Bloodlust (7 page)

“Sounds great,” I said into his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“You got it, Mack Attack. But we should come up with a code word first, you know. In case your, no doubt, evil twin shows up and pretends to be you. Then you can warn me and I can run away in time.”

I grinned. “Beedebopdelooolah.”

Chapter Seven

Unburdening myself to Alex had a remarkably cathartic effect. Now that there was someone else who knew all the book’s secrets, I no longer felt I was alone. I was nigglingly aware of Solus and the way he had repeatedly urged me to get around to reading the translation but, after his role in forcing me to become head of the council, I wasn’t convinced that I wanted to sit around discussing my life and all its possibilities with him. I had to admit, even to myself, that the twin thing had me rather fazed. To quote the book directly, it had stated that the ‘majority of Draco Wyr’ were born as twins. So that didn’t necessarily mean it was true in my case. The fact I had no knowledge or memory of anything even remotely sibling related made me think I could be one of the exceptions to the rule. Of course, I had no knowledge or memory of a father either. Let’s face it, there definitely had to have been someone in that role at some point, no matter how fleeting their, er, physical presence had been. However, in the absence of anything or anyone to prove or disprove the twin theory, I had no option right now but to completely ignore it. Perhaps if there wasn’t the increasingly frustrating case of Endor to deal with, then I might have considered devoting some time towards investigating it further. As it was, I really did have bigger fish to fry.

Leaving Alex at the gates of the hospital, with strict instructions to look into getting hold of large quantities of palladium as a matter of extreme urgency, I headed for home. I decided to check in briefly at Clava Books, then take a nap. Once darkness fell, I’d venture out on the streets when all the real nasties were around. Even if I didn’t bump into anyone darkly evil enough to know where Endor might be, beating a few of the less desirable members of the Otherworld up would at least give me something to do, and feed my burgeoning desire for action. The pathetic fight with the shifters just hadn’t cut it.

When I finally stepped off the train at my home station and trotted down the steps onto the busy little shopping thoroughfare, the light in the sky was already starting to dim. I wended my way towards the little bookshop, humming the same tune that Alex and I had created, then dodged out of the path of a small child clutching a melting ice-cream and staring up at me with huge shocked eyes. I grinned at him, trying to be friendly, but his face crumpled and he started to wail. His mother yanked his arm, pulling him away, and sent me a vicious look. Tingles of irritated bloodfire prickled at my skin. And then at the back of my neck. I almost stopped and turned around but managed to catch myself just in time. Someone, or something, was following me. Please let it be Endor, I silently prayed. The first time I’d ever met him had been around this area so it wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility that he’d be stupid enough to come back. Please, please, please.

   Without breaking my stride, I turned right rather than continuing forward. I needed to draw whoever it was away from the bookshop and instead to somewhere more secluded where I could confront them. If I’d been right about my eyes glowing earlier, then perhaps I was ripe to transform into a dragon again. I didn’t want to; I was still terrified about what I could become inside when that happened - especially in this crowded little borough of London. Goodness only knew what the result might be. However, if I had no other choice…I set my mouth into a grim line. Bring it on.

I reached into my back pocket and brought out the letter from Alex, halting for a moment and pretending to study it. It was hardly a sophisticated move, but I’d have to hope that Endor had enough of a hard-on to come and attack me to not suspect anything untoward. I let it drop, exclaiming overtly loud irritation, then bent down to scoop it up, carefully watching the side mirror of a nearby parked car as I did so. I was completely baffled by what I saw. Apparently I was being tracked by a giant penguin. Okaydokey. Either it was some new kind of Otherworld creature that I’d not yet come across, or I was going completely crazy.

Abandoning my more cautious instincts, I glanced over my shoulder. The penguin, trying to conceal itself from my sight, immediately shoved its body in a particularly ungainly fashion into a doorway. Its beak and protruding stomach were still clearly visible. There was no way that this was going to end up being the elusive Endor. I turned my head to the front again, as if to continue my amble, and took a few steps. Then I pivoted around, just in time to see the penguin suddenly waddling in an alarmed fashion to the side of the pavement and ungracefully falling over onto its back.

I stalked over to it, and kicked its large soft stomach. “What’s the fucking deal? Who are you and why are you following me?”

“Mmmmph,” it said.

