The light illuminated James Dean’s face.
Ah, fuck.
I quickly closed it. I remained where I was on the ground with my wide eyes locked on him.
“Thank you?” My voice quivered.
The Allu moved only after I’d spoken. He kicked each of the bodies to make sure neither of them still lived.
“You need to be more vigilant. You didn’t notice you were being followed.”
“Oh, well, I think they just came upon me when I left the mall.” I pushed myself to my feet. My whole body ached. He didn’t offer a hand to help me. I was glad for it because I didn’t think I could ever touch him.
“I’m the one who’s been following you.”
I stiffened, heart pounding. I was going to ask why, but that would be pointless. I knew why. The bigger question was how long had he been following me?
He gave me an answer. “The killer always comes back to the scene of the crime.”
He’d seen us together. Seen our kiss. My cheeks burned as they flushed.
“Nicolas didn’t kill Connor.” I blurted. Then added, “Neither did I. He was like a brother to me.”
“I don’t think either of you did it. I’ve been keeping an eye on you since you were attacked by the vampire.”
He never said his name, but this had to be Abdiel. Another Allu would have likely killed Nicolas as he did these other two vampires. I wrapped my arms around myself.
“You need to keep better company,” he said and dragged Gaunt’s body to drop it on top of Mustache’s. I shuddered at the wet meaty sound.
“It’s no business of yours—”
“It’s my business when I’m to make sure you don’t get yourself killed.” Abdiel turned back to face me. James Dean’s eyes gleamed under his heavy lids. “Do you even know what you’ve gotten yourself into?”
“I know exactly what’s at stake. I have to do it for Connor.” If the Allu understood anything, it was revenge. Yet he shook his head.
“There’s nothing left you can do for him.” Abdiel used both hands to pull his hood around his face, hiding it from me for a few seconds. He then yanked it off, and it was Nicolas glaring at me. I gasped. “You keep the company of dead men. One cremated but still controlling what you do. The other, a walking, talking unnatural thing that will lead you down the path of death.”
My stomached churned. Seeing Nicolas’ face on Abdiel made me want to scream and scratch out my eyes.
“He might seem different right now, but he’s a fledgling. He’ll change. They always do. And he’ll be as bad as the others.” Abdiel gestured to the bodies. “Shine your light on them. I could get rid of them, but it’s easier if they’re burned right here. Sunlight erases any evidence of vampires.”
I remained frozen, unable to stop staring at him. I wanted to turn away and run, but I couldn’t force myself to move.
“I’ll leave you to it.” Abdiel walked away, disappearing around the corner of the mall.
I didn’t move for another minute as I wondered if he watched me from the shadows. A bubbling sound from one of the bodies jerked me into action. I pulled out the compact and shined it upon them.
With the small beam of light, it was slow, gruesome work with nauseating noises and smells. I didn’t doubt Abdiel knew it would take a while. He was the type to make a point in the most horrific way possible.
And I deserved it.
I returned to the Lady’s house and scrubbed myself in the shower until the hot water ran out. I paced in front of the living room windows for another hour, but I decided if Nicolas was going to contact me, he’d find a way to do it even if I wasn’t there waiting for him.
I lay down in bed and didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until the Lady gently shook me awake in the morning.
“Wake up, sleepyhead. You have a visitor.”
Thinking it was Nicolas, I bolted upright, but I fast realized the hour. And he couldn’t come into the Lady’s house. No one else would visit me, though.
“Come on, get up. Don’t keep the poor woman waiting. Be sure to wear white.” The Lady gave me a small sad smile and patted my cheek before bustling back up the stairs.
White was the color of mourning. Not the black that humans wore. I got a little excited rush, thinking Aleo or Cort might have come with Bolona. Perhaps the Putzkammers were coming to get me and take me to a ceremony for Connor. It meant they didn’t hate me so much after all.
I brushed out my hair and put on a white dress. It was a bit light, so I wore a white sweater with it. I pulled on a pair of white flats. I didn’t care it was after Labor Day. This was for Connor and his family.
