Dark of Night

by Emily Goodwin

  We’re outside another room with a large bay window and a big, fancy fireplace. “Why did it go through so many owners?” I ask, realizing that I’m talking about the house as if it were a dog up for adoption. “I can’t imagine leaving this place if I bought it.”

  “Ghosts,” Lucas teases, and this time Natalie laughs, high-pitched from nerves.

  “The upkeep on a place like this is a lot. The house itself is nine-thousand square feet, and then you have the outbuildings in the back as well as the servants’ quarters. And that’s not to mention the grounds. I was told by the town historian that this place used to have beautiful gardens.”

  “Is this fireplace original?” I ask, gently running my finger over the detailed cast iron.

  “Yes, you’ll find a lot of the original house still in place and in okay condition. Well, more or less so.” She digs a paper out of her purse and uses her flashlight to read it. “There are thirteen fireplaces total in this house, all original, though the last owner did have a few restored back in 2003, so I’m not sure how much exactly was changed.”

  I nod, eyes wide, and look around the room. Everything is so detailed, including a build-in shelf next to the fireplace with intricate carving. “Look at the woodwork!” I turn to Lucas, smiling.

  He flicks his gaze to the ceiling. “Look at the water damage. And the graffiti. And the black mo—”

  “And the stained glass above that door! I’m surprised it’s still intact.” Lucas steps in close to me and slips his arm around my waist. “Imagine this living room, all restored. We’d put a couch there, with an altar hidden in the corner. And a soft rug, right in front of the fire. I can just see us spending our nights in front of it,” I say quietly so only he can hear.

  “Do you see us fucking?”

  “Of course. You start a fire, even though the night is hot. And then you lay me down and take me right there, so close to the hearth we can feel the heat on our skin.”

  He turns to Natalie. “We’ll take it.”

  I elbow Lucas hard in the ribs. “Let’s see the rest of the house first.”

  Chuckling, Lucas holds my hand as we walk through this room, into another room, and then another, and then finally into the kitchen, which was last updated in the late 70s. The entire thing needs to be gutted and redone. We tour the rest of the downstairs, and the conservatory, with large glass windows, is a top contender for my favorite room in the house.

  And then Natalie shows us the library, complete with the original wooden shelves.

  “This alone makes me want this place,” I tell Lucas.

  “I figured it would.”

  We check out the basement, which is damp, smelly and in need of a lot of work. Then we head back up and take a back staircase in the hall by the library that goes upstairs. The rooms up here are just as damaged and vandalized as downstairs, with cracks in the drywall and water damage from rain and snow.

  There’s a spiral staircase in a closet, which seems a little strange to me at first. There are no lights up here, so Lucas and I both get out our phones for light. Lucas doesn’t need it, of course, but the extra light helps me see. The attic is large, with tall ceilings and solid wood flooring.

  The energy shifts again, and I’m picking up something more personal…like a specific energy belonging to one person.

  “What’s through here?” I ask, pointing to a little door in the wall.

  “I’m assuming storage,” Natalie tells me, gaze darting around the attic. She doesn’t like it up here, and if I were a normal human, I might not either. It’s quite spooky. Taking my hand from Lucas’s, I go to the little door and try to open it. It’s locked, and we don’t have a key. I lean in, whispering an incantation to unlock the door.

  Stale air hits me when the door swings open, and Lucas quickly walks over, dropping to his knees next to me.

  “Do you smell that?” he asks, and I shake my head. It just smells old in here, and kind of like wet leaves and rotting wood. He looks in, not bothering to use the flashlight. “Get back,” he shouts, throwing out his hand and pushing me away.

  “Why, what’s—?” I don’t get my question out before I get the answer. A very rotten zombie drags itself out of the little cubby, moving fast as it snarls and growls. Oh shit. I guess we didn’t get every one.

