Lassiter

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  Dedicated to:

  Wrath, who almost twenty years ago came and showed me his world.

  Lassiter’s story, just like all the ones that have been or will ever be…

  … starts and finishes with you.

  GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND PROPER NOUNS

  ahstrux nohtrum (n.)

  Private guard with license to kill who is granted his or her position by the King.

  ahvenge (v.)

  Act of mortal retribution, carried out typically by a male loved one.

  Black Dagger Brotherhood (pr. n.)

  Highly trained vampire warriors who protect their species against the Lessening Society. As a result of selective breedings within the race, Brothers possess immense physical and mental strength, as well as rapid healing capabilities. They are not siblings for the most part, and are inducted into the Brotherhood upon nomination by the Brothers. Aggressive, self-reliant, and secretive by nature, they are the subjects of legend and objects of reverence within the vampire world. They may be killed only by the most serious of wounds, e.g., a gunshot or stab to the heart, etc.

  blood slave (n.)

  Male or female vampire who has been subjugated to serve the blood needs of another. The practice of keeping blood slaves has been outlawed.

  the Chosen (pr. n.)

  Female vampires who had been bred to serve the Scribe Virgin. In the past, they were spiritually rather than temporally focused, but that changed with the ascendance of the final Primale, who freed them from the Sanctuary. With the Scribe Virgin removing herself from her role, they are completely autonomous and learning to live on earth. They do continue to meet the blood needs of unmated members of the Brotherhood, as well as Brothers who cannot feed from their shellans or injured fighters.

  chrih (n.)

  Symbol of honorable death in the Old Language.

  cohntehst (n.)

  Conflict between two males competing for the right to be a female’s mate.

  Dhunhd (pr. n.)

  Hell.

  doggen (n.)

  Member of the servant class within the vampire world. Doggen have old, conservative traditions about service to their superiors, following a formal code of dress and behavior. They are able to go out during the day, but they age relatively quickly. Life expectancy is approximately five hundred years.

  ehros (n.)

  A Chosen trained in the matter of sexual arts.

  exhile dhoble (n.)

  The evil or cursed twin, the one born second.

  the Fade (pr. n.)

  Non-temporal realm where the dead reunite with their loved ones and pass eternity.

  First Family (pr. n.)

  The King and Queen of the vampires, and any children they may have.

  ghardian (n.)

  Custodian of an individual. There are varying degrees of ghardians, with the most powerful being that of a sehcluded female.

  glymera (n.)

  The social core of the aristocracy, roughly equivalent to Regency England’s ton.

  hellren (n.)

  Male vampire who has been mated to a female. Males may take more than one female as mate.

  hyslop (n. or v.)

  Term referring to a lapse in judgment, typically resulting in the compromise of the mechanical operations of a vehicle or otherwise motorized conveyance of some kind. For example, leaving one’s keys in one’s car as it is parked outside the family home overnight, whereupon said vehicle is stolen.

  leahdyre (n.)

  A person of power and influence.

  leelan (adj. or n.)

  A term of endearment loosely translated as “dearest one.”

  Lessening Society (pr. n.)

  Order of slayers convened by the Omega for the purpose of eradicating the vampire species. Ruled by his resurrected son, Lash.

  lesser (n.)

  De-souled human who targets vampires for extermination as a member of the Lessening Society. Lessers must be stabbed through the chest in order to be killed; otherwise they are ageless. They do not eat or drink and are impotent. Over time, their hair, skin, and irises lose pigmentation until they are blond, blushless, and pale eyed. They smell like baby powder. Inducted into the society by the Omega, or now, his son.

  lewlhen (n.)

  Gift.

  lheage (n.)

  A term of respect used by a sexual submissive to refer to their dominant.

  Lhenihan (pr. n.)

  A mythic beast renowned for its sexual prowess. In modern slang, refers to a male of preternatural size and sexual stamina.

  lys (n.)

  Torture tool used to remove the eyes.

  mahmen (n.)

  Mother. Used both as an identifier and a term of affection.

  mhis (n.)

  The masking of a given physical environment; the creation of a field of illusion.

  nalla (n., f.) or nallum (n., m.)

  Beloved.

  needing period (n.)

  Female vampire’s time of fertility, generally lasting for two days and accompanied by intense sexual cravings. Occurs approximately five years after a female’s transition and then once a decade thereafter. All males respond to some degree if they are around a female in her need. It can be a dangerous time, with conflicts and fights breaking out between competing males, particularly if the female is not mated.

  newling (n.)

  A virgin.

  the Omega (pr. n.)

  Malevolent, mystical figure who targeted the vampires for extinction out of resentment directed toward the Scribe Virgin. Existed in a non-temporal realm and had extensive powers, though not the power of creation. Now eradicated.

  phearsom (adj.)

  Term referring to the potency of a male’s sexual organs. Literal translation something close to “worthy of entering a female.”

  Princeps (pr. n.)

  Highest level of the vampire aristocracy, second only to members of the First Family or the Scribe Virgin’s Chosen. Must be born to the title; it may not be conferred.

  pyrocant (n.)

