I darted around shoppers, more than once catching muttered curses floating up in my wake. The street was only vaguely familiar, but I found the bookstore within a block.
The bookstore was brighter than it had been two nights ago, and I squinted as I entered, my hands flying up to shield my eyes. A warm body pressed against my back, and I jumped.
"Light sensitivity is a sign of starvation.” Nathanial whispered, his hands on my shoulders, guiding me deeper into the store.
The light stung my eyes like a dozen angry ants, but I could focus through it. Bobby and Gil were seated in the little coffee shop tucked in one corner of the bookstore, which was where Nathanial was leading me. I shrugged away from him, straining to scan the book stacks through my watery vision.
"There's our girl.” I pointed at the young blond who had given me the flyer advertising the rave. She was pushing a book on a very pregnant woman, managing to look both helpful and bored at the same time. I stepped further from Nathanial. “You let Bobby and Gil know we're here. I'll ask her about any other parties happening in the area."
Nathanial nodded, but pressed his lips into a worried line. I didn't give him a chance to change his mind, but walked off without another word. Remembering how I'd cried blood-tinged tears the night before, I whipped my watery eyes with the cuff of my coat. The smallest hint of pink decorated the wet streak in the grey material, and I shoved my hands in my pockets so I wouldn't have to look at it.
As I wove through the stacks of books, I shivered under my coat and wished the bookstore was warmer. Was my coat even trapping my body heat? As I approached, the sales girl's customer shook her head and walked off.
The girl rolled her eyes and put the book back. Her gum popped between her teeth as she looked at me. “Hey, I remember you. You were in here a couple of nights ago. Decide what flavor book you want?” She glanced at the shelf beside us and shook her head. “Look at this.” She pulled a backward book off the shelf. “I understand the people who leave a book on the floor, they're lazy, but if they go through all the effort of putting the book back, why put it back with the spine facing in?"
"Uh, yeah, people are strange.” I frowned at her, I didn't have time for idle chatter. “I went to that rave the other night, the one you said your friend was spinning at."
"Really? That's awesome. I'm a pretty good judge of personality. I knew you would be one to go.” She popped her gum again.
"Yeah. So, I had lots of fun ... and I was kind of hoping you knew about another party close by?"
"Oh, quick, act like I'm convincing you to buy this book. My boss is looking.” She pressed a book in my hands. It was a child's book on counting. I raised an eyebrow, and she gave me an apologetic smile. “Okay, my boss isn't looking anymore. What were you wanting to know, again?” She popped her gum, then lifted a hand and waved it in front of her face before I could answer. “Oh right, about parties. I go to a couple, but mostly only the ones I know the DJ. I haven't heard about anything big happening in the next few weeks.” Her eyes went past me.
I'd lost her attention, again. I'd chased butterflies with longer attention spans.
"Oh my gawd, look at those hunks,” she said, her eager gaze traveling over my shoulder.
I could barely see over the tops of the bookcases, but Bobby and Nathanial were both a head or more taller than the shelves and easy to spot. They looked around, and I realized the bookshelves completely hid me. I stepped into the aisle, and Bobby's eyes landed on me.
The girl grabbed my arm. “Oh, they're headed this way. Quick, do I have anything in my teeth?” She tilted her head back slightly, smiling. I stared at her. “Is that a yes?” Her lips slipped down.
"You don't have anything in your teeth."
"Ok, and my makeup's okay? My mascara isn't running?” She wiped under her eyes.
"You look fine."
"Good,” she said, letting out a breath. “Why do you think they're coming over here? Do you think they need help finding a book?” She pasted her ‘professional’ smile on.
I almost laughed. “I was supposed to meet them here."
"You're with those two sex gods? I'm so jealous. You're going to share, right?” When I blinked at her, she giggled. “Come on, you have the two extremes of sexiness over there: one blond, large and wild-looking and the other with that long black hair, almost beautiful, yet masculine. You don't need both."
Bobby and Nathanial were within earshot now, though she didn't realize it.
Color crept to Bobby's cheeks.
I frowned. “I don't think—"
"You wanna know about parties? No problem, I'll find out. Just introduce me to the eye candy."
"I don't know your name,” I said, as the boys rounded the last bookcase between us.
"Candice,” she whispered between her teeth.
I sighed. “Bobby, Nathanial, this is Candice. And vice versa."
