Tainted Souls

by Alice J Black

  “Romeo and Juliet.” Tom beamed as he turned to face Luka. “The greatest love story of our time.”

  “And you want Vaughn to audition for it?” Delta asked.

  “Vaughn. That’s your name?”

  Tom pulled up, and Luka almost ran straight into him but stopped just in time.

  “How unusual. But yes, that’s why I wanted Vaughn. I think he would make such a striking Romeo, with that beautiful face and those alluring eyes. I’m sure he would draw crowds.”

  “I’m sure he would.” Delta nodded, looking over his shoulder at his son.

  I heard Vaughn mutter something, and when I turned, he was staring at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world, refusing to meet the gazes bestowed on him. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I had to agree with Tom.

  He continued walking, and we came out on the other side of the corridor, into a vast hall. Chairs had been set out in haphazard rows, and several people were already there. A few young women hoping to be Juliet. A few older ones, too. And several men vying for the position of Romeo.

  “How long are you staying in town?” Tom motioned to several seats behind him.

  We fell into place, Vaughn sitting on my right, as far away from Tom as possible.

  “We’re not sure yet,” Luka said. “I think it depends what’s going on. Right, Delta?”

  “Yeah.” Delta nodded.

  “Well then, I may be able to persuade our young Vaughn here to audition, after all. That would be a reason to stay, would it not?”

  “It sure would.” Luka nodded.

  “Well, I’ll tell you what, let’s get the auditions started and you can see how it all works. Then you have time to make up your mind.”

  Vaughn mumbled. “No, thanks.”

  Tom clapped, calling order to the hall as he spun in his chair. “Ladies and gentleman, we’re going to begin the auditions now. Everyone will read parts for either Romeo or Juliet, and based on that reading, I will decide what your role should be. Is that clear?”

  There were several murmurs of consent behind me.

  “Okay. Then let’s begin with you, Mrs. Potters. If you please.”

  Tom motioned to the space in front of the row of chairs, and a woman hurried to get up, the chair scraping against the wooden floor. She then took the proffered sheet from Tom and centred herself. She had a faint blush on her cheeks and her hair hung past her face, almost covering her eyes. She began to read.

  It was just as the last Juliet finished, when Summer arrived. She rushed through the door, arms held up as if to stop the proceedings, and heaved in a deep breath. “Sorry I’m late. I’ve been at work.”

  Tom stood up and rushed forward to greet her with open arms. “Summer, my dear. I’m glad you could make it. Would you like a minute to catch your breath?”

  “No.” She shook her head and dumped her bag. “I’m fine.”

  Tom grinned. “Always the actress. Very well. Here are your lines, and there is your stage.” He gestured towards the area in front of the row.

  Summer pranced across, flicked her hair behind her head for good measure, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

  I was no longer inclined to hate the girl for flirting with Vaughn, but it didn’t mean I had to like her. I sunk lower in my seat as she began to recite. And of course, just as I suspected she would be, Summer was better than any of the other women who had read the part. Her voice was soft and feminine, yet strong enough to project across the room, and I heard grumbles from the other women. I wondered how many of them were betting on the girl not showing up. Once she’d finished reading, Tom clapped several times, the sound filling the hall. He was the only one who applauded. Summer stepped forward and handed him the script before picking up her bag and sitting right behind us. I could smell her perfume as it drifted over me, and I knew she’d squirted it fresh, ready for her big performance.

  “Okay, ladies and gentlemen,” Tom announced. “We’ll take a quick five minutes and then resume with the reading of Romeo.”

  The room filled with quiet chatter. Summer leaned forward and tapped Vaughn on the shoulder. As he spun, so did I.

  “How was it?” she asked. The grin on her face suggested she already knew the answer.

  “You did well.” Vaughn smiled. “I didn’t realise you were auditioning.”

  “I audition every year, and Shakespeare is my favourite. I couldn’t miss out.”

  “Did you have trouble getting out of work?” I asked.

