Vampire's Dayrunner: Kit Melbourne, #3

By Kater Cheek

Deadly curses. Unresolved romance. Can this witch expose a killer before it's too late?

 

Kit Melbourne can't shake her lingering love for her ex, even with her new vampire beau. Between bouts of spontaneous telekinesis and her treacherous job impressing her BF's human-hating guild, she struggles to stay out of trouble. And with someone planting magical traps on her front porch, she barely stays one step ahead of the reaper.

 

Dodging her fanged boyfriend's growing thirst, Kit and her crow familiar fend off her mysterious enemy's unrelenting attacks. But when the assassination attempts threaten those she lives with and her old flame re-breaks her heart, she's pushed to commit an unthinkable act …

Will Kit unmask her unknown foe in time to protect those she truly loves?

 

Vampire's Dayrunner is the third book in the exhilarating Kit Melbourne urban fantasy series. If you like gripping mysteries, paranormal passions, and selfless heroines, then you'll love Kater Cheek's twisty tale!

 

Buy Vampire's Dayrunner to bite into a dark conspiracy today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kater Cheek
• Release date: May 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393514817

Book preview

Chapter One

Having to be at work before sunrise has got to be the worst thing about working for a vampire. As far as I’m concerned, the only good reason to be out at dawn is that the bars are closed and it’s time to go home.

It was just after four in the morning, and instead of sleeping, I was wide awake and chatting with my familiar in the bathroom. Kaa didn’t respond to my complaint except to tap on the faucet with his beak, telling me to turn it on. He could turn it on in the kitchen, but the bathroom knobs were too hard to turn even for an especially clever crow.

Guess that’s why they pay Dayrunners the big bucks.

Kaa, my familiar agreed, around a beakful of water. He hopped to my shoulder and started preening, his own version of the morning grooming ritual. I pulled a comb through my hair, careful not to dislodge him.

Kaa, what would Cinderella have done if her Prince Charming decided to get engaged to a gorgeous petite redhead instead?

Kaa cocked his head at me.

I know. I sighed. She’d do what I’m doing. Get a new job, a new place to live, a new boyfriend, and get on with her life.

A tinny melody came from the other room, muffled slightly by the dirty shirt it was hidden under. I raced into the chilly bedroom and dug through the pockets to find the phone before whoever it was hung up. Must be work. No one else would call this early.

Melbourne here.

Morning, Kit. Did I wake you? Mr. Hall probably hoped he did.

No. I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder and stepped into my pants. What’s up?

We need to check the Boss’ perimeter spells. They’ve gone down again.

Shit. Again?

That’s not the kind of language for a young lady to use, Kit, Mr. Hall said. You’d better get here before sunrise. That’s at—

—Five thirty-two. I have an almanac too, Mr. Hall.

You don’t need to get snippy with me, Kit. I’m only trying to help.

I’ll be there. Goodbye, Mr. Hall. We hung up and I walked back to change in the relative warmth of the steamy bathroom.

He is such a prick, Kaa. Why can’t he call me Melbourne like the vampires do?

Kaa, my crow said. He was a good listener.

My bindi was stuck to the corner of the mirror, and came off with a gentle fingernail pried underneath. My magic jewel. It was a theoretically a powerful and priceless one-of-a-kind artifact, but the only thing it did was let me see through glamours and spells. Oh yeah, and I could spot lycanthropes too, except that I only knew one and he didn’t even want to date me anymore. With a little spirit gum, the red and gold felt paisley stuck between my brows where it belonged.

They say that people who have been in a car accident tend to categorize their lives into before the accident and after the accident. A car accident might have been less life-altering. I went to the Realm of the Faerie to save the man I loved, but in order to save him, I had to make a bargain that made him forget he had ever loved me. And now he was engaged to another woman.

New place, new job, new friends. Some things were better now, there was no denying it, but every time I thought about their stupid little profile update with the heart next to we’re engaged! it made me want to vomit.

I should be grateful that at least you still wanted me after I came back.

Kaa! he said, and flew to the toilet to take care of the rest of his morning ritual.

I looked at my watch. Ten till five already? Time to go, Kaa. You feel up to a car ride?

Kaa shook his head and preened again.

