Authors: Crystal-Rain Love
She couldn't give the journal back to Curtis tonight. There was obviously something in it she'd missed. She needed to give him the slip, but how could she manage to do that? As adamant as he was that he was escorting her home to retrieve it, she needed a miracle to get out of this corner she'd backed herself into. She turned around and saw her miracle approaching.
"Detective Porter!” The relief she felt slipped into her voice, and judging by the way the detective's eyes subtly squinted for a second, she knew some of her fear had as well. When Curtis turned his head to see the man approaching from behind him, she nodded toward him and sent the detective a look she hoped said,
Get me away from this nut job now
"I'm glad I caught you before you left, Ms. Michaels,” Jonah said, stepping past Curtis without pausing to acknowledge the other man's presence. “I have to speak with you. Allow me to escort you home.” He took her elbow in his hand and started to move past Curtis.
"Wait a second!” Curtis's cheeks turned an angry shade of red, but Aria could see in his eyes that he felt threatened by the detective. “I'm giving her a ride home so she can return something of mine."
"Police business,” Jonah said as he flashed his badge and quickly ushered Aria out of the library and into his car.
"Want to explain what that was about?” Jonah asked when he slid into the driver's seat and started the car, checking for traffic before pulling out onto the road. “You looked trapped."
"I thought I was,” Aria answered honestly. “Curtis, that guy in there, is usually a really sweet, completely safe kind of guy. Tonight he was kind of crazy."
Jonah spared her a concerned glance before returning his focus to the road. “What did he do?"
"Nothing really. He just kind of weirded out. He let me borrow a book earlier, and then tonight he comes into the library on his day off to tell me he needs it back and got kind of threatening when I told him it was at my apartment."
"Did he actually threaten you?"
"No, no, it was just something in his voice and in his eyes.” Aria shivered. “He gave me the creeps. Maybe I'm just on edge."
"Well, I can't do anything to him if he didn't verbally threaten you, but be on guard. If your gut tells you there is something wrong with a person, then there probably is. What's up with his face?"
"He said he got mugged."
"Maybe,” Jonah said in a way that made Aria feel he didn't really believe Curtis's story. “Keep your distance from the guy. He's not so bad, feel kinda sorry for him to tell the truth, but his brother is a real wacko. I've dealt with him before. Crazy bastard thinks he's the son of the devil."
"Are you serious?"
"Extremely. According to his file, the twins were the result of a rape. Guess that's enough to make a person a little nuts."
Aria gasped. “Curtis's biological father was a rapist?"
"Yep. Mother kept both kids despite their paternity. She died while they were teenagers. Suicide. Cut her own throat."
Aria shook her head in sympathy as they neared her apartment building. Trevaris was outside fixing the front railing. She was surprised to find he was the only person out there.
"Looks like the reporters decided to leave me alone,” she commented as the car rolled to a stop.
"For a while, at least. There was another body found downtown, but it doesn't seem to be related. They don't know that though.” He shifted in his seat so he could look her in the eye. The light from a nearby street lamp spilled into the car, highlighting the contours of his face. “Like I said, I came to the library so I could speak with you. I told my brother what I saw, and there's some real concern that this guy you're involved with isn't who you think he is."
"Who are you talking about? Rialto?” Aria tried her best to appear calm although she suddenly felt queasy inside.
"You know that's who I'm talking about. I ran a search on him and couldn't find anything. It's like he doesn't even exist."
"How much info can you find on a person going by their name alone, Detective?"
"I have my ways of finding people in the system, Aria."
"Too bad you don't seem to have any way to catch a killer,” she snapped.
"Aria—"
"Shut up, Porter. If you want to help me, you need to lay off my friends and focus on the fact that there is a killer on the loose. Rialto doesn't have anything to do with my mother's murder so he shouldn't be of any concern to you."
"According to my brother, he just might have something to do with it."
"Your brother is a dumb ass.” Aria stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut before the detective could make another comment. She looked through the window to see him shake his head before pulling away from the curb.
"Sweets, is that you?” Trevaris asked from behind her. “What's goin’ on with your skin, girl? You look all pale again."
