4-Ever Hidden: Vampire Hunter (4-Ever Hunted Book 3), page 17
Trick sighed. “What’s going on?” He directed his questions to Baxter. “Why are you here?”
Before she could answer, Jersey did. “We’re old friends, Claudia Baxter and I. Of course, that wasn’t her name when I knew her. Did you know she used to be a werewolf and that she is almost as old as me?”
Trick nodded. “She told me.”
“Did she now?” Jersey grinned from ear to ear as he circled the two of them. “What do you know about wraiths, Mr. Donovan?”
“Nothing.”
Jersey seemed pleased by his lack of knowledge. The werewolf reveled in the fact he got to teach Trick another lesson. He went around his desk to the whiteboard. For a moment, Trick thought Jersey would simply write information on the board, but he stood in front of it. “Because I was the first werewolf I had to learn the rules through trial and error. Being the only one of your kind is lonely, so I created more like me. Men are easily turned, but women proved difficult. Isobel and Baxter are rare treasures. Most of the women I tried to turn became wraiths instead.”
Ian Carver had told Trick stories about a variety of creatures in a way of preparing him for supernatural encounters, but he never mentioned wraiths. Trick had assumed they didn’t exist. Now he struggled to remember what he’d heard about the creatures in passing. Hadn’t he seen something about them in a cartoon once?
“What do wraiths do?” Trick asked. In the cartoon, they had wailed in warning when someone was about to die. “Are they dangerous like werewolves?”
Jersey grinned. “Worse. They are invincible and live to serve their master, which would be me.”
Trick scratched his chin, deep in thought. “I wonder if I’ve ever seen one.”
“You haven’t,” Jersey said. “They fly. That’s something you don’t see every day.”
Questions came to him in quick succession, and he didn’t know what to ask first. The idea of wraiths teased his brain. They fascinated him. Why hadn’t his father talked about them? “How many wraiths have you made?” Trick asked. “And what do you use them for?”
Cowboy had told him Jersey wanted to create a werewolf army, but there hadn’t been a single mention of wraiths. His vampire friend had to know about them. So why hadn’t he warned Trick?
“They do whatever I ask,” Jersey said with a coy smile.
“Enough!” Baxter shouted. She smoothed her hands down her pantsuit, either to flatten wrinkles or wipe sweat from her palms. Trick didn’t know which and didn’t care. She spoke to the werewolf. “I want that scepter. I know you have it, and I’m pretty sure it can destroy Oberon. Give it to me.”
“Is that true?” Trick asked. “Can the scepter kill Oberon?”
Ignoring him as if he hadn’t spoken and wasn’t even in the room, Baxter continued. “I know you want him dead, William.”
William? Trick stepped closer to his former shrink, but she still didn’t seem to notice him.
Her tone turned coaxing. “I also know you won’t kill him yourself. Let me do it for you. Give me the scepter, and I will risk my life to put an end to his.”
Jersey stubbornly shook his head. “If the scepter could destroy him, I would use it myself.”
“How do you know it won’t kill him if you haven’t tried?” Baxter demanded.
“Have you given any consideration to cursed bullets?” Jersey asked. “They can penetrate anything. Perhaps you should look into that.”
Baxter’s eyes lit up, and Trick didn’t like it. He didn’t want her to get herself killed. Dani had already lost her father. He placed a hand on her arm to remind her that he was in the room.
“Don’t even think about it,” Trick said. “We’ll put an end to Oberon, but we’ll do it together.”
“Patrick, you are the back-up plan. In case I fail, you need to destroy Oberon.” She held his face between her cold hands and forced him to stare into her eyes. “Time to put your violent tendencies to work for the good of all. Don’t let us down.”
She left Jersey’s classroom, head held high. She didn’t look back at either of them. After she closed the door Trick turned on Jersey. The werewolf-teacher was up to something. He had purposely provoked Baxter into going after Oberon. Jersey knew what buttons to push.
“Where is the scepter?” Trick asked.
