Shadows of Fire by Nina Pierce Page A

wondering what the hell they were going to do. “Is Nason right?
Is my personal involvement blinding me to the facts?”
    “Depends on how bad you have it
for her.”
    “Let’s just say after today, you
can rip up that IOU.” Reese’s whole world had been dropped in a blender and put
on pulverize to shit .
    “You certainly picked a lousy time
to get over your fear of commitment.”
    “Ya think?”
    “Dude, the whole situation just
sucks.” Josh raked his fingers through his hair. “I’d like to think someone is
setting her up for some reason.”
    “Is that what you honestly
believe?”
    “What I know is that Alex
has been working to perfect a nutritional supplement so vamps don’t have to
drink human blood. She’s got the protection of Glenn and the blessing of the
tribunal. What I believe doesn’t matter.”
    “But …” Reese dragged the word
slowly over his tongue.
    “Since I’m a betting man, I’d
wager my left nut she’s mired in this whole thing up to that nice rack of hers.”
    * * * *
    “… and a veggie burger, lettuce,
tomato, hold the mayo, but add avocados and extra pickles.” The young woman
looked at Alex and smiled. “And could I have unsweetened iced tea with lemon?”
    “Fries?” Alex wrote the order on
her pad, fighting through the double vision blurring the words. The young
couple at the table bantered back and forth about potatoes and fry oil, until Alex
regretted making the suggestion. “How about I just bring you a sample platter
of our fries and onion rings, on the house?” She gathered their menus and
hurried into the kitchen before they could change their minds.
    Thank goodness the lunch rush was
over and only a few late afternoon stragglers had stopped by the tavern. Alex’s
morning queasiness had become full blown cramping and the headache that had
tapped at her temples, now left her head throbbing in a vise grip of pain. She
counted the minutes until Katie would arrive and relieve her.
    “Order for table four,” she
mumbled, laying her slip on the stainless steel counter with the others.
    Chris caught her wrist, stopping
her escape. “Hey, you okay?”
    She
forced a tremulous smile. “Yeah, fine.”
    “It’s
me you’re talking to.”
    “I’m
a little distracted that Glenn hasn’t gotten back. I’m not sure what’s keeping
him today. I’ve still got work I need to finish up in the wine cellar.”
    His
face scrunched in doubt. “I’ve watched you dragging your ass around here all afternoon. And you called Katie in. It’s pretty bad when you call in
reinforcements.”
    “I
guess the professor’s death is finally sinking in.” A lie. Hopefully one Chris
would accept. “I’m not sure who’s going to make the funeral arrangements and …”
Pain stabbed through her gut, bringing water to her eyes.
    Chris
misunderstood her tears. “Hey, now, we’re all here for you.” He pulled her into
his arms, holding her tight. She knew there was more than friendship behind the
gesture, but she was too weak to fight him. “You won’t have to go through this
alone.”
    Yes,
she did. “Thanks, friend.” She pushed away from him, forcing another smile. “Katie’ll be
here in a couple. I’m just going to go downstairs and finish up the bookkeeping
down there.” She didn’t even bother to take off her apron before running for
the refuge of the cellar.
    Unlocking
the door, she let the damp, cool air settle around her. Less than twenty-four
hours had passed since she’d been with the professor and already her body was
craving the one thing she couldn’t give it—sustenance.
    She
ran into the back room. Alex took small, shallow breaths, working to keep her
stomach from heaving as she grabbed a bottle of blood wine and a small
measuring beaker from the shelf. Returning to her office, she fell heavily in
her chair, her knees shaky and weak. With trembling hands, she grabbed a half
dozen saltine crackers from her drawer, unwrapped them and crumbled them into
the