Serenity had not told them in advance where they were going, so it came as something of a surprise to see their itinerary listing their final destination as being Flagstaff, Arizona. To be back in her home state was a pleasant relief. She had previously figured that their destination would be California, where most of Serenity’s bloodline was based. Given, she was not as accustomed to the High Country air, but she welcomed it readily with several long, deep breaths as soon as she stepped out of the plane. It wasn’t home, but its familiarity was enough to make her feel more at ease than she had ever felt overseas.
The sky was perfectly clear and the nearly full moon was high, the stars standing out with so much greater contrast that it was as stunning as ever to behold. Staring up at the sky for a moment, Raina was caught with a momentary twinge of sadness. She recalled a time that she and Brenna had ascended a large hill near the Superstition Mountains one night to watch the Fourth of July fireworks shooting up all over the city’s horizon. She remembered laying there beside her for awhile after the displays ended, as they had stared straight up into the great void. They had both commented on how tiny and insignificant planet Earth seemed in the overall scheme of things. They both noted how sad it was that so many people lived their lives thinking that the totality of the universe was limited to one continent, one country, one state, one city, or even a few city blocks. Raina felt a hand upon her shoulder and turned to see Serenity standing nearby with a very serious look.
“I know,” she told her.
“You know what?” Raina asked.
“You still miss her.”
Raina was a bit surprised, but she didn’t question it. Instead, she said, “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble … I mean, I don’t know what kind of a schedule we’re running on, but since we’re here in the state…”
“Absolutely,” Serenity replied with a nod. “We will take time to visit her grave and pay our respects.”
She smiled. “Thanks. It would mean a lot to me.”
“Just as well,” Serenity added, “if you would permit me the honor, I would like to see for myself the area which the former Raina Delgado once called home. We are, after all, heading to stay the day in my own hometown this evening. I think it would help serve to bring us closer by understanding one another’s origins.”
Raina was a bit uneasy with the idea of getting too well-acquainted with Serenity. She forced her smile to stay and nodded in agreement, anyhow. It had been awhile since anyone had spoken her human name. Raina Delgado was dead, as was Brenna Douglass, Duvessa Fallamhain, and so many others. It had taken her quite some time to come to grips with the idea. Now that it was finally beginning to really take hold, she wasn’t so sure it would be wise to go tearing open old wounds by revisiting her old haunts. She knew that it would be too easy to undo all of the emotional mending she had done over the past few months. Just the same, it was an opportunity that seemed impossible to refuse. Perhaps a dose of familiarity and what she considered to be normalcy would help to bring her out of this severely depressed state in which she’d been trapped since her Change.
Raina’s first much-welcomed taste of home was a visit to an upscale restaurant in Flagstaff. Serenity explained that she frequented this place quite often and she was always welcomed by the owners and staff. For this occasion, they kept the business open late just for them, allowing their group full privacy and the full attention of the staff. Raina was feeling practically famished. It hadn’t helped that the long flights only offered snacks that could not even qualify as a meal for an anorexic human. Additionally, she was pained by the wounds that still ached sharply whenever she did anything more than stand in place or sit perfectly still. She needed to heal, and in order to do that, she needed to fuel her body.
Garlic was an obvious concern with any meal. The natural allergy that all vampires had to garlic was, alas, something that even Raina had not been able to entirely avoid, even with her unique genetics. Sometimes this required some awkward reading of ingredient labels or an embarrassing inquisition of restaurant staff members. More than once, Raina had either ordered something at a restaurant or bought something on a whim and popped it into her mouth without a thought. As with her allergy to silver, her reaction to such things was greatly reduced, but she was by no means immune. The anaphylactic shock brought on by garlic that could potentially kill many vampires by swelling their throat shut would instead only make Raina violently ill and confine her to a restroom for an embarrassingly long period of time – a rather humiliating thing when in the company of IVC dignitaries. As such, the restaurant owner assured them that nothing in their cooking included garlic, so they could order anything they wished without fear of such consequences.
