Blood Wyne (26 page)
“Vampyr?”
She didn’t seem to be talking to me but reached out and put one long, jointed finger against my arm, then pushed. Hard. A shot of electricity raced through me—unpleasant, to say the least.
“Vampyr.”
She seemed satisfied.
She seemed satisfied.
“Youch! What did you . . .” I stopped myself. It was not wise to ask unnecessary questions of the Elder Fae, that much I knew from my school days. And why she was shooting energy bolts through me wasn’t of particular interest right now, not unless it promised to prove fatal. “Ivana Krask, I presume.” No questions, just statements.
“Ivana Krask.” She tipped her head to the side again, and the owl I’d heard earlier flew down to land on her shoulder. “I am the Maiden of Karask. What do you want from me?”
Of course! The Maiden of Karask was one of the Elder Fae. She was famous for eating children, luring men to their grisly deaths on the moors, and turning young maids into old hags, but she had one other power that forced its way up from my memory.
The Maiden of Karask was able to vanquish old, powerful spirits. She could move them as well, dislodging them from one dwelling to take them to another distant haunt. In days long past, villages had offered up sacrifices of young children to her when they had a problem due to ghosts and spirits.
Now, I understood why Roman had put me in touch with her, but I’d have to be very, very careful. One wrong slip, one misstep in word choice, could be deadly. And it would be a fight to get her to accept prime rib in place of
bright meat
, as she put it. I also now understood why Roman had warned me never to say
thank you
to her. It would bind me to her—the Elder Fae considered
thank you
to be a pledge of debt, even if the bargain had been struck and met.
bright meat
, as she put it. I also now understood why Roman had warned me never to say
thank you
to her. It would bind me to her—the Elder Fae considered
thank you
to be a pledge of debt, even if the bargain had been struck and met.
I sucked in a deep breath. “I have spirits that need dispelling. I offer you ten pounds of prime beef for one house, twenty pounds if you clear two spots. But there is to be no eating of any bright meat in the area, do you understand?
No capturing, no eating, no maiming, no hurting, no claiming.
Bright meat is off limits. The beef will be tender and sweet, however.”
No capturing, no eating, no maiming, no hurting, no claiming.
Bright meat is off limits. The beef will be tender and sweet, however.”
The Maiden of Karask stared at me, her eyes flickering, her irises round and yellow in the wide curved white that glistened under the stars. She hissed, and the owl on her shoulder hissed. “No, I must have bright meat. It has been too long.”
“The world has changed, old woman. You cannot steal bright meat from humans or Fae or elves. It is no longer the way, and you must change with it.”
“No—change the world may, but not the Maiden of Karask. I am Elder! I am beyond the rules.” She straightened her shoulders, and I knew I’d better not argue the point with her or I’d be on her plate.
“Barring discussion. Back to the deal. Ten pounds of prime beef for one clearing. Twenty pounds of prime beef for a second. Are you willing to strike the bargain?” I crossed my arms and let my fangs descend to remind her she wasn’t dealing with any ordinary FBH or Fae.
Her eyes glistened with tears, tears I knew better than to trust. “You are harsh, dead girl. You are cruel. How can I keep my powers without the sweet, succulent meat I love so well? I am ancient past old and you would deny me my sustenance? Cruel you are, and vicious.”
“Perhaps I am, but this is my truth: Again, I offer: ten pounds of prime beef for one clearing. Twenty pounds of prime beef for a second. Do we bargain?”
I gazed into those ancient, otherworldly eyes, wondering how long the Elder Fae would continue to accept the modern era. How long before they’d band together and drive their brutal natures through the lands again. They still had their strength, and if they ever chose to work aligned, they could be brilliant and deadly in a way that creatures like my vampire serial killer could only dream of.
But this was not to be the day. Ivana Krask inclined her head, and her owl mirrored the movement. “So will it be. Twenty pounds of raw prime beef for two clearings. Where shall I meet you?”
I gave her the address of the deserted diner. “Here is the first place. I will meet you there within the hour with your beef. Ten pounds to start, ten pounds when you finish clearing the second spot.”
She let out another hiss and twisted in a way that reminded me uncomfortably of a bug or a spider attempting to get a better view of me. After a moment she held up one hand, and I gingerly pressed my own against it.
