CHAPTER 14
Hours pass. Daylight bleeds into night before I look up from the sketchpad. My fingers are cramped, but it was worth it to get rid of all the darkness and pain. I didn’t take only Mari’s memories in. I took in her pain. That sort of anguish and terror is hard on the psyche.
I look down at my work and smile in satisfaction. Pages upon pages fill the book, of Mari at the club, with the bartender, being carried out of the club. And the creature. It’s in black and white, but the details are all there, vibrant and bold. There are sketches of it tearing into the bartender and ripping Mari to pieces as well. It’s all there.
Dan comes over and sits, gently taking the sketchpad from me and going through all the drawings. His face remains impassive, the standard cop face, as I call it.
“You saw all this?”
I nod, still unable to really speak. I might not have felt the attack physically, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t experience the horror firsthand. Her pain became my pain, and I understand why she couldn’t stop screaming. It’s all I want to do. If I didn’t have a way to rid myself of the things I see, I’d spend all day and all night screaming, day in and day out.
He reaches for his phone on the coffee table and takes several photos of my drawings. “These are for Gloria,” he explains. “I told her I’d send them over right away, and I don’t want her anywhere near you.”
I tilt my head and look at him curiously.
“Why?”
“She saw you when you were doing your reaper thing. There was this expression that came over her servant’s face, one I can’t really describe outside of lust and desire. She wants what you can do. I’m not going to put it past her to try to collect you.”
I’d like to see her try.
“Remember, Squirt. No matter how good you are, there’s always someone out there who’s better. Or in this case, she could call in the Council of Elders to overwhelm you.”
“What the heck is that?”
“It’s a group of the oldest living Masters. There are thirteen in total from all over the world. They have thirteen so there can never be a tie on their votes. I did my research when you disappeared. I spent months reading anything and everything I could find on vampires. I wasn’t joking when I told you that.”
I could probably handle half of them if I understood their abilities, but dealing with all of them might prove to be more than I can do.
“She understands you can kill her.” He takes my head in his hands and forces me to look at him. “You scared her, and scared people, let alone Supernaturals, do all sorts of things to protect themselves. Promise me you’re going to be careful.”
I nod solemnly.
“Are you hungry?”
Again, I just nod.
“I made soup. It’s my mom’s recipe.”
He gets up and heads to the kitchen. There’s a pot on the stove. He’s probably had it simmering for hours. I watch as he gets a bowl and uses a ladle to put some into it. Going to the fridge, he pours a glass of milk and brings it to me.
“Here. I know you don’t like large chunks of hamburger, so I made sure there were none.”
The warmth of the bowl seeps into my hands and dispels some of the chill. I can see hamburger, potatoes, carrots, and a few other veggies mixed into the thick, tomato-based soup.
“No peas.”
I shudder, thinking of the nasty little things. I had them once and I threw up. Never, ever again.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“Miguel is coming over to look at the drawings himself.”
I take a bite, and I swear it’s heaven. I may not like his mom, but if this is her recipe, she sure can cook. I remember him telling me she taught him and his brother how to cook. She said they needed to know so that they’d never go hungry living on their own. Maybe her mama senses tingled when she thought of Dan and knew his future wife wouldn’t be able to cook.
I’m glad one of us can cook, at least. I’m not as bad as I was, but my food still burns more often than not. At least with Dan manning the kitchen most days, we don’t starve or end up with food poisoning.
“Are you better?”
I hold up the bowl and smile. He understands I’m always better with food in the bottomless pit that is my stomach.
Laughing, he ruffles my hair and sits beside me, picking up the sketchpad again to study it. He’s probably committing the drawings to memory. I don’t want to look at them any more than I have to. The terror Mari went through will give my nightmares a new depth.
It’s not long before the doorbell rings, and he goes over to look through the peephole. He stands back and brings the wards down. Yes, Dan can do magic. It comes with carrying the Sword. He was shocked when Marco McGreggor, the Nephilim from West Virginia, informed him of that. He said most welders of the Swords wouldn’t be able to do it, but because Dan comes from a line of descendants with Angel blood, it’s possible for him. He tried it when we there to help retrieve Ella Banks, a new living reaper, from the Army black site she’d been taken to.
Miguel comes in with Detective Barney Fife, one of my least favorite people.
“Nice digs,” Fife says as he comes in.
“Thanks.” Dan puts the wards back up. Neither Miguel nor Fife notice, but why would they? They’re not Supes.
Miguel comes over and takes a seat next to me.
