Freaky fangs, p.6
Freaky Fangs, page 6
part #9 of Mystic Caravan Mystery Series
“You’ll have to learn to share.”
That response made me laugh again. “That’s what I told him and Kade months ago.”
“Well, now it’s going to be a rule for all of us. I think we can be friends. You just have to meet me halfway.”
“Yeah.” I flipped my hand over and briefly linked my fingers with his. I could feel the power emanating between us. He was fascinating. “I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just do better.” He squeezed my hand and shifted in his seat. “By the way, you’re wasting your time researching trolls. It’s vampires. I’m almost positive.”
I jerked up my head, surprised. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“I wasn’t sure until you told us about your dream — and you didn’t seem to be in a good frame of mind at the time.”
Ugh. Well, crap. “We need to talk.”
He nodded. “We certainly do.”
6
Six
Luke and Kade were hiding their interest in the conversation, so I tapped Cole for a mission. He seemed surprised by the invitation, but nodded, waiting as I snagged Kade’s keys from the trailer and headed toward the parking lot.
Cole was amused when we pulled out, and Luke and Kade finally made their presence known. It was too late to invite them along — and honestly, I thought it best if Cole and I spent some time alone before interacting in front of an audience. I waved at Kade and Luke as I sped out onto the highway. They remained standing in the parking lot, dumbfounded looks on their faces, and Cole laughed like a giddy teenager as he shook his head.
“That was mean,” he noted as I hit the highway.
“Hey, they wanted to hide behind the tents like big ’fraidy cats. It’s their fault.”
“I think they were simply worried. Luke especially.”
I sighed, guilt rolling through me. “I know. I’ll talk to them later. I just ... feel like an ass.”
“That’s good. You were acting like an ass.”
“You could cut me a little slack. I didn’t realize that I needed to shutter around elementals. You’re the first one I’ve spent any time with.”
His expression could hardly be described as contrite. “I didn’t realize it was a thing either until everyone kept commenting how you were acting out of sorts. Then I felt trapped. I worried you would explode because you thought I was purposely influencing you.”
“I wouldn’t have thought that.” I kept my eyes on the road. Kade’s truck was large and I hadn’t driven it more than a few times ... mostly because he liked to play captain of his starship. “I’m sorry for ... well ... all of it.”
“I’m sorry, too.” He was rueful. “Maybe we can start over.”
“That’s the plan.” We drove the rest of the way to the accident site in companionable silence. Now that I knew to shutter, it was relatively easy. The unease that had been threatening to drown me dissipated relatively quickly. Cole didn’t question where we were going. He seemed to know. I appreciated that he didn’t need constant entertainment.
I parked on the side of the road. We stood at the edge of the steep precipice and stared down.
“Do you think we can walk down there without killing ourselves?” I asked finally.
He nodded and extended a hand, a red orb of magic appearing. I watched with unbridled fascination as the ball unfurled, creating a magical rope that snaked around my waist before tethering me to him.
“What’s this?”
“Safety precaution,” he replied. “If you start to fall I’ll be able to catch you.”
I frowned. “What if you start to fall?”
“Then we’ll both go down and crack open our heads.”
“That’s not the way I want to spend my day.”
His lips curved with amusement. “We’ll be fine. Have a little faith.”
That was easier said than done. Still, I felt I owed him something. Faith would have to be that something.
Cole took the lead as we started our descent. He was surefooted and didn’t once glance over his shoulder to make sure I was okay. The tension in the magical rope lessened and tightened depending on the distance between us. It felt warm and reassuring on my waist.
It took us less time than I thought to reach the bottom. Cole left us tethered — because we would need to climb back up — and started prowling the perimeter.
“The ground is disturbed there,” I noted, pointing toward the overhang. “It wasn’t that way when we stopped the first time. I’m guessing that’s where they dragged up the truck.”