Bobby looked at his feet, but Nathanial lightly kissed her hand. I thought she might float away. Her smile stretched across her face to the point it had to be painful.
I scowled at Nathanial, and realized we were missing someone. “Where's Gil?"
"We're in a bookstore. Guess,” Bobby said. Of course, our little scholar would have run away to read.
"So,” Nathanial said slowly, “Were you able to find out about another party?"
Candice's smile widened.
I arched a brow at the sight. How is that even possible?
She pulled a phone out of her pants and flipped it open. “I need to talk to my friend, Jace. He would know. I get off work at midnight, and I know a great little bar where we could meet him. Let me make a quick call and set it up.” She gazed at Nathanial, her eyes shiny with invitation.
He glanced at me, and I shrugged.
She started dialing then looked around, startled. Maybe she'd forgotten she was at work.
I tried not to notice all the blood gathering in her cheeks as she blushed. The roof of my mouth tingled, and I glanced away.
Candice crouched low between the bookshelves, her eyes sweeping the aisles as she finished dialing the number. “Hey Jace, you busy? Could you meet me after work, I'm with some people who want to talk to you about a party.” She paused, listening to the guy on the other end. “No, I don't think any of them own a club or a studio.” She glanced at us, then turned her back. “I will owe you so big time. Please do this for me.” She whispered the last, and if she hadn't been in a group of supernaturals, that might have worked. But, as it was, I saw Nathanial suppress a smile. She snapped the phone shut and straightened. “It's all set. You want to meet about twelve thirty?"
Chapter 8
"Plans?” I asked, the light from the bookstore fading to a distant glow behind us. We had four hours to kill before meeting Candice. I wanted to spend them productively, and, preferably, somewhere warm. I was shivering so hard I could barely walk.
Gil pulled three scrolls out of the air. “I made lists of all the victims’ residences and where their bodies were found. We should split up and search for clues as to how they met the rogue.” She handed one scroll to Bobby and one to Nathanial. Bobby squinted at his, frowning. Gil unrolled hers and traced her finger down the list. “Most of the girls were found at their own homes, though a couple were found in public places. I've divided the lists up by areas of town. You guys work on your locations, and Kita and I will meet you at—"
"Kita will accompany me,” Nathanial said, looking up from his list.
Gil's hands moved to her hips, elbows out, the remaining scroll scrunched against her waist. “I'm supposed to study her. I have to stay with her."
"She needs me to..."
I stopped listening as I buried my face in my hands. Had I ever been this cold before? Thick fingers curled around my shoulders, dragging me further from the argument. I almost tugged away, but I knew that scent of fur and wind. I glared at Bobby, willing him to stop pulling me before I stumbled over my own unsteady feet.
He dropped my arms. “Are you all right, Kitten? You don't look good."
Of course I wasn't all right, I probably wouldn't be all right ever again.
"I'm fine."
"I've been worried sick about you all day. Last night after we left the diner you collapsed. Stopped moving. Stopped breathing. I thought you were dead. Then Nathanial pulled shadows or something around you. You vanished."
I blinked at him, and then back at Nathanial. He and Gil had stopped arguing. Gil's face was beet red, but Nathanial's expression was, as always, carefully neutral, though the edges of his eyes were pinched.
I glared at him, and he waltzed closer. “I thought you said I'm not dead!"
"You are not dead.” His face and voice were equally empty, betraying nothing.
"I stopped breathing."
Nathanial sighed. “True. But it does not mean you are dead. It means you do not need to breathe. Oxygen is poisonous. It causes aging."
"Yeah, it also causes living."
He shook his head. “You need to draw air to speak and pick up scents. Otherwise you breathe only out of habit. Stop, if you like.” He turned away.
I didn't have to breathe? Yeah right. I didn't think about breathing, I just did it. In fact, I couldn't concentrate hard enough to hold my breath. I shivered, hugging my arms around me. The wind whistled through the tall buildings, lifting my hair from my face, but the chill making me tremble was under my skin, and huddling closed the chill in, not out.
Undeath sucked. I wanted a refund.
I kicked a pile of snow, sending chunks of slush and ice skittering across the sidewalk. A clump of slush exploded into a spray of wet film across Bobby's boot as he stepped closer. He reached out a hand like he would touch my face but then hesitated, his hand hanging in the air between us.
"Are you sure you're okay? You reek of his scent.” Bobby nodded at Nathanial.