Stake and Dust (Stake and Dust series, Book I) (5 page)

"Cassandra isn't my mortal enemy," he said
with a harrumph.

"No?" Sheerin lifted a brow. "She hunts
vampires for a living. How is she not an enemy?"

Tremayne waved his cousins off and turned
toward the bandstand in search of the hunter, but he didn't see
her. A quick scan of the dance floor, then to the back of the room,
confirmed Cassandra and the demon had vacated Eternal Bliss. "Where
did she go?"

Bram cleared his throat.

"What?" he snapped.

Bram pointed toward the back door. "I believe
she and the Hashasheen demon decided to take their little party out
back in the alleyway."

"
Jaysus
," Tremayne cursed as he threw
down the towel, he had draped over his shoulder and hurried around
the bar toward the back door.

"Three's a crowd, Tremayne," Bram called
after him. "I don't think she wants a threesome."

He heard both Sheerin and Bram chuckling at
his expense, but he ignored them. He could care less who Cassandra
Hayes frolicked with, but he didn't want her death on his
conscience.

Besides, this was his territory and he'd be
damned if he let the piss-ant demon ruin his gig by killing a
hunter or visa versa. He didn't want it known hunters could take
out demons whenever the mood struck them. He liked governing this
area of the Hamptons.

He pushed the door open and stepped into the
alleyway. His gaze took in the scene unfolding before him and he
pursed his lips. Cassandra hadn't wasted any time in provoking the
Hashasheen demon into action.

The demon's eyes glowed red, and his stance
spoke of lethal intent, but the hunter didn't appear distressed in
the least. She truly was a Hayes through and through, and they did
not shirk their duties when it came to eliminating what they deemed
an undesirable.

Like you
, he thought with annoyance,
but first she'd have to figure out he was a vampire. Being
centuries old had its perks. He could easily glamour his
Otherworldly attributes. He could enjoy human food to some extent.
He could tolerate meat if prepared on the rare side, and he could
consume coffee as long as no cream was added.

Some humans, though rare, had the ability to
slow down their heart to mimic death. He knew how to speed up his
to imitate a human's vitality. Only thing, he had not accomplished
was walking in the sun. He could tolerate daylight on cloudy days
without severe effects, but that's all. Even then he could only
manage a few hours before he'd burn as red as a boiled lobster if
he didn't completely cover his skin, wear a hoodie, and sunglasses.
The UV protection sunscreen helped a little too.

He stood back and observed Cassandra's
fighting techniques. Graceful like a ballerina, but deadly as a
ninja, and just as fast with her reaction to deflect blows and give
ones of her own.

The hunter was winning this fight and
probably could manage with one hand tied behind her back by the way
it was going. He should well remember this and not underestimate
her ability to dust him if she found out the truth about his
identity.

"Stay back, Tremayne," she said to him.

"As you wish," he told her. She didn't even
glance his way, but knew he had joined the party.

His brows furrowed as he caught sight of
something in her hand. When he realized what she held, he almost
chuckled out loud. She gripped one of the pencil's she'd used to
hold up her bun. He never realized a number two pencil could be
used for something more than taking a test.
Quite
clever
.

She sliced the air with it as if she held a
sword. The Hashasheen didn't have a chance. He almost felt sorry
for the creature. Almost…

She brought the Hashasheen down with a clever
sweep of the foot, tripping the demon onto his back.

Tremayne palmed his dagger just in case, but
he doubted it would be needed.

"Who's behind the kidnappings and the
murders?" she demanded to know. She pressed her boot into his
chest.

The demon laughed and spit blood on the
ground beside her.

"Tell me what I want to know and I may let
you live," she added.

Tremayne moved in closer. The demon met his
gaze with a sneer. "Come to watch, have you,
bartender
?"
Then he leveled his gaze on Cassandra. "Do you know who you're
working with?" the demon asked Cassandra as he nodded toward
Tremayne. "Odd company if you ask me,
hunter
."

Not good. The Hashasheen may not have spelled
it out, but Tremayne had a hunch the demon knew he was a
vampire.

