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Authors: Keri Arthur
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“Which is why I wouldn’t mind you appearing as something fearsome.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I would think a reaper is fearsome enough, even for a vampire.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I guess that depends on what you expect death to look like. If they envision him as a scantily clad, nubile young woman, I rather suspect that’s not going to be much of a deterrent.”
“I am not female, so I can hardly give them the visage of a young woman.”
Amusement ran through his words and a smile tugged at my lips. “So they’ll see the scythe-bearing shroud instead?”
“Yes. And that is often scarier than anything I could draw from their minds.”
Having seen such reapers myself, I could certainly attest to that. Even knowing that they weren’t coming for me didn’t erase the tendrils of fear. That vision of death was too locked into literature and film to produce anything else.
I checked my phone and discovered that Hunter had followed through with her promise and sent me the address—not that I’d expected anything else. Dark Earth was located on Barkley Street, either near or in the Barkley Square shopping center. It didn’t seem an ideal area for an underground vampire bar, but maybe that was the whole point.
I shoved the phone away and met Azriel’s gaze. “Shall I meet you there?”
He nodded and disappeared. I climbed onto the bike, fired her up, and zoomed out of the parking lot. The traffic was heavier than before, the roads filled with people undoubtedly escaping the office to enjoy the afternoon sunshine, so it took me a little longer to get across to Brunswick, even though it wasn’t that far away.
Once I’d parked and secured the bike, I walked down Barkley Street. According to Hunter’s instructions, the entrance to Dark Earth was located between Coles and the Kmart loading bay, in a small shopping-trolley collection nook.
I found the nook easily enough, but there sure as hell wasn’t any entrance.
Azriel appeared behind me, his heat fiercer than the day itself, but a whole lot more welcome. “It wouldn’t be evident given that the vampires have no desire for humanity to know its existence.”
“Logic is not what I need right now.” I ran my hand over the sunbaked apricot-colored concrete wall. It was rough and grimy under my hands, and there were vague stains lower down that smelled faintly of urine.
“Then may I suggest that you press what looks to be a piece of chewing gum on the upper part of the left rear wall?”
“Seriously?” I studied the gum a little distastefully, then stepped forward and did as he bid.
Nothing happened. Not immediately, anyway. I stepped back and frowned at the wall. As I did so, there was a faint crackle. “And you would be Risa Jones, I’m guessing,” a deep, somewhat dry voice said. “Hunter is nothing if not efficient with her people.”
“I’m hardly her people,” I retorted, my gaze searching the top of the wall for some sign of the camera that had to be there, with little success. Whoever had installed them had done a damn fine job.
“If you work for her,” the voice said, “then you’re hers. There is no escaping her web once she has spun it around you.”
A comment that echoed Ilianna’s fears, and not something I wanted to hear. “Look, I’m here to see Brett Marshall. If you’re him, let me in. If not, tell him I’m here.”
“My, we are an impatient one, aren’t we?”
“The sooner I check this place out, the quicker we may be able to track down the killer.” And the sooner I could get away from it. I might not have been inside yet, but Hunter’s words loomed large in the back of my mind. I did
not
want to be here any longer than necessary.
“Then by all means, come in.”
As he said the words, the wall gently slid to one side, revealing a long, steep staircase that led down into darkness. Trepidation flicked through me and I hesitated.
“I will lead if you’d like,” Azriel said softly.
I frowned as I
He raised an eyebrow. “I would think a reaper is fearsome enough, even for a vampire.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I guess that depends on what you expect death to look like. If they envision him as a scantily clad, nubile young woman, I rather suspect that’s not going to be much of a deterrent.”
“I am not female, so I can hardly give them the visage of a young woman.”
Amusement ran through his words and a smile tugged at my lips. “So they’ll see the scythe-bearing shroud instead?”
“Yes. And that is often scarier than anything I could draw from their minds.”
Having seen such reapers myself, I could certainly attest to that. Even knowing that they weren’t coming for me didn’t erase the tendrils of fear. That vision of death was too locked into literature and film to produce anything else.
I checked my phone and discovered that Hunter had followed through with her promise and sent me the address—not that I’d expected anything else. Dark Earth was located on Barkley Street, either near or in the Barkley Square shopping center. It didn’t seem an ideal area for an underground vampire bar, but maybe that was the whole point.
I shoved the phone away and met Azriel’s gaze. “Shall I meet you there?”
He nodded and disappeared. I climbed onto the bike, fired her up, and zoomed out of the parking lot. The traffic was heavier than before, the roads filled with people undoubtedly escaping the office to enjoy the afternoon sunshine, so it took me a little longer to get across to Brunswick, even though it wasn’t that far away.
Once I’d parked and secured the bike, I walked down Barkley Street. According to Hunter’s instructions, the entrance to Dark Earth was located between Coles and the Kmart loading bay, in a small shopping-trolley collection nook.
I found the nook easily enough, but there sure as hell wasn’t any entrance.
Azriel appeared behind me, his heat fiercer than the day itself, but a whole lot more welcome. “It wouldn’t be evident given that the vampires have no desire for humanity to know its existence.”
“Logic is not what I need right now.” I ran my hand over the sunbaked apricot-colored concrete wall. It was rough and grimy under my hands, and there were vague stains lower down that smelled faintly of urine.
“Then may I suggest that you press what looks to be a piece of chewing gum on the upper part of the left rear wall?”
“Seriously?” I studied the gum a little distastefully, then stepped forward and did as he bid.
Nothing happened. Not immediately, anyway. I stepped back and frowned at the wall. As I did so, there was a faint crackle. “And you would be Risa Jones, I’m guessing,” a deep, somewhat dry voice said. “Hunter is nothing if not efficient with her people.”
“I’m hardly her people,” I retorted, my gaze searching the top of the wall for some sign of the camera that had to be there, with little success. Whoever had installed them had done a damn fine job.
“If you work for her,” the voice said, “then you’re hers. There is no escaping her web once she has spun it around you.”
A comment that echoed Ilianna’s fears, and not something I wanted to hear. “Look, I’m here to see Brett Marshall. If you’re him, let me in. If not, tell him I’m here.”
“My, we are an impatient one, aren’t we?”
“The sooner I check this place out, the quicker we may be able to track down the killer.” And the sooner I could get away from it. I might not have been inside yet, but Hunter’s words loomed large in the back of my mind. I did
not
want to be here any longer than necessary.
“Then by all means, come in.”
As he said the words, the wall gently slid to one side, revealing a long, steep staircase that led down into darkness. Trepidation flicked through me and I hesitated.
“I will lead if you’d like,” Azriel said softly.
I frowned as I
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