The Goddess and The Vampire Read online

Chapter Thirteen

  “Mixing up more of The Little Death?” I said and took a step further into the room.

  “Not my usual thing.” Beth said and ran a hand over her Ziggy Stardust buzz cut as she surveyed the progress of her current project. “Strictly work for hire.”

  Beth turned around and examined a bookcase filled with bottles of oils and powders. She turned and looked at me for the first time. She stared into me and sniffed the air. I would have thought a room like this would have ruined her Werecoyote sense of smell, but apparently not. Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth formed a small o of surprise.

  “So you were the target, huh?” Beth said and nodded. “No offense, but I thought it was for Carlo or maybe Fedor.”

  “Who paid you to make it?” I said and flashed power in my eyes.

  “I can’t seem to remember.” Beth said and licked her lips. “Maybe if you spanked me, it’d help me to focus.”

  “How about I take you to see The Captain?” I said. “Maybe he could show you the error of your ways.”

  “Fine. This guy said he had the ingredients, but he didn’t know to put them together. He had this high end alchemical set up and the pay was good.” Beth said and looked around the room as if she expected to see an exit she had missed before. “But making The Little Death isn’t like baking a cake. The damned recipe was written in Ancient Elfish for crying out loud. Fredric said he knew someone who could translate it. After that I found out The Vampire Commission has done a good job of making it damn near impossible to get the necessary agents. I’d never seen most of the components before.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” I said and pointed at the door. “I think Fedor would still like to talk to you.”

  As we headed down the stairs, I could hear the sounds of a video game being played and Billy was cursing as his player was killed yet again. With Beth in front of me, I rounded the bend in the stairs and saw Katie sitting on the old couch next to Billy.

  “Fedor told me you’d be here and you might need some help.” Katie said.

  “No problems so far.” I said and walked over to Billy and took the controller out of his hands.

  “Dude!” Billy said and looked at me as if I had just snatched the pen out of his hand as he was signing the Declaration of Independence.

  “You’re coming with us Billy.” I said and tossed the controller on the floor. “Fedor wants to talk to you about a few things.”

  “Dude, that’s harsh.” Billy said and slumped as if his life had already ended. “Fedor hates me now. He thinks I tried to kill him and you want to take me in to the Consulate?”

  “Yeah.” Beth said in the same beaten tone. “He wants to see me, too.”

  They both looked at me sadly and for a second I was worried I would have to do something drastic, but they both seemed completely passive. I looked at Katie and she took a deep breath. I opened the door and we headed out to the Dodge.

  “Hey, nice wheels.” Beth said and looked at the Dodge like an auctioneer getting it ready for the block. “I thought you’d be driving something lame like a sports car or maybe a hearse.”

  “I think it’d look better if it were a different color...” Billy said and raised a hand.

  “No.” I said and stopped his arm in midair. “It's fine the way it is.”

  I LOOKED IN the rearview mirror as I drove out of Poly and noticed Raoul and Izumi weren’t there. I shifted my gaze to Katie, who was slumped down in the passenger seat, nodding her head to some song I couldn’t hear playing on her iPod. I nudged her and she looked up at me from under the shadow of her hoodie. She took out an ear bud and looked at me with a perfect imitation of teen angst.

  “Did you happen to see Raoul and Izumi on your way to Billy’s?” I said as I did my best to keep the Dodge from falling into a pothole and breaking something expensive. “They were following me around earlier, and now they’re not.”

  “Andy told me the less you know the better.” Katie said and started to put the ear bud back in. I grabbed her hand and brought the Dodge to a stop.

  “The less I know about what?” I said and stared into Katie’s eyes, letting my power rise up toward her.

  “Hey, no fair Dude.” Billy said from the back seat. “You’re not supposed to whammy people like that, especially not in public.”

  “Yeah.” Katie said and nodded at Billy. “It ain't no big thing. Andy just has some friends at a vending company and they have a tow truck. So they towed the Suburban.”

