Saint’s Passage: Elemental Covenant Book One Page 8

  “Never.” Carwyn gave her a fearsome scowl. “Computers have their place, but I’m not letting my brain go soft so I can save time looking at something on a map.”

  “I suppose I should be thankful you finally relented and started carrying a mobile phone.”

  “Still annoys me.”

  Brigid laughed. “Old man.”

  “Young bird.”

  She tilted her seat back and stared at his profile in the passing lights. “If I quit my job in Dublin, where would we live?”

  “Anywhere,” Carwyn said. “If you want to stay based there, we stay based there. But if we were here…” A slow smile spread across his face.

  “Ah Jaysus, yer thinking about that plane, aren’t you?”

  Giovanni and Beatrice had inherited a converted cargo plane with a specially constructed compartment to transport vampire passengers. Amnis, their natural elemental energy, interfered with most conventional avionics, so an airplane built for vampires was the height of luxury.

  “You know they wouldn’t mind loaning it to us,” Carwyn said. “Wouldn’t it be nice to skip the lengthy sea voyages in the very ugly freighters?”

  “I rather enjoy boats.”

  “Liar.” He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t pretend you enjoy it. You put up with it, same as I do. But a week in a converted hold to cross the Atlantic versus hours on a cargo plane?”

  “Fine, that would be convenient. I can’t deny that.” She glanced at Carwyn. “I’ve no desire to be under Ernesto’s aegis though. I know we could get an introduction, but—”

  “We wouldn’t have to be under Ernesto’s aegis.”

  “If we’re in Los Angeles, we can’t avoid it.” She looked at the shops as they drove through the city. Boutiques. Pool supplies. Day spas. “Plus it’s too sunny here.”

  “You’re a vampire, woman! You only go out at night.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “It’s a question of attitude. You know what I’m talking about.”

  “Admittedly, the overly suntanned people do make me suspicious.”

  “And the juice! Why do Californians speak about juice as if it was food? It’s not food; it’s juice. There’s something wrong with humans here.”

  “Is it a bit like blood to them? We drink for our primary sustenance. The food is secondary, isn’t it?”

  Brigid slapped her palm on her forehead. “Now you’ve put the phrase human juice in my head, and I’ll never forgive you for it.”

  Carwyn burst out laughing and didn’t stop until she yelled at him to turn left at a light.

  “Human juice.” He said it and cracked himself up again.

  “Don’t keep saying it! And turn right at the stop sign.”

  People in Los Angeles were too cheerful. Too… glossy. Brigid knew if she lived in LA, eventually a killing spree at a juice bar was bound to happen. “I don’t know that I want to live in America, Carwyn. I like my country.”

  “So we stay in your country if that’s what you want.”

  “But that’s selfish of me, isn’t it?” She watched him carefully. “It’s not just me. You’ve lived there far longer than you would have on your own.”

  “Brigid, I can live anywhere and be happy. You’re my home, not this place or that.”

  She had no words. She’d never met anyone who loved her as generously as Carwyn. She had a loving family, but nothing compared to him.

  “If we weren’t going to question someone about a missing teenager, I’d have you in the back of this Bronco on the side of the road.”

  Carwyn gave her the saddest puppy dog eyes she’d ever seen. “Sadly, that’s not an option. It was one of Zain’s conditions for renting the truck.”

  Brigid’s mouth dropped open. “What a nerve on that one! As if he’d be able to tell.”

  “I do have a tendency to break things when I get excited. Remember your house in Dublin?”

  “Oh, that’s right. Forgot about that.” She looked around at the pristine interior. “Best not try the car then.”

  * * *

  Robin Siva lived in a run-down town house complex that had seen better days. The intense desert sun had bleached the paint that trimmed the houses, and the desert landscaping was overgrown with straggling grass. They parked in front of the narrow two-story house that was listed as her address and waited to see if there was any movement.

  “It’s two in the morning. Should we try tomorrow night?” Carwyn asked.

