Tweedledum, now weaponless, is terrified. He points to me with a shaky finger. ‘Kill her,’ he says to the Medici vamp. ‘Kill her now.’
The bloodguzzler eyes me. He’s older than I am – and therefore a damn sight more powerful ‒ but I’ve got reputation on my side, which might help my cause. I’d rather not get into it with him if I can help it though.
‘I’m not here for you,’ I shout. ‘I want him.’ I point at Tweedledum.
The Medici vampire stands up, wavering slightly. Of course: the drugs in Fiona’s system are already affecting him. Perhaps this will be easier than I thought.
He flicks a glance at Tweedledum. ‘Sorry, mate. She’s off limits. Orders of the boss.’
My nose wrinkles. Why would Medici want me unharmed? Before I can ask the guzzler, he pushes past me and stumbles down the stairs, disappearing into the crowd. I could go after him but he’s not the reason for this diversion. I turn my attention back to the human.
‘I guess you’re all on your own,’ I comment lightly. ‘Unless you want Fiona here to be your bodyguard.’
Tweedledum’s brow furrows. ‘Who?’
‘He calls me Ellie,’ she reminds me helpfully.
Oh yes, because she’s the bait. I step towards him. ‘People say a lot about the vampires, you know. That they only care about their own Families and will throw anyone else to the dogs. You, however, will use your own kind to get what you want. Even the vampires aren’t that bad.’
‘I … I … don’t know what you mean,’ he stammers.
‘Yes, you do.’ I lick my lips and allow my fangs to lengthen. He flinches. ‘She’s drugged so you could drug the vampire. It wasn’t the smartest move to make. Bloodguzzlers aren’t very amiable when someone threatens them.’
‘Fuck you!’
I raise my eyebrows. ‘Is that the best you can do? Really?’ I sigh. Then I whirl round, pick up a chair and spin again, slamming it against his head. His jaw goes slack and he collapses. ‘Swearing is so uncouth,’ I tell his prostate form.
Fiona stares at me. She doesn’t look particularly afraid, no doubt as a result of her drug-induced haze, but she’s aware of what’s going on. ‘Are you going to kill me?’ she asks.
I shake my head. ‘No. I’m going to ask you for a favour.’
She gives a puzzled frown while I turn my attention back to the two unconscious humans. I suppose I should call Foxworthy; it would be the right thing to do.
I take out my phone and find the number I need. When someone answers, I speak brusquely. ‘This is the Red Angel. Put me through to Lord Stuart.’
There’s a silence, followed by a click. Excellent.
Stuart’s voice fills the line. ‘What’s going on?’ Even with his booming tones, it’s difficult to hear him. I stick one finger in my ear to block out the thumping music.
‘I’m at a warehouse near the Black Market,’ I tell him. I prod Tweedledee with my toe. ‘I have two people here who would hate to make your acquaintance.’
‘Who?’ he growls.
‘Do you remember Bergman?’
Lord Stuart hisses. ‘Give me your exact location.’
‘I want something in return.’
‘Name it.’
‘Make sure Arzo is occupied and bring his girlfriend to the New Order office,’ I instruct. ‘Immediately.’
‘Arzo? The wheelchair Sanguine?’
‘That’s the one.’
‘Done,’ he snaps.
I give him the address then hang up. I glance at Fiona. ‘You’re a vampette?’
‘Uh huh.’
‘Those men gave you drugs,’ I tell her. ‘They’d probably have ended up killing you.’
From her expression, I reckon my words have penetrated her drugged brain. ‘Maybe being a vampette isn’t for you,’ I say gently. ‘But before you think about giving it up, I’d like you to help me out with someone else. Another vampire.’ I hold up my hands in a gesture of friendliness. ‘You don’t have to though. If you want to leave I won’t stop you, I promise.’
She wobbles to her feet. There’s still a smear of blood at her throat and the two puncture wounds from the Medici vamp are visible. I think she’s going to refuse but she tilts up her chin and meets my eyes. ‘OK.’
‘You’re sure?’
She bites her lip and nods.
I acknowledge her agreement but I don’t smile. ‘Come on then,’ I say, holding out my hand. ‘I hope you don’t mind motorbikes.’
