Unfortunately for us, whoever had sent the cookies had used a fake return address. I seriously doubted that the First Paranormal Police Precinct of New York City had sent Ivy a box of sweets. Harker had the Deliverance receptionist call up the delivery guy for that package.

And that’s how we ended up here outside of Sweet Dreams, the city’s newest bakery. They’d set up shop just a few weeks ago. The delivery guy hadn’t known anything more about the shipping records than Deliverance’s computer system, but he had recognized the cookie I showed him. That triple chocolate recipe with a sprinkle of fairy’s breath was exclusive to one bakery: Sweet Dreams.

Darkness was falling on the city. When we reached the bakery, we found a ‘Closed’ sign over the door, but there were lights on inside. Harker pulled out a tiny piece of metal the size and shape of a beetle. As soon as he switched on the Magitech, the little bug hopped out of his hand and scuttled under the door to the shop.

We watched its progress from Harker’s phone screen, which allowed us to see everything the bug did. The front area was your typical bakery parlor. Rows of sweets sat behind glass counters. Cookies, muffins, cinnamon rolls…a glass dish of candies and chocolates on the countertop next to the register.

A woman wearing a pink-and-white striped apron stood in front of one of these counters. Opposite her were two young couples, holding hands and looking around like at any moment something might jump out from behind one of the counters and kill them. The apron lady tapped her earpiece, as though she’d just received instructions, then she opened the door into the back area, waving the two couples through.

As they disappeared into the back, we hurried to the front door. Using another piece of Magitech, Harker had it open in two seconds. An aroma of baked sweets and flowers tickled my nose as we stepped quickly but softly across the checkered vinyl floor and followed the procession deeper into the building.

Ahead of us, neither the apron lady nor the couples said a word. The couples were still looking around nervously, as though they expected the gods’ wrath to strike them down where they stood. These must have been new recruits to the demons’ army. Of course they were nervous if they were about to betray the gods. The gods weren’t exactly known for forgiveness.

We passed baking ovens and preparation tables, stoves and supplies. The whole place was very sterile—and very, very creepy.

We passed through another door. This one brought us to an area that looked more like a warehouse than a bakery. The walls were covered in sheets of discolored metal, and the ground squeaked like the floor of a parking garage. There were storage shelves all around the room, and it was behind one of them that Harker and I hid as the procession in front of us came to a stop.

The apron lady, who I could now smell was a vampire, held a clipboard in front of her. “Marla and Vincent,” she said, looking at one of the couples. “It says here that you have been on the waiting list to be turned into vampires for nearly a year. And that Vincent—” She glanced at the man. “Is terminally ill.”

“Yes,” Marla said, her voice a hard rasp, even parts fear and determination. “He has only months left.” She squeezed the man’s hand. “And we don’t wish to be separated.”

“I’m sure we can help you with your problem,” the aproned vampire said, then turned to the second couple. “Adara and Jaden. You come from different vampire houses, Adara from House Vermillion and Jaden from House Snowfire. Your lords do not permit unions to vampires outside their walls.”

Forbidden love. So what we had here in these two couples was a regular Romeo and Juliet and yet again a few people stuck at the wrong end of a very long vampire waiting list. The demons were building their army from the desperate and disgruntled, people like Rose and these couples. And this bakery was the front for their vampire-turning operation.

“So how does this work exactly?” the vampire Jaden asked nervously.

“My supervisor will arrive shortly to explain everything,” the aproned vampire said with a sugar-coated smile.

I wondered if any of them knew what they were getting into. This wasn’t just an information evening on The Basics of Insurgence at the friendly local bakery. If they didn’t agree to the demons’ deal, they wouldn’t be walking out of here. Letting anyone go would inevitably lead the Legion to their doorstep.

Except I’d jumped the gun. We were already here. The question was what we were going to do about it. There were only two of us. Harker could easily handle the five of them himself if things turned ugly, but I had a feeling there were more people in this building.

A door opened across the warehouse. Sharp, confident footsteps echoed off the walls as a new arrival strode across the room. As the supervisor came into the light, I realized it wasn’t a demon or even another vampire. It was Rose.

“Welcome,” she declared with a wide smile as a dozen doors opened all across the warehouse, and vampires poured out, surrounding us.

19

Steel and Bones

Rose was completely healed. There was not a wound on her. But it wasn’t just that. Rose wasn’t just in perfect health. She was positively glowing.

“What did the demons give you?” I asked her.

A smile of pure happiness spread across her lips. “Immortality. Just as you at the Legion drink from the gods’ Nectar, we have a nectar of our own.”

Harker cursed under his breath. I guessed he’d heard of this demon nectar.

“This was the price of your life?” I said to Rose, waving my hand around to indicate this shady operation. “The demons told you they would cure your cancer if you helped them?”