“We have a bargain,
Vampyr
. Now go, and don’t be late or I take it in trade. And since I have never tasted vampire flesh before, it would be a new experience to which I would not be averse.” And with that, she retreated into the shadows, and I hustled off to QFC—a regional grocery store chain—and soon my shopping cart was filled with twenty pounds on the nose of prime beef. One pound over and the Maiden of Karask would be offended. One pound less and she’d take it out of my skin.
Vampyr
. Now go, and don’t be late or I take it in trade. And since I have never tasted vampire flesh before, it would be a new experience to which I would not be averse.” And with that, she retreated into the shadows, and I hustled off to QFC—a regional grocery store chain—and soon my shopping cart was filled with twenty pounds on the nose of prime beef. One pound over and the Maiden of Karask would be offended. One pound less and she’d take it out of my skin.
Adding a couple extra pounds, wrapped separately, just in case they’d measured wrong, I carried the bags back to my Jag, wondering just what the hell I was thinking. But I didn’t want anybody else in danger, and I wasn’t about to let Delilah or Camille come with me. As I headed toward the Greenbelt Park District, I realized that my life had become one freak show event after another.
Strangely, I somehow didn’t mind it so much.
CHAPTER 15
I sat in my Jag, across the street from the diner, staring at the darkened building on an even darker block. I really didn’t want to go back in there. I didn’t want to meet Ivana Krask. I especially didn’t want to go meet Ivana Krask
in
the diner. The concept of heading into the dark where we knew there were hostile, hard-to-eradicate ghosts with one of the Elder Fae by my side wasn’t my idea of a party. When I saw her scuttling down the street, I pulled out my cell phone and called Roman.
in
the diner. The concept of heading into the dark where we knew there were hostile, hard-to-eradicate ghosts with one of the Elder Fae by my side wasn’t my idea of a party. When I saw her scuttling down the street, I pulled out my cell phone and called Roman.
“Listen, I’m headed in to meet Ivana and take care of some of these freak-ass spirits. If I don’t check back with you in two hours, call my home and tell them where I went and who I went with.”
I was grumpy. I hated feeling nervous, but this was a pretty gruesome situation, which was why I was doing it on my own. Camille and Delilah would have my butt, but they’d be safe from both the ghosts and Ivana. And I wasn’t sure which was more dangerous.
I hauled ass out of the car and retrieved the grocery bags from the backseat. Carrying twenty pounds of beef was like carrying a feather for me as I crossed the street. A light touch on my cheek made me look up, and I saw that the snow had started to fall again—a light dusting that drifted down like powdered sugar on a gingerbread cake.
Ivana was standing in front of the diner, staring at it. As I approached, she held up one hand and I stopped, waiting till she turned her head first one way, then the other. After she’d listened for a few moments, she motioned me over.
“You have my payment?” She swiveled her head, staring at the bags. The tiny bump of a nose on her face twitched.
“Yes, twenty pounds of prime rib here.” I set down the bags and stepped back. “You get ten of it now, then the other ten after you finish the work.”
Ivana leaned over and lifted the bags, her sharp little teeth nipping at her lips. After a moment she grunted, sounding almost disappointed. “It is here. The bargain is sealed. Show me the spirits, girl.”
I held up one hand. “Wait.” And ran the second ten pounds back over to my Jag. I didn’t trust her, bargain or not. The Elder Fae knew how to twist words in uncannily astute ways.
When I returned, I walked past her to the diner. “Can you clear the spirits from this place? This is the first task.” As I yanked the freshly boarded-up door open, a soft yawn echoed from within. The ghosts were waiting. I could feel them circling within.
Ivana gazed at the open mouth of the building, and then with a deep laugh, she motioned for me to follow her. “Come,
Vampyr
. You will perhaps learn a thing or two. Time to earn my meat.”
Vampyr
. You will perhaps learn a thing or two. Time to earn my meat.”
We entered the building and I could have sworn I heard a rumble from deep in the basement. I wished Camille and Morio were here. Or Smoky. Smoky would be good. Not much could affect my dragon brother-in-law, and I could trust
him
. Unlike the freak show in front of me right now.
him
. Unlike the freak show in front of me right now.
