by Dannika Dark
Dear Vampire, I’m a young woman with no family, no pets, no friends, and no future. I want someone to show me what’s possible.
That sounded desperate enough. I hit Send and shut down. I’d really come in here to talk to Christian and find out if my father had said anything else, but he was so engrossed in the movie that I decided to leave.
“Raven?”
I glared at the back of his head. “Yes?”
“Do you ever wonder if there’s any truth to this?” He turned around, his arms hugging the back of the beanbag. “What if we’re all in a dream and none of this is real?”
“Then I guess it doesn’t matter whether I cook dinner or not. See you later.”
Keystone was enormous with its winding interior halls, courtyard, grand staircases, and a million rooms. Many of the halls looked the same, and I got easily lost when not paying attention. I opened the door to a balcony and stepped outside.
It was a beautiful view of the interior courtyard from the back of the house. Snow covered most of the grounds, except someone had dragged the cover away from the pool and turned on the lights. The velvet sky was blacker than I’d ever seen it. I drew in a breath of clean air, which had just a trace of burning wood from one of the many fireplaces. I had to admit, I’d never seen anything as magical as Keystone in wintertime.
“How are you feeling?” Niko asked.
He joined my side and placed his hands on the snow-covered railing, unable to see the blue and green lights glittering in the heated pool below, unable to see the stars sparkling in the sky like diamonds. But he could see what counted.
“I feel better,” I admitted.
His long hair fell forward when he leaned on the railing. “I won’t ask where you went last night, but your light is brighter.”
“I feel brighter. How’s Shepherd?”
Niko straightened up and wiped flecks of snow from his sleeves. “Only time can heal his wounds. He carries a lot of grief with him over the life he’ll never have.”
“Don’t we all. I was looking at a message board tonight where all these humans are dying to be immortal. They think they can still have their cake and eat it too, but they don’t know what they’d be giving up.”
“Just one of many reasons why it’s best we live in secret. If they knew immortality was possible, just imagine the bribery and desperate acts. People would be willing to do anything for just a chance.”
I shivered. Niko was right. All it had taken for me to give up my life was a chance meeting with a stranger in a bar.
My gaze swung toward the courtyard when I heard a shriek below. Gem dashed across a snowy walkway before leaping into the pool.
“That is one crazy girl,” I mused.
Niko rocked with laughter. He had a warm and honest laugh, and it changed his expression entirely—his blue eyes flickering with ancient light, his appearance seeming younger. I couldn’t begin to guess his physical age—maybe late twenties or thirties? I only knew that he was over fifteen hundred years old, and most immortals who’d lived that long had lost their naivety, humor, and passion for life.
“Gem’s light is interesting in water. It changes to a deeper shade of what I see as violet. And it…”
He made a gesture with his fingers in an outward motion.
“Sparkles?” I suggested.
“I suppose that’s it. Sometimes I see her trail in the halls where she’s been skating, and it’s a perfect ribbon of light. Shepherd leaves behind flecks that crackle and burn out. Everyone’s different.”
“Don’t you find it odd she swims in winter?”
“We all have our peculiarities.”
I leaned against the wall behind me. “If we ever go out of the espionage business, Viktor should open the doors to this place and make it an orphanage.”
Niko’s brows touched his hairline. “What brought that to mind?”
“I was thinking about what’s going to happen with that baby. You can’t help but feel empathy for them.”
Niko led me inside. “That’s where these charity balls come into play. We don’t have government funding like the humans. We have to encourage the wealthy to give, and public events such as these are more effective.”
“Because they’re all trying to show off.”
“Exactly. Without that money, there wouldn’t be enough funds to maintain the orphanages, and those children would be out on the streets. Viktor was generous to offer his cut. He is truly a benevolent man.”
That was pretty unexpected of him, I thought to myself. Viktor’s donation made me see him in a new light.
“We have influence,” Niko said. “I believe that’s why they continually invite us to these events. We witness firsthand what happens to these children, and while they don’t know our affiliation, we’re able to paint a more vivid picture about where these orphans really come from.”
“What do they sell at these auctions?”
“Sometimes people are willing to offer their services to the highest bidder. But usually it’s a way for people to offload valuables they’ve collected over the years. The organizers auction everything from jewelry to historical paintings.”
I stopped in my tracks and gave him a quizzical stare. “And people are willing to give away their valuables for free?”
“Some. Though I suspect most of the items are from the deceased.”
“I thought all that stuff was sent to places like Pawn of the Dead.”
Niko tilted his head. “Your brain is always working. You can question the higher authority when you get there if you like.”
“I’d rather just eat cake.”
“That’s probably a wise idea. If you ask too many questions, it raises suspicion. Inquisitive minds are not often as celebrated in our world as in the human one you came from. Would you like to join me downstairs for a cup of tea?”
I looked at the folded paper in my hand. “Sounds good. Give me a few minutes. I need to take care of something.”
