Birth of a Vixen (Shadow Faith Book 1) Read online

  I removed my jacket, and took my seat. After all the training I had been through one of the things I learned was that it was better to let people feel like they were in control. Let them do as much talking as they want and not only listen to every word they said but how they said it. The best way to get that done was to play dumb. “Who's Grump?”

  Raphe jerked a thumb behind him at the vampire in the olive green suit and disheveled brown hair. “See the frumpy one in the middle?”

  I peered over his shoulder. “Yeah.”

  “That's Grump. He's the Primus of Kent. The lady with the bun in her hair is Meisha, she’s his Lieutenant and I'm the sheriff.” Just like that he laid out the heavy hitters in the room.

  I crossed my legs and laid my hands across my knees. “Well in that case I'm from the Vadimas House.”

  “Really? I wouldn't have guessed that.” He grinned and tilted his head.

  “What would you have guessed?” I slid my coat with a slight shift of my body from behind my back down around my hips.

  He shrugged. “I would have bet money you were a Cemalian.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No thank you darling. Give me a second and I'll let the Primus know you are here before he gets into the heavier topic of tonight’s meeting.”

  “I'll be right here.” I gave him my best doe eyed seductive expression.

  “Okay, be right back.” With that he left to meet with Grump in the center of this auspicious circus.

  Raphe tapped Grump's shoulder. They squabbled for a minute or two. Raphe pointed me out. Grump glanced in my direction. He shook his head. Soon enough Raphe made his way back to me.

  “All right, since the only other member of your House is the Primus' secretary and with what happened tonight Grump has one simple request in order to let you stay here.” It seemed his level of confidence was undermined. Lucian’s plans these last couple of months might have been for nothing.

  “What happened tonight?”

  “I don’t want to steal Grump’s thunder. He’ll address everybody in a sec.”

  My stomach tightened. “Okay. Well then what’s the stipulation?”

  “Torture.”

  “What?” I sat up straighter. I scanned the room as I plotted my escape. First step was an upward thrust into Raphe’s nose. It wouldn’t kill him, but he would have to take a moment to heal before he could attack. Then I would hightail up and over a couple tables to get past Brutus. Maybe I could take him out in the process. At least then something good would come out of tonight.

  “Meaning that I have to keep an eye on you.” He sat beside me. Then draped his arm across the back of my seat.

  Holy shit he had a twisted sense of humor. The knot in my stomach loosened. I slid on the chair closer to my new chaperone. “I think I can handle that.”

  “Are you sure? Because this arrangement of ours could possibly take several nights before you can be trusted by yourself for long periods of time in the city.” Raphe rubbed my shoulder with his fingertips.

  My gaze wandered down his body and back up to his eyes. “You'd be surprised at what I can handle.”

  The whimsical smirk returned and brightened his face. “Not much surprises me. However, I am intrigued.”

  “Good evening everyone.” Primus Grump said. A playful grin highlighted his round face, but didn’t reach his eyes. “Before we get to why we are here I have an announcement; there is a new member in our city. Everyone this is Veronica of House Vadimas.” He gestured toward me.

  I turned and waved. I hated being the center of attention. I felt like the new kid in school, awkward and out of place.

  “How do we know we can trust here her?” Brutus hollered from the back of the room.

  Raphe stood while unzipping his black leather jacket. He turned around to acknowledge Brutus. “I’ve taken Veronica under my wing, and don't forget whether it's this beautiful woman sitting beside me or anyone else in this town that falls out of line,” he opened his jacket and exposed a wooden stake, "Papa spank."

  “Whatever.” Brutus whispered to himself, rolling his eyes.

  “That's what I thought.” Raphe faced Grump. “Sorry for the interruption. Please continue.” He took his seat while he winked at me. “Told ya. You have nothing to worry about.”

  I must have earned a ton of karma points in a past life that warranted this luck. Sasha and Lucian made this spy-thing sound like it would be much harder to pull off. It seemed as long as you’ve got a pretty face, could lie through your teeth, and had a little bit of luck anything was possible.

