by Dannika Dark
Not anymore.
When I wandered in, I flipped on the light and looked around. The musty smell hadn’t changed, but it now carried traces of cigar smoke, motor oil, and aftershave. Behind the sliding wood doors to the left were his clothes, guns, and shoes—and Crush had more guns than shoes. I noticed the wolf pattern on the blanket covering the bed. How had I not pieced it together in retrospect? I shook my head while turning to the chest of drawers on the right. That’s new. Guess he didn’t want my old white dresser and mirror with the pink stool.
I shut the door and switched on a lava lamp before turning out the light. Crush didn’t have a regular table lamp or floor lamp, just the overhead light connected to the ceiling fan. I crawled beneath the blanket and lay there for an hour, watching the blue blobs floating around in the lava lamp. It used to be mine, and I liked that he’d kept it all these years. Especially since he used to argue that it was a fire hazard.
Had my whole life been a lie? I could barely wrap my head around it. Still, I couldn’t blame Crush for what he’d done. He was protecting his only child. I might have blabbed to people about his friends and attracted unwanted attention. It wasn’t just the danger of humans thinking I was a kid with a screw loose, but someone in the Breed world could have ordered a memory wipe on me. Maybe Crush had been afraid they would inadvertently erase what few memories I had of my mother.
I pounded my fist against my pillow, tossing and turning as my thoughts raced. Had Viktor found the note I’d left on my bed? I wondered if Christian was still in his room, waiting for my apology. How long was I willing to stay with my father to make sure Fletcher didn’t come after him? The only thing I knew was that I needed to be here. Not just to figure stuff out but to reconnect. I’d walked out of my father’s life twice, and I had no intention of doing it ever again. The universe was giving me a second chance to set things right.
I clutched the ruby pendant in my hand, my eyelids lowering as if anchors were weighing them down. I wondered if the only reason I wanted Keystone was because I had no other place to go. I wondered if I might have a place in my father’s world again. But most of all, I wondered what Christian was doing right now.
CHAPTER 2
“Christian Poe. So, we meet again.”
Once Christian recovered from the initial shock of seeing Lenore outside his bedroom door, he let go of the knob and clenched his fists. “What are you doing here?”
She peered around him. “Dear, oh dear. Is this what’s become of my Chrissy?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t call me that.”
A crafty smile widened her red lips. Lenore loved needling people with the little things, and when she found a person’s insecurity, she would pick and pick at it.
She swung her strappy heels between two fingers before setting them down. “Aren’t you going to invite me in? It’s rude to make a lady stand in the hall.”
Christian tilted his head to the side. “I’m still waiting for a lady to show up.”
She rolled her eyes and brushed him aside as she entered his bedroom. Lenore hadn’t changed a bit since he’d last seen her. Her silky blond hair was still long and beautiful, but she had it loosely bound in the back. Wispy strands were artfully out of place, but they moved with her as if by command. The only thing missing was one of those handheld fans. She used to fan herself all the time and thwack people over the head.
Lenore moved gracefully about the room, her slender frame hidden within a pair of wide slacks. The woman he remembered from almost a century ago had always preferred dresses.
She caught him admiring her. “Forgive my dreadful appearance. I’ve been on a plane all evening.”
He slammed the door behind him. “To what do I owe this pleasure? Did you crawl in through a mouse hole and lose your way?”
She snickered softly. Lenore had an imperious manner of speaking, one that was seductive, powerful, and sophisticated. Her laughter was one of her many charms that attracted people to her like a magnet, and she could deliver an insult with such finesse that they wouldn’t even realize it.
“It’s been a long time,” she remarked, marveling at his dungeon-like décor. “A very long time. Remind me again of the year we parted ways?”
He strode up to a chair near his bed and sat down. “1935.”
She batted her long eyelashes at him and folded her slender arms. “You’re not still mad about my putting you in that coffin, are you? Darling, it was all in good fun.”
He crossed his legs dramatically, trying to quell his anger. “I spent a decade in there.”
Her black eyes glittered with amusement, and she gave him that sultry look that had ensnared him the first time they met. “I swore I’d never come back to America, but here I am. I’ve changed, and it looks like you have too. You’re not the rogue I remember, so desperate to please. No hard feelings?” Quickly switching the topic like a pro, she lowered her arms and put her hands in her pockets. “Well, well. I heard you almost had a war. Viktor filled me in on all the details. What on earth have you gotten yourself into?”
“How did you know I was here?”
Christian really didn’t require an answer. Lenore was resourceful, with many connections.
“They’ve asked me to fill a seat on the higher authority, and I’ve accepted. There are so many things I need to do, but I just had to stop here first from the airport.”
Lenore often boasted about her many talents. Undoubtedly those “talents” were the reason she’d won a seat as an official. Lenore craved power like termites craved wood. And just like those menacing little critters, she left a path of destruction in order to get what she wanted. Among other things, she was once a ballerina. Vampires were ideal for that profession because they had a high tolerance for pain and didn’t injure easily. But Lenore was too tall for the ballet, and Christian doubted she was ever as good as she bragged. That was long before the two had met, but it was one of her most important jobs that had secured lasting connections with those in power.
