Page 1 of Bad Medicine

Chapter One

“It’s like a muscle, Kaitlyn.You will become stronger and more skilled with time and practice.”

I lay on my bed, staring up at theceiling, my hands behind my head as I talked with Saul—my “handler.” I had puthim on speaker, doing my irregular morning report, even though there wasn’t alot new to report, and even though it wasn’t morning.

I was currently complainingabout the power that exploded inside me in times of severe, acute distress but refusedto come to my call, and he reassured me that in time, I’d be able to use itwhen I needed it. I wasn’t so sure.

“Government agents areeverywhere,” I told him. “They follow me, sometimes. A couple of them came intomy work and Joe and I had to throw them out. Seriously, Saul, if they cart meoff to some secret lab in the desert, you’d better send a rescue team.”

“The governments were aware ofthings that exist in the world long before Avis Vine, and they take steps toprotect the nonhuman communities. The status quo needs to be maintained. Theyexpect the occasional blip, and they step in to investigate and plan—and to dodamage control. This is hardly the first time it's happened. You will not becarted off by the government.” He hesitated. “At least, it’s unlikely.”

“The human governments areworking with the nonhuman councils?” I’d probably been the most naïve nonhumanin existence. I’d believed we were the world’s biggest secret, and apparentlythat simply wasn’t true. The humans had officials in high places handling shit mostpeople didn’t even know was there to be handled. “Maybe they all think it’stime for us to come out of the shadows.”

“Slowly,” he agreed, or seemedto agree. “Gradually, the nonhumans will become a known and accepted reality.”

“That’s hard to imagine.” ThenAsh scratched at my door, and I heard Lucy murmur, “Patience, puppy,” beforeshe called, “Kait? We’re coming in.” Usually she and my dog just barged into myroom, so that was different. “I have to get ready for work,” I told Saul.

“Expect a package today,” hesaid. “I’ll have it sent to your office.” Then he abruptly ended the call.

I’d gotten used to him. Hisvoice was familiar to me now, and I didn’t mind calling every couple of days toleave reports. There was something comforting about it, if I were being honest.I liked a bit of structure in my otherwise chaotic life. I liked having someonewith whom to mull over the previous days’ events. I didn’t have to censoranything with Saul.

Lucy opened my door and Ashrushed in, doing zoomies around the room to make me laugh before he finallyjumped up onto the bed. He flopped to his back and grinned at me, waiting notso patiently for a belly rub.

Lucy carried a mug from whichthe tempting scent of coffee wafted. “I made breakfast,” she told me, settingthe cup on my bedside table before grabbing the remote. “But look what’s on thenews.”

A woman was currently in themiddle of an interview, and both she and the anchor interviewing her weredressed in somber colors to match their gloomy expressions.

“They’re attempting a cover-up,”the interviewee was saying, “but the truth will come out. Supernaturalcreatures are out there, and the proof is in the tragedy of Jakeston.”

“They’re saying—” the anchorstarted.

“Iknowwhat they’resaying,” the woman snapped. “I also know what they’re doing. What happened inJakeston wasn’t the attack of a cult full of addicts. It wasn’t the work ofangry conspiracy theorists. It wasn’t terrorists. It wasn’t a band of killersroaming the countryside rushing into cities to murder people for shits andgiggles.” She leaned closer to the anchor. “It was vampires, just as we allknew it was before the government came in to make us doubt the truth.”

“You should know,” theinterviewer said, her voice soft but hiding a sort of dark glee. “You werethere, after all. Tell us, Christine, how did you survive your ordeal? Walk usthrough that night when you hid under a table and hoped you would somehow beoverlooked, even as other diners fell to the vicious attackers. Tell us why youare still claimingvampireswere responsible for the attack when theother survivors are either denying it, refusing to speak, or claiming theydon’t remember what happened.” Her derision was loud and clear, and Christinewould have heard it as well.

My heart ached for the poorwoman and her trauma. I could only imagine how she felt, living throughsomething so horrendous only to be told later that what she’d seen with her owneyes was wrong, that her belief had been the result of hysteria, that vampiresdid not exist.

“I know what I saw,” she said,and when she looked out at the world, her eyes were full of determination. “I’mnot crazy. I’m not afraid, like the others are. I will speak the truth nomatter what they do to me.”

“Who do you mean bythey?”the interviewer asked. “The people of Jakeston? The government? The men inwhite coats?” She smirked, and if I had been Christine, I’d have decked thebitch.

“The vampires,” she whispered.“I was visited by them. I was given money, and I was warned. But let them come.Let them kill me. I refused to be silenced.” She pushed her fist to her lipsbut still a sob escaped. “They killed my best friend.”

“You’ve since left Jakeston,”the anchor said, not a trace of pity in her eyes. “But let me just ask what Iknow our viewers are wondering. Why would the vampires visit you, talk withyou, and even give you money? If vampires burst into that diner and killed allthose people, why wouldn’t they just kill you to keep you quiet?” Then it washer turn to lean forward. “Or why wouldn’t they just turn you into a vampire?”

“Turn it off, Lucy,” Imurmured.

She did, then sat down at thefoot of the bed to join me in giving Ash belly rubs. “Do you think the vampiresreally threatened her?” she asked. “And tried to pay her off?”

“Yeah,” I said grimly.

She was quiet for a fewseconds. “Whydidn’tthey just kill her?”

I sighed, then climbed from thebed to get ready for my day. “Because Bastien does not want to kill humans.”

“Does that make him a goodvampire?”

“No.” I took a drink of mycoffee. “There are no good vampires.” But I wasn’t sure I really meant thatanymore. “How are your dreams, Luce?”