Cold Reign

  “Yeah? How’re we gonna get that?” I asked, hearing the derision in my tone.

  Edmund lifted a shoulder easily and suggested, “Think as a cat?”

  I knew what he was telling me. I was an ambush hunter. Any cat would want intel on the sealed room before rushing in. And that same cat would strike from the least likely place. “Okay. I’ll bite. Cats go high. How do we get into the roof system?”

  Edmund smiled and I might have sworn he was part cat himself. He tapped his coms mic. “Gee DiMercy. Would you be so gracious as to fly slowly and low, around the bottom of the roof system, around the entire block. We search for an unanticipated entrance point.”

  The black-and-white camera tilted, showing a swath of lightning-bright clouds and the underside of a pale wing. Gee was the only Mercy Blade out of the closet. I didn’t think it was an accident that he had revealed himself as an Anzu just before Le Bâtard and Louis—the Deadly Duo—showed up. The camera angled back to level and circled the block. Edmund said, “Here,” and tapped the screen. “Alex, will you make some still photographs of the apex of the gable? I do believe I spotted a vent. And here”—he pointed again—“another vent?” I didn’t see anything, but I wasn’t going to argue with a vamp.

  Moments later still shots captured from the video appeared in black and white on the smaller tablets. And indeed there were vents, two of them in gables, one on each shorter arm of the U-shaped building. I thought about Rick’s video. The ceiling was the dropped kind; that meant I could lift a panel and drop down. If I could get over the room. But the roof was pitched too low to stand, and in human form I’d have to crawl. Beast shoved her way through my mind and said, Shift! Beast is best ambush hunter.

  “If I can get into the roof system,” I said, “I can crawl over the sealed room. Drop in. Make a distraction.”

  “What I was thinking,” Rick agreed, his voice casual. Too casual. I knew that tone and I narrowed my eyes at it. “Two cats dropping from the ceiling would give the others time to take down the walls and come through.”

  “No,” I said, before I thought. “I don’t mind flying by the seat of my pants, but I have to know my backup is dependable.”

  The silence on the coms channel was palpable. I wasn’t sorry. I wasn’t.

  Rick enunciated carefully, “What you want, or do not want, is of no concern to me. This is now an official PsyLED investigation. You go in with me or you go home.”

  Again the silence. Suddenly I laughed and said, “Hey, Big Bird. Can you rip off the vents?” Even as I spoke, the altitude and attitude of the Anzu’s flight altered. He changed pitch and landed on the top of the roof. One foot was caught in the camera as Gee grasped the fascia and the metal of the roof, piercing it with his talons as he hung upside down. Using the talons of the other foot, he reached out and ripped off the vent. It was still falling to the ground when he launched off the roof, righted himself, and flapped hard to regain altitude. He came perilously close to the sidewalk before he managed that feat. Lightning brightened the night. Again. Magic whipped through the air, a burning tingle that even the humans felt.

  “Ricky-Bo, you slimy piece of pond scum,” I said, laughter in my tone, “you’re on.” I started tearing off clothes. Edmund’s eyes went wide and he politely turned his head, giving me privacy. Not that he hadn’t seen me naked, but I’d been nearly dead at the time. I shoved out of the boots just as Beast tore through the Gray Between and we shifted.

  • • •

  Beast growled, shaking pelt. Like new bigness of Jane muscles. Like being big. But hunger. Need food. Jane did not answer.

  Stared at bag of food on floor. Taco. Beast never hunted taco. Did not know if taco was bird or alligator or pig. Was too stinky to be fish. Edmund opened bag and Beast sniffed. Was stinky. But Beast ate, swallowing fast. Taco was meat and bean-stuff and corn-stuff. Had man-spices in it. Taco meat would be better raw. But did not want to hunt taco. Stinky animal. Swallowed last of taco. Lifted head and sniffed air. Smelled stinky head of vampires. Could eat them. Would not be hungry if ate Adrianna head or other vampire head. But Jane would be mad.

  “Janie,” Eli said. “You okay? That was the fastest shift I’ve ever seen.”

  Looked at littermate, letting glow of skinwalker energies into eyes. Growled again. Not Jane. Am Beast. Batted gobag at Edmund. Snarled. Stupid humans. Batted bag again.

  “I don’t think that’s Jane,” Eli said. “I think that’s a ‘Timmy fell down the well’ move.”

  “What happened?” Rick asked.

