“Answer me!” Ophelia demanded.
Octavia’s skin began to stretch, but the vampire said nothing. It wasn’t until her skin began to tear that Octavia gave in. “Fine!” she sobbed, “I’ll tell you. Just, please, put me down.”
Ophelia released her hold and dropped her hand. The vampire slid to the floor, whimpering in pain as she reached up and pressed a hand to the wound in her shoulder, unable to stop the trickling of blood. She glared at Ophelia.
Octavia’s voice shook when she spoke, and her tone was no longer fierce. “I underestimated you.” She sighed and lowered her gaze. “Daniel’s been a wanted man for a long time, but now it’s more important. Our boss thinks he had something to do with Jasmine’s disappearance last month. She was last seen with him, hunting down another vampire, but she hasn’t been heard from since.”
Ophelia crouched down in front of her and used the blade of the knife to force the woman to look at her. “Did Jasmine kill his family?”
If the question shocked her, Octavia gave no indication. “That’s the rumor,” she replied with a smirk.
Ophelia sat back on her heels, pressing the dagger into the vampire’s skin. Blood welled up. “I guess that’s all I needed to know.”
Then, before she could change her mind, Ophelia sent her power whizzing down the blade of the knife and into the woman she had once thought of as her mother. Octavia’s eyes flew wide. Beams of golden light spilled from her eyes, nose, and mouth, glowing ever brighter.
Heat engulfed the women, and Ophelia’s hair was ripped from her braid to tangle behind her in the fiery wind. Octavia’s mouth opened, and she let out a terrified screech. A red haze burned within the now orange light, and with a crack like thunder, the vampire exploded, showering Ophelia with globs of bloody dust.
The door flew open immediately, and both men rushed in. Ophelia’s gaze sought Daniel’s without thought. Her body was weightless and empty. Her vision was tinted gold, and her mind was fuzzy. She peered down at her bloody hand, and then back up at Daniel. She unstuck her tongue from the bottom of her mouth.
“I think I need a shower,” she whispered.
One hand pressed to the side of her head, Ophelia stood up and took one step. The power she’d unleashed rushed back into her body with such force it stole what was left of her breath. She tried to reign it in, tried to force her mind to comply, but she took one wide-eyed look at the carnage around the room – the carnage she’d caused – and she crumpled to the floor.
Her last thought before succumbing to the darkness was that she hoped she didn’t land in blood.
Ophelia awoke two and a half hours later, on the couch in Daniel’s living room. Serena stood in one corner, arms crossed over her chest, staring at her. Daniel stood in the other corner, holding a whispered conversation with Unknown. Ophelia squinted in their direction, suddenly realizing why Unknown looked so familiar. Other than his hair, which was bright red where Daniel’s was blond, he and her vampire held a major resemblance to one another.
They both had wide shoulders, stood over six feet tall, and carried the same muscular physique. Daniel’s nose was slightly larger, and Unknown had slightly bigger ears, but their other features were eerily similar. She wondered if their eyes were the same color, too.
Snagging Ophelia's attention, Daniel’s friend walked over to her. Serena helped Ophelia sit up, handing her a cup of water when she was upright.
“You have questions,” Serena said gently, her voice as soft as honey over melted butter, smooth and sweet.
Ophelia took a sip to coat her dry throat. “How do you—?”
Serena laughed, drawing the attention of the men. “How do I know? Let’s just say that I see a lot more than most people.”
Ophelia took another drink. “You were a sorceress before you were changed, weren’t you?”
The woman smiled, her blue eyes twinkling in the lamp light. “What I am is altogether different. I’m not one of your vampires. I play the part well, though, don’t you think?” She shook her head on a laugh. “That’s a story for another night.” Serena looked at Daniel, who hadn’t tried to move closer, then turned back to Ophelia. “You shouldn’t be too hard on him. There are many things you don’t understand.”
Ophelia’s eyes clouded, and Serena smiled, her eyes wide. “Or maybe you do. Well, then.”
Ophelia took another sip of her water. “Care to explain what you’re talking about?”
