Dark Legacy (House of Winterborne Book 1)

by Luanne Bennett

“They stripped me of my hunting duties and fired me from the auction house. Then they confined me to the penthouse so I couldn’t warn you.”

  “How did you get out?”

  “My friend Jakob helped me. He showed me how to travel, although I’m still trying to master that little skill so I can do it at will.”

  “Travel?”

  I stood up and walked over to the window, getting that same queasy feeling as I looked eight stories down. “It’s what you’ve seen us do when we leave for a hunt.” I nodded to the living room wall. “We just walk from one place right into another, usually through a wall.”

  “You mean teleportation,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “I guess. We call it traveling.”

  “I’m not surprised. It’s an immortal talent.” He shrugged. “It probably just kicked in a little early for you, being the daughter of an immortal, I mean.”

  “Jakob has known me since I was born. He said I’ve had the talent to travel all along.” I pressed my hand against the wall and willed it to pass straight through, but it didn’t. “Last night when I fell over the building was the first time I’ve done it on my own, but I still can’t figure out how to do it whenever I want.”

  “I’d like to meet this Jakob someday,” he said. “It sounds like he’s a good friend.”

  I smiled at the thought of Jakob giving Hawk the third degree when they finally met. Never mind that I was a grown woman. A father never loses his protective instincts for his daughter, and Jakob was more a father to me than Ryker Caspian would ever be. “When this is all over with and we find the real attacker, I’ll make dinner for the two of you.”

  “It’s a date.”

  I walked back to the kitchen and leaned across the counter. “Remember when I mentioned last night why I thought you’re so attracted to me? It’s because we’re a lot more alike than you know.”

  He froze and got a wary look in his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re an owl? I knew there was something familiar about you.” A smile inched up the side of his face.

  “My father is a vampire too,” I blurted out.

  For a second I wasn’t sure if he’d heard me. He didn’t say a word and barely blinked. But then he stood up and leaned over the counter, coming within a few inches of my face. He breathed in through his nose and examined my green eyes intently. “You’re telling me the truth. I can smell it. And your eyes have that flicker at the core of your pupils. It’s unmistakable.”

  “What?” I ran to the mirror hanging in the living room and looked at my reflection. I got as close as possible and stared at my eyes until I spotted it. The tiniest flash of red flickered and then quickly disappeared. I was shocked—and a little horrified.

  “Don’t be afraid of it, Morgan.” Hawk appeared behind me in the reflection and ran his hands gently up and down my arms. “It’s almost impossible to detect unless you know to look for it. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  I turned around and gazed at his surprised face. “It was in my mother’s journal. I just read it yesterday morning.”

  He took a step back. “The one you were reading when we were in bed?”

  “Yes. I was too shocked to tell you. I didn’t even believe it right away.”

  “Well, it’s true. The only difference between you and me is a pair of wings and that wicked power hand of yours.” He pulled me closer and whispered against my mouth, “It makes me want you even more.”

  That bedroom was only a few steps down the hallway, but when I took his hand and tried to coax him back there, he resisted. “What’s wrong?”

  “As much as I’d love to spend the morning in bed with you, I have to leave.”

  “Leave?” I let go of his hand and cocked my head. “You can’t leave. The clan is looking for you. They’re skilled hunters, Hawk. Finding vampires is what they do best.” With the mood killed, I shook my head and walked back to the kitchen to clean up. “You’re staying right here with me.”

  He got an uncomfortable look on his face.

  “Just say it, Hawk. I’m a big girl.” I started washing the plates. “Just tell me why you want to leave so desperately.”

  With a deep sigh, he explained. “I can’t take the sun when it gets too bright. It makes me weak, and I’m already exhausted.”

  I put the plate down, feeling awful. I’d just assumed he was more like his mother since he ate food and didn’t need human blood to survive. The sun didn’t bother me, and I was just as much a vampire as he was.