  “Were Raoul and Izumi still in the Suburban at the time?” I said and started moving forward again.

  “Yeah.” Katie said and put the ear bud back into place. “I think they were.”

  “Dude.” Billy said. “You guys need to mellow out.”

  I PARKED NEXT to Andy’s Custom Deluxe and could hear the engine pinging as it cooled down. I could guess how Katie had found her way to Billy’s. My little group spilled out of the Dodge and we walked across the street. At three in the morning, the only sound in this part of Fort Worth was a freight train rumbling past on the tracks a few blocks away. The Fort Worth’s Vampire Consulate saw a steady stream of vampires coming and going most nights. I didn’t pay them any heed.

  “Katie.” I said and pulled her to a stop. “Take Beth inside and see if you can get Fedor to play nice with her. Billy and I have something we need to do.”

  “I’m your protector, Master.” Katie said and pulled the drawstring on her hoodie tight. “I don’t like being away from you.”

  “We won’t be long.” I said and grabbed Billy and headed back to the Dodge. I watched to make sure Katie and Beth made it inside and then headed for the Stockyards.

  “You know that Elf is under some kind of spell, right?” Billy said as he slumped in the passenger seat in much the same way Katie had. “She acts like it hurts to be away from you. And no disrespect, Dude, but most people don’t feel that way about you.”

  I ignored Billy and he played with the radio until he found a Beatles song he liked. He stared out the window as we headed down North Main Street. The roads were mostly empty, the businesses, mostly closed for the night. But I knew one club that stayed open for after-hours clients. Clients of the Vampire persuasion.

  Fredric’s club had stayed closed for two days in mourning. Now there was no sign anything at all had changed. I could hear music thumping inside. Billy ran a hand over his hair and tugged on his Black Sabbath T-shirt in an attempt to make it look better. I pulled the door open and we went inside.

  Red lights glowed around the large open room, it was a lot more lively than the last time I was here. It was still a dark and gloomy place. Several warm bodies moved our way as we entered. Their hands eager to feel our cool skin in the club’s humid warmth. I could feel two other vampires who sat in large round booths surrounded by humans. They both nodded at me and I nodded back. I wasn’t there to see them. I grabbed the server who offered to show us to a booth of our own.

  “Where’s Shirley?” I said as I bent close to her ear so no one else would hear.

  “I’ll bring her to you.” She said, showing off a pierced tongue as she licked her lip. “But Shirley’s old and I hear she has tired blood since, well, you know. Since Fredric’s untimely departure.”

  “Take us to her.” I said and let a bit of light flash in my eyes.

  “Yes, Sir.” She said with a snarl and stopped flirting as she led us quickly to a side door behind the bar. “She’s in the last room.”

  “Uh, Wil.” Billy said as we started down the dark and foul smelling hallway. “What exactly do you want with this woman?”

  “A couple of things.” I said as we reached the last door. “Just do what I tell you.”

  “Aye, aye, Boss.” Billy said and made a sloppy salute.

  I opened the door and a yellow light spilled into the hallway. We stepped in and found ourselves in the break room. A sink, a microwave, a small fridge, and a tiny Formica topped table. A once white glass globe incased in ancie
nt cigarette residue filtered the overhead light.

  Shirley sat at the small table with a cigarette in her hand and a blank look on her face. She was wearing a thin robe over a leopard print bikini that didn’t do much to hide her aging body. She curled a lip without really looking at us.

  “Patrons aren’t allowed back here.” Shirley said as if reciting a poem she memorized in grade school. “Please find a booth and I’ll be with you shortly.”

  “We need to talk, Shirley.” I said and she looked startled at the sound of my voice.

  “Yeah.” Shirley said and leaned back wearily. “It worked out so great for me last time I gave you some information.”

  “Billy, I’d like you to meet Shirley.” I said and waved my hand from Billy to Shirley. “Shirley, this is the vampire William Johnson, known to one and all as Billy.”

