The Shade Amulet Read online

  Detective Cole nodded and led me out to his car. The night air was crisp and the sun had set. I breathed in deeply, clearing my lungs and mind, calming myself and pushing aside the emotions that resulted from what I’d seen. I needed to concentrate, focus.

  We got in the car, and I turned to face Detective Cole. “What do you know about the creatures who came to earth a few years ago?”

  “Not much. Just that some sort of a portal . . . or something . . . was opened, and monsters and creatures came and tried to take over the world . . . ?”

  He ended on a question, as if he wasn’t quite ready to believe that what he’d said was accurate.

  “Yes,” I said, “that’s exactly what happened. It basically reminded creatures from other worlds that we existed. From what Eleanora told me, some of them had been here hundreds of years ago, but humans fought them and they left. Well, when the portal opened, it drew attention to earth again, and a lot of those demons remembered us and decided to come see how things were going.”

  I didn’t say anything for a moment, waiting for all that to sink in.

  “So, what sort of demon or monster did this?” he asked.

  I looked out the window at the darkness that surrounded us, wondering if the vamp was near us, watching us. Thinking that made my heart start to race, and I had to force myself to calm down.

  “It’s so clichéd, but the creature that has been causing these deaths is a vampire.”

  Detective Cole raised his eyebrows. “A vampire?” He scoffed. “I was unaware that vampires burned victims after draining their blood.”

  “Apparently, there are several different types of them, and one deals with fire. While they drink, they put a flammable numbing agent into the victim’s veins. It prevents them from struggling. Once the vampire is done, the victim somehow starts on fire. Nobody ever knew exactly what caused them to ignite, but the flames will only burn a victim whose blood has been taken. And the fire won’t spread.”

  Detective Cole gripped the steering wheel, staring straight ahead. “A vampire.”

  I nodded. I didn’t say anything, though, wanting to give him a chance to internalize what I’d said.

  “Who invited it into the houses?” he finally asked. “Don’t vampires need to be invited to enter a private residence?”

  “Yes, but I have no idea what happened before the people were murdered.” I didn’t know what else to say. There were many ways to get someone to let in a stranger, but it depended on the individual. What if the vamp knew these people?

  “Was it one vampire or more?” he asked. “Would you be able to tell?”

  “I wouldn’t. I don’t know enough about them.”

  “The way the bodies were laid out makes me think it’s either one who’s very fast, or the demon isn’t working alone.”

  I could see that, and either option was frightening. A vampire powerful enough to kill an entire family, or having more than one of them here, plaguing our small cities? I’d choose option C, whatever that was.

  Neither of us said anything for several moments. I finally glanced at him. “He said there was more than one crime scene found?”

  He nodded. “Two more. Both in Lehi.”

  “What happens now?”

  Detective Cole gave a little snort and looked at me. “I honestly have no idea. I mean, I’m inclined to believe you—how else would this be happening?—but I’m not equipped to fight vampires.”

  I grinned. “Who is?” A lame attempt at a joke, and it didn’t make him smile. I immediately felt silly. Oh, well. “I’ve got a friend who might be able to help us. Actually, a few friends.”

  “You’ll help, then?”

  “Of course. Like I said, it’s a demon who creates fire. My job is to stop fire.”

  “Thank you.” He sent me a relieved expression. “And if you can find any information on this thing—any at all—we’d really appreciate it. We’re blind here.” He tilted his head, staring at me, his eyes darker than normal. “If vampires are real, are the myths about them real too?”

  I bit the inside of my cheek. “What do you mean?” I was pretty sure I knew where he was going, but wanted time to gather my thoughts.

  “Crosses, holy water, compulsion, all of that. Is any of it true?”

  “Well, from what Eleanora told me, some of the myths are. Yes, they need to be invited to enter a house. Don’t make eye contact with them, because they’re able to control people that way. Also, apparently sunlight is bad for them, and so is a stake in the heart. And something else,” I said, pausing for a moment to figure out how to word it so he wouldn’t think I was crazy. “They turn into mist when they want to run from something.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” he said. “Aren’t they supposed to turn into bats?”

  I raised my hands. “I’m just as new to vampires as you are. I only found out about them yesterday.”

  “What else, if anything? Are they afraid of holy water? Churches? Crosses?”

  “I’m not sure. I honestly didn’t think to ask. I was pretty overwhelmed, and I’ll admit, frightened.”

  “Great.” He gripped the steering wheel with both hands, glaring down the street.

  “I’m sorry,” I started. “I—”

  “Oh, no, I’m not mad at you, I promise. I would just like to know if there’s anything else we can protect ourselves with, because I’m not letting you go after them on your own.”

  My phone rang, making us jump. I pulled it out of my purse and checked the caller ID. I quickly answered when I saw who was calling. “Chief?”

  “We need your help with a fire at 300 West and 200 North. Even though it’s a small one, no matter what we use, it won’t die.” He huffed into the phone, sounding frustrated. “Not only that, but the house itself isn’t even catching on fire.”

  “On my way,” I said. Ending the call, I turned to Detective Cole. “We have another victim.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  His face darkened and he peeled out, sirens and lights blazing as I gave him the address.