When I came upstairs, it wasn’t the Putzkammers I saw. Annaleigh was dressed in a gorgeous flowing white gown and sharing a drink with the Lady at the island in the kitchen. I froze in the doorway.
“There you are, sweetie.” Annaleigh glided around the island and came to embrace me. “I’m so sorry. I know this must be horrible for you.”
“Thank you,” I said, furrowing my brows. I had met the Ala demon twice recently, but didn’t think her a friend who would come calling to give me sympathies.
I then saw Bolona enter the kitchen from the hall. The Putzkammer matron wore no make-up. She didn’t hide her pale skin and new wrinkles. The light that usually twinkled in her eyes had winked out. Unlike Annaleigh’s, her white dress was conservative with a classic cut.
Bolona stopped when she saw me. Her expression soft and tired. She stared for a moment and then tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn’t say anything, only held out her arms.
That was enough for me. Everything in me crumbled. I ran across the kitchen and buried my face against Bolona’s shoulder.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know how many times I repeated it except that I was being hugged and hushed. Bolona didn’t hate me. Everything could be right in the world again because Bolona didn’t hate me.
Bolona kissed the top of my head and led me into the kitchen. She rubbed my back and kept me tucked in by her side.
“Let’s get some food into you, dear. I bet you haven’t eaten in a while.”
I still didn’t think I could eat, but I nodded and was happy to stay where I was. My legs wobbled as my eyes burned. Relief and grief were strange bed partners.
The Lady set two drinks in front of us. All of us now had one. It smelled like orange juice and was the color of orange juice, but there were specks of strange things floating around.
“A toast, ladies.” The Lady raised her glass. “To a life in the warmth of the sun and a love deep in our hearts. To the brave young man whom we’re here to remember today.”
My throat tightened. The glasses clinked and I tried not to think of what the bitter specks were as I sipped my juice.
“To Connor Putzkammer. A handsome and good young man who was ever polite to a lady.” Annaleigh smiled softly over the rim of her glass.
“To my son. My baby. Didn’t always think before he acted, but his heart was true. He was the peacemaker in my family, the light of my life.” Bolona wiped at her cheeks and took another sip.
Bolona’s baby. Connor was so different from his brothers, but he was exactly what the Putzkammers needed in their household. Silliness and laughter and a great joy for the simple pleasures of life. Connor taught me to enjoy sunsets, the twinkling of fireflies, and dirty jokes.
I could feel all their eyes on me. I swallowed heavily.
“To Connor. My best friend, like a brother to me. He—” My chin trembled. “He always listened to me and didn’t treat me as if I might break. He was compassionate, funny, and courageous. He’s the one who coaxed me out of the dark. Any bit of happiness I have known, I owe to him.” I could barely drink when I raised the glass to my lips again.
Just hold it together for a while longer. Don’t faint or bawl again.
With Connor, I’d felt as close to normal as I ever could. We went to movies, hung out at the mall, and sang to loud music in the ca
r. He made me laugh when I thought no one could ever do so again. Through him, I became part of the Putzkammer family.
Why did it have to be him? Hessa should’ve killed me instead. I’d gladly take Connor’s place if I could.
The Lady turned and picked up a large covered platter. She placed it in the middle of our group on the island and lifted the checkered cloth that had been on top. A pile of various fluffy pastries still gave off a little warmth. Whether I felt hungry or not, my stomach rumbled with the sight and smell of it.
“Now we eat, drink, and talk. This is how the heart begins to heal.” The Lady added dishes of butter, jellies, and jams to the countertop spread.
When I didn’t grab something right away, Bolona plucked up a fat croissant and split it to thickly layer on some strawberry jelly.
“Thank you for the flowers, Erin. They’re lovely.” Finished with the jelly, she pushed the croissant to me on a little plate and gave me a look that said I’d better eat every crumb. “Our house is overflowing with gifts. Word travels fast. Faster than I imagined.”
