Ten, p.35
Ten, page 35
“Get out!” she barked as she pointed to her window.
The vampire slung his hoodie back on and meekly padded to the window. The air around him began to shimmer and for one second it appeared as if all the shadows in the room somehow wrapped around his form. The window slid open and, in a flash, he was gone.
Georgia wandered to the window and leaned ever so slightly out to see where the shadow had gone.
Once more phantom hand snapped from the shadows and grabbed her. This time his hands locked around her face, and before she could scream, a pair of cold lips pressed against hers. She could taste something sweet with the tip of her tongue. The moment he pulled away, she slapped him.
“No,” she snapped. “You do not get to do that, Bob!”
“Just making sure,” Bam-Yin said as he scampered down her wall. “Can I put you down as a maybe for Thursday?”
“No!” She said.
“Good, I’ll pick you up on Friday then!” the vampire said before he disappeared.
“I’m pretty sure that this is several werewolf boys’ fantasies, Nurse Paige,” Kyle said as Paige slipped out of her bedroom. She shook her head and twirled around to show off the full glory of her mauve scrubs. She took extra care to flip her few stray curls so that Kyle could get the titillating effect of her hair twisted up in a banana clip.
She shook her lanyard in the most provocative way imaginable.
“I’ve never felt so sexy,” Paige sighed as she slipped into a pair of crocs.
“So, are you switching to girls now, Bro?” Kayleigh grumbled as she finished cutting the laminate around a second ID.
“Only if you get a taste for sausage, Sis,” he replied in his sweetest voice. “So, you know what you’re asking for, Paige?”
She blew a stray curl out of her face. “Kyle, I was a receptionist for two years and an admin for another three. If there is one thing in
this universe I know how to do, it’s run around and fetch stuff for people. I don’t know why I need this glorious ensemble just to get medical records though.”
“Trust me, nothing will make a medical office manager turn into a monster faster than the words HIPAA violation,” Kyle said. “Freckles has managed to get everything electronic, but this office is still in the Stone Age. You’re just gonna slip in as a nice little PA from another practice—”
“And I’ll take care of the psychiatric records,” Nadia said as she strode into the room in her own costume.
Paige’s jaw dropped as she saw a stranger emerge from the bathroom. Nadia peeked over the rims of cats-eye glasses. A steely blonde wig covered Nadia’s normally vibrant locks and she wore a sensible gray suit. She clicked across the concrete floor in heels that were actually less than three inches high.
“Who are you, and what have you done to Nadia?” Kyle asked.
“Wow,” Paige mouthed.
“Keep staring and I take it out on all of you later,” Nadia growled.
“I’m trying not to attract attention.”
“Well, you look like a WASP dream gal,” Kyle muttered. “And I look like—”
“An actual doctor,” Paige finished as she gave him a thumbs-up.
Kyle straightened his lab coat. “That’s because I am an actual doctor,” he said. “Shall we get this show on the road?”
“We’ve got this,” Paige said. “Are you really going to sneak in a bunch of random blood and other random fluids into Northwestern Medical School?”
“Blood and random fluids in unusual places are totally my thing, jelly-bean,” Kyle said. “It’s far more entertaining to have to do it with Toy.”
With that, he took out his phone and texted frenetically. The immediate response made his lips pucker and his eyes widen. He gave a little bow and hustled for the door. “Speaking of Toy, it’s really not a good idea to keep that gal waiting this close to her time of the month. Toodles!”’
Kayleigh tossed the other ID to Nadia. “You’re ready for your close-up. Dr. Meyers,” the redhead said.
“Dr. Michaela Meyers? You’ve been hanging out with Toy too much,” Nadia muttered as she clipped on her ID. “Paige, I’ll meet you at the hospital cafeteria once I’m done. We clear?”
Paige gave a little salute. “This is going to be such an exciting day,” she muttered as she slogged her way to the elevators.