  We sped out of American Fork and down State to Lehi Main Street. It wasn’t difficult to find our way to the house, as there were a ton of emergency vehicles still heading toward it. My heart sank when we pulled up. The place was perfectly intact, and the fire was small—much smaller than I was used to for residential fires.

  Detective Cole and I jumped out of the car and I raced up the steps, pushing my way through the officers and volunteers who stood, bewildered, on the porch. I didn’t pull out my ID, too concerned with getting inside and seeing if the person could be saved. The cops and firefighters recognized me immediately and shouted at the others to make room.

  I followed the trail of firemen to the kitchen, where the victim was lying on the floor next to the sink, flames still lapping at his or her body. The fire was greenish-blue in color—no hint of red, yellow, or orange.

  My heart sank even more as I realized there was no way this person could be saved—he or she was already blackened and burnt so badly that the firemen present probably didn’t even realize it had been a human at some point.

  Pushing my feelings aside, I concentrated on stopping the fire. It had been a long time since I’d worked with magical flames, and I wasn’t sure I could still do it, as it required a higher level of magical ability and strength than I usually achieved. Closing my eyes, I pulled my magic to myself. I still hadn’t reached the point where it was waiting and ready for me to use at any time. I hoped that would come soon because it would save a lot of time if I could just tell my powers what to do without having to gather them first.

  As soon as I had what felt like a sufficient amount of magic, I sent it to the poor person, commanding the fire to stop and the flames to die. At first, nothing happened. Then the flames closest to me started dwindling, getting smaller and smaller until they’d gone completely. I worked my way down the person’s body, killing the fire a little at a time.

  When it was all finally gone, I s
lumped against the fridge, dropping to my knees, taking deep breaths to clear my fuzzy head.

  The men and women who surrounded me fell silent as I stumbled to my feet, grimacing when I couldn’t tell whether I was touching water, linoleum, or even a can opener. I’d overdone it. I needed to let my magic rejuvenate. Hopefully, this would be the last victim for a while.

  Detective Cole was standing in the doorway, watching me, a look of admiration on his face before he pushed it away.

  “Sorry we didn’t get here fast enough,” I said to Keith, the closest fireman.

  “You stopped the fire, and that was good enough. The person was dead by the time we got here.”

  So they did know it wasn’t just some random lump. I noticed the scorch marks on Keith’s gloves and the floor, showing that they had moved the victim a little while trying to stop the flames.

  “Who called the alarm?” I asked. So far, the vampire had been picking people who were alone and wouldn’t be discovered for a while. At least that’s how it appeared.

  “A woman was walking her dog and saw flames through the window. She called us, then tried to stop the fire herself.” Keith shook his head, his exhaustion and sorrow practically palpable. “She’s going to need counseling after what she saw. The man was still alive when she arrived.”

  So horrible. I was going to need counseling. I pushed the memory of that little family away and focused on the current situation. “What do I need to do?”

  Just then, Fire Chief Clarkson stepped into the room. “Find out who’s doing this and stop them.” He glanced at Detective Cole. “I’ve heard about the bodies in American Fork.”

  Detective Cole’s eyebrows shot up. “A closed investigation,” he said. “We haven’t told anyone yet.”

  Clarkson shrugged. “If it’s a fire, even a weird one, I find out about it.” He glanced at me. “If you need to talk to the lady who found him, she’s still outside.”

  I nodded, thanking him. Clarkson and I weren’t on the same friendly terms as Chief and I were. He was distant, gruff, and very busy. But I knew he was a good man and was dedicated to his job and to the city.

  After asking more questions and talking to the first responders and the woman who had found the fire, Detective Cole and I returned to his car. I struggled putting my seatbelt on. Not being able to tell what I’m holding, even when I’m looking at it, is so disconcerting. I gave up and dropped the seatbelt in frustration.

  When Detective Cole got in on his side, he hesitated before starting the car. “No seatbelt this time?”

  I glanced at him before looking away, unable to hide my annoyance. “You know that when Aretes overuse their powers, a sense gets taken away temporarily, right?”

  “Sure, I guess. I think I’ve heard that before. What happens to you when you overdo it?”

  I sighed, leaning against the headrest. “I lose the ability to recognize what I’m touching. Sometimes, even when I’m looking straight at it, I get confused and can’t tell what it is. My hands don’t relay the information to my brain, and because of that, my brain feels like my eyes are lying.”

  Detective Cole half smiled, obviously trying not to smile at all. “Okay. Well, we can wait until your ability to sense things returns, or I could help you put your seatbelt on.”

  I shrugged. I’d had a long day and was tired and just wanted to go home. I watched as across the street, policemen and firemen entered and exited the house, trying to figure out what had happened.

  Detective Cole reached over and grabbed my hand, rubbing my fingers, drawing my attention. “What does this feel like?”

  I wasn’t sure how to respond. It was disconcerting and made me feel weird. I could tell there was pressure, yes, but I couldn’t tell what was causing it, and it felt muddled and awkward. It definitely didn’t do anything for me emotionally. I gingerly extracted my hand from his, sending him an apologetic glance.

