Club Nexus (Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective) (8 page)

The source of my fury was standing dead ahead.

“Ah, Puck,” I said, raising an eyebrow as I made a show of
taking in my surroundings.  “I thought you might be up to your old tricks.  Catering
to the bloodsuckers now, I see.”

“Everyone has needs,” Puck said with a shrug.  The faerie
smiled wide, but no sign of levity reached his calculating eyes.  “And the
undead have deep pockets.  You can’t blame a guy for trying to make a living.”

I lifted a handkerchief to my nose and grimaced, maintaining
my grip on the sword cane with my right hand.  A weak, rattling, whimper rose
from a nearby room and I hurried on.  Vampires could move quickly and it
sounded as if the Southern vamp was not a man of restraint.

If I didn’t finish my business with Puck swiftly, the human
source of those cries would be beyond my ability to render assistance.  My mind
conjured the image of a vampire sinking his fangs into pale skin decorated by a
familiar rose tattoo, the phantom likeness juxtaposed with the soundtrack of pained
whimpers, and heat raced through my veins.

“But I do blame you, indubitably,” I said.  “You have placed
someone I care for in harm’s way and I intend to seek suitable retribution.”

“Come now, Forneus,” Puck said, spreading his hands wide. 
“I’m sure we can come to a friendly arrangement.”

I shook my head.

“I do believe we are beyond negotiating,” I said, tossing
the handkerchief over my shoulder.  I shifted my cane into my left hand and
lifted my right, allowing flame to dance along my fingers.  “You see, Puck,
there is an aggravating factor, a detail which makes your action particularly
injurious to me, personally.  But perhaps you could sway my verdict with a plea
bargain.”

I might be satisfied if the trickster provided enough
information, and begged sufficiently.

“Playing at judge, jury, and executioner?” he asked. 
“That’s not like you, Forneus.  Heck, I didn’t think you had the balls.  Good
for you.”

As Puck said the last, his eyes held my own, but his hand
slid toward his pocket.  Whether he was going for a weapon, or attempting to
call for backup, our discussion was evidently over.  I started to flick my wrist,
intending to send an onslaught of flame at the trickster’s wandering hand, but
halted the motion as something flew past my shoulder.

I’d been so focused on those I pursued ahead of me that I
hadn’t bothered to turn my attention to what might approach from behind.

I spun on my heel in time to see an enraged, blue-skinned
faerie hurl herself toward Puck.  The trickster’s head snapped up, eyes
widening, as a jeweled dagger descended toward his chest.  This faerie woman,
the bartender from the club if I wasn’t mistaken, obviously intended to kill
the trickster.  I can’t say I could blame her.  The boyish looking man had an
appalling habit of screwing over everyone he encountered.

In a rainbow arc of shining jewels the weapon plunged
downward, but the motion was arrested when a dusty, fanged blur interceded. 
With a snarl, the southern vampire grabbed the bartender’s arm and ripped it
off at the shoulder.  Blood sprayed from the ragged wound, making an unseemly
mess, but the vampire’s intervention was effective.  Puck was unharmed, though
I couldn’t say the same for his clothing.

Unfortunately, the sight of so much blood pushed the vampire
into a feeding frenzy.  The vampire’s fangs elongated further and, with a
growl, he latched himself onto the woman’s neck.

“Stop this at once!” I demanded.  “Puck, this has gone too
far.  She’s a faerie, one of your own kind.”

Puck rocked his head back and laughed.

“One of my kind?” he asked.  He stepped closer to where the
vampire feasted on the injured faerie woman.  “She’s an Unseelie, one of Mab’s
brood.  Their kind aren’t worth saving.”

“This is against club rules and Vampire Law,” I said,
attempting one last time to appeal to reason.  “Stop this and give up this
wretched game of yours.”

“No, Forneus, I’m having too much fun to close down my
little Bite Club,” Puck said.  “Our activities are profitable, and I provide a
much needed service to the vampire community.  Isn’t that right, Cyrus?”

The vampire paused at his name, but soon continued to suckle
at the faerie’s neck, holding her upright in a parody of a lover’s embrace. 
The winter faerie’s blue skin made it difficult to tell if she was still alive,
but the loss of blood from the missing limb, and the vampire latched onto her
neck like an engorged tick, would kill her soon if it hadn’t already.  This had
to be stopped.

