“All right, all right.” Nicolas squeezed my hand and covered it with his other one. “First, tell me where you were and what happened.”
I told him everything, from the Lady coming to his mother’s house to the taxi service. My voice cracked in a few spots, and he drew me closer.
“We’ll figure it out, Erin.” Nicolas caressed my cheek. A tender touch. My lips parted slightly with it. “None of this will be in vain.”
“We’ll make this right.” My voice trembled as my jaw tightened. Things would never be right again without Connor, but I could find the killer and bring him to justice.
“Let me put this bag inside first and then we’ll hop another cab.” He squeezed my hand once more and bent to pick up the bag.
“Where did you go, by the way?” I glanced at the bag.
“I had to get my stuff from the hotel. I needed to at least get the bags of blood from the fridge. I couldn’t leave all these clothes there either. Plus some books I’ve been doing research with, the laptop—”
Was he really that stupid? I wanted to scream.
“You went back to the hotel?” I groaned. “Do you even listen to what I tell you? What if someone saw you and followed you here?”
“I’m sorry. I remembered what you said.” Nicolas sighed. “I needed the blood, at least. Even you have to admit that my drinking donated blood in a bag is better than eating people. I was careful. I moved quickly. No one in the hotel saw me, and I had the cab drop me at the Old Navy ten blocks from here.”
Maybe he wasn’t that much of an idiot. Yet his going to the hotel put me on edge even more.
“Okay.” I took in a calming breath. “Go hide your bag inside and be fast about it. Just be forewarned, I stepped on the last stair. Your mom looked out the window for a while.”
“She won’t hear a thing.” He winked and was gone in the blink of an eye.
I didn’t even hear the door open or shut. He was back in front of me in less than a minute. I had seen several kinds of demons come through the funeral home, but nothing that moved like a vampire. It was surreal.
Focus. I forced my mind back on the mission. Time to find out who killed my best friend.
The tricky part was going to be getting near the funeral home. They had security cameras. The place where Connor had been found had to be around the far left-side where there were no doors or windows. No cameras sat on that stretch of wall. I bet the Putzkammers would still be there, or at least Cort or Paul.
The outside lights shined bright, including the ones in the parking lot. There was no way to get to the scene unseen. My insides twisted and clenched. I didn’t know if I could hold back the tears if I were standing on the spot where Connor’s body had lain.
“I don’t suppose vampires can turn invisible.”
“I’ve never tried.” Nicolas screwed up his face in comic concentration. “Can you see me now?”
I whacked him on the shoulder. Almost grinning, I hated myself for it. I didn’t deserve to ever smile again.
“I can move really fast, though. Maybe the cameras won’t pick me up.”
“I can’t.” I gnawed at my lower lip. “I want to see for myself where—”
“No, you don’t need to.” He shushed me as I opened my mouth to protest. “You think you want to do it, but really, it’s not necessary. I’m fast, and I’ve got all these super senses. I’ve always had a keen eye for detail. Like you always trying to hide yourself in high necked sweaters and layers of clothing. If there’s something there that will help us, I’ll find it.”
My hand went up to cover the left side of my neck. My spots. Hence the conservative wardrobe. I never let anyone see them. Not the Putzkammers or even the Lady. What would Nicolas think of my spots? Would he be repulsed?
Why was I even thinking this?
Mentally slapping myself, I tore my gaze from him to the funeral home. Concentrate.
Nicolas had a good point. If anything was there, he’d find it. I also suggested to him that he could try to catch the scent of the killer. Any lingering smell might help. “Just be careful.”
“My middle name is Cautious.” He flashed his fangs with a grin.
“Yeah, right. Go.” I gestured to the funeral home with my head.
Nicolas stared at it for a few seconds, and then he was off running. I thought I saw a blur move across the parking lot, but I wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the eye or not. I did catch a glimpse of him as he slowed, crouched down, and made his way along the brick wall. He stayed in the shadows as best he could as he crept around back.
