Sunset to Sunrise (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7.5)(14)

A group of women on the dance floor caught my attention. They were drinking and laughing. Easy targets, every one of them. I had found my next conquest. I wondered if I could lure two of them to my bed. Perhaps even three.

Juliet’s gaze was heavy upon me. It took great restraint to keep her from becoming the target of my constant hunger. Of all the ways to force Alexa’s hand, targeting her sister would be among the most effective. But I could never.

“There’s nothing I can say to get you to work with us, is there?” She tried again, leading me to believe she had been instructed to pull out all the stops. “What if we gave you Sylvia?”

Sylvia. The mention of that bitch’s name brought forth an ugly desire to tear her to pieces. She had been sent to torture me several times during my stay with the FPA. Taunting me with her naked, bleeding flesh while I was restrained, she had truly enjoyed her job. I had most certainly not forgotten Sylvia. One day she and I would definitely meet again. Though it would not be because the FPA were a bunch of shady dickheads willing to sell out their own people to get a tidbit on Shya.

“Tell whoever it is that brainstormed this offer that Kale Sinclair cannot be bought,” I said, swinging my stern gaze back to her. “I didn’t exist for over five centuries by aligning myself with humans. I’m not about to start now.”

I half expected Juliet to try another angle, but she merely nodded in acceptance. “I guess I understand. If I were you, I wouldn’t want to work with us either.” She rose to leave, pausing to add, “Thanks for your help earlier. And for the free beer. If you change your mind, get in touch.”

She dropped a card on the table before me and left. I was relieved to see her go. The scent of wolf faded taking with it much of my tormented hunger.

I eyed up the small group of partying women, deciding which of them I wanted the most. Because she was never far from my mind, I decided to check in on Alexa first. Again I reached her voicemail. Frustrated and uneasy, I called Jez’s phone next. When she too didn’t answer, my unease became worry.

I felt trapped, knowing I’d never get to Vegas before sunrise even if I were able to grab a late night flight. Besides, it’s not like I could run through Sin City to save her if I didn’t know where she was. But someone could find her. Someone who wasn’t me.

Calling Shya was not what I wanted to do. Instinct told me Alexa needed help and he was the only one who could track her. So I caved. Listening to the phone ring fed my impatience. It was a ridiculous way to reach a demon, but I sure as hell wasn’t about to do it the old fashioned way with a summoning.

He didn’t share my concern, or at least, he didn’t let on if he did. In a bored tone, he assured me that Alexa was likely fine, but he would send Falon to check up on her. It was as good as I was going to get. Though Alexa and Falon detested one another, he would have to do.

I felt restless and useless. The group of women continued to tempt me, but I couldn’t just lock myself in my room and binge away the worries that plagued me. Not yet.

Abandoning the wild, growing party at The Wicked Kiss, I was soon speeding down the street with the windows open and the stereo up loud. Following up on the tip Phillip’s guy had given me was a good way to stay busy. If this growing rebel cause was serious, it would have to be dealt with.

The drive across town to the Clover Bar Cemetery calmed me. Being away from the nightclub freed me of many urges. The Wicked Kiss was a source of both satisfaction and temptation. It was a place where the cycle never ended. It just kept repeating itself until the nights and faces ran together in one forgettable mess of memories.

It had once kept me satisfied enough to avoid the kill. Willing victims were a means to an end, a way to appease the bloodlust without leaving a trail of bodies. The concept was genius; it worked for most of the vampires that fed there. It had worked for me once too. Until it didn’t.

The cemetery had seen better days. It was nice, big, and well taken care of. Yet the flowers decorating the graves were far from fresh, and fall’s yellow leaves lay in drifts. I walked the main path for a while, listening to the sounds of the city at night. Traffic, sirens and the occasional shout all sounded especially far away. The cemetery had its own silence that made me feel like I was walking in another world. The rest of the city continued to operate around the clock as usual, but here there was a sense of peace I didn’t feel anywhere else.

Weaving through headstones, I followed the vampire energy that emanated from the south corner. I cloaked my own energy so that I could approach without being sensed. I fully suspected the rebel group to be nothing more than a handful of idiots with big dreams.

I rounded a corner to find far more than a dozen vampires. I counted fifteen vampires gathered. Phillip was leading their meeting. All eyes were on him as he preached the good word of taking back the city.

“There are no rules for us,” he said with his voice raised in false authority. “We are beyond rules. Hell, we’re beyond life. We didn’t beat death just to be controlled by a self-appointed ruler.” He waited for them to utter shouts and cheers of agreement. “Arys Knight must be stopped, or we will all be nothing more than servants in his empire.”

I stifled a snicker. Lingering behind a tall angel statue, I listened to them carry on about how Arys was a dictator intent on making them all submit. Phillip seemed to be the kind of guy that liked to hear himself talk. Half of what he said was a joke, completely laughable. What made it less funny was how many were listening to him.