  Natalie screams and starts running away, dropping her phone and bumping into a wall. Lucas rushes forward, moving with vamp speed, and grabs the zombie by the head and twists, snapping its neck and pulling the head clean off. He drops the head and speeds over to Natalie, holding her spellbound.

  I flick my wrist, sending the body and the head back into the cubby and close it up, sealing it with magic.

  “Sorry,” Natalie starts, still looking into Lucas’s eyes. “I get scared easily. This place has always given me a fright since I was a little girl.”

  “The shadows play tricks on your mind,” Lucas goes on, changing Natalie’s memory. “We opened the little door and there was nothing inside.”

  “Right. Just storage.”

  Lucas breaks his hold on her, and turns, extending his hand for me to take.

  I look into Lucas’s deep blue eyes and smile. “You were right the first time.”

  “I usually am. But what am I right about this time?”

  “We’ll take it.”

  Chapter 7

  “Lucas bought you a house?”

  “Kind of.” I set two cups of to-go coffee from Curlew’s Café on the counter. Kristy opened this morning, and I came in a little while later, after stopping for coffee of course.

  “How do you kind of buy a house? You either do or don’t.”

  “He knew I liked it, and neither of us like the long-distance relationship thing, especially since we’re limited to the night to do anything together. This way he can make the house vampire friendly, and we can have more time together.”

  Kristy blows on her hot latte to cool it down. “So you’re moving in with him?”

  “Yeah,” I say but sound unsure of myself. “It all seems so soon to move in together.” I pop the lid off my coffee and watch steam billow up from the cup. “And Lucas didn’t say anything, but I can tell time bothers him.”

  “Time?”

  “He’s going to live forever unless he’s murdered, basically. And I won’t.” I bite my lip. “A lifetime for me isn’t that long for him.”

  “That would have to be hard,” Kristy says without thinking. “I mean, not that hard, because you two are totally good together and I, uh…”

  “It’s okay. I know. I know it’ll be hard for us both, but more so for him. I can’t imagine having to watch him age and die, which is what he’s going to do with me.”

  Kristy sets her latte down and pats my hand. “You’re young and have years before you have to worry about that. So enjoy the fancy house.” She smiles. “It’s big enough we can finally host that murder mystery party we’ve talked about for years.”

  “I’m putting dibs on Ms. Scarlet. Any excuse to wear a fancy red dress.”

  “You know Professor Plum is my favorite anyway,” she laughs.

  I turn on the computer and go into the office to get the register drawer out of the safe. We have a few minutes before the store opens. It’s a hot and sunny day today, and I have a feeling it’s going to be busy.

  “As your best friend, I feel I need to ask the hard questions,” Kristy says, using magic to roll up the blinds. “Do you want to move in with Lucas? Put the pressure of aging and dying aside.”

  “I do. I love him, more than I ever thought I’d love anyone, let alone a vampire.” I turn on the open sign and unlock the door. “But when we’re together, I don’t think of him as a vampire. He’s just Lucas. The one I love and the one who makes me really fucking happy.”

  “And this has nothing do to with the mind-blowing sex you brag about?” Kristy raises her eyebrows.

  “I don’t brag, but in case you didn’t know, it’s the best sex I’ve ever had.”

>   Kristy rolls her eyes. “You’re making me regret breaking things off with Daniel again.”

  “You know he’ll be up for a booty call.” I wiggle my eyebrows, and she laughs.

  “That’s what I thought last time, and it turned into him wanting to be together, and he’s nice and all, but…”

  “Clingy,” I finish, knowing she’s too nice to say it.

  “Yeah. Just a little. You know I like my space.”

  “I do, which is why we’re such good friends,” I tease. A few customers come in, and our morning gets started like usual. Natalie comes in to get the book we were talking about last night. She’s all smiles and small talk, and I wonder if she’d be this friendly if she remembered the zombie crawling out of a hidden cubby in the attic last night. Which reminds me I need to tell Kristy about it.

  Two hours later, we finally get a bit of a break. I sit on the barstool behind the counter, reheating my coffee with magic. My phone rings from the shelf under the register.

