Dying Forever (Waking Forever Book 3) (20 page)

Bryce nodded. “Yes. That’s how I found out you were here.”

Ash laughed and looked at Emma. “I told you Coleen was up to no good. I can’t imagine she will let Alison go merrily on her way
, knowing what she knows.”

“She wants her turned. I refused, and honestly she seemed to lose interest when I explained about the Necromancer.”

Emma gasped. “You hadn’t said the woman was a Necromancer.”

Bryce sighed. “A very powerful one.”

Emma looked at Ash, who, given the deep frown she wore, was clearly confused. “Necromancers have appeared in literature as far back as Homer’s
Odyssey
with varying powers.” The doctor began to pace. “They were thought to be able to raise the dead either in spirit or body through incantations or rituals.” She frowned. “Clearly, they
can
control life and death by bringing a vampire back to life, only to kill them minutes later.”

“Jesus.” Ash eyes widened. “The bodies on the south side?
”

Emma nodded. Ash reached for the doctor’s hand. She had rarely been worried for Emma’s physical safety given her strength and speed, but knowing there was someone out there that could simply end Emma, the weight of worry bore down on Ash.

Sensing her concern, Emma squeezed Ash’s hand. “It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

Shaking her head, Ash pulled Emma to her side. “How can you say that? This
Necromancer could kill you in a second and there’s nothing to be done about it.”

Emma wrapped her arm around Ash’s waist. “There is no her and I.” Glancing at Bryce, the blonde frowned. “I’m sorry to say this, but I’m sure her energies and efforts are focused - for the most part - on you.”

“Lucky me.” Bryce poured another glass of scotch.

“You can’t be this casual about it?” Ash took a step away from Emma, her eyes narrowed as she looked back and forth between the two vampires. “Has it been so long since either of you had the proverbial specter of death hanging over your heads that you’ve forgotten to fear it?”

Ash felt the frustration surging through her and was struggling to articulate her point. Looking at Emma, who stood with a concerned expression on her face, Ash rolled her eyes. “Don’t look worried for me, Em. Worry for yourself.”

Reaching for Ash, Emma pulled the frazzled woman to her. “I am worried, but what’s to be done about it at this point? It’s Bryce that’s truly in danger.” She kissed Ash’s forehead. “I would imagine those other three vampires were a warm-up.”

“How do you know they were vampires?” Bryce asked.

Emma leaned back and looked at Bryce. “I pulled the files from the autopsies. There were trace amounts of the fibrinolytic enzyme found during the oral cavity exam, and when the dental x-rays were taken
for purposes of identification -” The doctor hesitated before continuing. “There were channels in the skull - just above the incisors. Clearly facilitating the extension and retraction of the teeth. An interesting anomaly to the attending M.E., but nothing to do with the cause of death; so noted but not investigated.”

The three women fell silent. Bryce cleared her throat and finally spoke. “What should I do about Alison?”

Ash started to speak, but stopped when Emma grabbed her hand and interrupted. “You said you care for her. Then you should be honest with her.” Emma glanced to her left as Ash dropped her hand and turned her back. “Ash, what is it?”

Shrugging, the detective hung her head. “That’s good advice
, Em, and I should take it myself.”

“You mean tell Alison about us? About you?” Emma’s voice shook as she spoke.

Turning to face Emma, Ash nodded. “Yeah. I’m a lot of things, but a hypocrite isn’t one of them.” She looked at Bryce. “I’ll pave the way for you, but then it’s on you. Got it?”

The redhead nodded, grateful for the assistance, and hopeful
that Ash and Alison’s history together would allow for
her
to forge a future with the professor.

Chapter
9

“Well at least you’re not dead.” Lydia’s voice boomed from Alison’s cell phone.

“Hey, Lydia.” Alison’s head was pounding as she put the phone to her ear. She felt sick to her stomach and hadn’t been able to keep very much food down since the incident with Bryce nearly three days ago.

“Hey yourself. Are you okay?” Lydia’s usual garishness was replaced with genuine concern.

Happy to hear from Lydia, Alison slowly sat up in bed. “Yeah, just a little under the weather.” The fact she hadn’t left her house for two days after stumbling back from the hotel didn’t seem worth mentioning. Nor did the fact she had phoned her department head to let him know her teaching assistant would be facilitating her classes for the next week. She wasn’t prepared to tell Lydia that her melancholy stemmed from an encounter with a vampire.

“
Can I bring you something? Soup? Scotch?” Lydia joked.

Alison smiled for the first time in days. “No, I should be back Monday, but thank you.” Her phone beeped
. Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was Ash. “I have another call. Thanks for checking in.”

“Okay
, hon. You take care of yourself and call me if you need anything.” Lydia said reassuringly.

“Will do.” Alison tapped her phone.
“Hello?”

“Ali, hi
. It’s Ash.” The voice on the other end was tentative. “Are you okay?”

Alison was confused by Ash’s concern. They hadn’t spoken since she
had called with the information on the unsolved murders, and their social circles didn’t overlap, so she wouldn’t have heard about Alison’s sudden withdrawal from the world.

“Actually, I’ve been sick the last few days; so just taking it easy. How are you?” The long silence caused Alison to move her phone away from her ear to see if the call was still connected. “Hello?”

“I thought we could get that drink.” Ash’s voice was tight.

“Ash, I’d love to but like I said -”

“Alison, I
really
think we need to talk.” Ash was rarely inconsiderate, so her persistence in meeting with Alison in spite of her not feeling well set off alarms in Alison’s head.

“Why the urgency?” Alison pulled the navy blue quilt back and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

“We need to talk is all.” There was a long pause and for a second Alison thought again that they might have been disconnected. 

“Ash?” Alison slid to the edge of her bed.

“I’m here. Are you available to meet?”