  “It’s not good,” I said. “It’s weird and feels wrong—like there’s something off with my hands or brain . . . or both.” I rushed to continue. “I don’t mean to offend you. I’m positive it wouldn’t be so weird otherwise.” I took a breath. I didn’t know how to explain it, so I gave up. “It’s been a tough day. I’d just like to go home now, if that’s okay with you.”

  “Um . . . So, do you want me to do up your seatbelt for you?”

  His expression was simultaneously hopeful and hesitant. This guy had it bad, and I couldn’t tell if it was because I was an Arete or if it was genuine and he really was attracted to me. Most of the time, when a non-Arete dates an Arete, it’s generally because they’re curious about us and want to see cool stuff happen. At least, that was the way it had been all through high school and again after I graduated from college. Yet another reason why I sometimes missed Katon University. Not once had I felt like I was on display.

  “I suppose so,” I said. “It can take sometimes up to an hour for the senses to return.”

  Detective Cole—just Cole—studied my face for a moment, probably wondering if he really should proceed or if I’d end up slapping him or something. When he obviously didn’t see anything in my eyes that led him to believe I’d punish him for helping me, he leaned over and grabbed the seatbelt, grazing my shoulder with his hand in the process, then pulled it across my body and locked it into place. Having him that close did weird things to me, and I had to control a sudden urge to touch his hair or his face where the dimple was. I caught a whiff of his cologne and closed my eyes. Wowzers—he smelled good.

  Cole put one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the keys in the ignition, but he didn’t turn the car on. His face was blank, his eyes staring unseeingly out the windshield. He stayed that way for several moments before turning the key. I didn’t interrupt him—I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. Instead, I gazed out the window, my thoughts in turmoil. Did I want a relationship with him? I honestly didn’t know. Sure, I wanted to see where things went, but I also felt that way about Abel.

  Abel hadn’t asked me out, and Cole had. Obviously, Cole was interested in me. I didn’t want to not give him a chance when Abel hadn’t done anything to show that things might work out in that direction. That led to madness and depression. And I hated madness and depression.

  Cole slowly drove back to my house. He glanced at me several times, but didn’t say anything until he pulled up in front of my place. “Who are you going to tell about the fire vampire?” he asked.

  I shook my head. I had no idea. “I want to tell everyone, but what would that do to the public? What sort of procedures do we have in place for dealing with this sort of thing?”

  “Before five years ago, we didn’t know there were other beings anywhere. You saw what happened then.”

  I nodded. Mass panic and hysteria. It hadn’t happened immediately—no, most people hadn’t realized what was going on. But eventually, as everyone figured out that earth had nearly become slave to horrible, powerful beings, many had gone on strike. They’d picketed outside of the capitals of their states and the country, and they’d called for all Aretes everywhere to be killed—as if that would solve anything. A lot of innocent people were hurt or killed. It had been absolutely terrible and ridiculous.

  “But maybe it prepared them for something like this to happen,” I said. “Maybe they’ll handle things better.”

  Cole shook his head. “We need to find out as much as we can. How many fire vampires are there? Is it just this one? And if so, can we get rid of him or her before any more people get hurt? If it’s just one person, I would rather deal with that individual and not have the public know what happened. It’s not like our court system would be equipped to punish a vampire.”

  I nodded. “I agree. Until we know exactly what we’re dealing with here, we should keep it quiet.”

  “Well, as quiet as possible. Some people need to know.”

  “Chiefs Clarkson and O’Hare,” I said immediately.

  He nodded. “And both American Fork’s fire
chief and chief of police.” He frowned, obviously thinking. “Detective Evans should probably know too.”

  Detective Evans worked for Lehi, and as three murders had happened in his city, I definitely agreed with that.

  Cole continued. “We’ll let our chiefs decide, but beyond these people, and possibly the mayors of each city, no one else should know what’s going on. At least not until we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Cole walked me to the door and gave me a quick hug. “I’m sorry things didn’t turn out as planned.”

  “When do they ever?” I asked, smiling. “I have a host of interesting first-date experiences that I should share with you sometime.”

  He quirked an eyebrow. “Does that mean you want to go out again?”

  I shrugged and smiled. “I suppose . . . If you want to ask me out again, of course.”

  His dimple appeared, and he promised he would give me a call. Then he put his arms around my waist and stepped in, his dark eyes studying my face. He gave me a quick kiss on the corner of my lips, then turned and walked back to his car.

  Did that count as a first kiss? I didn’t think so. It was more of a promise. In a daze, I entered the house and shut and locked the door, then turned and watched through the curtain as he drove away.

  I gasped when I saw a large, almost-black dog across the street. It watched Cole’s car for a moment, but didn’t pay any attention to my house. Was it the hound, or was I being paranoid? I froze when it started shivering, shaking, and roiling. It elongated, then stood upright on its hind legs, and only moments later, a man I’d never seen before was standing there. I shrieked, taking a step backward. He must’ve heard me because his eyes were drawn to my house—but only for a moment. His gaze slid to the houses on either side of me, and I could tell he was having a hard time considering my place. Was that because of the things Alexander had put up? It had to be. I backed away from the door just in case, peeking through the curtain as the man walked away.