by Jen Pretty
Nick's eyes flashed to me in the dark, his face mostly masked by shadows.
"Where are we going?" I hadn't been part of the planning for this trip, or either of our previous trips, but I was also sure this wasn't what Nick or Niri had planned.
"I would assume we are heading to my parents’ home." Nick's eyes slid to the window again and Falcor caught my eye.
He smirked. I was probably going to throat punch him before the end of this trip.
I sat back in my seat and decided to just wait it out. The city went by out the window, tall buildings and bright lights. My eyelids had just drifted closed when a loud Caw broke the silence.
The car jerked and horns blared as I grabbed on to the car door and squeaked. The man driving the car swore profusely.
"You idiot bird," Falcor said as Crow landed on the seat beside me.
"Seriously, Crow." I clutched my chest, thankful we didn't die in a fiery crash.
He cawed again, his head extending, and beak open wide as if he was laughing at us. His black feathers made him nearly invisible on the dark upholstery except for when a car's headlights flashed over his feathers, making them glitter.
We all settled back down as Crow nestled into the seat and the city whizzed past our windows.
It wasn't long before the limo left the highway and rolled into a gated community. A man waved the car through as soon as the gates were open, and the road wove through tree-lined streets to another steel gate.
This one opened as the driver hit a button on the car roof and we were suddenly in complete darkness.
The moon hid behind clouds and there were no longer street lamps lining the paved track, only small glowing lamps along the edge of the driveway even proved there was one there at all.
I watched out the front window as a mansion came into view. It had rococo architecture, tall pillars and intricate mouldings gracing the front, making it appear even more impressive than its four stories were. A single spire rose into the night in the centre, like a missile shooting into the clouds. No lights illuminated the windows, giving it an eerie dead feeling and sending a chill down my spine as the limo stopped.
Nick waited for a beat before taking a deep breath and throwing open the door. He passed the driver who had hurried to the door, holding it open for the rest of us.
Crow hopped out and flapped lazily up to the barren front porch, landing on the railing silently.
Nick didn't wait for us to follow. He just threw open the front door and strode inside, flicking on lights as he went.
I still felt out of place as if I was trespassing, even as Falcor passed me and the driver caught up with our bags.
The entryway was even more impressive than the outside. The high ceiling and crystal chandelier made me feel small.
A figure stepped out from a dark hall startling me out of my inspection of the house.
"I have a suite of rooms set up for your stay, Master Anick." The woman's voice was soft, barely above a whisper, but then vampires didn't need to shout to hear.
"My name is Nick," was Nick's only reply.
The woman bowed at the waist and turned to lead us down the dark corridor. As we walked, Nick flicked on lights, revealing more and more of the mysterious house. I wanted to ask questions, but the tension was so thick, I couldn't make my lips move. One long hall had painted pictures of men and women in stiff positions. Crow hopped along behind us, his toes tapping on the hardwood floor; otherwise, the house was as silent as the dead.
A familiar face stared back at me from one painting and I stopped in my tracks. It was Nick. His face was serious though and his appearance was clean cut. There was no dyed hair or half grin that usually curled his face. His eyes looked dead as he glared back at me from the painting.
"Creepy," Falcor said as he passed me and continued down the hall. I couldn't disagree. I pulled myself away from the painting and caught up with the group as the woman swung open a door.
"Please let me know if you or your guests need anything. The fridge is stocked." Then she turned on her heel and left. The driver wasn't far behind her, setting our bags inside the door and leaving as well.
Nick had already entered the room but hadn't flicked on the light. This time, he simply disappeared into the darkness. Falcor and I followed, letting the door swing shut behind us.
"Nick," I whispered.
The door of a bar fridge opened, letting light seep out and displaying Nick's frowning face as he pulled a bag of blood off the shelf. Then the door closed, casting us back into complete darkness.
