“Hmmm, I may have something, but it’s not exactly in town." Leo mused
“Where is it?" Serena asked suspiciously
"I was thinking of a particular house on the point,” he said, “Ri and Mei Lau’s house?"
“Huh, well that might work. It’s beautiful, very modern, and right next to Mathias. It also has the vampire special." Serena said thoughtfully
“The vampire special?" I asked
“You’ll see,” she said with a secret smile. “Good call Leo, let’s go check it out."
We headed out of town into a more wooded area of the island. The beauty struck me on this end. To my left I could see the ocean peeking through the branches and to my right was dense with trees and small bushes.
“Our end of the island is called ‘The Forest.' We have a lot more trees over here." Serena offered
“Why is that?" I asked curiously
“There’s not as many of us as there are Gypsies so we have a little more privacy than most of the residential sections." she answered
“How many Guardians and Gypsies live on the island?"
“There are, as off this morning, two thousand five hundred and forty eight Gypsies and one hundred and eighty five Guardians."
“Wow that seems a little low, as far as Guardians go,” I remarked
“That’s quite a bit. Normally we only have a hundred or so around. After Gussie and Julia were kidnapped a bunch of Guardians came back to the island. The thing is most Guardians leave after a few hundred years or so, they get burnt out and need to go out and explore."
“Like Robert, who went with a decoy on a road trip, to get the Rau off of our tail?"
“Yes,” Serena said
“Here we are.” Leo sang happily as he pulled into a long driveway. We came to a fork in the road, and he pointed to the right.
“That’s where Mathias lives to the right and to our left is the property,” he continued up a short driveway to the left and came to a stop.
My first impression of the house was somewhat lukewarm. It was a square, long structure with weathered brown wide boards. The front double doors were also brown with a small window above each one in mission style design. Two large round windows flanked either side of the door, and shrubs pruned within an inch of their life rounded out the front part of the house.
“Welcome." Leo said, as he unlocked the front doors and pushed them open, stepping to the side he gestured us in the home.
The entrance was tall and airy with a gorgeous mission style chandelier suspended from the two story ceiling. To the left was a door, which Leo pushed open.
“Here is the guestroom, now you will notice this place comes fully furnished, so all this stays."
I poked my head in the room and took in the soft yellow walls, queen size bed, dresser and small sitting area near the wall of windows. I noticed that, although it was wooded and private on this side of the house, a glimpse of the sea was just visible.
“Very nice,” I said taking a quick look at the well-appointed bathroom. “This room is a perfect guest room."
“Now are you ready to be blown away?" Leo asked mischievously as he led us back into the foyer. Moving out of the doorway, he put his hand out and pointed to the most glorious view I had ever seen.
The large open living, dining room, kitchen area was large yet felt homey, but the real draw was the view. The entire back wall and half of the side walls were all completely glassed in offering a magnificent view of the ocean. It took my breath away. I stood there for a few minutes just soaking up the scenery. There was also a deck that ran the entire length of the house, complete with an outdoor fireplace and grill.
“Wow. That’s all I can say." I heard Serena and Leo chuckle. Turning around, I checked out the living space. To the left of the doorway was a leather couch and loveseat that faced a flat screen TV that was hung on the only wall without glass. To the right was the kitchen which had a long light colored granite topped island, open top cabinets and plenty of dark, modern cherry cabinets below for storage. Commercial grade appliances which hardly looked used rounded out the area.
“For a couple of Vamps that don’t eat much, they sure have a pretty awesome kitchen." I noted
“Hey, we eat, just not food that’s overly seasoned," Serena said, reiterating what Mathias had told me.
Directly in front of the kitchen was a long dining room table that could easily seat up to twelve. I also saw a door next to the kitchen, assuming it was a pantry or laundry room, I opened it only to be surprised by a large metal door.
“What’s this?" I asked perplexed
“The vampire special,” Serena answered.
“If you’ll allow me Princess,” Leo said as he came around to my side and opened a keypad that was embedded into the door. “To get through door number one you need a twenty-five digit code."
“I can barely remember a seven digit phone number.” I said watching as Leo typed in the numbers. There was a short beep and then he pushed open the heavy door revealing an average size empty room, with sterile white walls. The only thing that was prevalent was the large, metal circle in the floor.
"Now to get through the hatch you open this small pad here. This lock requires a finger and handprint to access the stairway.” Leo then demonstrated by placing his hand on a smooth surfaced computerized lock pad, the light turned green, and the hatch slid open revealing a flight of stairs.
“Da, da, da, da, danana," I hummed the ‘Mission Impossible’ theme song. I walked behind Leo down the stairs into yet another room with a steel door. “So what’s next? A whole body scan? Will DNA tissue be required?"