  “Now that we’ve got our little meet and greet out of the way.” Grump's smile vanished. “Up until now it seemed that Lucian’s army had targeted only the major metropolitan areas. From previous meetings we discussed him entering Ohio through Cincinnati before making his way to Columbus. Last month he headed for Cleveland. I received word from the Cleveland Primus Suzette. She mentioned that there were attacks in both private and public areas. Thankfully, Lucian has yet to determine where the exact location of the Cabal’s Sanctuary is located. Tonight he attacked The Flats. Twenty people died. That is including the human death toll.

  “What we need to do is keep an eye out for unusual occurrences. If you see groups of vampires that you do not recognize contact your House Commissioner or one of my Council Members immediately.”

  “In the mean time, we will meet weekly at different locations to throw off the scent of Lucian’s dogs. The Caravelli's invited all of us to their home next week. They have been planning a Christmas party. Vinchenzo Caravelli has graciously, if not humbly, offered to not only make it a Christmas party but as our next city meeting.” He gestured towards Mr. Armani. It was nice to have a name with the face now.

  The redhead that sat next him waved as she welcomed the attention in the room. I recognized her from the previous meeting. There was no doubt in my mind now that she was a Cemalian. They loved the limelight.

  My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I ignored the call. Before I turned my attention back to Grump I caught Brutus watching me with a suspicious glare. He distrusted my sudden arrival into town. He had every reason to think the way he did, but as long as I kept my chaperone happy then I should be in the clear from his attacks. Raphe wasn’t in town two months ago when that animal hunted me down like a dog. If he had maybe things would have been different. I was going to test that theory. I bit my tongue and curled my fingers at him in a cutesy wave. It took every ounce of willpower not to charge and claw out the murder’s eyes.

  Grump rapped upon the table’s surface. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Brutus’ head snap back toward Grump. “Now is there any other business anyone would like to bring to the table?" Not a peep from the crowd. "Fine, then meeting is adjourned. Those that I spoke to earlier I need to meet with you again before you leave."

  Grump half turned from the room, hesitated, then continued to turn his back on the crowd. Meisha touched his hand. After a reassuring smile they walked together to Father Khel and Vinchenzo.

  Raphe squeezed my leg. "I have to go speak with Grump. You can wait here if you like. I shouldn't be too long."

  From within my jacket pocket I felt the cell phone vibrate again. "I still have to unpack. Is it okay for me to head home on my own?”

  “Sure thing.”

  “But, wait one second.” I reached over to the woman with black and neon pink spikes and tapped her shoulder. “Excuse me.”

  Her face was covered in a mask of vivid colors. Dark, shimmering pink eye shadow over her blue eyes made them sparkle like the sea at sunset. Her lips were just as iridescent. Her cheekbones were drenched in a light rosy hue. Her voice was a complete contradiction to the punk style she flaunted. It was high like Sasha’s voice, but without any of the sadistic undertones. “Yes.”

  “Can I borrow a piece of paper?”

  “Of course.” She repositioned the large stack of papers she had scattered across the floor. Then ripped out a sheet from her not
ebook. “Here you go. I’m Bunny by the way. We’re Housemates.”

  “Thanks, Bunny. It’s nice to meet a friendly Vadimasian. We seem to be so few and far between nowadays.”

  She beamed up at me. Then went back to her work.

  I jotted down the number to the cell phone Lucian gave me. Then handed it to Raphe. “Here is my number. Call me anytime. This way we can make sure neither of us gets in trouble.”

  “Tomorrow night then.” His hand brushed against mine as he took the offered piece of parchment. Then slid it into an outer pocket of his leather jacket.

  “I'd like that. Till tomorrow then.” I stood. Raphe handed me my coat. I draped it over my arm. “Take care of yourself.”

  “You, too. Don't forget there’s a maniac out there. Try to get home as fast as you can.” He kissed the back of my other hand.

  I slid out of his grasp. With a pivot I sashayed around to the opposite side of the room towards the exit. I took the longer route to avoid Brutus. With each step I felt Raphe’s eyes watch me. As I reached the door Bunny said, “Raphe, stop ogling the poor girl and go talk with Grump. We don’t got all night.” I laughed as I went through the door.