My feet made no sounds, but Ivana, three steps ahead of me, was stomping across the floor as if she owned the joint. She muttered something under her breath and held out one hand. In the sliver of light from the street, I saw a silver branch appear in her palm, about three feet long and looking for all the world like a tree branch. It glistened, and I realized I was seeing the glow emanating from it, rather than just the sparkle of the metal. Instinctively, I stopped in my tracks. Silver: not so nice for vampires. But my Fae heritage loved it, and I wished, for the hundredth time, that I could still reach out and hold it in my hands.
“What’s that?” I cautiously circled away from Ivana.
“Bah. You are
Vampyr
. You do not use silver.” She waved me away.
Vampyr
. You do not use silver.” She waved me away.
“I used to. I am half-Fae on my father’s side. But you’re right, I don’t use silver anymore.” I glanced at the counter as I backed into it.
“This,” Ivana continued as if I hadn’t spoken, “is my special friend. You do not touch it or you will burn yourself, yes? Because of the fangs and the death? Vampires burn when they touch silver because they are of the undead.”
“Yes, we do.” I was getting tired of discussing the reason I couldn’t touch silver and wanted to change the subject, but she was leading this gig and once again:
Elder Fae.
Anger at your own risk.
Elder Fae.
Anger at your own risk.
“This, my bloodthirsty friend—and what makes you so self-righteous about my eating bright meat when you drink blood?—as I was saying, this will help me rout your unwelcome friends. These spirits are thick and greedy, angry and hateful. They belong in the bogs, not in the city. They are a strong lot and I can put them to use.”
Put them to use?
“What do you mean? You
keep
them? What the hell do you do with angry ghosts?” I stared at her, both appalled and oddly impressed. The Maiden of Karask was a piece of work, all right. But then, the Elder Fae never worried about what others thought of them. They didn’t need to.
keep
them? What the hell do you do with angry ghosts?” I stared at her, both appalled and oddly impressed. The Maiden of Karask was a piece of work, all right. But then, the Elder Fae never worried about what others thought of them. They didn’t need to.
“I harvest them, yes, and fill my swamp. They sing to me at night, of their pain and anger over being trapped by one such as me, and I feed on their angst. While it’s not bright meat, it’s a sweet dessert.” She grinned at me and her mouth reminded me of a shark’s, with needle teeth and an almost cartoonish grin—a vacant smile, hungry and searching. I could all too easily see her gnawing on someone’s hand, or foot.
I tried not to think about the spirits, already miserable and hateful, trapped in one of the Elder Fae’s gardens, used as a feeding source. It occurred to me that I was basically handing them over for enslavement, but then again, it would get them out of the city and I really didn’t want Camille coming out here, trying to dispel them. And she would . . . with or without Morio.
Ivana gave me a long look. I just nodded. She seemed to like that, and as she turned toward the end of the diner, she started to grow taller. The ratty hair took on a life of its own and came alive, like serpents, hissing. Her teeth lengthened, now glistening sharp bone blades, and the nubbin of nose vanished. I gazed up at her eyes. The pupils had vanished, and now an abyss of ocean waves crashed against the shore. She rolled her head back and the asps making up her dreadlocks rose up, hissing. Raising her staff, she let out a low growl.
What the fuck?
Though I’d heard that the Elder Fae seldom showed their true forms, I wasn’t sure just how different they could be. This was on par with Morio’s demonic form compared to his human one.
Scary.
Big, and scary.
Though I’d heard that the Elder Fae seldom showed their true forms, I wasn’t sure just how different they could be. This was on par with Morio’s demonic form compared to his human one.
Scary.
Big, and scary.
“Graech wallin ve tarkel. Greach wallin ve merrek. Greach wallin ve sniachlotchke!”
Her voice thundered through the room and the staff sparked.
Her voice thundered through the room and the staff sparked.
A thousand screams answered in unison, their fury caught in a high-pitched resistance. The rising shriek began to hurt my ears and I began to back toward the door, but before I could, a loud flash of light ripped from the staff and shredded the air as an inky portal opened up, through which I could see vague, vaporous forms entering the room.
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