Dark Pact Read online

His now-ancient eyes bored into me, and then he laughed. It was a laugh that came from the soul, from the depth of being. This was a good thing—at least it increased my chances of not being eaten, I supposed.

  “I have, indeed. There are many evil spirits poised above the people of this city. Most, I cannot help. They do not wish to be saved. They invite the evil. But those who do not—I help. I take the evil spirits within and allow room for the good spirits to find their home.”

  “That’s a good—”

  He held up a hand. “My story is nearly done, Deana Holliday. Over the years, I have found myself in the company of others like myself—not of this world. It has allowed me to walk my own path, do what I think is best. To do as my Kôhtâwiy would wish me to. I serve more than just the Iyiniwok now, although they are the people of my heart. I have done what I could for them, and I can see my own death. It is time for me to pass on.”

  “Are you sure this is the end for you?” I asked.

  He nodded. “I am. As I told you, my customs are that when a man goes to the spirit world, his possessions must be disbursed of. I heard of your encounter with your aunts in Deadwood.”

  “Does the supernatural world have some kind of newspaper or something?”

  “We have message boards,” Caleb said, sounding like any other man in Los Angeles today. “And we talk. Your aunts are well known, and well-thought of. I am partial to them, although I have never met them. They will protect their land, their tribe—no matter who is in it. And you are a Nightingale.” He regarded me somberly. “That is why I think you will do.”

  “I’ll do for what?” I asked.

  “What do you know of your heritage?” Caleb asked, taking a conversational turn.

  “I’m a Nightingale, and a Holliday, and I’ve studied with my aunts.”

  “I will help you to better understand who you are,” Caleb said.

  A thought occurred to me, harking back to my conversation with Tuesday last night. “Is there more?”

  “More?”

  “More to me than my witch ancestry.”

  He studied me. “There is, although I cannot see what it is.”

  I sighed. “You’re the second person whose mentioned it to me recently.”

  “I will try to help you discover it, and I will also help you find your positive spirit.” Caleb stood up. “I will also help you to prepare for what is coming.” He turned to walk out, the brown bag under his arm.

  “Wait, wait!” I was after him as fast as I could. “This makes no sense!”

  “It will, Deana Holliday. Do not let the evil take up residence in your heart. It is easily welcomed in, and difficult to dislodge.” He was out the door before I could grab him or ask him anything more.

  As he walked away, he shimmered, and then he was gone. What in the hell?

  My first instinct was to call my aunts, but I needed to get through this one my own. They had enough going on without me pestering them at all hours.

  But as I sat down at my desk, and went through the fairly common requests for PIs, I had to wonder just what in the hell I’d signed myself up for without even knowing it.

  In his own way, Caleb was as scary as the vampires.

  Jeez, this wasn’t a good week for me to keep from being eaten. One way or the other—I was surrounded by man eaters. How in the hell would I get out this intact and alive?

  Chapter Six

  The rest of my day was boring. For which I thanked whatever spirits might be lurking around, because I couldn’t take any more excitement like the first two hours. I closed up, and went home to wait for Tuesday to wake up.

  I hoped she’d managed to set up a date for us to meet this Alfonso Delgado, who seemed to be at the root of Kel’s troubles. He was the guy who had sentenced him, he was the guy who’d refused to tell Kel why he was considered guilty, and I had to assume he was the guy who was keeping Lavina away from Kel.

  That was a lot of shit rolled up into one ball of a man. None of which was good for me. Me being around would potentially throw a wrench into all the plans he had in motion, and the whole thing about how easily vampires could kill humans—I remembered Zachary’s casual dismissal of such an event with a shudder—was never far from my thoughts.

  Then I took a breath and stood up straight. I was in my closet, trying to decide what one wore to meet a killer vampire. I mean, one who killed for more than just food. They were hunters—so I needed to look like something other than prey.

  Torn jeans, white tee shirt, several necklaces, including one my aunt Deirdre had given me before I went off to meet a necromancer, boots, and my leather jacket. A fire bag to help me cast a fire spell if I really needed to get the hell out there. I left the jacket on my bed and went down to eat. I wanted to be ready for whatever when Tuesday got up.