  “Hey.” Billy said in a nervous voice. “Uh, nice to meet you.”

  “Yeah.” Shirley said and took a deep pull on her cigarette. “Any friend of Wilhem’s is an asshole, I’m sure.”

  “Billy.” I said and wrapped my arm around Billy’s shoulder and gave him a friendly squeeze. Fear leapt into his eyes and his mouth started to mumble protests.

  “Please, Wil.” Billy stammered and looked over at Shirley. “I haven’t killed anyone in years. I’ve been following Fedor’s rules. I just take little drinks here and there. Listen, I can get you more money. I can get out of town if you want me to. I can...”

  “Hush Billy.” I said and squeezed him harder as he tried to squirm away. “I was just thinking about the two of you.”

  I looked over at the sound of Shirley’s chair hitting the floor. She backed away from the table and tried to push herself into the wall. Her face was drained of blood in terror. It struck an odd chord in me. Reminded me of my first nights as a vampire, my first kills. Billy went still in my grip. I looked at him and saw that old hunger on his face. His eyes had lost a bit of their focus. I could tell he was reliving a favorite kill as well. I shook my head and gave Billy a light slap across the face to get his attention.

  “I’ve got more Info.” Shirley said in a rush. “Better Info. I know things about Fredric no one else knows. Info you need, Wilhem.”

  “Everyone knows valuable information at a time like this.” I said and waved a hand at Shirley that caused her mouth to snap shut. She glared at me and I turned back to Billy.

  “I was thinking how the two of you need each other.” I said, allowing my voice to take on a level of persuasion. “Shirley used to be one Fredric’s Chosen.”

  “Oh.” Billy said with a note of sudden comprehension and mild disappointment. “So that’s why she looks like that.”

  “Fuck you.” Shirley said between clenched teeth. She took a deep breath and the color returned to her face. I looked at her with power in my eyes and she stopped protesting.

  “Billy, why don’t you make Shirley your Chosen.” I said and pushed him toward her. “Then I need to ask her a few questions.”

  Shirley looked like she wanted him to refuse. Billy was not exactly the sexy sparkly kind of vampire that makes young girls swoon. But then, Shirley wasn’t a young girl. She stepped forward, righted the chair, and motioned for Billy to sit down. He did. She straddled his lap like the pro that she was. She wrapped her arms around his head, pulling his face to her neck. So much for the foreplay. Billy fed on her and she writhed around on his lap and made soft noises of surrender. It only took a minute or so and when they were finished, they both looked a lot better.

  “Wow.” Shirley said as she climbed off Billy and took a tottering step in my direction. “That was good. That was real good.”

  I took Shirley and sat her down in the other chair. She looked a good twenty years younger. Her skin was tighter, her hair was shinier, and she was smiling. Then she looked at me and sobered up.

  “Thank you, Wil, but did you need to be such an asshole about it?” Shirley said and looked over at Billy. “Is he going to be alright?”

  “I think it’s been a while since he had any blood as potent as yours.” I said and looked at Billy, who was staring off into space and had a slight smile on his lips. “I guess you were with Fredric a long time?”

  “I was with Carlo about three hundred years and then he handed me off to Fredric one night. I wasn’t with Fredric that long, just long enough to make me his.” Shirley said and frowned at the memory. “He wasn’t all bad. Not all the time anyway. Then Carlo felt about me the way you do. I wasn’t good enough for him.”

  “I think you're good enough for Billy.” I said without much feeling. I stay away from other vampire’s livestock as much as possible. Shirley squinted at me as if she’d heard what I was thinking. I smiled an apology. I’m never too worried about offending people who eavesdrop on my thoughts.

  “I thought you were some super vamp or something.” Shirley said and looked at me appraisingly. “I can’t hear Carlo’s thoughts.”

  “I’ve never really needed shields.” I said and closed my mind the way Kilestra taught me long ago. “So I don’t usually bother.”