  By the time I exited the library most of the parking lot was empty. Grateful for the privacy, I pulled the cell phone out of my pocket and saw I had a voice message from Sasha. After punching in the four-digit access code I listened to what she said.

  “Hey V, I hope the meeting went well and that you are still alive to get this message.” She giggled into the phone. “If you are alive then I need you to go to the Kent Theater. It’s just over the hill from the frat houses. There will be a blue Lincoln Continental with a white top waiting for you. The driver will bring you to me where I have a huge surprise for you. See ya soon.” I closed the phone and began trekking.

  Chapter 14

  Waiting in a no parking zone sat an aquamarine Lincoln Continental with a white roof. A man that appeared to be in his late forties to early fifties dressed in the cliché chauffeurs uniform -black brim hat, double button breast wool coat, black slacks and shined dress shoes- stood beside the land yacht. He removed the hat and held it at his chest. His full head of black hair had a touch of grey around the ears. “Ma’am.” His voice held a hint of a proper English accent.

  “Hi. You’re here to take me to Sasha?” I walked closer to him with my arms loose, ready for an attack. It paid to be cautious. When I got about five feet away he opened the backdoor for me. “Is that your way of saying yes?”

  A timid smile revealed slim laugh lines. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “You can call me Veronica. Ma’am makes me feel old.”

  “As you wish, ma’am.” He practiced his well-to-do demeanor to the extreme.

  Damn, he was stubborn. I held the top of the doorframe and roof. “You’re not going to call me Veronica, are you?”

  “No ma’am. It would be improper for me to address you in such an informal manner.”

  “What should I call you then?” I expected him to say Rupert, Cogsworth or Cogswallow. Yeah, something pompous.

  “You may refer to me as Albert.”

  “Okie dokie Al, let’s get a move on.” Then I climbed into the backseat and mocked his accent, poorly. “We wouldn’t want to keep ‘er waiting.”

  “No ma’am.” Albert emphasized ma’am. Then he closed the door and hustled to the driver side door. Once inside he started the vehicle and off we went.

  I got a real feel for this section of town. From the random bars to the pagan jewelry shop and an occasional Victorian, after we crossed the bridge over the Cuyahoga River, there was a haunted rustic vibe emanating from every brick, every tree, and even the air itself. This town withstood the test of time and remained standing to tell the tale. Between the campus shootings, riots, and random number of paranormal creatures spanning the last hundred years or so, Kent felt like a populated ghost town. The sensation was tangible when I entered or exited the city’s border. I hadn’t taken the time to register it until then. As Albert cruised down state route fifty-nine out of Kent and into Stow a deep-seated tension calmed in me.

  The fifteen-minute ride through one suburban development to another took us into Silver Lake Village. At the bottom of a winding hill rested the village’s namesake. Dark waters lie frozen. In the distance a plump island with bare trees breached the ominous view.

  “We are here, ma’am.” Albert’s unsuspecting voice broke the mesmerizing silence. He maneuvered onto a street void of any signs. After a short distance he turned right onto a paved driveway shrouded by squat, snowy pine trees. An Islamic green garage wide enough for three vehicles was attached to a khaki brick manor. Albert stopped the car before its doors.

  When the engine quieted he circled around and opened my door. “Sasha waits for you inside. She asked that you enter via the front entrance.”

  “Thanks Al.” I slid out, patted his shoulder, and continued past him.

  A cement pathway split away from the driveway to wrap around the estate. I followed it under an awning with ivy growing up its decorative columns. The house sat high on a hill. A three tiered cement walkway curved up to the front porch. Each landing had decorative steps with tall steeple shrubs. I continued to the double oak door entrance. I tested the brass doorknob and sure enough it opened.