  “That puts us another day behind.” Brigid weighed the pros and cons of waking Daniel’s mother up. She’d be groggy and irritated. She’d also be caught off guard. “I say we knock at the front and take our chances. Worst case, she doesn’t open the door and we have to come back tomorrow night.”

  “You’re the boss,” Carwyn said. “Lead the way.”

  They exited the Bronco and spotted a neighbor’s light go on.

  “Someone’s a light sleeper,” Carwyn muttered.

  “Let’s see if Mrs. Siva is.”

  They knocked on the door twice, rang and bell, and waited. A light went on upstairs. Brigid knocked on the door again.

  Minutes later, the porch light flipped on and a voice came through the door. “What do you want?”

  “Mrs. Siva, we’re looking for Daniel. We’re not the police.”

  The door cracked open, a chain dangling at eye level. “Daniel don’t live here.”

  “I know that, but we need to ask you some questions about him. Has he contacted you recently? Do you recognize this girl?” Brigid held out a picture of Lupe. “Daniel was seen with her about a week ago and she’s missing now. Her family hired us—”

  “That stupid fucker.” The chain slid back, and the woman opened the door. Though she probably wasn’t more than fifty, the woman’s face was deeply lined and her voice indicated chronic smoking. Her skin, like her son’s, was a light bronze and her eyes were dark brown. She had a long braid that fell over one shoulder and steel-grey roots in her hair. “He ran off with a little girl?”

  “She’s seventeen, but we do believe they’re together.”

  The woman huffed. “Here I thought he liked the older women. Go figure.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  Robin Siva patted her robe pocket as if she was looking for cigarettes. “Just the people he used to hang out with. They was all older than him. And he was in high school then.”

  Brigid had so many thoughts, but she kept them to herself. “Mrs. Siva, have you seen Daniel in the past two weeks?”

  “Nah.” She sniffed. “You ask his sister? He lives by her in LA now.”

  “We don’t have her phone number, so no.”

  “Well, I can give it to you.” Robin rattled off a 909 area code number. “I don’t think Daniel comes around here anymore. Probably not a good idea anyway, so I don’t judge him none.”

  “Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?” Carwyn asked the question before Brigid could.

  “He made his enemies,” Robin said. “Don’t think they forget someone who steals their drugs and throws them in the river, you know?”

  “He did that?”

  Robin pressed her lips together. “Sure did. And then he takes off, and who are they coming around harassing? Me. That’s who.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Yeah, if Daniel was back, he’d probably be hangin’ around them old crowd, you know? I don’t think he’d come around here.”

  “Can you give us a name, Mrs. Siva?”

  “No.” She shook her head and started closing the door. “I don’t want any trouble. That boy was trouble enough. Him and his sister. I done my job with them.”

  “If these people have bad intentions toward Daniel or this girl, we need to know. We can protect them.”

  “You think I care?” She cackled. “I’m not getting involved. Take off, and let me go back to bed.”

  The woman’s casual dismissal tripped Brigid’s temper. She braced her hand on the door and took a step forward. “I don�
��t think you understand, Mrs. Siva. You are going to give me names and numbers if you have them. This isn’t optional.”

  The woman sneered. “Who the fuck do you think—?”

  Brigid’s hand shot out and gripped Robin Siva by the neck. The woman’s eyes clouded over and her mouth went slack.

  “Names please,” Brigid said firmly. “And numbers if you have them.”

  * * *

  Carwyn watched Brigid writing down the stream of numbers that Daniel’s mother had spilled under the influence of amnis.

  “Is it wrong that I find it sexy when you get rough with people you’re questioning?”

  “When they could be protecting criminals?” Brigid shook her head. “No. Not wrong.”

  “The bar she mentioned, Down West?”

  “Yes?”

  “It’s a vampire place. I remember hearing about it years ago. Run by a Romanian with a curious kink for old Hollywood.”

  Brigid frowned. “Interesting. I wonder if that’s the one Beatrice was talking about.”