Her words ended up ever so prophetic. She ended up waiting for the train, waiting for a woman named Phyllis to deliver a handful of photocopies, and then waiting for the cashier at the coffee shop in the hospital to figure out how to ring up an herbal tea. She slumped in a lumpy plastic chair for nearly an hour, tapping her feet and toying with her manila folder.
“The thrilling world of a creature of the night,” she muttered as she started reading social media on her phone. She tortured herself by pulling a selfie out of her gallery. Morgan smiled awkwardly next to her as they posed in front of the iconic gates of Graceland.
“I wasn’t expecting fresh blood,” a strange voice said as a shadow cast over her table. Paige took a deep breath and made sure both hands were hidden. The stranger clicked his tongue. “No, no, my dear, keep those claws out where I can see them, and no sudden moves, if you would be so kind.”
The smell of death filled her nostrils. She turned her head slowly to see a stern-looking older man with salt and pepper hair and an ambiguously Middle Eastern set of features. His bright hazel eyes sparkled under the unflattering fluorescents.
“Isn’t it a little bright in here?” Paige asked as she eyed the wall of windows.
“Did you have a long night, my dear?” the stranger asked innocently as he pulled out the chair across from her at their little table. “You know, it’s been surprisingly difficult to get you separated from your pack—”
“Who says I’m separated?” Paige growled as she eyed the bank of elevators.
“Oh, the other one is currently being delayed by a particularly efficient servant of mine. Now, let’s have some polite introductions,
shall we?” he said. “My name is Michael Ambrose. At least, it is this century. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss DeMarco.”
Paige’s hands trembled as she set them on the tabletop. Every breath she took seemed to make her heart beat faster.
“You need to control your breathing, control your fear. We would not want to have an incident in this nice hospital full of helpless humans, would we?” Michael asked.
Paige eyed the cameras and the crowd. She took a deep breath.
“You don’t want a scene either,” Paige said. “What do you want?”
He folded his hands and made a little cradle for his chin as he studied her. Paige flinched as for the briefest of moments she saw the same man in the same position sitting at a much larger round table. His hair was longer, and his tailored scruff was replaced with a full beard, but the eyes were most definitely the same.
“I wanted to see if you recognized me,” Michael said with a sly smile. “I mean, my grandson must have mentioned me a few times.
Tell me, how is young Lorcan doing?”
“Young,” Paige snorted. “Never thought I’d hear that.”
“Age is relative,” Michael said. “I’ve conducted experiments that have lasted longer than your entire lifetime, Paige.”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Paige growled.
“Your tea looks empty. Why don’t we have another. . . together?”
he asked.
Paige flinched, and Michael smiled. With a flick of his finger, a new man in a three-piece suit arrived with two steaming paper cups.
He took a deep sniff of the cup set in front of him. Paige leaned back, but the pungent aroma still tickled her sensitive nose.
“Peppermint, it’s medicinal. It treats nausea and other digestive ailments and is effective against headaches and depression. I often prescribed it for Lorcan when he was first turned as he was prone to terrible queasiness after he fed.”
“And it’s really hard to smell anything but mint,” Paige added.
“Yes, it is, but it would also be rather suspicious if I drugged you in plain sight in a hospital now wouldn’t it? Furthermore, I get a feeling that there are parts of you that you simply don’t want a
trained physician to see,” Michael said as he waved his hand over hers. Paige, meanwhile, shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“Perhaps it would make you more comfortable if I dropped one layer of pretense?” Michael offered. “At the time Lorcan was unborn, I was known by the name of Merlin, but I would greatly appreciate it if you would call me Michael while we are in public. My old name raises too many questions. Is that reasonable?”
Paige nodded.
Merlin raised his cup and took a tiny sip. He continued with, “I always believed strongly in the laws of hospitality. I treat my guests with the utmost respect, and I expect the same respect in return. My children and I had this tradition that if we shared a drink together, we would always be open and honest with each other. One could say that this tradition is sacred. Now, my oldest, he never had any want for ritual and civility. He likes to run around in the wild and hunt his prey, so he never drinks with me except on the most historic of occasions. His sister and little brother, however, were always quite genial, and would entertain their father every time he came to town.