I fiddled with the compact in my pocket. Sunlight was a vampire’s weakness. I wondered if the Allu had one. I didn’t even know where to begin to find out such a thing. Old tales and myths weren’t reliable. I couldn’t ask Aleo, and he would have been the most reliable source of information.
Nicolas was beside me again. I stifled a shriek. He shifted back and forth on his feet as he shook his head.
“I don’t know. Someone cleaned up really well. I could still smell the blood. Sorry, but demon blood stinks. Chances are he wasn’t killed there. Too open and public, and you did say he’d been tortured.” He paused, lips pursed. “No. He wasn’t killed there. Just set on display. It was a message. If he was tortured, someone wanted something out of him. The question is: what did Connor know that someone else wanted to know?”
I looked up at him. My eyes locked with his.
“They wanted to know where you were.” A long breath expelled from my lungs.
“Or where you were.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I’m not important to anyone. You, on the other hand, have demon hunters and vampires trying to track you down.”
Then it clicked in my head. If it wasn’t the Allu, it had to be someone else equally as cruel and destructive. By the look on his face, I saw it came to him too.
“Hessa.”
“That bitch! Do you think she could do it?” I had my own opinion, but I wasn’t going to take knowing the truth based on old stories anymore. He actually spent time with Hessa.
“I think she would. Maybe. I don’t know.” Nicolas groaned. “I mean, she made threats. And it wasn’t the Allu. She’s trying to find me. I’ve never seen her physically hurt anyone. I had no clue she was anything but a walking wet dream.” He gave me an apologetic look as I scowled at him. “Sorry. But she’s a vampire, right? I was pretty heavily under her influence. Every man wanted her. She was ruthless about the games she played with people too. That’s why I think she could have done it, or at least had someone do it for her.”
I gritted my teeth. I wanted to sock him for saying that about Hessa and then giving up all responsibility for his own actions based on being under Hessa’s influence. I had felt the power of those particular charms, but still. Nicolas could’ve resisted. Maybe. Probably not. Why was I even bothering wasting time thinking about it?
“If it was Hessa, how do we find out?” We couldn’t capture and scare our enemy. We couldn’t defeat her in a fight. We needed unquestionable evidence, but how to get that?
“I’ll go to her.” Nicolas said in a hollow tone.
“No. You go to her, and she’ll wrap you around her little finger again. Besides, she’s your sire. If there’s any truth to the myths, you’ll be easy for her to control.”
“We know better than to rely on old stories. I’m strong. I know I am. And I have a bone to pick with her. Not only did she kill me, but she was doing it slowly with all those damn drugs. I didn’t even know what they were. Something new was all she ever said.” Nicolas’ hands clenched, nails digging into his flesh.
“The drugs don’t matter. You’re past them. And if you’re thinking clearly as you say, you will see you’re no match for her.” Racking my brain and trying to come up with something, I leaned against the wall. I might have been wrong about the Allu, but I wasn’t about Hessa.
“I don’t doubt she’s more powerful, but that will make her cocky. I’ll let her
think she has me, and then she’ll talk. I’ll get a confession. I’ll tape it or whatever. Then you can bring it to the Putzkammers.” He rambled on, gaining momentum with each word. “I want to try to kill her first, though. It’s only right. She murdered me and of that we’re sure. If I can do one good thing for this world, it’s to rid it of Hessa Hadad.”
“She’ll destroy you.” My chest tightened. It was a fool’s errand.
“Not if she doesn’t expect it.”
I grabbed the front of his jacket. I didn’t pull him forward, but just held on. Emotions were roiling around inside him and all of them born of sorrow. Loss, righteous anger, heartache, desperation. It was as if he had already made up his mind to do it.
No. Not after losing Connor. No one else would die.
“You can’t do this.” It came out more a plea than a demand. “She didn’t live so long through trusting people. She’ll expect it. She’ll always expect it.”
“What other choice do we have?” His hands covered mine as he tugged me to him. “I know where she hangs out and the people with her. I’m a good actor. I can make anyone believe what I want them to believe.”
