Anthony Francis - Frost Moon

The waitress frowned. "All right, but I'd better not see you slipping that kitten a sip. Honey, can I get you another Sprite?"

"Fine," Cinnamon said, slumping over the table. "Rub it in-"

I leaned back in my chair, laughing, and bumped into Guinness- boy behind me. His eyes caught mine and lit up briefly, but he rolled back into his story without missing a beat-something about how a spilled Guinness had led to a bar flight in Colorado and a bit of kung- fu fighting.

"So," Jinx said, drawing my attention back to our own table just as she was putting her Guinness down, "on the note of old friends getting together… it's really good to see you two together again." Both Savannah and I spluttered, and Jinx raised her gloved hand. "I meant, at the same time."

I stared at the table, at the Sprite, then slowly looked up at Savannah, who was doing the same hunched, guilty thing. "Yeah," I said.

"Me too," Savannah said.

"So… can we stop the 'friends having to choose sides thing'. .. Dakota?"

I looked sharply at Jinx. I wanted to say something. But she was right. "Sure," I said.

"Well, if this is about to become domestic," Calaphase said, scooting back his chair.

"Wait. There is one more thing."

"Shoot," Calaphase said.

"I have a message for the Marquis," I said, putting my hand on Cinnamon's shoulder. "I've given it to Cinnamon but… I'd like you to make sure that he and the Bear King get it."

Calaphase scowled. "Ladies," he said, cocking his head at his and Revenance's new squeezes. "Could you excuse us for a minute?"

"Oh, hon, do you have to?" the girl on his arm said.

"I'm fraid I do, Cheri," Calaphase said. "Wait by the bar, if you would."

After the girls walked away, I said: "Tell them what you saw, Cinnamon."

She stared at her Sprite. "A fucking wooden lid with somebody's tattooed skin nailed to it."

"Holy crap," Revenance said. I didn't think a vampire could get any paler, but somehow he managed it. "How did-"

"The Feds say there's a serial killer skinning the tattooed," I said. "I believe them."

"Jesus," Savannah said, crossing herself, making the other vampires flinch.

I had forgotten Savannah didn't know, but I just plowed ahead. "After our little tussle I don't think the Marquis will listen to me about anything but… now Cinnamon has seen it, too. I need you to make sure they don't bust her chops for this. That they take her seriously."

Calaphase nodded. "Yeah. I mean-yeah. I can do that."

"If they give you any crap," I said, "the Marquis can call Jinx for confirmation-she's 'seen' it too, and I don't think she's on his shit list, so he'll trust her. Besides, giving Cinnamon a message to take back may take some heat off her for her little walkabout."

"That's… that's a really good idea," Revenance said thoughtfully.

"Well, Lady Frost," Calaphase said. "You're just full of surprises."

"It's just Dakota," I said. "And just… keep her safe."

Cinnamon, still hunched over her Sprite, looked sidelong at me.

We closed up and I cornered the waitress: Annie was indeed checking out my tats, and promised to come by the Rogue Unicorn at the first opportunity. While we talked, I noticed Guinness-boy noticing us; cute, nice skin, but definitely suitor, not customer. His eyes caught mine again, and I smiled briefly, but then slipped out before he could nerve himself up.

When I strolled out of the massive, raftered dining area into the bar, I found the vampires had rejoined their companions. Calaphase was dismissing his evening companion with a chaste kiss, but Revenance was still working on his, trying to convince her to take a ride.

"See the short, redheaded biker chick?" Revenance was saying. "She's the Queen of the Vampires in this district… and a Daywalker. She can guarantee you'll be safe with me. If you ride off with me on my bike and disappear, she'll blame me-then come open my coffin sometime right around noon."

Savannah stared at him in shock. "Yeah… yeah, I would," she said slowly. "And give you a big old garlic enema."

"Ouch!" Calaphase said. "Stings just thinking about-"

"Oi," Darkrose said, wincing. "Less graphic, please."

"I-I don't know," the girl said nervously, excited and afraid at the same time, staring up at him with huge, enraptured eyes. "Maybe next time-"

"But how would I find you?" Revenance said, staring down at her, the slightest glow glimmering in his eyes. "Maybe I could get your numb-"

"Maybe we could all get together next week?" I suggested, and Revenance scowled at me. "Same time, next Saturday?"

"I'd like that," Jinx said.

"Me too," Savannah said.

"We will be in Africa," Darkrose reminded her.

"Maybe the week after, then?" I said, unwilling to let it go.

"That would be better for me," the girl said.

Savannah looked at Darkrose. "I-I suppose-"

"That sounds like a great idea," Calaphase said, putting his hand heavily on Revenance's shoulder. "Listen to the Lady, she knows stews taste best when they've had time to simmer." Calaphase smiled at his own potential-victim? girlfriend? I didn't know the rules anymore-evenly, without a hint of a leer; and she just smiled back at him.

"All right, all right, you win," Revenance sighed, kissing his starry-eyed but relieved companion on the hand. "In two weeks, my sweet."

"It's settled, then," Calaphase said. "Dakota, if the Bear King allows it, we'll drop Cinnamon off a week from Friday at your place and pick her up here, same time."

"Sure," I said, forced-cheerful, trying not to let my voice crack as I put my hand on Cinnamon's shoulder. I hadn't bargained on that at all, but-"I'd be happy to watch over her again."

"Don't try to sound too excited," Cinnamon said.

"Need a ride back to your place?" Savannah asked as we stepped outside. "It's not so out of the way if we're running Jinx back by Emory-"

"No," I responded hastily. "My bike is a couple of blocks away in LFP, and it's a nice night. I think I'll walk it-"

"You have a bike?" Calaphase asked, staring at my long leather vest, which nearly trailed the floor. "How can you ride in that thing?"

"I tuck it," I admitted. "Last thing I want is to get sucked into the wheel of a Vespa-"

"A Vespa!" Calaphase said. "I thought you said you had a bike-"

"Hey, you," I said, my face reddening a little. Technically it was a scooter and not a bike, but-"It gets sixty miles to the gallon-"

"Can see why you tuck it though," Revenance said, hopping on his bike. "It's not just hazardous. Death by Vespa would be downright embarrassing."

"Death by Vespa!" Calaphase laughed, hopping on his bike. "Take care, Frost."

"Yeah, Frost," Cinnamon said, wrapping her hands around Calaphase nervously.

"No helmet?" I asked. "Is that safe-"

Cinnamon rolled her eyes. "Unless the streets are paved with silver-"

"I get it, I get it," I said, laughing. Then I looked from her to Savannah, who was standing by Darkrose, arm round her waist, not looking directly at me. "See y'all in two weeks."

"Yeah," Savannah said, looking up suddenly. "See you then."

And with that my ex-girlfriend and her vampire lover departed, blind witch and her newfound seeing-eye Doug in tow. Moments later the werecat and her vampire companions rode off on their Harleys, leaving me alone in the parking lot three blocks from my Vespa for no good reason other than my damn stubbornness.

I'm such an idiot.

I strolled past the edge of the bar and thought about running into Videodrome, but it was late and there wasn't anything I was really buzzed to watch, so I turned onto Highland and headed home.

"Garlic enema," I muttered to myself, snorting. I had to admit it, I missed Savannah. She could be a riot when she wanted to. And so, surprisingly, could Revenance. "Death by Vespa," I said, chuckling. I needed to get home before I pissed myself "Hey Dakota!" someone screamed. "Catch!"