Into Death's Arms (21 page)

      “Okay
, I’ll be as careful as I can be and if I even think something is off I’ll call you right away.
You’re going to call me and let me
know how things are going right,
” she picked up her purse
.

      I nodded,
“Yeah, we always talk. I won’t let this change anything.”
She was the only normal thing I had
.
I wasn’t letting go of that
,
not for anything. There had been times as a kid I’m not sure I would have made it without Laurna.

    She raised an eyebrow. “This is why your dad got so ticked every time I spent the night when we were kids isn’t it?”
I
was happy
I had told her my secret finally. I seemed a whole heck of a lot less weird with the knowledge she now had to fortify her.

     I nodded,
“I nev
er really understood until last
night. I always thought we’d be safe at home, but I’m not willing to bet your life on it.”  I know my expression must have shown my discomfort it is no fun learning you are truly going to die one day. Realizing that your friends are all going to grow old and die long before you and that you are the g
reatest dange
r to them sucks, but right then
all I wanted in the world was for my angel haired best friend to have the chance to grow old.
I sighed. “I’ll call later okay?”

     She nodded, “You ha
ve to tip the waitress. I’m out,” s
he swaggered out.
Men watched her move as she exited the building. I shook my head, m
an
,
she was still
too
damn cheerful for this early in the morning.
I drank another three cups of coffee. Then I left myself. I decided I should go by SFAI and pick up the things I had missed lately. I didn’t know if I was going to continue in college but I figured
I had better
keep up until I made a real decision.
I kind of wanted that degree but at the same
time.
I knew what I
was
going to be when I gre
w up so what was the point. Did I need something to do when I grew old? No, AoD don’t age.

    
I was going to hunt the
Shadow-born
until one day
hundreds of years from now
one of them
was going to kill me. God I was ti
red
,
I wondered if taking a nap
was an
option.

       I got home about three hours later with a stack of missed assignments and four lectures on responsibility. Thanks for that. I decided taking a nap was not an option but a necessity. I lay down and slipped into sleep easily.

     I was so tired I didn’t even dream which was good. I’d had enough nightmares in the last couple of days for an entire lifetime.

    I
woke before dark. I was hungry but wasn’t g
oing to call for pizza not wanting
to endanger the pizza
guy.
Then I remembered Father
Mike
had made me some stuff and froze it. I loved Father
Mike
.  

    
I popped some kind of casserole with ham and lots of potatoes
in the microwave and waited impatiently for it to cook. Mmmmm,
food good, I
ate at the counter I didn’t feel like sitting at the table I didn’t really feel like sitting at all. Then I got out my books and tried to study. Every noise had me on edge. I would close my eyes and imaginary
Shifters
moved on the house. I
extended my senses but
didn’t feel anything moving my way actually the night was decidedly quiet.

    
I caught up on my reading
list
and wrote two papers. I knew I should read them again later to look for errors.  I was tired, I was scared, what I had written probably didn’t make any sense.  Around three a
.
m
.
I decided I was all worked up for nothing. I guess that Laith guy really had told his father he wasn’t going to come after me, yay, for me, not so good for the
Shifter
.  Whoa was I feeling bad for a
Shifter
, no, not me.  Okay maybe a little. Ahh, I had a headache. 

    
You are not resting as you should AoD
,
said a soft seductive voice in my mind.

       Not again, no more yappy
Vamp
ires
whispering in my mind
I didn’t need yappy
Vamp
ires
tonight
.

     
I felt his l
aughter,
Yappy
Vamp
ires
as in plural?
He asked,
are
there many
Vamp
ires
running around in here AoD?
I got the vague impression of him looking around my mind for other
Vamp
ires.
I growled great
,
yappy mouthy
,
Vamp
ires
I so didn’t need this.
I could feel his amusement coursing through me. It was not unpleasant. Ewe, did I just say think that!

     
I could be very pleasant
to you,
AoD. Tell me where you are?
His
tone was thick with just how pleasant he thought he could be.

    
I’m not into necrophilia.
I answered. Wh
y was I bantering with him? I did
n’t know. I was scared and arguing with the
Vamp
ire
was more pleasant than waiting for a pack of
Shifters
to show.

     
Shifters
? A
re you expecting
Shifters
AoD?
I take that back he wasn’t a yappy
Vamp
ire
he was a nosy
Vamp
ire
.

       
None ya
,
I answered him.

