September Moon (18 page)

She handed it over and backed away to allow me to take center stage. The music died, and everyone present turned to gawk at me. Public speaking was not my forte. However, I forged ahead, needing to do this.

“Sorry to interrupt,” I said, cringing inwardly as my voice boomed through the club. “I just wanted to say something to the vampires here. I’m aware that many of you are questioning my intentions. Please know that rumors of a dictatorship in this city are completely unfounded. Neither Arys nor I have any interest in such a thing.”

I paused, scanning the crowd, meeting several sets of vampire eyes. Good. They were listening. But did they believe me?

Taking a deep breath, I continued, “My interests lie in protecting this city and protecting the secret we all keep. Anyone who seeks to rebel against that is rebelling against themselves. I will not hesitate to take out anyone who tries to harm me or those close to me. You can all decide for yourselves what kind of a city you want to dwell in. The rebels offer you mayhem and anarchy, which will only bring down the wrath of the FPA. I offer you what you see here, a safe place to be what you are without repercussion. Make your choice.”

I handed the mike back to the wolf, gave her a shaky smile, and exited the stage. My legs felt like jelly. I had just issued a challenge to the vampires of the city. I hoped they made the right decision.

“That was ballsy,” Willow commented when I reached him. He nodded approvingly. “Simple but to the point. I liked it.”

“It felt necessary. I’m done with vampire bullshit, and I want them to know.”

Willow’s lips quirked in a silly, tequila-fueled grin. “Yes, but do
your
vampires know that?”

I leaned against the bar with arms crossed. Thinking about both Arys and Kale as
my
vampires felt weird. And I kind of liked it. “Good question. I sure hope you’re not including Jenner in that.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

I rolled my eyes at the liquored up angel and checked my phone. There were text messages from Shaz letting me know he was having no luck and from Jez whining about me appointing Kale as her babysitter.

While Willow drank and the vampires prowled, I stood there lost in thought. Racking my brain for answers, I dug deep, knowing there must be something we were all missing.

The scroll was tied to Lilah’s abandoned throne. She couldn’t be the only one who knew its whereabouts. Or did she even know at all?

Something struck me then. A memory of the night I found her searching Veryl’s office. I’d been cleaning out my office, done with the building we had used to hold meetings, discuss hunts with Veryl, and take private kill clients. Lilah had come in and asked me if I’d taken anything from Veryl’s office.

“Willow.” I grabbed his arm, startling him and causing him to spill. “I think I know where to look. Or maybe I don’t, but we have to try. Come on.”

I didn’t wait for him to finish his drinks before making a beeline for the door. This was probably just another misleading step in this wild goose chase, but it was a lead worth following.

For the first time since my last face off with Lilah, I was starting to feel like I might have a chance. It had been quite some time since I’d visited the old office building Veryl had leased. Once the lease ran out, we wouldn’t have access to it. I had to do this now.

As we drove through the city, I chattered nonstop to Willow, telling him about the night I saw Lilah there. “I asked her if something was missing. She said that it wasn’t missing but hidden. I’m starting to think that Veryl knew something about the scroll, maybe he even had it. What else would she be looking for?”

“This thing had better be worth finding. Considering how many people are looking for it. Maybe the joke is on all of us, and there’s nothing to find at all.” Willow stared out the window, watching the street fly by.

“No way.” I shook my head vehemently. “I’ve dealt with too much crap to have it be some elusive unholy grail. It’s out there, and we are finding it first.”

The building was dark when we arrived. I wondered when anyone had last been there. The door swung open with an ominous groan. I flicked on a light, not because I needed it but because it gave me a sense of false comfort. Everything looked as we’d left it.

The kitchen was missing the aroma of fresh coffee and Chinese takeout. I half expected to find Lena in there making a cup of tea. A pang of guilt and regret stabbed me, and my breath caught.

“This was where you worked with Kale and Jez? The residual energy here is strong. It’s very complex. Joyful but violent too. Even a bit melancholy.” Willow surveyed the kitchen before returning to the foyer.