“Of course not, just a retinal scan, and that’s it." Leo said as he placed his chin onto a little shelf, lining his eyes up with another computer screen. After that the door slid open, finally allowing us entrance into an actual room.
“I don’t want to sound like I am knocking the whole safety thing but correct me if I’m wrong; you’re vampires, why do you need all this security? Aren’t you super strong and have Spidey senses?" I asked
“Yes, we are strong and have unparalleled senses but when we sleep, we pretty much go into a coma like state. So if anyone wanted to kill us the greatest chance would be then."
“Is that why you usually sleep by yourselves because you don’t trust anyone near you?"
“How did you know that?" she asked curiously
“Mathias mentioned it on our road trip." I said somewhat nonchalantly.
“Right," Serena nodded. “You see we either sleep by ourselves or with our true mates. That’s one of the signs that makes us know that the person is our…” she trailed off, gesturing her hands quizzically.
“Soul Mates, your destiny, your one true love," Leo said with a dramatic sigh
“Ugh, I hate the term soul mates, but yes that’s another word for it. Our bodies instinctively know and recognize that person. It allows us to relax and sleep with them, knowing that no harm will come to us in our vulnerable state when they are near us."
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, I thought rapidly. No. There was no way. Intense physical chemistry, yes, but true mates? No wonder Mathias freaked out that day. I swept those thought's imaginary into a file and shut the drawer. I'll deal with it another day.
“Good to know. So Leo shall we continue on with the tour?" my voice sounding a bit shrill.
“You enter into the outer room of the master suite, which is a combination office and library, again all the furniture and books stay.”
My feet sank into the plush beige carpet, and I looked around the study. A decent size cherry stained desk was immediately on my right and looked practically brand new. Across from it was a large beige colored chair, and a half that was tucked in the corner, and around three quarters of the room were bookcases from floor to ceiling brimming with books and small knickknacks.
“It’s very cozy in here. I thought that the fact there were no windows would freak me out, but it’s so bright you don’t miss it." I observed.
> “Through this door is the bedroom," Leo opened a set of double doors.
The room was large but not overwhelming. It was done up in soft beige like the office but also had red accents with the lamps and throw pillows that were on a huge king size bed. Directly across from the bed was an entertainment center that held a 60" inch flat screen.
“Let me guess, they weren’t big TV watchers. Jeez Louise that thing is a monster." I said admirably
“That’s pretty sweet. I have screen envy." Serena said
“Follow me ladies, let me show you the bathing room." Leo gestured.
“The Bathing Room?” I asked. “I thought you guys called it a loo over here?"
“We do, but a loo is too ordinary for this bathroom, this Princess is a bathing room." he said as he flung open the door.
“Oh, you are right Leo, you are very right. No way is anyone calling this the loo,” I said.
The bathing room was quite spectacular. The walk in shower snaked around the back wall and had gorgeous gray, brown and shiny silver glass tiles. Two waterfall shower features graced the top of the ceiling as well as several jets. The floor was tiled with small, smooth rocks in different sizes, guaranteed to give your tired feet a natural massage while you showered, and a long bench completed the spa like feel.
To the right of the shower was the longest and the deepest bathtub I had ever seen. Modern glass tiles wove in and around the surround, and they glittered from the light of the small, modern chandelier hanging over it. A separate vanity with a double sink rounded out the beautiful room.
“I’m almost speechless. This bathroom is stunning,” Serena said.
“I’m not sure I would ever want to leave this room. If I put a bed in here, I would be all set."
“Oh, I’m sure I have something that would tempt you out of this room," Leo said walking over to the door next to the vanity. “Ladies, may I present to you, the master closet?”
“Holy Mary, Mother of God, are you kidding me?" Serena exclaimed.
The closet was huge; it wasn’t just a closet. It was a cathedral to clothes, shoes and accessories. Racks were hung all around the large room, except for one wall where it held built shelves for handbags and such. Another wall was entirely devoted to shoe racks. A whole wall of shelves was made specifically for shoes. Yup, I had found my nirvana. In the center was a large island/dresser that could hold tons of underclothes and miscellaneous items.
“Well, what do you think Princess?" Leo asked smiling
“Do you hear that?” I asked my companions.
“Hear what?" Serena looked around alertly
“The choir singing ‘Hallelujah’,” I said reverently
I had taken a slow walk around the closet before I looked at Leo, “Sold.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Do me a favor,” Serena said as we pulled into the castle’s courtyard. “When you break the news to everyone, leave my name out of it. I wasn’t with you."
“What do you mean?" I asked as I hopped out of the golf cart. “I’m going to tell them it was all your idea. Bye!"
“Willa,” she shrieked. I gave her a jaunty wave and hurried inside the castle. I was hoping to catch my parents before we all went to dinner. Unfortunately, I was too late. Rhoswen greeted me near the door with a small hug and slipped her arm through mine as we walked together towards the dining room.