Now, they both died tragically, and that loss cut me to the bone. That leaves me with my darling youngest, my sweet princess, to keep me company; but she is like a butterfly, constantly flitting about, and I have no one to drink with in my old age.”
“I’m sorry that you’re lonely,” Paige said as she continued to scan the room. The gentleman in the suit had settled down on a bench.
“One day, when you have children of your own, you’ll realize how much of a pain they can be. You’d make the world spin backwards for them if they only asked it of you,” Merlin said sadly. “No one can please you or hurt you like a child can. Anyway, these are just the ramblings of an old father. Of course, grandchildren are a whole other matter. I must confess to spoiling my grandson to a fault—”
“What do you want?”
“I wanted to have a nice conversation with someone who has been in contact with my grandson,” Merlin said with an innocuous smile. “We aren’t always on the best of terms.”
“He’s fine,” Paige said flatly.
“Did you know that Lorcan and I used to have tea just like this?”
Merlin asked. “We made a promise that whenever we had a drink together, we’d be perfectly honest to one another. It was our little oath to each other.”
“Is that some vampire thing?” she asked softly as she leaned a wee bit closer. Merlin flinched at the v-word. “Oh, sorry, I meant if that was one of your kind’s things?”
Merlin leaned a little bit closer as well. From this distance, a faintly sweet smell drifted into Paige’s nose. She eyed the tips of his fangs as he kept smiling at her.
“I’m offering you a chance to get the information that Lorcan is clearly desperately after, Miss DeMarco,” the vampire said. “If you can make a little promise with me, that you will answer my questions honestly, then I’ll answer any of yours with the same candor. I assume that my grandson explained our laws to you. You know that a vampire’s word is his bond—”
“I know that this is a trap,” Paige spat. “I don’t know what you really want, but if you have a question for Lorcan, ask him yourself
—”
“Don’t you want to know what I was really doing in California, my dear?” Merlin asked.
“We’ll figure it out,” Paige said.
“You have confidence, wit, and loyalty,” Merlin sighed. “These are all admirable qualities, but I do wonder how much of your resistance is your own, and how much of it is Lorcan’s working its way deep inside you, child?”
Paige felt a blow in the pit of her stomach. She pushed her chair back. Merlin shook his head and clucked his tongue. She froze.
“You are never going to be free of him,” Merlin warned. “Unless you want my help. I can help you—”
“I don’t want your help. I don’t want anything to do with you,” she said.
“You really should sit down and have a nice cup of tea, dear Paige.”
“I am not ‘dear Paige’ to you,” she growled. “I don’t want anything to do with you.”
At that moment, the elevator opened, and the faintest traces of Nadia’s scent wafted to Paige. She glared at the vampire, but he remained at ease in his chair.
“Why do the young insist on doing everything the hard way?”
Merlin asked. “I would have told you everything just to hear how my grandson is doing.”
“He’s just fine,” she snapped. “Now, tell me everything.”
“I can’t wait to see you at Castle Pendragon on the solstice,”
Merlin said as he finally stood up. “I assure you, the festivities planned are truly spectacular. In fact, I think I can make dreams come true—”
“What were you doing in California?” Paige asked.
“Why don’t you ask Lorcan about his wife?” Merlin asked.
“Not interested—”
“His first wife,” Merlin said before he slipped into the crowd. Paige blinked, and the stranger was gone as were the two cups of tea and any evidence that a vampire had ever been sitting in the middle of a hospital food court. Paige grabbed the records off the table and rubbed her arm as she felt some sort of sticky residue left on her skin.
“What the hell?” she asked.
“What the hell?” Nadia echoed as she took one sniff.
