Blood Threads: The Star Seamstress Book One Read online

  "How many times must I tell you to stop annoying Erica?" a voice growled at me, and I snapped my head up. Here was my reminder of the madness, all six plus feet of him.

  My heart began to beat like a drum, and I cursed at it. Why couldn't I react that strongly to Jordan?

  Still, I flinched at the cold anger in his eyes, and what I swore was a red light had me flinching. My survival instinct kicked in and I stepped back. Man, this was déjà vu all over again. "What?"

  "Do I have to repeat the question?"

  I told my heart to stop pounding and lifted my chin at him. I refused to be intimidated by this jerk. "You won't tell me anything, so I figured I had to find out about you from others. If you don't want me to be curious about you, stop showing up."

  That was definitely a blaze of red I saw in his eyes. "Me hanging around is for your own good," he growled, in that low, annoyingly sexy tone that evoked both fear and lust, and before I knew it, he'd come behind the bar and was stalking towards me. I moved further down, feeling thoroughly trapped. Why did I have a sense of Déjà vu? "Do not bother others about me," he continued, and my heart fluttered. Who knew I was secretly into being threatened by hot guys? I certainly hadn't, nor was I pleased at the development.

  Suddenly Adin was directly in my space, and I bumped up against the alcohol with a squeak as the bottles rattled behind me. I hadn't even see him move. I was never going to get used to that odd way vampires moved at night.

  "I'm trying to keep you alive, you daft woman, and you're making me regret my choice to do so." His sensual lip curled and he shook his head. "You know you're a Star Seamstress, and yet you're not sewing, nor are you building the resources or connections to keep yourself alive. It's almost like you're just fattening yourself up like a lamb for the slaughter."

  "Fuck you!" I lifted my chin and glared up at him, and we were now standing toe-to-toe.

  "You're far too fond of swearing, little girl." He stepped forward and then I really was pressed against the bar, and dammit, while I had no desire to be bitten, the feeling of his strong thighs and the proximity of the whole solid bulk of him was scrambling my senses.

  We stared at each other, angry and intense, and I chewed on the inside of my lip. His gaze shifted, and then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  When he opened them again, they were no longer red, settling back into that slightly orange hazel with a tinge of green. "You have a right to your presumptions, at least some of them." His tone had subdued as well. "But you do not want to be my ally, Veda, not openly. As for women, I am not 'fucking' with Erica. I am not a man to get involved with, and I repeat, you do not want to be seen as my friend. My many secrets will taint, and even perhaps destroy, you. For all my faults, that is one thing I do not wish, not for any innocent."

  "I'm not that innocent," I protested. Damn it, I sounded weak even to me.

  "Only from your vantage point."

  "Fine, don't tell me about you; just leave me in the dark like everyone else. Actually, you know what? Why don't you just leave me alone, find some pretty young college student to stalk."

  "I do not stalk," he said, and the vampire eyes were back on.

  "Excuse me?" a voice said, and I turned to see a young woman with her hair up in complicated braids and wearing a tight green T-shirt. Her eyes darted between Adin and I, sensing we weren't having the most amicable of conversations. "Can I get two Heinekens?"

  The reminder that I had a job to do snapped me out of my sexy-vamp reverie. I stepped around him and pointed to where he'd come in. "Get the hell out from behind my bar," I snarled, "and don't go around following me anymore, either, since you only help me on your bullshit terms and can't help insulting me besides. I'll sort this shit out myself, and I don't want your help."

  "Then you'll be dead," he countered, gaze cold and imperious.

  I shrugged. "I don't care. At the very least, I won't have to put up with your ass." I pushed at him angrily. "Get out of here."

  He looked down at me, silent, then turned on his heels and stalked away.

  The young woman watched him for a moment and turned back to me. "Shit, isn't that Professor Nieren? He's even hotter than rumored."

  She looked like a student, and I nodded shortly. I grabbed her beers and put them in front of her. She put down a ten-dollar bill but didn't leave, her expression drunk and openly curious. "Man, I heard he was really nice and cool, but he was being super scary with you." She leaned forward, eyes wide. "Did I hear that right? Is he bothering you?"

