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The side of Nolan’s head thunked on the window, and he squeezed his eyes shut. “And my brother is helping to hand these people over to vampires. I would imagine they don’t know what they are in for.”
“Probably not,” Sky whispered. “Most people wouldn’t agree to it.” He paused and sighed heavily. “Though…there are plenty who would. People are caught up in the vampire’s mystique. Have you seen those movies? And the TV shows? And the books? Everyone thinks vampires are sexy.”
The first hint of a smile teased at Nolan’s lips as he opened his eyes and turned his head to look over at the driver. “Everyone?”
“What? Me? You think I’m including myself in that?” Sky gasped. He sat up straight and grasped the steering wheel with both hands. “You’ve lost your mind. I’m not into vampires at all. Why would I be when I’ve got an adorable, scruffy hot guy who lives across the street from me who is currently the headliner in all my fantasies?”
Nolan chuckled and some of the anxiety twisting up the muscles in his shoulders eased. “Nice save.”
Sky snorted. “He says ‘nice save’ while clinging to denial. You’re hotter than any vampire, and you’re right across the street. You can even come out during the day. Crazy man thinks I’m going to waste my time with a vampire.”
Their conversation became somewhat less serious as Sky exited the highway and entered downtown. Nolan navigated with his phone to a sketchy neighborhood that was filled with condemned buildings and boarded-up storefronts. This was definitely a place Owen would choose to hide out.
When they parked near the address Owen had given him, Nolan was half tempted to tell Sky not to get out. This was not the part of town where you wanted to leave your car unattended, and a check on his phone showed it was less than thirty minutes until sunset. Even if they left right now, they would not be reaching home ahead of full dark.
But before Nolan could suggest Sky remain behind, the necromancer was grabbing his bag from the rear seat and hopping out of the car.
Nolan climbed out and paused in front of a crumbling apartment building covered in graffiti and boarded windows. Even if he wanted to doubt that it was the right location, the building number was big and clear above the door, which was uncovered. Was there a chance that people were still living here?
“Why don’t you try calling your brother?” Sky suggested. “It would be easier for him to come out to meet us than for us to search every place in the building.”
Thank God one of them was using their brain.
Nolan dialed Owen’s cell number, but it immediately went to voice mail, as if the phone were off.
“Nothing,” Nolan muttered. He called a second time and got the same thing. “Should we try shouting? He should be watching for us, right?”
“I wouldn’t shout,” Sky replied. He glanced up and down the empty street. The rest of the city hummed with the rush of cars as people hurried home or into the city for a pleasant Saturday night out.
Nolan didn’t question it. Sky was looking nervous. If the necromancer was nervous, that was a damn good sign they should complete their business as quickly as possible and get the hell out of there. Nolan pulled the piece of paper from his pocket and checked the apartment number Owen had given him. 106. That was probably on the first floor. Good. This wasn’t a place Nolan wanted to risk heading to the upper levels. With his luck, he’d fall through the floor.
With Sky following on his heels, Nolan jerked open the front door, a loud scrape and groan echoing along the street to announce someone was entering the dilapidated building. Great. All that was missing were flashing lights or maybe a few fireworks in the sky.
The light from the open doorway reached just a short distance inside, forcing Nolan to use the flashlight on his phone. Two steps into the building and the rank stench of piss, mold, and something like rotting meat slammed into them. Thin light crept over the old linoleum floor that was cracked and curling up in places where the caked-on filth couldn’t hold it flat. The walls were a bleak yellowish-brown from age, dirt, and water damage. A second light soon joined his, and part of Nolan wished he couldn’t see more of the place.
A fat rat looked up from where it was sniffing and lazily lumbered off as if it wasn’t worried about the intruders bothering it in its domain.
Nolan lifted his fist to his face, pressing his heavy jacket to his nose and mouth to help block the smell while silently praying that no one still lived in this hellhole. The entire building needed to be demolished and scorched from the earth.