*
I let Kimchi out when we get back. He’s excited to see me but he sniffs cautiously at Fiona then keeps his distance from her. Sometimes he’s smarter than he lets on. Fiona perches on a nearby desk.
‘Are we waiting for someone?’
I start to nod as the door opens. Dahlia appears, flanked by two Stuart vampires. ‘Thank you,’ I tell them politely. ‘You may go now.’
They exchange looks. I’m not sure what orders Lord Stuart has given them but they decide to do as I ask. They give small bows and hastily depart.
I focus on Dahlia. She’s perfectly made-up, not a hair out of place and not a blemish showing. I imagine that the little black dress she’s wearing was for Arzo’s benefit; it’s certainly not for mine.
I take a deep breath. ‘I’m sorry for bringing you all the way out here.’
‘They wanted Arzo first.’ She meets my eyes. ‘He’s already at the hospital. He’s been there for hours.’ What she leaves unspoken is the question of why I’m not there too.
‘Mm,’ I murmur non-committally. ‘I’ll see him there later. I thought it was important to do this first.’
Kimchi growls, making Fiona jump. I shush him.
‘Who’s that?’ Dahlia asks, looking at the vampette.
‘A peace offering.’
She jerks as if in surprise. ‘For what?’
‘For accusing you of poisoning my grandfather.’ I keep my voice level and calm. ‘It wasn’t fair of me. You’ve been trying really hard to get on with me and I threw your efforts back in your face. I was … hurting. And panicked.’ I undo my ponytail and run my hand through my hair. ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do without him.’
She steps over to me and puts her hand on my arm. I manage not to flinch but it’s hard. ‘He might pull through. Even if he doesn’t, you’ll be surprised at where you can draw strength from. You’ll cope.’
‘Thank you. You’re being very gracious.’
Fiona drops the paperweight she’d been toying with. It smashes to the ground, splintering everywhere. Oblivious to my conversation with Dahlia, she looks at me guiltily. ‘Oops.’
Dahlia frowns. ‘Is she alright?’
‘She’s been drinking,’ I say smoothly. ‘I bet you’ve not tried drinking from someone with alcohol in their system. It gives you a hell of a buzz.’
‘That’s why you brought her here?’
I shrug. ‘She was keen to come along. She’s a friend of mine and I thought you might be hungry.’
Fiona gives us with a happy smile. ‘I’m a vampette,’ she announces.
‘You didn’t have to do that, Bo.’
‘I know,’ I answer. ‘But I wanted to.’
I hold my breath as Dahlia steps over to her. ‘Nice skin,’ she comments, talking directly to Fiona for the first time.
Fiona smiles dreamily, stretching out her neck. Dahlia doesn’t waste another moment; her eyes meet mine as she sinks her teeth into Fiona’s flesh. She drinks hungrily. I watch her, ready to stop her if I think she’s taking too much. She pulls away long before that though, dabbing at her mouth. ‘She certainly has an interesting taste,’ Dahlia muses. ‘Almost like wine.’
If I felt any guilt about what I’m doing, it vanishes with Dahlia’s insistence on treating Fiona like she’s nothing more than an object. Even after guzzling her blood, she still won’t acknowledge her as a person. It’s so rude. I make a point of finding a napkin and passing it over for Fiona to press against her neck. She smiles at me gratefull
y.
The office door bangs open and Matt appears. His hair is ruffled and he appears irritated. ‘Bloody hell, Bo!’ he exclaims when he spots me. ‘You could have told me you didn’t need me to watch those people any more!’
I realise that he’s referring to the Brownslows. Either Connor or O’Shea must have given him the all clear. ‘Sorry.’
He grumbles under his breath although his expression lightens when sees Fiona. ‘Hello. Who are you?’
Fiona simply smiles and offers him her neck. He starts forward but I clear my throat. ‘Actually, she’s already lost quite a lot of blood tonight. Dahlia was her last. It’s probably better to leave her be for now.’
Matt’s bottom lip juts out. ‘I’ve been with that freaking family and their non-stop chatter for hours. I’m hungry.’
I try to soothe him. ‘Maybe you should head back to the mansion then and pick up a vampette there. In fact, you could drop off Fiona on your way.’
