| |
Black Cat’s Out Of The Bag
––––––––
I stood between Phoenix and Face as Viper commanded the room from the podium inside the Cobalt Room. We were instructed to always have his back as he conducted church, and we never failed to do so.
I watched the way Viper’s woman, MyAnna, stared at him with stars in her eyes and I wondered what she saw in the grumpy bastard. What human in their right mind fell in love with a violent fucking monster?
There was no way I’d ever understand it, but it was what it was. Viper protected her like his life depended on it, and I wasn’t one to question that. I’d known him for decades and had never seen him like this. I supposed when you found “the one,” you just knew. I thought I’d experienced it once, but love for a lifetime just wasn’t in the cards for me. Besides... ain’t nobody got time for that love and commitment shit.
“Like I said, stay vigilant. I’m getting tips here and there about some unusual witch activity in the area, but nothing to act on as of now. If we get anything substantial, you’ll be the first to know.” He looked out at the sea of faces seated inside the bar, all the vampires we’d recruited into the club over the past few months. Some had been humans begging to be turned, others had been lost, lone vampires looking for a place to belong. Our numbers now topped over fifty and were either prospects or full-fledged members of the Nighthawks, and I could see the pride beaming from Viper’s hazel eyes.
Without any objections or questions, he ended church, and the staff who worked at Cobalt began to prepare for the evening crowd before the doors opened.
“Boss... a word?” I said in Viper’s ear as he turned away from the podium.
I watched as Paz, a young, male prospect, whisked the podium away and disappeared into the back office area with it.
“What’s up?” Viper asked, once we were semi-alone.
I glanced at his fiancée, who was clinging tightly to his arm, then back to him. “Can we chat alone?”
MyAnna nodded, knowing what was coming. Before Viper could respond, she lifted her chin and untangled herself from her fiancé. “I’ll go help Dash behind the bar.”
At least she could take a hint.
“What is it, man?” he asked.
“Any word or tips about witches in the Quarter? Or anywhere else?” I asked.
He stared at me hard for a few seconds, and then nodded. “Yeah, one was killed earlier tonight. Lost her head—literally.”
I nodded, contemplating what I was going to say next.
“You know, you could just tell me when you go out on a job. You don’t have to keep it from me.”
I was debating on telling him anyway, but I guessed the proverbial black cat was out of the bag. “Yeah, well, she was stealing from humans and assaulting them... even killed a couple of dudes. I taught her a lesson.”
He chuckled. “I’d say she didn’t learn much, since you didn’t give her a chance to.”
I lifted a shoulder and let it fall while stroking my fingers over my beard. “Well, I sent a message at least. Better they just go extinct, anyway. And nobody knows a vampire did it.”
“Yeah, but we don’t need to start a war. We’re trying to keep the peace, so maybe don’t go killing witches,” Viper quipped, staring at me.
Chuckling, I clapped my friend on the shoulder. “I’ll keep that in mind. Someone has to police these witches though, especially ones like that.”
“True,” he replied, nodding. “That’s why New Orleans has us.”
“Agreed,” I said, bumping his fist with mine.
“Now, next time, just give me a head’s up on your solo vigilante missions, will you?” he asked.
I hesitated. I didn’t want to be accountable to anyone, but with Vane, I owed him my life and decided he deserved at least that much. “Sure, boss, no worries.”
“Stop calling me boss,” he said, exasperated.
I chose that moment to disappear into thin air, right before I heard him say, “Stop fucking doing that!”
I materialized in my apartment and found myself at the foot of my bed. A basket of laundry sat on top of it, and I groaned at the thought of folding it and putting it away. Such a mundane task that I would clearly be doing for all of fucking eternity. I dreamed of a world where we didn’t have to wear clothes. Why did Eve have to sin in the Garden of Eden and cause us to be ashamed of our nakedness?
Why was I even thinking about this shit? Sunday School lessons from my childhood coming back to haunt me in the most ridiculous way. I pushed the thoughts away and went about my chore. Once that was done, I concentrated briefly until I was in the breakroom inside the clubhouse. I was hungry and in no mood to prowl the streets for a human donor.
“What’s up?” I chirped in greeting to Jewel and Fox, who were sipping blood-laden coffee from ceramic mugs with ridiculous sayings on them like Lady Boss and Dracula Wouldn’t Judge on them.
When I opened the freezer to get a blood bag, I could see there was nothing but a few boxes of frozen human snack foods, but no blood. I slammed the door shut and whirled around to the duo sitting at the table. “What the hell, guys?”
“Fox went out to get more,” Jewel quickly said, raising her mug to her mouth, her multiple colorful rings glinting from the lights in the breakroom. “There’s the wine bottles in the club—”
I had no patience for that and was in the mood for some fresh stuff, anyway.