“That would be my guess,” Cole agreed, his nose pointed toward the ground. He reminded me of Luke when he was trying to scent something.
“Do you have a heightened sense of smell?”
“I have heightened everything,” he replied. “Not to brag or anything.”
I snorted. “You and Luke probably have the most egotistical trailer on the fairgrounds these days, and that’s saying something given we have Raven and Nellie with our group.”
“I love Nellie.” Cole lifted his hands and shot a palmful of red sparkles toward the trees. I had no idea what he was doing, but it was entertaining. “He’s an honest guy who isn’t afraid of being who he was born to be. That’s the sort of guy I want to hang around with.”
“And Raven?”
Cole shrugged. “She’s ... something else. I’ve known a few lamias in my time. Never trusted any of them. You seem suspicious in general, yet you trust her. What’s up with that?”
It was a hard question to answer. “I don’t trust her on everything,” I hedged. “There are times she’s not trustworthy.”
“Like when she went after Kade?”
I frowned. “Luke has a huge mouth. How much did he tell you?”
Cole chuckled, seemingly genuinely amused. “Luke has no filter. He likes to babble when he’s nervous. I find it cute.”
“Don’t kid yourself. Luke babbles whether he’s nervous or not.”
“Fair point.” Cole moved to a different set of trees and repeated the sparkle trick. “He likes to tell stories. You’re the star in most of them.”
“I thought he was the star in most of his stories.”
“True. I guess it’s fair to say you share billing. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said he loves you more than anything. He can’t take it when things aren’t right between you guys. He’s been on edge given your attitude.”
And there was that guilt rushing back again. “I said I was sorry.”
He sent me a wink. “I’m not fishing for another apology. I don’t hold a grudge. We’re okay ... as long as you at least try to give me a chance. If not, we’ll have to fight to the death.”
His deadpan delivery made me laugh. “I’m obviously giving you a chance. Why else do you think we’re here?”
“Because I have a certain skill set that you want to utilize.”
I gripped my hands into fists, frustrated.
“And because you want to do what’s right for Luke,” he added, chuckling when I let loose a low growl. “Lighten up. This situation is a work in progress. Nobody knows what’s going to happen. You should enjoy the adventure with the rest of us.”
“At Dinosaur World?”
“You’re really upset about that, aren’t you?” He stopped what he was doing and gave me his full focus. “Why?”
“I don’t know. It’s dinosaurs. I feel too old to get excited about them. I think it’s a guy thing.”
“That’s not why.” His eyes narrowed and I got the distinct impression he was trying to read my mind even though I would know if he tried. “It’s the caves. You want to see the caves.”
“I said I wanted to see the caves. It shouldn’t be a surprise.”
“Yeah, but ... how have you come here so many years and not seen the caves if you’re so excited by them?”
Sadly, that was a good question. “Luke doesn’t like getting dirty. I’m never going to talk him into going inside a little cave, let alone the biggest one in the world. This is Kade’s first year here. I thought he might go with me, but he’d rather look at dinosaurs with the two of you.”
“Ah.” Realization dawned on his handsome features and I was back to feeling like a dolt. “It’s not really Dinosaur World irritating you. It’s the fact that Kade doesn’t want to go to the caves with you.”
I was feeling petulant, so I decided to embrace the truth. “Usually he jumps at the chance to spend any time with me. Not today. Today he wanted to guy it up with you two. I’m being shut out.”
Cole snorted so hard I was surprised he didn’t have a snot bubble. “You’re not being shut out, though I find it hilarious you think that. Don’t you know that Luke and Kade both think the sun rises and sets on you?”
“Yeah, but ... neither of them want to go.”
“So I’ll go with you.” Cole blew another bunch of sparkles toward the trees, frowning as he straightened his shoulders. “I think we’re all going to be in the caves before this is over.”
I had no idea what he’d been doing with the dust. Before I asked, I wanted to settle another matter. “You would really go to the caves with me?”
