Blue-Blooded Vamp (3 page)

Erron ran a hand through his hair and went to retrieve more liquor. As he uncapped the bottle, his hand shook. “So Cain’s free and you came here hoping I’d help you find him?”

“Yes,” Adam said. “We figure Abel is the best place to start. And since you’re the only one we know who’s actually talked to the guy…” Adam trailed off with a shrug.

“If Cain’s free from Abel’s spell, it’ll be a miracle if he’s still alive.”

I raised my chin with a bravado I barely felt. “Just so happens we’re in the market for one of those right now.” I refused to believe Abel was dead. It simply was not an option.

“That’s good because you’re going to need seven kinds of miracles to defeat Cain and survive. He can’t be killed, remember?”

After he had marked Cain with red hair for the sin of killing his brother—the original Abel—the mortal god, Elohim, declared that anyone who killed Cain would reap the punishment sevenfold. Therefore, killing Cain was a death sentence for you and all your loved ones.

When Adam and I didn’t respond, Erron started pacing and continued. “I know you’re hurting right now. And I know you think revenge is the only thing that will stop the pain. But as your friend, I’m asking you not to pursue this.”

I jerked as if he’d struck me. “How can you say that? You know I can’t just walk away.”

“Sabina”—he jabbed a finger toward me—“if you go to Italy, you will lose and Cain will win. Period.” He crossed his arms. “You want my advice? Run and keep running until you find a remote cave far from civilization. Take the Adherent and your demon with you, too, because he’ll go after them next. It’s the only way you’ll all survive.”

“I’d rather die than run.”

“Brave words are easy when you’re safe. Have you considered that Cain’s luring you into a trap?”

“I know he is. Just before he killed Maisie, he told me he
wants me to use my Chthonic magic to help him access Irkalla. I think he’s planning on kidnapping Lilith.”

In addition to being the man who invented murder, Cain was also the psycho ex-boyfriend of the Great Mother. They’d created the vampire race together before Lilith kicked him to the curb to marry the demon Asmodeus and become the Queen of Irkalla. Cain was convinced he and Lilith belonged together, and most of his plots revolved around getting her back. But according to the prophecies of the
Praescarium Lilitu
, if any of the dark races gained power over the other races, Lilith would return to the mortal realm and kill us all. Every werewolf, faery, vampire, and mage would die. Cain’s obsession would have been sad and desperate if succeeding didn’t mean the destruction of all the dark races.

“Can you do that?” Erron asked. “Access Irkalla?”

I shrugged. “Rhea seems to think it’s possible.” Rhea was Adam’s aunt and the interim leader of the mage race. She’d also been my magical mentor.

“And you’re still planning on going after him? That’s just what he wants!”

“Which is why we need to find Abel,” Adam pointed out. “You said yourself he knows Cain better than anyone. He figured out how to trap the bastard once. Maybe he can help us find a new way to stop Cain before he destroys us all.”

“What if Abel is dead? What then?”

I shrugged. “Then I’ll try something else. But I’m going to Italy with or without your help. I just thought you…” I trailed off, letting the words float there like chum in water.

As expected, Erron attacked the bait like a hungry shark. “You just thought I’d what?”

“I just thought you of all beings would want to help stop Cain once and for all. This is your chance to make him pay for what he did to Ziggy and your old band.”

Ziggy had been deafened after a vicious attack by Cain several years earlier. But the drummer had gotten off easy. He’d lost only his hearing; the rest of Erron’s bandmates lost their lives.

Air escaped the Recreant’s lungs in a rush. “You’re playing dirty.”

“I don’t have the luxury of playing this clean, Erron. Now, are you going to help us find Abel or are you going to bury your face in a bottle of whisky until it’s time to kiss your ass good-bye?”

Erron took a deep breath, as if bracing himself for the inevitable. “All right. I’ll help you find Abel. That’s all I’m willing to promise right now.”

I nodded. “Fair enough.”

He stood slowly, like an old man instead of a powerful magical being. “You want to head out tonight, I assume?”

“I have some business to take care of first. We’ll leave tomorrow. What’s the time difference between New Orleans and Italy?”

He pursed his lips. “Seven hours?”

Adam nodded. “We’ll want to get there as close to dusk as possible so we can hit the ground running. Meet us at Zen’s by ten and we’ll head out.”

Erron looked me in the eye. “Are you ready for this?” By that, he didn’t mean the interspatial travel to Rome. He meant facing the tough choices I’d need to make to kill an unkillable foe. He meant, was I ready to sell my soul to get revenge?

My jaw clenched. “No, but I’m doing it anyway.”

That seemed to satisfy him. He raised the new bottle. “To justice, then.”

I grabbed the liquor and took a long, searing swallow. As heat spread down to my stomach, fortifying my resolve, I toasted him. “No, Erron, to revenge.”

B
y the time Adam and I made it back to the French Quarter, it was close to midnight. All the bars and restaurants in the area were bustling with people. Mardi Gras was still a couple of weeks away, but the early parties filled the streets with revelers.

However, despite the festive atmosphere and bustling streets, Lagniappe’s doors were locked and every light extinguished. A weathered sign on the window advertised the bar’s infamous Gender Bender Drag Night, which happened every Wednesday. It was Thursday, but the place still should have been packed. Or rather, it would have been if the bar’s owner weren’t stuck in New York.

Lagniappe belonged to our werewolf friend Mackenzie Romulus. Last time I’d seen Mac, she was being forced to mate to a werewolf male who’d been chosen for her by her uncle, the Alpha of New York. The entire situation was sad and not a little bit infuriating, but when I’d last spoken to her, she was resigned to carry out her uncle’s will.

