Undaunted

by HELEN HARDT

  I sat down and absently pulled a magazine from a pile on the table in front of me. I opened it and couldn’t read a thing due to the darkness in the room. Interesting. Did they have a lot of vampire clients? I nearly laughed aloud. No one else could possibly read in this room.

  The woman across from me leafed quickly through a magazine, while the one next to her had leaned back and closed her eyes.

  Me? I had the jitters. For a minute, I thought about actually trying to relax and enjoy the facial.

  But that wasn’t why I’d come here.

  The lit clock on the wall showed five minutes to four p.m. This was probably Cynthia’s last facial of the day, unless she worked a swing shift.

  The second hand moved around the clockface.

  Tick Tock.

  Sometimes time seemed to stand still.

  “Erin?”

  I jerked in my chair. Cynthia North stood in the doorway of the room, looking much better than the last time I’d seen her. Her cheeks were rosy, and she sported what looked like a genuine smile.

  I stood. “That’s me.”

  Cynthia held out her hand. “I’m Cynthia. I’ll be doing your facial today.”

  She didn’t recognize me. Why should she? We’d talked for only a few minutes when she’d been recovering from a drug-induced coma.

  “We’ve actually met,” I said.

  “I’m sorry. Have you been in before? Your paperwork says you’ve never had a facial.”

  I cleared my throat. “No, not here. I’m an ER nurse at University.”

  Her knuckles whitened as she grabbed the doorknob to what I presumed was our treatment room. “Were you there the night I was…shot?”

  “Yes.”

  “And then when I…”

  “Came back. Yes. I came to see you. Do you remember?”

  “I don’t like to talk about that.” She pressed her lips into a firm line.

  “I understand.” I bit my lower lip. No lie there. I did understand. Problem was, I had come here to make her talk about it, to convince her to talk to Julian, a ghost. Or River.

  For a split second, I considered just enjoying the treatment.

  But Lucy. And the others. They needed me desperately. I had come here to get information, and I would do my best.

  Cynthia turned to me, smiling. Sort of. She handed me a wraparound towel. “Please take off your shirt and bra and put this on. Then lie face up on the table. I’ll give you a few minutes.” She left the room.

  Native American flute music drifted around the confined space, and the fresh scent of lavender wafted toward me. I drew in a breath and touched the table. The cushioning was soft and warm. Heated.

  The perfect equation for relaxation.

  Too bad that wasn’t in the cards.

  I undressed, donned the wrap, and lay on the table, covering myself with the warm cotton sheet.

  And I waited.

  And waited.

  Had she forgotten about me?

  Then a knock on the door. “Ready?”

  “Yeah. Come on in.”

  “Hi, Erin. I’m Sheree. Cynthia had an emergency and had to leave, so I’ll be doing your treatment today.”

  I looked into the face of an attractive African American woman. “Oh? Is everything all right?”

  “Yes. She said not to worry.”

  She’d run. Cynthia had run rather than talk to someone who’d been at the hospital when she’d arrived and when she’d returned.

  Which meant one of two things. Either she was trying to escape the entire ordeal, or she was afraid I was going to ask her something she didn’t want to talk about.

  I was betting on the latter.

  “So you’ve never had a facial before?” Sheree continued.

  “No.”

  “Then close your eyes. You’re in for a treat.”

  “I really needed to…”

  “What?” Sheree asked.

  Talk to Cynthia, I finished in my mind. But I didn’t want to be rude to Sheree. She was here to do a job, and she was helping out a coworker. “Could you do me a favor?”

  “If I can.”

  “I’m going to give you my phone number. Could you see that Cynthia gets it?”

  “Of course. I’ll get it from you when we’re done. Now, close your eyes and relax.”

  Relax.

  Sure.

  If only that were possible.

  Chapter Three

  Dante

  “Glamouring is all about energy,” my father said.

  “What kind of energy?”

  “All living beings are made of energy. A lot of it goes to support the body, but vampires have the ability to harness their excess energy and force it onto others. That’s how we glamour.”

  “Why can’t humans do it?”

  “They most likely can. They just don’t realize it. Some people have learned to tap into those excess stores of energy and produce results. Telepaths, for example. And telekinetics. As for why it’s easier for vampires to glamour? History tells us the power was used to subdue prey to feed on their blood.”

  “Like I subdued the homeless man—Abe—that first night.”

  “Exactly. Your need for blood forced the glamour on him. You acted on instinct, as you have each time you’ve been able to glamour. I will teach you how to harness the energy and produce it whenever you need it. But there’s a caveat.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You have much more power than any vampire I’ve seen or heard of. You’ve got your grandfather scared, Dante. He’s scared of what he read in that book. And now he’s scared of you.”

  The thought should have frightened me. Should have. Instead, it emboldened me. “I never thought I’d see Bill be afraid of anything.”

  “Neither did I. I can’t help but wonder…”

  “What?”

  “If the two are related somehow. That this power you’re exhibiting is somehow related to what he read in the Texts.”