Falcor swung his arm and a ball of light lit up the room for a minute before he located the light switch and flicked it on. The room was just as plush and beautiful as the rest of the house. A TV hung on a wall, facing a grouping of couches and armchairs. Several doors led off the main room. I hoped one was a bedroom. I really needed this day to end and I wondered if Nick needed some time to talk about this or if he would rather not talk about it at all.
"Right, well, I'm going to find a bed," Falcor said, grabbing his bag and heading to a door to the left. I watched him open it to reveal a bathroom. He paused for a second, then backed out and opened the next door revealing a bedroom that he entered, closing the door behind him.
I leaned my hip against the wall, watching Nick as he poured his blood into a wine glass. The thick liquid glopped a bit, churning my stomach.
"You don't have to watch over me. You can go to bed," Nick said, his voice low.
"I'm not watching over you," I said.
Crow hopped up onto the couch and nestled down, tucking his head under his wing.
Nick raised his glass to his mouth, tipping it back and letting the cold blood run into his mouth. A trickle of it slid past his lips and ran down his chin, a startling contrast to his creamy skin.
My stomach roiled again, and I pressed my hand to it.
"Selena, go to bed," Nick said, his voice stern.
"Shut up," I replied, stepping toward him.
His eyes flashed at me as he set the empty glass down on the counter and wiped the red from his chin, then licking it from the back of his hand.
I continued my path to him, taking my steps cautiously until I was in front of him. I wanted to reach out but wasn't sure he would be receptive to my comfort.
This was new for us. Our relationship, if you could call it that, had always been fun and easy even in tough situations with monsters.
I swallowed hard, wishing I had some words to say to make him feel better, but he shocked me by bringing his hand up to cup my cheek. Thankful for the contact, I sighed.
"I'm sorry," I said.
"Don't be sorry, Selena. I'm the one who should be sorry." His fingers brushed my hair back behind my ear and his face finally softened.
"Come to bed," I said.
"I will, I just need a little time to get used to being back here again."
I nodded and pulled away from him, grabbing my bag I gave him one last look as he crossed the room to the balcony doors and pushed back the curtains. Crow hopped up and followed as Nick slid open the balcony door and stepped outside.
I could already tell this trip would definitely be more than we bargained for, and we hadn't got to the murdering monster part of the adventure yet.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next morning, I woke alone in bed. Sliding my arms out, there wasn't even a warm spot where Nick had been laying. Disappointment washed over me for a moment before I reminded myself that it had nothing to do with me. Patience was not my strong suit, but I could wait for Nick to open up about his family and his past.
I pushed the blankets back and rummaged through my suitcase until I found clean clothes and toiletries, I had brought with me, then carried them all across the room and out to the living room, where I found Falcor reading a newspaper alone.
"Where's Nick?" I asked.
"I don't keep track of the vampire," Falcor said, his eyes never leaving his paper. Apparently, he woke up on the wrong side of
the bed.
I rolled my eyes and crossed to the bathroom, more than happy to ignore the wizard with a chip on his shoulder.
The bathroom was full of luxury, as I expected, and it took me several attempts to get the shower running, but it was worth it when the scalding hot water scraped the top surface of my skin off with the pressure of a fire hose.
I stepped back out half an hour later, feeling refreshed and almost as if I was ready for the day. I knew I would raise wraiths, and I was as prepared as I could get.
What I wasn't prepared for was the strangers standing in the living room. Not just strangers, vampires. My magic flared to life, spilling out in a flash before I could rein it back in.
I pulled hard, but the blue sparkles had already crossed the room and the tall man with a stern face hissed as my magic flowed through him.
"Shit, sorry," I said, balling my fists and clamping my magic down tight. The couple in the room stared at me, but Nick stepped out from behind them.
"Don't worry, Selena. My parents don't mind a little magic for breakfast, do you pop?"
The man, apparently Nick's father, scowled at his son. "Anick, that's enough."
If I had thought the tension was bad the night before, it was even worse now. "Uh," I said, wishing I could back into the bathroom and stay there for a while.
