The Black Masquerade Read online

  “But didn’t you say the stronger ones would come after you, even without the effigy?”

  “Only one did. And we got rid of him already.”

  “What if there are more?”

  “I’ve got the amulet. And I won’t get out of my car. I’ll use the drive-through.”

  “What about the fire vampires?”

  I grabbed my keys and purse, not bothering to look at him. If I did, I’d probably throw something. “I’ll be back in a little while.”

  Without a glance over my shoulder, I left the house. A break from each other was the best thing for us—he had to be going crazy too.

  Wanting to delay my return, I took a drive through Lehi, following the Jordan River, taking a haphazard path through the city and catching a glimpse of the water wherever I could.

  Finally, when I was ready to be social again, I turned the car around and headed to Wendy’s. I ordered plenty of food for myself and Cole, not sure what he would want to eat.

  Just as I pulled out of the drive-through, one of my back tires went flat.

  “Are you serious?” I whispered. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken that drive. Some of the roads I’d been on were full of potholes and hadn’t had a lot of maintenance.

  Luckily, a tire shop was just down the street. Knowing I’d possibly regret it, instead of pulling over to put a donut on, I drove straight to the shop. It wasn’t even a block away, and my tire still had a little air in it when I got there.

  Once I’d checked in at the desk and handed over my keys, I turned to take a seat in the waiting room. It was full. Only one chair was open. Groaning inwardly, I sat, dropping my purse in my lap. So much for being away from people.

  I pulled my phone from my purse and sent a quick text to Cole, telling him what had happened and that I would be back as soon as I could. And then I opened the ereader app on my phone and started reading.

  Working with cops for so long has taught me to notice my surroundings, and I occasionally glanced up to check out who was around me. A woman in her mid-sixties sat to my left, also reading on her phone. The man on my other side was involved in a car magazine, and the teenager next to him was playing a game.

  I almost returned to my own phone when I realized the man seated next to the woman looked familiar. How did I know him? There was something about him that pulled me back to my school days, but I’d spent so many years in school, I had no idea which one. California? Seattle? Something in Texas? Or perhaps even Washington D.C.? I couldn’t quite place him, so I kept trying to read.

  It was driving me nuts, though, and I noticed him noticing me a couple of times too. I could tell he recognized me as well, but wasn’t he wasn’t sure where from either. How awkward.

  He finally set his phone aside and leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands, his gaze on me. “Do I know you?”

  “I was just wondering that myself.”

  “Then it wasn’t just me. That’s good.”

  I smiled, admiring his sharp, attractive features. Maybe a reunion of sorts wouldn’t be a bad thing. We began comparing background information. He wasn’t an Arete, had never lived in Washington D.C. or California or Seattle.

  “Where did you spend most of your time?” I asked.

  “Mostly just Texas.”

  I put my phone down. “That’s it!”

  He looked at me, obviously thinking hard. “Okay, so, high school?”

  I nodded. “Has to be. What’s your name?”

  “Justin Davies.”

  I barely remembered the name. I think he’d been in the marching band. “You’ve got facial hair now.”

  He gave a half smile and reached up to stroke his trimmed beard. “Yeah, I couldn’t exactly grow one back then.”

  I chuckled. “Most guys can’t in high school.”

  He snapped his fingers, his eyes flying to mine. “You’re Lizzie! You’re still pretty, but . . . Didn’t you have red hair?”

  I fingered a curl, looking down at it. “Yes, but I dye it now.”

  “I’m not sure which I like better. The brown definitely suits you, but the red was so . . . you.” He leaned forward, clasping his hands again. “I have to confess something. I had a huge crush on you back in high school. You’ve changed quite a bit, though, and not just your hair.”

  I didn’t want to follow that train of thought. It was the number-one thing most people said after not seeing me for a while. There was something about having people you cared for pass away horribly that changed your spirit. Not only that, but dealing with my line of work had toned me down quite a bit.

  Instead of responding, I changed the subject. “What brings you to Lehi?”

  He shrugged. “The tech industry.”

  I nodded. Of course. Many huge tech companies were headquartered here, along with thousands of startups. The hills of Traverse Ridge in Lehi and Draper were called Silicon Slopes for a reason.

  Just then, one of the tire people walked up to Justin, dangling a set of keys.

  He accepted the keys, then turned to me before leaving. “I’d love to grab dinner and get caught up. Are you game?”

  I hesitated for a moment, thinking it over. He was attractive and nice. And the Shade Amulet would have said something if he was dangerous. Still, I checked the top of his sternum, pretending to be thinking over his question. Nothing was there—no fire. He wasn’t a hound, and something about him made me feel I could trust him. I gave him my number and he programmed it into his phone.

  “Let’s grab a bite tomorrow night. Does that work for you?” he asked.

  I checked my calendar on my phone and nodded. “Yes, that’s great.”

  For the first time in a while, I found myself excited for a date.

  Chapter 12

  When I got back to my house, Abel’s car was out front, parked behind Cole’s. My heart skipped a beat, surprising me. I hadn’t realized how much I’d been wanting to see him again. I went inside, not looking forward to being around Cole right then, especially with Abel there.

