The Coming Storm (5 page)

“So okay to answer your earlier question in the shortest way possible, Boston and I used to be PP guards,” Seattle said as he swerved in and out of cars. Then he cut over to take an exit for another expressway from the left lane. There were several crashes behind us as perusing cars couldn’t pull the same move as he did but I barely heard or noticed as I focused on my eldest brother as my knowledge base of him just jumped worlds.

“Julus said come in through the south gates, and they’ll extend the mist out a few miles to give us a landing strip so the humans lose us, get confused, and think we went the other way,” Boston explained after he was done with his call. Then he glanced back at us. “What did you do to them? They’re all staring at us with their mouths agape like twits.”

“I told them we used to be PP guards.” Seattle shrugged.

Boston rolled his eyes and glanced among us. “Okay, well I know it’s a shock and all, but get your heads in the game. Vampires will try and take advantage of you at every turn so do not make
any
deals for any reason and we don’t split up. Once we get in there, you’re pretty much mute unless you’re talking to us when we’re alone.”

“You worked as Parliament guards?” Milwaukee whispered in a tone of horror and awe. “When? Why?”

“Why do humans join their military?” Seattle shot back. “We wanted to protect our people and help. Before any of you were born. Actually Phoenix was five when we got out. We didn’t have normal protection details or police duties. We were like the Navy SEALs. We went in and got paranormals out of human war zones or who were in trouble. That was our job and we were good at it.”

“Hence knowing how to drive like a badass and lose the police and feds in downtown LA,” I mumbled.

“Basically.” He shrugged. “Okay, so you guys heard Boston about once we’re in the coven?”

“Yes,” a chorus of four agreed immediately.

“Now I need to know what you found out before we go in there and tell the director.” Boston glanced between Seattle and me for a moment before focusing on me. “He’s driving and needs to pay attention to find the vampires’ mist. Tell me.”

Now, to understand the correlation of Seattle’s concentration and what he was driving into, a person had to know that vampire mist was a gift. Magic really, that was ingrained in them, like being able to hypnotize people and other talents they had. It was a natural defense from what I knew of it. The way their mystical powers focused when they were just sitting at home or doing whatever. It would spread out and give off that eerie feel to turn around while obscuring what someone was seeing.

Some of the movies got that right at least.

Now get a bunch of vampires together, especially some that were thousands of years old, and their combined mist could hide a whole castle altogether. The coven could focus it and extend it out if intruders were coming their way so someone didn’t accidently walk right into the castle because, well, they couldn’t make it disappear.

Oh, and they could actually turn into their mist and travel that way. Wicked, right?

I told everyone the abbreviated version of what I’d found and what had happened in the Federal Building. By the time I was done, Seattle announced he’d lost all but two feds, and we were long out of the city now, so he didn’t think we’d have any more police coming up soon. If we could just stay ahead of these two a bit longer, we should be fine.

It turned out he was right because there weren’t any road blocks or any more obstacles. Seattle kept the gas floored, and ten minutes later, there was a mountain of fog in front of us. As I watched the yellow line leading us into the mist, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was our version of the yellow brick road to salvation… Or hell?

“Hold on to your asses, guys,” Seattle mumbled right before we hit it. “Think about
everything
you say and do before you do it, and understand any deal you make is a deal with the devil, and he will collect. They will see you as fresh meat to take advantage of in every way.”

“Are we sure this really is a better option than taking our chances running from the humans?” Orlando hedged.

“Yeah.” Seattle glanced at us over his shoulder. “The vampires don’t want us dead.” Then he let go of the steering wheel and we entered the mist.

3

I hadn’t known the mist would guide us in. None of us had besides Boston and Seattle, so I hadn’t been the only one to freak when Seattle stopped paying attention to driving. It was fine, though, because the Expedition pulled up in front of large gothic doors minutes later. I understood the whole
eerie
thing about the mist too now. I swear I knew what dread tasted like.

The moment we passed through it, I felt the need to run… Even if it meant out of a moving vehicle. Granted, I was a shifter, so the feeling faded quickly, and we were welcome, so the closer we got to the castle the more normal I felt. But for those first few moments it was as if I were going to face a firing squad or something. I wanted to be anywhere but there. Yeah, creepy.

As we got out, Seattle let loose a frustrated sigh that wasn’t all that reassuring, of course, but at least I thought I was the only one who heard it. We quickly grabbed the few bags we’d brought with us in case we’d have to disappear if things didn’t go well on the snatch and grab.

Wasn’t that just the understatement of the year?

As serious as the situation was, part of me wanted to giggle. No, I hadn’t lost my mind… Yet. When we’d pulled up to the entrance, I’d noticed something on certain overhangings on the building. Now looking up, I could make out the shapes. Gargoyles. Seriously? Were they trying to fit every vampire cliché? I mean they were gorgeous and expertly grafted, beautiful really, nevertheless the coven had gargoyles on their castle in the mist.

Maybe I had cracked up.

“I love a welcoming party,” Boston joked loudly. I glanced at him and followed his gaze to see four
massive
vampires standing at the top of the steps to what seemed one of the side or back entrances to the castle. And who would ever have thought there was a castle hiding in plain sight right outside LA?

“
You’re
always welcome around me, my old friend,” the one in front drawled, his eyes never leaving Seattle. “It’s certain people in the company you keep that I’m not particularly happy to see.”

“That was a long time ago, Julus, and I apologized,” Seattle said in a tone that clearly implied he wanted to say more but he was holding back. “Besides, most of it wasn’t my fault.” We walked up the stairs, letting our oldest brother take the lead. “It wasn’t exactly a day at the beach for—”

He was cut off by Julus’s fist to his face.