The amount of food a vampire could put away was sometimes staggering. How much one ate always seemed completely disproportionate to their actual body mass. Given, sometimes this necessary form of what could be seen as gluttony did actually result in a bit of a slightly swollen stomach. Still, pigging out on junk food was nothing grotesque or animalistic and certainly nothing as repulsive (to Raina) as tearing into another living person’s flesh with one’s teeth and sucking upon the wound. Seeking simplicity and a bit of “old school goodness,” she ordered a huge steak with a side of mashed potatoes. It may have seemed a bit too conventional, given the company she was in, and even worse was the look that Serenity gave her after she ordered, but Raina would not be swayed on this. Raina had never been a Vegan as a human, and she certainly would never commit herself to something as impractical as that as a vampire. Serenity would simply have to avert her eyes as Raina cut up and savored every bite of that juicy slab of sirloin. Just as well, Sophie and Thomas feasted upon a great deal of shrimp and lobster without any regard for the subtle looks of distaste given from Serenity and her consorts. They may have seen the killing of animals for food as murder, but who would have thought that murder could be so juicy and delicious?
The only thing upon which they all could agree was wine – red, and lots of it. Raina was by no means drunk by the time they left, but she was feeling good enough that her slowly healing wounds were hardly bothering her at all as they departed. They were led to gather into a pair of awaiting pearl-white Lincolns outside of the restaurant, piloted by drivers with classic chauffeurs’ uniforms – suit, hat, gloves, and all.
Raina was allowed more breathing room in this car ride than in the one to the airport, as she only shared the back seat of the second Lincoln with Duchess Serenity. In the front seat rode one of her consorts, Lord Redhorn, while her other two consorts had crammed into the lead car along with Sophie and Thomas. Lord Redhorn was, as his name implied, a Native American, and his strong features proudly confirmed this. Serenity explained that he was a member of the Yavapai tribe in northern Arizona, and that he (rather than the Duchess) owned the Sedona home in which they would be staying that night. Lord Redhorn was as quiet as the other consorts, not treating Raina with any hint of animosity but also not making any effort to converse with her directly.
There wasn’t much to see in looking out the heavily-tinted side windows of the Lincoln as they drove along, and Raina had honestly had about as much conversation with Serenity as she could stand for awhile. Feeling almost drugged by the feast and wine they’d had in Flagstaff, she snuggled herself into a corner of the rear seat near the door and began to doze a bit for most of the drive. She awoke with a bit of a start when the car was slowed to a halt at an intersection after exiting the highway, entering Sedona’s residential areas.
A few minutes later, they had cruised through the main streets of Sedona and into a very upscale, high-dollar neighborhood of houses at the foot of the beautiful red mountains where Cathedral Rock could be found. She had visited this area a few years ago at the urging of one of her co-workers, citing the lovely views that the area offered. It was during a period of time when Raina was flirting a bit with a variety of religions, seeking out (unsuccessfully) something that felt “right” to her. She had felt sadly disa
ppointed not to feel anything particularly different when she had visited a few of the purported “energy vortices” scattered throughout the area in and around Sedona.
Although Lord Redhorn supposedly owned the home, Raina was sure that Duchess Serenity had either financed the purchase or at least encouraged him to pick this particular location because it was so close to the energy vortex at Cathedral Rock. The fact that the homes here were large and beautiful and the surrounding view was breathtaking probably didn’t hurt much, either.
