Eliza Ford: Cause of Death: Unnatural

Raoul and Robert bustled away and Em and Alina stood staring at each other.

“What on earth are you doing?” said Em at last.

Alina shrugged. “I’m enjoying myself, darling. I’m living my life the way I want to.” She looked at Em slyly from under long rhinestone lashes. “Not unlike yourself, Emilia.”

“And what about your … staff?” Em burst out. She flapped a hand at the room in general. “How many creatures have you made, Alina? You know my father isn’t going to be happy about that. What do you think this is, a free for all?”

“ My employees?” said Alina, grinning around the room. “My permanent staff?” She lowered her voice and stepped closer to Em. “Oh, it’s just a few, Emilia my darling. A girl’s got to have her fun. And look at them. Aren’t they simply delectable? My vampires are hand picked - the best of the bunch. And it’s not as if they’re going to go around draining anybody, not that it would matter if they did. They’re all very well behaved.” She smiled as if this was a huge joke.

Em was stumped. This new Alina was the very last thing she’d expected. And given the woman’s quite obvious weakness, there seemed little point in the blood battle Em had recently been considering. She was a little disappointed, if she thought about it.

“There was a killing last week,” said Em hotly. “Three bodies, not far from here. What do your hand-picked permanent staff know about that?”

Alina’s smile shut off like a light.

“Nothing,” she said quickly. “You’re the crime scene investigator. You figure it out.”

Em gathered a small bolt of dark energy and was going to launch it at Alina when the older woman suddenly clapped her hands, all smiles again.

“You must meet some of my darlings,” she said ebulliently. “After all, Emilia, we are practically family.”

Alina hooked an arm through the elbow of the nearest dancer, a lithe woman in black leather hot pants and not much else other than tassels. “You know who this is, don’t you?” she asked the girl, indicating Em. The dancer looked at Em and an excited, predatory smile crossed her face. “We’re so honored by her presence - the daughter of the lord,” continued Alina. “Graced.”

Behind the dancer, a young man with a gorgeously sculptured torso snapped the elastic of one suspender belt against his chest and squeezed the ass of the girl in front of him making her jump, squeal and then melt back into his arms.

He purred at Em. “Thanks for … coming,” he said.

“Naughty,” said Alina, batting him with the tail of her foxfur. She turned to the other side of the dressing room. “Now this is who I want you to meet, Emilia. Come and meet Raeisa.”

Raeisa was a redhead decked out in a dress of green reptilian leather. When the girl turned around her deep green eyes glittered at Em and she stretched out a hand complete with long scaly fingernails that matched her dress.

“Raeisa is our star attraction,” drawled Alina putting a possessive arm around the redheaded girl's waist.

Raeisa leaned into Alina's embrace. Em wondered if she might disappear entirely into the folds of the larger woman's flesh, but Raeisa reached up and licked the side of Alina's face looking at Em all the time she did so. She smiled and revealed an impressive set of teeth. Too impressive. Em saw Alina freeze for the merest second, and then the woman burst back into character again hoisting that grotesque smile onto her face and shaking a finger at Raeisa.

“Isn't she sweet?” cooed Alina.

Sweet? thought Em. Alina was scared of this Raeisa, that much was obvious. But why? Raeisa wasn't a vampire. It was curious, but Em wasn't sure exactly what Raeisa was.

Em saw the redhead was still looking at her. Raeisa winked, and suddenly Em's headache pounded back into her skull. It was so fierce Em found herself blinking and frowning. She gave Raeisa a tight smile, turned back to Alina and put a hand to her forehead.

“Daaarling,” said Alina gleefully. “You look like you need another drink.”

* * *

Robert drove her home later and hesitated wishfully at her door but Em wasn't in the mood.

They'd left the dressing room at the club and headed back out to the bar with Robert plying her with questions about Alina.

“You knew that woman?” he asked, incredulous. “And you didn't even know she'd opened the club? What an amazing coincidence.”

“She's an aunt,” Em improvized. “A particularly obnoxious aunt. And she's changed a lot. She used to be much … quieter.”

Robert frowned. “An aunt? I'd heard she was Ukrainian. Your family are from Maine, aren't they?”

Em sighed. She should have known better than to try and pull such a lame story over Robert. He dissected alibis for a living, and she hated lying to him.

“It's complicated. Second marriages, this and that, you know how it is.” Em had slugged back a vodka shot and yanked Robert onto the dance floor, slinking her body around Robert's almost aggressively. Anger brought out her rough side.

Robert had had the good sense to keep his mouth shut. He looked pleased, actually. Em knew he'd had a very enjoyable evening.

She found Robert so interesting. Perhaps it was his scientific mind, his eagerness to experiment to get to the truth of things. She knew that Jennifer and most of the people at work thought Robert was a staid, boring thing who preferred his lab to the real world. They thought he preferred dead bodies because he was too timid to get out and about with living bodies. That was a little harsh. Sure, he had his quirks, but he was also one of the most confident men Em knew, and that had its own attraction.

Over the years Em had come to learn that Robert had quite a dark curiosity of his own for the underworld. In their line of business you couldn't help but come in contact with the darker side of the city - drug dealers, brothel owners, and kinky sex clubs were the least of it. In the last few months, what with all the lower vampires that seemed to be in the neighborhood, things had been darker than ever, and Robert seemed always to be intrigued, engaged and interested. Not in a ghoulish way, just ... curious.

Em knew he'd tried his fair share of illicit substances. A risky move for anyone in a government position, let alone one of such authority, but she also admired the way in which he'd done it. Just experimenting, just enough so that he could understand the issue from a personal point of view. She also had the sneakiest feeling he might have a little habit of some sort. Something that made his eyes just a little rounder and blacker than they should be. Not often, but enough for her to wonder. Of course, if she really wanted to know, she could just dissolve a little of her dark energy and send it whispering around his soul - that would give her the answer soon enough - but she didn't. She could respect a little habit or two, given her own needs. And she certainly respected Robert.

She respected him, she admired him and she lusted after... his mind. She sighed. If this was another time and another place, hell, even another dimension! Dark energy would suit Robert so well. She'd take him through to the other side in a second. Their two energies would fly across the world together and she could show him every dark corner of his soul. They would burn through time and space and be unconquerable.

She was dreaming. Robert was standing on her doorstep resting a hand lightly on her arm and looking at her with a hopeful smile. Human mating rituals, Em thought with exasperation. So many nuances for so little result.

She decided to let him down gently. She kissed him on the cheek then laid one hand alongside the other.

"Thanks for a great night," she said. "I've got to sleep though. Red wine and a movie tomorrow?"