Taste

  “What the fuck is happening?” he shouted around the joint, keeping it in his mouth with what surely had to be a lot of practice.

  “You’re fucked, that’s what,” I said calmly. “I’m here to help.”

  He relaxed slightly. “I wasn’t here last night. Most of my people were with me. We were told we had a meeting with the big guys, but they never showed up. I came back to this.” He waved an arm.

  I glanced at the people with pity. They had been sitting ducks. “Quick version is that the British Vampire Association has taken over the UK. They’re trying to move across the water by sending humans who have been given a formula to turn them into vampires, except the mutation is more feral, far more lethal, than an ordinary vampire. It can’t get enough blood, can’t stop until it’s satisfied.”

  “And let me guess, it’s never satisfied?”

  “Yep.That recent serial killer? One of these things. Except there are rumours an army of them are on their way. Last night, there were three. We took care of one, the supernatural police tried to take down a second and failed, and nobody told us about the third until it was too late. I saw the news. I’m so sorry.”

  He ran his hands through his hair, his face paling. “Fuck. Fuck this shit, Ava. They make us work for them, and then they can’t even help us survive? If it wasn’t for the lads in the warehouse, more would have died here. They protected everyone when they heard the commotion, but the thing ran before they could finish it off.”

  I glanced at the shadows where I sensed some of the brethni huddling together. I nodded at them, and I felt the hum of their recognition. I hadn’t made the best first impression on them, what with Peter stabbing their leader and all. “Why are the police here? And all of the cameras?”

  “Ah, typical shit. Think we’re going to war down here. As if a few pigs could stop anything.” He shouted the last sentence.

  “Relax, Moses. Listen, it might come back tonight. It might bring friends. They pretty much die in the sunlight, and I can’t pick up their energy or their scent. I can only follow them at night, and I’m not magic, you know? So I need you to be able to fight back.”

  “We have guns,” he said, patting his hip.

  “Dunno if that will work. Maybe a shot to the brain would do it, but I haven’t tested the theory.”

  “Well, what do you know?” he asked impatiently, looking around.

  “I know they’re strong, and they can jump so high they might as well be flying. They’re fast, and they don’t hurt easy. They hate silver and crosses. If you have any super religious people around, make sure they’re holding crosses.”

  “The parish priest is here,” he murmured. “Could the old fart help out instead of just fucking praying over everyone?”

  “Maybe,” I said, thinking hard on what Anka had told me about devotion and religious symbols. “He could maybe bless the crosses, and everyone could hang them up on doors and windows. We could keep everyone inside a couple of flats, and then whoever can fight could guard the others. That would be easier than having everyone spread out everywhere. They won’t be picked off first, put it that way. What else? Oh, yeah, their bite will paralyse you. As long as their fangs are embedded in your skin, you’re screwed. Don’t let them bite you under any circumstances. And chopping off their head will pretty much do the job.”

  He rubbed his unshaven jaw. “Lads! C’mere. Ava, say it again while I round up the Holy Joes.”

  A group of hard-looking men surrounded me, and I told them what I had offered to Moses.

  “What the fuck?” the youngest one said, staring at me as if I were crazy.

  “Shut up and listen,” another said, slapping him on the back. “She’s the one with the fangs, isn’t she?”

  “Show us your fangs,” a third said in an excited voice, nudging the figure next to him.

  I leapt at him, pinning him to the ground as I let my fangs free. They all froze. The one beneath me gave a little whimper and pissed himself.

  “Seriously?” I said, wanting to swear as much as Moses. “That was nothing. These things are ten times faster than me. Stronger than me. Harder to kill. If I freak you out, then you’re completely fucked.”

  “We’ll be ready,” one of the men said, reaching out to help me to my feet. “And if we survive, I’ll buy you a pint.”

  I grinned. “You’re going to survive. All of you lot against one little beast? You can handle it. Just don’t do anything stupid like get bitten.” I lifted the leg of my jeans to show my scars.

  A couple of the men whistled at the sight of them.

