by Dawn Kirby
Kale stuck his tongue out at Declan and high-tailed it down the stairs. Watching a grown man act like a child was funny, but watching Declan pout like one was even funnier. The few times I’d seen him, he’d been so calm and relaxed. Now, I expected him to kick at the ground and throw a temper tantrum.
“He could have at least tucked in the shirt,” he mumbled.
“I don’t think it matters to him, do you?” I asked, trying not to laugh.
Declan took a lot of pride in his appearance. He was wearing a nice pair of black dress pants and a cotton button down dress shirt. Not one hair on his red head was out of place. The dark brown loafers he had on made him look like an insurance salesman.
“I guess not,” he said sadly. “One o’ these days ‘is looks aren’t gonna be enough.”
“I have a favor to ask you,” I said, pulling the subject off Kale’s appearance.
“Anythin’, darlin’, just ask,” he said, bowing his head.
“After I get dressed, can you let me into Judith’s room? Donovan needs my help.”
“He’s asking too much o’ ye. We should be helping ye forget about all this, not asking ye to— ”
“If I can help, why shouldn’t I?” I asked him.
He cupped my face in his hands and kissed my forehead. “Yer right, Leah. Come find me when yer ready.”
I walked into my room expecting to find my clothes in pile on the bed. Instead, May had already hung them neatly in the closet. Even my new shoes were put away. Between her and Julie, spoiling was a definite possibility if they didn’t start letting me do some things on my own.
I looked through my new wardrobe trying to decide what would be most appropriate to wear on a vampire hunt. Nights around Weatherford were still a little cool. Covering up as much skin as possible might be a good idea, too. The vampires here may not be tempted to bite, but I wasn’t so sure Judith wouldn’t be.
I pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a blue V-neck t-shirt I’d bought for work. I even decided to give Declan the satisfaction of my shirt being tucked in. I laced up a pair of my Reeboks and put them on. After I brushed my hair and pulled it back into a loose braid, I was ready to get to work.
Before I could make it halfway to the door, my cell phone went off. This time, I made it a point to check the caller ID. I did not want to have another conversation with Michael. Relief surged through me when Drew’s name flashed across the screen.
“Oh thank God, you’re okay!” Drew cried. “Sweetie, I just found out. I’m so sorry about Mia. If you need anything at all, you just ask.”
“I’m okay,” I said, instantly tearing up. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you.”
“Honey, it’s fine,” she assured me. I could tell she was trying to keep her voice steady for me. “You’ve had quite a bit on your plate. First Mia dies of carbon monoxide poisoning, and then the store goes up in smoke. You would’ve thought the police would’ve called the gas company and had the damn thing cut off.”
I was stunned. First of all Mom was murdered. Second, the store was fine when we left it. I seriously doubted that Kale would burn it down. There wasn’t any reason too.
“What happened to the store?” I asked cautiously.
“You didn’t know?” she asked surprised. “Oh honey, where have you been?”
“I’m staying with some friends of my mom’s. They came and got me after,” I stopped dead. Mark’s voice was in the background. He was prodding her to ask who I was with. I trusted her, but not him. “I kinda lost it after Mom.”
“Well, after the police left last night,” Drew began, “the store just blew up. The news said a gas leak saturated it and a spark from an outlet ignited it. Once the doors were shut, the gas didn’t have anywhere to go.”
“How did you find out she’d passed away,” I asked curiously.
I didn’t think the news could have reported on her death yet, much less the cause, especially since David had just gone to make the positive identification. They wouldn’t be able to release her name until I was officially notified.
“Mr. Logan told me,” she said quickly. “He’s really worried about you. If you need a place to stay, he wants you to feel free to come and stay with him. Mark says his dad’s even willing to help you settle Mia’s affairs pro bono. Every time I turn around he’s asking if I’ve heard from you. He wants to make sure you’re okay.”
