The Living Weapon (Davenport Manor Book 2)

by Melissa Zaroski

  She returned to the bedroom and turned on every lamp in every corner of the room, not allowing a single shadow to make its way into her vision. She sat down on the bed and crawled under the covers, yet she remained sitting upright to continue watching TV for a bit. No matter how much her mind fought it, her eyes drew once again to the portrait where she stared for a moment. Her heart jolted when she swore it blinked. She looked away, drawing in a quick gasp, and then looked again to find nothing animate.

  I’m super tired, she rationalized with herself. My eyes are playing tricks on me.

  She looked behind her at the pillows on the bed and figured out which one was Todd’s. She moved it to the center and laid down on it and, like a true fangirl, she inhaled the scent, which smelled nothing more like a used pillow. What was she expecting? Some manly cologne? Some erotic pheromone scent? At the end of the day Todd was just a guy who probably drooled on his pillow while he slept. With that thought, she scooted it away and grabbed a less-used one to sleep on instead.

  Sleep did not come easily. She kept her eyes closed, but listened to Ross and Rachel arguing about being on a break. Kelly tried lying on her side with her back facing the portrait, but her imagination kept telling her that someone was behind her, watching. She felt as if someone was hovering, staring a hole through her back. She slowly peeked over her shoulder, half-expecting to see someone standing there, so she was somewhat prepared for the shock. However, she saw nothing. She was still unnerved, her mind creating images of things that weren’t there. She flipped onto her back, that way she would be able to see all of her surroundings.

  The end credits of Friends rolled on the television and she thought she might have an easier time falling asleep without the distraction. She sat up for a moment and hit the power button on the remote, then plopped back down on her back. She lightly hit the top of her head on the headboard, not realizing how close she was to it. She rubbed her head, welcoming the distraction of pain and chuckled to herself for being so clumsy.

  How do people sleep in this place? She thought. The Manor, while beautiful and majestic, was also downright old and creepy. For someone who came from your typical, suburban, cookie-cutter home, this place had “haunted” written all over it. She was fascinated, yet terrified of it all at once.

  She closed her eyes, but they continued to involuntarily open to peek at the surroundings. The grandfather clock on the other side of the room ticked in a hypnotizing rhythm. Tick…tick…tick. She began to allow the clock to put her in a trance, focusing on each tick, imagining it rocking her to sleep. But still, slumber didn’t come.

  She sat back up and turned on the television again, now it was an old episode of The Andy Griffith Show that was on. She laid down and blankly watched, not really focusing on the dialogue. She suddenly heard a light knocking, which made her bolt upright.

  “Kelly?” She heard a female say from the other side of the bedroom door. “You having trouble sleeping? We keep hearing the TV going on and off.”

  It was Emma, which made Kelly feel a bit relieved having someone to talk to. “Yeah, I am. Come on in,” she called from her bed.

  Emma opened the door and timidly poked her head in, “I don’t want to interrupt if you’re trying to sleep.” Kelly waved her in and as she entered and walked over to the bed she asked, “What’s keeping you awake?”

  “I keep feeling like I’m being watched or that I’m going to see a ghost. Her ghost,” she pointed at Elizabeth’s portrait. After saying it out loud she realized how lame she sounded.

  Understanding, Emma nodded and offered, “Do you want me to take the painting down and put it in my room for now?”

  Kelly wanted to scream “YES!”, but instead she undecidedly shook her head and answered, “No, that thing is huge. I don’t want you to go through the trouble.”

  Emma lowered her head, peeked up from under eyebrows, and gave her an “are-you-kidding-me” look. She giggled while shaking her head and walked over to the portrait that was twice her size, lifted it off the wall, and carried it out the door as easy as lifting a piece of paper. She returned from placing it in her bedroom and sat Indian style across from Kelly on the bed.

  Kelly smiled broadly with gratitude. “Thank you,” she winced.

