Nimravid (The MacFade Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  “Poison me? Why? Is he tight with Svetlana?” I asked laughing. “No, someone told him it was you who wrecked his kitchen, with your little earthquake. He wanted you to have this by the way,” Kolann handed me what looked like an invoice. “It’s mostly pots, pans and spices that were destroyed. I do suggest you pay it, Mack. He’s somewhat of a prima donna and insists on supplying his own equipment. If you don’t, the next time you’re over he may serve you Sorbet of ground glass.” He was dead serious!

  “Ah, I see. The wages of sin, I take it?” Kolann nodded thoughtfully. I produced a blank check. “I’m assuming I can trust you, with this?” Kolann snorted. “Are you joking? Chef’s integrity is only over matched by the enormity of his ego. That check will be accurate down to the penny and if it’s not, he’ll issue you a refund.” Reggie shook his head. “I just don’t understand. Trusting someone you barely know so quickly, especially with the life you’ve led. You sit here at our table like an old family friend.”

  “Reginald!” Kolann, scolded him. I smiled to myself knowing what was going to happen after my reply. “No, it’s fine Kol, he’s just spent too much time with Svetlana and her narrow point of view.”

  Sure enough, there was a gust of air and Svetlana appeared in the doorway. “How dare you!” Kolann grimaced. “And there it is,” he said under his breath. I gave him a conspiratorial wink as my smile beamed. “Svetlana! How nice of you to join us, please, SIT DOWN.” I exuded false welcome. Svetlana glowered at me. “I think not and I’ll have you cease questioning my parenting skills.”

  Parenting skills my tight ass, at war with one son and teaching the other to look down on humans? The voice of Compulsion whipped out and snatched away her self-will. “And I said to JOIN US.” She seemed to struggle but seated herself at the other head of the table. Of course, you can snare someone’s will, their ego, is usually buried deep. But overall a nice field test. A servant placed a glass in front of her and filled it with blood. “That is going to take some getting used to,” I murmured eyeing the glass as she raised it in mock salute. She took a single swallow, licked her lips relishing it. “I just love Bosnian food.” I gave her a flat look. Not getting a rise out of me she tried a different tack. “It’s your intent to hold me here and abuse me?” I rolled my eyes and spread my hands. “Now, what good would that do? My bark is really much worse than my bite.” Svetlana sneered. “This is rather rich, coming from the Son of the Scourge.”

  Reggie’s eyes flew wide open at the cutting insult as he slammed his hands down flat on the table, leaping to his feet. “Mother, that was uncalled for!” Everyone was shocked at the sudden outburst from the usually reserved boy. No more surprised than himself, because he looked more surprised than Svetlana did. I held my hand up to show him no harm done. “I’ve been called worse. This is a prime example of what I was talking about. Svetlana can only view me from one point of view biased by a history that I had no part of, my mother’s vampicidal rages near the end of her life. Is vampicidal a word?” Archie looked thoughtful, “It is now.”

  “If it hadn’t been for your dad, she would have thrown everything she had at me. What would have been the result of that? Go ahead think it through.” Reggie thought about it for a good ten count. I thought he was stalling at first but he spoke just before I prodded him. “My father and we (he indicated himself and Archie) would have lost out on an opportunity to make a powerful ally.” Ally? Well, at least he’s trying. I nodded with a small shrug, “I prefer the title friend or your amazingness, but in essence, yes, what else?” Reggie grinned evilly. I could read him like a book…payback time. “Archibald wouldn’t have met Michelle (Shelly).” Svetlana, Kolann and I all three exchanged looks and then to Archie who squirmed guiltily in his chair, kicking viciously at his brother under the table. I gave Archie a dark look. “I reckon that COULD be considered a good thing.” He shrugged at me helplessly. I returned my attention to Reggie. “What else?”

  “If your displays of power and fighting prowess, along with your obvious mastery of the Spirit Stone Armor, are any indication, we most likely would have lost every man and woman we sent against you with the exception of Father. That duel would most probably have come to a draw.” Kolann gave me a self-satisfied smirk and a little shrug.