I kicked it again. The penguin rolled left and then right, in an apparent bid to try to get back up again. Its webbed orange feet flapped helplessly in the air.

“Mmmmph,” it repeated.

I rolled my eyes and moved over to the thing’s head, pulling it by the beak until the head came off and the face underneath was revealed. When I saw who it was, I stared down in exasperation.  

“What the fuck are you doing, Aubrey?”  

“Hi, Mack.” The ex-vampire grinned up at me weakly.

I shook my head, placing my hands on my hips and watching him continue to twist around to try and get back onto his feet. Eventually I got bored of his attempts and stuck out a hand, pulling him up.

“Thanks,” he chirped out.

“I’ll say it again. What the fuck are you doing?”

He appeared momentarily nonplussed. “Well, following you, of course.”

I frowned in annoyance. “That much I worked out. Why?”

“Because you’re big and strong and can protect me. Well, you’re not big, but you’re strong. I thought that maybe if I just stuck close to you then no-one would attack me because they’d be too worried about you. I didn’t think you’d notice me.”

“You’re a bloody idiot,” I hissed. “You’re dressed like a giant furry cartoon character who’d be better handing out leaflets in the street. How the fuck could I not notice you?”

A hurt look crossed his face. “It protects me from the sun.”

“The sun’s not going to hurt you, Aubrey. Newsflash: you’re not a vampire anymore.”

“I needed a disguise,” he whined. “They’re trying to track me down, Mack.” He clutched at my hand with his large fluffy wings. “You can’t let them take me. You can’t!” Clearly the past few days of alone time hadn’t done much to rid him of his self-induced petulance.

I yanked my hand away. “You mean the vamps,” I said flatly.

“Of course, the vamps! Who else?”          

“I’ve got other things to worry about than a bunch of bloodsuckers, Aubrey. Besides, if you go to them then maybe you’ll get your heart’s desire and they’ll change you back.” I smiled at him predatorily. “That way I’ll no longer have any compunction about staking you.”

His bottom lip stuck out. “That’s mean, Mack. If I go back to them, they’ll probably take advantage of the fact that I’m now a human and just bleed me dry. They won’t change me back, they’ll leave me as some kind of dried out husk. Or,” he shuddered, “they’ll lock me away and feed on me whenever it suits them.”

The tone in his voice made me suspect that this was something that had happened before to some poor unsuspecting victims. Probably on his orders. My eyes narrowed. “Perhaps they’ll welcome you back with open arms. The prodigal vampire returns to the bosom of his loving family.”

Aubrey wrapped his wings around himself. “I don’t think they’ll see it like that.”

“Why not?” I was only vaguely curious.

He looked slightly embarrassed. “I wasn’t always very nice.”

I snorted. That was hardly headline material.

“Besides,” he continued, “I thought you wanted me to be human. You know, new life, start afresh, that kind of thing.”

“And I thought you couldn’t think of anything worse and you were desperate to get some of your old buddies to bite you and turn you back.”

“I’m not sure they’re my buddies anymore,” he said in a small voice. He shrugged. “Maybe being human isn’t so bad either.” A glint entered his eyes. “This morning, I had a burger. For breakfast! You wouldn’t believe the taste! The gherkins were sharp but tasty. The patty was full of meaty goodness. The tomatoes were red and juicy…” A dreamy look came over his face. “Red and juicy…”

Okay, that was quite enough of that. Feeling faintly nauseated, I leaned into his face. “Why me, Aubrey? Why do you have to bother me?”

“I thought we were friends! I helped you. At Haughmond Hill. We kicked butt together.”

“Actually, no, we didn’t. Nobody kicked butt.”

“I’m under oath to do whatever you say! I can’t refuse, remember? I can’t even leave your side.”

“Except you’ve been away from my side for the last three days so clearly that particular side-effect has worn off,” I pointed out.

He bounced around. “I got you pizza!”

“You are indispensable,” I said sarcastically.

Aubrey’s head drooped.

I watched him for a moment then, like a mug, I gave in. “Fine,” I said. “But you have to take off that ridiculous outfit.”

“I’ll be recognised! They’ll come and take me away!”

I was really going to regret this. Especially considering the offer I’d had from his old mate back in Alcazon. I imagined myself walking up to the nearest wall and slamming my head into it several times. I sighed deeply.

