Betwixt Read online

  The boy tilted his head and looked up at the manor. “Everyone says this place is haunted. Some old lady’s ghost haunts the grounds.”

  “We only wanted to see the graveyard,” the girl interjected. “It’s Halloween!”

  As if that somehow explained it all.

  “Listen, you’re not safe here,” Adam told them. The two exchanged a smirk and Adam bristled. He lashed out and nabbed each of them by the elbow, shaking them into paying attention. “Let’s just say that there are more than a few guests who wouldn’t appreciate you crashing. All right?”

  The boy gave a cocky grin. “What? Are they going to do, call our parents?”

  The girl giggled.

  Adam leaned in closer to him, a deep growl rumbling up from the back of his throat. It set the hairs on the back of my neck on end and wiped the smile right off the teen’s face. “More like drain your blood and throw your bodies into the ocean.”

  “Adam!” I barked.

  “What?” Adam asked, turning to me for a moment. He gave a slight shrug. “The SPA is going to wipe their memories either way.”

  I groaned. He was right but it still felt weird just saying it. Subtlety wasn’t Adam’s strong suit.

  “What are your names?” I said, trying the good cop role on for size.

  The boy grinned at me. “Brady. This is Charlotte.” He leaned in closer to me and added, “But don’t worry, we’re not together-together.”

  “Well that’s a relief,” I replied, trying not to breathe in the toxic fumes pouring from him. His breath had to be going on eighty proof.

  Adam scoffed. “Enough! It’s time to go. Now!”

  “You can chill on the scare tactics, all right? Gawd!” Charlotte, the petite, raven-haired girl at Prince Drunkling’s side chimed in, an irritated look pinching her delicate features. Her words weren’t as slurred but she couldn’t seem to hold still and her voice was just a smidge louder than necessary. “We’ll leave. Just as soon as we find our friend.”

  Adam slid a look my way and I swallowed hard. That was the hard part …

  I twisted my fingers together. “There’s something you should know—”

  “She already left,” Adam cut in. He set a hand on my shoulder.

  “I told you,” Brady hissed at Charlotte. “She’s probably smashing with that guy right now. You shouldna left her alone!”

  Charlotte flipped her hair. “He’s just jealous that Fi moved on so fast.”

  Brady sneered at her, an expression made slightly less effective given his subtle sway as he struggled to stay upright.

  “Fi?” I said.

  “Fiona. Our friend.” Charlotte glanced at Brady and smirked. “Well, she’s my friend. She’s his ex.”

  “We’re still friends!” Brady snapped, a defiant purse to his lips.

  “Always a brilliant plan,” Adam quipped.

  “Listen,” Charlotte said, pinning her arms to her chest. “Last time I saw her, she was flirting with some tall guy. Irish? Ira?”

  I ground my teeth. “Ivan.”

  Charlotte snapped her fingers and tottered in her heels. “That’s it. Ivan. Not my type.”

  Brady cackled. “Char likes ‘em short and fat.”

  Charlotte pulled a face and shoved Brady. His eyes went wide with surprise as he bounced off the banister and they both paused, staring at one another for a beat, before bursting into hysterical giggles.

  I rolled my eyes. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.”

  Adam gave a nod. “All right, kids, time for you to hit the road. Sober up. Don’t do drugs. Stay in school. All that jazz.”

  I silently added don’t crash vampire parties to the list of cautionary advice Adam was dishing out.

  Charlotte and Brady linked arms as Adam marched them off the back porch like a couple of delinquents headed for the principal’s office. They giggled when Charlotte stumbled in the grass and had to stop to take off her high heels. Adam shook his head as he rejoined me on the porch. “It’s a wonder they didn’t get plucked off by a couple of hungry vamps. You know how easy it is to glamour a drunk?”

  “No.” I glanced sidelong at him. “Do you?”

  Adam shoved his hands in his pocket and cleared his throat. “Well, not firsthand, no. But I’ve heard the stories.”

  “Aha.” There was more to that story and for a moment, I regretted that there wasn’t time to ask for the details.

