by Juniper Hart
Vera did not push the issue, and as the driver steered the black stretch car its way off Ocean Shore Boulevard and onto Sand Dune Avenue, Orion’s heart began to pound. A feeling of anxiety mixed with excitement swept through him, and it was all he could do to keep himself from pressing his face against the window like small child at a candy store display.
We’re almost there. I can’t wait to see it in the flesh.
“It’s off the beaten path, Mr. Tanner,” the driver called back to them, lowering the partition. “The road is going to be a bit bumpy in a moment, so hang on.”
“That’s fine, Leo, thanks for the warning.”
The vehicle slipped through a small opening on the road, and suddenly, they were on a beach street, unpaved but used.
Orion could sense their nearness to Eden, and to his surprise, he found his hands sweating. For once in his long life, he was running hot and not cold.
“Look!” Vera breathed. “There it is!”
Slowly, he gazed at where her long, slim finger pointed, and a combination of disappointment and eeriness crept over him.
The pictures had hidden the exact level of chaos which had befallen the property. He had anticipated some neglect, but what he saw was more than he bargained for.
The main building was in a state of disrepair, starting with the rotting veranda, up the peeling paint of the once blue painted plantation style building and ending with the missing bricks on the eight chimneys on the roof. The structure was nestled in the privacy of a ravine, but the grasses along the acres had not been mowed, and feral cats roamed about the property.
If not for the proximity to the ocean, Orion would have sworn they had just walked into an Appalachian mountain town.
Or a B horror flick. What the hell is this?
When the limo eventually stopped at the front of the hotel, it was not identifiable by signage, and a lime-eroded fountain of onyx sat stagnant in the drive.
“Oh, Mr. Tanner…” Vera mumbled. “I am so sorry.”
Orion glanced at her, sensing her deep humiliation, and he forced a laugh.
“What?” he teased. “It has potential.”
The statement wasn’t all that preposterous, and as his regret faded away, he tried to look at the landscape objectively. If the only issue was the unattractiveness, it was no problem at all. Everything could be easily overhauled and redone with relative ease, but Orion’s razor-sharp instincts told him that something else lurked beneath the surface of Eden’s walls.
Who knows what the plumbing and electrical work will be like. And vermin… it will definitely need to be exterminated. It might make more sense to doze it down and start from scratch.
Leo opened the door for them, and Orion stepped out behind Vera, evaluating the surroundings. The decay had a lot to do with the price they were asking. However, something else was bothering him, and it took him several seconds to realize what it was.
“Where is everyone?” he asked Vera, looking around the silent exterior. She, too, began to turn fully around, and she shook her head.
“I don’t see a soul,” she murmured. Orion knew he wasn’t alone in his mounting apprehension. Although he could tell she was trying to keep her voice steady, he caught the waver.
The place was alarming a seasoned vampire and a Lycan. That was impressive in itself.
“This is interesting,” Orion commented, walking toward the back of the hotel. He heard Vera’s heels at his back, following him over the uneven terrain.
“What is it?”
“The entire back of the hotel rests on the cliffs. You can’t actually access the rear of the building without heavy duty equipment.”
“I wonder if that is a blessing or a curse,” Vera sighed. Orion had the same thought.
“Mr. Tanner! Ms. Luciano!”
They turned at the sound of their names being called and watched a miniscule man come hurrying toward them, his hands clasped eagerly in front of him.
“Mr. Abram,” Vera replied, turning to greet the realtor. “Thank you for meeting us.”
Orion noted with some relief that the agent was a dragon. That relaxed matters some. At least they could be open with one another.
“I hope you had no trouble finding the place. Sometimes the directions are hard to follow, even with a GPS,” Joe Abram declared. “Although I suppose that could be part of Eden’s charm.”
Orion heard the false note in the realtor’s voice instantly. What the hell did we just walk into?
Joe released Vera’s hand and took Orion’s.
“I have a confession to make,” the cheerful agent said, leaning in conspiratorially. “I Googled you.”
Vera and Orion exchanged a glance.
“Oh?” Orion asked politely, put off by the announcement. Joe raised his hands and shook his head.
“I’m afraid in my line of work, I am subject to having my time wasted more than I care to admit. I didn’t want to make the trip all the way here from Olympia only to discover that I was entertaining the megalomaniacal fantasy of a millennial.”
“I am not megalomaniacal,” Vera said bitingly.
“Nor is she a millennial, as I’m sure you’ve figured out,” Orion interjected smoothly, offering the dragon a terse smile.
“Forgive me,” Abram continued, sensing her disdain. “But I was absolutely shocked to learn that it was you, Mr. Tanner, who was looking into the property. If I had known, I would have jacked up the price.” He laughed in a fake, hearty way, causing the duo to eye him distastefully. Abruptly, Joe stopped laughing and cleared his throat. “Sorry, realtor humor,” he explained, shifting his weight uncomfortably from one foot to another.
“This would all be hilarious if this place was worth half of what your client is seeking,” Orion retorted, sharply. “And since you brought up having your time wasted, I’d love the number of your photographer. His photoshop skills are second to none.”