“Let’s get out of here, now,” Paige said as they hustled for the door. She kept rubbing her hand as they made it to the sidewalk.
“That was Merlin, Nadia, not just any bloodsucker but honest to god Merlin. He decided to show up at this hospital the same day we—”
“What?” Nadia hissed. “You mean the Merlin—”
“Yeah, the Merlin somehow knew exactly where we’d be,” Paige snapped. “Please say you got what we needed.”
Nadia nodded. They both yanked out their phones, but before either speed dial went off, they saw a shaken looking redhead pushing his way desperately through the automatic door. Kyle seemed to be arguing with the painfully slow revolving glass. Once free, he made a beeline for the stunned girls.
“Kyle, we were about to—” Paige started.
“I’ve figured it out!” He cried. “I finally figured out what all the victims were doing in Long Beach and why they were killed. Aren’t you guys excited?”
“Merlin knows we are here,” Paige said. She rubbed her hand again. “And I think he’s up to something.”
25
“I’M TELLING YOU, it’s just adhesive,” Kyle said as he wiped the back of Paige’s hand. “I don’t see any puncture marks and your blood work came back just as screwed up as normal, kiddo.”
Paige let out a sigh of relief, but the third person in the lab continued to pace uneasily as he slurped down something thick and pink in a repurposed Starbucks cup. Lorcan leaned over and double-checked the numbers on his great-times-nine grandson’s tablet.
“He was there,” Lorcan said. “Why the hell was he there?”
“To mess with us?” Kyle offered. “No offense, but vampires really love to screw with people.”
“Merlin hides away for centuries. He enacts an ancient blood ritual that my own family condemns, and you think he showed his face just to mess with me, Kyle?” the vampire sighed.
“I think that your grandfather is a pretty sick man even by vampire standards,” Kyle said. “I also think that he was definitely onto something in the treatment of the slow death. Each of the victims was Rh-negative and considering that’s only supposed to be about fifteen percent of the population, I think it was intentional—”
“That’s because the D antigen can be irritating. A healthy vampire can digest it but it’s preferable when you are ill that we stick to negative blood,” Lorcan said.
“Precisely! Most of the victims were of European descent, but two of the victims were Asian and less than one percent of Asians have Rh-negative blood—” Kyle said.
“One of them was a Matsuoka. They are bred to have superior-tasting bloodlines,” Lorcan said.
“Eww,” Paige added. “You breed people for taste?”
Lorcan looked back at the results. “That explains the Matsuoka victim, but Billy Long—”
“Toy found out a little more about him,” Kyle added. “Turns out his mama got checks from a certain Japanese company subsidiary after she was a hostess at one of their exclusive Taiwanese hotel getaways. She never said anything; but Mr. Long never spent any significant time in prison, even after he supposedly killed a guy in a DUI incident when he was in college.”
“A DUI?” Paige asked.
“Yeah, in Southern California. Mr. Long and Mr. Matsuoka apparently share quite a past. Both were suspected in causing the crash that ended up killing one Mischa Lyashev—”
“I’ve heard that name before,” Paige said as she hopped off the examination bed and ran out of the lab. Toy, Kayleigh, and Nadia looked up from their respective screens as they huddled around the coffee table. Paige ran past all of them and snatched a marker. All her old dry-erase boards and cork boards had been lined up in the living room with the names of six victims lining the top. She drew a little line between Ren Matsuoka and Billy Long.
“Both suspects in vehicular manslaughter,” Toy said without missing a beat. “You’re gonna love this though, Shorty Spice—”
“Both were part of the Matsuoka family, but since Ren was legitimate—” Paige started.
“Billy took the fall for a murder,” Toy said.
“And the victim was named Lyashev, same as crazy Ivan who tried to sell us out to the Lungs. I don’t know about you, but if I was looking for victims for a painful, sadistic vampire ritual, I’d sell out the two bastards that were involved in the death of your son,” Paige said.
“If they were both involved, then they would both be murderers,”
