Page 4 of Death Warden
Harry held up his hands. “Sorry…is this one off-limits?”
“Damn right she is,” Jerry said. “You touch her and I’ll fucking rip out your throat.”
Cue warm fuzzies. “I love you guys.”
I didn’t have many friends, heck there weren’t many people I liked, but Bernard and Jerry were like family to me. They’d practically raised me when my parents died. I had no idea why my parents had made a pair of vampires my godparents, but they had, although back then Jerry had been a psychic, not a vampire. He turned when I was thirteen.
“Is Finley with you?” Bernard asked.
“Out back, waiting.”
He sighed. “I hate that you have to do this.”
I took a glug of my beer. “Yeah, me too, but he’s my responsibility.”
Jerry made a grunting noise. “Would help if we knew why your family has him.”
I shrugged. “There are a lot of things I’d love to know.” I plucked at the chain around my neck. “Like what this thing really is. What it can do.” I turned it over in my hand. “I mean, it’s meant to be powerful, right?”
“Your mother used to wear it,” Jerry said.
“Yeah, Tobias told me.”
Bernard made a face. There was no love lost between my godfather and my mentor. Tobias was a history keeper for the three bloodlines, charged with cataloguing and maintaining the family archives and heirlooms. He’d given me the amulet when my parents died. He told me to wear the amulet and never take it off. He’d told me that the amulet brought good luck, that my mother always said it had helped her find my father.
They’d been so in love.
I’d felt their love as a comfort blanket keeping me safe.
But I wasn’t so naive as to think the amulet would bring me that kind of love. I wore it for my mother. To feel close to her, and no other reason but that.
Jerry placed a plate of fries loaded with three different cheeses and a delicious salsa in front of me. “Eat up, shine bright, and then lead those fucking empties out of here.”
Bernard shuddered. “I can’t see them, but I can feel them. It’s been getting crowded in here.”
I switched to gray sight, glancing about the room at the shimmering shapes floating against walls or leaning over the patrons as if desperate to be a part of their conversations, and sure enough, just like I’d predicted, several had their softly glowing eyes locked on me as they drifted closer.
I’d have to eat fast before I was surrounded.
I shoved fries into my mouth.
“Aw, look.” Jerry reached over and pinched my cheek. “She still shovels her food.”
I swallowed my mouthful.
“I’d give you the finger if I didn’t respect you so damn much.”
Jerry chuckled but his mirth melted as he looked over my head. “Nah, you get out,” he spat.
“How dare you come here.” Bernard stood, his wiry body trembling with indignation.
My scalp prickled. There was only one person that had this effect on both Bernard and Jerry long after he’d stopped having any effect on me.
I owed him.
“Adi?” Bradly said softly.
A year ago the melodious, aching quality to his voice would have melted my heart and set my loins throbbing.
