by Lisa Olsen
Nelleke yelled out, “Now!” and they both hurled their ornaments to the ground. They shattered, and a cloud of thick, black smoke rose up. They immediately began to cough, Nell clawing at her throat as she collapsed to the ground. Aubrey stumbled forward a step, and then keeled over too, both of them coughing before going still.
The smoke spilled into the rest of the room then, and I held my breath to cross to the windows to help air it out. Even without breathing, the smoke stung my eyes, and I couldn’t imagine how bad it’d been trapped in the ring of salt with it up close.
“Are they okay?” I called out. Bishop had rolled Nell onto her back, and was checking her pulse.
“She’s breathing shallowly, but she seems alright.”
“Aubrey?” Carys kneeled beside him, cradling his head in her lap. “Can you hear me, dearest? He isn’t breathing.”
“That’s because he’s a vampire,” Bishop reminded her gently. “I’m sure he’ll come around in a minute.” He picked up Nelleke and brought her to the couch; she was already showing signs of waking up.
Aubrey’s eyes popped open, immediately scrunching as he held his hand to his head. “Ugh, remind me never to do that again.”
“Are you okay, Aubrey?” I asked, holding tight to Rob’s hand in anticipation. This was the big moment. “Are you, you?”
“Am I me?” Aubrey began to laugh, wincing as it hurt his head to do so. “I’m the only one who is,” he chortled, and Rob and I exchanged glances. Was he off his rocker now?
“Aubrey, are you well?” Carys looked down at him, her brow marred with worry lines.
“If you only knew.” Aubrey kept on giggling, and I started to think the spell had cooked his brain.
“So… you remember everything now?” I asked.
“Everything,” he nodded, swiping at his eyes. “Lord, did we make a cock up of things.”
The furrow on Carys’ brow deepened. “What do you mean?”
Aubrey settled down, picking up her hand. “You’re not promised to him, you belong with me.”
“I do?” Her eyes widened in astonishment.
“Then Bishop isn’t with Carys?” I looked up to where he sat with Nell, a mixture of relief and worry sweeping over his face.
“Yes, sweeting,” Aubrey said, kissing the back of her hand. “I have the honor of your love.” Carys, affected by the pretty words, threw her arms around Aubrey’s neck, hugging him tightly.
“Well, that escalated quickly,” I murmured, moving away to give them some privacy. Rob didn’t look particularly thrilled by the revelation, and I could guess why. I ignored it for the moment, more concerned with Nelleke, who was sitting up, but clutching her head, her face pinched with pain.
“Are you alright?” I asked. “Was it awful?”
“I feel much sick,” she croaked, her voice raw from coughing, and slower to heal than Aubrey’s.
“Do you need to lie down again? A glass of water, a bucket?”
“No, it is not that kind of sick.”
“What is it then?”
She looked between the three of us, her cheeks flushing with color. “Jakob is my father.”
“Oh.” And then it hit me why she looked so ill. “Oh. You didn’t, um… I mean, the two of you, last night…”
“No, thank Odin. But I…” She swallowed uncomfortably before continuing in a softer voice. “I would have.”
Eewh.
“You didn’t know, Nell. It’s understandable,” Bishop said in a soothing manner, looking over at Aubrey and Carys huddled together. “We all made assumptions.”
“It’s okay, Nell, nothing happened,” I nodded vigorously. “You’ll get over this.”
“Get over what?” Jakob asked, scratching his left buttcheek as he entered the room. Nelleke’s eyes flew wide with panic, and I decided to take charge of the revelations.
“Nell is your daughter.”
“I have a daughter?” His eyes widened in surprise, but not alarm, as a slow smile spread across his face. “Look, how fine and strong she is, my daughter,” he beamed. “Come and embrace me, dóttir.”
“No!” Nell squeaked, the color draining from her face, and I stepped in again.
“She’s still recovering from the spell. I’m sure she needs a few minutes to process it all.”
“Spell?” he frowned, concern radiating off of him. “Are you not well, my dear?”