Jersey scoffed. “Is there even a small part of you that believes I will answer your intrusive question? I am not telling you where I’m keeping the scepter. It’s safe. That’s all you need to know.”
“It isn’t safe in your possession.”
“So distrustful.” Jersey smirked. “How is your book report coming? You need to finish it soon if you want to graduate.”
Trick bit back a sarcastic retort. The werewolf-teacher’s head would probably explode if Trick told him he couldn’t care less about graduation. Hunters didn’t need a diploma. He would have dropped out at sixteen if it weren’t for Sean and Laura pushing him. Education was near the top of their priority list, but they knew he was a vampire now. They didn’t think he had a future.
“Working on it,” he mumbled.
He considered grabbing Jersey’s arm to watch his memory of the scepter. Maybe he could get his hands on the powerful object. He took a step back and shrugged as if he was giving up. If he wanted to find the scepter, he needed to be smart about it. Maybe he could follow Jack’s instruction and see into Jersey’s head without touching him. He might be able to do it from his bedroom.
Then Jersey wouldn’t know he knew where the magical tool was at and wouldn’t move it from its hiding place. It would be nice to finally have the advantage.
♪
For hours Trick tried to see a memory from Jersey’s perspective. Nothing happened. He wasn’t doing it right. Maybe he could call Jack later and ask his brother to walk him through it.
In the meantime, he had to deal with his other brother.
They were about to pass each other in the hallway. Matt seemed to be on his way to Summer’s bedroom, and Trick wanted to talk to Cowboy about their upcoming hunt. Matt blatantly announced, “I want to go on a hunt with you.”
Trick blinked. “Repeat.”
“You heard me. I want to hunt with you.”
“Why?” Trick asked, suspicious that his anti-violent brother was suddenly set on killing vampires.
The declaration came out of nowhere, and Trick found himself at a loss for words. That manipulative vampire girl must have planted the seed in Matt’s brain. Summer. It seemed the only way to get rid of her was with a stake, but Trick hesitated in killing her. If he turned her to dust, both Matt and Cowboy would hate him. Jack too. Getting rid of her didn’t seem worth it.
Tight-lipped, Trick waited for an epiphany to hit.
Matt removed his glasses and cleaned them with a tissue. He didn’t say another word until he returned them to the bridge of his nose. “If you plan to drag Summer on your hunts, I’m joining her.” Matt glared at him. “I’d rather you left her out of it, but you keep insisting on using her as bait.”
Matt might be surprised to know Summer had volunteered. In fact, she was pushy about helping them lure vampires to their deaths. After she discovered the thrilling rush of adrenaline a hunter got upon leading a vampire into a trap, she refused to stay on the sidelines. The girl was immortal, hard to kill. Risking her life was one thing; risking his brother’s life was another.
“You are not hunting,” Trick said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“But you used to beg me to go with you.”
“I was an arrogant idiot back then and thought I could protect you. Now I know different.”
Matt scowled. “I’m the big brother, and I don’t need you or anyone else protecting me.”
“You do when it comes to vampires.” Trick’s eyes narrowed. “Does Summer know about this? Did she put you up to it?”
“I don’t need her permission or yours.”
That meant she had no idea. Now that he thought about it he realized Summer wouldn’t let Matt put his life in danger. Trick took a mental step back. He didn’t have to argue with Matt because Summer would do it for him. With any luck, they’d have a huge fight and break up. Fingers crossed.
Trick walked away. He went to the living room with important news for Cowboy. They were going on a hunt, all of them. Scarlet had found a small group of vampires. Summer and Matt wanted to join them. According to Scarlet the group only had four members, and they were inexperienced, probably newbies. It would be a good hunt for Matt to get his feet wet. Trick still couldn’t believe it. His brother? On a hunt? Matt would probably faint at the first sight of fangs.
