did-'
'The Feds say there's a serial killer skinning the tattooed,' I said. 'I believe them.'
'Jesus,' Savannah said, crossing herself, making the other vampires flinch.
I had forgotten Savannah didn't know, but I just plowed ahead. 'After our little tussle I don't think the Marquis will listen to me about anything but… now Cinnamon has seen it, too. I need you to make sure they don't bust her chops for this. That they take her seriously.'
Calaphase nodded. 'Yeah. I mean-yeah. I can do that.'
'If they give you any crap,' I said, 'the Marquis can call Jinx for confirmation-she's 'seen' it too, and I don't think she's on his shit list, so he'll trust her. Besides, giving Cinnamon a message to take back may take some heat off her for her little walkabout.'
'That's… that's a really good idea,' Revenance said thoughtfully.
'Well, Lady Frost,' Calaphase said. 'You're just full of surprises.'
'It's just Dakota,' I said. 'And just… keep her safe.'
Cinnamon, still hunched over her Sprite, looked sidelong at me.
We closed up and I cornered the waitress: Annie was indeed checking out my tats, and promised to come by the Rogue Unicorn at the first opportunity. While we talked, I noticed Guinness-boy noticing us; cute, nice skin, but definitely suitor, not customer. His eyes caught mine again, and I smiled briefly, but then slipped out before he could nerve himself up.
When I strolled out of the massive, raftered dining area into the bar, I found the vampires had rejoined their companions. Calaphase was dismissing his evening companion with a chaste kiss, but Revenance was still working on his, trying to convince her to take a ride.
'See the short, redheaded biker chick?' Revenance was saying. 'She's the Queen of the Vampires in this district… and a Daywalker. She can guarantee you'll be safe with me. If you ride off with me on my bike and disappear, she'll blame me-then come open my coffin sometime right around noon.'
Savannah stared at him in shock. 'Yeah… yeah, I would,' she said slowly. 'And give you a big old garlic enema.'
'Ouch!' Calaphase said. 'Stings just thinking about-'
'Oi,' Darkrose said, wincing. 'Less graphic, please.'
'I-I don't know,' the girl said nervously, excited and afraid at the same time, staring up at him with huge, enraptured eyes. 'Maybe next time-'
'But how would I find you?' Revenance said, staring down at her, the slightest glow glimmering in his eyes. 'Maybe I could get your numb-'
'Maybe we could all get together next week?' I suggested, and Revenance scowled at me. 'Same time, next Saturday?'
'I'd like that,' Jinx said.
'Me too,' Savannah said.
'We will be in Africa,' Darkrose reminded her.
'Maybe the week after, then?' I said, unwilling to let it go.
'That would be better for me,' the girl said.
Savannah looked at Darkrose. 'I-I suppose-'
'That sounds like a great idea,' Calaphase said, putting his hand heavily on Revenance's shoulder. 'Listen to the Lady, she knows stews taste best when they've had time to simmer.' Calaphase smiled at his own potential- victim? girlfriend? I didn't know the rules anymore-evenly, without a hint of a leer; and she just smiled back at him.
'All right, all right, you win,' Revenance sighed, kissing his starry-eyed but relieved companion on the hand. 'In two weeks, my sweet.'
'It's settled, then,' Calaphase said. 'Dakota, if the Bear King allows it, we'll drop Cinnamon off a week from Friday at your place and pick her up here, same time.'
'Sure,' I said, forced-cheerful, trying not to let my voice crack as I put my hand on Cinnamon's shoulder. I hadn't bargained on that at all, but-'I'd be happy to watch over her again.'
'Don't try to sound too excited,' Cinnamon said.
'Need a ride back to your place?' Savannah asked as we stepped outside. 'It's not so out of the way if we're running Jinx back by Emory-'
'No,' I responded hastily. 'My bike is a couple of blocks away in LFP, and it's a nice night. I think I'll walk it-'
'You have a bike?' Calaphase asked, staring at my long leather vest, which nearly trailed the floor. 'How can you ride in that thing?'
'I tuck it,' I admitted. 'Last thing I want is to get sucked into the wheel of a Vespa-'
'A Vespa!' Calaphase said. 'I thought you said you had a bike-'
'Hey, you,' I said, my face reddening a little. Technically it was a scooter and not a bike, but-'It gets sixty miles to the gallon-'
'Can see why you tuck it though,' Revenance said, hopping on his bike. 'It's not just hazardous. Death by Vespa would be downright embarrassing.'
'Death by Vespa!' Calaphase laughed, hopping on his bike. 'Take care, Frost.'
'Yeah, Frost,' Cinnamon said, wrapping her hands around Calaphase nervously.
'No helmet?' I asked. 'Is that safe-'
Cinnamon rolled her eyes. 'Unless the streets are paved with silver-'
'I get it, I get it,' I said, laughing. Then I looked from her to Savannah, who was standing by Darkrose, arm round her waist, not looking directly at me. 'See y'all in two weeks.'
'Yeah,' Savannah said, looking up suddenly. 'See you then.'
And with that my ex-girlfriend and her vampire lover departed, blind witch and her newfound seeing-eye Doug in tow. Moments later the werecat and her vampire companions rode off on their Harleys, leaving me alone in the parking lot three blocks from my Vespa for no good reason other than my damn stubbornness.
I'm such an idiot.
I strolled past the edge of the bar and thought about running into Videodrome, but it was late and there wasn't anything I was really buzzed to watch, so I turned onto Highland and headed home.
'Garlic enema,' I muttered to myself, snorting. I had to admit it, I missed Savannah. She could be a riot when she wanted to. And so, surprisingly, could Revenance. 'Death by Vespa,' I said, chuckling. I needed to get home before I pissed myself 'Hey Dakota!' someone screamed. 'Catch!'
I looked up, and a dark figure hurled a white barrel straight at my head.
21. Playing Catch
I raised my hands to defend myself, but I was too slow: with a tremendous CRACK the barrel broke against my face, knocking me backwards and splashing me with white, sticky goop. The impact lifted my feet off the ground, and I was momentarily airborne; then my back slammed into the sidewalk and all the air left my lungs with a WHOOF, leaving me in a red haze, choking for oxygen through a mouthful of sludge.
I coughed and spat and scraped the stinging muck from my eyes, lying back, wheezing for breath. The hull and contents of a splintered five-gallon paint barrel lay splattered around me. Dully I saw marks on the side of the barrel where it had been scored with a razor, and realized it had been meant to burst. Meant to splatter paint-all over me. I held my shaking hands up: the religious symbols and the yin yangs were covered in a thick layer of white paint. In terror I looked up at my assailant.
Transomnia stood over me, eyes twin red coals.
'Let's see you use your marks now,' he said, and kicked me in the ribs.
I cried out. My body thudded backward against the wall of a nearby car, but before I could get up or roll away he kicked me again-and again, and again. In the ribs, in the face, cracking against the side of my knee. Not savagely, not with vampire strength, but deliberately, methodically, so the pain built, as I scraped and skidded
