Undead and Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson Page A

you’ve forgotten?”
    â€œYeah.” Just a little something I should have done six months ago. “I’ll be back. Don’t finish without me.”
    â€œBut—” I was already hurrying down the hallway and didn’t hear the rest. Sex with him was always super, and I’d get back to it soon enough, but this was a lot more important. The last thing I needed in my house was an infinitely old, infinitely crafty vampire who didn’t have my best interests at heart.
    Besides, there were plenty more where she came from. Younger. Less dangerous. Certainly less annoying. And my boy Sinclair wasn’t going anywhere. He practically had a leash and a collar.
    I caught up with Tina in the front entryway; she had just shut the door. I guess I’d really jammed down those stairs.
    â€œGood morning, Your M—” Then she screamed. Possibly because I’d taken the small gold cross out of my robe pocket and thrown it at her.
    Sinclair had given me the delicate necklace a few months ago (it had formerly belonged to his ages-dead baby sis). I couldn’t wear it around the house; it hurt Sinclair and Tina to look at it, not to mention any vampire who wanted to come calling.
    But (and this is the dopey part) I liked to keep it close. So it was usually in the pocket of my jeans or, at bedtime, my robe.
    â€œTina, in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve had just about enough of your shit.”
    â€œDon’t—don’t—” She’d dodged and was cringing in the corner. “Don’t do that!”
    â€œDon’t ever tell me don’t .” Hmm, that had sounded more menacing in my head. Oh well. She’d catch up with current events soon enough. Out with the old, in with the new. And all that.
    â€œWhat’s happened?” she cried.
    I sent a fist looping toward her face for an answer, but she was too quick, and next thing I knew I was wrist-deep in the wall.
    â€œDammit!” I pulled my hand out and shook the plaster dust off. When I had someone call the headboard repairer, I’d also have them get a wallpaper hanger in here and have someone build a new door.
    But first, back to the business at hand. I looked around for the cross. I could jam that sucker right through her forehead and bye-bye Tina; she’d die screaming and that was fine, as long as she died.
    Ah! There it was, on the floor beside the small table we dumped our house keys on. I bent for it—and Tina grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back so hard I went sailing into the opposite wall.
    â€œHey!” Now I really wanted to kill her. “You keep your hands to yourself, you fucking cow.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Majesty.” She was standing perfectly still, well to the left of the cross. She watched me carefully and with interest, like a cat watches a mouse hole. “But I’m not going to let you kill me. I want to help you. What’s wrong?”
    â€œHelp me by standing still,” I replied, and launched myself at her. And got a kick to the chest for my trouble, and broke a chair as I hit the ground.
    Damn! “You’ve kept in shape the last hundred years or so.”
    â€œIt’s one of the advantages of being immortal,” she said calmly. It was actually sort of impressive how quickly she’d gone from flabbergasted surprise to cool assessment. Like I needed another reason to kill her. “Plenty of time to learn how to fight. What’s happened?”
    â€œNothing much. Got some light reading done earlier tonight. The good news is, I know all about my sister. The bad news is, you’re gonna have to go, Tina. Sorry.”
    â€œShe’s gone crazy, Tina, watch out.” I looked. Jessica was standing in one of the doorways, gray-faced and bloody. She had a palm pressed to her forehead, stanching the yummy flow of blood. How had I let her sneak up on us? Son of a bitch! This house had too many people in it, and all but