Fingers crossed
FINGERS CROSSED
Celine
Vampires don’t really sleep. During the day, we enter a state of low consciousness where we drift in and out of awareness. As an older vampire, I’m almost completely unconscious for the entire time that the sun is in the sky.
But lately, my rest has been punctuated by anxieties and nagging frustration.
Cedric has been taunting us. Taunting me . He thinks that he can threaten our business, the very livelihood we’ve built for our family. He wants to rub it in our face, his success, his alliance with Lazarus.
His new drug, glow, is the most recent salt in the wound.
And he knows how much I hate it when vampires drain breathers. He knows all of my fears and weaknesses. I should never have been so vulnerable with him. I let my guard down. I can never do that again.
But I think I might have him. The information Amara gave me was the key.
She’s a useful ally. She’s smart, and she sees a lot in the club. It’s good to keep her close.
Like a curtain rising over a stage, the dusk gives way to night. My bones are unburdened and the haze lifts from my mind.
I wake, and push the lid of my coffin open. Then I step into my crypt. It’s a bare, well-secured room at the back of my suite. The entrance is hidden by a revolving bookshelf in my study. I walk into it and wait impatiently. Xia said she would meet me here .
The study is wood-paneled, with violet wallpaper across the upper half of the walls. Bookshelves line each wall, full of books I’ve hunted over the centuries. I remember when books were a special rarity. I still treat them as such, with a treasured spot for each.
There’s a beep on the speaker on my desk.
“Ms. C?té, Ms. Chan is here for your meeting,” says the crisp voice of the concierge.
“Send her down,” I reply, hitting the button that unlocks the elevator. Not even Xia has the security code to my suite. A vampire’s resting place is their most valuable secret.
I pace as I wait for Xia to arrive. I haven’t drank any blood in a few days and I feel a bit antsy. Perhaps I’ll celebrate this evening in the club.
Or perhaps I’ll be consoling myself.
I tap the toe of my high-heeled leather boot on the ground.
The elevator chimes.
“C?” says Xia, coming through the living area and into my study. She’s wearing slim dark pants and a comfortable loose top. Her silver-streaked hair frames a beaming face. “It worked. You were right!”
“Excellent,” I reply with a smirk. “Were there any losses?”
“No,” Xia replies. “Once the witches realized who we were, they immediately folded. There were no vampires resting there.”
“As I’d predicted,” I say with a nod. “I greatly appreciate your knowledge and support, Xia.”
“Happy to help. I never liked those independent city witches. And if they were helping to create glow, I’m glad to be rid of them. I was getting sick of throwing users out of our club every night.”
“But be sure to increase the security over the next few weeks. I’m sure that Cedric will retaliate once he realizes that we busted his operation. What do you think the likelihood is that they’ll start producing glow somewhere else?”
“You never know,” Xia shrugs. “But you should have seen them when Nova shifted right inside their lair. We destroyed most of their equipment, and I cast a spell around their hideout that should make it difficult for them to work magic there. I doubt they’re going to be eager to partner with Cedric again. It didn’t seem like they were very happy to be doing it in the first place. I think he must have threatened them. ”
“He’s a nefarious bastard.”
Malicious delight blossoms inside me at the thought of besting him yet again.
“Damien will take over the night shift, Xia. You take the rest of the week off.”
“Thanks, C.” Xia salutes with a smile. “Celebratory drink at the club?”
“You read my mind.”
Amara
“You should have seen their faces!” Nova laughs, an uproarious sound that cuts through the pounding music of the club. “They scattered like cockroaches! Purple powder was everywhere !”
“It was pretty awesome,” Xia says to me, taking a swig of her beer.
“Hit me again, Amara!” Nova says.
I pour more whiskey into their cup. It’s hard not to soak up their joy, especially since they’ve got a good reason to be celebrating.
“So, how did you know it was witches who were making glow for the Lazarus vampires?” I ask casually.