“You’re the Putzkammers. Don’t ever underestimate your importance to our community.” Annaleigh chose a raspberry Danish and ripped it in half. In a way that didn’t seem to befit a southern lady, she took a big bite. “Oh, Demi, this is divine.”
The Lady had her mouth full and made a little gesture saying it was nothing, but smiling, happy and grateful for the praise.
I stuffed my mouth full of food. I didn’t know what to say, but I was content to let the other women have their chat. My heart would never heal from Connor’s death. His killer would pay. I’d make certain of it. None of them needed to know about that yet.
And talk they did. About Connor, his death, family, friends, weather, clothes, food. I didn’t have any female friends, and I never had a good relationship with my mother. I had spent time around the Lady and Bolona, but with the two of them and Annaleigh, the feminine energy was high. It was wonderful and made me feel a little uncomfortable at the same time.
Before I knew it, I had eaten three different pastries. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d eaten that much in one sitting. I also couldn’t remember a time I didn’t automatically feed off the sorrow from the people around me. The second I thought about it, I was tempted by it, but I was going to respect their right to their grief as Aleo asked of me yesterday morning.
“Erin,” the Lady said, tugging me out of my private thoughts. “Do you still think it was the Allu who killed Connor?”
My cheeks heated. I had missed the last bit of the conversation while I was lost in my own head. I nipped at my lower lip and shook my head.
“No. I don’t think they did it. I think it was—” I wasn’t prepared to tell them what happened last night, but I could tell them who I suspected now. “I think it was the vampire Hessa, or someone working for her.”
“Hessa? That tramp?” Annaleigh shook her head and clucked her tongue. “That vampire is bad news all around.”
“That’s the one who came in and threatened all of you, isn’t it?” Bolona’s eyes were wide and bright when they had been dull. With my nod, she hurried to the other side of the kitchen and grabbed the phone. She dialed as she said, “I have to call Aleo. I don’t know why none of us thought of this!”
“I guess everyone had another vampire on their minds.” The Lady gave me a particular look with her comment. “Bad news. Every single one of them.”
“And Hessa more so than the others.” The air crackled faintly around Annaleigh, and the cloudy sky outside echoed her. “She’s built quite the nest for herself here. The queen bee with all her little workers worshiping her. Quite the drug network she has going for her too. You’d think with all that money she’d want to move some place with a bigger population to feed on. Yet she stays here.” She shrugged and then leaned in. “She threatened you?”
“The Putzkammers and myself.” I nodded, not surprised that Hessa was the leader of an illegal drug trafficking ring. She had given so much to Nicolas, new stuff she had concocted. Who knew what other poisons she was trying on people?
“Particularly you, if I remember correctly.” The Lady reminded me. She turned her head toward Annaleigh. “A new vampire woke up in the funeral home, and he thought Erin could help him. It turns out he was one of Hessa’s, and she wanted him back, a bit upset by the fact he had come to Erin rather than her.”
I didn’t need the reminder and also didn’t want the world to know what was going on, no matter how nice the Ala was to me. Did that mean I was embarrassed by Nicolas? No, that wasn’t it. It was more so that I was the one who started this whole mess by letting loose a new vampire on the city.
“Oh my!” Annaleigh gasped and fanned herself with a hand. “Oh my, sugar. Oh, sweetie. This isn’t good.” She looked as though she might faint or turn into a Fury at any second. “That vampire will keep her word. I hear a lot of things on the wind and nothing about her has been good. You better not go out at night. Even the daylight hours aren’t safe. She has human servants too.” She made a little dismayed noise. “Oh, Demi, you keep this girl locked up. She’s too precious to be lost to such horrible creatures.”
“Oh, no worries there. I know what a rare gem she is. My light will always shine on her.” The Lady said no more. It was a promise that I was grateful for and unsettled by at the same time. Aleo would put me in a room and throw away the key to keep me safe. Yet the Lady moved in more mysterious ways.