‘I live in Wandsworth,’ she tells us, trying to be helpful.
I wince. That’s miles away from the Montserrat mansion where Matt stays. He looks at me incredulously. ‘You have to be kidding me.’
‘Go.’
He struggles with the order but there’s enough from the old enhancement spell still lingering to make him do my bidding. However, I reckon that before the week is out, he’ll be a completely changed man. Good for him.
Dahlia’s nose wrinkles as Matt and Fiona leave. ‘She still had a lot of blood left in her.’
‘If he took any more from her, she’d feel weak for days. It’s better this way.’
She raises one shoulder. ‘I guess you’re the expert, you’ve been a vampire for longer than I have.’
I try to laugh. ‘Not much longer. How are you feeling? Are you alright?’
‘I’m fine. Worried about your grandfather, of course.’
‘Of course.’
She licks her lips. ‘I’m also really thirsty. It must be effect of the alcohol. Some water will help.’
I don’t want her to dilute the drugs before they even begin to work. ‘Before you do,’ I stall, ‘I wanted to see how things were going with Arzo. I care a lot about him, you know.’
‘I do.’ She nods. ‘He cares a lot about you too.’
She stands up to walk through to the tiny kitchen. I get up and bar her way, trying not be too obvious. ‘Is he really mad?’ I ask. ‘You know, because I accused you of … that stuff.’
‘He’ll get over it. He’s like that. It’s so easy to twist him round your finger. He might be Sanguine but his spine’s not any stronger than it was when he was a human.’ She blinks, as if surprised at her own words.
‘So you think he’s weak?’ I prod, my stomach tightening as it becomes obvious that the drugs are starting to work.
‘Yes.’ She slurs the word. ‘Like most men.’
‘Is Medici weak?’
There’s a flash of fear across her face. ‘No. He’s not.’ She shakes her head emphatically. ‘He’s definitely not weak at all.’ At least we agree on something. I’m about to ask her another question to test how far gone she is, when she speaks again. ‘He’s going to make me strong too. He promised.’
My body tenses. ‘Medici is going to make you strong?’ She nods. ‘Why is he going to make you strong, Dahlia?’
‘Because I’ve done everything he asked.’
‘Did he ask you to hurt my grandfather?’
‘No.’ Damn it. She’s not finished though. ‘He asked me to murder him.’
I stop breathing. Even though I’d believed it deep in my core, it still stuns me to hear her say it out loud. ‘So you poisoned him?’
‘I did.’ She looks at me anxiously. ‘He is going to die, isn’t he? Lord Medici won’t be happy if he lives.’
I launch myself at her, wrapping my hands around her throat. ‘I knew it!’ I spit. ‘I knew you’d done it all along. You’ve played every single one of us!’
Her eyes bulge and she scrabbles at my fingers and there’s a croaking sound as she gulps for air. I tighten my grip. Tears squeeze from her eyes and her legs start to thrash. I stare into her reddening face; I want to see her die.
Kimchi whines. He pads up next to me and licks my arm. It’s a tentative movement rather his usual exuberant slobber. I rip my eyes away from Dahlia to check on him. He whines again.
‘Go away, Kimchi!’ I order. He lifts one paw and places it on my knee. ‘Kimchi…’ I curse and release Dahlia.
She crawls backwards, hugging herself and staring at me in horror. ‘Why?’ she whispers, barely able to speak. ‘Why would you do that?’
I pass a hand across my forehead. ‘If you have to ask that,’ I say tiredly, ‘then you’re not as smart as I thought you were.’ I stand up. ‘Come on, Kimchi. Let’s get out of here.’ He barks, nudging me with his wet nose. ‘You’re a good dog,’ I tell him.
I leave Dahlia where she is and walk out, my shoulders slumped and my body heavy.
Kimchi and I shuffle down the street. He keeps throwing me anxious looks, as if he’s afraid I’m going to run back and finish the job. Instead I fondle his ears. There’s a faint rain falling, cooling the night even further, washing away all our sins.
When we reach the small park several streets away, I let Kimchi off the lead. For a moment he doesn’t move. He stays by my side. I give him a gentle push and his tail thumps then he takes off, racing round after invisible rabbits.
