Night Prayers (30 page)

WHAT?

Luci's smile dipped slightly as she planted a quick kiss on Allison's cheek.

"I'm afraid Milo never could accept us being lovers… in fact, just the other night he said he'd do something
drastic
if Allison didn't leave me and go home."

Luci's hand flew dramatically to her throat — a move Allison wished she'd thought of first. With a claw hammer.

"Oh, my God, Allison… you don't think he did this because of
us
?"

Luci's unexpected sobs even made Allison jump. But it worked. Even the policeman behind the desk looked convinced. Convinced and revolted by their supposed sexual preference.

"Oh, Allison — if it's true I'll never forgive myself!"

Neither will I.

Luci winked at her.
Just tell the nice dickhead you want to see your dear, crazy brother
.

No.

You're not paying attention, Alley-cat.

Fuck you!

Maybe later
, Luci said,
but right now we have to go see the Preacher-boy. Do it
.

Allison was about to go another round when
Gypsy
pulled her close — just a big, hairy friend showing his support
— and poked something hard into her ribs. It hurt. It really, really,
hurt
.

Gypsy
moved his hand just enough for Allison to see the pointed three inch stake he was holding.

Think of it as a loaded gun, Alley-cat
, Luci said.
Ask nice
.

Allison stared at the
Fuck the Pigs
graffiti someone had scratched into the front of the desk.

"I… I'd like to see my brother."
Nicer
. "Please?"

And me.

"And can my
…friend
… come with me?"

"I'm afraid chat won't be possible," the officer said.

Gypsy ran the point of the stake down her hip.

"Please!" Allison yelped. "Mic — Milo needs to see that… we're just like everybody else."

Very good, Alley-cat… I couldn't have put it better myself.

"Okay, nut-case," the officer said, directing him to the empty table in the middle of the room, "keep your hands on your side of the barrier and your butt in your chair and we'll both be happy. Try to get cute and I'll be all over you like ugly on your mama. Sit."

Mica sat. Quickly. And didn't even start breathing until the officer had left the room and closed the door behind him. Then he almost hyperventilated.

The guard had taken him out of the holding cell — where he'd already saved three drunks and a crack-head
— saying he had visitors.

Mica didn't have to ask who it was. No one should have known where he was…
no one alive
.

He began praying the moment he heard the door reopen.

"And Jesus said 'Love your enemy and do good'… but these are not just my enemies, Lord, these are the enemies of
all
Your people here on earth!"

Mica felt the temperature of the room drop a dozen degrees —like it always did when they entered a room. He squeezed his fingers tighter together until the pain drove the feat out of his heart.

The cross on his forehead burned with Holy Fire.

"These are foul, soulless creatures of the night who feed upon the blood of the Innocents and corrupt what is pure and natural until what is left stinks and writhes in the depths of its own putrefication."

Mica stood up — safe in the Lord's Hand — and pointed a trembling finger at them

… at
her
…

… at
Allison
, the one who wasn't and never could have been Piper!

"Begone foul Whores of Satan! I revoke your entrance into this place!"

The officer who already gave his lecture about conduct becoming a criminal, suddenly reappeared. Grabbing Mica by the shoulder, he manually helped his butt moid itself to the chair.

"Take it
easy
, pal," the guard ordered. "These are the nineties, remember, we're all supposed be a little more liberal in our thinking. One more outburst and I haul you outta here. Understand?"

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, officer," Luci said.

"Okay, but I'll be tight outside." The officer gave Mica's shoulder a hard pinch and let go. "In case you need me."

Mica curled his right hand into a fist and covered it with his left. They were talking about him like he didn't exist… like
he
was the unnatural creature.

Lord… You gave me the strength to vanquish ONE of Your enemies… now let my voice shout out Your praises to the Evil gathered before Us!

Mica took a deep breath and arched his back, ready to take whatever abuse was
about to be heaped upon him in the Name and Glory of the Lord's —

Don't.

Mica's opening jaw snapped shut with a click.

Lord?

Not even
, the voice said.
Just sit there and don't go crazy for at least another minute, okay
?

Allison.

Mica jerked his head up. Allison stood against the far wall, tucked into the corner next to the door, hugging herself. She looked ill. Her creamy skin looked like sour milk under the harsh fluorescent lights, her hair the dull red of leaves touched with frost.

How the hell had he once thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen? And how the hell had she gotten into his mind?
How
?

Later.

Mica closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. She was as corrupt as the others of her night-flying kind. And the Lord had made him mankind's only line of defense against them.

"Thank you, O Lord," he whispered out loud. "Make me worthy of this honor."