Xia replies, “According to Celine, something you said tipped her off. When you described what it was like to ingest glow. You said it was magical. She realized that it must be independent witches working for Lazarus and Cedric. Vampires can do a bit of magic, but not enough to create a potent drug like glow.”
“Oh, really? I didn’t even think of that!” There’s a little pleasant feeling in my stomach. She gave me credit. I don’t know why that makes me feel all gooey, but it does.
Nova turns to Xia, their face a little flushed from all the whiskey. “I’ve always been curious about witches, but I haven’t met that many. Which witch coven were they part of? The good ones or the bad ones?”
“Neither,” Xia replies. “Those were independent witches. They might serve a demon or deity, but they’re not officially part of a coven.”
Nova nods. “Like practicing a religion on your own?”
“Sort of.”
“Are you part of a coven, Xia?”
I lean in slightly. I’m curious about this myself.
“I used to be part of an evil witch coven,” Xia replies. “But after my friend left, I didn’t want to be part of it anymore. It’s a long story. I’m independent now.”
“Do you prefer being an independent witch?” Nova asks.
“Definitely! No ridiculous politics, no Triple Council…”
“What’s the Triple Council?”
“Three powerful witch covens all got together and formed an alliance.”
Nova wrinkles their nose. “They couldn’t think of a cooler name than ‘ the Triple Council ?’”
Xia chuckles.
I take a glass and pour another beer for her. Without thinking, I reply, “You might think it’s silly, but it’s a big deal that three witch covens allied at all.”
As I set the glass down in front of Xia, I realize my mistake. She cocks her head at me curiously.
“Yes, it is,” she says, taking a slow sip.
My stomach drops.
“Well, look at that,” I say quickly, grabbing my tray. “No barback again! She’s always disappearing. I’m going to go collect some empty glasses while it’s not too busy.”
Before Xia or Nova can say another word, I open the hinged counter top of the bar and disappear deep into the crowd.
What a stupid thing to say! At least it wasn’t that incriminating. A bartender could know a little bit about witch politics without it being suspicious, right? I could have picked it up somewhere. Maybe I should say something when I get back, like my mom used to be a witch or something, try to cover my tracks.
No, I shouldn’t say anything else. It’s incredibly lucky that I haven’t been on anyone’s radar yet. Better to just keep lying low.
Lost in thought, I almost topple over a set of entangled legs sticking out from a chaise.
“Sorry…”
My words are cut short when I see whose legs they are. Her light purple eyes flash in the dim light.
“That’s ok,” giggles the woman on top of her, her voice a little dopey.
Celine takes her lips from the woman’s neck, a trickle of blood dripping down her chin.
I turn on my heel, leaving my tray behind.
I’m getting as far away from them as possible. There’s a sour, twisted feeling in my stomach. But what’s worse is that I’m feeling it at all.
I’m barely a few steps away when I feel a cold hand on my arm.
“Let go of me!” I snap, louder than I mean to.
“Amara,” Celine says.
Her firm tone stops me. I turn around to face her. Her fangs are completely out, sticking well past her lips. There’s red around the corners of her mouth. I try not to look directly at her.
“What?” I ask, pulling my arm away.
She surveys me slowly, like she’s reading a book. “Amara, I have to drink.”
“I get it. You’re a vampire.”
“So why are you upset?”
“I’m not upset.” I toss my braids over my shoulder. “I’m just working. This is where I work .”
“Your heart is beating very quickly.”
I glare at her.
She frowns. “Amara, I need to drink blood or I’ll deanimate.”
“I know! So why don’t you get back to your little snack, and I’ll get back to my job.”
I need to get out of this conversation right now. If I keep looking at her stupid purple eyes and her bloody mouth, I’m going to throw up.
I push through the sweaty, gyrating bodies on the dance floor, heading directly to the bar.
Why am I upset? She’s completely right, she’s a vampire, she needs to drink blood. And I’m definitely not offering any. I have absolutely no reason to be jealous.
I open the hinged counter top, fuming.
And with a blond ! That girl looked like she was barely in her twenties.