"Don't worry who I'm working with," Cassandra
said. "Worry about if you'll see another night." She didn't take
her eyes off the demon.

Smart move.

"I'd answer the question if I were you,"
Tremayne said to the demon. "She doesn't care to ask twice. Trust
me, I'm the nice one here."

The demon seemed to consider this for a
moment then broke down. "I've heard things."

"What things?" Cassandra asked.

"A vamps involved, but he's working with
someone else. It's like a
scratch my back and I'll scratch
yours
kind of deal."

This bit of news made Tremayne frown. Mr.
Green had his throat ripped out, but even he had thought it
overkill for a vampire attack. Now he knew why. There was another
preternatural being involved. "Pray tell, the suspense is killing
us," he said and stepped closer. The demon harrumphed, obviously
not appreciating his sarcasm.

"You're looking for a Lamia. She's a crazy
bitch too. She runs the show and the vamp from the Draugr sept or
maybe it's the Oiche Sith sept…" he said as he glanced at Tremayne
with a sneer. "All vamps are the same to me. It's difficult to know
which blood drinking being belongs to what sept."

"Get to the point," Cassandra demanded.

"Anyhow, the vamp follows the Lamia's
orders."

Tremayne hadn't come across a Lamia since
Lorelei Rivers. The creature did mimic traits of a vampire, blood
being one of their primary substance, but they also fed off the
person's essence, but only if they were experiencing the euphoria
of success. Musicians, painters and writers were the creature's
favorite prey.

He glanced at Cassandra with a question:
"Have the killings had anything in common?" He hadn't personally
checked out the bodies, but maybe Cassandra had. He wouldn't count
Mr. Green's slaying as a piece of evidence. He most likely came too
close to finding out who the killer was and had simply been
eliminated.

Cassandra fished out her mobile phone and
pulled up the file. "All three were male. All were about the same
age about twenty-two to twenty-four. Hmm…" She read in silence then
her gaze riveted to him. "The arts. One was a poet, one a writer,
the other a small time stage actor."

He nodded. "It fits a Lamia's MO. They tend
to latch onto artists and promote them, even make them famous, all
the while sucking the life out of them.

"Like Keats' poem," she said,
thoughtfully.

"Aye, the poet did write about such a
creature," he added, impressed she knew of Keats' work. He had
often wondered if the poet's writing had been from firsthand
knowledge.

"What's the Lamia's name and where can we
find her?" Cassandra asked the demon as if she planned to ring her
and make an appointment.

"How should I know?" the demon sneered. "I'm
not privy to her social calendar."

"Then I guess you've outlived your
usefulness." She raised her dagger and brought it down before the
demon could protest.

She was good. He hadn't caught her readying
her weapon for the kill. Note to self: never underestimate
Cassandra Hayes.

The demon's body shriveled as it decayed at a
rapid speed.

"I thought you were going to let him go?" He
tore his gaze away from the demon sizzling into black goo and
looked at her.

Cassandra straightened to her full height and
brushed her hair away from her face with a quick sweep of her hand.
He liked this look much better than her strands being tucked away
into a bun.

"The demon?" she asked. "Why would I let him
go? He picks up his victims from pubs and they never have a chance
to kiss and tell?"

"And how would you know this?"

She stuck her hand in her pocket and withdrew
a leather wallet and tossed it to him.

He opened it, revealing snapshots in the
photo slips. Only photos of girls, but they weren't smiling for the
camera. These women were dead. "Sick bastard."

"So glad you agree, Mr. Green." Her gaze slid
over him. "Don't get soft with these creatures. They're not to be
trusted."

His brows lifted. "None of the preternatural
beings?" he asked out of curiosity.

"None I've come across." She strode by him as
she headed for the back door. "Let's go inside and rethink our
strategy. We have a vamp and a Lamia to catch. Changes things,
don't you agree?"

Chapter Six

Cassandra had yet to see Mr. Green or rather
Tremayne in action, but she hadn't missed that he'd palmed a dagger
back in the alleyway. It was good to know he would have her back if
she couldn't handle the situation.

