The Vampire’s Priceless Treasure

by Painter, Kristen

  It explained the curse, too. The Romanovs were the last of a royal dynasty who’d all been brutally murdered following the Russian Revolution.

  A bad end indeed.

  The story of the Romanovs had always upset him. And not just because he’d been living when it happened. To kill children just because of who their parents were… To kill an entire family because of what they represented… He shuddered involuntarily as he walked back to his station.

  Why was Kora so interested in this locket? Was it just the story of the Romanovs? Greyson suspected not, but had no other ideas as to why it would have caught her attention so strongly. A broken locket couldn’t be worth much, could it?

  He thought about it a moment longer. Nothing clicked. There was no reason he could come up with that the locket would interest her.

  Whatever. It was Kora’s business. And he didn’t need to be a part of that. He sighed. If only she wasn’t so…Kora. She was staggeringly beautiful, intelligent, and half vampire. She was the kind of woman he’d normally pursue.

  If she wasn’t also a giant ball of crazy trouble. A relationship with her would end up with one of them dead or in jail. He crossed his arms. That seemed to be how it went, though. The brightest stars burned the hottest.

  And sadly, he wasn’t fireproof.

  Kora was glad Greyson had slipped out of sight. That made her own disappearance much easier. The last thing she wanted to do was explain why she was at the exhibit for a third time. Or answer any of his questions.

  She knew what he thought of her. That she was a wild child in need of discipline and growing up. A spoiled troublemaker who only cared about her own interests. He wasn’t wrong. She had been those things. But not anymore. Not since she’d reconciled with her father, learned some hard truths about the past, and taken a long, introspective look at how she’d been living her life.

  She’d grown up fast. Though, not entirely—she was definitely a work in progress. But she was on a new path now.

  Or at least she had been before the package had arrived.

  With accelerated vampire speed, she went straight from the community wing to the reference section and used her keycard to access the door in the far corner marked Employees Only.

  Beyond that door were the stairs to the Nocturne Falls Basement, the secret underground labyrinth beneath the town that provide passage for many of the supernatural employees. Doors to access the Basement were conveniently located all throughout town, like this one in the library. And the one just outside her father’s nightclub, Insomnia. From there, she could go almost anywhere in town she wanted without ever having to step foot outside.

  A very good thing when you were fifty percent vampire and a hundred percent UV intolerant.

  As soon as she was down the steps, she stopped, pulled out her phone, and checked the pictures she’d taken. She leaned against the cool masonry wall as she looked at them, shaking her head in disbelief. The other half of the locket was really here. After nearly a year of looking, following every possible clue on the internet, scouring every historical document she could lay her hands on, calling antique shops across Europe…it was here.

  Her hands trembled with excitement, but there was fear in her heart, too. So many unknowns swirled around this thing. Where would it lead her? Who was this Fox who had sent her the package in the first place? How had he known where to find her?

  But most important, how did he know what had really happened to her mother? After Pavlina had disappeared, Kora and her father had always assumed Pavlina had died, unable to find shelter from the sunrise. She’d lived her life impulsively, with little regard for her husband or child, indulging her own needs to the point that whatever had happened to her, death of some kind seemed most likely.

  Perhaps inevitable.

  Kora leaned back and took an unnecessary breath, trying to calm the flurry of emotions inside her. If only she could talk to her father about this. Or anyone. But the note that had accompanied the package had specifically forbidden her to disclose her mission.

  If she did, the truth about her mother would never be revealed.

  Kora questioned her need for such information. After all, it had been more than seventy-five years since she or her father had seen Pavlina. Why should Kora concern herself with this now? Especially when her mother couldn’t be bothered to care about her only child.

  But the truth was, Kora wasn’t that hard-hearted. If anything, her new path had made her a lot more sensitive to feelings the old her would have brushed off. No longer could she be so cavalier. She wanted, no, needed the truth about her mother’s disappearance and likely death. If only for the closure.

  Then there was the rather intriguing locket. She loved jewelry, loved history, and loved adventure. With its combination of all three, this mission seemed made for her.

  Which again brought to mind the question of how she’d been selected for it. Was it because she had a reputation for the kinds of activities that would make tackling this treasure hunt seem perfect for her? Was it because the Fox had the info on Pavlina? Or was that just a ploy to get Kora to track down the locket?

  She scowled as she put her phone away and started moving down the passage toward Insomnia and her home. If this was all a ruse to recover whatever treasure it was she was supposed to recover and there wasn’t any information to be had about Pavlina, Kora wasn’t going to spare the person responsible.

  For the Fox’s sake, she hoped he remembered that while she was half vampire, she was half reaper, too. And while she might have very little of her father’s side, she had his temperament about many things.

  Including how justice should be served.

  By the time she made it back home, she was genuinely angry about the task and its parameters. How dare she be expected to risk so much without any guarantee of reward? And without help. That was ludicrous.

  She had half a mind to send a text via the burner phone included in the mysterious package and tell the Fox the deal was off.

  Who called himself the Fox, anyway?