“May I?” He points toward the sketchpad lying on the table.
I nod, going back to my food.
“Can I get you two something to drink or eat? We have homemade soup.”
I glare. He’s giving away my soup?
“Neither of us has had time to eat,” Miguel says. “We’ve been going over the files that were sent to us.”
“Learn anything?”
“Not really.” Fife yawns and flops down in the chair to the right of the coffee table. It’s white. He better not get any food on my white furniture. I’ll beat him.
Dan goes to the kitchen and is back with food for both of them. He hands them bottles of water.
“You have a beer, Richards?”
“No. I don’t drink.”
Dan had started to develop a little bit of drinking problem while I was gone. He drank more than he should have, and when I pointed it out, he tried to tell me I was wrong. I went to the garbage can and showed him how wrong I was. Half the can was filled with empty beer bottles. I’d changed the garbage bag the night before.
Suffice to say, he stopped drinking. It was hard on him, but he understood he was on his way to being an alcoholic. I’m glad it didn’t go farther than that. He might have a beer every once in a while when he goes out with friends, but never more than one.
I have a lot of guilt about his drinking. He started to drink to deal with me leaving him. Even though leaving was what was best for me, it wasn’t what was best for him. He drank to numb his emotions. It’s a guilt I’ll carry with me probably until the end of my days. Just one more bad thing I’m responsible for.
“Mattie, these are…”
“Terrifying,” Fife finishes.
“They’re beautiful,” Dan rebukes. “If you can’t see the beauty within the darkness, then you’re not very perceptive, Downs.”
“Can you tell me about what you saw?” Miguel asks before an argument can break out between Dan and Fife.
“She’s not speaking.”
“Why?”
I glare at Fife.
“What she sees, it’s like she’s right there. She has inked spells on her that keep her from experiencing the deaths firsthand, as if were happening to her, but she still sees them up close and personal. What Mari went through, she was right there for it.”
“You said earlier to show you. Does this have anything to do with your particular gift?” Miguel flips the page to the drawing of Mari at the bar talking to Andre, the bartender.
“Yes. If I touch her right after she sees something or while she sees it, my gift allows me to see it as well. I just can’t draw like she can.” He nods to the sketchpad in Miguel’s hands. “She can show you what happened better than I can tell it.”
“The victim’s name is Mari Williams? Do you know if she has enemies?”
“Respectfully, sir, that’s not going to help us. Her enemies didn’t do this to her. A vampire met her, turned her, and was taking her home with him when they were both attacked. The nest did this.”
“I say we go in and arrest them all.” Fife burps as he sets down his now-empty bowl.
I laugh, and it’s not a friendly one.
Dan shakes his head wearily. “How did you get transferred to this unit? You’re going to end up dead before the month is out.”
“Richards.”
Dan looks over at Miguel. “I’m speaking facts, Lieutenant. No one on your team has any experience with the supernatural world. You’re not trained to deal with it.”
“You are?” Fife scoffs.
“Yes, I am.” Dan turns his gaze on Fife, his warm brown eyes now ice cold. “I have dealt with all manner of the supernatural world. I carry one of the four Holy Swords. I have faced down more monsters than you’ve seen, even in your worst nightmares. My expertise is vampires. I’m telling you, if a police force goes in there, they get slaughtered.”
Miguel’s phone starts ringing.
My senses start to tingle.
“You sent them in there, didn’t you?” My voice is soft and raspy. “You sent a team of police to their deaths.”
His face pales, but he answers the phone.
I’m right.
Dan looks to me and then closes his eyes, his head bowed.
“How many?” Miguel’s voice is quiet as he listens. “Can you get in to get them out?”
“You’re going to have to wait until daybreak.” I stand and collect my own phone, calling my brother.
“Hello, chèr. I’m goin’ to murder you.”
“Sorry I didn’t text.”
“Are you at least okay?”
“I’m fine. I promise.”
“Nat’aniel is fit to be tied. The only reason he’s no’ dere is Mary. She’s no’ doin’ so great. Her nightmares are worse.”
Crap on toast. I knew she was lying to me about being okay.
“If you hear her screaming, someone needs to be with her. They get worse when she’s alone.”
“I know, but she kicks us all out when we try to help.”
“That’s exactly why you can’t let her.”
“Eric is at a loss. You comin’ home soon, chèr?”
“Soon enough.”
“As much as I want to t’ink you called just to call, wha’ you need?”
I wince. Is the only time I call them anymore is if I need something? I make a mental note to call everyone at least once a week just to talk. Mary will be getting a call tonight.
