"Don't touch me!" I tell him, the memories of what Liam did to me still fresh in my mind. Layered over other memories of abuse. Pain. Betrayal.
I glance toward the door, wondering if I can cross the distance to it before Sebastian can catch me, and he seems to read my mind.
"It's okay, Eve. I'm not going to hurt you."
"Right," I tell him, as anger slowly begins to replace my fear. "And you expect me to believe that after what Liam did to me?"
He frowns. "I am not Liam."
"No, but you're a vampire just like he is!" I respond hotly, realizing even as I say it that I’ve given a name to the elephant in the room.
There's no denying the truth of my statement and, thankfully, he doesn’t try. It would just have been embarrassing for him if he had.
He sighs and mentally seems to be counting to ten. Then, "What Liam did was wrong, and I apologize for it. It shouldn't have happened. I've brought you something to help with the...after effects." He hands me a glass of something purple and fizzy. "Drink this. You'll thank me."
I pause. “Why should I trust you?”
“Because I only wish to help.”
Carefully, I take the drink and sniff at the contents. The sweet smell has me nearly drooling despite myself, so I guzzle it in one shot—and nearly puke it back up. How can something that smells so good taste so very awful? I gag, but force the vile brew down my throat, at the quiet promptings of Sebastian, who takes the cup from me when I'm done and hands me a cold rag for my head.
Eyeing him cautiously, I lay back down.
He hesitates, then gestures at the space next to me on the bed. "May I?"
I'm still ticked, but nothing's going to be gained by staying mad at him. He's right; he's not Liam. Only today he saved my life, in fact. Never have I had a twenty-four hour period where my life was in such peril with such frequency. Still, I nod and stiffen only a little bit as he climbs into the bed next to me.
He doesn't speak for several minutes, and I close my eyes and enjoy the silence, and, I'll admit, the feeling of his body so close to mine.
It happens in a wave, like water washing over me, and as it does, my body buzzes with energy. The pain recedes, the aches dissipate, and I feel a kind of euphoria that leaves me relaxed and grateful for the relief.
"You are feeling better." It's a statement, not a question.
I nod with my eyes still closed, a small smile on my face. "Thank you," I whisper.
His thumb gently rubs against my temple, all the way down to the line of my jaw, tracing it to my collarbone. His touch leaves a trail of fire in its wake, and I sigh at the contact, though my heart and body are confused by his on again, off again attentions. And my brain is trying to convince me that whatever these feelings are that I'm having for my boss, they need to shut the hell down right away. I'm done with unhealthy power dynamic relationships. They've already messed up my head too much.
The euphoria I was feeling wears off too quickly and I'm left with my doubts and confusion. I sit up quickly and instantly regret it, my head spinning a bit as I look around. "Where are they?" I ask.
"Who?" Sebastian says.
"Your brothers. Their voices woke me. I heard them talking."
Sebastian frowns. "They're in the right wing where I left them. This is my room, in the left wing. There's no way you could have heard them talking," he says.
"Huh. It must have been a dream." I twist to face him, and our bodies are so close—and in his bed, no less—that it's driving me to distraction, but I ignore it, or try to. "What's going on? Maybe those voices were a dream, but the rest of it isn't, is it?"
"No. It's not."
"So, it wasn't the adrenaline..."
Sebastian frowned. "Sorry?"
"After the accident. The door was jammed shut by the crash. You not only kicked it open, but sent it flying off its hinges. At the time I thought it was due to a sudden, massive burst of adrenaline, but it wasn't, was it?"
A slight shake of his head. "No."
"And then you ran with me, carrying me miles, as if I weighed nothing."
He nods again.
"You have coffins in a locked room."
His gaze bores into mine.
"Liam drank my blood."
"Yes. All of this true. Which is why you should have turned down the job. Why you still should. It's not too late. Not yet. You can leave now. I can help you."
"What do you mean it's not too late yet? When will it be too late?"