After we parted ways, I headed up to my bedroom and closed the door. A few candles burned low, barely enough light to see the furniture. I rounded my bed and approached the desk, setting the paper down on top of a file. I lifted the lid to my music box, and as the melody began, the tiny ballerina twirled in a circle.
I admired my modest collection of personal things, including a diary that had once belonged to a girl named Penny Burns. It wasn’t really mine to keep, but I’d read it twice more since the case. I shoved some pens and paper aside to make room for the fake roses I usually kept on my nightstand. As insignificant as these things might have appeared, they belonged to me, and that made this place feel more like home.
As the melody slowed down, I lifted the heart-shaped necklace from my neck and placed it inside. Now I had a home for my heart. I took a seat in the wooden chair and fiddled with the metal puzzle box.
Viktor taking a chance on me had been the best thing that could have happened given the direction I was heading at the time he found me. Maybe I didn’t have a completely functional moral compass, but with Keystone, I made a difference. If only my father could have seen us saving that baby. It made me regret that I hadn’t told him every detail, but I’d been afraid Christian would have more to erase and might accidentally scrub something important, like the fact that I ever existed.
A click sounded in my hands, and I looked down. I’d pressed the cube in two different spots, causing a piece of it to slide out. I took a close look to remember what I’d done, and then I forced the block to the side as far as it would go. I peered inside the hole, unable to see anything. After five minutes of messing with it, I triggered another opening. Curious, I tugged and pulled at the pieces until one side twisted away from the cube and revealed the core. It looked like a black box within the cube. I couldn’t find a way to pry it open, but when I pushed it with my finger, another click sounded, and it opened like a door with tiny hinges.
I blinked at the contents.
Inside was a key presse
d into foam.
All that trouble for a key. Probably someone’s extra house key. I carefully closed the sides, remembering the order that allowed me to open it.
Before heading downstairs to chat with Niko over some hot tea—and he made a mean cup—I spotted something I hadn’t noticed when coming into my room just moments ago. Neatly folded at the foot of my bed was a new coat, just like the one that I’d lost in the Bricks. Also at the foot of my bed, a pair of boots. But they weren’t new, because I noticed scuffs on the toe. While I couldn’t be certain, they looked a lot like the ones I’d traded underground.
I guess I had a few mysteries of my own.
Chapter 27
I lifted a champagne flute from a tray and breezed through the crowd until I found an empty corner. This charity ball was no joke. People were dressed to the nines, and even my black dress looked plain. Maybe it was a little too short, but I thought cocktail parties with short dresses were the norm. The studded leather bracelet probably wasn’t, but it was a prized possession. Not because it used to belong to me, but because it was one of the few personal effects of mine that my father had saved for sentimental reasons.
After gulping down my second glass, I decided to ease up on the booze. I recognized a familiar face across the room. Hooper stood behind a long table, mixing drinks. This was a far cry from working in the Nine Circles of Hell club, and he stuck out like a sore thumb with his lip rings and the designs shaved on each side of his head. White cloth covered the tables. Behind him, another long table where they kept the alcohol and glasses.
Gem looked dejected without Claude at her side, but she masked it well with a mechanical smile and all that silver glitter around her eyes. Claude was an attentive friend to her, and perhaps I wasn’t gregarious enough to be good company during events like these. Gem didn’t care much for dressing appropriately—she had a different approach when it came to style. Her fairy dress was made of chiffon and had a bustled skirt that didn’t quite reach her knees. The colors were beautifully blended shades of violet and ivory, and she was decked out in crystal necklaces and bracelets that sparkled beneath the lights. She even had a crown of flowers on her head. Guests at these functions didn’t notice people who went over the top. The ones who got the side eye were people like Wyatt, who was wearing his THE FUCK I GAVE WENT THAT WAY T-shirt.
I set my empty glass on a tray when a waiter breezed by. Standing alone was awkward, but when I decided to head over and talk to Gem, my plan fell apart as I saw her getting chatty with Hooper. Gem didn’t drink, so she couldn’t have been requesting a complicated drink order. They both shared a funky sense of style, and since like generally attracts like, I decided to leave them be.
Shepherd slowly climbed the stairs, distancing himself from the crowd. Viktor had a glass of wine in his hand while two patrons listened with rapt attention as he told the story about how children sold on the black market are stolen from their mother’s arms. Blue looked liked she wanted to dodge the attention she was receiving from a tall man who couldn’t take his eyes off her sage gown and feather earrings, which he kept touching. But she was dutifully encouraging donations with her plunging neckline and guile.
Perhaps I needed to do the same.
I entered a grand room where a string quartet enchanted the crowd with heavenly music. It was as if my music box had come to life. Couples twirled and glided, every one of them in perfect form. Sumptuous gowns floated gracefully, creating a magnificent array of color and texture.
Christian appeared next to me.
“Holy fuck. I thought we were mercenaries, not ballroom dancers,” I said, gawking at the dancers before us.
“Is bathing and putting on decent clothes the worst thing about your job?”
“No. Smelling your rancid cologne is.”
He chuckled. “The ladies do like.”
