My Precious Nightmare

16: Don't Track Blood in the House

Despite recovering from a blood transfusion, Sky made sure to be on Morianton the moment he walked through his big-ass front door. Not even realizing that the wet stuff on his black clothes was blood deterred her from getting her angry housewife pose on: fists on the hips, sharp glare leveled down her nose, shoulders back—damn it that he had to be taller than her. Usually she had the height to truly work the haughty look.

"Well?"

Morianton didn't even look up from where he was kicking off his shoes. Bloody footprints trailed over the doormat. "For someone with such a strong will to live, you're sure intent on dying."

Sky harrumphed and jerked her chin up even higher. "If you had it in you, you would have killed me yesterday when you had your disgusting mouth on my neck."

Morianton kicked his shoes, black combat loafers of sorts, then finally spared her a glance. Then he smirked enough to flash some fang.

"Didn't you wet yourself and pass out from fear then?"

She faltered, though only long enough for Lane to move around his older brother and flash Sky a winning smile. At least he wasn't caked in blood. Freaking savages. At least hose off before coming into the house if you had to frolic in people juice.

"Sky! How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks to you," said Sky, returning the smile. She couldn't help it. The kid had not only proven to be an easy ally, but a complete sweetheart. Weird to think he was only a few years younger than her. Maybe she had a thing for younger guys. Or maybe it was for guys who fetched her top notch take out and played video games with her until they passed out. Seriously, lifelong friendships were made over half-awake Call of Duty tournaments and orange chicken.

Maybe she could, you know, swipe him when she finally left this bloody rich-ass crypt.

Morianton, who seemed to be observing their greeting, gave a closed mouth chuckle. "Now that's rich."

Sky wrinkled her nose at him. "What? Don't like how easy it is for your brother to be nice when it's like pulling teeth for you?"

In answer, Morianton just smirked and walked on past her.

"Hey! You didn't answer my question!" Sky shouted.

"What question?"

"Where's Lea? What happened? What's with the blood?"

"I've already told you, your friend's probably dead. An old vamp even said he smelled her blood on my target tonight."

Sky's veins filled with painful ice. Her insides lurched as though she'd missed a step down the stairs.

"Bastard!" her bravado cracked with her voice.

"He also said he thought she was still alive," he added, like an afterthought. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm tired."

Two steps. Two steps and she could punch him.

But Lane blocked her way, giving her this pleading look she couldn't understand. Wasn't it his older brother who was being an asshole?

So she could only yell at his back: "If I throw open the curtains, will you turn to sand? Because I could really use a zen garden right now."

"Sadly, no." His hand on the railing of stairs looked unfairly elegant. "But that doesn't mean you won't turn into dust."

"By what? The power of your supernatural fury?"

"Something like that," Aster was already half-way up, showing a speed no tired man should have.

Sky didn't turn off the death lasers of her eyes until the rich asswipe had vanished off the top of the stairs.

Lane heaved a heavy sigh, which turned to a half-closed yawn as he picked up his brother's bloody shoes with a pair of fingers.

"Do you guys have to fight?" He rubbed his eyes blearily. "Aster actually did verify that she was still alive. I heard them talking, him and that other vampire."

The flash-melting of her frozen body from relief filled her with a dizzying heat. She even went a bit weak-kneed. But rather than show him (she had an image to keep), she gave a snort of disbelief. "And he couldn't just say that? I swear he gets off on pissing people off." She felt herself warming just a tad more when Lane yawned again. "Speaking of sleep, you should get some shuteye, kid. I can't believe that jerk brother of yours makes you go out all night to fly a helicopter. Yeah, your mad skilled, super monsters abound, but who does that to a kid? What the hell."

Lane gave her a smile she was beginning to recognize was more tolerance than actual kindness. "Please don't say such things around my brother. I'm lucky that he let me help, and I know for a fact I'm the only one he can trust right now. I meant it when I say he isn't as bad as he seems too, he's just got this...pride issue. Like he has to wear a mask, you know? Leftover baggage from our sub-par parents."

Sky turned away, rubbing her nose in slight embarrassment that she had offended Lane, even though he wouldn't admit it. Even after she apologized, Lane waved it off as though nothing had happened.

"You know how to get food if you need it, right?" he asked, which did nothing to stem Sky's guilt.

"Sure, yeah. Hey, what can I do to help? You know, while you two are out?"

After another wide yawn, Lane looked off to the side, thinking.

"Well, there is this problem we hit upon when searching for the vampire's base. The two places we checked out didn't have a bit of his scent anywhere, but Aster thinks it's likely that this guy might have figured out a way to cover his scent. Problem is, one of the places is a big old apartment complex, and Aster can't very well break into every apartment for signs of a vampire. People live there."

Sky blanched. "Uh, I can't do that either."

"Silly, I wasn't suggesting that. I meant...look, me and my brother aren't exactly undercover, not to mention we're more or less celebrities. If we go around knocking on doors and asking questions it will attract attention, not just the vampire's, but you're, well..."

"Not magazine cover and billboard material?"

Lane gave her a winning smile. "Exactly."

Sky folded her arms. "That's great and all," her nail caught a patch of rough skin on her elbow and started picking. "But what am I looking for? All I know about vampires is six foot two with a spiked bat stuck up hi...he's grouchy."

"Leave that to me. We have a list of stuff we've made up for any help we've hired in the hunt. I'll get that to you along with the addresses and let Nick know that he's at your disposal for the day."

Once more, Sky reiterated to herself how quickly she was falling in love with this kid. He really did know how to make a girl feel useful.

"I'm keeping you, you hear me?"

Lane, who'd just gotten to heading up the stairs himself, glanced back at her.

"Keeping me?"

"Yep. You're mine. I don't care how, but you're mine."

Lane blinked at her in confusion, then must have decided he was too tired to piece that one out and left it be with a weary 'okay.'