He nodded without hesitation. “I’m not averse to dust. I’m also nowhere near as excited about dinosaurs as Kade and Luke.”
“Is that because you were alive when they were roaming the Earth? What? I don’t know all that much about elementals. I know they date back to the beginning of time, but I don’t know if that means you live forever.”
His chuckle was back, and this time I had a feeling he was laughing at me, not with me. “Next time just ask rather than assume. For the record, I’ve never seen a dinosaur. I’m thirty-four.”
“But you said you had occasion to run across lamias before. They’re rare these days.”
“Maybe not as rare as you think. I ran across a family of them when I was a teenager. They were killing animals on my father’s property. He owned a farm in Ohio and hated that I wanted to be a cop. He thought I should fly under the radar because of what I was. I thought otherwise. I thought I could do good.”
“You have done good,” I said. “You were on the trail of the incubus, just like us.”
“Yes, but I’m not sure I would’ve caught it without you. I’m starting to realize that the lone wolf thing might not be in my best interests. The group thing you guys have going is appealing.”
“Does that mean you want to join the circus?”
“I don’t know.” He didn’t seem agitated, merely thoughtful. “I still need to think about that. I don’t have an answer for you ... at least on that.”
“What do you have an answer on?”
“It’s definitely vampires.” He pointed toward a glowing tree branch to our right. “See that? It’s a trace element left behind. It’s something that only occurs with vampires.”
“So ... they killed that family.”
“That’s my guess. What’s worse is we’re dealing with more than one.” He pointed at other trees. “I have no idea how big of a group we’re dealing with, but it’s big.”
“A nest.” My stomach shifted as I pressed the heel of my hand to my forehead. “If they’re congregating here ... .” I left it hanging.
“We’re definitely going to the caves,” he finished. “It looks like you’re going to get your wish after all.”
“Hooray for me.”
He snickered and then shifted his eyes to the setting sun. At this time of year, darkness came faster. “We should head back. We do not want to climb that hill if we have vampires snapping at our heels.”
KADE POUNCED THE SECOND WE RETURNED, asking what happened and checking to make sure I wasn’t sporting any open wounds. I reassured him that everything was fine, said that Cole and I had come to a meeting of the minds, and that things would be better going forward. He didn’t look as if he believed me.
We had a calm dinner, and Cole and I waited until the entire group was gathered around the bonfire to drop the bomb.
“It’s vampires,” I announced.
No one looked very surprised. A few appeared resigned. Only Kade was confused.
“Like Dracula vampires?”
Luke snorted in derision, earning a dirty look from me. To my surprise, Cole pinned him with a quelling look as well.
“Not everyone is up on vampire lore,” Cole reminded him. “It’s not as if he was raised in a paranormal academy.”
“Is that a thing?” Kade asked.
“Only in books favored by teenaged girls,” Cole replied. “As for the vampires ... Poet is right. We went out there this afternoon. There can be no question about what we’re dealing with. I tested, and hard. We’re not just dealing with one.”
“How many?” Nellie asked, his eyes lit with intrigue. “I mean ... will I get to go on a beheading spree? That always makes me happy.”
“I think you’ll have plenty of enemies to smite,” Cole replied. “I can’t give you an estimate. Vampires don’t technically have a scent. They have a lack of scent ... unless they like to douse themselves in cologne or something, which is not what we’re dealing with here.”
“We haven’t really fought vampires,” Kade noted. “I mean ... the first creature I ever saw you take down was a vampire. That feels like a lifetime ago, and I can’t really remember what happened.”
“That was a different kind of vampire,” I explained. “The one I fought that night was easy to kill because it was a loner. It was dedicated to the old ways of survival, which made it easy to take out.”
“I remember that night.” Nellie lovingly stroked his ax. “Unfortunately, he was way too easy to kill. I like my enemies to put up a little fight.”
Kade scowled at him. “I don’t mean to be slow or anything, but I don’t understand the difference in vampires.”
