Netherworld: Drop Dead Sexy(27)

I saw mostly werehogs, their pointed ears sitting high on their heads and snouted noses sniffing nonstop at the musty burnt air of the room. Fingers fused permanently into the Star Trek ‘live long and prosper’ signs tapped carefully on computer keyboards. Tiny eyes peered myopically around; many werehogs wore goggles outfitted with corrective lenses. Second most prevalent were the weregators, their armor-like skin greenish-gray. I watched one laughing with a wizened doll-sized gargoyle, its dagger-toothed smile heartstopping.

“It’s like Halloween in here,” I muttered. “I’ve never seen so many paras at once.”

“You’re one of them now,” Lana gently reminded me. “Mind your manners. Here comes Patricia.”

My skin crawled as I looked at the tall, dark-haired vampire stalking towards us. God help me, I came face to face with a bloodsucker, something I usually tried to avoid at all costs.





One of those monsters had killed me. For all I knew, it was this woman.

She looked vaguely familiar, but since I don’t mix with her kind, I couldn’t quite place her. I had to give credit where it was due. Patricia was a beauty. Somehow her bluish pale skin suited her. Her long, lithe body made me feel even more ungainly within my Isabella suit. Her sleek, almost black hair stopped just short of her shoulders, and she wore an emerald green pantsuit that set off her lean body to advantage. I wondered where she’d found the outfit; it looked so professional without detracting from her femininity. Lovely.

Trust fashion to distract me, even from walking death. I forced myself to attend the threat before me.

More human looking than most of the paras who populated the room, there was still no missing the cold otherness that set her apart from the breathing. She was pure huntress, and I shivered in fear for Lana as the vampire addressed her.

“Is Dan here?” Patricia’s voice sounded like chipped ice, but she showed no fangs. I knew from television and gossip the fangs were always there, but most bloodsuckers chose to glamour their appearance to mask them.

Lana nodded, her smile as agreeably sweet as if greeting a member of the Garden Club at high tea. She gestured towards Dan, who looked bored. “He’s here and this is Brandilynn.”

Patricia barely spared me a look, for which I felt profoundly glad. Staring in Dan’s general direction, she said. “He’s waiting for you. He’s been waiting for you.”

She turned on her heel and started towards the bandstand where more vampires and shifters clustered and broke apart, clustered in different groups, and broke apart again. If not for the metaphysical nature of the participants, it might have been a typical corporate American scene. They moved with purpose; a hive of undead and half-animal worker bees getting para business done.

As we followed Patricia, I snorted, “Long on manners around here, aren’t we?”

The vampire flung a fanged grin over her shoulder at me. “Only when we’re trying to charm someone out of their blood.” Her gray-pink tongue traced her lips, and she tittered when my eyes widened. She hurried ahead, pulling well ahead of us.

Okay, now I was grumpy. “Who is Morticia, exactly?” I whispered to Dan and Lana.

The corner of Dan’s mouth quirked. “Tristan’s sister. Behave yourself. She’s not one for foolishness.”

Oops. Properly chastised, I snapped my mouth shut. At least now I knew where I’d seen her before. Any time Commissioner Keith held a press conference or gave an interview, his sister Patricia lurked in the background. She’d also attended a few events I’d been dragged to on clients’ arms. I should have recognized her.





A werehog with big yellow tusks brushed past me, and I fought not to scream. Zoo Flu doesn’t jump around easily, thank goodness. It’s a blood-borne virus, but most of us normals are still squeamish about skin-to-skin contact. I barely restrained an urge to check Isabella’s arms for open cuts.

Next to me, Lana seemed more cheerful than ever, something that lowered her a bit in my estimation. How could anyone be so jolly with all these scary bugaboos surrounding us? “Patricia is totally dedicated to her brother. She has the most pull with him, even more than the Judge.”

Patricia climbed the two steps of the bandstand, joining a dark-haired man standing with his back to us. Despite the very expensive-looking suit covering him, I knew that body on sight and experienced a thrill up my spine.

The greeting on my lips died without being uttered as Tristan turned towards his sister and I caught sight of his lily-white face. Even with several yards still separating us, I could see the more predatory expression he wore. There was an aloofness in his attitude that hadn’t been there before. He looked as watchful as a hawk looking for tasty bunnies in the meadow. My skin crawled.