Billy the Kid & the Vampyres of Vegas (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #5.5) Read Free Page A

off. I know you martial arts types don’t like people walking across your floors in their street shoes.” He looked down at his threadbare and mismatched socks. “If I’d known, I would have worn better socks. My ma always did tell me to wear clean underwear and decent socks when I went out.…” His voice trailed away as the creature behind the desk rose to her feet. She turned and started lifting weapons off the wall and piling them on the table.
    “Look, this might not be the best time,” Billy continued. “I’ll just leave this here and head out. I’ve got some—”
    “What’s your name?” the Shadow asked.
    “William Bonney … well, Billy. Everyone calls me Billy.”
    “I’m Scathach. Don’t ever call me Scatty.” She turned to Billy again. Her face had smoothed out, the vampire features hidden. As he watched, the solid redness in her eyes swirled away, revealing grass-green irises. She rubbed at the streaks of dried blood on her cheeks. “Do you have a car, Billy?”
    “Sure do. A 1960 Thunderbird, Monte Carlo. That’s the Second Generation model with a 430-cubic-inch 350-horsepower V8—”
    “You’re going to do me a favor, Billy,” Scathach interrupted.
    “I am?”
    “You are. And your Elder Master will be thrilled that I’ll now be indebted to you and thus to him. He knows I’m the sort of person who takes favors very seriously and remembers each one. Someday you will need a favor from me and I will repay you.”
    “I’m sort of big on favors myself,” Billy said with a shy smile. “That’s the way I was brought up. What can I do for you, ma’am?”
    “For a start, you will never call me ma’am again.”
    “Yes, ma’am. Sorry, ma—sorry, Miss Scathach.”
    “Just Scathach. Do you have plans for the rest of the day?”
    “Not really.”
    “Good. I need you to drive me to Vegas.”
    “Vegas!” Billy looked nostalgic for a moment. “I haven’t been there in more than a hundred years. I used to stay at the Old Adobe Hotel, and I think I might have been in jail there once or twice.”
    Scathach stared at him, saying nothing.
    Billy shrugged. “It was a long time ago. And I was innocent. I think.… Or at least that time I was innocent. I take it we’re not going to Vegas for the shows.”
    “A … a …” She hesitated, looking for the right word. “A friend of mine is in trouble.”
    “What sort of trouble?”
    “Vampyre trouble,” Scathach said, gathering up the weapons and shoving them into a sports bag. “I’m going to get dressed. Take the pithos and put it back in the car—we’re bringing it with us.”
    “Vampyres,” Billy muttered. “I hate vampyres. Nasty, toothy, clawy …”
    The Shadow stopped. “I am a vampire,” she said, showing him her teeth.
    Billy picked up the pithos. “I’ll get the car.”

6.
    “I’m driving Miss Scathach to Las Vegas.” Billy spoke into a Bluetooth headset. He handed his passenger the cell phone and transferred the call from the earpiece to the handset. “He wants to talk to you. He sounds upset,” he added with a grin.
    “Is there a problem?” Scathach snapped. The sun was low in the sky, and she pulled a pair of mirrored aviator shades off her head and slipped them over her eyes. The lenses reflected the white façade of the Embarcadero.
    Quetzalcoatl started to speak, but Scathach cut him off. “Something came up and I needed transportation. No, I still haven’t learned to drive, but no doubt you know that. I suppose I should be honored that you’ve obviously kept tabs on me over the centuries. Just as I’ve kept them on you,” she added. The Shadow glanced at the young American immortal. She knew he could not speak the ancient language of Danu Talis, but she was careful to keep her tone neutral so he couldn’t pick up the nuances of her speech. “Your servant arrived just when I needed him.” She turned to Billy and reverted to English. “How long will it take to get to Vegas?” Traffic