“Aubrey, if you don’t want to go with them, then I won’t let them take you. All right?”

He peeked up at me, a grin blossoming across his face. “Really?”

“Really.” I cursed myself for being an idiot. I was going to have to make damn sure that nobody else discovered that the vamps would give us info about Endor’s location in return for Aubrey or I’d be laughed out of the council. Sooner or later, his undead ex-friends would find out where he was - and what he was - and there would be shit to pay. It just didn’t seem right though, cold-heartedly handing him over to them, no matter what he’d done to me and mine in the past. Yes, I was a total fuckwit.

“Come on then.”

He jumped up in the air, penguin belly flopping up and down as he did so. “Yay!”

“Where did you get that costume from?”

“Do you really want to know?”

I considered. Actually… “No.”

He bent over and picked the bird head up, and shoved it back on again. Then he hooked his wing around my shoulder and we began walking, very slowly, heading out onto the main street. A man in a penguin suit and a woman who looked as if she’d gone for five rounds with Mike Tyson. What could be less inconspicuous?

*

The tiny bell hanging above the door of Clava Books signaled our entry. Or rather it signaled my entry, anyway. Aubrey, still clad in full penguin gear as he was, managed to get stuck within the door frame. I had to grab both of his wings in order to squeeze him through and, when I finally did manage to yank him hard enough, he propelled through with such force that he knocked me off my feet and landed sprawled on top of me.

“Feck,” cackled Slim from somewhere above, “and I thought that penguins were flightless.”

My answering remark was lost within the soft downy fur of the costume. It was probably just as well.

“Goodness me!” I heard Mrs. Alcoon exclaim. “Is that you, Mackenzie dear?”

I lifted my knees up, managing to push the rather voluminous shape of Aubrey off, and clambered to my feet.

“Hi there,” I said, somewhat anticlimactically.

“That’s not your young man trying to go incognito, is it?”

I was pretty sure Aubrey wasn’t the ‘young man’ Mrs. Alcoon meant when she said that. Not that the idea of Corrigan in a penguin suit didn’t hold a certain kind of odd appeal, however.

“It’s Aubrey,” I answered shortly.

“Aubrey! How wonderful! Where have you been? Are you going to a fancy dress party?”

There was some kind of muffled response from within the confines of Aubrey’s penguin head. I shook my head at the ridiculousness of the entire situation. “He’s trying to hide out from the vampires who have decided that they want him back.”

“Oh dear. They don’t want him back in a good way, do they?”

I snorted. “No. I don’t think they do.”

“What the feck happened to your face then? Lose your temper and attack someone?”

I scowled at the little gargoyle. “I walked into a door.”

He stared at me for a moment, eyes widening, and then his mouth opened in some kind of bizarre wheeze that just seemed to get louder and louder, until I was starting to think that he was choking to death.

“Walked into a door? Walked into a fecking door? The big scary Mack Smith is wandering around with a bruise the size of an elephant on her face because she walked into a door?” He wheezed again.

“Mr. Slim, you are not helping matters.” Mrs. Alcoon peered at me. “Are you alright, dear? Does it hurt?” She reached out to pat me on the arm, and then noticed the cotton wool swab still attached to my skin. “Mackenzie, what is that?” Her voice sounded rather strange.

I raised my eyebrows. “What happened to your concern with my face?”

She jerked her hand in the air. “I was just being nice. Clearly it’s a superficial mark that’s a mere result of your clumsiness.”

I opened my mouth to complain, but she continued on before I could speak. “That thing on your arm is something entirely different.”

“Not really. I just stopped off at the hospital to donate some blood, that’s all.”

I could tell by the tightening around the older woman’s mouth that she disapproved. “And they let you?”

Feeling rather irritated by now, I sounded sharper than I intended to. “Well, they didn’t ask me if I was a dragon first, if that’s what you mean.”

Then I realised what I’d said and cast a quick worried glance down at Aubrey. I’d been trying to keep my Draco Wyr identity secret from him. Just in case he did indeed somehow end up back with the slimy vamps after all. Fortunately, however, he seemed more focused on still trying to push himself to an upright position and didn’t appear to have heard. Although it was difficult to tell considering he still looked like a giant penguin.