City of Magic: The Complete Series by Helen Harper (book club recommendations TXT) 📕

‘She’s taken a lot on her shoulders,’ Julie said. ‘And there’s a lot of pressure on her to keep her new little community going.’

‘Then perhaps you should be there helping her.’

‘Perhaps,’ Julie retorted, ‘it’s not me who she needs.’

Monroe inhaled deeply, holding the breath in his lungs for several seconds before exhaling. ‘You seem to have lots of opinions about what other people need.’

‘I’m smarter than I look.’

He snorted. ‘I doubt that.’

Julie reached behind her, taking a tall glass from another punter and admonishing him with a stern wag of her finger before he could complain. Then she tossed the contents in Monroe’s face.

He sprang to his feet, knocking over his bar stool as he spun round to face her with his fists clenched. ‘I wouldn’t normally hit a woman,’ he snarled, ‘but you’re a vampire. That makes you fair game.’

‘Stop with the hissy fit,’ she dismissed. ‘I had to do something to get your attention. You’re falling apart at the seams, Monroe. You were fine and coping when you had something to focus on. Now your little community is finding its feet, you’re adrift. You’re letting your grief get the better of you. You’re heading for collapse and, sooner or later, so will Charley. I understand why you’ve set up separate enclaves but the pair of you need to stop avoiding each other if this new Manchester is going to survive. The north needs you and the south needs her. If you’re not going to sort yourself out for the people who are here, then sort yourself out for her before she burns out. You don’t need more on your conscience than you already have.’

Monroe took a napkin from the counter and wiped the worst of the liquid from his face. ‘What Charlotte does is not my business.’

‘Keep telling yourself that,’ Julie murmured, ‘and you’ll soon be an even better liar than I am.’

The door to the pub jangled and two new customers walked in, their eyes landing almost instantly on Julie. Their unnatural pallor and close-mouthed expressions marked them immediately as vampires. Both of them had a vaguely dangerous air, although the taller vamp’s Metallica T-shirt somewhat dampened down the threat of his companion, whose scarred face told of promised threats and perilous risk.

Julie’s face paled slightly but she shook out her hair defiantly and sniffed. ‘I have to go. There are several people in here who are about to bounce up and ask me for my autograph and frankly, darling, I can’t be arsed with that.’ She gave Monroe a meaningful look. ‘Be a good little werewolf and go and see Charley, even if it’s for her sake rather than your own.’ She whirled out, giving the other vampires as wide a berth as possible.

Monroe glowered into his empty glass. By all accounts, Charlotte was doing perfectly well without him. And sooner or later, the north would do perfectly well without him too. Setting up here and taking charge had seemed like an excellent idea a few months ago; now he simply couldn’t be arsed. It was time everyone took responsibility for themselves instead of looking to others to sort out their problems.

He pushed away the glass and walked to the door, flinging it open with more force than he’d intended. It crashed against its frame but he ignored it and stepped outside. Dawn was already here and the first few rays of winter sunshine were hitting the quiet street. He pursed his lips and strode over to the nearest sunbeam, raising his head slightly and sniffing. He stayed there for a moment, letting the weak warmth wash over him.

Maybe the vampire actress had a point. It wouldn’t hurt to make sure Charlotte was alright. Besides, no matter what else was going on with life, sunshine always smelled good.

Chapter One

‘The taps are spouting blood again, Charley.’ There was a glint of delight in Cath’s eyes as she declared this unwholesome little titbit. ‘Very skeevy.’

I sighed and pushed back my hair. ‘I thought that was all sorted by now.’

‘Guess not.’ She grinned at me. ‘At least Julie will be happy.’

I grimaced. I had a sudden vision of the soap actress cum vampire with her head tilted over a sink and her mouth wide open as she gulped down sticky red ooze. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant image, although I supposed that at least it would stop her temporarily from skipping over to the northern side of the city every couple of nights to feed her hunger pangs. Every time she went, I couldn’t stop myself worrying about what she was up to – or who she might be hurting. She treated the northern community like some sort of blood bank. I should have been pleased that she wasn’t bloodying up my doorstep but unfortunately my imagination conjured all sorts of unpleasant scenarios about what she was up to when I couldn’t see her.

The front door banged open and Albert, an older gentleman who had taken up residence a couple of streets away, came in. He whacked his cane against the walls as he stomped towards us. The kilt he insisted on wearing, despite his lack of Scottish ancestry, was swinging from side to side. ‘Blood,’ he snapped. ‘Taps.’ He glared at me. ‘Fix it.’

I gestured at Cath. ‘I only just found out about it. I’ll try and sort it as soon as I can.’

Albert waggled his bushy eyebrows at me, conveying that I had better get a move on and solve the problem immediately, then he huffed and stormed out again, nearly colliding with Jodie who was on her way in. I sent myself a brief, happy thought of the pre-magical apocalypse days when people didn’t barge into my house without so much as knocking first and raised a hand to her in greeting.

‘Red shit is coming out of the taps again,’ she said without preamble.

‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘I’ve heard.’ It wasn’t the worst thing that had happened in the three