Something was up. For a year now, Mr. Logan has hated her with a passion. Why all the sudden was he trying to be so helpful? It didn’t make any sense. I didn’t know the man from Adam, yet he wanted me to come and stay with him. His explanation for my mom’s death was what really bothered me. No matter how much I trusted Drew, I knew I couldn’t tell her the truth.
“He gave Mark the night off so we could spend some time together,” she told me. “Said he’d been working him way too hard and is treating us to dinner. We’re gonna go to a place called Eclipse. I’ve never been there before.” Mark asked her to ask me where I was staying again. When she did, I lied.
“I’m really not sure. I was so messed up when they picked me up last night, I really didn’t pay any attention to where I was going,” I said sadly. “For all I know I’m in Dallas.”
“That’s okay sweetie, I understand. When you find out where you are let me know. I need to wrap my arms around you and have a good long cry,” she said. Mark asked her to see who Mom’s friends were. Thankfully, she told him to go fly a kite. “Listen, Mark’s all over me here and I’ve gotta finish getting ready before Mr. Logan changes his mind. You let me know if you need anything.”
“I promise I will,” I said. “Have enough fun for the both of us, okay? I think I’m gonna go back to bed.”
“Get some rest,” she said softly. Her voice was starting to shake. “I love you, Leah. Everything will be okay, I promise.”
“I love you too, Drew.”
I tossed my phone back on the bed and sat down. I didn’t know why Mr. Logan’s sudden generosity bothered me so much, but it did. He could be trying to polish his image by helping me. If he went out of his way to help some poor girl who lost not only her mother, but was now saddled with dealing with the loss of a business too, he might gain a little respect from the community. Surely that was it. Mr. Logan was just looking for good P.R. Well; I had no intentions of helping him stroke his ego. He could do that on his own. My mom meant more to me than free room and board, and free legal advice. I decided to tell Donovan about the store, but I didn’t think the rest would interest him much.
With my mind at ease as far as Mr. Logan went, I got up to go look for Declan. Judith’s room was calling my name. Her prison cell was the last place in the world I wanted to be, but Donovan needed to find Raif. If I could help find him, it would be worth it.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to go far to find Declan. He was patiently waiting in the hallway, outside her door. Before I made my way to her closed door, I took in a very deep breath. The thought of being in her room made my blood boil.
“Are ye sure ye wan’ to go in there?” Declan asked me, his deep blue eyes swimming in sincerity.
“Not really, but Donovan needs me to,” I told him. “Maybe, if I can pick up on something it will help bring Raif back.”
He looked at me with a low fire burning in his eyes. “Raif is no’ what Donovan thinks he is,” he said harshly. “I know he let her out. An’ I know he did it on purpose.”
“You don’t like him?” I asked curiously. Donovan had given the impression that he was a part of their family.
“I used too,” he said, curling his lip up in disgust. “But that was before David moved in. After that, he changed. Raif became arrogant an’ mean.”
“Did David do something to him?”
“David never did a thin’ to him. He jus’ happened to be a better businessman than Raif ever was. He was jealous of David’s professional relationship with Donovan. Financially, yer father’s a genius.”
“So he has a ‘Mine-is-bigger-than-
yours’ complex.”
“I guess ye could say that,” he chuckled. “Are ye ready?”
He unlocked the door and was about to open it when I stopped him. It suddenly occurred to me that I didn’t know what Declan smelled like.
“Have you ever been in there?” I asked, quickly grabbing his arm. I’d never tried this before and I wanted to get it right the first time. I didn’t want to mistake his smell for hers. Donovan was counting on my information to find the right answers, not guesstimates.
“Aye, I have,” he said sternly, “but I’ve never lain with her.” Clearly, he wanted me know they had no relationship at all. “I was in here Thursday night, tryin’ to find somethin’ that might help.”
“Do you mind if I smell you?” I don’t think my voice has ever sounded quieter.
“Only if ye tell me what I smell like,” he said, with a wink.
I smiled and closed my eyes. A light lavender scent tickled my nose. The smell immediately calmed me down. He was a very calm, peaceful man. I opened my eyes and looked at him.