  “Why are you helping us?” one asked, looking awestruck despite his broad shoulders and the gun carelessly shoved into the waistband of his jeans.

  I frowned. “Because I’m not a monster.”

  I spent the day with Moses, spreading the word and figuring out what their best form of defence was.

  “Parish priest is still avoiding me,” Moses said and nodded at one of his group. “Find Father Fat Fuck and get him over here right now.” His gang member ran off to do his bidding.

  I shoved Moses hard. “Snap out of that. He could help.”

  “That’ll be a first.”

  The priest was pretty rotund, but he hurried over to us, his face sweating. He seemed to have taken the word that vampires existed pretty well.

  “We need silver crosses,” Moses said.

  “As many as possible,” I said. “Silver in general works well, Father…” I was pretty certain his name wasn’t really Father Fat Fuck.

  “Father Ryan,” the priest said, putting out his hand. “What about non-silver crosses?”

  “I think they’ll work,” I said, giving his hand a quick shake. “It’s worth a try. Can you take a group of people with you to stock up on the likes of holy water and crosses from the church?”

  “I don’t have a way to bring a large supply of holy water,” he said. “I have a lot of salt stored that could be used in sanctifying water here. But wouldn’t it be easier and safer to bring everyone to the church? Surely we’ll all be safe in a house of God?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know if the building affects them in any way. Besides, it’s too spacious, too much room to be overrun by these things. There are too many entry points, and I’m not willing to test any theories on whether a Catholic church can keep vampires at bay or not.”

  The priest nodded. “I’ll find what I can, but I think I’m best served keeping the people calm and helping with their grief. If I can lead them in prayer then—”

  “Oh, shut the fuck up,” Moses snapped. “This is war. Our people are being slaughtered. Your poxy prayers aren’t worth shit to me.”

  Father Ryan faced Moses calmly, but a muscle ticked in his jaw. “My prayers may be worth little to you, Benjamin, but they’re worth a great deal to our Father in Heaven. He’ll protect us on this day. Not you. Who supports the church? Who keeps it going? The people in those flats do. Even the non-believers help us keep the parish going. If you have a problem with that, take it up with them, but I’m needed here, whether you like it or not.”

  I stepped between them before they got even further out of hand. “Look, this is serious. We need protection. The best way to protect people is to lock them up in those flats and make the place so secure that nothing can get near them. If they need the priest to find some kind of peace, then so be it, but we definitely need Father Ryan to come up with as much holy water and silver and crosses as he can. They’re defenceless right now. Whatever problem you two have with each other, put it aside until this is over.”

  The priest nodded, and Moses grunted his acquiescence a moment later. Father Ryan organised a run to the church, and he seemed in his element as he ordered Moses’s goons around.

  Finding enough silver for everyone was a problem, but Val, Peter, Esther, and Gabe arrived with reinforcements. Gabe and I left the others to distribute the new goodies.

  “Pretty nice stash you got there,” I said as we walked up t
he stairwell of the closest block of flats so I could show him the layout.

  “You said you wanted to arm everyone,” Gabe said. “And it was too late to make you think about what you’re doing here, so I raided the Council’s armoury. What was left of it anyway.”

  “You stole from the Council?” I asked, impressed. I had never wanted to hug him until that moment.

  “Just taking what’s needed, especially since they refused to allow my personal Guard to come. This was my second choice. We’ll be giving them back,” he warned the crowd around us. “And don’t worry,” he added to me. “Everyone at the cul-de-sac is armed. Mrs. Yaga is close by. Lorcan and Cam are there. They’re well protected. Besides, it’s not a big enough place. They want places like this. They need it to gain their strength.”

  “I think that’s what they’re doing,” I confided. “Getting full to prepare for the big battle.”

  “The Council expect you to deal with their beast tonight.”

  “Well, the Council can go fuck themselves sideways. I’m taking care of whoever needs it most. And it’s not them.”

  He grinned. “I’ll be sure to pass on that message verbatim.”

