Fire Water (8 page)

“Um.” I hesitated. “That's nice of you to offer, but I don't allow magic in my home.”

The old woman froze. “But you're an Adept.” She sounded suspicious, as if she thought I was pulling one over on her.

I crossed my arms. “When I left the covens, I swore off magic of all forms.”

Baba's eyes narrowed and her mouth pursed to the right. “You're serious?”

When I nodded, she made a sound I couldn't interpret. “All right,” she said slowly. “But I'm not talking about cooking any of them dirty potions or whatever. Just smudging the house with sage.”

I shook my head. “It's still ceremonial magic. Like I said, I appreciate it, though.”

“Suit yourself.” She shrugged. She didn't sound offended so much as amused and a little patronizing. She turned to Danny. “Hey, kiddo, you want to come see my witch garden?”

He nodded eagerly.

The old woman looked to me. “That okay?”

I paused. I knew she was asking if hanging out in her garden broke my no-magic rule. It felt like a test. If I refused, she'd declare me one of those neurotic parents who kept their kids in a metaphorical bubble. “Go ahead,” I said finally. Having the kiddo out of my hair for an hour or so would allow me to make some headway on unpacking. Plus, a garden full of herbs wasn't exactly the same as feeding him a magic potion. “Just be back by supper.” I looked at Baba. “We're ordering pizza to celebrate. You want to join us?”

The woman's face cleared and she smiled. I passed the test. “Absolutely.”

I wasn't sure what it was exactly, but she seemed relieved. Could it be that my witch neighbor had been feeling a little too solitary?

After the pair left hand in hand, Pen came to join me at the door to watch them go. “She's quite a character.”

I blew out a breath. “Leave it to me to end up next to a witch.”

Pen laughed. “There are worse sorts of neighbors.”

Recalling the potion freaks who'd lived next door to us in the apartment building, I nodded. “No shit.”

For the next hour or so Pen and I worked together to get the basics of unpacking handled. We were just finishing making Danny's bed in the upstairs guest bedroom when a male voice echoed through the house. Pen shot me a curious look as I turned to go check out the new arrival.

When I walked into the living room, I found Cap'n limping through my new kitchen. He saw me and paused beside the table.

He leaned heavily on a cane, and his right arm was in a sling. “Looks like you're moving up in the world.”

I laughed. “And you look like you got your ass kicked.”

He shrugged. “Just a little run-in with some potion cooks.”

I smiled at him. “How ya doing, Cap'n?”

“Didn't you hear? I'm officially a free man.”

“Good for you.”

He nodded. “All things considered, Chief gave me credit for the final day of my service.” A dimple appeared in his cheek.

“How do you feel about that?” I asked carefully.

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Pretty damned good, actually. In addition to the pension, I'm looking at a nice little settlement for my injuries.”

I nodded because I'd been contacted by my union rep about my own settlement. It would be enough to cover my medical bills, as well as help with the down payment on Meadowlake for Danny.

“Wow, Cap'n. It's like the end of an era.”

He shifted on his good foot, as if to alleviate pain. “I'm leaving tomorrow for Montana.”

My eyes widened. “So soon? I can't believe you're ready to walk away so fast.”

“And never look back. This place has been home to every tragedy in my life, Kate. It's time for a fresh start.”

“Fresh starts are good.” I found it ironic that my own new beginning was leading me down the same path Cap'n was so eager to abandon.

“Don't look so sad, Prospero. A lot of good things happened here for me, too. And I wouldn't trade a single heartbreak or happiness. It's just time for me to close this chapter.”

I nodded because emotion was clogging my throat. He limped forward.

“You got big things ahead of you. And I have no doubt you'll make your mark on this city.” His lips twisted into a wry smile. “I mean, besides setting the river on fire.”

A shocked laugh escaped my lips but I quickly sobered. “Keep in touch, okay?”

“I will as long as you promise not to step foot on a river patrol boat again.”

Lips twitching, I saluted him. “Yes, sir.”

Before I could brace myself, he pulled me into a gruff hug. When he pulled back, his eyes were red-rimmed and shiny with tears. “Take care of yourself, kid.”

With that, Captain Smiley turned and limped away with his head held high. I watched him go with mixed emotions. On one hand, I was sad I'd probably never see him again. But on the other, I felt hopeful for both of us. He was about to embark on a new adventure that would allow him to get some much-needed rest and relaxation. And I was starting on a journey that would be neither relaxing nor restful, but would damned sure be an adventure.

“Kate?” Pen called from the door to Danny's bedroom. “You okay?”

I turned to look at my best friend. I couldn't blame her for her question, considering I had tears leaking from my eyes.

Just then the door banged open and Danny ran into the room. Baba followed him at a more leisurely pace, an indulgent grin on her lips. “Kate! I got these for you!” He had a clump of wilted daisies in his grimy fist.

