by K. A. Tucker
“Thank you.” I smiled at her as I headed back to the table.
Her head bobbed once, the only indication that she’d heard me. She moved immediately to another task, tossing a cutting board’s worth of chopped potatoes into a pot of simmering water.
I devoured breakfast, using my toast to sop up the yolk from my eggs and accepting a second helping of bacon. I noticed Leo watching from the corner of his eye while pretending to read his magazine, an amused but relieved smirk on his face.
“Good! I’m glad I don’t have to worry about you being too miserable to eat,” he commented as I set my fork down, finished.
I smiled, gathered my dishes, and carried them to the sink. Magda’s helper, a middle-aged, mousy woman named Martha, politely shooed me away, whisking the dishes out of my hand before I had a chance to wash them.
“They are working for you now, per Sofie’s instructions,” Leo explained.
“Oh.” I smiled at Magda, whose eyes flicked to me before refocusing on her pot. I felt my cheeks burn, and wondered what they thought of me. I didn’t need servants, but I knew refusing was out of the question, so I didn’t bother. I turned to Leo. “Okay, what now?” What did a person do to kill time when they were exiled in the wilderness?
“Relax! Enjoy life,” Leo murmured, waving his hand dismissively toward the great room. “There’re plenty of books to read.”
Taking the hint, I left the kitchen’s delicious aroma, my giant werebeast in tow, as usual. “Don’t you need to eat?” I asked over my shoulder.
I’m ready to gnaw someone’s arm off but I’ll go later, when the others get back. We go in shifts so someone’s always around here, he explained.
“Why? It’s not like anyone’s going to find us.”
Stranger things have happened.
“I guess.” Like talking telepathically to a werebeast who’d decided to switch masters. Or being cursed and sent to another world. Or falling madly in love with a vampire who then tried to kill me. My life was all about the strange.
I rounded the corner to find a dark-haired guy standing and staring out a window, a small hardcover book in his hand. Julian. He half turned at the sound of my footsteps.
Speaking of gnawing on arms, Max muttered.
“Good morning,” I said cheerily, ignoring my hungry werebeast’s subtle threat. Suddenly conscious of my fuzzy pink pajamas, I pulled the ties of my robe tighter.
There was no need. Julian turned back to gaze out the window without a word, leaving me to stare at the back of his raven-haired head. Not surprising. The young Colombian had yet to show a side that challenged Sofie’s derogatory opinion of him. He and his sister, Valentina, were part of Viggo and Mortimer’s beard family—a cover for their existence and their lavish home on Fifth Avenue. I had practically begged that they be protected from Viggo’s deadly grip, the only reason Sofie hadn’t left them in that death trap.
I wouldn’t waste my energy on that one, Max said.
I sighed and walked over to scan titles on the bookshelf beside the fireplace, obedient to Leo’s instruction to relax. I noticed that one shelf housed every single one of my favorite novels, and a small metal sign posted on the shelf identified them as Evangeline’s Picks. I smiled. The other shelves were full of unfamiliar titles, surely chosen by Sofie for that very reason.
I grabbed a book with a plum cover and took a step back, only to bump into Max, who had edged up behind me. “Max!” I whispered in exasperation, turning to see the dog eyeing Julian. I followed his gaze to find Julian’s attention on us. On me. Our eyes locked. It was the first time I had ever looked at him dead on. Sofie was right—he was really good-looking in that tall, dark, and Latin way. For a second I thought he would speak. But then his brow knitted into a scowl and he turned back to gaze out at the snow, leaving me staring awkwardly at his back for the second time. Being in exile with him is going to be long and painful. At least Valentina was here. I had only met her the one time, but she seemed nice enough.
My eyes wandered around the room, looking for something else to fix my attention on. They quickly zoned in on three oil paintings on the opposite wall. Yesterday, distracted with my abrupt arrival and the following revelations, I hadn’t noticed the paintings. Now I had time to study them.