  I laughed. “Please do. Take a picture of Fionnuala’s face while you’re at it.”

  He glanced around. “There are a lot of TV cameras here.” We stood on a balcony, watching out for more arrivals. People were bringing their families, determined to stick together in the flats, knowing they had a way to defend themselves.

  “Good. Maybe they’ll get a view of what’s really going to happen this time. No more of the usual bullshit. We need this, Gabe,” I said urgently. “Humans and supernaturals need to stick together. There can’t be any hiding anymore. It’s too risky for everyone.”

  He didn’t look at me. “You can’t change too much at once, Ava. It’s too much upheaval.”

  “Life is an upheaval right now, thanks to the vampires. If it had been dealt with in the beginning… sorry, I’m not blaming you. I’m frustrated it came to this.”

  “So am I,” he said. “I’m not against what you believe in, but I need to make it through this, too. This isn’t my battle.”

  “And yet here you stand.”

  He nodded. “I’ve always made bad decisions. Why break a lifetime habit?”

  “That’s the spirit.” I slapped him on the back. “Let’s go chat with the drug dealers.”

  He shook his head, looking truly baffled. I saw Peter joking with one of Moses’s men, and I ran back down the stairs to speak to him.

  “How are you feeling?” I said.

  “Good,” Peter replied. “Itching for the dark. I feel like beating my frustration out on something.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I keep saying there’s something wrong with you.”

  He took my hand and led me down the grotty stairwell. “That’s the only reason we work.”

  My lips twitched. “We work, do we?”

  “Better than most, I’d say. I’ve missed working with you.”

  I felt a tingle run down my spine. “I know. But Emmett—”

  He sighed. “Not tonight. Did Gabe tell you the Council want you dealing with their problem?”

  “Yeah.Bloody cheek of them. The shit is going to hit the fan, and I don’t want to deal with their crap as well.”

  “They could give us fighters.”

  “Some of their fighters have recently tried to kill us all,” I reminded him.

  “Yeah, but this is war. Allies change. We go with it to survive.”

  “This feels like the end.” I shivered.

  “It’s not the end. This isn’t even the beginning. This is just… purgatory.”

  I giggled. “Again I say, you’re a strange man.”

  He pulled me to him for a kiss, and my spirits rose again. “This isn’t a problem,” he whispered. “We can deal with this crap.”

  “We should probably make nice with the brethni,” I said, glancing over Peter’s shoulder to where they had gathered. I didn’t want the brethni to accidentally change sides in the middle of battle.

  “Do we have to?”

  “Don’t be such a baby.” I took his hand. “Come on.”

  I led him across the communal area. “Thanks for helping out,” I told the one I assumed was the leader. “You didn’t have to.”

  “Of course we did,” he replied. He looked like a strung-out loser, but under the mask was an alien-looking creature with pink eyes, grey skin, and a forked tongue. Under the mask was a creature who could repair its own wounds.

  Peter rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. “About before…”

  The brethni bristled as one. The leader said, “You insulted us, threatened us, attacked us, and worst of all, called us liars.”

  “Yeah, I did all that, but when your kid is—”

  “We do not care. We’re here to help our neighbours.”

  Peter’s cheeks reddened. “You know what? I—”

  I stepped between them. “Okay. Maybe we should be looking at the bigger picture here. We’re being attacked by powerful beings trying to invade the country. The powerful beings already in this country are never going to help us. We help each other to survive. Only way there is.”

  The brethni regarded me with caution and a little scorn. “So you say.”

  “You’re just like us,” I said softly. “Forgotten. Underestimated. Now’s the time to make yourself heard.”

  As one, the brethni thumped their chests, and I took a wary step back.

  “Ava!” Moses called out. “A little help here.”

  “We should go,” I told the brethni leader. “Good luck tonight.”

  I walked away, pulling Peter along with me. We gathered around the priest and the people who had gone with him to help carry the supplies.