I accepted the offering as he barreled into me for a hug. I wrapped my arms around the kid, inhaling the earthy aroma of dirt and the starchy sweat from his skin. And I knew that from that moment on I'd associate that scent with happiness.

“You know what?” I said, looking at Pen over his head. “I think we're gonna be way more than okay.”

Pen crossed her arms and leaned against the doorjamb. “In that case, I think this calls for a celebration.”

Danny pulled back. “Pizza!”

With that, my best friend, my little brother, my new neighbor, and I gathered in the kitchen to debate the merits of toppings. Looking around at all of them, I couldn't help but feel like the luckiest chick in the world. Even though Baba was a new addition to the group, she already felt like family. Granted, ours wasn't a traditional family, but considering I was an Adept who'd grown up in a dirty magic coven who had just been sworn in as a cop, I'd never done anything the normal way.

Yeah, I decided, our fortunes had definitely taken a turn for the better. From now on, I would leave the past where it belonged and focus on the future, which was looking brighter every day.

Photo Credit: Emily Tirado

Raised in Texas,
USA Today
bestseller Jaye Wells grew up reading everything she could get her hands on. Her penchant for daydreaming was often noted by frustrated teachers. She embarked on a series of random career paths, including stints working for a motivational speaker and at an art museum. Jaye eventually realized that while she loved writing, she found facts boring. So she left all that behind to indulge her overactive imagination and make stuff up for a living. Besides writing, she enjoys travel, art, history, and researching weird and arcane subjects. She lives in Texas with her saintly husband and devilish son. Find out more about Jaye Wells at www.jayewells.com.

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D
igging graves is hell on a manicure, but I was taught good vampires clean up after every meal. So I ignored the chipped onyx polish. I ignored the dirt caked under my nails. I ignored my palms, rubbed raw and blistering. And when a snapping twig announced David's arrival, I ignored him too.

He said nothing, just stood off behind a thicket of trees waiting for me to acknowledge him. Despite his silence, I could feel hot waves of disapproval flying in my direction.

At last, the final scoop of earth fell onto the grave. Stalling, I leaned on the shovel handle and restored order to my hair. Next I brushed flecks of dirt from my cashmere sweater. Not the first choice of digging attire for some, but I always believed manual labor was no excuse for sloppiness. Besides, the sweater was black, so it went well with the haphazard funerary rites.

The Harvest Moon, a glowing orange sphere, still loomed in the sky. Plenty of time before sunrise. In the distance, traffic hummed like white noise in the City of Angels. I took a moment to appreciate the calm.

Memory of the phone call from my grandmother intruded. When she told me the target of my latest assignment, an icy chill spread through my veins. I'd almost hung up, unable to believe what she was asking me to do. But when she told me David was working with Clovis Trakiya, white-hot anger replaced the chill. I called up that anger now to spur my resolve. I clenched my teeth and ignored the cold stone sitting in my stomach. My own feelings about David were irrelevant now. The minute he decided to work with one of the Dominae's enemies—a glorified cult leader who wanted to overthrow their power—he'd signed his death warrant.

Unable to put it off any longer, I turned to him. “What's up?”

David stalked out of his hiding place, a frown marring the perfect planes of his face. “Do you want to tell me why you're burying a body?”

“Who, me?” I asked, tossing the shovel to the ground. My palms were already healing. I wish I could say the same for my guilty conscience. If David thought I should apologize for feeding from a human, I didn't want to know what he was going to say in about five minutes.

“Cut the shit, Sabina. You've been hunting again.” His eyes glowed with accusation. “What happened to the synthetic blood I gave you?”

“That stuff tastes like shit,” I said. “It's like nonalcoholic beer. What's the point?”

“Regardless, it's wrong to feed from humans.”

It's also wrong to betray your race, I thought. If there was one thing about David that always got my back up, it was his holier-than-thou attitude. Where were his morals when he made the decision to sell out?

Keep it together, Sabina. It will all be over in a few minutes.

“Oh, come on. It was just a stupid drug dealer,” I said, forcing myself to keep up the banter. “If it makes you feel any better, he was selling to kids.”

David crossed his arms and said nothing.

“Though I have to say nothing beats Type O mixed with a little cannabis.”

A muscle worked in David's jaw. “You're stoned?”

“Not really,” I said. “Though I do have a strange craving for pizza. Extra garlic.”

He took a deep breath. “What am I going to do with you?” His lips quirked despite his harsh tone.

“First of all, no more lectures. We're vampires, David. Mortal codes of good and evil don't apply to us.”

He arched a brow. “Don't they?”

“Whatever,” I said. “Can we just skip the philosophical debates for once?”

He shook his head. “Okay then, why don't you tell me why we're meeting way out here?”

Heaving a deep sigh, I pulled my weapon. David's eyes widened as I aimed the custom-made pistol between them.

His eyes pivoted from the gun to me. I hoped he didn't notice the slight tremor in my hands.

