by LJ Rivers
“All right.” I dragged my feet to the bathroom, feeling hollow and limp. Did someone kill Edwin because of me? A dreadful thought entered my mind. Could my uncle have revealed my whereabouts to the dhampir? Was that how I had been discovered? I pushed that thought aside. No man spent fifteen years raising a child and keeping her safe, only to give her up to the enemy. Then again, could they have used their mind control on him? That theory was more likely. I shuddered to think what he must have endured and how his life had ended.
All because of me.
The mouthwatering smell of bacon and eggs entered my nose when I emerged from the bathroom, fully clothed in the same jeans and T-shirt from yesterday. My heart still ached, but the tears had dried, and my stomach was growling like a mad dog.
“Food!” I stated, licking my lips.
“Orange juice?” he asked.
“With a side of coffee?”
“Of course.” Leon took two steaming cups of coffee from the counter and set them on the table, before topping my glass with juice.
I stuffed my face with eggs and bacon, savoring the salty flavors on my tongue, then washed it all down with the bitter coffee. It was missing a couple of ingredients. I searched the table, but came up short. “Got any milk?”
“Sorry, no. I usually buy some for Noelle, but didn’t think to get it since she’s not at home.”
“That’s all right.” It kind of wasn’t, but I couldn’t expect him to know how I liked my coffee. Stefan would have, though. That man knew what I needed in the morning. My heart clenched a little at the thought of him. “Sugar cubes?”
Leon slid a cup of sugar across the table along with a teaspoon. “No cubes, but I always have sugar.”
“Thanks.” I helped myself to what I reckoned was about the amount included in a sugar cube, then took a swig. Still too bitter without the milk.
“How’s your neck?” he asked.
I touched the punctures that had scabbed over. “Not so bad anymore. I’ll likely always have a reminder, but they’ll heal well enough.”
“Your bruise looks better, too. It’s more purple than red now, and the swelling has gone down.” He rapped his knuckles on the table. “Ursula said the dhampirs are stronger than vampires, which is saying a lot. He should have knocked your lights out. I wonder why he didn’t.”
“Didn’t Ursula say something about my blood taking away their powers for a while? He only got a sip, but I’m not exactly a magical encyclopedia.” I traced my finger along the rim of the cup, my eyes glued to a stain on his T-shirt. “I’m sorry I smeared snot on your shirt.”
“I’m a single father, remember? I’ve had worse on my clothes.” He looked down at himself and peeled his shirt off, giving me a close-up view of his sculpted torso. No matter how drool-worthy his pecs were, his scars were what seized my attention. They webbed across his chest in an intricate net, weaving a story of past injuries. I had a few myself, but nothing like that. He rose from his chair and exited the room, revealing more scars on his back. When he entered seconds later, he pulled a black T-shirt over his head, straightened it, and sat back down.
I wanted to ask about his scars, and though I had full-on bawled my eyes out in front of him earlier, it was probably one of those personal questions I wasn’t supposed to ask. Instead, I gestured around the room with my fork. “Why don’t you live with a coven?”
“I belonged to a coven back in France. It’s not as easy as you might think to separate from one coven and find a place in a new one. A coven becomes like a family, and Noelle is my world. No coven is ready to take her in until we know whether she’s a werecat. If that’s the case, she’ll be part of the pride instead. Regardless, I won’t choose a coven which doesn’t also accept her.”
“She’s a lucky girl.”
He topped up a spoonful of sugar and sank it into his coffee, stirring it for a while. “I’m so sorry about Edwin.”
My shoulders slumped. “I know there’s a lot going on, but I have to find out what happened to him. I owe him that much.”
He sipped his coffee, grimaced, and added more sugar with a second spoon. “I’ll help in any way I can.”
“So,” I raised my cup at him, “what’s on the agenda today? I’d like to get more things from my apartment, and these jeans could use a wash.”
He shook his head. “You’re not going back there. Naunet was murdered across the street, where she had clearly kept an eye on you. If the dhampir found her, you can bet your cute ass he knows where you live.”
I perked up, if only a smidge. “You think my ass is cute.”
A hint of red blossomed on his cheeks. “I’ll make sure someone collects your things and brings them to Saga’s place. I think we should both stay there until this is resolved, and I’ve already spoken to Rosamund about Noelle staying with the pride through the week.”
I put my fork down. “I’d like to try that power thing again.”
“Now? Are you sure? We don’t have to push it.”
“I need to learn. Lives might depend on it.”
We cleared the table, and Leon put two large pillows on the floor to sit on. Cross-legged, I held my palms up, and he put his hands in mine.
I inhaled deeply. This time, I conjured up the image of the man in the letter Ursula had allowed me to keep, envisioning his shield in my mind. In the drawing, it looked as if it was made from light, so I imagined myself encased by the sun, as if its light was my shield. With determination, I drew the rays inward. A ripple of warm air brushed against my skin and melted into me like honey. Splashes of indigo and ruby painted the air around Leon, and I felt affection, concern, and a sliver of pride rolling off him.
“Nothing?” he asked.
“Everything.” I guffawed and felt his mood brighten in tune with my own.