“Yes, Nell did a spell to restore her memories so she could fix you all that much better. Talk about a devoted daughter,” I grinned, squeezing Rob’s hand so he’d play along.
“Yeah, ain’t nothing she wouldn’t do for you,” he chimed in. “That’s devotion, it is.”
“Rest up then, dóttir.” Jakob patted her hand in a kindly way. “There is plenty of time for the ritual, I am well enough at present.”
“But not too much longer,” Aubrey interjected. “I’d like to be on our way before daybreak.”
“That’s hours away yet. We have plenty of time for Nell to recover, and for us to air out the place.” Blecch, the stench still hung in the air, like rotten eggs left to fester in the sun. “Go open the front door, would you?” I asked Rob. “Maybe we can get a cross breeze going and clear that stink out of here.”
“As you wish,” he agreed readily. Only when he opened the door, a woman stood there, her arm raised as if to knock. She was young, maybe twenty or twenty-one, about my height, her hair falling to her shoulders in a riot of strawberry blonde curls. Her eyes were the color of whiskey, and they smoldered with happiness to see Rob, that much was evident.
Dressed in tight dark pants with black, calf length, furry boots and a slim fitting, gray wool coat that came down past her behind, she positively radiated life, her smile as brilliant as sunlight. “There he is. You should’ve rung to tell me you were going to be up here so long, Rob,” she scolded him with a playful punch to the shoulder. Her accent mirrored Rob’s, roughened by the streets. “Holy hell biscuits, is it rank in here! What in the name of all that’s blessed have you been up to? Roasting a goat, skin and all?”
Rob’s back was to me, but I recognized the tense bunch of his shoulders. “Outside,” he said, low, but the sound wasn’t hard for vampire ears to pick up.
“But Rob…”
“Outside, Laveda. Now.” It wasn’t a request, and after pouting for a moment, the woman turned on her boot and crunched away in the snow.
I expected Rob to offer an explanation, but he started through the doorway without a word. I chased after him. “Hey, who is that?” I called out, and he stopped, a few colorful swear words leaving his lips before he turned around.
“No one to trouble yourself with. Wait inside where it’s warm, I’ll handle it.”
That might’ve worked on her, but I wasn’t about to let him blow me off so easily. “Handle what? Rob, who is she?”
“Just give me a few minutes to straighten her out,” he pleaded, his eyes heavy with regret, and maybe even a touch of fear. “I’ll be right back, and I can explain everything.”
“Okaaaay.” A knot settled in the pit of my stomach as he started after her. Who was she and what was she doing there? More importantly, who was she to Rob and why was he so freaked out to see her?
Okay, so I knew I shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but I had to know who she was and what was going on. I shut the door, with me still out on the front porch. They’d gone around the side of the house, but I could still hear them easily, especially after I inched a few feet closer to the corner.
“You could’ve told me if your business was gonna drag on for so long, Rob. I been going out of my mind with what passes for the local nightlife,” she was saying. “Our reservation’s up, the manager said he can’t hold the room no more and I can’t persuade him otherwise without your magic touch. What do you say? Come back with me for a bit of slap and tickle, and set things right?” There was a sultry invitation in her voice, but Rob was either immune to it, or super pissed off that she was there.
&
nbsp; “You and I are done,” he bit out bluntly.
Holy catweasels, was she his mistress? If so, she was either the worst at hiding it, or Rob and I had an open relationship. I couldn’t imagine myself being cool with that sort of thing, but he had tried to tell me he’d been unfaithful before. I’d assumed it was in the past, but what if he was trying to tell me about her?
Either way, Laveda didn’t sound like she was about to go gently into the night. “Oh that’s it then? Miss high and mighty crooks her finger and you go running back to her?”
“That ain’t it at all. I’ll explain later, just go on home. I’ve money if you need it.”
“I don’t want your bloody money. I ain’t some slag you picked up while you was getting bladdered at the pub. If you’ve something to say to me, then say it here and now.” Her accent got thicker as her voice rose in volume.