  Once Brady and Charlotte were out of sight, I spread my hands out across the yard, setting security wards on the perimeter of the property. “There,” I said to Adam as the magic glittered and then faded as the spells took hold. “If either of them tries to backtrack, they’ll get a nice little zap. Nothing too serious. Just enough of a punch to send them back on their way again.”

  Adam smiled. “That should do the trick. Although, I’m starting to feel like we’re on an island. No one in there can get out, and no one from out there can get in.”

  “An island of potential murders,” I said, looking through the back window. After a moment, I pivoted away and frowned out into the darkness. “I feel bad sending them on their way like that. They don’t even know what happened to their friend.”

  “The SPA will deal with it tomorrow. It’s better than letting them hang around here. Not only would they get in the way, but if things go sideways, they’d be collateral damage.”

  I shivered against a sudden breeze and crossed the porch to go back inside. So far it didn’t appear that anyone had noticed that they were trapped inside the house, but midnight was creeping up and while the vamps likely wouldn’t call it a night for several more hours, I had a feeling that most of them saw Lacey’s party as the first stop in their night of revelry and would be leaving well before dawn.

  And I wasn’t about to let anyone leave until I knew who was responsible for the senseless death of a college girl.

  Starting with the biggest monster of them all.

  Chapter 4

  Any ideas on how to get that oaf’s attention?” Adam asked, jerking his chin in Ivan’s direction.

  “None that don’t include the need for a scalding shower afterward,” I replied under my breath. Ivan was easy enough. A smile and a hair flip, and he’d follow me wherever I wanted to lead him. But the idea of being his bait made my skin itch.

  Lacey was holding court in the center of the living room. She held a crystal flute filled with faux blood and drank delicately in between exchanging jokes with her admirers. The odds were good that she was distracted enough that we could slip in, snag Ivan’s attention, and get him to the study without her noticing. If we told her about the murder, she’d fly into a rage and get everyone else amped up. It was better to let her keep the party going until the SPA could arrive and take over the scene.

  “At least it doesn’t look like anyone’s trying to leave,” Adam said. “I have a feeling Lacey isn’t going to be happy when she finds out we’re holding her entire party hostage.”

  He was right, but I couldn’t worry about that at the moment. I needed to use all my available brain power to figure out a way to get Ivan alone and question him without drawing too much attention.

  Magic danced at my fingertips. I glanced at Adam. “I’ve got an idea.”

  “Good, because he looks like he’s getting ready to take his new friend somewhere more private.”

  Ivan was eying the door, a dark grin on his face as his brunette companion whispered in his ear.

  My stomach rolled. Poor girl. She had no idea what she was getting herself into.

  I grabbed for Adam’s arm. “Come on. You take care of his date and I’ll deal with Ivan.”

  “Mission accepted,” he replied with a half-cocked grin.

  I tugged on him, a little harder than necessary, and he stumbled forward to follow me across the room. We swerved to avoid a couple of blood-drunk vamps on their way to the kitchen and wound up right in front of Ivan and his walking-talking goody bag.

  “Miss me?” Ivan purred as hi
s eyes lingered on my legs.

  “You wish,” I mumbled under my breath.

  Ivan chuckled, clearly enjoying the sport. “As you can see, I’m a little busy with Vanessa here,” he said, giving a slight nod to the brunette hanging from his arm.

  “You sure about that?” Adam said, flashing the woman a smile. “It looks like you’re a little distracted there, Ira. Now, if I had a woman like you on my arm, I wouldn’t have eyes for anyone else in the room.”

  Vanessa’s pert nose wrinkled as she reared back. “Ugh. I don’t date dogs,” she scoffed.

  Adam stiffened but didn’t reply to her nasty slur.

  So much for the divide and conquer component of my plan …

  “Ivan, I need to speak with you,” I said through a forced smile.

  Ivan winked at his leggy companion. “Why don’t you keep the mutt company for a few minutes.”