“I should have known when you called me,” he said. “You never do that.”

“Aren't you going to ask me why?” His calm unsettled me.

“I know why.” He crossed his arms and regarded me closely. “The question is, do you?”

My eye twitched. “I know enough. How could you betray the Dominae?”

He didn't flinch. “One of these days your blind obedience to the Dominae is going to be your downfall.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don't waste your final words on another lecture.”

He lunged before the last word left my lips. He plowed into me, knocking the breath out of my chest and the gun from my hand. We landed in a tangle of limbs on the fresh grave. Dirt and fists flew as we each struggled to gain advantage. He grabbed my hair and whacked my head into the dirt. Soil tunneled up my nose and rage blurred my vision.

My hands curled into claws and dug into his eyes. Distracted by pain, he covered them with his palms. Gaining the advantage fueled my adrenaline as I flipped him onto his back. My knees straddled his hips, and I belted him in the nose with the base of my hand. Blood spurted from his nostrils, streaking his lips and chin.

“Bitch!” Like an animal, he sank his fangs into the fleshy part of my palm. I shrieked, backhanding him across the cheek with my uninjured hand. He growled and shoved me. I flew back several feet, landing on my ass with a thud.

Before I could catch my breath, his weight pinned me down again. Only this time, my gun stared back at me with its unblinking eye.

“How does it feel, Sabina?” His face was close to mine as he whispered. His breath stunk of blood and fury. “How does it feel to be on the other end of the gun?”

“It sucks, actually.” Despite my tough talk, my heart hammered against my ribs. I glanced to the right and saw the shovel I'd used earlier lying about five feet away. “Listen—”

“Shut up.” His eyes were wild. “You know what the worst part is? I came here tonight to come clean with you. Was going to warn you about the Dominae and Clovis—”

“Warn me?”

David jammed the cold steel into my skull—tattooing me with his rage. “That's the irony isn't it? Do you even know what's at stake here?” He cocked the hammer. Obviously, the question had been rhetorical.

One second, two, ticked by before the sound of flapping wings and a loud hoot filled the clearing. David glanced away, distracted. I punched him in the throat. He fell back, gasping and sputtering. I hauled ass to the shovel.

Time slowed. Spinning, I slashed the shovel in a wide arc. A bullet ricocheted off the metal, causing a spark. David pulled himself up to shoot again, but I lunged forward, swinging like Babe Ruth. The metal hit David's skull with a sickening thud. He collapsed in a heap.

He wouldn't stay down long. I grabbed the gun from his limp hand and aimed it at his chest.

I was about to pull the trigger when his eyes crept open. “Sabina.”

He lay on the ground, covered in blood and dirt. The goose egg on his forehead was already losing its mass. Knowledge of the inevitable filled his gaze. I paused, watching him.

At one time, I'd looked up to this male, counted him as a friend. And now he'd betrayed everything I held sacred by selling out to the enemy. I hated him for his treachery. I hated the Dominae for choosing me as executioner. But most of all, I hated myself for what I was about to do.

He raised a hand toward me—imploring me to listen. My insides felt coated in acid as I watched him struggle to sit up.

“Don't trust—”

His final words were lost in the gun's blast. David's body exploded into flames, caused by the metaphysical friction of his soul leaving his flesh.

My whole body spasmed. The heat from the fire couldn't stop the shaking in my limbs. Collapsing to the dirt, I wiped a quivering hand down my face.

The gun felt like a branding iron in my hand. I dropped it, but my hand still throbbed. A moment later, I changed my mind and picked it up again. Pulling out the clip, I removed one of the bullets. Holding one up for inspection, I wondered what David felt when the casing exploded and a dose of the toxic juice robbed him of his immortality.

I glanced over at the smoldering pile that was once my friend. Had he suffered? Or did death bring instant relief from the burdens of immortality? Or had I just damned his soul to a worse fate? I shook myself. His work here was done. Mine wasn't.

My shirt was caked with smears of soot, dirt, and drying blood—David's blood mixed with mine. I sucked in a lungful of air, hoping to ease the tightness in my chest.

The fire had died, leaving a charred, smoking mass of ash and bone.
Great,
I thought,
now I have to dig another grave.

I used the shovel to pull myself up. A blur of white flew through the clearing. The owl called out again before flying over the trees. I stilled, wondering if I was hearing things. It called again and this time I was sure it screeched, “Sabina.”

Maybe the smoke and fatigue were playing tricks on me. Maybe it had really said my name. I wasn't sure, but I didn't have time to worry about that. I had a body to bury.

As I dug in, my eyes started to sting. I tried to convince myself it was merely a reaction to the smoke, but a voice in my head whispered “guilt.” With ruthless determination, I shoved my conscience down, compressing it into a tiny knot and shoving it into a dark corner of myself. Maybe later I'd pull it out and examine it. Or maybe not.

Good assassins dispose of problems without remorse. Even if the problem was a friend.