Bear Meets Girl (9 page)

            Cole
grunted. “I think we can guess which one it is.”

            He
parked two blocks away from the house, then motioned Angela around to the trunk
and popped it. “I’ve got some holy water in here,” he said, handing her two
glasses that were small enough to tuck into her boots.

            “Thanks.”
Angela checked her gun to make sure it was still charged. It wouldn’t work as
well against vampires as it did against shifters, but it would still stun them
long enough to make a getaway. She pursed her lips when Cole handed her a short
sword – a non-regulation weapon that she would surely get cited for if a
report got filed on the incident – but took it and strapped it to her
side anyway. You could never be too careful when it came to vampires, and
decapitation
was
one of the only ways to kill them.

            They
walked the two blocks in silence, trying to remain inconspicuous as possible
– not an easy task with a sword swinging from her belt, and the aura of
pure danger that seemed to emanate so effortlessly from Cole. A movement to the
right caught her attention, and she turned her head just in time to catch an
elderly lady peeking through lacy curtains at her. The curtains instantly fell
back, but not in time for Angela to miss the look of fear on her face.

           
Great.
Nosy neighbors.
That was just what she needed. Whose idea was it to set up
a coterie in a neighborhood full of gossiping grannies anyway? When this was
over she was going to have a serious talk with her Captain and see if she could
bring it up to the Vampire representative of the Order. Having a coterie in
this kind of location was
not
good for human-supernatural relations.

            Cole
checked the address on the scrap of paper in his hand, then looked up and
stopped. “This is it.”

            As
Angela took a moment to study the house, she understood exactly why the
vampires had chosen it. It was a sprawling Victorian Gothic Revival home, with
a tower jutting out from the left side and a gazebo-style patio on the right.
Dark reddish-purple siding and golden accents made it look majestic and
foreboding all at once, and navy-colored shutters were drawn over all the
windows, which were of various shapes and sizes and likely also had blackout
curtains hung inside of them to protect from the light.

            “I
bet all the kids on this block whisper to each other that vampires live here,”
Angela said dryly. “Considering that every single house on the street except
this one, and the one at the corner, are Spanish Colonia Revivals.”

            “They’re
not exactly doing a great job of blending in,” Cole agreed, stepping up to the
door. Angela followed him up the wooden steps to the front door, which, along
with the patio railing, had been painted the same dark navy as the shutters,
and allowed him to ring the doorbell.

            Actual,
bonafide organ music resonated throughout the house.

           
Oh
my God,
Angela groaned mentally as she and Cole exchanged a look. She
hadn’t even met them, and she could already tell these were going to be the
cheesiest vampires she’d ever seen.

            The
door opened to reveal a pale young man with silvery blonde hair, and a faraway
look in his powder blue eyes. He was decently dressed in a plum-colored V-neck
sweater and navy pants, no doubt chosen to match the exterior of the house.
“Welcome to the Devine residence. How can I help you?”

            Angela
held up her shield. “We’re here to speak to Mr. Devine regarding an incident at
the Crazy Horse last night which he was involved in. May we come in?” She
suppressed the shiver that always went through her whenever she had to deal
with sycophants – humans that acted as both food and servants for their
vampire masters. They weren’t banned by supernatural law as it was a much safer
alternative to having vampires hunting the streets for food, but it still all
felt so
wrong
to her.

            The
young man’s eyes flickered briefly, but he nodded. “My Master will receive you
in the parlor. Please give him a few minutes.”

            Angela
and Cole followed the sycophant into the foyer, which was lit by wall sconces
that leant a muted yellow glow to the space. Black and grey carpets covered the
wooden floors, matching the elegant grey wallpaper. They passed beneath an
ornate silver chandelier, which was unlit, and into a parlor decorated
completely in black and grey and silver.

            Angela
took a look at the black and silver Queen Anne-style furniture and chose one of
the chairs so that Cole wouldn’t have to test his weight against them. He
seated himself on the low couch in front of the wrought-iron coffee table, upon
which the sycophant placed a dainty plate filled with bite-sized cakes and
cookies as well as two cups of tea and all the fixings.

            “Please,
help yourself.” The sycophant inclined his head. “The Master will be down in a
few moments.

            They
waited in complete silence, not daring to speak lest someone be listening to
private observations best not shared. Angela’s stomach growled, and Cole shot
her a warning look as she eyed the cakes. She knew better than to take food in
a place like this, but damn, she was hungry. They really should have taken the
time to grab some food before making their way over here.

            “It’s
not poisoned, you know. You can have a bite.”

            Angela
and Cole jerked their heads toward the door as a pale brunette wearing a white
gossamer dress glided in through the doorway. The faint scent of graveyard
dirt, stone and blood would have been enough to mark her as a vampire, but she
did them the favor of flashing them a fanged smile to identify herself.

            “Who
are you?”

            The
vampiress perched herself on the edge of one of the chairs, and lifted one of
the untouched cups of tea to her lips. Her long lashed eyes fluttered closed
for a moment. “Mmm, earl grey. My favorite.” Her eyes snapped back open, the
irises rimmed with glowing red circles now. “Won’t you care to join me?”

            Angela
forced her body to relax back into the chair, knowing that showing any sign
that she felt threatened was an enormous mistake. “No, thank you.”

            The
vampiress arched a dark brow. “The idea that you would refuse food and drink
offered when you are hungry is insulting,” she hissed. “Are you saying you
won’t partake of our hospitality even though I’ve just taste-tested your drink
for you?”

            Angela
leaned forward now, pinning the vampire woman with a cold stare. “I’m a
Protector,” she said evenly. “It’s against protocol for me to accept food or
drink or any gifts at all while I’m on duty.” She didn’t mention that they
could have easily put something in the food that would harm her or Cole –
as the undead, there were many poisons vampires could ingest without harm that
the living could not. “Also, I would rather not drink from that cup now that
your lips have touched it, in any case.”

