My gut twisting with unease, I pulled open the doors.

Soft, spine-chilling music floated out of the dark interior, along with the faint copper scent of recently spilled blood. Five or six rows of tables in expanding semi-circles faced a raised stage. All the tables were occupied, but no one looked round as I entered. Every member of the audience was staring in wrapt anticipation at the stage. The set scenery was that of a derelict graveyard. Whatever the play was—and something told me I wasn’t going to need more than three guesses—it owed more to the star-struck movie legends than to the less romantic realities of vampiric existence.

I looked, but there was no magic to find. Not that I cared that much, but I was beginning to think the Earl was going to be disappointed with my investigations.

‘Come in, little sidhe,’ Rio’s voice whispered. As she spoke, a mist of dry ice rolled out from behind the ivy-strangled headstones and off the stage to swirl around the audience’s legs like a malevolent gathering of abandoned ghosts.

I let the doors swing closed behind me and turned towards where Rio’s cap of pale blue curls shone in the dim light. She’d gone to enough trouble to get me in here. I hoped it was because of Melissa, and not just because she was hungry, or that she was snapping at the Earl’s bait.

‘Welcome to the House of Hammer, where terror stalks even the stoutest of hearts.’ She cast me a quick sideways glance, before her gaze returned to the stage.

My own heart banged against my ribs. Comedy time, not!

‘Looks like a popular place,’ I said flatly. ‘Business must be good.’

Rio put her finger to her lips. ‘Shh, the next act is about to start.’

And lucky me, I’d arrived just in time.

I stuck a hand in my jacket pocket and fingered the silver invitations as I scanned the room. It was full of vampires, with an odd scattering of humans. As my eyes adjusted, I recognised most of them from my Sucker Town outings. They were all of them Golden Blade blood, and last I heard, they were still refusing to jump on the celebrity bandwagon, so what the hell were they doing here?

The music struck a chord and a young woman entered stage right, her eyes wide and frightened, the front of her diaphanous white nightgown clutched tight in her hands, loose curls of long dark hair snaking down to her hips. The audience leaned forward almost as one as she stood trembling in the manufactured fog, pinned in place by the beam of a bright spotlight.

I gave a long-suffering sigh, but kept my voice low. ‘Isn’t this all a little old hat? The graveyard scene’s been done to death. I’d have thought you’d have more imagination.’

‘Who needs imagination?’ Rio’s fangs glinted white with her smile.

Suspicion edged into my mind and I studied the human girl on the stage. Sweat glistened on her terrified face as she stumbled to the centre of the stage and thudded to her knees next to a fake stone coffin. She curled up, shaking. She appeared to be completely unaware of the audience who were drinking down her every quiver.

Damn. She was living the scene for real.

‘You’ve got her in a mind-lock, haven’t you?’ I clenched my fists. ‘I thought you weren’t supposed to do this type of shit here. Willing victims only.’

Rio chuckled, and the sound crawled over my skin.

Onstage the girl had been joined by a vampire. His classic black opera cape flapped about him in a nonexistent wind—had to be a vamp-party-trick—and his red silk shirt shone under the spotlights. He’d scraped his long platinum hair into a sleek pony-tail, complete with the requisite widow’s peak, and with his hooded eyes and thin, cruel lips he was perfect for the part, in more ways than one. The vamp acting the Big Bad Count was none other than Red Poet, leader of the Sucker Town fang-gang.

I felt my pulse speed up a notch.

Red Poet opened his jaw wide, letting the light spark off all four of his fangs, and the audience joined him in a series of loud pantomime hisses.

‘Such sweet blood runs through your veins.’ Rio held out a hand to me. ‘Come closer, little sidhe, for I will enjoy this all the more with your delicious scent teasing me.’

I ignored her. Rio was entirely too happy, which could only mean one thing: the girl had agreed to—well, whatever was going to happen. She’d probably even signed the deal in her own blood. I looked around for confirmation and found it in the small Monitor goblin sitting in the front row, tapping the red light of his radio earpiece.

I hoped the girl understood what she’d got into, but I was willing to bet she hadn’t. Vampires could be as tricky as the fae to bargain with when it suited them.

Red Poet stalked through the mock-graveyard, peering over every headstone, hamming it up big-time. The music crescendoed as his intended victim huddled in full view, tremors racking her plump body.

‘Audience participation is such a wonderful thing, don’t you think?’ Rio’s eyes never left the stage. ‘What could be more exciting, more thrilling, than to watch, and to feel, real fear?’ Excitement laced her voice. ‘To actually feelthe heart beating faster and faster, the blood rushing through your body in a pounding torrent...’ She took a deep breath. ‘What better way is there, when you feel so alive in those moments just before you die?’ She let out a gusty sigh. ‘True terror is such a rare and precious commodity in these over-enlightened days.’ She sent me a sly smile. ‘And like any commodity’—she spread her arms wide, encompassing the whole room—‘it can be bought and sold.’

I threw Rio a disgusted look. ‘You’re all going along for the ride, aren’t you?’

She held out her hand again. ‘Would you like to join us?’

‘Thanks, I’ll pass.’ I backed off; this wasn’t getting me anywhere and I had better places to be. I went to push against the door, but instead of wood, found my hand meeting cool flesh. Rio had moved too fast for me to see and now she stood between me and the exit, arms braced to either side of the door, blocking my way.

‘Stay with me, little sidhe,’ she murmured.

I stared at my hand flat against her chest, the deep V of her sheer blouse brushing against my wrist, my own honey-coloured hand looking pale against her darker skin. Her heart thumped under my palm sending little shockwaves along my arm. Mesma.I wanted to take my hand away, but I couldn’t. The little shocks felt too irresistible.

My throat tightened with fear: she was way more powerful than I’d thought.

Rio pushed closer. Instinct screamed at me to step back. Instead I let my body do what she wanted. I bent my elbow, bringing us nearer, and looked up into her eyes. The whites were as blue as her hair. Her scent, musk, mint and liquorice, clouded my mind and I leaned into her, wrapping my other hand around the back of her neck.

‘Well, this is a surprise, little sidhe.’ She lowered her head, her mouth parted in anticipation. ‘Who’d have thought?’

Our lips met, soft at first, then I pressed mine hard against hers, taking the kiss even deeper. I could feel her heart fluttering fast and frantic under the palm of my hand. I slid my tongue across her cool lips. Hers darted out, eager. The tang of copper mixed with the bitter mint caught in my throat. I dragged my mouth from hers, my hand still against her flesh.

‘Is this what you want, Rio?’ I breathed the words into her face.

She swayed towards me, arms still outstretched, her hands on the door frame holding her upright.

I trailed my hand lower, touching the trembling skin of her stomach. ‘Is this why you rushed out to greet me?’

A small, inarticulate sound issued from her parted lips.

I slid my fingers into the top of her leather hotpants. ‘Why you’ve been so eager for me to join you?’

She shuddered, her breath coming in excited little huffs.