The power was intoxicating, bubbling inside me and feeding me waves of emotions. His happiness became mine, and for a moment I felt no grief. The sensations evaporated as quickly as they had appeared, and I let go of his hands. “It worked, it bloody worked!” Standing up, I paced the small room.
“What did you see?”
I paused and winked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Cam.”
“Leon.”
He scrunched his lips together.
“Say please.”
Shaking his head, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Please.” His tone was mocking, but it would do.
“Colors,” I said excitedly. “Flashes of indigo and ruby colors. I felt your emotions like my own. It was indescribable. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
He let out a slow breath. “It’s different with different kinds of moods. I was happy when I realized you had managed to draw on my power, so you became elated. It’s important not to confuse your own sentiments with those of someone else.”
“But it felt so good.”
He got to his feet. “At least now we know you can do it. But you’ll have to be able to use it when you’re distracted or in a fight. This was a controlled environment, and you felt safe. Or so I think. I have no idea what you truly feel at any given time, which is honestly refreshing.” A smile touched his lips.
“Thank you for helping me.”
“My pleasure. I’ve never come across your kind before, so it’s interesting.” He sat on the edge of the couch and scratched at the stubble on his jawline. “Listen, I think we should have a chat with Karl.”
“Petra’s suitor?” I said the last word with an exaggerated, deep voice. “What for?”
“I told Rosamund we would. Also, who knows, he may have seen something out of the ordinary while he’s been doting on Petra these past few months.”
I showed him my palms. “Fine by me. But he’s dead for the day, though.”
“We have time before I have to go to Saga’s meeting. I’ll explain to her why you’re not coming. In the meantime, we have other plans. The cats are having a barbecue.”
Such an odd phrase. It took me a moment
to remember he was talking about Rosamund and the werecats. “Sounds real catty,” I quipped.
“It can be. In any case, we’re both invited. Until then, I figured we could just take a walk or something while discussing the case, assuming you’re up for it. Plus, I’d very much like to know more about your guardian.”
My heart sank at the reminder. “I’d like that.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Are you sure we shouldn’t have brought catnip or something?” I glanced at the cage. The turkey inside glared back at me as if it wanted to peck my eyes out, and its fleshy wattle jiggled on its neck as it gobbled in protest. “How long does it take to grill one of these, anyway?”
Leon grinned. “I’d say four, maybe five hours. We found ourselves a big bird.”
“Five?” How long did he intend for us to be here? This sounded like a full-day event. Was I up for that? Cats aside, I was hardly a social butterfly. But if it took my mind off Edwin for a while, I might as well try to enjoy myself.
“The cats throw long barbecues. It’s only a little past noon, so we’ll be done eating by the time the sun sets.”
That was a long time to spend surrounded by people who turned into feline creatures of magic.
“You should see the look on your face. Don’t worry, we’ll not be eating this birdie today.”
I exhaled with relief, and he gave me an apologetic smile.
“It needs to hang at least a week first.”
Grimacing, I flicked my fingers at the cage. “And you’re sure Rosamund will appreciate a live turkey?”
He cocked an eyebrow and jutted his chin out for me to ring the doorbell.
Gustav took his sweet time, but finally came to open the door for us. He looked different today, more relaxed. The gray suit was gone, swapped out for a pair of beige khakis and a white linen shirt, the outfit complete with a sixpence on his head. It actually made him look rather dashing. Then, of course, he spoke.
“We are all out back. You can show yourselves to the garden.” He tilted his head and snatched the cage from Leon’s hands, and I could have sworn his dull eyes sparkled for a moment. “I’ll just take that.” Leaving the door open, he disappeared from view.
I trailed inside after Leon—happy to be rid of the bird. We took a left and exited the house again through a side entrance.
Voices issued as we walked down a path along the wall, which led to the open area of the garden.
Someone whispered my name. I stopped, and Leon gave me a questioning look.
“I’ll be right there,” I said, getting to one knee and pretending to tie my shoelace.
He nodded and walked away.
“Cam,” the voice repeated.
“Petra?” I whispered, squinting to see better through the neatly groomed hedge by the wall.
“Could you maybe get me some clothes? I’m not usually this shy about nudity, but everyone is here, and I don’t want Mutter to know.”
I peered into the shadows and could just make out her silhouette on the other side, naked as a jaybird. “What happened?”
She angled her head closer and parted the hedge to reveal her sapphire eyes with the familiar green specks in them. “I was with Karl last night. Someone attacked us.” Her lips quivered, and tears slipped down her cheeks. “They killed him. I was so scared that I shifted without thinking and managed to slip away. My animal is smaller than the men who—” She clamped a hand in front of her mouth, her whole body trembling. “Anyway, I slipped into small spaces where they couldn’t enter. I’m not sure. It’s all a bit fuzzy through my animal’s eyes, and I think I slept for a while as she ran. I only woke up here a few minutes ago.”
I put my hand on hers in a consoling gesture. “Where’s your room?”
“Up the spiral stairs, second door to the left.” She sniffled. “There’s a yellow sundress draped over a chair I can use, and a pair of flats underneath.”
