"More paparazzi?" Chase asked me, noticing the Emissary for the first time. He'd been too busy digging into the doughnuts and juice that were set out for breakfast to notice before.
"Uh, yeah," I muttered, glad he hadn't noticed that the man wasn't packing a camera of any kind.
"You two attract more attention...." O'Shea said, joining the conversation.
"I have a theory about that," Jonas added.
"This ought to be good," Trey said under his breath, making me grin.
"Yeah," Jonas continued. "I've decided you guys must find the busiest public places you can and just make out."
"Is that so?" Trey raised an eyebrow at him, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"That's the only thing that explains it," Jonas continued, his hand hovering above the assortment of doughnuts as he tried to choose one.
"Forget the interview," a man said from a few feet away across the deck of the boat. "We should just let you guys talk. This is great stuff."
I realized he must be the entertainment reporter who was coming along on our little excursion. There were three other men with him, and one of them was filming everything with a video camera. The reporter stepped forward and shook all of our hands, introducing himself as Steve. Aside from the regular camera man, Steve brought along a professional underwater photographer to film the underwater excursion. I pulled up a seat next to Chase by the breakfast table in an effort to get on the sidelines a little.
"Is it always like this?" Steve asked, gesturing to the brooding Emissary detail still standing on the dock.
"Only with these two," O'Shea said, glancing at me and Trey.
Trey shrugged casually. "At least things never get boring."
I tuned out of the conversation just then as the captain and another crew member approached to introduce themselves.
"My name is Dean," the captain said, but it wasn't the captain I was interested in. The man at his side was a vampire. I was certain of it. "This is Rex,” the Captain said. “He’s our dive master.”
Rex gave a polite nod to the group, but his gaze stayed on me a little longer than was normal. He was a vampire all right, and he knew that I knew. The fact that another vampire was on the boat shouldn't have been startling, or it wouldn't have been, if I'd been able to read his mind or something. But it was morning, and the sun was blazing in all its glory in the sky, meaning my vampire mind-reading mojo wouldn't allow me insight anytime soon.
"We've set a course for an area we know has several species of sharks right now," Captain Dean continued. "We're hoping to have some great encounters today for all of you. We'll be there in just over an hour. Make yourselves comfortable and have some breakfast. Let any of the crew know if you need anything."
The guys expressed their excitement and thanked the captain, then he and the dive master returned to their duties. I had to remind myself that everything was probably just fine. I was just being paranoid because I'd been so distracted by the Emissary that I hadn't even noticed I was letting Trey and the rest of the guys board a boat and set sail with another vampire who I knew absolutely nothing about. Not the best start to a day that already seemed excessively dangerous.
"So, if I understand right, this whole thing is your idea," Steve said to Trey while the camera man was still recording. "What made you decide it would be fun to get in a shark cage today?"
Trey nodded. "I thought it would be a good bonding experience for the band," he said. "You know, give us something to talk about twenty years from now."
"If we don't get eaten today," Jonas mumbled.
"Sharks aren’t going to want to eat you," Chase said. “You’re too scrawny.” He gave Jonas a grin between bites of doughnut.
“That’s oddly comforting,” Jonas said.
"The fact that you've chosen this to do on your day off just goes to show how crazy things have been for you guys lately," Steve said. "Am I right?"
"I guess things have been a little crazier than normal," O'Shea answered. "Mostly with this guy." He elbowed Trey, and Trey cleared his throat.
"You could say that."
"First, there was the car crash earlier this week," Steve said. "You're looking well, especially considering you wrapped your car around a pole. I know our viewers will be glad to see you in one piece after that incident."
"Yeah I don't recommend it," Trey said, grinning.
"Then, there was the wedding that caught the country by surprise," Steve said. "Congratulations to you both, by the way."
"Thank you," Trey and I said in unison.
"How is married life treating you so far?"
"It's been good," Trey said, smiling as he glanced at me. "When you find the right person, it changes everything. For the better." I grinned back at him like a school girl, and then felt really stupid because I was being filmed.
"What about you, Aurora?" Steve asked, pulling me from my daze. "What's it like being married to a rock star?"
"I ... uh ... I'm still getting used to all of the attention that comes with it," I said truthfully. "But Trey is amazing, and I couldn't ask for a better man to spend the rest of my life with. I'm a lucky girl." Trey grinned at me, and the rest of the guys starting "oohing" and "ahhing" in response.
"Just for the record," Chase said. "Our lead singer may be off the market, but I'm still single." Chase waggled his eyebrows at the camera. I picked up another doughnut and put it in his mouth to shut him up, making the other guys laugh.
"In other news," Steve continued. "Your new single dropped this week, and it's already getting a lot of airplay, from what I hear."
"That's good to know," O'Shea said. "It's always a little nerve-wracking releasing a new song. You're never sure how the public is going to react."
"Your fans are excited about the single," Steve added. "And they're eagerly awaiting the music video to go with it. Is there anything you can tell us about the video?"
"We wrapped up filming yesterday," Trey said. "I think I speak for all of the guys when I say that this video is going to be our best yet. The fans are going to love the direction we went, and the fact that it really tells a story."
