Shattered Ashes (Dying Ashes Book 3) Read online

  Rain nodded. “Everything’s good in one way or another,” the teen ventured. He paused. “Well, almost everything.”

  “Besides,” I grinned at Tamara, “The stuff you’re playing isn’t bad, but what this place could really use is some classic rock.”

  She glared at me and Charles alike. “You’re both savages,” she announced.

  I chuckled, the camaraderie driving away any of my lingering ire as we chatted the night away. Eventually, even Tamara’s club started to wind down as the hour turned from late to early. I couldn’t help repeatedly checking my phone, wondering how long I had left before the threat of dawn turned me into a pumpkin.

  “You need to go?” Tamara leaned against me. Other than myself, she was the only person in our group who didn’t look tired. Charles had probably hit the nail on the head when he’d mentioned how easy it’d be for a Moroi to siphon up emotional energy here.

  “Nah, not yet,” I glanced around as her club started going through the motions of closing up and spotted a certain suit-clad mountain of muscle among the employees. “So, question.”

  “Shoot.” She shrugged an alabaster shoulder and smiled.

  “What’s up with the security?” I nodded toward the floor where the bouncer from earlier was making his rounds. “I guess I expected something a little more…I dunno, Moroi.”

  “The hell with that,” Tamara announced. “I guess you mean my bouncers? I hired out, got all my own personnel and vetted them myself. Liandra offered to ‘help,’ but I wouldn’t trust her people—or her, for that matter—as far as I could hurl them.” Tamara shook her head vigorously, the almost neon purple mass of her hair threatening to come tumbling down.

  “Smart move, that,” Charles said, yawning and rubbing determinedly at his eyes.

  “Besides,” the vampire continued, “Li has been up my ass ever since I returned Daniella to Mother.” She glanced at me. “Well, let’s be honest. Since you saved her.”

  I shook my head. “Group effort,” I rasped. “You were totally involved.”

  “Yeah,” she responded dryly. “I convinced an unsuspecting family they had a gas leak and had someone search a phone database. That’s normal. You entered a crazed demigod’s personal reality and punched him in the dick until he passed out. That’s awesome.” She paused, then flashed me a broad grin. “Crazy, but also awesome.”

  “I helped too,” Charles grumbled.

  I was glad Strigoi were immune to blushing. “Team effort,” I insisted. I reached across the table and fist-bumped a grinning Rain and Jason.

  Tamara shrugged, still smiling, then gave up and fist bumped me too. “If you insist. Anyways, Liandra’s had a fucking hate-on for me ever since then. More than usual. I don’t get it. She’s got more pull in this family than I ever will. So what crawled up her ass and died, just because I did one thing right by my family, in like...ever. It’s as if I personally offended her by saving Dani and bringing her home. Now she acts like she’s trying to help me out half the time, but the other half I see her watching me like a hawk, waiting for me to slip up or some shit so she can pounce.”

  I frowned, glancing at Charles to see if he had any ideas, but he just shrugged, looking sleepy. I shrugged too. “She crazy?” I ventured.

  Tamara barked a sudden laugh. “Well, I know that’s true.”

  Rain looked thoughtful. “You were talking about that bouncer earlier?” he asked me. “The one from the front door?”

  I nodded. “The one with biceps on his biceps? Yeah.”

  The teen smiled. “Yeah.” He glanced at his friend. “Did he look familiar to you? I thought I’d seen him somewhere before.” He lowered his voice. “Or maybe smelled him somewhere before.”

  As changelings, Rain and Jason were twin souls, part human and part touched—or as some would say, part replaced—by the Fae before birth. That made the boys shapeshifters, with an alternate soul and body that waited just Next Door, always ready to trade places in an instant. Even in human form, they retained some of the advanced senses and healing powers of their mystical animal forms. Thus the ability to track or recognize someone by scent alone.

  Jason just shrugged. “Nope. And I’m pretty sure I’d remember a guy like that, manito.”

  “Well, speaking of my Abyss crew,” Tamara pulled out her phone and swiped a quick message, waving at someone down on the main floor. “There’s someone I wanted to introduce you guys to.”