“Are you ok?” Nova asks, as I slam the top of the bar back down. “What happened to your tray? ”
“I lost it,” I snap.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Celine making her way through the crowd.
“Go away!” I shout.
Instinctively, I cross the fingers of my right hand, a gesture to ward off evil energy. She falters, her shoulder slumping slightly, and goes back to her earlier conquest.
“Vampires,” I sigh.
“Well, I’m out,” says Nova, putting their empty whiskey glass on the counter. “Night, all!”
“Night, Nova!”
I turn to Xia, to see if her glass needs to be refilled.
I stop when I notice her wide eyes. Her gaze is fixed on the crossed fingers of my right hand.
Immediately, I uncross them. Chuckling nervously, I take her mostly-full stein and start pouring more beer into it.
“Something my mom taught me,” I say with an unconvincing shrug. “Always cross your fingers against bad luck!”
But Xia’s expression is deadly serious. “Was your mother a Hecate witch?”
Slowly, I put the beer down on the bar in front of her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“Amara Moonfall, isn’t it?” she says. “I remember you from the Wicked Wars. How did I not recognize you earlier?”
I inhale shakily. This is it. The jig is up. I was never a good liar to begin with.
“Please, please don’t say anything,” I whisper urgently.
“What are you doing here?” she hisses. “Do you have any idea how dangerous is it for you to be here?”
“I know ! I…I’m just keeping an eye on things, you know…”
Xia shakes her head incredulously. “Did Lavinia put you up to this?”
“I had to listen to her, Xia. She’s my High Priestess!”
“Then why did she send you to straight into the lion’s den?”
“Xia, you can’t tell Tudor, please…”
“I’m not going to tell Tudor,” Xia says, concern written in the lines on her face.
Relief washes over me. “Thank you.”
“But Amara, you’ve got to get out of here. You don’t understand how dangerous Tudor and his progeny are. Tudor is very suspicious of the Hecate witches right now. If he finds out you’re here, who knows what he’ll do? Unholy Satan, and you’ve been sleeping with Celine! What are you thinking …”
“I’m trying to protect my coven!”
“Amara, it’s not worth it,” she says with another shake of her head. “Don’t let Lavinia put you at risk. If you get caught…they’ll kill you. They’ll worse than kill you.”
“I won’t get caught…”
Our tense conversation is interrupted by a shout from the elevator. Xia’s eyes immediately flick toward the entrance to the club.
“Stay here!” she yells, rising from her seat and pushing through the crowd.
I can hear screaming, and a flood of people moving onto the dance floor and away from the elevators. My eyes scan the club quickly. Celine rises into the air and over the chaos. Her fangs are still elongated, and her hair flows wildly over her shoulders.
I grab my bag. I need to keep my wand close in case things escalate. But after my encounter with Xia, I sincerely hope they don’t.
It’s terrifying to think about, but she’s right . If I’m discovered, I’m as good as dead. And if the vampires learn that the witches have been spying on them, Tudor won’t hesitate to launch a full-scale war.
But I can only focus on one danger at a time. I climb onto the bar to see better over the crowd. There’s a group of about a dozen vampires, forcing their way into the club. A sea of panicking guests hurry out of their way, screaming and pushing.
“Celine!” yells a formidable, haunting voice. I’ve never heard it before. “We’ve got business to discuss!”
I crane my neck. The words are coming from the vampire in the center of the group. His skin is pale white, and he has the same dark brown hair as Celine. It’s tousled, falling across his forehead carelessly. I can’t tell how old he is, but the way the other vampires flock around him reveals his status. Fear courses through my veins. He’s got to be powerful.
Celine hovers a little lower. When I catch the expression on her face, there’s no fear or concern. On the contrary, she looks…gleeful?
“Hello brother,” she says with a smirk. “I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence.”
Brother? I look back over at the other vampire. He snarls at her, “You gave me no choice, little sister .”
Celine’s eyes find her guard in the crowd. “Xia, Damien, escort everyone out of the club please, so we can have a private chat.”