Dead Certain (Eve Benson: Vampire Book 3) Read online

  Eve had to struggle her way through what she knew. It wasn’t complete, but she got little bits of it. There were puzzle pieces there, if she bothered to look at them.

  First, it had been Fram that had set this up. Possibly not the whole thing, but he was the one with access to them all, and had been around to subtly influence them all, over the last months. He’d been the one to tell her about the rebellion and who was behind it, wasn’t he? So what were the odds that the whole thing, getting Lenore to try and use it to set up her sister, knowing that Eve was supposed to kill her for it, if that happened, or that Nikki might just ruin the plan, just by being there?

  Second, why had she decided to take Nicole along?

  Just to keep her alive, and awake, during the day? Sure, but it had slowed her down a lot, and made things harder. Maybe better in the end, but that had been a risky thing. A lot more so than waiting for Bey to get there and lay down the law would have been.

  Eve couldn’t see the link, but it was there. She could feel it. Just like she knew where it was leading her. That was pretty clear, wasn’t it? She was supposed to go back to the mall, ask to speak to Lenore, confront her, and then, probably in self-defense, kill her.

  That would screw with Zack, of course and set him off in a direction that he currently didn’t want to go. It wasn’t the only thing that could happen, but it was the main one. How she knew that, Eve didn’t really understand. It wasn’t some kind of psychic thing. Not really. It was all just like the information had always been there, for her to see, but she was just now learning to put it all together.

  Yes, Fram was behind it, and it was, without a doubt, meant to get several things done. One of them was probably about her dying. The most likely outcome of her and Lenore fighting would be her own death, after all. Even if she just snuck up and hit the Vampire from behind, Zack wouldn’t let it stand, would he?

  It was so complex that she nearly imagined that she was making it all up.

  That would have been the easier thing to deal with. Instead, she had a problem that she wasn’t going to be able to beat, easily, didn’t she? Somehow, to make the whole thing work, she had to outthink a Greater Demon. Sure, a stupid one, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a bit like a monkey in a zoo, with no better attack on the hyper-intelligent creatures than flinging poo at them.

  It was a funny idea, but wouldn’t really help. Plus it would make a mess.

  So what the fuck was she supposed to do?

  The first thing, of course, would be getting back in time. Nikki was dragging her down so much that she really considered just abandoning her in Alaska, once they had gotten across. Instead she just slowly sped up, reaching back to tug the other girl along with her, until they were traveling at a decent pace. It wasn’t what she could have really done, if she were alone, but they’d already had to stop something like twenty times, so Nicole could rest.

  Like that helped anything?

  When they got to the mall, the older woman took a breath too soon and stood there, screaming until her air ran out. It was loud, and annoying, so Eve, being smarter than that, just walked in the glass door on the west side of the place, and headed in. It had felt like she’d been gone for months, but it had been just a few days, really. Five or six.

  Without waiting, she moved to the back office, having left Nikki standing out in the sun. Screaming.

  As soon as she could speak again, she picked up the phone, and called in that she was back. It was Marissa on the other end of the line, since she was the one person on the Council that would probably have a good reason to make sure the rest of them knew not to attack, in a timely fashion. That out of the way, she waved to Lenore.

  “We were set up.” She tried to sound like it was a joke, if not a very good one, and got a concerned expression for her trouble.

  Well, a laugh would be out of place.

  “With Bohdan Constantine?” It was painfully obvious that Lenore was getting ready to try and fight her way out of the office, even as Eve nodded.

  Her small pale hand had curled into a fist, and her eyes started to tinge streaks of blood red.

  So Eve shrugged.

  “Yeah. Fram I think. He had to know, well, way more than the rest of us did. How much of it he caused I don’t know. I mean, you get the part where we’re supposed to be fighting now, that’s clear. So to you it seems like you purposefully let me walk into a situation where Nikki would be confronted with a man she loved, that I, or at least Bey, was supposed to execute. Only, what were the real odds of things lining up like that, without it being a set up? I keep going over it, and it’s not really possible. There’s more, too. Like Marissa not simply setting up an animal blood service over there when they asked. There’s no real reason for it. Especially not to think that I wouldn’t share the formula so that they could get things done. Something, or someone, had to steer her to think that way. How, I don’t know, since I’m pretty darned nifty, which is a thing that should be clear to her by now. But at each turn we were guided to take certain actions. For all I know, I’m still walking right into it all. I don’t think so though.” She waited, letting the other woman think for a bit.

  Lenore actually gasped, in surprise.

  “I… Think I can see it. Why though? It has to be about more than what you and I do.”

  “Does it? We aren’t important, directly, but if we fought, you’d probably kill me. Or, who knows, maybe I get smart, or lucky and do you first… Then Zack would kill me for it. If you took me out, then what are the odds that no one else might not come to see why it happened, and accidently kill you? Keeley or Darla, for instance? Maybe even Zack, though I kind of doubt that one. Or… Hell, maybe even Fram? He and I have a thing set up, and that could be used as an excuse, if he wanted to goad the others. Not that it would have to be that, but it could happen.” She shrugged. “So, when Nikki gets here, apologize, and mean it. So that I don’t have to decide that you both need to be spanked. That probably won’t end well, for any of us. That means we need to take the high road, right?”