  Refers to a critical weakness in an individual. The weakness can be internal, such as an addiction, or external, such as a lover.

  rahlman (n.)

  Savior.

  rythe (n.)

  Ritual manner of asserting honor granted by one who has offended another. If accepted, the offended chooses a weapon and strikes the offender, who presents him- or herself without defenses.

  the Scribe Virgin (pr. n.)

  Mystical force who previously was counselor to the King as well as the keeper of vampire archives and the dispenser of privileges. Existed in a non-temporal realm and had extensive powers, but has recently stepped down and given her station to another. Capable of a single act of creation, which she expended to bring the vampires into existence.

  sehclusion (n.)

  Status conferred by the King upon a female of the aristocracy as a result of a petition by the female’s family. Places the female under the sole direction of her ghardian, typically the eldest male in her household. Her ghardian then has the legal right to determine all manner of her life, restricting at will any and all interactions she has with the world.

  shellan (n.)

  Female vampire who has been mated to a male. Females generally do not take more than one mate due to the highly territorial nature of bonded males.

  symphath (n.)

  Subspecies within the vampire race characterized by the ability and desire to manipulate emotions in others (for the purposes of an energy exchange), among other traits. Historically, they have been discriminated against and, during certain eras, hunted by vampires. They are near extinction.

  talhman (n.)

  The evil side of an individual. A dark stain on the soul that requires expression if it is not properly expunged.

  the Tomb (pr. n.)

  Sacred vault of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Used as a ceremonial site as well as a storage facility for the jars of lessers. Ceremonies performed there include inductions, funerals, and disciplinary actions against Brothers. No one may enter except for members of the Brotherhood, the Scribe Virgin, or candidates for induction.

  trahyner (n.)

  Word used between males of mutual respect and affection. Translated loosely as “beloved friend.”

  transition (n.)

  Critical moment in a vampire’s life when he or she transforms into an adult. Thereafter, he or she must drink the blood of the opposite sex to survive and is unable to withstand sunlight. Occurs generally in the mid-twenties. Some vampires do not survive their transitions, males in particular. Prior to their transitions, vampires are physically weak, sexually unaware and unresponsive, and unable to dematerialize.

  vampire (n.)

  Member of a species separate from that of Homo sapiens. Vampires must drink the blood of the opposite sex to survive. Human blood will keep them alive, though the strength does not last long. Following their transitions, which occur in their mid-twenties, they are unable to go out into sunlight and must feed from the vein regularly. Vampires cannot “convert” humans through a bite or trans
fer of blood, though they are in rare cases able to breed with the other species. Vampires can dematerialize at will, though they must be able to calm themselves and concentrate to do so and may not carry anything heavy with them. They are able to strip the memories of humans, provided such memories are short-term. Some vampires are able to read minds. Life expectancy is upward of a thousand years, or in some cases, even longer.

  wahlker (n.)

  An individual who has died and returned to the living from the Fade. They are accorded great respect and are revered for their travails.

  whard (n.)

  Equivalent of a godfather or godmother to an individual.

  CHAPTER ONE

  11287 Gordon Memorial Parkway

  Caldwell, New York

  Does this make my ass look big?”

  As the question was tossed out all casual, like it made any damned sense, Eddie Blackhawk opened his mouth to answer. Then he shook his head. “I’m not sure how to respond to that.”

  “Come on.” His best friend, Adrian Vogel, motioned through the window of the gray-and-black Mini Cooper. “Be honest.”

  For a split second, an image of the guy looking up with expectation caught and held in Eddie’s mind, a fishhook memory that was unnecessary after the centuries they’d spent together: Ad was a hard-core handsome type, all the Hugh Jackman anyone could want in the tall and dark department, just paired up with a Claire’s boutique’s worth of silver piercings on the trailheads of his nose, his lower lip, his outer ears. He’d shaved his head recently—because he’d bought a Manscaped trimmer on account of the Pete Davidson ad and he didn’t have anything else to shave—and his hair was already growing back in, a shadow over his skull. His clothes were black and so was his jacket. So were his weapons, although like his naughty bits, they were covered.

  “Hello?” the other fallen angel prompted. “What do you think of me and the car?”

  “I’m amazed you can fit your posterior region in it.” Eddie glanced around the wilted dealership. “Why are we here again?”

  “Ass.” Adrian got out, his heavily muscled body expanding to its customary height and width like it was reinflating after a vacuum-packing. “You can curse, you know. It’s not going to kill you.”

  Considering they were both immortals, the subject of what could unalive them was moot—as was any practical opinion about this shoebox-sized toy that was being marketed as roadworthy. And while Eddie glanced around for what felt like the hundredth time, he would have appreciated an answer to his own question: What the hell were they doing in this place? Between the fake wood paneling, the faded pictures of eighties-era cars going all airborne around tight turns, and the for-sale stock that looked like candidates for parts harvesting, he felt like they’d been sucked back four decades and Kate Bush should be piped in as a new release, not as a throwback soundtrack on Netflix.