  “You know, Daniel once said something to me that I will never forget,” Emma started. “He once told me that he was really never afraid of anything growing up because he knew his ‘sister’ was the scariest and most dangerous thing on Earth and that she was on his side. He never had fear knowing I was around. And he was right…we are the scariest things on Earth, even ghosts are unnerved by us. We’re vicious predators when we want to be, but if we’re on your side, you really have nothing to be afraid of.” Emma gently placed her hand on Kelly’s shoulder and reassured, “I’m on your side.”

  Kelly did feel a bit better, especially knowing that ghosts were actually afraid of vampires.

  “Would it make you feel better if I sat in here while you slept? I’ll just sit on the couch and read…” Emma suggested.

  Kelly hesitated, wanting to tell her yes, but too embarrassed to say so. Emma could read her expression, patted her on the leg, and walked out of the room without shutting the door. Kelly was just about to get up to close it, but Emma walked back in holding a book, smiled without saying a word, and sat down on the couch to begin reading.

  “Thanks, Emma,” Kelly graciously said as she laid down and fell into a quick, deep slumber.

  Chapter 6

  Kelly awoke the following morning to the sun’s rays pouring into the room. She looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was only 7:30 and that she had slept for only six hours. The room looked beautiful in the daylight and she was able to see the true beauty of all the intricate details. She slowly sat up and looked around, feeling good now that it was morning. She looked at the couch and noticed that Emma was no longer there; she had no idea what time she left, but she did mention staying until the sun came up.

  Now that she was less on edge, she decided to explore the room just a bit; seriously, when would she ever have another opportunity to sleep in a celebrity’s bedroom? She saw a bulletin board full of pictures on the wall across the room, some special ones hung in frames instead. She shuffled over to take a look at Todd’s memories, a glimpse into his personal life.

  She smiled to herself, looking at the pictures of the “gang”; he, Daniel, and Zachariah seemed to share a brotherly bond. There were a few pictures of him with Vivienne Conrad and Declan Fitzgerald while they were filming. The ones that stood out most were those of Todd and Emma. There were a lot, more than she could count. And they weren’t “friendly” pictures or of a brother/sister bond; they were much more than just friendly. They were always wrapped in each other’s arms, in different places that they had visited, or just selfies while cuddling on the couch at home. There was one of Emma who was laying on what looked like Todd’s bed and taken from above; he was clearly standing over her. Kelly looked over at the bed and saw that it was the same comforter and sheets, feeling a pang of jealousy and confusion.

  Is he with her? Kelly questioned to herself. Why would she be so cool about him and me making a connection at the after party? Kelly then remembered what Emma and Zachariah explained about vampire morality the day before. Monogamy just wasn’t their thing.

  “He loves her,” a female voice quietly said from directly behind her.

  Kelly whipped around expecting to see Emma, but instead she saw the ghost she had been dreading. Too paralyzed with fear to scream, she took in a sharp gasp and practically fell over herself trying to get away.

  “Don’t be afraid, you have been seeking me,” Elizabeth said, her voice very calm and soothing.

  Kelly was shaking like a leaf, but her fear was quickly beginning to subside. Like Todd had mentioned to Emma, Elizabeth had a very docile presence. She was dressed in period clothing, obviously from her era two-hundred years ago.

  Finally finding her voice, Kelly i
ntroduced herself, “I’m Kelly…you must be Elizabeth.” She couldn’t believe she was standing there introducing herself to a ghost.

  “Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Elizabeth replied with a small curtsy. “I did not wish to be around my sister, you’ll forgive me for the delay? I love her, but she frightens me so. But, you…you must be a living weapon like Todd.” Elizabeth eyed Kelly with a sort of satisfaction, knowing that one drop of her blood could kill a vampire.

  “I am,” Kelly said. “We need your help if you’re able to. Are you aware that Todd has gone missing?”

  “I am not aware, I haven’t made my way inside the Manor since I found peace. I try to avoid vampires.”

