by D. N. Hoxa
But it wasn’t. I let my nose warn me of everything that was coming before I saw it, so that there would be no surprises. Useless. Even though I smelled the vampires before I saw them, it still came as a shock to me to see six of them hanging out in the stairs to the second floor, with dark glass bottles in their hands filled with…God knows what. Maybe it was blood. Or just beer. Do vampires drink beer? Now was not a good time to ask Red, I figured.
And the vampires smelled me, too. Not only that, but as soon as they did, they all looked at me funny. They analyzed me from head to toe, and a few of them had that murderous look in their eyes, right until they saw who I was with. True to his word, Red kept all of them away from me without exception. A few of the vamps nodded at him while he passed by with me right behind him, but Red never said a single word to anyone. By the fourth floor, it got really hard to breathe. So much deadness in there. The smell hung in the air like a curse, and it stuck to my skin and my hair with a promise to never wash off me. But I did my best to ignore it and followed Red all the way up to the eleventh.
The hallway was crowded, but I’d learned not to make eye contact by then. I just focused on Red’s fingers intertwined with mine. Strangely, his skin wasn’t as cold as I remembered, and his grip—soft and strong at the same time—was the only thing stopping me from running away screaming.
That was dangerous. I not only was relying on my wolf to get me out of places alive, but I was counting on a vampire to keep me safe. Yes, I was. In fact, it never even occurred to me that he could be the one to kill me, right until we walked into his apartment, if that’s what it was.
When the door closed behind me, I let go of his hand and rested against it. The place was relatively empty. The windows were covered in old newspaper and a set of thick burgundy drapes were drawn to the sides. There was a sofa in the middle of the room, facing a stand without a TV. There were some books by the sofa’s legs, too. No kitchen in there, just a bathroom and a really tiny bedroom with a queen-sized bed.
“You can grab a shower if you’d like. I’ll bring you some new clothes to wear,” he said, looking down at my oversized clothes I’d gotten in the basement.
“No, no, no, you’re not leaving me in here alone,” I warned him.
“It’s just for a—” I stepped in front of him and met his eyes.
“Red, you can’t leave me here alone. Okay?”
For some reason, my paranoia made him smile. “Okay,” he said with a nod. “Go ahead and take a shower. I’ll be right here.”
A shower did sound nice, and the bathroom was clean enough. The water ran cold fairly quickly though, but when I got out, there was a white plastic bag full of clothes right by the door. Had Red been inside the bathroom at one point? I hadn’t even heard a thing, damn it!
But it didn’t matter because the dark green shirt and the jeans he’d brought me fit me perfectly. Even the socks and shoes were exactly my size.
“So you went out,” I said when I walked out of the bathroom and saw him sitting on the sofa. I swallowed a sigh of relief.
“Nope,” he said and showed me a black phone. “I had them brought up. I also ordered some sushi. I hope you like it.”
“There are places that deliver here?” I asked skeptically. That sounded like a load of bullshit.
“Oh, no,” Red said, but he didn’t elaborate. All he did was pat the sofa to the side to tell me to sit down. I did so reluctantly. “If you’re comfortable, I’ve invited some people over tomorrow night. One of them is going to give us new information about Haworth, and the other is going to check out that steel plate for us.”
It was almost like he was asking me, which was strange.
“Okay, sure. But I say we head out tonight. I can take you to the last place I smelled Haworth’s people. It might be worth a shot.” I knew the tavern in Jersey City would be a good place to start searching.
“Sun’s coming up in an hour. You’re going to eat, and you’re going to sleep until morning. Then, we’ll figure out the next step,” Red said. He sounded so much more relaxed now. Like he was right at home. Like he really believed that we were safe here.
Maybe he was, but I had my doubts. Lots of them.
“So you’re just going to command me from now on?” I asked, and I was only half kidding. Since he got me in this place, there was no way I was leaving by myself. I was trapped. Shit.
“I do love the idea of commanding you, Victoria,” he said, his voice as close to a whisper as it could get. And then his eyes fell on my lips. My heart skipped a beat. Was he going to demand he sucked my blood now? “But no.”
Red suddenly stood up and went for the door, leaving me completely stunned. He opened the door, and before I knew it, he was talking to someone. Another vampire. With a bag in his hands, he handed his friend some bills, and by the time he came back to the sofa, I’d stood up, feeling stranger by the second. I had no idea why he of all people was having such a weird effect on me.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll just go eat in the room.” I looked at the door to the bedroom, too, which was behind his back, because I didn’t want to have to look at him again.
“Sure,” Red said. “Help yourself.”
He put the bag in my hand and stepped to the side to make way for me. Only when I closed the door did I realize how flushed I was.
10
I must have fallen asleep at some point after eating. A building full of vampires or not, my body was exhausted. I only realized it after a noise sounded in my head.
Sitting up with a jolt had my vision filled with black dots instantly, and when the noise came again, I realized, it was a knocking on the door. Not the door to my room, no. The door to the apartment.