I scratched his ears with my fingernails and picked him up with the other hand. Please? I’d really like to have you along. I kept scratching him even as we walked to the kitchen for breakfast. The scratching won him over. Kaa finally nodded in agreement and took the dog biscuit I offered him. One for him, and one for me, since the breakfast bars were all gone.

Traffic was light this early in the morning, and Mr. Hall waited for me on the street in front of our boss’ house.

So, what did you find? I asked Mr. Hall. We were in front of the big wooden farmhouse where Grant Holzhausen, Guild Leader for the vampires, slept during the day. Kaa sat on my shoulder and regarded Mr. Hall with one black eye.

Mrs. Threadgold was walking her dogs and noticed the perimeter ward was down again. I would have noticed it myself if I had come by here, but I really thought you had done a good enough job last time so I didn’t check up on you.

Mr. Hall was in his late sixties, and had been Holzhausen’s Dayrunner for over thirty of those years. His off-white hair and Waspish ancestry made him look like Somebody Important, especially when he wore a suit, which he nearly always did. I wore a suit only when I had to. Most of the time, I wore jeans and jean jacket, which had been through almost as much as I had.

Look. Here’s one of them. Mr. Hall held up the small bundle. It looked like a mouse pellet comprised entirely of plant materials. With the bindi on I could see the spell’s power. I would have been able to anyway, had the spell not faded. Properly made, they were supposed to glow with energy so long as the ring remained unbroken. They would keep people from crossing the perimeter, and if someone was persistent enough to cross, the loss of energy would warn Holzhausen as he slept in the house. He had a security system as well, but being the Vampire Guild Leader gains one a lot of enemies, and he felt that not all of them could be deterred with electronics.

Why didn’t it work? We did everything right, didn’t we?

I thought so, but someone must have tampered with it.

During the night? I was skeptical. Tolstoy and Campbell were here. They would have seen something.

Unless one of them tampered with it.

Attacking the Guild Leader is treasonous. What are you suggesting, Mr. Hall?

He waved his hand at me. Forget I said anything. Don’t worry about it, Kit.

I narrowed my eyes at his patronizing tone. Don’t worry about it? It was my job to worry about it. How was it tampered with?

I don’t know. I’m almost as bad a mage as you are. Mr. Hall stood up and brushed mud off his pants, looking like one of the X-files agents investigating a site of a supernatural occurrence. Why on earth did he insist on wearing suits if he knew he would be mucking about in the yard? Maybe he had a wife at home to wash his clothes for him, and didn’t mind making extra work for her. Kit, I’d keep quiet about this if I were you.

The boss needs to know about this.

He deserves solutions, not problems. Besides, what if he suspects one of us? He glanced towards the house, as if Holzhausen were awake and peering at us from behind the closed shades. You know how they feel about humans. We’re not Guild members. They won’t forget that.

I’m a Guild member, I reminded him. But I could see his point. I’d had enough temp jobs to know that when the petty cash goes missing, the new girl is the first to get blamed, regardless of proof. I sighed. All right, fine. I’ll keep quiet if you will.

Good. He picked up my backpack with the textbooks in it, handing it to me in exchange for the spell bundle. How’s school going?

Fine.

We began to walk towards the next spell bundle. Mr. Hall let me bend down to pick up the next bundle, but he took it from my hands as though not trusting me to carry it.

What are you taking?

Drama and psychology.

Right, to help you lie better. He had me study that too. He got you taking martial arts yet?

No. Holzhausen had told me the dojo I already studied at was reputable enough, and Fain had showed me how to use my Guild-issued 22. Fain took me to the range sometimes to practice. It was his idea of a nice date.

That’s good. Girls shouldn’t fight.

Slow count to ten. Don’t punch him. Mr. Hall was going to teach me to do this job, and he would only work with me until the end of October. I’ll repair the spell.

I can do it quicker. You run along to your schoolwork.

I reached for the bundles. I can do it.

Kaa cawed a couple times at Mr. Hall, as if to emphasize that at least I was enough of a mage to have my own familiar.

Okay, I’ll walk you through it, make sure you’re doing it well enough. He followed me around while I undid each bundle and wrapped it up again, checking to make sure the contents were intact. Whoever had tampered with them did a pretty good job, because if I hadn’t made them myself I wouldn’t have noticed the tiny flaws. When they were all wrapped up tight, I set them at the proper distance from one another until the net was complete.

