by Rose Pressey
He stared at my lips. My gaze moved to his as his handsome face moved closer to my mouth. Was he really going to kiss me? I had to stop him. Why I had to stop him I wasn’t sure. I just knew my mind was telling me not to let him kiss me. Of course my body was saying an entirely different thing.
His lips were nearly touching mine when I pressed my hands against his hard chest and pushed him away. I stepped around him, leaving Liam standing there wondering what had just happened.
“I should go to bed. It’s been a long day,” I said when I reached the doorway and turned around to look at him.
He ran his hand through his thick dark hair. “I understand. Thank you for the water.”
“You’re welcome,” I said softly.
For a moment there was an awkward silence, then I turned around and walked away. When I reached the staircase, I hurried up to the second floor landing, then peered up toward the third floor. Was Nicolas already sleeping? I glanced down the hallway. What was Isabeau doing?
Once I made my way down the hallway, I stopped at her door. I raised my hand to knock, but stopped midair. If she was sleeping, did I really want to wake her? Let sleeping demons lie, right? At least if she was sleeping I wouldn’t have any problems out of her. I pressed my ear against the door. No noise came from the other side, so I assumed she’d finally gone to bed. Although since she’d been a ghost, I wondered if she was good on sleep for a while.
My thoughts drifted to the ghosts we’d seen outside. I knew they wouldn’t go away. If I turned them back into the living would they leave me alone? Next thing I knew I’d have an endless stream of ghosts wanting me to turn them back. I definitely didn’t need that.
After locking my bedroom door behind me, I stepped over to the window. I had a full view of the backyard from my vantage point. The moon cast a white ghostly glow over the yard. I scanned the area for the ghosts, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. They’d be back. I knew they would. The only question was how many would they bring back with them?
I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up tight, relishing the feel of the soft sheets against my skin. Who knew when I’d discover another ghost lurking around in my room. My thoughts ran a million miles a minute. The last thing I remembered thinking about before drifting off to sleep was Nicolas. How had he persuaded me to join him for dinner? I couldn’t deny that we’d had an amazing night together dancing under the stars by the river. It had been a perfect date, except for the fact that he still wouldn’t answer any of my questions. Oh, and the ghosts. But what was I going to do with Liam?
Chapter Twenty-One
I woke the next morning with a start. My heart was racing. Had I been dreaming? Maybe it was the stress of everything that was going on around me. I lay there for a minute staring at the ceiling until my heart rate had returned to normal. Once I’d calmed down enough, I jumped up and hurried into the shower, then slipped into my jeans and a warm yellow sweater. I had to make it to the kitchen before Nicolas. I especially had to make it down there before Isabeau. She’d only make another mess.
How had I been able to perform the cleaning spell so well last night? It had to be a fluke, right? When I stepped out into the hall, Isabeau’s door was still closed. Maybe she’d decided to leave? Could I get that lucky? Probably not, but a girl could dream. The house seemed eerily silent as I made my way downstairs. It was like the calm before the storm. Why did I feel as if I was waiting for the bomb to drop?
Trying to keep quiet while I rushed through the rooms toward the kitchen was no easy task. When I reached the kitchen door, I let out a deep breath. The kitchen was still clean and no one was up yet. Of course it was six a.m. so I wasn’t surprised that they were sleeping in. I wished I was still in bed too. But I’d signed on to run this place as a bed-and-breakfast. I doubted my guests would appreciate eating breakfast at twelve just because I wanted to sleep in.
I flipped the switch on the coffee brewer, then filled the cat’s food and water dish. The coffee couldn’t brew fast enough because I needed it now more than ever to help me get through the morning. I intended to serve breakfast in the sunroom this morning. It was a bright and beautiful fall day and the leaves were starting to turn. The view of green, orange, red and yellow leaves was spectacular. Although with all the windows, I worried that if the ghosts were out there, Nicolas or Liam would spot them right away.
I needed to find out if Isabeau knew anything else about the spell that had brought her back. Not that she’d tell me if she did. Why was she being so difficult? I decided to try my hand at an omelet this time, along with waffles and bacon. I’d just assembled all of my ingredients when noise sounded from the parlor. Lately any little noise made me jump. I was completely on edge.
I wiped my hands on my apron and moved toward the library. When I saw Nicolas standing in the room, I stopped in my tracks. His gaze locked with mine. The hungry look in his eyes suggested that he didn’t want waffles to satisfy his craving. Nicolas rushed toward me. I didn’t protest when he pulled me close to his hard chest. His fingers burned into my tingling skin as he caressed my cheeks. Without saying a word, his warm lips met mine with an urgency that I’d never experienced before. His mouth covered mine hungrily as his lips moved over mine with ease. His tongue traced my lips, then he explored my mouth. My own eager response to his touch shocked me.
When I thought I might collapse to the floor, Nicolas gently eased his mouth from mine. I finally caught my breath.
He wrapped his arms around me. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve been thinking about you since last night.”