Each one depicted a little blonde girl in a different scenario. Me. Me jumping through puddles; me playing with my dolls; me petting a speckled gray Pomeranian. Glancing around the room, I found two more that were very clearly of me. “You weren’t kidding, Max,” I murmured under my breath, waves of shock rippling through my body. I glanced at Max and saw something close to a grin on his muzzle.
Didn’t anyone tell you that vampires can be a tad obsessive?
Sofie was . . . obsessed with me? With a heavy sigh, I headed to a lounge chair beside the stone hearth and pulled my legs up to sit cross-legged. “Relax and enjoy life,” I whispered to myself again, as if repeating Leo’s words enough would somehow make this feel like a vacation. Maybe I’d get to enjoy all two hundred-odd books, given that I’d be “relaxing and enjoying life” in this asylum for years, I thought bitterly as I cracked the cover. The faint new book scent that wafted from its pages soothed me, at least.
After restarting the first page a dozen times, I realized I wouldn’t be putting a dent in my personal reading challenge any time soon. My attention kept drifting to New York . . . How far away was I from Caden? Was it day or night there? What was happening? Had Caden’s feelings for me changed?
“What the—” Julian’s low mutter distracted me from my musings. I quietly shut my book and looked his way. He hadn’t moved from his spot and he was intent on something outside. A moment later the side door opened and Valentina stepped through, her normally olive-colored cheeks glowing a vibrant red and her big brown eyes glassy-looking from the frigid temperatures. She wore nothing to protect her from the elements but mitts, a light sweater, and a pair of boots, the undone laces dragging as she walked.
“Are you insane?” Julian exploded, storming toward his little sister. “What were you doing out there? You could have frozen to death!”
“I went for a quick walk. It’s pleasant out,” Valentina answered excitedly in that high-pitched, childish voice of hers. I felt my eyes widen with shock at the same time that Julian’s did. How anyone without a balaclava and a fur-lined body suit could ever call minus sixty degrees “pleasant” was beyond my understanding.
“I have to agree, Valentina,” Leo said sternly in his Irish brogue as he entered the room. “Only an idiot goes out in these temperatures without good reason. Don’t leave this cabin again without being properly dressed, and only with someone’s knowledge.”
Valentina turned to regard Leo, her bright eyes narrowing ever so slightly with displeasure before they relaxed. “Okay,” she agreed, smiling sweetly. If Leo’s severe reprimand ruffled her, I couldn’t tell.
“Why would you . . . ” Julian’s voice drifted off and he shook his head at his foolish sister one last time before turning to Leo, his expression wary. He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. “Do you know what happened to our parents?” he finally asked, his tone more respectful than yesterday’s. Leo’s blunt threat must have forced him to check his cockiness.
The wrinkles in Leo’s heavily creased forehead deepened. He nodded. “That’s why I came in here.” He paused. “Unfortunately, your parents didn’t survive. There were just too many . . . of them to control.”
“Too many?” Julian repeated, confusion in his eyes.
He hadn’t seen the horde of Ratheus vampires appear, I realized. He had been inside. The guy really had no idea what had happened.
“They died quickly, if that’s any consolation. I’m sorry.” Contrasted with his callousness the day before, Leo’s soft tone indicated authenticity. I noticed he wouldn’t use the term “vampires,” though everyone in the room knew exactly what they were.
I hazarded a glance at Julian to see hollow shock in the eyes that stared back a
t Leo. Instantly, I pitied him. I knew what he was feeling. It had consumed me only five years ago, the night I received news of my mother’s death. He was now an orphan. At least he still had his sister . . .
Julian’s brown eyes slowly slid first to the dogs, then to me. The muscles in his jaw tightened. “How are you involved in this?” he asked, barely above a whisper.
Max was instantly between us, his lips curling back to expose razor-sharp teeth. He snarled a warning.
“Calm down, Max,” I said sharply.
There was no need. Max’s ferocity—normally enough to make anyone wary—went unnoticed. Julian continued to stare at me with haunted eyes. When he spoke again, it was more to himself than anyone else. “They will all die. Every last one of them.” With that he stormed off, his words a swift kick to my stomach.
