Circle of Death (5 page)

“Are you going to introduce him to us tomorrow? Because, seriously, you should have done that the day he moved in.” There was only one way to understand what she meant.

“Alice!” I tried to sound serious but I knew she could hear the laughter in my voice.

“Sorry. Tall, dark and dangerous, you know…”

“Yes, I know.” And she had no idea of how well I knew that. I shook my head, wondering if I should tell her that he was a vampire, but that would probably just make Alice get even more interested. She was crazy like that, and I needed to change the subject. “Anyway, did you choose a time for the bonfire?”

“Of course! It will be the opening of the night, at nine, okay?”

“Perfect.”

“See you tomorrow, then! I’m going to rehearse with the guys one more time now.”

“Great! See you tomorrow.”

I hung up smiling, as always happened after I talked to Alice. That girl had an infectious energy and an unbelievable permanent good mood. No one could keep serious around her.

I turned around and saw that Lucio had gone to his bedroom, trying to give me some privacy, even though he had heard every word I said. That reminded me of something else.

“Lucio?” I called, walking to his door.

“Yes?”

It was open, and he was lying on the bed, watching something on the television. I didn’t even try to recognize which show that was, I didn’t watch anything.

“I forgot to mention that the apartment has two phone lines. The one in the living room is the only number that is public. The other one, in my bedroom, is private. I won’t give you the number, and if it ever rings while I’m not here, let it ring. Don’t answer it. Ever.”

He stared at me for a moment, and I thought I could see the surprise in his face. It was the first time I was absolutely serious with him, I realized.

“Okay.” He said, nodding.

I turned to go to my bedroom but hesitated, Alice’s words about introducing Lucio coming to my mind. I
didn’t
plan to introduce him to her, not in the way she meant, but why not invite him?

“If you’re not doing anything tomorrow night, we’ll have a party in the complex. A fire circle, as the guys usually call it.”

And now I was sure that he was surprised.

“You are going, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I’ll sing in the circle, in the beginning of the party”

“Then I’ll go, even if it’s just to watch you sing.” He smiled that breathtaking sincere smile.

I answered his smile with another one, trying to hide how happy I was. Was that only because he had accepted? Why did I care so much about it? I turned again, and was already in my bedroom when he called.

“Kelene.”

I looked back, and he was standing at the door, holding a black ticket.

“I’m going to answer your invitation with another.”

Slowly, carefully, I took the ticket, looking at the name printed in silver letters. Wow. I took a deep breath, deciding that I should be prepared from everything and anything coming from Lucio. That ticket was for a party that would happen on Saturday. The prices had been exorbitant, and I had heard that it was already sold out.

The ticket in my hands was a full one, the kind that would give me access to all areas of the party. I didn’t want to imagine its price.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. Do you accept?”

I glanced at the ticket again, remembering why I had given up going to the party. It was couples-only. But did that matter now? I wouldn’t complain if Lucio were interested, as long as there was no biting involved.

“Of course I accept! I was dying to go to this party!”

“And why wouldn’t you go?”

I smiled. “Your guess is probably right.”

How could someone be so defensive? Kelene’s words, “what do you want, then?”, had caught me completely by surprise. And I could see in her eyes that she truly believed it, that there was always some mercenary reason behind any gesture. What makes a twenty-year-old young woman become so skeptical, so disappointed with people? She had probably gone through much more than I imagined, and had lived through situations she didn’t deserve.

Her invitation, coming after that comment and the warning about the second phone line, was more than unexpected, but something inside me was glad. I had imagined that the residents of the complex would be a tight group, and I was curious about that party. But, more than anything, I wanted to be near Kelene. She fascinated and attracted me, in a way no human had done before. It was strange to find a human woman who knew exactly what I was, understood the risks of being near me, and even then didn’t feel any fear and acted as if I was just another person.