  “I don’t know. I doubt it. Why would it be?”

  “It’s unlikely, true, but worth looking into.”

  “Well, we’re going to get the Texts translated one way or another. I guess we’ll find out then. But Dad, do you think…” Unwanted thoughts muddled my mind.

  “Do I think what?”

  My shoulders tightened. “Do you think I’m capable of harming anyone with this weird power I seem to have?”

  His eyes softened as he looked at me. “Dante, all living beings are capable of harming another, no matter what power they hold. Remember that. It will serve you well. Your power is not a weapon in and of itself. Only you can make it one.”

  “Control,” I said softly.

  “Precisely.”

  Control. Strength. Everything came down to those two things. “I tried to be strong, Dad. When I was…there. With her. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t cry out when they tortured me, wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. I kept that promise.”

  “That shows amazing self-control.”

  “But I did say one thing that I regret. That I wish I could take back.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I called her ‘my queen.’” Humiliation threatened to strangle me. This was my father. Even though he was dead, I still respected him more than any other man I knew. “I tried. I resisted as much as I could, but the pain was unbearable. She was willing to go to any length to get me to say it.”

  “They’re only words, Dante. Did you mean them?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then they mean nothing. They were said under duress. Hold a gun to someone’s head, and you can get him to say just about anything.”

  “But you didn’t. You didn’t call her a queen.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “She told me. In a…vision or something.” I lowered my voice. “She gets into my head sometimes.”

  “Dante, I don’t know whether she told you that or not, but I never saw this queen you spea
k of when I was in captivity, and I certainly never referred to anyone as such.” He paused a moment.

  He had a look about him, a look I recognized. If he’d still been wearing his wedding ring—which he wore for several years after my mother died—he’d be twisting it on his finger. Something was making him nervous.

  Then, “What do you mean she gets into your head?”

  I darted my gaze around the room.

  “Look at me, son.”

  I faced him. Faced what was left of my father. All because of me. All because of her.

  “Now tell me. How does she get into your head?”

  How to put it into words? I sighed.

  “You said you had a vision,” my father said.

  “More like auditory hallucinations.”

  “You hear her?”

  “Not exactly. She’s in my head. I can’t really describe it.”

  “Do you think she’s communicating with you telepathically?”

  “That’s what it seems like. Sometimes. Are vampires telepaths?”

  “Not usually, but like humans, a small percentage can have that gift. So few of us are left, though, that you’d be hard-pressed to find one.”

  “I can chase her out most of the time, but sometimes I can’t.”

  “When you’re feeling more vulnerable?”

  “Maybe. Or…” I sighed. “I have so many questions, Dad, and I believe she has answers. Sometimes I… I think I actually let her in.”

  “First of all, it might be in your mind. You’ve been through a lot of trauma, and you haven’t fully healed from it. But let’s say for the sake of argument that she is communicating with you. She lied to you about me, son. She’s probably lying to you about having answers as well. Never trust a liar.” He smiled. It was tentative, but it was a smile.

  I let out a nervous laugh. “Those seem like reasonable words to live by.”

  Then he got serious. “Dante, listen to me. If you never take any more advice from me, take what I’m about to say.”

  I nodded.

  “Whether she’s getting into your head or whether it’s your own imagination doesn’t matter.”

  “It doesn’t?”

  “No. The important thing—the most important thing—is that you do not succumb. Do you understand me?”

  “I would never succumb to her!” My gums prickled as my teeth grew.

  “Son, you just told me that sometimes you let her in.”

  “Only because I want answers. I need answers.”

  “I understand, and it may be your imagination, like I said. But if it’s her, she’s manipulating you. She already lied to you about me. That is how evil works. It gains your trust with manipulation. Don’t let her do that to you. You’re stronger than that.”

  As my teeth continued to descend, my blood moved through my veins, nourishing my muscles. “I’m stronger than that,” I repeated.

  “I don’t know what kind of power this female vampire has, son, but know this. You can withstand anything. I’ve never seen the kind of power you possess.”

  “What if I can never learn to control it?”

  “No more questions. There is only what you and I both know in our hearts. You will control it.”

  “I will control it.”

  “Good. Now let’s begin your training.”

  I was lying on the couch, my eyes closed, when Erin returned from seeing Cynthia North. My father had put me through some vigorous mental exercises, and I was exhausted.

  “Hi, baby,” she said, closing the door.

  I opened my eyes. She looked radiant. Her skin was glowing.

  “Hey, beautiful. How did it go?”

  She sighed and plunked down on a chair, holding a red gift bag. “It didn’t. Turns out Cynthia’s an esthetician at a nearby salon, and she had an appointment open. I grabbed it, but as soon as she realized who I was, she had another girl fill in for her. I made sure to give her stand-in my number so she could give it to Cynthia, though I doubt she’ll reach out, since she ran away today. Great facial, though. Not that I have anything to compare it to.”

  “That’s why your skin looks so amazing.”

  “You mean it doesn’t always look amazing?” She smiled tiredly.

  “Of course it does.”

