Page 103 of Cruel Destinies

I rifled through the bag quickly and discovered a piano solo book entitledPop Your Socks Off, complete with arrangements of the top Pop hits from the past ten years.

I shook my head and mumbled, “Shea.”

“Who?” Piper asked. “I couldn’t hear you.”

I cleared my throat. “That was just the concierge dropping off some...sheet music I ordered.”

“On Christmas Eve?” Piper asked, opening the bathroom door.

I quickly turned away in embarrassment. She’d removed her shirt to take care of the cuts underneath and was wearing a white sports bra.

“Hey, that’s not a package. That’s a present!”

I fumbled with the bag, spilling the rest of the contents onto the hardwood floor. I was mortified at the two items that had fallen out. Their colorful packaging bolded the brandCatCapeswith a real selling one-liner on it:Add sophistication to your feline friend!

Rubbing at my forehead, I chanced a look at Piper.

“Cat Capes?” she read. “Julian... Who else knows about your cats?”

Struggling to force down a swallow, I jumped as another knock sounded at the door.

“Back into the bathroom,” I said, rushing to her side. The cuts along her skin had somehow shut, and then I noticed a small container of superglue on my counter. It seemed like a smart move, and suddenly, gluey-blood sounded absolutely repulsive.

“Are you expecting someone else?” Piper asked, entering the bathroom with a little push from me on the back.

I shook my head. “This might come as a surprise, but no, I don’t really come to expect anyone. Anytime.”

A deafening boom sounded at the entrance, and the metal hinges holding the wooden door in three places popped. The door teetered inward, then came crashing down.

Piper screamed from the bathroom, watching in terror.

In the doorway stood a vampire I hadn’t seen since the destruction of the shifter school on Framboise Island fifteen years ago.

“Solomon?” I said softly.

Solomon’s eyes were red, revealing his thirst. His short, dark hair was messy, as if he’d just been through a scuffle of sorts.

“You’re in trouble, mate,” the Australian vampire said, stepping inside on top of the door he’d just knocked down.

I straightened my back and side-glanced at Piper. Solomon followed my gaze and saw the Initiate with her fresh wounds.

He snickered. “Looks like you’ve been having a bit of fun on Christmas Eve, Julian.”

Piper grabbed the crimson towel she’d been using to staunch her bleeding from the wounds Goldie had inflicted, and quickly wrapped it around herself, covering up her skin. I knew the bloodied towel would only attract the thirsty vampire that much more.

“What are you doing here, Solomon?” I moved protectively toward Piper. I didn’t trust the other vampire around her, not with his eyes glowing red.

Solomon’s face formed into a wicked snarl. “Cleaning up a small mess for Hadrian.”

I stood my ground, putting on the show I’d gotten quite used to displaying since Caesar had asked me to get involved with the vampires again.

“What mess?” I asked.

Solomon took a few more steps forward. “You think we’re a bunch of drongos? You go crying to Hadrian on the telephone, saying hunters are trying to kill you at the subway station. That sounds mighty convenient, considering your mission, mate. How’d the hunters find you? And what about the witch you’ve been visiting? Meeting up in a motel with her, right? She must make for some fun play. But she didn’t play so nicely with me.”

I froze. Terror forced ice through my undead veins, crystalizing them and keeping the rising hatred and anger from spreading.

Solomon had gotten to Shea. What had he done to her? Was she okay? My mind raced as I pictured her lying on the street somewhere, dead eyes staring into the sky, body drained ofblood. Those images caused my blood to boil, my fury thawing the ice and mixing with my panic and dread to the point I couldn’t follow either.

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