"Hard to say," he replied. "If Wyatt weren't a werewolf, it's likely his whole personality would be different. He's very wolf-like as far as werewolves go, hence the womanizing.” He paused, thinking. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. It's not like he could become a wizard or she could become a werewolf. That only works with…"
The realization hit us at the same time.
"Vampires," we said in unison, and looked at each other in surprise.
“Sweet baby Elvis, I know what happened to Fleur.”
“You know about Uri?” he asked. “I thought I told you to stay out of my investigation.”
“How did you find out?” I asked.
He ignored my question. "Do you really think…?"
"I don't think. I know." I remembered something Delphine Winter had said when Marley and I were at the library. "Can you get us into the high school after hours?"
He burped. "Of course I can. I'm the sheriff, remember?"
"You're also drunk."
“Not enough to count. Takes a lot of liquor to bring down a werewolf.”
I eyed him. “Should we call your deputy?"
He shook his head. "He'll be fast asleep at this hour. Let's just go to the school. That's easy enough to do without causing any trouble." He looked at me askance. "Although I probably shouldn’t say that when I'm sitting this close to you."
I smacked his leg again. "Hey," I objected. "I haven't been the root of any trouble here." Yet.
He threw money on the bar and hopped off the stool. "Let's go before I come to my senses."
Chapter Nineteen
The high school was eerily dark and quiet. Not a surprise given the late hour.
In the corridor, Sheriff Nash strode a few steps ahead of me and I wondered whether that was an alpha male thing. Usually I was the fast walker in a group. I had to admit, it wasn’t a bad view from the back. Those jeans fit him like a denim glove. It was easy to see why women wanted him and men wanted to be him. The swagger alone was worth a five-minute ogle.
He stopped walking and waited for me to catch up. "You've got a dreamy expression right now," he said. "Where'd you go? Back to New Jersey for a slice of pizza?”
"No," I said, snapping to attention. No way did I want him to know what I'd been thinking. He would love that a little too much. Or maybe he wouldn't. I wasn't sure which would bother me more.
“The janitor said Uri’s locker is number 117.”
“Do you have everyone in town’s number on speed dial?” I asked.
“I’m the sheriff,” he said. “I know a lot of people here. Comes with the job.”
We found Uri’s locker and the sheriff easily popped open the door. I pulled the contents from the shelf, including a stale sandwich and multiple empty folders.
“He’s not a neat freak, is he?” I asked.
“He’s a teenaged vampire,” Sheriff Nash said. “What do you expect?”
“I don’t know. Mr. Hale is so…fastidious.”
Sheriff Nash widened his eyes. “Now there’s a fancy word. Will you be using fastidious in any forthcoming articles, perchance?”
I moved to smack him again, but he anticipated me this time and dodged my hand.
“Has anyone ever told you that you have a violent streak?” he asked, grinning.
“That’s just Jersey affection,” I said.
“I’d hate to see you in love,” he said, and then quickly seemed to think better of it. He cleared his throat. “So what are we looking for?”
“A book.” I spotted it tucked under a crumpled Starry Hollow sweatshirt.
“Vampire Transitions,” the sheriff read aloud. His expression hardened. “This is a solid piece of evidence, Rose. Good job.”
I handed him the book. “You should probably keep hold of this until tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” the sheriff repeated. “I’m calling Uri down to the station now. I’ll even pick him up if I have to. This is a murder investigation. If Uri is responsible, he doesn’t deserve one more peaceful night’s sleep.”
I wasn’t convinced it was as cut and dry as that.
He pulled out his phone and dialed. “You should go home and get some rest. You’ve got a job to save tomorrow.”
I watched as the sheriff headed down the corridor, clutching the book under his arm. Yep, that swagger was irritatingly alluring.
I turned back to the locker and took my time replacing the contents I’d removed. Why rush back to the cottage when Marley was asleep by now anyway?