I stole a glance. Christian had on a suit vest—no jacket. The most dressed up I’d seen him was in a silk shirt or a Henley, but this was a whole new look to marvel over. Even his grey slacks matched his vest. While he had knotted his tie to precision, there was one thing unkempt about him—his sleeves were sloppily rolled up to the elbows. Christian didn’t just look like a gentleman—he portrayed himself as a powerful man who belonged among these people, which just went to prove what a chameleon he was.
The only thing he hadn’t done was shave, but I suspected that would happen on the day that pigs grew wings.
“Why don’t you ask a lady to dance?”
He rocked on his heels and put his hands in his pockets. “Are you afflicted in some way? I don’t dance. It’s a frivolous custom for fools.”
I glared up at him. “I’ve seen you grinding on women in the club.”
He winked. “That’s not dancing, lass.”
“Ah, yes. I forgot. That’s how you decide who’s good in bed. For your information, how a woman moves on the dance floor won’t tell you anything about what kind of lover she is.”
“If you say so.”
“Well, I’ll just let you stand here and watch other people having virtual sex.” I smiled and strutted alongside the wall to the other end of the room in search of the waiter carrying the champagne.
“Would you care to dance?” someone asked, his French accent collecting my attention.
I raised my head at the man standing just behind me, his black suit and tie blending him in with half the crowd. Why not?
“Sure.”
He took my hand and led me to the floor. My palms began to sweat when couples turned and glided all around us, as if they were following an invisible pattern on the floor. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
If I could survive a hail of gunfire, surely dancing couldn’t be that difficult. I clasped his hand and followed his lead. Thankfully, he went slowly at first. He must have sensed by my trembling knees and lack of eye contact that I’d never done this before.
“It takes practice,” he said. “You must be young. Perhaps a Relic?”
“No, a Mage.”
I glanced at those around us, mirroring their moves. What I couldn’t do was mirror their confidence.
“These gatherings are such a bore,” he continued. “Always the same food, the same people, the same music.”
“Maybe someone should hire a DJ.” I grimaced when I stepped on his foot. “Sorry.”
“Stop trying to take the lead,” he said. “Relax and follow me.”
“Maybe I’m not a follower.”
When I finally got the hang of the steps, I smiled and looked up.
The blond-haired man blinked in surprise, and his eyebrows gathered in a frown. “You lost a contact lens.”
“Nope. These are my eyes.” I stepped on his foot again. “Is there something here you’re bidding on? The orphans could really use your support. I never realized what a problem we had with all the black market stuff until recently. It’s sad that so many kids get caught up in it, don’t you think?”
The man continued to stare, and it made me self-conscious. It wasn’t so much the staring but the shift in his expression from uncertainty to what looked like revulsion. What was spinning in that little mind of his? Was he questioning my Breed? His gaze flicked from one eye to the other until I finally stomped on his foot.
“Ow!”
“What the fuck is your problem?” I spat.
A few people gawked as they glided around us.
The man gave me a sour look and simply walked off.
So there I stood in the middle of a ballroom after telling a nice man to fuck off.
Good job, Raven.
Embarrassment heated my cheeks as I fled the dance floor. But when a few dancers made way, I met eyes with Christian, who moved in my direction with a purposeful stride.
“Is there a problem?” he asked, not a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Apparently someone didn’t like my moves. Why do immortals make such a big stink about physical features? There are people walking around with blue hair and no
se rings, and nobody gives them a second glance. But I get shit all the time for something so innocuous.”
“Because they’re dolts,” he replied, taking my hand in his.
Before I knew it, we were dancing. Only, Christian didn’t move anything like the other man. His grip and moves were smooth and demanding, and I could sense his direction before he even turned. Christian knew how to lead, and there was something erotic in the way he locked eyes with me as our bodies drew closer together.
“What did you and my father talk about?”
“Oh, manly things.”
“If there’s one thing Crush doesn’t lack, it’s candor. I’m sure whatever he said was brutally honest. Just try not to hold it against him.” I fell silent, the room spinning as Christian led me around the dance floor.
“I saw one of your pictures on the wall,” he said. “You were a little badass.”
“Was that the one of me in the short leather skirt? I went through a phase.”
“You’ll have to let me know when the phase ends.”
Just when we found our stride, the music ended, and light applause fluttered through the room. When I looked to the right, I glimpsed a familiar bleach-blond haircut. My friend from Club Nine held eye contact with me for just a second in the doorway before disappearing. I needed to thank him for leading us to Cristo.
“There’s nothing wrong with your moves,” Christian said, giving me a wolfish grin. “Sometimes you just need the right partner.”
I straightened his tie. “Thanks for the dance, Mr. Poe. I think it’s time for us to mingle.”
He inclined his head and swaggered across the room toward a bevy of women who were preening in hopes of receiving his exclusive attention. I smiled and watched him work his magic.
Christian was a wild mustang, and whether or not he could be tamed was irrelevant. He didn’t want to be. I’d known men like that my whole life, including my father.