Did I admit that I’d been thinking of him too? Did I admit that Liam had almost kissed me last night and that I’d come close to allowing him?
Nicolas touched my cheek again. “There’s something special about you, Halloween. I’ve been drawn to you since I first laid eyes on you.”
Wow, I hadn’t expected that. Before I could answer he placed his lips on me again. Every time he kissed me it knocked all the air right out of my lungs. I’d never been kissed this way before. Nicolas moved from my lips to my neck as he placed feathery kisses against my skin. My heart thumped harder.
Suddenly Nicolas pulled away. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
He looked confused as I searched his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as I touched his arm.
“There’s something I need to tell you.” His tone was apologetic.
My heart rate spiked again. What was he going to say? It couldn’t be good news, right? Not with that kind of expression.
Nicolas turned away. Leaning over, I looked at his face. I let out a loud gasp and stumbled back, bumping into the bookshelf.
“I’m sorry,” he said, finally turning to look at me.
“Your mouth.” Those two words were all I managed to get out.
He just stared at me with his sharp white fangs poking out over his bottom lip.
“What are those?” I asked pointing at his mouth. “Why do you have fangs?” I moved around the bookcase and backed further away from him.
Nicolas’ eyes shone the brightest blue I’d ever seen.
“Hallie, I’m a vampire.” His voice was soft but alarming.
His words didn’t register on my dizzied senses. I shook my head. “And you’re just now telling me this? Did you think this was something you can hide from me? Did you think this is something you should hide from me?”
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t think I should hide it from you and I wanted to tell you from the moment we met.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?” I stood there blank, alarmed and shaken.
“There was never a right time.” He ran his hand through his thick hair.
“How about when we had breakfast? Or how about at dinner when I asked questions about you? Heck, you could have written it on the note with the flowers. P.S. I’m a vampire.”
“It wasn’t that simple,” he said.
&n
bsp; “I think it was,” I said in disapproval.
“I’m sorry,” he said with sincerity in his eyes.
“If you’re a vampire then why can you go out into the sun?”
“That’s all a myth. Obviously, we can go out into the sun.” Nicolas radiated an energy that drew me to him like a magnet.
“But you drink human blood?” I shivered at the thought.
“I’m not going to lie to you, Hallie, we do need it. We crave it.”
My neck felt barer by the second.
“I’ve never met a real vampire before,” I said.
“I didn’t want to have feelings for you, but I can’t stop them. I have strong feelings for you. I’ve tried to deny them… we shouldn’t be together.”
His admission made my insides tingle with excitement.
“None of this makes any sense. Why do you say such things?” I paced restlessly across the room.
He inched closer and I moved back a couple steps more.
“It’s frowned upon for you to date me.” There was a spark of some indefinable emotion in his eyes. A war of emotions raged through me.
“Why? It’s frowned upon by whom?” I asked in frustration.
“The Underworld doesn’t want it. You could have your right to perform magic taken away permanently.”
My eyes widened. “How do you know?”
“It’s not a coincidence that I came here.”
I felt as if I might faint. So he was an axe murderer after all. I should have listened to Annabelle.
“Your magic was putting off a strange vibe. I had to find you before someone else did. Unfortunately I was not fast enough because Liam showed up too.”
“It’s not a coincidence that he’s here either, is it?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, it’s not.”
“When did you become a vampire?” I had to know.
He shook his head. “That’s not important.”
“It is important to me,” I said.
“It was a long time ago.” He looked away.
“What are we talking here? A hundred years, two hundred years?” I focused on his face.
“It was around the Civil War. I just got caught up with the wrong crowd. We don’t need to discuss me right now. Like I said, you are in danger.”
Nice way to change the subject. “Why am I in danger? Did one of you come here to kill me?” I asked.
His eyes widened. “Of course not. Well, I can’t speak for that witch Liam, but I did not. I came here to help you.”
Liam stepped into the room. His jaw was tense, mouth clamped, and eyes fixed on Nicolas. “Thanks for the introduction, Nicolas. But if anyone is here to hurt Hallie, it’s you.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
I didn’t know what to think. My head was spinning. I grabbed the table next to me to steady myself.
Nicolas exposed his fangs to Liam as some kind of warning, I guessed. “You’re walking on thin ice,” Nicolas said.
Liam ignored Nicolas’ threat. “I came here to get rid of the book,” Liam said.
“You know about the book?” My mouth dropped open.
The room spun even more and the last thing I remembered was hitting the floor hard. I woke with Liam and Nicolas standing next to me arguing.
“You’ll never get your hands on the book,” Nicolas said.
“It’s the only way to get rid of her,” Liam said.
I blinked, trying to focus my vision. Not wanting to hear another word, I jumped up from the sofa.
“Whoa. I think both of you need to leave now.” I pointed at the door.
“Look what you’ve done. You’ve scared her.” Liam’s eyes glowed with anger.
“Do you blame me?” I asked.
“Hallie, you’re in danger because there’s another witch looking for you. It’s only a matter of time until she tracks you down. She’ll want to eliminate you.” Nicolas spoke in an urgent tone.