Mica heard Luci's sigh — long and suffering — as well as the guard's "fucking lunatic" mumble. Mica kept his eyes closed until he was sure the guard was safely out of the room.

Forgive him, Lord
, Mica prayed as he opened his eyes to Luci's radiant smile,
and open his eyes to the Evil surrounding him
.

"God damned, blood-sucking, whores of Satan," he said softly. "Fucking vampire cunts!"

"And it's so nice to see
you
again, Preacher-boy," Luci said as she walked past the visitor's table to the tiny, unobtrusive intercom just above the door leading back to the cells. Glancing through the tiny wire-mesh reinforced window, Luci waved at the guard at the same time she reached up and yanked the wires out of the box.

"There," she said, dusting off her hands as she walked back to the table and sat down opposite Mica, "that should give us a little more privacy."

Mica inched his chair back from the table. "Why didn't you just destroy it with your supernatural powers?"

Luci laughed and Allison suddenly flinched as if physically struck.

"You two should
really
get together and compare notes," she said, tossing her moon-bright hair. "You were practically
made
for each other."

Mica's stomach rolled over on itself at the very thought of Allison's body pressing against his while she sank her fangs into his throat and he pushed his engorged cock up into her icy cavern.
— Oh God — What would it feel like? To Come and go at the same time? — Sweet Jesus
— Her body so cold and hard and

Mica. Stop it!

His eyes flew open as the air pounded against his lungs in short, shallow gasps.

It's Luci, Mica. She's doing it. Fight her.

Mica blinked Luci's smug face back into focus.

"Problem, Preacher-boy?" she asked.

"No. No problem." Mica looked over at Allison, still huddled against the wall, still looking like death warmed over. "Then what are
you
doing to me?"

Luci hooked one arm over the back of the chair and glared at Allison.

"Nothing's going on, Luci," Allison said out loud. "He's crazy… you told me that yourself. Huh? No. You know I wouldn't lie to you."

Mica raised his fingers to the scar and slowly traced the cross — tried to control the trembling in his hand. It was more than just a little disconcerting to listen in on only one half of a conversation.

"I hope you're telling the truth, Alley-cat," Luci said, turning back to face the table. "I'd really hate to see what was left after Gina had her way with you. And as for
you
, Preacher-boy…"

"Get out of here," Mica said softly, lowering his hand so the cross was visible, "I gave you no leave to be here. A
— a
Vampire
can't enter a place unless it's invited and
I
didn't give you the right!"

Luci's smile parted over the tips of her fangs.

"You're an alleged psychotic murderer, dear," she said, "the state took away your rights when they fingerprinted you. Now, cut the late night movie shit and I'll give you our proposition."

Mica looked over Luci's head to Allison.
What proposition
?

She didn't answer. Just looked away.

Good-cop/bad-cop…Vampire style.

Mica straightened his back —
Whenever You're ready, Lord—
and heard Allison groan.

"What proposition," he said out loud. To Luci, this time.

"See there, Alley-cat," Luci said, beaming, "didn't I say the Preacher-boy would listen?
She
thought you'd run a stake through us the moment we showed up."

Give it time and I will.

He saw Allison flinch. And was glad.

"We're here to help you…
Milo
." Luci giggled. "Unless you
want
to spend the rest of your life rotting away in some state run Home for the Criminally Nutzoid. Because that's where they're going to put you.

"You may have brutally killed a little old lady with malice and forethought, but — given the brilliant minds and bleeding hearts that are currently running our judicial system
— if you keep telling everyone she was a vampire and you were only doing what comes
naturally
to self-appointed Holy Crusaders, you'll be wearing tie-in-the-back pajamas for the rest of your life."

She smiled and winked at Allison.

"But
we
can save your worthless ass, Preacher-boy."

"I've already
been
saved," Mica said, struggling to keep his hands flat on the table
— as per instructions — and away from her throat. "And there's fucking
nothing
you can do to me that's going to change that!"

Luci's fangs dropped another quarter of an inch. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, Milo. There are more things between Heaven and earth, remember? More than just black and white."

She stood up and held out her hand. Allison came to it slowly, like a dog who'd been beaten once too many times but still felt blind loyalty to its master. Mica's heart almost went out to her.

His cock tried, as well.

Stop it!

Allison looked at him, puzzled, but kept quiet. Praise the Lord.

"We'll talk again, Preacher-boy," Luci said, walking Allison back to the visitor's door and tapping on the glass. Her nails made a dull, metallic sound. "You can count on it. Alley-cat, wave bye-bye to your crazy brother."

Allison didn't move. Didn't speak. Mica wished he'd had more time — he could break the chair apart and use a leg to end her eternal damnation.