That meant I couldn’t miss the opportunity to answer her invitation with another. I had bought the tickets without knowing if I would find someone to go with me, as I didn’t want to force anyone. What would be the point of going to a couples-only party if I had to keep my date under control the whole time? And suddenly there was Kelene, and I knew she would love that party. If I still breathed I would have held my breath when she took the ticket from my outstretched hand.

“Are you serious?” She seemed surprised.

“Yes. Do you accept?”

“Of course I accept! I was dying to go to this party!” She didn’t even hesitate before answering, catching me by surprise. I was sure she knew it was a party meant for couples.

“And why wouldn’t you go?”

“Your guess is probably right.”

Her words were followed by a slow smile that made the meaning of her words clear. She wouldn’t go because she didn’t have a date. And she had accepted going with me, even though she would rather miss the party than invite someone. I couldn’t contain my smile, surprised again, and more satisfied than I had thought I would be.

The day passed quickly. Kelene had locked herself in the study, preparing for her finals, and I had nothing to do. I needed to go out that night, to hunt and try to find something about the leadership of the Fae there. But where could I start? Belo Horizonte had changed too much since the last time I had been there, even if it still seemed to be the same.

Night was falling, and I was almost ready to leave when the phone rang. Kelene, who was making dinner, answered it and called me. I hesitated before picking it up, not sure I had understood her. Who could be calling me?

“Hello.”

“Lucio.” The female voice was low and had an eerie sound, making it easy to recognize who was on the other side of the line. The Seer.

“Here.”

“Go to the Red Moon club tonight. Someone is looking for you, and he will be there.”

She hang up without bothering to say goodbye after that. For a second I wondered if Seth was already here, but dismissed the idea. When the Witches’ Council pledged themselves to someone they didn’t betray them. I needed to go to the club as fast as I could.

“Kelene, do you know the Red Moon club?”

She grunted, and I assumed she had her mouth full. Smiling, I went to the kitchen door and waited while the finished chewing.

“I know its reputation. It’s an Otherworld’s club.” She said.

“Do you know where it is?”

She sighed. “How well do you know the city?”

“Well enough. The main neighborhoods and avenues, what hasn’t changed in the last fifty years.”

Kelene raised her eyebrows, but didn’t ask the question I could see in her eyes. “If you take the bus it will be easier to get there. It’s in the beginning of Floresta, in the main avenue. It’s easy to find the club, it has a sign with a red crescent moon.”

“Thank you.”

She went back to her food, and I went back to my room to get some weapons. It was unlikely that it would be a trap, but I wouldn’t risk it.

It didn’t surprise me that Kelene knew exactly where the club was. And I had my doubts about her words of knowing only its reputation, after everything I had noticed about her. Her instructions to get there had come too fast. She didn’t need to think about how to explain it. But I didn’t say anything, and was on my way a couple of minutes later.

The address, in the beginning of the Floresta neighborhood, made me think about the irony of the first fully Otherworld’s neighborhood having that name. Forest. It wasn’t true that all of the Otherworld’s races liked to live near nature. Only part of the Fae liked it, but the place already had that name when the Witches’ Council moved in.

The club was easy to spot, just as Kelene had said. The sign was bright red, a huge bloody crescent moon shinning among the other stores, all of them already closed. It was also easy to notice that everyone walking to the Red Moon was from the Otherworld.

The entrance was a long hallway, dimly lit, that started going down after a few feet. Further on it became a walkway that ran along the walls of the place, built to look like a cave. Columns held the very high ceiling, and false stalactites were where lamps were installed. The tables were apparently mounted on stalagmites. In the far back was the bar, a long counter with some stools in front of it. Why did a place that looked like that have a name like Red Moon? It simply didn’t fit.

From the top of the walkway I could see a few empty tables and lively groups, obviously already drunk. There were people from all the major Otherworld groups there – weres in their human forms, vampires, witches, and even some demon half breeds. But, mostly, they were Fae: sidhes, elves, goblins, sprites, pixies, all the most known classes of the Fae were there.

