Page 15 of Vipers and Vendettas
The rest of the night passes quickly, but I’m grateful when my shift is over. I change my shoes, put on my coat, and grab my bag out of the locker. I leave quietly via the back door and hesitate at the threshold under the eaves. It’s pouring with rain. I delve into my bag for my umbrella, hoping I have it.
‘Careful driving home, Marie,’ says the imposing guy standing by the back door. He scowls out at the weather, his face contorting like his dislike of the wet is personal. ‘It’s been coming down all night. The road will be flooded down by the river by now, and they probably closed the bridge.’
‘Thanks, Mark,’ I say as I push the button and my umbrella opens. ‘See you tomorrow.’
I walk out into the darkness, going down the steps and turning right down the alley. I don’t use a flashlight, and I go quietly, not wanting to draw any attention now that I’m out of Mark’s sight. There’s been more than one occasion where I know I’ve been followed. I always lose them easily, and I tell Stephan, the owner of Spice, about it the next day. But, short of walking me all the way to my car, there’s not much he can do.
And I don’t want anyone walking me to my car. I don’t have one. I also don’t want anyone to know where I live. So, I’m extra careful. I take care of myself these days. And I don’t take risks unless they really can’t be helped.
I hear a can rattle down the road, and I pick up my pace, rounding the corner and sinking into one of the dark stoops I’ve put a conjure on for just this kind of eventuality. From the outside, the nook looks empty. It’s a perfect hiding spot so long as I don’t make a sound. It helps that I still have Krase’s conjure working on me, and I don’t have a scent just in case whoever’s following me isn’t a human.
I watch and wait, and sure enough, a figure comes my way. He’s definitely following me. My eyes narrow even as my heart picks up. I recognize him. He was at the club tonight. But he didn’t have any interactions with me. I snap a pic of him with my phone and text it to Mark, hoping the image will be good enough for them to keep him out of Spice in the future.
Is he just some human stalker type? Has one of Tamadrielle’s guys somehow found me? Or is it one of Maddox and the clan’s employees? Thoughts of them cause a pang that pierces my heart like a tiny knife, and I push away my feelings as I wait in the dark for the danger to pass.
I hear a growl from just across the street and I freeze even though I’m hidden and still scentless. The stalker comes back past where I’m hiding. This time, he’s running in the opposite direction, looking behind him with a look of horror on his face.
I give it another few seconds, craning my neck to watch him disappear back around the corner. I wait and listen, but I don’t hear anything else, so I slink out of my hiding spot silently and make my way down the street, glancing behind every so often to make sure no one’s dogging my steps.
I’m so busy looking behind me that I smack right into a mass of fur. I freeze immediately, my heart in my throat, but I relax when I hear those two tails thumping on the ground.
‘Hey, my little fluff-pup!’ I say in quiet excitement. ‘How do you always find me when you can’t smell me, huh? Did you make the mean man shit his pants? Yes, you did!’
I ruffle his fur and scratch his ears. He really is just a dog, but, like, massive with huge man-eating jaws. The similarities my new friend has to Siggy aren’t lost on me. I have no idea why these dangerous creatures seem to like me, but I’m not complaining. I keep hearing stories that there are hellhounds all over the place. They’ve been attacking supes and humans alike, but I never see any except for this one. The same one I met that night outside the club the guys took me to. I stuck with the name Fluffy. I have no idea how he keeps finding me, but I’m pretty sure he’s been keeping me safe.
He stands up without warning and sniffs the air, darting off down the street. I shiver as I see a few others join him. I was just walking on the sidewalk there, and I had no idea they were so close.
I don’t wait around. I take off back down the road and get to the right spot. When I know it’s all clear, I dart through what looks like a solid brick wall, passing through the magickal border that separates the human world from Supeland. I enter a street a regular human would never find, let alone be able to enter without a key, one of which I keep in my coat pocket.
My apartment is just down the way, and I climb the dingy stairs slowly when I get to my building, my eyes and ears open. I know I have neighbors, but I rarely see any of them, and I’m pretty sure all of the rooms in the building have silencing conjures on them because I never hear any of them, either.
I climb up to the second floor, ignoring the faded, peeling wallpaper and skirting around the steps I know are rotten. When I get to my door, I unlock it and enter my one-room apartment slowly, my eyes darting here and there. No one should be able to get in without me knowing about it, but I know the conjure I bought from Jack for that is due to run out soon, so I can’t take the chance. I also can’t afford another one for a couple of weeks.
When I’m sure no one else is here, I heave a sigh and sit on the couch. I flick on a human show and sit back to unwind a little. I’ve found TV invaluable for learning about the mortal world because, when I started working, it quickly became apparent that there was a multitude of tiny things about day-to-day human life that I just didn’t know. Stuff like where to buy lightbulbs and how to order a sandwich from a deli. What jay-walking is, and that it’s not allowed. That I’m taxed on my salary, so I need to keep the cash tips I get a secret from the authorities (thank you, Chloe!).
My stomach settles as I sit, and I open the pack of crackers that’s sitting on the coffee table. Morning sickness is still very much a thing, and contrary to its dumb name, it’s never in the morning for me, only at night when I’m trying to work. I nibble one of the bland, white crackers absently and am still zoning out a little when my phone rings.
I answer.
‘Jack?’
‘Hey there, Vicki-bear. Up for a quickie this weekend?’
I hesitate, remembering the shit show from a couple of weeks ago. We’d barely made it out with the loot.
‘I don’t know. There was a lot more security than you said there would be last time,’ I say.
‘We talked about that,’ he says. ‘My guy got it wrong, that’s all. It won’t be like that this time. I’ve made doubly sure. Everything will go real smooth. I promise.’
I roll my eyes. He can’t promise that.
‘The take is big, peach pie. A couple million each. Easy.’
My ears perk up despite my reservations. With that kind of payday, I could buy the cottage I’ve been dreaming of and sort the perimeter conjures, plus a forever one for myself and Jellybean. It’s too much to pass up.
‘Okay. I’ll come by later for the details, and I’ll be there,’ I say, already hating the thought of going as I put my arm around my barely noticeable bump.
It was easy before the morning sickness and the physical changes. I could pretend it was just me and that if something happened, it would only be happening to me, but I can’t do that anymore.