“Don’t you start with me.”
“Why, ’cause you’re ready to end it? At least have the bollocks to tell my why if it ain’t her.”
“You know it wasn’t ever love between us, it was something else.”
“Maybe not true love, but… I know you care for me.” Her voice softened, and I felt like I was going to be sick – for her, for me, I couldn’t have said.
“I cared that you were warm and willing, that’s all.” Rob’s coldness gutted me. I expected her to blow her stack at that, or at least be hurt, but her voice took on a sympathetic note.
“You just need to feed, luv. Don’t take on so, I’ve got what you need. Don’t I always?”
“Don’t want it, I’ve got a shot at something better now.”
“Then it is about her. After all this time, you’re still panting after her.”
“Fine then, if that’s what it takes to make you go. It is about Anja. I finally have a chance to start over and I ain’t about to let you bollix it up.”
“What do you mean start over? After what you done? You expect her to forget all about it?”
“That’s exactly what I expect her to do,” Rob retorted. “And I’ll have more than words with you if you muck this up.”
“Don’t you get stroppy with me, I ain’t afraid of you,” she fired right back at him.
“You should be.” There was straight up menace in his voice, and I started to wonder if I should step out from around the corner and let them know I was there. While I was absolutely mortified at what I’d overheard, I didn’t want her to get hurt either, even if she was the other woman.
Laveda didn’t sound the least bit scared though. “You gonna hurt me now, Robby? You know I likes it rough.”
Wode tìan, he liked it rough? How did she know that about my own husband when I didn’t? Or maybe I did? Maybe I didn’t mind him going to her for some of his rougher appetites? If so, then why was he so keen to get rid of her?
“I’m done with this conversation,” Rob growled. “Sod off before I lose my temper.”
“That’s it then? You’re back together with Anja and suddenly you’re too good for the likes of me? Don’t kid yourself on that score. We done things you can’t never do with Miss Perfect, and you loved every single one of them. She’ll never satisfy you now I’m in your blood.”
Had we been separated? And he knew about it? I was so confused, I didn’t know what to think. “What do you mean back together?” I demanded, stepping around the corner.
“It ain’t what you think.” Rob’s hands came up in a supplicating gesture as I tromped out to them.
“No? So you haven’t been carrying on with this Laveda, who knows you like it rough, by the way?”
“Too right I do.” Laveda’s chin came up proudly. “I can satisfy him in ways you can’t, and I don’t just mean my blood.”
She had an advantage over me there, I could scent her blood even a few feet away, and she smelled scrumptious. But she was right, this went way beyond that. “And it sounds like you’ve been lying to her too. Did you even tell her we’re married?”
“Married?” Laveda’s amber eyes widened in shock. “You daft bugger, you’ve gone and married her? When did this happen?”
“I told you, I’ve got a new chance with Anja, and I ain’t about to waste it.”
“Right, well, I ain’t sticking around for this. You want me gone, I’m gone.” She whirled on Rob, her finger poking at his shoulder to emphasize her words. “But hear me now, Rob. You don’t show your face begging for my forgiveness before sun up, and I’ll make you crawl when you come back to me. Mark my words.” And then she stalked off, climbing into a black SUV, the wheels spinning as she tore down the driveway.
We stood watching her drive away, and I winced every time the rear end fishtailed. She might not be my favorite person in the world right now (huh, who would’ve thought someone could take Carys’ spot), but I didn’t want her to roll down the mountain either. After a while, she disappeared from sight, and that meant I had to look at him again.
“I don’t even know where to begin,” I said, at a complete loss for words. How could someone who said they loved me so much be hiding an affair like that?
“I’m sorry she came here to upset you. That’s why I tried to end it. I love you, Anja, I want to be with you and only you.”
“Then why would you bring her here in the first place? What kind of a man packs his mistress when he goes out of town with his wife? No wonder you didn’t want to stick around town the other day. You were worried about running into her, weren’t you?”
“I didn’t want to upset you is all.”
“Well, you did a craptastic job of it.”