  It felt like she was probably wrong in a thousand places, but the other Vampire just raised an eyebrow.

  “Well. I gather we should then. Is she here now?”

  “Outside. Screaming at the sun, when I left her.” Except that she was actually at the front of the shop, by the sound of it.

  Lenore didn’t make either of them wait, going out to the front of the brightly colored shop, and giving her sister a small hug, and an apology that sounded nearly real. It wasn’t. Eve might not have had siblings that she could use as a personal example, but she really doubted that two hundred plus years of bad blood was going to be washed away with a couple of forced handshakes. It wouldn’t have worked for her, she didn’t think, and compared to a lot of Vampires Eve knew she was practically sweetness and light.

  Nikki took the gesture for what it was worth, and managed to do it graciously enough that no one started throwing punches. That was, hopefully, good enough. Then the pierced lady stretched, like she was tired and smiled over at Eve.

  “Well, I think I’ll be off then? Maybe catch a nap?”

  Snorting loudly, Eve grinned.

  “Don’t you freaking dare. Go catch a shower and get back here. For that matter, where are the others? Dave…” She looked at Lenore, who shook her head sadly.

  “I fear he didn’t make it. Not so far. Barb and Cormack however seem to have defeated the small dying, so that is all well. They are both handling their own concerns during the day for now, since I haven’t needed time off in several days. Don’t tell him yet, but I believe that a certain Vampire is slated to take over the Iowa Node complex in the next days. In fact, I know it. The news just came in, about an hour ago.” Lenore seemed pleased enough about it that her smile seemed nearly real.

  Eve bit her lip, so that she wouldn’t scream, and pumped her right fist.

  “Right, friggen, on! That’s incredible. I should get him a present or something. Maybe a house?” It s
ounded ridiculous to her, at first, but she actually had the money in her account for it. Not that she knew how to buy something like that, personally. “You can help with that? I can put up the cash, if we don’t go too expensive, but the rest of it is kind of beyond me.”

  That, it seemed, was a mistake to admit to, since Lenore gave her a look that seemed very nearly insane, suddenly.

  “Oh? I suppose you wouldn’t have done things like that before, would you? Very well, I can walk you through it. You’ll need to travel to the area, to view the houses. It wouldn’t do to give him an inferior gift, after all.”

  Eve nodded. She’d just walked from another continent and back. Slowly. She could go to the heartland in a few hours, if she hurried.

  “After I get a shower? I’ve been walking around with blood splatters all over me for days. It’s gross.” She waved at her shirt, which wasn’t that bad, really. Not considering what she’d been doing. There were stains though, and it was going to be work to save it for anything in particular. Plus, if she was going to be looking up real estate, she would want the internet. That meant taking a trip home first, then invading Troy’s. It would work well enough, since he’d be asleep by then, she didn’t doubt.

  Lenore smiled about it all, especially when she mentioned that she’d be back, for the night shift. After all, it was Cormack’s night, and he’d just gotten a promotion, so might want to celebrate or something silly like that.

  She hurried through getting cleaned up, running the nearly twenty miles to Edom’s house as fast as she could. He wasn’t there, being up north for the early part of the day, watching over some of their business concerns. It was a bit strange, but Eve kind of missed seeing him. It wasn’t like they were attached at the hip, but she really wanted his attention, for some strange reason. It was probably some kind of daddy issue thing, which, honestly, she had going on in spades.

  That wasn’t a new thing though, was it?

  Really, she needed to call her other dad. Roy. She hadn’t since becoming a Vampire. It wasn’t that odd, since she’d only been in touch a few times a year, since moving to Washington, but he might be worried about her by now. Or not. Eve had always been aware that her father felt obligated to watch out for her, or had eventually, but didn’t feel anything in particular toward her otherwise. It took a special kind of neglect to let your little daughter live in a drug den for sixteen years, didn’t it? Especially if you were a Police Chief.

  It wasn’t like he hadn’t known about that part of things. Her mother had been arrested too many times for him to have missed that part. Sure, he might not have known that Eve had been pimped out as a child sex slave, but she’d never actually had that talk with him, had she? It wasn’t in the cards either, since knowing that he actually had would probably mean she’d kill him. It always had.

  Hence her putting off getting in touch with him now.

  She pushed even harder than before on the way to Troy’s, barely able to see it hurt so much, and wasn’t surprised to find her buddy asleep for the day already. The eleven year old girl in the living room was a bit strange, however.

  She was white, thin to the point of being scrawny, and had heavy glasses on. Her chin nearly pointed at the bottom, and she had plain, very straight, brown hair. The eyes were the same color, which was normal enough. In all, other than the fact that she was wearing a skirt that was cut above her knees, and blue tights under that, along with a blue blouse that had a brown vest over it, the kid seemed pretty normal.

  Except that Troy, while being a bit of a player, drew the line at an age that was at least six or seven years older than this one.

