Authors: Trina M Lee
I parked in the seedy section of town. Typical, new vampires would come here for an easy kill. The place was littered with drug dealers, prostitutes and random homeless people. Easy pickings. When I considered what went on here, the activity at The Wicked Kiss didn’t seem quite so bad. At least there, the victims usually enjoyed it.
Striding down the street with the Dragon Claw clutched firmly in hand, I let all other thought blow away on the warm night air. Unfortunately, the dagger was far too big to safely secure it anywhere. The curved blade made it hard to fit to a sheath. I’d have to find a way to conceal it for future outings. A jacket could always help with that.
Two vampires lurked a few blocks ahead. I could sense their high-strung energy and hunger. They couldn’t be very old. Cloaking my presence, I clung to the shadows as I silently approached. They were following a prostitute.
I saw her before I saw them. She dragged on a cigarette while ambling along as if she had no real destination in mind. A car sped by, slowing long enough for the occupants to shout something derogatory at her as they passed. She gave them the finger and continued on. I tried to imagine living her life and couldn’t. Some would feel the same about my life. Funny how that worked. The grass really wasn’t always greener on the other side.
The vampires didn’t stalk her as I would have. Instead they callously leaped out at her from between two buildings as she passed. Like starving dogs, they were on her with little thought or tact. I was glad I’d decided to come out tonight.
I sprang into action, excitement thrilling through me. With a perfectly timed body check, I knocked one of them off his feet. Their victim shrieked and flailed wildly as she fought back. Everything happened so fast that it took a moment for the vampires to realize I’d crashed their party.
The one I’d knocked down was already on his feet, and I was ready for him. I swung the dagger, narrowly missing when he dodged the blow. He counter attacked, but I was ready for it and easily avoided contact. I could feel their lack of real power. All they had was inhuman strength.
Their victim was momentarily forgotten as they made the unspoken decision to tag team me. She’d already been bitten, but she was conscious and able to run as fast as her stiletto heels would carry her. My attention was on the vampire closest to me. He was circling me, trying to get me moving so my back would become unprotected at some point. I trapped his buddy in a circle, smirking at his sudden outrage.
“It’s you. Goddamn werewolf bitch.” My target snarled at me as I advanced on him. A newbie who’d heard of me? Interesting.
“Am I ruining your evening?” I smiled, revealing wolf fangs. “I get bored sometimes. This should give me a minute or two of excitement.”
He looked uncertain, his gaze darting from the dagger in my hand to his buddy trapped in my circle. I could see it in his eyes. He was thinking about running. What a damn coward. Every step I took toward him had him dancing backward like a boxer. He had no way out of this, and he knew it. I quickly grew frustrated and without a second thought, flung the dagger so it spun end over end as it sliced through the air.
It struck him in the chest. Pity. I’d been aiming for his neck. The blade plunged through his flesh, and no sooner had blood burst forth than he dropped into a pile of dust. The Dragon Claw clattered to the asphalt with a sharp, metallic sound. I quickly retrieved it before dropping the circle that held the other vampire.
“Look, I don’t want to tangle with you. Ok?” His hands were held up in surrender as he backed away slowly.
“Are you kidding me?” I stood in the middle of the quiet street, watching him flee. Disappointment filled me.
I was more than satisfied with the dagger. It did exactly what Lilah had promised. However, this was a failed attempt at working off some aggression and angst. Newborn vampires didn’t have what I wanted. My thoughts strayed to Shya. Working for him could be incredibly dangerous and maybe even stupid. But, it might be just what I needed.
I quickly lost interest in the lesser vampires creeping the night. The dagger test was a success. It had killed that vamp without piercing the heart. Uncanny. It would taste Veryl’s blood soon. I was eager for it.
After storing the dagger safely in the trunk of my car, I headed for a late night grocery store to buy a few things for Jez. She was a huge fan of chocolate, making it easy to find something she’d like. As an afterthought I grabbed a tub of cookie dough ice cream. It couldn’t hurt.
She was alone when I arrived at her swanky apartment on the south side of town. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen Jez look so rough. She was beyond pale. Her skin was so white it appeared translucent. It caused her green eyes to stand out in startling contrast. Clad in soft flannel pajamas with hearts on them, she didn’t look anything like the bad-ass cat I was used to seeing.
“Go ahead and say it.” With a roll of her eyes, she took the bag of fattening food from me, going for the ice cream right away. “Yes, I do feel as bad as I look.”
I followed her through the small but impressive kitchen where she paused to grab two spoons before continuing to the living room beyond. For an apartment, the ceiling was especially high. The furniture was simple black leather, all of it matching. The sound of vehicles on the street below drifted in through the open balcony door. I took a seat beside her on the couch and glanced at the television. She was watching
Jeopardy
.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, Jez. I should have been able to. I tried, but I just couldn’t focus.” I accepted the spoon she held out to me. Drowning my recent worries in ice cream really paled in comparison to the booze and blood I’d rather be drowning them in.
“It’s ok, Lex. I’m fine. And, Kale is the one that tried to kill me. Don’t you go feeling all guilty about someone else’s mistake.” Jez shoveled a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and sighed. “Thanks. I totally needed this.”
Jez needed a sugary treat, and I would have gladly traded it for warm, lively blood. I frowned as I turned that thought over in my mind. It made me feel like a monster. The irony was that she was the one who had never been human.
“Have you heard from him?” I hid a wince when I asked. I could only imagine what Jez was feeling toward Kale right now.
“He’s called. I’ve ignored those calls. I have nothing to say to him right now.” Crossing her legs and settling back into the corner of the couch, she met my gaze. “I just can’t believe he tried to kill me. Kale. Of all people. I get it: the guy has issues. But really? I would have expected it from you first. No offense.”