Serena smiled again, rich laughter coating her words. “Oh, no. That would be far too easy.” She once again faced Daniel. “She is not going to bite you if you come closer.”
“It’s not her teeth I’m worried about.”
Serena rolled her eyes. “Are you going to use your power on him, Ophelia?”
Ophelia took a slow sip of water, eying Daniel over the rim of the cup. Maybe it was perverse, but right then, she enjoyed watching him squirm. She set her empty cup on the coffee table and sighed.
“No. No, I’m not.”
Daniel rushed over to her before the words were even all the way out of her mouth. Pushing Serena out of the way, he wrapped his arms around Ophelia.
“When those doors closed—” He stopped and took a deep breath. “Damn it! I know you don’t trust me, but I thought I was going to lose you,” he ended on a whisper, pressing a kiss to her bloodstained cheek.
Ophelia leaned back, dismissal on her tongue, but then she saw his eyes. They were red and irritated, as if he’d been crying. Emotions swirled in those blue orbs, and Ophelia found her anger at what he did dissipating. Octavia was evil. Despite his actions once upon a time, the man before her was not—just like her past didn’t define her.
Ophelia still wanted answers, but Daniel had been going out of his way to prove to her time and time again that he wasn’t a typical vampire. He jolted against her when she returned his hug.
“Thank you for being there, for going along with it, and not questioning me when I told you to leave,” she whispered back.
Daniel held her close, stroking her hair. “Believe me when I say that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Phia, you amaze me.”
Across the room, Unknown cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but the sun’s going to rise in a couple of hours, and we need to come up with a plan for tomorrow night.”
Ophelia looked between the men. “How do you know each other?” she asked them.
Daniel chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “Phia, meet Liam. He’s my half-brother.”
“Oh. So, he’s a vampire, too?”
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean? Either you are or you aren’t, right?”
“Not exactly,” Daniel repeated. “He’s somewhat half-and-half. A vampire tried to change his mother when she was pregnant with him. She didn’t survive, but Liam did—with a little something extra in his genes.”
Liam looked at them, his eyes swirling with inner sadness. “Jasmine was looking for me when she found Daniel the night he was changed.”
Ophelia’s jaw dropped. Didn’t anything follow the rules anymore? Her gaze drifted between the two men while she tried to determine which question to ask first.
She looked at Daniel. “How…? He’s not possible.”
Both men laughed, and it was Liam who replied. “I assure you, I am. I only require blood once a month-ish, and I have no problem with the sun. I have super-speed, enhanced vision, hearing, and smell, extended life, and I can move anything I can see with just a thought.”
To demonstrate, he tilted his head, and the coffee table levitated off the floor. Ophelia worried that if her jaw dropped any lower, it might break. She could manipulate the air and move living things, as well as control basic magick, but she wasn’t fully telekinetic. How many more surprises would they have tonight? Not only that, but since when could vampires do any of that, anyway? Her mind jumped back to when she flung her power at Daniel—when it hadn’
t affected him at all—but she didn’t have a chance to explore the thought.
Suddenly the door flew open, and the table Liam was levitating crashed to the ground. A woman strode inside, her long strawberry blond hair plaited down her back, the tail of it hanging almost to her waist. She smiled and looked around the room, placing her hands on her hips. No one moved. The shock of her appearance was like a live thing that no one wanted to touch.
The stranger raised one perfect eyebrow and placed her hand on her hip. She smirked at Liam. “Liam, are you showing off again?”
Ophelia watched Daniel eye his brother, who was smiling.
“Liam?” Daniel queried, but the man in the corner had eyes only for the newcomer.
Liam walked over, hands outstretched. “Melina, do you always have to make an entrance like that?”
She tossed her head, green eyes sparkling, and took his hands in hers. She shot everyone else a saucy grin. “You know me. I don’t do boring.”
Ophelia rose to her feet, nearly knocking Daniel to the side. Her head throbbed, and her voice shook, but she kept her footing. “I don’t know who you are, but I’ve had enough surprises for one night. Either explain yourself, get the hell out, or I’ll make you do both.”