  Sound came from dark snake-thing on floor. Thing Jane called coms and earbud. Snarled. Rick-mate left with black wereleopard Paka. Hate Paka. But Beast and Jane found other mate. Better mate. Batted gobag. Snarled, showing killing teeth.

  “I think she wants her gobag on,” Eli said.

  Beast lay on seat and chuffed. Eli reached around and found small gobag. Strapped it on neck near gold from sacred place of first Jane-shift. Neck lace. Neck was good. Beast had strong neck. Lace was spiderweb humans wore, but not on neck. Was confusing.

  “Is that okay, Janie?” Eli tugged on gobag.

  Butted Eli hand. Not Jane. Am Beast.

  “Okay,” he said. “I think I’m talking to Beast.”

  Chuffed again. Am Beast.

  “Do you wish to have an earbud?” Edmund asked. “It is possible to—”

  Chuffed with sound that meant was stupid question. Shook head side to side in Jane-talk. No. Vampire might hear. Vampire have best ears like Beast. Are predators. But littermates did not understand.

  “You ready?” Eli asked, patting Jane’s gobag. “You have a nine, loaded with silver-lead rounds and three full mags. The gray one is standard ammo if you need to switch out. You have the new armor and a thigh rig. Your boots are not in here.” Eli patted gobag. “Understand? No boots. You’ll be in flops.”

  Eli was good littermate. Beast chuffed with sound that meant okay.

  “We’ll wait exactly five minutes from the time the SUV door closes. Then we’re after you, through the doors.”

  “Ten minutes,” Rick said. Was growl to his voice. His cat-growl. Liked cat-growl. Did not like Rick.

  “Fine. Ten. Take your time, Janie,” Eli said. “You’ll hear us enter the bedroom where Rick ended up. As soon as you hear us breaking down the wall into the sealed room, you drop into the room.”

  Chuffed. Lifted head, dropped head, lifted head, in Jane-nod. Tapped door handle with paw.

  Before Edmund reached around, earbud made noise. Like limb breaking.

  “Wrassler to Jane Yellowrock. Wrassler to Jane Yellowrock. Do you copy?”

  Eli said, “Eli Younger here. Yellowrock is with me. Over.”

  “The Council Chambers building is under attack again. The lower entry level has been breached. Repeat, lower entry level has been breached. Stairwells are still secure. Enemy combatants are humans and European suckheads as well as local gangs. And you need to know, Amy Lynn Brown went missing four hours past.”

  Eli made snarl face. “Leo?”

  “Leo is secure at this time. Requesting backup.”

  Eli said, “We are not, repeat not, able to respond at this time.”

  Wrassler said word for sex and earbud made sound again.

  Eli looked into Beast eyes. “Amy Lynn Brown is missing. The EVs are attacking HQ. So what do they want this time that they didn’t manage to get in the last attack? Has to be the Son of Darkness. And we have to assume they took Amy. It’s gonna be a long night, Babe.” He opened door.

  Beast stepped into cold and rain and falling ice. Sleet. Hate sleet. Raced along sidewalk to corner where building roof was low. Gathered self. Pushed off ground. Leaped high. Stretched hard, claws out. Gobag banged on neck and chest. Landed on roof. Slid on ice-slick metal. Scratched and pulled self to top of roof. Like top of tree. Top of mountain. Could see steel
pole called lightning rod in middle of roof. Looked other way. Could see far. Could see magic in other ess-u-vee. Ricky-Bo was shifting into cat. Liked big-cat, but not Ricky-Bo. Ricky-Bo was slow to shift. Was new to his cat-self. Beast was better. Faster.

  Looked up in clouds. Much lightning and rainbow dragons, flying. Much magic. Much danger. Anzu was flying there too. Watching dragons. Calling bird calls. Saw Anzu dive at dragon. Bit dragon! Was fighting dragons! Did not understand. Wanted to fight dragons but could not fly. Wanted to watch, but sleet was hitting eyes. Snarled. Wanted many things but could not have.

  Crept on belly to edge of roof and looked down. Hole in top part of pointy wall Jane called gable was like small window. Big enough for Beast. Placed paw and claws into holes left by Anzu. Tightened into metal like into tree bark. Swung down and around and caught lip of window with back claw. Hung. Wind hit, shoving Beast. Might fall.