  I recognized her as she came up the stairs as the woman from before, the one who’d stopped by to whisper in Tamara’s ear. Tall, with long legs and light caramel colored skin, if I’d had to sum Tamara’s new hire up in one word, I would have picked striking. Icy blue eyes made a stark contrast with her waist-length, red-and-black dyed hair, elegant, lustrous and straight save one wide strip along the side shaved completely clean. The sleeveless, form-hugging red dress she wore was professional and refined at the same time, save perhaps for the one leg it left bare from the hip down.

  While not packing the raw appeal of, say, a Moroi vampire, she was still a very attractive woman that not many people would—or could—easily forget.

  “Everyone, this is Katherine Rivers, my main DJ...and often floor manager and…” Tamara trailed off with a grin.

  I glanced across the table in time to see Rain’s jaw drop onto the table.

  “...And anything else my favorite vampire needs at all hours of the day and night?” The woman grinned as well, putting a friendly arm around Tamara as the Moroi rose to make proper introductions. From her exotic appearance, I’d expected a foreign accent, but she sounded like a local, despite lacking the thick Southern twang most Birmingham residents carried. She was still more Southern than any of the rest of us, except Mama Flora. “And please, call me Kitty.”

  Tamara gestured around the table. “Kitty, this is Ashley, Charles, Mama Flora—”

  “I’m Rain!” The teen stuck out a hand eagerly, only to immediately realize he’d jumped the gun and turn beet red. I tried to hide my grin; I didn’t want to embarrass him further, but I didn’t know how to help either.

  Kitty didn’t miss a beat, though. She took a step forward and smoothly took his hand with a smile. “Nice to meet you too, Rain,” she paused. “That’s an awesome name, by the way.”

  His eyes lit up. “R-really? You think so? I, well, I made it up myself.” Rain blinked. “But not like that! I mean, it’s my real name, but my Dad let me pick a new one and change it when...you know...and he helped, too, so it wasn’t just me, but…”

  Her smile brightened. “That’s neat. I kinda did the same thing myself, you know? Never cared much for Katherine.” She straightened, and an amused Tamara finished her introductions. We took turns shaking hands, though I merely smiled and waved; my “coffin hands” tended to freak unsuspecting humans out.

  “Nice to meet you all,” Kitty said once the pleasantries had been exchanged, “but I need to run.” She smirked at Tamara. “Someone’s opening night was a beast, and I’m worn out.”

  “Couldn’t have done it without you,” Tamara escorted her to the stairs and waved goodbye, still seeming entirely too energetic for the late hour. When she returned to our table, the Moroi was shaking her head with a smile. “And I mean that. I poached Kitty working at the Forge, of all places. Talk about a total waste of her talents. Best DJ in the city, I’m telling you.”

  “The Forge?” I thought for a moment. “Isn’t that the exotic dance place up near Vulcan Park? I guess with legs like that, I can totally see it.”

  Tamara rolled her eyes at me with good-natured amusement. “They prefer the term ‘gentleman’s club,’ but yeah, that’s the place.”

  “Sooooo…” Jason leaned on the table, grinning at his best friend wolfishly. “Was that love at first sight I just saw? You gonna be okay?” I was just surprised he’d waited this long to start the teasing.

  Rain’s face pretty much caught fire. “You...you noticed?” He sputtered for a moment, then dropped his head onto
his arms. “I looked really stupid, didn’t I.”

  Charles put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, kid,” he yawned again, “we’ve all been stupid before.” He glanced glanced off for a moment, his cinnamon eyes lost and looking at nothing, then stared stared at me pointedly. “Some of us don’t even grow out of it.”

  I nodded. “Walking proof, right here. The man knows what he’s talking about.”

  Rain looked back up, smiling weakly through the red of his lingering embarrassment.

  “I mean, yeah. She was a nice looking lady,” Jason commented, patting his friend on the other shoulder, “but I still prefer Tamara.”

  Rain blinked. “She’s right there. She can hear you.”

  Jason grinned shamelessly. “I know. That’s the point.” I tried not to roll my eyes, and almost started when Tamara burst out laughing.

