Dhampirs of Sgiach

14. Kieran

Detective Reynolds had contacted Kieran as he and Kage were headed out the door to the incubus’ first feeding since Kieran had plucked him from that dirty alleyway. Kage had offered to put off the hunt until the next night, but Kieran shoved him out the door. “I know mom won’t mind if Echo stays another night, but Reynolds can talk to me just fine in a corner of the bar.”

Kage gave him a strange look but didn’t protest any further as they made their way down to the parking garage and Kieran’s bike. I’m going to need to get an actual car, he thought to himself as Kage clung and snuggled to Kieran’s back as they rode to the Ebony Playground where Lucifer’s main hunting grounds were.

The Ebony Playground was a strip of nightlife owned by Lucifer Ebonwings and catered to the sins of lust, gluttony, and greed. All you can eat buffets, casinos, strip clubs, and brothels dominated the ten square blocks surrounding The Seven Deadly Sins. Tourists flocked to the playground for the chance to catch the eye of the s*x Nephilim that prowled the streets. Or test their luck against the half demons that fed on greed. Or taste the delicacies created by gluttony Nephilim.

Kieran sighed as he held Kage’s hand while they walked through the large crowds of tourists exploring the darker side of the city. The incubus was so busy gawking at the sights he didn’t even notice when a pair of young human women tried to get his attention.

The button up shirt and jeans that Kieran’s mother had gotten for Kage went a long way to hide exactly how thin he was, and the colors brought out the copper color of his skin from his Elkin heritage. Add in the natural beauty of his face that was just this side of masculine, and Kage was someone women would gladly drop their panties for.

They ducked down an alley that led the way to the entrance to The Virgin’s Blood bar. According to Lucifer, this bar was specifically for young s*x Nephilim to hunt at and was invitation only. With its no tolerance policy for abuse towards incubai and succubai, Kieran had been assured Kage would be safe. How does one get an invitation? Kieran had no clue and hadn’t even heard of the place until Lucifer’s Furian bouncer had knocked on Kieran’s door and given him the invitation.

“Invitation?”

Kieran and Kage both had to look up into the silvery blue-speckled eyes of the large, muscled bouncer. Smooth tanned skin, golden hair, and septum piercing. The man was intimidating, even with the large battle axe strapped to his back. “Damn… Lucifer has a Taurus on his payroll?” Kieran said as he handed the invitation over.

“And a Shadow Walker,” the shorter man next to the Taurus said. He had the same fair skin Kieran had but his hair was strawberry blond, and his eyes were golden.

The Taurus snorted as he handed the invitation back to Kieran.

Inside the Virgin’s Blood, the bar was dimly lit but it gave off a more romantic feel than the Dancing Pig. A woman rose from the bar and came over to them. Her cocoa skin shimmered with a gold dusting from her lotion and her dark hair was braided and held with golden hair clips. Silver eyes flecked with crimson and sweet seductive magic that rode the air before her had Kieran growling at her.

“I don’t like when s*x Nephilim use their magic on me without my permission,” he pointed out.

“Oh? Then why have you walked into a den of young incubai and succubai?” Sasha asked with an amused glint in her eyes as her Amator’den’Warden, Koda, came up behind her.

“Kage needs to feed,” Kieran pointed out. “And aren’t you too old to be hunting in the kiddy pen?” he asked as they all went to the bar.

“Lucifer asked me to come and assist after you called him to let him know a detective wished to speak with you,” Sasha said absently as she looked over Kage. “He’ll do for a while, but he needs more meat on his bones.”

Kage clung to Kieran’s arm and shied away from the succubus. “She won’t hurt you,” Kieran assured him. “I’ll try to make it back quickly.”

“Don’t worry about Kage. Koda is quite venomous in his cobra form and Andre and Liam have always done well to protect the younger ones as they learn to feed.”

Kieran turned to Kage. “Do you remember what I told you?” Kage nodded. “Good. Listen to Sasha and if you’re done before I get back, text me but don’t leave Sasha and Koda.”

The bar that Kieran had agreed to meet Detective Reynolds in was just outside the Ebony Playground. Owned by a mage, the Flying Bunny boasted good food and good drink along with large TVs set up around the place playing different sports. Reynolds had chosen a table with a good view of a baseball game and the entire bar.

Kieran and Rand liked to come here on the weekends and watch the lycan fight tournaments. The bartender, Mike, noticed him and held up the glass he was polishing in question and Kieran nodded before he made his way to the Detective and sat down across from him.

“So, what do you want to ask me about?” Kieran asked.

“I was hoping to ask you for your help in tailing a few leads,” Reynolds said as he tapped the side of his milkshake.

“I’m a suspect,” Kieran pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

“My partner is determined you are guilty, and I can’t get any Furians in the city to help me. They are of the same opinion dhampirs are of police,” Reynolds said tiredly as he pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned back.

“There was that whole thing with the Dragonkin before the Wrath of Heaven rose,” Kieran mused. The waitress, Anna, came by with Kieran’s beer and a smile for him before she left again.

“That was over ten thousand years ago. You would think that they would trust modern governments,” Reynolds said with a frown.

“They see what modern governments have done to dhampirs. Most purebloods are enslaved to Mallum Sanguinem and the mixbloods can barely find work or even places to live. They’re underpaid and overcharged in rent. Many times, their only options are to live on the streets or sell themselves to Mallum Sanguinem. Our only allies are the Sgiach and the shifters.”

Reynolds sighed. “I can’t change that. But I can help you prove your innocence in Mr. Henderson’s death. Your ability to hide and find things can help me with that.”

Kieran narrowed his eyes at the detective. “Wouldn’t my involvement taint the evidence?”

“Only if anyone found out. If you had killed Mr. Henderson, that body would have never been found. Yet it was. But I can’t find any connections between you, the wereraccoons, or even Detective Wilson.”

The human smelled and sounded frustrated. And even Kieran was curious how a seasoned detective had so far been unable to find evidence that pointed to what had happened to Steve or why Wilson would have the wereraccoons murder him and frame Kieran for it. Echo had told him that Steve had been agitated about money that day. Was Wilson squeezing Steve for money in exchange for keeping him out of jail? Was Wilson a rat in the department for the Raccoons?

Kieran finished his beer and set the pint glass down on the table before he stood up. “Meet me at the west side ghetto tomorrow night. That’s where I found Kage and maybe we’ll find someone to talk to us or some clues.”

“Dhampirs wouldn’t talk to me when I tried yesterday,” Reynolds pointed out dryly.

“You’ll be with me this time,” Kieran said with a smile that flashed his fangs.