“Oh,” is all I can manage. Sure, why not vampires. I mean, I’m a grim reaper. Plus, I’ve seen guardian angels and an elevator to the afterlife. So of course vampires could exist. Suddenly I feel like the main course on the menu. “Everybody here is a vampire?”
Asa takes a step toward me. I mirror his action and back up. “No, there are humans and…” He hesitates. “Werewolves.”
A slightly hysterical laugh slips from me. “Of course, where there’s a vampire there has to be werewolves.”
“Lisa.” He takes another step toward me but I hold up my hand, halting him. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”
I want to be cool about the whole paranormal mess I’ve landed in, but I’m not pulling it off. Why would Constantine send me into a den of vampires without telling me first? “Just give me a minute.” I turn back to Joanna. She’s frantic, like a caged animal needing to get free. The urge to grab her is nearly overwhelming, but I’ve never reaped a supernatural being before and have no idea what will happen. “Joanna, do you realize you’re dead?”
She stops and glares at me as if I just said I am going to stake her. I wonder if that really works on vampires. Since I have no intention of trying, I let that random thought drift away without being voiced.
“What did she say?” Asa asks.
“Nothing.” I glance at him. “I don’t think she realizes it.” Impulsively, I reach up to my neck and grip the raven charm dangling from my necklace. Given to me by my familiar, Fletcher, a raven that adopted me, the charm has kept me safe against the effects of my porter’s compulsions. I hope it has some magical properties against the paranormal crazy swirling around the room. “Do you understand me, Joanna? You’re dead.”
Blunt, but at this point, I’m making shit up as I go along.
“Dead?” She shakes her head, her short blond hair swinging around her face. “I’m dead?”
“Yes, but your soul is trapped here.” I inch toward her. “I can help you.”
Joanna’s attention focuses toward Asa and she points. “He killed me.”
I stop. “I’m sorry, what?”
“He killed me after we had sex.” A sob hiccups from her. “He did it…he did it…”
She appears unable to string coherent thoughts together. I take a deep breath and look at Asa. “Joanna says you killed her.”
“Fuck.” He places his hands on his shaved head, his eyes wide. “Fuck.”
“Is that true?” From his reaction I know it is, but I have to ask. “Did you kill Joanna?”
His shoulders slump and he lowers his hands. “Yes.” Our gazes lock for a few seconds. “But I had to—at least, I thought I had to.”
My gig is reaping people who are already dead. Actually killing somebody has never crossed my mind. Well, except for the cable guy who never shows up when he says he will. Asa’s confession is a lot to process and it takes all my willpower not to run screaming from the room.
“Okay. Okay.” I blink several times trying to not completely freak out. Vampires, and one of them was a murderer. I am so killing Constantine when I get back to Anchorage. “I have to deal with Joanna first.” The whole reason I’m at this vampire hotel is to reap the souls. I focus on that. Having a purpose is the only thing keeping me sane at the moment. “Joanna.” I edge toward her until I’m within reach. She bares her teeth at me and hisses, just like in vampire movies, but I hold my ground. “I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help you.”
Her eyes follow my hand as I reach for her, but she doesn’t attack or run. The second my fingers connect, her body relaxes.
“What are you doing?” Asa says behind me.
“Joanna and I are going to have a little talk.” I smile at her. “Nothing more.”
She focuses are me and her gaze is more lucid than before. “I didn’t mean it,” she says.
“Didn’t mean what?” I have no idea what she’s talking about but I don’t want to alienate her now that I’ve got a hold on her.
“I wasn’t myself.” She glances at Asa. “Tell him I wasn’t myself. I wouldn’t have harmed her. Well, maybe I would have at the time.” Her confused eyes meet mine. “I feel better touching you.”
Without looking at him I repeat what she says. “Joanna wants me to tell you she wasn’t herself.”
A few seconds of silence pass before he answers. “I know.”
Drawn by the utter desolation in his tone I look at him. “What’s she talking about?”