She turned to answer but stopped as she caught sight of the two very pissed off looking vampires walking toward her.
"Sweets? You know these people?” Trevaris's voice was full of caution as Seta and Rialto drew closer, their faces twin masks of fury. Aria could almost see Trevaris jumping to her aid, if Rialto snatched her up, which looked like a definite possibility judging by the tight set of his mouth, and that would cause one huge problem.
"I'm all right, Trevaris,” she answered before the two vamps could swoop down on her. “They're really close friends. I'm safe with them.” She no more than made that statement before Rialto's hand clamped around her arm and pulled her none too gently toward the apartment building's front steps.
"Hey, just a minute, man!” Trevaris's angry voice boomed behind her. She turned her head in time to see Seta raise a hand, and then Trevaris went flying backward. Fortunately a pile of garbage bags cushioned his fall.
"Stay out of this, fool,” Seta cautioned him. “She is safe with us."
"You didn't have to hurt him,” Aria snapped as she was pulled toward her apartment.
"If I wanted to hurt him I would have ripped out an organ,” Seta responded matter-of-factly.
Once inside the apartment, Rialto released his grip on Aria's arm and turned her to face him, the anger in his dark, penetrating eyes burning through her. “Don't you
ever
do that to me again. You can't begin to imagine all the horrible images that went through my mind when I woke and discovered you were gone.” His voice was a thunderous boom, his body shaking with barely constrained anger. Aria could only look at him.
"He nearly ripped Christian's head off when he figured out how you escaped,” Seta said from behind her. “You owe the poor man an apology."
Christian. He'd trusted her even when he knew she'd wanted out. The last thing she'd wanted to do was to get him into trouble or cause a rift between the two old friends. “I'm sorry."
"Sorry and stupid.” Rialto glowered at her. “I told you of Mother's vision. Someone wants you
dead!"
"We've got more immediate problems here,” she said.
Rialto's eyes widened, full of incredulity. “Is that a joke or are you that unconcerned with that little thing called your life?"
"Just calm down and I'll explain."
"Calm down?” Rialto shook his head. “Do you realize my heartbeat has just now returned to normal? We raced straight here, and what do I find? You in a car with some man. I thought it was the killer, Aria. I thought he'd captured you."
"Rialto, you know it was the detective you met here a few days ago."
"I realized that when I got a good look at him, but I didn't know it when I first approached. I thought you were in danger. Scared the hell out of me. What were you doing in the detective's car anyway?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you. He saw you—both you and Seta."
Seta's head snapped up from the painting she'd been studying. “Saw us? What are you talking about?"
"He saw the two of you last night when Rialto passed out. He saw you pick him up and vanish into thin air. He knows you're not regular people."
Seta and Rialto exchanged startled glances as Aria walked over to the sofa and sank down into the soft, inviting cushions. What she really needed was a warm, bubbly hot tub to ease away her tension, but the sofa would have to do.
"Should we fear this man?” Seta asked her son.
"He's a detective. I don't know much about him, but I sensed his immediate suspicion when we met. I remember he reached for his gun, then stopped mid-action when he realized what he was doing. He might be a hunt-now-ask-questions-later type."
"Oh, he's asking questions,” Aria said on the tail of a yawn, suddenly exhausted. “He wants to know what you are and what you're doing here."
"What did you tell him?” Seta gave Aria a hard look which made her shiver with fear.
"Nothing, of course. But Christian needs to be warned. The guy's brother is investigating him, doesn't think he's what he appears to be."
"Who is this brother?"
"John or Jack, or . . . Jake maybe?” Aria tried to recall the name of the detective's brother as Seta's inquiring eyes bore into her. The witch didn't look pleased.
"Could it be Jake Porter?"
"Yes, that's it. Do you know him?"
Seta let out a string of curses that would redden the cheeks of a hardened criminal and turned toward her son. “Jake Porter is that demon-hunting pit bull who ran Christian out of his last church. He was just a kid then. Imagine the damage he can do now.” She turned sharp eyes back to Aria. “Watch out for that detective. He can't be trusted."
