Page 11 of Kissed the Mark
“Yes, but they weren’t from around here. Canyou arrange an audience with the mayoral council, please?” Myshoulder was bothering me again; whatever magical effect Leandrahad on me only lasted one night. I had been too wounded anddistracted by Leandra to discuss theories with her. It seemed likeanywhere she went, trouble followed. I was completely sure now thatshe was at the center of it.
“Let me see if anyone’s available,” thereceptionist said. She chewed her gum loudly and proceeded to typefor a long time on her keyboard. I bounced on the balls of my feet,impatient. If there were vampires from outside roaming the areaattacking people, this was an issue that couldn’t wait. “You canhave a seat,” she said.
It was hard to get the council when the sunwas up since so much of the town was nocturnal. It only made sensefor them to be around during normal hours. Someone was supposed tobe on call, though.
The chair was stiff as a board and notintended to be used for extended periods of time. After fifteenminutes, I got up again. “Can you call them?” I asked, trying notto lose my patience. “It’s kind of urgent.”
The receptionist blinked at me. “Why wereyou here again?”
“I was attacked by unfamiliar vampires lastnight and I wanted to report it so we can start an investigation,”I said tightly.
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, right.” Finally,she picked up the phone and asked for someone to come in. “Theysaid they’ll be over in an hour.”
“Is there anyone else I can talk to,please?” This wasn’t worth dragging myself out of bed during mysleeping hours when I was injured. “It’s not a joking matter.”
“Ya look fine to me,” the receptionist said.“I can’t make ‘em come any faster.”
What was the point of having a bunch ofmayors if none of them were around for a crisis? Stubbornly, Istuffed my ass back into the chair and took some deep breaths. Thenext thing I knew, someone was shaking me awake. “Olympia Carter?”a man asked.
I must’ve fallen asleep. Of course it wouldbe a Seelie fairy. He would probably accuse me of doing some lightthrill-seeking against Mayfair law and have me in handcuffs beforeI could explain myself. “You’re not a mayor,” I said rudely, mypatience worn completely.
“I’m the on-call representative. My name isJim. Laci said you had an emergency?”
“Can we talk, uh, without Laci present?”
The guy straightened his tie. His skinshimmered with that golden afterglow all Seelie fae seemed to exudeand he gave me a white-toothed smile that could’ve been in amagazine ad. “Sure, Ms. Carter.”
We headed back to a private room. Exhaustionclouded my brain as I settled into yet another uncomfortable chairand told him my story. He listened intently, taking occasionalnotes with a pretentious-looking fountain pen, and then set hisnotes straight when I’d finished and checked his Rolex for thetime.
“This is a very serious accusation,” hesaid. “We would have to investigate every vampire hangout in thearea for answers.”
“What are you saying? That you don’t believeme? Or that you think it’s too much work that no one is willing todo?”
“I didn’t say that. But as you probablyknow, Olympia, the vampires like to handle their own matters.”
“Is it their own if the vampires aren’t fromtown? I didn’t recognize a single one of them.”
Jim consulted his notes. “How many of themdid you say there were again?”
“A half dozen.”
“How many vampires do you know?”
I threw up my hands. “I’ve been around thistown for a few years now. Mayfair isn’t that big. How many vampiresdoyouknow?”
It was the wrong thing to say. Hisexpression shuttered. I knew this would be a waste of my time whenI first saw his face—I always had a way of getting on Seelienerves. It was the centuries of conflict between our people,similar but too stubborn to join forces. “I won’t stand forpersonal attacks on my character.”
“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration.” Isighed. “Can you notify whoever needs to know about this ASAP?There was an attack on me and one of the local vampires, within thetown limits, and everyone I’ve told today seems to have a massivelyunderwhelming reaction to it.”
“Did you go to Patricia?” he asked, claspinghis hands together like he was done taking notes.
“Excuse me if I didn’t have forty-five toseventy business nights to share my very important, time-sensitiveinformation,” I said.
Jim escorted me from the town hall feelingcompletely unheard. I sat on the steps with my head in my hands andtried not to fall asleep.
My mind wandered to Leandra. I couldn’timagine what she’d gotten herself into that had her the target of avampire attack. Most vampires went around with their cronies whenthey left the dens, but she’d been tagging along with me aloneevery time I’d seen her lately, like she was keeping a secret. Iwas certain if somehow I did manage to get through to anyoneimportant about her alleged bounty hit for me, no one would know athing.
The other thing that occupied my mind wasthe elephant in the room, though logically I understood it wasn’tas important as getting to the bottom of the situation I’dembroiled myself in. I didn’t know what had gotten into me when I’dlet Leandra ensorcell me with her vampire powers. Literally, I hadbeen under her thrall. Was it my dark, impulsive side that had donethe damage, or was it that I had grown more attracted to her themore we’d hung out? She was undeniably hot. I touched my lips withmy fingertips, feeling the phantom sensation of her mouth onmine.
