Forget About Midnight (12 page)

Kale watched me, his face carefully expressionless. He said nothing, and that said more than enough. I forced my feet to move. I wanted to hide the inner turmoil but knew it was too late for that.

He knew I suffered. He knew that I ached for my dark half. And he accepted that. Now if only I could do the same.

“Let’s go to The Wicked Kiss.” The first half of the night had been so fabulously disastrous. Why stop now? Actually, the sudden change in my willingness to go to the club had more to do with avoiding being alone with Kale than anything else.

Kale didn’t question my decision. He navigated the old muscle car through the calm city streets, headed for the downtown core. It was late enough that traffic was sparse, but in a few hours the sun would break over the horizon, bringing with it the folks that lived from sunrise to sunset. We would be forced back inside then, a fact I was having a hard time adjusting to.

Knowing what Arys was up to made it hard to sit still. I buzzed with the excessive amounts of energy I’d drained from my many victims. This kind of high could potentially last all night. The only upside was that the bloodlust would also be at bay.

The nerves I’d felt earlier at the thought of walking into the blood den were gone. I felt entirely at ease when we pulled into the parking lot. There was no better time to reveal that I’d turned. We’d all known it was coming. Some had even tried to stop it. But all would respect that I was now the most powerful vampire in the city.

I was feeling very much like Ms. Hyde, having abandoned my Jekyll side back in that frat house. This was me now, the monster within.

“Glad to see the building is still standing,” I observed as we walked up to the front entry.

“Well neither of us has been here to raise hell lately.” Kale’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. Whatever he was feeling, he was fighting hard to repress it.

“We don’t have to stay long. I just want to talk to Justin. I’ve missed a few of his calls.” I’d missed a crap ton of calls from several people. Communication hadn’t been my strong suit in recent days.

Kale walked beside me but kept enough distance between us so that we wouldn’t accidentally touch. He was feeling the strain, and I hated myself for it. It wasn’t fair. He didn’t deserve to suffer. His willingness to participate in this charade didn’t make it ok.

“The sooner everyone knows you’ve turned, the better,” he said. “They need to know things have changed.”

“Agreed. I’m done with rebel vampire bullshit. I almost hope someone takes a shot at me. I’d love a good fight right now.” It was true. Shya was a battle I couldn’t win, but vampires? That I could handle. Taking and giving a beating sounded really damn good. Working out some of this frustration and angst on someone’s face was just what I needed.

People loitered outside the door, puffing on cigarettes and talking on cell phones. I bypassed the line to get in and strode through the lobby, feeling empowered.

Justin was working security at the main door leading from the lobby into the heart of the club. He looked up suddenly, having felt my approach. His jaw dropped, and his dark eyes widened.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he greeted me with a broad, fang-revealing grin. “So the rumors are true. You look good, boss lady. Real good.”

“Thanks.” I knew I must be glowing with all of the power roiling about inside me. As it was, my feet barely touched the ground as I glided with a grace I’d never had before. “So everyone knows.”

“Everyone knows.” His head bobbed, and though he never moved a single beefy muscle, it was apparent that he was trying to avoid accidentally touching me. “Everything has been pretty solid here, all things considered. Nobody wants to risk the wrath of the queen.”

“Is that royalty shit still going around?” I scowled, hating that vampires were as bad as humans when it came to rumors and hearsay.

Justin chuckled, a hearty laugh that shook his broad shoulders. “Come on now, Alexa, the vampire queen talk started over a year ago. We all knew something was coming down the line. We didn’t all know it was you, specifically. I knew though. The first time I met you, I knew.”

“Well, thanks for not being a dick about it.” I flashed him a grateful smile. Justin had been a little intense during that first meeting, demanding to know what I was. However, he had never harmed me, and in fact, he was one of the few people outside my immediate circle who now had my trust. “And thanks for holding down the fort.”

His fangs shone especially bright in contrast with his dark skin as he grinned. Holding out a hand for a fist bump, Justin said, “Happy to see you back here. It hasn’t been the same without you. Or Willow.”

“He hasn’t been here?” It was as I’d expected, but the disappointment was still crushing.