  “The hawk can take the sun all day, but when I’m like this,” he said, motioning to himself, “it’s difficult.” He must have read my mind or the perplexed look on my face. “You’re lucky, Morgan. Your immortal blood saved you from this… curse.”

  “Don’t say that. You’re not cursed.”

  He let out a bitter laugh. “Right. You deserve someone who can take you to lunch or walk through the park with you in the afternoon. That’s not me, Morgan. It’ll never be me.”

  I took his hands and made him look at me. “Then shift into a hawk and stay. It doesn’t matter to me. And lunch is overrated, by the way.”

  He pulled back and got that uneasy look on his face again. “I’ve been a hawk more than a vampire for the past week, and I’m ready to drop. I need to sleep in my own bed.”

  “Where is that exactly?”

  He pulled me into his arms again and tried to distract me. “We’ll talk about that later. You wore me out last night, so now you have to trust me and let me get some rest. I’ll be back as soon as the sun goes down.”

  “All right. But you have to make me a promise.”

  “Anything.”

  “Promise me you won’t go anywhere near the Winterborne Building.”

  He peppered my neck with soft kisses all the way up to my ear. “I promise.”

  I followed him into the bedroom and watched him dress.

  “I have to talk to them,” I said as he pulled his shirt on.

  “Talk to whom?”

  “The Flyers. You know as well as I do that it was one of them who attacked Rebecca.”

  He sat on the bed and rubbed his face, probably out of frustration with me. “They won’t talk to you, Morgan. They won’t even show themselves to you. You’re an outsider.”

  “I’ll take my chances. The clan has had a long relationship with the Flyers, and it’s time I introduced myself. The council may have stripped me of everything else, but I’m still the queen of the clan.”

  He finished getting dressed, grumbling under his breath as he put his shoes on. “Wait for me. We’ll go together tonight.”

  We headed for the roof after I agreed. The sun was barely rising over the buildings, and Hawk seemed okay with the bright orange light hitting his face.

  “Does it hurt?” I asked, wondering if he was putting on a tough act for me. If this relationship was going to work, we had to show each other the ugliest and most vulnerable sides of ourselves. Put it all out there.

  “No,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But it will as soon as the sun gets a little higher.” I think he thought I was afraid he’d self-combust if he took a direct ray of sun to his face. “Look, Morgan. I’m not going to incinerate in the afternoon sun if that’s what you’re worried about. It just drains me of all my energy and makes me feel sick. I’m useless until it goes back down, and then I spend half the night recovering. Trust me, it’s no way to live. I’m better off as a night owl.”

  I gave him a faint smile and pointed to the sky with my thumb. “Then get out of here so I have you nice and energized for tonight.”

  As he shifted before my eyes and flew into the sky, I made a silent promise to clear his name even if it meant a fight to the end with my own flesh and blood.

  Chapter 25

  Jules showed up around eight p.m. to bring me some clothes and enough food to hold me over for a few days. “I got you some olives and cheese just in case you feel like entertaining while you’re here,” she said as she went into
the kitchen to unpack the bags.

  I snickered and followed her into the kitchen. “Yeah, right.”

  “Hey, you never know.” She shrugged and handed me a phone. “Got you a prepaid burner.”

  “God, I love you, woman.” I’d been starting to get itchy without a connection to the outside world. “I promise I’ll be out of here as soon as I can.”

  She stopped unpacking and looked at me. “You’ll stay as long as you fucking want. Mom won’t be back for weeks, and if she decides to fly back early—which she won’t—you can stay with me.”

  “You know I can’t do that,” I said. “I guarantee you Cabot has someone watching your place.” I got a bad feeling as I said it and headed for the front door to make sure it was locked. Not that a mere lock would stop an immortal from getting in, but it made me feel better.

  “Stop worrying,” she yelled across the room. “No one followed me.”

  “You sure about that?”

