“And the cotillion.” I sighed, launching into the events that had taken place today. “He’s a vamp, Ari. I’ve never met a vamp before. I was scared speechless.”
Ari shook her head. “Vampires are tricky. I’ve met a couple. I wish they were just a myth, like the Easter Bunny.”
“I know. But at least he’s willing to buy the land. Of course, I don’t believe that he’s doing it out of the goodness of his heart. There has to be another reason.”
“If I had the money, I’d buy the land so you wouldn’t have to deal with him. And by the way, why did you even accept? This isn’t your problem, really. It might be Conjure Ink’s case, but that’s the company, not you, personally. I think you should call him back and say thanks but no thanks.”
“Rowan would have my hide. She cashed in a marker for me—for the town. As to why this is my problem…” I thought about it for a moment, then told her about the Crystal Cauldron. “If they’re trying to help the town, then I feel…like I have no choice.”
“You’ve always had more civic pride than I have,” Ari said. “Well, tomorrow’s the carnival.”
“And I get to meet Mean Meag—” I paused as a pained look crossed Ari’s face and I saw just how hurt the words made her. “I’m sorry. I won’t tease you about her again. I look forward to meeting Meagan again.” Yawning, I finished my bottle of sparkling water. “I guess we should get our asses to bed. It’s nearly eleven and it’s been a long, long week.”
“See you tomorrow,” Ari said, giving me a hug. “Be careful, and make sure your Ladies keep an eye on those vamps.”
“Will do.” Even though I knew Ari had been joking, on the way home I sent out a silent plea to the Ladies, asking them to guide me over the next few weeks. “Because, gods know,” I said, shaking my head in the empty car, “I don’t always do a good job of that on my own.”
Chapter Eighteen
When I woke up, it was to a new blanket of snow. We had about thirteen inches total. I huddled under the covers and opened my weather app. Snow and more snow, but it looked like we might have a warmup at the very end of December. The snow would probably stick around until then, given we were caught in a polar vortex. Grateful that I didn’t have to go to work, I set my alarm again for eight and ducked back under the covers for another hour’s snooze.
After a shower, I dressed, did my makeup, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. I stood in front of the refrigerator, staring inside until I decided that I wanted waffles. But I didn’t want to make waffles. On a whim, I texted Killian.
want to go out to breakfast with me?
Less than a minute later, he replied. sure! i’d love to. can we take your car? mine was making weird noises yesterday and i think i need to take it into the shop.
come over and we’ll head out.
When I answered the door, I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I kiss him? Just say hello? We were in that state where I wasn’t sure just exactly where we were in the relationship. Were we boyfriend and girlfriend? We weren’t lovers yet, but we were headed that way.
But Killian took care of that. The moment I opened the door, he swung his arms around me and gave me a sound kiss, getting snow all over me.
I laughed. “That’s the warmest and yet the chilliest greeting I’ve had in a long time. Come on in.”
He stamped the snow off his boots. “I’m hungry. Let’s go eat,” he said, his eyes sparkling. Then he reached in his pocket and pulled out his hand, holding his closed fist out to me. “I brought you something.”
I stared at his hand. “It’s not a spider, is it? I’m an arachnophobe. I had someone do that to me once, trying to cure me of my phobia.”
He gave me an incredulous look. “Who would do something like that? No, woman, I’m not cruel. Hold out your hand.”
Curious, I held my hand beneath his and he dropped something cool into my palm. It was a beautiful quartz crystal.
“How lovely,” I said, holding up the spike to the light. It was almost clear, with only a few fractures inside, and they sparkled with rainbows. The spike was about three inches long and bigger than my thumb.
“I found it in the house and thought that you might like it,” Killian said.
I set the crystal on the coffee table, smiling. “I love it. Thank you. Are you ready? I’m starved.” I slipped into my jacket and grabbed my purse. We ducked through the falling snow to my car. I stopped at the door, turning my head up to catch the snowflakes on my tongue.