Mr. Hall nodded curtly. Good enough. We’ll make a mage of you yet.

That we was pretty arrogant. Holzhausen was the one supervising my education. Mr. Hall was almost as bad a mage as I was.

I have some errands to run, if you think I can handle picking up the dry cleaning on my own.

He didn’t respond to my sarcasm. Okay. See you at dusk then.

Except for the pre-dawn perimeter check, that day was normal. Holzhausen had a list of errands for me to do, and yes, picking up the dry cleaning was on it. At dusk when I met Holzhausen at the Guild House in Wasserhausen, I didn’t say anything about the perimeter spells being messed up again that morning. Mr. Hall told me not to bother Holzhausen with it, because he deserved solutions, not problems. But since the Guild Leader hadn’t hired a stupid little girl to be his Dayrunner, I asked Kaa to stay on guard the following two days. No one was going to attack my boss on my shift.

Chapter Two

The Pygg and Wassail, Seabingen’s oldest and most popular Irish pub, was as crowded as ever that Saturday night. The scarred wooden tables were packed with people, and the room was dim enough to hide the horse tack, toucan-bearing beer ads, Irish street signs, and other decorative bric-a-brac lining the dark green walls. Elaina had arrived early to claim a table, and she draped her coat and purse over the other chairs. She had long brown hair in a braid, and very wide, round eyes. Back when we’d been roommates she had worn glasses. Even with contact lenses, she still reminded me of an owl.

I hear you’re studying mage-craft now, Elaina said, by way of a greeting. Mom says you got into alternative studies.

Yeah. Only choice left. I’ve run out of faeries to bargain with. Elaina’s ex-boyfriend Ulrich had taught me how to make myself invisible, but he’d made me clean his studio in exchange for lessons.

You could have joined our coven.

Yeah, convert to Paganism and maybe after a few months they’d teach me to ask the Goddess for blessings. No thanks.

Elaina didn’t respond to that. She was witch enough to know how hard it was to find decent teachers. Mom said you even got John Hamilton to teach you.

Yeah. Twice a week.

Twice a week! Are you serious? I was lucky enough to get a lesson once a month! She narrowed her eyes. Elaina managed to get tutors because her grandmother had done massive fundraising for the University, and because her mother was politically active in Seabingen’s Pagan community. What’s going on, Kit? How come you suddenly have connections?

I shrugged instead of answering. She didn’t need to know about my Guild job.

Come on, Kit. I’m serious. She broke off when she saw my current roommate/landlord come in. Hi Chris! What took you so long?

It happened again! Chris walked in the crowded pub, bumping into wooden chairs as he rushed towards us. Chris had a muscular torso, several snake tattoos winding up one arm, and a buzz cut. He pulled out a heavy wooden chair and sat in it backwards.

The ghost again? Elaina asked. She unrolled her napkin and silverware bundle, an optimistic gesture if ever there was one, because our friend the waitress had yet to appear.

Chris nodded enthusiastically. I swear to God, it’s the creepiest thing. The cabinets were all closed last night, and this morning they were all wide open, even the locked ones!

Great. Not the ghost theory again. Elaina’s spoon and fork began to shake against each other. I snatched hers and replaced it with my still-bound napkin bundle before Chris could notice.

Chris tapped his fingers on the back of the chair. Josh and I were talking about it, and we both think the place is haunted. The last part of that was spoken in a whisper, as if saying it quiet enough would keep me from overhearing the conversation, or maybe keep it from being true.

I don’t believe in ghosts. I put the napkin over the loose silverware to hide the fact that they had formed a triangle on their own.

You think maybe it’s a poltergeist? Elaina raised an eyebrow at the napkin, and waggled it up and down. Stupid woman. Could she be any less subtle? Might as well just tell him!

If Jackie shows up, order a beer for me. I have to go to the bathroom. I gave Elaina a glare, hoping she’d know an invitation for confidential girl-talk when she heard one.

I’ll come with you, she said.

