worst of the crisis was over, Ari grabbed the closest witness who wasn’t screaming or yelling and asked what happened.
“It started inside,” he said. “This big vamp comes tromping in a half hour ago, joined some friends. I guess they were friends. He was pissed from the word go. Someone started yelling back. Somehow it boiled down to these four, cussing and shoving. That’s when the barkeep told them to take it outside. They did. Someone hollered ‘fight’ and we all headed for the door. Then it turned really ugly.” He lifted his hands in a helpless gesture. “By the time we realized how bad it was, it was too late. Ain’t nobody going to take on a pissed off vamp.”
Ari took his name and number to pass on to Ryan.
The police strung yellow and black crime scene tape and moved the crowd away from the bodies. Four officers worked the crowd, collecting names of witnesses. Ari spotted Ryan near the door of the bar and started toward him.
Someone grabbed her arm.
“Hey!” She tried to jerk away but her arm was held in an iron grip. She spun toward her attacker and came eye to eye with Andreas. “What are you doing here? Let go of me.”
His face, only inches away, was frozen in a glare. Distant, alien. That predator look. Only his eyes sparked, searing her face as if he found something repulsive there. She felt the hot anger seething under the surface.
“Let go of my arm,” she repeated. “What’s wrong with you?” She was confused by his behavior. They’d just had a civil phone conversation. Surely this rage wasn’t directed at her. Yet his eyes told her otherwise. Her witch blood surged in response, fingers tingling.
She forced the reaction down. Witch fire wasn’t the answer. Not yet. Not this close, and certainly not in a crowd. What she needed was a clear head—and some answers. “Talk to me,” she said through clenched teeth. “I get it that you’re angry, but I don’t know why.”
“You reek of blood, Guardian. Vampire blood.” Andreas’s voice was low, but it vibrated with fury. His fingers dug into her arm. When his magic pushed against her defenses, she struggled to pull away. He released her, but stepped closer, crowding her personal space.
“You ask for my assistance,” he hissed, “and then you turn around and murder my people? Did you enjoy the kill?” His words cut like ice, brittle shards of accusation.
“Andreas, stop this.” Ari’s pulse hammered. She felt his control slipping.
“Answer me. What was it like?”
She braced her hands against his chest, her magic meeting his, and absorbed the rolling anger. “Of course I didn’t like it. But somebody had to—” she stopped. No explanations. He didn’t want to hear them. Not now. She wasn’t even sure he was listening to her. She stilled, willing his rage to cool.
Feeling the magic surrounding the pair, the Otherworlders in the crowd began to edge away. Ryan must have noticed something. Maybe her closeness to someone he considered a danger. Not such a far-fetched idea tonight. She heard Ryan’s voice. “Hey, is everything OK over there?”
No one answered him.
She shoved her hands against Andreas’s chest, demanding some space. He allowed the distance to widen without protest. Relieved at this headway, she gave him a hard look. “If you’ve got a point to make, now’s the time.”
“Don’t bait me, Arianna.” Despite the warning, his tone was neutral now. A definite sign of improvement.
“I wasn’t. But I don’t get this. The vamps were killers, and they left us no choice. I can explain if you’ll let me.” She didn’t owe him an explanation, but failing to handle this right might end with one of them dead.
Andreas took a step back. The power level dropped, and the ants quit marching up and down her arms.
“Proceed,” he said, settling back on his heels. “Explain this to me.” His voice was cold, unyielding.
Before she uttered a word, Ryan stalked over. “Is there a problem here?” He stopped six feet away, a suspicious frown on his face. She noted his hand hovered at his side, close to his holstered weapon.
Andreas ignored him.
“No, no problem,” Ari said. “Just a misunderstanding. This is Andreas De Luca. He’s with the vampire court and concerned about what happened tonight.” She waited to see if the vampire would confirm or deny his position with the court. He didn’t.
She took a steadying breath. In an effort to ease the tension, she finished the introduction of the two men.