  There was a moment when I considered telling her yes, he was, but I instantly decided against it. As much fun as it might be to fuck with Adin's professional life by claiming he was stalking me and was generally a creeper, he appeared to be good at his job. For all his threats, he'd saved my ass. I owed him at least one solid by this point. "No, nothing like that. We were doing a project together, and it didn't work out. Nothing more."

  The girl's grin was knowing, and she wasn't taking my blatant hint to move on. "Yeah, sure; you did 'a project' together." I could hear the air quotes in her voice. "How's he in bed?"

  "I wouldn't know." With that, I turned to go to the other end of the bar and she got the hint, leaving.

  At the end of the night, Jordan came up to me where I had leaned against the bar, taking a breather. He put his hand on mine. "Tired?"

  His touch was nice, and I blushed. "Very, but it's getting easier, staying up this late."

  "Good." His fingers lingered on mine, and his gaze was warm. "Hey, can I take you home again?" he asked softly. "It's probably rainy out there, and I'd hate to see you get wet, what with how cold this week is."

  I loved this idea. After getting attacked by the guy in the hood, I wasn't so fond of walking around alone at night, despite my big words to Erica. Also, after that conversation with Adin, I was more than ready for Jordan to be my promised hero. "Yeah, that'd be great, I—"

  "Jordan!" It was Jake, stalking out of the back room with an annoyed expression on his face. I hadn't seen him all night, and I sensed that it wasn't a good thing when he appeared out of nowhere at the end like this. "We're way off on the accounts in terms of vodka, and someone's been skimming from the supply." He made it sound like an accusation, and I tried not to roll my eyes. Everyone knew he was the culprit, and Jordan had warned me he liked to put on a dog and pony show now and then to shift blame onto his staff. "I need you to come back and double-check the stock."

  Jordan paused, then nodded. "Yeah, sure, Jake. I can do that." He turned to me. "I am so sorry, Veda. If you're willing to wait, I'll be done in half an hour or so."

  I could tell he really wanted me to say yes, but I shook my head. I was dead tired and my feet hurt. Waiting another half an hour wasn't appealing at all. "I'm so damn tired, sorry. I think I'm going to head home, if that's okay. I don't mind the rain."

  He nodded. "I get it. But please text me when you get home, okay?"

  "Aye, aye, Captain." I sketched a salute and his expression broke into that sunny smile again. Man, it was about time I kissed this guy. That definitely needed to happen when we went to dinner. I smiled at our boss. "Have a good night, Jake. Hope you find all that lost hooch." My tone must have dripped sarcasm because he narrowed his eyes at me. I didn't care—a jerk manager was the least of my problems.

  When I went in the back and grabbed my purse, the first thing I did was squeeze the skirt that laid within, once again comforted by its presence.

  Maybe I should name it. Would that be weird? Maybe that'd be weird. Still, the thing had protected me and seemed to give me a certain amount of comfort, so I'd started to see it like some sort of wearable pet.

  With a squeeze of Jordan's arm, I headed out, ignoring Jake's sarcastic voice behind me. "You already screwing her, Essen? Move fast, don't ya?"

  As I got outside, I found that Jordan had been correct; it was cold, wet, and unpleasant outside. It was only late September, but clearly this wasn't going to be an endlessly pleasant autum
n.

  I pulled my light red trench coat around me and cursed myself for a spoiled Californian who needed an in-between-seasons coat. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford one. I sighed, shoved my hands deep in my pockets, and picked up the pace.

  It wasn't for several blocks that it hit me how stupid I had been to not wait for Jordan. My exhaustion made me forget that I was genuinely in danger. "Such a moron," I muttered to myself.

  Add the fact I told my vampire protector to fuck off, and it was a pile of stupid on top of a load of idiot.

  I felt a rush of relief whenever I saw other people walking around, but after passing Java Junk, the only coffee shop open after midnight, they petered out and I was alone.

  My fear had me practically running, and I was relieved when, up ahead of me, I saw a figure; probably a student. My work boots fell heavily on the concrete, and my head was cold and wet. I moved towards the young man like he was someone I knew, so tired that I wasn't thinking why someone would just be hanging out on the street corner, not wearing a coat or using an umbrella in the rain. He seemed normal—human—and that's all that mattered.