Before Sebastian can answer, the door slams open and Elijah stands there, an intensity to his eyes. "He's on his way right now!"
Sebastian straightens at that. "What? He's not due to arrive until tomorrow."
Elijah shrugs. "Seems he's come early."
"Bloody hell," Sebastian says. "She doesn't even know everything yet."
Elijah looks at me, then back at Sebastian. "You'd better fill her in fast. He'll be here in twenty."
Elijah leaves, closing the door behind him, and I turn to face Sebastian. "Who's coming? What's going on?"
"We have a new client," he says. "An important client. When you meet him, it's critical you are careful. He's very… dynamic. And dangerous."
"Who's the client?"
"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. You're having a hard enough time believing what you've seen with your own eyes."
"What I've seen is impossible," I say.
"There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy," he says, quoting Shakespeare.
"Funny, you don't strike me as the Shakespeare reading type," I say, deflecting the seriousness of the situation.
"There's a lot about me you might be surprised by, Eve," he says, and I can’t help but love how my name sounds on his lips. "We both need to get ready for his arrival, but first, let’s be absolutely clear about what’s going on here. You are correct; we - my brothers and I - are vampires. And The Night Firm isn't just any firm. It's a law firm for paranormal creatures. We have our own justice system and court of law. Humans could never keep us in check, so we do it ourselves."
"Paranormal creatures," I say, in a breathy whisper. "So there are more than just vampires?"
He nods. "But you knew that already. You saw others when you left your interview, did you not?"
It's my turn to nod, as I remember the woman I saw as I left the building that night.
"They were real. Just as I am real. This is a dangerous place for you, Eve. You asked before why I'm always mad at you. I'm not. I'm mad you're here, because I worry you will not be safe. Especially now."
Everything he's said and done since we met is suddenly seen in a new light, and all the attraction and pent up desire I feel surfaces. My eyes fall to his lips, and I can see by the way his body tenses, he feels the energy in the room shift as well.
Our hands are touching, skin brushing against skin on the silky sheets. My hip is pressed against him.
Panic wells in me and I pull back. "The accident wasn't an accident was it?" It's all starting to click into place.
"No, it wasn't," he says, regaining his composure quickly. "We make enemies. Our clients make enemies. Especially the client you're about to meet. You will be in constant danger if you stay."
It's clear he wants me to leave. But… where would I go? I have nothing left to return to.
I slide off the bed and adjust my clothes. "I think I'll take my chances," I say, though I have a million questions. "And I should probably get ready, if he's on his way." I need an excuse to leave, because I can't stay in the room with him any longer and not act on the desires building up in me.
Before I leave the room, I turn, a question on my mind. "Why do you have coffins if you also have a regular bedroom?" I ask.
"We don’t regularly sleep in the coffins," he says. "It's for emergencies. If we have to travel during the day or heal from serious injury. They are filled with dirt from our homeland, from before our vampire lives."
I nod, processing t
I wander around the mansion trying to find my room until I bump into Lily, who's wide-eyed and jittery. "I've been looking everywhere for you. We have to get you dressed. Come on!"
She practically drags me to my room, and once there, opens my closet and starts pulling out dresses. "It needs to be perfect. This is a big deal."
I can't tell if she's excited or nervous or both. I'm not sure how to feel. The Night brothers seem pretty powerful. Who could they possibly be this jumpy about seeing?
My mind is still reeling from my conversation with Sebastian, and now I'm supposed to play dress up? I sit on the bed as Lily fusses with my hair.
"Is it true?" I ask Lily. I assume she knows everything. How could she not?
"Is what true?" she asks, twisting my hair expertly into a Dutch braid any hair stylist in New York would be jealous of.
"You're all vampires."
She freezes, and then moves to stand so we are face to face. “Not all of us.”
A blink.
The pink hair is gone. The dark complexion changed.
The being that stands before me is naked, skin a deep-moss-green. Hair thick like vines, adorned with white flowers and auburn branches. Eyes like emeralds.