“It’s so good to see you looking happy. Oliver and I were worried about you."
“I’m ok, I just needed a few days to decompress and wrap my head around everything. How is Oliver? Is he joining us for dinner?" I asked
“No, Yanis and Elena Mariana, they own Little Dickens Toyshop? Their son Julian fell down skateboarding today and broke his arm. Oliver had to stay to set it. Poor little fellow, hopefully he won’t be too late."
“That stinks,” I said as we came into the dining room. We all exchanged pleasant greetings and I was just taking my seat when Mathias strode in the room and sat down opposite me.
“What are you doing here?" I asked apprehensively. Announcing to my parents and newfound family about my new digs was going to be hard enough. With Mathias here, it was going to be a nightmare.
"Mathias usually joins the family for dinner, especially on steak night,” Winifred explained
He gave me a slow smile and cocked his eyebrow. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid to tell me where you were today?"
Oh crap, I thought, this is not good. I decided the best defense was to play dumb and plastered a quizzical look on my face while I lightly dressed my baked potato with salt and butter.
“Why would I be afraid? I enjoyed a great day getting to know my new home."
“And possibly opening up a business?" Winifred interjected with a little smile on her face. Well, I’ll be damned. The witch almost gave me a friendly smile.
“What business?" Cormac asked as he held up a bottle of red wine. I shook my head my head and pointed to the white. Mathias swiftly grabbed the bottle and poured us both a glass.
“I spoke to Leo a few moments ago. He called to tell me my granddaughter broke into the old bakery today. When he went to investigate, she asked him to negotiate a lease for her.” Winifred said
All of sudden everyone at the table starting asking questions in rapid succession,
“You broke into the old bakery?" Jeremiah asked
“Of course she did,” Mathias muttered
“Bakery? You're bringing it back? How delightful!" said Rhoswen enthusiastically.
“What the hell do you mean? I had plans for that space,” Cuddy said grumpily
“Did you write down everything that you’re going to need to do? You need a business plan first Willy,” my dad said
“Oh sweetheart, I cannot be any more pleased. Do you have a name yet?" Cecily asked
I chuckled and shushed everyone before answering. “Yes, I broke in but I don’t think that it’s like a B&E considering Winifred owns it. No dad, I haven’t written it all down yet; it just happened a few hours ago. Sorry, Uncle Cuddy for ruining any plans. Although I was hoping, you could help me design the inside space? Of course since I haven’t signed anything or heard from the owner so all of this is speculation.”
“Scrumptious Skye Confections,” I announced. “That’s the first name I thought of when I was back home. After checking out all the shops in town with their clever and cute names, I think that’s a winner."
“That’s a very appropriate name but I cannot offer you a lease Willa.” Winifred said
The entire table quieted. “I do not feel it’s right taking any currency from you. I would be more than happy to turn the building over to you and your mother."
Everyone smiled except me. “I’m not comfortable with that. I much prefer to sign a contract for the time being.”
There was no way that I could take anything from her. I wanted to earn it first and prove myself a bit before I accepted any handouts.
“Fine, if that’s how you feel. Shall we say a three year lease at a hundred pounds of month?"
“That’s way below market value."
“Consider it a family discount,” she replied
“Deal,” I said as I swallowed a piece of truly delicious filet mignon. I took a gulp of my wine for fortification and decided to drop the other bomb
“I also signed a lease for a house on the Point. It’s awesome. The people who lived there were the Lau’s? It has an amazing view of the sea and an underground master bedroom that is probably harder to get into than Fort Knox. The closet is simply indescribable though, prepare to have closet envy. I was thinking of having a Housewarming/ Christmas Eve party."
Utensils clattered, and small gasps came from just about everyone in the room. Mathias was gripping his fork as a weapon and his eyes were glittering with barely controlled anger.
“You did what?” he growled
“Willa Cecilia McCormack...” my mother started
“You mean Willa Cecilia or Willa Cecilia Skye?”
My father frowned. “Oh, right, forgot to tell you that but in the states you are legally a McCormack.”
“But, I’m not dad! You falsified my birth certificate with a bogus name. I’m pretty sure it’s well and truly null and void."
“It makes no difference, Willa. We all live here because the castle is safe and protected. I’m sorry but I cannot allow you to do this,” my mother said
“Excuse me? Allow me? I’m sorry you must have me confused with someone else."
“Willa,” she sighed
“No, I’m not having this argument. I’m moving out because frankly I can’t live here. With everything that has been thrown at me, I need my own space and privacy. Living here, even in one of the flats, is not going to cut it for me. I found a beautiful house that’s perfect, and it’s also extremely well protected. Mathias is right next door, and Serena is barely a mile away. No, I’m sorry, this is what I want and I hope you will try to understand.”
The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* Page 19