  “Marie didn’t want to let me go. Kept saying something about finishing up. But I had to leave. Nothing will keep an actress from her stage.”

  “You did well.” Luka turned around, arm hanging over the back of his chair. “Do you want the part of Juliet?”

  “Oh.” She glanced down, throwing on a fake abashed look. “I mean, yes, but there’s obviously a lot of other people auditioning. I probably won’t make the grade.”

  “We’re trying to convince Vaughn here to audition as Romeo.” Luka winked.

  “Oh, really? You should. You’d be perfect,” she gushed, laying her hand on his shoulder, talons squeezing.

  “Acting isn’t my thing.” Vaughn shook his head, twisting slightly in his seat.

  She removed her hand. “You never know until you try. And just think, if I was cast as Juliet, we would play across from each other. Wouldn’t that be brilliant?”

  Vaughn was saved from answering, and I was saved from punching her right in the face when Tom called order to the room.

  “Okay, gentleman. Now it’s your turn. Let us begin.”

  The auditions for Romeo went through an array of people, from middle-aged men to young boys, and one who looked so young he should’ve still been at school. Even though I hated to admit it, none of them lived up to the performance Summer had given, and I couldn’t see any one of them as her counterpart in the great romance. After Tom’s final longing glance at Vaughn, who ignored the open invitation, the auditions were finally called to an end.

  “Thank you, thank you.” Tom held his hands up. “The lists will go up tomorrow, and you should learn your character for the great play.”

  A polite smattering of applause went up around the room, and people began to move.

  Vaughn stood up. “Let’s get out of here.” Without waiting for anyone else, he strode through the doorway.

  Chapter Eighteen

  After a long day, we were back at the Traveller’s Rest. The dining room was full with couples and groups of friends and family. An old chandelier hung above us, giving the room a soft glow, and there was a candle on each table. Vaughn sat across from me and Luka was beside me, tucking into his meal with as much gusto as he could without elbowing me in the ribs.

  “Enjoying that?” Delta asked, with a nod towards Luka.

  “Mary-Anne can sure cook,” he said between mouthfuls.

  “How do you know it wasn’t her husband?” Delta said.

  Luka shrugged. “Whichever of them cooked this up, I’ll marry ’em.”

  I laughed. “You do realise we haven’t really done a whole lot of anything today to require an appetite like that?”

  “I’m always hungry. Always. No question.”

  Delta glanced around at the other tables, at the people engaged in conversation. Nobody was paying any attention to us, but he still quieted his voice as he spoke.

  “Okay, so I’ve updated Sheila with our day and thoughts so far.”

  “Great,” I said. “Did she say much?”

  “She hasn’t replied yet.” Delta shook his head.

  “Do we have a plan for tomorrow?” Vaughn asked.

  “Well, it seems to me that whatever’s happening,” Luka said, “the community centre is at the heart of it.”

  I shuddered.

  No question about it. I’d felt it from the minute I stepped through that doorway, like I was leaving all the good in the world and being swallowed by darkness.

  “You’re going to say
we’re heading there, aren’t you?” I said.

  Delta nodded. “Yeah. I think we need to focus our efforts there. We can gain intel by chatting with people in the vicinity, but the centre’s going to be our main target.”

  “Don’t you think it’s going to look a bit strange if we’re going every day?” Luka raised his brow. “I mean, we’re supposed to be tourists. Tourists don’t just stay in one place unless they have a reason to.”

  Quiet filled the table, and then all three sets of eyes moved to Vaughn.

  He sensed it, and shook his head before even looking up. “Don’t you dare.”

  “What?” Luka shrugged.

  “I’m not doing it. And besides, auditions are finished.”

  “It’s too bad. You would’ve made a good Romeo.” Luka feigned solemnity as he pressed his hand to his forehead in a delicate gesture.

  I laughed.

  “I’m a Hunter, not an actor.”

  “It would’ve been temporary,” Delta said. “But like you said, it’s over now, so we’ll have to come up with another excuse.”

  “Good. Because I’m not going to do it.”

