Darkling. Part 5

Hornier than I'd been since before my death, I lowered myself to the ground but kept a careful distance between us.

"You d.a.m.ned Weres. One piece of advice you might want to pa.s.s on to the Pride: Never sneak up on vampires. Weres, especially werecats, have the ability to skulk. Trust me, you do not want to surprise a vamp who might not be willing to pull her fangs back in." Angry that I'd been caught unawares, I folded my arms and stared at her.

She blushed a delicate shade of rose and her hand fluttered to her neck. "I'm sorry. I guess I have a lot to learn about your kind. I apologize."

"Yeah, yeah... just remember next time. Now, how can I help convince Anna-Linda to go with you?"

I needed time to process my confusion. I'd always been attracted to both men and women, so that wasn't what scared me. No, what bothered me was that Nerissa hadn't backtracked when I'd put the moves on her. That had been a good thing, actually. If she'd broke and run, I might have attacked without thinking. But there was something else-a look in her eye that told me that she wasn't blushing just out of embarra.s.sment.

"I was thinking you could charm her. It might be the easiest way. Or your sisters could. Don't you all have some sort of ability to enchant humans?"

The idea hadn't even occurred to me. "Well, yes. It's part of our father's bloodline-the Fae can charm with a kiss or a touch or sometimes just a look. And the fact that I'm a vampire doesn't hurt matters any. I suppose you might be right. If she thinks she's going along with the idea of her own accord, she won't feel we've abandoned her."

"Exactly," Nerissa said. "So will you do it?"

With a shrug, I nodded. "I don't see why not."

"Good, then it's settled." As she headed for the door, she stopped and turned. "By the way, just so you know, I felt it, too," she said, her lips curling into a suggestive smile. "The heat, that is. I'm not seeing anybody right now. Give me a call if you want. I'm not afraid of a good challenge, you know, and Venus the Moon Child trained me."

As she headed out the door, I followed more slowly, wondering what the h.e.l.l to make of her invitation. Just what had Venus the Moon Child trained her for? He was a wild old shaman. Nerissa wasn't a vamp wannabe. But she had a kinky side hidden under that chignon and Ann Taylor suit, that much was clear. The question was, did I want to find out just how kinky?

CHAPTER 5.

It was a simple matter, really. I sat down with Anna-Linda in the kitchen and took her hands in mine. As she looked at me, I let down my shields that kept both vampire and Fae glamours in check.

Anna-Linda blinked a couple of times, but it didn't take long before I felt her will capitulate. She was still young and easy to control. A flicker of guilt raced through me. I was about to mess with her mind, to fill her head with my own thoughts and make her believe they were her own.

I paused, trying to convince myself that I was doing the right thing. After all, if she did snap and decide to avenge her brother's death, I'd be a handy target. Unacceptable risk Unacceptable risk. Kids had a knack for ferreting out secrets. It wouldn't take her long to discover my hiding place. So I pushed aside my doubts and turned on the charm.

"Anna-Linda, listen to me."

My voice echoed slightly, and she blinked, then looked at me as if I were the only person who existed in her universe.

"You want to stay with Siobhan. She's going to take good care of you and you won't give her any trouble. You'll think this was all your idea, and you won't run away unless your life is in danger. If something bad happens, you'll come tell us about it. Do you understand?" My voice slid over her like warm honey, and a peaceful look spread across the girl's face.

She nodded, her face blank. "I want to stay with Siobhan."

"That's right. And you won't cause any trouble. You'll help her out and listen to her." As she repeated my instructions, I slowly withdrew my energy, like a wave rolling back out to sea, leaving behind only the aftermath of the storm surge. After that, it was a simple matter to send her off with Nerissa, who promised to call the next morning. As I shut the door behind them, Camille put her hand on my shoulder.

"Anna-Linda will be better off at Siobhan's house," she said. "We aren't set up to take care of a child and you know it."

I stared at the silent door. "It's been a long time since that girl's been a child, Camille. She's seen things and done things no child ever should be forced to do." Images of Dredge flashed through my mind. I wasn't his only victim. No doubt, there had been plenty of Anna-Lindas to suit his twisted desires. I'd been lucky, I was older, more capable of coping with the aftermath than a child.

Camille swallowed. Her blood was running hot today, I could feel the warmth from where I stood. And her emotions flared in her aura. She was angry, wanting to run with the Hunt, to track down and destroy. But all she said was, "I know, Menolly. That's why we do what we do."