  It’s Nicole, and my first thought is something dark and demonic is up. “Hey, lady,” I say into the phone.

  “Hey,” she says back cheerfully, leading me to believe this is a social call. “Did you get the summons yet?”

  “Summons?” I echo and Kristy looks away from the customer she’s helping find a mystery novel.

  “Yes, the Grand Coven is paying us a visit tonight.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re not sure, but Naomi and I are guessing it has to do with the demon attacks. They were at the Coven of the Crescent moon last week. Do you…do you think they’re going to question you?”

  I suck in a breath, heart hammering in my chest. “I’m sure they will. I’m the only remaining twenty-five-year-old Virgo in the area.”

  “What are you going to tell them?”

  “I have no idea,” I admit. “I should talk to Evander first. Get our stories straight.”

  “I was just going to suggest that.”

  I bring my hand to my head, rubbing between my eyes. There goes my good mood. Instead of wistfully thinking about how I’m going to decorate the new master bedroom, I need to come up with a lie and stick with it to a T.

  “Do you two want to come over for dinner before the gathering?”

  “Yes, we can talk then. I’ll bring wine.”

  “Thanks. Come over at nine. I’ll have dinner ready.” I end the call and stare at the phone, mind whirling. I ring up a customer, trying hard to put on my friendly face.

  “What’s going on?” Kristy asks, coming over when she gets a chance to slip away from the customer she’s helping.

  “Coven gathering tonight. The Grand Coven is in town.”

  “Because of the demon attack?”

  “I’m assuming so. Though they do visit covens from time to time just to check in.”

  “They actually could be,” she agrees enthusiastically. “Let’s hope they are.”

  “In case not, Nicole and Naomi are coming over for dinner tonight. We need to get our stories straight.”

  Kristy nods. “What did the High Priestess end up telling them?”

  “I’m not entirely sure.”

  “You better find out.” Her blue eyes flash. “Do they know Lucas helped us escape?”

  I swallow hard, stomach flip-flopping. “I think Tabatha was going to leave that part out, but there were other witches who saw him.”

  “That doesn’t mean they know you two are dating.”

  Clenching my jaw, I nod. We were seen together at Suzy’s Cafe not all that long ago, and it was obvious we were a couple by the way Lucas was holding my hand. We’ve been careful around town the few times we’ve gone out at night, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been seen together. “And he helped us get to safety. That has to mean something, right?”

  “Exactly.” She pats my hand, trying to reassure me. But she doesn’t have to say it for me to think it. Vampires aren’t supposed to know the location of the door that leads to the Covenstead. While the magic that protects it is strong, it’s a risk witches aren’t willing to take. Plus, the grudge between witches and vampires is still strong.

  If the Grand Coven finds out that I willingly led a vampire to our door…that one as old and strong as Lucas knows the entrance to our Covenstead…the punishment would be death.

  For both of us.

  I set the knife on the counter and turn away, blinking rapidly. My eyes fill with tears that I know are going to fall no matter how hard I try to keep them at bay.

  “Callie?” Lucas questions, seeing my watery eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  I squeeze my eyes shut, nose feeling all runny now too, and put my hands on the edge of the kitchen counter, carefully feeling for the knife. “Nothing other than that onion is really strong.”

  “So, you’re crying about it?” I can feel him move closer, and the next thing I know he brushes my hair over my shoulder.

  “I’m not crying,” I spit, and blink open my eyes. “Onions make humans’ eyes water. They have some sort of chemical irritant that activates your tear glands or something like that.”

  Lucas tips his head, and I can tell he’s trying not to laugh. “I thought that was something made up in movies.”

  “It doesn’t bother you?”

  “Not at all.”

  Blinking, I turn away from the cutting board. “And yet another perk to being a vampire.”

  “Because we cook so often,” he chuckles and reaches for the knife. “I’ll finish for you. How do you want them?”