  I was nearly finished eating when the sun had just set. Tuesday came into the kitchen so quietly that I didn’t hear her, scaring the bejeesus out of me. “Oh!” I shouted, as she touched my shoulder. “You need to make more noise than that!”

  Tuesday smiled. “You were lost in thought. I could have come in wearing bells, and I’m not sure you would have heard me.”

  I frowned. “It’s been that kind of day. So what’s up?”

  “I know where Delgado will be tonight.”

  “Did you set up a meeting with him?”

  “No. We will go to his club, and he will be unable to resist meeting you.”

  “Why?” I asked, afraid of the answer.

  “Because he knows how I feel about him. And because there is something about you that will draw him in.”

  “Which is?”

  “I told you, there is something in your past that is intriguing. I would love to see your family tree. He will be intrigued, as I am, which will be increased because you are with me, who is his sworn enemy.”

  “Is it safe for you to go there?”

  “I have not been banned, and he is secure enough in his position to not worry. But he will be unable to keep his mouth shut,” Tuesday grinned. “Very full of himself, is Delgado.”

  “No fighting, though, right?”

  She shook her head. “You won’t be the only human there. So no, no fighting.”

  “Okay, when do we leave?”

  “I must make a few more calls, and then if you’re ready, we’ll go.” She glided out the kitchen as silently as she’d entered, and I went upstairs to do some last minute primping to complete my bad ass image. And to tuck a few of the fire tea bags in my pockets; I was pretty sure vampires didn’t care for fire.

  When I came downstairs, Tuesday was waiting. She was dressed in a pair of white jeans, and a yellow golden shirt, which only made her look more fairy-like.

  “Do you have a car?” I asked. I hadn’t thought to ask last night, and wondered how she’d gotten here.

  She shook her head.

  “Then how do you feel about motorcycles?”

  “That will be fine,” she said.

  A few moments later, we were heading out of Venice and towards Los Angeles. Tuesday told me the bar was near Santee Alley in the Fashion District. We parked outside of a building that looked completely derelict.

  “Really?” I asked quietly. “Here?”

  She nodded. “If you weren’t with me, you wouldn’t even notice it. Well,” Tuesday turned to look at me with a tiny smile, “Maybe you would, Deana melting pot Holliday.”

  I was going to push Caleb to find out what I was. This was getting irritating.

  Tuesday stepped in front of me and knocked on the door. After a moment, it opened, and she walked in. I followed, feeling my heart speed up. The door slammed behind me and I steeled myself not to jump.

  “Why are you here?” A crisp, cold voice asked.

  “Because I wanted to go out and am tired of pretending,” she said, sounding bored.

  A man stepped out of the shadow. He was tall, and thin with dark hair. He was the epitome of creeptastic, and had I seen him before the door closed, I
might have run screaming, because holy hell. His skin was so pale it nearly glowed in the dark, and his eyes glittered like black beetles.

  The whole effect was extremely unsettling.

  “You’re responsible for your guest,” he said.

  Tuesday nodded. He backed into the shadows again—where the hell did he go? And while I was trying to look without looking, Tuesday strode forward. I hurried to catch up. As I reached her side, she said, “Stay close. Don’t look alarmed if I touch you. I need to make sure no one gets any ideas.”

  I was about to ask what she was talking about when I saw. She was right. I wasn’t the only human here. I got the impression, however, that I had a completely different agenda than most of the other humans did. Mostly, I wasn’t focused on getting laid, and there seemed to be a lot of that going around.

  Tuesday kept walking toward the back, and stopped abruptly, sliding into a half-moon shaped booth.

  “What now?” I whispered as I slid in next to her.

  “Shhhh,” she said.

  I shushed. When a woman came over to take a drink order, moving faster than a normal human would, I ordered a Sapphire and tonic. Tuesday just nodded, and the waitress zipped away. I guess in here, they didn’t feel like they had to hide. But it was disconcerting to my eyes.