“I killed Veryl here,” I said, leading the way down the long hall of individual offices. “I also caught Lilah and Falon screwing here.”
And almost did some screwing of my own,
I thought but didn’t dare speak it.

“Sounds like there was never a boring moment.”

I chuckled. “Have you seen my life?”

I walked down the hall, shoving office doors open. I paused in the doorway to the one that had been mine. My cheeks grew hot at the memory of Kale’s bite. That had been a hell of a night. Only Jez’s impeccable timing had kept us from doing something we could never undo. But that had happened anyway, in its own time.

We continued on to the end of the hall. The door to Veryl’s office was closed. Anxiety twisted my stomach. Veryl’s office was a place of many memories, most of them not so good. I grabbed the doorknob and pushed. It was stuck. The sound of splintering wood was loud in the stillness. Backing up a few steps, I braced myself and kicked the door, aiming for the spot beside the doorknob. The door flew open with a screech.

Even before I flicked the light on I saw the disarray inside. The overhead light illuminated the mess. I stared at what was left of his office, aghast. Someone had totally ransacked the place.

“Oh, fuck me,” I murmured, taking in everything from the trashed remains of the old antique desk to the holes gouged out of the walls. Papers and computer parts littered the floor.

“Looks like someone beat us to it.” Willow pushed past me and knelt to examine some of the paperwork strewn about. “Doesn’t look like anything of great value here. Seems to be pretty basic case write-ups. Rogue vampire reports, that kind of thing. I assume he had something else worth finding judging by the looks of this place.”

I took tentative steps, picking my way through the debris. I was too late. It had taken me this long to remember the clue Lilah had given me, and it didn’t even matter. Someone else had gotten to it first.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Picking up a board from a desk drawer, I hurled it at the wall in anger. And noticed something taped to the underside of it.

I rushed to retrieve it, finding a yellow sticky note with a carefully scrawled message that read:
Nice try, bitch. Did you think I would be that obvious?

“Look.” I handed the note to Willow. “I think Veryl wrote this. It must have been to Lilah. He knew she would come here looking.” I swallowed hard, my mind racing. “I think he knew where the scroll was.”

The sound of my heart pounded in my ears, and I wondered again if killing him had been a mistake. My own personal feelings toward the knowledgeable vampire had been manipulated. And I’d let it happen.

“If there was anything here worth finding, it’s gone now.” Willow rose from where he’d been sifting through spilled file folders. “Whoever did this must not have found much either. Or we would likely know by now.”

“You think so?” I scanned the mess again, hoping something would jump out at me. Even the smallest clue might help.

“It seems likely. Of course, there’s no way of saying for sure.”

“So we’ve hit another dead end. I’m starting to think we should get used to that.” I kicked the shattered computer mouse. A thought occurred to me, something I knew I shouldn’t even give voice to. “Willow, is it possible to speak to the dead? A dead vampire, to be specific.”

Alarm flashed across his face, and he shook his head vigorously. “Don’t go there, Alexa. I won’t let you. I can’t. It’s not safe.”

“So it can be done.”

“I didn’t say that. You have no idea how dangerous what you’re asking is. I’m sorry, but that is not the way to handle this. I can’t let you try something that deadly.”

His expression was pained, as if it hurt him to have to play the guardian card. If any of my men had told me no, I would have contested it immediately. It was in my nature. However, I knew Willow’s protests came from a place of wisdom and experience that I could only imagine. Though that did little to change my mind.

“Look, Willow, I respect you more than I’ve ever respected anyone in my life. But we have to try anything and everything we can to beat Shya to this. If I could just contact Veryl, maybe he would tell me something we can use, maybe—”

“No!” Willow’s voice echoed in the small room. It was commanding and startling, causing me to jump. “Don’t you think Shya has probably already tried that? Talking to the dead is his territory, trust me. Not mine and certainly not yours. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.”

“Ok, ok,” I squeaked out, timid and uneasy with his outburst. “I get it. Talking to the dead is very bad.”

“It’s worse than that. It’s a violation of natural laws. It comes at a price.”

“What kind of price?” I just had to know, even if that made me annoying.