Killian laughed. “It feels like we should be looking around for a bald kid and a kid carrying a blanket!”
I stuck out my tongue at him. “I’m not Lucy, all right?”
But I went back to catching snowflakes on my tongue. As we settled in the car, I said, “Rowan Firesong found us a buyer for the property. He’s agreed to buy it, tear down the asylum, and build a tall fence around the entire piece of land. That’s the best we’re going to get in this case. We can’t even free the spirits who were absorbed by the elemental. They’re so merged with the creature that they’ll be there forever.”
“Who is this benefactor? And what’s the catch? I’ve found very few people are that altruistic unless they have a tremendous amount of money and a conscience, and the two don’t always go together,” Killian asked, looking out the window as we headed for Lucky’s.
I paused, then said, “What do you know about vampires?”
Killian jerked his head away from the window to stare at me. “Oh no, you don’t mean—”
“Yeah, I do. Apparently one of the vamps in town owed Rowan a huge favor and she called in her marker. I’m not sure what she did to be able to command a favor that huge, but he agreed.”
After a moment, Killian sighed. “I don’t trust vampires. I’ve never met one that didn’t have his own agenda at the bottom of any supposed good deed.”
“I’ll be careful,” I said. “I don’t trust him either, but if Rowan had that big of a hold over his head, she can probably keep him in line.” My phone, which I had plugged into the car’s hands-free system, rang. Over the speaker, Jerica—the car’s AI—said, “Rowan Firesong calling.”
“Jerica, answer call and put on speaker,” I said. As the car connected to my phone, I wondered what Rowan had to say. “Hi, Rowan, what’s up?”
“I just got a call from Val. His lawyer offered the owner an all-cash payment. It’s settled. Val threw in an extra five thousand if they could transfer the title today. The lawyers are meeting at the bank in an hour to take care of the paperwork, and the title will be recorded on Monday. Val’s hired a company to bring down the building on Tuesday. Would you like to be there for the demolition?”
“Yeah,” I said, feeling a rush of relief. “I’ll talk to Tad and the others, but we’ll all probably want to be on hand when they tear it down. So make certain Val gives us the correct time.”
“Will do.” Rowan paused, her voice wary. “January, I’d be careful. For some reason he’s taken a fancy to you. He mentioned you several times. When a vampire’s fascinated by you, it’s never a good thing. So just…watch out, okay?”
“I will,” I said, feeling nervous. “Why would he be interested in me? I don’t get it.”
I could hear the hesitation in Rowan’s voice when she said, “I don’t know, but he had a thing for your mother, too. I guess there’s something about the Jaxson women. I’m not sure what the connection is. But she never gave him the time of day. I’ll call you when I know more about the time for demolition.”
As she ended the call, I turned into the parking lot at Lucky’s and turned off the ignition. I unhooked my phone from the Jerica system and turned to Killian, who hadn’t said a word.
“Fascinated by the women in your family? What kind of creep is this guy?” Killian unlocked his seat belt and sat back, sighing. “I don’t like this. Not at all.”
“And you think I do? This gives me the creeps.” I grabbed my purse, stuffed my phone in it, and then stepped out of the car. The parkin
g lot was melting—they had dumped what looked like a wheelbarrow of salt across the ice, but it almost made it slipperier. Killian took my arm and we cautiously inched our way into the diner.
Over breakfast—Belgian waffles, sausage, eggs, and mochas—I tried to forget about the conversation with Rowan. I steered the conversation as far as I could from vampires.
“The carnival opens at noon, I think. Or eleven. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to go, so I’m not sure what to expect.” I slathered my waffle in butter and syrup.
“We’ll find out,” Killian said. He must have picked up on my mood, because he shifted topics, too. He told me he was almost ready to open the practice, but he had decided to wait until after the beginning of the year, to start with a clean slate.
