by S. L. Knight
“As friends,” Adrian added, and I deflated. As friends. Of course. Maybe they wanted to talk to me to get to Sera.
“All right,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment with a smile, “I’d like that.”
“Do you like history? We wanted to do a group tour of some old mansions in the Garden District, but the tour guide needs at least five for a tour,” Xavier said.
My disappointment increased. This was somehow worse. They just wanted me to bolster their numbers for a group tour. Even my interest of historical tours didn’t quell my disappointment.
“I love history. That would be great,” I said, trying to sound appropriately enthusiastic.
“There you are.”
Sera had approached the booth. She halted in her tracks at the sight of the Adonises, her mouth opening then closing again. It would have been funny if not for the current of unwarranted jealousy that flowed through me. Guys were always drawn to Sera.
I tensed as I turned back to the men. But to my surprise, they weren’t even looking at her; their gazes still trained on me.
“Sera, this is Noel, Xavier, Adrian and Gabriel,” I said. “Guys, this is my friend Sera.”
“Nice—nice to meet you,” Sera stammered. It took a lot to make Sera nervous, and this time amusement filled me as she stared at them, eyes wide.
But still, the men only gave her polite nods before turning their focus back to me.
“The tour starts tomorrow at eleven. Can we pick you up from your hotel at ten?” Xavier asked.
“That’s fine,” I said, forcing a polite smile as I gave him the name of our hotel.
“We’ll see you then,” Xavier said, getting to his feet. The other men remained seated, looking as if they didn’t want to leave, but Xavier gave them a look.
They reluctantly got to their feet, giving me polite nods as they left. A strange bereft feeling swept through me as I watched them leave the club.
“Oh. My. God.”
I turned to face Sera. I’d almost forgotten she was there. Her eyes were as wide as saucers now, and she shook her head in disbelief.
“Who were those stunning male models?”
“How do I look?” I asked Sera the next morning.
Sera lay buried beneath the covers, coughing and sniffling. She sat up to look at me. I wore my best jeans and a white peasant top. My hair was loose, and I’d even put on a little makeup.
“You look great,” she said, coughing. “God, I wish I could go.”
Last night, I’d told her the guys just wanted me to go on a group tour with them, and they weren’t interested in me that way.
“I don’t know,” she’d said. “I’m usually good at knowing when a guy is interested . . . and they all seemed interested in you.”
“All of them?” I’d asked skeptically, though a ripple of excitement went through me at the thought.
“Yea,” Sera said, “I mean, I’d have to hang out with all of you tomorrow to confirm, but I’m pretty sure.”
But when we’d woken up this morning, Sera had a bad cold that seemed to come out of nowhere. I’d offered to stay with her, but she insisted that I go.
“Maybe this is too much,” I said, feeling self conscious as I studied myself in the mirror. “I mean, this is just a group tour, for crying out loud. They probably all have girlfriends.”
“I saw the way they were looking at you,” Sera said, her eyes watering as she sneezed. “Now get out of here.”
“Sure you don’t want me to stay with you?”
“Go on your date with your hot men,” she said, burying herself beneath the covers.
Taking a deep breath, I left our room. I made my way down to the lobby, glad that I was getting there ten minutes early to gather my bearings.
To my astonishment, all four of the Adonises were in the lobby as I entered, waiting for me.
I swallowed as they turned to face me, and I swear I saw something like… desire in each of their eyes. I took another breath to still my hammering heart.
“Hey guys,” I said, hoping that I sounded casual. “Sera wanted to come with us, but she’s sick, so it’ll just be me.”
To my delight, they didn’t look disappointed. The insecure part of me still worried that they were interested in Sera.
“Shall we, ma cherie?” Noel asked with a flirtatious wink.
“We shall,” I replied with a grin.
We left the hotel, opting to take a street car to the Garden District. As we made our way to the stop, the men chatted with me, and I felt my nervousness subside.