I walked down the corridor and pretended that I was in The Breakfast Club, trapped in school after hours. I’d loved that movie as a teenager. My father had introduced me to the movies of John Hughes and they still held a special place in my heart. I remembered that he’d once said there was all kinds of magic in the world and that movies were one of them. It hadn’t occurred to me then that he’d included literal magic in that statement. I had so many questions for him now that I knew the truth. Questions I’d never be able to ask him. I wondered what he would think if he could see me now.
A sound at the far end of the corridor grabbed my attention.
“Sheriff Nash?” I called. Or maybe it was the janitor coming to check on things.
“What are you doing here?” a voice asked.
I jerked around to see Uri. “I should ask you the same thing. Didn’t the sheriff ask you to come to the station?”
“I stopped here to pick something up first,” he said, eyeing me suspiciously.
“If you mean the book, you’re too late,” I said. “Sheriff Nash has it.”
Panic streaked across Uri’s features.
“You’re already a vampire, Uri,” I said. “Why would you need a book on transitioning to become one?”
“It was for a class assignment,” he stuttered. He was a far cry from the smooth stylings of Alec Hale.
I sighed softly. “You’re not a very good liar, Uri. I’m surprised you managed to hide your relationship with Fleur for as long as you did.” His fangs popped out and I jumped back a step. “Whoa. Are you threatening me? Because that is not a good idea.”
His fangs retracted and his brow creased. “I…I don’t know.”
Fangs or not, I was pretty sure I could take him—unless he had crazy vampire strength. I really needed A Beginner’s Guide To Crazy Crap I Didn’t Know Existed.
“You don’t want to hurt anyone else, Uri,” I said. “I can tell you feel awful about what happened to Fleur.”
He blinked. “Hurt anyone else?” He slapped his hands over his face. “You don’t understand. I didn’t poison Fleur. She took the hemlock herself.”
A wave of understanding crashed over me. Of course she did. Now it all made sense. My emotions shifted between sympathy and anger.
"I know what happened, Uri," I said, as softly as a New Jersey woman could manage—my tone landed somewhere between a DMV employee and a Real Housewife at a drunken dinner party.
He fanned the fingers that were covering his face and peered at me through the gaps. "You do?"
“I think so. Should I run it past you?”
“Yeah.” He slid down the wall to sit on the floor.
Instead of continuing to tower over him, I moved to sit beside him. There was no need to intimidate him, not now.
“You loved her very much, didn't you?" I tried my best to rub the hard edges from my tone.
Tears began streaming down his cheeks. "Of course I did. She was the blood in my veins.”
I wondered whether he meant literally or figuratively. It was hard to know with a vampire.
“I wanted us to be together for eternity."
"And she wanted that, too?” I queried.
He nodded emphatically. "It was her idea to become a vampire. She knew how much Iris cared about her, so she figured the only way out of being the Maiden was to stop being a witch and become a vampire. Then we’d be free to follow our own path.”
“Did you know that Iris saw you together in the greenhouse?” I
asked.
Uri nodded. “That’s when Fleur made the decision. She knew that if violating the Maiden pact wasn’t enough to disqualify her, she’d need to do something more extreme.”
“Was she conflicted about it at all?” I asked. “Did she hate being a witch that much?”
He sniffed. “She didn’t hate being a witch at all, but she never wanted to be the Maiden. She felt obligated because it’s such a big honor. Really, she wanted us to be together more than anything.” He sighed. “And I wanted that, too.”
“You didn’t seek help from anyone with transition experience?”
“It’s illegal except in special cases. She was sure that we could manage the transformation together. She stole the book from the library and we studied it from cover to cover. Fleur had so much left to give.” His voice cracked.
That much was true. Whatever her flaws, the Maiden was a witch with a bright future. But no more. Love had a way of wrecking the most solid plans. I knew that all too well. Although I wouldn't trade Marley for anything in the world, in a way, the birth of a new life signaled the death of my old one.