Humiliation flooded Abram’s face, and he darted his eyes downward. “I agree that this is not the most inviting entrance I’ve ever seen. But let’s not jump to conclusions before you’ve seen it all. This hotel has a lot to offer if you look at it the right way.”
The New Yorkers shot each other another look.
“We did drive all the way out here, Mr. Tanner,” Vera sighed, and Orion could see the despair in her face.
She’s already convinced this place is not worth it, he thought, a wave of sympathy overcoming him. Orion wasn’t convinced that the trip had been wasted, but he was not about to let the slick real estate agent know that.
“I suppose you’re right,” he conceded, as if she had twisted his arm into staying. The truth was, he was eager to see what else the walls held.
“You’ll see how charming it is once we get inside,” Abram declared, ushering them up the dilapidated porch before they could change their minds.
Orion glanced at the rocking chairs lined up, but he suddenly realized that the floor was spotlessly clean. He didn’t even see a stray pine needle on the floor. His eyes traveled to the windows where he found that they, too, were shining.
So they haven’t been good with the upkeep, but they’re sticklers for cleaning. Good management, bad owners. Orion wasn’t sure what to make of that yet, but he tucked it away in the back of his mind.
As they entered the lobby, the diminished spark returned, and Orion felt his jaw go slack as he stared in awe at the foyer. It was clear the interior had not been remodeled since at least the 1920s, the woodwork intricate and dark. Twin staircases lined each side of the anteroom, and a long, classic reception desk sat in the middle, unmanned.
Orion glanced at Vera through his peripheral vision, and he could see she was as enthralled as him.
They trailed after Joe, who began to list off the building’s attributes while they continued through the long hallway lined with mirrors.
Those have got to go, Orion thought, pausing to stare at himself in the reflection of the glass. Inexplicably, studying himself, h
is pulse quickened.
Nothing about him was different; his stylish suit hung off his lean yet muscled frame, accentuating his shoulders and wide chest. His hair was a little longer than it should have been, a few dark blond strands tickling his forehead, and his blue eyes maintained their stoic expression. Yet as he continued to regard the man before him, he felt like he was looking at someone else, someone younger and terrified.
A bizarre sense of panic seized him, and he found himself unable to breathe.
The screams filled his mind, clearly and without warning, like they did when he tried to sleep.
“Are you all right?” Vera was at his side, her face etched in concern.
The feeling dissipated as soon as it had come, the shrieking in his head returning to the dull cry it usually was when he was awake, and Orion glanced back at his face in the glass. Nothing was amiss in his reflection, but he could not shake the feeling that he was not alone.
“What is it?” Vera whispered, sensing his unease. “What did you see?”
He forced a smile and shook his head.
“Nothing,” he answered quickly. “Just an old man.”
Vera snorted and shook her head. She opened her rosebud mouth to say something, but Joe Abram yelled at them from another room. “Where are you? The library is this way!”
Reluctantly, the duo followed the sound of his voice to finish the tour.
Indeed, there was a library, filled with titles so old, Orion was afraid to touch them lest they fall apart in his hands. A grand piano sat in the center of the room, and a fireplace graced either side of the area, one framed in ivory, the other in wrought iron.
“You will find several fireplaces in the hotel,” Abram told them. “Each one has its own unique personality. The original owners wanted something to make the hotel stand out among all others.” He paused before the heavy velvet curtains and tugged on the cords to open the drapes.
Vera gasped aloud as the view gave way to the crashing waves of the ocean off a spectacular drop among cliffs.
“Oh, my,” Vera breathed. “You were right, Mr. Tanner. The entire hotel faces this!”
“The west side of the hotel is completely on the cliffs. There is no way to access that side of the hotel by foot…” Abram lowered his voice and winked. “Unless, of course, you have wings.”
Braggart, Orion thought, rolling his eyes. Still, he couldn’t help appreciating the beauty beyond. Vera chuckled, and Orion gave her a reproving look. She covered her mouth with her hand.
“How does that side of the building get cleaned? The windows? The salt must erode away at the brick.”
Abram nodded knowingly. “I learned that you are a stickler for the upkeep of your establishments, Mr. Tanner, so I knew you would ask. I investigated, and there is a crew who will come with proper scaffolding to attend to that as often as you see fit. I admit with the saltwater, it is not the most functional design from a housekeeping standpoint, but it is quite lovely. I would wager that this is one of the biggest attractions to the hotel.”
“There must be some way to access the back of the hotel,” Orion muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
“I have seen the blueprints of the structure myself, Mr. Tanner, and I thought the same thing. Unfortunately, there is not. I am sure that you can arrange for an engineer to fix that for you. Maybe a veranda out there—”
“I would have to do that… if I were interested in this property.” He let the purposeful words hang over the air. Joe lost his pleased smile, his eyes darkening.
“Of course,” he said with forced jovialness. “How can you be sold on anything yet? We haven’t even gotten started. There’s still so much to see.”
Orion swallowed a smile and raised his eyebrows hysterically at Vera. She smothered another laugh and followed Abram. Orion had to admit that he was growing more intrigued by the property with each step they took.