"Well, it's not a lie. Is it? Have you decided snacking on people is wrong?"
"Anick," The woman who had so far been silent whispered. "Introduce us to the Black Crow."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Selena, I would like to introduce you to my parents." He held out his hand to indicate the man. "Amon." Then indicated the woman whose cheeks had turned slightly pink as if she were embarrassed. "And Mara."
The woman smiled at me and nodded once in an old-fashioned way. The man's expression didn't change.
"Mother, father, this is Selena, the Black Crow."
"Nice to meet you both," I said as Crow flapped in through the open balcony door, snagging my attention away from the couple. He landed at my feet and bobbed his head a few times, then hopped off toward the kitchen area.
When my eyes landed back on Nick's father, his face still hadn't changed. He was stern-looking, his features so similar to Nick's, but held in a constant state of tension as if he was about to pounce. I felt very much like a mouse being stalked by a cat as the moment stretched on.
"Let's go," Mara, Nick's mother said, resting her hand on her husband's arm. "We will see you at dinner, Anick?"
Amon's eyes shifted to his son, taking all the tension from the room with him.
Nick nodded, and the air whooshed out of my lungs and the pair crossed the room, exiting as silent as a wraith.
The magic under my skin itched to chase after them, but I held it back.
When the door clicked shut, Nick turned on his heel and walked into the bedroom I had slept in, slamming the door behind him with enough force to rattle the TV on the wall. Thankfully, it didn't fall, but Crow called out, startled by the bang. He fluffed his feathers and then hopped up on the counter and pecked at the covered trays.
I was stuck, unsure if I should go to Nick or feed the bird and let Nick cool down. Instead, I pulled out my phone and dialled Dorothy's number. I hadn't heard from her but hearing her voice on the answering machine calmed me when things got crazy. Of course, the fact she was gone, just added to my anxiety, so I wasn't sure it was helping at all.
"Leave a message and I'll call you back as soon as I can." Dorothy's message came down the line. Her voice mail was full, so I couldn't leave any more messages, but it was worth it to hear her voice.
I hung up the phone and glanced around, realizing that Falcor wasn't in the room. Not that I wanted to go find him.
I finally settled for feeding Crow and myself, pulling the lids off the covered trays that sat on the counters. Crow found a croissant and pecked at it until it fell on the floor where he abandoned it in favour of a strip of bacon.
"Oh, don't eat that," I said snatching the rest of the bacon of the plate. "I'll eat this to save you from yourself."
The bacon was perfect. Not too crispy and not soggy. Whoever made their food was good at it. I wasn't sure how they had someone who cooked when vampires didn't eat, but I was thankful as my stomach reminded me I hadn't eaten much in the last twenty-four hours. When I finished the bacon, I grabbed an unassaulted croissant and crossed the room to sit on the couch, flicking on the TV.
Of course, the news was all about the murders in the city, pulling me out of my quiet moment and reminding me I was here for a reason. One that had nothing to do with Nick's family problems.
I got caught up on the public details of the case, of which there were few. Someone was murdering young people. Men and women between eighteen and twenty-five. Most had been out partying before someone murdered them, so that was probably an important clue. There was no mention of the fact someone or something had drained them, but the local officials wouldn't have let that part slip. No point in starting a riot or witch hunt.
Falcor popped into the room, his presence startling me. I would never get used to people and birds showing up unannounced, but Falcor enjoyed my expression as his lip curled into a grin.
"I found the police station, so whenever you two are ready, we can go get started on this case."
Popping the last of my breakfast in my mouth, I rose from the couch, flicking off the TV. "I'll grab Nick."
Falcor had already wandered off, so I crossed the room and knocked once on the door to the bedroom before stepping inside.
The room was dark, with the curtains drawn and lights off, but I could just barely make out a lump on the bed.
"Nick," I said.
"Yeah?" he replied, not lifting his head. As I got closer, I could see he was face down on the mattress, his head resting in his arms.
"Falcor is ready to go if you are."