"Did you steal the hemlock for her?” I asked.
"No, she took it from coven headquarters when she and Iris were there to prepare for a ceremony. She got everything herself, except the vampire blood she needed. I gave that to her. We agreed to meet in the woods, where no one would accidentally find us. She wanted me there when she woke up." His shoulders began to shake as his crying intensified. "But she never did. We never should have tried to do it on our own."
Or at all. But I didn’t want to argue with him in his current state.
"Uri, why didn't you just tell everyone this when it first happened? You could've saved people a lot of grief."
"Because I knew that it would be my fault," he said. "They can't blame her because she's dead, so the witches would come after me. After all, I’m the wayward vampire that corrupted their beloved Maiden. Wouldn't you want to prosecute me?"
He made a good point. The coven was definitely inclined to blame him under the circumstances. She’d been the perfect embodiment of a young Silver Moon coven witch until Uri caught her innocent eye. And now she was dead.
"What about Victorine Del Bianco?" I asked. "Will the vampire coven support you?"
Uri wiped away his tears. "I don't know. I guess I'll have to ask now that my secret is out." He cast a sidelong glance at me. "How did you figure it out?"
"When I stopped using my head, and started using…other parts of my body,” I replied. "After that, it was obvious."
He gazed at me with a mixture of disappointment and admiration. "You really are a Rose, aren't you?"
I had no idea what that meant, but I decided to take it as a compliment.
"I suppose I am."
The sound of skidding footsteps caught us off guard. Uri and I glanced up to see Sheriff Nash racing toward us.
“Rose, are you hurt?” he asked, sliding across the floor on his knees to get to us faster.
Uri and I exchanged bemused glances.
“Do I look hurt?” I asked.
The sheriff blinked. “No.” He noticed Uri’s tears. “You’re crying.” He shot me an accusatory look. “What did you do to him?”
I gave an exasperated huff. “One second you’re worried that he’s attacked me and now you’re worried I’ve attacked him?” I narrowed my eyes. “Make up your mind, Sheriff.”
“I don’t know, Rose. You’ve confused me.”
“We’re having a little talk,” I said. “Uri has some important information for you and it isn’t necessarily what you think.” I helped Uri to his feet. “You don’t need to be afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, Uri. Tell the sheriff what really happened. Fleur wouldn’t want you to be held responsible for this.”
Sheriff Nash’s gaze shifted from me to Uri. “Miss Rose is right. Let us help you.”
Uri nodded and proceeded to tell the sheriff everything.
Chapter Twenty
Mr. Hale’s melodic voice cut through the quiet of the office. “Miss Rose, I’m surprised to see you here.”
I hadn’t even heard him approach my desk. For a vampire, he moved like a ghost. Or a predator. Hmm. Let’s go with ghost. A ghost was less likely to rip out my vocal chords with fangs.
“Now that Fleur’s death has been solved, I was finishing my article. I figured I owed you that much before you kicked me to the curb.”
“It’s a rather poetic story, isn’t it?” Mr. Hale said. “Risking one’s life in the name of love.”
“A young girl died before she had a chance to really live,” I said. “I’d hardly call that poetic. In my experience, it’s never smart to change who you are for anyone.”
He surprised me by taking the empty seat beside me. Was he trying to get close to check my veins for potency? I wondered what his position was on varicose veins. To the human eye, they were highly unattractive, but maybe they were a hot commodity in a vampire’s world.
“You’re not much of a romantic, are you?” he asked.
“I haven’t seen much in the world to suggest I should be.”
He adjusted his cufflinks. “You’re still so young and much of the world has been closed to you until now.”
“What? You mean Starry Hollow and magic?”
He gave a crisp nod. “I would think you’d find it all rather enchanting.”
“It’s been an eye-opener, that’s for sure. Maybe if I were some dreamy-eyed Podunk from Knights-in-Shining-Armor Town, I’d feel more…enchanted.”