Once again I began to flick my wrist and once again the
faerie woman interceded.  Silver flashed in the dim light and a blue hand
thrust upward, striking Puck in the chest.  The makeshift weapon, an ice pick
if I wasn’t mistaken, was driven deeply as the faerie smiled.

Apparently, the woman was alive, after all.

“I did as you asked, my queen,” she rasped.

I didn’t have time to ponder those words, though I planned
to investigate the matter further as soon as the opportunity arose.  Whether
Mab walked the mortal world was a detail worth knowing.

Puck fell to the floor, the ice pick standing from his chest
like a flagpole.  At Puck’s apparent demise, the vampire shrieked and tore at
the faerie woman’s clothing.  I shook my head and grimaced as skin and fabric
began to shred into streamers of bloody confetti.

 “You really shouldn’t play with your food,” I said.  “It’s
ghastly manners.”

Flame danced along my fingers and I raised my arm toward the
vampire.  Fire was one of the few ways to deal with the undead, and it was
something I had in abundance.

The sound of heavy breathing registered just as I smelled
Jinx’s unique scent.  She ran into the room, a loaded crossbow held at the
ready.  She aimed the bow at me, but wavered as she took in the grisly scene.

What the devil?

“Move away from the girl, douchebag,” she said, shifting her
aim to the vampire.

Cyrus let the drained faerie’s corpse drop to the floor,
tossing it aside like a sack of rubbish.  Jinx blanched at the sight of the
vampire’s blood-smeared face, but kept her eyes focused steadily on his gore-covered
chin—clever girl.  She may be impetuous, but at least she had the wherewithal
to avoid the vampire’s mesmeric gaze.

I might have been pleased by her sudden appearance if she
hadn’t placed herself unmistakably in harm’s way.  Aiming one’s weapon,
especially one filled with pointy objects, at a blood-crazed predator was not
generally looked upon as a wise course of action.  Not unless you struck
without hesitation.

“Might I suggest stepping aside?” I asked, hoping she’d take
my advice.  Jinx stood squarely in my way.  I couldn’t unleash the flames in my
grasp without risking her safety.

The vampire, Cyrus, held himself completely still, head
tilted as he sized up the situation.  Unless Jinx had brought an army of
Hunters as backup, we were running out of time.  Soon the vampire would discern
that, except for a basement full of corpses, we were quite alone.  I could not
use fire as a weapon without striking Jinx and she stood too close to the
vampire to get off more than one shot with her crossbow.

That made Jinx easy prey.

In a blur of movement, the vampire snarled and rushed toward
Jinx, razor tipped fingers extended like claws.  I spun to the right and
propelled myself forward, hoping to close the distance and intercede before the
vampire reached his target.

I heard the twang of a bowstring a mere second before a
stain blossomed on the vampire’s chest.  It was an admirable shot, the crossbow
bolt going straight through the heart, but the bolt must not have been made of
wood.  The vampire continued moving forward.

Heart pounding, I lunged, pushed Jinx aside, and rammed the
shaft of my walking stick through the vampire’s chest.  In this case, the
walking stick was more effective than the sword it encased.  A wooden stake, or
rather my wooden walking stick, causes paralysis when driven through the heart
of a vampire.  My sword would have done nothing more than anger the creature.

Now the vampire was pinned to the floor like a ghoulish
specimen.  I had no idea what to do with the man, but such decisions could
wait.  Cyrus wouldn’t be going anywhere soon.  The vampire would keep.

Instead, I rushed to where Jinx leaned against a nearby
wall.  I’d pushed her away from the vampire as gently as I could, but I was a
demon filled with the hum of immense ley line power.  Jinx was strong, but she
was human.  I hoped she hadn’t sustained any serious injuries while I’d
dispatched her opponent.

“Are you alright?”  I asked.

Jinx shook her head, smiled ruefully, and pushed herself
away from the wall.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she said.  She gestured toward the faerie
woman’s corpse at our feet.  “But I can’t say the same for her.  We need to get
her to a hospital.”

The faerie woman was beyond the services of any medical
institution, I’d noted the moment when her heart had ceased to beat, but I made
a show of checking her pulse.  No sense reminding Jinx of how very different we
were from each other.  I could share my ability to feel the transcendence of a
soul from the flesh in a later conversation—if there was a later.  I just hoped
that she had come to the realization that I’d had no part in Puck’s blood
sport.

