Page 34 of Call of the Blood

“Sorry. It was going to be added no matter what. And I’m taking you at your word that you are on vacation while your boss works. Not that anyone really cares what he’s doing if they aren’t vampires. Though, if another vampire pays me for intel, you and he will be part of it.”

“Can I pay you for intel on the vampires he’s looking for? To one-up him?”

“He already has. He’s old enough that even if he’s a friend, he gets nothing for free.” Wren motioned for me to step out of his office now, and we headed through the small kitchen and back into the main space.

“I pay people for information as well, if you need to earn some quick cash,” he said as I went back to my seat.

“Alexius pays me really well,” I said, smiling, knowing I had no reason to sell anything.

Los Angeles was proving to be a real education, though. I went back to people watching, making sure to finish the blood before it grew cool, nasty, and bad for me. I didn’t throw the cup away, and eventually one of the fae grabbed it and threw it in a red bag.

“For incineration,” he said softly. “Thanks for not making me fish it out of the other trash.”

“Oh! No problem, I guess,” I said, then went back to staring out the window.

For two hours, I watched as other supernaturals came and went. It felt like time well spent. I had my phone on silent to ignore anything from my brother, but I eventually checked it to make sure Alexius didn’t reach out.

He didn’t, and I didn’t speak to anyone until vampires walked through the door.

“Can you believe she called in fucking Alexius?” one was hissing as the door swung open. “Hey, Wren. How much intel about what the fuck the Mistress of Nest is doing?” They were so loud, and I tried not to react to their words.

“Ah, well…” Wren made some dismissive gesture. “No one has really told me. For a fee, I can tell you what actually happened tonight.”

“It’s not that important. I don’t break the rules. You?” He looked at his friend, who shook his head.

“No reason to. Crazy to piss off the old ones. He’s not here for us. You’re just being ridiculous and annoyed for no reason.”

“Calling in Alexius is meant to scare people,” the first said, making an exasperated face at his friend. “She’s trying to scare people.”

“She’s trying to scare people breaking the rules or going against her, not everyone. You are just enough of a troublemaker sometimes that I get why you would be a little scared. But you’ve never done anything that would involve him, and she’s gotten on your ass for a century about them. You didn’t get away with shit. Past all of that, you know he only comes in for the nasty things. The bad ones.”

“But then you have to wonder… What's going on that she hasn’t told anyone about? Isn’t that also a bit terrifying?”

Surprisingly, Wren didn’t point me out. He let the vampires talk and talk. They found a seat in the corner where the werewolves had been earlier. They started talking about when their friends would get there. And in ten or so minutes, other vampires came in, and they moved tables and chairs to sit together.

Well, I don’t want to be too outnumbered. If they eventually figure out who I am, I’ll be questioned or something.

I got up and waved to Wren.

“You have a wonderful café,” I said.

“Thank you!” Wren smiled, enigmatic, a little seductive. He was a good-looking man. I was certain that many men and women had shrines set up for him, hoping they would be the ones who locked him down.

Just not my type. I was more into the brooding, dark, unobtainable introvert type than the unobtainable social butterfly type.

I left, nearly running into another vampire on the sidewalk. I hurried around him with a mumbled apology and started to get to my car.

“Everly?”

I turned quickly, and I wasn’t sure if it was how fast I turned or the face I saw that made me so lightheaded. I staggered, leaning against the window of the café as I took it in. He stood, holding the door half open, looking just as surprised to see me as I was to see him.

“By the gods, it’s you,” he said, but didn’t move.

I was having a hard time with reality. There was no way, but it was him.

It was my uncle. The vampire, Henry Abbott.

“Everly!” He finally let go of the door, letting it swing closed, and came closer to me. He seemed jubilant, excited, amazed. His niece was there, right in front of him after so many years.