Xavier seemed to be just as much of a history buff as I was, pointing out historic buildings as we walked. Noel was an unapologetic flirt, giving me a playful wink every once in a while, causing warmth to spread through me. Adrian was the quiet one, he even seemed more nervous than me; a furious blush stained his cheeks every time he met my eyes.
Gabriel was the hardest to read; he was quiet, but in a different way than Adrian. He seemed to be . . . brooding, though he gave me a sexy grin every time I glanced at him.
As we rode the streetcar down Canal Street to the Garden District, I grew more relaxed. The men asked questions about me and my life—and seemed genuinely interested in my answers, hanging onto every word. Brian hadn’t been as attentive during the four years we dated.
I felt so comfortable with them that I was disappointed when we reached the Garden District.
At the coffee shop where the group tour was supposed to meet, there was a sign posted to the door. GROUP TOUR ALREADY IN PROGRESS. NO LATE ARRIVALS
“Damn it,” Xavier muttered. “How did we miss it?”
“The tour began at 9:30—not 10,” Gabriel grumbled.
My heart sank. I wasn’t going to spend more time with them after all.
“It’s OK,” I said with a forced smile. “It was nice meeting you all. I’ll head back to the hotel. Should probably check on Sera, anyway.”
I turned, but Noel reached out to stop me.
“We have our own group, and two history buffs,” he said, pointing at me and Xavier. “Why don’t we have our own group tour?”
Delight flooded through me. I grinned, hoping that I didn’t look too eager.
“I like that idea,” Xavier said, smiling.
“Me too,” I agreed.
So I spent the morning walking through the Garden District with the four Adonises.
I learned more about them. They were friends who started a very successful tech company; after selling it to a larger company they settled in New Orleans.
Xavier’s father had instilled in him the love of history, it was one reason he wanted to live in New Orleans. Noel was an avid traveler, he’d been all over the world but said his favorite city remained New Orleans. Adrian was a big reader; we got into a heated debate over which Harry Potter book was the best. (I insisted Prisoner of Azkaban, he insisted the Half-Blood Prince.) Gabriel was not as forthcoming; anytime I asked him a personal question he’d turn it around and ask me something instead. I did learn that his favorite meal in New Orleans was the po’boy oyster sandwich.
It seemed as if I were on a date with all of them. Sera was right; all of them seemed equally interested in me, and a flicker of suspicion went through me. Was this some kink for them? Seduce a tourist from out of town for kicks?
But something told me this wasn’t the case. That there was something . . . more about them.
We’d reached the edge of the Garden District and were about to turn around when the wind suddenly picked up around us. I frowned; where was it coming from? The day was a typical one in the city; hot and humid.
The men looked alarmed, and I frowned.
“What’s—“ I started.
I screamed as arms wrapped around me from behind, and someone jerked me backward at an impossible speed.
"It’s OK, Liana,” a voice whispered against my ear, “I’m getting you away from those monsters.”
Chapter 3
Whoever had gra
bbed me now held me in an iron grip; the world around us hurtled by. It was almost as if we were flying.
“Let me go!" I shouted, struggling to free myself.
We stopped on an isolated street on the edge of the district, and my abductor whirled me around to face him.
I stiffened as I looked up at him. He towered above me; he had long silvery blonde hair, pale-grey eyes and skin that reminded me of a marble statue. He was beautiful in an otherworldly sort of way, like the four Adonises. But unlike them, there was something sinister about his beauty. Something dangerous.
“Calm down, Liana,” the man said, frowning, as if I were behaving irrationally. "I rescued you from those creatures, and I'm taking you home where you belong."
"I'm going to scream," I said, trembling. "Let me go, or—“
"Release her, Edelnar."
It was Gabriel's voice, but it came out in a growl. I turned, and relief filled me. The four Adonises stood a dozen feet away, glaring at Edelnar with deadly purpose.