  “A little analytical, but well thought out, conclusions Regg?” Reggie thought again, for another ten count. I’d have to remember that. The kid was really methodical. “This clan is far better off having made a FRIEND of you, than an enemy.” I prodded just a little more. “Just the clan?” His mouth formed a relaxed smile. I hadn’t seen it before, it was kind of nice. “This family too, if Mother weren’t so opposed to it,” he eyed Svetlana to gauge her reaction. She was enrapt by Reggie’s answers. She had never seen this part of him before. I turned to Svetlana.

  “Trying to mend the fence again?”

  “Trying…”

  Mai gave me a mental shrug. “I think you’re being just a tad bit too optimistic. You’re not THAT irresistible, Alex, unless you plan to compel her again.”

  “We both know that would ruin the mood. I’m going to give her a chance if she’ll take it.”

  “Lana…” She bristled again. I gave in and corrected myself. “Svetlana, it’s clear that you have been trying very hard with these guys, whether they appreciate it or not.” I gave Archie a meaningful look. He averted his eyes. Good, a little guilt can be good for the soul.

  Svetlana replied in an absent tone, “And yet you still see it necessary to insist the boys respect me?” I gave her a warm smile and reached for her hand. She reflexively jerked it away. Human contact makes these moments easier but I’d do the best I could. “I couldn’t do anything less, it wouldn’t be fair to them. I like your boys and I like Kolann. I have no children of my own, don’t even know if I can, so steering them in the right direction just comes naturally.” Svetlana looked baffled. “You’re a very strange man, Mr. Walker.”

  “Can’t argue that, truce?” I held out my pinky. She raised a gloved hand. Still too good to touch the likes of me eh? Oh well, it’s a start. But then she surprised me, pulling off the glove. She locked pinkies with me and looked expectantly. “No, Lana. You do this of your own accord or not at all, no Compulsion.” I smiled. “I’m not going to let you off that easy. You’ll have to admit someday that you made peace…” I made air quotes. “…with the son of the scourge.” She didn’t return my smile but solidly gripped my pinky and said “For the good of the clan.” Alright if it had to be impersonal, I could accept that. I nodded. “For the good of the clan.” A small surge of energy pulsed between us, causing everyone to smile, and way too broadly for my taste. Something was wrong.

  “Nice going Alex! Let’s hope that wasn’t a mistake.”

  I slowly scanned everyone with a suspicious eye. “Oi! What did I miss?” Archie looked sheepish. “Sorry, Mack. I would have warned you, if I knew what she was doing.” Reggie stood up to offer me his hand across the table. I was so confused; I shook it mechanically. “I think it’s a fine thing. Welcome home, Mack!” Kolann was shaking uncontrollably with laughter, escaping in little bursts and snorts. Svetlana leaned back in her chair looking very satisfied with herself, once again, lifting her glass in mock salute. “Kolann?” I said in an artificially sweet voice. “Care to let me in on the joke?”

  “Oh it’s no joke, my boy. I had no idea she had it in her. Touché my love.” He raised his half empty wine glass to her. She smiled affectionately at the praise. They actually appeared to be getting along. “Kolann…” I growled. “I get the feeling I am the target of some esoteric prank. Not liking this feeling. Not liking it at all.” Kolann pushed back his chair and walked around the table to lift me to my feet and throw a crushing bear hug around me. The aroma of his vamp essence was overpowering.

  “Congratulations my boy, you’re now the very first ‘Nim’ member of the Rayner Clan.” Aces! Abso-bloody-lutely outstanding, he could have run me through and I never would have felt it, shocked into com
plete silence. Svetlana had tricked me into pledging loyalty to the Clan. I was in. Whether I liked it or not, I was in. I sat down heavily as understanding slowly began to dawn on me and started to laugh at myself. How could I not have seen it coming? Why was Svetlana so difficult to read?

  “So how do we get out of this?”

  “We don’t, Alex. Not unless the clan is completely wiped out and then you would be honor bound to fight to the death to preserve it anyway. It was a simple ritual but has been practiced in this clan for hundreds of years. That, in essence, makes the oath a totem of faith, giving it instant binding power. We’re stuck for the duration.”

  “But it wasn’t my intent to join the clan.”

