Page 13 of Of Flame and Fate

“Looking to chop wood?” I fire back. “Fuck off, Paul Bunyan.”

“Oh!” his friends yell.

I hurry around them as Shayna speaks fast. “T, Emme chased after you when you followed your vamp out of the club. I saw her step out and into the foyer. Didn’t you see her??”

“No.” I look behind me. “And I don’t see her now. Let me try her cell. You stay with your vamp. If we can’t find her, his friends have her, and we’re going to need them to tell us where she is.”

Where Emme is soft words and gentle motions, Shayna is all perk and lightning fast. She doesn’t sound perky now, and if the vamps do have Emme, they’re going to get acquainted with Shayna’s super reflexes and pointy weapons very soon.

Her tone reflects the seriousness of the situation. “I’m on it. He won’t lose me.”

No. He won’t. “Be careful,” I tell her.

I don’t wait for her goodbye, immediately calling Emme as I move further down the street. Cars honk their protest when the convertible in front of them doesn’t move, earning an irate middle finger from the driver, despite the half-dressed blonde, laughing and cuddling against him.

I continue forward, snaking around a group of senior citizens chatting away. Emme’s phone rings against my ear, each dragged out tone making me more anxious. My right arm shudders, firing a warning. I turn in a circle, scanning the perimeter. But all I see and feel are humans.

“Call me,” I say, when the voicemail picks up.

I adjust my elbow length cream-colored gloves, wondering if Sparky picked up on something I didn’t. I lift the phone again and send Emme a message using the voice to text feature.

Where are you?

Again, my arm shudders. Again, I’m thinking it’s not a good sign. “Okay, girl,” I say. “What are you trying to tell me?”

I pass the casino and a mime juggling on the street. I also edge around a drag queen whose on-point makeup more than rivals mine. I’m not certain where I’m headed, all I know is that for now, forward is my only option.

Shayna can’t track like awere, but whatever bit of Koda she has in her, is enough to recognize some scents. She can scent my aroma enough to find me if necessary, but only if I don’t stray too far from the El Dorado.

The thing is, I may have to stray far.

I ease my way forward, my instincts and my arm, warning me something isn’t right.

My thumb slides along the back of my phone as I walk further away. I steal a glance at it when it vibrates, hoping it’s Emme only to see Shayna’s text.

The vamp is on West 4thand Evans.

Which means she is, too.

Damn it. This was supposed to be a simple grab and dump. We grab the two vamps and dump their asses back at Misha’s.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have taken this assignment, not so soon after Egypt, and not when Gemini is still so pissed. But I only promised him I wouldn’t leave the country, not the state.

Vamps . . . they’re not the cuddliest creatures you’ll ever meet. They go crazy and evil without a master to ground and control them. I think it’s safe to say no one wants crazy and evil vampires running around. So here I am, fending off drunks, racing past drag queens, looking for the bloodsucker I need to take down, and hoping to God he doesn’t have my sister.

I try Emme again, my blood going cold and every hair on the back of my neck standing on end when I catch the weak sound of herAngelringtone. I look ahead, the sound growing weaker and appearing to move away from me.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I call for backup, not that it stops me from edging toward where the sound disappears. Trap or not, the bastard who has Emme is going to tell me where she is.

Tonight’s backup is in the form of a naughty, and very slutty Catholic schoolgirl. Thankfully, Agnes Concepcíon is as smart as she is trampy.

“What?” she says when she answers.

Hey, I never claimed she was nice. “I need you here.”

“Is your prey in custody?”

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