Page 5

THE PARKING GARAGE is spacious and well lit, with white walls and bright LED strips along all lanes. Big ventilators blow in cool, fresh air, and suck out the stink of fumes and gasoline. As far as parking decks go, this one is fairly pleasant. If I didn't know that the building above me—and likely below me as well—is filled with vampires, I wouldn't mind waiting next to the car and enjoy the light, temperature-controlled breeze. With things as they are, though, I decide to wait in the car and suffer the progressively humid air.

I've just settled in when knuckles hit the window next to my head. I make the most embarrassing yip-sound I have ever heard and hit the door's locking mechanism with a quick slap, blinking up at Todd's face. His blond hair looks white in the cold LED light, which makes his skin darker. And his teeth brighter. He is grinning like the Cheshire Cat, eyebrow raised at my manly display of prowess. He's got a good reason to grin; if he had wanted to, he could have opened the door and dragged me out of it before I even knew what was happening.

It was stupid of me not to have locked the door as soon as I got in. Damn it. Not that a door could stop him. He could likely bench-press the whole car with me in it, or rip the door off its hinges without breaking a sweat. But it would have given me a few seconds to draw my gun and shoot him. Which makes me wonder why he knocked. Why is he here?

The rumble of his voice is muted through the window, but still impressive, like a barely suppressed, permanent growl. "Do we talk through the window or are you gettin' out?"

Well, now I feel silly. I truly don't want to get out of the car where he can grab me before I can react, but he doesn't have a reason to hurt me. The Contract breach was done by a vampire, and he is a werewolf. Depending on how powerful he is and how important it would be for Loreley to stay in his graces, he could get away without having paid a dime in fines. If he isn't powerful enough to fend Loreley off, though, he might be inclined to help us before we can extort money from him. Hmm.

I roll down the window an inch. "Step back from the car so I can get out."

Todd shakes his head amusedly. I didn't notice he had brown eyes before. They are the color of bitter, expensive chocolate and still sparkle in the white light. I must entertain the hell out of him for his eyes to do that. "You think I'm gonna try something?" he asks and crosses his arms in front of his chest as if to show me he doesn't plan to grab for a weapon. The gesture frames his notable pectoral muscles, but it doesn't make him look any less dangerous. I think nothing could.

"Doesn't matter. Step back."

Chortling, he does as I ask, spreading his arms mockingly as he retreats two steps. Or rather, glides back. It's like he flipped a switch, now that there aren't any human eyes to see. His body moves as if it doesn't understand the concept of bones and joints, fluid and sleek and breathtaking. I've never met a werewolf in person, but I don't think there is a living soul on earth who would think 'human' after watching Todd move like that. To be honest, I expected him to argue more, to make it some power struggle. He looks the type, all testosterone and musk, muscles and bravado. Throws me off he didn't. Maybe that short drop of facade, that glimpse into how physically powerful he can be, was his vying for dominance? Maybe. Something is decidedly fishy.

Still, I'm too curious to brush him off now. I grab my gun with my left hand, then open the car door. I have to catch it with my elbow as I slide out so it doesn't dent the car in the next plot, and the movement forces me to do an undignified little twirl, but better that than go unarmed.

Todd's eyes flick down to the gun, then back up to my face. He smiles as if I've done something cute, but doesn't comment. I get the distinct feeling that he's secretly laughing his ass off, but nothing shows on his face. "I will not attack you. I just wanted to give you some information."

For a moment I don't know what to do with myself. Do I point the weapon at the werewolf? I won't be quick enough to get off a shot if I don't, but blatantly threatening the leader of the local pack will gain me nothing but pissing him off. I leave the weapon lowered and decide to take my chances. "Good. I would feel terrible if I had to shoot someone on my first day."

Todd barks a surprised laugh, startling me. "Your first day? Wow, that's gotta suck. And they sent you to Babylon City of all places... Did you piss someone off?"

So much for being suave. I sigh. "Did you want to talk about something?"