“Just like you’re trying to make me believe that you can do this now?” I gazed up at him. My misty breath danced between us.
“Believe in me, Erin. It’s the only way.” He bent his head as if in slow motion. My lips parted in invitation and another wisp of fog escaped.
His lips were cool when they met mine, but the jolt that raced through my body was hot. My toes tingled, and I grasped his jacket more tightly. The scent of his cologne tickled my nose. I wanted to yank him against me and shy away at the same time. My heart confused my head, but my body knew exactly what it wanted.
I wanted to shout my protest when he pulled away. He let go of my hands and caressed my cheeks with both his thumbs. A touch as intimate as his smile.
“You’re blushing.” He traced the fine line of my jaw. “I don’t remember the last time I made a girl blush.”
I wasn’t so sure if it was blushing more than flushing.
“No fair using your charms on me to get your way.” Not fair if it were the truth. Everything that was sizzling through my body was not from anything other than Nicolas himself.
“I know you would have let me go anyway. I only wanted a kiss.” Nicolas chuckled and leaned in again, nudging his nose against mine. “There’s a different light in your eyes now. Not sad any more. I like it.”
My lips grazed his, ready for another kiss until he mentioned the light in my eyes. He might like it, but I shouldn’t be enjoying myself. Not with what had happened. I was betraying Connor. He was dead, and here I was smooching some vampire in a dark alley. I let go of Nicolas’ jacket and stepped back.
“All right. We’ll do it, but I’m going with you.”
“Absolutely not.” He shook his head once as if that made it final.
“I’ll pretend to be under your influence. Hessa knows you came to me for help. It wouldn’t be surprising.” I remembered what it felt like to be influenced by Hessa. She had power over me. Yet maybe she wouldn’t care about me being there when she had Nicolas back. Her attention would be focused on him.
“No. She might hurt you, or even kill you. I wouldn’t be able to stop her. Best if it’s just me. You know that.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. This was the best plan we had, and it would likely get him killed. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing all my rising emotions down.
I couldn’t let him do it. I couldn’t let him give his life for mine.
Nicolas kissed me again as my eyes were closed. More firmly this time.
“I’ll get you the evidence. I’ll find you. Just stay safe.”
My eyes opened and he was gone. I started to call him, but I knew it was pointless. Instead, I choked back a sob and walked down the alley away from the funeral home.
For a few insane seconds, I thought about going to the club he mentioned. I could watch him from a distance and be there to help if he needed it. Sanity returned too quickly. I’d be easy prey walking into the predator’s den.
I had to wait. I didn’t think he could do it in a night. Nicolas would have to ease his way back into Hessa’s circle. Would he be welcomed with open arms? Would he be punished for not coming to his sire immediately? Both options sickened me.
It wasn’t late yet. I didn’t want to go back and sit awake all night in the Lady’s basement. I needed to do something, but I couldn’t think of anything useful to do. Nicolas was doing all the work. I could only wait.
From up the street, a city bus approached. I noticed I was near a sign and stood closer to it. I hopped the bus to the mall. The florist there would be open until nine. I might not have been able to help Connor, but I could show his family I still cared no matter how they felt about me.
Gladioli, deep crimson red roses, and cedar boughs. I knew exactly what I wanted to send and wondered what it said about me that I knew that. My reasonable self said it was my business to know about funeral flowers. My other selves said it was a bit morbid.
When I got to the mall and ordered the flowers, I signed the card simply: Love, E. That was for Connor. He wouldn’t have cared about the flowers. Those were for his family.
There was no time left to wander the mall after I was done, so I exited through a side entrance and took the long way around to one of the bus stops. I ignored the few people in the lot and dug my hands deep into my pockets.
“Hey there, babe. Where you off to in such a hurry?” Some guy called with a liquor light voice.
I rolled my eyes and didn’t turn around. It wouldn’t be the first time a drunk university student had tried to pick me up. It had been at a funeral, but I still knew the tone of voice. Not that it was the same guy, but intoxicated idiots generally sounded the same.
