Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond(63)
Author: Kim Harrison

Her smile became a whole lot more . . . accepting, as if she was taking me serious now. Not as in "I want to take a bite out of you," but as an equal. It was a nice feeling-one I didn’t get much.

Seeing that we weren’t going to be at each other’s throats-literally-Kisten dropped down on his knee to Audric’s height. "Hey, Squirt. How you doing?"

The little boy looked up. There were tear marks on his cheeks, wiped away and probably vigorously denied. "Hi, Uncle Kisten," he said softly as he rubbed his arm where a handprint showed. "I don’t feel so good."

Kisten rose with the youngster on his hip, and it surprised me how right he looked there. "I’m sorry," he said as he made a little hop to settle him. "Your mom and I are going to take care of that right now." He turned to me. "This is Ms. Rachel. Rachel, this is Audric."

I smiled, thinking he looked like Kisten. "Hi, Audric."

The boy turned away to hide his face in Kisten’s neck.

"Audric," Kisten admonished in a very adult voice. "This is a very handsome woman. She’s too old for you, but don’t be shy. Her name is Rachel."

Chrissie put a hand to her hip. "Kisten . . ."

But Audric turned and gazed at me with big, beautiful blue eyes. His past tears made his eyelashes long and beautiful. "Hi, Ms. Rachel," he said, and I knew he was going to break hearts when he got older. Vampires make beautiful children, products of centuries of careful breeding by their long-lived masters who enjoy beauty and have the time to play with bloodlines like master artists play with pigments.

"That’s better," Kisten said, and my gut twisted at the thought that Kisten was as much a product of Piscary’s breeding as this child. "Never be afraid of beautiful women."

"Kisten . . ." Chrissie said again, her tone carrying a lot more impatience.

Kisten looked across the park, a hint of worry in his eyes. "There’s always time to be polite," he said as he picked up the takeout and turned to the parking lot and my car. I didn’t know how we were all going to fit. My car didn’t really have a back seat.

But we stopped when the distinctive sound of a van door sliding open scraped through the peaceful afternoon. Beside my little convertible, five people were getting out of a white panel van. They were all dressed in suits and wore shades. Living vampires, and not from Cincinnati. Their stance of brash confidence screamed of being on someone else’s ground but not giving a crap about it.

I turned the other way to find five men closing in from over the grassy knoll. "Too late," I whispered as the three of us came to a clustered halt on the highpoint of the wide footbridge.

Audric’s eyes were huge, but he was silent. His mother took him from Kisten, managing his weight easily. "Don’t start a fight," she said, fear in her voice.

Kisten turned to her. "How do you propose I keep him from taking Audric then?"

Think, Rachel, think. "Sharps?" I called out, wondering if the resident bridge troll I’d befriended when I worked for the I.S. might still be here. He’d help even if it was sunny-as long as the I.S. hadn’t chased him out again. But there was no answering wispy gurgle or whoosh of water. We were on our own against ten living vampires. Fair fight, I thought, warming to the task, then realized I was standing over water. Damn it, I couldn’t tap a ley line to do a line charm, and all my earth charms were in the car.

"Stop right there," Kisten said, hands extended both ways. His posture was hunched and he looked like a predator with his eager, black eyes. I felt the adrenaline dump into me, and I stepped from Chrissie to give myself room to move. I didn’t have my charms, but I still had my fists and feet. This is so not good. I have to get off this bridge.

A thin man in a business suit pushed to the front of the group that had come over the grass. It had to be Audric’s dad from the blond hair and facial structure. "That’s my boy," he said simply, pointing to show he was wearing too many rings. "He comes with me."

Good, I thought. No monologue. Right to it. I had things I had to do today.

Audric shivered, and his mother gripped him tighter. Kisten let his arms drop now that both groups had halted at the ends of the bridge. "I’m his uncle," he said softly, his voice making the sensation of ice down my spine. "If you think you can take him, try."

Sean looked past us to the five vamps from the van. I moved my fingers as if I was starting a ley line charm, and he pressed his lips together, recognizing it.

"You feel lucky?" Kisten added, almost laughing.

This wasn’t good. This was so not good. We were standing here on a bluff. Me being beaten up was one thing, but that kid could not be taken. Worried, I sidled closer to Kisten. "Kisten?" I hedged. "Tell me you ate your Wheaties today."

He glanced at me then back to Sean. "Relax. I already hit 911 on my phone. Set a circle and we’ll wait them out until the I.S. gets here."

"I’m over water, Kisten," I said pointedly. "I can’t."

There was the slightest tick to his eye, but he didn’t move otherwise. "Oh," he said without moving his lips. "We have a problem then."

Chrissie’s eyes were black again as she shifted closer, and sensing a new weakness, the group from the van took a collective step forward.

"Delay them," I said. "He thinks I can tap a ley line, or he’d be on us by now. Maybe we can get off the bridge."

Kisten’s sister took a deep breath. Her face was pale as she saw her world teetering. I was getting the distinct impression she would die twice before giving Audric up. But she was a Phelps, and she was thinking. "He’s mine," she said loudly. "I never would have slept with you if I knew you were married, you lying bastard."

Sean copped an attitude, with all the anger and hurt he had never let go. "Chrissie-"

"You never wanted him!" she screamed, and I wondered if the old couple had left. "Get the hell out of Cincy before you wake up dead!"

"Lovely as ever, little bitch."

I stiffened, but Kisten stepped between us, his phenomenal people skills, a mix of charm and vampire charisma, coming to the forefront. "And I’m a low-life Romeo," he said, self-deprecatingly. "Sean, it’s not going to happen. Leave under your own power, or limping. I don’t care."

Sean stepped forward, and Kisten raised a warning hand. "Put one foot on this bridge, and it will get ugly," he promised, and Sean stopped from the force of his words alone. "You and Chrissie need to talk."

"Kisten!" his sister complained, and I watched both groups of vampires relax at the apparent mutiny among the enemy. The thing was, it was all contrived.