  “Wow.” Hardwood floors glistened in the grand foyer. Tan walls and wide round archways opened the rest of the house on either side of me. The arches had smaller glassless window arches separated by Grecian columns. Spider plants hung from the top of the small curvature. An ‘L’ shaped staircase, carpeted up the middle with deep red and gold trim at the edges, led to the second floor. An ornate iron banister climbed the length of the stairs topped with an oak handrail. A white door, cloaked in the stair’s shadow, lay before me.

  “Over here sweetie.” Sasha beckoned me from the room to my right. I followed her voice into the living room.

  Dressed in all black clothes Sasha looked out of place in the antique rose chair. Four floor-to-ceiling windows lay behind her. Dark rose red drapes were pulled to either side and clamped with gold tassels. A sheer white curtain blurred the side yard from view. A grand piano was by the front wall. Each corner was full of lush green potted foliage. Between us was a plush black couch with large white and red throw pillows. A wrought iron table was between the couch and me.

  “Please tell me this is the surprise you were talking about?” My exacerbated shock made me all giddy inside.

  “Sort of.” She took a set of keys out of her pocket and jiggled them. She tossed me the keys. “The rest of it is in the garage. Two are for the house and one is for a Mustang.”

  I caught the key chain. Then shrieked. “Holy shit.”

  I rounded the table and couch as Sasha stood to greet my incoming hug. I lunged at her, laughing. We swayed back and forth in a little happy dance.

  She pulled back from me, still holding my arms. “Consider it Lucian’s way of congratulating you for making it through the first night.

  “Oh, sorry. So, what name did Lucian put the house under?”

  “That’s okay. And he used the most useless last name, Smith. You are now Smith, Veronica Smith.” She retook her seat. “How did the rest of your night go?”

  I plopped onto the couch, unzipped a boot and filled her in on tonight’s meeting. “The plan worked perfectly. The sheriff was at the party like we suspected. I’m on probation. I have to report to their Raphe for a while. Although I think that the probation may just be a line. He was really flirtatious. I played up my interest as best as I could. Thanks for the tips by the way.”

  “Anytime.”

  “And aside from the car and the house, the highlight of the night is that there’s only one other Vadimasian. Once I earn her trust I should be named House Commissioner, by default.”

  “Absolutely, a House seat and the sheriff in your back pocket is fantastic work for one night.” She crossed her fingers in her lap. “Now what’s your next step?”r />
  “Raphe is going to call tomorrow night to arrange a little get-together. Then I’ll see what can all be done there.”

  “What House is he?”

  I opened my mouth to say a House name, but nothing came to mind. “I don’t know. I completely forgot to ask.”

  She gripped the arms of the chair. “Rule one: know your enemy. The House he belongs to could give you a ton of insight. You know this. That’s the first thing we covered in your training. I know Lucian and I crammed a lot into the brain of yours, but come on.”

  “I know. I know.” I tossed a boot into the corner by the piano and moved onto to working on the other. “I’ll find out tomorrow. I promise.”

  “Good, and don’t forget about that pouch I put in your throat. He serves you anything just work those muscles like I showed you and for the love of god, don’t drink it.”

  I kicked off the second boot. “God has nothing to do with this.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “It won’t bulge or anything right?” We never tested it. Not knowing if a grapefruit size lump would swell my throat while I tried to seduce Raphe was a pretty precarious position.

  She folded her arms. “You doubt my work.”

  “Never. But it would suck if during the whole seduction routine I have to say something cheesy like, ‘Please ignore my enormous bulge. Let’s instead worry about the one in your pants’. It’s not the best pick-up line in the universe.”

  She chuckled and unfolded her arms. “The tube that I placed in there will direct the blood to the pouch. So in theory it should expand like a second stomach a few inches below your clavicle. If anything it might make your tits look bigger.”

  “Then if he gives me blood I come to you guys and vomit it back up.”

  “Something like that.”

  “That’s really gross.”

  “Yeah, but it is effective.”

  Sasha stood. “It’s getting late, or early depending on how you look at it, and I still have to report to Lucian with your update. I’m out of here. Have fun picking out your bedroom. There are five to choose from up there. Lucian wasn’t sure which one you’d want.” She projected over her shoulder as she walked into the foyer.