The Sweet Scent of Blood

He crouched in front of me. ‘Christ, but I want to drink you down so bad.’ He pulled me into his arms, buried his face in my neck. ‘You smell fucking wonderful.’ Anguish sliced through his voice. ‘God, I can feel it, feel your pain, taste it. It hurts, hurts like hell.’

Panting, I grabbed at him, tore at his paper coverall.

Hands caught my wrists, held me still. ‘Shh. You smell so sweet, and hot, your skin’s burning with blood, I bet you taste better than Her, better even than Mel.’ His words vibrated along my pulse. ‘I haven’t had a decent meal in weeks. All that thin human blood is all He’s let me have.’

Hot claws raked inside me as though rending the flesh from my bones. I opened my mouth, screaming with the pain.

Make it stop.

Sharp tips punctured my heart.

Please, anything.

Ripped through my gut.

No more.

Then it was over.

‘Why?’ I gasped into his chest, limp and exhausted.

‘Bastard likes his games.’ He laughed, the sound bitter. ‘It turns him on. He lets you have a taste, just so you appreciate what you’re missing. Christ, I’m rationed to two mouthfuls, even from my own girlfriend—and he has to watch.’ He licked my throat. ‘Bet he’s getting his rocks off right now, watching me drool over sweet sidhe blood, knowing I can’t have even a drop.’

‘No—’ Still weak, I clutched at him. ‘Why that memory?’

He pushed me back, frowned at me. ‘What memory?’

‘Sucker Town.’ I gulped in cold air. ‘Four years ago. The fang-gang.’

‘I haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about.’ His fingers dug into my arms. ‘Which means the bastard’s been screwing with me again, stealing my memories. Fuck, I hate it when he does that—it’s bloody torture when he gives them back.’ He looked around the cell, disgusted. ‘And I don’t even fucking remember where here is!’

I slumped in his hold. ‘We’re in the police station,’ I whispered. ‘Do you remember about Melissa?’

‘Melissa?’ He shook me, making my head snap back. ‘What—?’

The door opening interrupted him. ‘Time’s up, sucker.’ Constable Curly-hair’s tone was gleeful. Something metallic clanged.

Almost as if in slow motion, I saw him react. He grabbed my shoulders, rolling me over, away from the door.

‘Hey,’ she shouted, ‘don’t make me use this.’ Green light shattered the edges of my vision. ‘C’mon, that’s enough now.’

Bobby threw himself on top of me, crushing me as a fork of green lightning arced round the cell. Burnt mint assaulted my nostrils. He jerked, limbs moving as though pulled by tight strings. His eyes widened with pain, then fell empty and blank.

I shoved him off me and collapsed, the backlash of magic pounding me like a Beater goblin.

‘Sorry about that,’ she said, sounding far more satisfied than sorry. ‘I tried to miss you, but he was a bit close for comfort.’ She brandished a silver pole. A smooth hunk of jade embedded in the end of the pole still sputtered green sparks. ‘These new stun-spells of the DI’s can be a bit overpowering.’

Wheezing, I glanced at the unconscious vampire next to me. Damn. No chance of any more answers tonight. He’d be lucky if he revived before dawn.

I glared up at the smirking constable.

She gave me a wide grin. ‘Oh, sorry, was I too early? Have I spoiled all your fun?’

‘You didn’t,’ I muttered, adding silently, at least not as much as I intend to spoil yours.

Chapter Eight

‘How’d it go with the horny bastard then?’ ‘What?’ I slumped in Hugh’s spare chair and pressed my phone closer to my ear, my exhausted gaze taking in the still empty murder squad room. I’d got out of Bobby’s cell in one piece, no thanks to Constable Curly-hair, and I’d even survived Hugh’s disappointed, disapproving concern. I was tacitly blaming the stun-spell for my jitters. And now I had to wait for DI Crane—she had expressed a wish to see me herself, which sounded like more fun than a whole barrel of laughs.

‘C’mon, Genny,’ Toni’s voice teased me over the phone, ‘’Fess up: did you succumb or not, when Finn asked you out? Remember there’s a lot riding on the answer.’

I rubbed the back of my neck and briefly shut my tired eyes. ‘Oh, that horny bastard.’ Now I knew what our office manager was talking about.

I opened my hand, looked at the blister-pack of G-Zav tablets sitting innocently in my palm. I was going to have to give in and take them.

‘You knew who I meant!’ She tutted in exasperation. ‘Don’t forget I know what your social life is like—it’s as frozen as the South Pole—and if the male of the species was my thing, Finn’s hot enough that I’d definitely let him melt my ice caps.’ She laughed. ‘Now, you know your Auntie Toni’s right, so tell me you’ve put the sexy satyr out of his misery. And remember, your secrets are safe with me.’

That got a weary smile; Toni was the biggest gossip out. ‘Nothing to tell,’ I assured her, brushing dust from my trousers. The black linen was starting to look like I’d been rolling around the floor—Oh wait, I had. Twice. ‘Finn asked me out, but no, I didn’t “succumb”, as you so succinctly put it.’ Even if he had picked me up. Literally.

Using my thumb, I pushed two tiny black pills out of the packet.

‘What is it with you, Genny?’ Her disappointed sigh whistled down the phone. ‘It’s not good to keep your libido locked up like this. C’mon, Honeybee.’ Her tone turned pleading. ‘There’s just three more days before the bet’s up. Give in, have some fun with the sex god, it’ll do you good.’

I let the saliva pool in my mouth then popped the pills between my lips, tipped my head back and swallowed.

‘Otherwise, Genny,’ Toni warned, ‘Team Toni is going to have to treat that bitch—sorry, witch—Leanora and her Luvvies to facials plus all the works.’

‘Toni—’ I exhaled on a strangled laugh, my tongue sparking with the concentrated liquorice aftertaste. ‘Toni, how can I put this? No way am I going out with Finn, no way am I having sex with him, just so as you can find out about his tail and win a bet!’

I missed her next few words as the G-Zav hit. It’s like the build-up to great sex, and then... instead of the fun part, someone injects ice-water into your veins, leaving you feeling like crap. But at least G-Zav, the vampire junkies’ methadone equivalent, kept the cravings and blood-flushes under control. If you were human, two tablets would work for a couple of nights, but being fae, I’d metabolise them in a couple of hours. Then I had a choice: another dose, and a session with the leeches (real ones, not the doctor or sucker type)—or I took my chances with the next vamp I bumped into.

So not the healthy option.

Then the amphetamine in the G-Zav kicked in and as I started to feel better, Toni’s voice faded back in: ‘— and you’re the only one who’s got a chance of finding out.’

‘Uh-huh,’ I murmured absently into the phone.

‘So you will!’ Toni’s voice jumped with eagerness. ‘Oh, I could hug you, Genny . That’s going to—’

‘Hang on a minute,’ I interrupted, ‘what exactly have I just agreed to?’

‘Asking Finn about his tail, of course! I just told you—Leanora’s convinced the only way anyone can find out is the fun way—but none of her cronies have managed to get that far,’ she gave a derisive laugh, ‘and I can tell you, some of the tricks they’ve tried to get him to do the down-and-dirty, well, I almost feel sorry for him.’

So Finn hadn’t been doing any ‘succumbing’ himself. Strangely, instead of feeling pleased, anger rose, making me want to hit something—the snippet of gossip was irrelevant after all. Anything with Finn had always been a non-starter, never mind Hugh’s all-too-recent repeat lecture on the important don’ts in