She'd checked Tremayne out, discreetly of
course, or at least she hoped he hadn't caught her subtle glances.
The man did ooze with masculinity. It was no wonder the superior's
daughter fell into his arms. The poor woman didn't have a
chance.

Good thing she had more self-control or
Tremayne might find himself transferred again for not keeping his
mind on the objective.

She took a seat and Tremayne met her on the
other side of the bar and leaned on the countertop. "Since a Lamia
is a serpentine water creature," he offered his opinion, "she
wouldn't be able to resist the call to the water. Might be wise to
stakeout the waterfront."

"My thoughts exactly, but what of the vamp?
Until we're sure what sept he's from we should do some research on
what to expect from both septs the demon mentioned."

"Those particular septs do not fear the
water," he told her and she was impressed he knew this.

There were over fifty different vampire septs
if not more, and she only knew of them because Derek had been
cataloging them. Each was different in how they function in the
human world. Most appeared humanlike, but there were other septs
that were hideous creatures due to their bloodlust. Some vamps
could feed off a human and not change them, but there were other
vampire septs where one bite proved lethal and the human would
change into a hybrid no matter what they tried to do to stop
it.

"Chances are we're dealing with a Draugr,"
Tremayne continued. "Since their sept doesn't keep tight reins on
their vampires. Most of the time they're loners. Viking bred, so
the sea would be in their blood."

"No matter the case, we'll have to take extra
precautions if we're dealing with two preternatural beings with an
appetite to kill. They'll have each other's back."

"Aye." He nodded and pursed his lips. "A
Draugr and a Lamia usually do not work together. Like I said a
Draugr is usually a loner."

"Perhaps they hooked up."

His brow lifted. "As in they're an item?"

"Sure. Why not? Perhaps the Lamia seduced the
vamp."

"A Lamia is faithful to the bloke she
chooses," he said. "At least while she's feeding off him, but we're
talking about a vampire. She would not be satisfied with his blood
and visa versa. To top it off, the Draugr are jealous sorts. Hence
the reason they don't do well in a group. What could the vamp be
getting in return?"

"I thought vampires were sexual creatures. Is
there a male being alive that would turn down sex if it was
offered? Heck, just a kiss may sway a man into wanting more."

He cleared his throat, obviously getting her
point. "I'm sure any male would enjoy a tumble when offered, but I
take offense – for all males considered – that you think we are so
easy."

"Hmm... Are you saying if I kissed you right
now, you wouldn't be affected in the least?"

He chuckled. "That luv, is a loaded question.
If I say no, I insult you. If I say aye, then I prove your point.
But I'm willing to put it to the test," he said and wagged his
eyebrows. "A kiss, you say?"

"Is that a challenge?" she asked.

He shrugged, but his lips twitched,
threatening to smile.

She should really let this go, but his eyes
told her he expected her to back down. Instead of listening to
reason, she leaned on the counter and crooked a finger at him.
"Lean closer." His blue eyes assessed her with interest only a man
could bestow on a woman. He complied by leaning in so his face was
only inches from hers. She lowered her eyelids with a flutter of
her lashes.

"Are you flirting with me, Ms. Hayes?" he
asked and there was amusement in his voice and something more, but
she didn't pause to decipher the meaning.

She cupped his face with her hands and kissed
him before she lost her nerve. She indulged with a flick of her
tongue and when she heard the intake of his breath, she knew she
had him. She deepened the kiss to prove her point, but then he did
the unexpected and took over, his hands were in her hair as he
indulged. All sounds in the pub ceased to exist as if his kiss had
rendered her deaf to anything else but him. God, she wished the
barrier separating them would melt away.

"Get a room!" someone shouted from the end of
the bar, proving her hearing hadn't been impaired after all. They
pulled apart, both a little breathless.

She'd wanted to prove a point and at the
moment the purpose was loss to her. Darn it, she hadn't expected
Tremayne to kiss her back.

She grinned and hoped she fooled him into
thinking the caress hadn't affected her as much as it had. "See how
easy it is to distract the male species?" Her shoulders lifted in a
nonchalant shrug. "Human, vampire…sex has always been a great
motivator."