Bolona came back to the group, picked up her glass, and downed the rest of her juice.
“I think I need to get back home. The men can’t do without me.” Bolona leaned over to kiss each of the Lady’s cheeks. “Thanks for having us. This was exactly what I needed.”
“My door is always open to you. Make sure you tell your boys the same thing too.” The Lady squeezed Bolona’s hands.
“Anything you need, you just ask. I’ll be in town a little while longer.” Annaleigh was quick to skip in with a tight hug and more kisses.
“Thank you. Your heart is golden.” Bolona smiled at her and then turned to me. Her hug was gentle with a motherly rub of my back. “And you, dear, stay here. Stay safe. Aleo and the boys might be angry for a little while longer, but they’re not mad at you, not really. They only want to protect you. With what’s happening, they know it’s out of their control, and it frustrates them. I know you love Connor as much as the rest of us.” She leaned in to kiss my cheek. At the same time, she whispered, “You can trust me as you trusted him. If you believe someone deserves help, then I trust you.”
My jaw dropped. An offer of help from the Putzkammer matron. I wasn’t going to get her involved in it, but my heart swelled.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” I kissed her cheek in return. My hands shook a little, and I clasped them in front of me as Bolona let me go.
With more goodbyes, Bolona was seen to the door and out to her car. Annaleigh took her leave directly after.
The Ala pressed a pale gray card into my hand. “My cell number. Call me for anything. Promise me you will.”
“I promise.” It was the only acceptable answer to give. With another hug and kiss, I waved at Annaleigh as she pulled away in her vintage Cadillac.
“It’s nearly noon. Perhaps you best get some more sleep,” the Lady said from the doorway.
I turned to see she had grown at least ten years older in just the few minutes I had been outside. My heart rate picked up. I nodded and wisely took the Lady’s advice.
It was early evening when I woke. There was a chill in the air, so I wrapped up in a blanket and sat near the fire in the upstairs living room. I flipped through the channels on the television and stopped on the news.
Election results. An apartment fire. University students and illegal drinking.
The last story showed clips from various bars downtown. Drunk students, whooping and grinding against each other as they danced. They waved at the camera, blew kisses, and threw back more drinks.
&n
bsp; I jumped off the couch and out of the blanket. In the background of one of the clips, I saw Nicolas. Nicolas dancing with Hessa. Nicolas rubbing himself against her. Nicolas kissing her neck.
Damn him! He was mine. My stomach twisted. How dare he touch another woman!
My breaths came in gulps, threatening to turn to sobs. A vicious blade of rejection tore through me. They were right. Vampires were all bad.
The weatherman replaced the drinking story. A cold front squelched the anguish within me.
No. Nicolas was different. He was acting, getting back into Hessa’s inner circle. That was it.
That had to be it.
Nicolas could be caught under her influence again. He was overconfident and never really understood the power of older vampires. I had felt Hessa’s charms. As a man who had once lusted after Hessa, Nicolas would be easy to catch.
This meant he wasn’t going to get me the information I needed. I had no choice but to rescue him. Okay, maybe I had a choice. I could be logical and blissfully ignorant staying there on the couch where I was safe. Or not.
I sat numbly. How was I going to lure Nicolas away from his sire?
I couldn’t fight and didn’t have other powers. Beauty? No. Seduction was definitely not my thing. My only weapon was my compact.
What did I have then? I groaned and toppled over onto my side. I stared up at the ceiling.
I couldn’t ask the Putzkammers for help. Bolona said she would aid me in any way, but I refused to bring her to a fight with a vampire. I considered Annaleigh. The Ala demon was powerful, but she didn’t strike me as the type to fight. At least not for a vampire.
I didn’t have any other friends. Yet I sat up as a thought occurred to me. Dare I? Would he come?
I stood and went to the phone. I reached for it and pulled back, resisting the urge to puke. After a few minutes of pacing, I grabbed the receiver with a shaking hand and dialed Bolona’s cell number.
Of Blood and Sorrow Page 10
