A Christmas Peril Read online

  A Christmas Peril

  Copyright 2013 Michelle Scott

  Smashwords Edition

  A Christmas Peril Copyright © 2013 by Michelle Scott

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the

  author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living

  or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First Edition • November 2013

  One

  On the one hand, a night out with the hottest vampire hunter in Detroit was exactly what I needed to chase away my holiday blahs. On the other hand, a Christmas party with a bunch of vampires and their blood partners was hardly a perfect date. Unfortunately, if I wanted one, I had to deal with the other.

  My roommate and best friend Andrew had been suffering through some blues of his own, but the news of a holiday party perked him up. He chatted like his old self as I put on my makeup and did my hair. Then he perched on the edge of my bed as I slipped on my dress, a vintage store treasure I’d fallen in love with the week before.

  When I turned around, Andrew put his hands to his face in exaggerated awe. “Oh. My. God! You look amazing! Audrey Hepburn couldn’t have worn it better.”

  The dress – a white, off-the-shoulder affair with an A-line skirt, and a flashy, rhinestone pin fastened at the waist – gave me the classic Hollywood glamour of Betty Davis or Grace Kelly, providing they had been Arabic instead of white. My black hair had been swept into a simple French twist, and my heels added a good four inches to my height, making me average instead of short.

  Still, I worried. Not about how I looked, but about how well the dress would conceal my weapons: two ash-wood stakes overlaid with silver, and a small canister of holy water that I hoped would work like pepper spray. I frowned, wondering where to hide the goods. I would have asked Andrew for advice, but he didn’t know I was heading into vampire territory. If he’d found out, he would have chained me to my bed and locked the door to keep me from going. Since his vampire attack a few weeks before, even mentioning the V word made him nervous. No way would he let me step foot inside their grieve.

  I glanced in the mirror again. No, the dress wasn’t made to hide weapons. I needed something better. I rummaged through the back of my closet, hauling out the bridesmaid’s dress I’d worn at my sister’s wedding. “This dress isn’t right. I think I’ll wear this one instead.”

  Andrew’s jaw dropped when he saw the lavender pouf from hell. “You’d pick that over a sexy cocktail dress? Do the world a favor and bury that thing before it breeds.” He hopped off the bed, tore the dress from my hands, and threw it back into the closet. “You’re gorgeous, darling. Isaiah would have to be dead to not think so.”

  I smiled. Andrew was just as gorgeous, and all he was wearing were sweatpants and a Detroit Lions t-shirt. It was those long lashes of his. No wonder women tended to crush on him despite the fact he was gay.

  When the doorbell rang, Andrew went to answer it, and I went for my hidden stash of weapons. Okay, the bridesmaid’s dress had been a bad idea, but I still needed to conceal a weapon or two. I shoved one of the stakes down my cleavage, and hastily tied the other to my thigh. Since I wasn’t carrying a purse, the tiny canister of holy water got tucked into the sash behind the rhinestone pin.

  Feeling more prepared, I left my bedroom. A peek into the living room revealed Isaiah dressed in a tuxedo that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. The white roses in his arms accented his dark skin. His dreadlocks framed his face, and his silver earring winked from high up in his ear. Normally, my heart gave a pleasant, backwards flip whenever I saw him, but this time, it did a triple summersault. Sexy didn’t begin to describe my date.

  Gathering courage, I stepped into the living room. Andrew smiled at me. Isaiah just stared.

  For one dreadful moment, there was nothing but silence. Had I been wrong about the dress being retro-chic? Did I instead look like I’d raided my grandmother’s attic? I nearly fled back to my bedroom and the bridesmaid’s dress. Then Andrew said, “Isaiah, take a deep breath and tell Cassandra how gorgeous she looks.”

  Isaiah swallowed. “Cassie, I’m beyond words.” He shrugged, looking helpless for the first time since I’d met him. “You’re amazing. You’ll be the most beautiful woman in the room.” He handed me the armful of white roses.

  I grinned, relieved, and reached for the bouquet. Unfortunately, the motion loosened my bodice, and the hidden stake slipped free, clattering to the ground. When I made a grab for it, the second one came loose as well.

  Both men stared at me. This time, not in a good way.

  “You’re bringing weapons to a Christmas party…why?” Andrew asked carefully. Then his eyes narrowed as realization sunk in. “Whose party is this?”

  “Hedda Widderstrom’s,” Isaiah said. His deep voice could have made the windows rattle. “And, Cassie, if she found out you brought weapons to her party, she’d be furious.” He frowned. “I told you before. This is a peaceful event.”

  Peaceful vampires? Now there was an oxymoron. Then again, Isaiah had always shown more faith in the vampires than I did. Although I’d be the first to admit that Hedda kept her grieve on a tight leash, her rules hadn’t stopped her vamps from hurting me in the past.

  Still, riling them up wasn’t a good idea, either. If this was to be a peaceful party, I could at least pretend to come unarmed. With a self-deprecating smile, I laid the stakes on the table. The holy water, however, would stay right where it was.

