Chapter 2
I parked my car a few blocks from Xavier’s beachfront apartment in Santa Monica. As I got out to hoof it the rest of the way, I huffed, wishing the vampire didn’t love being in the thick of things. It would make my life so much easier if he lived in the ‘burbs and had a damn driveway.
Or even better, if Xavier would just tell me my next mission over the phone.
At least it was early, so there were fewer cars and people around than there would be around midday, when people tended to flock to the beach. I wouldn’t have to worry about the nightmare crowds, because by then, I’d be long gone.
Stalking my next mark.
I inhaled deeply, trying to dispel my annoyance at having to take another job so quickly. We were usually given at least three days to recuperate, and I’d wanted to use them all. But apparently, Xavier knew I’d bounce as soon as possible, and he wanted to utilize my skills while he still could.
Eight days . . .
My shoulders loosened as the idea of freedom bolstered me, and the fresh ocean scent filled my nostrils, calming me. Since I was young, I’d loved the ocean. I felt a kinship with it, like I’d grown up with that big blue expanse watching over me, which was odd because until recently, I hadn’t lived anywhere near the beach. I breathed in again and a shiver of pleasure dashed through me. As I was a few minutes early, I considered dipping my toes in the sand so I could pretend I was on vacation.
My lips curled up slightly.Wouldn’t that be something? A real vaca—what the actual hell?!
I blinked as a white rabbit dressed in a cobalt-colored waistcoat, with a pocket watch hanging from the jacket, hopped out from behind a bush.
“Nooooo, I’m too young to go crazy.”
I rubbed my eyes. When I pulled my hands away, the rabbit was still there. Actually, he’d come closer, and was now standing four paces from me.
I reached for the dagger I wasn’t carrying.
What I’d planned on doing with it was anyone’s guess. It wasn’t like the rabbit was bothering me. Making me question my sanity, sure, but even then—I was just hallucinating a rabbit.
Or maybe he was a pet? My lips twitched. That had to be it. This was L.A., and people with stupid amounts of money dressed up their pets all the time.
“Did you lose your owner, buddy?”
“Owner?” The rabbit stood on his hindquarters and grabbed the pocket watch.
“Holy shit,” I breathed. Had the rabbitspoken?
“What’s this nonsense about owners? Oh, nevermind! If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late!”
Unable to believe what I’d heard, I looked around.
No one was nearby to verify if I was, in fact, losing my marbles.
“Did you hear me, Alice?” The rabbit thumped his foot and shook the watch. “We will be late!”
I cleared my throat. “Excuse me, but did you say my name?” I glanced from side to side again. “What are you, a rabbit-shifter, or something?”
I’d met a lot of shifters. They were usually larger, more ferocious animals, especially the seedier kind. I’d also encountered a few bird-shifters, but never a rabbit. Although that didn’t mean they didn’t exist.
It was the only explanation for the creature in front of me.
“I’m not some common shifter! I am apooka!” The rabbit glowered up at me with luminous golden eyes. “And you’re late! We must get moving!”
A pooka . . . my shoulders relaxed slightly. That was some sort of fae race. One that was less common than the better known elves, faeries, or pixies.
The rabbit hopped closer, and pulled at the hem of my jeans. “Come now! We must leave. You’re la—”
“Late. Yeah, you said that,” I cut him off. “But to what? And actually, can we take this conversation into the park? I’d rather not let any humans see me talking to a rabbit. Xavier would have to hire a mind witch to erase their memories. He hates working with witches.” I gestured to the left, feeling much too out in the open to be talking to a rabbit—or pooka, whatever—in broad daylight.
Without waiting for the rabbit to respond, I walked around the shrubbery and into the park.