Movement beside me drew my eye. Valentina peeled off her sweater and tossed it haphazardly over a chair as she walked over to the couch nearest to me. She seemed surprisingly . . . fine.
I hesitated. “Are you okay?” I asked as gently as possible, moving to sit beside her. I hadn’t spoken to her since the day I helped her up from the cobblestones after her fainting spell.
Confusion flashed in her bright doe eyes while she worked to comprehend my meaning. “Oh! You mean because of my parents? Yeah, I’m fine. I figured they were dead.”
A small sound escaped me and my jaw dropped. Had I heard her wrong? She must have realized how callous she sounded, because she quickly added, “I was so sad last night that I cried myself to sleep. It’s out of my system now.” Her tone held zero sincerity. How could anyone be over their parents’ deaths in a night? Shock! That’s how! I finally realized. That was the only explanation.
I glanced over at Leo; he wore a perplexed frown. Good; it wasn’t just me who found the entire exchange strange. Shaking his head, he walked back toward the kitchen, muttering under his breath. I thought I caught the word “fool,” but I couldn’t be sure.
She’s not right in the head, Max mumbled. And she smells . . . off.
I shot a disapproving look at the giant dog. Of course she wasn’t right in the head. She’d just found out both her parents were murdered by vampires!
With a heavy groan, Max dropped to the ground in front of the fireplace and closed his eyes. I knew he was still listening intently.
“What’re you reading?” Valentina asked, eyeing the book I still clutched. Before I could answer, she spied the deck of photos sitting on the coffee table. A picture of Caden sat on top. “Oh. He’s hot!” She reached over to grab the photo. The sleeve of her black shirt slid up, revealing what looked like a fresh burn on her forearm.
“What happened?” I exclaimed, wincing as I leaned in to inspect the wound, at least four inches long and two inches wide. A large red X was branded in the center.
She quickly pushed her sleeve back down, mumbling, “I got too close to the wood stove.”
I winced again. “Do you want Leo to look at it? I’m sure he could help you.” I started to rise, ready to fetch the warlock for his magical healing powers.
“No, I’m fine!” She vigorously waved Caden’s picture in front of my face, forcing my focus away from her arm. “Who’s he?”
I smiled shyly. “That’s Caden.”
“Is he a vampire?”
I hesitated, then nodded.
“He’s really good-looking. Does he have a girlfriend?”
“Um . . . ” Yeah, me. Except he tried to kill me. Inconsequential point, really. What was he to me now? A boyfriend-in-waiting with a bad habit he needed to kick before he could be anywhere near me? How pathetic. I felt my cheeks flush.
“Oh . . . ” She smiled knowingly. “Too bad for me.” She leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms behind her head. Her wound didn’t seem to bother her and she certainly wasn’t acting like she’d just found out her parents had been murdered, even if shock was numbing her reaction. She seemed . . . triumphant.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked again.
“Yup! Hey, do you know why we’re here?” Valentina shifted in her seat. “I’m assuming that witch, Sofie, is involved, but I have no idea why.” I heard bitterness as Sofie’s name touched her lips, but it was so brief that I barely noticed it.
I grimaced. “Because of me.”
Valentina’s thin, perfectly-shaped eyebrow arched.
“I’m so sorry,” I blurted under a wave of guilt. “It’s my fault you’re here and that your parents are dead. I was supposed to bring a vampire back for Viggo and Mortimer so they could—”
Hey! Max’s sharp warning cut my words short. Don’t tell her a thing!
I turned to regard the paranoid werebeast. “Seriously, Max, who’s she going to tell out here?”
She’s on a need-to-know basis and she doesn’t need to know.
When I turned back, Valentina’s eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. I realized what I must look like to her. “I’m not crazy! I really can talk to him,” I said.
“How? I mean, I knew he wasn’t normal but . . . ” she whispered, looking at the dog with a mixture of intrigue and concern.
Look who’s talking, Max grumbled sarcastically.
“Telepathically. Well, only one way. I can hear him in my head but he can’t hear me. I haven’t figured it out yet. Anyway, no one can explain it. It just happened.”