His sensual mouth formed a thin line. “Knights-in-Shining-Armor Town? Isn’t that adjacent to Happily-Ever-Afterville?”
My brow lifted. “A sense of humor, Mr. Hale? And here I thought the centuries of immortal angst had eroded it from your system.”
“So you do know big words,” he said. “Perhaps try using one or two of them in your writing next time.”
My ears perked up. “Next time?”
He gave me an amused look. “Unless you were planning to seek other employment.”
“You’re not firing me?” I pressed my lips together. “Is this because of my aunt…?”
He waved me off. “Not at all. Yes, you made an egregious error and I was…less than pleased with you. However, you’ve shown yourself to possess many of the qualities we look for in a journalist. You’ve proven yourself to be tenacious, resourceful, and—dare I say it—intelligent.”
I straightened in my chair. Wow. High praise, indeed. “Thanks. I don’t think I’ve heard that many complimentary adjectives since I walked by the construction site on Ferry Avenue at lunchtime.”
He allowed himself a small smile. “You’re so unlike the rest of your family.”
“And you’re surprised because…? I didn’t grow up with a Silver Moon spoon in my mouth, remember?”
“And you have your mother’s coloring, as well as her attitude,” he said softly. “I’m sure that ruffles the end of your aunt’s broomstick.”
Wait. What? “You knew my mother?”
His green eyes widened slightly. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I have?”
“It…It just never occurred to me. You’re a turned vampire, right? Not like Uri.”
He sniffed. “Yes, turned, of course.”
Ah, a pecking order even among vampires.
“How old are you exactly?” I asked.
“A gentlemanly vampire never reveals his true age.”
“Really? I thought vampires were all about throwing their ages around. Like measuring their…”
He cleared his throat. “As I said, a gentlemanly vampire…”
Right. “So you knew my mother.”
“Mmm.”
“Were you two ever an item?” Please say no. Please say no.
“No.”
Phew.
“She and your father were destined for each other,” he said. “It was clear to everyone who knew them.” He gave me a wry smile. “So it’s interesting to me that two roma
ntics like your parents could produce…you.”
“Well, in case it’s escaped your memory, one of my parents died when I was a baby and the other one was left to raise me alone, so not sure that the destined-for-each-other thing worked out in the end.”
He studied me for a moment—so closely that I felt his breath warm on my neck. My pulse picked up the pace and I hoped like hell his vampire hearing didn’t detect the rapid beat of my heart.
Finally, he clucked his tongue. “So cynical, Ember Rose. Perhaps Starry Hollow will cure what ails you.”
I bristled. “Nothing ails me, thank you very much.”
He met my firm gaze. “Apologies. Offending you was not my intent.”
“That’s quite all right, Alec,” I said, and caught the flicker of surprise in his eyes. No more Mr. Hale. From now on, he was Alec to me and he was going to like it.
“I’ve written a story on Fleur, as well,” he said. “I took it over from Bentley.”
“Why? I thought you assigned it to me.”
“And I wasn’t certain what the outcome would be.” He placed the papers on the desk in front of me. “Would you like to read it and decide which one is best to use? No pressure to use mine, of course.”
Now it was my turn to show surprise. “Me? Why would I know which one is best? You’re the big deal editor.”
“Isn’t it obvious? You have gotten to know Fleur better than anyone in this office. You asked the right questions and elicited the right answers from your interview subjects.” He placed a strong hand on my arm and the effect was nothing short of electric. “I think you might make a fine journalist one day, given the proper training.”
“I think so, too,” I said, trying my best to sound confident.
“Not to mention your continued employment here will exacerbate the sheriff’s persistent foul mood,” he added with a mischievous grin.
“You two really dislike each other, don’t you?”
He gave a modest shrug. “Werewolves and vampires have never been the best of friends under any circumstances.”
“Well, you’re in good company because he doesn’t seem to care for my family very much either.”
Spellbinding Starters Page 72