The fear was instant, gripping me by the throat much like my wolf does at my insides when she wants out. Before I realized what I was doing, I sniffed the air through my nose. Red was there, too, and a little farther was a…witch? Definitely a witch, but I couldn’t tell what kind, and judging by her perfume, the witch was a she.
I hadn’t bothered to undress because I hadn’t planned on sleeping, so I was ready to run for the door even before Red had the chance to open it. He was by the door, a curious expression on his face. What the hell did that mean? Were we in trouble? Had they caught us? What would a witch do in the Lair—all by herself?
Red didn’t answer my unspoken questions. He just put his hand behind him as if to reach for a gun I couldn’t see but could smell, and he pulled the door open just slightly.
The witch’s big, dark eyes squinted at the sight of him.
“You Red?”
Her voice was sharp and icy, and she almost sounded like she was yelling.
“Who’s asking?” Red said.
He seemed to feel a bit more at ease by the sight of her because he opened the door wider. I could see her clearly now. She was a couple inches taller than me, her hair falling all the way down to her hips. It was black except for a good chunk on the left side dyed bright red. She wore a red leather jacket, too, and carried a black backpack behind her. I smelled her again, and this time the scent of her hit me with its full force—like that chamomile and honey tea my mom used to make me when I got sick as a kid.
“I’m Amara, Pete’s informant,” the woman said, keeping both her hands behind her. I assumed she was keeping them close to her weapons, too, like Red, which made me feel very out of place. She was armed—the smell of gunpowder lingered around her, and she also had some candy stashed in her backpack. I only picked the scent up because they were strawberry—my favorite. And now that she was closer, I could almost bet that she was a Blood witch.
Taking a step back, Red decided there was no need for his gun after all, and he waved for her to enter. I wasn’t exactly sure if she was dangerous or not. I needed to work on developing my instincts asap.
“I didn’t get your name,” Amara said, looking around the small living area, but she must have been talking to me.
“Victoria,” I said reluc
tantly and looked at Red. Though he wasn’t completely at ease, he was a bit more relaxed now and shut the door.
“Who brought you up?” he asked when she was satisfied with what she could see in there—nothing—and turned to Red again. I slowly inched my way closer to him, just in case we needed to make a run for it.
“I brought myself,” she said, then pointed at the sofa. “May I?” And she sat down without waiting for an answer.
That’s when I realized: “What time is it?” Was it daylight outside? That would explain why it smelled less of vampires in the building and why the burgundy drapes were drawn all the way over the newspaper-covered windows.
“A little past noon,” said Red. Noon? I’d slept until noon? Holy crap…
“So you’re the girl who’s been giving information to Pete,” Red said, slowly stepping forward, almost like he wanted to be in between me and Amara.
“Who’s Pete?” I asked. She raised a brow in question.
“He’s a guy I pay for updates on Haworth,” Red said under his breath.
“And he pays me for it,” Amara said with a nod. “Last night, when he told me you needed to know more, I thought I’d drop by and pay you a visit myself.”
“So there are no vampires here during daylight?” I said to Red.
“No, there are. Just not so many, and usually, they stay in their rooms unless someone attracts their attention.” He gave Amara a knowing look.
“A spell,” I said with a grin, so glad to figure it out. Her scent wasn’t a perfume—it was a smell-altering spell.
“A very good one,” the girl said with a nod. My wolf finally raised her head, lazily awaking from her sleep. She found Amara’s voice curious.
“Let me guess, you want the middle man gone and the money all to yourself,” Red said. I doubt even he was certain about how to feel about this.
“Yes…” Amara said, her voice trailing off for a second. “And no.”
Red grinned. “Then I hope you’ve got something good to feed me because I’m not paying you otherwise.” As he said that, I caught the smell of his breath while trying to find out more about Amara. It was metallic somehow. Rusty.
Blood.
Red had had fresh blood sometime in the last few hours. My skin crawled, and my hand moved to my neck, half of me fearing I’d find two holes in it. Had Red taken my blood while I was sleeping? Would I have even been able to feel it?
But no. I knew the smell of my own blood and that wasn’t it. My wolf wasn’t panicked, either. Instead, she was focused on Amara, and after a moment, she sent one thought my way in a whisper: trustworthy. Not that that made up my mind about the stranger, but I could at least admit that her instincts were far more advanced than mine.
“I’ve got something very good, but first, I need you to tell me what you’re up to,” Amara said, her dark eyes moving fast from Red’s face to mine.
Red laughed. “I don’t think this works that way, Amara. I pay you for information—no questions asked,” he said.
“That was the deal with Pete, not me. I’ve been following you through him for a while now. You’ve been after Haworth for four months that I know of,” she said. She tried to pretend she was at ease and relaxed, but I could smell the adrenaline rushing through her, which was strange. It occurred to me that I’d never used my nose as much before, not with people. Maybe I was finally learning to rely on it. It could see much more than my eyes could, at least.
“Well, then I’m afraid you and I have no deal,” Red said with a nod. “If you don’t want the money, there’s nothing more for you here.” And he waved for the door.
My stomach twisted as I studied Amara’s face. She wasn’t happy with Red’s response. I wasn’t, either. If this woman could help us find Haworth faster, I wanted to know what she knew. I didn’t mind sharing if she did the same.