"I'm heading to the Wayfarer early unless Chase has any news on our missing vampires. Maybe I can catch a few faces who don't make it to the late shift when I'm working. I might be able to find out something." As I pulled on a leather jacket-not against the cold, but because it looked good on me and made me look tough at the bar-Camille stopped me.

"You did the right thing, Menolly. Don't feel guilty."

I let out a little huff and, once again, told her the lie that I kept repeating to myself and everyone else. "I don't feel guilt anymore. Not really."

As I headed out the door, she whispered just loud enough for me to hear, "Right. But just in case you do, remember-guilt is a luxury that we can no longer afford. We have to use whatever comes our way to battle the coming darkness."

I gave her a sharp nod, thinking that my oldest sister was turning into a clone of me, and that had me a little worried. Then, as silently as shadows dancing, I darted down the steps toward my Jag. Camille was right, of course. I'd saved Anna-Linda. So why did I feel like I'd let her down?

A blast of noise hit me as I strode through the doors of the Wayfarer, the conversation shoring up the music to create a cacophony of reverberation that thundered off the walls. Business had picked up over the past few weeks and now all shifts were swamped. A good thing, considering the OIA no longer paid us a salary, and whatever money we made, we had to earn through our cover jobs.

Every table and booth was jammed. The Wayfarer had gone from being a quiet respite for OW visitors to a down-and-dirty hangout joint for everybody from Fae to the Earthside Supe community to FBHs.

I slipped behind the counter and Luke-a werewolf I'd recently hired-shot me a grateful look.

"Am I ever glad to see you. Every night we're getting busier. Any chance we could hire another bartender?" He brushed back a lock of unruly hair from his forehead. In his midthirties, he was a cutie.

Short-barely five-eight-Luke's muscles glistened in all the right places. His wheat-colored ponytail trailed down to his waist. A long scar decorated his face, jagged and faded, obviously an old injury. I wasn't sure how he'd gotten it and I wasn't going to ask. Luke would tell me if he wanted to. All I cared about was the fact that he could whip out a round of drinks in record time and they were never returned with complaints.

I tied on my ap.r.o.n and started working on the next order. Two Long Island Iced Teas, a shot of Cryptozoid ale, and a Fire-Snorter, an OW drink that involved way too much alcohol and a match. As I picked up the Anadite brandy, I scanned the room, then abruptly put down the shot gla.s.s I'd been about to fill.

"Luke, has anything out of the ordinary happened tonight?" There was a sense of dread in the air, something out of kilter, and I didn't like the way it felt.

He shook his head. "Nope. Had to break up a brawl about an hour ago, though." With a nod, he directed my attention to one of the booths. "See that guy in the booth there?"

The man Luke pointed out looked like an OW Fae, but there was something odd about him. Something otherworldly that took him out of the Fae realm entirely.

"Yeah, what about him?" I kept my voice low. Odds were n.o.body could hear me over this din, but I wasn't taking chances. Almost all Supes had superior hearing and I never knew just who might be in the bar.

"I suddenly see this dude standing by the booth. Another guy shows up and they get into it. Loud and obnoxious. I'm not sure what the argument was over, but I tell you, this guy is scary. I pulled out the shotgun and was headed over to break it up, when all of a sudden, the other guy just vanishes. Poof."

s.h.i.t. Teleportation?

"So this guy takes a seat. I go over there to take his order and get a feel for what's going down. d.a.m.n, Menolly, I got the creeps so bad that I made Chrysandra take his order over. She came back smiling like she'd had a shot of joy-juice. Guy gave her a twenty-dollar tip."

Luke had a high fear threshold, so the fact that he'd been spooked by the stranger was as good as a warning.

"A twenty-dollar tip? What did he order?"

"Nothing odd. A gla.s.s of cognac, that's all." Luke paused, looking confused.

"What? What aren't you telling me?"

"It sounds a little nuts, though considering the crowd we get in here, I guess it shouldn't." He blinked and stared at me, unafraid. I liked that he didn't fear me. But then again, he'd never seen me with fangs out.

"Oh for cripes' sake... just tell me what happened. You know know who you're talking to. I won't think you're nuts." I folded my arms and waited. who you're talking to. I won't think you're nuts." I folded my arms and waited.