“What do you mean, eliminate me?” My voice raised a couple levels.
Liam looked at Nicolas and they both frowned. It was the first time they’d looked civil to one another.
“She’ll want to kill you,” Nicolas said bluntly.
My legs wobbled again. I had to get a hold of myself. “Why would anyone want to kill me?” I asked. “I’ve done nothing wrong, other than a few botched spells. I’ve never harmed anyone too badly with them.”
“Mara Abney is an evil and powerful witch. She’s desperate to take charge of the Underworld. She’ll be coming for you soon,” Liam explained in a calm tone.
“What is this Underworld I keep hearing about?” I folded my arms in front of my chest.
I was convinced that both men were crazy. I should have known it was too good to be true. Two crazy men were after me. One was a vampire, one was a witch and to top it off I had a crazy ex-ghost in my house and other ghosts wanting in. My life had gone from wacky to full-on insane.
“I’ve never heard of Mara Abney and there is no reason for her to want me dead. If she is after me, then I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.”
I looked at both men but their expressions didn’t change. Apparently, they were convinced that this woman really wanted to cause me harm.
“Why do you want my spell book? Is that why you were upstairs in the attic?” I stared at him accusingly.
“Never mind that,” Liam said. “Where is the book?”
I snorted. “Wouldn’t you like to know? There is no way I’m telling you that. And there’s no way you’re getting your hands on it.”
Liam blew out a deep breath. Apparently I had frustrated him. But what did I care? He was talking nonsense.
“Let me try to explain this to you.”
“Oh, please do.” I waved my hand through the air.
“The Underworld has been without a leader for some time now.” Nicolas sat on the edge of the desk.
Liam paced across the room.
Liam continued Nicolas’ sentence. “Because of that, things have quickly turned chaotic. Vampires are violently turning people again. They’re drinking witches’ blood.”
I whipped around to look at Nicolas. Was that why he was here? To drink my blood? He must have realized what I was thinking because a hurt look flashed in his eyes. But was he being sincere or was that all part of his act?
“Not all vampires are drinking witches’ blood,” he said defensively, then glared at Liam.
Liam shrugged, then continued. “Anyway, the witches are performing black magic too.”
“I’m not performing black magic,” I said in my defense.
Or was I? I had brought back someone from the dead. That sounded a lot like black magic. But it wasn’t as if I’d done it on purpose.
“Can someone please tell me what the hell the Underworld is? I keep hearing the phrase repeated over and over yet I know nothing about it. Is it really underground?” My lack of knowledge was embarrassing.
Nicolas smiled. “No, it’s not literally underground.”
Okay, now I felt like an idiot. I should have known that detail.
“The Underworld is the overseer of all things paranormal. Vampires, witches, fairies.” Liam sat on the edge of the sofa.
“Why haven’t I heard of this before? I’m a witch.”
Nicolas shrugged. “If you haven’t done anything wrong, it’s not surprising that you’ve never been aware of it.”
“What about all my botched magic spells?” I asked.
“Minor offenses,” Nicolas said.
“Yeah well, tell that to my mother and her eyebrows.” I smirked.
The men looked at me as if I’d lost it.
“Never mind,” I said. “So it’s kind of like a court and law enforcement?”
Liam nodded. “You got it.”
“What has this got to do with me? The spell book is linked to the Underworld somehow?” I blew out a deep breath.
“Do you have the spell book now?” He searched my eyes.
“Ye
s,” I answered reluctantly.
“Then Mara wants it because she will be the leader of the Underworld once it’s in her possession.”
A chill ran down my spine. That was a pretty high-stakes reason to want the book. I had so many unanswered questions. Did my mother know anything about this Underworld? How did the book get in Aunt Maddy’s attic? Most importantly, how the heck would I ever find the answers to those questions?
“Are you okay? Maybe you should sit back down?” Nicolas touched my arm.
I backed away and walked clear across the room, putting distance between us. I wanted to be near the door in case I needed to make a fast getaway. Nicolas looked nothing short of hurt by my actions.
Liam cleared his throat. “Anyway, like I said when I first arrived, I am a detective with the Underworld.”
“You failed to mention you weren’t a normal detective though. And that one…” I pointed at Nicolas. “He never told me anything about what he does.” A sense of controlled power coiled through my body, waiting to burst out.
Liam stood. “I’m a detective with the Underworld and I took an oath to uphold the law.”
Nicolas stepped toward Liam. “You have no law here,” he snapped.
I frowned. What was that all about?
“I do have law here and the law says that Halloween is now the leader of the Underworld. She must take the position,” he said forcefully.
The dizziness overcame me again. My stomach turned and the room spun out of control. This was craziness. Had he really just said that I was the leader of the Underworld now?
“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” I held my head in my hands.
Maybe this was all one big dream. I’d wake up soon and this mess would all be behind me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You are in possession of the book. This means you are now the leader of the Underworld,” Nicolas said matter-of-factly.