We elbowed through the crowd to the dingy green-painted bathroom in the back. I saw a lycanthrope edge past, (a were-doe, I had seen her once or twice before but never learned her name). The now-mortal pixie waitress wasn’t working tonight, but some of her tiny kinsmen hovered around the head of a man at the end of the bar. He didn’t seem to notice them.

I sat on the edge of the sink and pulled my knees up, breathing slowly to get a hold of myself. Damnit, Elaina, you said you wouldn’t tell him! What if he guesses? I don’t want them to know any of it!

Why not? They’d probably get a kick out of it. Elaina rummaged in her purse for some pressed powder. She was already wearing twice as much make up as I would wear to get my picture taken, but she never thought good enough was good enough.

Because I’m trying to pass for normal. I want them to think I’m a normal girl. Some of the paper towels dangling from the holder fluttered, as from an invisible wind, I tore one out, as a warning to the others. I haven’t told them where I was for those months I was gone. Jackie thinks I was at art school.

There you are! As if she heard us, Jackie burst in the door. Jackie McLean had a huge cloud of red hair, massed in long curls around her head. The hair, along with her last name, had all but handed her the job as a waitress in the Irish-themed pub. Ironically, she was about an eighth Scottish and the rest was a hodgepodge of everything except Irish. What are you two whispering about?

Elaina lied smoothly, for once. Oh, you know. She hadn’t heard about me breaking up with Gher. You working tonight?

Yeah. Jackie probably would have stayed in the bathroom chatting with us, except that her manager started bellowing her name. She rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. You guys want the usual? At our nods, she flounced out the door, already slipping on her Kelly-green apron.

I didn’t know you broke up with Gher. I hopped off the sink. Are you here looking to meet someone new? Some girls only date black guys. Some only like surfers. Elaina had a thing for the Goodly Folk. If he didn’t have pointy ears, she wasn’t interested.

Why else hang would I hang out in the Pygg and Wassail? I certainly didn’t come here for the service. Elaina took a metal tube out of her purse and marinated herself in perfume. Yuck. Eau de alcohol.

I’ll tell you if I see any single faerie guys. I held the paper towel to my nose, trying to block out the noxious fumes. But only if you swear not to tell Chris and Jackie about me.

Elaina zipped her purse shut and made a kiss face at the mirror. How are you explaining your crow?

I told him Kaa was just a pet. Denial goes a long way. I pushed the painted green door open, letting in the noise of the pub. You’re not still mad about me stealing him, are you?

Of course not. You still have a connection with him? She sashayed towards our table, flicking her long brown hair seductively. Too bad for her there weren’t any Goodly Folk to see it.

Yeah, I can tell where he is, but I’d like to be able to see what he sees. Think you could give me some tips?

I charge for lessons now. Fifty bucks an hour. Elaina had always charged for lessons, but back when we were roomies, she’d usually just make me do chores. Her mom would probably have a fit if she found out white-witch Elaina was making a buck off the craft.

That’s fine. But don’t tell Chris that Kaa’s my familiar.

He’s going to figure it out eventually. You should tell him. Chris and I have been friends a long time. He’s very open-minded about that sort of thing.

Open-minded about what? Chris had an empty glass in front of him, but had not touched the ones Jackie brought for Elaina and me. What a gentleman.

About ghosts, Elaina said. Kit doesn’t believe in ghosts.

I sat down and drank most of the beer in one pull. Jackie bring menus yet?

Not yet. I think she’s still pissed off at me, Chris said. I told her I’m taking Josh to the Thungo concert instead of her.

No reason why she should punish us, I said. I’m hungry.

Chris tipped up his glass to pour the last drop of beer foam down his throat. He thunked it on the table loudly, giving an exaggerated sigh. Why do you come here again?

Because it was the number one hangout for otherfolk, and it made me feel like less of a freak. Despite their love of the paranormal, neither Chris nor Jackie even knew that non-humans walked around in this town. There was a difference between people who believed in mystical stuff and people who knew. Elaina knew. She was deep into the second side of Seabingen. Part of that was the witch thing, and part of it was having been raised by a witch. I liked hanging out with her because she was one of the few people for whom I didn’t have to self-censor. Reveal to casual strangers that you were studying mage-craft, or that you worked for the vampires, or that you were a little bit fey, and people might think you were a nutcase. Some days I had my own doubts.