Ophelia punctuated her words by flinging out her hand. The wind outside began to howl, and a red light formed in the middle of the room. The brighter the light grew, the harder the wind blew. The force of it flung the door open again and rattled the windows.
Melina flicked her fingers in Ophelia’s direction, but the lamp that came flying at her crashed into an invisible wall just short of her nose.
Ophelia smiled at the other woman. “Nice try.”
The wind swirled harder, and the light flashed to almost blinding intensity. The force of the air picked its target, and Melina started to slide backward toward the door. Eyes wide, she grabbed the doorjamb with her arms and legs, trying to stay in the house.
Melina glared at Daniel as the force of the spell lifted her off the floor. “Would you call off your guard dog already?”
Daniel stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets and said with a smile in his voice, “But it’s so much fun watching someone best you, Mel.”
Ophelia looked at him, a small blast knocking him onto the couch. “You know her?”
Daniel laughed, the sound deep and rumbling, sending skittering feather-touches down her spine. She ignored the feeling, glaring down at him as he answered, “Yeah. I know her. She works with my brother.”
Ophelia heaved a sigh, and looked at Melina. Too much had happened for one night, but it looked like the newcomer was to be trusted. Reluctantly, Ophelia rolled her hands toward her body, reabsorbing her power. The light blinked out and the wind died down to a natural breeze. Melina dropped to the floor.
Taking a deep breath, Ophelia skirted Daniel, and walked over to Melina. She reached out a hand and pulled the other woman to her feet inside the door.
“I’d like to say I apologize, but after the night I’ve had...Well, I’m sure you understand.” She turned toward the room, gesturing at the others. “After all, you hang out with the crazies.”
Ophelia heaved another sigh, addressing everyone, “Look, I’m in bad spirits tonight, and it seems I did kill for a shower. Now, I’m going to go home and take one.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Y’all come up with a plan, and I’ll go with it.”
She walked around Melina toward the door, turning back once on the porch. “Meet at my house just after sundown. I’ll cook for those of us with working stomachs.”
Daniel watched Ophelia saunter off the porch, admiring the swing of her hips in her tight jeans. She was amazing. He heard his brother laugh and looked over.
“What?”
Liam smiled. “Oh, nothing. I was just wondering when you were going to start to drool.”
Daniel grabbed a couch pillow and threw it at him. “We’ll see who’s laughing when it’s your turn.”
Liam snorted. “Yeah, that’s likely. Human women don’t like men like me. They want someone who works a nine-to-five and begs to sleep in on Saturdays. They want someone who’ll grow old with them. Yeah. That’s not me.”
Liam pushed away from the wall and joined Daniel on the couch. “Either way, that’s not important.” He motioned for Melina and Serena to come closer. “Mel told me earlier tonight that she had information on someone you’re searching for, a woman named Gwen.”
Melina nodded. “I heard some of the Council members talking about her. There’s an abandoned house by Oakland Cemetery in Shreveport. A nineteenth century Victorian, they said. I don’t know which room they’ve got her in, but she’s supposed to be there. The house has four stories and separate servant’s quarters. If we split up when we get there, we’ll find her in no time.”
Daniel shook his head. “I’m not familiar with that area, but I’m sure Phia knows where that is.” He eyed his brother. “Do you and Melina have a safe place to sleep?”
Liam shrugged. “Not so much. When they discover that my body isn’t among the ones at the store, they’ll come after me, and Melina, well, she probably skipped town right under their noses. They’re going to want all of our heads on silver platters.”
“All right, then,” Daniel said, “You and Melina can sleep in the bed in the spare room down the hall. Just be sure to keep the curtains closed. The less attention we bring to this house, the better.”
Chapter Nineteen
Ophelia woke from a dreamless sleep around noon the following day. After getting dressed and grabbing a sandwich to eat, she headed to Baby Steps. Upon waking, she’d realized she had a few more questions for Eleanor. Between the kissing, the vision in the fire, and Daniel’s caring action—all but looking into her soul—she was thoroughly confused.