Both Lincolns stopped outside of a high mortar and metal fence for a few moments while they waited for the motorized front gate to open. The gateway opened to a large circular drive similar to the one in front of the Fallamhain Estate, a place clearly designed for hosting a large number of guests and VIP’s arriving in vehicles with a large turning radius – limousines, primarily. There were three vehicles visible in carports attached to the actual house, two of which were surprisingly humble subcompact cars and the third being a motorcycle. Apparently, the two full-sized Lincolns were only for special occasions such as this where extra passenger room was necessary, a slightly more “green” alternative to the usual large, cumbersome, gas-guzzling luxury SUV’s. The two sedans were parked next to one another under the large cabana that extended from the front entryway of the home, much like the front of a hotel. She was stricken by a brief but unsettling moment of déjà vu, as the last time she recalled stepping out of a Lincoln with another High Court in front of such a building was just after she had engaged in a threesome with Brenna and Duvessa.
Sensing her unease, Serenity turned to Raina and said, “I assure you, your grace, you are completely safe here. This is a very peaceful city. There is no one for miles around that would wish to harm you.”
Raina simply nodded and let that go. She didn’t entirely agree, but she wasn’t going to argue the point. Instead, she insisted upon going ‘round to the back of the sedan as the trunk was opened, immediately retrieving her encased sword. She did not remove her sword from the case, but she did at least feel a bit better with it in her hands, again. It seemed odd that such a deadly object with a history of bloodshed could begin to serve as something of a security blanket for her.
The inside of the house was actually fairly modest. There was not a lot of flash or gaudy decoration. There were only a few framed photographs to be seen anywhere, the rest of the place having an obviously Native American theme of décor to it. The items hung upon the walls and the furniture pieces in the large, high-ceilinged combination living/dining room were extremely simple in appearance, although Raina was sure that they were not cheap, either. The dining area was almost Asian in its arrangement, with little more than a long, low table with a few cushions around it, and the den area was simply a semi-circle of faux suede sofas. There was no sign of a television, but there was a small name-brand stereo perched atop the stone mantle over a fireplace at the far wall to her right. The overall color theme of everything was distinctly earthy, mostly browns, greens, gold, and such.
“Well,” Serenity said with a soft clap of her hands, turning around to face Raina and her two companions, “this is it. This is my humble little castle. Well, one of them, at least. Feel free to make yourselves at home. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything at all.”
Right away, Raina felt far more comfortable in this place than she ever had in England. Unlike the Fallamhain Estate, where it felt like she was in some kind of live-in museum, this actually seemed like a real home. The place was expensively furnished, yet it seemed very quaint and cozy. In spite of her publicly vain tendencies, Serenity’s home – technically, Lord Redhorn’s home – was actually quite modest and low-key on the inside. From the intimidating look of the gate to the expensive-looking exterior with expensive environmentally-friendly cars parked in front to this un-flashy, down-to-earth, no-frills interior, it seemed that Serenity became more and more ordinary and practical as the layers of public image were peeled away.
“I would so … love … to have a place like this,” Raina said with undisguised awe as she looked around. “Seriously, this place is awesome. I could actually feel at home in a house like this.”
Serenity giggled, stepping aside as her consorts walked past with everyone’s luggage in tow. “Well, thank you! This really is only a vacation home to me, though. I would think that this would be too small and basic for someone such as yourself.”
“No, I’m not kidding,” Raina said, looking at her directly. “I could really go for a place like this. I don’t like being in a place that constantly makes me feel like I’m walking around on eggshells. This is simple, subtle, and … tasteful. It’s not all in-your-face and flashy. It’s not like every time you look in any direction, someone’s rubbing your nose in their fame or fortune.” She glanced around a bit more. “Is your main home like this?”
She shrugged, smiling. “It’s much bigger, but there are a lot of similarities. You should come see it sometime.”
“I’d love to.”
“Would you care for something to drink?”
“Absolutely.”
“What would you like?”
“You wouldn’t have any absinthe by chance, would you?”
“Of course! I’m actually quite fond of it, myself. Please,” she said, making a sweeping gesture with her arm toward the den area, “have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable while I bring it out.”