The smell of spring’s first rain overtakes me.
And as quickly as it appeared, the vision is gone.
Lily smiles across from me, rosy hair falling over her shoulder. “Now let’s add some make-up.”
I nod, unsure of what I just witnessed, curiosity and fear mixing within me. "What about Matilda? Is she a vampire? Or is she… like you?”
Lily retrieves a blue eyeshadow and begins applying it to my face, pursing her lips. "Granny Matilda is something else, but that's her story to tell, not mine."
"Is it rude to ask what you are? I don't mean to be impolite. This is all just so new to me."
She smiles, and I see a shadow of the wild woodland creature she truly is.
"I'm a dryad," she says, simply. "A creature of the forest, the soul of a tree."
I’m not sure if I should be relieved or worried. Everything poses more questions than answers. "Am I safe here?"
She narrows her eyes. "The Nights won't let anything happen to you."
I scoff at that. "Liam just tried to kill me."
She rolls her eyes. "Liam can be a giant ass sometimes. He's hotheaded, impulsive and prone to reckless acts. But if he wanted to kill you, you'd be dead. That much is certain. No, what he did, it was a warning."
"Nothing like getting into a near deadly car accident on my way to my first day, then getting attacked and bitten by my boss." The snark is strong in my voice.
Lily sighs. "I know it doesn't make sense, and it's a crap way to start your work here, but I promise it will get better. Give them a chance."
I don't know how to respond, so I stay silent as she finishes helping me dress in a sapphire blue gown that matches my eyes and is cinched at my waist and flared at my hips, cascading down my legs in layers.
When she's done, she pulls back to admire her handiwork. "You look incredible. And you have such perfect porcelain skin. You could pass for a vampire if you smelled different," she says, wrinkling her nose.
"Uh, thanks?"
She laughs. "I'm so glad you finally know. It's been agony waiting for those dummies to tell you everything."
"I hardly think they've told me everything," I say, slipping my feet into a pair of heels that match my dress.
"It's a lot for some people to take," she says. "Sometimes it's easier to get it in pieces than all at once."
As Lily leads me out my room and through the labyrinth of halls and towards the library, I ask a question that's been prickling my mind since discovering the truth. "Why did they hire me?"
Lily shrugs. "Your resume impressed them, I guess?"
"I don't mean me specifically. Why did they hire a human? Why not stick with vampires or…whatever else. Keep it in the family so to speak. Why expose this world to an outsider for no reason?"
She stops and turns to frown at me. "I could tell the moment we met that you belong here. If I can feel it, they can definitely feel it. And besides, you wouldn't have even heard about the job if you weren't the right person."
With that she continues to walk, but once again I'm left with more questions. "What do you mean? I would have seen it in the paper like everyone else."
She laughs. "That's funny."
When she realizes I'm not laughing she stops again. "You're serious. Oh dear. There's just so much you don't know. Granny spelled the job advertisement so that only the perfect candidate for the job would find it. In fact, they're the only one who would even be able to see it. You had the job the moment you called the number. You were the only candidate."
We're walking again, and I try not to stumble over my dress as I work to keep pace with Lily's power walk. "She spelled it? Like with magic?"
"Yup. She's got all kinds of spells up her sleeves. She even showed me how to make a potion that changes my hair color, which is really fun for when I'm out clubbing."
I don't have time to unpack that statement as we have finally arrived at the library where the Night brothers and Matilda are waiting. Sebastian gives me a brief nod and a slight smile of encouragement. Liam doesn't make eye contact with me. Coward. Elijah's eyes hold mine for a long moment, and it's as if a cool breeze dances against my skin when he looks at me like that. I feel an uncomfortable stirring in my body as I consider the quietest of the four brothers. Elijah always seems more contemplative. I can practically see his mind working even as he locks eyes with me.