  Kelly nodded, “That’s what I heard. Well, we believe that Todd has been taken and if he’s not…” she didn’t want to say the word. “If he’s not dead, his life may be in danger. We were hoping that there was some way for you to find him and communicate with him for us.”

  Elizabeth looked down at her feet, thinking of what was being asked of her. “I have never left the property or sought someone out before, but I’m sure it can be done. I will try to find him, I was always very fond of him,” she smiled, recalling her time haunting him. “What shall I say if I find him?”

  Kelly’s eyes looked up at the ceiling, thinking of what to say, “Don’t tell him about me, apparently no one must know what I am. But, tell him that Emma is searching for him, they all are. Ask if he knows where he is or who has him. We’ll start with those for now.”

  Elizabeth understood and said, “I will return tonight. Please make sure Emma stays away and I will let you know what I find out.” She began to fade before Kelly’s eyes.

  “Wait! Before you go!” She exclaimed and Elizabeth came back. “Can you not, like, pop up out of nowhere? That kind of freaks me out.”

  Elizabeth laughed, “I shall knock first.” And with that she faded completely away on her search for Todd.

  Kelly stood dumbstruck for a moment, her knees suddenly feeling like Jell-O. “Holy shit, I just had a conversation with a ghost…” She sat on the couch to take a quick breather when there was a knock at her door. Elizabeth was back already?

  “Kelly! Can we come in?” Emma urgently asked from the other side of the door.

  “Yes! Yes! I made contact!” Kelly was so excited she could hardly wait to tell Emma. She felt like she had really accomplished something for these people.

  “We could only hear one side of the conversation; we have been listening pretty intently for it! What did she say?” Emma asked as she, Zachariah, and Daniel all entered the bedroom.

  Kelly explained both sides of the conversation, leaving them all somewhat relieved and hopeful that this was going to be their way to find Todd. Emma promised to stay as far away from the bedroom that night, not wanting to put Elizabeth off. She knew Elizabeth wouldn’t have appeared with her in the room the night before, but had no doubt she would pay Kelly a visit once she was gone. She just figured it would be less scary for Kelly if it was daylight.

  “So, I hope you don’t mind staying another night?” Emma sweetly asked.

  “Of course not, this is far more productive than anything I’d be doing at home!”

  They planned to hang out for the rest of the day and Emma told her she would give her a tour, which sounded like the best day ever to Kelly’s ears.

  Daniel’s phone rang for the fifth time that morning, Brianna was relentless. She had been dying to come and visit him at the Manor, but he feared a conflict between her and Emma. He was fairly certain he loved Brianna, but sometimes she behaved like a needy child. He finally picked up his phone before it went to voicemail. She was on him yet again about coming to visit and she was beginning to sound desperate, but she tried to make it sound like she really missed him. Her voice was transparent, though and he knew it was her curiosity about being inside the big, secret property more than wanting to see him.

  “Alright, you can come over tonight. But!” He stressed before continuing, “You have to be on your best behavior! Emma won’t put up with attitude, especially right now. She’s under a lot of stress and has a lot going on.” Daniel was so worried that Brianna would push Emma past her point of control. While Emma was a very docile vampire, she was still ferocious when pushed too far. Zachariah was another problem; he was very protective of his partner, his maker, his Queen. He had slightly less self-control, so while Emma may be able to contain herself, Zachariah might not.

  “I promise, baby. I’ll be good,” she purred.

  He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes, “Alright, I’ll let the guard know that you’re clear. See you later, love you.”

  Well, I’m gonna have to get it over with sometime, might as well sooner rather than later, he thought to himself. He did miss hanging out with her, she was definitely a fun girl and opened his world to some new adventures. Probably more bad decisions, but at least he’d have some stories to tell his grandkids.

  He went downstairs to look for Emma, but she was somewhere else in the house giving Kelly a tour and having some girl time. Emma’s only real girlfriend was Vivienne, so it was nice to have another female to hang out with. Daniel found Zachariah in the parlor playing Call of Duty on the Xbox, who paused the game when he saw Daniel walk in looking defeated.