“The city’s approved my business permit, and I’m having work done on the building. Overall, the practice was in good shape, but it needed some fresh paint and a few upgrades. I’m looking forward to getting back to work, though. I really miss it.” He seemed to soften as he talked. “I don’t know what to expect given there are other vets in town, but they seemed friendly enough when I introduced myself. One of them works solely on exotic animals, so he’s not in direct competition. The other is more oriented toward large animals—a farm vet—so the same with him. But we all overlap and I think it will make for a solid balance.”
“You love your work, don’t you?” I asked, cupping my mug in my hand.
His eyes shone. “I do. I love animals—I always have. And I adore cats. Maybe it seems odd, given I’m a wolf shifter, but as much as I like dogs, I prefer cats. My favorite are Maine Coons. They’re so intelligent.”
“I miss having a pet,” I said. “I wanted a cat so bad when I was with Ellison.” I worried my lip. That had been one of the most disappointing moments of my marriage. “It seemed futile to argue with him.”
Killian shook his head. “I don’t trust a person who doesn’t love animals. I know I’m generalizing, but if you don’t have a place in your heart for the other species on this planet, it doesn’t bode well for getting along with people who are different from you.”
I nodded, finishing off my waffle. “I like that you’re a veterinarian. It makes me happy.”
He laughed. “Well, that makes me happy to hear. Want to go shopping while we wait for the carnival to open?”
“Yes! I need to buy presents. I haven’t bought anything yet, though my list is much shorter this year given I don’t have to buy the usual obligatory gifts for Ellison’s friends. I can’t tell you how tired I got ordering boxes of cigars and generic gift baskets.” I frowned, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen from my purse. “I need to buy for my aunt, and for Ari. And I think I’ll pick up little gifts for everyone at work.” I paused. We had just hit another awkward part. Should I put him on the list? Should I say anything? I didn’t want him to feel obligated to exchange gifts if he hadn’t been planning on it.
But once again, Killian saved the day. “I think you’ll like what I’m getting you. By the way, I don’t expect anything in return, but I would like to spend the Solstice with you, unless you have other plans.”
I jotted his name down on the list. “Of course I’m getting you something. Ari and I were talking about doing something together for Solstice Eve, and her girlfriend will be there and my aunt. I hope you’ll come. We can do a midnight ritual in the snow.”
“That sounds lovely,” Killian said. He pulled out his wallet. “Here, let me get breakfast.”
“No, I invited you out.”
“Hush, woman. I’m still old-fashioned enough that I like to pay for dates. Tell you what, you can buy me dinner this week, all right?” He tossed thirty dollars on the table.
“That’s a good tip,” I said, blurting out the words. “I’m sorry. I always used to run back into the dining room and leave an extra tip when Ellison and I ate out. I got very creative about my excuses. He was cheap.”
“I know how hard it is to make a living on a job waiting tables. I did that through my college years. I’m not about to stiff anybody.” He held my coat for me as I slid my arms in, and then we pushed through the door.
The snow was drifting down in big, lazy flakes. I glanced at my watch. It was almost 10:30. “I want to stop in at Rarities, Inc. Ari was telling me about a vase that she fell in love with but decided not to buy. She thought it was extravagant. Which means it probably isn’t expensive, but she didn’t feel justified in buying it.”
“Where’s the shop?” Killian asked.
“Right down the street, across from the lingerie boutique.” I looped my arm through his as we strolled down the street, the throng of shoppers increasing. “The carnival’s going to be packed today. Oh, there it is,” I said, pointing across the street.
Killian glanced at Lace & Leather, the lingerie shop we were standing beside. “You own anything from there?” he whispered, leaning down to nibble on my ear.
I wasn’t sure whether to blush or smack him. “Not yet. I do, however, have a gorgeous black nightgown.” I turned to look in the store window and froze. There, in the window, was the most beautiful blue nightgown I’d seen. It had a halter top, sheer, and indigo blue with sparkling sequins that mimicked stars against a night sky. Crystal beads glistened around the plunging neckline.
“What is it?” Killian asked, turning his head to look at what I was staring at. “Oh, that’s gorgeous.”
“It’s beautiful,” I said, breathless.