"Okay, here's the deal. When I took his order, I... Menolly, you know I'm straight. You know I'm real straight, but d.a.m.n, I wanted to crawl into the booth and make out with the guy. And then he looked right at me and said, 'Tell the pretty lady who owns the bar I need to talk to her.'"

I frowned. No wonder Luke had been spooked. When he said he was straight as an arrow, he wasn't kidding. The guy was almost h.o.m.ophobic, which led me to wonder if he wasn't latent.

"So the strange Fae wants to talk to me?" That alone set off my warning bells. "Was there anything else you noticed? Anything at all?"

Luke frowned. "Let's see... yeah... I never saw him come in."

"Well, that's not so strange. You're busy, the room's full."

"Yeah, but here's the thing-I was keeping an eye on the door because Tavah was due to come in and I needed her help to get something off the top shelves in the storeroom. I didn't want to miss her." He paused, wiping the counter with his rag. "Next thing I know, the dude's having it out with the other guy. Neither one was in the room before that. I guarantee it."

I trusted Luke and his powers of observation. And the more I stared at the man in the booth, the more I realized he was no more Fae than Luke was.

"I'll be d.a.m.ned," I said, as a faint flicker of recognition tickled the back of my mind.

"Something wrong?"

"With my luck? Probably. Let me go talk to the guy." I handed Luke the drink order I'd just started to prepare and wove my way through the room, heading for the booth. Most of the customers recognized me and quickly moved out of the way. My reputation was set in granite and it was common knowledge that I was a vampire. n.o.body gave me grief and when I was on shift, we didn't need a bouncer because everybody was too afraid of me to rock the boat.

As I approached the booth, I glanced at the man. He wasn't Fae, not entirely, and definitely not one of the Sidhe, but he had a wild look to him and probably came from a feral branch of the family tree. His eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down, but he merely inclined his head and said nothing.

"I hear you're looking for me," I said, pulling up a chair. I turned it around and straddled it at the end of the booth. "Hear you had some trouble earlier. Luke was about ready to get out the shotgun. I don't like it when Luke has to get out the gun so maybe you'd better tell me what went down." I flashed him a hint of a smile and let my fangs down, just enough for the tips to show. "And introduce yourself."

The man blinked twice and then straightened his shoulders. Wearing a long black leather duster, a pair of indigo jeans, and a gray turtleneck, his brunette hair fell to his shoulders, and his eyes were green and glimmering with magic. "The name's Roz."

It was my turn to stare. "You're from Otherworld, I a.s.sume? What alliance do you claim?"

He gave me a faint grin. "None. I'm a mercenary. I work for the highest bidder, and currently I'm employed."

I leaned in, wary of the smug look that flickered in his eyes. "Maybe you'd better tell me who hired you before I decide to kick you out of the bar. There are certain groups from OW that aren't welcome in the Wayfarer."

Roz let out a snort. "Don't try your tricks on me. I know who you are, I know what you are, and none of that matters. I'm not in the Opium-Eater's hire. She's the least of our worries... but then, you know that."

He swung out of his seat and swaggered over to the jukebox, where he plugged a quarter into the slot and chose a song. Turning back to me, he held out his hand as he nodded to the dance floor.

Feeling like I was walking in a fog, I joined him as the industrial wailings of Yoko Kanno's "Lithium Flower" started. Roz took my hand and led me to the floor, pulling me close as the beat enveloped us in a frenzy of electronic thunder. He wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned his head down to burrow close to my neck. The smell of his cognac-soaked breath, the feel of his pulse as it raced through his fingers, intoxicated me as he swayed to the music, pulling me along with him, grinding his hips against mine.

"Why are you here?" I whispered, knowing he could pick up my words even though they were buried by the music.

"Queen Asteria hired me to come here and help you. I'm a bounty hunter. I specialize in vampires and greater demons."

There was something off about him, though, and I tuned in, trying to pick up on his energy. And then, I knew. "Not Fae. You're a minor demon."

He c.o.c.ked his head. "Do tell?"

Studying his face, I could sense the charm oozing through every pore in his aura. Very few demons could pull off a glamour like this dude. As I ran through the categories in my mind, it hit me. "You've got to be kidding. Queen Asteria hired an incubus to help us?"

He snorted. "You have a problem with that?"

I pushed him to arm's length. You don't tempt the devil when you're trying to retain some control. As a vampire, I was immune to a lot of charm, but an incubus-and this one in particular-well, I didn't want to count on my self-control. I hated to think what he could do with Camille, and I was determined to squash that possibility in the bud before it had a chance to flower.