  “Let me do most of the talking,” Tuesday whispered.

  “What?” I asked.

  Before she could answer, a man slid into the booth, next to her. “Tuesday, it is most… interesting to see you here,” he said smoothly.

  She stared at him like he was something on her shoe, and replied, “I didn’t feel like pretending.”

  “Understandable,” the man said. He patted her hand.

  I could feel her revulsion from where I sat. I thought the man could as well, which was why he did it. Interesting, as he’d said.

  “And who is your charming companion?” The man gazed at me, seemingly delighted, as though the tension wasn’t ten feet thick at this table.

  “I’m Deana Holliday,” I said.

  His eyebrows went up. “Holliday? As in the gunfighter?”

  “Distant relation,” I said, offering up a silent apology to my many times great-grandfather. No one would understand. And the connection wasn’t known, which seemed like a better idea for everyone involved.

  “Charming. I am Alfonso Delgado, the proprietor of this establishment. Welcome. It is your first time, yes?”

  Delgado had the slightest accent, the merest hint. He sounded as though he’d originally come from South America. It was like honey in the ears.

  I felt a kick on my ankle. Oh. It was honey on the ears. And it was deliberate. Apparently vampires could add a little glam to their words, to make you think what they wanted you to.

  “It is,” I smiled. “Thank you for the kind welcome.”

  He smiled. It was nearly genuine. His fangs gleamed in the low light. A shudder ran through me. This was a killer. Not just for food, but for fun. Power. Revenge. I remembered that Tuesday said he killed her partner. He did. I could feel it. And he was loving the fact that he knew Tuesday wanted to kick his ass, and wouldn’t, for whatever vampy reasons.

  “I am glad to hear it. What do you think?”

  “It’s definitely new to me,” I said honestly.

  “Then please enjoy, although I must warn you, this is a place where we feel comfortable. I ask that you respect that,” his voice hardened.

  “Of course,” I said. “Actually, I wanted to meet you. I asked Tuesday to bring me here, and she was kind enough to do so.”

  “Yes?”

  “Yes,” I said. At that moment, the waitress came back with our drinks, and I took a sip, feeling calmer. This was known territory. I was looking for answers.

  “Go on,” Delgado said. His eyes had narrowed, even as he kept his smile in place.

  “What is it that makes you think Kel Worthington killed Jessamine Cassidy?”

  Delgado blinked, and then turned his head toward Tuesday. “This is why you brought her here?”

  Tuesday shrugged, looking completely unconcerned about the menace in Delgado’s tone. “Yes. She asked for my help and I was disposed to give it.”

  “I’m sure,” Delgado said. Then he looked at me. “Why is this your interest, Miss Holliday?”

  “I’m friends with Kel. He didn’t know who else to ask.”

  He nodded, thinking. “I could kill you for your impertinence in coming here, questioning me. You, also,” he said to Tuesday.

  She smiled, a wide, fangy grin. “You could try.”

  He made a dismissive noise, and focused on me again. “But I’m in a good mood, so I shall answer you. First, Lavina is well-known for her temper. She was very upset with Jessamine.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “She has not chosen to share, to her detriment. But she is still upset, and it’s not merely because Jessamine met the final death. Second, the human is very taken with her. It wouldn’t be difficult to suggest to him to do this thing for Lavina.” Now he did snort.

  “Except he says he didn’t. What is Lavina saying?”

  “That she was upset, but that she wouldn’t kill another of us, personally or by proxy.”

  “Why isn’t her word good enough?”

  At that, Delgado looked at me. “We have our reasons for doubting both Lavina and her human.”

  “Like you did with Sasha?” Tuesday’s voice was cold enough to freeze the room.

  “Sasha—oh, Tuesday. Why are you continuing to pine for Sasha? She is gone. I’d hoped, when I saw you with the most entrancing Miss Holliday, you’d taken the first steps forward. To the future,” he said encouragingly, like he was a fucking life coach.