I took a bite of ice cream, finding that my stomach instantly rejected the sweet substance. “None taken. How did it happen?”
“I walked into the office, and he was there. I knew he was a mess just from the looks of him. It all happened pretty fast.” Emotion swam behind her eyes. She must have relived it so many times already. “How many people did he hurt after that? Do you know?”
I nodded, suddenly finding it hard to maintain eye contact. “A few. It was bad. I tracked him down at The Wicked Kiss. We had a bit of a confrontation. I haven’t seen or heard from him since.”
Jez’ spoon stopped halfway to the ice cream container. Staring at
Jeopardy
as if it was suddenly the most fascinating thing I’d ever seen did nothing to help me escape the moment. She might have been recovering from her dance with death, but the leopard was as sharp as ever.
“Alexa? Did you do something?” She studied me hard, and I shrank back until my back was pressed against the opposite side of the sofa. “You finally fucking did it. You screwed Kale. And, after what he did to me?”
“It wasn’t like that, Jez. I didn’t go after him with that kind of intention. You know that. Things got carried away. There was a confrontation. He hurt me. I hurt him. Something changed, and the next thing I knew …” It was hard to say it out loud. She gestured for me to spit it out. “The next thing I knew he had me up against the side of the building in the rain.”
“I can’t believe you fucked the guy after he tried to kill me. You’re lucky I love you so much, or I’d claw your damn eyes out.” She shook her head and mustered a glare. “Well, go on. You have to tell me about it.”
“What? Oh no. That’s not necessary. Besides, there’s nothing to tell.”
“Yes, there damn well is. Start talking. If you can do it, you can tell me about it.”
I found some relief in the fact that nobody in my life would ask for details except Jez. However, I wasn’t sure I was ready to relive the encounter with Kale. I’d done my best to shove it from my thoughts.
“It was sudden and out of control. We were idiots to let it happen. I can barely think about it.” I met her scrutinizing feline stare and felt like a mouse. With a sigh, I gave in and recounted the events of that night, omitting the really candid details that nobody but Kale and I needed to know.
When I finished, she wore a strange smile. “I knew it would happen. Gotta say, I think it’s only going to make you both crazier than you already are.”
“Yeah well, you’re not the only one.” With a groan, I told her about Arys’ quick discovery of my little indiscretion and the talk we’d had after. “The worst part is I think he’s right. I love Kale so much. But, I’m not in love with him, and I can never be what he needs. Even saying that, part of me still wants that connection. He shares something with me that I can’t share with anyone else. It’s so selfish, I know. I’m totally ashamed of myself.”
Jez looked thoughtful as she continued to feast on ice cream. “What is liquid nitrogen?” Her response momentarily threw me until I realized she was responding to the television. Alex Trebek confirmed her answer to be correct.
“Sorry,” she said to me. “I don’t think rushing to believe what Arys tells you is the wisest move. This thing with you and Kale, it didn’t happen overnight. He’s not on my list of favorite people right now. But, he’s still Kale, and we care about him. Whatever it is between you two, don’t be too quick to write it off because of what Arys said.”
“You’re not helping, Jez.” I slumped in my seat, turning the spoon over in my hand. I had no appetite for ice cream. “This is confusing enough as it is. I haven’t told Shaz.”
Her jaw dropped, and she reached out as if to slap me. I warded her off with my spoon. “Don’t be an idiot, Alexa. Don’t tell him! Especially not if it was a one time thing that’s never going to happen again. Why hurt him for no reason?”
This reaction from Jez didn’t come as a surprise. I didn’t share her opinion. “I can’t hide this from him. He would find out somehow anyway, and it would be so much worse. No. Shaz is one person I will never hide anything from.”
Jez frowned. “Well, let me know how that goes.”
My stomach turned at the thought of confessing my sin to Shaz. Tomorrow night. I had to do it. Putting it off any longer would be pushing it. It would look like I was hiding it.
“Enough about me.” I rushed to change the subject before she could persist. “How are you really feeling? Do you need anything?”
“Nothing I can’t obtain through a phone call for takeout. Really, I’ll be fine. I think I just need to sleep for a few days.”
Despite her weak energy and pale skin, the spark in her eyes reassured me that she would be fine. Kale had gotten lucky this time. He would never forgive himself for this. It would have destroyed what fragment of sanity and true-self Kale still possessed if he’d killed her.
“Lay low for a while. At least until those blood ring vamps are dealt with. You’d never stand a chance against them in this state.” I studied her closely, sensing the breaks in her aura. She felt weak like prey. “And, stay away from Kale, too. Don’t be alone with him for a while.”
Jez laughed bitterly. “You don’t have to tell me twice. You’ll probably see him before I do. Can you tell him something for me? Tell him I forgive him. I just can’t be around him right now. Maybe not for a while.”
“Of course. I’ll pass that along though, honestly, I’m not sure I can be around him right now either.”
The conversation took a more casual turn, and I happily used the chatter as a temporary escape from my thoughts. It didn’t take long to tire Jez out. Though she begged me to stay for a movie, I insisted on letting her rest. Nocturnal or not, Jez needed sleep. And, I needed to scratch the itch of bloodlust growing in the pit of my stomach.
“Call me if you need anything,” I repeated like an annoying mother hen. “I mean it.”
“Does that include some tender loving?” she teased with a grin. It was nice to see her smile. It banished the image of her lying there on the floor bleeding out.
I pulled her close for a hug before heading for the door. “I’ll see what I can do.”
All jokes aside, Jez had come frightfully close to death at the hands of someone she trusted. I had to admit that I was glad that I wasn’t the one who had attacked her. I’d tried once. Ironically, Kale had been the one to stop me. If only I’d been there to do the same for him.