H Mallory - To Kill A Warlock

“Yes. I trust your word, Dulcie. I know if you agree to something, you will honor it.”

Yeah, now I was thinking my great sense of honor was going to work against me. Dagan wasn’t someone you wanted to screw around with. Demons are notoriously short-tempered and they don’t get mad or even, they just kill you.

“Okay, I’ll talk to Dagan and see what I can find out,” I said. “Now, I have some questions for you.”

Bram grinned again, his fangs reflecting the low light of the room. As soon as his fangs surfaced, Sam immediately dropped her gaze, and I’d bet money she was thinking about the time she’d let him drink from her. She’d told me the day after it happened. Apparently, they’d been getting hot and heavy, and she’d let him take a little nip of her neck. As soon as he’d started drinking her blood, she’d had like four orgasms in a row. And they weren’t your normal, “this feels good” vibrator-type orgasm. They were mind-blowing, like nothing she’d ever felt before. I’ve never been with a vampire so, of course, I was eating her story up. But, even if it sounded good, I still had no interest in some corpse feeding off my neck. “Ask away, my lady,” the corpse in question said. “What do you know about Fabian’s death?” Bram frowned, his brows knotting in the middle of his forehead. “Fabian died?” “You’re a terrible actor, Bram,” I said with a sigh. Goddamn, I so didn’t have time to deal with this.

He held up his hands as if in submission. I knew better. Trusting Bram would be like trusting a rattlesnake. Fine and good until the thing sinks its fangs into your skin, and you’re dead an hour later. “Ah, yes, now that I think about it, I had heard Fabian died.” “Who told you?” I asked. “Cannot say for sure. It was a general theme in here all night.” “What did you hear about it?” Sam asked. “Well, I heard Dulcie was the last to see him, and she was the only suspect.”

Hades be damned. Everyone seemed to be forgetting that I wasn’t the last to see him-the stranger had seen Fabian the same time I had. Course, all anyone had to go on there was my word. “Dulcie didn’t do it,” Sam said, her mouth tight. Bram grinned. “I did not say she did. I am merely repeating the rumors I have heard…as you requested.” I gritted my teeth. “Go on.”

“Apparently Fabian bespelled you and turned you into something vulgar, and you were upset and came back and killed him. I cannot say I blame you. Life is better without Fabian.” “I didn’t kill him.” “I am sure you have wanted to over the years, Dulce?” he asked with a wicked grin. “Not quite as much as some people I can think of.” “Ah, Sweet, you and I go way back.”

I sighed. “Regardless, I’m not the one being questioned here. Do you want that information about Dagan?” He nodded. “Yeah, then stop pissing me off.”

“Apologies,” he said, but the smile quirking his lips said he didn’t mean it.

“Okay, what do you know about a stranger in Splendor? Have you seen anyone new lately?”

Bram strummed his fingers along the table as if doing so would help him remember. “There was someone who came in the other night; he was asking for you actually.”

“What? Who?” I demanded.

Bram’s gaze followed a cocktail waitress as she delivered drinks to the table across from ours. Her boobs were hanging so far out of her shirt, they looked like they might fall out. And judging from the expression on Bram’s face, he hoped they would.

I cleared my throat, and he faced me, wetting his lips. “I did not get his name. He said he was passing through but did not give the nature of his business.” “What did he look like?” Sam asked. More fingers strumming along the table, the sound like a dull axe reverberating through my head. “Dark hair and light eyes. Probably your type-resembled me.” I glanced at Sam. “It was the stranger from Fabian’s.” A shiver coursed through me like someone had stepped on my grave. “Are you sure?” Sam asked. I shrugged. “Who else would it be?” Then I faced Bram again. “How long was he here?” “Not long. He came in, had a drink and asked Angela where he could find you.” “And what did Angela tell him?”

“Perhaps you should ask her.” Bram steepled his fingers in his lap. Then he brought his index fingers together and held them out before him like two guns butting up against one another. “When you hold your fingers like this and focus on them both, it looks like there is a little sausage between them.”

“Bram, for Hades’ sake,” I started.

He dropped his fingers and faced me with a boyish twinkle in his eyes. It would’ve been charming if not for the fangs just cresting his lower lip.

“Talk to Angela, Sweet, she can give you the play by play.”

“I will. In the meantime, though, I’m sure you must’ve asked Angela what she told him?”

“I cannot put anything past you, Dulcie.” He chuckled. “She said he could find you at Headquarters. Then he paid for his drink and walked out. End of story.”

I was quiet as I considered it. If the stranger had been looking for me, why hadn’t he just approached me at Fabian’s? True, I’d left there in a hurry once the little creep had bespelled me. And, maybe the stranger hadn’t known what I looked like. But, as a fairy, my ears give me away. If he knew I was a fairy, then he would’ve known me from Fabian’s store. It wasn’t like there were lots of fairies in Splendor. In fact, there were only two-Zara the hooker and me. “When was the stranger here?” I demanded. Bram looked up at the ceiling as if it had an answer for him. “Evening before last.” Before Fabian’s death. Interesting.

“Are we done with him yet?” Sam asked, sipping the last of her vodka tonic through the straw until it sounded like the ice cubes were snoring. Bram turned toward me expectantly, a smile just stealing his lips. “Mmm, I like the sound of that. Use me then throw me away.” “Yeah, we’re done.”

Bram stood up so quickly, I didn’t see him move. “Very well, I will leave you two as I have things to do and people to see. Samantha, drinks are free if you are interested. Dulcie insists on paying for hers.”

He gave a theatrical bow and walked away. I glanced at Sam, who sat as still as a tombstone. “What prompted me to ever date him?” she muttered.

I laughed. “Beats the hell out of me.”

She just shook her head, and we both faced the throng of dancers on the floor. Holy Hades, I was so not in the mood to dance. Fabian loomed in the back of my mind like a monster in a kid’s closet. “Do you want to get out of here?” Sam asked. I frowned. “Why? I thought you wanted to go out partying tonight?” “I’m not really feeling it at the moment. You?” “Actually, I was just thinking the same thing.” She stood up. “Brilliant minds think alike.”

She started for the door, and I was right behind her. I stopped at the bar and mouthed “credit card” to Angela. She was quick with the receipt. I signed it and dropped the pen back on the bar. “Thanks Angela. By the way, did a tall, dark-haired stranger come looking for me?” “Yeah, maybe two nights ago. I told him he could find you at Headquarters.” “And he didn’t say anything else?” She shook her head. “Nope, that was it.” So, Bram hadn’t been full of it. “Great, thanks Angela. Have a good night.” “Will do, night guys.”

I followed Sam outside where Nick gave us a quick smile. Sam didn’t even slow down but ran-walked to the car as if she had to pee. I unlocked the door with my beeper remote. “Do you want to go somewhere else or call it a night?” I asked. Sam threw herself into the passenger seat. “I think I just want to go to bed.” I started the Wrangler and pulled out of the driveway.