“But, you’re . . . human, right?” She continued in a whisper, her brown eyes still wide.
“Yes.” I added with a chuckle, “At least I think so.”
“Wow. That’s the coolest thing!” she exclaimed. “Does he have any other special powers? Is he magical?”
“I don’t know if magical is the right word for him. But he does regenerate like a human vampire and he doesn’t age.”
Okay. Enough about me, Max interjected.
“What’s he saying now?” she asked eagerly. “What has he said about me?”
Max’s deep, sarcastic chuckle boomed in my head.
“Umm . . . ” I squirmed, searching for a lie. “He thinks you’re really nice.”
And brainless. Don’t forget brainless, Max added.
I ignored him. He wasn’t normally this rude. He must be really hungry.
“Aw. That’s so sweet.” She leapt off the couch and skipped over to pat Max’s head, earning a disapproving grunt. “What’s he’s saying now?”
“Nothing. He’s purring like a kitten,” I answered, cutting off the voice in my head and grinning at the big beast. I stood, afraid I’d have to use my body as a shield for Valentina any second. But Max clambered to his feet and walked to the opposite corner of the giant room to gaze out the window.
“So,” Valentina continued, “you were saying this is your fault?”
“Oh, yeah.” I hesitated at another sharp warning from Max. “I made a mistake and we were in danger. Sofie saved us.”
“But why’d she send us here?”
“Because I have something Viggo and Mortimer want and I can’t give it to them yet.”
“What is it?” Her brown eyes widened with excitement.
“I . . . ” I hesitated, glancing over at Max, who watched us intently. Do not tell her. The less people who know, the better. Please. I couldn’t miss the pleading in Max’s voice now. I decided to listen to him. “I . . . um . . . can’t say. Sorry.”
She sighed. “That’s okay.” But she sounded disappointed. As if deciding to probe from a different angle, she asked, “What do they need with the thing you have?”
“My, you ask a lot of questions,” Leo interrupted as he strode back in to the great room. “More than Evangeline, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
My thoughts exactly, Max called from his corner.
Valentina gave Leo a tight-lipped smile.
“Why don’t you go check on your brother? At least one of you is suffering appropriately,” he suggested.
What is wrong with these two? I shot Leo a disapproving frown.
Valentina had just found out her parents were dead. They could show a little more compassion.
“I’m sure he’s fine. I’m going to take a nap.” With that, Valentina took off, leaving me gaping at her slender back as she climbed the stairs.
“People sure deal with shock in different ways, don’t they,” I murmured absently.
“I’m beginning to think it would have been wiser to leave them with their parents in New York,” Leo muttered, settling in one of the armchairs across from me.
At the mention of New York, something suddenly clicked. News of their parents’ death and the guilt I felt for my part in it had distracted me—until now. “Wait a minute.” My exclamation drew Leo’s gray hawk eyes to me. “How did you know his parents were dead?”
Leo’s lips twisted into a smile. “I was wondering how long your curious mind would take to pick up on that.” He chuckled. “Remember the communication spells I told you about?”
I nodded, dropping back into my chair.
“Well . . . ?” Leo lifted an eyebrow and waited.
When I finally put two and two together, I gasped. “You’ve talked to Sofie!” I lunged forward and grabbed his withered hands. “What’s happening out there? Is Caden alive? Is he mad at me?”
Leo gave me a reproachful glare. “Why on Earth would he be mad at you? Give your head a shake, silly girl.”
I averted sheepish eyes. “Because I told him it would be fine, and it wasn’t. Worse, I think he actually believed me.” I looked back up into Leo’s eyes, now full of pity. “Are they okay?”
The old man squeezed my hands. “Yes. They are fine. Struggling, as is expected, but still alive . . . so to speak.”
“Have they . . . ” I struggled to move my next words past a painful lump in my throat.
Leo continued softly, “They’re doing whatever they need to, in order to survive. Let’s leave it at that.” He released my hand and patted my head, accompanying that with a sympathetic smile. Then he leaned back in his chair, pulled the wilderness magazine out from under his arm, and flipped it open, clearly signaling the end of the conversation.