Raina watched as Serenity turned and began to walk toward the doorway of another room, presumably the kitchen. Serenity almost seemed to be disregarding the fact that Sophie and Thomas were even there at all. Moments such as this helped Raina to keep in mind the fact that she was still dealing with an Elder of the IVC and, thus, there would always be some haughty standards and skewed views on things with regard to other races.
“Um … Duchess?” Raina called out to her before she could slip out of view. Serenity turned abruptly, her strawberry blonde hair spilling over her shoulder almost cinematically. Gesturing to her companions, Raina asked, “Could you maybe bring three glasses?”
“Oh … of course,” she replied, as if it had only just then occurred to her.
As Serenity finally disappeared into the kitchen, Raina turned to find Thomas and Sophie smiling. Thomas gave her a silent nod of thanks.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got your back,” she whispered to them with a smirk.
They stepped around to sit upon the sofa nearest the large panoramic window. The cushions were surprisingly firm, yet as she sat upon it, it slowly seemed to give a bit and conform to the shape of her rear and back – a kind of dense “memory” foam, apparently. Sophie and Thomas sat on either side of her once more, as if they had been scripted to do so … and perhaps they had, by Olivia’s prior instructions. While Raina lazily leaned back and threw her arms up on the top of the sofa behind them, they both remained sitting with their backs straight and their hands upon their knees, perfectly formal as ever.
Raina smiled. “You know, I’m starting to think you two are just too damned well-behaved.”
“Do you want us to be bad?” Thomas asked with an impish grin.
“No, I just … I hope you aren’t going to be like this around me all of the time,” she said. “I’d like to think that, at least every now and then, you both could unwind a little bit and not look so uptight.”
“Oh, I think we know how to unwind,” Sophie assured her with a wink, “but I’m not sure you’d want us to do that in front of you.”
Before she could say anything further, Serenity reappeared, along with one of her other consorts, Lord Gerald. She carried two large wine glasses in each hand while he carried a bottle of absinthe in each hand and a third tucked under his left arm. Serenity carefully set down the glasses upon the long, broad, low, oval-shaped coffee table in the middle of the den area. As she bent over to set the glasses down, Raina was embarrassed to find her eyes drifting to the deep cleavage that was revealed by Serenity’s loose-fitting outfit, almost being offered an acc
identally obscene view. Serenity smiled to Raina as their eyes met, and she wondered if she’d been caught staring – if she had, it was never mentioned aloud.
“Would you care to have it mixed, or do you prefer yours straight?” she asked politely as she stood up wit her hands clasped at her waist.
“Mixed, actually,” Raina replied. “I only drink it straight if I feel like getting sloppy.”
Serenity shrugged. “There is no harm in a bit of private indulgence, your grace. It is in our nature to do so, after all.”
“I’ll take mine straight,” Sophie said brightly. When Raina raised an eyebrow at her, she replied, “Why not? I’m going to be driving anywhere.”
“I’ll have mine straight, too,” Thomas said, again giving Raina that devious smirk of his. Apparently, he loved to tease her, and it seemed he would jump at every opportunity he could to be mischievous. It was amusing, perhaps even charming, but Raina worried on some level that it would get him into trouble someday … if not with her, then perhaps with someone else.
As one, they all looked to Raina in silent question, as if they expected her to automatically reconsider her choice. She simply shook her head lightly, sticking with her original preference. Raina may have been a borderline alcoholic, but she would have preferred to think of herself as a functional alcoholic rather than a useless drunk. She was here on business. She had things to do. And presumably, there were still people out there plotting to kill her. She had to stay sharp. Now was not a good time for her to be getting sloshed.
Anyway, straight absinthe was simply too strong to even taste good; the alcohol content, usually at fifty percent or more, meant that upon making contact with her tongue, it seemed to soak in almost instantaneously. The burn overpowered the taste almost entirely. If she cared nothing for tasting what she drank and simply wanted to get bombed, Raina would have sooner asked for straight rum.
The Darkest Colors- Exsanguinations Page 24