“Not sure I deserved that,” Seattle bitched but made no sign of aggression or that he was going to return the favor. He slowly turned his head and spit out some blood before facing the man he’d apparently wronged somehow.

Wasn’t I just learning
tons
about my family lately!

“Maybe but I thought it only fair since my director has not let anyone into the coven for months without a thorough check. I had to personally vouch for you and my ass is seriously on the line for you and your brothers given you had human authorities on your tail and searching for you. I actually had to promise him a favor and you know how much I hate to do that.”

My brother flinched and while it was subtle I was pretty sure everyone there saw it. “I do,” Seattle hedged. “Why would you do that for us, Julus?”

The handsome vampire sighed and ran his hand over his head. “Because for all your faults, you’re not one to overreact, man. If Boston calls me saying the shit is hitting the fan at your word, than it’s hitting the goddamn fan, and we need to know what’s going on. My director is fair. If it truly is, he’ll owe me a favor, but seriously, don’t screw me. I went out on a limb on this. Is whatever going on really that bad?”

“Much worse,” I blurted out. All eyes focused on me then, and I kind of wanted to melt into the ground. “We’re trying to do the right thing and help all paranormals, so I don’t know what’s up with you and Seattle, but you have lived up to what I have heard them say about you by taking this chance to help us.”

Julus blinked rapidly before he schooled it. “They’ve mentioned me?”

“Not that you were a vampire in LA nor—and I’m assuming this because we just found out about their past—that they knew you from their days in the guard,” I answered slowly, glancing at my brothers. They both sighed and nodded.

“Just told them?” Julus gave a snort. “Good to see some things never change with you two. You’re as secretive as ever.”

I didn’t want this to turn into
pick on Seattle and Boston
time so I got back to the question. “They’ve mentioned a good buddy Julus that they used to be friends with and there was no one they’d rather have at their back in a fight. I know they missed you. I’d think it’s not a common enough name to mix you up for another one.”

“You’re talking about when I got drunk after Mom and Dad died?” Seattle mumbled as he started past the vampires at the door, not wanting to meet anyone’s eyes but not willing to look down as if embarrassed. I don’t know if those doors were any improvement though. They were depressing as shit. Like nicely dressed, very pretty prison doors.

Meaning we weren’t ever getting back out if they didn’t want us too. Steel bars on them and all, even if they were ornate.

“Yeah.”

“Then it was him. I wanted to call him. If we had been on speaking terms, I would have because he’s the only one outside of our family I would have trusted with all of this, and an objective opinion is always good.”

“High praise coming from you,” Julus hedged. “I heard about your parents. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” Seattle met his gaze then and I swear I saw something there.

Julus cleared his throat and gestured to the castle. “The director is waiting to speak with you, and then you can get some rest.”

As we stepped inside, I was immediately struck by the smell of the place… Or lack of smell actually. Almost like a hospital where it didn’t really smell like any
one
thing but sterile and a person just knew it was taken good care of. Weird.

And what didn’t make me feel better was the lack of sound. Was this place like a sensory vacuum? We weren’t walking on carpeting so why weren’t our sneakers squeaking or Boston or Seattle’s boots making noise. My eyes couldn’t seem to lock on any one thing, darting around and quickly scanning everything but not
seeing
any of it. All while this rushing sound flooded my ears from probably too much blood or something. Did that really ever happen? Paranoia. I was going to go with paranoia and my nerves were fired. Yup. Sounded logical to me.

“I’d love a shower,” Orlando mumbled. “My blood is starting to flake off and itch.”

“You didn’t bitch about getting shot but
that
you complain about?” Phoenix did a double take as we followed the vampires. “Seriously?”

“Dude, we’re walking into a coven of vampires and I’m covered in my own blood, dried or not.
Yeah
, that’s what’s on my mind.”

“Fair enough.” Phoenix swallowed loudly. I felt the tension amongst us rise as we walked along a long hallway with hanging tapestries on either side. I tried to act natural and take them in, studying the crests on them as if I weren’t checking out every inch of the place to make sure people with fangs weren’t waiting in corners to eat my brother.

“We can control ourselves,” Julus drawled.

“Of that I have no doubt,” Orlando chuckled. “But flip this and you’d still be thinking about it and slightly nervous. I mean, you wouldn’t come to our house around the full moon, steaks strapped to you, and not wonder if we might jump you.”

“Too true, too true,” the vampire chortled good-naturedly.

He stopped as we reached a main room and stepped aside. I took in the room, never having seen anything like it. It was straight out of some movie that had a throne room set hundreds of years ago. All done up in lavish black and purple velvet, which made sense since I was pretty sure that was the colors on the director’s family crest. It was still very welcoming though. The first thing since our arrival that was actually.

“Director Fabian, may I introduce the late Liaison Niska’s sons, Seattle, Boston, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Orlando, and the youngest, Chicago.”

It was customary in paranormal society to go in birth order as if going by order of importance. Whatever, I was used to it.

“The loss of your father was a tragedy for all our kind,” Director Fabian said as he moved forward with three men flanking him. “I respected him very much and your mother was a wonderful woman.”

I was struck stupid by how attractive the man was. I mean
holy shit
of sexy. It was like someone took Brad Pitt in his twenties and air brushed him in the living. And no disrespect to Brad Pitt because the man was
fine
in any form, but this guy was like the ultimate embodiment of the actor on his best day, in perfect lighting, after someone touched up the photos, and… I don’t even know what, but my drool was pooling in my mouth as the blood did in my groin.