“It’s different for everyone. It’s personal. Promise me you won’t try anything like that.” When I didn’t answer right away, Willow grabbed me by both arms and gave me a slight shake. “Promise me.”

I gazed into his deep, green eyes and saw fury burning within them. But there was more. Fear. Anything that bothered Willow this much was worth taking seriously. I raised my hands in surrender. “I promise. Ok? Calm down, boozehound. You’re freaking me out.”

“Sorry.” He released me and stepped back. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“If you want to talk to the dead, Alexa, I can help you with that.” A familiar voice rang out from behind us.

I turned to face Falon with a scowl already plastered firmly in place. He leaned in the doorway, arms crossed, a smirk adorning his too perfect face.

“This time you had to have been following me. Unless Shya sent you. Either way, get lost. I don’t have time for your crap.” My greeting was met with a broad grin. Falon was going to frustrate me right to death one of these days.

“Is that so? Pity. And here I came to help you. But if you’d rather not, then that’s fine with me. It’s a waste of my time anyway.” Falon feigned examining his fingernails before rubbing them on his long jacket.

I considered throwing a chunk of broken desk at him. “You never help me unless you’ve been ordered to. Thanks but I’d rather not have Shya’s lackeys hanging around being a constant distraction. I’m not stupid or desperate enough to fall for that. Beat it.”

Willow was quiet, watching the exchange with disinterest. Falon caught his eye and nodded, his expression veiled and hard to read. Was that a show of respect I just saw? Well, I’ll be damned. I never would have dreamed Falon had it in him. It definitely made me more curious about Willow.

Falon’s pale silver gaze landed on me again. He arched a brow and studied me with that piercing stare. It grated on my nerves.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea for you to be separated from your twin right now, Alexa?” Falon taunted. He never budged from his place on the threshold though his words gave him a sudden air of menace.

My gaze narrowed, and I pursed my lips. Crossing my arms, I mirrored him down to the cocky expression. “I know what you’re doing, Falon. Are you here to distract me? Or did you do this, and you’re returning to the scene of the crime?”

Ignoring my accusation, he continued as if I hadn’t spoken at all. “You’re both at your most powerful when together. So why would either of you be stupid enough to run the risk of being caught without the other? Seems a tad careless to me.”

That triggered my defenses. My beast came snarling up to peer out at him, making my eyes solid wolf. I bared fangs, fighting back the surge of panic that sent adrenaline slamming through my veins.

“What kind of fucking game are you playing here?” I demanded.

Willow stood stiffly, appearing unruffled. His outward calm was authentic, but he could snap in a heartbeat. I’d seen it.

“Settle down, Hound.” Falon feigned a yawn of boredom. “You can’t hurt me. And it would kill you to even really try.”

“You really enjoy the sound of your own voice, don’t you?” Willow asked with a snap of wings. His magnificent silver wings spanned most of the room. He was at my side, ready to fend off the asshole angel.

“Well, yes. I amuse myself. Take it easy, Willow.”

I did hurl a chunk of broken desk at Falon then. My clawed fingernails dug into the wood as I snatched it up and let it fly. He raised a hand, and it exploded into millions of sawdust-size pieces.

“That was rude,” he quipped. “And to think I came to tell you that Shya has your vampires. Would it really kill you to show a little gratitude?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” A sick feeling developed in the pit of my stomach.

Falon spun on a boot heel and walked away. He strode down the lengthy hall toward the door. “Shya wants Arys to turn Gabriel. Tonight. A deal is a deal after all, right?”

With a growl, I hurried after him. “Wait,” I cried. “Why are you telling me this?” I almost plowed into Falon’s back when he stopped abruptly. I jerked to a halt as he turned to me with a dark look.

“Because as little as I care about vampires, there are certain people walking this earth who should never be one. Gabriel is one of them.”

Shya had forced Arys into a deal. The demon saved my life, and in exchange Arys had promised to turn Gabriel. Shya wanted to pair the power of Arys’s bloodline with the dark magic already flowing through the kid, in essence, creating his own black magic monster.

“For the first and probably only time ever, I actually agree with you,” I confessed, having mixed feelings about agreeing with Falon on anything. “But what am I supposed to do about it?”