“Do you want it?” he asked.
“What?” I stared at him. “Me?” I paused, wondering if I could pull it off. I could do sexy, but this gown was elegant, and made me think of a Faerie queen. “I don’t know if I could…if they have my size,” I said, shifting my thoughts.
“Why don’t we find out?” Killian steered me into the shop.
Flo Johansen owned the shop. She had owned the place since I was a little girl. At this point, she had to be in her eighties. She was behind the counter, looking as proper as ever in her linen pantsuit. She had the same suit in a number of different colors, and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t wearing a version of it.
“Hello,” she said, obviously not remembering me.
“Hey, Mrs. Johansen. I’m January—Althea’s daughter?” My mother had shopped here all through her life.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Of course you are. I remember you when you were a tiny sprout. Are you visiting your mother? I haven’t seen her in ages,” Flo said.
Apparently some people hadn’t heard. “My mother passed away earlier this year, along with my father. They were in a car crash. I moved back to town last week.”
Flo’s face fell. “I’m so sorry, dear. I didn’t know.” She leaned across the counter to take my hands. “My apologies, and condolences.”
“Don’t worry about it. You didn’t know.” I paused, then pointed to the window. “The blue gown. You wouldn’t happen to have it in my size, would you? I’m a size 14.”
She bustled around the counter. “I’ll check—I think I do, actually. That gown comes in sizes up to 28, and I always stock at least one of each size.” She paused, glancing at Killian. “Is this your husband? I know you were married and living in Seattle.”
I choked back a laugh. “No, no. I’m divorced now. This is my neighbor, Killian O’Connell.”
“I’m also her new boyfriend,” Killian said, giving Flo a deep nod.
I froze. He had actually used the word! I felt as giddy as a teenager.
Flo stopped at one of the racks and sorted through the nightgowns. “Here it is, I thought maybe I had sold this one, but here’s a 14. Would you like to try it on?”
Some size 14s didn’t fit so well because of my bust. Bigger bra cups meant some styles wouldn’t work, but halter tops were easy enough, as long as there was enough material to cover my boobs. “No, this will be fine.”
She carried it to the counter and wrapped it up for me in tissue paper, then put i
t in a box and slid it into a bag with the name of the store emblazoned across the front of it. “That will be $83.50, please.”
I saw Killian start to pull out his wallet and stopped him. “Put that away. At this point in our relationship, I still buy my own nightclothes and underwear.” I handed her my credit card and then, carrying the bag, steered Killian back outside.
“Well, it’s a beautiful gown, I’ll say that,” Killian said. “It will look wonderful on you and I hope I get a chance to see it.”
“You will. I promise.” I winked at him.
We crossed the street to Rarities, Inc., and pushed through the door. The shop was filled with people for whom antiquing was a verb. The store was crammed full of goodies, from old milk cans circa 1940 to rocking chairs to kitschy 1980s brass urns. I looked around, trying to find the lamp that Ari had shown me a picture of. Finally, I got in line and waited till the clerk at the counter was free. I brought out my phone—Ari had texted me a picture of the lamp—and showed her.
“Do you still have this vase?”
The clerk stared at it for a moment, then frowned. “Oh, I remember that. No, I’m sorry, we sold that yesterday.”
So much for my gift idea. I sighed. “Thank you anyway.” I turned back to Killian. “So much for that.” I looked around and stopped as my gaze fell on a beautiful bottle. It was a perfume bottle, an ornate lavender-smoke color. I picked it up. Something sparked as I touched it—my fingers felt like they had just been given a little shock. I stared at the bottle for a moment. I had no earthly use for it, but I wanted it. Turning back to the clerk, I said, “I don’t see a price tag.”
She paused, then said, “Twenty-five.”
I usually wasn’t the type for impulse purchases, but I knew in my core that I’d regret it if I passed it up and somebody else bought it.
“All right, I’ll take this.” Setting it on the counter, I glanced around for Killian. He was over in the corner, perusing a stack of old books. “Find anything?”
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