“I was hoping you would join me,” Lorelei said. “I hate to shower alone.”
“That would be a tragedy,” Alistair agreed, already shedding his clothes.
“Lock the door?”
“Of course,” he nodded, turning to give the doorknob the requisite twist. “Everyone’s distracted downstairs by some tomfoolery in the front yard, anyway.”
“Excellent.” She slid the glass open just enough to peek around, and to extend a beckoning hand to her pale visitor. “Come to me.”
Smiling, Alistair complied. Clearly she wasn’t so attached to her “love” downstairs as she had let on. That, too, hardly surprised Alistair.
She retreated into the shower as he stepped forward. He drank in the vision of her naked, wet glory, feeling his appetites stir as she gestured for him to join her under the spraying water. Her hands reached for his pale face, drawing him in close.
Their mouths joined. Their bodies slid together. Lorelei wrapped her arms around his naked back, pulling him against her as she exhaled into their deep kiss.
Alistair’s eyes went wide with agony and utter panic. He flailed and beat against her, unable to break her grip, but it was already too late to scream. The flames she gently breathed into him rushed straight down his throat.
Alistair caught fire from the inside out as Lorelei exhaled. The water cut down on the flare-ups that erupted from various parts of his body as he burned down in her arms. He didn’t give off much smoke; vampires rarely did when they burned. The open window took care of what little plumes he gave off.
Lorelei shivered at the exquisite rush of ending someone in her arms once more. It wasn’t the same as drawing out a victim’s soul along the way. Nor could any of that compare to the ongoing joy and satisfaction she derived from her lover. Nothing could compare to him. She knew that for sure now-and found it reassuring.
But this would still put a spring in her step.
Soon, Lorelei stepped around the wet lumps of ash to nudge them apart, easing their path down the drain. She hummed an ancient tune as she washed away every trace of her victim.
* * *
The staredown on the front porch between Wade and Gabriel held until Alex arrived. “Gabriel,” he said, “you wanted to talk to me?”
“Yeah,” Gabriel shouted, stepping back from Wade and then jabbing a finger in Alex’s direction. “Are you fucking my girlfriend?”
“Nnnno, I’m standing here wondering why you’re making a scene,” Alex frowned. The door didn’t close behind him. A throng of spectators looked through it, as well as through the windows.
“I’mma beat your ass, faggot,” the taller young man snarled.
“Hey, hold on there,” objected Number 14, “we don’t gotta be all homophobic an’ shit.” Sadly, everyone ignored him.
“Gabriel, seriously, chill out,” Alex said, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace. “Do you honestly think coming up here all crazy is going to accomplish anything?”
“Curb stomping your ass would be enough. You’ve had your nose in my business ever since I hooked up with her.”
“I’m her friend, Gabriel. I was her friend before you two ever hooked up. I never made a move to steal her away and you damn well know it. I’ve hardly talked to her in over a year.”
“Yeah, until this week! Did you fuck her?”
Alex tried to keep his cool. “Dude. What do you want me to say? I’m not gonna tell you anything about Taylor, ‘cause that’s Taylor’s business.”
“Whatever. There’s still you and me.”
“Oh God,” Alex sighed. “Look, I don’t want to fight. Seriously, I’ve been in three fuckin’ fights this week. So what is it? What do I have to say to resolve this? That you’re the better man? I’m sure you are, Gabriel. I’m sure all the chicks dig you more than me. You’ve got a big time basketball career and I’m nobody.” It was tough to say it all with any sincerity, and though Alex failed, he at least tried. At first. As he went on, though, he fell to sarcastic rambling. “Gonna be famous. Rich. You’re a snazzy dresser… uh…I’m sure you’ve got a tremendous penis…”
“Not compared to you, he doesn’t,” snorted Jocelyn from her spot among the open window crowded with observers.
The crowd laughed. Alex winced. “Aw, fuck.”
Gabriel’s eyes flared. His right jab caught Alex on the left side of his jaw and knocked him over. As Alex stumbled, Drew’s leg came up over and around him in a crescent kick that smashed right into Gabriel’s face.
With that, it was on, and the fight quickly became a tangled mess. Drew and Wade each faced two of Gabriel’s teammates. Shouting erupted from inside and then from partygoers who came out from around the back of the house to watch. Most yelled random quips of bloodthirsty enjoyment.
Gabriel recovered only a heartbeat sooner than his foe. The enraged youth tackled Alex, carrying him off the porch and into the entrance of the side yard. Spectators scattered out of the way. The two struggled, throwing awkward and half-effective blows.
Finally, Alex punched Gabriel directly in the throat. Gabriel jerked backward, choking and giving Alex a second to catch his breath again. He saw Wade wrestling with the blond ball player; the other one that had jumped him was already on the ground, clutching his knee. Drew pummeled another of Gabriel’s boys.
The fourth, Number 14, quickly saw that he really didn’t want a piece of Drew. Number 14 spotted Alex as he rose and rushed over to put him down again.
It was all too fast. Number 14 caught Alex before he could get his footing. They both tumbled down the small rise of landscaping between the house and the sidewalk.
On the rooftop across the street, Martina groaned. The angels all saw what would happen next. “Aw, dammit,” she mumbled as she darted across the street.
“Run, Forrest, run!” Rachel called out after her with laughter.
It was a minor challenge for a guardian angel’s speed, but it had to be taken seriously. Martina made it to the sidewalk an instant before the tumbling combatants hit. Her hand slipped under Number 14’s head before it could hit the concrete, reducing what would have been a debilitating injury to a very mild bump. His body wound up absorbing most of the impact of the landing for Alex.
Number 14 grunted and coughed, but powered through the pain. He was about to throw a punch before Alex could recover when suddenly he let out a garbled wail of pain and crumpled to the ground.
Jason stood over him with a stun gun in his hand. “Dude, check out what I bought at the mall!” he grinned to Alex.
Unseen by all of them, Martina looked down at her fallen charge with disappointment. “I knew you should’ve taken the scholarship at Central Washington.”
“Guh,” Alex grunted, waving at Jason as he rushed back to the house. Gabriel waited for him, ready to take another swing. Alex held out little hope of putting Gabriel down alone. His recent experiences in fighting aside, Alex knew who had all the physical advantages. Gabriel was significantly larger and a star college athlete. Alex had been a mediocre high school swimmer.
Alex focused on catching Gabriel’s fist as soon as he threw a punch. He grabbed and twisted Gabriel’s right wrist with one, then both hands. Gabriel’s other fist came into Alex’s side, twice, then a third time, but Alex didn’t worry about that. Painful as the blows were, Alex hung on. If he couldn’t pull this off, or if one of his friends didn’t come bail him out, he would really get his ass kicked.
Alex clung to Gabriel’s right hand, which didn’t stay in a fist the whole time as they struggled. The pounding Gabriel delivered with his free hand just had to be endured. Finally, Alex got hold of Gabriel’s thumb and shoved it backward as hard as he could. He felt it snap.
“Aaargh!” Gabriel roared. He shoved Alex away. With his goal achieved and his side throbbing with pain, Alex didn’t hang on. He stumbled to the ground on one knee, gasping for breath. Gabriel stared at his hand in worry and rage. “Stupid motherfucker, you broke my thumb!”