  I got closer and noticed he looked familiar. All that was visible was his back, but he had sandy blond hair and it looked like earrings in one ear. I wondered where I'd seen him. Maybe he'd come into Barnes' at some point, or was a member of the cosplay group?

  He turned. I saw his young, boyish face, and gasped.

  "Shawn?" It was definitely him, the young man I had seen kidnapped the week before, and then gracing the pages of blogs. "Shawn, is that you?"

  He blinked at me, his eyes darker than in the pictures I'd seen. As I got closer, he smiled at me, but it didn't reach his eyes.

  "Are you okay?" I was suddenly uneasy, and stopped moving towards him. Something was off here.

  "You are ours," he said casually, as if discussing the weather. "Your allies will not save you, and your power will become ours, as did that of your predecessors. The blood fiends can't help you."

  I stepped back, surprised at his tone, and his heavy, portentous phrasing. "Who are you?"

  His smile widened. He was like the Joker, terrifyingly unhinged. "You already know who we are, even if you don't, so to speak, know who we are. Get it?"

  "No, not really." I was terrified he was going to rush me. I closed my hand over my keys, ready to stab towards his eyes if necessary. "But I'm not yours to have; I'm not anyone's. I'm mine."

  "Not for long, sweetheart."

  12

  Shawn stepped forward before stopping. His expression changed, became slack and surprised. He put a hand to his chest, opened his mouth wide, and I saw terror then, as if more than one person was fighting for control of his features.

  His mouth opened and I swore he was mouthing help, but before he could get the word out, a cloud rushed out, pouring out like a torrent from his mouth, his eyes, his nose. I screamed, and he collapsed, twitching uncontrollably as the blood rushed forth.

  I heard laughter behind me, sharp and cruel. "If we can't have you, no one will," the voice noted menacingly. The timbre was different but I knew it was the same one that had come from Shawn. I heard the same menace, the same rhythm.

  I ran, and the voice laughed gaily, as if delighted. I heard their footsteps, pounding and relentless, and I started to cry as I gasped for air. Why hadn't I waited for Jordan? Why the hell was I so damn stupid? I was not the world's best runner, and I stumbled, barely keeping my balance.

  I turned as I found my footing again, and saw there was a hooded figure and Shawn, covered in blood and lurching forward. His face was bland again, expressionless, and yet also somehow terrible in its purpose. They weren't moving particularly fast, almost casually, as if they didn't think I could escape.

  I sobbed and pushed myself to run again, horror giving me strength. "Fuck you, Maywen," I gasped out. If I survived this, I promised myself, I was leaving this town as soon as damn possible; nothing could stop me.

  I slammed into the public door of my apartment building and ran up the stairs, unlocked my door and did all three locks behind me before collapsing on my haunches, stunned and numb with fear. "Oh god, oh god, oh god." I pulled out my phone and called Jordan. "Pick up, pick up, pick up," I moaned, swearing I heard the slamming sound of the door. "Hi, this is Jordan—"

  "Oh my god, Jordan, help—"

  "I'm not available right now," he continued, "but if you leave a message—"

  "Fuck!" I hung up and dialed 911. Whatever else was going on, they had a civic duty, right? They were police officers. They'd help me, it was their job. I had to believe this, I had to.

  Someone picked up. "911."

  "Hello," I sobbed. "I need help There's a group of people following me. I think they're going to try to break into my apartment." There was a loud bang at the front door and I shrieked. "Help me, please. I'm at 213 Wilshire Drive, and—"

  "Sorry, no can do." Then the woman laughed, and I recognized the Officer Ortell from the precinct, the one who obviously hated me. "I'd say good luck, but let's be honest—it won't help." She hung up.

  "No! No, no, no, this can't be happening!" I scrambled onto my feet as I heard laughter and a bone-rattling 'thud' against the door.

  I grabbed my purse and ran into the bedroom, locking it behind me and looking around desperately. There was the window, and we were only on the second floor, but could I get through those double panes? Probably not; I needed to get to the screen, damn it.