  She scoffed and tore open a bag of potato chips. “You think I’m stupid? I had Ralph close the shop while I slipped out the back door. Even wore a disguise.”

  Owning a vintage clothing store, there were any number of ways she could have slipped past someone without being recognized. The shop had a plethora of clothing, jewelry, wigs, and eyewear that attracted everyone from your average New Yorker to drag queens and set designers for film crews.

  She reached into the bag and pulled out a lavender wig and tossed it at me. “I knew this thing would come in handy someday. Took two cabs and a subway ride just in case.” She shook her head and sat on a stool at the counter. “If Cabot was able to follow me, he deserves to find you.”

  I sat down across from her and grabbed a handful of chips. I’d earned a little junk food. “You want to meet Hawk?”

  “You found him?” She glanced down the hallway and lowered her voice. “Is he here?”

  “Actually, he found me. He left this morning, but he’ll be back any minute now. We’re taking a little trip to Central Park later tonight.”

  She gave me a look like I had a few screws loose, which was a perfectly normal response to anyone saying they were taking a late-night stroll through the park.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” I said. “I can’t go home until I find out who attacked Rebecca. They’ll crucify me for helping Hawk if I don’t clear his name. You know, he isn’t the only shifter in New York City. There’s a whole world of them right down the street in Central Park, and I’m pretty sure one of them was hired to jump Rebecca.”

  Why wasn’t I surprised that she didn’t even blink at what I’d just said? Jules was getting far too comfortable with the strange and unusual.

  She tilted her head. “I don’t recall ever seeing you act like this over a guy. Got it pretty bad, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I think I do.”

  A faint knock on the door got our attention. The sun had gone down, so it was probably Hawk. Just in case, I crept up to the door and looked through the peephole before opening it.

  Hawk stepped inside, his height barely clearing the doorframe, and gave me a quick kiss before turning his eyes to Jules.

  “Jules, this is Hawk.”

  “Well, shit,” she said, staring at his golden eyes unabashedly. “I get it now.”

  He walked up to her and held out his hand, but she hugged him instead. After releasing him, she stepped back but continued to stare at him like she was mesmerized by his eyes. I knew exactly how she felt.

  “So,” I said, breaking up the gazing contest.

  Jules finally snapped out of it and headed back into the kitchen to grab her keys from the counter. “I guess I should be heading out. Traffic’s a bitch this time of night. I’ll be lucky to get a cab.”

  I would have tried to talk her into staying longer, but Hawk and I had to plan for the evening. When I walked her to the door, she turned around and looked back at him.

  “It was really nice to finally meet you, Hawk,” she said with a pleasant smile. “Take care of my girl tonight. If you don’t, I’ll hunt you down and castrate you. Got it?” She kept her eyes on his for a moment before disappearing down the hall.

  When I shut the door and turned around, Hawk was still staring at the spot where she’d been standing, his face apprehensive.

  “She comes off a lot tougher than she is,” I said. “She’s just a little protective of me.”

  He finally looked at me. “Protective? She’s a rottweiler, and I’ll be feeling her teeth if anything happens to you tonight.”

  “But since nothing will, you have nothing to worry about,” I said with a chipper smile before heading back into the kitchen. “Jules brought food. You hungry?” I reached into the paper bag and felt the neck of a wine bottle. “Bless you, Jules.”

  Hawk took it away from me when I grabbed a corkscrew from the drawer. “No alcohol tonight.”

  “Just a glass. It’ll barely take the edge off.”

  He shook his head and went back into the living room, taking the bottle with him.

  “I’m not a child, Hawk. You don’t have to ration my alcohol.”

  “We need to talk about tonight.” There was heaviness in his tone, like a doctor delivering a grave prognosis. “You don’t know what we’re walking into.”

  I sat down next to him and rested my hand on his thigh. He was tense in a way I hadn’t seen before. “So tell me what I need to know.”

  He set the bottle on the coffee table and raked his fingers through his hair. “The Flyers aren’t what you think they are.”