  The moment I stepped through the door, Abel glared at me from where he’d been pacing in the living room. Relief rushed over Cole’s face. He was sitting at the kitchen table, a bowl of half-eaten cereal in front of him.

  “Sorry—couldn’t wait.”

  “Where were you?” Abel demanded, cutting off my response to Cole.

  “Didn’t he tell you?” I asked, motioning to Cole. “I got a flat tire.”

  I took the food into the kitchen, setting it on the table next to Cole’s bowl, and glad I’d bought a lot of extras. Abel was probably hungry, judging by how cranky he was.

  He glowered at me from the doorway, and Cole stared up at me, spoon in hand. I could tell he was frustrated as well. I wasn’t sure if their animosity was because of each other or because I’d been gone so long. Probably both.

  “Look, the drive was optional—I shouldn’t have taken it. But the flat tire wasn’t something I could’ve prevented.”

  “If you hadn’t gone joyriding you wouldn’t have gotten the flat tire,” Abel said.

  I decided to ignore his obvious point. Nothing bad had happened, and I’d gotten a date with an attractive man out of it. I was still surprised to find myself excited for the next evening. “I’ve got plenty of food. Abel, since you’re here, you might as well eat too.”

  “Very gracious of you,” he said.

  I didn’t miss the sarcasm in his voice.

  “Yes, I know. I always think of the people around me.”

  Abel probably didn’t miss my own sarcasm, but he did grudgingly accept the bacon cheeseburger I handed him.

  Even after he finished eating, though, he was still cranky. I asked him if he wanted fries, and he snapped at me.

  “No, I don’t want fries. I want to know why you ran off to the other side of the world without telling me.”

  I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. Why was he being such a jerk? He was normally a bit abrupt, but now he was bei
ng downright rude. Why? And then it dawned on me.

  “Are you madder that I didn’t tell you I was going or that I took Cole and not you?”

  Abel glared at me, his mouth working soundlessly, then he whirled, strode to the front door, and left, slamming it behind him. My heavens. What a baby.

  Cole glanced up at me. “Are you sure he’s better equipped to fight than I am? I haven’t seen a man throw an actual temper tantrum in years.”

  I sighed, rubbing my face. “He’s good at what he does.”

  I had my doubts, though. If he was going to be this temperamental, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hunt with him. Which would need to happen soon—the effects of the effigy would be wearing off, and hounds weren’t hindered by time and space.

  Speaking of . . . even though I hated to do it, because I knew Abel needed time to recuperate, I had to go after him. We needed to get ready to hunt.

  I stepped outside my door, surprised to see him sitting on the top step of my porch.

  “Hey,” I said, taking a seat about a foot away from him.

  “Hey.”

  I half smiled to myself. This conversation was bound to be invigorating if it consisted only of three-lettered words.

  There had to be something else bothering him. He couldn’t possibly be this mad at me. I waited for several moments, then lightly brushed his forearm with my fingertips. “You want to talk about it?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not sure it would do any good.”

  “You won’t know unless you try.”

  He sighed, leaning back on his elbows and looking up at the sky. “Some of my jobs are much more difficult than others. And I botched one pretty badly recently.”

  “Can you tell me anything?”

  He shook his head. “Not if I want to stay alive.”

  “You botching jobs probably doesn’t happen often, though.”

  “It doesn’t.”

  “Let it go, then. You’re good at what you do.”

  He didn’t respond for a moment. “Not usually messing up a job only makes the mess ups harder to handle.”

  I nodded. “Good point.” I exhaled slowly, not wanting to rush him, but worrying we didn’t have much time. “We need to start hunting. The effects of the effigy will be wearing off soon.”

  Abel nodded, straightening, his anger from earlier melting away and his efficient personality taking over. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We already know that the hounds are congregating in a storage unit, right?”

  I nodded. So he had received that text. He could have responded to it and let me know he was alive. “Yes. Hounds have been moving into it for a while.”

  He frowned. “Why are some there and others are chasing the effigy?”

  “Apparently, the stronger I’ve become, the more the hounds are able to sense me over their draw to the effigy.”

  “We need to start searching all of the storage units in Lehi.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that, but how are we going to do that? Open up a rental in every facility? There are several of them here in town.”

  “I’ll pay for it, if that’s what you’re worrying about.”

  “I’m not worried about money.” I didn’t tell Abel about Nicole’s generosity. I didn’t want too many people to know about it. Besides, his mood swings weren’t endearing me to him right then.

  “When do we start?” I asked.

  “Right now.”

  Abel got to his feet, and offered me a hand up. I was just turning to let Cole know our plans when Mrs. Russell started screaming from inside her house. Abel and I glanced at each other.

  “Not again,” I muttered.

  Chapter 13

  We raced off the porch and jumped the little fence that separated my yard from hers. Abel got into her house before I did, but I wasn’t far behind him. Like last time, Mrs. Russell had a gun and was running into the living room, chasing a dog. But unlike last time, the hound didn’t stay in dog form for long. As soon as he saw me, he shifted into a man.

  Abel was ready, and so was I. Abel jumped the man, throwing him to the ground. I wasn’t far behind, and my added weight kept the man pinned. I reached out magically, closing my eyes, trying to find his fire.