  Suddenly, I felt a warm, comforting feeling emanating from my purse, and knew it was my skirt reminding me of its presence. It had saved me once; perhaps it could save me again. I took it out, and, trembling so violently I practically tripped over my own feet, pulled it up over my legs. Then there was the sound of wood exploding, and I screamed. They were in the apartment, and locked doors couldn't stop them.

  I launched myself at the window—that stupid, always stuck window that hated me, and clutched at the frame so hard I could feel the old wood scrape my palms. Why hadn't I gone into Breanna's room and towards her possibly functioning window? Why was I so very stupid? Adin was right.

  Crying and cursing, I tried to pull it open, but of course it was sticking, the humidity expanding the wood. I pushed at it, and it gave a stupid, useless little inch.

  "Come, Veda, open the door for us," that mocking voice said silkily, and I gasped in terror that he used my name. "We won't hurt you. Too much. To death. Maybe not to death." He laughed, pleased with his own jokes, then I recognized now where I knew that laconic, jerk voice. This was the same man who I'd talked to the night of Shawn's kidnapping, the same one who tried to convince me it was just another prank.

  I really hated this guy.

  "Come on, come on, come on," I begged the window as I tried to coax it up. No go.

  Swearing, I picked up my lamp and sent it sailing through the window, and then flinched as it broke the glass and then managed to get caught in the screen.

  "Fuck you, screen!" I yelled at the uncaring, shredded thing, and then screamed as the door flew open with a horrific bang. Not caring what I did to my body, I lunged at the window, hoping to use momentum to get out.

  "No!" I cried as Shawn's arms clenched around me, and then the man was there, chuckling. He flipped back his hood to show me a smug smile that matched his voice. "Let me go, damn you!"

  His features were sharp and his eyes malevolent. "The Master told me to bring you in alive, and I will, but I think we can beat you up a bit first. It's the least you deserve." His smile dropped. "Dale is dead because of you, and you disrespected the chief. These are grave sins."

  If I was awaiting proof that Chief Metzger was one of these Asher bastards, there it was. No wonder the police were useless. Dale was probably the one who'd attacked me near the river.

  I struggled against the arms holding me, and found that they were cold and as unmoving as stone, no more like a living creature than a mannequin. I could smell the blood he'd puked all over himself, and I tried not to gag.
"What do you want?" I asked, both pleading and angrily. I felt fired up with rage even through my terror. "I don't know anything, and I wasn't the one who killed Dale."

  "No?" He tilted his head. "Then who did?"

  I didn't answer, not wanting to betray Adin to these jerks.

  "Ah, protecting your vampire friend; how noble. Don't think we couldn't sense one of the bloodsuckers has been helping you." He tapped at the waistband of my skirt and I tried to flinch away from his touch. "You made this, didn't you? The magic is simple, barbaric, even, but it's there in no small measure. Your skill has awakened, and that's all we need to know. You are ours."

  He stepped back, smiled, and pulled back his hand in a move that made it clear he was about to punch me, and I tried to flinch away as my brain exploded in terror and despair.

  At that moment, there was a burst of light that blinded me. The arms holding me disappeared and a high-pitched, inhuman shriek filled the room.

  Flinging myself on the bed, I turned to see Shawn engulfed in flames and flailing. It was a very odd fire, burning not natural oranges and reds but a bright purple, and it didn't seem to be catching on anything else. Something human came into his eyes, a flash of despair.

  I stared, transfixed and horrified as he melted and revealed the skeleton underneath before blinking out of existence, just like this Dale Adin had killed. I felt a tingling around my legs and saw that my skirt was disintegrating.

  "No! No, damn you. He was my first success!" The blond man turned to me, face contorted in rage. "He was perfect, and he was mine, and you destroyed him. You know how much of my power it took to make him, you bitch?" He began to stalk towards me. "You stupid, amateur, useless little—" I rolled off the bed and tried to dash around him to the door, but I got tangled up in what was now the tatters of my skirt, and he stopped me easily. "I think I will use you to replace him," he snarled as he pulled me towards his chest.