  I shrugged. “Birds? Animal?”

  He laughed quietly. “Something like that. But if you think we’re going to find a bunch of nightingales in the park tonight, you’re in for a surprise.” He looked out the window and seemed to contemplate his words before continuing. “They can be dangerous when threatened, and strangers are threats.”

  “But they know you, right?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not one of them. And just because you’re with me doesn’t give you a free pass to enter their territory. There’s a good reason the park is closed at night.”

  He was starting to sound cryptic. “What are you saying, Hawk? Don’t you want to find the Flyer who framed you? You’ll be a target for the rest of your life if you don’t. And when the clan finally gets their hands on you—and eventually they will—they’ll kill you. All they’ll see is a vampire, and vampires equate to Walkers in their eyes.”

  “We’ll go,” he said. “But you have to do exactly as I say when we get there. These aren’t cute little furry creatures like sparrows or squirrels.”

  “Then what are they?”

  Instead of telling me, he looked me in the eye and held my gaze. “It’ll be easier to show you. Just promise me you’ll let me do the talking when we find the queen.”

  “The queen?” It sounded silly, but it was no sillier than me being labeled the queen of the Winterborne clan.

  “Understand?” he asked. When I stared at him blankly, he asked me again. “Do you understand, Morgan?”

  “Yes, I understand!”

  We sat on the sofa in awkward silence for a few minutes with me wondering why he was so nervous and agitated about paying a visit to a bunch of shifters who seemed to have a lot in common with him.

  “What do we do now?” I finally asked when I couldn’t take the quiet any longer.

  He sank back into the cushions and pulled me against him. “We wait.”

  “Why don’t we walk up a block and go in the entrance like normal people?” I asked.

  It was one a.m. and we were standing on the sidewalk along Fifth Avenue, staring at the wall that bordered Central Park. When I asked him why we had to wait so long to leave the apartment and head over, he said the Flyers only came out after midnight when the park officially closed.

  “Because that’s not where we’ll find them.”

  Instead of arguing that we could go in at Seventy-Sixth Street and make our way back down to where we were now,
I followed him as he scaled the wall and landed in the park on the other side, nearly skewering myself on a bush.

  “Remember,” he said. “Do exactly what I say and don’t speak unless I tell you to.”

  “I heard you the first ten times you told me.”

  He ignored me and headed through a thicket of bushes, glancing back every now and then to make sure I was still behind him. There wasn’t a pedestrian in sight, which made sense since the park was officially closed, but where were all the paths? It was like we were in the middle of the woods.

  He led me to a small clearing with a stone circle in the center. It was ten to twelve feet in diameter, and the glow coming from the streetlights in the distance illuminated symbols carved into the individual stones it comprised.

  “What is this place?” I asked.

  He held his hand up to keep me quiet while he surveyed our surroundings. Then he signaled for me to head toward a patch of trees on the other side. I stepped on one of the stones, not realizing he meant for me to walked around the circle, and he grabbed my arm to pull me back.

  The streetlights went out the second my foot lifted off the stone, and we were left with nothing to see but the silhouettes of the trees against a dark blue sky.

  Something flew past me, creating a gust of wind that nearly knocked me over.

  “Morgan!” Hawk yelled.

  I looked up and saw him floating in the sky, held up by two creatures on either side of him. They flew in the opposite direction, carrying him away so fast it was like he evaporated into thin air.

  “Hawk!” I tried to orient myself in the darkness, to see where they’d taken him. “Hawk!” I yelled louder as panic set in. Then my hand started to burn as a blue light glowed under my skin in the center of my palm.

  A fluttering sound broke the silence.

  I whipped around to see what it was, my heart feeling like it would burst in my chest. Hovering in the center of the circle was a tiny bird. In looked like a wren or a sparrow, its details obscured by the darkness. I just stood there frozen as it suspended itself, its wings flapping as fast as a hummingbird’s.