I gave him my standard excuse. It’s close enough to stagger home afterwards. Besides, it’s not quite as bad now that Jackie’s working there. I think hiring her doubled the wait staff.

I’d hate to see what it was like before. Chris grimaced. Oh yeah, and before I forget, some guy came to see you last night while you were still at work.

Some guy? Fenwick?

He said his name was James. Chris raised his eyebrows hopefully. Tell me you’re dating someone besides that homophobic prick.

James is my brother. Did he say why he came by?

He said it’s because you weren’t answering your phone again. Guard the seats. I’m going to find Jackie. He stood and pushed his way through the drunk college kids on his quest for menus.

You still seeing that vampire? Elaina asked, daintily sipping at her cider as though she wanted to nurse it all night.

Yeah.

Whatever happened to that tall blond guy you used to be so hot over? What was his name? Fred? Elaina scanned the crowd for a pointy eared man worthy of primping for.

Alan Fenwick. He’s engaged to someone else. They announced it today.

After everything you did for him? What a jerk.

I drank more beer instead of commenting.

You’d think he’d like you better now that you’re, you know.

Now that I’m what?

One of them.

I’m not. I’m a normal human woman.

Yeah, right. She rolled her eyes, then touched up her lipstick. Even I can tell you’re different, and I’m not the one with the magic jewel on my forehead. You have a glamour.

No I don’t.

"You do. It’s just like what Dael and Gher have, except that it doesn’t look different, it just looks like you. You probably got it when you came back from the Realm. All faeries from the Realm have a glamour. Can’t you see it with your magic bindi?

No, my bindi makes glamours invisible to me. And don’t tell anyone about my jewel either.

She took another dainty sip of her cider. Fine. Just tell me if there are any faerie guys here. I want to find another hottie like Dael.

I snorted. If I find another guy like Dael I’ll shoot him in the head.

Elaina didn’t have a comeback for that. She must have found out about her ex-boyfriend’s little car-theft and date rape hobbies.

Jackie and Chris approached, bearing menus and another full beer mug. Chris’ eyebrows were raised, and he gestured as much as the sloshing beer allowed him. And just as I open the door to see what the knocking is, it stops.

Whoa. Jackie handed Elaina and me menus without looking at us. You know, Madame R., the woman I go to for palm readings, is supposed to be a really good medium. We should have a séance and find out what the ghost wants.

Palm readings? Chris perked up. Is she any good?

Jackie nodded.

No, she isn’t, said Elaina, interrupting Jackie. I went to her once. Madame R. is a faker. Her palm readings are crap, and you certainly don’t want her in your house. She’s more likely to lift your wallet than raise the spirits of the dead.

I agree. If you want to tell the future, you should ask my brother. He predicted mine accurately, I said, and regretted it. I had meant to drink my beer in silence.

Well, well, well, who knew that Kit the skeptic actually believes in something? Jackie said.

Yeah, well, don’t let it get around, I said. And I hate to tell you this, but that guy over there’s been trying to get your attention for like five minutes, so you might actually have to work.

Work sucks. Jackie got up to serve beer, sighing as if she were doing him an incredible favor.

I glanced around then, people watching. Elaina did too, although neither one of us managed to spot a cute faerie without a girlfriend in tow. Except for the pixie waitress just starting her shift, and the otherfolk I had already seen, there were only humans there tonight. Still, it was a good evening out. After a couple hours, I was relaxed, happy, and as tipsy as Jackie’s lax service would allow.

And then meaty hands suddenly pressed on the back of my shoulders. Everyone at the table froze, including me, and all the relaxation I had gained vanished in a surge of adrenaline. Chris half stood from his chair in an attempt to be protective, and Elaina pulled her fingers into a fending. I tried to turn around and see who it was, but the strength in those fingers kept me pinned to my seat.

A deep and aggressive voice said, We don’t want your kind in here. You better get out of here if you know what’s good for you.

Tolstoy! I managed to half turn my head. Don’t tell me you’re moonlighting here?

Nah. He grinned at his little joke and pulled up a chair for himself. I got the night off and came down to have a couple drinks. Did I scare you?