“No. I’m afraid not.”

“Thanks, J.”

Kale remained behind to speak with Justin as I continued into the club. I paused near the entry to take in the flurry of sensations. This was my first venture out into such a populated public place. It was an attack on my senses in a way that was both pleasing and excruciating.

The lighting was dim, easy on the eyes for the most part, but bright enough for people to find their way through the club while leaving many shadows for those seeking seclusion and privacy. The stage lights flashed various colors, drawing people to the shadowed dance floor in front of it. I didn’t know the band playing. Crimson Sin must have been playing at The Spirit Room, the human-dominated rock bar where Jez went to find a fix.

My ears were painfully sensitive. My wolf cringed at the noise though the vampire part of me heard much more than that. Rather than the combined sound of instruments and voices, I was able to pick out specific notes from each musician and even focus in on conversations happening a great distance away.

Perfume and alcohol lay thick on the air. Beneath it was the intriguing odor of sweat and desire. But the blood pumping through so many pounding hearts drew my focus.

One thing I hadn’t noticed before the turn was the many flavors of blood. I could easily pick out specific things like age, health, and toxins. None of these things would harm me, but it definitely affected the experience. A rich-blooded, healthy young thing was the cream of the crop.

Perhaps best of all was the heady energy that filled the building. Between the vampires present and the lusty humans looking for a power trip, it was like bathing in a sea of bliss. The freely exuded energy caressed me like a gentle summer breeze, and I knew I could take it all in should I want or need to.

Heads turned as I made my way through the swarm. Not a vampire in the place failed to react. From obvious gaping to concealed glances, they all took the opportunity to look me over. One of them was even bold, or stupid, enough to metaphysically reach out to touch me, much like Shya had.

I pinned this vampire with a fierce stare and slowly shook my head. He wouldn’t get another warning. For too long they’d had run of this city. Now it was mine. They could co-exist peacefully, or they could die.

The bar drew me because it was often my first stop. It was where I’d find Willow and toss back a few whiskeys. I gazed mournfully at the whiskey bottles perched on the shelf behind Josh, the often-grumpy human bartender.

“It’s about time you turned up,” Josh greeted me with a frown. His lack of reaction wasn’t surprising. He was rarely impressed by anything he saw here. “This guy has been in here every night for almost a week asking for you. Now you can deal with him.”

He jerked a thumb toward a man seated at the far end of the bar, nursing a beer. The guy was middle aged, average build, a trace of grey at his temples and a few fine lines around his eyes and mouth. He wore a partial frown that appeared to be part of his natural resting face, making him look perpetually unhappy. The cell phone in his hand appeared to have his attention, but the tight set of his shoulders indicated that he was more aware of what went on around him than it seemed.

“Get me a whiskey,” I said, receiving a questioning stare from Josh who shrugged and poured me the drink. I just wanted to smell it.

I lingered where I was, whiskey in hand. Studying the man, I tried to guess what it was he wanted. It wasn’t often that humans came in here asking for me. Pretty much never actually.

Raising the glass, I gave a sniff at the contents. The strong aroma brought forth a surge of memories, many of which I hadn’t realized I’d associated with the drink. Following the brief nostalgia was a gut-turning sensation low in my stomach. The sudden urge to toss the noxious liquid was strong. Bummer.

I left the glass sitting on the bar and made my way over to the stranger. Placing a hand on the shoulder of the man seated next to him, I pushed a little power forth and said, “Take a walk.”

The man blinked a few times before getting up and vacating his bar stool. I slid onto it, and the stranger turned to look at me. He did a double take, and his dark eyes widened.

“You’ve been looking for me,” I said. It wasn’t a question. Suspicious, I felt him out, finding that he possessed no supernatural power.

“If you’re Alexa O’Brien, then yes, I have.” He was unafraid, something I found interesting considering he was face to face with me as a vampire inside my own vampire club.

“The one and only. So, what do you want?” Might as well cut to the chase. I’d learned that small talk was useless in these situations. Beating around the bush was for cowards and idlers.

He sucked in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Then he stuck out a hand. “My name is Brinley Kane. I’m a youth worker, and I need your help.”