I tuned out again just then because Rex was passing by on his way to the deck below. I was watching him when he glanced over at me, but I couldn't read the look on his face. He disappeared below, and I knew what I was going to have to do. I'd go crazy if I had to wonder about him all day. I had no choice. If he was the one who would be taking Trey and the other guys into the water with a bunch of sharks, I was going to have to confront him.
Chapter 29
Trey
I WAS GOING TO swim with sharks today. The thought alone gave me a jolt of adrenaline. I could hardly wait to get in the water. Neon hadn’t been any more thrilled about our plan to swim with the sharks than Aurora had been, at first. Eventually, though, Neon realized he couldn't talk us out of it, so he’d done the next best thing. He made some calls to the media and before we knew it, an entertainment show was coming along to film our excursion. It was a win/win situation. It gave me a chance to do something fun with the guys that wasn't exactly work-related, film crew or not, and we'd get some free press and record promotion along the way. All of this while I was checking something off my bucket list. Not bad considering I only had one afternoon to do it in.
The guys and I answered questions for Steve during the entire boat ride. I didn't mind 'working' during the trip at all. In fact, it was exciting to discuss the new single and the album's release next week. It felt good knowing how much our fans would enjoy the footage, as well. We'd been off the radar a little while recording the album. It was time to get back out there and give back to the people who were so supportive of us and our music.
When the captain announced that we were only about five minutes out from our destination, Steve took a break from the questions, and I made my way over to Aurora. She was standing toward the front of the boat, having disappeared almost fifteen minutes before.
"Hey," I said as I
approached. "We're almost there."
She turned to look at me, smiling as she brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Good," she said. "That's good."
I studied her carefully, trying to decipher the look in her eyes. "Is everything okay?" I asked. "I mean, I assume you're not seasick or anything."
She grinned and shook her head, stepping in closer to me. "I’m fine," she said. "I'm just ... well, I don't know."
"What is it?" I asked, my heart rate jumping a little at the concern in her voice. "The sharks aren't a big deal," I added quickly. "Like I said before. It's perfectly safe. I'll be fine."
"No," she said, forcing a smile. "I know. I trust you." Then she looked out over the vast expanse of the ocean, biting her bottom lip in thought. "Oddly enough, it's not the sharks I'm worried about," she said.
I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind, resting my head on her chin. "What could possibly be scarier than the sharks?" I asked, making my voice light.
"There's a vampire on the boat."
I was shocked into silence for a few seconds before I recovered and managed to speak again. "How ... how is that possible? Where?"
She turned into my embrace and played with the material of my shirt nervously. "He's the dive master."
I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I guess the obvious question is, is this a problem?"
"I'm not sure," she said. "I mean, I talked to him ... but I can't read him. I hate that the moon isn't out. I feel so useless without it."
"You don't need the moon to get a feel for someone," I told her, touching her face lightly. "Trust your gut. Your instinct. What did he say? How did he seem?"
"He seemed ... busy," she said, her shoulders slumping hopelessly. "He might have been a little distracted getting the scuba gear ready."
I cocked my head to one side and said, "Well, maybe that's something. Wouldn't someone who had an agenda be less concerned with dive gear and more concerned with the fact that another vampire was on his boat?" I was totally winging it as I went, but the frown on Aurora's face lessened slightly at my words.
"You're probably right," she said. "I'm sure he's just making a living on this boat."
"Maybe it's a coincidence that we booked a boat with another vampire aboard."
"Maybe." She didn't look completely convinced, and I couldn't blame her. It did seem like a stretch, as far as coincidences go. The boat slowed dramatically before the motor shut down and we sat, bobbing on the surface of the blue water.
"Look," I said, lifting her chin to meet her gaze. "I promise to be careful down there."
"Promise?" she insisted. "You'll keep an eye on everyone? Not just the sharks?"
I nodded. "I'll be fine. You'll see."
She frowned again but put her arms around my neck, hugging me close. "Okay," she said. "I guess you'd better get ready." I gave her a quick kiss, but I was hesitant to walk away for some reason. "Go on," she said. "The guys are probably waiting for you. I'll be over in a few minutes."
I did as she said and went to the back of the boat again. Rex, the dive master/vampire was handing out scuba gear. I couldn't help but look at him differently now. It wasn't logical, but I couldn't help feeling that I should have known he was a vampire when I first saw him. That made no sense, of course. Only another vampire would be so adept at recognizing it. Still, it was a strange sensation, and it only made me wonder how many other vampires I'd encountered in my day to day life, completely clueless as to their true nature. I tried to shove those distracting thoughts to the back of my mind and focus on the task at hand. A few minutes later, the guys and I were all suited up, and Steve had the camera rolling again, capturing footage of Chase playing with the bait box full of dead fish.
"Wish I was going down with you," Steve said. "Okay, that's not actually true, but get some good footage while you're there," he added to the professional underwater photographer he'd brought along.
"Will do," the photographer answered.
"We're hoping to see some reefies today," Rex said to the group. "The reef sharks like to hang out in this area. Sometimes we see them in groups as big as twenty or thirty at a time."
"Oh yeah," O'Shea said as he gave me a celebratory fist bump.
