La Vida Vampire

“Maggie, I promise. How was Neil’s seminar?”


“He’s in hog heaven. We have another meet and greet at the university at eight. Oh, and he ’s been asked to check a dig site a little west of here tomorrow morning, so we may be back later Sunday than I thought.”

“No problem. I don’t have a tour, so I’ll probably stay in and study or—” I broke off when I heard Neil in the background.

“What did he say?”

“He asked if you went shopping for a new surfboard yet.”

“Haven’t had time. Why?”

“Something about good waves next week. He’s finally coming out of the bathroom. Gotta go. Take care, and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

I put the unit back on the charger and headed down the hall to see if Saber was still on the cell. He was, judging by the one-way conversation I heard through the closed door. I might’ve eavesdropped, but I had hair to tame with a flatiron that wasn’t hot yet. Keeping one ear peeled for Saber’s voice or footsteps, I refreshed my makeup, took my Minorcan costume out of the closet, and went back to the bathroom to brush out tangles.

I leaned over from the waist to get to some snarls at my nape —they’re the worst—when Saber said, “Guess who that was?”

I jerked up and whirled toward his voice. The hairbrush flew into the wall, and I fell back against the countertop.

“Geez, Saber, you startled me.”

“Maybe you should have your vampire hearing checked.”

“Or my head examined,” I muttered and swept my brush off the tiled floor.

“Are you guessing who called?”

“Eugene Cassidy, PI.”

“Yes, but the cell connection was bad. We’re meeting him after your tour tonight.”

“Okay,” I said, suddenly nervous.

Sexy Saber was standing in my bathroom doorway, which is in my bedroom suite, which is where my bed is. My bed with my huge stuffed dolphin and my other personal touches. I felt an intimacy creep around us. Darkened rooms, hushed voices, my light musk scent and his stronger one entwined.

He must’ve felt the charge, too. He cleared his throat and stepped back. “I’ll go eat something while you get ready.”

“Right, good. I’ll, uh, be ready to leave here at eight thirty.”

He nodded and took off, as Maggie would say, like a scalded cat.

So why was I the one who felt burned?





SIXTEEN


It was a perfect, balmy night in paradise as Saber and I walked up St. George Street to meet my tour group. The stars shone bright in the unpolluted skies, the moon was waxing, and soon my psychic senses would be as normal as they get. But not soon enough to prepare me for what waited at the waterwheel.

Vampires.

Damn. No wonder the street was eerily empty. My bad that I didn’t notice sooner. I stumbled to a stop a quarter block away. Saber halted, too, and swore under his breath. Four vampires and the blood bunnies Cici and Claire, all of them dressed in assorted tight, black leather outfits, waited at the tour substation. At the center of the group stood the vampire who had to be Ike. He looked part Asian, part African American, his hair military buzz short and his face clean-shaven. Compared to the strong line of his jaw, his lips were almost feminine, but his snake eyes were the color of deepest hell.

Janie and Mick in their usual tour guide costumes also stood sentinel at the station. I heard Janie’s heartbeat flutter like the wings of a trapped bird, and Mick was darn near hyperventilating with agitation. A second later, he spotted us, grabbed Janie ’s hand, and hurried toward Saber and me.

I had a bad feeling that got worse as I looked past my friends at Ike.

The weight of his gaze settled on me like black ooze, and my skin prickled and crawled until I wanted to claw at my arms. As I stared, Ike languidly lifted a beringed hand and curled his fingers. Janie ’s steps faltered. Her tight expression slackened, and the fear in her eyes drained to nothing. In seconds my friend’s vitality bled away. She pivoted and appeared to float back toward Ike before I could think to move.

Mick was faster. He wheeled after her yelling, “Janie, no!”

Ike said one word, “Tower,” and an impossibly tall black male vamp held out his hand like a traffic cop to freeze Mick in his tracks.

Saber’s breath hitched, and mine stopped, as Janie’s shell snuggled her back against Ike’s chest and exposed her neck. Ike flashed fangs and ran a finger across Janie’s collarbone, but his gaze stayed locked on mine.

“God damn it, he’s grandstanding.” Saber whispered viciously. “I hate it when they do this.”

Fists clenched in impotent rage, I turned my back on Ike to stand in front of Saber. “What now?” I asked, low and tight.

“We stop it before it gets out of hand.”

“Can’t you just shoot them?”

I heard the underlying wistfulness in my whisper, and Saber must’ve, too. He bent closer. “You have to face this, Cesca.”

“Why? Because they’re my people?”