            “Now,
now, Millicent,” an amused male voice drawled just as the vampiress bared her
fangs. “Let’s not scare the guests, shall we?” Dimitri glided into the room as
if on wheels, dressed impeccably in a white linen shirt, black pants, and a
smoky grey jacket with a swirling black pattern. His chestnut brown hair hung
loosely around a sculpted face that was nearly as handsome as Cole’s, and his
eyes were warm and brown – at least until they caught sight of Cole.

            “You,”
he hissed, the muscles in his face tightening. He pointed a shaking finger at
Cole. “You nearly ashed me last night!”

            Cole
rose fluidly to his feet when the vampiress jumped in front of Dimitri, who was
clearly her lover. Her eyes turned fully red as she elongated her fangs. “I’d
hate to have to ash a pretty thing like you,” he said dryly. “Why don’t you
both sit down so we can have a civilized discussion?”

            “There
is no point in having a civilized discussion with loyalists like you – ”

            “Millicent!”
Dimitri grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back, silencing her with a glare.
Her face pinched with fear, but the damage had already been done.

            “Loyalists?”
Angela said slowly as she rose as well, resting her hand on the butt of her
gun. “Are you saying that you two are rebels?”

            “What’s
going on in here?” A huge vampire, dressed all in black with dark hair buzzed
close to his square head, entered the room. A huge scar bisected his left
cheek, and he wore an angry scowl on his face. “How can anyone get some sleep
in all this ruckus?”

            Cole
sized the newcomer up. “We’re here on behalf of the Order, questioning Dimitri
here about an incident he was involved in at the Crazy Horse last night.”

            The
man’s eyes widened angrily as he turned on Dimitri. “Are you kidding me? The
Order has already found out about your involvement? I told you that if they
found you out I wouldn’t tolerate you here – ”

            Several
other vampires filed into the room as Dimitri and the other man launched into a
heated argument, and Angela drew closer to Cole, a deep unease settling into
her stomach. “I need to call for back up. I have a bad feeling that we just
stumbled onto a nest of rebels.”

            “As
if a nest of vampires wasn’t bad enough,” Cole grumbled under his breath,
eyeing the vampires. “These vamps all seem to be pretty young, though. I think
we can take them.”

            “Ten
against two?” she hissed, wide-eyed. “Are you crazy?”

            “What
the
fuck
are you two whispering about over there?”

            Angela
and Cole turned back to see the hulking vampire glaring at them. His dark eyes
glowered so fiercely she was surprised they hadn’t turned red like Millicent’s
had earlier. “We’re just wondering who’s in charge around here.”

            The
vampire puffed out his chest. “That would be me, Vincent Ocampo.” He glanced
around at the other vampires as they glared at him. “Well, in a way, anyway.
This is more of a democracy than a coterie. We’re all vampires who were fed up
with the dictatorship of the coteries we came from, and so we banded together
to form our own group. We look out for each other, and don’t take kindly to
threats from outsiders, even if they are wearing a shield.” He gave her a gimlet
stare.

           
Well
that explains a lot.
“So you guys are a brand new Coterie, then?”

            Vincent
clenched his jaw. “We prefer democracy, thank you very much.”

            Angela
would have laughed at the absurdity of it all if it weren’t for the fact that
she was outnumbered. “And are you a democracy of rebels, then?”

            Vincent
crossed his arms. “Most of us are happy to live under the current law just as
it is.”

           
So
in other words, you’re not outright willing to name Dimitri.
“Alright.” She
unclipped a pair of spare cuffs. “I’m afraid I’m not quite prepared to
interview an entire democracy of vampires tonight,” she said. “Either you will
need to leave the room, or Mr. Devine will need to come back to the precinct so
I can finish questioning him.” She eyed Millicent. “And I think we’ll need to
take her too.”

            “You’ll
never take me alive!” Millicent shrieked, throwing herself in front of Dimitri.
“We’ll never give up our secrets to you! Long live the Rebellion!”

            She
launched herself at Angela, moving at superhuman speed, but Angela was already
prepared for the assault. Moving faster than Millicent, she snatched one of the
vials of holy water from her boot and smashed it in Millicent’s face. The
vampiress howled in pain and rage, clawing at her face as she fell back.

            Dimitri
caught her, his face twisted with anger and horror. “You monster!” he cried,
his own eyes flashing red.

            “Kill
them!” Vincent roared, and the vampires charged them.

            Angela
immediately shifted into bear form, knowing that her thick hide would better
enable her to protect herself from vampire bites. She grabbed the first vampire
who reached her – a skinny little thing dressed in yoga pants and a
sports bra, no doubt in the middle of a workout from earlier – and
gathered her up close enough to sink her fangs into the vamp’s neck. Another
vampire bit down on her leg, drawing blood, but she didn’t let go, making sure
to sever the vamp’s neck before turning to handle the other one chewing on her
hamstring.

            Cole
was a little less messy in his approach. He lit balls of fire in both palms and
started hurling them at the vampires who got too close. They started screaming
the moment the flame contacted their skin, their entire bodies instantly going
up into flames. One of them staggered back into a wall, and the wall paper
caught fire.

            “Retreat!”
one of the female vampires shrieked. “We have to retreat!”

            “Where?”
Vincent roared. “It’s daylight outside!”

            Angela
took advantage of the vampire’s momentary distraction and gathered him up in a
crushing bear hug. He struggled mightily against her, but she was older and
stronger, and would have given out if it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t
need to breathe. Every single vampire in the room stopped moving instantly.