  “The weapons are beside the point,” Andrew said. “Cassie, I will not let you go.” He stood in front of the door with his arms crossed. My friend wasn’t nearly as tall or broad as my boyfriend, but his marathon workouts at the gym had given him a lean, hard body. If he wanted to restrain me, I couldn’t have stopped him.

  Andrew glared, daring Isaiah to challenge him. “I can’t believe you would bring Cassie to a party hosted by soul-sucking monsters!”

  Instead of getting angry, Isaiah softened. He understood how Andrew had been struggling to survive ever since the vampires had stolen his soul. “It’s a Christmas party. Nothing more.”

  Andrew wasn’t mollified. “Since when do vampires celebrate Christmas?”

  “They don’t, but their human blood partners do.”

  “But we’re not vampires or blood partners, so why were we invited?” I asked. I would have rather spent the night curled up with Isaiah on the couch, watching superhero movies, eating popcorn, and making out like teenagers.

  He shrugged. “Hedda considers you a friend of the grieve, and she probably wants to show her appreciation.”

&nb
sp; I respected Hedda, but I wasn’t sure I wanted her appreciation. In the world of vampires, everything came with a price. Including presents.

  “I’ll take good care of Cassie. And Hedda’s forbidden any of her vampires to touch her. If they risk it, Hedda will make them wish they’d never lived.”

  “By then it could be too late,” Andrew said. His brown eyes pleaded with me. “Please Cassie, stay home.”

  I wanted to. I really did. But Hedda was the head of the Widderstrom grieve. I didn’t dare offend her by not coming. Besides, with Isaiah by my side, I’d be safe.

  “I won’t stay long,” I promised Andrew.

  “Besides, this is a perfect time to observe the vampires,” Isaiah added. “We won’t get another opportunity to watch them so closely. It may help us out in the future.”

  Good point. Vampires were cagey creatures who seldom opened up to humans. What went on in their grieves was a mystery because they believed that humans had no place in vampire politics. Besides, spying would give me something to do rather than sit in a corner sipping ginger ale.

  Still, I wasn’t wasting an entire night playing vampire anthropologist. “Do we have to stay long?” I asked Isaiah.

  He arched an eyebrow. “Why? Do you have something else planned?”

  I ran my hand along his arm, reveling in the taut muscles underneath. “I could think of a few things.”

  He offered one of his rare smiles. “Can those things wait for an hour?”

  An hour. Okay, I could get through sixty minutes of hell if it meant an evening of heaven afterwards.

  Andrew’s forehead was still lined with worry, but his guard dog stance had relaxed. “Swear on your life that this woman will come back in one piece,” he ordered Isaiah.

  “I swear it,” Isaiah said soberly. “Nothing will hurt her.”

  “Except maybe the paparazzi because I look amazing,” I amended. I straightened Isaiah’s tie. “You look amazing, too.” The tuxedo, classic black and white, fit him perfectly.

  “I look like a waiter,” he said.

  “More like a handsome, playboy millionaire.” A handsome, playboy millionaire with dark skin, amber eyes, and full lips that I was dying to kiss. But that would have to wait until after we’d partied with the vamps.

  Two

  Hedda had outdone herself. Her party was held at the prestigious Whitney restaurant, an elegant, nineteenth century mansion that sat in the center of a decaying neighborhood like a crown jewel in a rusting tiara. Stepping inside, we were met with a two-story Christmas tree bedecked with lights and glittery ornaments. Ropes of garland and tinsel hung from the bannisters and crown molding. A stringed octet played Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker near a fire that roared in the massive hearth. “It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

  The moment I saw the vampires, however, the warm glow building in my chest cooled. I couldn’t let the splendor of the place overwhelm my common sense. We might be Hedda’s guests and under her protection, but we were still humans among vampires. A lot of vampires. Everywhere I looked, I saw marble-white faces and the gleam of fangs. True, there were humans here as well, but even so, those of us with warm flesh and beating hearts were vastly outnumbered.

  Although he didn’t comment, Isaiah understood the danger as well. He tightened his hold on my hand, and his shoulders tensed. He held me close to him as we crossed the room, looking for seats.

  The musical lilt of conversation and laughter floated from both floors of the building as did the tinkle of crystal as people toasted one another. Isaiah grabbed two glasses from the tray of a passing waiter and offered me one. So much for ginger ale. I sipped slowly, savoring the taste of fine champagne.

  Humans lined up at the buffet tables which held everything from freshly steamed lobsters to chateaubriand. The sight and smell of the succulent food, however, didn’t tempt me. Not with so many soul eaters nearby. I clung tighter to Isaiah’s hand.

  “You okay?”

  I smiled bravely. “Sure. A few dozen vampires don’t worry me.” As if. My heart pumped like a piston in a racecar, and every lick of common sense was screaming for me to run. These are friendly vamps, I reminded myself. Hedda won’t let them touch you.

