Page 8 of Blood & Bones

“It’s not right. What she did was wrong...”

“She destroyed his life. You’re doing the right thing. I just hope you find her,” Tavah said.

“So do I. And when I do…” I paused. “Don’t tell the other employees about Dredge,” I said. “I don’t want their pity.”

“I promise,” Tavah said. “One day, I’ll tell you my own story. It wasn’t as drastic, but...”

“Every story is personal, and every story is unique. Pain is pain,” I said. “We don’t compare. I told Laddy my story so he could see that—even under the worst of experiences—we can come through. I wanted him to know that a good life after turning is possible. I just want him to know that we can survive our abusers and thrive.”

Even though I wasn’t sure I could say I was thriving. But I wanted Laddy to win out. I wanted him to find a purpose, to find a path. Every time someone who had been turned found their way, it gave me hope. And I needed hope—even twelve years later, I needed to remind myself that we could rise above our abusers, and sometimes, when we were lucky, we could make them face their crimes.

I had vowed to myself that I would never turn another person. And so far, I’d kept that promise. I’d also promised myself to stop as many rogue vamps as possible. And that promise…well…I desperately wanted to fulfill.

CHAPTER FOUR

The first chance I got, I called home. Camille answered. “Hey,” I said. “I’m going to be late.”

“What’s up? Everything okay at the bar?” she asked.

“No.” I hadn’t even thought of hiding what I was about to do. We didn’t work that way—or, usually, we didn’t. Camille had instilled it into Delilah and me from the time we were young that the three of us were “one for all and all for one.”

“What’s wrong? You need help?”

“Laddy came in tonight—a rogue vamp turned him. I’m going out hunting for her,” I said.

Camille was silent for a moment. She knew very well what rogue vamps meant. They were a threat to everyone. “Should you talk to Chase first? Let him know. He can be on the lookout for anybody else she might catch and turn—or catch and kill.”

“I suppose I could,” I said. “You know how he feels about me. I doubt he wants me showing up on his doorstep.”

“Let me call him first. Remember, Seattle’s a big city. And if she doesn’t want to be found, it’s not going to be all that easy.” Camille hung up, promising to call me back in a few minutes.

I really didn’t feel like talking to Chase. I didn’t like him—and he was terrified of me. He acted like I had vampire-cooties, and that made me want to freak him out all the more. I didn’t like the way he followed Camille around like a sloppy puppy. He wasn’t corrupt, not like our supervisor at the OIA, but he was just…too human. And even though I was half-human, I had issues with the race. If I’d been full-blooded Fae, I wouldn’t have lost my footing and fallen into Dredge’s hands. I didn’t blame Mother—it wasn’t her fault—but the OIA knew my weaknesses and they still threw me into deep water without a lifesaver.

After a moment, Camille called back. “Listen, Chase is still at the office. If you want to drop over to talk to him, he’d be grateful. He’ll be waiting for you, so if you decide not to show up, then call him first, please.”

“All right, I’ll go talk to him.” I reluctantly promised to behave, then hung up. I turned to Jocko. “Boss, can I talk to you for a moment?”

He nodded, motioning for me to follow him into the back. “So, what’s up?”

“I want to go after the rogue vamp. I owe it to Laddy, and to any other victims she’s planning on taking down.” I studied his face as he thought about what I had said.

“You sure you want to do this? I know about…” He paused, crinkling his brow. “I don’t want to stir up any bad memories.”

“What stirs up those memories is helplessness. And I’m doing the pursuing. What more can she do to me? Destroy me? That’s always a possibility. But she could create a wave of newly minted vampires who have no guidance. And then we’d have to kill them as well. It’s not fair to anybody she might think of turning. Or even just drinking dry.” I shook my head. “No, I want to go after her.”

“All right. But be careful. Let your sisters know where you’re going, all right?” He nodded at the door. “I still need you tomorrow night, but you can go for now. It looks like the crowd has thinned out.”

I grabbed my jacket and shoved my arms into it. “Thanks, Jocko. You’re a good sort. Meanwhile, Tavah will take care of Laddy.” I paused. “Such a fucking shame. I like Laddy. Now…who knows what will happen to him. It’s too early to tell.”

“If you ask me, he’s going to have a hard time adjusting. I’m worried about him. I can’t tell you why, but I’m worried he won’t be with us much longer, regardless of what form he takes.”

That was a stab in the heart. Jocko wasn’t exactly psychic, but he was known for hitting the nail on the head. “Let’s hope we can help him find something to live for. I’ll see you tomorrow night. Tonight, if I happen to find this bitch.”

As I headed out the door, the clouds opened up again, and a torrent of rain drenched the sidewalk. I stared up at the water that nourished the ground as it splashed against my face. It was cool, but I was colder, and once again, I realized that I’d almost forgotten what it meant to be truly alive. Unless it was pure fire or sunlight, I’d never have to think about ice storms or heatwaves. Neither would bother me. Nor would anything make me itch again, nor would I taste food. The only pleasures I could actually feel were sex and blood trickling down my throat. But that had to be enough.

Chase’s office—at the Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigation unit—the FH-CSI, was that mediocre pale green that had neither the warmth of sage, nor the chill of mint. It was nondescript, and so were the furnishings.

Chase himself was sitting behind his desk, and he looked up as I entered the room. He didn’t stand, but instead forced a smile.