"Don't let the vampires bite."
"Why shouldn't I?" I countered sweetly, "when that only adds to the overall pleasure? And trust me, it is pleasurable."
He didn't say anything, but there was a fierceness in his eyes that made something deep inside tremble. I had an odd feeling I'd just flung a challenge his way, and I was going to regret it.
Or worse still, not regret it.
I hitched my bag up onto my shoulder and walked away before I got myself into deeper trouble.
Getting a taxi when I looked like something the dog had thrown up proved to be problematic. So was flying home clutching a bag filled with clothes, holy water, and a great big silver knife. Which meant I ended up walking-not fun, and a pretty crappy way to end the night.
I slept the sleep of the dead when I got home, and it was well after three by the time I dragged myself back to the land of the living.
The apartment was quiet, but the scent of coffee lingered in the air, tantalizing my taste buds. Hoping Liander had left the percolator on for me, I flung the blankets off and climbed out of bed. My hip twinged a reminder to be careful, and I glanced down. Three pink scars stretched from the top of my hip to my thigh-a stark reminder of just how close I'd come to death again last night. One of these days, my luck was going to change.
I shivered and thrust the thought away as I walked into the kitchen. The coffee was still warm, and I breathed deep, sucking in the delicious scent, feeling it flow down through my body, waking and revitalizing.
Coffee on call, without having to wait for the kettle to boil, had to be one of life's greatest pleasures. Of all the good things Liander had brought to our lives, the coffeemaker had to be among the best of them.
I poured myself a cup, then splashed in some milk, taking several sips before I shoved some bread in the toaster. My cell phone rang, and I knew without doubt it would be Jack. He always seemed to pick the worst possible moments to call with an update.
I walked into the living room, dug my phone out of my bag, and hit the receive button.
"I was going to call in a report right after I had a coffee, boss," I said.
"I'm not ringing for a report," he said, voice flat and annoyed.
Which couldn't mean that anything good had happened.
"Then what's the problem?"
"We've got ourselves another dead vampire, and this time it's really bad."
Chapter Nine
"I thought you were going to bring in the teenager with the birthmark to stop her being used," I said, voice sharp.
"We did. And we tracked down the five vamps who I know like body imperfections. This isn't one of them. I think it was a last-minute deal."
Or an outpouring of anger that the sorcerer's plans had been frustrated.
"So how much worse than decapitation and body parts being hacked away can it be?" I said, half wishing I'd stayed in bed and not answered the phone.
"Lots, from what Cole is saying. He's there now. I want you to head over and see if you can feel anything."
"I haven't felt any souls up to now, so why do you think I'd feel one at this murder?"
"Because this time, they killed the woman who was with him. She was human, and she just might be confused enough about her death to still be there."
"We don't know that both women are involved in the vamp killings. You'd think Cole would have found some evidence of wheelchair use in at least one of the murder scenes by now."
"Not if she was using her crow form."
"The worst a crow could do is peck someone to death."
"When we're talking about sorcerers, anything is possible."
I guess that was true. "It'll take me fifteen minutes to get ready."