  Looked at ground. Not far. Could try again. But Ricky-Bo could be ready by then. Did not want to hunt with Ricky-Bo. Pushed with other back leg and swiveled large tail to twist body. Pulled with claw on roof. Head ducked inside. Then body. Darkness surrounded like good den in mountainside. Sleet and wind went away. Inside was cold and musky with snake smell and rat smell. And human blood smell. Vampire den was close. Shook rain and ice from pelt, hearing it patter into dark. Shook again. Pelt was good predator pelt. Nearly dry except where sleet penetrated deep to melt on skin. Hate sleet.

  Found wood limb, shaped flat. Easy to walk. White man liked limbs made flat. Remembered sound of machine. Sawmill. In hunger times. And white man killing trees. Hated white man. But liked Edmund. And Bruiser. Was strange to like white man. But was time to hunt. Hunger cramped into Beast-belly like Anzu claws. Tacos had been small crunch and gone.

  Walked along limb into building. Sleet on metal roof was loud. Covering all other sounds. Hunting was easy in dark place with flat limbs and sleet on roof. Caught spiderwebs with face. Like neck lace but with crawly things that raced across ears. Neck lace of web. White man words were confusing.

  Smell of human blood was stronger. So was smell of Onorio. And witch. And death.

  Pawpawpaw. Shaking crawly things off of body. Pawpawpaw. Silent. Beast was best ambush hunter. Reached place on flat limb above room that Ricky-Bo had not seen. Looked for light and found place where light came through ceiling below. Gathered self and leaped to flat limb, then to flat limb. Flat was easy to leap.

  Settled to limb over hole in ceiling and watched through into sealed room. Could see . . . magic. Much magic. Sparking green, black, and many, many silvers. Gold like Beast eyes. Pulled on Jane eyes and saw also red—color of blood as seen with human eyes. Color of Damours magics. Color of evil magics. Color of magic in Jane that had not been there when we hunted in mountains. Wanted to go home.

  Pawpawpaw to better place. Through new hole saw Brandon and Brian. Brother-littermate-Onorios were tied to posts in floor by leather straps with metal barbs. Metal pierced flesh and blood ran down. Brothers had been bitten many times. Vampires had not closed wounds. Left prey to bleed, like cat playing with mouse. Vampires were playing with meat. Was toy, not food. Wanted to keep toys alive. Did not know how vampires had trapped Onorios. Magic? Or bait. Grégoire was bait. Beast wanted to growl. Wanted to kill vampires.

  Breathed in air. Quiet scree of sound, no louder than sleet on roof. Pulling air over tongue and roof of mouth and scent sacs there. Smelled vampires Jane knew, Amitee and Fernand vampires. Would put their heads in box with stinky head of Adrianna. Smelled Sabina and Sabina blood. Smelled witch-vampire did not know. Smelled Amy Lynn Brown. Smelled more-than-five sick vampires. Smelled more-than-five dead humans.

  Heard Onorio brothers make sounds like hurt kits.

  Did not have way to tell littermate about Onorios in danger.

  Beast?

  I/we are in building. Ricky-Bo is coming through other door in . . . in pointy roof. But Ricky-Bo is slow to find his cat.

  What’s the go word?

  Beast thought. Remembered. When noise comes from bedroom that Ricky-Bo was in. Before he was cat.

  Got it. Anything else that needs my attention?

  Leo’s den is attacked by predators.

  Okay. Ordinarily I’d say, Not good, but that means fewer Big Bad Uglies in the room below.

  Amy Lynn Brown vampire is prey, below in room.

  Okay. So we have more problems to resolve. Ducky.

  Want to eat Adrianna vampire head.

  Ewww.

  Snorted softly. Crouched onto paws. Wrapped big tail around paws. Twisted ear tabs, listening. Yawned, tongue curling. Waited. Outside, sleet got harder. Pounded onto metal roof like many, many rat claws. Saw in darkness of head many rats pouring from sky instead of sleet.

  Again, ewww.

  Beast snorted softly. Heard noise far off. Heard woman in room below flat limb say, “They’re here. How did they find us so soon?”

  “Ce n’est pas possible,” a man said. “They can’t find us.”

  “Je les entends! What do we do?”

  “Je . . . Je . . .”

  Beast heard sound in bedroom where Ricky-Bo had last been human. Beast placed paw on ceiling with hole in it and shifted weight onto paw. Roof piece gave way. Fell. Beast leaped through hole, screaming with rage. Hunt. Kill vampires. I/we hunger!