  “What’s up?” Zachariah asked.

  “Brianna is coming over today.”

  “She had better behave herself,” Zachariah bluntly responded.

  “She promised she would…”

  “What do you see in her anyway? I mean, she’s pretty and all, but I just don’t see the appeal of her personality,” Zachariah made no effort to beat around the bush.

  “There’s another side of her that most don’t see. Sure, she’s in the tabloids a lot for pretty stupid things, but there’s another side of her that the public doesn’t see. She can be sweet, caring, funny, and she adores me.”

  Understanding, Zachariah slightly nodded and added, “As long as she makes you happy, man. I’d just hate to see you mixed up with the wrong crowd. She just has to bring her attitude down a few notches, yeah?”

  Daniel gave a half-smile, “We’re working on that.”

  They sat in silence for a moment before Zachariah suggested, “Let’s go toss the football around outside, I’m bored.”

  Daniel gave him an incredulous look, “It’s freezing out!”

  “Bundle up, Nancy, come on. Let’s go,” Zachariah said as he rose from the couch, not allowing Daniel to protest.

  Emma was showing Kelly around the house and teaching her the history of it, just like she had done with Todd. They were in the portrait gallery, going along the line of paintings of the Davenport ancestors. Kelly was fascinated while gazing at Emma’s portrait, looking at the date on the plaque, and realizing that the same person was standing right next to her.

  “I was close to my mother and sister,” Emma stated as she casually examined the portrait of Victoria, her mother. “I miss them more than I can ever express in words, even after all this time. My sister and I had a very easy relationship; we were best friends…what I did to her will always plague me.”

  “What about your father and brother?” Kelly asked, interested in her history.

  “I was close to them as well, but it was a different time then. Men were in control, women were supposed to marry and raise families. However, I was never like that—I never had the inclination to be a wife or mother. My father seemed to deal with it with grace, but my brother and I would clash. Especially after father was gone. He had the hardest time with the fact that I wasn’t aging, that I had my independence; he couldn’t understand it nor accept it.

  “Then, young Zachariah came along. He was our stable boy that I found completely charming and irresistible! My brother, Christopher found it disgraceful that I could be in love with the help—he was a snob in that sense. When I brought Zachariah to live in the Manor instead of the little shack next to the barn, my brother nearly went through the
roof with anger! It was a power struggle between the two of us. In the human world, I was just a woman from an affluent family with no husband, but being courted by the stable boy. In the vampire world, I was still a young vampire, but the Queen of North America—completely opposite sides of the spectrum…”

  “Wait, you’re a Queen?” Kelly interjected.

  Emma, who had uncharacteristically slipped up, closed her eyes, inhaled a deep breath, looked at Kelly and simply replied, “Yes.”

  “Wow! Didn’t see that one coming!”

  “Anyway, my brother was not okay with Zachariah moving in and I had to remind him that, while he was the only male heir, I would be around much longer than him. Or his children. Or even his grandchildren. Therefore, I called the shots, which made our relationship stressed. I wasn’t trying to gain power, but I was not about to be told what I could and could not do. If he would have just relaxed and worked with me and not against me, it would have made for a far less aggravated relationship. But, he was a stereotypical man of that time and was not accepting of my, ahhh, disobedience as a woman.”

  “A completely different norm back then, huh?” Kelly said, realizing just how good she had it this day in age. “Can I ask you something else?”

  “Sure!”

  “I couldn’t help but notice the pictures in Todd’s room…are you and him, like, together?”

  “Ah…no, we’re not. Our history, well it’s a complicated one. I guess you could say we were dating, but I can’t give him what he wants…monogamy, a wife, children…he deserves so much more than what I can give him. We had actually just broken off our romantic relationship right before you walked up to him at the after party. I mean, literally thirty seconds before. It was difficult, but amicable. Honestly, I love him dearly, but my heart will always lie with Zachariah; we have been together for one-hundred and seventy-four years. Todd had a hard time sharing me, which is understandable.”