I accepted his hand, careful not to hold it too long, wary of unintentionally enthralling him. “And what exactly do you think it is that I can do for you, Mr. Kane?”

“Please, call me Brinley.” He stared at his hand for a second before trying to inconspicuously rub it on his pants. “I work with at-risk youth in the city. Kids that have no one and nothing. Most of them live on the streets. Naturally, they get desperate and do things nobody should have to do to survive. It makes them victims. I need your help making it stop.”

That was an awful lot to take in, and he’d barely scratched the surface. I stared into Brinley’s deep-brown eyes, finding a gentleness that contrasted greatly with his hardened appearance. He looked like your average guy, but there was a deep-rooted pain coming off him that told me he’d seen horrible things.

My first reaction was to tell him to leave, that I couldn’t help anyone seeing as I couldn’t even help myself. But Willow’s words rang in my ears, echoed by Veryl’s:
Protector of Mankind
.

“Tell me more.”

I listened attentively as he told me about the kids he so clearly adored: Girls as young as twelve were prostituting on the street in order to eat another day or merely just to get a fix of the junk some dirtbag pimp had hooked them on. Teen moms faced having their children taken away simply because the system had failed them. Kids with petty theft charges were treated like murderers without rights.

As he spoke I felt my heart break many times over. I’d thought my initiation into adulthood had been harsh, but it was a cakewalk compared to what I was hearing.

“Just this morning I picked a girl up from her pimp’s house. She was starving and bruised. Typical really. A lot of these kids are in the system, but it fails them time and time again. They’re nothing but a case number to those who don’t have to look into their battered faces.”

Brinley paused to take a sip of beer. It was evident that he needed a moment to gather himself, and I patiently waited. Kale approached with a raised brow. I gave a slight shake of my head, and he, understanding, drifted away into the crowd.

“Adult men pimping and buying twelve-year-old girls,” he finally said, his voice thick with emotion. “And nobody will do a goddamn thing about it. It makes me sick.”

It made me sick too. Something stirred deep in my heart. How could I turn him away, knowing it would be the same as turning a blind eye to the world’s hurts?

“What do you need me to do?” I asked, knowing as the words came out of my mouth that I’d do anything he asked.

The empathy he so clearly had for these kids touched me in a place where the light dwelled. I knew then that Willow was right. It wasn’t over for me. Being a vampire didn’t mean I was without choice. I still had a purpose. Maybe, just maybe, this was part of it.

I wasn’t fool enough to believe this was a shot at redemption. There was no taking back what I’d done just before coming here. There was no making it right. But perhaps I could still find a light in this darkness.

Relief brought the first hint of a wan smile to his face. “You’ll help? I knew I was taking a shot in the dark here. I wasn’t sure you would help. I mean, he said you would, the guy who gave me your name. But nobody ever really wants to.”

I froze. “What guy gave you my name?”

“This guy I met while waiting for one of the kids to meet me for coffee. It was a few weeks ago. He didn’t give me a name. Tall, sandy hair. Green eyes with bits of gold. I remember because I’d never seen anything quite like it. You know him?”

Willow. Brinley saw Willow before everything went down with Shya, before I turned and he fell forever into darkness.

Tears sprang up in my eyes, and I turned away so Brinley wouldn’t see the blood spill down my face. I grabbed a napkin from a nearby dispenser and did my best to stop their fall.

“Yeah, I know him. He’s a good friend of mine.” Willow had sent him to me. That meant I had to help him.

Willow’s beautiful gold-flecked green eyes surfaced in my memory, followed by the memory of seeing them turn demon red. The gold had remained though. My heart ached.

“Look,” Brinley said, his voice gentle, as if he often spoke to those in tears. “I know you’re not human. You don’t have to fake it for me. This place kind of gave it away, but I don’t care about that. I’m used to having to trust my instincts, and I feel like I can trust you.”

“You’re right. I’m not human.” I turned back to him, letting him see the blood tears gleaming in my eyes. “I want to help you, but please, don’t make the mistake of trusting me just yet. I’m still relearning how to trust myself.”