"Ah, yes. Business." The humor drains out of his face. Suddenly, those dark eyes don't sparkle anymore. He doesn't shrink, even werewolves can't do that at will, but he somehow sucks a part of his presence, for lack of a better word, back inside of himself and the air suddenly becomes easier to breathe. "I couldn't say anything up there because there has been no breach of contract yet, but I figured you might wanna know sooner rather than when it's too late. Those cultists, the synod guys, they aren't as squeaky clean as the others might think. Their goons have showed up in the veils, chatting up folk and lurking around in dark corners. My people have a nose for potential danger, and they're getting twitchy."

"Okay, but did they do anything that would count as a breach of Contract?"

Todd shakes his head abruptly. A few strands of sticky blond hair slide off the top of his head and dangle against the shaved stubble above his ear. "Nothing provable. But people have gone missing." He throws a look at the cameras up top, then leans closer and whispers, "Vampires."

How would Alice in Wonderland put it? Curiouser and curiouser. "Loreley doesn't know, I take it?" I feel very amateurish asking, but as far as I know, vampire lords and ladies, leaders of vampire groups, are connected to their people. Shouldn't Loreley notice when people she is responsible for vanish?

"None of her people have vanished yet. It's mostly renegades, unaffiliated vampires, too weak to make any sort of impact. Easily forgotten. But the one thing I know is that this started at about the same time those cultists—," he spits the word like it's a curse, "—showed up."

Todd is right in one aspect: This doesn't sound like a breach of contract. Supes kill each other all the time. It doesn't concern us hunters, especially not if it happens in a veil. Inside the veil, the monsters govern themselves, and they are quite good at it. But cultists are another story, and Todd knows it. Hell, even I know it. You don't become a cultist with a 'live and let live' mentality. Cultists are interested in one thing, and one thing only, namely paving a way to Earth for their demon masters. They don't go out for a pleasant night in the veil. They don't socialize or take a stroll. And seeing them skulk around inside the veils poses a genuine reason to worry. They are like rats in that aspect; if you see one, there are twelve dozen more around, already gnawing through your food pantry.

The only trouble is I can't do shit about it. Not until something bad happens. Todd knows that too, so why is he telling me this? "Let me guess. You want me to check it out on the down low, since I'm already here?"

He smiles and nods. "Exactly."

"And if I find something, if your insider tip proves to be valuable?"

The smile turns into a shit-eating grin. "Then you'll surely remember how helpful I was and reduce that damn fine for me, right? It would only be fair."

I give him my best flat glare. "Yes, fair."

Todd laughs as if I've done something cute. "Great. I'll leave you to it then," he says and turns away. "Don't get killed too soon, Mr. Newbie Hunter. You've got a job to do."

I GET BACK into the car and wait for another tiny eternity, fiddling with the car radio to fill the silence. When the elevator door finally opens to spit out a ruffled-looking Asha, I readjust the radio channels swiftly and pull my hands back, trying to look unperturbed instead of guilty. She, on the other hand, looks slightly worried. Not that I can read her expressions that well.

"What did the scarecrow want?" I ask as soon as she's inside. Maybe she already heard about the cultist sightings in the veils, and I don't have to rehash Todd's little tale. That would be very time-efficient.

Asha hesitates, fingers frozen at the ignition as she mulls over something. I can almost see the gears rattling in her brain, and it makes me wonder what exactly she is thinking about. it was an easy enough question. Sighing, she starts the car and reverses out of the parking spot. "Arzel wanted to make sure I know how committed he and his synod are to upholding the Contract and... helping hunters," she grumbles, swerving into the exit lane elegantly. When we leave the parking garage, she slips into traffic and frowns at her rearview mirror. "He also gave me a hint. Something about a veiled local supe bar down in Cat's Cradle Peninsula, 'The Midnight Café'. According to him, it's a hotspot for unaffiliated vampires. Sounds like the perfect place to get your puppy paws wet and gather information, so we're going there now."

And suddenly, Todd's tale seems not that important anymore. Neither does whatever Asha is leaving out from her talk with Creepy McKimono. My first vampire bar, how cool is that? "We're not waiting for the vampire envoy?" I ask superfluously, and blush again. Fuck. Sometimes, I can't seem to shut my mouth in time. Duh. We're obviously not waiting.