Sweet Blood of Mine (33 page)

"Think this over, kiddo. If you go rushing in there without help, you'l end up like your dad. Imagine those fanged creatures sucking on your neck for years, decades even. They'd keep you alive for a perpetual dessert."

I shuddered. "You could help me." I could only think of one other person who might help, but the thought of asking her frightened me almost as much as the idea of going in alone.

"Hey, kid, I'm grateful to you for saving my life, but I won't rush wily-nily into a vampire stronghold without backup. If you're not going to listen to me, you're on your own."

"How do I find the vampires?"

He puled out a smartphone. "Give me your email address and I'l shoot you over what I know."

It seemed so bizarre giving my email address to a sorcerer, of al people, but I did. "Just don't add me on Facebook."

He met that remark with a wry grin. "You got spirit and a whole lot of teenage denial. Good luck."

I made it back to my car, receiving a few surprised looks from pedestrians along the way. Soot and stinky black vampire blood covered my skin and clothes. I didn't have time to shower and change. I had to go to my last best hope. If she turned me down, I would have to go in alone.

I drove out of town toward Scottdale and the old industrial park where I'd run into the moggy. I was certain the decrepit buildings hid Stacey's lair and she, unfortunately, was the only person who might be able to help me.

According to Shelton's email, the vampires who took Dad were members of the Red Syndicate, the organization to which supposedly every vampire worldwide owed alegiance. He believed the local Atlanta group numbered around a couple hundred, give or take. Either way, I wouldn't stand a chance on their home turf without help.

I climbed out of the Jetta and stood in the cool night air, letting a gentle breeze carry nearby scents to me. I reached out, feeling for a hint of Stacey's presence, but found nothing. That didn't mean much since my range didn't seem to extend very far. Otherwise, I would have sensed the vampires who attacked me and Dad before they'd ambushed us. I dashed between two crumbling red-brick warehouses. Sprinted up the wal to my left and then leapt from wal to wal until I propeled myself to the roof. I crouched, listening for the sound of feline pads stalking my way or the unmistakable odor of a moggy.

Stil nothing.

I waited for an hour, moving from building to building as stealthily as I could, keeping a constant vigil on the other rooftops. If I hadn't been so frightened of running into another moggy, it might have been fun. Instead, I almost crapped myself at every innocent noise. Finaly, I heard movement and ducked low as a figure leapt over the lip of the roof across from me and landed lightly on its feet.

Silhouetted against the moon was the hourglass figure of a curvy female. Most likely Stacey, but I didn't want to take any chances. She stood upwind of me which was good. I figured if I had a good sense of smel, hers would be even better.

She made a gentle mewling noise. I heard the padding of dozens of feet and froze. Had I possibly missed another moggy? Cats burst from every direction, al running and meowing like crazy, nearly giving me a heart attack.

Stacey laid out packages on the roof and the thankfuly normal-sized cats dug in. It was fresh meat, but what kind I couldn't tel. I hoped it wasn't human flesh. I gagged at the thought of those strays chowing down on ground man-burger.

Stacey stooped and petted the cats as they fondly rubbed against their mistress. She spoke to each of them and caled them by name. I stood and sprinted to the edge of the roof, then leapt the gap. She jumped back, planted her feet, and faced me, hissing and baring hands with feline claws.

"Whoa, there, tiger," I said, backing away when I landed. She gave a start of recognition and lowered her hands. "Girl, you give a whole new definition to crazy cat lady."

"You scared me half to death, darling," she purred.

"You're not a scaredy-cat are you?"
I'm here all
week, folks.

She laughed and walked toward me as her claws retracted into normal-looking fingernails. "How did you find me?"

I decided not to go into details about folowing her.

She might get angry considering someone had kiled her moggy thanks to me. "I know who and what I am," I said, bypassing the question entirely. "I know what you are."

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "And you are here because?"

"Vampires kidnapped my father. I need help getting

"Vampires kidnapped my father. I need help getting him back."

"I cannot help you," she said, her eyes widening in fear. "I am but one lonely soul."

"One lonely soul, my demonic rear end. I know what you're capable of. My dad told me. You can make an army out of these cats."

"I refuse to send these innocent creatures to their deaths," she said, her voice rising. "Do you think I'm a bloody monster?"

I didn't answer. I didn't know what to say.

Large tears weled in her eyes. "You do think I am a monster, Justin." She sniffled. "How very unkind!"

I took her gently by the shoulders. "No I don't. I just didn't realize how you felt about your pets."

She pushed me away. "They are not my pets. They are my companions."

Very crazy cat woman
, I decided. I sat on an air vent and dropped my head into my hands. I didn't know what to do.

Stacey came behind me and stroked my hair. It felt oddly relaxing, like I was being scratched behind the ears.

"I am sorry about your father," she said after a moment. "I have not known family for a very long time." She sighed.

"It would be lovely to have a companion. Someone to hunt with and to enjoy my feline friends."

"Is that why you wanted me?"

"Indeed. You are very close to my kind in nature even if you cannot shift."

"I like cats," I said, "but you and I would never get along."

"Oh, I see," she said with a hint of jealousy in her voice. "You are stil quite taken by the female dhampyr."

"Elyssa," I said, unable to keep the pain from my voice. "I'm sorry, Stacey. It just wasn't meant to be. You need a guy who can, um, love cats as much as you do."

And what guy would ever admit to that?

"There are so few of my kind left," she said sadly.

"I would love to have children someday."

"Stacey, do you eat people?"

"Absolutely not." She made a gagging sound.

"Who would want to eat humans considering the vile rubbish they consume?"

"But you do feed on human energy."

"Do not we al?" She came around to stand in front of me. "Vampires feed on human blood. We feed on emotional energy, you and I. Even noms feed on each other in emotional ways by loving, hating, kiling." She gave a delicate shudder. "We are al each other's prey, my dear.