Lenore held out her hand and admired it. “I’m going to miss my tan. Living in the islands was paradise. You should try it sometime.” She approached his chair like a panther stalking its prey and gave him a ravenous look. “You’ve changed. Still the same dreadful attire, but there’s something different about you I can’t put my finger on. Not the beard, but a look in your eyes I can’t quite discern.”
“You’re still the same vapid little gobshite.”
A knowing smile crossed her face. “Ah, yes. There’s the Christian I remember. I can tell by your crass language that you missed me.”
“Like a man misses syphilis.”
Lenore’s face tightened, as he’d never spoken to her with derision. “No need to be so uncouth.” She wandered to a corner and wrapped a cobweb around her index finger before blowing it off. “I just wanted to drop in and say hello since it would be rude of me not to. You’re one of my oldest and dearest friends, Christian. We’ve had our differences in the past, but we shared good times together. It seems like you’re doing well for yourself.” She moved about the room. “Your new home is lofty and rustic. It reminds me of a time when we used quills and penned letters by candlelight. There’s a certain romantic quality about a life without electricity.” Then she laughed and fanned her face. “But I would never give up my air-conditioning for romantic notions.” She studied Christian with a thoughtful pause. “I look forward to working with Viktor. He seems like an intelligent man.”
Christian’s head snapped up. “Best you keep your raptor claws off him.”
“Grudges are a heavy thing to carry.” She pursed her lips, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Do you still have that abysmal little shack in the woods? I bet you do. I wonder what I might find if I rummaged through your skeleton closet.” Lenore gave him a slow and seductive wink. “See you soon, stranger. We’ll get together for drinks. Catch up on old times.”
Christian tried not to watch as she opened the door and sauntered out, b
ut he couldn’t help himself. He soaked her in like a mirage. Lenore had bewitched him long ago, and she hadn’t lost an ounce of that power and charm. His heart didn’t burn for her like it once had, but all those old memories steamrolled right over him as he listened to the distant tap of her heels against the floor. Suddenly it was 1935 again. Christian was holding her in his arms while the band played “Cheek to Cheek.” The way she gazed ardently into his eyes as if all was forgiven—he’d been certain in that moment that he’d won her heart.
And then she’d put him in that fecking pine box.
Christian shot to his feet and kicked the wall. Stone cracked, and small pebbles fell to the floor. He paced and ran his fingers through his hair.
Jaysus wept. Could this night get any worse?
A knock sounded, and he yanked the door open with such fury that he nearly pulled it off the hinges.
Viktor stepped back with a startled look. “Have I come at a bad time?”
He sighed. “No. Come in.”
Viktor stepped inside but lingered at the door. “Miss Parrish is a delightful woman. Very accomplished and gracious. It is encouraging that you two are old acquaintances. One can never have enough connections with the higher authority. I am pleased they are filling the positions so quickly.”
“Aye.” Christian didn’t want to sully her name, so he kept his mouth shut. Viktor saw the relationship as a good opportunity for Keystone, which it very well could be. Better to be on Lenore’s good side than bad. “I thought they were going to hire Mage replacements?”
“The panel elects qualified candidates. I believe most of the replacements will be recommendations from the Mageri. But not everyone, as we learned tonight.”
“Well, aren’t we the lucky ones,” he murmured.
“Miss Parrish promised to extend an invitation to a social event once she gets established in her new home. I think it is wise to meet the new officials and mend relationships with those we had to stab and drag into our van.” Viktor chortled and rocked on his heels. “It is a shame Raven may not be available to attend.”
Christian tipped his head to the side. “And what do you mean by that?”
“She did not tell you?” Viktor’s brows furrowed as he retrieved an envelope tucked in the back of his trousers. “I escorted Miss Parrish up here to show her to your room. She wanted to speak privately, so I walked down the hall to see Raven. She didn’t answer, and I found a note on her bed with my name. It seems she’s leaving Keystone for a…”
Christian’s heart quickened while Viktor tried to find the right word in English.
“Hiatus. I think you all deserve an extended holiday after this last assignment. You worked hard and earned your rest. But it seems Raven has some personal affairs to get in order, which I understand. I’ve decided to temporarily reject any offers and allow each of you to rest. Gem is grieving, and Shepherd may want extra time to bond with his child.”
Christian tried not to look upset or concerned, so he stuffed his hands in his pockets and feigned disinterest. “Did she say where she went?”
“To stay with her father.”
Christian swallowed a knot in his throat. “Her da?”
Viktor nodded and stared at the envelope. “She says she recently discovered he’s always known about Breed. I’m afraid I cannot deny her this request if he is a trusted human. Perhaps she needs this time away. I do not think she gave herself a chance to recover after her abduction.”
They both hung their heads in acknowledgment of the cruelty Raven had endured at the hands of her Creator.