If I hadn’t recognized your voice, I’d need a clean pair of underwear. Truth was, my heart was still pounding. Tolstoy didn’t need to say anything threatening to scare people. He was over six feet tall, and looked like those nineteenth century strongmen, with a neat mustache and wavy brown hair.

Tolstoy introduced himself as Stephan and shook hands with everyone. What was he doing here? Didn’t he see that these people were my friends? How was I supposed to pass for a normal human if vampires kept mixing my work and my social life?

Why is it you’re not with Leo Fain tonight? Tolstoy asked, as if he didn’t know. Vampire gossip: like a centuries-long episode of Days of Our Lives.

He had to work. Another fight.

Yeah, and he’s an asshole, Chris said under his breath.

You don’t like him? Tolstoy asked.

I stood up. Trash him if you like, but leave me out of it. I’m gonna go. I got to get up early for work. See you all later.

Chris and Elaina made some halfhearted protests, but they were accustomed to my early hours.

I’d left my car at home. It sucks to have to walk home from a bar when you’re sober enough to drive, but at least the weather was nice. Classes had just ended for the year, and hordes of university students staggered from bar to bar. All the nightlife happened in or around the Old Town, the closer to campus the better.

James called when I was halfway home. He sounded wide awake, wider than awake, and asked how I was three times before I got in a hello.

Hey, James. You sound pretty wired. Been sampling your own wares?

Well, the distributor came today, and I had to taste test. Maya says I drink too much, but it’s hard to cut back. I did have two decafs today. Does that count?

Sure. My path back to Chris’ house led through an alley. The light at the entrance had burned out, but I took it anyway, out of habit. Chris said you called?

It’s about the wedding.

Last minute glitches? I walked slower. Had it always been so dark here? And was someone following me? My gun was at home, in the table next to my bed, where it wouldn’t do any good. Let me guess, the flower company folded, and you want me to make two hundred silk bouquets by next week.

No, it’s not that. Maya’s handling all that anyway. It’s, uh, are you going to bring your new boyfriend to the wedding?

If you mean Fain, no, not to the ceremony. The alley ended, and the street beyond had both working lights and a few pedestrians. A dog barked at me once, before its mistress hushed it. See, Kit? No one’s following you. You’re being paranoid.

He can’t enter churches? I thought that was just a superstition.

It is. He’s Catholic, remember? It’s the sunset. You forgot how late the sun sets this time of year.

Oh, yes, you’re right. Jolene said something about it too.

Fain promised he’d show up for the reception. Was that an echo of footprints behind me? Or maybe it was just weird acoustics on account of the concrete retaining wall? I craned my neck back, trying to be casual, but saw nothing except parked cars and a line of maples planted in the sidewalk. Why do you ask?

I invited Fenwick to the wedding.

A shadow moved. I pulled myself invisible and ducked behind a sphere of boxwood, crouching down on the bark mulch. I peered out from behind the bush. No one there.

James filled my silence. We’re friends, you know. He’s a regular at Ishmael’s.

I brushed bark mulch off my pants, feeling a little foolish.

I heard about his engagement announcement today. I’m sorry.

Only a couple blocks to Chris’ house, with my comforting gun and my nice, safe, witch-wards.

I already invited him, but if you want, I can ask him not to come.

Let him come. I’ll be a big girl. Besides, I’m getting over him. And just because I was still angry and hurt was no reason to mess up my own brother’s wedding. I’ll talk to you later, okay? Gotta go. Bye.

I pulled my invisibility glamour over me and crept across the neighbor’s lawn, scooping up a handful of pine cones. Dew-covered grass left footprints, so I treaded on the edge of the flower bed, then stepped carefully across the cement path to not leave any wet tracks. Elaina’s ex-boyfriend Ulrich had taught me this invisibility glamour. It wasn’t great invisibility. You could still be heard, smelled, felt, and cameras could see you. It was basically just a way of making people ignore you. You mentally projected a feeling of nobody’s here, so quit looking around yourself. It’s not as easy as it sounds. I practiced for a year before I could do it at all.

The nice thing about being invisible was that you could do dorky things like creep through the shrubbery and not feel as self conscious about it. I tossed one of the pine cones across the street and it bounced against someone’s kitchen door. The motion sensor light turned on, but whoever was following me must not have