  “I very much doubt Beatrice would have frequented this place. I honestly don’t know about us going there, particularly when you haven’t fed.”

  “Why? Don’t they have donors?”

  Carwyn nodded slowly. “They do.”

  “And are they paid? Proper, aboveboard, and all that?”

  “Mostly.”

  Brigid frowned. “So what’s the problem?”

  “It doesn’t strike you as odd that Daniel’s old hangout was a vampire bar?”

  “Carwyn, half the bars in Dublin are owned by immortals. We like being around intoxicated humans. There’s no mystery there.”

  “Okay.” He slammed his door closed. “I still say there’s something suspicious about Daniel being a regular there.”

  “We’ll show up, ask a few questions, and I can top up my tank. Sounds like a fortunate coincidence if you ask me.”

  “I’ll have your back,” Carwyn said. “No matter what.”

  Down West sat at the end of a strip mall on San Pablo Avenue in Palm Desert, a line of gangly palm trees marking the edges of the parking lot. Though it was past three in the morning, the fluorescent sign was still flickering red and gold.

  As soon as Brigid exited the vehicle, she could scent the immortals in the area. There was a mass of them inside, mostly earth vampires if she was reading the energy correctly. A few wind vampires wouldn’t surprise her, but they were always harder to detect because their amnis was so diffuse.

  “None of your kind,” Carwyn said with relief.

  The relief was genuine. Fire vampires were a volatile lot, but fortunately they were rare. It was only because of their long friendship that Brigid and Giovanni could stand being around each other. And despite the deep bonds between her mate and Giovanni, Brigid and Carwyn stayed in the guesthouse when they were visiting. Female fire vampires tended to be on a bit more even keel than male, but not by much. If she’d been male, even the strongest friendship wouldn’t have allowed her and Giovanni to be at ease around each other.

  They walked confidently to the black-tinted door, well aware that they were being observed.

  “Sensing lots of your kind,” Brigid said, slipping her hand into Carwyn’s. “Maybe a few wind vampires?”

  “Scarlet—that’s the owner—she’s a wind vampire, but she doesn’t keep too many around her. I’m guessing the majority here will be earth or water.”

  “Water vampires in the desert?”

  Carwyn shrugged. “All sorts pass through here.”

  “It looks like a strip mall.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Looks can be deceiving.”

  A few steps away from the door, a vampire with sunglasses and a pale, shaved head pushed the door open and nodded for them to go in.

  “Welcome to Down West,” he murmured. “Corner booth on the far left.”

  “Thank you.” Carwyn kept his hand planted firmly at the small of Brigid’s back, and she was grateful for it. As soon as they stepped inside, the heady smell of human blood hit her nostrils and made her fangs lengthen.

  The club was painted a deep burgundy, the color of red wine. The walls were lined with curving booths that faced an empty dance floor, and tables were scattered across the room.

  The tables were empty, but the booths were mainly occupied, some with vampires and humans, some with just humans.

  As they walked, the women and men in the booths beckoned to them.

  “I’m clean. No drugs, no alcohol,” one woman said.

  “I like couples,” a slender young man murmured from the shadows. “I’d love to meet you both.”

  “Ceart,” Brigid whispered in Irish. “So it’s that kind of place.”

  “Rooms in back,” Carwyn said. “If you want privacy.”

  “Nope.” If she could have blushed, she would have. “That won’t be necessary.”

  “Scarlet’s in the corner,” he said. “Don’t let her see you uncomfortable.”

  Playing it cool Brigid could handle.

  What took her by surprise was seeing Daniel Siva with his head in Scarlet the wind vampire’s lap, looking for all the world like a well-kept cat as she stroked his head.

  “Hello.” Scarlet looked up and offered them a smile. “Welcome to Down West.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Fuck. Me.”

  She blurted it without thinking and Carwyn cursed under his breath.

  That’s not playing it cool, darling girl.

  “Sorry,” Brigid said. “Your human looks so much like an old friend of mine, it’s uncanny.”

  Good recovery.

