Marcus Pelegrimas - Blood Blade

“Here’s yer bill,” Greasy Apron said. “You don’t got no escort anymore, so get out as soon as you can. In fact, pay up now.”

Cole handed over some money. Instead of change, he got a grunt and a curt, upward nod from the other man. Even though the pizza was about to melt his fingers together, Cole paused and asked, “Should I…uh…eat this?”

“Are you a vegetarian?” Paige asked.

“No, but considering who or…what the cook is…”

“It’s fine,” she said as she picked up a piece for herself. “Gerald actually recommended this place to me when I first got to Chicago. He said it was the best pizza in town.”

Cole smiled gratefully and took a bite. The greasy pizza burnt his tongue something terrible, but he kept smiling all the same. “Good Lordy, that’s fantastic.”

“This,” Paige said as she carefully took a bite for herself, “is real Chicago style pizza. That thick pan crust you see everywhere else is for the tourists. Anyway, as I was saying, the Nymar feed on humans to replace the blood needed to keep the spore alive, but they can get what they need without killing. If they do get overly zealous, we come in to show them why that’s not such a good idea.”

“You hunt them?” Cole asked.

She responded with a shrug. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Mostly, they keep themselves in line and we make a pretty good example of the ones who cross that line.”

“So you’re like cops?” Before he got an answer, Cole tensed and added, “Speaking of cops, weren’t there cops chasing us before?”

“Yep, but I’d say they’re pretty busy examining those bodies and taking statements about Henry jumping down the street.”

“You’re not worried about them finding you?”

“Not really. If there were witnesses, they’d be distracted by all the blood, the shooting, and that freak. Considering everything else we’re hiding from, the cops are the least of our worries. If the police are able to figure out where we are, something a lot worse would have already wiped us out. Just to be safe, though, remind me to swap the plates on my car before we leave.”

“Okay, but who’s ‘us’? Did Racquel call you Skinner?”

“We’re called Skinners, Cole,” Paige replied calmly. “Gerald was one. Brad was training to be one. I’m one.”

“What’s a Skinner?”

“We track down things that most people won’t even believe are out there. Shapeshifters are the worst. They always have been. They’re good at sneaking or blending in, so most of the world doesn’t know they exist. They’re also good at running and fighting, so the people who do stumble on them don’t live long enough to tell about it. I don’t know all the history and I doubt anyone does, but Skinners teach each other how to kill these things so we can try to take back our spot at the top of the food chain.”

Cole laughed under his breath and asked, “You mean we’re not in the top slot now?”

“You saw that thing that killed Gerald. You’ve met Henry. You tell me.” Paige leaned forward so she could stare intently at Cole. The passion in her voice made him feel as if they were the only two people in the world. “Gerald saw something in you, Cole. I’ve only known you for a few hours or so and I can already see it.”

“See what? In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been one jolt away from pissing myself.”

She shook her head and took another bite of pizza. “You’ve got good instincts and common sense,” she said in a way that was as heartfelt as possible, considering all the food in her mouth. “That’s not something anyone can learn. You’re either born with it or you’re not.”

Cole chuckled and kept eating. Now that his pizza had cooled a bit, the square slice melted into cheesy perfection on his tongue. “Common sense, huh? That’s why I’m using words like ‘monster’ and ‘vampire’ in a real conversation?”

“You gotta trust your eyes and ears. Believe me, most people would much rather believe what they’re told to believe instead of face the insanity that’s really around them. You looked into that Full Blood’s eyes and stood your ground when the other survivors had already run away or gotten themselves killed.”

Hearing her say that brought the memory of the creature’s eyes into sharp focus. For a moment the coppery scent of blood drifted through his nose to mix with the inviting smells of sausage and perfectly burnt crust.

“Why did you come along with me this far?” Paige asked.

“Because I thought you were crazy and would try to kill me if I left?”

“You’re curious,” she said with a knowing grin. “And, deep down inside, there’s a part of you that wants to know what the hell is happening and what the hell else is out there.”

“How do you know all this?” he asked.

“Because that’s the sort of thing every Skinner thinks. It’s what we all feel. Gerald sent you to me because that’s how we pass on what we know. We have to look for that spark in other people and hope we live long enough to make sure there’s always a few more Skinners out there to keep fighting. That Full Blood wasn’t just a wild monster. It’s smart and it’s powerful. Some say it can live forever. There’s not a lot of ways it can be killed, but Skinners have found a few tricks that actually work. Without us, things like shapeshifters and all the others out there could do whatever they like to humans as if we didn’t even matter. We may not be the top of the food chain, but that doesn’t mean we should just have to line up for the slaughter.”

As much as Cole wanted to dismiss her words, the picture she painted actually made sense to him. In a way, that bothered him more than the rest.

“So what’s a Full Blood?” he asked.

“They’re shapeshifters. Compared to Nymar, shapeshifters are pretty rare. Full Bloods are the rarest of them all. They’re the only ones that are born what they are. They’re not bitten by another shapeshifter, under any sort of curse, or affected by any number of things that can cause someone to change. They just…are.”

“Is Henry a Full Blood?”

Paige winced as if the question simply didn’t taste very good. She fixed that problem by inhaling a square of pizza and washing it down with some pop. “Honestly? I don’t know what Henry is. I’ve seen a Full Blood, plenty of Half Breeds, even a few Mongrels, but nothing like Henry. I’ve never even heard of anything that tore up and ate a Nymar like what we saw tonight.” Still contemplating that gruesome sight, Paige shook her head and picked up a prime piece of sausage that had fallen onto the dented metal serving dish that held the rest of the pizza. Suddenly, the dim lights in the place flicked on and off. “I think we’re being kicked out of here,” she said.

“You got that right,” the owner said as he stepped up to the booth with a cardboard box in his hands. “Unless you want to start working for me, I don’t want you in my place. Bad for business.”

Cole slid out of the booth, but Paige took her time before moving. Although she did inch her way to the edge of the seat, she stopped with her legs dangling over the edge. Looking up at him, she showed Greasy Apron one of her tired yet cute smirks. “We won’t be working for you,” she said, “but we could arrange to do some favors now and then if you wouldn’t mind helping us out. What’s your name?”

After a heavy pause, Greasy Apron muttered, “Just call me Manny. What kind of favors you talkin’ about?”

“You know a Nymar called Daniels?”

“Short guy with long hair and glasses?”

“That’s the one.”

Manny nodded. “Yeah. He’s the only one who orders the vegetarian special.”

“Daniels has a real good palette, and I was hoping to get his opinion on something tonight. When Gerald told me about this place, he mentioned the cook might have an even better palette.”