  “So I think,” Delta set down his cutlery down, “we call it a night after dinner, get some rest, and pick up where we left off. We can continue scouting the town. Maybe check out the community centre some more.”

  “They have a café.” Luka held his hands out.

  I shuddered. The thought of eating at that café wasn’t appealing in the slightest.

  “You’ve just finished a meal and you’re thinking about food.” Delta’s voice was dead pan.

  “Hey, a man always needs to eat.”

  “I’m calling it a night. We meet for breakfast at eight.” Delta stood up.

  Luka followed suit, dropping his napkin on the table beside the empty plate.

  “Me, too,” I said. “I’m tuckered.”

  I glanced at Vaughn, and without a word, we followed the others upstairs. We stepped into our respective rooms, wishing the others a good night, and closed the doors. Vaughn and I were alone together, and suddenly the air was so thick it was hard to breathe. He stood at the door, and as he turned, his gaze met mine. We stood there, apprehensive. I didn’t know whether to say something and break the tension or head to the bathroom for a reprieve. Was it going to be like this every time we were in here together?

  “Um,” Vaughn rubbed his neck and dropped his gaze to the floor, “you want the bathroom first?”

  “Okay.” I nodded, then spun around.

  Some of the tension seeped away, and after grabbing my pyjamas, I hurried to the adjoining room without meeting his eyes again.

  I locked the door and sunk against it for a moment. After finally admitting to myself that I liked Vaughn, opportunities to be alone with him were being thrusted at me. I stripped and then dressed in my nightclothes. I glanced at myself in the mirror above the sink. My hair hung in soft waves past my shoulders, the light catching a glint of red among the strands. I wore a tank and a pair of shorts. My shoulders were on display, and the top cut low. I straightened it out and then saw my shorts riding up dangerously high. Cursing under my breath, I tugged them low on my hips, wishing I had packed something more decent. I bundled my clothes into my arms, taking care to hide my unmentionables, and took a deep breath. I opened the door and stepped back into the bedroom. The overhead light had been turned off, and only a bedside light lit the room.

  Much better. At least then he wouldn’t get a full-on show of my backside.

  Vaughn was already tucked in bed, and I glimpsed his bronzed shoulders. Our eyes met for the second time, and I offered a quick smile before stashing my clothes and hurrying to jump into bed. No way was I spending any more time than necessary outside of the covers, with only my tiny shorts on. Pulling the duvet up and over my legs, I let out a sigh of relief. I felt like myself again now that I wasn’t out on display.

  “Night, Ruby,” Vaughn whispered.

  I glanced over at him and saw his blue eyes twinkle. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to crawl into bed with him.

  “Night, Vaughn.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  I woke at the sound of the shower. My eyes slowly opened to the sunlight streaming through the curtains. Vaughn’s bed was empty, so I looked to the bottom of the room, at the bathroom door. He was in there. Naked. My stomach clenched. God, is it normal to feel like this?

  The door opened, and I yanked the covers up to my chin and closed my eyes. My heart hammered, and my stomach flipped. What if I’d been caught staring? I took a deep breath. Stop being such an idiot! I lowered the covers and glanced down the room. Vaughn was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt that clung in all the right places.

  “Morning.” He smiled.

  “Hey. What time is it?”

  I hoped that I didn’t look as much of a mess as I normally did first thing. Only Becca was privy to that.

  “Just after seven.”

  I groaned and rubbed my head. “I feel like I haven’t slept.”

  “You can stay in bed a bit longer. We don’t have to be downstairs till eight.”

  I shook my head. “I’d rather get a quick shower.”

  After throwing the covers back, I swung my legs out of bed, and Vaughn’s eyes snapped to my pins, but I was too tired to care. I bundled some clothes into my arms and stepped into the bathroom, then glanced in the mirror. My hair was messy but not altogether bad, and at least I didn’t have smears of drool all over my chin. I would take that as a win.