  The girl looked up at her, and smiled, her face almost serene. She was at the desk that held the computer, but was writing on a piece of plain paper. What it said Eve couldn’t tell, since it looked like chicken scratches to her. Ancient Sumerian probably, rather than shorthand.

  She might not be the smartest cookie on the plate, but she’d worked at the Mage embassy for years, and they used that, and Latin, a lot. That would mean that the girl wasn’t just another pretty face. Not that she wasn’t cute. Like a puppy might be. So, that meant what?

  Eve shrugged, and put two and two together, got five, and realized what that had to mean.

  “Hello! Um… I can’t tell which one you are for certain. Not trying to be rude. Greater Demon, but…” That was probably enough to make problems, if the being wanted them, but if that was going to happen, it would anyway.

  The girl smiled up at her and stood.

  “The Rotted. Ann.” She moved forward, walking across the hard wood floor in about seven steps. Then she touched her hand, as if it were a greeting, and not drinking in all the information that made Eve up.

  The girl grinned at her then, as the tingling stopped, understanding more than Eve did, probably.

  “Hey! How are things going? Did you come to give Troy a little girl tugjob?”

  Eve watched the other being, knowing that if she had come for that, Troy wouldn’t have had a choice in the matter, but there was a firm head shake.

  “Not at all. I just have the day off of school. The whole week, so I thought to come and stay with my friend. There are some interesting things going on in this area. Really, there are several pockets over the United States, right now. That moron, Fram, is involved, but he’s not the only one, as you know already. I don’t think that you should blame him for the problems of the last days however. Like I just said, he isn’t bright. Well, that isn’t fair, truly, but he can be tricked, using his weaknesses. In this case my bet is that he’s being set up, by one of us. To face off against you, in particular. That’s flattering isn’t it? Someone thinks that you’re smart enough to work this out, or at least enough of it to make a difference.”

  Eve knew she was missing part of it, but didn’t bother asking the meaning of it all. She didn’t have any kind of arrangement with The Rotted, and the woman was so freaking old and insane that even trying would probably be dangerous.

  Before she could mention why she was there, the girl turned and tapped on the computer for a few minutes, then waved at the screen.

  “There you go. Three houses within walking distance of the Des Moines Node. I like the second one for your friend, but I put the others in to steer you toward it. Six rooms, and while it will set you back about a million, after closing, it has the best location. Here, take a look.” Sliding out of the cushioned chair without making the wheels move at all, Ann waved again, this time for her to sit.

  It really was nice. The others weren’t bad, and one was larger, in square footage, but not, she was assured, going to be as well constructed.

  “Vampires need to buy for the long haul. You should call the agent handling it and see if she’ll be able to meet you there today. Not that you can buy for a while. These things take a ridiculous amount of time, for the modern age. Title searches in particular. You’ll want to get the home inspections as well. It costs extra, but not doing that, knowing as little as you do, would be asking for trouble.” Ann didn’t grab the phone for her, not being that pushy. Not that day anyway.

  So she set that up herself, and looked up the map she needed. If she ran on the freeway for most of it, she probably wouldn’t get lost, she decided. Still, she printed the directions off, since Troy had a nice machine for that right there, and moved to leave.

  At the door, a tiny hand stopped her. The face behind it was serious however. Enough that the idea of this being a real child fell away totally.

  “When you get back you need to get with some of the others, about what’s been going on, and to refine what you have planned. Killing Fram… It’s a good idea. He’ll push for you to kill his Vampire slave, but the risks of failure are higher there. The Technician can assure his life however. You’ll need something to trade with her for that. For that…” There was an actual pause and the little girl looked away, then started to nod. “For that, I think you’ll want to get in touch with The Cleric. Gregor. He has something tha
t might be of value, and Darla won’t think to go to him directly for it.”

  Eve looked at the kid, and shrugged.

  “Nothing is ever free, so what do you get out of this, helping me? It’s some kind of set up, isn’t it? Putting me in place to get something you want done.”

  There was a solemn nod then.

  “That, is exactly right. You’re very clever for a Vampire. Now, run along. You don’t want to miss your appointment.”

  After that, with no small amount of force, the little girl all but threw Eve outside, onto the busy street.

  Taking a hint, she ran.

  Chapter six

  Buying a house was both a longer process than Eve had thought, and the first time that she ran into outright anti-Vampire bigotry that didn’t have signs and chanting to go along with it. Sheila, the divorced mother of three, who had scrambled and fought to find a career in a down market, met her with a big enough smile on her face. She seemed to be a bit too made-up for the scene, making Eve feel a bit under dressed for it. She’d gently applied a light layer of foundation, so that she’d have a bit of color to her cheeks, and some lip stick. It was a nice crimson red. That was just so no one would get confused and think she was a bull lesbian. Her hair was so short still that she was a bit surprised that no one had made fun of her over that yet.

  Sheila though, looked ready to go toe to toe with Batman.

  Her hair was even poofy, and kind of helmet like. Not green though, so she was failing on that part. Her smile looked predatory enough that the very first thing Eve did was check to see what she really was. Human, it turned out, but there was a scent that seemed primal, under the perfume and deodorant. Really, the lady didn’t seem all that nice, even though her voice fairly glowed with false cheer.