Derek heads to the bar, pours a drink and walks over to me. "For your nerves," he says, handing me the glass. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you," I say, for the drink and the compliment. A glance at the bottle he poured from shows this is an expensive whiskey. I savor each sip, enjoying the way it burns as I swallow.
"I had hoped to have more time to explain everything," Derek says, his smile faltering. "This has all happened faster than we expected. I wanted to apologize for my brother. He will never do that again. I give you my word."
Despite his promise, or perhaps because of it, the anger bubbling inside me spills out. I’m not just upset, I realize. I’m royally pissed. “Damn straight he won’t or I’ll shove a wooden chair leg through his heart faster than he can blink!”
Derek stares at me wide-eyed, jaw slack.
Before he can say anything, I turn and glare in Liam’s direction.
He’s studiously ignoring me.
That won’t do.
Won’t do at all.
Downing the rest of my drink, I set the finely etched crystal glass on the table slowly and deliberately and then head straight to over to Liam, getting right in his face so he can't avoid my gaze anymore.
I can feel everyone in the room staring at us.
I stab my finger into his ridiculously muscled chest as I speak with all the authority and rage I can muster. "You had no right to do that, and you will never, ever touch me like that again, am I clear? If you so much as think about doing that again, I will stake your ass so fast you will wish you'd never been born…er…unborn. Or made undead. Whatever. You get my point. Do. Not. Do. That. Again." I say, pushing my fingernail harder against his chest with each word. "Also, you owe me an apology. Or I walk. I'm not working here without one."
He blinks. I don't. I wait. Eyes focused. Heart pounding. My neck is completely healed, not even a scratch, but the memory of the pain still haunts me.
"I apologize," he says, breaking the silence in the room. One of his brothers makes a sound of surprise, but I don't look away from Liam to find out who.
His eyes burn with heat and his muscular chest probably did more damage to my finger than I did to it.
"Why did you do it?" I ask, in almost a whisper. For that moment, as his gaze pulls me in, it feels as if we are the only two people in the room.
"To show you the danger you're in. Be careful, Miss Oliver. We're the good guys, and even we aren't that good."
He turns away just as Matilda enters the room. The look on her face is more serious than any I’ve seen so far. Addressing the brothers, she says. “Your guest has arrived. Shall I show him in?"
"Please," Derek replies. He glances at me quickly, winking flirtatiously before turning his attention back to the library entrance.
The tension in the room ramps up. I have no idea what to expect, since everyone here is so damn tight lipped, but I know it's something big.
My palms are suddenly sweaty, but I can't wipe them on my dress, they'll stain. I consider surreptitiously wiping them on the nearby chair, but I can feel Sebastian’s gaze upon me and I do my best to resist. A moment later he passes me his handkerchief.
"Take a deep breath,” he says. “We have our reasons to be worried, but you needn't fear for anything," he whispers as I gratefully wipe my hands dry.
And then all eyes are on the doorway as Matilda returns, our guest in tow. "May I present the eminent Count Dracula," she says solemnly.
The Guest
It was in my flaws,
I found a much deeper truth—
and it is from them,
I bloom: a black rose.
~ Segovia Amil
The brothers give curt bows, while I stand in shock as a tall, lithe man walks into the library.
The man—Dracula—wears a tuxedo reminiscent of older times. A long cape, coal-black on the outside, crimson on the inside, drags behind his leather boots. His pitch-black hair is slicked back, though one strand falls lose over his eyes, which are almost as dark as his hair. His skin is the palest cream, and though unlined by years, he feels ancient, powerful, and his presence fills the room.
It's almost suffocating, being in the same space with him. I take a step back instinctively, which is a mistake, as his eyes jump to me, devouring me in one glance.
I feel naked.
Uncomfortable.
And way too exposed in a room full of vampires.
Derek steps forward first, taking the lead. "Vlad, welcome to our home."
He nods. "If only this visit were under better circumstances," he says, his accent Slavic and his voice deep.
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