  I picked up a large silver cross. “Wow. This can work, but we need to move quickly. Father, can you bless the crosses with holy water? And maybe douse the windows with holy water, too. We get everyone inside the bottom few rows of one block of flats, and the rest of us keep guard on the outside. People, start sticking the crosses to the doors and windows whatever way you can.”

  “What about the back balconies?” Moses asked. “Second row up has a big glass window at the back of every flat.”

  “Try to squeeze everyone into the bottom row. Make sure they have protection at every window though,” Peter said.

  I turned around, thinking fast. “Moses, get people moving. Make sure they’re wearing their silver jewellery and that everyone is armed.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I don’t trust some of the young lads with a weapon,” he murmured under his breath. “All right, people. You heard the woman. Get your fucking arses on the move. Now!”

  Everyone got to work, but night rapidly approached. A trickle of panic kept running through my veins, telling me that we wouldn’t be ready in time, that some small forgotten window would go unguarded, that everything would fall apart before it began.

  A news crew wandered over, somehow avoiding the police barrier.

  “Excuse me?” the reporter called, getting in my path. “Can you explain to us what’s going on here? Is this some kind of signal? Are you expecting another attack? Do you live here?”

  I brushed her out of the way and spotted a familiar face amongst the police. I ran to barriers, calling Shay’s name.

  He flinched away from me, sending goose bumps across my arms.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. “You okay?”

  “Don’t, Ava,” he said, his voice so angry it shook. “I know, okay? Peter told me. About you.”

  I glanced around at Peter, who rapidly turned away to chat to a surprised-looking woman on his left.

  “Right,” I said. “So it’s like that, is it?”

  He stared at me, unmoving.

  “You know what, Shay? Fuck you. And if you have any sense at all, get these idiots out of here before they get killed.”

  He straightened. “What are you talkin
g about?”

  “What the hell do you think I’m talking about? Last night was nothing compared to what’s coming tonight. I’m protecting those people over there. You lot are on your own.”

  “Ava, I—”

  I let out a gasp as something ran over me. No, it couldn’t be. It wasn’t dark yet. I ran back toward the flats and screamed, “Everyone inside! Right now! They’re coming!”

  The last of the people were pushed inside the flats, packed together so tight that I knew a breach would mean a massacre. Groups of Moses’s men, the brethni, and my friends waited outside, surrounding the flats. I held up a hand, and there was only silence. I could feel them coming. More than before. They needed to feed. After that, they would destroy.

  I ran back to the news crews and made sure the cameras were on me. “Tell people to protect themselves! Tell them to fight back!”

  The first beast appeared as a couple of the reporters chuckled together. I turned and watched as it leapt onto the roof of the flats. It climbed down, swinging from one balcony to another like an overgrown monkey. I didn’t know what size the thing had been as a man, but it was huge.

  I glanced back at Shay, sorely tempted to let them all be picked off to punish him for judging me so harshly.

  “Val!” I yelled. “With me for a minute.”

  She ran over, eyes on the sky as the beast dropped down close to us. Too focused on the cluster of beating hearts, it didn’t glance in our direction.

  I let him get close, too close. Val made a sound of alarm, but I ran, calling for her to follow. I flung one end of a silver chain at her. She gripped it, nodding as we caught up to the beast. He whirled around, fangs snapping as we circled him. He focused on me as Val pulled the chain tight, trapping him. We hauled him to the ground and tied up his limbs as quickly as possible, struggling to keep out of way of his swinging fists and kicking feet.

  We dragged the feral beast closer to the cameras, making sure they had a good view of his mouth full of fangs. He snapped as if he could already taste their blood rushing into his mouth.

  “This is the serial killer!” I called. “This is what’s going to come to your neighbourhood and try to drink your blood. It’s not a vampire, not really, but it was made by a vampire. Everything exists. Anything you’ve ever heard of? Anything you don’t believe in? It probably exists. And they’re all around you. There’s a supernatural governing body. They even have their own police force, but they aren’t protecting you tonight. Nobody human.” I panted from the strength it took to hold onto the beast, even with Val’s help.