  “Kill him,” Abel said through clenched teeth.

  “I’m trying.”

  Come on, amulet. Show me his fire. Help me kill this dirt bag.

  Nothing happened.

  “I have to be closer to his sternum,” I said.

  “Then get there. And hurry. We can’t hold him for long.”

  The man managed to get an arm free. He punched Abel in the face, then swung out at me. I ducked just in time, but lost my hold on his other arm. He squirmed out from underneath us and scrambled toward the door, where Cole was standing, his mouth hanging open.

  Realizing this might be my only chance to destroy yet another one of the stronger hounds, I grabbed the thing closest to me—a large copy of the Bible—and chucked it as hard as I could at the back of the man’s head. It hit him, and he stumbled as he grabbed at Cole, who was still frozen.

  Abel tossed the man away from the door as easily as if he were a sack of flour. He yanked the gun from Mrs. Russell and pumped several bullets into the man’s back.

  Poor Mrs. Russell. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the man on her floor. “He was a dog! A dog!”

  I ignored her and jumped to the man’s side, pulling the amulet out of my shirt and holding it close to him. His fire appeared.

  Kill?

  “Yes. Finally. Kill him.”

  The fire snuffed out and the man exhaled, his body becoming even more limp.

  I got to my feet, wiping my hands on my pants—no blood on them—and turned to Mrs. Russell. “Sorry about that.”

  She didn’t hear me. “He was a dog!” she repeated.

  I led her to the couch and helped her sit down. “Cole, would you call the cops? Do what you do best? I’ll get the bloodstain out of Mrs. Russell’s carpet.”

  Cole blinked and cleared his throat, then pulled his phone from his pocket. “Doing it now.”

  “Her insurance should cover cleanup,” Abel said.

  “He’s . . . he’s right,” Mrs. Russell said. “Don’t touch it. What if he had AIDS or something?”

  She had a point, though I doubted the hounds could get deadly diseases.

  Abel, Cole, and I stayed with Mrs. Russell until more cops arrived.

  “I don’t even know what to put on the paperwork for this,” Cole said, holding a pen over a pad he’d retrieved from his car.

  “Leave it to Chief and Detective Evans,” I said. “Besides, you’re off duty.”

  “A cop is never truly off duty.”

  Good point.

  Mrs. Russell’s husband returned from work as quickly as he could after she told him what had happened. He was officially retired, but had taken up a part-time job at a local plant nursery to pass the hours. Both of them were in excellent shape and would probably be around for years to come. I knew it did him good to get out of the house every now and then.

  Given the expressions on their faces, I realized they needed an explanation for everything that kept happening. Between Detective Evans and myself, we filled the Russells in on what was going on and my role in all of it.

  “I’m sorry you’ve been targeted twice now,” I said.

  Mr. Russell shook his head. “If what you say is accurate, they’re not targeting us per se, but merely using our house as a traveling stop on their way to yours.”

  “That’s true.” I looked at Abel. “I think changes are in order.”

  Abel nodded. “I agree. But first, we need to find where the hounds are staying.”

  I glanced out the window. The sun was about to set, and I was absolutely exhausted. The last several days had been the longest I’d ever endured. “Can we start tomorrow? I just spent forty-eight hours on the run from dogs, and judging by how difficult it was to kill this one, I need to get a full n
ight’s rest before we really start.”

  “If you think that’s wise,” Abel said. “But it would probably be best for us to strike while they’re still potentially distracted by the effigy.”

  I shook my head. “It would be better to wait until as many of them are here as possible. That way, we can take them by surprise—they don’t know we’re aware of the storage unit—and get as many of them as possible in one shot.”

  He agreed with that. “We need to understand what the fire vampires are up to as well.”

  “Yes, we do. I’d like to talk to them—approach them, see if we can figure out what they want.”

  “No, we need to watch their coven so we understand exactly we’re dealing with. Preparation is key in this situation.”

  “Good point. I’ve got the feeling they’re not here strictly to kill, but mainly out of curiosity.” A feeling that was based on what had happened several weeks ago when Abel and I had found two vamps in a neighbor’s living room. Those two had actually said they needed to report to someone.

  “That may be accurate, but we still need to observe them first.” He motioned to my amulet. “Does that help you get around in the dark?”

  “Yes, it does.” Did he not remember me sneaking past him when I’d first been gifted with it?

  I couldn’t help but notice the Russells just then. They were watching me with open and apparent interest. I realized we hadn’t told them that vampires were here. Oddly enough, though, neither of them seemed upset, intimidated, or even bothered by this information. I wondered why. Had the visits from demons several years ago really jaded them to the chance that vampires existed?

  Maybe it was because of all the weird things that had been happening around their house lately, the hounds Mrs. Russell had dealt with twice now. That, combined with the visits from demons years ago, probably made them very open-minded.

  After filling out reports and explaining what happened at least two times more, I was finally able to extricate myself and retreat to the safety of my own place. Cole and Abel both went home. I seriously looked forward to sleeping in my own bed. Tomorrow would be difficult enough even with a good night’s rest.