"Other than the fact that you're a demon-"

"So are you." He was quick on the ball, all right.

I raised my hand to stop him before he could continue. "Other than the fact that you're a demon? Well, you've already instigated a disturbance in my bar and you haven't been here twenty-four hours, yet. Have you?"

He shook his head. "Nope. How'd you know?"

"You still smell like Otherworld." And he did. I could smell the scent of starberry flowers and usha trees on him. He must have come in from a portal near the southern regions. "Well, this is just dandy. So is Roz really your name, or is it a ruse?" I motioned him to follow me back to the bar.

He obeyed but I caught the edge of his lips curling in smug satisfaction. Incubi weren't always evil; therefore, if Queen Asteria thought he had some redeeming qualities, he probably did. But they always always managed to encourage havoc wherever they went. They could charm the pants off just about anybody, straight or gay. Including a number of husbands who let them get away with murder, or at least with s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g their wives. Incubi were hardwired for giving and taking pleasure. managed to encourage havoc wherever they went. They could charm the pants off just about anybody, straight or gay. Including a number of husbands who let them get away with murder, or at least with s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g their wives. Incubi were hardwired for giving and taking pleasure.

The incubus stared at me for a moment, then shrugged. "My name's Roz, short for Rozurial."

"Why do you hunt your own kind?" I was suspicious of a demon who hunted other demons, although I suppose I could technically be accused of the same thing.

"I'm out to protect myself, and I like money," he said. "Besides, I don't hunt down my own kind. I only tend to track greater demons and vampires. I've been in the business seven hundred years, crossing between Otherworld and Earthside in search of one vampire in particular. I finally located him back in OW, but when I broke into his nest, he was gone. His trail led me to the Elfin Queen. She listened to me-under a truthseer's scrutiny, I might add-and then sent me to you." His somber expression made me feel like I was balancing precariously over the abyss.

I knew the answer to my next question before I even asked it. It was one of those moments where, against all better judgment, I had to find out for sure. "What vampire are you talking about?"

Roz leaned across the bar and in a voice as cold as my skin, said, "Do I have to spell it out for you? D-R-E-D-G-E... the scourge of the land."

I leaned against the bar, and for the first time in a long, long while, I felt faint. Queen Asteria had warned us that the Elwing Clan might be headed our way. Now it looked like she was right. Why else would she send this bounty hunter to us?

"Are you sure he's crossed over?"

"He and a few of his mangy crew, led by that nature freak you dumped on the Queen's doorstep." At my look of surprise, he held up his hand. "I know all about the situation. And I also know that Dredge captured you. I know what he does to his victims, Menolly. Except you, he turned. My sister, my mother, and my brother, he tossed aside when he was done with his fun. Seven hundred years ago, he sucked them dry, tore them from limb to limb, and then fed what was left to a pack of h.e.l.lhounds. I was hiding in the attic, watching through the floorboards. I was seven years old. I saw everything."

He was telling the truth. I could see it in his face, I could hear it in his voice. Dredge had destroyed his family.

"You weren't an incubus then, were you?"

Roz shook his head. "No, but that's another story, for another time."

"Then we have something in common." I straightened my shoulders and glanced out the front windows into the dark, snow-filled night. "Do you know where he is?"

"Not yet," Roz said. "But I intend on finding out."

"Don't you dare kill him," I said. "Don't you dare dust him without letting me be the one to plunge that stake through his heart. Your family died, and I understand your pain. But they're with your ancestors now. I'm still here, and I know exactly exactly what Dredge does to his playthings. I can what Dredge does to his playthings. I can never never forget it." I thought for a moment. "Who was the dude you were mixing it up with earlier? Luke said he just vanished." forget it." I thought for a moment. "Who was the dude you were mixing it up with earlier? Luke said he just vanished."

Roz grinned sheepishly. "Local vampire. His daughter's still alive and I slept with her, thinking I might be able to get a lead on where the sub-cult clubs are but all I got was a bad bruise when her father showed up in her bedroom. She doesn't know he's a vampire, turns out, and he was keeping watch over her. Kicked my b.u.t.t and then followed me to kick it some more and warn me that if I ever touch his daughter again, he'll summon a Protector so fast that I'll be sucked into the Subterranean Realms and never be able to get free."