  “Sheree—the girl who did the facial—recommended this new cream with natural herbs that block the sun’s rays. She said it would be great for someone as fair as I am. So of course I buckled under the pressure and bought the skin care line.” She held up the bag. “Now that I’m not working, apparently I think it’s okay to spend three hundred dollars on moisturizer and eye cream.”

  I laughed. “She must have been a great salesperson.”

  “She massaged my hands and arms into jelly. I probably would have bought swampland from her.” She sighed. “I’ll take the products back tomorrow.”

  “Like hell you will. You deserve something nice for yourself.”

  “Dante, I can’t afford this kind of stuff.”

  “You can now. I’m rich, remember? Or at least I will be when all the assets transfer.”

  She reddened. “I’m not.”

  “What’s mine is yours, love. You know that. In the meantime, I got approved for a credit card that just came in the mail today, so we’re good until the money hits.”

  “Not to pry, but…just how rich are you?”

  “Suffice it to say that neither one of us has to work another day in our lives. Even after we pay to get the Texts translated.”

  She dropped her jaw open. “Wow.”

  “Yeah. I know. My mom came from vampire royalty.”

  “You said there wasn’t any vampire royalty.”

  “Not real royalty. Just old money, you know, like the Kennedys.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “Now you know. And you’re keeping the stuff you bought, okay?”

  “Okay. Just this once. We’re not going to become spendthrifts, Dante.”

  “Of course not, but we can splurge every now and then. In fact, I’d love to splurge on you right now, but I’m afraid I’m too exhausted. My dad gave me the mental workout of a lifetime while you were gone.”

  “You started your training, huh?”

  “Training? I feel like I just ran a double marathon with no training at all.”

  “It’ll get easier, Dante.”

  “Whether it does or not, I’m all in. I have to be.”

  She rose. “You hungry?”

  “I could eat.”

  “I’ll whip us up something.” She headed to the kitchen.

  I lay back down and closed my eyes, when my phone buzzed in my back pocket. I looked to the kitchen. Erin was pulling frozen hamburgers out of the freezer.

  I read the text. “Shit.”

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “I hope you’ve got more of those. River and Jay are on their way over here.”

  “What for?”

  “They say they have news. That’s it.” I hurriedly texted River back, asking for details.

  Erin opened the freezer. “I only have four more burgers. Jay always eats two. I guess I can have a hot dog. My George Foreman grill will get a workout tonight.”

  “Whatever you want, baby.” I listened to her with one ear. “Damn. Riv isn’t responding.”

  “I’m sure we’ll hear everything when they get here. What do you want to drink?”

  “Just water is good. Scratch that. Make it bourbon if you’ve got it. My head is exploding from my father’s exercises.”

  A few minutes later, she handed me a bourbon on the rocks.

  “You actually have it?”

  “Yeah. I picked it up after my dream about Bea. She asked me for vodka in the dream, and for some reason I felt like I needed to have some in the house. I got bourbon too, since I know you like it.”

  “Thanks, baby.” I took a long sip. “This is what I was drinking the night we danced at the bar. Remember?”

  “How could I forget? We
’d both had more than a few that night.” She smiled. “The music.”

  “The music that wasn’t there,” I said. “Except that it was.”

  “I know.”

  Even now, I heard the faint jazzy tune. No, I didn’t hear it so much as feel it. It was second nature to me now whenever Erin and I were together, so much so that I’d gotten used to its omnipresence.

  Erin walked back into the kitchen while I furiously began another text.

  Then—

  No knock. Just two big men barreling through the front door.

  “We’ve got trouble,” River said. “Right here in New Orleans.”

  Chapter Four

  Erin

  The facial had relaxed me more than I thought possible, but River’s words negated the entire effect. I poured myself a bourbon and headed to the living area.

  “What’s going on?” Dante asked.

  “Bill.” River shook his head. “Fucking Bill. He did something to the boss down at the station. He denied our requests for leaves of absence. So we either go back to work…or we lose our jobs. For good.”

  “Do you know for sure it was Bill?” I asked.

  “Who the hell else could it be, Erin?” River said. “No one else has the power to reverse my glamours.”

  They all looked to Dante.

  “Hey, why would I do that? I need you guys helping on this shit.”

  “He’s been here with me since we got back,” I said. “And when I went out, Julian was here with him.”

  “Sorry, cuz. I know you had nothing to do with it. Can you fix it? Jay and I need our jobs.”

  “I can try, but I can’t guarantee anything. I have no idea how I did that shit in the courtroom. You know that.”

  “You said you were with Uncle Jules. Isn’t he helping you?”

  “Yeah, and my mind is fucking fried. I can’t do anything tonight.”

  “There’s really not a problem here,” I said.

  “Just how do you see it that way, baby sis?” Jay said.

  “Quit your jobs.”

  “And live on what? Our good looks?” Jay scoffed. “No one’s paying us for being studs.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. Just quit for now, and when this is all over and Dante learns to control this glamour thing, he can get you your jobs back.”