  Vanessa started to protest but Ivan turned coolly away before she could argue. Adam looked ready to revolt too, but with one sharp glance he backed down and led her toward the kitchen, saying something about getting her a refill.

  “Now that we’re alone,” Ivan purred, suddenly standing way too close to me. “What was it you wanted to confess?”

  “The only one who’s going to be confessing anything is you.”

  “What are you—”

  With a flick of my hand, a tendril of magic surged forward and entwined itself around Ivan’s ankle. I gave a sharp yank and he stumbled forward.

  “Holly! Release me!” he hissed, his eyes dark and full of sheer rage.

  One more flick and the magic sealed his lips. He twisted away but I snapped the tendril of magic and dragged him to the study. I released the magic gag once we were behind closed doors and he sputtered. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing here, but if this is about Anastasia, you should know that I—”

  “Quiet!” I snapped. “I don’t need to hear your pitiful excuses for your disgusting behavior. You’re a foul excuse for a man who wanders around like some kind of gift to all of womankind when you’re really nothing more than a—”

  “Yeesh, what is it with vampire women?” Adam busted in on my diatribe and I swallowed the rest of my bitter sentiments. His expression was pinched as he slammed the door shut again. “Do they get some kind of ice-queen gene fused with their blood during the turn or something?”

  Ivan flashed a cold smile at the question. “It takes a real man to know how to treat a vampiress.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Considering that you know nothing on the subject of being a real man, let’s move on.”

  “What do you want from me?” Ivan snapped, his eyes going cold again as the smile vanished.

  “Know anything about that?” I asked, raising my hand to point at the blonde still slumped in the chair beside the empty fireplace.

  Ivan didn’t flinch, but his eyes went wide with sickening delight. “Whoa! Does Lacey know there’s a dead chick at her big party?”

  “Not yet, and for the time being, we’re going to keep it that way.”

  Ivan moved closer to the girl and ran a finger along her neck. “Still warm.”

  I shuddered as I considered his profile.

  “She could still be … utilized,” Ivan added, his fingers smoothing over her golden tresses.

  “That’s not why we brought you in here!” I snapped at Ivan as I yanked at the magic pulse still connected to his leg. He pivoted to face me, his expression stormy.

  “A tipsy little birdy told us that you were the last one talking to her,” Adam said, glancing over his shoulder to the closed door of the study.

  I stepped closer to Ivan and fixed him with my best don’t-lie-to-me face. “Did that little chat go sideways?”

  Ivan sneered down at the woman’s lifeless body. “Trust me, doll face, if it was me, there would be a lot more to clean up than some delicate little trickle. I like to savor my meals.”

  The way the words rolled off his lips sent my stomach rolling.

  “Know anyone who has a … lighter appetite?” Adam asked.

  Ivan slowly rolled his eyes to meet Adam’s. “No.”

  Adam threw his hands into the air and paced across the room. He rounded the desk and reached for the old-fashioned telephone that sat angled in one corner of it. “That’s it. I’m calling the SPA. Let them figure this disaster out.”

  Ivan shrugged, wholly unconcerned.

  “So, Holly, in between insulting my character, you forgot to mention whether or not you’re here with someone,” Ivan continued, his flippant tone completely throwing me.

  My concentration shattered and broke the magic tether around Ivan’s ankle. I crossed my arms and glared up at the towering vampire. “Are you seriously asking me that?”

  Ivan’s smile deepened. “Come on, it’s getting late; we don’t have time for the hard-to-get routine. You and your pet probably scared off my date which leaves me unattached for the evening. I know Anastasia must have told you some of my better qualities along the way. We were together, what, six months—or was it seven?” He tapped a slender finger against his full lips.

  Adam growled, the sound more beast than man, and inserted himself between Ivan and me.

  Ivan laughed, the sound cold and cruel. “Aww, does the puppy have a little crush? How precious.”

  In an instant, Adam surged forward and launched himself over the desk in a desperate lunge at Ivan. He thrust his hands for the vamp, going straight for his throat.

  “Adam!” I yelped, grabbing for the back of his shirt.