The strong conquer the weak."

"Noms?"

"Ah, you're not familiar with the term? Noms are nominals or normal humans, although others disparagingly cal them nom-noms because we feed upon them."

"Like the Cookie Monster?"

"Is that the little blue creature?"

"Uh, yeah." I felt the conversation derailing so I jerked it back on track. "Don't you scare noms half to death so you can feed off them?"

"It is part of what I must do. Otherwise my feedings would be most bland."

"But Dad said your kind feeds on fear. That you like to play with your food before you kil it."

"I admit I do enjoy a fresh kil when it is prey, but I neither kil nor eat humans." She looked into the distance.

"I suppose others of my bearing have different tastes. I truly have no idea since I haven't seen another of my kind in years."

I gave her a suspicious look. "My dad also said never to trust felycans, that you're fickle."

"Wel, I am female, Justin." She smirked. "Perhaps you can trust me, or perhaps not. I suppose it depends on you can trust me, or perhaps not. I suppose it depends on what your goals are."

"I want to save my dad."

She sighed and gazed at the cluster of cats lounging indolently on the roof now that they'd eaten. "I know several tomcats who may be wiling to fight with you, but it wil be their choice. Once I transform them, there is no going back. It is also very difficult to keep them suitably fed once they are larger."

I decided to play dumb. "You can make them larger?"

"Oh yes. I am surprised your father neglected to tel you."

"I only found out what I am yesterday. He didn't have time to fil me in on every little nuance."

"Of course not," she said, patting my hand. "I honestly know little of your kind, but I do know your brethren are very unpleasant to deal with, not to mention demonic in nature." She shuddered delicately. "Your psychic energy, however, is positively top-notch. In any case, my lamb, I was pleasantly surprised to make your acquaintance."

"You tried to force yourself on me. To feed on me.

You cal that making my acquaintance?"

She wrinkled her nose. "That I did, and I am very sorry. But you are so delectable I could just dandle you on my knee."

I didn't know what dandling was and I had no desire to find out. "What were you going to do to me?"

"I would have taken some of your essence just as you do to your prey. I can smel your delicious aroma whenever you are around." She sniffed the air in my direction and grinned. "It excites me so. I do wish we could come to an arrangement. Perhaps," she said, tapping her chin, "I can help you in exchange for my original terms."

I realy didn't have a choice. "I suppose. But nothing permanent."

"You ask me to risk so much for so little. Could you not give us a chance? I promise you our affair would be absolutely delightful." She almost sounded like Mary Poppins.

I sighed. "Stacey, kiss me."

"You are so forward, good sir."

"Very funny. I just need to see something."

She leaned in. Her breathing grew heavy, her eyes closed. Our lips met. Hers were soft and feverishly warm.

Her tongue pressed against mine. I braced for the unpleasant sandpapery feeling, but her tongue felt normal.

Hot. Wiling. I puled her closer, trying to feel something in my heart, anything that would make me want her besides raw physical need. Something that would make me agree to this bargain without hesitation.

One of her hands stroked my hair. The other raked fingernails lightly down my back. She kissed my neck and traced my ear with her tongue. It definitely didn't feel rough. In fact, it felt pretty amazing. Her soft breasts pressed against my chest, and my hand wandered down the curve of her back, reaching her firm bottom and squeezing.

My body reacted, its second brain springing awake in anticipation of ravishing this shapely temptress. I jerked away. What teenage guy worth his salt wouldn't be aroused after kissing like that? But it hadn't been magic. It hadn't burned through my veins with a desire to consume her and make her part of me. Despite the physical alure, her kiss had been but a pale reminder of the fiery earth-shaking touch of true love mingled with a kiss. Whether I had a soul or not, Elyssa affected a part of me beyond the physical and I would never have that with Stacey.

"Why can't I get her out of my mind?" I shouted to the sky in exasperation.

Tears weled in Stacey's large amber eyes. "You are too in love with her," she said. "I even kept myself fuly are too in love with her," she said. "I even kept myself fuly human to make it more comfortable so my tongue would not cause a rash."

"I'm sorry, Stacey. I realy am. But I'm wiling to make a bargain with you anyway if you'l just help me."

She stood and walked away to stare out into the darkness. "I wil not help you, Justin." Her voice quavered and she sniffled. "I suppose I am doomed to never find true love." She pressed the back of a hand to her forehead with a melodramatic flourish.

"Just because we aren't meant to be together doesn't mean we can't mess around."

"But I want you to love me and adore me. I want a man to come home to. Someone I can hug and kiss and laugh with." She started to sob.

I knew exactly what she was talking about. Except I wanted a girl, not a guy, of course. And I would never cal a rundown place like this home. I hugged her. She turned and buried her face in my chest.

"Stacey, I want you to be happy. We didn't realy get off to a good start, but I'd be wiling to do what you want. How about we can, uh, date or whatever for a year, provided I survive this?"

I heard a tiny meowing and looked down to see a smal black figure rubbing against my legs. I picked up the familiar feline. "Captain Tibbs!" I said. "I should've known you'd find a better gig."

"You are acquainted?" Stacey asked. She took the little cat and kissed him on the nose. "Do you know this man, little one?"

Captain Tibbs meowed a few times. Stacey looked at me with tenderness in her eyes. She put Captain Tibbs on her shoulder where he took a seat and purred while he licked his front paw.

"I wil help you."

"What changed your mind?"

"Nightliss told me how you bravely saved her from the jaws of an evil hound."

With al the other crap that had been going on, I'd almost forgotten about the episode. It seemed so distant with al the other worries in my head. "I couldn't let that dog hurt her." And to think I'd thought she was a he.