Bite Marks

Aussies had let the old girl go to waste. Which might’ve been why the gnomes had latched on to her.

Outside she looked like your typical nineteenth-century above- ground town well. Except the section created to hold the juice was square, built on a platform that jutted out slightly farther than the container to give maintenance workers room to walk the perimeter. Nine sturdy posts held the tower a good thirty feet aboveground, their crosspieces stained an even darker brown than the rest of the structure, as if to emphasize the fact that they provided stability and helped ensure that the pressure stayed nice and high.

We knew the place hid something marvelous simply from the fact that it was humming like a power station when we approached it.

“What now?” asked Cole.

I said, “Kyphas and I investigate. You get into position and wait.”

“For what?”

“I’m pretty sure you’ll know when it happens.” I looked down at Jack. Who, while multitalented in doggy terms, hadn’t yet mastered pole climbing. I handed the leash to Cole. “You guys grab some high ground.”

Cole nodded quickly and, grinning down at my dog, said, “Come on, dude. Let’s hit the roofs. You can be my reloader.”

“Be careful, Cole,” said Kyphas.

His smile went crooked as he met her gaze, which was so damn sincere I nearly bought it. I pulled a Vayl, standing stock still, internalizing the eye rolling and grimacing that wanted to crease my face as he replied, “No need to worry about me, beautiful. I was born under a lucky star.” Oh, gag, did he really say that?

“Besides,” he added, without missing a beat, “I’ve got angels watching over me. Right, Jaz?” His eyes swept to mine, their sparkle so bright they could’ve lit fireworks.

“Close enough,” I said, coughing to hide the laughter as Kyphas put a hand to her stomach and made an I- may-vomit face.

He wheeled around, taking Jack for a quick trot down the block and around the corner, where he was sure to find a handy fire escape. Kyphas watched him all the way.

When she muttered something under her breath I asked, “What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Astral spoke up. “Kyphas just said, ‘That one, he is so likeable !’ Her tone is somewhat irritated, which does not compute with the wording.”

“Shut up, cat!” Kyphas snapped.

“I am not programmed for your orders.”

I said, “Have you noticed what a great ass he’s got too?” Cole, listening in on the party line, chuckled with delight.

“Are you joking? Every time he turns around my fingers begin to ache!” I stepped in front of her, nose to nose, to make sure we had pure communication. But I didn’t have to say a word.

She held up her hands. “I know, I know. Nothing in heaven or hell will stand between you and my slow, screaming death if I harm any one of your babes.” She flipped back her shining hair. “Already you bore me. So are we climbing this tower or—”

“Yeah. You first.”

Flash of suspicion. But she went up, stiff in the legs and back, like she half expected me to stab her on the way up. As if I’d reduce my meager forces at such a key point. But I still enjoyed making her uneasy.

I looked down at the kittybot. “This is where you take a break, Astral. Hang out here until Bergman shows up and then do what he says until I need you again, okay?”

“Hello!”

“You are so fried.”

I followed Kyphas up to the platform. Though we searched like a couple of treasure hunters, we discovered no Ufranite doors. Which meant we’d have to be patient. Surely Vayl would find a way to contact us soon.

I motioned for Kyphas to post herself at the south end of the tower while I took the opposite.

“I’m in position,” Cole whispered. “Your dog’s peeing on the roof vent. I think that means you own Crindertab’s now.”

I nodded to let him know I’d heard. Wondered how Bergman was doing and decided no news was good news.

So hard to sit and wait. I touched Cirilai, wishing it would signal me, frustrated that it and my vamp-sense were my only connections to Vayl.

Or are they? The only reason I didn’t ignore Teen Me, who was straightening her hair in the empty hope that she could make it look like Jennifer Aniston’s, was that too many other people already had.

What do you mean? I asked her.

He’s a vampire, she told me, like I was some kind of dufus for having to have the obvious pointed out to me.

I nearly said, So? But I took a second to think beforehand. The first time he’d taken my blood he’d formed a bond with me that had enabled him to sense my strongest emotions. After the second time, my Spirit Eye had opened wide enough for me to track the Vampere. And now? What had happened to us with this exchange, Eldhayr blood for Vampere power?

No clue, I thought as I crouched against the railing. But that took too much energy,