  She went through the door that led down a dark hall and into her father’s previous residence, the underground estate she now called home.

  She shut the door behind her harder than intended. The sound brought Waffles, her cat, running. He meowed at her as he trotted down the hall.

  “Hi there, sweet boy.” She crouched down to pick him up, snuggling him in her arms. She’d never wanted a pet, never considered having one, but when Chet, one of Insomnia’s doormen, had told her there was a cat in the ground-level warehouse that wasn’t doing too good, she’d gone up to see for herself. When she’d laid eyes on Waffles, a switch inside her flipped.

  Waffles had been covered in fleas, so skinny his backbone was visible, his fur matted, and he’d been bitten by something that had left a horrible wound on his side.

  Five months later, he was a gorgeous boy who’d filled out nicely, thanks to a steady diet of whatever he wanted. His wound was healed, his fur was thick and shiny, and if Kora was being honest, he’d taken up permanent residence in her heart. She hadn’t known she could love another creature so much.

  And she didn’t want to be away from him for longer than necessary. Which was why, if she needed help with this mission, she was going to ask for it. For another thing, she didn’t really have a choice. She couldn’t read Russian, so translating the locket’s inscription would require outside assistance.

  She kissed Waffles’s broad head. “Hungry, baby?”

  He responded by butting his big noggin against her chin and making her smile.

  For a third, she wasn’t going to ignore her responsibilities for some quest. Besides Waffles, she’d made a commitment to her father to help at the club. She liked her job there. Liked doing it well. And she was enjoying her new relationship with her father. More surprisingly, she liked his new wife, too.

  She’d never imagined her father would marry again, but what was stranger still was that she had genuinely come to like I
mari. A reaper and a genie—such an unlikely combination, but they were very good together and clearly in love.

  And if Imari made Kora’s father happy, then that was enough for Kora.

  But she liked Imari for more than the change in her father’s outlook. Imari had given Kora’s great-grandmother, Hattie, her life back.

  Literally.

  Hattie had been trapped in limbo between the living and the dead, a ghost by all appearances. And all because Lucien’s reaper powers had gone haywire, and he’d accidentally reaped Hattie’s soul.

  That incident was the whole reason he’d retired. The whole reason he’d secreted himself away in his underground home. He couldn’t trust his powers not to take a life, something no reaper could abide.

  But that was all behind them now, thanks to Imari.

  For that act alone, Kora gave the genie respect. She’d helped restore Lucien’s happiness in many ways.

  Something Kora had only caused to diminish for many years of her life. But that was in the past now, too. She had her family back, and she would fight to keep it.

  She carried Waffles into the kitchen, then set him on the floor and fixed him a fresh bowl of Chicken Party. The food had been recommended by one of her father’s friends, Jayne Frost. The winter elf just happened to be Greyson’s ex-girlfriend, but Kora didn’t care one way or the other who Greyson was or wasn’t dating.

  Not when it came to improving Waffles’s life.

  Jayne’s cat, Spider, loved the particular flavor of food, and as it turned out, so did Waffles. Jayne and Spider had since moved to the North Pole, Jayne’s hometown, so there weren’t going to be any playdates in the future. Although Kora had begun to think it was time for Waffles to have a brother or sister.

  As Kora filled his bowl, her mind returned to the locket. She knew part of her desire to see this quest through was her desperation to know the truth about her mother. What child wouldn’t want that same thing? It was the kind of need that lived deep inside her, in a primal place that wasn’t going to be denied.

  So she would do what she could to fulfill the quest that had been laid out before her and hope that the Fox would honor his word.

  But before she could do anything, she had to get the other half of the locket.

  The packing up would start as soon as the exhibit was closed. Her plan was to head back to the library in the early hours of the morning before they came to load everything into the armored car to move on to the exhibit’s next location.

  She hoped the curators would think the locket had been swiped during the unpacking and setting up at the new location, which was in Miami.

  If that wasn’t what the curators thought… She’d cross that bridge when she came to it. Maybe she’d be able to return the locket by then. All she needed was the inscription translated.

  Which should lead her to the next clue in the puzzle.

  What that puzzle would reveal, she had no idea. She didn’t care either. It could be a king’s ransom in gold or a treasure map or proof aliens existed.

  All she wanted was the truth she’d been promised.

  She leaned against the kitchen counter, taking a long look around. Living in such a big space by herself was a little lonely at times. Having Waffles around really helped. Having another cat would be twice as good.

  She smiled, imagining the pitter-patter of little feet.

  So what if she was a little lonely? Having such a secure, safe place to call home was a gift. And it wasn’t that lonely. Her father, Imari, and Hattie came over to visit every once in a while, or she’d go to their big Victorian on Shadows Drive. After sundown, of course.

  She really enjoyed her time there, especially when Hattie showed off her gardens. It gave Kora great pleasure to see her mémé so happy.

  But there’d be no visiting tonight. She was on duty at Insomnia until six a.m., which meant at some point she was going to have to slip out and make her trip to the library.