"Well, he's working the serial killer case so I'm going to have the occasional run-in with him. And he's extremely curious about the two of you, for all the wrong reasons. He even suggested Rialto could be involved in the murders."
"What?” Aria cringed at Rialto's bellow. “What would give him that idea?"
"Probably the fang holes in the neck,” Aria answered. “I think he's starting to believe in vampires, and with what he saw last night, his imagination has probably kicked into high gear. Then there's the brother. He's telling him things, giving him ideas."
"Well, that's just great. All we need while hunting a killer is a detective hunting us.” Rialto sank into the cushions next to her, resting his head along the back of the sofa. His cheeks were red, his breathing heavier than normal. All of the anger inside him must have taken its toll.
"Rialto, you shouldn't work yourself up."
"I'm fine,” he snapped, causing her to pull back her hand before it reached his shoulder.
"She's right,” Seta interjected. “Your energy is being spent far too fast. Let's all calm down and try to figure this thing out.” She paced the floor in front of them, then turned toward Aria with her hands fisted on her hips. “And just why, may I ask, did you even leave to begin with, Aria?"
Aria swallowed, feeling two feet tall under the witch's hardened glare. “I thought I might find something at the library, a way to help Rialto get over this sickness."
"Well, after the fear you inflicted upon my child, I hope you did find something useful after all."
"Actually, I did find something. A strange book, like a devil worship manual. It had something in there about The Blood Revelation. I understand the situation better now."
Seta's eyebrow arched in a sardonic gesture. “And you found a cure for Rialto's sickness?"
"You know I didn't. According to the book, he won't get better unless I'm changed over. But . . .” Aria let her voice trail off, unsure of what she was going to say.
"What? Spit it out, child."
Aria looked at Rialto, his intense eyes studied hers. There was something swirling inside them, something that gave him the appearance of a wounded animal. That look reached through Aria's chest and squeezed her heart. “There's still hope."
"Don't, Aria.” Rialto's voice was a low rumble of distant thunder. “Don't ask me to change you just to save my life. This
gift
is an eternal curse—if you even survive it."
"Rialto!” Seta's harsh tone lashed out like a whip. “Don't be foolish! I've told you that Aria's one of us. If she's finally realized what needs to be done then, damn it to hell, let her do it!"
"Actually, Seta, that wasn't what I was referring to.” Aria sank deeper into the sofa cushions as Seta glared at her, obviously infuriated. She couldn't fight the feeling that if the killer didn't get to her first, Seta would probably do her in. “I haven't told you about Curtis yet."
"Who the hell is Curtis?"
"He works at the library. He's this geeky, scrawny little guy who talks to me a lot. He has a crush on me, I think.” Aria felt Rialto tense next to her and suppressed a grin. She liked the idea of him being a bit jealous. “He gave me his great-grandfather's journal a few days ago, said the guy was a vampire hunter."
"It was Alfred Dunn's journal,” Rialto interjected. His voice sounded strange.
Seta's eyebrows shot up. “Alfred Dunn? The man who hunted for Eron? Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"I didn't think it mattered since I had every intention of destroying it once this situation was resolved. And I didn't know Aria had obtained the journal from the man's great-grandchild."
"What was in it?"
Aria answered Seta's question. “It started off like a story, detailing how Eron killed Alfred's son, Patrick, and how Alfred went looking for him but couldn't find him. Then he added in lists of vampires and places they could be found. Eventually his writing got kind of crazy and didn't make any sense. There were parts that were completely unreadable."
"Are you sure there wasn't anything important in it? It was the man's life mission to destroy Eron."
"Well, I didn't think there was anything in it that could prove harmful, but after the way Curtis acted tonight . . ."
"What did he do?” Rialto sat up and leaned toward Aria, his eyes wide and focused, his jaw locked. He looked like a wild animal ready to pounce. “Did he harm you?"
"No,” Aria answered with a shiver, “but if Porter hadn't walked in when he did I'm scared to think what would have happened. He came into the library all banged up, said he'd been mugged. He was acting crazy."