  “Diced, and thanks.” I go to the sink and wash my hands. Then I step over to the screen door to get some fresh air. Binx winds around my feet, and I reach down and scoop up my black cat, nuzzling my face into his sleek fur.

  “Don’t bring anything bigger than a deer back here,” I tell him, kissing his head before setting him back down. He trots toward the back door, shifting from cat-form into a shadow as he passes through the screen. Pandora and Freya follow after him, and the three race into the woods to go hunting.

  Coming back into the kitchen, I grab my glass of sweet red wine and go back to Lucas. He’s done chopping the onion already and picks up the cutting board.

  “You want it in here?” He motions to the skillet that’s warming up on the stove.

  “Yes, and thanks again.” I take a sip of my wine and go to Lucas, wrapping my arms around his waist. He puts the cutting board and knife on the counter and turns, scooping me up and kissing me as he places me on the island counter.

  He cups my face with his large hands, turning my chin up and looking into my eyes.

  “What’s bothering you, my love?” he asks, bringing his lips to mine for a kiss before I can answer. I melt against him, pulse pounding. As if the threat from the VC against us wasn’t bad enough, now we have the Grand Coven to worry about.

  Maybe.

  But maybe not.

  “I don’t want to worry you yet,” I say.

  “That alone makes me worry more.”

  I hook my arms around his neck. “The Grand Coven is going to be at the gathering tonight. Usually, if they’re stopping by for a morale boost or something, it’s preplanned and announced way ahead of time. I’m sure they’re going to question me about the demon and how I was able to fight it off.”

  Lucas holds my gaze, waiting for me to go on.

  “Which I don’t know how to answer, because I don’t know how I fought it off. I have no idea what I said to command the hellfire, but that’s not what I’m worried about.”

  “What are you worried about?”

  “You know where the door to the Covenstead is. You’re not supposed to, and I could get in some serious trouble for it…and…and so could you.” I drop my gaze.

  “What kind of trouble will you be in?” he asks, not even concerned about himself. He wraps his arms around me, holding me close like it will keep me from harm.

  “It would depend on the extent of my crimes, basically. Though I’m really banking on the fa
ct that you helped us fight off a demon to work in our favor. Obviously, you’re not trying to get into the door and drink our blood. You helped save us.”

  Lucas tips his head down, resting his forehead against mine. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I will tear the throat out of anyone who wants to bring you any harm.”

  I turn my head up and kiss him, needing to feel his lips against mine. He steps in, moving between my thighs. My heart flutters in my chest, and Lucas lets out a growl when he hears my pulse speeding up. He draws his fangs and I part my lips, tongue darting out to wet them.

  Moving one hand to the back of my head, Lucas tangles his fingers in my hair and puts his mouth to my neck, fangs gently scraping the surface of my skin. My eyes fall shut, and I slide my hands along his waist, pulling him closer between my legs.

  Retracting his fangs, he puts his mouth to mine again, kissing me hard. Moaning, I widen my legs and inch toward him, needing to feel his cock hardening against me. The onions sizzle in the pan, and I need to turn down the burner before hot oils splatters everywhere.

  But removing myself from Lucas’s embrace isn’t something I want to do. I open my eyes, looking at the stove, and hold out my hand. Turning my wrist, I use magic to shut off the burner, and give all my attention to Lucas again. He gathers all my hair up in one hand, taking his lips off mine and putting them back on my neck. A shiver runs right through me, chilling but heating me up at the same time. He doesn’t have to bite me to get this sort of reaction, and holy hell, he’s good at what he does.

  His mouth is on mine again, tongue pushing into my mouth. His grip on my hair tightens, moving my head to the side. He stops kissing me and goes back to my neck, sucking at my skin. My hands go to the button on his jeans, popping it just as someone steps into the kitchen.

  “That’s just unsanitary,” Naomi quips. I break away from Lucas, whirling around so fast I almost fall off the small island counter. Lucas steadies me, catching me as if I weigh nothing at all.