        
Where has Caden gone
Macyn
?
Man,
his voice was just wicked.
Are you alone?
He sounded
concerned.
I bit my lip I so didn’t care if he was concerned.
A woman such as yourself shouldn’t be alone Macyn, I don’t like it
,
h
e grumbled.
Yeah, I was sure he had lots of ideas about who should be keeping me company too.

       
Like I care
,
I answered checking the windows again. Nope no
Shifters
in the bushes, I couldn’t sense anything but I was worried my senses would be all wonky with a
Vamp
ire
floating around in my mind.

       
You are frightened Macyn I can almost smell it
,
h
e growled.
Are you really
expecting
a pack of
Shifters
?
Like he really cared, maybe he did
,
maybe he didn’t want some other
Shadow-born
snuffing me before he got his shot.

        
Why, you looking for some flunkies
,
I returned.

        He laughed again this time it held the feel of derision to it,
e
ven I would not take on a pack of
Shifters
by myself Macyn are you suicidal? Where is your father?

        Don’t thin
k about him… monkeys… I interrupted myself, monkeys… monkeys… monkeys…

        His laugh was
like a blast against my skin.
You have an interesting w
ay of distracting yourself from my question
s
,
Macyn
.
He said my name like a caress. He so had to quit this
. He was getting me worked up
I felt hot all over
.
I thought you weren’t into necrophilia Macyn.

          
You’re not actually
dead;
I thought then immediately regretted it
.
I could actually feel his
self-satisfied
smile. I hate
self-satisfied
men. 
Go away
,
I hissed.

     
This would not be so easy for me if you were well rested AoD. You really should get a decent
night’s
sleep.
I could help you sleep.
The suggestion had a very sexual feel to it and h
e
had the nerve to sound
even more smug
than he had before
.

     
Bite me
,
I growled, unfortunately that came with a mental image that left me hot.  I could actually see that perfect
mouth;
feel his warm
breath against my throat, no
, I told myself,
not thinking about
that.

       He growled
low and frightening but then he
was gone, what the hell?

     Okay that has to go on my bizarre conversations list, top ten easy.  I still had two hours until dawn. Damn, I didn’t want to read anymore my brain was tired. 
So, I decided to hop on the computer, nothing like a little digital mayhem to help pass the time. 
At
eight
,
I realized it had bee
n daylight for about two hours and I had to go to bed.

   I got up much later showered, ate and click
ed
on the
TV
it’d
been awhile since I checked the news sure
enough
there is something I should see but really don’t want to. Ms. Hawthorn standing outside Deception it was early morning in the background. I turn up the volume. “The girl, Nina R
emus, died shortly before 4 am according to the M.E.  The police won’t give us any further information at this time, but this reporter
’s
inside source says the young lady seems to have died of blood loss.”
She paused for dramatic effect. I rolled my ey
es. Even I could see this was a
set up. Come on
Vamp
ires
have existed since the beginning of time in secrecy
,
you don’t do that by killing people in your home. “Unfortunately the police are unable to interviews any of the
Vamp
ires
involved at this time as they are all sleeping…” Liars, I hissed mentally.

   
Who?
Came that mild silky voice in my mind, he really had to quit this.

   
You!
I growled back
,
how was he doing this? I swear
the
parasite had latched on to my brain
waves
and wasn’t letting go.

    
That’s an offensive comparison.
He responded he didn’t sound offended he sounded
sleepy and sexy, and umm
yeah, I’m not going there not even in thought.

    
So
,
I thought back.

     A soft mental sigh like silk
against bare skin brushed me.
Very well, why am I liar now AoD?
He
had the nerve to sound long-suffering.

    
You know you wouldn’t know you were being insulted if you’d stay out of my hea
d. I suggested helpfully,
and you’re a liar because you could speak to the police now you’re just as awake as I am. Maybe more I thought se
lf-consciously,
you are
avoiding them. I accused sharply.

     
Very well, I will speak to them
now;
I will explain I can’t possibly have killed that girl as I was with you at the time. You will of course be happy to alibi me?
He was such a sarcastic ass.

    
I was not! I mean you were not! I haven’t seen you since you tried to choke the life out of me outside of your club!
I screamed into his mind. I was babbling but I
was not
going to alibi a
Vamp
ire
. I mean really. Protect the killer just because
he didn’t do
a particular
killing I don’t think so.