Nick sighed and pushed off the bed. "Yeah, sorry."
"It's okay," I said automatically, but as Nick rose, his expression suggested it wasn't okay and we both knew it. He had a point. This was awkward as fuck.
"We can get this done quickly and get home," I said, sounding more confident than I was.
Nick crossed the room and let his hand slid up my arm, to cup the back of my head. "Thank you." He said, kissing my forehead. "I doubt it will be fast enough, but it will be what it is."
"Fast enough for what?" I asked.
He scoffed. "Fast enough to keep me and my father from saying things we probably shouldn't say to each other."
I had no family apart from Dorothy, though we never had a typical family relationship since she cared for many other children besides me. Or maybe we just had an unusual relationship. I wasn't sure since I never knew my birth mother.
Nick's fingers laced in mine and he raised the back of my hand to his lips. "I should support you, here. That's my job."
I smiled. "Actually, your job is to protect me. I can support myself." Hopefully. With Crow's help, I'd been solid at raising the dead and not freaking out, but it still sent nerves through my stomach, thinking of the faces of murdered wraiths.
"I can protect you and support you." His words were quiet as he leaned closer. His mouth hovering over mine.
A bang broke the moment and startled me. "Let's go, you two." Falcor's voice drifted through the closed door behind me.
Nick kept my hand but pulled me in tight and kissed me before turning us to the bedroom door and pulling it open quickly to display a scowling Falcor.
"You two done making out? We have a murder to solve."
Nick shoved Falcor's shoulder. "Don't be a dick."
Falcor's hands shot out, one on my shoulder and the other on Nick’s and the whole room slid sideways as he shifted us out of the old mansion and into the middle of a crowded city street.
CHAPTER EIGHT
People jumped back as we appeared in the middle of the sidewalk.
"Shit," I said, as startled eyes glared at us. "Falcor, what th
e fuck?"
"Oops," he said, turning and taking a step towards the police station behind us.
"Oops?" Nick said. "Falcor, that was a major fucking oops."
Falcor didn't reply, just walked through the doors to the police station, leaving Nick and me to gape at him. The rest of the city had moved on, probably assuming it had been some kind of street performance.
I shook my head and followed behind the warlock as Nick grabbed the door and held it open for me. I wondered if I needed to talk to Niri about Falcor, but right now we had a bigger problem than an apparently reckless warlock. Inside the police station, the hustle and bustle of people were almost the same as on the street. Officers in uniform and people in everyday clothes moved about, filing papers and talking animatedly.
Falcor was leaning against a reception desk, smiling at a pretty young woman who was explaining something to him. Hopefully directions to the morgue. I could already feel the fire in my stomach jumping as my magic tried to pull away and drag me towards the dead people. I could probably have found them without directions if I'd had to.
Falcor looked over his shoulder at us and then tipped his head towards an elevator before pushing off the desk and walking that way himself.
A few sets of eyes followed us as we crossed the busy police station, but no one stopped us as we stepped onto the waiting elevator. As soon as the doors shut, Nick was all over Falcor.
"What was that about?" he asked, standing in Falcor's personal space and crowding him back from the doors. "You want me to tell Niri about you dropping us on a busy street?"
"Yeah, run and tell Niri. That is so like you," Falcor replied. "It was a mistake, get over it. Nobody even cares."
"I care," Nick said. "And so will Niri. You are supposed to keep her safe, not cause a buzz in the community by using magic in front of hundreds of people."
The elevator doors slid open, ending the argument. Nick stepped off, leaving us to follow behind him, but Falcor's scowl remained as we walked down the hall, following signs for the morgue.
I couldn't think about anything else anymore. The problems with Nick's family or the wraith waiting at the airport back home, or whatever bug crawled up Falcor's ass. All I could think about was the dead bodies pulling my legs forward as we rounded a corner and came face to face with a set of double doors. The word Morgue was stencilled in black letters across them, though the slim gap between the doors intersected the letters.