He’d better be teasing. “I did more than half the work.”
“About a third,” he conceded.
I laughed. “Fine. Call me later.” And then it hit me. “Wait, how will you contact me?”
“I’ll send a message,” he said. “There is a system in place for messages between the Beyond and the Underealm. And if you should need me before then, you may call me. If you call in earnest, I will hear you, and I will come.”
“Just say your name?”
“In earnest.”
Say his name and mean it. “Got it. Thanks.”
I headed across the street, ordering myself not to look back to see if he was watching. But the tug in my tummy had me turning my head just as my feet hit the pavement on the other side. Fuck it.
I looked back.
The opposite pavement was empty. My heart sank, and then a raindrop smacked me in the face. Shit. I ducked under the awning and pushed open the door to Lumiers. A strange tingle raced over my skin as I stepped over the threshold, and then the delicious aroma of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon buns hit me. My mouth pooled with saliva. God, how long had it been since I’d eaten a cinnamon bun? Kiara had made me a cake for my birthday, but Mal’s acting up meant we hadn’t gotten to eat it.
He owed me cake. More ammunition against him.
I scanned the cheery interior. A counter stretched along the wall to my left dotted with cake stands laden with baked treats. There was a cash register, old-school-style with the typewriter buttons, and a modern coffee machine took up the back wall. Freestanding lamps were placed in the corners of the room, and cushy sofas and small round side tables were arranged on the floor. Books lined the wall to the right, rising up to the first floor where a balcony wrapped around the structure. I caught a peek of more sofas. Oh, and there was the staircase leading up to the first floor. Most of the sofas were taken up by patrons, and none of them were human.
I didn’t know how I could tell because they mostly looked human, but on closer inspection, there was something off about each one, and then I noticed the pointed tips on ears, the tiny bud of horns poking out from a hairline, and in one case, silver scales running across the backs of his hands.
These were outliers. This place wasn’t for humans. Uri’s earlier comment made sense now.
A newspaper lay open on a nearby table, headline screaming “Westside Killer Strikes Again.” A couple of months ago, this news would have shocked me because Necro was meant to be safe. Crime was supposed to be low, but now that I’d torn back the veil and planted my feet firmly on the other side, the fact this kind of shit hadn’t been reported more often was a surprise. I picked up the paper and scanned the article. Five murders. Bodies drained of blood. Vampire …What? They’d used the word vampire? What newspaper was this? I unfolded it. The Outlier Times. A paper for us, not for humans.
“They don’t realize the truth,” a female voice said matter-of-factly.
I blinked in surprise at the woman behind the counter. Where the heck had she come from? And why did non-humans keep doing this to me—just appearing out of thin air? Also, why was she pink? Like all-over-body pink. Even her eyes were pink with azure rings around the irises.
She cocked a brow and canted her head slightly. “Go on, take a good look, sweets. Get it out of your system. Yes, it’s all pink—tits, ass, and muff.”
I almost choked on my own saliva. “Wow. TMI.”
“Gawper.” But a smile tugged at her mouth, and then she looked down at the paper in my hand. “Humans don’t have a clue because we clean up their mess. But it’s real, and it’s happening, and not just to them.”
“Vampires?”
“Mouths and Dread and other shit that goes bump in the night. And you poor reapers just don’t have the resources to cope with the numbers.”
She knew I was a reaper?
“What can I get you, Dominus?” she said with a sly smile.
“How do you know who I am?”
“I keep tabs on things.” She narrowed her eyes and studied me for a heartbeat. “Mocha, extra sprinkles, and a cinnamon bun.”
I blinked at her in surprise. “Is that your superpower? Knowing what people want to eat and drink?”
“One of many.” She winked. “Take a seat, I’ll bring it over.”
“I’m not sure I have time. I’m meeting—”
“Sariah and the gang. Yes, I’m aware. They called ahead and said to expect you.” She gave me a cheeky grin exposing tiny white teeth and pink gums.
So that’s how she knew who I was. “In that case, I’ll have a small mocha.”
“With extra sprinkles?” she asked.
Only a fool turned down extra sprinkles. “Sure.”
I pulled up a stool at the counter, and she placed the cinnamon bun and the mocha in front of me.
“Well, eat up. You’re going to need the energy against those bloodsuckers.” Her mouth turned down. “Streets aren’t safe for anyone any longer. Regency Pack’s doing what it can to keep the Westside safe, but they just don’t have the numbers against the fucking fang scourge. They’re like rats. Dirty bloodsucking rats with fancy clothes.”