  Ceiling piece landed. Beast hit floor with one paw. Shoved off and up. Snarling. Mouth open with killing fangs. Ripped into face of man vampire. Fangs sank into forehead and eye. Into mouth and jaw. Bit down with crunch of bones and flesh. Blood shot into mouth. Good vampire blood. Flesh tore with strange noise as front paws hit vampire chest. Bit. Twisted. Ripped off face of man vampire. Was still in air, still taking vampire to floor. Back paws hit hips. Man fell. Screaming. Landed. Body bumped. Head bumped. Heard screaming. Beast ate face whole. Whirled.

  Saw woman vampire. Pushed off prey. Leaped at woman. Amitee. Was in midair when wall knocked in. Beast landed on woman vampire. Hit hard with all paws. Knocked her to floor. Heard gunshots loud. Felt pain in hip. Was shot. Did not like to be shot. Snapped fangs into woman neck. Dragged her into corner of room. Prey moved. Shook her. Pain in hip grew bigger. Curled in corner with prey in front. More gunshots.

  Looked around room. Saw humans crawling through crack in large door. Not door Jane’s littermates should come through. This door opened from ground.

  Garage door, Jane thought. Don’t eat Amitee.

  Will eat prey. Woman vampire smells like Brian and Brandon. Woman vampire has been drinking of them.

  Oh . . . Jane stopped thinking. Started smelling.

  More humans entered. Firing guns.

  Amitee raised hands to Beast face. Vampire claws tore into Beast. Trying to find Beast eyes. Beast shook her. Hard. Heard neck break. Vampire hands fell. Vampire woman has been using claws on Onorios. Playing with Onorios like mice.

  Take out her throat. Leave her head attached. How bad are you hit? Jane asked.

  Beast is shot. Need to shift. Blood is leaving Beast body. Could die.

  Crap. Drink her blood to heal. Look at the room. I need to see. Jane shoved Beast aside and took over eyesight.

  • • •

  Fifteen humans had come under the door, into the room. Where had they been? The taco truck with the dead humans. The bodies had released bowels. The smell of spices and the stench of the dead probably covered up the living humans.

  Beast has better nose than Ricky-Bo. Beast has nose from ugly dog.

  She was right. Rick should not have done the recon. Beast and I should have. This was a trap for real.

  Need food. Beast ripped out Amitee’s throat and ate it. Lapped at the blood that spouted from the severed carotids at her chest.

  I tried not to gag and watched the fight. The battle was fast and furious. The humans were all wearing unfamiliar black-and-gray patterned camo,
dull black boots. They each carried a sword and a nine-millimeter handgun, make and model also unfamiliar. They were using both weapons.

  Edmund dispatched five of the humans, leaving them bleeding or in dead heaps on the floor. One had been disemboweled. The smells were awful. Beast licked her jaws. I tasted Amitee’s and Fernand’s blood; it was delicious. Powerful. And ick.

  Eli was behind a massive metal trunk in the corner across from me/us. He glanced at us and took in the room, acquired a target. Fired. Aimed and fired. Fired. Fired. Each round found its target. But no one fell. These humans were hyped up on vamp blood.

  Good vampire blood, Beast thought, still drinking. And sounding maybe a little drunk.

  Three humans were firing at Edmund, but if they hit him I couldn’t see it. Several rounds hit Amitee, her humans less concerned about friendly fire. Her body jumped lightly with each shot, not that the round would do her harm. I didn’t smell silver in contact with vamp blood.

  Good vampire blood, Beast thought again.

  On the floor some twelve feet away, Fernand was feeling around with one hand and touching his facial bones with the other. There was nothing left from ear to ear and from eyebrows to the top of his neck.

  He was making little sounds like, “Ih ih. Ieeee.” I was pretty sure part of his tongue was gone as well his face. But he was still moving and it looked as if the flesh of his face was starting to heal. Near us, Amitee’s throat was starting to regrow. They had been drinking from an old vamp to be this strong. Or . . . Or they were more powerful than they appeared. Just how old was the Rochefort clan in France? Was it possible to hide vampire power when a master vamp, Leo, drank from them? And how long had they been planning Leo’s overthrow? And . . . Immanuel, Leo’s supposed son, had been a crazy skinwalker. It was all tied together, but I was missing something. Who had the power and the time to do all this? Plan all this? Set it all in motion? Le Bâtard? Louis? Or was there someone else on shore with the power here? I remembered the vamps in the photos, the ones where vamps were coming ashore in dinghies. Who would be smart enough to make all this happen? Crap, crap, crap. What was I missing? The wigged-up woman. The vamp with her. Were they the ones attacking HQ?