"She doesn't belong with you, and you know it!" Edelnar snapped. I noticed that his voice shook; his bravado was a front. He was afraid. "She belongs with her own kind."
"I'm not going to warn you again," Gabriel growled, his blue eyes feral.
To my surprise, Edelnar released me. When I turned to look behind me, he was gone. Shaken, I scanned the streets. How had he disappeared so fast?
"We have to get you out of here," Gabriel said, approaching me. "Now."
"Who—who was that?" I asked, as he took my arm.
"We'll explain everything," Xavier said gently. "But not out here. It's not safe."
"What—“ I began, but my words were cut off as Gabriel pulled me into his arms, and the world around me once again passed by in a dizzying blur.
When everything stilled again, I was in a large and ornate living room. Gabriel held me steady as I swayed on my feet. The other three men stood opposite us, studying me with concern.
“What the hell just happened?” I demanded, when the room stopped spinning. "Who is Edelnar? How—how were we able to move so fast? Where are we?"
“We should have told her from the start,” Gabriel said, turning to shoot a glare at Xavier. “It was the best way.”
“We didn’t want to overwhelm her, remember?” Xavier hissed.
“Stop arguing,” Noel said, studying me with concern. “Edelnar came close to taking her. We should have been more careful.”
“Which is what I argued for in the beginning,” Gabriel barked. “How do we even know our mansion is safe?”
“We’re vampires, or have you forgotten? Fairies can’t even —“
“Fae,” Adrian corrected, glancing at me. “We want to be respectful.”
My heart thundering, I whirled on my feet to head for the door. Hopefully, they wouldn't notice me leaving in the midst of their loony tunes debate. I'd suspected that something was off about them, but I never would have thought they were crazy. I just needed to get the hell out of here before they noticed—
But Gabriel blocked my path. I stumbled back, trying not to panic.
“Look, I just want to leave, OK?” I said. “I won’t say anything.” I won’t tell anyone that you're all batshit crazy.
“We can’t let you go, Liana,” Gabriel said, looking genuinely remorseful. “That fa—that man will come for you again.”
Fa. He was going to say fairy. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.
“Look, I don’t know what you guys want from me. If this is a joke, I'm not laughing. If its money, I can’t—“
Gabriel laughed.
“We don’t need human money, Liana,” he said. “We need . . . we want . . . you.”
His blue eyes settled on mine, darkening with desire. Fear combined with arousal spiraled through me. I tried to maintain calm, but my fear must have shown.
“You’re scaring her,” Noel snapped. “This is not how we were going to tell her.”
“I just want to leave,” I whispered. “Please—“
“You are of course free to leave,” Xavier said, approaching me and glaring at Gabriel. “Gabriel gets a bit dramatic. Gabriel, step aside.”
Gabriel hesitated, but to my relief he obeyed. I rushed to the front door; my hand was on the knob when Xavier’s words stopped me.
“The dreams you’ve had,” he said. “You’ve been dreaming about us.”
I froze. How did he know? I slowly turned, my mouth dry.
“We have a lot to tell you. A lot to explain. But please hear us out."
I stared at him, then the others. They all looked at me with a mixture of hope, nervousness, and something else I couldn't identify.
“A public place,” I said. I knew that I should hightail it out of there, but something kept me rooted to the spot. I hadn’t told anyone about those dreams; not even Alice when she was alive.
“No,” Xavier said, his expression remorseful but firm as he shook his head. “I'm sorry, but we can’t risk being overheard. You can stay by the door if you want. You can leave any time; no one will try to stop you.”
I gave them a grudging nod and remained by the door, my hand on the knob.
“This will sound crazy, so please hear us out until the end,” Adrian pleaded.
“Go on,” I said shortly.
“We're . . . not human,” Xavier said. “We’re vampires, and we’re from another world. One of the gateways to that world is in New Orleans; that’s why most supernatural creatures flock to this city.”
I closed my eyes. Xavier continued in a rush.