“This should not affect you since I won’t be taking any assignments for a few weeks,” Viktor explained. “I am sure she’ll be back by then.”
Christian wasn’t so sure. All of them had wound up at Keystone because they had nowhere else to go. Now Raven had an alternative, and Christian didn’t know if he could compete with that life.
“I will leave you alone.” Viktor gave the room a cursory glance. “It would not hurt you to purchase a sofa or something personal. Your bedroom looks the same as it did on the day you arrived.” He swiped something on the doorframe. “Well, except for the spiders.” Viktor said something in Russian and closed the door.
Christian sank back on his bed and rubbed his face. He’d really screwed this up with Raven. Anytime a woman went away to think, it was a bad omen. But despite their quarrel, she hadn’t divulged any of it to Viktor. Not about how Christian had secretly taken her to see her father a few months ago and not about the receipts she’d found underneath Christian’s bed.
She could have easily thrown Christian under the bus—especially after how they’d left things—but she hadn’t.
And she also hadn’t said goodbye.
Lenore’s unexpected return left him disoriented. She could have stayed on her fecking island and ruled a colony of humans for all he cared. Vampires didn’t usually inhabit sunny places because of their ocular sensitivity to sunlight, but Lenore would never let that stop her. She knew people would admire her for it. But why cross the world to live in this godforsaken city just for a seat on the panel?
Because Lenore’s weakness was her inability to say no to any opportunity to advance in the social ranks. He could hardly fault her for that. Maybe if he possessed even an ounce of her ambition, he might have made a better life for himself. Lenore had always criticized him for not setting goals or making an effort to improve himself. Had he known she was coming, he would have put on a nice suit and done a little bragging himself. But she’d caught him off guard, probably intentionally so she could get a true picture of how his life had turned out.
His thoughts drifted back to Raven. She’d given him the cold shoulder by leaving the note with someone else. Why hadn’t he gone after her when she left his room? Christian was so far removed from human emotions that he’d forgotten what it was like to feel loyalty and love for family. He’d left his beloved sister behind in Ireland over a century ago. But what if he’d had an opportunity to see her again and someone had kept him from it? Someone he trusted.
Christian turned the onyx ring around his middle finger and thought about their last moments together. Though he’d never been a penitent man, he regretted their conversation as much as he did his insensitivity. He wondered if she’d ever forgive him. He wondered if he was even a man who deserved happiness. But most of all, he wondered what she was doing right now.
CHAPTER 3
Two things lured me out of my slumber. The first was the faint smell of coffee. The second was Crush singing “Born to Be Wild.”
I sat up and rubbed my face. Morning light trickled in through the rectangular window behind my bed, revealing all the dust particles in the air that drifted about like the scattered remains of the life I’d left behind. It was disorienting at first to be staring at the four walls of my old bedroom. For a brief moment, I was fifteen again and late for school.
Then I remembered the fight with Christian.
After I got up and used the bathroom, I dragged myself down the hall and went to the kitchen for coffee.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” I said, interrupting his over-the-top performance.
Crush finished belting out the chorus and poured a cup of coffee from the pot before setting two Pop-Tarts on a small plate. “I tuned up your truck this morning and put new floor mats in. Jesus, girl. Take care of my baby, will ya?”
I yawned and noticed his white T-shirt had oil stains. “Why did you give your truck to me anyhow?”
“Christian said you were looking for a car, and I wanted you to have something I could personally guarantee was in tip-top condition.”
When I sat down at the table, my foot tapped against a giant sack on the floor. “What’s that?”
He set down my breakfast before lifting the bag and pulling out clothes. None of them were on hangers, and he piled them on the table in a heap. “I went by the thrift store and picked you up something to wear. They might be too loose. You look like a tw
ig since I last bought clothes for you.”
“Are you saying I was a fat child?”
He playfully smacked my forehead. “Still full of sass. I don’t really know about underwear and all that womanly stuff, so if it doesn’t fit, you’ll have to buy your own. I still have the receipt.”
I took a bite of my strawberry-filled pastry. “You bought me panties at a thrift store?”
“I’d never be able to show my face in there again if I did. I got those at Walmart. Can we stop talking about panties?”
I crossed my legs and sipped my coffee. “Take a seat, Crush.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” The metal legs on the vinyl chair creaked when he sat down.
There had always been a rule about his name. Either I called him Daddy or Crush. He wouldn’t respond to anything else. Typically I’d only use his first name if I was either mad at him or wanted to have a serious chat. But right now neither applied. I just enjoyed being able to sit at a table with my father and shoot the breeze like two adults.
I picked at the pastry. “You did all that this morning? Went shopping and had time to tune up my wheels? What time did you wake up?”
He scratched his grey goatee and mustache. “Five. Couldn’t sleep much.”
I peered into the living room at the pullout sofa he used to sleep on when I lived at home. The pillow and blanket were still in place as if he’d just gotten up. “Why didn’t you open it up?”