  “Oh.” Shirley said. “So what did you want to ask me?”

  “I was thinking I’d check out that tip about Carlo’s interest in the Shadow Realm.” I said. “Anything else I should know?”

  “He keeps a lot of his floor plans in the garage across the street from the house.” Shirley said and fidgeted. “It used to be a meeting hall or something, but now it houses Carlo’s car collection. There’s an alarm system. It shouldn’t be much of a challenge for a top notch Code Enforcer and Master of the City like you.”

  “You said you know something about Fredric?” I said and flashed power in my eyes.

  “Oh.” Shirley said and smiled at me. “I was just trying to save my life. Like you thought.”

  “Dude.” Billy said and sounded a little frightened. “You’re Master of Fort Worth now? You should have warned me, I would have shown, like, you know, more respect.”

  “Let’s go.” I said. “I’m taking Billy to the Vampire Consulate and you can ride along if you want to. I’m not sure when he’ll be out. Fedor is usually pretty liberal with his guest’s Chosen.”

  “Yeah.” Shirley said and looped her arm through one of Billy’s. “I’ll tag along.”

  I HANDED BILLY and Shirley over to Fedor and picked up Katie. She already had the two fat envelopes with my payment money for Beth and Billy. We got in the Dodge and headed back to the Mansion. Katie was still in full gangsta mode and hiding in her gray hoodie and her music. We didn’t talk on the way home. I felt more of an attachment to her than I should have. Considering how long we’d known each other. I kept feeling something wasn’t quite right. Could have something to do with watching her eat planets like Junior Mints, but who knows?

  My phone rang with the theme song from Dark Shadows, my ringtone for Kilestra. I answered it while driving down the deserted streets near the Mansion.

  “This night’s pretty much shot,” I said as I answered the phone. “But I’m pretty flexible on tomorrow night.”

  “Good to know.” Kilestra said and let her voice drop a little. “I’ve always liked flexibility.”

  “I found one of Fredric’s Chosen.” I said as I pulled into the long driveway and parked in my usual spot in the garage. “She's an old human who was in pretty bad shape. Chosen withdrawal.”

  “Have you added yet another human to your stable?” Kilestra said in a teasing tone. “Sally keeps blogging about how different you are from other vampires. You’re going to ruin her image of you.”

  “I think I already have.” I said. “But no, I didn’t add her to my circle, I gave her to Billy.”

  “Yeah.” Kilestra said after a moment. “What could go wrong there?”

  “Was there something else, Kilestra?” I said as I looked over at Katie. She was tapping her wrist to indicate that my time was running out for the night. “I need to move a silver chain someone left in my crypt.”

  “
Just one more thing.” Kilestra said. “I need you to head back to Azle and see if you can find out why Victoria is living in a mine shaft.”

  “Not a problem.” I said, “I need to see an armadillo about something anyway.”

  “Be careful, Wil.” Kilestra said. “These are dangerous times.”

  Kilestra broke the connection. She left me wondering just how dangerous the times really were. I went down the long cement path with Katie close at my heels. I’ve always had a weak spot for women who follow in my wake as if I were powerful and scary. I gave my Photo Studio a long, sad look as I walked past it. I haven’t had the chance to so much as power up the lights in days. I looked up at the sky and could see the stars were already fading.

  I quickly went into my quarters. I used a broom handle to drag the silver chain into the common room. I send a mental message to Mother to put it somewhere safe. Katie was already curled up in the corner, her head slowly moving to her music. I crawled into my coffin and closed the lid.

  I CAME BACK to life with the sounds of a battle raging. I could hear at least three people yelling. Things were breaking, not good news in a place where there was little to be broken. My coffin was jostled. I could hear the wood straining under some kind of immense pressure. A moment later the lid flew open and Katie glared down at me.

  “We could use a little help here, Boss.” Katie said and was instantly snatched away from my view.