  By some miracle, he let me tug him backwards. When he stepped to the side, I saw Ivan in his full vamp glory; fangs bared, eyes dilated into pitch black pools, his shoulders and hands clenched ready for a fight. And when vampires fight, it only ends when one party stops breathing.

  “You better learn who to challenge, dog,” Ivan hissed.

  Adam bristled. “Watch your tone, fanger, or I’ll uninvite you from this house. We both know that won’t end pleasantly for you.”

  “Stop it! Both of you!” I threw a spell, ending their exchange with a flash of fire. “This isn’t helping.”

  Neither of them budged. Ivan didn’t even have the decency to withdraw his fangs, but with a slight incline of their heads, I dropped the wall of fire to a pile of ashes on the floor. “This girl, whoever she is, was killed here tonight. We can all agree that we don’t want this to get any more out of hand than it already is. The house is sealed. No one is getting in or out until we figure out what happened.”

  I pivoted to face Ivan. “You were the last one seen with her. What did she say?”

  Ivan stared at me for a long moment and then took a deep breath. He blinked slowly and his pupils returned to their normal size as his fangs retracted. “I think she said her name was Fiona. Goes to school here in town. That’s all I know.”

  Adam scoffed.

  Ivan’s lip curled back. “I know you won’t believe me, but I’m clean. I don’t do live anymore.”

  I jabbed my elbow into Adam’s ribs at his responding snort. “I don’t care about your diet, Ivan. I want to know what happened to her, to Fiona.”

  Ivan crossed his arms, showcasing his impressive biceps through his long-sleeve shirt. “I’ve already told you everything I know. She was flirting with me, but I don’t entertain humans.”

  “Really cuts into that whole clean living kick, huh?” Adam sneered.

  “For the love of butterscotch,” I sighed, rounding on Adam. “St. James, last warning!”

  A lanky vamp shoved into the room and immediately burst into tipsy giggles. “Oops! I thought this was the bathroom.”

  “Get out!” I barked.

  Adam straightened, ready to enforce my order.

  The young woman’s eyes sobered as they drifted to the blonde and the trickle of blood on her neck. “Oh my gosh! What happened to Fiona? Someone … someone—” she stopped and shook her head violently, unable to finish the thought.

 
“You know her?” I asked.

  She nodded. “We were in the same Biology class.”

  I took a step toward the woman. “You went to school with her?”

  She gave a slight nod and then hurried to tuck her hair back behind her ears. “She was in one of my classes. I only go part-time. Night school, obviously.”

  “Naturally.” I slipped my hands into the pockets of my jeans. “Do you know what she was doing here tonight?”

  The girl shook her head, but then burst into tears. She buried her face in her hands and a mumbled reply bubbled up, “This is all my fault.”

  “What?” My eyes popped open as I swiveled around to glance at Adam.

  “I’m the reason that she was here tonight. I told—well, I told Karly about the party.”

  “Karly?” Adam said.

  “She’s the leader of the sorority that Fiona was pledging. We have a few classes together and I mentioned it in passing. I never thought they’d come crash it. I figured they would have some big bash off campus.”

  “So Karly is a … human?” I asked.

  The girl nodded.

  “Is she here tonight?”

  “I haven’t seen her. But I didn’t see Fiona either. I was in the kitchen most of the night.” She shook her head as she wiped away the stray tears. “I’m so sorry. I never should have said anything. If I’d kept quiet, she wouldn’t even be here tonight.”

  I reached out and patted her shoulder. “It’s not your fault. We don’t even know if that’s the reason why she’s here. I don’t think Karly was here tonight. We got the other two humans out. Brady and Charlotte?”

  The young woman shook her head, not recognizing the named.

  “Listen, we’ve got the situation under control,” I told her. “Please keep this quiet. We don’t want everyone getting hysterical.”

  She nodded but didn’t look convinced. Her eyes drifted back to Fiona’s lifeless form.

  “Come on,” Ivan said, stepping from the shadows to her side. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the door. “Let’s get you a glass of AB negative. That always takes the edge off for me.”