Watcher in the Darkness, Book 3: Imprisoned

Chapter 41

Finding blood in the pea-soup fog was more like takeout than actual hunting. I started with an appetizer of strung-out looter, followed by a big helping of Thai mugger. For dessert, I topped my meal off with a few chugs of Mexican coke dealer. By the time I finished, my stomach felt like an overinflated water balloon. I knew I'd catch shit later, but I had more important things to worry about than territory. I had to be at full strength before I took on that fucking fairy.

When my ears quit ringing and I stopped seeing double, I looked myself over. My claws were blunt but hard as steel. My gums were sore where the new molars were growing in, but I still had my fangs. Shiny stumps covered the rest of the body parts I'd lost. My hair had grown, but only enough to get into my eyes. Luckily, the coke dealer had a skull cap he didn't need anymore.

I made it back to Gwen's place just before sunrise. I found her shop without trouble, despite the fog, which surprised me. Until then, I'd always thought that 'I can't see my hand in front of my face' was just a figure of speech. I knew, though, that I hadn't caught Gwen on the one day she'd failed to refresh the magic protecting her home. She'd been expecting me. Even so, I couldn't risk being seen coming or going through her front door.

Gwen's place was dark, and too quiet. I took a few exploratory sniffs, but they told me nothing. The fog must've blended with the morning mist rolling off the ocean. On top of the lack of visibility, a strange saltiness, almost like saline, hung in the air. The scent turned to cold acid in my sinuses then trickled down the back of my throat.

There are few things in life that irritate me more than nose-blindness.

I circled to the back alley then jumped over Gwen's privacy fence. I landed in a crouch as I said, "Mata Diablo."

I'd lost track of how many times I'd called the weapon since naming it. Even so, Mata Diablo always appeared. The problem was, I had to use the knife, or at least hold it tight, to keep it from disappearing again. It was like the instant I stopped thinking about it, Mata Diablo went away. It was annoying, but not a big deal. The issue was that Gwen had been the one to give me the dagger. It stood to reason that she could take it away. It was the most effective weapon I had against Gwen, but I couldn't count on Mata Diablo during the fight.

So, that was it then? I'd committed to beating Gwen to death with my bare hands? Never mind that she'd only every helped me, all hexes aside. Never mind that she was one of the few Immortals in town trying to stop the plague. Never mind the fact she had two small children—

Ah, fuck me, I'd forgotten about her kids.

Who the hell was I kidding? I wasn't going to kill Gwen to get to Khalid. I'd be just like him if I pulled shit like that. I couldn't get Karen away from him by myself, though. Sure, Gwen was a fairy and I was a vampire. Not to mention Gwen had hired me to kill Karen, but I didn't think that was anything personal. Maybe, if we worked together...I don't know. I had to try.

Gwen's back door stood open, and apparently, it had been for a while. Fog filled the house, so thick that it was hard to see the counter from the kitchen table. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I reached inside to knock on the door. I noticed at once that I didn't feel any sort of resistance. What had happened to Gwen's wards? I took a deep breath then stepped over the threshold into the kitchen, half-expecting to burst into flames. I didn't feel so much as a twinge of pain or nausea.

My lips barely moved as I said, "Mata Diablo." The dagger appeared then I gripped the handle tight. Something was very, very wrong. I knew Gwen wouldn't have abandoned the place. Not if she held Domain. No, something evil had happened there. It was still nearby; I could feel it. Gwen's home's energy had been as bright and airy as a field of sunflowers. In less than a day, that same energy had grown darker, heavier, and colder than the deepest part of the ocean.