This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, #5)(3)

“You said your Master was killed a few years ago, and she left no one to look after the members of her line,” Bones stated to Scratch, after the waitress took our drink orders. “A group of you banded together to watch out for one another. When did you first notice something odd was going on?”

“Several months ago, around fall last year,” Scratch replied. “At first, we just thought some of the guys skipped town without telling anyone. We kept an eye on each other, but we weren’t babysitters, y’know? Then, when more of us went missing, people who’d normally say something before taking off . . . well. It got the rest of us worried.”

I didn’t doubt it. As young, Masterless vampires, Scratch and others like him were on the bottom of the pecking order in the undead world. I might have some issues with the feudalistic system vampires operated under, but when it came to protecting members of their line, most Master vampires were pretty damn vigilant. Even the evil ones.

“Then, more ghouls started showing in the area,” Scratch went on.

I tensed. This was why Bones and I had come to Ohio. We’d also heard about a recent influx of ghouls in my old home state, and reports of missing vampires.

“Hey, it’s an undead playground here,” Scratch continued, oblivious to my uneasiness. “Lots of ley lines and fun vibrations, so we didn’t think anything about all the flesh-eaters showing up. But some of ’em act real nasty to vampires. Harassing the Masterless ones, following them home, starting fights . . . it got us thinking maybe they were behind the disappearances. Problem is, no one gives a shit since we don’t belong to anyone. I’m amazed you’re interested, frankly.”

“I have my reasons,” Bones said in that same impassive tone. He didn’t even glance at me. Centuries of feigning detachment made him an expert at it. Ed and Scratch would have no idea that the reason we were pumping them for information was to see if my World’s Weirdest Vampire condition might be the reason that some ghouls were acting hostile—and why vampires were disappearing.

“If you’re looking for money, we don’t have much,” Ed piped up. “Besides, I thought you retired from contract killing when you merged lines with that mega-Master Mencheres.”

Bones arched a brow. “Try not to think too often, you’ll only hurt yourself,” he replied pleasantly.

Ed’s face tightened, but he shut his mouth. I hid a smile. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth—especially one that bites.

“Do you have any proof that ghouls might be involved in your friends’ disappearances?” I asked Scratch, getting back to the subject.

“No. Just seems more than coincidence that whenever one of them went missing, they were last seen at a place where some of those * ghouls were.”

“What places?” I asked.

“Some bars, clubs—”

“Names,” Bones pressed.

Scratch began to rattle off a list, but all of a sudden, his voice was drowned out under a deluge of others.

. . . four more hours until I get a break . . .

. . . remember to get the receipt for that? If it doesn’t fit, I’m taking it back . . .

. . . if she looks at one more pair of shoes, I’m going to scream . . .

The sudden crash of intrusive conversation wasn’t coming from the mall shoppers around us—I’d tuned that out even before we sat down. This was coming from inside my head. I jerked as if struck, my hand flying to my temple.

Oh shit. Not again.





Chapter Two

What’s wrong, Kitten?” Bones asked at once.

Ed and Scratch also gave me concerned glances. I forced a smile while struggling to concentrate on them instead of the plethora of conversations that had suddenly taken up in my mind.

“Just, um, a little hot out here,” I muttered. Damned if I was going to tell two strange vampires the real cause of my problem.

Bones’s gaze traveled over my face, his dark brown eyes missing nothing, while those voices pitilessly continued to chatter on in my mind.

. . . no one saw me. Hope I can get the security tag off . . .

. . . I’ll give him something to cry about soon . . .

. . . if she doesn’t show up in five minutes, I’m eating without her . . .

“I, ah, need some air,” I blurted before recognizing the stupidity in that excuse. One, we were already outdoors, and two, I was a vampire. I didn’t breathe anymore, let alone have any health conditions I could blame my sudden weird behavior on.

Bones stood, taking my elbow and throwing a stiff “Stay here” over his shoulder at Ed and Scratch.

I walked quickly, trying to concentrate on the cool pressure of his hand more than where I was going. My head was lowered, because my eyes had probably turned bright green from agitation. Shut up, shut up, shut up, I chanted at the unwelcome crowd in my head.

The din in my mind seemed to amplify the noises from the people milling around us, until everything blurred into a sort of white noise. It grew, overwhelming my other senses, making it hard for me to focus on anything except the relentless voices coming at me from all sides. I struggled to push them back, to concentrate on anything except the sounds that seemed to grow with every second.

Something hard pressed against my front the same time that a straighter, harder barrier flattened my back. Underneath the now-thunderous chatter bombarding my mind, I heard a familiar English voice.