  I was distracted for a moment as the club beats faded away completely, replaced by more familiar strains. I jabbed Tamara in the shoulder, careful not to bruise her or something. “Is that what I think it is?” I rasped with a fang-baring grin.

  Her chuckle died out; and she matched my grin with one of her own. “Yes, you do indeed detect the sweet sounds of Symphony of Destruction. Megadeth, right?”

  I nodded, still grinning stupidly.

  “I asked Kitty to change it over on her way out,” Tamara bounced energetically into a sitting position on the edge of the table, right next to me. “Figured it might be the only way to get you to dance.”

  I blinked, caught wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights. “I totally don’t dance,” I protested. “You really don’t want me to try. It’s dangerous.”

  She grabbed the edges of my cardigan and tugged at me, rousing me from my seat by force of will. “No, now I’ve got to see this.”

  “Me too,” Charles added as Tamara pulled me over. I glared at him.

  With a reluctant, wheezing sigh, I pulled out my best moves. Pointing my toes out, I poised with one finger toward the sky, then moved my hand up and down to the rhythm as best I could, just like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.

  Tamara tilted her head, taken aback. “Ashes…Are you dancing disco to hard rock?”

  I shrugged, incorporating the motion into the dance. “It’s all my dad knew how to teach me,” I replied, stubbornly trying not to let my mind wander to the events of my recent visit to my old home. “There’s this, too—” I pointed out across the small, semi-stunned crowd of my friends, swinging my hand out wide, and promptly whacked Charles in the eye.

  “Ah! Goddammit.” The wizard recoiled, his hands reflexively leaping to his face, but he sounded more resigned than upset or hurt.

  “Oops,” I leaned over, trying to get a look at him while he dodged me. At least I didn’t smell any blood—yet. I glanced up sheepishly at Tamara. “I told you my dancing was dangerous. Charles, are you okay?”

  Grumbling under his breath, he waved me away.

  “Yeah, but I thought you were joking,” Tamara replied. She took my place next to Charles and forcibly moved his hands, peering at his eye, which was already looking dark and puffy. He took the opportunity to glare at me with it.

  “Is…he okay?” Rain asked. “Should we run get him some bandages? Or ice from the bar?” He offered helpfully.

  “Except for the whining, he’s fine,” Tamara declared. “Just a little hit on the eye.”

  Charles snorted. “‘Little hit’ my ass. I can tell it’s swelling, you know. With her strength, I’d be better off letting one of them hit me with a brick.” He motioned toward Rain and Jason.

  “There’s always next time,” Jason quipped, and Charles took a turn glaring at him instead.

  “...I’m gonna go get some ice.” Rain darted off.

  “I’m still sorry, yo.” I took a couple of steps further away from my fleshy, vulnerable friends. “I guess I should have stuck with the old familiar.” Extending my index finger, pinky, and thumb, I raised one arm and threw up the horns, headbanging frantically to the end notes of the song, the music nearly drowned out by the disturbing sounds of my neck cracking repeatedly.

  Tamara winced, then cringed as the sound continued unabated. “Oh, goddess, no. In the name of all that is holy, never mind. Please stop. You sound like you’re dying. Again.” Her phone started ringing from its place on the edge of the table, and I grinned as she shuddered on her way over to pick it up.

  I trailed off, bringing my headbanging to an end and popping my neck back into place, just in time to hear the a woman’s voice screaming “HELP!” from the other end of the line, then a loud crunch as the call abruptly died.

  Chapter Four

  Rescue operation/fiasco

  Ice crashed to the floor, cascading across the tile.

  “That—that was Kitty!” Rain’s eyes were big, wide, and certain.

  Jason furrowed his brow. “Dude, you memorized her voice already?”

  Rain nodded frantically. “Yeah? I mean, how could you not, it was so—” He shook his head. “We gotta help her!”

  “Agreed.” I glanced over. “Tam, can you—”

  “Already on it,” she announced in a sing-song tone that belied the edge hidden behind her words. We all fell silent for a moment as Tamara worked her phone-plus-contacts magic. “Someone—or something—killed her phone,” Tamara announced, “but the last GPS signal puts it…” She frowned. “Right outside the club.”