When I reached the end of the walkway I went straight to one of the empty tables I had seen. It wasn’t the first time I was called to a public place like this, any old vampire has been in this situation at least once. Whoever had sent word would come to me when it was safe. I waited for a couple of minutes, and then I saw a sidhe get away from his friends and come in my general direction, obviously drunk and barely able to stand up. Fae’s celebrations… Legend said they had gifted humanity with alcohol, and I didn’t doubt it. The sidhe tripped in front of me and I caught him before he hit the ground. It was as if he had never been drinking at all.

With confident movements, he sat at the table, only then allowing me to see his face. His skin had a bluish tint, like most sidhe, and his eyes, a true golden color and too apart for a human, were perfectly sober. I was surprised to recognize him, but maybe I shouldn’t have been. This sidhe had helped me many times before, in payment for the day I saved his life, centuries ago. I didn’t know for sure what was Avés’ role among the Fae, but I had learned that he were a valuable ally.

“Avés.” I greeted, nodding.

“Lucius. I had been waiting for you.” He answered the greeting, calling me by the name I used when we met.

“How did you know I was in the city?” I couldn’t avoid the question, as the answer could mean that my location had been revealed.

“Lilian Delaro is an old contact of mine. She told me about your presence and about what brings you here. I imagine Seth wasn’t happy when you delivered him to a sect of vampire hunters.” He smiled, showing teeth that were as sharp as a vampire’s fangs, and I was reminded of how much he hated Seth.

“He was loud and clear about it.” I told him, smiling as I remembered. “But what brings you here, Avés?”

“I was passing through.” The evasion wasn’t a surprise. In all those centuries since I had met him, I had never received a direct answer when I asked why he were in the same place as I. “How long have you been in the city?”

“Four days.”

“It can’t be, then... He didn’t have time to track you.” He shook his head before meeting my eyes. “Seth is here, in Belo Horizonte, and asking about you.”

That caught me by surprise. How could he have escaped and tracked me so fast? It wasn’t possible. I knew the humans who had captured him weren’t a match for him when he regained his strength. But that wouldn’t have left him enough time to track me.

“Thinking about it, it seems he doesn’t know you are here. His questions are generic, as if he was just making sure to ask in case someone heard about you.” He continued, to my relief. “Seth is looking for someone else. No one of the Fae will tell him where you are, and he didn’t question the Witches’ Council yet.”

“It could be only a coincidence, then. Who is he searching for?” Maybe that information could be useful, and I might even make sure he found who he wanted, just to see him leave.

Avés looked away for a moment, and I knew he wouldn’t tell me the whole truth. That was part of our unspoken agreement, though, and he would tell me what he could. And it was expected. Seth wouldn’t go there looking for anyone. There had to be something more.

“The fact that he is searching for her isn’t a good sign. He is asking about a mysterious human woman, with no close friends and a unique strength in her eyes.

I carefully hid my surprise. That description shouldn’t mean anything to me, it was too vague, imprecise. But I thought about Kelene as soon as he stopped speaking. She fit it. But why would Seth be searching for her?

“That woman is in danger.” Avés continued. “He is sure she lives here, and that means she was betrayed. She is the only way Seth has to destroy you, Lucius. But if he finds her and turns her, she will be condemned to the worst possible fate.”

“Which means she is in more danger than me.” I sighed, realizing that I would never hand someone to Seth after that warning, even if it cost my existence. Another possibility crossed my mind, even though I would never do that if it meant harming Kelene. “Wouldn’t it be safer to kill her, if she can be the tool to my destruction?

Avés laughed softly, shaking his head. “She is in more danger than anyone else, and she probably knows it. But not even you would be able to kill her. At least not without suffering the consequences, and that would be the end of your existence, anyway.” He stared at me, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve seen her.”

I didn’t answer, I wasn’t sure. How could Kelene be what Seth needed to destroy me? How could he be searching for her? I wanted to believe it wasn’t her, but in the millennia I had existed as a vampire I had only seen that strength in her eyes twice. It was Kelene he was looking for. But what could be the link between them? How could she become a weapon?