Blood From a Silver Cross (Kat Redding) by E.S. Moore

Ethan to summon his demon again so I could force him to tell me everything he knew about the process. He said I wouldn’t like how it was done, which meant there was no way I was going to walk into it blindly.
    But as much as I wanted to hold Beligral down and beat the information out of him, I couldn’t do that; there was too much to do. Life wouldn’t wait while I sorted things out.
    The Left Hand wouldn’t wait.
    I didn’t relish the thought of searching for them, but it didn’t stop me from getting dressed, grabbing my weapons, and heading out with a quick good-bye to both Jeremy and Ethan. I could tell Jeremy wanted to come. After one look at me, he decided to step back and let me do what I had to do.
    My first thought was to head to the Den to get the mess with Nathan and Keira sorted out. If either one of them were responsible for the Left Hand knowing where the Den was located, I could use them for information. The problem would be, of course, getting that information out of them. Werewolves aren’t exactly the easiest of beings to intimidate. Violence wasn’t always motivation for them to talk, either.
    I decided it might be better, especially in my current mental state, to ride around for a bit. I headed for High Street, thinking that it would be a good place to start in my search for the Left Hand. I’d been attacked in one of the alleyways here. I figured other Left Hand members might find the sleazy street ideal for hunting as well.
    The lights were bright, as always, as I coasted down the packed road. Screaming neon and strobing lights came from nearly every building. Windows in the motels that had taken over a large stretch of the road were curtainless. I could see more than my fair share of young girls pressed against the glass while things were done to them, not all of them bloodless.
    It seemed busier than usual and I wondered if it had anything to do with the recent murders. Coming to a place like High Street was always dangerous, unlike the Bloody Stake. Here, death could be around the corner, though it rarely happened out in the open. There was a sense of nearly averted disaster with every visit.
    I’d like to think most people would be smarter than to head into a private room or down a dark alley with someone they didn’t know, but I knew better. The Left Hand could find dozens, if not hundreds of victims here and a good portion of them wouldn’t be missed. Why would one death in a dark alley matter when the bloodstains of a hundred others marked the pavement?
    I pulled into the gloom of the parking garage and began winding my way around, looking for a place to park. I had no idea how many of these cars were abandoned, left by owners who hadn’t come back to retrieve them after a fatal visit with some vamp or wolf.
    It wasn’t a pleasant thought, but it was reality. Why would I want to become a frail human again?
    I found a spot near the top of the garage. I parked and headed back to High Street on foot. While driving around would allow me to cover ground faster, I wouldn’t be close enough to the action to get a good look at what was going on.
    I squinted into the neon as I stepped out onto the street, amid both men and women wearing tight leather, and began my search.
    It didn’t take long for my mind to start wandering from my goal. As much I wanted to forget about it, I kept coming back to what Beligral had said. And then there was the whole thing with Nathan. It was bad enough that Monday was approaching and I knew— knew —Baset would have a name for me. I was afraid everyone was going to start pulling me in a dozen different directions.
    And, of course, there was Adrian. I could feel him ahead of me somewhere. He wasn’t home, that was for sure. I vaguely wondered what he was doing and if it would end up getting someone killed.
    I was so distracted by my thoughts, I didn’t see the sudden movement beside me until it was too late.
    I didn’t have time to think, let alone react.