  I hopped out of the coffin. I had to duck as a pewter teapot whizzed past my head and banged off the wall behind me. I darted out of the small room where I kept the coffin and into the common room. Victoria and Fedor were busy trying to kill each other. Katie, Andy, and Gravel were doing their best to keep the two Ancients apart. It was a job well above their pay grades. Especially, since none of them were being paid.

  “You didn’t fill out your Visitor Request Form.” Fedor said as he pointed a bony finger at Victoria. “And you haven’t registered at the Vampire Consulate at all. These are serious offenses.”

  “Don’t make me laugh.” Victoria said with a hiss. “Petty bureaucrats like you are why Vampires are no longer feared. I would slay all your kind to make the world a better place.”

  Fedor roared and charged at Victoria. Gravel tried to trip Fedor, but he was an old vampire and flew by him with ease. Victoria tossed Katie aside with equal ease. Andy was firing off random rounds from his Desert Eagle. The noise only served to further piss off Fedor and Victoria.

  “What the hell is going on?” I said to no one in particular. “And why is it going on here?”

  “Wilhem.” Fedor and Victoria said at once. They stopped trying to kill each other as they both rushed toward me. Andy, Katie, and Gravel started to head my way. None of them were going to reach me in time to be of any help.

  Andy stopped and took a standing firing stance. He panned the long barrel of his automatic in an arc that matched Victoria’s speed. He fired and Victoria twisted just enough for the shot to miss. It crashed into the cement wall, throwing chips and dust everywhere.

  I pulled air into my lungs and fell into a fighting stance. If I had only moments to live, I might as well look good for the few remaining seconds.

  Fedor and Victoria both fell to one knee before me and bowed their heads. The Old Queen spoke first.

  “Hear my case, Master.” She said and placed her palms on the floor. “Fedor is not in his right mind.”

  “And how would a psychopathic rogue like you know what a right mind looks like?” Fedor said with a growl. “Hear me, Master, this will not take long.”

  Gravel and Katie skidded to a halt on either side of me. They were breathing hard and each was injured and bleeding. They stared at Fedor and Victoria with looks of grim determination. Andy walked up behind the two kneeling vampires. He pulled a second gun out of a holster around his ankle. He put the barrels of both guns close to their skulls. Neither vampire seemed to notice Andy, now that they had my attention.

  “Katie.” I said while I let my gaze flit between Fedor and Victoria. “Why are these two here?”

  “My Master.” Katie said and gave me a small curtsy. “The Vampires Fedor and Victoria have come seeking the council of the Master of The City of Fort Worth.”

  “They arrived moments after the sun set.” Gravel said as if he was my butler. “I found places for them so that they could speak to you at once when you awoke.”

  I stared over at Andy, who looked at me. “I just came over to see if you knew where Fedor was, and see if maybe Katie wanted to have some coffee.”

  Katie cut her eyes to Andy and gave him a whatever look.

  I rubbed my hands together and stared off into the middle distance. I relaxed, as best as I could, with a couple of Ancient vampires keeling in front of me. I wasn’t big on the whole subservient thing when it was make believe. I absolutely hate it when it’s for real. I reached out and touched my personal power base. Katie and Gravel were shielding for all they were worth. Andy was wondering how long he could hold his guns up. Mother and Father were nearby, both nervous and alarmed. Kilestra was across town and I touched her mind easily enough. She gave me a wave of shock when she realized what was going on.

  “Shit.” Kilestra said in my mind. “Let me think.”

  Great. I moved on to Sally, who was doing some kind of paperwork for the Vampire Commission. She looked up in surprise at the empty room around her and the crowded room around me. I didn’t like to do this kind of vampire tricks with my humans. Most of them thought I was weird enough to start with. But Sally took it in stride and held a hand up into the empty air of her room. I waited as she flipped through pages in front of her. She pulled out a long piece of parchment with the Vampire Commission’s Great Seal at the bottom.