  Tuesday didn’t move. She didn’t speak, blink, or even breathe. But I felt certain that if anyone moved even an eyelash, she’d have Delgado on his ass. In pieces. The air was that heavy with the promise of glorious revenge.

  “Deana is a friend. That is all. Unlike you, I have them. And occasionally, I help them.” Her voice was calm, and steady. But it was as though she held a sword over Delgado’s head.

  To which he was impervious, or really, really good at ignoring.

  “That is a good thing, Tuesday. But I should tell you, I do not think you will be successful in determining Mr. Worthington’s innocence. In frank terms,” Delgado turned to me, threading his hands together in front of him on the table and maintaining the life-coach-you’d-like-to-kill-for-the-perkiness-alone persona, “Lavina is very strong. Not as strong as Jessamine, nor as skilled. Which is a fact that I believe may have had something to do with this conflict. Regardless, your human friend is very much in thrall to Lavina. It happens,” he waved his hand casually. “Humans have a difficult time resisting us to begin with, and when the vampire is equally attracted… well,” he shrugged. “Things happen. Neither party is thinking logically. All it would have taken is a suggestion.”

  “Would Kel remember the things he’d done while he was… in thrall?” I spoke carefully. I’d have to look that shit up when I got home. It sounded horrific. Like, something you kept secret.

  Delgado hooted with laughter. “It’s not like a light switch, Miss Holliday! You do not turn it on and off at a whim. It is something, a feeling, an urge, that builds the longer the vampire and human are involved. This one has lasted longer with Lavina than any she’s been with in some time.”

  “So he would remember?” I pressed the point.

  Delgado’s laughter faded as though it had never been there. “He should, as a general rule. But there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to relationships. Have you ever been in love, Miss Holliday?”

  How had I thought his voice mocking, or that he was a major douche canoe with a death wish? He was the most charming sounding man I’d ever met—

  A second sharp kick at my ankle jerked me out of whatever mojo it was Delgado was laying on me. “Knock it off,” I said, giving some stink eye of my own. “I’m very appreciative you’ve been wi
lling to chat with me, but that is not a license to try and drag me off to the harem or whatever woo woo shit it is you’re doing.”

  Delgado stared. Tuesday stared. The two male vamps near the table stopped pretending to ignore us and stared.

  “Are you unfamiliar with manners, Miss Holliday?” The woo woo and warmth was completely gone from Delgado’s voice.

  “I can ask the same thing, Mr. Delgado. I’m here as an act of faith, that I can come to you seeking information, and not be distracted with whatever game you’re attempting to play. This is not the way to manage a budding relationship.”

  His eyebrow disappeared into his dark, carefully arranged hair that fell just so across his forehead. “Is this a budding relationship?”

  “I view all my interactions as such. It makes the world a much better place.” I felt Tuesday’s boot on my foot. I slid it out from under her boot, and kept my eyes on Delgado.

  He stared at me so long I thought I was doomed for a midnight snack, but then he smiled. “I must say I agree with you. Tell me, Miss Holliday, what are your origins?”

  I thought I knew what he was asking, and while it might be a risk, I took it. “My aunts live in Deadwood and have for some time.”

  He nodded. “That makes sense. I have crossed paths with them in the past, and they are honorable women. I will allow for you to be the same.”

  “I am,” I said. “Kel Worthington is someone I used to be good friends with. We are no longer close, and that is by choice. But if he’s going to die, he deserves to understand why.” I figured it wouldn’t get me anywhere to argue this was unfair and rigged as hell. And remembering Zachary’s very blasé attitude about humans dying, I took a chance that Alfonso Delgado shared a similar point of view.

  He sighed. “I suppose so. But they die so easily, it gets tiresome keeping up with it all.”

  Now it was my eyebrow’s turn to raise.

  “Oh, very well, Miss Holliday. May I call you Deana? I feel we’ve become friendly enough for that. And you may call me Alfonso. I will also tell you that anytime you find yourself interested in my harem, or any such thing, all you need to do is let me know.”