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As she headed out the door, I followed more slowly, wondering what the hell to make of her invitation. Just what had Venus the Moon Child trained her for? He was a wild old shaman. Nerissa wasn't a vamp wannabe. But she had a kinky side hidden under that chignon and Ann Taylor suit, that much was clear. The question was, did I want to find out just how kinky?
CHAPTER 5
It was a simple matter, really. I sat down with Anna-Linda in the kitchen and took her hands in mine. As she looked at me, I let down my shields that kept both vampire and Fae glamours in check.
Anna-Linda blinked a couple of times, but it didn't take long before I felt her will capitulate. She was still young and easy to control. A flicker of guilt raced through me. I was about to mess with her mind, to fill her head with my own thoughts and make her believe they were her own.
I paused, trying to convince myself that I was doing the right thing. After all, if she did snap and decide to avenge her brother's death, I'd be a handy target. Unacceptable risk. Kids had a knack for ferreting out secrets. It wouldn't take her long to discover my hiding place. So I pushed aside my doubts and turned on the charm.
"Anna-Linda, listen to me."
My voice echoed slightly, and she blinked, then looked at me as if I were the only person who existed in her universe.
"You want to stay with Siobhan. She's going to take good care of you and you won't give her any trouble. You'll think this was all your idea, and you won't run away unless your life is in danger. If something bad happens, you'll come tell us about it. Do you understand?" My voice slid over her like warm honey, and a peaceful look spread across the girl's face.
She nodded, her face blank. "I want to stay with Siobhan."
"That's right. And you won't cause any trouble. You'll help her out and listen to her." As she repeated my instructions, I slowly withdrew my energy, like a wave rolling back out to sea, leaving behind only the aftermath of the storm surge. After that, it was a simple matter to send her off with Nerissa, who promised to call the next morning. As I shut the door behind them, Camille put her hand on my shoulder.
"Anna-Linda will be better off at Siobhan's house," she said. "We aren't set up to take care of a child and you know it."
I stared at the silent door. "It's been a long time since that girl's been a child, Camille. She's seen things and done things no child ever should be forced to do." Images of Dredge flashed through my mind. I wasn't his only victim. No doubt, there had been plenty of Anna-Lindas to suit his twisted desires. I'd been lucky, I was older, more capable of coping with the aftermath than a child.
Camille swallowed. Her blood was running hot today, I could feel the warmth from where I stood. And her emotions flared in her aura. She was angry, wanting to run with the Hunt, to track down and destroy. But all she said was, "I know, Menolly. That's why we do what we do."
"I'm heading to the Wayfarer early unless Chase has any news on our missing vampires. Maybe I can catch a few faces who don't make it to the late shift when I'm working. I might be able to find out something." As I pulled on a leather jacket—not against the cold, but because it looked good on me and made me look tough at the bar—Camille stopped me.
"You did the right thing, Menolly. Don't feel guilty."
I let out a little huff and, once again, told her the lie that I kept repeating to myself and everyone else. "I don't feel guilt anymore. Not really."
As I headed out the door, she whispered just loud enough for me to hear, "Right. But just in case you do, remember—guilt is a luxury that we can no longer afford. We have to use whatever comes our way to battle the coming darkness."
I gave her a sharp nod, thinking that my oldest sister was turning into a clone of me, and that had me a little worried. Then, as silently as shadows dancing, I darted down the steps toward my Jag. Camille was right, of course. I'd saved Anna-Linda. So why did I feel like I'd let her down?
A blast of noise hit me as I strode through the doors of the Wayfarer, the conversation shoring up the music to create a cacophony of reverberation that thundered off the walls. Business had picked up over the past few weeks and now all shifts were swamped. A good thing, considering the OIA no longer paid us a salary, and whatever money we made, we had to earn through our cover jobs.
Every table and booth was jammed. The Wayfarer had gone from being a quiet respite for OW visitors to a down-and-dirty hangout joint for everybody from Fae to the Earthside Supe community to FBHs.
I slipped behind the counter and Luke—a werewolf I'd recently hired—shot me a grateful look.
"Am I ever glad to see you. Every night we're getting busier. Any chance we could hire another bartender?" He brushed back a lock of unruly hair from his forehead. In his midthirties, he was a cutie.
Short—barely five-eight—Luke's muscles glistened in all the right places. His wheat-colored ponytail trailed down to his waist. A long scar decorated his face, jagged and faded, obviously an old injury. I wasn't sure how he'd gotten it and I wasn't going to ask. Luke would tell me if he wanted to. All I cared about was the fact that he could whip out a round of drinks in record time and they were never returned with complaints.
I tied on my apron and started working on the next order. Two Long Island Iced Teas, a shot of Cryptozoid ale, and a Fire-Snorter, an OW drink that involved way too much alcohol and a match. As I picked up the Anadite brandy, I scanned the room, then abruptly put down the shot glass I'd been about to fill.
"Luke, has anything out of the ordinary happened tonight?" There was a sense of dread in the air, something out of kilter, and I didn't like the way it felt.
He shook his head. "Nope. Had to break up a brawl about an hour ago, though." With a nod, he directed my attention to one of the booths. "See that guy in the booth there?"
The man Luke pointed out looked like an OW Fae, but there was something odd about him. Something otherworldly that took him out of the Fae realm entirely.
"Yeah, what about him?" I kept my voice low. Odds were nobody could hear me over this din, but I wasn't taking chances. Almost all Supes had superior hearing and I never knew just who might be in the bar.
"I suddenly see this dude standing by the booth. Another guy shows up and they get into it. Loud and obnoxious. I'm not sure what the argument was over, but I tell you, this guy is scary. I pulled out the shotgun and was headed over to break it up, when all of a sudden, the other guy just vanishes. Poof."
Shit. Teleportation?