“Why do you want to know?” I asked her, earning a pointed look from Red. I just ignored him.
Amara stretched her lips in what was supposed to be a smile, I guessed. “He’s the only one who’s looking for Haworth and is still alive.”
Good enough for me.
“What do you get out of us telling you what we’re up to? Are you looking for Haworth, too?” I asked. There was no other reason I could think of for her curiosity—unless she was keeping tabs on Red for Haworth, that is.
Amara thought about how to best to respond for a second. “I guess you could say that. I provide information first, though. And if I knew I could trust you, I could help you a lot more than you think.” Definitely good enough.
Not for Red, unfortunately.
“I’ve been in contact with Pete for five months now. Why do you want to help us now?” he asked.
“Like I said, you’re the only one still alive. I see potential, that’s all,” Amara said. She didn’t even blink while she said those words. This time, me and my wolf were on the same page. She was telling the truth.
“Potential? You’ve got to be kidding,” said Red, laughing sarcastically. “Look, whatever you’re up to, you can—” I cut him off.
“I’ll tell you what we’re up to,” I said to Amara. “If you can prove you’re not working for him.”
Raising her thin brows, she sat back on the sofa. She wasn’t expecting that apparently.
“No, I’m not working for that murdering sonovabitch,” she said. “And, no, I can’t think of any way to prove that to you.”
My wolf approved.
“You can by telling us of your interest in our plans,” Red insisted.
“Look, I thought you had potential, a real shot at finding him, and that’s why I’m here,” Amara said and stood up. “I want the same thing, but I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you get out of it.”
“So you want a motive.” Red grinned sneakily.
“Exactly.”
I realized I could let this go on for the entire day, but time was running out. Izzy needed me. The sooner I got her out, the sooner we could both leave this place behind. So I spoke.
“Someone I knew is working for him, and I need to get her out,” I said to Amara. “And Haworth took something of vital importance from Red. He wants to get it back.”
“Damn it, Victoria,” Red mumbled, lowering his head, but the damage was done.
Just when I thought Amara would smile, she turned really pale instead. She looked…disappointed.
“Not good enough,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s not good enough.”
This time, I was the one laughing. “You want to judge how good a motive we have? You think either of us would bother to fight a battle against Haworth, one we both know we don’t have much chance of winning, for reasons that are not good enough?”
“If you don’t want to help us, here’s the door,” said Red, having heard enough, but I didn’t want her to go just yet. If she was the one who’d given Red all the information about Haworth, and if she could help us find him, I wanted her on our team. Asap.
“Better yet, if you don’t want us to help you, then leave. But there’s a reason you haven’t gone after Haworth yourself all this time.” Please, please, please, let me be right.
Amara’s lips parted for a second, and her eyes glazed over. “True,” she whispered and sat back down.
“And we have no plan—at least not yet. But we’re going to find him. It might depend on you how long that takes,” I continued because I could see the wheels turning in her head. I was right—she was here, looking for Red, because she couldn’t go after Haworth alone. Which was saying something, when she could make a strong enough spell to shield her scent even in a building full of vampires. Maybe…maybe Izzy was right. Maybe this Haworth guy was more dangerous than I had first thought.
“Why are you after him?” Red asked her then. “You already know about us. What about you? I assume you have a good enough reason, don’t you?”
I rolled my eyes at him. This woman was still deciding to help us, and he still wanted to be a dick abou
t it?
“He killed one of mine,” Amara said. She didn’t sound sad or desperate now. She sounded…plain. Her eyes focused on Red, her pupils dilated.
“So now that we’re practically best secret-sharing friends, can we get to the freaking point?”
As if surprised that I was still there, Amara looked at me and nodded, completely out of it. I looked at Red. He wasn’t happy, but he didn’t get to make this decision. My sister’s life was on the line here. Mine, too. And his. We were taking the help.
I sat down on the floor cross-legged, because it felt more comfortable like that. Red did the same, but his shoulders were still rigid. He was still not relaxed. Maybe I should take note and do the same, I thought. But then my wolf growled lowly, as if to remind me that she was there. Not that that was any consolation, considering she came and went when she thought it fit, but it was something.
“Right, so,” I said, clearing my throat. I hated wasting unnecessary time. “We’re looking for Haworth, but he’s also kind of…sort of…looking for me, too.”
“Is that why you’re in this place?” Amara asked, not nearly as surprised by my confession as I expected her.
“Yep. So, the sooner we find Haworth, the sooner I can be free of him. We all can. So, what do you say you start telling us what you know?”
Taking in a deep breath, the woman shook her head, her red strings falling to the side of her face. The color reflected in her big eyes, too, making them look red as well. It was scary. Just a little bit.
“Haworth’s been gathering enchanted items to use as resource for his magic,” she began reluctantly. “As far as I know, he has eight pieces in his possession, and he’s using them to fuel his search for more.”
“Do you know what kind of enchanted items?” I asked, but she shook her head.
“It’s not one specific kind. I don’t think he minds the kind of spell they have—just how powerful they are. He’s making something—something big.”