"We might see some nurse sharks," Rex continued. "There have been some lemon sharks around as well, and there's a chance we'll run into a bull shark." Then Rex went on to explain more about the different species of sharks in the area and how the most important thing was to respect them in their territory. Aurora joined the group, standing a few feet behind me as Rex gave his informative pep talk. I glanced at her over my shoulder a few times, hoping she wasn't going out of her mind with worry. I was asking a lot of her today just by going in the water. But throw an unexpected vampire into the mix, and even I was feeling less and less confident about the situation. Tomorrow night's full moon couldn't come soon enough, as far as I was concerned.
"Who's ready to get in the water?" Rex asked.
"Let's go," O'Shea said, jumping to his feet. I stood up and gave him a friendly shove as I walked back to Aurora.
"Be careful down there," she said.
"I will," I promised. Then she took my face in her hands and kissed me passionately. I couldn't help the big grin on my face when she finally pulled back. "What was that for?" I asked quietly. "Not that I'm complaining."
"To remind you what's waiting for you up here at the surface," she said, smiling back. "Don't go drowning on me or anything." I drew an x over my heart, and put my goggles and snorkel on. "No picking fights with the sharks, either," she added.
"We'll keep an eye on him," Chase said to her, coming up behind me. He clapped me on the back, and we went to the edge of the boat together, lowering ourselves into the water. It took a little coaxing to get Jonas in the water, but even he couldn't resist the power of band pressure, which is ten times worse than peer pressure. Add a camera, and there was just no way he could back out. Rex had already disappeared in the water with the bait box, and we were waiting for him to return with a report. He surfaced again a moment later.
"There are at least twenty reefies down there," he said. "They're pretty interested in the bait box. Just remember everything we talked about."
We all nodded in general agreement before Rex nodded for us to dive. I put my face in the water, enjoying the coolness of the ocean on my skin. I used my arms and legs to propel myself downward in the water. O'Shea was on one side of me, and Jonas was on the other. Chase, determined to get to the ocean floor first, was a few feet ahead of us with Rex. The professional underwater photographer was just behind us with a video camera. We didn't have to swim far before I could see the reef sharks Rex had mentioned down below. He was right about the numbers. I counted seventeen before I realized I was wasting time counting and gave up. There were quite a few other fish swimming around as we all approached the group. O'Shea was giving me a thumbs-up as the first reefer came close enough to pass between the two of us.
It was a surreal feeling, having such powerful and mysterious creatures surround you. The first shark made a quick U-turn ahead and came back for a second look at O'Shea and me. That was when I noticed Jonas was swimming closer and closer to me. I reached out and patted his shoulder in what I hoped was a reassuring gesture. He forced a smile for me before I saw his eyes flicker to something behind me. I turned in the water to see another reefer making its way toward us. I held as still as possible as the shark swam directly underneath me. I was tempted to reach out and touch it, but I couldn't make myself do it quite yet. I surfaced quickly for air and then dove back down.
I enjoyed the wondrous beauty of the sharks as they weaved in and out of our group, but I couldn't stand to let Rex out of my sight. I wasn't convinced he had any reason to come harm me, but there was that nagging little voice in the back of my mind that kept insisting that I could have a big problem on my hands if my instinct was wrong. Who knew how many vampires Damir had his claws in? It was more than clear the head of the Emissary didn
't want Aurora and me together, but what I didn't know was exactly how far he was willing to go to prevent it. With everything that was going on, he'd just have to get in line.
I shook my head slightly to pull myself from my thoughts. Here I was, surrounded by sharks on the bottom of the ocean, and all I could think about were the vampires who wanted me dead. I'd have to let Aurora know that her place at the top of the food chain was secure after all. That thought made me smile.
I surfaced again, and swam back down, spending time with each of the guys in turn as we marveled at the reefer sharks. One came close enough to brush my arm with its powerful tail fin. I swam alongside one shark for a moment, fascinated by the domino like motion of its gills as it breathed in water. After seeing Rex reach out and touch a shark, I found the nerve to reach my hand out to the next shark that came close. I brushed my hand along the side of it as it maneuvered gracefully past me. I touched the next shark that came close as well, lifting my hand after just a second to avoid knocking the little companion fish off that had attached itself to the shark's skin.
The bait box floated nearby, and the sharks occasionally bumped it with their noses out of curiosity. None of them tried to actually get to the fish in the box, which meant they couldn't have been too hungry. Maybe that was why Jonas even started to enjoy himself after a bit, though he wasn't anxious to touch any of the sharks. The photographer came right up to O'Shea and me as we floated in the middle of at least ten reefers as they checked us out. Chase waved to get our attention and then pointed out another shark was coming near. O'Shea and I looked over to see a lemon shark cruising past. It didn't stop to get a closer look at the bait box, but it did make a second pass before it disappeared into the distance. Before we finished, two nurse sharks came in to see what all the excitement was about, as well. I touched one of them, if for no other reason than to claim bragging rights. Aurora looked more than a little relieved when I swam back to the boat and climbed out of the water.
Immortals And Melodies (Blood And Guitars #2) Page 15