“All right, Petra. Don’t worry, I’ll find it.”
She nodded and leaned against the wall, the hedge slowly closing to conceal her once more.
Shaking my head, I jogged into the crowd of people. And there were a lot of them. A quick headcount brought me to at least forty. I touched Leon’s arm where he stood by a buffet. A real one, not like the one I had witnessed last night.
“What’s up?”
“I’m sorry. There are too many people here, and I need to make a call. I’ll just slip inside for a moment but wanted to let you know where I’d gone.”
His lips pressed together, and he folded his arms. “If you’re not back here in fifteen, I’ll come find you. We shouldn’t split up, but I don’t see the … perpetrator … suddenly deciding to crash this party.”
“I’ll hurry.” I caught a glimpse of Rosamund by the swing set, watching Gisele trying her best to reach the sky. I would have to say hello later. And I would probably have to tell on Petra once she got dressed. Not because I wanted to break her confidence, but because a vampire was dead. Petra’s vampire. And my gut told me that wasn’t a coincidence. As I zigzagged away from the crowd, Nova spotted me. She waved her fingers, and I waved back.
The doors to the sunroom were wide open, so I entered the house from there. The only sounds inside came from the kitchen. I hurried through the hall and up the winding stairs, then found Petra’s room. The dress and shoes were exactly where she had said.
Perching on the edge of the chair, I held the dress in my hands and studied the room. The rest of the house had more earthy colors, while this room was full of pastels and bright shades. Glitter and gemstones decorated the furniture and the frame of the mirror fastened to the dresser. It looked like the room of a small child, not a young woman.
As I stood to leave, something caught my eye. The corner of a photo sticking out from one of the drawers. The drawer itself was locked, but I pinched my fingers around the small piece and gently wiggled it out.
It was a photo of Karl. I recognized the smug grin, the slightly large ears, and the wild punk rock hairstyle. I tucked it in the back pocket of my jeans and took the same route I had gone with Leon not ten minutes earlier, so as not to be seen by anyone at the party.
Petra dressed quickly and finally emerged from her hiding place. “Thank you.”
“Here.” I handed her a hairbrush and a couple of cleaning wipes I had found in her bathroom.
She wiped her eyes and brushed through her hair, then left the items behind the hedge. “How do I look?”
After swiping the remnants of smudges of mascara from her cheeks with my thumb, I gave her a reassuring smile. “Like a princess.”
She patted down the skirt and averted her face. “You won’t tell Mutter, will you?”
I took her arm. “I’m sorry, but you know I have to. She needs to know that someone killed Karl. It might be connected to the attack on us the other day.” I wasn’t sure how much Petra knew, so I decided not to reveal too many details or mention Naunet.
“But what if I just tell you where it happened and you could say you got an anonymous tip or something?” she pleaded.
“We’ll tell her together, all right? She might be more understanding if I’m there.”
Biting her lip, she hunched her shoulders and allowed me to guide her forward.
A large spit-roaster had appeared in my absence, and one giant—very deceased—turkey was turning above the heat. Not the one Leon and I had gifted, of course, although I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.
Gisele was still on the swing, now joined by Noelle.
“Camryn,” Rosamund said, closing the distance between us. She scanned my face, then noticed Petra, her nostrils flaring and her features hardening. “Petra. Where have you been?”
“Could we step into the sunroom?” I asked. “This is kind of delicate.” I waved my hand at Leon, who broke away from a conversation with an older woman to join us.
Rosamund shifted her gaze between us, then held her arm out toward the sunroom. The four of us fi
led inside. This time, I took the couch with Petra, and Leon took the chair next to Rosamund.
“Someone better start explaining. Fast. We have guests.” Rosamund gave Petra a stern appraisal.
“Karl is dead,” I said bluntly.
The Solis’ face softened a little, pity appearing in her eyes as she looked upon her daughter. “I’m sorry, Schatzi.”
“Like you care,” Petra shot back, wiggling back on the couch and lifting her feet up. “This is just perfect for your plan for me, isn’t it? For all I know, you had him killed.”
The softness evaporated, and Rosamund’s face turned into a hard mask. “Killed? By whom?” She turned her attention to me, searching for answers.
“I don’t know,” I said, looking to Leon for support, but all he did was rest his elbows on his knees, shaking his head. “All I know is that Petra and Karl were attacked last night. Someone killed Karl, but Petra managed to shift and escape. I found her hiding in the bushes out back. That said, I don’t believe it can be a coincidence. I mean, how often does a vampire get killed in this city?”
“Almost never,” Leon grumbled. “There have been incidents, and there are groups out there who hunt different breeds, but this seems like too much of a coincidence.”
“Agreed,” Rosamund said.
Beside me, Petra was crying again, though she had a determined, if a little pouty, look on her face. “There were two men. I think they were vampires too.”
“Please. Every detail matters,” I coaxed.
She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and lifted her chin. “They acted like vampires, but they smelled different, almost like humans.” She gave me a sideways glance. “Vampires smell like garlic,” she said by way of explanation.
I stifled a snicker. “I thought they were allergic to garlic.”