“In our world, there’s been a reduction of vampires in the population. As a result, more than one of us are mated to one woman. Us four—we're mated to you. We didn’t know who you were until last year, and we were forbidden to contact you until now. It seemed like fate when you came here on your own.”
I opened my eyes. They were all studying me; Gabriel with calculation, Noel with unease, Xavier and Adrian with hope.
“It's why you’ve had dreams of us,” Adrian continued. “We’ve dreamt of you too.”
“If this is true,” I said, past dry lips, “and you’re from another world, why on earth would you be mated to a human woman?”
There was a lengthy pause. They all exchanged nervous glances.
"Tell me," I pressed.
Gabriel stepped forward, his eyes intent on mine.
“Because you’re not human, Liana."
Chapter 4
I hightailed it out of there. To my relief, they kept their word and didn't come after me.
When I returned to our hotel room, I found it empty. I dug out my phone and saw that Sera sent me a text telling me she was feeling better and had gone out to lunch.
I moved to my bed, sinking down onto it, and promptly burst into tears.
I felt silly. Even after my breakup with Brian I hadn't felt this devastated. But in the brief time I'd know the Adonises, I'd felt an undeniable connection with them. They were gorgeous, smart, funny—and insane. I never should have let myself develop a crush. As ridiculous as it was to care for a group of men I’d known for less than a day, I was still heartbroken.
But what could I do? There was obviously something very, very wrong with them. Or they were playing an elaborate prank on me, along with that guy who grabbed me. Edelwald? Edelnar? The name sounded ridiculously made up. They could have at least gone for a more realistic name.
“Oh my God, are you crying?” Sera asked.
I blinked, looking up. I'd been so involved in my thoughts I hadn't noticed Sera entering the room. She looked well rested and vibrant; a complete three-sixty from the coughing and sneezing mess she'd been when I left.
“What happened?” she asked, dropping her shopping bags onto the floor.
I wiped my eyes, considering. I could tell her exactly what happened, but it was too humiliating.
“They weren’t interested. Turns out they really did just want me to join them for a group tour. They blew me off,” I said, a
voiding her eyes. I hated lying to her, but there was no way I was going to tell her what actually happened. “It’s . . . Brian. This all just made me miss Brian.”
“Oh Liana,” Sera murmured, compassion flaring in her eyes, and a stab of guilt pierced me for the lie. “I’m so sorry. I could have sworn they were all into you—but you know what? Who needs ‘em. I say we take you to another club—“
“No,” I said. The last thing I needed was another man—or men. “I'm going to focus on my nerdy touristy stuff the rest of the time I’m here.”
“OK,” Sera said reluctantly, “but if you change your mind . . .”
“I won’t,” I said, getting to my feet. “I’m done with men.”
But the Adonises remained on my mind. While Sera and I ate dinner in the hotel restaurant, I thought about the way Gabriel looked at me on the streetcar, with a mixture of curiosity and desire. How Noel's French accent shaped my name on his tongue. The way Xavier's face lit up when I told him how much I was into history. The way Adrian blushed whenever our eyes met.
We listened to a jazz band play in the lobby after dinner, and other images came to my mind. The dreams. The dreams I hadn't let myself think about too much when I was around them.
The mysterious dreams had been deliriously erotic; with multiple mouths and hands on every part of my body. Aside from the sexiness, a sense of . . . belonging had flowed through me during the dreams. A sense of peace and calm I'd never felt with Brian, but I'd felt during my brief time with the Adonises.
It's why you’ve had dreams of us, Adrian had said. We’ve dreamt of you too.
I briefly let myself entertain their crazy story. Could it possibly be true? That man—Edelnar—had moved impossibly fast. As had Gabriel. And Edelnar said I belonged with my own kind. What kind? Fae?
Shaking my head, I downed my wine. I couldn't believe I was even entertaining this. I was twenty-two years old. If I wasn't human, I would know that by now.