  I stood abruptly, my chair skittering away underneath me. “No time to waste, then.” Almost as one, our group threw aside any tiredness or sleepiness and rushed outside.

  Tamara, phone in hand, led us to the appropriate location, just out of sight of the main streets leading to Five Points, partway between the Abyss and a small, all-hours parking deck. But it was Rain who found her cell phone, dropping to all fours and fishing it out from just under the edge of a dumpster.

  “Here it is!” The young shifter picked up the ruined piece of technology and held it out, but he didn't look triumphant—instead somewhere between upset and alarmed.

  Charles promptly took it from him, looking it over. “Something crushed it flat in one solid hit.” He frowned, looking to Tamara. “Do you sense anything?”

  The Moroi nodded. “A little fear and a sharp, lingering spike of surprise and adrenaline.” Her eyes grew deeper and bluer as she spoke, the irises expanding. “It starts over there,” she pointed to the nearest sidewalk, at the mouth of the alley, “and leads out the other side of this delivery access.” We followed her as she strode quickly down the alley. “The fear spikes, and then it’s gone.”

  “Damn, that’s brazen,” I rasped. “Like what, twenty feet from the club?”

  “Someone probably stuffed her in a car.” Charles rubbed at his face thoughtfully. “But why?”

  “Does it matter?” Rain butted in. “We’re going to go find her, right? She needs help!”

  “Damn straight we are.” Tamara’s sapphire eyes flashed. “No one runs off with one of my friends and especially not right outside my fucking door.”

  “Well, you do realize that this may be exactly what someone wants? For us to go rushing after her half cocked and planless?” Charles sighed. “Not that we have much of a choice, mind you. But we’re lacking the who and why. This has trap written all over it. No one pulls shit like this without a reason.”

  “Like you said though, no choice.” I glanced around, thinking, then looked to Rain and Jason. “Can you guys follow her scent?”

  They glanced at each other, a quick look that communicated quicker than words. “Maybe, chica.” Jason nodded. “Maybe even in the car, if you drive slow enough.”

  “We did it before, when we tracked Salvatore and the Blood Man,” Rain interjected.

  “Though that wasn’t tracking someone who was also in a car, manito,” Jason mused. “But we’ll give it our best shot.” Rain nodded insistently.

  “Charles, will you take the two of them and get started?” I asked. “I’ll ride with Tam an
d catch up in a minute. Gotta do something first.”

  He frowned. “As long as you’re sure you’ve got time for this tonight.”

  I nodded. “I’ll stick it out as long as I can.” I hurried back into the club, Tamara close on my heels.

  “What is it you’ve got to do?” Tamara asked, keeping pace as I took the stairs three and four at a time.

  “Change clothes,” I replied with a smirk, reaching our table and snatching up the bag I’d brought. “What else?”

  Tamara raised an eyebrow.

  I beelined for the bathrooms, bag in hand, but stalled abruptly as Mama Flora suddenly caught the sleeve of my cardigan in her grip.

  “What is it, Mama?” I froze, not wanting to accidentally pull her out of her chair. “You want to come with us?” We’d left the little old Mambo behind when we’d rushed outside; I’d really thought she was asleep.

  But now she looked up at me with unfocused, hazy eyes. “Y’all look North an’ East for dirt and rust, or by tomorrow's light she’ll be long gone,” the witch intoned, her voice ethereal and distant.

  I blinked. “Mama…”

  “An’ you be careful,” she continued, her hazy eyes locking with mine. “Cause you gon’ be in bad, bad trouble ‘fore the night’s through. Tip of the iceberg, yeah.” Before I could form the proper question to ask, she let go, laying her head back on her arms and yawning broadly. “Now, you chil’ren run along an’ let an old woman catch up on her beauty sleep.”

  By the time Tamara and I had changed and returned from the bathrooms, Mama Flora was gone.

  I texted her a thank you and wished her good night, then swapped over to Lori’s number as I slid into Tamara’s fully restored 1970’s Mustang.

  Hey, love. I’m gonna be out a little longer. Something came up. I didn’t know whether she was still up or not, just like I didn’t know how much she’d want to know.