  Hopefully, her absence at the club would go unnoticed. She imagined she could do everything she needed to in fifteen minutes or less, especially if she traveled at vampire speeds.

  Having an alibi wasn’t absolutely necessary, especially if no one noticed she was gone, but it couldn’t hurt in case the locket was discovered missing before Miami. She hoped it didn’t come to that, but there was no way of knowing how all of this would unfold.

  She left Waffles to his dinner and went to change. She dressed in her standard black leather, choosing leggings with knee-high, flat-soled boots and a bustier with a slim jacket over it. No dress and heels tonight. She had to be able to move quickly.

  And while she’d normally have her little belt bag of supplies with her on a job like this, she wouldn’t need it tonight. Or at least, she couldn’t foresee needing it.

  She did her hair and makeup, tucked a pair of gloves into the jacket’s inside pocket, and went back to the kitchen for a little liquid refreshment. She needed to be fully fueled this evening.

  Waffles was lying on the kitchen counter, cleaning himself.

  She snorted at his boldness. “You know you’re not allowed up there.”

  He ignored her, and she made no move to shoo him off. She was either a terrible cat mother or the best one ever.

  She poured herself some sustenance, and as she drank her dinner, an image of Greyson popped into her head. She sighed. Her mind sure liked to bring him to the forefront of her thoughts lately. Probably a side effect of living in the same town with him. And she had seen him three times this week.

  That was all it was. Proximity. Because she certainly wouldn’t be thinking about him for any other reason.

  Still, his image lingered.

  Why? Was her subconscious trying to warn her?

  Did he suspect something? She shouldn’t have gone to the exhibit three times, but the first time was to be sure the locket was there. The second time was to map the place out and see what kind of security had been added, and the third time was because her nerves had gotten the best of her.

  The need to double-check everything had overruled her good sense not to go.

  But Greyson probably just thought she was fascinated by all the sparkly things. He knew she liked jewelry. No doubt that was all he thought. She’d been drawn by the glitter. There was no way he’d ever imagine why she was really there. How could he?

  Too bad he was so critical of her. And so full of himself. And knew how attractive he was. If not for those faults, he would have been the kind of vampire she could see herself spending time with.

  Actually, there was one more big fault that disqualified him for that pleasure: He was also her father’s errand boy. Okay, that wasn’t fair. Greyson was no boy. Not by a long shot. He was very much a man.

  Kora exhaled at the sudden and unexpected heat that had built up in her belly. Dumb hormones. Greyson was not for her. He was too much in her father’s pocket and knew too much about her past. And he judged her by it.

  Always would, too. She knew the type. He thought he was superior because he’d come riding in on his proverbial white horse to rescue her. More than once. But not because he really was some kind of white knight. What he’d done for Kora he’d done because her father had hired him.

  That was part of what colored his view of her. But what would he think if he knew about Waffles? Would that change his mind about her?

  Didn’t matter, though, because the days of needing rescue were over. She could rescue herself now. No, wait. She wasn’t going to need rescuing, because she wasn’t doing dumb things anymore.

  Except for tonight’s little robbery. And the upcoming adventure to follow. But after that, she was utterly and completely done with those kinds of shenanigans.

  “Keep a good thought for Mama, Waffles. I have to do a little breaking and entering, and I don’t want to get caught.”

  But she couldn’t back out now. She had a valid reason for needing that locket. She drained the last of the liquid in her glass, then ran her tongue over h
er fangs.

  If you could call doing the bidding of someone named the Fox a valid reason.

  Whatever. She had to stop second-guessing her decision to go along with this task. She was doing it, and that was that.

  She gave Waffles a quick pat on the head, then went back to her room, put on a pair of diamond stud earrings and a bracelet of jet beads and diamond rondels set in platinum, then tucked her phone into her jacket pocket. Time to get to work.

  Something told her it was going to be a long night. And not just because she was planning on breaking the law in a few hours.

  Greyson sat at the bar at Howler’s, nursing a beer he wasn’t really interested in. He just wasn’t ready to go home.

  He couldn’t shake the feeling that Kora was up to something. Call it instinct, call it experience, call it time spent with a woman who’d never met a rule she thought applied to her, but his vampire senses were tingling with concern.

  What the something she might be up to was, he didn’t know, but a safe guess said it involved the broken locket she’d stood in front of for so long. And come to see three times. Why on earth would she want that thing? Especially when it wasn’t even whole.

  That didn’t seem like Kora’s style. He knew she liked antique jewelry, but all the pieces he’d seen her with had been in mint condition.

  Maybe her tastes had changed. Anything was possible. But he doubted it was as simple as that.

  Was it because the locket had belonged to the Romanovs? Was there some connection there? He vaguely remembered something Lucien had once said about his ex-wife being of Russian decent. But had he meant by human birth or vampire siring? Because most vampires, once turned, considered their sire’s bloodline first and their human one second. In fact, some vampire bloodlines were far more prestigious than any human ones could ever be.

  But a reaper might not have taken that into consideration.

  Greyson pondered the situation a little more, allowing his mind to go down some unlikely rabbit holes.