“I assumed Mac would have left someone in charge when she left for New York,” Adam said. He had his hands
cupped against the glass, peering inside for some sign of life.

“She probably thought she and Georgia would be back in a few days.”

Georgia was Mac’s vampire ex-girlfriend. The one who got royally screwed when Mac proved too weak to stand up to her pack. The last time I’d seen Georgia, she’d been pretty pissed at me. I knew she didn’t really blame me for what happened between her and Mac, but I certainly hadn’t helped matters when I’d publicly challenged Mac’s Alpha for being such a stubborn ass. The confrontation had resulted in Michael Romulus stepping up the date of Mac’s mating ceremony. After she’d told me off, Georgia had returned to New Orleans to lick her wounds.

Adam sighed and pulled away from the window. “You want to go back to Zen’s and see if she knows where we can find Georgia?”

I nodded. “I suppose I was being overly optimistic thinking she’d would be here.”

Adam and I headed toward the street. But just before I stepped off the curb, I glanced back at the building. A light from one of the upper stories caught my eye.

“Hold on,” I said, pointing. “Isn’t that Mac’s apartment?”

Adam counted up and over, his lips pursed. “I think so.”

I shot him a speculative glance. “Surely Georgia’s not that masochistic.”

Adam shrugged. “She’s been back in New Orleans for only a few days. Maybe she hasn’t had time to find a new place.”

I blew out a breath. “Okay, you’d better stay out here.”

Adam frowned. “Why?”

“I have a feeling that whatever state of mind she’s in will only get worse when she sees this letter.” I held up the
envelope Mac had given me. She had made me promise to deliver it to Georgia personally. “Probably she’d appreciate not having an audience.”

“Gotcha.” He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Just try to be sensitive, okay?”

I shot him an offended glance. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“No offense, Red, but you’re not exactly comfortable around vulnerability. You tend to get a tad… snappish.”

I pursed my lips and considered arguing. However, he had a decent point. “Maybe we should have brought Giguhl along after all. He’s much better at this kind of stuff.”

Adam squeezed my shoulder. “You’ll do fine.” I wasn’t sure which of us he was trying to reassure. Regardless, I took a deep breath and braced myself to face the brokenhearted vampire.

“If she tries to cry on my shoulder, I’m out of there.”

His lips quirked. “Don’t worry. After the fight you guys had, she’s more likely to punch you.”

Now that I could definitely handle. Fists were always preferable to tears, in my book.

I left Adam at the sidewalk and beelined for the steel door on the side of the building. In addition to the apartment she’d shared with Georgia, Mac also rented rooms to a few drag queens employed by the club. If I was wrong and Georgia wasn’t up there, I’d at least have the chance to ask some of the other tenants if they’d seen her.

As I climbed the stairs to the correct floor, I tried to figure out what I’d say to the vampire. But how exactly does one offer condolences in that kind of situation? “Sorry your werewolf lover was forced to marry a dude against her will” didn’t sound quite right.

I shook my head. Honestly, there were no words that
could erase Georgia’s heartache. The envelope crinkled inside my pocket. I hoped that whatever she’d written there would help Georgia move on.

When I reached the top of the stairs, the mournful strains of Joni Mitchell spilled out into the hallway from beneath the red door of Mac’s apartment. Guess I’d found the right place after all.

I blew out a breath, hoping to dispel the nerves jumping around in my gut. “Here goes nothing.” I rapped a knuckle on the door.

“Go away!” The voice rose over Joni’s melancholy singing.

I knocked again, hoping persistence would piss Georgia off enough to open the door. I didn’t want to tell her it was me in case she was still holding a grudge.

“I said”—the door flew open—“fuck off!” Georgia’s fangs flashed with threat but her eyes were bloodshot from recent tears. Her red hair hung limply around her pale face, hinting that she hadn’t bathed in days.

“Hi,” I said lamely.

Georgia’s posture relaxed a fraction but her fangs didn’t recede. “You.” Funny how one little word, three little letters, can sound so hateful.

“Georgia, I know you’re still mad, but I—”

The door slammed in my face with a loud crash.

I sighed and pounded again. “I need to talk to you.”

“Go away!”

Pound, pound.
“Open the door. Please.”

“Haven’t you done enough already?” she ranted. “Now you have to come here and bother me? I just want to be left alone!”

Something broke inside me. I didn’t have time for this shit. I didn’t have time to play intermediary for the lovelorn
when my own life was so fucked up. Didn’t deserve to be yelled at when I was nursing my own heartache. I’d promised Mac I’d deliver her message and that’s just what I’d do.

I removed the envelope from my coat pocket. Held it up under the light so Georgia could see it through the peephole. “I have a message for you.”

She laughed bitterly. “Oh, I’m sure.”

“It’s from Mac.”

Silence.

“You want to read it? Fine. You want to burn it? That’s fine, too. I’m just the messenger. Do what you want.” I wedged the envelope into the doorjamb. “I’m leaving for Italy tomorrow morning. If you want to talk about this, you’ll have to find me before then.”

She snorted. “Not likely.”

No doubt she thought my comment was a casual one. But it wasn’t. The truth was if Georgia didn’t come find me before I left, chances were good she’d never see me again.

I put my hand on the door. “Have a good life, Georgia.”

With that, I turned and walked away. The silence behind me weighed on my back. I could practically feel her arguing with herself through the door. I don’t know if those locks clicked open before I made it out of the building, but Georgia didn’t run after me. Which, I decided as I made my way back outside to Adam, was probably a good thing. I’d always sucked at good-byes.