“I hate when you’re right, but I do need something. There’s a nest of vampires here in the city operating out of a night club. They’re turning people against their will and feeding off others.”
“Dat’s no’ good.”
“The police thought they could deal with it and sent a team in.”
He whistles. “Dat’s a nightmare waitin’ to happen. Dey all be dead?”
“Unsure.”
“Cops do be stupid like dat.”
“There’s also a Master of the City to contend with. She’s not going to be happy about us killing more of her vamps.”
“Dat is going to require a few experts.”
“That’s why I called you, big brother.”
He laughs, and the sound soothes me. Cass rarely laughs anymore, and when he does, it fills a person with sheer joy. I don’t want to ruin it, but the Hunters are going to need to know.
“There’s more.”
“More?”
“Oui. There’s an unknown creature hunting the vampires. It killed a wolf shifter as well. The Master of the City came to me for help with it.”
“And you haven’t tracked it down yet?”
“I’ve been unconscious and just got a chance to see the bodies today.”
“How many?”
“More than a dozen that we know of.”
“I’ll call Stanley. He’s dealt with Masters before.”
“I need them all here ASAP. The Foundation will pay for everyone’s travel, and we’ll provide anything they need once they’re here.”
“Keep everyone ou’ of de place ’til he and his team land. Who day need to ask for?”
“Dan.”
“Can I give Stanley his number?”
“Yeah, I’ll tell him to be expecting a call.”
“Call me.”
“I promise. Love you, Cass.”
“Love you too, chèr.”
I disconnect the call and turn back to the room at large. “Cass is putting together a team. Stanley will be in charge, and you should be expecting his call, Dan. Get a list of everything he needs, and I’ll make sure it’s waiting on him.”
“Who did you call?” Miguel cocks his head to the side.
“My brother. He’s a Hunter and will be best equipped to find the people to go in and recover the bodies as well as dispose of the nest.”
“I don’t think so.” Fife smirks, and I want to rip into him. “This is a police investigation.”
“Why don’t you go in there, then?” I move closer, lowering my voice. “Vampires are smart. They’re predators. They’ll play with you in the dark, where they see better than you. They can smell your fear and track you by scent alone. Then they get in your head. Make it so you can’t move while they sink their teeth into you. It’ll hurt, and there will be nothing you can do while they drain the life from your eyes. That’s what vampires do. Bullets do nothing but slow them down a fraction of an inch. You’re not equipped, and you sure as heck aren’t good enough to deal with a vampire, Barney Fife.”
“She certainly found her voice.”
My head whips around to Miguel. “Do you really want to garner my irritation right now?”
I know my eyes are black by the way he shrinks back.
“Easy, Squirt.” Dan puts himself between me and his LT. “They don’t know any better.”
“That’s why I called in people who do.”
“I know.” He cups my face, his thumb brushing over my cheek. “If the police don’t learn to work with Hunters, they’ll never get ahead when dealing with the Supernaturals.”
“You work with Hunters in New Orleans, do you?”
“Of course, Downs. My captain understands his human detectives are limited in what they know and can do. He uses every tool at his disposal to keep everyone safe, including the skillset only Hunters possess.”
“They’ll go in and do what needs to be done whether you’re okay with it not,” I say. “It’s their job, and they do it well.”
“Why are your eyes black?” Miguel frowns.
I smile my snarkiest smile. “Because I’m mad. You got people killed tonight, Miguel, all because you thought you knew better than the two people who have not only dealt with vampires, but who survived them. Mad isn’t quite the word, though. Enraged is a better one.”
“LT, it’s probably best for you and Downs to head to the station. If it were me, I’d set up a two-mile perimeter around the club and wait until Stanley and his team arrive to do anything else. They’re the ones best equipped to handle vampires.”
Miguel nods, and he and Downs leave. Dan took my sketchpad from them before they left. It’s not evidence, and it’s not police property.
“Why didn’t you give that to them?”
He shrugs. “I want to make my own copies.”
Shaking my head, I pick up all the bowls and dump them into the sink. I’ll worry about washing them later. Or rather, putting them in the dishwasher.
“You okay?”
“No, but I will be once I sleep. There’s nothing we can do until morning, anyway.”
“Come on. I think we both could use some sleep.”
“Sleep’s all you’re planning?”
A slow grin appears. “Depends.”
“On what?”
“Come find out.”
Laughing, I follow my husband, hoping I can forget the horror of Mari’s death for at least a little while.