligent, but it seemed like they were truly clueless when it came to emotion. Angelica had a reason for that. What was Brighton’s?
“Love. We all lost the chance at love. Angelica, had you died as well, I am sure you would have been reincarnated. Back in college, we used to talk about the meaning of life, and many of my friends had decided that there was no meaning. Deep down, I disagreed. I always knew that in life, the best and most pure thing is to love and be loved in return. We lost that opportunity, and God saw fit to bring us back for another chance.”
Brighton looked surprised and thoughtful as he tried to process Danny’s reasoning. Angelica’s black lacquered nails were digging tears in the fabric of her chair.
“I suppose you’re right, in a way,” Brighton said. “Plus, with the powers we received as a side-effect, we can do some real good in this world, so it’s really a win-win no matter the reason why.”
“How long have you had your powers?” Angelica asked Brighton. “Danny received his at the same time he started having his visions, and that wasn’t till after he was reunited with me.”
“All my life,” Brighton said. “All my life I was haunted by my past. It…it didn’t end well. For a very long time, I thought it was just a vivid imagination giving me the visions, but the precognition set in when I was about ten or so, and I knew I had a strange gift.
“I would see Mark, he was named Michael then, and I would see our end. It was…terrible. When I saw him in the London PID, I thought I was hallucinating.”
Angelica nodded. “Why haven’t you helped him regain his memories?”
Brighton physically stiffened next to Danny. “I already know that this one,” he cocked his head in Danny’s direction, “told you that I would not reveal such personal information. Why waste your breath asking me?”
Angelica’s eyes flashed red. “Watch your tongue. I tolerate your impertinence because you and I are quite similar in personality, but I will not hesitate to part ways with you if push came to shove.”
Brighton chose, wisely, to ignore her threat. “I keep him in the dark because I love him too much to cause him pain. I would never have him relive his death if he does not need to.”
Angelica nodded. “Fair enough.” She was about to say something more when Mark burst into the room.
“Guys, I don’t mean to interrupt, but we have a big problem.”
Chapter Seven
“What the good fuck happened here?” Angelica cried, seeing the bloody corpse of one of her human employees lying on a stretcher in the building’s morgue.
Her name had been Carolina, and she had been a great hunter. Tough, smart, and a valued member of the company. Now she was a bloody slab of meat with a message intricately carved into her stomach.
“Read it for yourself,” Mark commented.
Angelica leaned over the corpse, and Brighton did the same. “She’s a message, Cross. No one is safe till you’re dead.”
“Those were made by werewolf claws,” Brighton commented.
“Really? I couldn’t tell,” Angelica snapped. “Where was she tonight, Mark? Where did you send her?”
Mark clicked something on his smartphone. “I didn’t send her anywhere. She wasn’t working today. She requested the day off because she had volunteered to help clean up some church that got desecrated last week.”
“St. James. This corpse isn’t old. If she was killed in that area, there’s a good chance that the shifters who did this are still around,” Angelica said. “I will fucking rip them apart.” She checked her coat pockets for her guns and blade, ready to dash out the door.
“Whoa, hold it!” Danny said. “You can’t go alone. These are Fiona’s minions, because no fully turned natural wolf could have written that.” He placed himself between her and the door.
“Get out of my way, Danny,” she said, feeling her pulse quicken. Stubborn man!
“He’s right,” Brighton said. “You need backup. We’re coming with you, whether you like it or not.”
Angelica sighed, looking back at the mutilated corpse of a woman she had known. A human woman she had put into such danger, just because she was alive. She didn’t want any other mortals injured or killed because of her. This was her fight, not theirs.
“Angie, Fiona wants you dead, and she wants me with her. This is as much my fight as it is yours,” Danny pointed out.
“Yeah, but that dead girl doesn’t have your name carved into her flesh, now does she?” Angelica asked harshly.
Brighton rolled his eyes. “Does it matter? We won’t let you go alone, so suck it up and deal with it!” He turned to Mark. “Keep things running here, love. We’ll be back soon. One wolf can’t have a prayer against the three of us.”
Angelica didn’t have a choice, unless she knocked both men out, and she really didn’t care to do that. It was very nice that they wanted to help her. What they didn’t understand was that, by staying close to her, they were living targets. What she was unsure of was, were they targets for the enemy, or targets to her ever-growing bloodlust?
***
The church was within walking distance from the PID offices. It was beautiful and peaceful. Danny had not been a member— his church was closer to the suburbs —but he had stopped in to pray on several occasions. It was a favorite place for tourists and locals alike.
“Wait, Angelica,” he said as they saw the spire in the distance.
“What?” she asked, obviously impatient.
Brighton cleared his throat. “I believe he is wondering, now that you’re a full vampire, can you enter the church without turning to ash?”
Both Angelica and Danny looked at him as though he was crazy.
“How did you know that? I only just informed Mark of it as you walked in the door today, so don’t tell me he told you. If you’re reading my mind, quit it, or I’ll personally lobotomize you!” she said.
He chuckled. “I can’t read your mind. I can’t read any vampire’s mind, actually. I didn’t exactly read Danny’s mind: his thoughts are so vivid about you, it was like looking at a neon sign.”
Danny could not believe his ears. His powers didn’t work like that. Would they, as he became stronger and more confident? And who was he, or Brighton, or anyone, to have access to someone’s private thoughts? That wasn’t fair. A person’s mind was their most sacred place, and no one should invade that space, especially not uninvited.
“You’re a bastard,” he spat. “Don’t ever do that again!”
“I can’t help it,” he said. �
��It’s not like I can turn it off at will, you know. And one day, you too will be like me, so best to get used to the idea now.”
“And to answer your question, Danny, vampires can go inside churches. It just makes us feel a bit uncomfortable. Only direct contact with holy water can actually hurt us. A large part of the whole vampires are the Devil’s spawn myth is just that, a myth. Holy water is a different case, and I will explain it another time. Shall we continue, please, before they get too far away?”
She started stalking away, and Danny followed.
“You’re watching her arse,” Brighton commented.
“And you are an arse,” Danny replied. “Do you ever shut up?”
“Nope.” He grinned, and jogged to catch up with Angelica, who had suddenly stopped as she was about to round a corner.
“Angie?” Danny asked, only to be shushed like a naughty child.
He watched as she concentrated. “I can smell Carolina’s blood, and the wolf scent,” she whispered. “They’re close, but not right here. Follow me, and for the love of all that’s holy, be quiet!” Despite being in heels, Angelica’s feet made no noise on the concrete as she rounded the corner, took a cursory glance over the blood behind the church, and then made another turn on a side street of Wabash. It was in that dead end that they all saw the cursed werewolf, standing there as if it had been waiting for them.
Every time they encountered one of Fiona’s wolves, Danny always sensed the nefarious energy from her black magic surrounding it, like a cloud. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up from it. He gripped his gun, ready to fire the moment Angelica gave the signal. He saw that Brighton was ready as well, though to the untrained eye, no one could tell he had a gun under that coat of his. Danny had thought the coat was pretentious, but now he saw that it was a deterrent to Brighton’s arsenal. He was packing a lot more than just a single gun under there.
“Well, well, little vamplet,” the wolf growled, “it is a true pleasure to see you in person. I see you got my note.”