  “Doesn’t matter. In your heart you agreed, if the truce had to be for the good of the clan, then it was acceptable under those terms. It’s the same difference, we’re Rayners now.”

  “Bloody hell! What’s she playing at?”

  I decided I might as well take it with an ounce of decorum. “I assume there is some sort of membership card or a sash reading ‘Pledge’ perhaps?” This renewed the laughter and even Svetlana began to enjoy the moment, in spite of herself. Kolann clapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t be a spoil sport, Mack. This is a good thing. Not only are you honor bound to the good of the clan.” Svetlana looked smug. “But the clan is honor bound to do right by you.”

  “Oh really? That IS interesting.” Svetlana’s smug smile vanished. What an oversight! “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to stay the night? You’ll be as safe as a babe in its mother’s arms now.” It would have been the first time, wonder what that feels like… to be safe? Kolann flashed a smile at Svetlana. He knew exactly what she was doing and he knew it would blow up in her face. Crafty old sod!

  I rose to take my leave, having made a fool of myself enough for one night, and deposited the blank check in Archie’s hand. He bobbed his eyebrows wearing an evil grin as I leaned over. “You have designs on Shelly? We’ll be talking about that later, BROTHER.” His mirth evaporated, replaced with a foreboding dread. I turned back to the group and shook Kolann’s hand. “I have to be going. Thank you for a lovely meal and inducting me into the family.” I nodded at Svetlana, just to rub it in. She actually stuck her tongue out at me. Apparently some girls never grow out of it, what a shame.

  Chapter 20

  As I left the Rayner estate I picked up an extra shadow. Hearing the muffled shutter of a high speed 35mm camera, I reached out with my Senses and there he was, right on cue. Decker, using a 35 mm, having learned the digital lesson early on. “

  “That settles it. The leak has to be Zawadski.”

  “What is he up to? Word is already out. So why tail us?”

  “It seems it’s important to him to connect me to the Rayners but he’s Svetlana’s thrall. Unless… Svetlana is going to make a move on Kolann.”

  “She must be planning something public to want photos.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense though. If she brought attention to The Community, she would be executed without trial by her own clan or The Prefecture, whomever caught her first. She’s not so stupid as to openly violate The Covenants of Occultation. I don’t have the time, or the patience for this tonight.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I'm just going to slow him down.” I pulled over and parked the Hummer. Decker did the same a few blocks back, his lights off. Naughty, naughty Lt. Decker, that’s illegal.

  Shrouding myself, I climbed out the passenger side window. Slipping up to Decker’s car, I walked around to the rear and morphed the left bracer into a gauntlet. Reaching down, I crushed his tail pipe shut. Still in The Void and happening at super speed, Decker felt only the smallest movement and the briefest of sound. Whipping open Decker’s car door, I yanked the camera from him as well as his camera bag. Both of my hands being encased in Spirit Stone, I wasn’t leaving any prints. Pulling the exposed film from the camera as well as the exposed reels from the bag, I patted him down. There was a reel in his left sock. “Nice try, detective!”

  I replaced the equipment and Slipped out of The Void about half-way back down the sidewalk, dropping the Shroud as I passed behind a tree. All he saw was a silhouette shaped like me walk out into his field of vision, startling the shit out of him. I heard him swear as he raised his camera for a shot only to have the machine beep at him, signaling no film. “WALKER!” he hollered out of his window. “Alright, Decker, you want to play?” I Slipped back down the street and out of The Void right behind his head, replacing my “public face” Glamour. “You rang, douche bag?”

  He whipped around, drawing his gun, poking it out the window at me. I slapped it out of his hand before he knew what happened. “That’s assault, officer,” I growled. “If you want to continue this conversation in one piece I suggest you not try that again.” His hand slowly snaked its way toward a back-up sawed-off under the seat. “Go ahead Decker…you’ll be dead before you get it cocked.” Having morphed the rod into a large Bowie knife, I rested the tip just below his chin, lightly pressing it against his throat. “Easy Alex, don’t give the whole department an excuse to come after you directly.” I held out my left hand. “Slowly ratbag, two fingers on the barrel and if you move anything above a crawl; I’ll open you up like an envelope. You savvy, shit-for-brains?”