The room’s two occupants froze as he entered the living room, and a guilty flush came to the girl’s face. Faye Gunderson, the nosy teen reporter was wrapped in Cowboy’s arms. They were standing in the center of the room, her back against his front, and they both had one arm raised high. She was holding something just out of the vampire’s reach. A notebook maybe. Or a journal. It only took Trick a minute to realize Cowboy was trying to get the book from her for some reason, and they had been wrestling for it.
The scene was innocent enough, but she still looked guilty. Perhaps she was worried Trick might put an end to the flirtation with his vampire friend. She wanted information, and she was the kind of girl who would use any tool at her disposal to get it. No doubt she would seduce Cowboy if she could. Trick didn’t think Cowboy would fall for it.
“Did I interrupt something?” Trick asked.
Cowboy released her, and she put distance between them while tidying her clothing and hair.
“What do you want?” Cowboy asked. “There are fifty million rooms in this place. Can’t you find one that is not currently occupied?”
“I need to talk to you.” Trick’s gaze traveled to the reporter as he added, “Alone.”
“We’re busy,” Cowboy said. “It can wait.”
“No, it can’t.” Trick turned his back to them and whispered, “We’re all going on a vampire hunt tonight. I need you with us.”
Silence.
Trick turned back to find Cowboy ushering Faye to the terrace doors. He pushed her out and closed them in her stunned face. After shrugging at her he spoke to Trick. “When you say, we’re all going, who do you mean? Summer helping you again?”
“Everyone is going,” Trick said. “Even my brother.”
Cowboy gaped at him while pushing his sleeves up. “Why is the nerd boy hunting now?”
Trick let the insult slide because it was just the way Cowboy talked. He didn’t take the barbed jabs personally anymore. Even if Cowboy meant them, Trick didn’t care.
Faye tried to open the door a crack without anyone noticing.
Cowboy immediately pushed it shut again with two fingers and locked it, ignoring her startled expression.
“Matt wants to help,” Trick said.
He had tried to change Matt’s mind, but it hadn’t worked. As far as he knew Summer didn’t know and might not even care. Maybe she was trying to change Matt, make him over to suit her. Wasn’t that what girls did? They found a guy, told him they loved him, and then they tried to change everything about him?
And that was why Scarlet was so perfect for him.
Their personalities mirrored each other. They also had similar tastes and goals. Once in a while, they finished each other’s sentences. There wasn’t any reason for her to want to change him since he was already like her.
Cowboy snorted. “He can help by staying here.”
“Give him a chance.”
“To do what? Puke the first time he sees blood?”
Trick frowned, but he couldn’t argue the point. Matt turned green at the mere mention of blood. Hadn’t he nearly passed out when Summer had bitten Trick to turn him?
“He’s going,” Trick said. He was in charge of the group, not Cowboy. “I’m not here to debate. Just wanted to know if you’re interested in joining us?”
Faye leaned close to the terrace doors. She pressed her ear against the glass for a moment. It was obvious by her frustrated expression she couldn’t hear.
Cowboy leaned against the wall, and his eyes narrowed on Trick’s face. “Do I want to go on a hunt with you and the others? Well, on one hand, I don’t enjoy killing my own kind. There are too few of us in the world already. On the other hand, I love a bloody battle.” His face scrunched up for a second. Then he added, “I’ll do it... on one condition.”
Trick sighed. “And what is that?”
“After this Oberon crap is wrapped up, we hit the road. I mean it. No more stalling. You signed up to be our fourth—”
“Third.”
“—and be part of the group. There is a whole world out there you know nothing about.” Cowboy grinned. “Let me show it to you.”
Seemed fair. Reno was becoming a little too predictable for Trick, and he felt the need to put distance between him and his parents. He couldn’t reach great hunter status without leaving town. Truth was if he could leave now, he would.
“Deal,” he said.
Cowboy’s grin widened. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
The other vampire exited the living room, and Trick immediately hit a brick wall created by second thoughts. What about Scarlet? He couldn’t walk away from her, but Cowboy wouldn’t let him bring her as their fourth.
He took a breath and focused his mind on the present problem: keeping his brother alive tonight.