“What’s going on?” Alison stood up and ran her fingers through her tousled hair.

After another long pause, Ash cleared her throat. “Have you taken any late night swims lately, Ali?”

The room began to spin, and Alison sat back on the bed. “What did you ask me?” She felt a wave of nausea rise up from her stomach and settle in her throat.

“Can we talk now?” Ash’s breathing was audible even over the phone.

“When and where?”

It was a little after four in the afternoon as
Alison walked across the parking lot of the renovated Pearl Brewery complex to Blue Box Bar. She had read reviews on the bar since its opening over two years ago, but had not found the occasion to patronize the establishment. She had not imagined her first visit would be to discuss a vampire bite with her ex-girlfriend.

Seeing her reflection in the large, tinted, plate glass windows of the bar, Alison was relieved to see the hot shower and lunch she had managed before leaving to meet Ash had greatly improved her appearance. Wearing
a pair of black boot cut slacks and a cranberry-colored long sleeve wrap blouse, Alison pulled the large, black, swinging metal door to the bar open.

The ambiance
of the bar was modern industrial, with exposed brick and iron throughout an intimate space, and in spite of the purpose of her being there, she immediately liked it. Scanning the space for Ash, she looked up to see her friend, clad in a charcoal gray pant suit, waving from a second story balcony that looked out over the main floor of the bar.

The bar was relatively empty as Alison made her way up the winding,
wrought iron staircase. As she approached the table, she realized Ash wasn’t alone. Her breath caught as she assessed the beautiful blonde woman sitting next to the detective.

The woman had a
lean athletic build and pale, flawless skin that complimented her angular jaw and perfectly proportioned pink lips. Even in the dim light of the bar, her hair looked like strands of silk cascading over her shoulders. She was wearing a navy colored, short sleeve, silk blouse and a dark brown pencil skirt that hit just above her knees, accentuating her perfectly toned legs.

“Ali. Glad you came.” Ash hugged Alison tightly to her, clearly happy to see her.

“Given the apparent topic of conversation, I could hardly resist.” Alison tried to keep the suspicion out of her voice. “Who’s this?”

Ash stepped back and turned toward the blonde woman. “Sorry. Alison
, this is my partner, Dr. Emma Atman. I mentioned her at lunch.”

The woman’s face lit up with a genuine smile as she extended her hand to Alison. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

Taking the doctor’s hand, Alison gasped and her eyes shot down to where she and Emma’s hands were joined. “Your hand is -”

Emma’s eyebrow arched. “Cold?” She slowly extracted her hand from Alison’s and looked at Ash.

“Not a great segue, but it will have to do.” Ash pulled one of the wood and metal stools out for Alison. “Please have a seat. Are you still a Jameson on the rocks?”

Alison was having trouble keeping up, but managed a slight nod and then watched as Ash disappeared downstairs to get drinks.

“That’s the only drawback of this place: no table service.” Emma tapped her fingers on the table. “Ash tells me you’re a professor of American folklore at the University of the Incarnate Word.” Alison felt like her tongue had gone numb, and she had trouble doing much more than nodding. “I read one of your books when I realized Ash knew you.
Beyond Salem - Heresy and Hysterics
is a wonderful study on mass hysteria. It reminded me of the dancing plague of 1518 in Strasbourg, which, as I’m sure you know, was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time. It began with a woman named Frau Troffea, who danced in the streets of the city for what has been reported to be over a week, until -”

“
Are you boring her with the details, honey?” Ash stood next to Alison, balancing three glasses in her hands.

Emma quickly reached for the pint glass that held Ash’s Dogfish 90 IPA, allowing the dark haired woman to slide the two remaining glasses onto the table. “I was trying to.”

Ash grinned. “Can she have her drink first?”

Emma shook her head. “Don’t you think she will need it after?”

“And during, please.” Alison finally managed to speak before emptying the glass of whiskey.

The two women laughed, and Ash sat down between Emma and Alison. Taking a long drink of her beer,
she wiped the foam from her upper lip before speaking. “Where were we?”

“The cold hand segue.” Alison wanted another drink.

Ash looked sympathetically at Alison. “You look absolutely miserable, Ali.”

“Ash. That’s hardly the tone to strike.” Emma interrupted and reached across the table, taking Alison’s hand in hers. “My hand is like Bryce’s
, yes?”

Alison’s eyes widened. “You know Bryce?”

Emma nodded and quickly squeezed the startled woman’s hand before releasing it. “I do. How isn’t important now, but I imagine - given your area of study and the peculiar nature of recent events - you have a question to ask me.”

Alison looked at Ash, who had already emptied her pint of beer. Between the whiskey
, and the fact she trusted Ash implicitly, Alison found she had the courage needed to continue the conversation. “Are you a vampire?” She cringed at the word.

Emma leaned back, gently swirling the half empty glass of Glenlivet. “Yes.”

An audible exhale escaped Alison, and she grabbed the corners of the table to steady herself. Ash’s warm hand was on her forearm, rubbing it gently for reassurance. “Are you okay?”

Alison tilted her head back and took a deep breath. “I need another drink, and then I can let you know.”

Without a word, Ash hopped off the stool and disappeared downstairs. Emma remained perfectly still, her blue eyes studying Alison closely as she tried to gauge her reaction. Alison was having trouble making eye contact with the woman, much less conversation. The silence was verging on unbearable by the time Ash returned with another round of drinks.

“I figured we could all use another.” She slid Alison’s glass over to her. “I got you a double.”

Alison sighed, taking a long drink, the whiskey burning the back of her throat. “Perfect.”

Ash cleared her throat. “Before we go any further, do you believe Emma?”

Alison didn’t know Emma, but what she did know, what was undeniable, was what had happened between her and Bryce, next to a dark lake, three nights earlier. “Yes.”