Page 12 of Of Blood and Smoke

I thought about it for a moment. “Perhaps later, thank you.”

The server eyed Micha with unabashed longing. I could smell her arousal from across the marble topped slab. Dates and donors naturally flocked to him, his visage being that of near physical perfection. My own looks had never prevented me fromfinding the company I desired but my appearance only lured a certain type. My sharp features, black eyes, and intense aura weren’t for the faint of heart.

My fingernails tapped against the tabletop impatiently and as the woman left, Micha’s gaze followed her trail. He stretched his lips and licked his elongating canines. “I’m torn,” he complained.

“Torn?” I asked. The woman sauntered back with two glasses and a lead crystal decanter, halting beside my friend.

Micha bent slightly to the right and inhaled, his mouth opening a fraction of an inch. “Yes,” he replied, his eyes shuttering in response to the crumbs of the woman’s essence he’d just flavored.

The woman flicked a glance at him as she poured, her hand trembling enough to nearly spill the liquid. She may have known what we were, but it was more common to be mistaken for fully vampire, or fully demon. Rarely the combination. We were all a threat to one’s mortality, no matter which species a human may decide to cavort with.

“Enlighten me, please.” I nodded to our server and lifted the cup, the overhead lighting catching in the grooves of the etched glass.

Micha reached for his own and twisted the stem between his fingers. “I believe I’m afflicted,” he laughed. “My ‘girlfriend’ as you so casually referred to her as.” He tilted his head thoughtfully.

We waited for the woman to walk away before we continued our conversation. “Is that so?” I asked, my tone light. The topic was anything but lighthearted. As vampires, once we fell for someone there was no way out other than death. The two of us identified more with our bloodsucking DNA than our demon halves and were trapped by the parameters of those characteristics.

“I fear it is. I’d love to sink my teeth into our waitress’s breasts but the more I consider it, the more distasteful it becomes.” My friend tipped the remains of his beverage into his mouth and set the wineglass down just a bit too hard. “I’m not entirely sure she returns the same sentiment.”

“Drink from her before you lose your mind. I need you sharp.” I leaned back in my seat and rested my ankle on my knee. “What family is she from? Have I met her?”

Micha laughed bitterly. “No family; she’s human and I have to have her for myself.”

A chill ran up my spine. “What the hell are you doing?”

He raised his hand, the rings on his fingers glinting in the light. “I know, I know. It wasn’t planned. At all.”

This wasn’t good. Or was it? We’d been ruled by archaic notions of propriety and with the goal of sustaining certain bloodlines. The biggest issue with that was we weren’t supposed to exist. Stepping out of bounds was what created our kind to begin with, a misunderstood scientific phenomenon that previously. no one knew was possible—a demon mating with a vampire.

At last count, only twenty of us were still in existence. Our numbers would have been much higher if massive numbers of babies hadn’t been slaughtered hundreds of years ago out of naivety and prejudice.

A deep sigh left my chest. There was nothing I could do to assist Micha, no matter how much I cared for him. The only course of action was to feign ignorance as to the depths of his feelings for the poor woman. It was only a matter of time before Ezra ordered her demise and by Micha’s own hand, no less. It would be an act of kindness on his part, to do the deed rather than subject his love to the horrors our authority figures may decide to inflict upon him.

The doors at the end of the room opened and Kenneth walked in.

SIX

Josiah

Kenneth was a mid-level demon who was freed from captivity a while ago. He’d been one of many who had been rounded up and imprisoned by high-level and royal demons and used for food. I was uncertain of the full story other than to know the higher demons had been through some major changes that affected their lives here in the Third Realm—the living space of humans, and another realm they frequented, the Fourth.

My own life in the Second Realm had prevented me from ever getting involved and any time I’d spent in the Fourth Realm was scant.

Those events had also led to magic being compromised. I’d been affected myself, inconvenienced. For example, I could no longer transfer myself between realms in the blink of an eye, or transfer myself within the realms at all.

Travel between realms was now bumpy and could be time consuming, taking more energy than necessary and the cessation of travel within realms was solved by modern transportation. So far it appeared these novel nuisances were permanent.

The whole chain of events had led to Kenneth regaining his freedom and earning a job here at the club.

Micha and I stood up when he approached the table. “Welcome,” the man said, quickly shaking our hands. After he seated himself, we returned to our chairs.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” Micha said.

I signaled to our waitress to bring more beverages. “Yes, thank you,” I replied. “We requested to see you due to a breach in our security.”

Kenneth’s eyes darted up, a nervous flicker crossing his gaze. He was aware—but he was about to attempt to deceive us. “May I ask what that has to do with me?”

He pulled his arms onto his lap and sat back as I answered, “A client of yours, a Mister Boccelli.” I paused. “We’ll be collecting him.”

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