That’s good, because I don’towehim an explanation, right? Not even if he saved me. Not even if he’s actually being pretty cool right now.
The smart play would be to get as far away as possiblefrom this big armed Monster Hunter as soon as I can. But now that I have a moment to think, the reality of what I learned from Collin less than an hour ago sets in.
Emma is being held by vampires.
She might not be in “immediate” danger, but that could change fast, especially if those vamps start getting peckish once they’ve realized they no longer have the watch. I do have a way to get in touch with Ms. Stryker when she’s off-world in case of emergencies, but the message could take days to get to her, and depending on what she’s doing, she still might not be able to come. I could instead reach out to the Feds, but that would inevitably lead to a ton of questions, ones that could be very dangerous for me to answer. (And even if I do manage to avoid getting thrown into a black site as a malignant paranormal, this is the government—by the time they got onboard, it could very well be too late.)
I’m still the best chance this teenage girl’s got. A few hours ago, that would be just another way of saying that her current situation was hopeless. But Rafa plowed through those vampires in the Lake Street house like they were made of wet cardboard. And he does seem to like me.
The plan taking shape in my head is risky as hell, but what if I do nothing? Could I live with myself if Emma winds up dead? I’m never going to become the man I want to be by playing it safe all the time. And, at least for now, I have the Avatar of Knowledge. If that’s not a game-changer, I don’t know what is.
I can do this. Ihave todo this.
I clear my throat. “So, about that case I’m working…”
Rafa’s eyes flick to me briefly, his expression steady. “The missing girl?”
“Yeah. I have some more information about that. I now know where she is.” I hold his gaze to get his reaction. “She’s being held at The Benevolent Society of San Cipriano in Nob Hill. By vampires.”
“I think I’ve heard of it.” His jaw tightens. “The elf mixed up in this? That why he was in your apartment?”
“Yes,” I say, not lying, if not exactly telling the truth. “But thanks to you, he won’t be a problem anymore. The girl’s name is Emma. She has some magical talent, and the vampires need her for some big, evil ritual they can’t cast on their own. I know exactly where they are keeping her in the building.” I glance back at Collin, who is listening eagerly. “Or at least I can find out.”
Collin nods in response, pleased.
“And you think you might need some backup…” Rafa’s voice stays even, giving away nothing.
“Yeah. My boss is out of town.Wayout of town. I don’t have enough evidence to get the police involved, even if they could handle actual vampires. And, to be honest, maybe Icando a little more than I let on, but I’m no fighter. At best,I’dbe backup.” I chuckle in what I hope comes off as self-deprecating instead of nervous. “Ideally, backing up from a very safe distance.”
His cocky smile from earlier returns. “It sounds like you could use a Monster Hunter.” His face then darkens, and he frowns. “Hm.”
I frown with him. “Um, is it too much to ask?”
He shakes his head. “No. Of course, I’ll help. But if they’re holed up in a building, apublicbuilding, this couldbe their nest. And that means there could be dozens of them. Bay Area vampires aren’t like the others. They’re special.”
“Really? How so?” I know Stryker had tangled with a few over the years, but she never mentioned them being a particular problem. Still, if these vamps can get it together enough to try to pull off some apocalyptic ritual, that would make them special.
“They’re less feral, somehow. More organized. Able to stay one step ahead. Just when you think they’re gone, more pop up. It’s part of the reason I came back, even when I was told not to.” He clears his throat. “Let me reach out to my clan here. See if they, hm… Seehow muchthey can help. They might not be happy to see me, but they won’t be able to ignore a nest of vampires kidnapping little girls. They’ll step up.”
“Are you sure?” I ask. Rafa’s brow is so heavy, I feel like I’ve just stumbled into the middle of ten seasons’ worth of Monster Hunter drama. But I don’t know how much I should dig.
Rafa’s confident smile returns. It’s similar to the forced casualness from the last time we were in his car together. “100%. No matter what, I’ll help you rescue that girl. How long before this ritual? Can we circle back this afternoon?”
“Yeah,” I say. “My sources let me know she’s not in ‘immediate danger.’ How about we meet at Joe’s Café on Polk?” Joe’s Café is close to my apartment and on a well-trafficked street. If his Monster Hunter buds get scary, I can at least beat a hasty retreat.
“Sounds good,” he says. “I’ll meet you there at two.”
We pull up across the street from my building. Considering what happened, I expect to see cops or at least a bunch of shattered glass on the ground, but it’s all gone. Even my window looks intact. It’s probably a glamour, which means the elf is as good as ever at covering his tracks and keeping his mischief on the down-low. Since he’s currently pumped full of cold iron, that means he must have done it before he came after the car. At least this time, his impressive power helps me.
Rafa extends his hand, and we exchange a very businesslike handshake. No innuendo or loaded agendas. Whatever he wanted from me before, looks like we’re teammates now. And for Emma's sake, I can’t say that’s a bad thing.
I watch him drive away, and it’s only when I’m safely back inside my apartment that I let myself feel how badly off I really am. I might be pretty much healed, but my whole body still aches like crazy. My incubus hunger is also present and accounted for, too—a low hum in the background that makes me want to get laid, soon, even though it’s thelastthing I need right now.
But the real issue is the Obligation. Rafa might have prevented the elf from actively coming after yours truly, but it didn’t change the binding supernatural promise I made. And broke. That’s all on me. It’s still there, and I’m holding it off, but just barely. The burn, the squeezing around my heart—it’s getting worse.
I grip the side of the kitchenette counter, steady my breath, and focus on keeping myself standing.
Collin touches my shoulder, concerned.