“It’s a long story,” Cole volunteered. “Basically, the creatures you think of as vampires are not full vampires. The original vampires were twisted creatures, demons essentially. They were older than humans, and liked to feed on the creatures they considered lesser than them. That included Neanderthals, chimps and Homo sapiens. As humans got smarter, vampires started doing other things with the humans as well.”
Kade frowned. “Ugh. You’re talking about sex, aren’t you?”
Cole snickered. “Yes, but it’s not nearly as gross as you imagine. The original vampires died out over time. They were killed by creatures bigger and stronger than them. In the end, the only ones who survived were the vampires born of human hosts ... and a new form of vampire grew to prominence.”
“The vampires used to walk in the open at night and terrorize villages,” I explained. “I don’t know if the rumors are true that they weren’t present on North American soil until the European invasion, but I tend to believe it. The shifter tradition began among Native Americans and the vampire stories began with the Europeans ... at least that’s the way the story goes.”
“What does that have to do with what’s happening now?” Kade asked.
“I’m getting to that.” I patted his hand. “There are two kinds of vampires. Loners, like the one we took out that first week you were with us, and nesters. It’s the nesters we have to be fearful of.”
“And you think we’re dealing with nesters now?”
“There were far too many essences down by the accident site,” Cole answered. “I mean ... far too many. If I had to guess, we’re dealing with a minimum of twenty vampires.”
Kade’s mouth dropped open. “Twenty? How are we supposed to kill twenty vampires?”
Nellie cleared his throat and lifted his ax. “Um ... I’ve got it handled.”
Kade rolled his eyes. “I’m serious.”
“So is Nellie,” Luke supplied. “Beheading is one of the best ways to take out a vampire. Of course, it works best if you’re dealing with an army of the things. How will we even find them? I’m assuming we’ll try to strengthen the dreamcatcher to draw them in, but that doesn’t always work if the vampires are underground.”
I waited for him to figure out the rest but he didn’t, which meant I had to spell things out for him. “I’m pretty sure our vampires are underground.”
Slowly, he tracked his eyes to me. He worked his mouth for a moment, no sound coming out, and then exploded. “Oh, man! I knew you were going to get your way and drag me into that dank hole. You planned this, didn’t you?”
It took everything I had to maintain my temper. “Yes, I planned for vampires to attack an innocent family and draw us underground for a huge fight. I’m so thrilled that two children lost their lives. And I won’t at all be haunted by that stupid teddy bear that I saw in my dream.”
“Calm down,” Kade instructed, resting a hand on my shoulder. “This is not the time to flip out, especially after you spent the afternoon getting your head right.”
I wanted to be outraged, but it was difficult to muster the energy when I knew he was right. Oddly enough, Cole swooped in and saved me.
“That wasn’t entirely her fault,” he offered. He explained about his elemental powers and what they could do to those in possession of mind power. Nixie and Naida backed him up, explaining how they felt much better in his presence when they started shuttering. A quick glance at Raven told me she was taking it all in during her odd silence. I would have to follow up on that later. As for Kade and Luke, they both appeared relieved.
“Oh, that’s good.” Kade squeezed my shoulder appreciatively. “You weren’t going crazy on purpose. That’s really good.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, it’s wonderful.”
Cole’s chuckle was low and full of good-natured humor. “Things will be better now. We had a long talk and went on a dangerous mission together. We’ve bonded.”
I cringed when Kade stiffened beside me.
“How was it dangerous?” he demanded.
Cole wrinkled his nose when he met my gaze. “Whoops. Sorry about that.”
I waved off the statement. Nobody was perfect, and it had been a convoluted day. “You didn’t know.” The smile I shot Kade was the sweetest one in my repertoire, but he didn’t look moved. “We weren’t in danger. He’s exaggerating. We climbed down into the ravine and had a look around. We were perfectly safe.”
