Free Eternity Factor by B.J. McCall

Chapter One
     
    “Why do we have to dress up?”
    Azza glanced at her friend, Reeni. The black leather lace-up bodice emphasized the vamp’s cleavage. Shiny black skin-pants and high-heeled boots displayed Reeni’s long legs. Azza was dressed in a similar costume, but her bodice was blood red and she wore four-inch, red stiletto heels. “ We need to blend in with the crowd. Thanks to the movie Vamp Party , humans are having these raves. The downside is these costumes. They think we actually run around in leather and capes.”
    Reeni tugged at the black laces crisscrossing her generous breasts. “ They would be wrong.”
    They hurried along the narrow sidewalk, heading toward a warehouse, the site of tonight’s event. A man in a black, red-lined cape swept past them.
    “At least we don’t have to look like that,” Azza said.
    “These boots are killing my feet.” Reeni preferred pink flip-flops to high heels.
    “Be patient,” Azza said. “We’re almost there. This party is loaded with horny humans and fortunately for us illegal sex with vampires is the current rage.”
    “Yeah, they get fined and we’re thrown in jail.”
    They had already broken the law by leaving the Cemetery, one of three designated urban vampire zones, after nightfall. The government had passed a slew of restrictive laws to protect the human population. Breaking the law had serious consequences.
    “That’s why we can’t get caught, Reeni. Don’t bite anyone.”
    “Yeah. Yeah. Getting caught outside will get you restricted. Having sex will get you incarcerated. Taking blood will get you executed. I know the rules.”
    Stepping inside the warehouse, Azza took in the scene. Rock music blasted from huge speakers, a band called Red Death played on multi-level scaffolding and gyrating bodies filled the dance floor. Humans were clustered in small groups, some standing at a long bar constructed of planks and others sitting in plastic chairs around folding tables. The raves moved from warehouse to rooftop to private parking lots, set up and break down only taking minutes to prevent the DSA from busting the event. The Dead Souls Agency enforced the vampire laws.
    The party was in full swing and the delicious scent of hot blood hung in the air.
    “Take a deep breath.”
    Reeni hissed and licked her fangs. “Hot human blood on a warm summer night. Smells like satisfaction.”
    Azza grabbed Reeni’s forearm. “Remember the rules. No taking of blood. No fucking them to death.”
    “I got the message the last two times you told me.”
    “As tempting as it is to bite them, control yourself and choose one who has a strong heart.”
    Reeni tried to pull her arm away, but Azza held on. “We meet here in four hours. We have to sneak back into the Cemetery before dawn.”
    The vampires had modified and reinforced an old rail tunnel beneath the Cemetery, gaining secret access to the human zone.
    “Got it.”
    “Don’t fuck up.”
    “Can I go now?”
    Azza released Reeni’s arm. “Have fun.”
    After watching Reeni disappear into the gyrating crowd, Azza headed for the bar at the far end of the room to troll for an attractive male. In keeping with the vampire party theme, there wasn’t a mirror in the place. Humans were very accommodating.
    Putting on her most inviting smile, Azza moved along the length of a bar constructed of wooden planks. Heads turned as she passed and several men said hello, but Azza had already spotted her quarry. Beer in hand, he stood at the end of the bar. His hair was dark, slightly disheveled, his jaw strong and shadowed with stubble.
    He had a rough, raw look about him that appealed to Azza. His shoulders were broad and his tanned arms were sinewy and roped with thick veins. Yum.
    The closer Azza got, the better he looked. Dressed in a faded T-shirt and jeans, he was one of the few humans not in costume.
    The man glanced her way and their gazes caught. She had him.
    Instead of locking onto her, the man broke eye