Regency Pack … Why did that ring a bell? Husky eyes in an Adonis face. Grayson Loch, the alpha of the Loup Garou. That pack? My stomach flipped. The way he’d looked at me … The way my body had reacted to his nearness …
“You all right? You look a little flushed,” pink lady asked.
I took a gulp of coffee that was way too hot and blinked back tears. “I’m fine.”
“Blow, honey. You got to blow it before you sip.” She winked.
A bell tinkled, and she looked over my head with a smile. “Caramel latte, chocolate croissant, and … No, honey. We don’t serve cock here.”
I’d just taken another sip and ended up spluttering.
She calmly handed me a napkin. “You’re not a swallower, then? Funny, you look like you swallow.”
Fucking hell.
The bell tinkled again.
“Fee, you beat us here.”
I turned on my stool to face Sariah. Nix and Nox strode in behind her, and I did a double-take. Sariah was dressed in black slacks, boots, and a deep purple halter neck paired with a form-fitting jacket. The guys wore shirts with the top buttons undone, dark jeans, and kick-the-shit-out-of-you boots. Hair was slicked back, and horns polished. Sariah had braided her mohawk, and dark kohl ringed her eyes, making them pop even harder. She looked like a warrior, despite the going-out outfit, and the guys with their huge frames and horns looked lethal, and then there was me.
Not exactly intimidating. And there I was, doubting myself again. I slapped the voice upside the head. I had the scythe for a reason. I was descended from Samael and Eve, and I could totally kick ass and take charge. They needed me.
I canted my head, studying them. “Um … aren’t you guys a little overdressed?”
Where were the black reaper uniforms? The tough material that wouldn’t rip, that would cushion them when they fell and protect their skin. I hadn’t had a chance to change into my patrol outfit, because, oh yeah. I didn’t have one, but surely they should be dressed for a fight?
I looked down at my jeans and long-sleeved polo top and then back up at Sariah.
She grinned. “We’re undercover tonight.” She patted her hip, and I noted the slender weapons belt that blended almost seamlessly against the black material of her slacks. It was mostly hidden by the jacket. “We’re covered, though.” She handed me a bag I hadn’t noticed she was clutching. “For you. It should fit.”
I took a peek inside to see a crimson halter neck.
“It’ll go with your jeans,” she said. “You have weapons, right?”
I nodded. I had my scythe and my dagger with me.
“How did you get here so fast from the Underealm?” Nox asked.
“I was at the Academy with Uri. He brought me.”
“The Grigori?” Sariah’s brows cocked in surprise. “You know him?”
“He saved my life.”
Nix and Nox exchanged glances.
I was missing something here. “What?”
“Uriel is somewhat of a legend,” the pink lady said. “A demon who ascended to celestial, or so the rumors say.”
“It’s a myth,” Nox said. “Demons can’t ascend.”
“Whatever,” Nix said. “We don’t have time for this. Grayson and his pack will be waiting for us.”
My belly did the weird dip again. “Why are we working with the pack?”
“It’s their territory,” Sariah explained, “and they called us in for backup. There have been several attacks on humans in the area, and a Loup Garou went missing last night. They found his dead body this morning. Drained of blood.”
Oh, God. All qualms about working with Grayson fled. I grabbed the bag and stood. “Where can I change?”
Chapter Thirteen
Westside was the domain of the kebab house and the Chinese takeout. It was dimly lit bars and seedy clubs, and it was a half-hour train ride to Eclipse, but this was the Regency Pack’s territory.
From the name, you’d expect their territory to be more central Necro where the classy bars and clubs made up the nightlife.
Sariah led us through the streets until we hit what had to be the hub of this borough. It was probably around ten p.m., maybe later, and the bars were filled with people. It hadn’t even hit peak time yet.
My gaze roved the street, the roofs, the dark shady corners. “Do the vampires attack when it’s busy like this?”
“It’s the only time they attack,” Sariah said. “They like the crowds. It’s easy to pick off prey from the edges of the herd.”
“Grayson said several people have gone missing from Killion’s Bar,” Nix explained. “We’re scoping it out.”
Well, that explained the outfits. We were playing clubbers. “And where is Grayson?” My voice got a little higher when I said the alpha’s name. I cleared my throat and dropped an octave. “Is he meeting us there?”