Rob took in a long breath, choosing his words carefully. “We’ve had some troubles in the past, you and I, and I strayed. But I’m fully committed to you now, and I will prove that any way you ask.”
“Like Bridget? Was that another time you strayed? Is she going to show up here next?”
His eyes widened in dismay. “You remember that?”
“Yes, do you?” It occurred to me that he’d had instant recognition of Laveda and everything about their relationship, and now he knew exactly who Bridget was and why I might not like to talk about her. “I’m a little fuzzy on what you do and don’t remember right now. Would you care to enlighten me?”
Before he could answer, another vehicle came winding up the road, a big red Jeep with tinted windows.
“Who is it now?” I folded my arms across my chest. “If you’re sleeping with this one too, tell her the line forms to the right.”
“No, it’s someone else,” Rob murmured, his lips compressing into a hard line.
The guy who hopped out was big, at least six foot two, with broad shoulders made even broader by a puffy vest over a black turtleneck and dark cargo pants. His brown hair was thick and a little bushy, like he was in need of a haircut, but his beard was very neatly trimmed. Despite the fact that I saw the telltale bulge of a gun peeking out by his shoulder (and how did I know how to recognize that?), Rob didn’t tense or react in any way, except for the look on his face like the guy had run over his new puppy.
“Hey, guys,” he called out with a friendly smile. “Signal’s for shit up here. Is Hanna inside?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Ah… Hanna?” Shoot, he must be looking for the dead girl. I was ashamed to admit that I’d forgotten all about her. Was he going to blame us when he found out she was dead? Clearly, he knew us, and we were on friendly terms, but I had no clue who he was.
“Yeah, I haven’t been able to reach her by phone. Don’t tell me you guys still haven’t done the thing yet. ’Cause if I have to stay one more night in the shithole cabin I’m staying in…” He lifted two fingers to his temple and made a sound like a shotgun.
“We did a thing,” I hedged, not sure how much I should say. The guy was a vampire, I noticed that as soon as I listened hard enough and couldn’t pick up a heartbeat. That seemed to indicate we were on the same side, but I couldn’t know for sure.
“Hanna’s inside, Mason,” Rob said, t
aking the decision out of my hands. He seemed to know the guy at least. “You’re not going to like how you find her though.”
Mason froze. “Why does that make me feel all ooky inside when you say that?”
“Because you know I’m not given to exaggeration,” Rob replied, leaving me wondering again about how much he remembered.
“She’s pissed because I didn’t want to stay here at the house, isn’t she?” Mason shook his head. “I knew I was only trading one shitstorm for another,” he muttered. “Not to worry though, I came prepared,” he grinned, jogging back to the Jeep and coming back with a small plastic bag. “Bubblegum ice cream and Skittles. Who’s the man?”
Wode tìan, I had no idea how to tell him. “See, the thing is, Hanna is…”
“Inside, like I said,” Rob interrupted. “Better come and see for yourself.”
Mason lost the smile, his long strides eating up the driveway as he headed for the front door, not bothering to knock as he let himself in. “Hanna?” he called out, his hands coming up when Bishop moved super fast, blocking his way. “Whoa, dude, chill. It’s just me.”
“And you are?” Bishop asked mildly, blinking as though maybe he looked familiar.
“Starting to get weirded out. Where’s Hanna?” Mason looked over Bishop’s shoulder, his frown deepening when he didn’t spot her. The others all stood, with varying degrees of alertness over the new arrival.
“It’s okay, Bishop, let him through,” I said, and Bishop backed off, letting us all deeper into the room.
“Are you alright?” Bishop asked softly when I passed by him, and I waved him off. I couldn’t talk about the stuff with Rob right then.
“Well, where is she?” Mason demanded, hands on his hips.
“She’s, um… she’s over there in the corner.” I pointed to the body, still tucked out of the way, draped in a blanket.
“What the fuck?” he muttered, kneeling beside her to pull the blanket off. “It’s way after sundown, what’s wrong with her?”