  “You’re really pushing it, Walker.” He snarled as he passed his gun out the window. “You can’t hide behind Barne’s skirts forever.” I reached into the window and hauled him out with one arm, by the collar of his bullet proof vest, the seat belt snapping as I pulled him through it. He grunted painfully, probably bruised a few of his ribs but I was too tired and pissed off to care. “I don’t need to hide, Decker. I’m right here, anytime you want to throw down. Look who’s talking, a ditch hopper following me from the shadows all night.” I made note of the vest. “Dressed up for me did you? That was probably a good idea.”

  I pulled the sawed-off from his hand, dropping him to the ground. Discreetly the breast plate morphed into a long sleeved shirt as the sigils started to glow under my jacket. “Seishin Chikara” I whispered under my breath and tore the double barrels loose from the short stock, Decker’s eyes widened a little bit. I had never displayed any portion of my strength like this before, in front of him. It was a good object lesson but, I was being reckless. “Why are you tailing me and make it the truth because you lie to me and you’re not going to like how things are going to go from here.” I grabbed the straps of his shoulder harness and lifted him to his feet. “You’re under arrest, for a assaulting an officer of the law,” he said breathlessly. I grinned, laughing at his bravado. “You’re not an officer, Decker; yer a thug with a badge. You would have been locked up years ago, sociopath that you are, if it weren’t for Zawadski having a tight grip on your leash. I’ve had numerous opportunities to kill you and haven’t done it, YET, so don’t waste my time with your meaningless threats.” He surprised me and nodded. “You’re right, I haven’t given you a fair shake.”

  “I beg your pardon?” I said, genuinely perplexed.

  “I said, you’re right. I’ve been a total dick to you and you haven’t deserved it.” Stunned, I had no idea how to respond. “You still with me, Walker?” He snapped his fingers in front of my face. I batted his hand away, scowling at him. He continued, “You looked dazed, confused about my change of heart, right?” I put the Bowie away and leaned against the car, giving him a skeptical look. “Can’t change what you don’t have. What are you playing at, Jordan?” He shook his head and smiled. “Look, I know what you’re thinking. This is Decker, he’s trying to trick me into something, but I’m not.”

  “He’s telling the truth.”

  “Really! What else can this night throw at me?” I folded my arms and scrutinized him. “Why?”

  “I’ll be honest with you, Walker.”

  “That would be a refreshing change.”

  “You done?”

  “Probably not, but, do go on.”

 
; “I learned something about you last night. I was there. I saw the pictures.”

  “What are you going on about?”

  “You mean you don’t know?”

  “KNOW WHAT DECKER?!”

  “Take it easy Mack, can I call you Mack?”

  “No,” I said in a flat tone. He shrugged, understanding. “Suit yourself... Previtt, I was in on the raid on his place. We found DVDs and photos. A truckload of them.”

  “DVDs of what?” I asked the question knowing I didn’t want the answer. “Mostly overseas imported kiddy porn but a bunch of it was him raping and killing little girls.” My stomach started to fill with a dark rage.

  “I knew it, sick bastard. Casey was right. Never thought I’d ever hear myself say it…I should have finished him when I had the chance.”

  “You did the right thing, Alex; don’t start second guessing it now.”

  Decker nodded, gingerly maneuvering himself to lean against the car beside me with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Normally I would be concerned, but I had already scanned him. He wasn’t going for a weapon unless he was planning on giving me a vicious paper cut with a strip club match book and stick of gum. Besides, Decker was stubborn as a mule with a case of lockjaw, but no idiot. He wouldn’t make a move on me unless he had full advantage. “We found the address written on the back of the note you left at the LeBlanc scene.”

  “Nice try, swing and a miss…”

  I didn’t respond. “Look Walker, I know it was you. I ain't trying to bust your balls. I saw what he did to that little girl. I’ll hear her screams in my nightmares for the rest of my life and I know we could have saved her if we had just listened to you. It must have been the hardest thing you ever did not killing that son-of-a-bitch… but why burn the kid’s body?” I whipped around to stare hard at him. He met my gaze without blinking. “What are you talking about?”