La Vida Vampire

I told the Judge Stickney story, and before I could go on, two of the girls screeched that someone was pulling on their clothes and hair. The ghost culprit was either Erastus Nye or John Hull playing pranks. Both were thought to have contracted yellow fever, I explained. The encounter began the sobering process for the whole group. Sobering to me were the occasional whiffs of blood in the air and the periodic rrryyyow of the magick cat. Or I thought it was the magick cat’s howl. Perhaps it was just a cat in heat. I never saw the animal or sensed the source of the blood smell as I traipsed the college kids all over haunted downtown for the full hour and a half. We skipped Fay’s House, but we had chills and thrills from the other ghosts with no stumbles, falls, or upchucking. The ghosts didn’t seem to hold a grudge against me for the vampire tour, and I got through the night without threats or injuries from or to humans. The way my tours had gone? This was a major victory.

I parted ways with my group back at the waterwheel at nine thirty-five and pulled out my phone to call Saber. I found three messages waiting. Figuring one was from Saber, I called voice mail. The first message was from PI Eugene Cassidy who’d rushed his contact in Paris for answers. My mouth fell open as I listened. The chemical company that employed Etienne, he said, had done some investigating while Etienne and Yolette were gone. They proved Etienne had been using their facilities for a private project. From the company’s own chemical analysis and Etienne’s project notes, they concluded Etienne had created a blood scent designed to lure vampires. Damn, no wonder I smelled blood every time Etienne was around. I thought of the photo Eugene had taken of Etienne with a vampire hanging all over him. He’d put the scent on himself. Maybe from the flask. Eugene’s message ended with the tidbit that he suspected Etienne and Yolette’s honeymoon trip was a cover for Etienne to peddle the formula to the U.S. Covenant organization.

Double damn, that fit. The Covenant could lure and kill almost any vampire with Etienne’s invention. I saved Eugene’s message, then listened to one from Saber. He’d talked to Eugene, too, but also to March. Etienne and Yolette’s rental house was empty, and the sheriff’s office had issued a BOLO—be on the lookout—for Etienne. The last message was from Maggie, and her voice froze the blood in my veins.

“Cesca,” she said, her tone tense and too controlled. “Come to Fay’s House right after the tour. Don’t call the police. What?” she snapped at someone in the background.

Someone whose voice I recognized.

“All right. Cesca, the French guy says to come alone or he’ll kill me.”

The message ended. Reality sank in. Etienne had Maggie.





TWENTY


Instinct urged me to streak to Maggie’s rescue, tear out Etienne’s beating heart, and hand it to him. Reason prevailed. Don’t call the cops? Screw that. They could catch Etienne red-handed if they got rolling fast enough. I saved Maggie’s message as evidence and found Saber’s number on my incoming list.

“Saber,” I said when he answered. “Call 911. Etienne has kidnapped Maggie.”

“I’m ten minutes out. Where is she?”

“At Fay’s House,” I said, pacing. “On Cuna and Spanish, I think, but I could be off by a block.”

“You grew up here and you don’t know the damned address?”

“Nag me later,” I snapped.

“Cesca, he’ll want you in exchange for Maggie.”

“I don’t know why the hell he would, but I’ll do what it takes to protect her.”

“Can I talk you into waiting for the cavalry?”

“Can pigs friggin’ fly?”

“Then be careful.”

“Just get here in time to catch him in the act, Saber.”

I disconnected and, with only a smidge of conscious thought, I was there in vampire -speed seconds—just five feet from Fay’s front porch.

Maggie, pale and gagged, sat on the wooden steps, her hands and feet bound to the stair rail with large red plastic cable ties.

Etienne, reeking of blood scent, stood over her with the barrel of a big, black pistol trained at the top of her head. He aimed a second, sleeker black gun at me.

Fay’s furious ghostly face floated at the window, and she rattled the panes until I was sure the glass would break and rain shards on Maggie.

I took in the scene in a matter of seconds and moved slowly closer. No point in spooking Etienne.

“Did he hurt you?” I asked, kneeling at Maggie’s feet.

Maggie shook her head, a tumble of emotions in her eyes.

“Ah, Francesca. You arrive at last, and with touching concern for your friend.”

I looked up. “Etienne.”

I wanted to full-out energy-drain the bastard on the spot, but he’d been around a lot of vampires. At the first tug on his aura, he might shoot Maggie. I couldn’t risk that.

“What do you want to let Maggie go?”

“You, ma petite. ”

I stood, fists clenched. “Fine. You’ve got me. Now what?”

Etienne laughed. “Do you not care to know why I want you?”

“Knock yourself out,” I said through gritted teeth. “Tell me.”

He gave me a slow, chilling smile. “You are a vampire and a virgin and have power magnifique waiting to be—how do you say it? Tapped. I, Etienne, will initiate you to lovemaking and vos pouvoirs fleuriront. Your power, it will blossom. Ah, what sexual delights await you with me as your lover.”

I let the virgin thing pass as he descended two steps.

“What I do not understand is why you have not come to me sooner. The formule, it has worked fabuleusement bien on all the other vampires.”

“The blood scent formula?”