  Then again, they’d made their deal with God, hadn’t they. And with all the progress they hadn’t been making over the last three years on their mission, why not end up here? It was no more directed or random than any other place in Caldwell.

  “Hi,” a quiet voice said, “can I answer some questions about the Mini for you?”

  Eddie’s eyes shifted over and then had to move down, way down. The brunette woman who had approached was barely over five feet tall, and given her air of exhaustion, he guessed her age was anywhere between twenty-five and forty. Like the other salespeople, she was wearing a gold plaid suit jacket over her slacks, but the thing was a tent on her, to the point where she’d rolled up the sleeves.

  “I think we’re good,” Eddie murmured. “Thanks, though.”

  She reached up and tapped the safety pin that was holding the right side of her glasses together—as if she were worried that like the screw it replaced, the thing was going to fail on her.

  “Well, if you need anything, I’m—”

  “I got this, Steph.”

  A man with a porn mustache, a full plaid suit—not just the jacket—and a hockey-player elbow pushed her out of the way. “Bud James, how we doing? I’m the owner, you’ve seen me on TV.”

  A proud finger swung around to a life-sized cutout of himself. Which had clearly been slimmed down with filters. “That’s me, your buddy in the car business. Nice suit, right? Great car, right? Let’s take it for a test drive.”

  Eddie tilted to the side. The woman who’d been moved out of the way was backing off, her soft-soled shoes squeaking on the scuffed blue and white floor tile. As she tugged at her jacket, she took a deep breath and faced away across the showroom’s collection of buffed-up beaters. Another couple was coming through the door and she hitched her shoulders before intercepting them.

  “How we doin’?” Bud James put his face in Eddie’s. “So how about a test drive.”

  Ad, who’d been circling the Mini like he wanted to date it, came over, and for a split second, you had to wonder whether Bud was going to have a problem with all the Goth.

  Naaah. Bud didn’t seem to mind. Then again, the guy would probably sell cars to a demon if they had the cash or credit.

  “No reason to test-drive, I’ll take it.”

  Bud smiled like a billboard and called over his shoulder, “Ring the bell, Mabel!”

  As an elderly woman with bright blue eye shadow creaked to her feet at the front desk and started clanging like her life depended on it, two other plaid-clad, Bud-club salesmen pumped their fists.

  “Let’s go do your paperwork,” Bud said as he smacked a hand on Ad’s shoulder. “Have to say, when I saw ya coming, I figured you’d be going for the Charger over there.”

  Eddie glanced over at the blacked-out, block-fronted fist’s worth of steel, glass, and tires. “That’s a nice car.”

  “We’ll sell it to you, how ’bout that?”

  When Bud went to pull the clap crap on Eddie, the fallen angel narrowed his eyes—and the man froze in the half-slap position and backed off. “I see you’re a reserved man. I respect that, I totally respect that, yup? C’mon.”

  Ad went jazz hands in excitement. Then he hopped and skipped into Bud’s office, looking like the Grim Reaper on a sugar high.

  As a ripple of warning tickled Eddie’s instincts for no good reason, he looked across at the saleswoman. She had a fragile hope on her face as she took the couple over to a minivan.

  “C’mon,” Ad called out. “Let’s do this.”

  Bud’s office was a smaller version of the showroom, same decor, same worn-out time warp. On the wall behind the desk, a banner read “YOU’VE GOT A BUDDY IN THE CAR BUSINESS,” the slogan spelled out on a blue-and-white background, with two bobblehead images of Bud anchoring the announcement.

  “—loan application, why don’t we.” Bud sat at his desk, a plaid king on a paper throne. “I’ll just do a credit check—”

  “Cash,” Ad said as he parked it as well. “I’ll give you fifteen.”

  Well, if that didn’t shut Bud up. But he recovered quickly, jacking the waistband of his Rodney Dangerfields up over his paunch. “Well, now. You’re a good customer, I can tell. But I don’t think I can go that low. I gotta keep my lights on—”

  “Fifteen thousand.” Ad outed a wad from the pocket of his leather jacket. “And you’ll take care of the tax.”

  As the counting began, orderly piles of ten hundred-dollar bills lined up in front of Bud and the man got really quiet. When the last dole-out finished, and Ad sat back and smiled, it was clear that the asking price was going to be adjusted downward. Nothing like a little liquidity to tilt the course of negotiations.

  “It’s Stephanie Kowalski’s deal,” Eddie said in a low voice. “She sold us the car.”

  Bud’s eyes shot over. “I’m sorry?”

  “You’re giving her the credit for the sale.”

  “Are we redoing history, son?” When Eddie just stared at the man, Bud cleared his throat. “I don’t like people telling me my business.”

  Eddie stepped up to the desk and swept the money into his hand. “Come on, Adrian. CarMax has fifty of these online—”

  “Now, hold on there.” Bud jumped to his feet. “Let’s not be rash.”

  “Call Stephanie in. Tell her the good news and I’ll give you the cash.”

  When Bud looked at Ad, as if he expected some backup, the fallen angel just shrugged. “What my boy says.”

  Bud muttered under his breath as he went to the open door and leaned around the jamb. “Steph. Get in here.”