Page 8 of Nexus
I glared at him for not divulging who my target was and not warning me about how powerful Ruen’s boss was. The vampire stalked off and I hurried to catch up to him, wishing I hadn’t tipped the bouncer twenty bucks.
Ruen kept up a brisk pace that soon had me winded and gasping for air. We retraced our steps to the alley where the woman had been murdered. The body was gone and the blood had been cleaned away. Her family and friends would never know what had happened to her. She would be just another human who’d vanished from the streets of Nexus.
“Can you still detect the scent?” I asked, puffing from my exertion.
“Of course,” Ruen said with a faint sneer. “Follow me,” he ordered, then backtracked to the sidewalk. Turning left, he walked in the opposite direction from the Den. It was a struggle to keep up with him even though I was taller than him. We drew stares from pedestrians and people having a late meal in the restaurants and cafés we passed.
A group of young women leaned forward to whisper together as we passed them, then burst into shrill giggles.
Ruen glanced back at them with a glower and I ran a few steps to catch up to him. “What did they say?” I asked, knowing he’d overheard them.
“One of them inferred that I’m your pimp and that we’re searching for a corner for you to set up shop on,” he said indignantly.
“Humans can be so catty and stupid,” I muttered. “Do I look like I’m dressed like a ho?”
He looked me up and down before replying. “I’ve seen street walkers wearing almost that exact same outfit, in colder times of the year anyway. Aren’t you hot in those leather pants?” It was summer, but Nexus had a temperate climate for the most part.
“The weather doesn’t affect me much,” I said with a shrug. “How long have you been working for Drake?”
“I’ve been employed by Lord Gilden for several centuries,” he said. “He usually only hires people who don’t shame him. I can’t imagine why he’s giving you this chance.”
“Why would I shame him?” I asked in puzzlement.
“You’re dressed like a prostitute and you made a spectacle of yourself in front of the elite supernatural beings of the city when you attempted to murder me in front of them all,” he reminded me.
“Oh, yeah,” I said sheepishly. “I guess that would be embarrassing, if any of them could remember it.”
“Why on earth would you wear that ridiculous outfit while hunting for rogues?” he asked, raking his gaze over me scornfully.
“I look cool and hot,” I said defensively. “That probably sounds like a temperature conundrum to a dead guy like you, but both traits are highly desirable in most species.” He ignored my sarcasm and didn’t bother to reply. “Why did the dragon order you not to kill anyone?” I asked to change the topic.
“That’s private,” he said mockingly, turning my own words against me. “All you need to know is that I obey Lord Gilden’s orders, no matter what they might be.”
That sounded ominous, but he clearly wasn’t going to elaborate. He quickened his pace to pull ahead of me and I didn’t try to keep up with him. The holy water trail had faded, so I had to keep him in sight so I didn’t lose him as we continued our hunt.
Ruen led me away from the center of Nexus to a residential area that had seen better days. There were a lot of empty apartment buildings in dire need of repairs. We came to a stop at one of them and the vampire pointed at a boarded over door. “He’s in there,” he informed me in a whisper.
“So are half a dozen other vamps,” I murmured quietly. I could sense them all in the basement. “How am I going to tell which one killed the human?”
“He’ll be the one who looks like he just fed,” the vamp said sardonically.
Now that we’d come to a stop, I got a better look at him. His cheeks had filled out a bit and his hair had more luster to it. One glass of blood wasn’t enough to fill the hole in his stomach, but it had definitely made a difference. “I guess you’re not going in there with me,” I figured when he leaned against the wall of a nearby building and crossed his arms.
“I was ordered to help you locate the culprit and I’ve done so,” he said smugly, then gestured at the decrepit building. “The night won’t last forever, Ms. Sterling. Lord Gilden wants to see you in his office before dawn. You can’t wait for the sun to come up and render your target sluggish.”
That had been my intention, but he’d just shot that plan down. Bloodsuckers were nocturnal, but they could stay awake during the day if they needed to. They could still pass for human, as long as they stayed out of the sun. Melting skin was a dead giveaway that they weren’t normal. The ones that chose to stay awake tended to look stoned and sleepy.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said, mustering my confidence. Mom and I had cleared out a coven of vamps a couple of years ago without too much trouble. Sure, it had been daytime and most of them had been asleep, but we’d gotten the job done.
Ignoring the fact that they would be alert and would hear me coming, I delved into my kill-bag. Sliding silver stakes through my belt for easy access, I carried a can of holy water in one hand and a stake in the other. I took a deep breath, then crossed the road.
Chapter Seven
“MOM IS GOING TO FREAK out when I tell her about this,” I predicted quietly as I circled around the building where my prey was hiding. She’d told me not to be reckless and not to take on more than I could chew. Yet here I was, about to enter a lair where seven vampires were holed up. One of them was guilty of murder and I had to figure out which one it was.
All of the doors and windows were heavily boarded, denying me entry to the building. It was obvious the vampires weren’t breaking into the place through any of them. I spotted a fire escape that had clumps of dried mud clinging to the rungs. “Bingo,” I whispered in triumph. The leeches must be entering through a door on the roof.
I could hear music thumping from below the building, which meant the bloodsuckers were having a party. Hoping it would mask the noise I was about to make, I put my weapons back into my kill-bag. Rust flaked from the ladder as I noisily climbed upwards to the roof. I quickly pulled out a stake and watched the door, waiting for the monsters to investigate. My senses told me they were all still in the basement, so I armed myself again.