  Scarlet let out a shimmering laugh. She was dressed in an evening gown fit for a film noir goddess, her pale ivory shoulders glowing against the dark velvet booths. Her hair was set in perfectly formed dark brown waves, and her mouth was painted deep red.

  “Isn’t he pretty?” Scarlet said. “I just got him back. He’s been missing for a few years.”

  “I hate it when that happens.”

  Carwyn had only met the woman once before, and it had been nearly fifty years. He wondered if she remembered him.

  “You are the priest with the flamboyant fashion sense.” Scarlet pointed at him. “It’s been too long.” She examined him with a practiced pout. “And no Hawaiian shirt?”

  “Packed in the luggage of course, Scarlet.” He nodded politely and kept his hand on Brigid’s back. “It’s been a long time. I’m actually not a priest anymore.”

  Her fangs fell and she leaned forward, placing her elbow on the edge of the table. “Is that so?”

  “My mate and I are just passing through.” He emphasized the word mate. “On our way to Las Vegas for a bit of a holiday. This is Brigid.”

  “Hello, Brigid.” Scarlet’s mouth curved into a coy smile. “I do love your scent. More than a few immortals start their party here at Down West. You’re welcome to browse, of course. It’s late, so many of our donors have already gone home with patrons, but the ones left will be even more eager to please.” She bit her lower lip and drew a single drop of blood that she licked away with the tip of her tongue. “If you see anyone you like, you can arrange payment with my hostess, Laura.” She started stroking Daniel’s head again. “Rooms in back if you’re looking for lodging.”

  “Your hospitality is appreciated,” Carwyn said. “We’ll look around.”

  “So nice to meet you.” Brigid watched Daniel. “I don’t suppose your pet—”

  “No.” She looked up and the smile was back. “I’m a bit territorial about him.”

  Brigid looked at Carwyn, then back to Scarlet. “I understand completely.”

  “Enjoy your night.” A hand clad in multiple gemstones waved them away. “Do make yourself at home.”

  Carwyn led Brigid to one of the few empty booths as they surveyed the variety of donors. When Carwyn spoke, it was in Irish. “This complicates things.”

  “He’s not a drug addict.” Brigid continued the conversation
in Irish. “He’s a bite addict.”

  When a vampire bit a human for feeding, it was common to flood their senses with a profound sense of peace and euphoria. It made the blood flow more easily and kept the humans still and happy.

  But if bitten too often, humans could become addicted to the “high” that vampire amnis offered. More than one human had wasted away, waiting for the next immortal to bite him. Sometimes the craving overtook good sense. A human could only feed a vampire twice a month if they wanted to remain healthy. Anything more than that would steadily make the human sicker and sicker until they died from anemia.

  Every now and then a vampire like Scarlet would keep a “pet” like Daniel, feeding on only a small taste every night like an appetizer while giving the human the euphoric reaction. For vampires who wanted to attach a human to their side, it could be very effective.

  “So Daniel Siva is Scarlet’s pet,” Carwyn said. “If he’s here, where the hell is Lupe?”

  “That’s what I’m worried about.” Brigid was biting her lip. “We need to get him away—”

  “She’s not going to let him out of her sight,” Carwyn said. “You saw how she reacted.”

  “But we’re not going to find out anything about Lupe until we get Daniel away from her.”

  “So… how do you propose we do that?”

  Brigid looked pained. “I don’t suppose yer open to causing an international vampire incident?”

  Carwyn rubbed his temple. “That seems like a profoundly bad idea.”

  “Then I don’t know. I already tried to snack on the man,” Brigid said. “You heard her. She’s not sharing.”

  “What if we used you to cause a distraction?”

  “If this involves me exploding—”

  “Do you have a better idea? It’s the only thing that might get us and him out of here without a giant fight. Fire vampires are volatile. If you distract the bar by exploding, I can abscond with our human friend without anyone being the wiser.”

  “Shite.” She knew it was a good plan, but that didn’t mean she had to be happy about it. “So are you going to provoke the fight or am I?”