Suddenly he was in front of me. A cigarette hung lazily from one of his hands. He smirked and took a drag. There was a lump of lead in my stomach.
“You’re not in a hurry, are ya?” He smiled, a hint of a fang showing. He was handsome with his dark features and thin mustache.
I heard the faintest crunch of gravel. My hearing was more sensitive than a human’s. I turned, keeping the guy and his friend in sight and my back towards the more open parking lot. My heart pounded. If these guys were human, I’d not be worried in the least, but vampires were another matter. Basic self-defense wasn’t going to cut it here.
“No, not in a hurry at all.” I didn’t think Nicolas could have worked his way into Hessa’s good graces yet. If he’d even found her. So perhaps I was next on the kidnap, torture, and murder list. “Hessa sent you like the good little lapdogs you are?”
“What?” The first vampire whom I dubbed Mustache frowned. “What do you know about Hessa, babe?”
“I told you she has a funny smell.” The other vampire’s body language was more wary. “She’s been tagged.”
“Like I care. Just a small sip is all I want. Not like she’ll remember.” Mustache grinned this time, displaying his fangs fully.
It would be pointless to run. They’d get a nasty surprise the second they tasted me. Yet the second one seemed to already know something was up with me. Something about me being tagged? What did that even mean? And what my scent had to do with it, I didn’t know.
“See? She’s not running. She’s got to be high on that shit.” The second vamp was tall and gaunt, so pretty he was almost feminine.
“You don’t want to eat me, boys. Just run along.” I hoped I sounded confident enough to make him rethink.
Mustache suddenly had a handful of my hair and yanked my head back. I let out a shout and kicked at him. He laughed as he pulled down my scarf and turtleneck.
“Moles. Such disgusting things.” It didn’t deter him as he ignored my flailing and bent to bite me. He jerked away as his fangs touched my skin, dropping me to the hard ground. “She’s full of the shit. I can’t even bring myself to bite her.”
My body was jarred as I hit the cold pavement, but my hand was digging in my pocket. These two must have never met a demon or even heard of them. Well this was their lucky day.
What if these were the bastards who killed Connor? They had flunky written all over them. Though one was good-looking, they were nowhere near as smooth or gorgeous as Nicolas. This was the type I could see Hessa using to do her dirty work.
“Means she’ll be dead soon. Leave her be and let’s go.” Gaunt shrugged and turned away.
My hand closed around the compact as I stood. For Connor.
“Perhaps I’ll die soon, but it isn’t because I was idiotic enough to pump myself full of drugs. There are monsters out there a lot scarier than you. In fact, I think you’re rather pathetic.”
Mustache snarled, and his hand snaked out toward me. I pulled out the compact and let it fall open. A great beam of light lit up the night. The second it hit his face, his skin sizzled and he screamed.
He let go of me and used his hands to cover his face. Skin sloughed off as it bubbled and charred. Foul-smelling smoke rose up into the night. I hadn’t thought it would be this effective.
Gaunt was on me and slammed me down on the hardtop. The world swam before my eyes. His long fingers closed around my neck. One little squeeze would be all it took.
Just as quick as he was on me, he was off. He screamed as something big and black rammed into him. Mustache was still clutching at his face. His hands melted down to the bone.
I sucked in a breath and scrambled for my compact. Whoever had tackled Gaunt was beating him into the ground. Literally. The concrete cracked and broke apart with the force of his blows.
I found the sunlight and whipped it back around to point it at Mustache as he was lunging for me again. He got a face full of it. His eyeballs burst with a sickening wet sound. He fell to the ground, writhing with pain, and I followed him with the beam of light.
Before I could find out if the sunlight could kill him, the big man in black strode over and drove his fist through Mustache’s skull. The sound it made caused me to retch, but I managed to keep enough wits about me to turn my light onto the stranger. I didn’t know if he was another vampire, but I wasn’t going to take the chance.
Of Blood and Sorrow Page 9
