Page 4 of Brimstone Bound
‘But how…’
‘Tallulah is special.’
Uh… ‘Tallulah?’
‘That’s her name,’ he said proudly. ‘Don’t wear it out.’
I was travelling in a tin can at breakneck speed with a complete lunatic by my side. I’d take machete-wielding attackers any day over this.
‘Tallulah is special,’ Tony repeated. ‘Don’t criticise her.’ The tyres screeched as we took the next corner at high speed.
‘I wouldn’t dream of it,’ I told him. Then I closed my eyes and began to pray for the first time since I was a small child.
‘So,’ Tony said, ‘what do you know about the supes? Are you at kindergarten level, or do you have a master’s?’
Actually, I did have a master’s but it certainly wasn’t in anything to do with the supernatural. With Tony seeming to warm to me, though, I was determined not to lose any ground and come across as a complete idiot.
I dredged my memory for what little I knew. ‘The vampires live mostly in Soho, and abide by a feudal system of governance. They number around a thousand—’
‘It’s closer to two thousand,’ Tony interrupted. He flicked his fingers in the air dismissively. ‘But please. Continue.’
I drew in a breath. ‘Their leader is a bloke called Lord – uh—’ Damn it. Whatwashis name?
‘Lord Horvath.’
Oh yeah. That rang a faint bell, although the man could walk past me in the street and I wouldn’t know him from Adam. Few pictures of him existed, and I’d never been interested enough in supes to look him up. I imagined he was a crusty old bloke – someone with yellowing fangs and thin white hair.
‘What’s he like?’ I asked.
Tony’s lips pursed. ‘Annoying. What else can you tell me about the vamps?’
I tried to think of anything else that I knew for sure. ‘They drink blood for sustenance…’
‘Pffffft!’
‘They’re also considerably faster and stronger than humans.’ I sneaked a side look at him. ‘And they’re immortal.’
Tony tutted. ‘Unbelievable. What do they teach you kids nowadays?’
I bristled. I wasn’t a kid. But I didn’t know very much about vampires and, from Tony’s reactions, it was clear that what I did know was wrong.
‘The majority of vamps are only slightly stronger than us. They tend to use their physical attributes in other ways. Most of them rely on the fact that they become more attractive after they’re turned into vamps. A pretty face and a flash of sex appeal encourages foolish humans to offer themselves up as food.’
I grimaced at the thought that, as a species, we humans were that shallow. I promised myself that I wouldn’t be blinded by anyone’s good looks.
‘What about the wolves?’ Tony asked. ‘What do you think you know about them?’
‘There are four groups,’ I started.
‘Clans,’ he said. ‘But alright.’
‘They’re all based in Lisson Grove, not far from St James’s Park. During the full moon, all the wolves head there. The park is closed off to the general public so there’s no chance of us humans getting eaten accidentally. Each werewolf has its own level of dominance, from wholly subservient to group – I mean, clan – alpha. Then there are the Others, the supes that live in between both groups. Their numbers are less significant, but they include the likes of ghouls, gremlins and pixies, each of which possesses different genetics and abilities.’
‘And?’
And that was it; that was the extent of my knowledge. I shrugged. There was no point pretending otherwise.
Somewhat surprisingly, Tony looked pleased. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘You know absolutely fuck all and that means you’re not a groupie. There’s been a few of those in the department. It’s hard enough to do our jobs as it is, but when you’ve got police officers who go weak at the knees at the first glimpse of a fang or a patch of fur, it can become nigh on impossible.’