  Touch, maybe not. But look? Every eye fastened on me. As Isaiah and I parted the crowd searching for an available table, murmurs followed in our wake. A few braver souls leaned forward to sniff me as I passed. When a brunette in a blue sheath dress reached out to touch my arm, Isaiah glowered, making her reconsider. However, she kept staring as we passed, a hungry gleam in her eyes.

  All this attention came from my uncanny ability to reclaim my shine – the essence of my soul. Vampires craved it more than blood. Although my shine had been drained to the dregs eight months before, I’d found a way to restore it, and vamps found this irresistible. If I’d wanted to put myself up for sale, I could have had anything I wanted: a leading part in a Broadway musical, a home in Rio, my own theater. But I was determined to keep my soul, thank you very much.

  Seeing the lust in their vampires’ eyes, the human blood partners moved closer to their vamps, warning me away with hostile looks. Each was worried I’d try to steal their vampires away. As if.

  We finally found an empty table, and after promising Isaiah over and over again that I’d be fine, he left me to fill his plate at the buffet. I searched the sea of faces for Hedda, but she was nowhere in sight. Despite Isaiah’s promise that we could leave after an hour, I knew we’d have to stay until she arrived. It was only polite.

  I finished my glass of champagne, then regretted having drunk it so quickly. My bladder had always seemed tinier than most women’s, and nerves always made the situation worse. I waited an uncomfortable few minutes for Isaiah to return before deciding I didn’t need an escort to the ladies’ room.

  Seeing a line at the first floor restroom, I climbed to the second story where things were much quieter. Although the ballroom was lit and decorated, no one had started dancing. Apparently, the real festivities weren’t beginning until the guest of honor arrived.

  The bathroom was blessedly empty, but as I hoisted up my dress, a clacking set of heels strode inside. The gasp of breath gave her away as human. A peek under the divider revealed a pair of black shoes with metal stilettos standing near the row of sinks. The woman was quiet for a moment, then rushed back out.

  An unpleasant surprise met me when I exited the stall. The words BITCH, WHORE, and CUNT had been slashed in bright-red lipstick across the bathroom mirrors. I gaped at them, a hot flush creeping up my neck. I knew the blood partners hated me, but the personal attack stabbed deep. At times, I felt the humans were as likely as the vampires to hurt me.

  Furious, I kept my eyes down as I washed my hands, then hurried from the bathroom, determined to find Isaiah and leave the party. I was through with the hostile stares and whispering. My holiday spirits were already at an all-time low; I didn’t need jealous humans complicating things even more. Leaving early would be an insult to Hedda, but I’d try to explain it to her later.

  As I headed towards the stairs, a groan stopped me in my tracks. The groan was immediately followed by another, more anguished sound.

  The hairs on the back of my neck raised. Hedda swore that no vampire in her grieve took blood or soul without permission, but this sounded like an assault. Worried, I took a few cautious steps forward. When I reached an alcove that must have once housed a telephone booth, I paused.

  Standing inside the darkened space, a couple was locked in an intimate embrace. The vampire’s arms cinched her human’s waist, and he gripped the vampire’s shoulders. The man’s head was thrown back, and his eyes squeezed shut. The vampire had her face buried in his neck. The human’s lips were pulled from his teeth in a grimace that could have been either agony or ecstasy. “Don’t stop,” he panted. “Please, darling, keep going.”

  Suddenly, he gasped, his fingers opening wide before clenching his vampire’s shoulders once more. He groaned again as his pelvis jerked sharply.
Then he smiled widely.

  My cheeks flaming, I hurried away. Hedda had said that being fed on by a vampire was like making love, and it certainly appeared that way. Still, it sickened me. Forget the sentimentality of treating humans nice at Christmas. No matter what anyone said, there was something dirty about the blood partner arrangement, and no amount of rationalizing would convince me otherwise.

  Three

  From the second-story balcony, I scanned the room for Isaiah. No matter where I looked, however, I couldn’t spot his dark dreadlocks. I was about to descend to the main dining room when my search was interrupted with a burst of cheering as Hedda glided into the room.

  Hedda, as always, cut a regal figure. She looked both festive and seductive in her shimmering, red gown with white fur trim. She held her head high, and her shoulders back. Her jaw was set and her eyes glinted, as if daring anyone to deny her the right to lead her grieve. This wasn’t an idle threat; she’d twisted off the head of the last vampire who dared cross her.

  At her entrance, everyone fell silent. Every human bowed, and every vampire went down on one knee to pay her homage. Well, almost every vampire. One pair remained standing, but after exchanging a look, they slowly followed suit, their smiles more like grimaces. My heartbeat quickened. Because Hedda never discussed grieve business with humans, this insolence came as a shock. Until now, I’d thought that everyone in the grieve accepted Hedda as their leader, but apparently not.

  If Hedda noticed the insolence, she didn’t show it. With a regal smile, she gracefully climbed up the stairs and turned to face her grieve. “Welcome, my family.” Her gaze swept the room before landing on me. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly recovered. “And my friends. We have suffered a difficult year, but tonight, let us celebrate as if we are the strongest grieve in the nation.” A tiny pause, followed by a wry smile. “Which we soon will be.”