  The hot shower woke me and refreshed my tired body. I dressed and then brushed my hair, watching it fall into place across my shoulders. Then I brushed my teeth and took one last glance. Not perfect, but it would have to do. When I entered the room, Vaughn was talking on a phone. My phone. He shrugged, shooting me an apologetic look and then smiled as something was said. I didn’t know whether to be mad he had used my phone or glad he was willing to talk to Becca, because I knew she was the only person who would’ve called me.

  “Is that Becca?” I mouthed.

  He nodded. “Here. Ruby’s here now. I’ll put her on. See you later.” He held the phone out to me and shrugged again.

  I pressed it to my ear. “Becca?”

  “Tell me, Red, why is Vaughn answering your phone at this time in the morning?”

  “Long story. I’ll tell you later.”

  “He’s there, so you can’t spill the gossip.”

  “Something like that,” I mumbled as I sat on the bed, staring out of the window.

  I couldn’t meet his gaze right now.

  “So how’s it going?”

  “Fine. We spent yesterday doing recon and watching auditions for the local play.”

  “Are you sure you’re working?”

  “Believe me, it wasn’t all fun and games. So what’s up with you?”

  “I got a text from Jake.”

  “What?” I shrieked.

  “That’s about how I reacted, too.”

  “What did it say?”

  “Well, it wasn’t meant for me.”

  “Oh, no. Really?”

  “Yeah. It didn’t have a name, so I’m not sure who it was meant for, but it wasn’t innocent. He asked this person how they were and if they were still up for meeting to go to the cinema. He said he’d really enjoyed the last date with her and wanted to see her again.”

  “Oh, Becca.” I sagged.

  “I knew.” She sobbed. “I just knew there had to be someone else. I mean, why else would he break up with me.”

  “He’s an idiot.” I glanced over at Vaughn, who offered a consolatory smile.

  “But he was my idiot. Now he’s someone else’s.”

  “Listen, if he didn’t realise what a catch he had with you, then it’s his loss. Let him get on with it. He’ll just break her heart, too.”

  She sniffed and stayed silent for a minute. “I’m going to meet him.”

  “What? Becca, no. You can’t.”

/>   “He sent me the text. I’m going.”

  “Becca, please listen to me. It’s not a good idea.”

  “And when she shows up, I’m going to rip her head off.”

  “Becca, listen to me. I—”

  “I’m going now, Ruby.”

  The phone went dead. I stared it.

  “That didn’t sound so good.” Vaughn winced.

  The bed creaked, and I looked over to see him sitting next to me, inches away.

  “It wasn’t. She said Jake sent a text meant for someone else, and she’s going to go there.”

  “Oh, that’s a bad idea.”

  “Tell me about it.” I shook my head. “Maybe you should warn Jake?”

  “No. He got himself into this mess. If Becca does go, then he’ll get exactly what he deserves for hurting her.” Vaughn rested his hand on my calf.

  Tingles raced up my leg.

  “Now come on. It’s time for breakfast.”

  Breakfast was tasty and quick. Delta was keen to get back into Bridgendale and continue exploring. I wasn’t. I didn’t relish that idea at all since it meant heading to the community centre. Still, it was my job as a Hunter to investigate and protect, so I would put away the uncomfortable feeling nestled in the pit of my stomach and do what I was paid to do.

  Luka put his cutlery down first, shortly followed by everyone else. As Delta drained the last of his coffee, strong and hot from the pot, he leaned forward on the table.

  “Today we’ll head to the community centre first thing, spend a bit of time there, and if needed, head out into the town. I’m hoping we can get back there later tonight to scope out the extent of the Cursed.”

  “Good plan.” Luka nodded.

  “Okay, let’s kit up and get moving.”

  “What are we taking today?” I asked.

  “Same as yesterday. We won’t worry too much about anything else until we’re going out after dark.”

  We all hustled back to our rooms and grabbed what we needed. I shoved my phone into my bag, alongside my TAT. My torch and salt were still in there. Vaughn pocketed his camera and pulled on his leather jacket, which fit snugly around his form. The four of us regrouped in the hallway and then trekked to the centre.