Page 9 of Thicker than Water
I push my discomfort aside. I’ve got to think fast. Ihaveto help that girl. I can’t let her be drained by that vampire. Even without my wand, I should be able to work enough magic to stop that vampire.
But it would reveal my identity. What if him and his gang are part of the northern vampire alliance? They would recognize my Hecate magic immediately. If I’m caught, I would have hell to pay.
There might be another option.
“Xia!” I shout, praying my voice is loud enough over the din. Frantically, I weave back through the bodies, searching for her. She was patrolling earlier, so she might be nearby. Could she be strong enough to stop this vampire? I hope so.
A moment later, I spot her in the crowd, moving toward me. The customers seem to know who she is, and they give her a wide berth.
“What’s going on?” she asks, a concerned frown on her face.
I point to the private booth at the back of the club. “There’s a vampire, feeding on a-”
“I know,” Xia says with a sigh. “It’s always very shocking when you find out for the first time. Ok, so you know how you think vampires, and witches, and all of that, are just a story? Well, they’re actually real…”
“Iknow, Xia!” I shout, taking her arm. “But the vampire isdraininga girl in there! He’s not just drinking from her, he’s going to kill her! You’ve got to stop him!”
“Shit,” Xia sighs. “Where is he?”
“Over here!” I grab her arm, and pull her over to the curtained area. A large man stands in front of the booth. He wears sunglasses and a dark suit, the buttons straining over his chest. “Hey, you can’t-”
Xia puts her hand out, and a flash of bright red knocks him to the side, into a train of other people who fall like dominoes. Then she pulls the curtains aside, ripping them from their rods. In a quick motion, she takes a silver chain from her neck and throws it at the drinking vampire. He hisses angrily as the metal burns his skin, his fingers clawing at his face. The girl in the pink dress falls to the ground, pale and shaking.
“Call Celine!” Xia shouts at me. “It’s Lazarus’s gang. She’s not going to be happy.”
“What?”
“On the phone behind the bar! Dial 0 and tell them you need Celine at the club!”
The vampire recovers and lunges at Xia. She brings her hands up to form a shining crimson forcefield around her.
I hate to leave her, but I have no time to waste. I hurry as fast as I can through the oscillating, sweaty bodies. Shouts of outrage followme as I shove my way to the bar. I throw myself under the door and search urgently for the phone.
“What’s going on? Are you ok?” asks the other bartender, a shaker in each hand.
I find the phone beside the drop safe and dial o. Thank Goddess, I know how to use a dial phone from working at the bakery.
A crisp, professional voice answers. “Respite concierge, how may I-”
“Celine!” I yell into the speaker. “We need Celine at the club, right now!”
The voice replies without any hesitation, “Right away.”
I hang up the phone, my hands shaking. I’m no stranger to conflict, but I’m used to battlefields and open war. Down here in vampire club, I’m completely out of my element. And witnessing that vampire attacking that girl bothered me more than I realized.
“Can I get a gin and tonic, please?” asks an irritated man, waving a bill across the bar.
Suddenly, there’s another flash of red from the back of the club. It’s big enough to start a commotion. Shrieks and shouts drown out the loud club music. I crane my neck to see over the crowds but I can’t make out what’s going on. All I can see are bodies racing away from the dance floor toward the elevators.
Despite my trepidation at facing a vampire again, my palms itch with unspent magic. I can’t stay back here, behind the bar, while an innocent human is being drained by a vampire. Xia seems like a capable witch, but I doubt she’s stronger at offensive magic than I am. I don’t know who Celine is, but even if she can make it down here, she would never be able to get through the crowd. If there’s any chance that someone could be hurt, I have a responsibility to protect them.
I’ll have a better chance if I take my wand. I can work magic without it, but it will amplify my natural abilities. I crouch down below the bar and grab my bag, searching through it frantically. Wallet, keys, protection stone, tampon, pen…whydo I have so much crap in here?
Before I can find it, there’s another commotion. Gasps and screams from the humans in the club. Oh no, I hope that the vampire hasn’t hurt Xia. I look up over the bar anxiously.
A gasp escapes my throat. Above the sea of bodies trying to get outof the club is the form of a woman, levitating through the air. She has dark hair that flows around her shoulders. Her deathly pale skin shines in the dim light of the club. She wears a sharp leather blazer over a red corset top.
I gaze at her with wide eyes, unable to look away. I’m used to seeing levitating figures wearing robes, not blazers, and they’re almost always on broomsticks. Being able to fly is an impressive ability for any magical person,especiallya vampire. A shiver goes up my spine.
