Page 37 of Shadow Seeking

I jumped back, into the dim light of the overheads, my dagger up. “Whoever you are, I don’t recommend messing with me. I fight to win.”

“Do you, now?” The voice was male, and he was beside me again in seconds, so fast I could barely see him move.Shit, it had to be a vampire.As he reached for me, I lowered my voice to be stone-cold.

“I’m wearing silver, so you might want to back away. And my dagger’s silver as well. If you want to get your fingers burned, feel free. Butdon’tunderestimate me.”

All the myths about silver affecting wolf shifters and demons were only that—myths. But the metal did burn vampires. There were several theories as to why, but nobody really knew.

The vamp paused, and in that moment, I lunged at him, high-kicking him as I spun on my heel. I clocked his chin with the end point of the stiletto.

He stumbled back, caught unaware, and grunted. I spun again, like I was doing a cartwheel with my legs, and once more, hit him, this time in the chest.

“Bitch,” he snarled, shaking off the attack. He leaped toward me and I darted to the side. Very few people could out maneuver a vamp, but I’d trained with the best, and I’d also learned to fight in heels, considering how much I loved them.

I knew in the long run, he’d have the advantage, unless I managed to stake him in the heart, and while I stood a chance of doing so, it would be best if I could get the fuck out of there.

I was in arm’s length of his hand as he made another grab for me, so I stabbed the top of his hand with my dagger and, when I realized it would take a minute to jerk it out, I left the dagger and ran to my car, unlocking it with the fob as I did so.

He was snarling, trying to shake the dagger off as I yanked the door open and slid into the front seat, slamming the door and locking it.

As with houses, a vampire couldn’t enter your car without permission, and he knew it. He gave me one long gleaming-eyed look and then turned and vanished in a blur of speed. I held tight to the steering wheel, breathing hard.

Then, glancing at the time, I saw that it was seven. I still had time, so I called the cops to report the attack. Rogue vampires were a danger to everyone, and they needed to know one was on the loose.

After givingmy report to the officers, they returned my dagger. The vamp had tossed it on the ground after getting it out of his hand. Still shaken, I headed home. While vampires didn’t bleed—even after they fed—I needed to change my clothes.

At home, I fed the cats and changed into a clean pair of leather pants. I put on a turtleneck. Especially after what had happened, I didn’t want to offer up enticement to any of the vampires we might see in the Underground. I decided on a pair of leather ankle boots, strong enough to offer protection but light enough to run in, and the shrugged into my leather coat. I slid a chunky silver chain around my neck, hiding it beneath the turtleneck. They might feel its presence, but they wouldn’t be able to see it and claim affront.

I was still so on edge that I found my bottle of Calm Drops in the medicine cabinet. Calm Drops were an herbal remedy specifically for all sorts of Supes, and while it wasn’t a relaxant like pot, it was soothing—enough to take the edge off without impairing alertness or judgement. I popped a few drops on my tongue and swallowed, grimacing at the bitter taste.

After that, I doublechecked my wards. Penn made them for me, they guarded against spirits and vampires, as well as general protection. They still looked good. She’d added some ingredient that turned a neon blue when it was losing its potency.

Murdoch and Jangles came racing past, playing chase, and I lowered myself to the floor, calling them over. Petting cats calmed me. Their purrs seemed to run on a frequency that calmed any anxiety I had, and they seemed to reduce the anger that occasionally swept over me.

Jangles crawled onto my lap and curled up. Murdoch walked up and looked at her, as though he was waiting for permission to join her. She purped, and he tentatively placed a foot on my lap. I adjusted so they could both fit and they curled up into a tangled ball.

As I stroked their fur, I thought about the attack. I hadn’t recognized him, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t somebody with a grudge against me. I’d put a lot of people behind bars. But thenagain, rogue vampires were seldom identified before they went after a victim, and they were hunted down and destroyed.

I had been walking in a dark, isolated part of the parking lot, and he had no way of knowing that I was trained in numerous forms of martial arts, as well as simple dirty street-fighting.

“So, it’s been a long day,” I murmured. Both Jangles and Murdoch gazed up at me, slow blinking as I smoothed their fur. “And it’s going to be longer still. Listen, be good kits while I’m away tonight. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

Reluctantly, I gently shifted them off my lap and then, after washing and drying my dagger, I slid it back into my boot. I also tucked silver-plated brass knuckles into my jacket pocket, tucked my wallet into my inner pocket so I could leave my purse at home, and braided my hair back. I touched up my makeup, then thought about eating a clove of garlic but decided that was overkill and rude.

As I armed the alarm and then locked the door, I once again was grateful to Dante for convincing me to install the security cams. He was always looking out for me, even when I tried to tell him he didn’t need to.

Seattle at nightwas a beautiful city—and a dangerous one. Oh, there were cities that were, on the surface, more dangerous, but the Underground meant that Seattle literally had two layers. The surface, and then the Underground, which reached down several levels. Most of its inhabitants were suspect, at the least.

The Emerald City, as Seattle was called, spread around Puget Sound. It was a major port city, and an international gateway. Also dubbed “Little San Francisco,” the hills weren’t as drastic, but theyweresteep. During the winter, even small amounts ofsnow stopped the city dead in its tracks. Ice and snow shut down a number of streets due to their steep grade. The Queen Anne district, where my office was, was one of them. Luckily, most winters were chilly, rainy, but not blanketed in white.

As I headed for the office—we were meeting up and driving to the Underground together—I cranked up the music. The windshield wipers seemed to keep rhythm with the song. Deap Vally’sRoyal Jellywas one of my favorites, with a heavy cadence and a strong beat. I sang along with the song as my wheels ate up the asphalt under the dim street lights.

Once at the office, I waited in the parking lot, given the rain was sheeting down. A few minutes after I got there, Dante pulled in, and right after him, Orik.

Dante was wearing his usual faux fur white jacket, over a pair of distressed jeans, a leather vest and black shirt that hid his neck. Orik followed the same suit as Dante and me, wearing a black turtleneck, a camo jacket, and a pair of dark jeans. They climbed in my car, though Orik had to lean forward a little. I pulled out and we were on our way.

“Remember, if you’re wearing silver, don’t let it show,” I said. “Don’t split up, not unless we have to. Keep alert at all times. While rogue vamps aren’t technically allowed, they’re out there. In fact, tonight I was attacked by one.”

“What the hell?” Dante asked.

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