La Vida Vampire

“No.” He tucked a tendril of hair behind my ear. “Because they’re everything you work not to be.”


My breath left my lungs in a whoosh as I stared into his eyes for an endless moment. He was right. Hard as I’d tried to hide from the horror of my past, from the ugly part of myself, I had to face this. We had to save Janie and Mick.

“I only hope,” I said, jabbing my finger in his chest, “you brought an arsenal of silver bullets.”

He slid his gun from the holster under his jacket. “Locked and loaded.”

“Do we go in blazing?” I asked, straightening my spine.

“We play it by ear, but keep this in mind. Like it or not, you’re a vampire, too, and this is your turf. If things go south, grab Janie and Mick, and stay out of my line of fire.”

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

We turned as one to stride side by side toward the vampires. I envisioned an insane version of the shoot -out at the OK

Corral, especially with Saber on my right hiding his gun at his thigh. Eight feet from the living and undead, Saber and I stopped.

“Ike,” Saber said.

“Saber.” Ike’s fully dilated eyes showed only black as they flicked from Saber to me. “Francesca, Princess Vampire.”

His rich voice slid over me like raw silk, an infinitely more dangerous sensation than the skin prickles. Even my defunct title sounded like a caress instead of merely a name, and my throat ached to answer him. I might have, if Saber hadn ’t shifted at my side.

In that second, I realized that Ike was pulling energy from my aura. That ’s what caused the tugging tightness in my chest and throat.

I threw up my shield with a force that made Ike’s reptilian eyes widen. Surprised me, too, but life and death are powerful motivators.

“Public enthrallment is illegal, Ike,” Saber said steadily.

“He’s pulling aura, too,” I said. “That’s a staking offense, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Saber said, raising his gun hand in a slow, even motion. “Let the woman go.”

“Or you will what?” Ike sniffed. “Shoot me?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“A heartbeat? How appropriate when it would be your last,” Ike sneered, his fangs flashing white in the streetlights. “You would not kill one of us before we ripped you all to shreds.”

“You forget, Ike,” Saber said. “I have a vampire on my side. That evens the odds some.”

“Is this so?” Ike’s slashing eyebrows rose mockingly. “Princess Vampire sides with mortals over her own species?”

“Don’t put me in the middle of your pissing contest,” I snapped. “I put up with this crap from King Normand, but I’m not taking it from you.”

“We’re not bluffing, Ike,” Saber warned.

Ike ignored him, his beady eyes boring into mine. “Answer the question, Princess.” He dipped his open mouth toward Janie’s neck. “Do you choose mortals or vampires?”

Ike’s fangs hovered inches from Janie’s jugular. Saber was a deep breath from firing. Something in me snapped, and I acted on instinct.

I swung my gaze to the mocha-skinned female vamp in his entourage, and pulled her aura like a supersuction vacuum on full power. The vampire hissed as the first shock hit her, and she tried to fight me, but I’d siphoned energy to survive. I was a master at this, and I was ticked.

The vampire’s will broke, and she staggered forward to sag at my feet on one knee. Her black hair was an art piece of long cornrows with what looked like bits of polished bone beads. Human bone. Yuck.

I looked at Ike. His expression was more thoughtful than angry, but he vibrated with tension.

“Now who is committing the staking offense?” he asked sardonically.

“Self-defense, Ike. Right, Saber?”

He looked a smidge pale, but his eyes twinkled. “That’s how I see it.” Saber raised a brow at Ike. “So, Ike, what’ll it be?

Play games, or talk about Rachelle’s murder?”

That got Ike’s attention.

He straightened and let go of Janie. She swayed but stayed upright, and I breathed a little easier. Ike’s eyes narrowed on Saber. “You have something to report?”

“A second murder with the same MO as Rachelle’s,” Saber said easily.

“Gee, Ike,” I said, widening my eyes, “it’s been all over the news. Didn’t you know?”

“I do not watch mortal newscasts,” he said repressively, pupils bleeding back to as normal as they would get. “Saber, put your paltry gun away and explain.”

“Let these people go first,” Saber said. “Walk them to the street and break the thrall nice and slow so they don’t panic.”

“When Princess releases Laurel, I shall.”

I startled, because I’d forgotten the woman kneeling in front of me. That I’d pulled Laurel’s aura was one thing. That I’d effortlessly held it scared the hell out of me, but now was not the time to show it.

“Tell you what, Ike. Have Cici and Claire move the mortals, and send—” I motioned at the tall, white female vamp who’d stood like a statue through our face-off.

“Zena,” Ike supplied.