H Mallory - To Kill A Warlock

When he let go, I nearly lost my footing. “You son of a,” I started.

Bram’s raspy laugh interrupted me. Nick pretended he hadn’t seen anything, but his face was too red to deny the fact that he had. If I’d been in the right frame of mind, I might’ve actually thought an embarrassed ogre was pretty funny. “Please, Sweet, go inside, and I will join you shortly,” Bram said. I turned on my heel and walked inside.

I took a seat next to Sam at a table with a “Reserved” sign. As far as I was concerned, it was reserved for us.

“What do you want to drink?” I asked, practically screaming over the loud techno music. No Regrets was a pretty happening spot-it was maybe ten-thirty, and already, the place was packed.

“Vodka tonic please.”

I approached the bar, glancing over my shoulder at the throng of dancers on the floor. A black light sporadically spotlighted them, making them look like they were moving in slow motion.

“Hi Dulce, how’s it going?” Angela, the bartender asked. Leaning against the bar, she pushed her long electric blue bangs out of her face. Last time I’d seen her, her hair was bright yellow but still long in the front and butch short in the back. I smiled. “Hi Angela, it’s going. How’s business?” “Good, been real busy lately. What can I get for you?” “Vodka tonic and a Mojito, please.” She nodded and I felt Bram’s shadowy presence behind me. “That kiss was totally uncalled for,” I whispered. “Ah, Dulce, I just could not help myself.”

I took my Mojito as Bram reached for Sam’s Vodka Tonic. I fished inside my purse, fingered my credit card, and tossed it on the bar. Angela reached for it but paused once Bram shook his head.

“It is on the house, Sweet,” he purred.

“Put them on the card, Angela. Thanks. And Bram, don’t pull another stunt like that again.”

Bram’s chuckle was deep. “Excuse me for offering to buy you a drink. If this is how you are with men, it’s no wonder I never see you on a date.”

“I was talking about the kiss, Bram.” I put the glass back on the bar, turning to face him. “And my personal life is none of your business.”

He took a step closer until I could smell the mint of his gum. “It is my business if I wish to be in it.”

“Ugh, would you get over yourself?” I turned on my heel and started for the table, but Bram’s hand on my arm stopped me. I turned around and something in his eyes pulled at me. I could read the desire in his gaze like I was reading a page in a book.

“What the hell was that, Bram?” I demanded through gritted teeth, pulling my arm away from him as if he were contagious. Vampires were notorious for pulling stunts with their eyes-persuading someone to take whatever actions the vampire desired. But, Bram wasn’t supposed to bewitch me with his eyes-I should’ve been too powerful to even get an inkling of the feeling he’d just sent me.

“It is my birthday in two months, Sweet.”

Great. Every hundred-year birthday would find a vampire stronger in all abilities-more physically powerful, more mentally capable of persuasion, and most got better looking.

“How old will you be?”

Bram grinned. “Three hundred.”

Crap, he’d be pretty powerful. Not that I was afraid of him-it just went to show that having Bram on my side was exactly where I wanted him. “Why’d you call me the other day?” I asked.

I scooted into the seat next to Sam and watched Bram gingerly hand her the vodka tonic. She nodded her thanks, and Bram pulled up a chair, sitting across from us. “I had some news for you,” he said with a shrug. “And what was that?” I asked, knowing information never came free from Bram. “All in good time, Sweet,” Bram gave me a smile that had probably won him his last few bed partners.

The guy was smooth and, okay, hot-I’d give him that. But that was about all I’d give him. “Bram, what in the hell do you want?” I asked, watching him lean his elbows against the table as he grinned at me for a few seconds. “Hello? Earth to the most annoying vampire I’ve ever met.”

“I want some information, Dulcie O’Neil.”

“And what type of information would that be?”

He leaned back in the chair and eyed the room around him, as if counting the patrons. “Do you recall that abandoned building on Kiwi Street that has been vacant for two months?” “The one that used to be the Chinese massage parlor?” Sam asked. Bram nodded, his attention finally resting on me again. “Yes, that one.” “So, what of it?” I asked, wondering what Bram had to do with a Chinese massage parlor. It sounded like the setup to a bad joke. “Well,” he leaned back in his chair and cracked his knuckles. “I have been considering buying it to open a restaurant.” “What does that have to do with me?” I snapped.

Someone had killed Fabian and I needed to find out who before the finger started to point at me. I didn’t have time for this crap. “Patience, fairy. Patience.” I narrowed my eyes and sipped my drink, counting to ten all the while. “Get on with it,” Sam said. “Our Bram BS meter is nearing its limit.”

“You two are in a fine mood tonight.” He sighed. “I think, but I am not certain, that Dagan is going to try to beat me to the property.”

“Because he, a demon, wants a Chinese massage parlor?” I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know, Sam, maybe we should get in on it, too. What do you think?”

She shrugged. “I do like massages.”

Bram ignored us. “I got into a row the other day with Dagan, and I think he is trying to get even with me by taking the property out from underneath my nose.”

I sipped my drink. “So, let me repeat myself, what the hell does this have to do with me? Why should I give a crap? Because, in case you didn’t notice, I don’t.”

Bram just smiled. “I want you to find out if Dagan is planning on purchasing it.”

“And why do you think he’d tell me? Dagan and I aren’t friends by any stretch of the imagination.” The truth was that Dagan was usually on the wrong side of the law, but the only reason I cut him any sort of slack was due to the fact that he gave me lots of good leads. Hey, sometimes you’ve gotta work with the bad guys to get the even worse guys. Bram continued to smile like his lips were paralyzed. “He has no reason to hide this from you…it is perfectly legal.” “He has no reason to share his business dealings with me either.” “I was thinking that perhaps Samantha might be able to influence him.”

Sam slammed her drink on the table, and it sloshed up and over the side of the rim, as if as outraged as she. “You want me to put a truth spell on a demon?” Bram just nodded. The vampire had balls. “No way,” I interrupted. “You must think we’re total idiots.” “He would never know,” Bram continued. “And I do not think either one of you is an idiot.” Sam gripped her glass so tight, her knuckles went white. “It’s too risky. If he found out, he’d kill us both.” “How would he find out?” Bram continued, acting like he was asking us to figure out Dagan’s favorite color.

“How does anyone find anything out? It just happens and I don’t want to be on the end of that temper, thank you very much,” Sam snapped.

Bram quirked another winning smirk in Sam’s direction, no doubt hoping the amorous feelings she’d once harbored for him might serve him well. As her best friend, if I even saw a hint of that happening, I’d curtail it faster than Bram could piss me off again.

“Well, perhaps you wouldn’t need the spell. Just make small talk-see what he says,” Bram offered.

Small talk was doable. A spell on a demon wasn’t. “And if I just ask Dagan some questions, you’ll answer all my questions tonight?” I demanded.