“Do you ever get mad?” There was absolutely no stress left in my body.
“There’s no point to it,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Anger only causes more problems. Why?”
“You smell like lavender,” I told him. “It’s calming. Next time I get stressed, I’ll come find you.”
“Anytime darlin’,” he said smiling, opening the door.
It wasn’t anything like I’d expected. Judith’s bedroom and bathroom were the same size as mine was at home. There was no dressing room here, only a small walk in closet. A simple shower and sink equipped the bathroom. I took that to mean vampires have no use for a toilet.
The furniture was nice, but not as high class as everything else in the house. Her bed was one you’d find in any furniture store. Even her comforter was normal. I’d seen a blue one just like it at Target a few months ago. The only set of drawers I could see in the room was under the bed. Thankfully, there wasn’t a coffin in sight.
“That woman didn’t even deserve this,” Declan remarked. “After what she did, I would’ve tied her to a post and let the sun take her.”
“Tell me how you really feel,” I teased.
Figuring the bed was a good place to start; I walked over to it and sat down. Surely she’d been on it enough to leave her smell behind. I laid my head on the pillow and inhaled deeply.
“Leah,” Declan said softly. “We only use beds for two things. I must point out that sleep’s not one of them.”
I shot up as fast as I could. Donovan had said turning a person was erotic. What’s to say feeding didn’t invoke the same desires? It occurred to me I had a lot to learn about my new friends, starting with their sleeping arrangements.
“You could have said something earlier,” I said slightly annoyed. I looked around the room and threw up my hands. There was no other place she could have slept that I could see. “What did she sleep in?”
Declan bent over, grabbed a knob on the drawers under the bed and pulled. A hideaway slowly rolled out. The cramped box looked like the most uncomfortable bed I’d ever seen. There was a thin mattress covered by a white cotton fitted sheet lying askew inside it. A sad, worn looking pillow lay at the head of the bed. I didn’t relish crawling in it, so I focused on the pillow first.
“It’s made to be light tight,” he informed me. “We all ‘ave one.”
Mere seconds after I put the pillow in front of my face, I knew exactly who Judith was. She was a woman consumed with hate. The scent of sulfur practically jumped off the pillow. There was a hint of another scent on it as well. It was similar to the harsh scent Judith put off, but nowhere near as sharp. Not to mention far too faint to place. All I knew for sure was that it belonged to someone else.
“Who else has been in here?” I asked calmly. I didn’t want to set off any false alarms.
“Just Julie, but she only comes in once a month,” he told me. “Donovan or I stay here while she cleans. We ‘ave the only two keys.”
“Judith’s been with someone,” I said. It wasn’t a fluke. “I can smell them on her pillow.”
His eyes narrowed in on mine. “Are ye positive? It’s important that ye’re sure.”
“You smell like lavender. Donovan smells like the ocean,” I explained. I tossed the pillow back on the bed and pointed at it. “This smell is different. It stinks.”
He slammed the hideaway shut and grabbed my hand. Pulling me across the hall, he opened the door to another room. I couldn’t tell if we were in Raif’s room or the one Raine had said was empty. Declan moved too fast.
Right away I knew whoever stayed in here was a narcissist. The room was fit for a prince and in immaculate condition. An oversized, ornate king sized bed sat with the headboard filling up half the wall. A matching claw-foot dresser, as long as the frame of the bed, sat against the opposite wall. Two very expensive crystal lamps sat on matching nightstands.
The dressing room was full of expensive, tailored suits, hanging according to color. On the other side of the closet was a rainbow of silk shirts. Every shoe slot in the closet held a polished pair of black or brown dress shoes in them. Stylish silk ties hung from a tie tree on the table in the middle of the dressing room.
A huge full-length mirror stood in the corner of the room. I was surprised to see Declan’s reflection in it. He was simply a pale man standing in front of a mirror. The part of the myth that says you can’t see a vampire’s reflection in the mirror was obviously wrong.