♪
The downtown area was alive with lights, ringing bells, and the magical sound of coins dropping into slot machines. The line of casinos overflowed with tourists. People moved from one to the next in search of a big win while Reno’s residents either worked or went to bed. Trick watched the tourists from the backseat of his brother’s car with a sense of envy. Part of him wished he could be like them, oblivious to monsters and living his life with normal fears.
Matt drove them away from the hot vacation spot to a long stretch of road bordered with rows of small houses on each side. Summer was in the passenger seat next to Matt because she’d called shotgun, and Matt had argued that his girlfriend should be sitting beside him. That put Scarlet beside Trick in the backseat with Cowboy on the other side of her, a situation she complained about every other minute. The two of them fought over how much of the seat belonged to them, who was crossing into the other’s territory, and where their feet should be resting. They were worse than natural-born siblings on a long trip with their parents.
“Knock it off,” Matt said. “Or I’ll turn this car around.”
The five of them were on their way to what was supposed to be a vampire killing ground. Why was Matt with them? That was a question Trick repeatedly asked during the first part of their journey. It seemed that Matt wanted to be a bigger part of Summer’s life. He was determined to learn more about his girlfriend. Since she wanted to hunt, Matt felt the need to join them. Trick had tried to talk him out of it several times with zero success.
Once again Trick asked himself how things had gotten so bad. Hunting was his job, his way of life. He’d done it solo for a couple of months. Then Scarlet had joined in on the fun. Now he had two vampires and his super practical, scared-of-his-own-shadow brother along for the ride.
Scarlet leaned forward, tapped Matt on the shoulder, and pointed at a sign through the windshield. “It’s up here,” she said. “Turn left on the road leading to the park. They’ve been grabbing people almost every night from that area.”
“Why don’t the police do something?” Matt asked. He followed her directions, but he slowed the vehicle as if he were having second thoughts. The car moved at a crawl, inching along to their destination. Matt’s hands wrapped tightly around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.
They stopped at the start of a dead-end street. Matt killed the headlights but kept the engine running. Trick leaned forward between the two front seats, eyes narrowed, and checked out the area in question through the windshield. There were a lot of trees and far too many places for vampires to hide. A few houses bordered the street; they looked abandoned.
Scarlet answered Matt’s question from the backseat. “These vampires are good at covering their tracks. They don’t leave bodies behind. It took a lot of digging for me to find out people were going missing in this area. Police probably have no clue. Most of the victims were homeless. They come and go when they want and don’t have anyone to check on them.”
“Those are the best victims,” Summer said.
Matt gaped at her.
She amended, “I mean, if you’re a crazy killer.”
He swallowed convulsively, and Trick saw his chance. “Maybe you should hang back, Matt. We don’t know how many vamps are here or how many dead victims will be on the ground. You can stay with the car. If anyone is alive, I’ll send them to you, and you can help them.”
Cowboy grunted. “Listen to your brother and stay in the car.”
Summer and Matt exchanged a look that Trick couldn’t read from the backseat. She turned until Trick could see her face. Her expression went dark, narrowed eyes and a smug twist to her mouth. “Matt will be fine,” she said. “He and I have talked about this in-depth. We can do anything together, including killing vampires, and he would appreciate it if you would be supportive for once.”
“What does that mean?” Trick asked in a gruff voice.
“You know what it means,” Summer said. “He has supported you over the years in everything you do, no matter how insane. You, on the other hand, seem incapable of doing the same for him.”
Trick glared at the back of his brother’s head. “Really? Is that what Matt thinks?”
Matt continued to stare at the road ahead, lips pressed into a tight line.
Summer spoke for him. “You didn’t support him when he wanted to go to college or when he got the job at the bookstore.”
Trick pushed the car door open and got out. If he stayed in Matt’s car a second longer, he would say something he couldn’t take back. Scarlet started to follow him, but he shut the door. Leaning down, he spoke to her through the open window. “It’s better if I check it out first. If there are too many, I can teleport back into the car.”