Concentrating on the donor club down in the Quarter, I soon found myself at the door to Vlad’s, the ridiculously cliché vampire bar. Could the owners have made it any more obvious? I supposed it left nothing to the imagination, keeping out the non-vampire supes and inviting in the goth human kids and wannabe vamps.
I wandered inside and gave a discreet sniff in the air. A delicious scent filled my nostrils and I followed it until I found a beautiful blonde standing at the end of the bar, a martini glass with something colorful in it paused at her lips.
“Heya, gorgeous,” she said, looking up at me.
With my keen eyesight, I could see she had healed-over bite marks on her neck. But that didn’t deter me. If she wanted to be a blood whore, then I was more than willing to be her customer.
“Craig,” I said, gripping her waist and pulling her flush against my body.
She giggled and set her drink down. “Kristin. Wow, big man. You sure don’t waste any time.”
I ground my pelvis into hers so she could feel all of me. “No, I don’t.” I leaned down and kissed her hard on the mouth, and when her tongue mingled with mine, I groaned against her lips, my cock stiffening even more against her.
Trailing kisses down Kristin’s neck, I kept a firm hold on her before I jammed my fangs into her carotid and helped myself to all her deliciously human blood. I whimpered quietly as her essence flowed down my throat and nourished my immortal body.
When I felt her grind her hips into mine, I knew I needed to now sate my other needs... and she did not disappoint. In the bathroom of this faux vampire bar, her very talented mouth gave me everything I needed and more.
Thank you, Kristin. You were quite the human feedbag—and more.
Deciding to walk back to the club, I passed an alley and paid it no mind until something in my peripheral vision caught my attention. Mixed colors of light blasted into the air until I was forced to stop and look at what was happening.
“Tell me, leech. Tell me now,” I heard a female voice say.
Looking closer, I could see a woman standing over a man, her arm in the air as she wielded enough power to command anyone’s attention.
The man whimpered and shook his head. “I don’t know, lady. I don’t know. Please... let me go. Please...”
“You reek of vampire stench, and I know you leeches stick together. I’ll let you go when you tell me who killed Amara.”
Alarm bells went off in my head. This crazy witch was looking for whoever had killed the fortuneteller.
Well, that was me.
I looked at the terrified vamp. He was cowering under her magic and I could tell he was a very new vampire.
Act now, save him. Or keep walking.
“Okay, then. Your choice.”
I watched as the witch lifted her hand to strike down the new vampire.
“Wait!” I said, my hands out in front of me.
The witch’s head whipped in my direction, and she narrowed her glowing, purple eyes. “Who are you?”
I lifted my chin. “The one you’re looking for.”
“Bullshit,” she replied quickly, ready to take down the new vampire.
“It’s not, though.” I put my hands on my hips.
She raised her hand as if to strike down the new vampire. Then, she looked at me.
Shrugging casually, even though I was on edge, I said, “I don’t care if you kill him or not, but it will be all for nothing.”
She lowered her hand, and that was all the opportunity the young vampire needed. He used preternatural speed to exit the alley, leaving me alone with the witch.
“You’re welcome,” I called out sarcastically to his retreating figure.
She watched briefly as he left, then narrowed her eyes at me. I had my arms folded across my cut and I saw her eye it before looking up at me. I was still about ten feet away from her, acting aloof but ready to defend myself.
“Stop doing magic out in the open,” I snapped.
“Why did you kill Amara?” she asked, ignoring my demand.
I snorted. “Because she was killing human men and stealing from them.”
The witch was young, not just young-looking, with flaming red curls cut short and dressed like a video game heroine in tight black leather. I found this curious, since witches dressed like hippies. She wore high-heeled boots and I wondered how fast she could run with them.
“She was doing no such thing, vampire,” she hissed at me.
Chuckling, I said, “Wanna bet?”
The colorful magic dripping from her fingers began to fade and she stood at full height, now seeming more curious than angry. “Tell me.” She folded her arms across her chest.
“What more do you want to know? I’ve told you why I killed her. Now, keep your magic hidden so the Nighthawks won’t have to declare open season on witches. Feel me?”
“Open season...” She threw her head back and laughed. “Are you insane? We can kill you all with a snap of our fingers.” She posed with one hand in the air, her fingers ready to snap.
I laughed again. “No, you can’t.”
She obviously thought I knew nothing about witches. Cute.
“What’s your name?” I asked, not sure why that came out of my mouth.
“Why do you want to know? So you can hunt me down and kill me?”
“If I wanted you dead, you’d already be headless, just like your friend,” I quipped.
She made a face. “You’re reprehensible and disgusting. Filthy vampire.”
“I’m Shadow,” I said, trying to get her to talk.
Why was I trying to get her to talk?
“I can read,” she snarked, pointing at my cut.
I didn’t care for this bitch’s attitude, so I simply mimicked her pose and snapped my fingers, disappearing before her eyes, her gasp the last thing I heard before I materialized inside the clubhouse.