When Ophelia walked into the store a little while later, Sadie was behind the counter helping a customer. She waved. “Eleanor’s in the office. She told me to send you on back.”
Ophelia raised an eyebrow. The old woman knew everything. Shaking her head, she walked into the tiny room with no idea what to expect. Eleanor sat in one of the chairs, filling out paperwork. She gestured for Ophelia to sit in the chair beside her.
“We’ve signed a new local artist. She’s a wood carver, and can make anything from crosses to bedroom furniture. I think she’ll be good for business.”
Ophelia looked through some of the paperwork as Eleanor handed it to her. “I think you’re right. What does Carissa think?”
Eleanor put down her pen and leaned back, a pained expression passing in her eyes. “I don’t know. No one’s spoken to her since she saw you yesterday. No one’s spoken to any of the Crimson Bayou Pack. I don’t think there’s anything wrong, yet, but I can feel something creeping closer, and none of us are going to like it.”
She focused on Ophelia. “But that’s not why I made it my business to know if you’d come to see me today.”
“Then, why did you?”
Eleanor steepled her fingers in front of her chin, and smiled. “I want to hear about your vision in the fire.”
Ophelia stared at her, mouth agape. “How did you…never mind. This is you we’re talking about, here.”
Ophelia sat down and leaned back in her seat. She took a deep breath and steadied the sudden nerves that cropped up with the memory. “It started with a vision of Daniel in the flames...” She recounted everything, right down to her disturbing epiphany.
Eleanor’s smile broadened. “So, you believe you’re Daniel’s wife reincarnated? That explains the dreams, doesn’t it?”
Ophelia sighed. “I don’t think so. The more I think about it, the more it doesn’t make sense. The vision didn’t explain the purpose of the dreams, which is part of the reason I’m rethinking things. What’s the point? I thought all this past life stuff was remembered and forgotten by puberty. Why is this popping up, now?”
Eleanor raised an eyebrow and took her time answering. “I don’t know, but I’m betting th
ere’s something important involved. Maybe her spirit’s trying to tell you something.”
“Like what, Eleanor? That Daniel’s trustworthy and not evil? I don’t exactly need a ghost to tell me that. Besides, that’s not why I’m having trouble trusting him.”
Eleanor leaned forward. “No. You’re having trouble trusting him because of something he has no control over. Let me ask you something: Has he ever tried to drink from you?” Her eyes twinkled as she smiled. “Tried to drink from you without your permission,” she clarified as Ophelia gaped. She really did know everything.
Ophelia opened her mouth to respond, but Eleanor held up a hand. “No. Don’t answer. Just think about it. I think you’ll be surprised at what you come up with.” Eleanor stood up and waved her out signaling that their informal meeting was as good as over.
Ophelia left the office, still feeling shocked. She didn’t even stop to wave goodbye to Sadie as she walked back through the crowded store, taking care not to bump into shoppers.
Ophelia walked outside and closed her eyes. The sunshine was bright, but she couldn't shake the darkness inside her mind. Reincarnation that wasn’t reincarnation? More to my distrust of Daniel? She didn’t know what was going on anymore. And she was having trouble with the distrust, now, too. Nothing seemed as black and white as it did before all this started.
Ophelia shook her head. Obviously, she wasn’t supposed to understand anything yet. She liked but didn’t trust a vampire, and she was possibly a reincarnated dead woman. The second option shouldn’t have been possible.
Unfortunately, there was no denying the truth, and Ophelia had the memories to prove it. She'd have to come to terms with that eventually, but today was not the day…for any of it.
Sighing, Ophelia crossed the street, and walked inside Chicory Café, Jaune’s only coffee shop and bistro. She ordered a large iced mocha, and the first sip infused her with caffeine-laced joy that attempted to conquer the darkness. It didn't quite succeed, but at least she now had energy.
Ophelia started out of the café, intending to head back over to her truck, but Liam was standing in the shade of a tree near the road. She walked over to him.
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