Page 61 of Spooks & Specters

Raven had to admit Stu did have a point. It was very crowded in the club, it was hot, and there were a lot of different scents that could hide Stu’s. If he had tasted Stu’s blood, it would be no problem at all. But a simple scent? Well, that just wasn’t as good.

Raven pulled his billfold out, opened it, and reached for a business card. “Here. This doesn’t have my private number on it, and I don’t see a pen close by to add it, so this is the best I can do. Call me if I can’t find you later. Your call will be rerouted to me.”

Stu took the business card and slipped it into his front pocket. “I most certainly will.”

“Please do.” With one last look at the human, Raven opened the door.

One of his bartenders quickly entered, glanced at Stu, then bowed his head slightly to Raven. “I need to speak with you.”

“I’ll see you around,” Stu said as he slipped by the other vampire.

“I certainly hope so.” Raven watched Stu leave. His gums tingled as the monster inside him snarled as the human left. Surprised at his reaction, he quickly covered it as he faced his coven member. “Yes?”

“I’m so sorry to interrupt you, and you know I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t important. But the dragon king is on the premises with his Right Hand, and he says hunters are on the property.”

“Son of a bitch! Is he sure?” Raven immediately held his hand up to stop his vampire from speaking. “Of course he’s sure. He wouldn’t have said anything to you if he wasn’t. Dammit.”

“He told me under the guise of ordering a drink. I told him that we were out of what he wanted in the coolers up front, so I had to duck back here to get what he ordered. I’m hoping we didn’t alert the hunters.”

“So, more than one?”

“We’re unsure, but probably.”

“Return to the bar, give Hudson his drink, and pass the word quietly. I’ll be out shortly.”

“I will, Master.”

“Be careful.”

Raven didn’t leave immediately in case the humans were watching. After a few moments, he stepped outside the back room.

As he walked through his club, he noticed several paranormals making eye contact. Word was getting around quickly. Good. Raven made a point to stop here and there, speaking to his paranormal customers as if he was nothing more than the owner stopping by to say hello to certain people.

Instead, he was passing along a warning.

He was also trying to pick up the scent of any hunters. The oddness to their human scent was the main giveaway, but there were a lot of humans there, along with paranormals. Henodded to Hudson as he walked by. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blur of movement… then nothing. The air had barely been disturbed as one of his coven moved through the crowd.

It was as if nothing had occurred, as it should be. It was one reason why vampires were apex predators. They moved at speeds humans had no hope of following, and very few paranormals could either.

Raven watched as his vampire suddenly disappeared into a hallway with a very startled and scared human. Good. He started in that direction. But before he had taken two steps, the lights in the club went out. This time he swore loudly and violently as the screams started. Humans were the only ones who’d have trouble seeing in the darkness and would most likely panic.

That was bad enough, but this was the United States. Nearly everyone and their brother owned a gun in this country, and a certain element liked to shoot up gay clubs. Guns were not allowed on the property, but that didn’t mean a few didn’t get in, regardless of their best efforts.

“Annabel. Felix.” Raven didn’t yell his coven members’ names. He didn’t have to.

A few seconds later, both of them were standing in front of him.

Felix’s gaze darted around. “Master?”

“What do you need of us?” Annabel asked.

“I—”

Then the fire alarm went off.

“For fuck’s sake,” Raven growled. The shriek of the siren hurt his sensitive ears. But oddly enough, he didn’t smell smoke. But he didn’t have to, because the result was still the same.

The humans panicked.

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