I reach into my pocket and pull out my white pebble. It’s a silly thing really. I lift it up and clutch it against my chest. Another tear leaks out, then another and another.
I sit down a nearby swing and gently rock myself. The familiar, child-like movement helps. When I finally have control of myself again, I carefully tuck the pebble away.
‘You’re alright, Bo,’ I say to myself. ‘You’re still alright.’ Just.
Kimchi lopes up, his tongue lolling in what I can only imagine is some kind of doggy relief. ‘Let’s go back,’ I say. ‘I need to get to the hospital and I’m pretty sure they’re not going to let you in.’ I stroke his coat. ‘Even if you do eat all my clothes and all my furniture, you’re pretty much the best dog in the world.’
He barks again and I hush him. ‘Normal people are sleeping. Let’s be considerate.’ I smile at him, probably the first genuine smile that I’ve given for hours. Then the pair of us leave for home.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE – The End
Before we even turn the corner into our street, I know something is wrong. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s an uncomfortable prickle down my spine. Kimchi growls. I press myself against the grime-covered wall and peer round.
There are two figures standing in the middle of the street, gesticulating angrily at each other. Dahlia and her Lord. The fact that Medici has blown her cover by appearing like this can mean only one thing. I’m not going to let that happen; if I’m not going to kill her, no one else is either.
I loop Kimchi’s lead round a lamp post. He whines, his large brown eyes gazing at me. ‘Sorry, buster,’ I whisper. ‘I don’t want you to get hurt.’ I pat his head and start to stroll down the centre of the road. Dahlia continues to wave her arms but Medici twists round to watch my approach.
‘The Red Angel,’ he says, as soon as I’m close enough. ‘Have you come to rescue this poor little flower?’ He raises a thin eyebrow at me.
‘You’re not welcome here.’
He throws back his head and laughs. ‘This is a public place. You can’t stop me from walking down the street, Ms Blackman.’
‘Bo!’ Dahlia shrieks. ‘You have to do something! He’s going to hurt me!’
We both ignore her. ‘Last chance, Medici. Get your bony arse out of here.’
He runs his tongue across his gleaming white fangs. ‘Or what?’
‘Just leave.’
He steps towards me, amusement lighting his expression. ‘No.’
I rush him, head down and fists out, but he’s too fast. Th
e only thing I manage to head butt is air.
Medici tsks. ‘You brought down a Kakos daemon. I thought you’d be faster.’
I growl and try again, using the bonnet of a car as a base to leap off. This time I have more success, scissoring my legs round his neck. He grabs my calves and turns his head, his teeth sinking into my thigh. I howl and he throws me off.
Rolling to my feet, I confront him once more. ‘Do you really think you’re going to get away with this?’ I ask. ‘With opening up recruitment? Breaking away from the other Families?’
‘My dear Bo, I already have.’
I swipe out a punch, catching the edge of his jaw. He reels back. ‘Everyone’s against you, Medici. All four Families. They’ll stop you dead in your tracks.’
He makes a show of looking up and down the street. ‘I don’t see any of them here.’
I kick at his chest. He grabs my foot and twists, making me crash down onto the hard tarmac. Leaning over me, he looks at me curiously. ‘How did you do it?’ he enquires. ‘How did you kill that daemon? You’re as weak as a kitten.’
I snarl and snatch his lapels, rising up and slamming my forehead against his. He curses and falls back, stumbling. I leap to my feet. ‘I’m just getting warmed up.’
Medici sighs and straightens up. He inspects his fingernails. ‘You must have been lucky,’ he decides. ‘Because you’re still nothing more than a wimpy little fledgling.’ A slow smile spreads across his face. ‘Imagine the look on your darling Michael’s face when he learns that I’ve ripped your head clean off your shoulders.’
‘I’d like to see you try,’ I spit.
He shrugs and drops his hand. ‘Very well then.’
Before I can blink, his punch connects with my already shattered and only just healing cheekbone. I scream in agony. Then he takes my shoulders, spins me round and pulls me back against him, holding my head in both his hands. ‘The sad thing,’ he whispers in my ear, ‘is that you won’t be around to see it.’
I gulp. ‘And here was me thinking that you rather liked me. After all, you did tell your Medici goons to leave me alone.’