“I’m sorry, my dear,” I said.  “She’s dead.”

Jinx flashed a pained look, but covered it quickly.  She
nodded and continued to take in the grisly scene.

“And him?” she asked, pointing toward the vampire, my
walking stick holding him immobile.

“Oh, he is still very much alive…as alive as any undead
creature ever really is,” I said, moving toward the vampire.

I smelt the layers of death on him.  This one had taken
hundreds of lives, and reveled in it.

“You’ve been a very naughty boy,” I said, staring down at
the vampire.  “I’m sure the Vampire Council will be interested to learn of your
arrogant disregard for the law.”

His eyes flicked toward an open door and I turned to see a young
girl hanging from the wall, her wrists shackled to the stone.  Ribbons of flesh
dangled from her naked body where it hung beside a table of sharp instruments. 
The girl had been tortured and then drained of blood.

I grimaced, walked stiffly to the room, and closed the
door.  The girl was beyond saving, her life already expired, but perhaps I
could shield Jinx from witnessing such horror.

“Yes, the council will be very interested indeed,” I said. 
“Too bad they won’t have a chance to punish you for your crimes.”

Flame danced along my fingers as I walked back to where the
vampire lay impaled by my walking stick.

“Say hello to Lucifer for me,” I said, letting my lips curl
in a grin.  “I’m sure the two of you will soon be well acquainted.”

I pulled my walking stick from his heart and placed a fiery
hand on his chest.  The vampire immediately caught fire, burning to ash within
seconds.

I stood and brushed dust and ash from my hand, slipped the
glove from my waistcoat pocket, and tugged it on.  I took my time, afraid to
see the judgment waiting in Jinx’s eyes.  I’d made my decision to terminate the
vampire when I smelt his ecstasy in the room where the tortured girl still
hung.  A rogue vampire would never change, only becoming more twisted over
time, but Jinx may not know that.  All she’d seen was a demon burn a man alive.

How could she possibly accept me after witnessing such a
gruesome sight?

I sighed, raking a hand through my hair.  Might as well get
on with it, I noted grimly.  I pasted a smile on my face and spun around,
hoping to make light of the situation, but Jinx wasn’t scowling in disgust or
wringing her hands.  I relaxed as a slow smile spread across her face.

 “Thank you,” she said.

Jinx stepped into my arms and tilted her head back to look
me in the eye.

“For what?” I asked, dumbfounded.  For once, I, the great
Forneus, Great Marquis of Hell, was at a loss for words.

“For killing that creature, for looking out for me, for saving
my life,” she said.

Jinx reached up to touch my face, her fingers tracing my
lips, my jaw, and down my neck.  Her lingering touch was excruciatingly tender. 
I sucked in a breath, afraid to move for fear of breaking the spell that
granted me my innermost desire.

She raised an eyebrow and I struggled to think of an
appropriate response.  But my body didn’t want to reply with words.

“I am always at your service,” I said softly, leaning
closer.  “If you will have me.”

Jinx lifted herself onto tiptoe, closing the distance
between us.

“Yes, Forneus, I will,” she said, lips brushing mine.

I groaned as she tilted her head, slanting her mouth across
my own.  I ran my hands over her bare shoulders, fingers tracing the tattooed
skin.  They continued their descent down her back, pulling her closer.  Her
lips parted, and our kiss deepened. 
Oh, great Lucifer, yes!
  I could
spend eternity kissing Jinx.

Too bad her friends chose that moment to interrupt.

Ivy and Torn rushed into the room, yelling for Jinx and
brandishing weapons.  As Jinx and I parted—eyes glassy and skin flushed, I
daresay—her friends took in the crumpled bodies of Puck, the Unseelie
bartender, and the vampire-shaped pile of ash.

Ivy’s eyes darted around the room, finally landing on her
friend.

“Are you okay?” Ivy asked.

Jinx blinked and slowly nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said.  “Thanks to Forneus.  You were
right about Puck.  The guy was an asshat.  I didn’t catch all the details, but
I’m pretty sure he was drugging and selling girls to sicko vamps who got off on
torture.”  She bit her lip and flicked her eyes my way.  “I saw that girl…hanging
in the other room, but I appreciate what you tried to do.”