“It’s an illusion,” he said, when he saw me looking in it. A second later he vanished. I turned around to look at him, and found him smiling slyly.
“Now look,” he said, pointing back to the mirror. Sure enough, I could see him again.
“How’d you do that?”
“If I want ye to see me ye will. If I don’, I tell yer mind I’m not there. The human brain thinks logically. It’s easy to manipulate when no one knows ye’re doin’ it.”
“I’ll have to keep that in mind,” I said. I pointed to the huge bed. “Same drill?”
He nodded and pulled the hideaway out. It was absolutely luxurious with a nice pillow top mattress, covered by a black satin sheet inside it. There was also a matching flat sheet tucked neatly in place. I guess the vain man didn’t want to get cold.
The first fluffy pillow he handed me smelled like Judith. I couldn’t believe the amount of hate she carried
“Will you hand me the other one please?” I asked, tossing the useless one back on the bed.
His jaw muscles twitched when he handed me the second pillow, anticipation written all over his face. It was pretty clear he’d already come to his own conclusion. All he needed was verification. I was careful not to let him know I could smell her yet. Before I did, I wanted to be positive this man was the one I smelled on her pillow.
I closed my eyes and took my time. After a few deep breaths I had it. Envy stunk. It smelled like rotten eggs. Unintentionally, I crinkled up my nose at the strong scent. This was definitely the faint smell I found on Judith’s pillow. Whoever was sneaking around behind Donovan’s back was in a lot of trouble. “Whose room is this?” I asked cautiously. Hopefully this was the extra room and not Raif’s. I didn’t relish having to tell Donovan he’d been wrong about his friend. “Raine told me earlier, but I forget.”
“This is Raif’s room,” he said coolly.
He’d given me the one answer I dreaded most. Donovan may love him like a son, but it didn’t look like Raif felt the same way. Even with all the wonderful things he had in this room he still wanted more.
“She’s been with him,” I said quietly.
“He was taken with her,” he said off hand. “She probably promised him a roll in the hay if he’d let her out.”
I grabbed his arm and looked him right in the eye. He had missed my meaning. Raif already got his roll in the hay- quite a few times.
“She’s been with him, in his bed, during the day. She’s been th
ere a lot.”
“Donovan isn’t goin’ to like this,” he said, finally understanding. His eyes looked like bright blue balls of fire. “Raif may ‘ave signed ‘is own death certificate.”
Apparently that thought made him very happy. I could see the tips of his fangs appear under his coy smile. Seeing them pop out like that was a little weird, but it was something I knew I would have to get used too. He must have seen me looking because as quickly as they had appeared, they disappeared.
Well, that was just cool!
“How did you do that?” I asked awestruck.
He smiled and there they were again. They were extremely sharp and very long. Still smiling, he retracted them. Now I was looking at perfectly straight, white teeth. I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t that.
“Can you control them?”
“Aye,” he answered. “It takes time, but eventually hiding ‘em becomes second nature.”
“What do mean?”
“When we’re young they tend to come out whenever they please,” Declan explained. “The scent o’ blood, happiness, pain. Once we gain a certain level of self-awareness, controllin’ the fangs comes easy.”
“Was what happened just now on purpose or-”
“That would be me losin’ control myself,” he said finishing my sentence. “I may not be as young as David, but I still have my moments.”
“Can I ask how old you are?”
I assumed he was in his thirties. Now I wasn’t so sure. Donovan was a lot older than I thought. David was probably a baby compared to the rest of the vampires in this house. But for some reason he was the only one that actually looked his age. Maybe Declan could tell me why.
“I’m a hundred and fourteen years old,” he said, a slight twinkle in his eye.
“How old were you when you became a vampire?”
“I was thirty-five. Drunk as a skunk and passed out in an alley behind a pub. Damn thing just come up out of nowhere an’ decided to make ‘erself a companion.”
“Do you ever regret it?”
“Sometimes I do. But when ye’ve got nothin’ to live for at the time, ye ten’ to make hasty decisions.”