Unfortunately, there was no way it was going to be as cost effective as Vera had hoped. Though it may save them some money, was it even worth the aggravation? On the other hand, he knew that the character which Eden boasted could not be manufactured, not anymore. It really was reminiscent of another time and place. He would be foolish to pass it up.
Onward they continued to the rear of the main floor. The kitchen was huge and surprisingly state-of-the-art. It seemed to be the only part of the house which was not antediluvian.
That’s something. A kitchen can be a huge cost. There doesn’t appear to be anything that this one needs, but who knows what’s going on beneath the surface? Orion’s eyes shot around, looking for any sign of vermin. To his pleasant surprise, he saw nothing. Someone really is taking good care of this property. I want to know who’s in charge of housekeeping.
His mind was working furiously, tallying, adding, subtracting, and deciding if it could work.
It was not until they traveled to the second floor that Orion suddenly recalled his initial question.
“I was under the impression that this hotel was occupied full time. I haven’t seen another person since we arrived,” he said to Joe. “Where is everyone?”
The tiny man seemed taken aback by the inquiry.
“Ah… yes…” he said slowly, his myopic brown eyes darting from Vera to Orion like he was trying to develop an answer on the spot. “There are several guests who live on the property, but they are… reclusive. They keep mostly to themselves. Artsy types, I think.”
Ah. They’re treating this house as an artist commune. That would make sense if I actually saw someone painting or heard the inkling of music.
Orion’s eyebrow shot up at the flimsy excuse. “And the staff? Are they reclusive also? No one in the kitchen, no one at the desk? No one to greet the car?”
The realtor chuckled nervously and shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of ignorance.
“This is not a five-star hotel, Mr. Tanner, not yet,” Abram told him quickly.
“Still, it is a hotel, isn’t it?” Orion asked pointedly. He was growing uneasy at the realtor’s runaround.
“It really is hard to find good help, isn’t it?” Joe choked out weakly, trying to smile.
Vera’s face masked Orion’s feelings. Something very strange was going on in Eden.
I don’t want any part of whatever is happening here, he thought, his eyes trailing up toward the skylights. As he did, an eagle flew directly above his head, its wings spread wide. Orion was stunned by the omen. Had that been a sign or what? What were the chances of seeing an eagle flying above his head at that moment?
He was ashamed of himself. He knew what he was doing: looking for excuses to ignore the fact his gut was screaming warnings at him to walk away. It had been an eagle, though.
He looked at Vera to seek confirmation. In no walk of life was he a superstitious being, but he didn’t want to leave the hotel, not yet. Not when he knew something had summoned him there from the start.
Vera smiled at him and pointed out the window of the restaurant where they stood.
“Would you look at that? Dinner and a show.”
The lea was secluded and enclosed by a stunning array of magnificent pine trees. Grazing just beyond the window was a family of deer. The two fawns looked up as if feeling eyes on them and stared directly at Orion.
His mind was made up. That was the exact location where he wanted to put one of the pools, anyway.
The guests will get up close and personal with the wildlife. This place will sell itself.
It had to be a sign, gut feeling be damned.
5
Grace could feel an unsettling in her bones as the silence grew heavier and more meditative, as though she was the only one among them who didn’t feel the power of prayer. The group had congregated in Father’s suite at his request for a day of fasting and prayer, but that was the last thing on Grace’s mind.
Her thoughts had been solely on Eve, locked away in the glass room since her self-penance the previous night, and she had yet to see the girl, eve
n though she had begged Father to permit it.
The horrific memory of the flogging still replayed in her mind, keeping her from sleeping the night before.
“Please, Father, you must let me see her before we begin our meditation,” Grace pleaded while the others began to gather in the room. “Just for a minute or two.”
“A day of seclusion will do her no harm,” Father assured her. “You must let go of the hold you have upon her. She will be unable to flourish with your constant hovering. It is a day of fasting for her, too.”
Grace had gaped at him in disbelief, her mind racing for any way to change his mind.
“But she needs to maintain herself for the ceremony,” she protested. “She shouldn’t be—”
“The ceremony is a month away,” Father interjected, his eyes growing angry. “Perhaps I have been too lenient with allowing the visits between you. Going forward, you are only to see her every other day.”
“What?” Grace cried. “You can’t do that!”
Father’s face twisted into a sneer of fury.
“Are you God?” he hissed. “You dare to tell me what I can and cannot do?”
Immediately, she backed down, hanging her head in contrition. “No, of course not, Father. Forgive me. I am only worried about Eve.”
“Eve is no longer your concern.”
Grace had been sick with worry, unable to think of anything else, even with the community gathered in quiet meeting. As the hours passed, she found herself unable to sit still or concentrate.
I have to find a way to see her, she thought, eyeing the door. She must be so afraid right now. She probably thinks we’ve all abandoned her. She won’t see anyone moving around the hotel, and after what happened yesterday…
She shuddered again, trying to abolish the images from her head and refocus her eyes on the others. They sat naked, heads bowed in a circle, an ominous book open to whichever passage Father had deemed fit for their day of cleansing. Grace had not bothered to listen to his opening sermon, her mind far too occupied.
How had they gotten there? Why had they gotten here?